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!

Oh no, sorry about all the poorliness! :(

Lazy day here. Again. Is it bad that I breathed a sigh of relief when my afternoon pupil cancelled as it meant I had to neither tidy up nor get dressed? I had a nap instead. Apart from that, a bit of laundry and I've booked an appt and updated the diary a bit.

DH has taken DD to her first ballet class. Expensive (I think about as much as tap and ballroom put together!) but she just loves dancing so much, it's given her so much confidence and it's the one thing she has been desperate to add to her week. I'm going to have to learn how to do a proper ballet bun. Oh dear.

at ballet buns Cag. Had a lovely day until time to pickup DD1 at which point DD2 started kicking off . Planning an early bedtime here! DD1 has the class bear so she is very excited.

I'm hoping youtube tutorials will save me!!! :o

Oooh so the uniform kit included a hair net and hair grips. Doesn't look too bad. I told DH he'd done a good job of it (he'd taken DD and they went early to get the uniform sorted) and he was like hell no I didn't do that, the teacher showed me :o :o

Oh she just looks so beautiful though. Leotard/skirt is pale blue and suits her so well. She's telling me off because I keep gazing at her. You know sometimes you look at your kids like OMG I can't believe you're my child? Yeah, that. :) :) :)

I know that feeling Cag. My DD has done ballet and tap for years, they don't have to have a bun for class, just for exams and shows, so only once a year or so, but she looks SO beautiful with one.

SC - sorry to hear you and DD are poorly, get well soon.

I have been muddling through with the Flying a bit this week, but I did clean my front door inside and out a couple of days ago. Busy weekend in prospect so might find not much else gets done. I am going to go and dust the telly in a minute, the sun was shining on it earlier and it looked shocking.

Thank you for the welcome

We use spiral things like this for buns, v easy and secure. I wish mine had blue leotards instead of shocking pink!

Links for Saturday before I forget or the wine kicks in

The daily summary for Saturday (also available on the Flylady website at flight plan which should update automatically each day.

**

Baby-step no 6 - put out your hot spot (a hot spot is any place where clutter always builds up)

No zone work or missions at the weekends – woo hoo, enjoy!

The daily focus for Saturday is: family fun day

The monthly habit for May is moving

daily reminders

Thanks Cotswold! I'll do tomorrow? Will pop on with some personals before bed.

Just some brief personals since poor SC is poorly. Apologies for the lack of bold names, written in a rush on notes app on my phone!...

A warm welcome to Clawhammer, will investigate that bun device! Foxes, hope for a better night for you tonight. Great news re playroom sofa Rosabella :)

Zoo, the whole devices thing is a bit of a minefield isn't it? Mermaids, love the sound of surfing therapy. Purple, good to see you on the thread again. Afresh, hope you are surviving being back at work.

Big wing flaps for everyone else.

Lots of ta das today :
Evening routine
Another 15 mins on decluttering dining room
Another 15 mins on putting clothes away
15 mins of ironing

Yes, we use those spiral hair pins for buns too.

I wish I was good at doing hair. Ballet buns are lovely.

I've had another busy day and came home and flopped. I've half made a hedgehog cake. I was inspired by the thread in classics and really hope mine looks good. The house is a pit so there'll be a big to do list this weekend. Wine for now though!

I love those photos of hedgehog cakes gone wrong, always has me in stitches! Am sure yours is great Purple

Ahhhh I am so behind with the thread and the house is a mess shithole. This has not been a good week. DDs cold still hanging around, cough keeping her awake so she's been tired and misbehaving all week. Work has been hideous, you know when you get to a point where you just can't take any more crap and end up crying on a colleagues shoulder? In fact we both had a little cry as both having a shitty week

Plan to try and get back on top of things tomorrow...how does it all descend into chaos so quickly?! Chin up!

Sleep well everyone

My cake baking ability is zero so I wouldn't even think about attempting a hedgehog! Supermarket cakes for birthdays here I'm afraid! Domestic goddess I am not!

House is a shit hole

On a positive note I only had to get up to give the baby his dummy for the last two nights so wasn't full on up with him, may this continue!

Ta Da

Dryer on
Dry pots away
Washer on

To Do (power of 3!)

Dry washing away
Wash pots
Wash and sterilise bottles

Who has a utility room on here? Would anyone mind sharing a photo?

