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!

Sorry that was to your first post there! (I meant enjoy flopping!)

Not sure about it being a sign of labour but you are bound to be tired, and tiredness can (very very understandably) lead to one feeling less than positive I guess. I remember being barely able to breathe in the latter stages of pregnancy and it was a right downer as I was afraid to sleep. Lots of things about late pregnancy are downright depressing frankly.

So, rest and don't worry about the choring! Dusting and decluttering will always be there for another day and Flylady's routines always come around again the following month can you tell I have been following this mantra rather too assiduously

duh - meant to say - that was in "reply" to your first post

Better get some shut eye myself !

G'night all!

Sleep well everyone!

I love the new mantra sc

Today dp sidecarred ds2s cot to our bed and I had a massive declutter of our bedroom. I finally emptied two boxes of clothes that were not unpacked when we moved house in February I also boxed up the clothes that ds2 had outgrown just in case we decide to ttc dc4.

Apart from that very little flying got done but we had some lovely family time as it is dps birthday.

Sorry for the lack of personals but I am in bed already and in desparate need of sleep. Good night all.

There's no way you're more useless than me Fresh :o

I did indeed make it to London. Cried at the film! Browsed in a few little shops, had a nice quiet meal with my book/notebook in hand. Tired but refreshed. :)

Sorry Grey when life hits that bump in the road the shit just seems to keep coming, best wishes.

Afresh, sorry you are feeling down. I hope today dawns brighter for you, be kind to yourself.

Sorry for brief reply & missing out lots. I've been out with the girls, went to see Girl on a Train & I've got be up & out early. Night all

I think being knackered and feeling useless is a late pregnancy sign, rather than labour sometimes accompanied by unexpected periods of wailing and/ or temper control issues. Just me then?

Grey, what a total pain. We could well be in the same position at some point, as I think I said up thread somewhere, dh's work is far from safe at the mo - the company has essentially been bankrupt for a couple of years but the financier is now calling the loans in. Every day there is a different plan to ensure they can continue to operate (the debt is currently being housed in a shell organization with all the IP moved to a new company) but it is a total house of cards that could collapse at any minute. We are lucky in that dh does have a pension from the UK that will help if/ when it all goes wrong (not enough to pay the mortgage, but you know...) but the situation came to light a week after I started uni as well. So we are carrying on until we can't, basically, but I feel for you. You have made some tough decisions, but hopefully once this period is past, you can look at resuming your course again. I always lurk on the frugaleers threads. And I am a huge fan of ynab - it absolutely keeps us sane from a budgeting point of view. There is a free 30 day trial I think (and if you still have your uni card - free for students so sign up fast!)
Flying has been minimal today - by Thursday, the early mornings have me done for, and I came home and napped today for a delicious 2 hours. I so needed it!
TA da:
Last day of ddogs ear medicine - think the infection is gone, hoorah!
Tidied kitchen
Dropped kids x 2 at dance

To do:
Drop kid x 1 at dance
Collect kid x 2
Collect kid x 1
Collect kid x 1 (did I mention how much I hate Thursdays between 6 and 10?)
Dinner (thinking bolognese/ savoury mince as found slab of beef in fridge from grocery shop!)
Dishwasher
Wipe kitchen sides
Bank letters (volunteer stuff)
Volunteer email x 4 (camp/ timing change/ audit/ registration)

Am also going to post tomorrow's to dos, as, well, it is tomorrow in UK!

To do:
Dishwasher
Bedding laundry (panic about sleeping arrangements)
Empty kitchen bin
Recycling
Whizz to work for signatures on bank letters
Bank appt
Bank deposit
Arrange float for fundraising
Get turkey out of freezer
Thanksgiving meal plan
4 hours fundraising shift 4-8pm
Dh coming home! (Probably after midnight, but still)
Finish paper

Happy almost Friday xx

How was the film? Have to say it looks good, but I read the book and thought it was pants

Sorry for absenteeism and late straggling...barely getting through the basics this week! Pleased to have made some headway on school paperwork though and wheels set in motion for organising Mum's 70th birthday party next month...which I (along with the siblings) was procrastinating over - troops are now rallied.
Enjoying reading everyone's updates. Those imminently due babies or juggling newborns - try to be kind to yourselves.
My own nesting is taking the form of obsessing over tiles on pinterest/google images. We are almost 2 yrs in our new house and there are still holes in kitchen walls where I changed my mind about kitchen wiring/sockets so am dying to get that final bit of tiling completed and then have kitchen painted and choose curtains. Have been on this mission for a year...keep losing focus/not finding what I am looking for etc and getting distracted with something else! Going to try to sort for Christmas...think have found fab feature tiles for behing Aga overmantle which will dictate paint and curtains...hopefully!

