Flylady's fledglings spring clean your nests! March '16

[Greymalkin]

First of all, a big thank you to Fuzzpig for leading us through the February thread, (you can hung up your duster for a bit now!)

If you are struggling 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 support and chat along the way.

The FlyLady link is here Don't be put off by the twee language of the site – we all agree that the underlying system is very effective.

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 swamped with her marketing and testimonial nonsense. 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):

• start or repeat baby steps
• repeat baby steps + do 15 minutes a day decluttering in the current zone
• 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.

There are three key points to keep in mind throughout:

• No perfectionism allowed - this is harder than you would imagine and many of us on this thread struggle with this one.
• You are never behind - just start where you are and anything you do is progress.
• 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.

If you are new; then trying to spend 15mins decluttering daily and doing the babysteps is a good way to start. Some of us (mentioning no names!) can have scary looking ‘ta-da’ lists but don't let that worry you. Do what you can, anything is better than nothing, and don't judge yourself against others.

If all else fails, a + the power of three technique + a bit of support on here can work wonders.

Here's the launch pad for more experienced fledglings.

Don’t let it put you off if we appear a bit cliquey, we really aren’t. Some of us have been on here for years – but all lurkers, intermittent returnees, oldies and newcomers very, very welcome.

Evening everyone

Third attempt at typing a post!

Hope people's sleep improves soon.
Einstein smoothie crisis! Hope you've managed to clean it all up.
Ratbag welcome
Grey hope kitchen declutter went well
fuzzpig hope you survived and the kids weren't stroppy all day
slimming I forgot to get Dd's pe T-shirt out of the W/M - serves me right for not packing bag the night before! Glad your back is feeling better. 4 - 10 with Dd's homework.
fiz hope the head ache got better. Don't over do it - glad we don't have a spare room to dump stuff in or it'd be ceiling high!

Ta Da

Sorted 2 kitchen cupboards ( today and yesterday)
Decluttered kids old school work, from last 4 years!
Sorted Dd's new clothes that we were given.

Had better go and put DS to bed.

Have a good evening

Hey all.

Day went ok really, DCs' bad mood didn't last thankfully. Went to writing club which was fab as always, and did a few things I'd been procrastinating over. Today I haven't done any decluttering, which makes a change compared to the last couple of weeks but I think it's for the best as it was the first time I'd left the house in 5 days and that was a struggle!

I've also written a list of all the stuff we need to do before we go away on Monday. It's scarily long!

Really weird about the new posting rules. < sulks >

< looks at odd spacing of text and sulks some more >

Hopefully HQ will fix it < sulks >

What used to happen to text between ?

Quieter day here today, head doing OK after coffee (yay!). Only a tiny bit of upstairs tidying done, will really need to crack on with that tomorrow. But need to go out shopping tomorrow due to a particular supermarket having a lack of items grumpy

ah, I meant to put grumpy in italics grumpy

Hmm.

< tries to think of something to put in between brackets>

< fails>

That is odd indeed.

SC - glad your back is getting better. I've gone and done mine in now, it will be OK in a day or two, it happens from time to time but is making me feel tired tonight. I had to bow out of pilates class rather ungracefully this morning when I realised that lying on a mat on a hard cold floor was making it spasm. However it meant I got to work earlier to make up for some of the time lost in traffic jams yesterday.

I guess Tech must be getting ready to make creepy wee brackets actually do something in code...

Fiz - nothing used to happen to text between but people used it for "stage directions" or fake code. Now you can't do that or it says "invalid" at you.

Like the daily French lesson, SC.

I have had an up and down kind of day today. Achieved a few errands and some work, but not much flying.

Flightplan for Wednesday 9th March

We are still in Zone two The Kitchen

Today’s mission is to clean the small appliances

Baby step is to learn about the five minute room rescue
Also take a look at Flylady's decluttering lessons

Habit of the month is getting dressed to your shoes. A tad controversial on here, some do, some don’t… (I certainly don't)

Wednesday is Anti-procrastination day - pick a task you have been putting off, roll your sleeves up and JFDI (just f*^@ing do it!!)

Right, i have moved. I no longer live with my mum. This excites me muchly. Benefits of leaving marital home with nothing mean i didn't actually have much stuff to unpack so I am in, unpacked and ridiculously happy to be here. Negative side....there have been 2 of us and a cleaner for the last two years. Now it is all down to me. I have forgotten how to fly but think i need to remember. So I am going to try desperately to get back on board. Am doing well with sink shining principle but that is about it. I will not promise to be here everyday but I am going to try and post when I am at home and not at DP's. Other plus side of moving is that according to DP I am far more attractive now I don't live with my mum. He can stay over at mine more and I am 20 mins nearer his work. In fact he has just left now.

