Fledglings marching into spring - the Flylady thread

[TooStressyForMyOwnGood]

Hello all and welcome to the March Flylady thread! Welcome to all current posters and also to any returners plus of course anyone who would like to join. The more the merrier. Jump in where you are.

We are a friendly group who (sort of) follow the Flylady system in hopes of a more organised home and life. Some of us manage that better than others :).

Since last month seemed to be ok I'll follow the same format of personals throughout the day (or in the evening if I haven't had a chance in the day) and links in the evening. Please, though, let me know if you want me to change anything or if I have posted anything wrong.

It's my first time running this thread so here we go with links... Please if anything is wrong feel free to correct me. Hopefully it will all go swimmingly this month but I apologise in advance for anything not slick! I'm starting a day early as have work tomorrow and I am slow at this but will try to stay on the old thread until tomorrow. Thanks again SC and Cotswold as I have basically copied your notes again.

Flylady advises decluttering for 15 mins a day. I tend to manage 5 but I know lots of people have great results with 15.

For a summary of what's going on, go to www.flylady.net/c/lp.php or just follow this thread

Newbies, welcome, have a look around the Flylady website www.flylady.net - it can sometimes be a bit disorganised. Unless you want to, beware of signing up for her emails - there are hundreds and all the info is on the website anyway. Here is the getting started link www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/

You can post what we you done (ta das) and any to do lists if you want to- I definitely find this helpful.

Forgot to say:

Many congrats on new job Toostressy!

Congrats on new piano pupils Cag and match box challenges sounds fab!

Hope your day improving Foxes (hot cross buns always help I find!!) Congrats on new nephew!

Bluepheasant [as opposed to Blue who is an oldie on this thread!] fwiw, I only have one general "after school routine" because, owing to general decrepitness and laziness on my part , I know that once I sit down after clearing up supper (we eat quite late) I probably won't be getting up again. Of course, I am lucky to be able to do this because I only work part-time flexible hrs - much harder with full-time job - but my general "after school" routine includes: putting out clothes for next day, tidying up, hwk supervision, clearing all machines and putting on washing (on timer) for next morning, sorting paperwork for following day, polishing shoes etc. Sorry, all of that is very boring explanation, but main point is to adapt system and do what suits you and your own schedule/house best!

Arf at kitchen gadget regret Cotswold (I have a spiraliser cluttering up top of fridge that we have used ... precisely ... once.)

So sorry about reflux ordeal RosiePosie

Afreshstart very impressive re: photobook organisation

Mercury belated birthday greetings to your ds2 and sympathies re weight watching - I am fighting a losing battle on that front atm!

Hope you hear about school allocation soon Zoo

Apologies to anyone I have missed! BBL!

Btw if anyone knows anything about septic tanks, please see my thread here.

Hi SC nice to see you glad everything going well although not liking the sound of the spookiness you are a braver woman than me!!

I just have one daily routine and then I just try to at least have things relatively tidy before we go to bed , so kitchen gets tidied after dinner and toys get put away. My daily routine is dishwasher, quick clean of kitchen, wipe bathroom, washing hung up, washing put away, more washing on , quick tidy of all rooms just chucking things back in the right place and any rubbish out to the bins. Then everything else that gets done is a bonus!!

Ta das
Went to the supermarket and as usual ended up buying additional things that we did NOT need chocolate .
Wiped down kettle, toaster and microwave
Decluttered for 15 mins, cleared old pictures off fridge, threw out some old food from fridge and cleared out one shelf of dds "craft" cupboard , so many dried up old paints !!

Sitting down to feed DS now and he is having a snooze so next time I get up will probably be to start dinner. Really really need to do some ironing. I don't have any clothes left !!

Oh and I don't know anything about septic tanks sorry!

Hello all,

WhoKn0ws, good luck with homework battles. I am dreading this; already have a bit of a battle with DD1 at times but since she is only year 1 and school is lovely and relaxed sensible, so far the homework is manageable.

foxes, hope your day got better! I think and hot cross bun was an entirely sensible option for you this morning.

Castle, I kept DD1 in nursery two days a week when I had DD2 for all the reasons you said, also I didn't want to risk losing the place. It was a nice mix actually and when DD2 was really tiny just used to sit and snuggle watching rubbish telly... was bliss . Obviously also nice with DD1 around but a different kind of bliss .