SC I am thrilled for you! How exciting! You will certainly be juggling a lot of plates there though so mind yourself. Will country pile have stables? What type of dog did you go for? Very envious, still haven't fulfilled life long longing for dog. Hopefully this spring.... Well done on bank meeting going so well too .

Grey very sorry to hear of your struggles. My DH was out of work for several months this year and it was tough going. Even now his job is not at all secure so I undersrand the worry. The others have given great advice. We were in a lot of debt a few years ago and refused a mortgage. We really had to become more careful. Budgetting was a huge help - I used an app on my phone - and meal planning/cooking from scratch. We rarely eat out even now. If you have a toddler or plan more children I find cloth nappies and wipes are working out really well for me.

Right, better get some sleep. Busy day. Need to get out the door extra early and pack weekend bag for dd and I to go home to visit Mum, leaving straight from the childminder's house...no flying here for the weekend ...

greyso sorry to hear thing have gone tits up.big hugs and dump worries as well as lists with us
pontSNOW!!!where the blazes are you living?and ARF at mood swings n wailing(that's me both pregnant and now with pmt/Peri menopause)
scalso have got composting dd regarding clothes. I am certain I will win as I know for factnot like I went thru her drawers or anythingshe has 2days of clean undergarments left--
Wed ta das
Fed cats
Clear dining table
Fed Zoolets
Scrubbed bed and bathroom if friend with ocd new home(so easy without any clutter,cept for near barfing at curly hairs left in shower by previous occupantwho we know was a man and yellowing around toilet bowl floor
Helped dp go thru list potential bullet points fir mums service, songs and poems
We visited a 2ndary for D's after picking up Zoolets. Hu expectations aa heard great fgungs bout it aa in near village n has excellent reputation fir being good at nurturing confidence of kiss coming from tiny village schools to a big one. What a disappointment... Building was filthy,staff just stood there, only work shown was year 9obwards(GCSE coursework)and the emphasis was in after here you could apply fir Cambridge or Oxfordlike every kids go get inand we have a riding after school club here,so you can practise...compare a local school who reputation us slowly building it had interactive things kids be learn i n year 7,signs of what they will learn next year (a lot dif subjects compare primary)in every room.staff keen to approach n engage how they cab support your child/incentive schemes.D's lost will to live after we visit library.we have nearly aa many books here, and 2/3of space is full shiny new computer fir homework... (Compared with local comp having nice big one and clubs run lunchtime there so it's a hub and they have a read a million words n get Pass fir first in lunch q fir week(hi prized by all accounts)!!
One more poss to view next week(starts panicking aa need give 3options)
Quick dash ti grab lil zoo best friend straight after for girls brigade (just made in time)dp forgot pucj up letter last week bout panto visit so we had juggle gaa n electric meter money to pay the tickets (£5 each)dd2 still not picking up(sighs)

Thurs tadas
Fed cats
Wash kitchen floor
Scrubneglected sink
Feed zoolets
Pack ups made
Wipe bath/sink
Bleach lav
School run(both lil ones on bikes, soo much easier and added bonus I not discussing Pokémon or my lil pony theory's before 9am!!)
Help dp clear mums food cupboards/fridge-donated 2huge bags to cafe I volunteer at
Last tip run
Burnes "exotic photos" (previous tenant has left rust barbecue in garden so we use that)seemed much sadder than get rid clothes etc as she must of been proud of them to still keep them all(does that make sense?)
White goods be picked up tom then we are all done with house
Pick up zoolets n drop at comic club at library (thankfully run by a friend if lul zoo elder sister who bringing them back
Pack crying dd2off to confirmation class (last one,rehearsal next week)
Good job church only at end of rd!!
Make vegan choc n cranberry muffins
See celebrant to org service
Make soup for dd2-gp tom.she in bed 730 EV night this week.total shocker for 12yo actually go straight sleep!!

Today(Fri)is last day of her clean undergarments...
I smells victory

Just re read post.sorry horrendous typos, I can't preview on my phone!!
Should've said rowing club,not riding.me and autocorrect have a love/hate thing going on

Work again today. But jobs when I get home:

Empty washing machine
Empty bins
Hoover living room and hallway
Restock toilet roll

Bloomin 'eck you lot, do any of you ever sleep?

