Let April Spring Cleaning with the Fledglings commence (hopefully Dogsbum wont turn it into too much of a shower....)

[Dogsbumhair]

The fledglings is a long running thread based on the Flylady cleaning/tidying principles. Personally I’m a newbie with only a couple of months flying under my belt but some members of the group have been on the thread for a number of years, so the thread is a mixed group of more and less experienced fledglings. I have found myself to be very warmly received as a newbie so please don’t be scared to join the gang.

Flylady link link here.

The system initially seems quite confusing so my advice as a fellow newbie would be to just go with it and accept that you will probably feel a bit confused for the first couple of weeks and then it will start to come together and make more sense.

The basic principles are (very) loosely as follows:

1. No perfectionism allowed (it is your enemy and it is stopping you getting anything done)
2. Little and often is the way to go (your house didn’t get in a mess in a day, it wont get sorted in one)
3. You are never behind, just jump in where you are (We are in a different zone of the house each week and all the house zones come round once a month, so all the tasks will come round again soon)
4. The point of this system is that by doing little and often your life isn’t dominated by housework and you have more time to do the fun things that you’d much prefer to be doing

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.

Later on today I will be posting up the links and information for tomorrow’s tasks

The advice from the wise and experienced members of the group is not to subscribe to the emails, but I have to confess that as a foolish newbie I do receive them I have learnt to ruthlessly bin anything beyond the actual flying tasks though.

Hopefully I haven’t missed anything too important off this introduction, but I’m sure someone more experienced will pop up to supplement this information if I have.

Good luck and happy flying through April!……………..

Toffee I think what really baffles me about the post it notes is that you have just polished your bathroom mirror and shined your sink so they look good and then you go and make them look ugly and messy again by sticking post it notes on them....... I get that it might aid your memory but what is the point if you've just made things look untidy again?!?!..... I'm officially confused

And this is why most of us ignore that babystep, well that and we fear that other people might fear for our sanity

It was probably filmed with a gopro camera type thing, It is a hands free camera system.

Sorry didn't meant to be short in that last post. Tired grumpy and need sleep but can't sleep. It is bit of a vicious circle atm.

DH would think I had totally lost the plot if I started putting post it notes round the house. Or... He would interpret it as me leaving big passive aggressive hints about what housework needs to be done!

Weather depending, we are planning to take DS to a Thomas the Tank themed railway family day

But first a need some 'Bitchy-Special-Brew', (I'll leave some on the bar)

Hi everyone,
Today's aim is laundry, laundry and more laundry! Got lots of clean clothes to put away (some have been hanging around for weeks days), and loads of washing to do so will need to hang out and tumble dry in varying amounts. Will ask DH to finish the washing up after work - might do a bit myself now if not too dizzy - and he usually irons his work stuff on Saturday nights (rock 'n' roll lifestyle!) although we all need a bath too. But I really want to get all the 'maintenance' type stuff done today so that we can spend Sun/Mon really attacking the clutter (erm, and having some nice family time too, I guess )

All this seems slightly less achievable as I have epic period pain this morning :(

Feathery waves and

Morning all,
I'm still in bed , having had a very uncomfy night with DS. He slept in with me and was actually fine but wriggled a lot and this bed is very uncomfy at the best of times, I get leg and backache in it.

I have been overtaken in the Easter namechange comp so I think that little issue has solved itself.

Grey- is that the Watercress Line? We used to go to that when the DCs were younger, a lovely day out (it's quite near us).

Just catching up - BlueEyeshadow since you ask, I'm in Sussex :o

And Grey yes I am still a tad broody...

I have actually achieved stuff so far today - second wash is on, put lots of the clothes away, did about half the washing up. Having a rest now.

(Still catching up with the thread!)

Yes just confirming I was indeed PegLeg last month, but just didn't get along with the name. Don't worry Dogs I really love my new name so not planning to change again!

I was on the Flying threads for several months last year under my long standing name, but I'm not linking that one to these as I really should leave it behind. So y'all can call me Captain/Cap'n or whatever (I would suggest CS but that might get confusing with SC!) :o :o

Hello all!

Hello fledglings! Hope everyone enjoying their Easter breaks so far!

Computer back from technician but set up all different so only posting briefly as need to sort it out.