SC, thanks! It's mostly tips from you and others that have helped me post! I love me, me, me posts; they make this thread friendly .

Hi sc nice to see you! Gosh it all sounds very adventurous and somewhat reminds me of famous five stories 🌟

I also know nothing about septic tanks,
sorry. mermaids, at least you got dishwasher and laundry done - keeps the chaos away . Bluepheasant (sorry to oldie Blue, it looks as if we all do thinks differently with routines but I think they is what makes the system great - you can tweak it. I have loads of steps in my routines as I like giving myself little stars throughout the day .

Waves to Afresh, Cag, zoo and everyone else.

I know nothing about septic tanks either but that probably went without saying 😂

What app do you use please stressy?

Hi Cag, it's called home routines and is fab. Was recommended on an organisation thread on here. Was about £3 I think. I did like the idea of the Flylady app but couldn't make head nor tail of it!

Wise words there Toostressy small steps is always the best way, and I still have to remind myself of that, x years on!!

More like clueless three than famous five in reality Cag Good luck with forthcoming piano lessons - fab that you are getting so much interest

Foxes I am not brave at all in reality and tbh it was the dog who was freaking me out the most: whining, not settling, staring at things that weren't there, trying to run out of front door etc; the hairs on the back of my neck were standing up at one point!! Will be taking three crucifixes and a rosary with me next week Hope your day improved as it went along!

Thanks all but no worries about septic tank info - our esteemed fledgling Honu no less has set me right!

Flattered by the wise words .

Ta da:-
5 mins decluttering
DD2's thank you cards finished
DD1 homework
DDs asleep
Dishwasher on
Dug out an online learning link

To do:-
Sneak in and cut DDs' nails
15 mins online learning for one of the new jobs - life would be much easier if I could just win the lottery or have one job that let me do hardly any hours for huge amounts of pay .
Cook tea but it's a ready meal plus salad so shouldn't be too taxing

Ta das
Dinner cooked and kitchen tidied
Did some ironing
Last thank you cards written and addressed

Food shopping coming later so will have to put all that away. Just stuffing my face with chocolate at the moment as usual!

My day did improve thank you everyone, we went to toddler group and managed to get to the supermarket on the way home. DD was beautifully behaved and ate all her dinner so all good. Now if DS could sleep better tonight that would be the icing on the cake!!

Here is the daily summary for Tuesday...

All information also available on the Flylady website www.flylady.net. The

flight plan
should update every day.

We are in Zone 2 this week: the kitchen

Spend 15 mins (or as much as you can manage if you can't do 15) decluttering in Zone 2.

When you have finished decluttering, the detailed cleaning list (if you are at that stage) for Zone 2 is here

Mission (pretty easy one!)
Let's go back to basics and get rid of the dirty dishes. Any dishes that are in the sink or on the counter or hidden in the oven, you know where you hide them, WASH them! Take the bull by the horns and just do it! Wash, them, dry them, put them away! If you have a dishwasher, fill it, run it, and empty it, if they all won't fit into the dishwasher then you have to hand wash those! No waiting for the next load! DO IT! Once you have finished taking care of the dishes, Shine that SINK!

Daily reminders

The daily focus for Tuesday is: planning

Baby-step no 7 - pick out the clothes you are going to wear tomorrow the night before

March habit is getting dressed to shoes www.flylady.net/d/habits-of-the-month/march/

Flykids mission: www.flylady.net/c/flykids.php?tzm=0. Same as yesterday.

Happy flying.

Thank you for advice on routines all
I think I have been naturally starting to develop a morning, evening and bedtime routine. I think I do find smaller routines more achievable.

Morning routine atm is, turn back duvets and plump pillows; breakfast dishes, put away cereals, wipe worktops and table; sweep floor if time.

Evening after dinner - wash dishes, clean sink, wipe surfaces, sweep floor, put some washing on if needed, get DD ready for bed and tidy her bedroom(trying to get her more active in helping out on this one!), clean teeth and bedtime story for DD, bit of ironing if needed (always bloody ironing!), Make sandwiches for work next day. Quick tidy of lounge after DD gone to bed.

Before bedtime - tidy anything left out in kitchen, put out breakfast things for morning.