A bit of a "rest" day for you then yesterday Zoo? Bloody hell woman, that is some list!! And not only Flying for yourself, but for your friend too!

Hope your dd is OK? Are you going back to the doctor today? Doesn't sound right all that sleeping. Has she been tested for mono?

Ha! Re: clothes composting! Penny has not dropped yet here. But let's just say that Tuesday morning next week is going to be very interesting [wink [evil cackle] mwah mwah mwah ...

Yes Castle I am looking at you re: shut eye ! Worried you are not getting enough rest! Hope you can relax at your ma's this weekend. Thanks for kind words about our future plans. More pile of roof tiles than country pile tbh but it does have some very old dilapidated stables which will have to be made good. Sending furry pics herewith for you! [Very sad tale - adopted - lh daschund - seemingly from caring family post marital breakdown - outwardly seemed healthy ) then we discovered he hadn't been given proper puppy vaccinations or medical care, had rotting teeth (needed op) and ears, was underweight, scurfy skin, was being fed crap, had not been socialised, or walked, had been kept in dark shed/tied up in garden ... the list goes on Worst of it was that they gave him to us with [scuse my language] a f*ing "jaunty" bandana... a bandana fhs ... they bought him a bandana but couldn't be bothered to take him to the vet .... makes me see red ] And breathe ... He has his problems but he is the sweetest dog considering what he has gone through ] Good luck with the sockets and tiles btw! (We still have bunches of wires sticking out of some of our walls a decade or so on .)

Hope you are feeling a bit more rested this morning Afreshstart

And hope you are hanging in there Grey

Hope you are taking it steady too Furble

Pont I had no idea that Thanksgiving was celebrated much earlier/on a different date in Canada! Hope you have a great day on Monday! Good to hear you are nearly through your demanding week (although sounds like you have a busy weekend ahead too) and that your dh is back. Congrats on fund-raising efforts and good luck with today's list! (Mine left again yesterday.) Sorry to hear about job insecurities which must be v stressful/worrying.

Can really sympathise with everyone on here and/or their other halves who are suffering employment insecurities in fact - the times are very uncertain (apparently sterling has plummeted again overnight) - dh is worried too. He much prefers being self employed to working for someone else but hell the stresses are constant.

Great that you got a bit of much needed time to yourself Cag

Mercury belated happy returns to your dp and yay to mahoosive bedroom declutter!

Right, my cleaning lady texted to say that she was ill overnight so I am about to tackle a total house hoover. Dh is away, dd is being kept in late (class detention tonight) and furry is with behaviourist for a long weekend (she's trying to stop the constant humping or he'll have to have the snip) so I have a full 8 hrs in which to Fly - NO excuses!!

Have a productive last day of the week everyone! Big wing flaps to all!

MrsK please forgive me - I inadvertently left you out of the list there!

And x posts with Shesgotelectricboobs [waves]

Waves to everyone else I have inevitably forgotten too!

Finally, finally, everyone is so busy atm - please remember to look after yourselves - as Celeste's very wisely said,

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

"

Morning all,

Caglio, I didn't enjoy it, it's bleak & uncomfortable, the characters are even less sympathetic than in the book. There is a particularly unpleasant bit towards the end.

Happy flying everyone

Morning all! Had another night of ds waking every hour...I'm feeling pretty hopeless about the whole thing now. Thought it was a growth spurt but sure they don't last this long so maybe he's just a terrible sleeper! Dh suggested I have a nap while dd is at preschool this morning but I'm not sure he realises that I can only do that if ds has a nap too and even then it is hard sleeping wondering when the baby is going to wake and then when you do wake up you feel worse because it just wasn't long enough!! I prefer to have a lie in at the weekend when I know dh has got both children a safe distance away from me but I can't this weekend because dh is working. Humph.

Anyway moan over I haven't got anything to complain about really just feeling the tiredness !

Hope everyone is okay, lots of posts this morning seems like everyone has been so busy . I agree that everyone needs to have a restful Friday and weekend. Cute dog photos too !

Morning all,

Lack of sleep really does suck foxes Just try and have a mini nap whenever possible even if its when he takes a nap too. Its proven that even a mini nap can re-energise your body very effectively.

Very generous to clean for your friend Zoo if she was ocd surely she'd wanna clean it herself though no?