Plus in the middle of trying to sort out disastrous Easter weekend plans which have to be put on hold because dd still ill. (I have mild version of bug but am up and about, where as she is in bed with a temp coughing for England. It looked as though she was much better last night which has added to the confusion.) Very disappointing all round not to be seeing our friends but we told them they were still very welcome (but obviously warned them about germs) and they chose not to come. Dh very tight lipped and stressed because he absolutely hates letting people down and I feel very badly about it too. And still have to find next lot of extra visitors who are meant to be joining us for lunch tomorrow but we can't get hold of them!

Not sure what to do about travel plans either now (and expensive plane tickets!). Argggghhhhh!

All of above exacerbated by the fact that the last couple of months have just been a series of let downs and cancellations and changed plans on our part, owing to bereavement and illness. We will be very lucky to still have any friends and family who are speaking to us, at the end of all of this!!

Having said all the above, I really shouldn't be complaining, because dd's blood tests have all come back normal (hurrah!!) so I can breathe a big sigh of relief. Doc just says she is growing fast and she needs some Vit D. Terribly worried now about what the school are going to say... . but ovearll very relieved of course that it is nothing serious!!

In the meantime I am (in a zombie-like state) just carrying on, getting ready for Easter as before, because I am not sure what else to do .

Very glad to hear that ds2 is doing well Engels!!

Hope antibiotics have kicked in Bless and you are feeling better! And that dissertatiion progressing as well as poss.

Whoknows I didn't post but I voted for you from my phone!! I very much wanted you to win the prize too!! I watched old Porterloo do a programme on the telly about the Watercress line recently - was fascinating - how they transported tons and tons of the stuff up to LOndon. I hope your ds is feeling much better today and that you can catch up on sleep tonight!

Hope period pains improve soon CaptainSubtext they can be really miserable! [Hands over furry rabbit hot water bottle] And good luck with Mt Washmore! Oh and hope your ds's speech therapy went well!

Dogsbum very well done with all the links!!!! And totally agree with you about balmy post it notes!! Hope your dp manages to catch up with rest over Easter!

Toffee hope you can catch up with rest over Easter and that your blood test results come back clear too!!

Greymalkin congrats on new hospital job! Sounds really interesting! And well done for under-the-sink decluttering!

Not sure whether to hand over strong caffeine laden to DEM or to take it away! But hope you manage to catch up on sleep soon!

Moonwatching well done re cupboard declutteration!

Strawberry hope your dd has been a bit less demanding over the past couple of days and allowed you a bit of 'me' time!

Hope you are enjoying your holiday away Swan

Big waves to Mercury (lovely to have you back for the holidays!) Fizrim Pushme Ellie Feetheart Nicknacks Honue and everyone else I've missed!

Dh is back (looking stressed again) and I need to go and work out how to use the new tumble dryer which looks like a part that has dropped off a space rocket.

Wishing eveyrone a very restful and peaceful Easter weekend!!!!

And to all Fledlgings because when I started writing this post I felt really stressed and grumpy, and now I have caught up with everyone, I feel a heck of a lot cheerier!!

Actually, that wasn't brief at all (again!) was it ???

And I think that should have been 'barmy' not 'balmy'!!

Aww SC glad you are feeling cheered by the thread! I have just fully caught up myself and feel similarly buoyed.

Feeling a bit better now thanks, just getting little bits done in between lazing about with my little boy while his sister is at a sleepover :o and his speech therapy assessment went BRILLIANTLY thank you! I was so pleased - he had the standard assessment which he does every six months or so and the improvement since last time was utterly remarkable. Virtually no errors (and only subtle ones) compared to last time when the majority were very wrong. Therapist was most impressed and actually agreed that home ed has probably contributed to the improvement due to increased one on one time. He's got another few sessions coming up so feeling really good about it :)

Right I think the second wash might have finished so off to shove that in the dryer and get another load in. Then I might clear out my work bag, as I've already done my wallet.

Captain - that's fantastic news about your DS's improvements in speech. I agree that home ed will have contributed hugely to this, as he is obviously getting far more individual attention.

SC - good news about the blood-test results, but perplexing for you that there is no easy solution to your DD's illnesses. It sounds as if the poor girl is just really run down. I'm sorry you've had to cancel your visitors as a result, but there's nothing else you could have done in the circumstances. Good luck sorting out all the other visits. And I hope DD feels better soon.

WhoKnows - nooo! I wanted you to win. Are we allowed to vote more than once?

Grey - hope the Thomas-themed day is a success.

Dark - the thing that really impressed me about that terrifying video is that the man filming it wasn't bothering to hook himself onto the wire, unlike the people he passed as he was filming. I can't imagine being so calm about walking along such a perilous walkway. And I'm sorry to say that the man died a few years later, whilst climbing .

