February Fledglings Fluttering and Flying! It's the awesomely alliterative Flylady Fred.

[fuzzpig]

2016 is truly underway and maybe the New Year Resolutions have been forgotten please say it's not just me - never mind, it's a new month and a new start beckons.

Perhaps you have too much S.T.U.F.F. (Something That Undermines Family Fun) getting in the way. Or maybe you want to rid your house of C.H.A.O.S. (Can’t Have Anyone Over Syndrome)? Have no fear, the Fledglings are here! We are all learning to get into a routine for maintaining the household, so we have more time to enjoy life!

This is where, from the first of the month, we follow – loosely – the rules of FlyLady. We ignore the somewhat barftastic language, and also thoroughly recommend NOT signing up to the emails… unless you want your inbox full to bursting.

Here’s some basic info on getting started – but don’t worry, all will be revealed on a daily basis (assuming I get the links right…) so just jump in.

There are 3 basic stages:

• Baby Steps – if you’re new, start here. Or if you’re coming back to us after a break (trust me, we’ve been there!) then these are good way to get back into it.

• Repeat Baby Steps + do 15 mins a day decluttering in the current room or 'zone' - yep, just 15 mins, it makes a difference!

and/or

• Reinforce Baby Steps + do Daily Missions which introduce specific things to work on.

There are also detailed cleaning guides if you’re really crazy enthusiastic.

NB
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!

Another NB
Start where you are. There is no need to worry about being perfect – perfectionism = paralysis! There is no such thing as ‘falling behind’ with FlyLady, if you miss anything, just move on and continue as normal the next day.

Any questions, don't hesitate to ask!

Good luck!

I'm still lurking.
I'm still declutter the conservatory. But while I declutter one room the others get out of hand any tips?

Ive been pottering today. But my big achievement is that I have picked up the phone and booked my MOT
currently doing an online chat with sky to try and avoid having to ring them.

Links for Monday 8th February!

Today’s Baby Step: No. 8, something about morning and bedtime routines

We are in Zone 2 – the kitchen

Today’s mission: swab the decks

Today’s Daily Focus is the jolly fun Home Bleugh

This month’s habit is decluttering

I would say keep your daily routines for the other rooms and then set aside two 15 min slots a day to work on the conservatory. That way the rest of he house doesn't get out of hand even if the conservatory takes a bit longer.

JustAName I would agree with Scatty - keep on top of other routines and then set a 15 minute timer to focus on the conservatory.

[waves]

sorry, been spectactular failure housekeeping wise over last few months, however, some food is arriving tomorrow
I've made cheese scones
done lots of exercise recently (another skiing session this morning)
forced dh out on Sunday morning for a walk sans children (one came with us)
bought lots of cat food
changed bed sheets
decluttered two jumpers
managed to cobble together enough layers and specialist equipment for dd's school ski trip

driving practice continues

kids in good form still, ds1 still truculent over revision but chugging off to school every day happily enough and getting up every morning and organising himself to get there
ds2 more and more disorganised, scatty but in very good form otherwise, loving tuition (as long as it is only three days and short days with no homework .

Bit of a flareup with him when I booked him into a swimming class, and he refused to continue after first lesson - admittedly he wsa worst in class and the oldest, as instructor said he needed more private lessons to improve his technique before being allowed on stage 6 - pointblank refusal from ds to have private lessons, ditto ds1 to have spanish tutor.

ah well

sounds frustrating knitting but I can see why DS was reluctant to go if he was noticeably older etc. DS was the same with dancing.

Just had yummy apple crumble made my DD and DH. Very happy we have an oven now!

Annoyingly I just found out we need to find DS' birth certificate. There's an ID card we can get for cheaper bus fares, but generally it's for school children and you have to put the school info on the form (we got DD's when she was still at school) - thankfully I saw on the website that you can still get it for home educated children but you need to send a copy of their birth certificate.

Do I know where DS' is? Noooooooo course not!

I fell asleep and have just been woken up to door slamming.

I have 2 options: to go figure out what is going on or to pretend I am still asleep.

prods 'sleeping' Einstein

Sorry, total thread host fail, I neglected to say hello to our lovely new Fledglings! Welcome! :)

I should really be doing stuff. Meh

Well I didn't achieve as much as planned today as it was one of those really challenging days with a toddler and a baby. We got through the day! But I did manage fresh food for everybody, two washes done, waiting to be dried tomorrow for fear of waking up precariously-sleeping littlies.
We have started decluttering our bedroom.
My office is my next job.
I will be doing that alarm-setting tip.

Einstein - was it a ghostie or a burglar?!!?

Knitting - good to 'see' you back, all that skiing sounds fun.

Lili - fresh food and laundry sounds like a productive day!

My final Ta das of the day:
Took DS to playgroup
Glass recycling
Posted letters
Online shop ordered
DH's birthday presents ordered online
Cat litter trays dealt with
Emptied main kitchen bin, replaced liner
Dishwasher unloaded, reloaded, put on
Hoovered living room
Decluttered board game cupboard, sold a massive bunch on FB, collected this evening too
Dispatched parcels to neighbour
Two lots of bedding washed and dried
Dry laundry folded and put away
Dinners (from the freezer )
Finished reading book.

Right, I'm having an early night. is keeping the naughty corner nice and warm.

Bit blowy out there tonight! Decided against heading off down the A11 to get to choir...

Been a bit bleugh and disorganised today, possibly a "hangover" from yesterday. So no flying to speak of, and all Sat's good work seems to have been undone. Sigh.

Sounds like a productive day, Grey.