Evening routine by far the busiest! Looks loads written down but been trying to get into habit of me and DH doing it all between us until it's done. Old ways used to involve taking turns to put DD to bed and the other one would be sat down in lounge and then we'd end up having to make sandwiches, clean up kitchen etc right before bed which was rubbish! With being more strict on getting it all done is meaning although it takes longer to get to sit down in the evening at least when we do, there isn't really anything left to do.

Did mange a 5min declutter of the Kettle Pile today, has hardly touched it but better than nothing I guess! The cluttered areas in the house are what really get to me but it's so hard finding time to tackle them, am making very gradual progress! Think the daily declutter is the next habit I need to try and work into my routines, it's not easy though as by the time everything else is done I really can't be bothered!

Sorted out some more bits to go to recycling centre at weekend. Finding it so satisfying reliving the house of junk!

Wow SC your house sounds very exciting, looking forward to hearing more! My number one ambition in life is to be able to move back to the country and live somewhere similar to where I grew up. Currently on outskirts of a small city in a house that is far smaller than I'd like so am quite a way off that dream atm!

Oh oh oh! I did do the daily task today, cleaned toaster, Kettle and cooker hood. Mixer already cleaned as got used yesterday. We've never bothered getting a microwave so that's one less thing to do! V chuffed with my first time of actually doing the daily task on the same day it was set!

Thanks stressy I have a feeling I bought that app and never used it 😳😳😳 will see if it's still on my cloud!

ARF at clueless three
Sounds exciting sc but I'd def want the room blessings before I'd brave sleep there again!!
I've rrsd thru thread and forgotten who has done what.believe a welcome was in order, but forgotten who has joined us
Yesterdays tadas
Fed cats
Wash on
Bins empty
Bins/recycling out
Scrub n bleach surfaces/sink
Clean cupboard fronts,wash mach,t.dryer fronts
decluttering top tumble dryer
Made pack ups
Fed zoolets
Clean bath
Clean sink
Bleach lav
Wipe radiator and will
Clean windows
Wash floor
School for 825 as dp was do shifts during parent meets before half term(glowing reports.well done ds and lil zoo)
Needed pop town.dp ask walk as sunny. 45min each way.he drives and lost will live carrying stuff back I used to it
Then got car for home base.I had a strip 4spotlight in kitchen.as down 1working and can't find suitable. bulbs elsewhere.£20 for 4.£6 each had I chosen best energy efficient ones
Lunch
I clean liv windows, polish and wash floor whilst dp do hall,stair n landing(hoover heavy n backs play up)
School run
Make banana n Brazil but cake for dp-has 2days at work and likes a treat
Fed zoolets
Listen lil zoo read
My and dp tea
Collapse heap n watch crap TV!!

Wash is on
Cats are fed
Go tidy hideous hotspot(not forest fire of mess think blazing inferno threat take over) in front room. By tell you I have sort it!!
Lil zoo was up 445.she's curl up on sofa drawing my lil pony she has made up.as a pony she's called cloudy skies that loves rain/puddles!

Ear ache is back

I left kitchen a right shit hole last night

I also didn't clean my appliances

Epic fail

flops on floor

Good morning my lovelies! Lovely sunny day here!

[Brew] and [gentle strokes] for Afreshstart. Go easy on yourself - you probably needed the flop - earache is the pits for one thing, and you sound as if you are run down

Thanks for links Toostressy and oh yes to a lottery win - could really do with that right now!! Always impressed by parents who can cut their dc nails in their sleep; I couldn't take one tiptoe step in to dd's room without her waking up ... I swear that child sleeps with one eye open ... rather like a horse in fact

Bloomin 'eck Zoo - you are on a roll - and a half!! Love the thought of "Cloudy" the pony! And well done to your ds for glowing school reports!

BluePheasant well done with the appliance mission! Yes, similar to yourself, it's been my our dream for over 20 years to move to the countryside! Dh and I are in our early fifties so it was now or never really. Took us over five years to find somewhere though! Sympathies over finding time to declutter amidst the regular routine/rl commitments etc. I struggle with this mahoosively. Although I try, I've found it difficult to stick consistently to 15 mins of decluttering a day in the current zone. The only other thing I find that works is to ring fence some time and put it in the diary ie one afternoon a week, one day a fortnight or something and go for it then.

