Gather ye dusters (fledglings) while ye May, for soon we shall be Flying ... !

[Slurrycart]

Welcome to the May 2017 fledgling Fly thread!

Feel free to park your mops and buckets here from the 1st of the month!

This is where we attempt to declutter our homes and follow the 30-step wisdom of Flylady (minus cutesy barftastic 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 ):

1 - repeat or start baby steps (again!)

2 - repeat baby steps + do 15 mins a day decluttering in the current zone

or

3 - reinforce babysteps and/or do daily missions
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 welcome!

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!

Turns out he had wind, he did a big poo and is happy now! Not asleep though dd has a cough so she woke up too. Just got to somehow find the motivation to get us all up and dressed...coffee first though. A big big coffee.

Busy I don't think fly lady does anything garden related, but haven't been following that long so apologies if wrong!

Not off to a great start here either, woke up with splitting headache for some reason. Maybe didn't have enough to drink yesterday. Anyway feeling better now but been so sluggish all morning so not much done at all.

Ta das

Morning routine
S&S
Recycling bin out
Loaded washing machine to go on later

To dos
take DD to activity.
Lunch
Ironing

Not going to make a long to do list, see how it goes first!

Hello all, Busy, I have read a few bits where she talks about gardening but it is more of the I spent 15 mins weeding variety rather than actually allocating lots of time or a zone to it. Not sure when exactly you are meant to fit it in. I do nothing in the garden and send DH out there!

Ta da:-
DD1 at school
Went to meeting re school start with DD2

Back home now, have someone coming round later so need to get tidying and do lunch so it can be washed up and put away!

Thanks Blue & Too Stressy. Maybe they should allocate a section to gardening haha yeah I don't touch it either! I leave it to DH.

Hope your headache goes all. blue!! Not a great start at all drink plenty of water

I was stuck in loads of traffic this morning trying to drop ofF DS2 to my Mum in order to get a massage from a Spa (gift voucher from my brother & sis in law)! Finally got to the spa 15 mins late... there was a bomb found in Birmingham so all the road are a nightmare! It was taking people 2 + hours to get to work and come back from work yday evening

Busybee oh no about the bomb! See it was from WW2. Hope the roads clear soon!

Rather late with this answer but no, as far as I can work out, the only outdoor work included in the regular Flylady routines is the washing of the front door etc in Zone 1.

However I did find these references to "yard work" on the website, where basically she applies the Flylady principles of a prescribed day and little and often routines: here and here. HTH!

Foxes /Cag/Afreshstart oh no about yet another disturbed night. Any chance of a nap this afternoon?

BluePheasant hope you continue to feel better as day goes on!

Rosa very miserable for your ds and for you when dealing with stomach bugs and attendant washing pile. for you. Glad to hear your dd got away ok though.

Zoo as a fellow "owner" of a 13-yr-old (nearly 14 in fact) I can only sympathise. DD has been very stressed of late (mainly related to academic issues) and I've found it genuinely hard going at times and felt really down about it. It feels as though the joy is being sucked out of family life and everything is so up and down emotionally that it is incredibly draining and one is continually walking on egg shells. I love dd dearly, but as you have said, sometimes teens can be hard to like! I have bought quite a few books on the subject which have been helpful. Apparently a teen's brain between puberty and adulthood is going through the most rapid phase of development in its lifetime which causes them to appear utterly self-centred and impulsive/combative etc. I try and bite my lip and think of this during displays of lip curling/eye rolling and hair tossing! I can post a list of books later if you want (and I -can find them as they are in the wretched boudoir--).

Love the idea of the "create a religion from scratch" project btw! DD never gets anything as thought provoking as that for hwk!

Hope your ds is feeling a bit better today Mumontherun

Whoknows for decluttering and steam-cleaning! (I'm not a fan of the minimalist look either!)

Busy yes, agree with what everyone else has said, with two little 'uns under 20 months, you have a lot on your plate - don't put too much pressure on yourself x

Big wave to anyone I have missed out!

In recovery mode here this morning, eating crackers gingerly and trying to tidy up a bit.

