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!

Oh dear Knitting I hope your day gets less stressful as it goes along, and particularly once you have attended ed psych meeting. Good luck with them!

And keep drinking the although I know what you mean about after-effects.

I never allow my dh in the laundry room as he upsets my scattered piles of smalls system but he will insist on sticking his beak in from time to time particularly when he has run out of clean underwear for some reason

ooh I say everyone, shall we join?

We could form a secret underground cell of char ladies [00Fly, licenced to polished] armed with exploding yellow marigolds and feather dusters embedded with mini digital voice recorders?

And of course, in an emergency, we would never be without our secret weapon, Can'tsee's 'special' brew ...

It puts a whole new slant on "weekly zones" and "mission of the day" I tell you

Hey Fledglings. Trying to get the energy for a crisis clean of the living room! But just can't get started even though I have only an hour to do it in.

I saw the GP today and she signed me off til mid-December. That's another 2 months. Eek.

Fuzz glad the gp has signed you off, presumably that is a breathing space to rest and/or decide whether you want to continue with the job.
Hope even tiniest of bits of living room proved do-able. Sometimes I stare at the sock on the landing and wonder whether to bother to pick it up [tumbleweed emoticon] and I'm not even in pain.

Well, the boudoir is well and truly hoovered (three days after I started on that particular marathon|)
Haven't really progressed with the clothes I bagged up as I keep running out of items and resorting to the summer pile which I decluttered
and dd's chest of drawers is blocking the landing so I cannot get to the loft now

However, we had a good meeting with Ed Psych; she was quite helpful.
Ds will see her tomorrow. Both of us retired to bed and fell asleep after that - worn out by trying to appear sensible and thoughtful parents to professionals, before that we had the tuneful sound of the boys arguing over FIFA...tarnation take that wretched x box. Then dh confiscated it and took ds2 to the supermarket to buy instant supper and ds1 has been playing the violin and the piano as the only possible alternative to computer games (books or written work don't cut it)

Both the schooled ones now desperately need a half term, dd spends the entire evening after school lying on her bed. Ds1 is in a good mood but still resistant to doing any work after school. He told us a funny story about a maths exam where the question was some incomprehensible gibberish (to him and classmates) about x co and sin and some wit just circled the x and wrote this is x (the question was - what IS x?)

SC I have no intelligence left.

Your description of the sock made me laugh, thanks knitting - I am sooo similar (and not just since being ill either!)

It is official I hate hate hate walls.

ta da
fill walls
2 loads of normal washing
15mins decluttering in dining room
throw out pan with exploded hand warmers in it
sand walls
fill missed bits of walls
fill bits needing more filling
hand wash tights
1 load of towels
wash a sheep
sort freezer
sand walls
fill more missed bits
find reciept and return a faulty item
more sanding
5 mins decluttering lounge
sort a box of junk
unlabel grown out of stuff
more sanding
hold ladder and light for walls at top of stairs to be filled
more filling

Tbh probably could have used a complete replaster but the walls were spotty and rescuable with patience but 18 walls is a hell of a lot of walls! and a whole heap more sanding tomo to be done, but i will be decluttering the bath and evicting the removed door frames and skirting boards cos the shower just ain't cutting it!

I hurt, a lot. strong pain killers, hot water bottle

On second thoughts, walls hold up the roof and keep me warm, I think i can tollerate walls. just. maybe. perhaps.

Boys broke up for half term today, so that should mean no more school run commuting. (Scared to type that for fear of tempting fate )

I have done more errands.
Went into DS1's school to hear their Roman stories - impressed!
Sorted out the pen/crayon/pencil drawer
Decluttered a few pairs of shoes and broken shoe boxes
Lazy quiche and salad tea
Played Grand Designs bingo

Hope you found the phone, SC, and that it wasn't in the bin!

Yikes Cant - take care of yourself!

Waves to everyone else.

Evening all, quiet on here today.

