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!

Yes definitely. The state of my house definitely depresses me and vice versa.

I've emptied out five bags! Filled a plastic bag just with rubbish from them.

Well done cag

When I was first diagnose depressiony gp would visit me at home (anxiety/panic attacks plague left me agoraphobic for a while)he always used to say based my mood by how much living room floor visible and if curtains opened!!
I didn't get it at time,but now I clearly see the link between state home and mind together

I should add that 20year ago gp Stoll did home visits!!

I've finally see bake off final

I in horrible stress today.snarling at zoolets I can't cope noise and movement of their playdefinitely not a good one here

Big hugs zoo keep chatting here if it helps.

Do you know if something particular has made you feel worse recently? Maybe the stress of MIL and the house clearance stuff has caught up with you?

Xx

urg this mornings oomph left me, dp took me to friends and now I feel sicky again, I have no idea what it is that's making me feel sick, I'm wondering if its dairy or sugar or both? I was fine until 10 mins before we left. Looks like I may need to do a process of elimination.

Last set of links for the month fledglings! Well done everyone for Flying so well under extremely challenging circumstances!

Tomorrow's baby-step no 31 for Mon 31st Oct is: here. It's the rather cultish one about not needing to understand how the whole system works before you start, as it will all become clear as you follow it more and more. Eg, you will have more time for zone cleaning once the clutter disappears etc etc.

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

Well, having looked at the launch pad we are officially back in Zone 1 now : The Entrance, Front Porch and Dining Room (October 30th - November 5th) but of course you wouldn't know this from looking under 'Today' on the homepage which is hugely irritating and Flylady has had months and months and presumably many anti-procrastination Wednesdays in which to sort this glitch out [harrumph]!!

Zone 1 details are here anyway!!

Declutter for 15 mins in the current zone!
Once you have decluttered, do 15 mins detailed cleaning.

All the missions for the week ahead can be found here. As it happens, very unusually, there isn't a mission for Monday!

The daily focus for Monday is the home bleugh here. 10 mins spent on each of seven essential tasks (or spread them out throughout the week.)

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

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

Enjoy your Sunday evening everyone!

*

Hey folks - had to take a low-flying zone for a week or two and recognize the mid-fall dip in mood. Sorry that a few of you are experiencing similar.
There is definitely a correlation here between mental robustness and resilience and the state of the living quarters, so time to get a grip again. (Also check daylight! There is something about the lower quality end of year light that I find hard - I don't have SAD, but I do think there is something in it). This year combined with mid-term workload and HDD's mum taking off so I needed to lie low for a bit.

To do:
Laundry (don't want to think about how many loads)
Dishwasher - unload/ load
Meal plan
Assignment Grading
Finish book for Tuesday
Carve pumpkin
Vacuum
Dog walk
30 min exercise vid
Dust
Work out what zone we are in and catch up on thread...

Dd1 is in Boston at her science thang - (with HDD) - she presented yesterday and it seemed to go well. Think awards are tomorrow, so they have big celebration today and Blue Man Group concert. V cool.

Had really lovely walk in the countryside and collected some leaves which dd and I are now sticking on the inside of old large jam/preserves jars with Mod Podge to create twinkly autumnal lights for mantelpiece. (Idea nicked from Pintinterest again.) We have also made more pipe cleaner mummies for tomorrow.

Have also:
cleared side board
hung up second two lots of laundry
put on two more
emptied dw again
cleaned out rabbits
emptied bins for recycling tomorrow
and bathroom bin which I forgot this morning
prepped collars and cuffs of dh shirts prior to washing

No, no Cag me dear, not a re: rubbish but a and a for chucking out five bags of the stuff!!!

Not pathetic at all Foxes! As Cag said, 'tis good to share the triumphs and tribs! Just really happy to hear you are finding the thread useful . So agree about the feeling of being a bit more in control leading to calmness too!

Sorry to hear you are struggling today Zoo take it slowly x Cag is right, you have been so busy supporting everyone else recently and perhaps need to give yourself some down time now as these things tend to catch up with us .

So sorry you are feeling urgh again Babble; hope you can take it a bit steady too.

Big wing flaps to everyone else!

x post

Good to have you back Pont - sorry you've had a tough ten days or so - very much agree about light quality making a huge difference to one's mental state and resilience levels. (Eg, I found choring so much easier today because of the sunshine, on dark days here it is like wading through treacle.) Your HDD's mum taking off must be a huge worry to you - it is such a massive responsibility - bloody good of you though. Congrats on fab list achieved (esp exercise!) [Don't mention body clutter . And congrats to your dd1 too!

Tis the last sunday of half term
and all through the house
the kids are stirring
ready for a de-louse
but first they need to gather
all of their mislaid notes
because they didnt bother
to do their homework first
so now their all worried
that they'll never be done on time
my stress levels are rising
I could almost commit a crime
one needs to cover a book and do his numeracy too
so I'm now scrabbling around for wrapping paper
yes I'm sure parcel paper will do
the other has an art project
to paint and let dry
It'll still be wet in the morning,
i hope he wont cry
the stress of half term
and the night before school
is just about enough
to make this mum down a very large bottle of wine!!

😱😂 fantastic poetry!

Babblehag

and as requested!!

haha I'm actually quite pleased with that, wasn't expecting it to go together too well, I'm not great with words and normally poetry completely baffles me, it was never my strong area in English to be fair. I used to just have random words/sentences just to make it rhyme. So you lot have the best poem I have ever written. But on a serious note, that is what has happened in my house tonight. Last minute homework rush, I will make them all do it on the first 2 days of xmas hols!!!

