Fledglings Flying into June - In or Out we'll find out soon.

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeG0es]

Welcome all - and thanks to CotswoldStrife for leading us through May. It's going to be a momentous month on the political front, but this is where we can concentrate on the domestic front instead.

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 Flylady

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 Launch Pad

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!

I have spent more time cleaning the office/craft room. Ds learnt to sew a button on he did it all himself too! Just asked me 3 questions. Fallen out with Df over brexit, although truce now called. And curled up with some crafting after making and eating homemade pizza. naughty Einstein, naughty Tomorrow is going to be a whole heap of crazy busy but meh. An early night's sleep and most dust evicted. Combined with putting things (furniture extra back) Hopefully this round of builders will be done friday. Woooo Hoooo. Not excited me. Oh not. Not. At. All!

Hissing cockroaches are cute. I have gecko owning Just wouldn't be possible with the way life happens here :(

It won't be happening here for a long time if ever TBH, we told the DCs a long time ago that as long as we're in this house we can't have even a tiny pet due to lack of space. If we ever move (we're totally stuck ATM due to rent prices etc) then maybe but not holding my breath.

Managed to bathe the DCs somehow, knackered. Time for some anime til DH gets home I reckon. Living room is a pit but we'll be dealing with it in the morning. Not now. Just no.

Caglio - glad the party went well. My DCs are 10 and 12 so we've moved on to smaller outings with just a few friends now, it is much easier. Both their birthdays are within 6 weeks after Christmas and I always had to book up halls etc before Christmas because if I left it till the last minute it was way too stressful. We did bowling for DS a couple of years ago, 12 children including him and DD on two lanes and the bowling alley people were great, they ran the whole thing for us, a DJ behind the lanes playing music, and running little competitions, another staff member leading the dancing in between goes and sorting out whose go it was etc. That was a bowling alley in a council sports centre rather than Bowlplex or similar.

Einstein - luckily I do not have to see FIL for the next few weeks as let's say we don't agree on politics either.

Flying-wise - two loads of washing done today, 5 loads (carried over some from yesterday) sorted and an hour and half of ironing done. Whilst listening to DD read and supervising a game of Top Trumps between the DCs to make sure WW3 didn't break out (it usually does).

I have had a good idea for listening to DD read - she uses a Kindle now and it's not easy for two people to look at the screen together, so I opened her book on the Kindle app on my phone and had it on the ironing board to follow while she read (she needs encouraging to sound out words rather than guess them and I need to see the text to know what the words are). Pleased with that.

Other than that it was the weekly food shop and big fridge tidy out / put away that follows, an hour or so at the allotment and then DD's swimming lesson.

Links for Monday

Babystep - What's for dinner.

Mission - put out any major hotspots in your living room

Monday is Home Blessing Day

(Passes smelling salts to any fainters over the hissing cockroach).I am beyond impressed....
Been busy weekend here. Dp had rare 4days off and we spent good times with kids do stuff incl roller skating(we watch)and go stroll rather lovely castle Ashby gardens
On flying front things went out window and chaos has returned,so set work straightening myself/house this am
Today's ta das
Fed cats
Bins out
Recycling out
Washing on
Cleaned kitchen surfaces
Wash out dryer,fold and put away(yesterdays washing)
Wash floor
Fed and watered zoolets
Pack ups sorted
Book bags check,diary's for reading signed (I tend listen but not sign book say I have)
Bath and sink clean
Harpic lav
Sweep stairs
Make beds
Listen kids practise guitar

We are now get ready to leave for school.dp is off today,so won't be much else done, cept wash/drying and dinner!!

I just did a really big ta da for me, I booked my first driving lesson for tomorrow night

Also,
Washed up
Fed babies
Put away yesterday's laundry
Laundry in washer
Swept kitchen floor
Swish and swiped bathroom

The builders are back, the child is off school.

Good luck with the driving, Kruck
Grey we still have curtains, but just had to remove kitten from the blinds in my office! He's lovely though. [soppy]

Ta da!
Laundry done and on line
Fed kitten
Dealt with litter trays
DS1 packed off on school residential
DS2 packed off on school trip to zoo
Swept floor x gazillion
Coffee with one of the Beavers mums

to do
Put out garden bin
Probably tons of other stuff, but CBA has set in

Minimal flying today as DD off school unwell. Hopefully normal service will resume tomorrow as we have a few things booked for the rest of the week!

Not as a productive a day as I would have hoped. But ds has apparently tidyed his room (will check the drawers and wardrobe tomo) and I did do 3 hrs of ironing.

Off to do some spirit renewal

Links for Tuesday

Babystep - the power of 15 minutes

Mission - dust your decorative items. Blue you can just send your kitten round the room.

Tuesday is Planning Day

WhoKnows - depends if I want them in one piece afterwards...