Hope you got some sleep last night Foxes and good that you managed to get out yesterday.

Hello to Mermaidsand Unicorns you doing well to do anying Flying at all on top of 10 hr shifts!

Expansive wing flaps to every one else!

Very slow start this morning as I slept through my alarm clock! Have taken the furry for walk one of the day (although he is still pretty exhausted from last week) done some admin e-mails for dh and nd I'm about to start on the kitchen and laundry!

Also going to bake an apple pie as, in an attempt to lure dd in to doing more hwk, I have promised her a proper "hwk club" atmosphere at home with home baked cakes three nights this week - I sit and do admin on dining room table with her - nice tablecloth and flowers etc ... me and my big mouth but obviously, given that its hwk and commitment we are trying to foster, it's not something I can possibly back out of now

To do:
washing
kitchen
make apple pie
prep supper
banking
quick supermarket run
quick bank run
start on home office tasks
hair cut?

That'll do for now although there is loads more on list!

Have a good day everyone!

Morning all! SC, love your homework club idea . Must remember it for the future.

Afresh have some wing flops and some

zoo what a list!

Not doing very well here. Went to shops after school drop off with DD2 to buy birthday present for someone but DD2 had screaming fit as she wanted a particular toy for herself so had to abandon. Got the bare minimum of food shopping - had planned Aldi shop but couldn't risk it with DD2 in that mood. Plus I gave our poor cat some different treats which haven't agreed with her and she has been sick all over carpet. Any tips for getting rid of vomit stains on carpet gratefully received!

Ta da
Exercise video
Laundry in progress

To do
Clean carpets
Lunch
Meal plan with DD2
Sort house out!

Well yesterday wasn't anywhere nearly as productive as planned. Dh's aunt and uncle called unannounced to visit snd see the baby at 7pm last night and stayed ages. I did manage to clear my kitchen hotspots and clean up dishes/pots and pans before they arrived. Not much else achieved as trip to the bf clinic took ages due to long wait. Was worth it though as dd2 had a great weigh in and I'm relieved and encouraged that ahe is back on track with her feeding now!

Keeping today's goals reasonable:

-Laundry: several loads and a nappy wash.
-Ironing pile: tackle and put away.
-WHB: dust and vacuum
-Friend coming to visit.
-Evening routine (dinner prep, dishes/tidy

kitchen, bedtime routine with dd1, lay out
clothes for the next day.
-Daily focus: meal plan/grocery list

So nice to see you SC and I agree with Cag that your life sounds like a Famous Five adventure at the moment!!! How exciting that you have made the move to the country house for weekends! You were talking about doing that the last time I popped by on the thread! We have a septic tank. I should read your thread because I actually haven't a clue what products should or shouldn't be avoided.

Glad to hear that the two days a week worked out well for you TooStressy. I think it's a nice balance. Had to laugh at your to-do list from last night, the bit about sneaking in to cut your dd's nails...so that's how peoplw manage to get their children's nails cut! Must try that. It's such a battle with dd1!

Goodness Castle I think you are amazingly patient to withstand so many visitors (especially at 7pm with a baby and a lo) even much beloved aunt and uncles! Hats off - you always have tons going on! Great news about the weigh-in and good luck with your list today.

I am only half way through mine as people keep ringing to see how our week away was, which is lovely, but then dh came home for lunch ... also nice ...but time marcheth on ... .

Best bit about living between two locations is that time in each place is concertina-d (sp?) in to shorter blocks so I don't procrastinate as badly as I used to! (Well, not quite as badly anyway ... .)

Toostressy I always use bicarb of soda and warm water for puke stains; it makes a sort of paste ... first get rid of any solids then rub paste in to stain. YOu can rinse and repeat as many times as necessary and then leave last coat to dry and then hoover it off. Best to check carpet/colour resistance first though perhaps! It definitely takes bad smells away anyway!

Can't totally claim idea for hwk club - partially nicked it from the famous teen parenting bible "Get out of my life but first take me and Alex in to town". It's to do with dd being an 'only' - I think she can feel a bit on her own at hwk time and I am trying to make it feel a nicer experience for her. Going to try and encourage her to go back to homework club one night a week after Easter though!