March of the Fledglings 2015

[Slingclutter]

Heartfelt thanks to Whoknows for running the February thread during such a stressful time for her (and to Toffee for helping out.)

If you are strugging with C.H.A.O.S. (can't have anyone over syndrome) and S.T.U.F.F. (something that undermines family fun) then this is the thread where we (loosely) follow the step-by-step Flylady housekeeping system (in our own, unique, relaxed style) with lots of chat, support and and along the way.

Flylady link link here.

This little-and-often system is designed so that you can follow a series of steps and routines each day (which gradually become second nature) in zones of the house which are designated weekly; defining and minimising housework, which in theory should leave you with loads more time to do something more interesting instead!

At the same time it is intended to reduce that panicky "rabbit in headlights" feeling when you are overwhelmed and everything needs doing all at once. No problem if you miss a day or two; just jump right back in and it will all come around next month again!

It's up to you, but we advise not signing up to receive the Flylady e-mails as you will be inundated! All the information you need will be linked here on a daily basis.

From the first of the month, we will be following Flylady's steps and routines using a three-pronged approach (dependent on the stage everyone is at):

1. start or repeat baby steps

1. repeat baby steps + do 15 mins a day decluttering in the current zone

1. reinforce babysteps and do daily missions if you have finished decluttering.

[And if you are really enthusiastic and have finished decluttering - you can go on to detailed deep cleaning in each zone.]

More info here on getting started and on Flying lessons. Here's the launch pad for more experienced fledglings.

Don't be put off by the purple prose and barf-tastic language of the site - the underlying system is sound!

Three key points to keep in mind:
(1)No perfectionism allowed (this is harder than you might imagine!)
(2)You are never behind; just start where you are and anything you do is progress.
(3) It didn't get into a mess overnight - it won't get tidy over night - accept it will take time to get on top of things and you will be happier.

If you are new; then trying to spend 15 mins decluttering daily and doing the babysteps is a good way to start. Some of us (mentioning no names!) can have scary looking lists but don't let that worry you! Do what you can, anything is better then nothing, and don't judge yourself against others.

If all else fails, a brew + the power of three technique + a bit of support on here can work wonders!

Oh and don’t let it put you off if we appear a bit cliquey – some of us have been on here for years – but all lurkers, intermittent returnees, regulars, oldies and newcomers very, very welcome!

to do
Make dr appt
Collect meds
Brownies (remember food contribution)
Practise promise/law with DD (taking hers today! She's so excited!)
Little home ed bits and pieces (going to write a list on paper)
Choose worksheets to print/copy at hwk club on thurs and email them to myself
Buy cheese
Cut up bagels and freeze in bags
Decent lunch (as dinner will be on the run)
Watch Revenge :o
Get cash out to pay CM tomorrow
Have a bath
Two laundry loads washed
Tumble dryer on
Go for a walk to post LEA forms (eeeek I really hope they give us a while before they want to visit )

Ambitious? Moi?

to do continued ()
Build my third lego bird (DCs desperate to help)
Do some fun craft stuff (promised DD)
Get the DCs tidying up for at least half an hour

Right. It's half 8. Off I go. Can somebody please boot me off the sofa?

Are you off the sofa yet Peg ?

More ta das for me:
Dishwasher
Wash load hung up
Changed bedsheets
More stuff listed on eBay

To do
Call plumber
Call someone who can put our TV on the wall so we can get rid of the ugly tv unit and make more space in the lounge
Call sofa cleaning company
Go into town, lots of errands to run

Wing flaps to you all, be back later

Hello! I'm back. DD returned to school yesterday, I was really worried but she got through the day fine and the stomach pains finally went (they were still at the one-and-a-half pain level before school).

Done three loads of washing today and - brace yourselves, ladies - hung some of it outside to dry. Or at least partially dry, before the siren song of the tumble dryer proves irresistible to me. Normally I avoid the dryer because of cost reasons, but recently I have thrown caution to the wind. Life on the edge of the sofa, here.

Peg well done on the new concept idea - I hope you do get to work with it in the future.

Will be back later on tonight, see you then.

Thanks fiz :) first stage is a proper discussion with the person in charge locally and she is insistent that it happens so that's a start :o

grey thank you I did indeed get off the sofa. Not much housework done but did have a lovely walk with DCs in the woods!

Ta da
ds to school
back to bed and sleep

feeling rather rough all the activity of last week has really caught up with me and i feel shocking. Burnout.

Woo yeah! The washing machine is fixed. Was a colour catcher blocking the filter (although in my defence, that wasn't mentioned). So whilst it's irritating that we've had to wait so long, it was a simple thing and the machine is back to business. I'm sure our friends and family will be grateful.

More tidying has been done as a result of engineer coming out - hallway is tidy and everything away. Even the twins bikes made it into the shed!

I have two baskets of ironed clothes to put away, which came back from Inlaws yesterday. So that is this evening's task. Now we've got the clothes mountain away, I don't want to risk it rising up again.

