Lost the plot with clutter? Want sparkle(r)s in your sink? Come Fly with flare on the November Fledgling thread!

[Sludgecolours]

If you are strugging with C.H.A.O.S. (can't have anyone over syndrome) and S.T.U.F.F. (something that undermines family fun) then this is the thread where we (loosely) follow the step-by-step Flylady housekeeping system (in our own, unique, relaxed style) with lots of chat, support and and along the way.

This is where, from the first of the month (seriously, HOW is it November already?!), we follow – loosely – the rules of FlyLady [see website here ]. (Pls ignore the barftastic language, and we suggest NOT signing up to the emails as there are rather a lot of them. All the info you need will be posted here on a daily basis.)

Helpful info on getting started here!.

We adopt a three-pronged approach:

-start or repeat baby steps

• repeat baby steps + do 15 mins a day decluttering in the current zone or area (yes, just 15 mins focused work a day makes a difference!)

and/or

• reinforce babysteps and do daily missions if you have finished decluttering.

[And if you are really enthusiastic and have finished decluttering - you can go on to detailed deep cleaning in each zone.]

NB
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 not only welcome to join in but positively encouraged to do so!

Another NB
Start where you are. There is no need to worry about being perfect – perfectionism = paralysis! There is no such thing as ‘falling behind’ with FlyLady, if you miss anything, just move on and continue as normal the next day.

Any questions, don't hesitate to ask!

Good luck!

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

**

Baby-step no 20 - do a full load of laundry, wash, dry, put away

We are in Zone 4 this week: the master bedroom

Spend 15 mins decluttering in Zone 4.

When you have finished decluttering, the detailed cleaning list (if you are at that stage) for Zone 4 is here

Mission for Monday remove anything from under your bed that should not be there or that has been put there during a stash and dash!

The daily focus for Monday is: weekly home blessing hour

The monthly habit for November menu planning

daily reminders

Holiday missions here

Kids missions here

Yup it is super common in and after pregnancy it seems, and from talking to other mums with gestational diabetes it seems that makes it more likely too due to the diet you need to keep sugars under control. Epic sigh.

I haven't had any more pain like that though, just generally yuk TBH.

Shit just realised the bed still has stuff on it

DD was sad about strictly result too!

And sad about blue planet because of the plastic thing :(

Early bedtime REALLY didnt work tonight oops

Thanks.

Ooh started on bedroom yesterday so a little ahead. I won't be clearing under the bed. I have big Really Useful boxes under there with stuff in. The stuff includes two boxes of Christmas china.My aunt gave me some money years ago and said she wanted me to buy something for myself. A German friend had a lovely teaset and used to invite us for a walk and afternoon tea including homemade stollen( yum) so I started buying Portmerions Holly and Ivy crockery.My aunt was thrilled as I sent her the leaflet to show her. She died about 10 years ago but I have continued to add some every year. I often buy it after Christmas as it is half price. I bought the big ashet that way. Now I have the set for the whole of dinner on Christmas Day. It is too heavy to be put in loft. No stairs and a small hole. So it is packed away in bubble wrap under my bed. I also have one box with shoes and one with winter woollies. Every half term I haul them out and vacuum the dust bunnies up. So no Fly lady I won't be having that valuable storage space emptied!
Nightstand- hate that expression, is tidy. I'll tackle the clothes pile it is ironing! I love my bed it is a Victorian black iron and brass. It needs a polish. I have fairy lights on it in the winter just a few roses entwined.
It is magical.
To dos
Eat breakfast
Ironing
Wash kitchen floor.
De-clutter a school bag
Planning and catch up on notes.
Eat Mousaka
Go to pub quiz
Bed before 10:30

I love Holly and Ivy china. I have always wanted a set of Christmas china but this house is too small to store it, and under the bed is full of yarn and clothes I have bought in the sale for DD that she hasn't grown into yet. I was thinking of starting to collect the Botanic Garden range, but the indestructible plates we bought after our wedding are still going strong, thirteen years later. I'm just a bit bored of them.

DS has slept. I'm hopeful he's turned a corner.

