Autumn leaves flutter as October Fledglings Fly!

[standclear]

Welcome to the October 2015 Fledgling Flying thread!

Park your broomsticks and cauldrons here!! Or is that just me ?

This is where, from the 1st of the month, we attempt to declutter and follow the 30-step wisdom of Flylady (minus cutesy language and a surfeit of e-mails) with lots of chat and support and mutual motivation (and of course) along the way.

More info available here and here and here.

As usual we will be following a three-pronged approach - and don't worry - we are all at different stages. (Some of us are still stuck at the decluttering stage after quite a few years ):

• repeat or start baby steps (again!)

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

or

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

And those of you who have decluttered and are really enthusiastic can throw some detailed cleaning in to the mix as well!

The idea is that we focus on short, ring-fenced, daily steps and routines that will help our homes run (more or less!) on "automatic pilot" allowing us to do far more interesting things instead!

This is a very long-running thread so we may appear cliquey but we really aren't! All newcomers, long-termers, lurkers and intermittent returnees not only welcome to join in but positively encouraged to do so!

Helpful pointers: No perfectionism allowed! If it took a while to create the current C.H.A.O.S. (can't have anyone over syndrome) in your home, then it will probably take a while to reverse the situation (you can't clean clutter!). Small steps are the key! And you are never behind: just jump in where you are at!

Any questions, don't hesitate to ask!

Good luck!

Knitting how do you do the turmeric rice please? Is it literally just sprinkling some in the water when you boil it? DS for some reason refuses to eat white rice and says he only likes yellow rice so it would be worth doing for us!

We're having sausage and mash tonight, but with the mash being mostly butternut squash and sweet potato. Can't wait. Especially as the sausages are in fact the little ones wrapped in bacon. Pigs in blankets are for life, not just for Christmas

Anyway the last hour and a bit has actually flown by, I did about 15mins of tidying, then played piano for a bit, then a bit more tidying.

ta da
DCs to CM for the day
Top-up shop
Wrote some more of a quiz (work thing - I may not be well enough to be there, but dammit it's MY QUIZ!)
Sort out some dirty laundry
Sorted some clean clothes
Put a wash on
Started throwing away random crap mostly from the living room
Put some toys in their boxes
Piano :)
Sorted crockery

Now off to finish watching Cider With Rosie on iplayer with microwaveable lunch. I thought it would be really dull and only decided to watch it as I'm watching all 4 in the recent BBC classic adaptations - I read it in school and remember being distinctly underwhelmed - but actually I'm really enjoying it. There seems to be loads of good telly on at the moment so I should really try to use it as an incentive to get stuff done before I watch.

Hi Fingersmith (always meant to read that, and watch the TV adaptation too!) welcome to the Fledglings and to Mumsnet! You sound far more organised than I am so I reckon you could teach me a thing or two.

I like your plan, I have totally fallen out of a morning routine since we started home ed (mornings were a ridiculous rush so I sympathise) but really should aim to get up and get stuff done earlier. What sports do you like? Hopefully being in London there should be plenty of opportunities. Anyway it'd be great to carve out some time that's just for you. It's so easy to miss that out when you have a home to run and a child to look after but it's vital. :)

Fuzzpig i did reply to you other thread, but i think I responded with the grumps and might have been a tad sharp so appologies for that.

No manflu for me just burnout, tbh I feel pretty shocking. So when I am not in the office I am tucked up in bed doing as little as possible. This is pretty much the plan for at least the rest of the week. Not sure how next week will work out as there is a lot that needs to be done ready for the next big stage of building work but until sunday I am not thinking about it!

I just saw and replied to that Cant, thank you so much and you weren't at all sharp! :)

Sorry you're feeling so run down, hope you can take it easy as planned.

More ta das
Tumble dryer on
Another wash on
Lunch and catch up telly as planned
Washed new filter bottle and remembered to actually drink water
Sorted out a couple of purchase-related things online
Put completed puzzle safely away to avoid losing pieces (it was a present - Wentworth Jigsaws are incredibly gorgeous and scarily expensive)

Off to collect DCs from CM in a bit, will be getting them to tidy up a bit before early (but lazy) dinner and Brownies run

I just want to scream. Or cry. Or both.

There's an hour left of the working day and we haven't exchanged. It's not going to happen, is it?! :(

FFS Blue that sucks :( I have no experience of all this stuff but I REALLY hope it will happen for you.

Oh no blue. It's so ridiculous. You must be beyond raging. Wine for you xxx

We were meant to get the survey back today. Clearly that's not going to happen

The words piss up and brewery spring to mind just now. There's either massive incompetence or deliberate delay, as far as I can see. Every time I speak to anyone, I get a different story......