Things to do tomorrow:
Pay preschool fees
Weight watchers meeting
Appointment at makeup counter
Top up makeup supplies now I've found something which works and I like.
Make ds1's costume for delayed world book day celebrations
Find instructions for Pringles tube pinhole camera and find any supplies needed.

Mini what on earth is the Pringles tube camera and why would you need it?!

**

Baby-step no. 18 for Wed 18th March is read Flylady's eleven commandments. (We all grimace at no.10 but most of them are sound!)

We are in Zone 3 this week: the bathroom and one extra room, March 15-21.

If you want to, you can declutter 15 mins a day in this zone!

The detailed cleaning list (if you are at that stage) for Zone 3 is here.

Wednesday's mission is: here!. In the bathroom: scrub the tub. In the other room: fill a bag or box for charity and if possible, take it out of the house and deliver it straightaway.

The daily focus for Wednesday is:anti-procrastination start the task you have been avoiding most!

The monthly habit for March is the controversial one about getting dressed immediately on rising and wearing lace up shoes indoors etc.

For a summary of the above, see the flight plan : www.flylady.net/c/fp.php?tzm=-120 which should update itself daily.

Keep going everyone!

Evening fledglings and Happy St Patrick's Day!!

Beautiful day here, 16°c and sunny; out with sil. Day of contrasts to say the least: Memlings in the morning, "teddy bear dancing competition" to Sophia Loren's Bing Bang Bong via Youtube with dd this evening and trad Irish tunes in a pub midday! Supper aside, no Flying whatsover, except for the 30 mins I am about to do now!

Bitchy hope you feel better at the end of the day than you did at the beginning.

Poor you Dogsbumhair that virus sounds utterly wretched. Hope you can take the time to recover properly x

Yay to a functioning wm Minisok and well done to you and your dh wrt all the clothes organisation and decluttering!

Well done wrt your productive day Greymalkin (especially when it's achieved on so little sleep).

Good luck with the laundry mountain tomorrow Pegleg and congrats on your county-wide work initiative and another long list!!!

Toffee that is so fab about ds1!! He is doing brilliantly!! Hope ds2 is more cooperative tomorrow!

Fizrim good to hear that your dd is much better now, and lovely drying day here too not that I took advantage of it of course.

See you all tomorrow!!

PS I was very good today and didn't succumb to despite celebrations, so here's a virtual 'slainte' to all Fledglings!!

And a special for Castle if she happens to be lurking!!

Oh, and to Swan !! And anyone else who's been wielding the bodhran!

I don't think you should congratulate me on a long to do list SC - doesn't mean I've achieved it all :o

ta da
Collect meds
Brownies (remember food contribution)
Practise promise/law with DD (she did great - officially a Brownie now!)
Little home ed bits and pieces
Choose worksheets to print at hwk club on thurs and save them to hard drive
Buy cheese
Cut up bagels and freeze in bags
Decent lunch (as dinner will be on the run)
Get cash out to pay CM tomorrow
Two laundry loads washed
Tumble dryer on
Go for a walk to post LEA forms (eeeek I really hope they give us a while before they want to visit )
Lovely walk in the woods with DCs
Register CM on childcare voucher website
Approach DD's new friend's mum for phone number

It was a stressful day though. DD in an utterly horrific mood again. Really struggling but trying to just let it be while we all adjust.

Bitchy it can be tough to pace yourself sometimes. Take it easy until you feel like yourself again.

Did quite a bit of tidying and laundry today ignores ironing pile but still plenty to go! DD went to her swimming lesson, paid for the next term too. Also did music practice and a bit of reading at home (have been slacking a bit recently!).

Have also done the washing up tonight, trying to keep things up so the following day is not such a catch-up. As others have experienced DH does not always leap into action when I am obviously busy which can be a little frustrating

Far too late to be on MN, but still...

Had a better day with DS2 today. We read children's versions of 'Macbeth' and 'Henry V', which he enjoyed. Embarrassingly (as I did an English degree), I'd forgotten quite how fantastic his stories are . Paced things better - eg. rewarded DS2's concentration on work with sessions of Minecraft - and we had more fun. Suggested Ds2 build the Globe theatre on Minecraft and he jumped at the chance (Minecraft in work time - has to be good).

Out at a posh do with DH this evening. So fun to be somewhere smart and drink champagne. But I'd bought new high-heeled shoes for the event and they were agony. At one point on the journey home, I warned DH that he might have to give me a piggy back (he wasn't keen).

Grey - yes, I suggested that film to DS2, but he's already seen it. Am not against TV as a resource at all - in fact, I should probably be using more of it.

Peg - re DS2's awkward phase: he's pushing boundaries with us at the moment and this is simply another area where he can test us. Also, I worry about him keeping up with school and have been firm with him about doing routine stuff from textbooks daily and I think it just gets boring for him. Luckily, the rest of this week is more varied: we are watching a couple of Shakespeare plays for children and then it's the eclipse on Friday.

Off to bed now. My turn to make tea in the morning (apparently I slept through my turn this morning ).

ta da
have a rant about asd/aspies lack of ability to understand stuff
consider to do list of essential stuff for today

I have just found my laminated copy of the 11 commandments

Laminated, Bitchy?

