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!

Afresh . More than happy from my point of view for you to do June thread SC. It means I can ignore the missions for a bit longer!

Personally a linkless thread is fine by me for summer. If people want a thread leader instead I can do both July and/or August if people want a proper thread with links. There will be some days at the end of July and beginning of Aug that I can't do.

Off to get takeaway pizza

Still enjoying Grape Nuts, but it's all about the Tangy Cheese Doritos at the moment Zoo :o Twiglets turned on me very suddenly and now the thought/smell of them makes me heave. Traitorous bastards.

Cag I mis read that as twiglets turned you on recently I did wonder

It's been a long day lol

I also read that twiglets turned cag on

We have many Easter eggs left in this house, we receive ridiculous amounts every year

Being turned on by twiglets made me laugh out loud. Dh wanted to know what the matter was.

I've almost choked on a twiglet so whilst can be a delicious snack,they have capacity to be both traitorous nd murderous

:o I mean I did really like Twiglets but not like THAT! :o

Love the twiglet discussion . Is there any Valium or in the naughty corner? Who was it said they were stocking up the bar?

Herding DD2 into an early bath. DD1 next. Just finished tea, ended with both girls crying and my parents stressed.

Oh well, am doing a parenting course after half term .

Ta da:-
Did manage to take girls to park and we all had a nice time.
Tea eaten.

To do:-
Bath and bedtime
Figure out what we are going to do with my parents tomorrow. Going into the city centre has been mentioned.

Having visiting relatives is so stressful.

As is visiting them.

I really only tolerate more than a day with anyone I don't normally live with at Christmas

It makes me sad that in 30 years time I could be visiting one of my DDs and they would be desperately wishing I would leave . Don't know how to improve it though so will plough on.

Ta da:-
Dishwasher on
Both DDs in PJs

I think you just have to try and remember how it felt to be the dd stressy

Don't outstay your welcome
Don't expect to be entertained and taken out
Offer to help but don't interfere
Remember the stress of parenting young DC

Feel a bit better as I managed to make myself lunch today (my fave toasted goats cheese and salad) and made separate dinners for me and DS without messing up the kitchen too much.

I'm going to attempt a conversation with the Caglets about food. I'm not up to making a set meal plan right now (the nausea is still unpredictable and sometimes I won't be able to stomach particular meals) but I feel like I need to put myself back in charge! For example, jacket potatoes. DD grumbles and grumbles if I dare serve them. And yet she eats them. I'm just going to put my foot down and say we are having them once a week regardless. I did read on another thread about planning together and all having choices, so that the child can see that while they don't get what they want on one day, one of their favourites will be served on another nearby day. I think I may need to do something like that, as I am sick of constant complaining about food! DS is generally the fussy one but DD is more whingey. Drives me nuts!

Cag, if you put yourself back in charge please tell me how!

Tonight I I delegated meal prep to ds. He cooked his own tea - bacon and scrambled egg sandwich. There was a pork roast in the fridge that needed reheating for tea but tbh i was way way too tired to even consider picking an argument over it. Besides I dared to step into ds' room it was bad but he did point out my room is worse. So I considered tidying mine. The picture is the much the state of my room, I really must add it to the to do list next week. I have to admit I do enjoy the peace and quiet of half term. And his dad is more than welcome to deal with the not revising for the exams situation cos I am done with it and told the kid it would do him a favour if he failed a few subjects

Painting done for now, part of it that was planned to be done can't be due to technical issues and will have to be done later but its is done.

ta da
argue about revision and exam prep
painting
1 load of washing.

Now for that early night.

Arf at twiglet conversation and wise words about visitors from Afreshstart there.

Hope you get the meal planning sorted Cag

Links coming up

The summary for Sunday 28th 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 28 for Sun 28th is here. An important one about looking after ourselves; drinking enough water, getting enough sleep (when possible!) and eating properly.

Sunday will be our first day in Zone 5 (if you do zone work at weekends, that is) : The Living Room, Den, Family Room (May 28-31) here.

Spend 15 mins decluttering the current zone.

When you have finished decluttering, the detailed cleaning list for Zone 5 (if you are at that stage and do zone work at weekends) is here.

No mission because it is the weekend!

The daily focus for Sunday is renewing your spirit doing something for yourself which gives you a bit of peace and refreshment.

The monthly habit is moving in May!.

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

Enjoy your Sunday everyone!

**

Thanks Afresh. Just sitting with a cup of tea enjoying some peace now.

Einstein sweet dreams!

Conversation didn't happen we watched Fawlty Towers instead but I did manage to do the washing up (seriously, virtually never do this as it's DH's domain) and put a wash on and a bit of pottering about tidying. And got the Caglets to put their clothes away. Which is far more than I normally do. I must have been bored! But I realised I feel crap sitting doing nothing anyway so I may as well make myself get up and moving. Still fighting the dizziness (being upright = tachycardia which hangs around a while after) but feel better than if I'd done nothing as normal. If I can, I'll put away our own clothes shortly, but that may be a step too far!

Morning all

Up at 630 with baby ds, he is literally on the verge of crawling and can wriggle and roll around a room pretty well. This is highlighting the need to declutter and tidy the living room as I am scared I will loose him under a pile of crap. So I think that'll have to be a job for today!

Morning all .

Is it too early for ? Will settle for a once I venture out of the bedroom.

Ta da:-
Overheard parents last night and they are clearly unimpressed. They seem to hate us enforcing discipline of any kind and apparently even telling DD1 not to sing at the top of her voice in the early morning will upset her for life. Hmm sure the neighbours would agree with that one. Got the rest of the day to get through. They have decided we should all go into the city centre which will be busy. DDs excited as they want to go to bloody Smiggle where they will be rewarded for bad behaviour by my parents buying them something.

Ta da:-
Nothing yet

To do:-
Take advantage of everyone being downstairs to try to tidy the boudoir a bit - there are clothes everywhere.
Possibly go for a run as means I can escape for 30 mins
Figure out who is taking DD2 to her activity
Take DD2 to her activity. DM wants to come too so she can tell me a list of what I am doing wrong in life. Yesterday it was that I didn't spend enough time with the DDs as I was doing laundry while chatting to them and that I should just not worry about my awful non/family friendly boss who doesn't have a soul because she will probably leave at some point. Asked what I was supposed to do about school pick up etc before that. No answer .

Laundry as I am struggling to get any put away as they constantly tell me to sit down and chat to them.

Sorry for me, me, me post. Roll on tomorrow (then feel so sad for feeling this).

Hope you all have a good weekend. Sorry you are working mermaids.

Gosh stressy that sounds stressful! Commenting on other people's parenting like that is twatish. When do they go home?

Thanks Afresh. They leave tomorrow mid morning / lunchtime. I am in my running kit as I tend to escape as soon as DH takes DD2 out.

intend not tend

Morning all x

Thanks stressy joys of working in retail I have wed and thurs off. The job interview is on wed so have been doing some research. Anyone got any good interview tips?

I have a few but not retail related. Will try to post them later.