Sympathies to you both.

Right, DD dropped off at Brownies and thanks to two different lovely parents I got a lift home and DD is getting a lift back after. :)

Now just playing a quick game with DS before continuing with the living room.

for blue

Sorry Blue. What a nightmare.

do you think it is something to do with buyer's money supply -is that why they are delaying because they want the house but cash isn't forthcoming yet? When this is over you can tell the estate agent what you really think of them. Unbelievable.

In limbo here, waiting for the SALT tomorrow, and frantically washing clothes so that the smel of old socks is not too pervasive, as a result house is very damp. Everything quite peaceful so far, but sad to say I'm already feeling a bit odd without dh, tiresome as he is, he appears to do rather a lot of child related chores, so it is noticeable when he is gone. However, I am enjoying the low key meals...

managed to have a nasty little altercation with neighbour over bonfire smoke. She has been burning documents at regular intervals, or something like that...I think she is still very much a 70's woman ( I certainly remember my mother loved her garden bonfires even in London). I get on well with her usually but next door is very dilapidated and run down and the burning of rubbish is the last straw really..she doesn't have a car, and refuses to bag it up as it is important and must be burnt. I offered her my shredder but that just made her snarl..and she said, its not going to kill you, after I said the smoke was drifting into our house even with windows shut. A realy nasty neighbour put a note through our letter box denouncing us for burning the rubbish thinking it was us, but obviously getting the wrong house, and no name or address on top. I didn't even show this to neighbour but clearly it is a very annoying habit to have large smelly bonfires at regular intervals. Anyway I feel bad because she is obviously a vulnerable lady, and moving out soon and feels like she was there long before us, moved t ohouse in the seventies.

sorry for typos, I look v illiterate but typing without glasses.

A very warm welcome to Fingersmith hope that this thread will help to make that difficult transition from expat life to working back in the smoke a little easier! Good luck!

Bloody hell Blue that is totally totally crap. How bloody awful for you. And the rotten cheek of them to piss you about like this!!

[sorry about language - it's been a very long day - more consumed]

Could you try and start to take back control and threaten to put back on market if no progress made by end of week?

Knitting so sorry to hear about the pyromaniac neighbour. But good that she is moving out! We had one of those at home where I grew up. My mother used to despair of her because she would only light up on the hottest and most glorious days of the year. She used to burn green prunings though.

Your supper sounds delicious Fuzzpig!

Big waves to everyone else!

I am on edge atm. Perhaps I'm being a bit pfb but one of guests is currently talking and laughing loud as you like on phone right next to where dd is trying to sleep (literally through double doors so you can hear everything), despite seeing how tired dd was earlier, and the fact that we all get up at 6.30 to make new secondary school run on time and guest not up and about until 9.30/10 am. It's so bloody inconsiderate. DD went to sleep at 9pm and was woken at 9.45 pm and has now been kept awake for an hour! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

*

Well done everyone! You are half way through the Flying month!

Baby-step no. 15 for tomorrow, Wed 15th Oct, is here add bed-making to your routines.

We are in Zone 3 this week: The Bathroom and One Extra Room (October 11 – 17) : here.

Declutter for 15 mins in Zone 3 (or do a mission!) if you want to.

If you are at that stage, the detailed cleaning list for Zone 3 is here.

Thursday's mission can be found here. Put away any clutter that is residing on bathroom surfaces ie cosmetics, medicines, toothbrushes etc.

For the other room: choose a specific spot in Zone 4 that needs a stash and dash clear-out ie one box under bed, one drawer in bedside table.

Thursday's daily focus is: errand day.

The habit for October is: www.flylady.net/d/habits-of-the-month/october/ decluttering paper clutter!

A summary of the above (which should update itself daily) can be found here in the Flightplan: www.flylady.net/c/fp.php?tzm=-120.

Keep shredding that paper everyone! Or start shreddingin my case.

SC - that is so inconsiderate of your guest. Poor DD. I suppose guests who don't have children of their own don't understand how finely tuned family life is, although it shouldn't take that much thought to remember that your DD has to be up early for school and needs her sleep.

Fingersmith - welcome. You sound like you are already doing a great job keeping on top of housework, childcare and work. Btw, 'Fingersmith' is one of my absolute favourite books ever. And as for 'The Little Stranger' - I found it unputdownable and utterly terrifying.

knitting - how upsetting to have had an altercation with your neighbour. She sounds most unreasonable, but at least she's moving soon. Also how unjust that you have been blamed for her bonfires!

