May-be this time - Fledglings flutter through May 2016 (Flylady thread)

[CotswoldStrife]

Welcome all - and thanks to SpareCrust for leading us through April.

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.

Link to the Flylady website

Don't let the somewhat sickly and barftastic language of the site put you off: the underlying system is sound!

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 masses of bumph. 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 brew + the power of three technique + a bit of support on here can work wonders!

Here's the launch pad for more experienced fledglings

Oh and 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 and some of us natter rather a lot – but all lurkers, intermittent returnees, oldies and newcomers are very, very welcome!

No Flying today, but definitely a better day. Laundy on, a few little things ticked off the to-do list :) still taking it easy physically but hoping to do more of the easier things like email/phone errands etc.

3 kids at school
did a mammoth Ocado shop again, this time just to get some compost
walked to Morrison's and bought more stuff for immediate use

still have curry from Friday for supper
and dh's lasagne for doubters

bought black school socks as backup

ds1 coming home from his RE GSCE today...will have to find out if he was able to wing it, or whether he was completely unprepared. Last night was a bit late to discover he had confused the Intelligent Design argument with the Unmoved Mover argument

housework done = loo and surrounding lino
grocery shopping
swept floor
worktop
table
dw on
laundry on
laundry upstairs

going to lie down briefly now

Ugh, toothache. Flagging a bit now. But have managed a few more bits and pieces on the to do list. And some things I hadn't planned on, such as removing a mouldy melon from the fridge . In my rest breaks I'm catching up with this thread.

And RE GSCE part I over...Ds1 had to answer on....CAUSATION argument. Glad to know he hadn't muddled it up with watches...

Ds2 came home. I was upstairs when Dh let him in, and heard a terrible outpouring of outrage from the hall...oh dear... he did calm down enough to lambast a few of his class mates. So it is not going well; luckily he doesn't seem unhappy exactly, just outraged...I received an email from the school (computer generated) telling me he had already accrued 4 positive conduct points for "active engagement". Now we have to draw a poster about a sweet shop. He looks extremely smart in his new uniform, even ds1 complimented him on it, and he actually smirked. So that is something. He said to me everyone in his class looked about 15, and then said,as an afterthought, I suppose they probably think I'm 15 (he is tall)

Dd has returned and ordered several new pairs of tights.

Hello everyone, < big welcoming wave to Liver and Untidy >, this is indeed a lovely thread.

Knitting - I love that you always find positive things to say in times of stress! How do you do it, and can you teach me?

Blue - I love that just painted look in a room, so uplifting.

Cag - my DH swears by holding a mouthful of brandy over a sore tooth

knitting - DS1 has his first ever GCSE tomorrow afternoon (Biology). He started revising, but much, much too late. I've told him to treat it like a mock exam and just do his best then I'll book him in for retakes next year. He's been very anxious, so I have no idea how he'll cope. And he has two more Science ones after that. Ah well.

Came home to find DH has blitzed our bedroom and it looks....TIDY !

Bicarb of soda blue

knitting you hope ds didn't confuse the what with the what?!

Very long ta da list. I had the rages today. Makes for a productive day. Not even close to catching up to where I need to be but people have kinda got the idea I have the rages and to tread careful.

Ds is happily stimming away whilst playing tidying his lego. Neither of us have a bed yet nor are likely to in the near future. So it is going to be a late night around here for both of us. Although the promise of ice cream when he is done is speeding things up with ds.

Grey- I believe bicarbonate of soda is supposed to get rid of the smell?

My DH was home today so I had an extra pair of hands which was great! Quite productive and got a few hours office work completed.

Glad I checked in though as I'd forgotten the washing load in the machine!

Just the washing to go up
Kids to bed
Living room tidy and I should manage a couple of hours relaxing before bed which doesn't happen often!!

Ha! Cross posted there Einstein but great minds... Scuse the pun!

Euww brandy! I'll stick to Corsodyl mouthwash thanks :o

Still not being productive and did bugger all home ed today (DH did the core skills stuff with them before I even got up!) but at least I sent various emails etc. Nearly got DD's birthday party sorted so that's good except for the bank balance - first big party and some other admin tasks. Although it seems that every time I cross something off the to do list (on the 'post it' app on my laptop) I think of something new to add!