DS2 in a strop again . Am getting bored with this. Am going to put the books away and get him outside (and sneakily fit in a bug hunt that ties in neatly with our studies of invertebrates ).

Hi everyone

laminated Bitchy!! Shows true dedication to the cause

Dragged myself to volunteering slot this morning. Felt v. tired. Then took sil to airport this afternoon only to have dd come home from school (half day on Wed) and immediately take to her bed. She says she isn't ill, just tired, but she looked very white.

Dh, poor man, is out on a mission, heroically scouring the shops trying to find proper eclipse glasses which have sold out of every single chemist in the quartier.

Done zilch Flying and house is even more of a pit than it was at the beginning of the wk and I have nothing planned for supper, and the fridge only contains complicated combinations of vegetables (salsify and aubergines anyone?) which I don't think I have the energy to prepare right now [she said pathetically] .

How is everyone else? Very quiet on here. Hope somewhat intermittent thread leadership not putting everyone off [worried emoticon].

PegLeg you've achieved loads, despite all of the contingent stresses!!

Hope your dh can be 'persuaded' to Fly a bit more than currently Fizrim!

[Honestly, all these men [anger] Harrumph!]

Good to hear you went to lovely champagne soirée Toffee!! Hate to admit it, but I am too old for heels now [sob]. Sorry ds2 testing you atm but hope he found the bug hunt engaging!

Hope eveyrone else OK. Getting a bit worried about you all!!

I can't believe it is Easter in just over a fortnight . No where near prepared for visitors, holidays etc. It barely seems a minute ago since Christmas!

Should go downstairs and start doing laundry, tidying kitchen, and start peeling veg. In reality, I think I am going to look in the freezer for a ping supper.

Just posting links for tomorrow now, just in case I don't get back on here tonight ... .

Baby-step no. 19 for Thurs 19th March is : a rambling barftastic one about reading Flylady testimonials. Ignore!!

We are in Zone 3 this week: the bathroom and one extra room, March 15-21.

If you want to, you can declutter 15 mins a day in this zone!

The detailed cleaning list (if you are at that stage) for Zone 3 is here.

Thursday's mission is: here! 15 mins binning old cosmetics/scent bottles in bathroom (anything you haven't used in a year basically) and 10 mins decluttering in the other room.

The daily focus for Thursday is: errand day butcher, baker, candlestick maker etc.

The monthly habit for March is the controversial one about getting dressed immediately on rising and wearing lace up shoes indoors etc.

For a summary of the above, see the flight plan : www.flylady.net/c/fp.php?tzm=-120 which should update itself daily.

Well done for getting half way through the week everyone!

Flying? What's that?

Thank you Blue [quaffs gratefully]

Hope the work is progressing well. Sounds as though you have a ton of it.

Thanks for , Blue!

I also have a mountain of work keeping me from Flying (and virtually everything else too, although I did treat myself to a trip to the cinema yesterday evening) but am lurking so that I don't lose track completely.

Great to see you Linzer!!

How is the Kondo-ing going?

Ahh, more - thanks SC! The Kondoing has come to a complete standstill, along with everything else not work-related. Am really looking forward to the break over Easter - I was feeling slightly homesick (very unusual for me) so we've booked a spur-of-the-moment trip back to the UK to visit my parents.

Leaving it till the last minute has made finding an affordable hotel at/near the airport rather difficult, however, so we're having to fork out far more than usual. If only my parents lived somewhere near London, where we'd have the luxury of four flights a day with BA alone from our nearest (30 minutes away) airport. Instead, we have to drive to Slovakia to catch one of three flights a week, the outbound one landing just before midnight. And my parents are still a 3.5 hour train journey (if we're lucky and there are no delays) from the airport. I'm now remembering why I don't go back more often.

Crikey, that journey does sound extremely tortuous Linzer! I'm sure it will be worth it though in the end. Funnily enough, I am feeling very home sick atm too. Think it is something to do with green fields and spring ... .

Was hoping to speak to dh about Easter holidays this evening. But my sister rang during the only 10 min gap when it was possible to speak to him alone today, and now he's gone to bed. He did manage to find the eclipse glasses in the end though so I shouldn't complain.

G'night all.

Had a good day - spent most of afternoon with ds2 running around outside at a meetup. The most beautiful day - haze of spring imperceptibly over everything
Did driving
Did population pyramids
A bit of SEN related admin chasing

House still an utter tip though. I am getting better at scarpering and leaving it though

Also went to Parent's Meeting for Ds1. Tiring emotional but I came back in an unaccountably good mood.

toffee courage over the stroppy Pre-teen. It is a new and frightening stage. Independence aka refusing to do "what grownups want". I would just declare a spring amnesty and see what comes of it for a week or two. You might find he asks to do specific things which interest him most (not screen) but then you can build on that. Ds2 is very resistant to my brilliant plans and always starts a new "lesson" on something quite different. Today we ended up finding up about safety procedures in the Channel Tunnel when we trying to do Migration in Europe. Still, all very interesting I am sure.