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!

toostressy it is getting harder to declutter toys now dd is old enough to notice!! But I did manage to throw out some old broken toys , mostly stuff that has come from comics. Also managed to persuade her to donate a couple of things to her baby cousin! The rest is just organising them, so all the duplo back in the duplo box, crafty stuff back in the cupboard, and the majority of toys in the children's bedrooms rather than downstairs! Problem is they bring stuff down to play with and then it never goes back upstairs...

Was about to tackle a few more hot spots but dh opened the prosecco instead so I don't see much more being done! Determined to do a tiny bit more before the children go to bed.

Zoo I never usually nap because I really struggle to sleep during the day and tend to feel worse afterwards if I do but I just fell asleep as soon as I sat on the sofa and I actually felt quite refreshed afterwards! Ds was up at 5.30 so it had been a long day (probably not as long as yours though I know you are usually up at the crack of dawn!)

Kids have been given a cheese pizza for dinner not even with any cucumber sticks to make me feel better since I haven't done the food shopping.

Cleared a hotspot from the table, managed to throw some paperwork away but dh has said most of it is there so remind him to do stuff so I've literally picked it up and moved it to the sofa. Is it just me???!

I've gone from being awol to flooding the thread with posts , sorry!

Sorry to hear about your aunt SC

stressy no worries about dragging up family stuff, I find it's never that far away in my head but TBH I don't find it upsetting or anything like that

Catching up on thread now ...

Rather lots of posts than none foxes

Nowt wrong pizza for tea either. Mine been known eat cereal If stocks are low.no ones going to die if once in a while there's no fruit n veg with tea

cag drop in the ocean is often how it feels.I get really nark if spend 3hrs siff thru "stuff" and everyone asks what I've done all day

I too completely get the drop in the ocean thing

I particularly want to cry when I finally get rid of the kettle pile and then four people decide to dump random crap back there

Generally demoralised here too.

Found the heat a bit much today. Not the temp but the humidity. Totally airless! And still have a bit of flashing around the eye so have been taking it steady.

Really crap ta da list and had to force myself to do every one (with a sit down in between) a bit pathetic really:

one work e-mail
emptied dw
scrubbed dd collars white school shirts
4 x wash
paired dried socks
got shot of more dying flowers
tiny paper stack declutter from sitting room
made dd pesto pasta for lunch

to do: yet more on-line parcel returns
cook lamb chops and make salad

That's it! Dh has very kindly picked up the slack very kindly from dog-walking to dd ferrying to ed psych and Latin tutor.

Only barely enough energy to deal with teen strop over dwindling short sleeve school shirt supply of all things. When I pointed out (quietly) that the shirts were already in the wm and would be ready for tomorrow morning, and I was still waiting for her to put away clean laundry and bring down laundry panier from bedroom and to write card for friend to accompany comfirmation present (and that I had been asking for these things repeatedly for over a week) she blew up and went absolutely mad!! It was though I had asked her to climb Mt Everest or something. Makes you feel totally crap and unreasonable for asking the most reasonable of things ... and yet if you as a parent do something wrong ... arrggghhhhhhh!

[Back to catch up with personals after rocking in a dark corner for a wee while ]

Sympathies SC , don't be hard on yourself , your list sounds pretty good to me!

Ta das
Paired up socks while dd was getting ready for bed

That's it, prosecco, pizza and TV for me now and fingers crossed the small people stay asleep!

Oh and dd helped me declutter some paperwork by screwing up a cheque and putting it down the side of the sofa good job I do regular sofa checks since doing flylady!

sc we don't rock in dark corners,we have a naughty corner for that

Zoolets fed n watered
One kittens cold is back,having regular wipe it's nose as one side blocking up with snot,poor thing

afresh I put recycling out bin man came.then lil zoo produce half a bag bits paper rubbish from upstairs
The kettle pile seems grow faster when its lower iyswim,tall pile rarely gets added to?!

I feeling bit flat tonight.maybe tired from ds play up last night(he and lil zoo asleep).go try watch bit TV n chill.he has dietetics app tomorrow

Given up on lists today! We had a lovely relaxed evening then I have found nits again in DD1's hair . Had to phone parents to tell them to check their heads!! Think there is something about them coming back in a week or so isn't there. Ugh. Retreated them.

Thanks for toy info foxes

Will do interview tips instead of personals later.

[Waves from soft cushions in naughty corner and raises grateful glass to Zoo]

Evening all! Thanks again for all your kind words about my aunt.

It's just lovely having you back on the thread Foxes you never need worry about posting a lot! You obviously really really needed the rest if you fell asleep on the sofa - night after night of broken sleep is bound to catch up with you - so take it steady and don't be so hard on yourself either!! Well done re: toy sorting and prosecco sounds like a fine idea

Whey hey - speaking of lots of posts - just noticed we are at a very respectable 888 posts so far this month - you never know, with a few more collective whinges mostly from me and a following wind, we might make it to 1000 by the end of the month! Don't think I can remember that ever happening on a Fledgling thread before though.

And agree with Zoo that this is one of the few places on Mnset where it is friendly enough to post stuff one wouldn't elsewhere.

Rosa hope the return to normality after your lovely holiday was not too onerous. Take it slow with the decluttering - small step by small step - and you will get there she says wishing she could follow her own advice occasionally .

Afreshstart/Cag/Foxes/Zoo god yes to "a drop in the ocean" and to never ending tidying. I really made an effort last week to sort ground and first floor and having been out of action for only two days since, I've noticed the sweet wrappers and hair elastics and tissues on the sofa, the bags and shoes all over the hall, the socks by the side of the laundry basket (thanks dh) the empty loo roll that no-one bothers to recycle, ditto the empty water bottles dumped everywhere and the various headphones and cables ... I could go on .... [sigh] I try and impose a "zero tolerance" in an attempt to keep surfaces clear which everyone promptly ignores!!

