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

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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!

Grey I totally agree it is ridiculous that a new duvet costs less than getting it cleaned! although our local dogs home takes all old duvets and pillows so it helps ease the pain when we have to replace I am hugely grateful that our single bed duvets fit into the washing maching yes I have a single bed, it stops ds from trying to co-sleep because he would if he could and he is too damn old for that nonsense
at fuckwit on your behalf Grey.

Ok so another bad night's sleep but at least I woke up feeling better rested which is a start.

Ta Da
fold laundry
Fill the walls - not technically flying but hopefully the DIY gets finished by the 2nd weekend in June and then some resemblance of normal can happen ie all the stuff that belongs in that room can come out of the lounge where it has been for the last 2 months

Morning folks. Beach day here :)

Hello! No flying this week really, just trying to keep house clean and tidy and laundry basket down before we go away. Need to finish packing tonight and we head off to Gatwick after work tomorrow. I will catch up with you all after half term
See you all in June! don't work too hard!

Have a lovely time BluePheasant! Unexpectedly busy work day today so not much done. In naughty corner with , back tomorrow! On the plus side DH has done home bleugh .

Good morning, well officially it is here!

Quiet on here today.

Have a great holiday BluePheasant!

Grey so sorry about reversing, lying, fuckwit of a man! Thanks for laundry info - glad to know I am not too out of whack with everyone else!

Agree with you and Einstein about our throw away soc. Mind you, I have sheets going back years that you can almost read a book through!! Need to do some decluttering. Hope you don't get woken so early again today!

Einstein hope the diy went well and ditto re: sleep! Great idea about old pillows and duvets going to dog shelter!

Hope the weather held for you Cag and you all had a good day!

Cheers Toostressy and everyone else!

Lovely day (public holiday) here too! Links coming up!

*

The summary for Fri 26th is available on the Flylady website is here under "Today" and via the flight plan which should update itself automatically on a daily basis.

Baby-step no 26 for Fri 26th is here. It reminds us that it takes one month to establish a habit, that it's best to establish habits one at a time, that we need to be kind to ourselves, to not give up if we miss a day, and that we are never behind!

We are in Zone 4 this week : The Master Bedroom, Bath, Closet (May 21-27) here.

Spend 15 mins decluttering the current zone.

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

Friday's mission is: here. Take a little longer than usual to strip and make the bed; turn the mattress, fluff the pillows etc.

The daily focus for Friday is decluttering our purses, handbags, cars etc + date night.

The monthly habit is moving in May!.

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

We are nearly at the end of another week everyone - keep going!

Morning all. Oh Grey, I missed that. What an unnecessary stress for you with your car .

Grey, sympathies re the car, same happened tome last year, bloody annoying. My renewal was due and the premium was hiked by more than the cost of the repair so I dropped the claim as the damage was ery minor but I was furious.

grey fuckwit indeed

Have had dd2 home past 2 days,so minimum gets done her crying and needing attention to help distract thru pain waiting next dose painkillers
I've sent her school today as needs pick up a form regarding her language choices for next year but have said if really struggling I pick her up at break(10.30-painkillers be worn off then and not due more few hours).I am expecting "the call"

Sooo hot!!last year u develop super hot itchy blistered rash.sun allergy apparently.bastard things returned and I've woken continuously last 2night mid scratchenough moaning!!

Tadas
Fed scout cat
Fed kits and clean their litter tray
Clean under dining table
Chop parsnips,carrots and fennel that seen better days and pop in fridge
Fed zoolets and done pack ups
S+s bathroom
School run
Veg roasting with garlic and Rosemary for an after school snack (dip)
Wash on

I am a woman if a certain age....
Ds has bad habit hiding phone upstairs and watch u tube half the night.making leave phone downstairs wasn't work as snuck down once I akip and take it.even lil zoo leave tablet charge upstair fell victims to his habit.anyhoo I hid said phone and now I can't find it

Moan away zoo!

Morning everyone . So hot here!

Ta da:-
DDs at school and preschool
Had (routine) smear test so frankly even if I get nothing else done today I'm counting the day as a success .

To do:-
Tumble drier repair man coming so must do a stash and dash tidy. Of course now tumble drier seems to be working fine .

