Fledglings cocoon, we're Flying in June ... .

[SansCollier]

Welcome to the June 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 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!

Thanks, yes I'd have to think about accessibility. Big ones can be stored on their sides so easy to pull out of the box if necessary - DS especially loves games my little mini-me - I asked him to tell me ten games he loved best and he didn't stop until after 20 :o but at least the smaller card games he loves can stay in the big drawer (another task on the list is to sort out said drawer) - I think I'll focus on stashing the big ones.

Yup will put four pillowcases with each duvet I think. Only planning on having one spare like the Caglets each have and I think we have ones that'll match whichever duvet we keep! We have lots of plain coloured pillowcases from Primark but we also have various old patterned ones that should really go (or at least be cut up for DD's fabric stash).

Einstein DD was supposed to be tidying earlier and it was suspiciously quiet, she was 'sorting out her lego' no she sodding wasn't she was building a box with a lid out of lego. To store smaller bits of lego. Was quite a nice piece of building, but still! :o

Lego is also sorted!!!!!
Ds has been cut some slack on tidying the rest of his room he is happy with his technology for an hour, I am going to sit in half a bath of cold water and contemplate turning it into an ice bath.... nope not even joking
Tea has mostly been abandoned because it is too hot so I guess we have a nice breakfast to eat tomo morning
Should probably water the plants tonight. Some of them are looking stupidly droopy

Ok so do you remember when I had the injured pigeon outside my door a few weeks ago
I now have a very lost looking baby seagull. Apparently birds think I'm a bird sanctuary

Aw Mermaids hope the poor wee thing is ok?

Well done re: Lego sorting Einstein and intensive planning Cag! (And lego building Caglet!)

Living abroad, I rely on the Beeb a lot (esp Radio 4) and love it (as a source of entertainment and as a concept) but all British news channels seem to be a bit short on facts (esp compared to rather studious French-speaking news which is stuffed full of lists of figures and percentages and is a bit too much the other way.) Journalism used to be about what, where, when, and how but it's now all visualise/narrate/socialise/humanise/personalise/ utilise presented in dumbed-down fashion as if we are stupid or some'at!!

I have had a reasonably successful day (not Flying but working) but am in for a long night ahead to make Wed am deadline (largely self-inflicted unfortunately), so going to post links now and say g'night!

Keep cool everyone! Links coming up!

Hi alfiebear

cag I'm the same regarding not being able to fit things in cupboards / wadrobes / doors / boxes / shed / outhouse / toyboxes etc....etc.....etc but it is slowly getting better. I am determined that it won't be like it when 2018 hits !! The 15 mins daily seems to be helping, I think about where I'm going to tackle first (at the moment, its recovering the bedroom floor because at the moment, any spare space has boxes/bags piled up, so we just have a pathway to the bed ) I finished decluttering the broken drawer (that got broke by shoving too much stuff in it) today, so tomorrows area is the bottom of the bed, which currently has 2 suitcases perched there from when we went on holiday, among another pile of stuff. OH is off work tomorrow because ds has a hospital appointment, so I'm hoping he'll pop them into the attic for me. Also the kids flylady tasks have helped the kids get involved - the put 10 things in it's proper place is a lot more kid friendly than tidy your room. Ds actually thought it was funny because he had 5 cars out, and they counted as 5 of his things haha. He is a cute little rebel!!

ta da
15 mins decluttering bedroom
beds made
dusted and hovered upstairs
clothes folded and put away
tea pots put away

time to relaxxxxx

*

The summary for Tuesday 20 June 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. 20 for Tues 20 June is here. Include laundry in your morning and evening routines.

We are in Zone 4 this week : The Master Bedroom, Bath, Closet (June 18-24) 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.

Tuesday's mission is here. For those of us that use the surface of our beds as temporary storage - clear it - and then make the bed.

The daily focus for Tuesday is planning. Make next week easier by planning this week!

The monthly habit in June is drinking water.

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

Small steps everyone!

x posts Rosa

well done for persisting with the 15 mins of decluttering a day!!
and pathways to the bed sound awfully familiar to me too I'm afraid

I find it's so much easier for kids when things are really specific. Same as me really :o

Oh no!
Brian Cant has died
RIP

Cue "Pugh, Pugh, Barney McGrew, Cuthbert, Dibble and Grub"

Sorry if I am showing my age here!!

Sorry, as you were ... .

He did play school too didn't he?

Although if he is the same person he was suffering so hopefully is now at peace.

Sad isn't it :( I was especially sad also about Peter Sallis - he always reminded me of my late granddad and I grew up watching Wallace and Gromit.

Told DH hypothetically about the list and he's a bit wary I won't let him rest! I need to remember it's his time off too. He's been doing everything lately, even more than normal as I can't manage my usual stuff like laundry (literally can't even stand up much for the last few days). But I'm also painfully aware that this stuff needs to be doing because the more we are in a mess, the harder it is for either of us to manage. And I just can't do these things by myself. I just hope that as the list has lots of small achievable tasks on there we can manage to get some stuff done.

Many years ago, when my dss were young, I was super organised, didn't keep junk and was fairly house proud (though allowed the dss to play with whatever they liked during the day and we, but mainly I, would put it all away at the end of the day). Dss are now 28 and 26 and have left home. Dd is 18 and had her final ever school exam today. Dd has never known me as super organised as over the years I couldn't be bothered to try and keep up with all the untidiness (running around after the dcs did no one any favours), we gathered more and more stuff in the house plus the house has got so old and tired looking as we haven't been able to afford to do it up at all (and to be honest, I spend far too much time on my iPad, a problem we didn't have back then).