Dogsbum - ha ha! Yes, you're right about the post-it notes making everything look messy again. Hadn't thought of that, but it does rather make the cleaning pointless.

DH has gone up to London for the day to meet friends and I'm getting loads done. I'm not sure why I get more done when he's not here . Anyway, am drinking coffee to stay awake and tackling laundry and ironing. Am very concerned to see all the holes in my tee-shirts. We have moths and I'm worried that they are causing the holes. How do I know? I have a moth-repellent thing hanging up in my wardrobe, but maybe it's not doing its job. Am intending to clear out the wardrobe today, but am afraid of what I might find.

Have also done some online shopping . Have a couple of birthday parties coming up and need something new to wear. Have absolutely no idea what to get, so I have just bought some new jeans and a tee-shirt so far, which wasn't what I meant to get at all. The more I browse online, the more confused I get...

Right, need to get back to tidying the bedroom and clearing out the wardrobe now.

You can only vote once. You've reminded me Toffee, we're going to a wedding on Sat and I have no idea what I'm going to wear, hmm, need to sort that out.

Hi everyone not had a chance to check back on the thread and read everyone's comments.

Please, please can you tell me how to keep motivated.

We had a big family dinner for DHs birthday last night and I can't face cleaning the aftermath today. He left for his work trip this morning (it will be his birthday while he's away) and DD has been out since lunchtime with my DM. I have had plenty chance but instead have been watching recipe videos on YouTube.

I really, really want to make flylady work for me but I feel so overwhelmed.

Evening all,

Hope everyone has had a lovely day. Sorry to hear that your dd is poorly SC. And sorry to hear that you are struggling with motivation Strawberry. The main thing for me is not getting overwhelmed and trying to do everything at once. Just aim to achieve one small thing each day. The feeling of success is quite addictive and you often find yourself doing an extra job!

Ta Das

Hoovered downstairs
Finished all the washing - currently drying in conservatory so will need to put it away tomorrow buries head in sand about the sheer quantity
Painted new internal doors
De-cobwebbed conservatory
Cleaned conservatory windows
Put all craft stuff back in boxes that are now clean!
Ordered top soil and gravel for garden
Taken kayaks to the beach for the summer
Given pallets to friends - front garden nearly looks nice now!
Cleaned downstairs bathroom
Cleaned kitchen

To Dos

Collapse in a heap and enjoy doing nothing in front of the TV!

Power of 3. Short sharp lists of easy things. Aim to do them then add 3 more. Helps narrow field of vision and aids with focus and motivation. The bigger picture is terrifying and demoralising a lot of the time, but short small jobs are less intimidating.

Ds was up wanting the computer at 7:30am. He was told to go away. We have been out most of the day for his training, now shattered and drained. Still have to get ds into bed, and showered first. Tomo is going to be a busy day with a lot to do plus need to be out of the house by about 9am. Urgh, worst of it is that it was my idea to do stuff so early. So very much looking forwards to a lie in on Monday!

Right, here we go again…….

Baby-step no. 5 for Sun 5th April is here

Baby steps seem to be getting a bit weird for me at this point, may be someone else has tried this one and can say if it was helpful?

We are in Zone 1 The Entrance, Porch and Dining Room for the rest of this week: here

If you want to, you can declutter for 15 mins a day in Zone 1!

The detailed cleaning list (if you are at that stage) for Zone 1 is here

There are no missions at the weekend.

The daily focus for Sunday is: Renew your spirit

The monthly habit for April is making your bed

For a summary of the above, see the flight plan: here

Happy flying…..

I've read through today's posts but we're just about to watch a DVD (Imitation Game) so I probably wont get around to doing any personals until tomorrow. I enjoyed catching up on everyone's news though.

Until tomorrow.....

strawberry - don't despair. I think most of us on this thread are familiar with that feeling of inertia. I just get very, very bored by housework and tidying up and fed up with what a bloody thankless task it is. Flylady helps because it breaks it down into little chunks and helps prevent that panicky feeling.