I did planning day today, so I am a day ahead. Wooo hoo. So all i have to do is to work through the to do list. It is a long one. But i can not right now. Hot water bottle and sleep. Night nighty

Im joining today my house looks like a shithole dump , so my list
Dishwasher to be loaded
Washing
Drying
Beds made
Hoover
Tidy and mop kitchen
Tidy DC room (might aswell throw a bomb in there )
Tidy our bedroom
Clean bathroom and mop floor
All with DC 3.8 and 11 month old in tow shoot me now

Hello everyone, sounds like you have all been really busy.

Spent yesterday therapy shopping with my friend who is having a shit time with part of her family.

Today to do
Fill black bin bag with old sheets for the clothing bank.
General tidy
Sort out ironing into a pile.

Ta da
Hung washing out and another load in.

Have been at DS2's sports day all morning, and shredded a skirt in my bike chain, being in too much of a hurry to think things through. Oops. Now need to do a bit of work, and have a kitten to play with - priorities!

Hello all,
I am a first time poster and a fly lady Virgin and I am starting to feel I am drowning with the huge job I have to get our home in order so I thought I would have a read of the thread to see if the system might work for us.

My DD and I moved in with my OH and his DS this time last year, none of us are good and neat and tidy, we all had far too much stuff even before we merged two homes into one and we have builders at the moment rebuilding the garage so a huge amount of stuff is in the house that wouldn't normally be. The paperwork piles are a disgrace and as for the garden.

Please pass on some tips, advice and encouragment. I need it all if I can't have a house elf!!

Kondo it.
Then flylady once the clutter is gone.

But that is not probably what you want to hear. But the fat fairy does say quite clearly (and truthfully) you can't clean clutter.

That said I understand the pain of builders being in and everything being everywhere but we have used this opportunity to really go through and sort stuff that is normally out of sight out of mind.

(Waves to newbies and everyone else)
You can't clean clutter,but I am a disorganised slattern with a houseful of hoarders and the routine flylady gives is chip away at things when I don't get side tracked

Been mad house today
Fed cats
Wash on
Hotspot front room
Clean few decorative items I posess
Make lunches
Feed and water zoolets
Wash in dryer more in wash
Swish and swipe bathroom
Make beds
Wash kitchen floor
Sign guitar books and drag zoolets out door(I hate leaving a bit late)

Sign in at community cafe for duty.knit and Natterer's today so 2course meal to make as well serving breakfasts.finish and close down 1pm

Its my friends funeral tomorrow.I made macaroni cheese and pop that round before pick up zoolets
D's is best friends her son and he hasn't been at school this week. I think its finally hit him mums gone and he still hasn't cry yet
I suspect torrow will he traumatic for him and super sad for the rest of us(he is just 10)

Picked up dd2 from school (bus isn't til 5.15 and she has fin and faith tonight and wouldn't be back in time.its times like this when pisding down and dp is working I wish I could drivw-its not that far,just not safe her walk alone over nature reserve...

I am losing will to live her attitude again and contemplating moving into shed with cobwebs and bikes!!
(Sorry for long post,tomorrow I prib just nip in and say hi,but without my wings on)

Come and have a drink with me in the naughty corner bar StillLiving We'll toast your friend if you like. I might need to dust in there first it has been a bit neglected recently.

Still in shock over referendum here, not sure what to say, feel like I've fallen down the rabbit hole. DP is away on business in India and he says the coverage there makes it look like UK is in total meltdown and the international group of colleagues he is with just can't believe what has happened to a country perceived as being calm and stable by many countries, he says the coverage looks surreal. I said it feels the same here.

My jaw hit the floor watching Nigel Farage throw a tantrum basically and shout names, has the world gone mad?!

Not a huge amount of flying going on and DP is away for a week so no help but on the other hand Meerkitten is sleeping a bit better in the last week and so I've been able to get a bit of time to myself in the evening which is good, so I may be able to get a bit more tidying and tackling of hotspots done.

However, what I really long to do is hoover but worried that will wake Meerkitten up and she gets upset if I try and hoover when she is around so not sure what to do there

That about sums it up, Dogs.

Way too despondent for any flying at the moment. Will join others in the naughty corner bar.

I feel as though I have slightly moved on from my despair about the referendum today, having realised that I can't carry on with the level of anger I have been feeling without really damaging some relationships and I don't want that.

Still - I hope tomorrow brings comfort to all who knew your friend, so hard.

Dogs - I remember the hoovering/sleeping baby conundrum well. FWIW I meant to do mine today and didn't get round to it.

Imblet - welcome to the thread. I try and follow the old saying of "a place for everything and everything in it's place". Creative storage really does help, but so does decluttering and just getting rid. When things get bad here I often start with paperwork, I have one of those stamps that obliterates personal data from letters etc, so I tackle a pile and find that there is usually quite a lot that can go straight into the recycling having been stamped. I also feel a lot better if the kitchen is reasonably clutter free for practical reasons, and the living room for relaxing reasons, so prioritise those over the rest of the house.

So, today has been the usual school runs and work, DD's ballet classes, half an hour at the allotment (I decluttered that earlier in the year and it feels so much better/easier to work up there now it is tidy). Then dinner and an evening in, admin and working with DD. Oh and put away a huge pile of clothes with her. I haven't got round to dusting my nicknacks though.