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!

Right, I am still feeling pretty battered and bruised this morning and I have an entire downstairs to clean and organise, a supermarket shop to do and a lunch to cook for seven teens by 1pm (it's dd's study group again this afternoon). I don't feel like doing any of it frankly.

x posts Cag Good luck with your 12 week scan

Good idea Honu!

Good luck cag

Hope you're feeling a little more yourself soon slurry

What about the cats eyes 👀 ornaments mermaid

mercury I would have just sat and ate chocolate and drank wine after that day! Hope the car is easily sorted xx

zoflora could you maybe get some help in to get back on top of it? Or maybe put it away so you're not looking at it and do a little and often when you can?

I've got lots on today, playgroup, mil is visiting for an hour, I'm working on dd naptime, both older kids have activities on tonight, 1 is out of the door at 515 - 8 , the other is 630-730 and they need taking and fetching so it's a busy day.

Ta da
Morning routine
Washer is on

To do
Hang washing out
Wash some of dd next size clothes
30 mins on the paperwork in the dining room (decluttering & zone task)
15 mins on the playroom (the job I dread, it's an absolute tip!)
15 mins popping clothes away
15 mins ironing

Scan all good! Think I can finally start to believe this is happening now. Yikes! :o

Eeek cagsoo exciting!!
Up 4x in night with dd2
Tadas
Fed cat
Wash on
Fed zoolets
Pack ups made
S+s bathroom
School run
Shops
Sleep zzzzzzzzzzzz

An now up,still feel like I could manage another couple hours,but dd2 awake and crying and its another til nanny calpol can take over.....

One born makes me broody,very very broody

Congratulations cag

Fantastic Cag! Many congratulations!

I'm going to try the orange peel tomorrow. I've heard garlic works as well

Hope everyone is well I'm on holiday now

Ta da
Washing is dried.......

To do
Large glass of wine 🍷

One of those days today, constant flow of visitors, work and dd hamster has died . I managed to grab a slice of toast for lunch around 2 and I'm now eating a bowl of crunchy nut cornflakes for tea. Going to do the evening routine and call it a day.

Thanks Fledglings 💐

Back to earth with a bump as DS has become poorly. Really lethargic and wheezy :(

Oooh crunchy nut cornflakes yum

Hello all, have dropped off the thread a bit with the training course plus DD2 has been a handful. I have read through and am back in the game (sort of) now. Was a work day today so not a huge amount achieved but just waiting for DD2 to fall asleep then will get on - DH is at work.

for your DD rosa; it is so sad to lose a pet.

Big wing flaps to all and a warm welcome to newbies. SC, if you are feeling too battered and bruised / too busy I can do links tomorrow night (Thurs) and the next night if that helps? Or any nights really.

zoflora, I think we can all sympathise with feeling as if the tasks are never ending. Ironing is not an issue for me simply because I don't do it and DH does what he needs and the odd bit (very rarely for me). Could you do 15 minutes in the evening in front of a really good telly programme to start making a dent in it? I just find it is he general getting everything done that I struggle with. The Flylady system helps but if I follow it too slavishly I end up doing stuff late into the night and then being exhausted so I am trying to take a relaxed approach at times .

Woo hoo, DD2 is asleep. Have asked for some more health visitor help with her as still struggling with poos and she starts school on September plus a few other bits - she has been upset at childcare a couple of times and it might all be related. Feel very relieved as they say someone will phone us back and see us and hopefully we will get a plan.

To do:-
Make tea
Laundry check
General quick house tidy

Before bed routine

Hopefully paperwork in front of the TV and I have an email to send - seems to be a large amount of school related paperwork at the moment.

Cag, brilliant news re scan. SC, glad talk with DD not too terrible. zoo, glad they have swabbed your DDs throat.

Xpost Cag, hope your DS is ok.

Aww congrats Cag on the scan! Exciting times hope you are feeling well.

Slurry I have a wee terrier cross dog. She is a rescue pup and a bit of a rascal. We just went to meet a dog walker tonight who is going to give us a hand during the week 2 days so that is giving me an extra spur on to have the house in a semi decent state.

Rosa - sorry about the wee hamster. My 2 were so upset about theirs- she was only 1 they don't live very long which is hard on the kids.

Zoflora my mum also has dementia-early stages. It's an awful cruel illness and can be very difficult for those looking after a loved one. I struggle often to not feel guilty that I should be doing more and often feel very sad. We have had some help from the Alzheimer's charity's. Not sure what area you are in but there will likely be some nearby? Also our GP has helped a lot for my mum, dad and myself. Take all the help you can get and go easy on yourself it is a lot to be coping with. Xxxx

Ta da's
Morning routine
Finally did the front door -yee ha!!
Washing on
Dinner for all
Ballet run
Dog walked
Seems to be no homework tonight but I really should check that...
Cleared out a bag of old chlothes
Bought a new duster

To do
Evening routine
Ironing
Fix windowsill (have bought woodfiller)
Repot tubs at front door
Decluttering
Catch up on First Dates from last night!

Xxxx

Sorry Cag just caught up with the post about your wee one. Sorry to hear that. I know the pollen count is high here and so many people I know are coughing and wheezing. I tried steaming with hot water and a towel with my DD last week which helped a bit & Pirotin every 4 hrs. Hope they are ok xxx

Thanks everyone for support- much appreciated

So I've had a really good think about things today and have realised that as the washing/ironing is the problem then it doesn't matter how much I clean, it's still there, so the plan is to have it all completely done and away by Sunday night, little and often!

