October Fledgling thread 2016: where we fluff up our feathers and fall back in to autumnal Flying routines

[Strikingclock]

Welcome to the October 2016 Fledgling Flying thread!

Come and park your broomsticks mops and buckets here!

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 , here, 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 bursts of activity (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!

[foxessocks]

mercury that's a very productive Sunday so far! What's a room rescue? I'm still learning the lingo!

I didn't really do anything yesterday as we went out with friends and I was exhausted when we got back! I've also been in bed all morning because dh got up at 7 with both children and I woke up at 9 when he brought me a coffee and a hungry baby! Bliss! That counts as healing my spirit or whatever fly lady calls it! I feel very relaxed. Ds is now asleep next to me in bed, dh is fixing the washing machine(again!!) and dd is playing downstairs (probably wrecking the joint!)

I'll get up in a minute and get some stuff done...just five more minutes . .

[HerdofAntilop]

Hello, tentatively delurking for a second time. Crashed and burned last time when I got stuck on shining my sink and busy with a Kondo festival. So this time I'm trying again now the bulk of my house moving clutter is cleared.

I decided I'd skip the sink shining (is that terribly controversial? It's actually in a good state to begin with, gets wiped down every night but it was the deep clean, using tooth floss etc that put me off) and did 15 minutes in the dining space last night (kitchen diner). Managed to deal with a pile of stained clothes that needed treating before washing, scrubbed ds's too small wellies so they can go into the loft for DD. Was really tempted to keep going as it was really invigorating but decided to stick to the 15 minutes and instead spent some enjoyable time drooling over fauxdori on Etsy. Looking forward to today already (it's a miracle!)

[foxessocks]

Hello herd! I don't do sink shining either I just wipe it down regularly! My sink is quite old and to be honest it's never going to look that shiny so I can't be bothered! The 15 minute thing really helps me too I actually find it quite fun sometimes I know that's pathetic!

Ta das
Tidied bedrooms
Sorted another bag for charity shop
Washing up
Tidied living room

Dh has fixed the washing machine again or at least he thinks he has we are doing a trial load...hope so because we've got an overflowing laundry basket.

To dos
Ironing
Take clothes and bottles to charity boxes

[Summerday11]

Hi please can I join ? Iv done a bit of fly lady on and off but never really worked main issue is I work some days so don't have time for her routine

[Summerday11]

Sorry posted to quickly - do you all stick to her routine so to speak day by day or do you do a catch up on days off

[Castlelough]

Hi Summer and welcome! I think flylady's routines can work when you are working. I work 5 days a week atm - roll on maternity leave . Because you focus on a single zone over the space of a week it is manageable I think. Plus then basically maintain order in the rest of house, if possible with a weekly blast of cleaning that consists of 7 jobs @10 mins each. Some people do that all at once but if you are working you can make it flexible and do one 10min task per day instead - whatever works for you. Most of the rest of the flylady routine is about getting ready for the next day or for the day ahead and actually helps when under time pressure to get out to work in a hurry. Of course, you will see all sorts of things on people's to do lists here, including hobbies etc but you can keep it brief and manageable and you should be fine.

[Castlelough]

Oh and sink shining for me means the sink is empty and wiped down. It is a white belfast sink so really it needs to be kept this way or else it looks terrible but I always feel good when it is done and it motivates me to keep the rest of the kitchen tidier too.

[Castlelough]

Thanks for congrats Mercury. You have been busy today already. I, on the other hand, have been languishing in the naughty corner.
Foxes that sounded like a blissful morning. Nothing like snuggles in bed with baby!

[pontificationcentral]

I am lol at 'Kondo festival' I need one of those here. I am loosely planning it for a week in December as if I have worked out my timings correctly, I finish uni a week before everyone else finishes school (and mil and fil arrive for six weeks).
The sun is shining here in that early morning way. The brown dog spent all night barfing. DH has his suitcases packed in the hall and is fussing with his passport. Both dd1 and no-acronym kid (what on earth do you call a spare teen? She's not my dd, dsd, shall I use sk1 for spare kid???) have been delivered to work. Time for a bacon sandwich and a pot of tea before I hit the day running!