I did actually achieve quite a lot today (strawberry - avert your eyes. This list is not typical of me, I promise you). It had something to do with DH going out for the day and me ignoring the children .

ta da

Ironing (a very rare event in the Toffee household)
Put away ironed clothes (even more rare)
Tidied 'master bedroom' (last time I did this, I found £100 in cash, so have decided it's worth doing regularly )
Tidied up all DH's leads (all over the floor, usually)
Attempted to sort out my wardrobe, but it's a huge job, so just made it look tidier
Hoovered upstairs
Mopped bathroom floor and wooden floors upstairs
Polished knobs (used to be a weekly event, but times have changed )
Wiped front door
Hoovered and mopped hall floor
Cleared out litter trays
Cleaned dishwasher
Ready meals for dinner
No wine tonight, so drank water
DS2's bedtime
Watched 'The Good Wife'
Made hot chocolate for DS1

DH came home and grumbled that his leads had gone. I gave him his bloody leads and pointed out that the bedroom had been tidied. He did then remark that it looked much better. See? Thankless task.

Hmm. Might need to do some more online shopping...

Evenin' all! Day ended a lot more relaxed and happier than it started I'm glad to say.

Strawberry yy to trying not to despair (although easier said than done sometimes!) All of us on here experience highs and lows and sometimes more of the latter than the former. So don't be hard on yourself about that, it is completely normal. And as Toffee says, housework is, by its very nature, boring and unappreciated. When I am really struggling, I use the power of 3, or the power of 1, or if that fails, the power of a half, a third or a quarter (I'm not kidding!) Anything is better than nothing! (Or similarly set timer for 15 mins and just keep going until it rings.)

As Bitchy says its about focusing on one little part of one little job and not getting distracted by the whole ie how do you eat an elephant? In very small bites!! And I don't think it is an altogether bad idea to use the time when you are child-free to relax a bit! We all need a bit of space in which to doss around occasionally! So don't feel guilty about that either (ie see tomorrow's baby step and banish those negative thoughts!!) Good luck!!

CaptainSubtext that is absolutely brilliant news about the speech therapy! Many congratulations to your ds and his fab home tutor for all of their sterling efforts!!

Toffee Threeislovely and others - thanks for kind words about dd. I am more inclined to rule out psychological cause now because we had all sorts of lovely things planned for this weekend, many of which at her instigation/suggestion (seeing her visiting friend for example) which she has been too ill to do today. (She was crying with disappointment at one stage!) However, I think where school does take it out of her, is studying in two langs not her own; it does take a lot of effort and concentration -even for a casual conversation in the playground - never mind formal learning. I find it energy sapping and I am not doing it for six hrs a day. (Although having said that, at least 70% of her classmates do the same thing and manage fine!!) It could just be, as doc pointed out, she is growing like a weed!! So I am going to have to manage eating/sleeping/hwk/exercise/fun very carefully next term and try and aim for a healthy balance and try and keep overall stress levels down as much as poss.

Toffee As ever, very glad to see knob polishing on your humungous list!! it is wierd isn't it? I am exactly the same! Get precisely three times as much done when dh is away than when he is here. (Very strange because when he is here he is constantly working and not really engaged in what is going on around him; it's just his very presence looms large somehow and is quite distracting!! )

Do you think the holes in your washing could be caused by wm not moths btw? I had two lovely new cardies that came out of the wm with three little holes in each! I was really upset. I read an explanation about it somewhere on Mumsnet but have forgotten what caused it (I hand wash now!!) ... will try and find ... .

Ditto re: the early start tomorrow DEM will be with you in spirit! (And very grumpy to boot!!)

Threeislovely I hope to get to the point one day when "all the washing" has been finished!! (Never seem to get there, despite there only being 3 of us!!) Well done re: your list!!

Good luck with clothes shopping ¨Toffee and Whoknows!!

Big waves to eveyrone else!

G'night!!

Oh thanks everyone, I'm really pleased with how much his speech is improving. It was one of the big factors in our decision to home ed, he was falling further and further behind and I found out his classmates were teasing him - no wonder he didn't have the confidence to speak.

Managed to do a lot yesterday - I think I put the washing machine on 5 times! Also did a bit of general tidying, put loads of DVDs away etc. Just got to hang out the bras I washed, finish putting the last few clothes (and the newly tumble dried stuff) away, and finish cleaning out my bag.

I didn't get those last few things done because at about 10.30 I realised we hadn't set up the Easter egg hunt! Oops. It went well though, even managed to sneak some code breaking and maths in there :o

I totally understand the inertia too, yesterday was very unusual for me!

DH finished the washing up and did the ironing yesterday too, I haven't broken the news to DH that I want to actually get a lot done as well as relax though!

So tired this morning that I accidentally argeed to letting ds have ice cream for breakfast

Dark - DS must think you are the best mum ever .

MIL is coming round for Easter lunch today. Must write a 'to do' list and get moving.

Happy Easter fledglings!