Pick up DD2 from preschool
Buy bloody fidget spinner which has been our bribe this week
Get DD1's swim stuff ready
Pick up DD1 from school
Take DD1 (with DD2) to a swim lesson - hope she likes it!

Later:-
Online shop as parents coming this weekend .

Have an hour to frantically tidy and do laundry so must get on!

toostressy for tending a worst job

Had the call.trailed out in heat and got her

Good morning all!

Yes, it's good to vent Zoo sorry you (and dd2) suffering in this heat.

I thought we had avoided the fidget spinner craze here Toostressy but no, of course dh just had to come home with one last week and keeps- trying to balance and spin it on his nose. Hope swimming lesson is a success!

Whoknows bummer about the car; so awful when you can't rely on people to be basically honest!

[Trumpet fanfare] I have no justification really when you look at all the junk in this house, but I am feeling slightly smug this morning having decluttered and chucked... wait for it ... a bag for life full of old socks with holes in them! Yay!

I also played pelmanism with remaining socks and matched up some long last partners [aw bless]

There is so much to do in this house generally that I find just keeping on top of basic hygiene and chores plenty, so never get to the decluttering stage. And stuff is piling up! So just that one bag represents a bit of a breakthrough.

Also, boudoir, although still hideous by normal people's standards, is much improved since the start of the week. For a start, I can now see some floor (ya!) and the visible bits of floor have been hoovered (double yay!). Also, in home office, desk is cluttery but clean and tidy and large wrapping table of doom is empty and cleared of stuff.

Ta da:
animals
dd lunch
found dd school shoes
sorted rubbish and paper recycling (big job)
cleared home office desk
sorted important papers
sorted dying flowers
morning routine inc dw, wms, s&s, dining room table hot spots
re-fed washing machine
changed table cloth on side table
hung up overnight washing on terrace to grill
carried stuff cluttering up hall down to basement
sorted ancient sock pile of doom
sock pelmanism
put away a load of clothes
quick flit to post office to collect parcel and send another one and post two cards

lovely cleaner hoovered ground and 1st floor, cleaned downstairs lav and kitchen and bathroom
put print in new frame

To do:
copy-editing work
more on-line shopping returns
make fruit salad
make salade liégeoise
prep another potato dish for supper
prep green salad
hwk supervision
notice board re-start

Enjoy the sunshine everyone!

Oh no Zoo! Hope she is ok. She really is in the wars poor thing.

DD had a fantastic time yesterday but was up very late with friends last night (Ascension holiday) and she found it very hard indeed to get up for school this morning, where she has mock exam in one of her weakest subjects, so I am anticipating a rather bedraggled site on the doorstep at 4pm! Preparing snacks to assuage any hangry outbursts!

I am also expecting hangry outburts later, particularly as ds only got around 3-4hrs sleep no sympathy, homework related

No flying today, wall sanding and painting, although i did pop into town and pick up a note book for my to day list. I want to try a new system.

Tadas
Pop boots.hydrocortisone for skin suggested and bought
Hid in waitrose to enjoy lovely aircon from the sun and to pick up some bits we needed (bread,milk etc)

Bonsoir à tous! Hope you are all enjoying the sunshine.

Well, as predicted, dd in foul mood when she got home. I basically fed her and took cover .

Hope not too many hangry moments at yours Einstein and DIY progressed well.

Hope hydrocortisone worked Zoo

All encompassing wing flaps to everyone else!

Links for tomorrow herewith!

***

The summary for Saturday 27th 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 27 for Sat 27th is here. A very good one imho about planning dinner ahead!

Saturday will be our last day in Zone 4 (if you do zone work at weekends, that is) : The Master Bedroom, Bath, Closet (May 21-27) here.

Spend 15 mins decluttering the current zone.

When you have finished decluttering, the detailed cleaning list for Zone 4 (if you are at that stage and do zone work at weekends) is [[http://www.flylady.net/d/zones/detailed-cleaning-zone-4/
here]].

Fyi, the zone for next week will be: Zone 5: The Living Room, Den, Family Room (May 28-31)

No mission because it is the weekend! And a sunny one at that! Yay!

The daily focus for Saturday is family fun.

The monthly habit is moving in May!.

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

Have a lovely weekend fledglings - you deserve it!