Ta da:
Just the dog vom. Everything else can wait until after breakfast

To do:
Write my list for today while I eat bacon Most of it will be the leftovers from yesterday!!!

[pontificationcentral]

[Cagliostro]

Yes the beauty of FlyLady when I actually bother following it is that you can switch it around to suit you. My version of shining the sink is actually the bathroom basin - because that gets messy super quickly/full of bath toys, toothbrushes etc - and because the kitchen sink is (a) DH's domain (he does all the washing up as due to illness I can't stand long enough) and (b) it's a crappy plastic sink that wouldn't shine if you polished it for a century. Other bits of FL don't make sense to me - our living room needs vacuuming at least once a day, not just during a Home Bleugh - and we are seriously not fussy, it just gets filthy really quickly!

I woke up all motivated this morning and planned to get loads done but I appear to still be in my jammies and can barely be arsed to go do dinner for the Caglets. SIGH.

[Cagliostro]

Pont - how about HDD, Honorary DD? Or HG, House Guest?

[pontificationcentral]

HDD. That works. Thanks!
HDD's mum is moving away tomorrow. She isn't telling HDD's dad (who lives a 5 hour flight away). HDD's stepdad will still be living in this town (according to the mum) and will apparently be in loco parentis. I am currently wavering between being bemused and jolly cross at all of them. HDD is taking it all in her stride and is doing adult better than any of them.

[pontificationcentral]

[Strikingclock]

OK fledglings - we're starting the first Flying week in October ...

Tomorrow's baby-step no 3 , for Mon 3rd Oct 2016 is here. Continue first two steps and explore Flylady website.

Newcomers - here is the launch pad from which you can navigate the site:
//www.flylady.net/c/lp.php .

This week (October 2-8) we are in 2 Zones:
Zone 1: The Entrance, Front Porch and Dining Room
Zone 2: The Kitchen

NB We are only in Zone one for a very short time this month - next month however we will be in it for four whole days.

We are in Zone 1 tomorrow : The Entrance, Front Porch and Dining Room here.

For fledglings at a more advanced stage i.e. without clutter: here is the detailed cleaning list for Zone 1.

Tomorrow's mission is sweeping porch area, wiping down front door, shaking out doormats etc.

The daily focus for Monday is what we call "the home bleugh" but in Flylady land is the home blessing hour ie spend 10 mins on 7 essential tasks. If you don't have time for this on a Monday, or one day in the week, then some fledglings spread the tasks out 10 mins per day.

The habit for October is getting rid of paper clutter, here: www.flylady.net/d/habits-of-the-month/october/.
(Scroll down for more detailed explanation.)

The daily flight plan here: //www.flylady.net/c/fp.php?tzm=-120 will update itself (hopefully) and if you click on it tomorrow will provide a quick summary of the above.

Have a productive start to the week everyone!



Will be back later (if poss) to catch up with rest of thread!

[foxessocks]

Ta das
Cooked dinner and tidied up
Ironing - nearly finished !
Took all bottles and clothes to charity boxes and took dd to the park as well so win win

Dh has fixed the washing machine but it sewns to have gone wrong AGAIN...not sure what's going on there!
But more positively dh also hoovered the whole house and cleared out ds bedroom and spare room ready for new carpets and furniture in the next few weeks. I'm very happy about this as they were the last two rooms to declutter! (Although some rooms need decluttering again now as it was a while ago that I started and it's amazing how stuff just accumulates...)

Pont that sounds like a tough situation all round

Caglio we all have those days where you just can't summon the willpower!

[TooStressyForMyOwnGood]

SC thanks for the star :), sadly was only the first draft, was a start at least. Really wonder why I agree to these things. Doing a course at the same time and really planning once that is over to not take on unnecessary stuff for a while.

Everybody sounds very busy!