Blue - that's just unbelievable . I hope you can get to the bottom of what's going on.

CantSee - sorry you are feeling so exhausted and burnt out. The ongoing building work really can't be helping, even if you are having an interval from it at present. I think it's easy to underestimate the strain of having extra people working in your house, not to mention the dust, mess, noise, etc etc.

fuzz - when I home educated, I started with a strict morning routine, to get us up and out of the house, but must admit that by the end we'd all have very lazy mornings. It was one of the advantages of home ed! By the way, it's lovely that you are being so careful not to repeat the hypocrisy of your parents with regard to tidying up. I must admit, I daren't criticise either of my DC for the state of their bedrooms as our own is so much worse . I can understand you being upset by your DD's comment, but it sounds as if you handled it really well. DC do say the most painful things sometimes: I found an old text from DS1 today, when I was clearing out messages on my mobile, telling me that I was a terrible mother. It really hurt to read it, even though I've worked out that he sent it at a time when he was depressed and suffering severe anxiety. Somehow, though, rationalising it doesn't stop it hurting .

DontBuy - your post reminds me that I must do some meal planning, as I've let it slide recently and fallen into buying more ready meals. Finally persuaded DH to let me go back to ordering online, as we really aren't saving anything by going shopping in RL instead.

Morning all! [Lands on broom-stick] Hope eveyrone ok.

[Stokes fire and stirs cauldron full of 'special' witchy brew]

One word for me today ... wretched. I actually feel nauseous with fatigue.

DD looks whiter than white this morning. Dh very grumpy.

Who thought it was a good idea to have guests during term time? My fault entirely!

Toffee whoooah! [excitement] about new work clothes! They will give you confidence! And lovely to have a lunch a deux with your dh before your job starts. Hope your mil is feeling better.

SC it cannot be helped (the noise of the visitor)now but now you have a a cast iron reason to say NO!!! next time. In fact you have reminded me why I never have dinner parties/people to supper, as dd's room is over the kitchen and it is very noisy for her in the week. And of course why I don't tidy the kitchen before I go to sleep as the clattering keeps ds2 awake

I am prevaricating now, I need to do some crisis tidying cleaning and remove a horrid old camembert from the hall.

Thanks Knitting, as ever, this thread is helping me to get through the day!

Will definitely be saying "no" to term time visitors in future!

Good luck with your crisis clean and arf at camembert in hall

Oh bollocks. Laundry fuck up. Today i will mostly be wearing training clothes but not going training. Only thing I have clean. Ds has run out of clean pants and his school trousers, shoes and jumper look like they have been dragged through a field of mud. Which tbh it probably has in the name of football. At least it is yet another fecking theme day tomo and they need non uniform right? 4th fucking one this term can't they actually learn something toward the bloody sats rather then cramming the kids after christmas?

I was a good little flyer yesterday but today is all about interview prep buying new clothes.

sc and anyone else who needs it

lol at camembert in the hall - how did it end up there?

Not read much of thread but welcome to Fingersmith

LOVE the Helen Mirren quote Toffee - I do have a daughter and I am showing her that :)

Everything crossed for you blue

Trying to be busy today.
Ta da:

• All up and out
• Load of washing on
• Washing up
• Wash and freeze blackberries (they are very small this year so all pickings are precious!)
• Label Brown Sauce made last night
• parkrun stuff - roster, FB reminder for cake for Saturday

To do:

• Hang washing out
• Menu plan
• S&S x 2
• Kitchen worktops
• Hoover downstairs
• Paperwork - a few 15 min sessions
• Put bird seed away (DH brought home a HUGE open sack from Scouts and it is sitting in the hallway waiting to be knocked over!!)
• Hem DS's school trousers
• Label parkrun hi vis jackets
• FB stuff for school

Need to break it down to get it done - power of 3 I think.
Have a good day people :)

[dh has manfully taken visitors out to lunch for which I am immensely grateful]

Just taking the opportunity to sit in a quiet corner of the naughty corner and swig gin

Thank you for the warm welcomes! Sarah Walters is one of my favourite authors - I agree Toffee The Little Stranger is fantastic. Have you read 'Affinity', it's her first novel and the most like Fingersmith.

What are Parkruns Feetheart - they sound interesting

Last night DH was out so I watched the Apprentice while sorting two months worth of filing. I really need a proper filing cabinet, I'd really like one from John Lewis in a bright colour (spendy though...)

To do tonight
Cook a home meal
Help with homework
Put ironing away
Prepare clothes for client pres tomorrow
Book train tickets for half term visit to family
Buy the new book for my book club on my Kindle

That's enough!