Babblehag .

Ta das:-
Swimming party . It was actually tolerable and the kids all had a fab time. Apparently they are quite a common thing .
DH has done more laundry
Organised trick or treating for tomorow
Bedtime
Dishwasher on

To do:-
Not sure how this will go as DD2 a bit unsettled...
Make a fuss of cat as back from cattery today
Bit more laundry
Calendar check
2 min email declutter
Collapse in front of telly (DD2 dependent) with ice pack on dodgy ankle I hope.

I love the poem babblehag

I think I am in denial that the dc are back to school tomorrow.

I think our local school has an inset day tomorrow.

Waves to everyone. Tomorrow is a new day and nearly a new month so let's hope for easier flying days ahead.
I just cut the hours in school holidays, back to full on from now!
Had lots of work to get through today so not much time for Flying
Ta da list:
Few minutes ironing - all up to date here. Pile will probably grow in the week.
Online grocery shop
2 beds changed
15 minutes decluttering the sideboard.
Washing machine set for morning
Now we are in zone 1, so the dining room which is what my work room doubles as, so maybe more sideboard decluttering this week...

Good morning, not quite up and dressed yet but ds3 was up at sun up meh,

todo
get up and dressed
get kids up
make coffee
unload dishwasher
make sure kids make sarnies etc
go docs for prick in bum
get make up on
go work.

Hi all.dd2 at school,D's n lil zoo git teacher training

Tadas
Fed cats
Bins n recycling out
Feed zoolets
Org ingredients for dd2dt lesson-pizza with a design on(opt rainbow)
Paint her nails shell pink nd add cobweb design
Dematt her hair which was in shower last night but didn't brush!!

Off shops when she leaves at 745.we are out of bananas (beyond disastrous in the zoo house)
Fab poem babble

I don't have a dining room,so u shall use time to do living room I neglected last week(as dining table lives in there)

I git a lotus candle fir lil zoos cake,it sings happy birthday.2days later its miw singing in my dustbin and I can still hear it consider that a warning to others. Beautiful in action,but unstoppable!!!!

Hugs to pont it seems many if us are in same boat. Nice to know not alone.xx

[Mounts broomstick, does synchronised loop-the-loop with Stillliving [catches a few stray bananas mid-air] crash lands in to thread with a thump ...]

Morning all!

Still that is hilarious about the birthday candle still singing in your dustbin Good luck with your list today!

And with yours Babble!

Sorry to hear you are going back to killer hours from WestoEast which must be v tough indeed. You should pat yourself on the back for making the most of the time you've had this week though .

Glad you survived the party Toostressy! And that the dc had a good time!

Big waves to Mercury and everyone else!

Official start of our half term here so dd and I have had a lazy morning so far. (Poor dh had to leave early for work.) We live within spitting distance of four schools and although I never mind the noise of children, the lack of traffic noise is blissful!

It's another beautifully sunny day so I think we are going off for a long dog walk first, then doing some hwk supervision (holiday hwk projects are the bane of my life atm) then more Halloween decorations and baking, and I need to tackle Zone 1 and do a bit in horrendous play room, plus continue with laundry. Also wipe down front door and brush down metal work outside and clear rubbish from below street level window sills. And there's still the boudoir always in need of attention! Oh and need to cook something light and healthy with high veg content, as we spent the weekend eating dh's food choices ie lots of game, smelly cheeses, yards of baguette, full English breakfasts [clutches liver].

Aiming for a dry November, increased exercise, slimming world adherence, and going to focus on paper decluttering as have meal planning (monthly habit for Nov I think) relatively under control whereas paper clutter is definitely not!

Have a good spooky day one and all!

Hi all, bit of a rubbish day here so far. DH opened a cupboard and a can of Diet Coke (one can which I had kept just in case we ever used it ) fell out and exploded all over him! So he has gone to work in a foul mood. Still stuff everywhere from holiday and now DD2 not wanting to go to her gymnastics class, seems to prefer to stay at home and poo in her pants thus adding to laundry. Would normally tell her we are going but since it's INSET it seems pointless to force it if both DDs want lazy day. So, feel as if I have achieved nothing, have snapped at both girls that they had better not trash the house (yeah, right) and am trying to get on with things. In a right grump and hoping I cheer up later as have to go out trick or treating tonight. Will attempt cheerier post next time! On the plus side I have decluttered the cupboard that the coke can exploded from.

x post

Oh no Stressy that sounds like rather a difficult start to the morning! Hope your day improves as it goes along! Have a and five mins to yourself!

too stressbe grateful it was a coke can.when dd1was little (many moons ago)a can princes minced beef leapt out and exploded.hideous mess!!

Appreciates sclooping with me on the broom!!

I got bananas,something for lunch (lil zoo want wraps,D's want lambs lettuce and they agree tuna and avocado in it)

In previous years I've always let them dress up and we've played games etc n decorate the house.by 4pm we ready with sweet stash for trick or treaters.cept thus year I just can't face it.we haven't funds for new outfits they only wear once and grow out of by next year and I can't cope idea steady stream people knock on door.last year we had 150trick or treaters-cant justify the cost of that either. Dd2 gets but fun at school today. The little ones have scarpered upstairs with lil zoos tablet (clearly I still wearing yesterdays harpy face n they keeping a low profile).
Adds to the crap mum feelings....

Debating whether go see gp.at what point do you say its a problem? I've never had fabulous self care habits-eat sugar/carbs as comfort etc and I don't sleep well but its the rage n sadness I struggling with.I feel like a coiled spring all the time.is thus normal in "women if a certain age?"