So, in for a penny, in for a pound. List posting today. Let's see how this goes.

To do:-
Washing
Look up babysteps again.
Swish and swipe bathrooms
Put clothes away
Morning and evening routines
Work
Swimming lessons.

That will do for now.

Laters one and all.

That is a drastic way of decluttering Ellie! That's great news that you have somewhere of your own at last.

I've got the lurgy (cold) as well as pulled back muscles. DH already has it and spent the whole day in bed yesterday, I had the start of it, feel worse today. So I will have to see how things go today, but there may not be much Flying.

Dag/Salut!

[Hands over fluffy pillows, hot lemon drink and comforting hot water bottle to Whoknows] Hope you and your dh feel better soon! (It's awful when you are both ill at the same time.) And take care of your back! x

Almost everyone here at the office has succumbed to one bug or another (again!). I keep wiping all the door handles with Dettol (determined that dd should not have one day off sick this term) but as we are going to school by metro atm, I am not sure how effective my "germ cordon" will be.

Congratulations on moving house Ëllie It must be wonderfully energising to be starting afresh in your own place with minimal clutter! Hope you will be very happy there!

Well done Grey and Shannara for kitchen cupboard decluttering!

Well I am relieved to say that I finally creaked in to action yesterday:

ta da:
animals
dd packed lunch
gym kit panic
crack of dawn school run on foot with dog
collected parcel from PO on way back
filled dw and wms
mahoosive tidy and clear of sitting room/dining room and play room
mahoosive dust and hoover of ditto
sorted dog box
sorted jam making equipment and put clean jars in storage box (post marmalade making in Feb )
emptied dw
lunch time slump with a bit of Mnsetting
searched for and found recipes
put away a load of cookery books
sorted and decluttered papers
carried a load of things upstairs
carried a load of things downstairs
emptied dw
four loads of washing done and hung up
prepped laundry and ironing board, hangers, paniers etc for ironing lady
received on-line grocery order
received veg panier order
school run on foot with dog again
hwk supervision
spoke to extended family on phone about Easter travel arrangements
cooked tuna steaks, broccoli, rice and grilled toms for supper
cooked rice and minced beef for furry one
tidied up kitchen
fed rabbits
clothes out for the morrow and lunch box washed etc
persuaded dd to try on a dress for wedding we will be attending in summer (no good, will be going bk)
more hwk supervision
last quick dog walk of the day
crash

(I always get loads more done when dh is away because I can somehow be much more single minded)

to da (today):
animals
dd snack
ironed gym top
crack of dawn school run on foot with dog
quick supermarket stop on way back
filled dw and wms

to do today:
cook two malt loaves
pack up 3 on-line parcels and return
quick stop at PO
school run with dog (half school day today)
healthy lunch for dd (think what?)
make soup?
ballet run outward
walk dog for one hour in park
ballet run return
hwk supervision
cooking for friend (and her family) who isn't mobile currently
deliver food
poss squeeze in quick hair cut?

Think that will be enough today although I am trying to declutter one sack of papers a day too.

Cheery waves to all! Have a good one!

oh and Whoknows don't do what I did last week (when suffering with back spasms) ie applied Algipan liberally to small of back with left hand, washed said hand inadequately because I was rushing, spoke to someone on phone endlessly about office admin (lost bill) with face cupped in left hand> cue wierd tingling sensation in left cheek, mahoosive swelling and reddening of face and left eye up to eyebrow over the next 45 mins. It subsided totally after an hour or so but it was very embarrassing having to open the door to the courier with a face the size and colour of a beetroot red rugby ball on one side

Right today is the day when I am in the house long enough, with energy in theory not practice to finish dealing with the smoothie disaster. Also going to try to declutter the utility room too. I am beginning to think that proper coffee and not instant is going to be the best idea ever today.

ta da
ds' lunch
ds' pe kit
ds out the door to school

To do
make 2 different teas - forgotten I had promised ds something for today and took something else out the freezer which he won't eat
sort ds' training kit
put said kit into car
drive miles to training
wash kit
clean kitchen cupboards, window and ceiling
feed plants
dishwasher
remove wood from utility room
remove toy unit from utility room
tidy utility room floor
tidy utility room bench
wash floor
clean bench
clean outside of fridge and freezer
pull out fridge and freezer and clean underneath
fold laundry
ironing
clothes away
towels away
clean utility room window sil
hoover lounge floor
tip run
charity shop run
internet order
make/check over shopping list for Thursday's errands

Whoknows hope your back gets better and you feel better soon too.

SC good luck with operation beat the bugs

Ellie

Waves at everyone else as computer is playing up atm

Ellie YAY! Huge congratulations really happy for you.

