New Start November - in which the Friendly Fledglings Flutter and Fly!

[Cagliostro]

Hi all!

Welcome to a brand new month in which we (in a very casual way) follow the FlyLady method to try and banish CHAOS (Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome), and to declutter in order to remove an excess of STUFF (Something That Undermines Family Fun).

A daily BabyStep, plus missions, daily focuses and weekly zones break our time into manageable chunks - all helped by lots of supportive chat and a Naughty Corner stocked with goodies.

All welcome!

Will post the links tomorrow morning!

I'm back in the country again after some literal flying. DH has done a good job of maintaining the state of tidyness which is great so I'm going to tackle the washing and unpacking tomorrow. Our unwell guinea pig is looking bright eyed and cheery. We just have to wait and see if the antibiotics do their job.

I'll catch up with the thread tomorrow and post what I'm sure is an epic to do list.

No I'd not be impressed either Scuttled rant away!

Fair amount achieved today, still ended up with the inevitable pile of crap on the bed that was shoved off said bed so we could sleep (except I now can't sleep). But still.

2 loads of laundry done, some dry clothes sorted, more than a whole binbag filled of rubbish, a bag-for-life of recycling, bookshelf rearranged and boxes filled with books/activity books, a few toys ditched, dressing up stuff gathered, tesco delivery ordered, sorted library books. And managed to do lunch and dinner which going by recent weeks is an achievement in itself. Caglets did a reasonable job of their room too.

I feel like it's groundhog day with this place, no matter how much we declutter we still end up with heaps of crap! I do think it's getting easier each time though. If we'd got this letter from the landlord even a few months ago, we would have been panicking much much more. As it is, I'm still panicking, but I feel like we have a reasonable chance of sorting ourselves out.

Tomorrow (today) I have editing that needs doing before I take DD to tap class. Ages without any work from this particular writer and then a 2 day deadline shouldn't be too taxing though and hey, it's money. I do hope I can do more house stuff though and I have various errands that seriously need sorting out online. Argh!

The daily summary for Tuesday (also available on the Flylady website at flight plan which should update automatically each day.

**

Baby-step no 22 - learn how to build a control journal

We are in Zone 4 this week: the master bedroom

Spend 15 mins decluttering in Zone 4.

When you have finished decluttering, the detailed cleaning list (if you are at that stage) for Zone 4 is here

Mission for Tuesday attack the clothes pile or floordrobe

The daily focus for Tuesday is: planning

The monthly habit for November is menu planning!

extra Christmas mission

Morning all

Off to a late start today!

To Do

Washer on
Dryer on
Fold and put away dry washing
Pots
Bottles
Hoover living room

Thanks for the links.

So far I've fed the guinea pigs, put the dishwasher on and sorted out the post that came while I was away.

To do...
Meal plan for the week
Food shop
Change address on a few things
Quick tidy upstairs (10mins) and downstairs (20mins)
Do the Christmas mission

slow start here too. DH has been bringing me stuff to sort in bed (not in the dodgy way that sounds like :o ) I haven't managed to get up yet. Caglets have made more progress on their room and just need to put their laundry away now. I'm going to attempt to go downstairs now, put the dryer on and have breakfast! And have editing to do, also probably not going to make it to DD's tap class :(

Right, dryer is on, breakfast eaten, DD made lunch for herself and DS. A few more bits tidied to their appropriate places. Washing nearly on just got to put a couple more things in (but that means tackling the stairs again so...)

Going to brave the stairs for the sake of the laundry then sit down to get the work done. Shouldn't be too taxing as I did the first draft a while ago.

Ta das
Dishwasher emptied and loaded
Washing put away
Washing on
Washing up
Rubbish out
Bit of tidying upstairs

I has such good intentions for today thought I'd get more done but ended up trying to get baby to sleep and being followed around by a 3 yo trying to "help" but in actual fact getting under my feet and asking too many questions ! (Oh she is adorable really but i have to admit I'm in desperate need of a cup of tea and a few minutes peace!)

Cag make sure you don't over do it , housework can take a back seat (easier said than done I know!)

I think dh read my mind or I must just seem stressed...he came home from work and has told me to stay upstairs with sleeping ds while he makes me a coffee and starts dinner! I feel a bit bad for being snappy as soon as he walked in now...

Does anybody else have extremely talkative children and feel my pain?! What's it going to be like when ds learns to talk as well?

Thanks Foxes I definitely haven't overdone it :o I wrote off tap class but have done the editing and I got that wash on. Blankets and towels should be dry now too so I will get them put away. I'm packing a big suitcase to take to mum's next time - now that we will always be going by train it makes sense to leave more there (PJs, blankets, a few toys etc) which also has the benefit of clearing a little more space here! :o

And yes, oh god the talk talk talking! It's exhausting

cag sounds like a good plan. I decluttered some of my dds toys to my parents house and told my mum it was so she had toys there to play with if she stays over! Worked a treat!

:o sneaky :o

My mum did give us half a drawer but it was a bit weird sharing it with my dad's socks thankfully she has now set aside a whole one! It's an under-bed one so pretty big.

I have done sod all this evening

cag and foxes sounds like you have your hands full (in a good way!) I won't say I remember what it's like from when I had 3 children under 5 because tbh it is a bit of a blur! Now they are all teenagers they can do the washing up and make ME a cup of tea... Take good care of yourselves too at this stage yes?!