Ta da:
Went for run
Sadly that's it as out all day

Just getting back now so to dos are:-
DDs bedtime
Mini unpacking
Before bed routine including bags for tomorrow
Maybe a bit of coursework or report - depends how bedtime torture goes
Watch Poldark

[Kim82]

Hi everyone, I didn't make I back onto the thread yesterday but today's ta da's are:

Tidied living room
Emptied kitchen bins
Fed cats
Cleared out girls' room and have now got huge piles of stuff for the tip and the charity shop (took me bloody hours!)
Tidied back garden
Four loads of washing
Put away 3 loads of washing
Took the girls to visit my parents
Cooked a roast
Cleaned the kitchen after roast
Shined sink (my new favourite thing to do!)
Put bins out for collection in the morning
Three youngest bathed and in pjs

To do's

Iron uniforms and work clothes.
Dry 9 year old's hair.
Wrangle two year old into bed.
Paint radiator in living room and kitchen (will probably delegate to dh).

I'm shattered now and can't be bothered moving but need to get my backside in gear so I shall see you once my to do's are done..

[GrendelsAunty]

Thought I'd join in before it gets to the stage where I can't open the front door for the piles of clutter..... Can I just check my understanding is correct. Tomorrow I do the entrance/porch/hall/dining room for 15 minutes, and 7 x 10 mins and that's enough? Is that about the amount I need to be doing each day? Or is the 7 x 10 mins meant to be enough for the week?
I begrudge every minute spent doing housework, so I'm really hoping for a 15 minute miracle!

[Kim82]

To do's are now ta da's (dh is painting as I type) so I can now sit on the sofa in peace.

[Castlelough]

Thank you for links SC.
Waves to everyone. Kim that is some list!
I got through most of my to do list except for paperwork for school, which really needs tackling. Probably won't manage it by the time I get dd to bed and prep for the morning/before bed routine.
Grendel it all depends on your own household I suppose. With a toddler I find I have the hoover out most days for the kitchen-dining room or the living room but the rest of the weekly home bleurgh suffices here. Mind you my house isnt particularly clean...babysteps

[MercuryRising]

Wow everybody has been busy today!

I had a lovely family roast, cleaned up after, made my bed and ironed the school uniforms for the week. Overall I feel we are starting the week in a reasonably organised state.

Foxes a room rescue is a general removal of chaos and straightening up of a room. So for example in our bedroom I might make the bed, put any dirty washing in the basket, make the bed, return dds stuff to her room and take down any glasses for washing up. It is really a quick blast of tidying in a chosen room.

[YippeeTeenager]

Hello everyone! Thanks SC for starting the October thread. I was feeling really low earlier in the week but it turned out I was incubating a bug. Had a couple of days of horrible headaches, sore throats and temperature but feeling so much better today. Sink is shiny-ish and I'm raring to go again from tomorrow after a week without any flying. Struggling to fit in even 15 mins some days with work, but generally finding that following this thread is making me more aware of the clutter and motivating me to do more about it. I'm going to try harder in October!

[Cagliostro]

Yikes pont HDD's family sound rather... ineffectual to say the least :( (on a lighter note glad you like my suggestion for acronym!)

Great progress from others today. Not me! I spent a lot of time trying to get the replacement printer set up (it's partly done but will need tech support for the last bit so will phone/online chat tomorrow). A lot of time sorting the online grocery order. A lot of time lying around feeling ill. And a lot of time talking to one of my closest mates, who is falling out with another of them. Fucking hate being stuck in the middle, feels like high school but with much deeper issues.

Anyway. A new week tomorrow.

[8FencingWire]

Good morning :)

I did a load of washing last night and hanged it to dry in the living room, on the heated airer. I cracked open the windows a tad, when I walked in this morning it was freezing!!!! As in proper winter freezing. We still have flop flops by the door! Oh well!

The house is clean, I hoovered and mopped the floors last thing last night, to make sure it's all in order. Dishwasher about to be emptied and the laundry folded and put away.
I gave the sink and the loo a wipe last night, but it needs a bit of elbow grease.
And today I'll start tackling the paperwok mountain. I've bought a shredder, hours of fun.

I could to with straightening the hallway cupboards, been chucking stuff in lately!

grendel, once you get into a routine it gets so much easier! You can't organise clutter, get rid of stuff as you go along. And then stuff will become easier to clean/tidy etc. Do Kondo if it helps :)