[No recruits then? I seriously think cleaners would make the very best of intelligence officers but suspect someone might have thought of that already somehow]

A bit of a "trudging in the rain" day. To and from school (the traffic is so bad that driving is pointless, but still a fair walk). Trudging around the park with the dog. Trudging to (old) volunteering and back. Trudging to the shops and back. Trudging to and from ballet. Nothing particularly difficult but not particularly inspiring either.

DD in a bit of a foul mood frankly like her mother but at least her school day has been upgraded to "alright".

Thank you Blue phone was charging in boudoir where it should be, it's just because it is never ever in the right place, that I didn't think to look there Can't find a damn thing now boudoir is tidy again

Great to hear that your long school commute days are nearly over [fingers and toes crossed

Oops, posted too soon ...

Bloody hell Can'tsee I wouldn't know where to start when it comes to walls; doing 18 of them is seriously impressive!

Fuzzpig and Knitting same here with the sock thing

Knitting Hurrah for boudoir clearance and good news that meeting was helpful too!

Fuzzpig so good that you have been signed off by GP which will hopefully give you a bit of proper breathing space

Encouraging wing flaps to eveyrone else!

***

Baby-step no. 22 for tomorrow, Thurs 22nd Oct, is here. It discusses how our perfectionism makes us procrastinate and how to build a control journal in 15 steps if you want to of course!

We are in Zone 4 this week: The Boudoir (October 18 – 24) here.

Declutter for 15 mins in Zone 4 (or do a mission!) if you want to.

If you are at this stage, the detailed cleaning list for Zone 4 is here.

Thursday's mission can be found here. Wash your sheets and pillow cases.

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 going fledglings! And keep decluttering, as we can't clean clutter!

*
G'night all!

morning folks.
I woke up just after 7 today because someone in our street decided to do some very noisy drilling. Awesome huh? Somehow it didn't wake the DCs (they've only just got up now) and DH is still asleep having a much needed lie in, so I've just been dossing about on the laptop. I've told the DCs that we will actually be doing Super Skills Time today and just got a happy 'ok' in response. I'm so pleased we've got to that point now, no whingeing or grumbling about learning stuff, just giggling that we haven't done it so far this week because Mum's been too busy .

DH is taking the DCs out later - think I'll send them to Asda for some essential shopping. I will then finish the typing as I'm meeting the author tomorrow (while staying at my Mum's, Dad is picking us up tomorrow morning). I've done pretty much all the actual typing now but need to go back to make amendments and combine it all into one file with a contents list so we can check it and insert the pictures (she's an amazing painter so lots of full page colour plates).

Also must do laundry... as usual.

Good morning fledglings, I was also up quite early, DS is rather unsettled in his sleeping atm

Blue hope your boys enjoy half term, although I expect you'll all be using it to do loads of packing, good luck

Knitting glad the EdPsych meeting went ok, some of them are ok clearly

Toffee hope work carries on going well, as a PP said, maybe your DS1 is acting out a little bit in response to you being back at work? Hope it all settle soon

I didn't get time to post yesterday, had a busy day: took DS to nursery then went off for my weekly therapy, then onto the archery range for a few hours. When I got home I gave our bed and the spare bed a deep clean - both mattresses hoovered, sprayed with anti bac, flipped, sprayed again, left to dry, mattress and pillow protectors replaced, one bed remade.

I also took two duvets to the dry cleaners as the cats have been sleeping on them on a rather regular basis. Ick.

Speaking of cats, 'D'Cat2 has been using one of our antique chairs as a scratching post, I am so I can't put it into words. I might lock her in a room with and let them sort it out, although I expect the cat would probably be the victor...

It's not really flying, but I managed to start a job I have been dreading for over a year which is updating a rather fancy and technically formatted spreadsheet for our archery club records. I inherited the job from a club member who left and I just couldn't get the hang of it so just left it and now the job is so big I just have to get on with it. I managed to teach myself how to work it using Google and youtube and the job is well under way. The relief I feel at getting on with it is just huge and hopefully I'll get it all sorted within a week.

Anyway, enough wittering, I'm off to a local playgroup with DS this morning and I suppose I should get dressed...