Zoo although very difficult to create a religion without relying on any existing ideas at all. That's very hard indeed. Would the poem by Philip Larkin "Water" be of any help? (One of my favourites as it happens!)

Have a look here.

*

The summary for Wednesday 17th May is available on the Flylady website here under "Today" and via the flight plan which should update itself automatically on a daily basis.

Baby-step no 17 for Wed 17th is here. [Looks around for Einstein ] This is the infamous baby-step about setting a bed-time and sticking to it!

We are in Zone 3 this week: The Main Bathroom and One Extra Room (May 14-20) here.

Spend 15 mins decluttering the current zone.

When you have finished decluttering, the detailed cleaning list for Zone 3 (if you are at that stage) is here.

Wednesday's mission is here. Check the supplies of toothpaste, loo roll, shower gel, shampoo, soap, cotton buds etc etc in your bathroom and add to your shopping list if running low.

The daily focus for Wednesday is anti-procrastination. Do something you have been avoiding!

The monthly habit is moving in May!.
.
Daily reminders (which should also update automatically) are here.

No perfectionism allowed remember!

*

Oh dear - I am sorry - I have just posted the links for Wednesday very early by mistake! Was preparing them for later!

That's OK SC, we probably need a bit of time to absorb them anyway

Little bit of light laundry here today, and some shopping this morning. Nothing fantastically exciting although may have gone up a few level on my match-three-type-game.

Will press on. Not sure if DD will be up to going out tonight but I won't be too disappointed to stay in tbh.

Waves to Cotswold

Will post links again later if loads of posts in between!

Just realised I didn't even do a to do list this morning just had a moan and that was it!! Been out all day but managed to get daily routine done before we left this morning so came home to a relatively tidy house. Also went to the shop for some bits we needed on the way home so not too bad overall. Oh and I emptied the upstairs bins. Did more than I thought!

To do
Clean the bath
Cook dinner and tidy up

That'll do for today I reckon.

SC no nap unfortunately but lots of fresh air so feeling very refreshed now. Fingers crossed for a better night tonight. Sorry you've been so poorly I hope you're feeling bit better now.

Gobbolino the witches cat - that takes me back
Zoo - ds often screams he hates me atm, my response is that I don't like you that much either right now. But that is ok I still love you and you are a teenager so it is normal, you'll grow out of it. Normally he huffs and stomps off swearing and crashing doors at that point He can be an utter nightmare but I do think that girls are far more emotionally volatile during puberty than boys.
SC say what? no idea what you are referring to about the babystep...

So today was my first day back at work for a long while (it's a long story) I am shattered, I need to complete a job application which has a deadline of tomo. And all i want to do is to crawl into bed and fall asleep. actually I am already sat under the covers with a hot water bottle on my back but shhhhh Everything hurts and whilst i would really like the job I just want to sleep until tomo. Not even chocolate as a reward is motivating me

Throwing out a shitty bodysuit and sleepsuit counts as my decluttering for today doesn't it??!! when is it going to end , poor ds has been poorly since Friday ! I didn't get to bed at all last night, dd2 was sick every half hour or so, now both have got the poops but at least the sick has stopped!

Aw poor things :(

Still coughing like mad here and full of anxiety but today I had a midwife appt where I heard baby's heartbeat for the first time. So I'm smiling. :)

That is lovely *

Okay? mn stole the rest of my sentence that should have read:
That is lovely cag

Hi everyone,
I've had a mega busy few days and lost my weekend to a training day and other running around stuff so I'm totally knackered. I've been just about making it in from work and crashing on the sofa. Apologies for being behind with the thread abs what everyone's up to. My ta da list is a bit rubbish...

Went to work
Bought petrol
Ate dinner cooked by dh
Put dishwasher on

I really need to have a look at the zone jobs! We've put together a list of the minimum things we want to do every week and set it up on Cozi. That's been working really well so at least the bathrooms are cleaned, all the bins are emptied, guinea pigs cleaned out, wash done, food shop and meals planned once a week.

U have done great purple daisies ... you might think your tadas are 'a bit rubbish' as you put it but it's something off your list of things to do.

