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!

Afternoon all,

Thank you for the schools link SC

Sorry to hear you're going through times of hardship Grey sounds like you have made a good start of making cutbacks with stopping luxuaries and some good advice offered already. I can only speak too highly of shopping at Aldi. Soooo much cheaper than Tesco and the like and just as good. Also charity shops are very good these days. I can only advise maybe cutting back on utilities, like the constant use of dishwashers, etc. They really do use so much electric and water. Also when your car/house insurance and broadband renewals come around check out the cost compariso websites and not just renew. I also stopped upgrading my mobile phone and now have my tarrif down to £10 a month all inclusive. Cutting down on non-essential car journeys. Theres plenty of savings to be made when you sit down and reflect on what you actually do and use during your standard day.

My ta das today

-made beds
-washed dishes
-cleaned bathroom (cleaned bath, cleaned basin, cleaned loo, cleaned mirror, cleaned tiles, cleaned window, swept and mopped floor)
-cleaned downstairs loo (cleaned basin, cleaned loo, cleaned mirror, cleaned tiles, cleaned window, swept and mopped floor)

• tidied ds room

Tea is cooking (tacos tonight). Need to wash dishes, zoflora kitchen tops, and bath ds, and general tidy up.

grey come join the frugalling board. We're friendly...!

Bugger. Posted too soon.

Meant to also say:

Budget budget budget
Meal plan meal plan meal plan
Cash in store points (boots Superdrug Tesco etc)
If shopping online topcashback it all the way
Switch utility providers
If you're in Credit with any utility providers get the money back
Cancel all unnecessary direct debits

Sorry to hear that grey . I haven't got much more to add as I think everyone else has already given good money saving tips but I really feel for you because it sounds like a shock and not a good time of year (not that any time of year is good)

Ta das
Loaded unloaded dishwasher
Put a wash on
Hung up washing and put some away
Room rescue bedrooms

To dos
Finish of dinner and tidy up
Trying to do a bit of kitchen De cluttering here and there but it all seems too big a task and i can't work out where to start!!

Oh and errand day I delegated to dh to pick up nappies as I couldn't face the supermarket this afternoon with two tired children!

Grey . Life can be shit sometimes. Definitely agree with the frozen vs fresh veg. I really noticed how much fresh food I was wasting and am trying to buy more frozen, which is cheaper anyway.

Ta da:
Bath time
Laundry on

To do:-
Bedtime
Before bed routine
Dinner
Laundry
Dishwasher
15 mins on the dreaded preschool report.

5 min declutter

Foxes I like the delegation!

Good evening all

Mixed day today and absolutely no Flying to report at all apart from emptying a dw, quick supermarket run, quick pet food run and cooking of supper which I have yet to clear up - oh and packed dh's case for yet another trip.

Bad bit: dropped off 4 bags of old (adult) clothes where I used to volunteer (am currently taking an enforced break because of back) and it seems that our team has not been replaced (teams recruited every new academic year) and it seemed to be half shut up and everywhere is a mess again . Disappointed because I know it provided a useful service and all the progress we made with reorganisation and cleaning/repairing etc is rapidly going in to reverse . Going to have to see if I can rally some troops ... .

Good bit: caught up with lovely friend at lunch time who I hadn't seen in a while and we nattered without pause until dd arrived home at 4pm .

Foxes just do 15 mins and no more in the kitchen. Choose messiest/most annoying bit of clutter (paper clutter maybe?) and get rid of that. Then put your feet up!

Pont I think I just rinse and re-boil about 5 or so times when I have vinegared the kettle. But as I do it so rarely I can't quite remember!

Fromwestoeast don't be too hard on yourself, sometimes there just aren't enough hours in the day. Any chance of delegating the dishes? Or buying a dw?

Hope you were fit enough to make it to The Smoke Cag

Well done re: decluttering of make up/hair drawer Shesgotelectricboobs

All the budgeting tips v useful to read!

Waves to Celeste Babblehag Cotswold Toostressy and everyone else!

*

Tomorrow's baby-step no 7 , for Fri 7th Oct is a good one about laying out tomorrow's clothes the night before. Highly recommended!

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

We are in Zone 2 (the kitchen) up to and including the 8th Oct : here.

For fledglings at a more advanced stage i.e. without clutter: here is the detailed cleaning list for Zone 2.

Tomorrow's mission is sweep and mop the kitchen floor in a non-perfectionist manner.

The daily focus for Friday is: decluttering purse/handbag/car + "date" night.

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 if you click on it tomorrow will provide a quick summary of the above.

We've nearly got through another week everyone: keep going!

I've done fuck all today

I am useless

I did do a declutter of paper in the kitchen so I think I probably need to do surfaces and a cupboard next but I couldn't choose which cupboard!

I think my dd needs to declutter her bag tomorrow! She has a little backpack for nursery and this evening after we put her to bed me and dh were about to watch TV but couldn't find the remote. after much searching we eventually found it in dds bag! Along with my purse, most of our fridge magnets and several nail varnishes!

Got a busy day tomorrow but hope to get a little bit more done if I can in the kitchen.

afresh you are not useless! We all have days / weeks like that! I seem to barely touch the surface in my house , it's bloody hard keeping on top of it all sometimes!

You are not useless Afresh, you are heavily pregnant with other children to look after! Frankly just getting through the day is an achievement surely. I found it hard enough being pregnant with only one other DC.

Oh goodness afresh forgot you're pregnant as well! Definitely don't worry put your feet up as much as you can!!

Yes [looks over pince nez in stern but kindly manner] we'll have none of the useless talk thank you, 'cos you are definitely NOT Afreshstart. Agree with Toostressy and Foxes: you are pregnant and need to take it steady! Put your feet up!

Arf at your dd and her "collection"

That last sentence was to Foxes obviously - sorry!

Don't be so hard on yourself Fresh You're growing a little person inside you plus you are also raising a family. Sounds pretty amazing to me. And at the end of the day the housework can do one.

Well said Celeste

I think I might just go to bed and write today off

Thanks all for the kind words

In fact, counter-intuitive though it may seem on a housekeeping thread, I think our new motto should be,

"And at the end of the day the housework can do one."

Seriously - there are far more important things sometimes - and gestating a baby is one of them!

Sounds like a good plan Afreshstartplease

“You are never behind. " – FlyLady

I feel like flop lady not fly lady!

Anyone know if being knackered and full of self pity is a labour sign BTW?

Enjoy!