I think once that's done then the house will look a million times better and I can blitz it in 1-2 days, good luck to everyone here, will update tomorrow.

I'm in Liverpool for the poster who mentioned the Alzheimer's, thanks x

Sorry it was mumontherun14

Good evening all! Sorry so late back - full on day - only just finishing up now!

Rosabella goodness, sounds like you had a day and a half of it! So sorry about your dd's hamster

Enjoy your holidays Mermaid!

Cag talk about a rollercoaster day. Hope your ds is ok x

Toostressy really kind of you to offer to help with thread when you have so much on! Will take you up on it if this on-ff virus thing I have had all week doesn't get better but think I am alright for the moment thanks Great to hear about the support from hv! Always good to share the worry load when it comes to parenting! Couldn't agree more about the most challenging thing about Flying is the getting everything done bit! Virtually impossible I think!

Hope you have a better sleep tonight Zoo and glad to hear your dd has had swabs done.

Zoflorabore interestingly, Flylady is fairly quiet on the subject of laundry - except to suggest that we do one load a day and follow it right through from putting in wm to drying and back in drawer or whatever. Easier said than done!

Mumontherun Good looking lists there! So sorry to hear about your mother . Dh's late father had vascular dementia and it is very tough on all involved, not least the sufferer. Your terrier cross sounds lovely! We have a rescue too - lh daschund (well, more of an adoption but he's been through a very difficult youth poor lad and is very anxious and reactive as a result). It's always good to have dog walkers in place, even if you don't use them v regularly, as you never know when you are going to need them in an emergency.

Busy day here. Spent morning tidying up, cleaning, food shopping and cooking for dd's teenage plague of locusts study group. Afternoon spent doing office work. And evening overseeing Latin tutoring and hwk supervision and making phone calls and arrangements about extra maths tuition!

Honu if you happen to be lurking - the good news is we have finally found a maths tutor for dd, recommended by the deputy head no less - they are like gold dust around here so v much relieved! First session Sun (dd not so happy about that!!)

Big waves and mugs of hot Belgian choc to eveyrone else!

*

The summary for Thursday 4th May (available on the on the Flylady website here under "Today" and via the flight plan, which should update daily, can be found here) .

Baby-step no 4 for Thurs 4th is here. Newcomers: I am afraid this is a baby-step we regularly ignore! It's about posting sticky notes to yourself to remind yourself to do chores, all of which is supposed to form the basis for your control journal later on. (Some of us have cjs and some of us don't - details in the link.)

We are working in Zone 1 this week (April 30 - May 6): the Entrance, Front Porch and Dining Room here.

Spend 15 mins decluttering in the current zone.

When you have finished decluttering, the detailed cleaning list (if you are at that stage) for Zone 1 is here.

Thursday's mission is here. Spend another15 mins decluttering the dining room.

The daily focus for Thursday is [[http://www.flylady.net/d/daily-focus/daily-focus-thursday/ running errands]]. Grocery run, doctor, dentist, hairdresser etc.

The monthly habit is moving in May!

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

Small steps everyone!

***

Rosabella if I had been more on the ball when you asked about dining room cleaning down thread, I would have explained that there are three missions this week specifically focusing on dining room decluttering/cleaning. (The time allocated to Zone 1 is unusually long this month - it is rarely a full week.) HTH!

Just stopping by to say zzzzz...my little fox cub has given up sleeping altogether at the moment. I did read everyone's posts yesterday but I only got the bare minimum done . Just so tired. Great news about scan cag

,Rosa hamster
cag hope ds OK

ZzzzzzzzzzzzzZz

Not one but two DC up in the night here!

Zzzzz

Make up beds in here or strong coffee foxes?...

Tadas
Zoolets fed n watered
Cat fed
Lunches made
Wash on
Beds made
Bathroom s+s
Bleach lav

Just waiting lil zoo and ds to finish get dress then check hair(both long)then I need milk(brain fuzz I forgot decent supplies as dd2 eat lots soft milky foods)
Go try ring gp for app for her(laughs hysterically at own joke)-if avail won't be til Fri. I seriously out of practise with this night waking lark and feel like death on wheels(phrase my departed Bro used to say when felt like crap)....

Need relocate dining table,its much more laden than kettle pile

zoo I've had strong coffee but it hasn't helped much! Definitely need more! My ds is driving me round the bend seriously wondering how I'm going to make it through the day.

Sorry you're having bad nights too zoo it really is difficult

Not even going to bother with a to do list at the moment...

There must have been something in the water for night waking, dd2 was up every 2 hours (2 teeth are about to cut, I don't mind her feeding for comfort until she bites me, ouch!) dd came into us at 130 crying because of the hamster, poor baby is still really upset today.

We have the dentist and I have a meeting with the school re phonics screening this afternoon so a fairly quiet day. I'm swapping the tasks because I usually shop on a Friday.

Ta da
Morning routine
Kitchen cleaned

To do
Declutter dining room 2x 15 mins
15 mins on car and purse task
15 mins ironing
15 mins putting clothes away
Hoover through downstairs
Hang washing out
Do a load of next size washing for dd2