So, as I have finally come to an end of 23 years of school exams, I want to start getting to grips with this house again and need some support please!

Welcome longtime I haven't been doing the routine for very long but I'm finding it's working really well, these are a bunch of great people to help guide you through. My advice is don't expect too much too soon, be realistic about your daily goals, slow and steady will win the race 🏁

Thanks for the links sc

Welcome longtime :)

Morning! Sorry I am being rather quiet in June, just can't seem to catch up lately Felt like we were really getting somewhere with the decluttering and it's all gone downhill again.
DH keeps catching these viruses lately so he is out of action again, still asleep on sofa where I left him at 8pm last night!

Ahhh Lego, DD had loads for birthday. Need to find space in her room for it but all the drawers in her storage unit are packed full already!

DD also still fast asleep! She has a little classroom introduction session this morning for starting school in sept so we need to get moving!

Morning. Welcome to the newbies.

Hopefully today is cooler. Otherwise find me whimpering in an ice bath later. Running out of time to rediscover the lounge from under the junk due to work shifts today and tomo. So going to have to hit the ground running later.

Oh a side note. Anyone else old enough to remember cleaning windows with water that contained vinegar and a drop of washing up liquid and polishing them with newspaper? I want to try this method of cleaning the bathroom tiles but newspaper is hard to come by these days (and they have probably changed it too)but do you thinkd a shammie leather work the same/similar?

Hellooo!!! Mahoosively up against it here with copy-editing deadline.

So just popping in to wish Longtime a very warm welcome! Sounds as if you are at a rather significant "milestone moment" in your life. Congratulations on surviving 23 years of exams!! That deserves some sort of medal I think and is the sort of thing for which mothers rarely receive proper recognition!

Don't worry about your house - far better to look back over the years and know you have put your children first rather than the dusting - the Flylady system recommends not looking back, advises you not to feel guilty and to just jump right in "where you are at" if that makes sense.

Please bear in mind that if your house has become cluttered (as many of ours have) over many years then it will take a bit of time to sort it out. But small, consistent focused steps are the key!

Good luck and do keep posting if you need support or have any questions!!

Cag I don't think you have any alternative about sorting it out now before the baby arrives although I can understand your dh feeling under pressure. However, if things are organised in advance, it can only be easier for the both of you in the long term. Could you ask a friend or family member to help in the short term so your dh can get some rest too (in addition to helping)?

Einstein I used to swear by vinegar and newspaper for windows until we ran out of newspapers too! (Dh's Financial Times all go to the rabbits who are now very economically aware ) Trying to wrack my brains for alternative. Would a microfibre cloth work?

Do not fret BluePheasant illnesses appear and rl intervenes and sometimes it is just not possible to Fly properly! So sorry to hear your dh is feeling below par (must be particularly awful in this weather). You can only go in to survival mode for the moment and do any tiny 2 mins or 5 min jobs that are possible and don't worry about the rest. Aw, hope the classroom induction goes well for your dd!

Big wing flaps to Rosa and everyone else!

Tally-ho everybody!

I did my first swish and swipe today and I can't believe how happy it made me! It only took about 5 minutes (if that).

Does anyone follow the dress to shoes thing? I hate wearing shoes and surely it won't make me feel more ready to clean??

Has anyone else got the app? Do you get on ok with it? Or is it easier to just log on?

Alfie whey hey to successful bathroom s&s- ing!!

I do get dressed to shoes (well perhaps not in this weather - wearing flip flops today indoors) because I have a tendency to snuggle up on the sofa and read books if I don't. I feel a bit depressed if I don't get up, showered and dressed properly. But I know loads of people on here don't feel the need and get loads done nonetheless! Just do what suits you.

It's the monthly habit for March and this is Flylady's rationale behind it: here.

Hopefully someone else will answer your question about the app because I'm an old Luddite I'm afraid but I would like to learn how to use it myself.

Alfie scroll down when you open the link

Thanks sc survival has definitely been the theme of the month! Plus it's just been too hot to do much this week anyway. General day to day stuff is ticking along, but it's the extra things like sorting out airing cupboard of doom and bookshelves of horror that I just can't make a start on. Ah well, they won't be going anywhere!

DD seem happy with her class induction, they are doing a long one in July. Nice school but a bit oblivious to the fact that some parents can't just take time off work at drop of the hat for all these things!

DH feeling a little better but barely moved all day, still not sure if will be ok for work tomorrow.
DD currently naked doing some Lego after being in paddling pool.
I've given up trying to do anything else until it cools down!

Ta das

Washed outside of porch
Walked to school and back x2
Taken DD to activity
One wash out on line
Next wash in machine
Made strawberry milk lollies
Dishes done and surfaces wiped

To dos

Dinner
Water pots and hanging baskets
Get lunches ready for tomorrow

dressed to shoes
this is actually short hand for the baby step. Basically means get showered up and dressed as if you needed to leave the house ie with hair and make up done. The shoes themselves are not important to be worn it is more the principle of being ready to leave the house/see people if they call at very short notice. iyswim

Some wear shoes, some don't, some of us are productive in pjs so don't worry about doing this first thing, others need to do this as one of the first things in the morning. Tweak it if you need to it is ok, you are not being marked on it. But try it and see if it helps you.

SC at economically minded rabbits !