I am that you do archery! I'd love to join a club. There's one reasonably near that I might join with DD - minimum age is 9, so she could join it from June '16. Pricey though! Well done for getting the spreadsheet underway. IKWYM about the job just spiralling until it's massive!

Morning.

taken this morning off to do exciting things like speak to the council and check ups. Oh and order more wool Presents for friends though which are 2 night start to finish jobs so not too bad. Just going to grab lunch, get changed and then start tacking the walls again. Gotta get everything done by tomo afternoon so hard work between now and then. It will all be worth it in the end. I hope.

@@@@@@

Fuzz - archery is a fabulous sport, non sweaty which is a great bonus, and playing with weapons does give one a certain "Je ne sais quoi"! Most archery clubs run four week beginners courses which are great tasters and give you a really good feel for the sport and to find out if the people at the club are nice.

Can't your crafty projects sound fun, and homemade gifts are lovely. I seriously culled my fabric stash this afternoon, it's all been sitting in a heap for months and I was keeping all kinds of random things with a vague notion of what I might use them for. Got fed up with the heap and felt uninspired so most of it is destined for the charity shop tomorrow.

Play group wasn't too bad this morning, anything that will distract DS from simply running in circles!

Some ta das
Bins put out for collection
Dishwasher unload and reload
Beds made
Massive declutter of fabric stash that was blighting my dining room
Washed DHs dressing gowns
Took DS to park and dropped off glass recycling on the way
Stirred wine cauldron

DS is in nursery tomorrow so I'm planning on having a ruthless sort out of clothes and toot from the dining room and spare room and then taking straight to the charity shop. I want it all gone, am thoroughly fed up of seeing heaps of crap all over the house

Ta da!
Spoke to removals firm re packing tomorrow
Survived Aldi with the boys
Major charity shop dump
Filled up car
Library with boys
Café lunch with boys and DH
Culled plastic pots etc from cupboard of doom
Tidied kitchen
Made lists
Made crumble with DS2

To do
Get stuff out of loft
Get boys to find things they need not to be packed
Find things we need not to be packed

lots of walking here too SC isn't walking meant to envigorate? It just makes me want to lie down and sleep after eating cream cakes, which I have been doing, except someone rang me at 5pm.

Did further Ed Pysch apt with ds2 (by himself)
Judo
bought some more underwear for myself and a green parka

so so tired now, dd to a theme park tomorrow (sorry two events are unrelated, but just reminded that I have to think yet again about packed lunch ingredients and washing suitable clothes)

Blue the adventure begins

now I need to venture downstairs, I really don't want to but will have to...last time I saw dd she was grumbling/screeching about the causes of the First World War, and I don't want to

wrote all that earlier.. now it is after supper, we were laughing together over Watchdog with ds2. Felt a bit low at the amount of work that is be done tomorrow, and whether or not I can wangle dh into helping me but restored after a cup of tea, going to try and read new Galbraith novel (a bit gorey if you ask me so far)

done
supper and 3 more portions for freezer of kale chicken risotto
loaded dw
dh mended the boiler
wiped worktops
put away food
dd made her lunch for tomorrow
3 new skirts have arrived but the hopeful size 14 (two 16s) doesn't fit. Will keep it just in case I ever lose weight. Ha ha.

*

Baby-step no. 23 for tomorrow, Thurs 2rd Oct, is here add a 'get home from work or school' routine to your daily tasks.

We are in Zone 4 this week: The Boudoir (October 18 – 24) here.

Declutter for 15 mins in Zone 4 (or do a mission!) if you want to.

If you are at this stage, the detailed cleaning list for Zone 4 is here.

Friday's mission (the last in Zone 4 this month) can be found here. Declutter the top of your wardrobe.

Friday's daily focus is: decluttering our cars, purses and handbags.

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.

Have a good weekend everyone!

***
Blue best of luck with the packing tomorrow!! Don't forget to leave out the makings of a cuppa!

Knitting well done on yet another varied and productive day! [risotto sounds delicious!]

Greymalkin well done for beating the procrastination re: the spread sheet! And for decluttering fabric. Good luck with the sorting and chucking tomorrow too!