I like the idea that the weekend is family time, I hope that this happens once the routines have settled.

Dd has her club this morning and ds has a football tournament 12-3 so I'm hoping to get the morning routine done and have another blast at the paperwork cupboard (the dining table is full of paperwork that I sorted through yesterday!!) I'm about halfway through, it would be fabulous if I could get rid of the cupboard and would make a huge difference to the room !!

Sorry you're having a crappy time at work blue , are you generally happy where you are? purple good luck with the cake making!!

Anyone got any nice plans this weekend ?

afresh I have a utility room but it hasn't been decorated since we moved in so not very nice to look at...I can send a photo if you like (once I'm out of bed ! )

Rosa we are off visiting family later but a fairly quiet weekend here I think.

I managed to do a bit more yesterday while dinner was cooking, cleaned the downstairs loo and tidied the utility room and kitchen a bit. Felt a bit better that I'd done something!

My only plan so far today is to drink my coffee. Far too tired to think of much else! Ds still not sleeping. Afresh what is your secret to your sleeping baby please??!

Thanks for the hairslide recommendations! It's going to be a struggle to get it neat I think but as long as it's in the bun/net they're happy. Apparently it's only for exams/shows etc where they need it properly slicked back etc.

Foxes I do not know the secret. I fear it may be a fluke and now I have mentioned it on here all will be ruined! I would love to see your utility though! More interested in layout than decor!

The cake was a bloody disaster. I should have read the recipe reviews where people said the flake spikes made the cake fall apart so there were tears at bedtime (me!). I tried to make icing to fix it but split it (never happened before) so I'm going out this morning for more ingredients. I think it'll be ok covered in piped spikes since I've managed to fix the shape but I'm very grumpy that I specifically chose this cake because it was quick and easy. Never mind. The kitchen will get a proper deep clean how because there's crumb and icing everywhere.

blue it's horrible when work is bad. I really hope things improve.
afreshstart I haven't got a utility room but am envious of anyone who does!

rosa good luck to your son today. foxes hope the coffee does the trick and sleeping gets better.

I have finished my 3 days at work and once again the house is a state. I find it so hard to fly on work days. We leave the house at 7.30, get in for 5.30 and then we are crazy busy sorting the kids until they go to bed at 8. After that I just want to flop. I really need to figure a way to stop the house descending into chaos by Friday

So far this morning dp and I have washed and dried up from last night, cleaned the kitchen and tidied the living room. I need to take dd to choose a present for her friend and then drop her to a birthday party a bit later. I intend to finish planting the flowers I have been trying to plant since last weekend, drop some washing to my mum (our wm is broken and we need to organise it being repaired) and do a food shop this morning.

Sorry to hear you are unwell SC for you. I hope you have a relaxed weekend blue it sounds like you need it.

Mercury I am the same with work except I'm four days and out 830am to 7pm

I can't do weekend are for family time for this reason

Morning all, weekends here are dancing and gymnastics time! I do the occasional weekend shifts and DH works quite a few weekends plus is out on activities a fair bit. I try to declutter on a weekend as I have more chance of getting stuff done.

It is so difficult with work isn't it. I am 2 days a week with the occasional extra shift but am hoping for more flexible work next year.

Ta da:-
Dishwasher on
Some laundry done
At dancing

Thank you ladies it's rainy here so we're having a day of catching up on jobs.

Yes am happy with my job really, it's high responsibility so does get stressful but am in a v good department which is great, aside from a few issues as you get anywhere in nhs! Tbh I don't think it was even work that was the main factor this week, think a combination of being hormonal, DD being v difficult in mornings , my hours have changed so now have to leave earlier on two of my work days and on both days I had to leave DD mid tantrum/crying , work v busy but nothing can't usually handle. Final straw was getting news that DH didn't get the job he'd had an interview for, think had our hopes up more than we realised. Just been a bit of a miserable week! But no point dwelling on it, there will be more opportunities down the line.

Ta das

X2 loads washing on airer
3rd load washing in machine
Cleaned kitchen
Sorted out returns to go to post office
Started online food shop

To dos

Ironing
Tidy bombsite house
Attempt to reduce size of Kettle Pile
Catch up on thread with a

Oops sorry afresh I've left the house and forgot to take the photo! Will do it this evening!