Got up very late today - somehow the DCs didn't get up so early (which is odd as I know DS woke up briefly when DH was getting ready for work). So far all we've done is reading and times tables and I've put a wash on which needs to be hung out when it's done (non-tumble-dryable stuff). DCs are assembling their own lunch.

I have a feeling it's not going to be a productive day at all! Glad I don't have the usual pupil tonight so no panic tidy. Although I do need to find my wallet, I have no clue where it is!

DH has an interview tomorrow. It's through a sort of friend so that may mean he's more likely to get it, unfortunately it's not a very good job but needs must, it would be mad to turn it down under the circumstances. Thing is, and I KNOW this is utterly ridiculous of me, I really don't want him to start a new job straight away :( I really need him here for a bit. Obviously I haven't said this to DH (although he has already acknowledged the disadvantages) but I'm quietly really worried.

Hope you all have a good day.

To do
make 2 different teas - forgotten I had promised ds something for today and took something else out the freezer which he won't eat
sort ds' training kit
put said kit into car
drive miles to training
wash kit
clean kitchen cupboards, window and ceiling
feed plants
dishwasher
remove wood from utility room
remove toy unit from utility room
tidy utility room floor
tidy utility room bench
wash floor
clean bench
clean outside of fridge and freezer
pull out fridge and freezer and clean underneath
fold laundry
ironing
clothes away
towels away
clean utility room window sil
hoover lounge floor
tip run
charity shop run
internet order
make/check over shopping list for Thursday's errands
wash up drinks bottle and thermoses
put first batch of drinks bottles in to milton

Ok. So I'm off work ill. :( but in between bouts of running to the bathroom one task that has been on my to do list forever is tidy the medicine cupboard in the kitchen. There is stuff so out of date and my one allocated shelf has spread to three!!
It is now complete I have a carrier bag full of out of date medication to take to the pharmacy. And j have reclaimed it all back onto one shelf.

I also started my next charity shop bag for delivering on Saturday.
Not bad for how rough I feel!!

Seriously good achievements on this thread today! Putting me to shame :o

Sorry you're ill Rat - don't overdo it will you? I've heard flat cola is good for after, erm, bathroom-dashing type illnesses.

I think I've run out of steam with the decluttering. I've got past the bit where there's loads of stuff with an obvious home to put away, and now I'm back to looking around thinking 'WTF do I do next' :(

I'd like to get a bit more done before we go away though (4 nights on Monday) especially as DH may not have as much time off as we thought.

Would anyone mind if I join in with this thread? I'm fairly organised, but mad busy, and I think a 'little and often' approach might keep me on the straight and narrow?

Today is a working day and I've only just got in, so I tend to limit these days to basics, therefore.

Swap washing over.
Ferry DC (twice today)
Empty and restack dishwasher.
Cook tea.
Clean up kitchen.
Vacuum kitchen and hall.
Animals.

Welcome DS, the thread takes a fairly relaxed approach and a lot of us bend the Flylady system to suit our circumstances.

Well, I feel much better now, back is tired rather thsn achey, busy evening ahead so I'd better press on with a few jobs, back later.

Hey need good to see you :)

Just making sure DD is ready for Brownies, then once she's been picked up I'll do easy dinner for DS and myself, then I'm giving DSS' coursework the once over (for grammar, not content) with a highlighter :o as DH is seeing him to watch a bit of footy tonight.

Did a little more home ed and no more housework - although need to do more washing as the DCs have somehow managed to run out of socks. I do keep telling them that's what happens if they don't give me their dirty clothes, and insist on leaving their discarded socks everywhere

Ds didn't want to go to training and I didn't want to drive as feeling a bit burnt out. Already had a nap this afternoon. Also as we have found the source of the odd smell in the utility room we have decided no one has any energy to pull out the fridge and freezer so there is a small amount of to do's that have been removed off the to do list.

To do
make 2 different teas which are currently cooking
sort ds' training kit
clean kitchen cupboards, window and ceiling
feed plants
dishwasher
do a dishwasher cleaning run
wash pots and tupperware
remove wood from utility room
remove toy unit from utility room
tidy utility room floor
tidy utility room bench
wash floor
clean bench
clean outside of fridge and freezer
fold laundry
ironing
clothes away
towels away
hoover lounge floor
internet order
make/check over shopping list for Thursday's errands
wash up drinks bottle and thermoses
milton 2 batches of drinks bottles

I am going to be brutally honest and say that the folding, ironing clothes and lounge will now be happening tomo. I am done for today and will be spending the evening working on decluttering craft projects. Am happy with the effects of today's efforts though as there is 1 bag of charity shop stuff, and 3 bin liners of stuff for the tip.

Welcome need

Hope you feel better soon Rat < impressed> with how much you got done despite how ill you have been.