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!

I fucking HATE family fun day!!!!! [tired]

oh dear. what happened?

Politics of sport, poorly asd child, mother in one of those moods. Not enough sleep/caffine/pain killers kinda days... You know the ones where you start the night before thinking it will be a nice fun day and by the end of it wish you had just gone into hiding and left everyone to it to enjoy peace quiet and a good book.

I am just coming out of a long batch of insomnia issues. I am probably just over tired and grumpy. But I swear saturdays are supposed to be for ignoring people. The fat fairy can shove her family fun days somewhere terribly uncomfortable. I'll take my technology day/ignoring people approach all the way.

Hello all,

I am returning after a long period. I tried to work the Fly Lady method before when my daughter was tiny and failed epically. But having just spent most of my DH's time off not getting much done and generally despairing about the state of the house I decided it's time to try again.

Thanks for hosting Slingclutter.

< tiptoes in to proffer to bitchy >

How did your dd's cooking go SC ? (We're cheating and have ordered a Chinese!)

Welcome Rollermum, hope you enjoy the thread

. Been out traipsing round London all day in the company of several hundred other scouts and leaders in a real life version of Monopoly. Tired legs and feet (same for DS) but a great experience. No Flying but I am going to obey the early night babystep.

Hello Faffer

mini very helpful children. Mine do not help! You are right to start early.

Yet again I have had to tidy dd's room. However I left it for a very long time this year before marching in with a bin bag. And the cleaner was given strict instructions not to hoover or tidy it since last year so really it has been dd dealing with her sheets and laundry.

So a big black bag of stuff and a big bag of stuff that needs to go elsewhere in the house (like the five pairs of scissors) I've always been sad that dd hates sewing but I suppose it has its advantages that at least I'm not clearing up bits of wool and fabric. Just makeup. [sigh] and hair gel... and endless themed teeshirts and school socks in the wrong places..

The children have been quite active today out and about so that is something. Ds1 has now watched 3 episodes of Glee though. His latest obsession is to sing his way through them. Dh did all the cooking today. And has cleared up too.

dogsbum it is a long in joke with the thread, a dream irrc one of the fledglings had but the tweeness of the site gets to me so she will forever be the fat fairy, rather than fly lady. Clearly we all know she is the fly lady but sometimes I need little stupid things to keep me sane. Gotta love the fat fairy and her flying approach

Deputy Thread Leader reporting for duty .

Hope it all goes ok on Monday, SC.

Massive Flying fail today. Will try again tomorrow .

Have just posted on Feb thread to explain my absence. I have been flying and doing loads of de-cluttering, rather than having fallen off the flying wagon as people might have thought. Wont bother to re-post all that I said but I am pretty pleased with my de-clutter progress but somehow it does seem to have stopped me posting, got into a de-clutter tunnel/furrow that I didn't want to lift my head up out of until the month was over.

Anyway, I'm back on the thread but slightly mourning the motivation that de-clutter month gave me already and worried that I will lose my momentum now that it's over.

I have learned a lot from the idea of setting the timer for 15 mins and seeing how far you get, it has enabled me to start de-cluttering and not constantly avoid it due to the size of the task.

I've even started applying the mentality to my DIY, normally I think that I have to commit to doing a big chunk but I'm trying to take the attitude that even I just do a bit it is still progress and gets me closer to my aims. With that mentality I've created a hook rack for the cellar head this week and removed a knackered skirting board in the bathroom that has needed replacing for ages, so I'm making progress with two jobs that I've made no progress on for ages.

Anyway, I'm starting to sound very smug and annoying so I will sign off for the night and just say that I'm back. I don't think I can cope with reading all of Feb to catch up but I have just read March and hope to jump back into the thread in the next couple of days.

Goodnight all, it's good to be back

Crossposted with your fat fairy comment Bitchy I think I will be calling her that from now on, in my head at least. The twee stuff and religious stuff is hard work on her emails, I'm pretty sure that an omnipotent being wouldn't care how much cleaning anyone on the planet did or didn't do!.... No doubt the fat fairy would tell me that I'm wrong about that though!

March already!
I need to finally get a grip this month!
Hope everyone is well? I completely fell off the thread last month.
Going back to the baby steps properly this month!

Hello! Please can I join you all?

I was on for a few months last year (under a different name - this one is brand new!) but fell off it, and went right back to basics for a while.

But even more need to be organised now - we are homeschooling! :)

Hope you don't mind if I tag along - will most likely not do much official Flying for a while but I would really appreciate the mutual support, list-sharing etc

Welcome, PegLeg . There are several homeschoolers on this thread, including me.

And welcome to Faffertime too .

Welcome back to ellie, Rollermum, Castle and dogsbum (well done on all that decluttering). No falling off the thread again this month, please .

Swan - well done on tackling DD's bedroom. You have reminded me that I need to venture up to DS1's bedroom with a bin bag tomorrow.

WhoKnows - sounds like an exhausting, but enjoyable, day.

Grey - trip to the zoo and Chinese for dinner - sounds like a lovely day. I'm increasingly in favour of takeways because I'm fed up with cooking and washing up: we had fish and chips from our new chippie today. I think it might become a regular weekend treat.

Bitchy - like the new name. But sorry you've had a rubbish day . Hope you get some much-needed sleep tonight.

Minisok - am impressed by your quick tidy up with DS's help. It's amazing how much difference just 15 minutes' Flying can make.

DS1 has just arrived for a chat, so have to sign off, with apologies to all those not mentioned yet...

Thanks toffee :) nice to see so many familiar names!