Waves back to Knitting

Waves to all (back on the road again)

[SC traverses back through thread (having deposited dd in UK with family) in direction of France this time]

Leaves out charcuterie selection for

Can't scroll down to identify newcomers but welcome one and all!

Links for Tuesday 9th February!

Today’s Baby Step: No. 9, a little decluttering lesson

We are in Zone 2 – the kitchen

Today’s mission: clean out old food bags etc

Today’s Daily Focus is planning

This month’s habit is decluttering

Grey it was an over tired gran/over stressed hungry ds combination. Easily resolved with coffee and food in the end.

ta da
survived work
Bought new needles - needed a size I didn't have so I can justify it or at least that is what I am telling myself

to do
something - if I sit down I will fall asleep.
Make Pancakes for tea as it is Pancake day.

I've managed to do several loads of washing and clear a pile of mail that was sitting on my desk. My office has to be done in bite size pieces - I am on mat leave and have moved house and so it has been a general dumping ground. Means the rest of the house is quite uncluttered though

Ah, just realised I need to put the towel wash on.

Had a nice day but not nearly as productive as it should've been (other than home ed, we had a good day in that respect).

DH had his interview today, cautiously optimistic but who knows. Job sounds great so fingers crossed.

Yes fingers crossed, fuzz.

Got in a dreadful flap over pancakes this evening, but managed to produce some edible ones in the end, and have since rescued the kitchen!

Lilipot my office is exactly the same!! Dumping ground for things that haven't been unpacked or I haven't found a home for yet.
I've just gone back from Mat leave too!!
It's so hard isn't it to tackle the massive pile.

I am ignoring my office. It really is that bad

Evening all - quicky from me.

Babysteps have kind of fallen by the wayside..oops. I will pick them back up again.
But after 3 days solid work my conservatory is complete.
All clutter gone.
All cobwebs vac'd
All windowsills clear and wiped down
Floor mopped.

My mop bucket is however sitting with dirty water in and I just need to put a few storage boxes back on the floor when I get up in the morning.

My kitchen looks like a bomb site. No shiny sink here - mainly because I had a mini pancake party for 7 and my dishwasher needs to go on a second time so will sort that first thing.

The lounge is better than it was - got the DC to tidy that amongst much protesting. Much bickering. And a very stressed mummy. Still needs quite a lot of work tomorrow.

On the downside i crashed my car this afternoon. We are all OK. Went into the back of someone at low speed so vehicle damage to sort out. PITA but spent a bit of time distressing with neighbour and on phone sorting etc. Hence the reason I didn't get the second dishwasher load on and didn't get mopped earlier so have abandoned the bucket. Nothing I can't sort tomorrow. We are on target for a spic and span house top to bottom for surprise party at weekend despite me having to do a 500 mile round trip on Thurs to pick DP up thus losing a day.

Tomorrow is birthday shopping day in the morning. I pretty much no what I am getting and where from so hoping to make it a quicky. Then it will be a quick 'room rescue' in the lounge which is all just surface bits in the wrong rooms and piles of laundry which seems to be invisible to the DC when they tidied (apparently it wasn't on the floor so it didn't count ). Kitchen will need a once over and mop then I am done. Done. Finished. Complete. Will just need to properly start babysteps to keep on top of it.

For those that are delightfully ignoring their office I would just like to say that my conservatory is the equivalent of my office. It's where I store all my lecture notes, text books, lesson plans, resources etc.

It is also the dumping ground for anything that needs taking out to the garage. If i can do it anyone can do it.

In the process I have found the following 'random stuff' unnecessary quantities...

100 of hair elastics.
Swimming costume strap that has been AWOL ages
2 ice cream tubs of pens/pencils
9 tape measures (why?)
Clothes I last wore for a job interview in 1998
Clothes that still have the electronic tag on so clearly never worn and never can (not shop lifted but never got round to taking them to customer service with proof of purchase)
Instruction manuals for things I don't even own any more.
Boxes for laptops that have not even been booted up in the last 3 years.
And I now have 12 hessian bags from tesco which were great for storing stuff which I don't actually need
Oh and I think am bag number 21 of clutter that has been liberated and that doesn't include the 2 huge ikea bags of paper which my Guides will be turning into recycled paper after half term.

So for someone that could barely get out of bed a month ago I am dead pleased with myself and I am determined to start FLYING properly (or sufficiently well that is realistic to keep my house looking presentable).

And with that I think I need my sleep ready for tomorrow.

Sorry for waffling but I am dead chuffed 😊

FFS. Missed doctors appt. Really thought it was today or tomorrow but it was yesterday. Organisational fail.

Today will be spent feeling sorry for myself. I may put the wash on that I didn't do yesterday, and tumble dry all the towels, if I'm lucky.

Half hearted links/instructions today sorry as I've run out of energy:

Baby step number 10 here

Today's mission here

Wednesday is anti-procrastination day

Just you are doing brilliantly! :)

ta da
rescue wash did yesterday - into dryer
put load into wash that was abandoned god knows when and is still wet
I am just trying to sort out an internet order of a couple for the various birthdays this month.

Other than that there is little planned. I keep pinging ligaments and joints when I move so it is compulsory rest atm. Rather frustrating because there is so much that needs doing but hiding in bed with a craft project works a bit. Hoping to clear a few long term projects off the needles and hooks. I seem to have a phobia of finishing things off

Just you are doing a great job! And sorry to hear about your car accident - even if it was a 'small' one, take care of yourself.

Yeah.

It doesn't feel like it today. I've just about managed to empty and refill dishwasher. But I have been birthday present shopping and party supply supplies but couldn't get half what I wanted for asda (I usually go to tesco). So I feel very deflated today.

To be fair I haven't actually been home yet so haven't had time to do any proper housework.