Must go and do the grocery order now. Bah.

Tomorrow it's a hopefully easy morning, but with home ed involved, and then Spanish in the afternoon. Proper paid class this time.

Toffee best wishes for tomorrow's exam, he probably knows a lot more than he realises. I think they do cover an awful lot at school with GSCE;s and there is far less independent study required than we might remember from O level.

Whisky is really good for toothache, it anaethesises the nerve, no need for it to reach the brain Oil of cloves too, I think is a kind of antiseptic which helps if you anoint a bit of cotton wool with it.

Well ds2 has finally gone to bed, after a lot of complaining about school. I know it is the best thing for him, if he would just find a few people he liked the look of, atm he is declaring everyone is a buffoon.. I need to get him into Chess Club or Debating Club or Badminton Club, as he likes all these things. He seems to like the TA very much which is good.

.

I am exhausted. DD is having some sort of emotional crisis, totally out of character and I feel unable to help. DS is being alternately lovely and lairy. I have had problems with organisers of an extra-curricular activity too (my fault and it has made me feel dreadful). My exam is looming. I have a to-do list that never seems to shrink. I've had a right go at DH about supporting me more and the house has miraculously become much tidier, but why does it take me bursting into floods of tears to make it happen. Feeling completely overwhelmed right now.

The daily summary for Tuesday (also available on the Flylady website at flight plan which should update automatically each day.

**

Baby-step no 17 - set a bedtime and stick to it

We are in Zone 3 this week: the bathroom and one extra room

Spend 15 mins decluttering in Zone 3.

When you have finished decluttering, the detailed cleaning list (if you are at that stage) for Zone 3 is here

Mission for Tuesday shine the sink in the bathroom, sweep or vacuum the floor of the extra room

The daily focus for Tuesday is: planning

The monthly habit for May is moving in May!

Ah, who ((fledgling hug)) that all sounds very frustrating :( allow yourself a good old wallow/cry. It helps!

Knitting I think one of the key differences with home ed is that you have so much more autonomy over who you hang around with. So it must be quite a change having to spend all day among these 'buffoons' as he sees them :) but he will get used to it. Clubs sound like a great plan, finding like minded kids, but I guess adding that on would be too much too soon, which is annoyingly ironic really. Shame he couldn't do the extra curricular clubs first and then start school after!

I've only just caught up on the whole thread and there was me wondering why I've not been productive today but am already losing track of all the exams going on. So a big old good luck to all who need it!

I suppose I have got a reasonable amount done really, considering. Not by normal person standards, but by my usual standard it's been a good day!

Last night, at 11.30 (wtf???) inspired by you lot, I emptied out the cupboard under the bathroom sink.
It was awesome. I threw away 15 yr old bottles of sun cream, and decanted half finished bottles into each other. I made some space!!!!
Tonight, I am going to tackle the drawers in the unit.
And then, apparently, clean my sink and vacuum the spare room. Wow.
So thank you.

Err, you're welcome?
Shhhh keep that fact you have space quiet else someone might overhear and put something in it.

Urgh. Tired. Long to do list. Soooo much that still needs to be done. But no ironing so no more iron burns don't ask

to do
bank
opticians
work - thank goodness
clothes away
more laundry
Get ds' room finished.

Good morning! Gosh, such a lot going on!

Why can't I move back to previous pages on this thread, or is that just me?

A warm welcome to Liverdoc!

Just flapping in to give Whoknows a huge bunch of ! So sorry things are so stressful. Sometimes all the crap stuff happens at once. It's sod's law! It does seem unfair that you have to bear the brunt though. Not easy I know, but can you take a hour or two to just step away from it all for a bit? (Or go and do some revision sitting in the calm of the allotment?) Hope things improve soon x

Knitting Good luck to your ds2 for the remaining days of this week! (Hopefully each day will get a little bit easier.) And to your ds1 with his remaining exams.