SC Its true though, a lot of things are more important housework. Keeping dh and ds happy, catching up with friends and family, having some me time, or just catching up on some rest time, etc. As long as the bathrooms and kitchen are clean then i'm generally happy with the housework

This morning I have my mum coming around to look after ds for me as i need to pop into town and get my hair done. Also need to pop into wilkos and stock up on a few cleaning products. But all in all glad its Friday. Love the weekends. Tomorrow we are heading up to North Devon to visit family. Hopefully the weather holds out so we can walk along the beach or something.

today's to do list:

make beds
wash dishes
do some laundry
get my haircut
pop into wilkos
hoover downstairs floors
general tidy up

Seriously, I totally agree Celeste (wasn't taking the michael honest, I do happen to think it is a really good catchphrase ) - I'm the same re: kitchen and bathroom too (can't abide a grimy cooking or washing space) - and it's not incompatible with the Flylady system either because the whole theory is that we do chores in set routines and steps, allowing us more time to do something far more interesting instead!

Enjoy your child-free time and weekend away!

Foxes oh poor you - that sounds incredibly draining

Waves to MrsK Furble and everyone else!

Ta da:
rabbits
empty dishwasher and fill dw (bit lazy last night)
packed two on-line return parcels for post office
hauled hoover up from basement

To do:
post office run
triage washing partic dh shirts
clear dining room table hot spots
clean kitchen
hoover, dustand tidy entire house (fortunately still looking fairly ok from valuation)
clean bathroom + all lavs and wash basins
paper decluttering
prep supper for tonight (having cod, mash and peas)
more laundry

Boring but it must be done

Have a good Flying day everyone! Or resting day depending on your circs ...

[closes screen]

Celesteshe can't touch things she perceived covered in germs.trusts me de germ it,then she just can wipe surfaces etc when wants to

foxesis it feeding constantly that means you are awake?if so he's adjust you milk supplies(I trained be a peer support counsellor)could you do a baby moon when dp around?
Ta das
Fed cats
Cleaned dining table
Put kitchen bin out
Made banana oatmeal muffins
Fed zoolets
Pack lunches
Wipe bath n sink
Bleach lav
School run(zoolets on bikes)
Wake dd2 n fed
Drop curtains I'd wash in napisan back at friends new place
At DPS mums now sorting removal of white goods

To do
Take dd gp
Pick up some bread/milk etc

I am also on control duty at choir tonight as vicars husband is master,she norm does the whole mum voice keeping them in order,but ad she on pilgrimage this weekend and 3 of the 9 are my kids i was asked to stepped in and maintain order

Yes he is just feeding constantly! I'm trying to feed him more today to see if that helps

foxes there is a reason that sleep deprivation is used as a form of torture. Go easy on yourself as much as possible.

The phrase 'I smells victory' made me roar, still.

It's been a mixed week here, mobile phone woes but after almost a year my tumble dryer got the recommended fix. Although BBC Breakfast were doubting whether they were still safe . Still, good haul at the chazzer (charity shop) this morning, got a knife block with the brushes in so you can put different sized knives in (I've been after one of those for a while) and a Buble CD which I am listening to right now. Couple of items for DD too, Halloween-related item and a maths game to play just call me the fun parent

Time to crack on. I smell ... scented candles. It's Fri-yay!

Morning all

Slept badly last night so my mood is not much better unfortunately however I am plodding along

Ta Da

Two packed lunches made
Half pots washed
Two loads washing washed
One load washing dry
Bins emptied

Hi all, for all of you struggling with lack of sleep.

Ta das:-
Went for run
One load of laundry
One load in dishwasher

To do:-
5 min declutter
Change sheets
15 mins on report
Laundry
Pick up some bits in town after school
Before bed routine

Ta da(supplimental)
White goods taken
Bit shopping fine
Gp with dd2-gp at a loss,reluctant give antibiotics as she not got fever etc(I against using less no other options)so it's hang in there,paracetamol n ibuprofen syrups n smooth foods,should pass next few days hopefully.she has underdeveloped tonsils(apparently)which makes harder to diagnose, glands are up.if worsens be back gp,or if still suffering by end next week ditto(sighs n digs deep as she a horribly demanding patient!!)

I feel really down miserable today,got into a very bad habit rut of not eating much and what do eat is mainly sugary to keep me going.happens in periods if stress,but is very bad this time.just ate a ham wrap at lunch yesterday and some sweets later day.today I've had a handful heroes so far......
Maybe my diet needs decluttering?!