Toostressy hope you have broken out the maracas and feather boa and are now basking in the stress free zone that is a visitor-free house. Don't feel bad; I think everyone finds having visitors really stressful (sometimes close family members make much worse visitors than friends because there aren't the same boundaries in place) , I know I do (and more and more so as the years go on). It's very normal to have conflicted feelings about this: I love having my sisters to visit but still find it difficult at the time if that makes sense!! Pat yourself on the back for a job well done !!

Great you were able to have a well deserved lie in today Mermaids!

Zoo congrats on dreaded "what fits?" sort and hope you can get a bit of r & r tonight! Sounds as though you need it x

Big waves to Cotswold Honu Whoknows Einstein Purple Bluepheasant Grey Mumontherun Mercury and everyone else I have missed! Links coming up!

Oh no Toostressy missed the bit about the nits!! Poor you!!

The summary for Tuesday 30th 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 30 for Tues 30th is here. Check your calendar for next month.

We are in Zone 5 at the moment : 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) is here.

Tuesday's mission is spending 15 mins getting rid of things that do not belong in sitting room, that have been dumped in a corner or on a chair.

The daily focus for Tuesday is planning. Holidays, medical appointments, wardrobes, menus.

The monthly habit is moving in May!.

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

Small steps everyone and take it steady in the heat.

zoo , I missed replying about your mum. I hope you know in no way could that have ever been your fault.

Mermaids, again I am no expert but if it is office work I would be prepared for some kind of computer test just in case. In a related department to me they sprung a test on admin candidates. I thought it was a bit unfair myself as no warning given but apparently all above board.

It sounds very much that you have transferable skills if you have done the job before. I would look to sell the fact that retail experience gives you great customer / client service skills. Re. the new customer base you could admit you don't know much about it but say you are enthusiastic about the challenge. Explain (bend the truth if necessary) what interests you about the area.

You could state (if asked) what steps you have already taken / will take to get to know the field better. Also what steps you have taken / will take to update your skills if necessary.

Most of interview technique is about bullshitting really .

If you have a job description / person specification then have a look at it - how do you match up?

www.monster.co.uk/career-advice/job-interview-tips/?intcid=swoop_Widget_Career_Advice_Job_Interview_Advice

for all demoralised people.

Cheers Toostressy and hear hear to what you said to Zoo!

Cotswold if you happen to be lurking - don't want to impose for June - equally happy not to do it - let us know what suits you best!

toostressy thanks.I carried that guilt over 20years before I realised it wasn't my guilt but my family's for not be there when she died

On the nits front egg-egg laying louse is 3-7days.easiest way to check is but kitchen paper.wet it and lay flat.brush hair over it. Red dots appear on paper that's nit poo..you need wet comb every second day until had no eggs/lice for 10days to be totally sure.thus is from experience. Lil zoo had them all but constant from reception to yr 3 and we realise who the nit hotel was passing them around and encouraged play other kids as her mum didn't care

We hit 1000 posts / second thread a few times in the first year I think SC. .

Welcome back Foxes, I take a break from the thread every now and then and have been AWOL more than present lately but I always come back eventually. Such a nice supportive place.

More gardening than Flying done today, plus a trip to a local NT property, DCs have just gone to bed and I need to do the same. Night all.

Evening all, scraping in to the thread with minutes to go on a Monday night. Rainy bank holiday here, we went to the shops!

SC sorry about your Aunt. She sounds quite a woman. I'll stock the naughty corner with soft blankets and hugs for those going through stress with their families. I'm getting a bit of that myself but nowhere near as badly as everyone else.

June thread - I'm happy to run one of the summer ones or later if easier. I'm away around the same time as Stressy and have been using Tesco clubcard vouchers to book things to do during our holiday this year.

Half term is going well here so far, DH is off as well which is nice. Do need to enforce order on the house at some point though, we are planning some tip trips and I have bought some bin bags in hope of following through on this

Sleep well fledglings!

Good morning fledglings!

[Looks around for Zoo. Plumps up cushions in naughty corner/recuperation cabin, squeezes oj, nips out to bakery for platter of warm croissants]

You can cut the air with a knife here this morning it is so heavy, so absolutely no point in lying in bed as no sleeping was getting done! (Besides still have lamb chop dinner to clear up from last night and sports kit to iron, slattern that I am.)

Gosh, you have a good memory Whoknows! Did we really hit 1,000 posts in the early years? Have totally forgotten! It's certainly been a while [nostalgia from this end too

Morning all

Ta da

Dryer on

Baby ds up even earlier than usual today at 530. Got up and it was cold! I have the heating on!

argh, being chased by a ruddy great drunken bumble bee, pressed post by mistake ...

Gardening and NT visit sounds like the perfect bank holiday activities Whoknows!

Cotswold re: my aunt, thank you very much, she was indeed, and she had some great nursing stories from the war!

Thread business - right ho, thanks, if no-one has any objection, I shall go ahead with June thread and (as I will be largely absent during the summer) leave all of you fledglings to sort out whether you want a "hard" or "soft" thread during July and August .

Hang on, hang on, a vision has just appeared on the stairs, it is dd fully dressed in uniform, clutching files and books ... she says she wants to get a head start on the day [SC stares in disbelief, moves jaw up and down like a goldfish, then faints]

Had better get going! Have a good day lovely fledglings one and all!

Waves to Zoo and everyone else!

Morning Afreshstart Sorry you had such an early start.

at heating!!

Morning SC

I know heating use is shocking! But it's bloody pissing down here despite weather lady telling me it's dry and sunny