Toffee I'll be thinking of your ds1 this afternoon! V best of luck to him. He is doing so well and has done so well to overcome his anxiety thus far!! I think that is great advice to treat it as a mock.

Toffee/Knitting Given how stressful things are with dd and her end-of-year exams atm (and this is just the end of the first year mind) I really take my hats off to you both. I think I am going to dig myself a bunker at the end of the garden in preparation for when "proper" exams are upon us in a few years time. Here's some for you both for later on tonight!

Toffee I owe you thanks a million times over. I ordered the book Zagazoo for a friend's child and promptly ordered myself another copy! I think it is the best, funniest book I have read in ages!! Totally inspired and brilliant as are the QB illustrations of course. We are definitely at the fiery dragon and bat wailing stage currently.

Wow Grey things are moving on at a hectic pace at your end! Good luck with your meeting this afternoon and with the viewing and with removing puke aroma. I third/fourth the use of bicarb. White vinegar quite good too. And if it hasn't quite gone and you need to mask, then Dettol is effective. All of this house buying/selling/moving shenanigans is incredibly stressful so here's a glass of [red] for you too for later on!

Blue re: Eurovision - yes what a shame all the essential wierdness had been filtered out!

Einstein agree that anger can be an, um, a hugely motivating force when it comes to Flying!

Come on Cag show us your sloth poetry!! [And hope toothache easing]

Big wing flaps to UntidyAn0n and everyone else I have inadvertently missed (especially as I can't seem to move behind the "front" page of the thread!)

A bit, um, tense here for various reasons. Ballet performance coming up this weekend, plus exams and various health related appts. Another mahoosive meeting this pm about a (very difficult and remote possible plan B) which has only just cropped up but it makes me feel a bit sick thinking about it all so I am going to go and tidy up to distract myself.

Have a good week fledglings!

x posts

[joins Einstein in the ouch minor burns corner - in my case "getting cakes and oven trays out of oven" variety but ironing ones sound nasty. Did I mention that I once ironed my own boob when pregnant? Naked ironing is not generally to be recommended ]

Wow Liverdoc that's fantastic about the bathroom decluttering! and a for doing it at 11.30pm at night!!

Naked Ironing SC?
Iron fell on me when I was moving the t-shirt I was ironing. Just one of those things, but I have 2 burns from a frying pan from the other day too. Need to hope nothing happens to me in the next few days otherwise there is going to be some awkward questions and I bet they don't believe the stupidity of it all.

Procrastinating. I want to do stuff that isn't the stuff I have to do today.

Ouch to frying pan burns! I was leaning over a rather difficult collar Einstein and cleaning lady had set ironing board at ridiculously low level because she is tiny [Sorry if that is a worrying image] Think I was going through a pregnancy over-heating phase too! Gave my ob/gynae a good cackle anyway!

Fark and double fark. In the time it took to type the above post, dh has come home to get changed for a meeting and explained how one mahoosive spanner has already been put in works of Plan B. Buggeration. Pooh. And may I add a Bum in there as well?

Right, now that is off my chest, I think I shall go and hung up some washing on the terrace. At least the sun is shining.

Not quite so motivated this morning! DH did the core skills work with the DCs again and I didn't get up til he left at half 9 DCs are getting some fresh air and then we should work on some Spanish before we go to the club - totally forgot to do the little learning pack the teacher sent home the first time, oops

Home ed 'inspection' booked for after we come back from our trip, so that's one little bit of pressure eased. Still want to get as much done as we can (housework wise) before we go though!

Sloth poem is a work in progress SC as we're doing it all together, so only when DH is home. But here's the first stanza (which stands alone unlike the others which sort of feed into each other):

You are a mystery to me,
Hanging by toes, two or three
And dangling from tree to tree

:o

Right. On I go (do I have to?!)

(that last bit was me by the way, not part of the poem!)

DS is in a sulk. This afternoon will be a hoot.

Cag [Might be a good addition though!

Boo hiss for spanners

Fingers crossed Bank is sorted. I have a wool related issue (minor) and an effort related issue (major major CBA)

Opticians, ds' room and laundry can go sit in the cupboard under the stairs so I can ignore them.