I think we should all aim for doing at least one or two things a day and anything extra is a bonus

Thanks busy, I appreciate that. Im still finding my feet with working full time again (and having dh also full time) and getting things done outside that. I'm just hanging on to the fact that this Saturday is a free day. I'm not setting the alarm and hoping it'll be enough to get back on track with the tiredness. We've got friends coming for lunch but they're very easy going and the brief is "vegetarian, we love cheese and carbs" so that should be not too stressful.

Yeah it's such a juggle when you are working ... the morning and evenings become military operations ...

Hopefully u get some rest on Saturday... hopefully if the children aren't your alarm clock

Phew! A bit whacked right now! It was 26°c here today and that will be going up to 28°c tomorrow apparently (82 in old money).

Feel dreadful for dh who had to do food shopping for me today on top of very stressful work schedule. He only stopped work just now and will be off travelling at 5am tomorrow morning ... .

I managed a few very tiny things today (still feeling a bit dodgy but better on the whole).

Ta da:
filled dw
fed animals
found vase and put water and flowers in it
tracked down missing DHL parcel
6 work e-mails
two loads of washing done and hung up
sorted humungous ironing pile in to four laundry baskets (praying fortnightly ironing lady will pitch up tomorrow!!).
helped dd with French hwk
overnight washing in and on

And on a good note: (having posted about how awful teens can be down thread!) dd was on really good form this afternoon/evening. She did loads more than obligatory homework, she helped dh unpack shopping, she laid and cleared table and had a shower early without prompting! Yay!!

Foxes fresh air better than nothing I suppose but hope you get a better night's sleep tonight!

Einstein congrats on first day back and hope you managed job application in the end without burning the midnight oil!

Oh no , oh no re: poonami Rosabella that sounds really grim for you.
Hope you can take a break - let's hope the dc recover quickly from now on in - you poor thing

Cag that is fab about the baby!!! (I have no idea what that emoticon means but it seems appropriate!)

Purple agree with Busy not a rubbish list at all, especially when working such long hours! And like the sound of your minimal chore rota! Perfect Flying that; focusing on what is important!

Expansive wing flaps to everyone else!

And just to confuse everyone, here are links for tomorrow (posted for second time today) Sorry about that!

The summary for Wednesday 17th May is available on the Flylady website here under "Today" and via the flight plan which should update itself automatically on a daily basis.

Baby-step no 17 for Wed 17th is here . [Looks around for Einstein grin ] This is the infamous baby-step about setting a bed-time and sticking to it!

We are in Zone 3 this week: The Main Bathroom and One Extra Room (May 14-20) here.

Spend 15 mins decluttering the current zone.

When you have finished decluttering, the detailed cleaning list for Zone 3 (if you are at that stage) is here.

Wednesday's mission is here. Check the supplies of toothpaste, loo roll, shower gel, shampoo, soap, cotton buds etc etc in your bathroom and add to your shopping list if running low.

The daily focus for Wednesday is anti-procrastination. Do something you have been avoiding!

The monthly habit is moving in May!.

Daily reminders (which should also update automatically) are here.

No perfectionism allowed remember!

*

Cag lovely news about hearing the heartbeat

Bee makes a good point about the one or two things - easy to make a list far too big to be done in a day and then think about all the things not done instead of the achievements.

Craft class tomorrow morning, always fun and a nice time out with a lovely group.

Morning fledglings!

[Puts on kettle and looks around for Zoo]

[Leaves out strong brews for those that were up in the night ... and a platter of croissant warm from the bakery, plus some freshly squeezed oj]

How late were you up last night Einstein me old mucker?

Dh left at crack of sparrows this morning so I have decided to go with it ...

Ta da:
animals
furry walk 1
empty and fill dw
wipe down kitchen surfaces
shine sink
shine stove

just having a cup of tea now while waiting for overnight washing to finish!

On the less positive front: "summer" is here and I can't fit in to my navy blue linen trousers which were bought in a larger size than normal last summer to encase my expanding girth

Back to the stretchy yoga pants it is then!

Have a good day everyone!