AAARGH can't sleep! Been awake since around 4 which is odd considering I'm back on amitriptyline (headaches) and it has a sedative effect! I didn't even have any caffeine - have been trying to avoid as much as possible.

Got to get up by 8 to receive Tesco delivery and have promised DH a much needed lie in. Really want to make a dent in some housework too.

So I'm tired and grumpy, great start to the month eh? :o

welcome back Castle and waves also too Dogsbum and Pegleg

I've been up with two yr old DS since 5:30, DH did it yesterday so I could sleep and now it's my turn.

To Do
Breakfast for DS and I
Fold and put away yesterday's dry laundry
Wash baking trays
Cat litter trays
Dishwasher
Wash load
Change bed sheets (I suppose I should wait for DH to get up first)
Sync up calendar and diaries and put on a whole bunch of dates with stuff happening
Food shop (hopefully online)
List more stuff on eBay
Renew my spirit with the aid of my sewing machine

But first, lots of and Wolf Hall on my kindle. I shall leave coffee and croissants on the bar for the rest of you, BBL.

Morning everyone

Have read new thread but forgotten already.
Loving Fat Fairy!
Welcome newbies and returnies. Felt guilty last month not posting much, will do better.

Done

Breakfast me and Dd.
Washing on, will hang outside today.

To Do
Washing up from last night
Finish tesco shop
Cuddles for Ds has another cold - hoping asthma won't play up.
Write to do list for next week

Didn't realise their was a list of zones for each month, very useful.

Hoping everyone has a good day, hiding if necessary.
Back later

Morning!

to do:

helping DD with homework
cat litter tray
empty recycling bins
clothes wash
planning for work
eat properly
declutter 15mins

Swan & toffee. They are not normally this helpful. But I am trying to slowly get them to see how much more time I can have with them if we keep things tidier. Turning the TV off more probably helps - certainly less distracting if it goes off when we start tidying and it only goes back on once tidying is done. Quite an incentive when they want to watch something in particular.

I have one space in the house this week which I am proud of. It's only the landing, and then only the very top of the stairs. But the book shelf is dusted and tidy plus the perpetual pile of washing is being taken down on a very regular basis to the laundry baskets.

I know today is renew your spirit day. But realistically in a family with 4 young children, there are always more pressing jobs to be done. So I shall take some time to have a long bath this evening once the dc are in bed. I've already had a lie in while dh got up with the kids. And I've told him his plan for us to go shopping today will not happen. My car desperately needs cleaning out as there is so much in it. I can't even get all of us in it at the moment! But it won't be a long job once the dc can be supervised doing something else.

Mini - I agree that 'renew your spirit day' is not very realistic in families with young children, especially four. But it's a good idea to aim for a long bath once bedtimes are over.

Faffer - you have reminded me that it might be time to deal with the litter trays again . I like your reminder to 'eat properly' too.

Morning, Shannara. Sorry your DS isn't well. Hope he gets better soon and there's no sign of asthma (we have a houseful of inhalers and spacers here too).

Sorry for your early awakenings, Peg and Grey .

Note to any home educators here on Twinkl: they have just issued some new planning worksheets for home educators. They include space for 'questions that need answering, interests aroused' and 'memorable achievements, quotes, lightbulb moments'. It's making me feel more efficient just reading them.

Yesterday was a bit of a write-off, so I'm hoping to make a dent in the housework today. Not much spirit renewing going on here, either.

Morning all . New month...new start....abloodygain.

Ta da:-
Cleaned and hoovered living room
Cleaned kitchen
Washing on.

Babysteps.

Trying to get stuff done so we can go to The Deep in Hull this afternoon.

So tired got back to sleep at about 6, had horrible dreams and woke up with epic headache. Thankfully DH had got up with the DCs but as soon as I'd had nurofen I sent him back to bed.

to do
Put all dry clothes away so DH can hang out wet stuff
Wash work stuff so DH can iron it
Book train tickets
Update last month's finances

Anything else, frankly, is a bonus!

Ooh thanks for the heads up toffee - I have joined twinkl but didn't realise about the new sheets!

Thanks for the welcome back Grey, Toffee and Bitchy, will make sure that I don't drop off again.

This morning I've been using the excuse of DP still being in bed trying to catch up on his sleep to sit on the sofa watching tv and playing on the laptop, he's just got up though so excuse gone and I can't claim that I'm being quiet for his benefit and I have to be honest with myself and admit that I'm just lazy at the weekend.

I will do the washing up today but no promises beyond that. Will start back with flying and DIY tomorrow. I might try and do a things to do list today and plan the DIY jobs that I need to do before baby arrives, but at least I can do them sitting on the sofa, so I don't mind that

we've achieved nothing this morning except to order ds1's and dd's birthday presents (with their heated contributions) for March/April handover. They are both getting ipad minis but dd has had to sign a contract to tidy her room more often (specific tasks every week). Neither have lap tops so I suppose it was inevitable. But I fear this is going to lead to further arguments over technology and screen time. Dd said she wants to listen to music on it. Ds said the same. [sigh] Children all chatting nicely to each other though and enjoying family time which is something!

I spoke too soon about dd sewing. She apparently "loves it" and is designing a cushion shaped like a doughnut in school, with sprinkles and she is better at using the sewing machine than most people in her class. She reminded me that last time I used the sewing machine it went on fire True.

Trying to order a sofa too. But not getting anywhere. Got rid of old one 4months ago to make playroom room light and airy and not smell of cat but do not seem to be able to agree on arrangement of telly/playroom with dh. grrr. Want children to enjoy hanging out together and with their friends rather than retreating to their rooms.

Dh has gone off to with ds2 to buy lunch. I need to get dressed