Fuzzpig it's wonderful that your dc are enjoying their home edding so much!

Poss tmi, but appear to have some sort of cold/flu bug + IBS flare up (colon spastique as they call it here) at the same time (and meds I have from doc not making a blind bit of difference). Not great timing with dh away but still staggering about, just!

On a positive note: dd's first six-week school report (incredibly detailed) not bad (apart from maths), esp given that she had a week off with flu.

Also have received excellent (really impressive) 'traffic light' questionnaire that parents and child have to fill in separately containing pertinent qs such as "when do you start your hwk when you get home, straightaway, after a snack, or later on?", "do you do hwk on the night it is given or leave it until the last minute?", "do you prepare your books the night before or get them ready at the last minute in the morning?", "are you hygienic?" "do you show your parents your hwk Agenda or do they have to constantly ask to look at it?" "do you rush to simply finish your hwk, or do you spend time reviewing the days lessons"? , "If you don't understand something during the day, do you take time to go over it again in the evening?" "are you getting sufficient sleep at night?" "are you spending time on a laptop or Ipod before completing hwk?" etc and many others. Suffice to say dd had quite a few greens against questions where I had answered with an amber or a red!! This did not go down well until I explained that she wasn't going to get punished re: any disparity and that it was meant to be a helpful learning tool for her ie flagging up where things could be improved.

I am beginning to like the school more and more frankly!

Oh - another positive - fortunately dog-sitter responded to my cry of distress and came to take furry one away for a weekend with his schnauzer friends in the countryside thank heavens.

Hope everyone else is OK!

[I also have archery ]

G'night all!

Sorry, missed out Can'tsee hope walls progressing OK!

Great to hear that DD's first report is good and that you are liking the school more and more, SC. And good that your furry one has been whisked away for a weekend with his doggy pals.

Am so relieved it's Friday. It has been a steep learning curve in the new job - not just the influx of new information, but also learning about the personalities and culture of the workplace. My boss is a control freak and tricky, to say the least. However, my colleagues are lovely, so that's a bonus. And I have dealt with enough tricky bosses over the years to be able to think, ok here's another one.

DH is doing a grand job running the house and managing the school run, including liaising with other parents over liftshares, play dates and so on.

Hope everyone is ok here. Haven't had time to catch up with the thread this week.

Off to get ready for work now.

muscles hate me. child is refusing school. I hate mornings

Am hoping this will be the last day of sanding walls (with the exception of wet plaster which will need to dry until sunday before sanding. But at least can paint the other walls and ceiling this weekend. Yay!

Movers are here. Lots of crashing about and swearing upstairs at the moment. Waiting for it to be late enough to make a few phone calls and then will head out and leave them to it!

No worries about the - I was assured that they never pack the kettle!

Toffee yeah, tricky bosses I remember my first boss was exactly like Meryl Streep in the Devil Wears Prada. Luckily I was too lowly to be much affected by it. Tbh now I look back it is always sound and fury without much substance, or else boss is just anxious about something which comes out in the form of being slightly controlling to others (in which case one can only channel mature sympathy rather than resistance)

tbh I found even working as a volunteer difficult from the tricky boss point of view The truth is wherever one goes there are difficult people rubbing one up the wrong way, as you go older you just realise you have deal with it without fear.

Blue yay!!!

4 hope he went to school if you wanted him to, and stayed at home if that's what mutual decision was. Really looking forward to half term here in some ways, although I can see the peasants revolting next week.

Feeling very anxious this morning due a whole assortment of pressures but trying to just tackle them one by one, in a rather haphazard way along the principle that anything is better than nothing. So

done
washing hung out
washing on
drove dd to school (Thorpe Park today)
told ds2 to get dressed
put out food compost
moved some detritus to utility room
asked cleaning lady to clean inside kitchen drawers and behind shelves as a delaying tactic so she didn't have to come into the rest of the house
assembled a few clothes to iron in case she attempts to see the other rooms
put some cardboard outside
put empty laundry baskets upstairs
asked ds2 to take his dirty sheets and pillowcases off bed

Home ed football today