Oh yes - Flying con'td - copy-editing took longer than anticipated so only two dishes prepped but they did the job.

Did two more loads of washing too.

Hi all! Actually did a mission today hooray! This week has not been good, I've been tired and stressed and flying hasn't really happened. I did manage a bit more today though:

Ta das
Ironing
Cooked dinner and tidied up
Meal plan and food shopping online ( except website crashed so haven't managed to actually finish that)
Changed bedsheets
Daily routine
Extra load of washing

I'm pretty glad this week is over to be honest! Hope everyone has a lovely weekend!

Evening all for all on me after the day I've had

Work day today and for the next six days so zero flying apart from basics
Merlets have gone to Grandma mermaid for a while as my shifts are super awkward.
I find the heat makes a lot of people happy but some it turns into utter twunts. We had a violent customer in the store who tried to assault my colleague, all because he had to queue slightly longer then usual bellend
Took merlets for haircuts our local barber wouldn't be out of place in the league of gentlemen but he cuts their hair really well.
I have had a lovely cool shower and now have a strong rum and coke

Happy Bank holiday to you all xxx

Hi all.

I am so sick of adulting today :( I am only just managing to do dinner now. And that's only part baked baguettes with fillings and cold veg on the side! I am really struggling ATM.

I have tried so many times to get organised with it and plan and prepare but I fail every single time!

Hello all.

Oh Cag, it is very hard when you are pregnant, you must be exhausted . I try to be organised and fail at it constantly. I also read threads on here about people with 3423 children who work full time, have a spotless house, batch cook and meal plan, split childcare completely equally with their partners and then have great 'quality time' with their children who say having a tidy house is easy . Then I regret reading such things!

mermaids, sadly not surprised by your violent customer story .

foxes for your mission. I never do them and only read them when I am thread leading and have to put them on here!

Einstein, I'd count wall sanding and painting as flying I think.

Have run out of time tonight so not done before bed routine but actually had very productive day (mainly because the morning was childfree!).

Big wing flaps to everyone else and thanks for links SC.

Ta da:-
Tumble drier repair man came - turns out it is actually completely broken and will be hopefully replaced on insurance . Need to phone about it tomorrow.

Went through calendar.

Lots of laundry done. Never quite get it all put away though...

DD1 loved her swim lesson . Was a bit of a challenge getting DD2 there and to sit through it but great that she liked it. DD2 goes at nursery so hopefully can move her to a local leisure centre but they said to enquire in August - very difficult to find spaces here.

DIY is not going well. Just falling into bed (nearly 2:50am) and my alarm clock is set for 4am. And readying through I have just realised I haven't even eaten tea yet. ten minutes more awake for grabbing something to eat isn't going to make much difference.

Ds was in a foul mood and bedtime was a nightmare. I am sure there will be words about it tomo, but mostly the issue was he is seriously overtired. he's not the only one

Morning all

We had the most fantastic/scary/huge storm in the night I've never seen anything like it. It was like a scene from twister constant lighting rain and thunder. Was amazing and a bit scary

Morning. Mermaids - I woke at 5 and have been listening to huge, distant rumbles of thunder and intermittent showers, but it's moved away now. Still very muggy. The heat got a bit much for me yesterday (we were outdoors all day) and I ended up in bed with a headache at 5.30 but revived ordered Dominos for delivery from comfort of bed I love my phone and had a nice evening, gardening both at the allotment and at home plus a nice catch up with a neighbour. Just catching up with thread now.

Morning all, isn't the weather doing funny things? Already feeling muggy here, and we're not due a storm until tomorrow night apparently. Mermaids I also love storms!

SC and Einstein whilst my DS also suffers with over tired rages and strops, we never really get the hangry ones because the little did never actually stops eating

Stressy I wouldn't believe those supermum type threads for one minute!! That's what I love about this thread, we're all very honest about the daily 'dreams vs reality' of organisation and house keeping.

And in that note, I have to get a crisis clean done as I have a child free, house proud friend visiting this morning and the place is pit...

To do
Clear migrating crap out of the lounge and return to its proper places
Wash pots and pans
Clear and clean kitchen surfaces and hob
Clear kitchen table
Clean cat litter trays
Clean bathroom
Hoover
Dash to Tesco express for naice coffee and biscuits