Ta das:

Shined sink
Swept kitchen floor
5 mins hot spots
10 mins bathrooms
45 mins paperwork de-cluttering (UGH)
Hoovered bedroom
Sorted some clothes for charity shop
2 loads washing on
Some dry washing put away

Oh my god foxes I think we have the same three year old! Mine talks and talks and talks. She asks question after question and if she doesn't like the answer she is very stroppy and insists that's wrong. Some days she drives me nuts with it. The worst has to be in the car ....

Hi all, this is such a lively, lovely thread . I have just been catching up. Mainly focused on calendar checking the last couple of days as December is so busy and I am trying to ensure no diary clashes - 2 averted so far!

Ta das:-
Bed and bath time
DH making tea

To do:-
10 mins studying (it is never ending but have to get back on it)
Laundry
Start whingy thread in chat as DD1 has gone to bed crying as I have changed her breakfast club days
Finish DD2s thank yous
10 mins paperwork sort out

Taking Scuttl's lead and not going to post thread as will be whingy. Basically have dropped down to 2 days at work from December as really struggling with childcare and the hours. Both DDs excited by this. Have also changed one breakfast club so that we use childminder instead as this means I am a regular with her so can book school holiday days with her.

DD1 found out today this means she will not see her friend (in different school class) from school in breakfast club now and went to school crying her eyes out . Why is it always so bloody difficult juggling everything? Just want to go to bed and now have to start course work as well. Sorry, proper rant and I realise other people have it so much worse.

Incidentally Scuttl that would have annoyed me too. Just to see he other side though I guess it does depend how much sleep / rest he had - was he on nights?

Will stop ranting now, sorry everyone.

The daily summary for Wednesday (also available on the Flylady website at flight plan which should update automatically each day.

**

Baby-step no 23 - the afternoon routine

We are in Zone 4 this week: the master bedroom

Spend 15 mins decluttering in Zone 4.

When you have finished decluttering, the detailed cleaning list (if you are at that stage) for Zone 4 is here

Mission for Wednesday clean the bedside table

The daily focus for Wednesday is: anti-procrastination

The monthly habit for November is menu planning!

extra Christmas mission

toostressy this is a tadas and parking of stresses and problem zoneNEVER be sorry to dump here!!

foxes talking in my house is at top speed to get a word in edgeways. We are all accused gabbling by outsiders!!
BTW a "helpful" toddler is best put use in bathroom aka you sit in the bath with a cloth n clean that and are contained whilst I do rest bathroom

Thanks zoo! Hi all, thanks for links Cotswold. Am afraid I am ignoring Xmas missions at the moments.

Ta das:-
All out of the door and am at work. Taking advantage of quick break to make to do list!
One thank you note written

To do after work:-
Two more thank you notes then they are done!
Presentation work for course - did none last night as was so tired so have got to do some today
5 mins paper declutter
5 mins boudoir declutter
Bath, bed etc
Before bed routine

Hello everyone!

Thank you so much for links Cotswold! I should be doing marvellous things in the boudoir this afternoon but I'm not! I am also adopting an ostrich-burying-head-in-sand-approach to holiday missions I'm afraid.

Have to bake 24 mini cakes for school advent fund raising event tomorrow. Was going to bash out some fairy cakes or some such but they are all going to be priced at 1 Euro for each indiv cake so I have to do something reasonable chunky; don't want to short change anyone. Tying to decide! Argh! Need to be small but not too small ifyswim and transportable by metro.

Also need to make Christmas cakes and birthday cake for a friend. Double argh!

House is still a total pit. I really didn't achieve much over the weekend or yesterday. Still recovering from stresses of last week I think! Have already had one migraine and keep waking up in the night perspiring and panicking! Must be my age! Very odd! Not really on top of laundry or anything. Loads of wobbling piles of laundered and ironed clothes around that I must attend to! Every room needs a good tidy and clean and declutter.

Also trying to prepare for partial house move next, um, Thurs (gulp). Don't have beds, linen, plates, cups or, um, anything ready ... [curls up in ball] Everything is so expensive over here and choice a bit grim.

Trying to do a few things towards Christmas too!

Seven days before start of Dec so must make the most of them!!!

Blue yes I have no idea why I iron sports kit really - esp as dd recently took school uniform (jumper and skirt) off hangers this week by mistake before I had ironed them and I didn't even notice - must draw a halt to this!!

So sorry - behind with thread yet again - but hope everyone ok! Sending huge encouraging wing flaps!

hello all

not much achieved, did some laundry and sorted out a few random things. got a pupil in a bit so need to do one last sweep of the living room but I'd rather stay on my bed eating biscuits

Mr SC is a lucky man (SC's previous comment I should be doing marvellous things in the boudoir this afternoon ) but I do hate a boaster ...

My day was probably helped by the broadband provider deciding to update the service and cutting it off for a few hours. This definitely may have got more laundry done.

Links - I'm away Friday night so I trust y'all to look at the flight plan on Saturday morning. I should be back Saturday night ready for Sunday assuming the broadband provider doesn't get any odd ideas again.

I can do the links in December as well if needed, I assume that posting the links actually lets you off doing any of them. It took me a few days to check that the holiday mission was actually changing each day!

Ta das
Dishwasher on
Laundry on
Washing put away
Bathroom cleaned
Dusting done
Dinner cooked

Not a bad day productivity wise. Hope everyone is well, glad to see others are hiding from talk of Christmas, eek!