Ta dahs from yesterday - tons of washing. Took DD to town, and finished her Christmas shopping. Went to a quiz, won, got a bottle of wine!

To do
More washing
Rinse out the condenser thingy in the tumble dryer
Maybe wrap DS up very well and do a short walk to get a coffee.
Get trousers from dry cleaners
Might try and tackle bedside table if DS naps. Or I might just sit and knit.

Glad you had a quiet night. I can still remember the nights! Nowadays mums complain like mad if their DH /DP doesn't get up. I think I could count on one hand how many times DH got up. I can remember him helping with Son 1 but he was a projectile vomiter so he was probably helping change sheets.

Rugged up and a coffee sounds good. Why not do the 5 minute challenge on the bedside table and then knit😊
Well I best get ready for work...wish I was staying home today.

Shockingly crap night with little lady. Tummy issues I think. Feeding on and off rather than proper feeds like normal. Sigh.

Phoned doctors for myself and am awaiting call back from triage at some point today

Hurrah! Doctor is putting a scan request through as urgent without me needing to see her first. Should get the appt in a couple of days.

Oh no Cag. for those who need it

Not the best start here either.

DD2 seems better but still has earache so have had to keep her off school. This means she will miss her flu vaccine (they wouldn’t have done it anyway quite rightly with her being poorly), apparently there is no catch up date, GP surgery can’t do it and neither can chemists.

Boiler also appears to be leaking

On the plus side I have made a to do list

To do:-
Morning routine
Dig out boiler insurance info
Phone re boiler
Possibly do some exercise
Attempt rest of to do list

Coffee first though.

Xpost, fab news Cag. Also belated thanks for links Cotswold.

stressy why cant gp do her flu?

I am so cold

Morning everyone! Just got ds down for a nap but he is still shouting every few minutes so I'm trying to be really quiet...

Have just found out the toy dd has asked for appears to be out of stock everywhere i put off ordering it hoping it would come down in price - didnt think it was so popular!

Ta das
Daily routine
Changed tea towels towels
Stripped my bed

To do
More laundry
Hoover everywhere
Mop
Dusting
Swish and swipe bathroom
Declutter bedroom
Under bed mission

foxes whats the toy someone on here may have seen it!

Good news on the doctor cag

It's the leapfrog scoop and learn ice cream cart!

I've just put the heating on (told myself its for ds so he sleeps better! )

Sorry cag missed your last post hope your appointment comes through quick.

Ta das
Mopped downstairs
Dusted downstairs
Emptied kitchen bin
Swish and swipe bathroom

Smyths reckons they'll have more stock between the 1st and 8th December. It looks like a lovely toy.

Ta da
Kids got to school on time fed & watered
All beds stripped
My bedding and mattress protector washed
Breakfast pots cleared
Dd2 to her gymnastics session
Eaten a monster of sandwich from yesterday’s leftovers (yum!)

To do
Make chicken soup for tea
Try and get bedding and protector dry
Another load of washing
Something checked off the home bleurgh list
Pick dd1 up at 320
Pick ds up after sports club at 415
Take ds to swimming lesson at 5
Remake all the beds

I’m knackered thinking about doing the rest of my list - I’ll finish my cuppa first hope everyone else is having a productive day.

foxes I saw those, they do look super cute xxx

Aww that is a lovely looking toy!

DH has done lots of laundry today before he went to work. I've managed to get the Caglets doing some more home ed stuff as well - just little bits and pieces but it's more than what we were doing (literally just maths and spellings was all I could manage for a while) but I think it's the way forward for them, as it's not too school-like and the sessions aren't too long to concentrate. Hopefully it's a good way of getting their confidence up again

www.lookagain.co.uk/products/scoop-amp-learn-ice-cream-cart-by-leapfrog//A-43H974?utm_source=GoogleProductList&utm_medium=PLA&utm_campaign=ToysAndGames&utm_content=43H974_&ns_campaign=ToysAndGames&ns_mchannel=PLA&ns_source=GoogleProductList&ns_linkname=43H974_&ns_fee=0&ordermedia=L0178&name=LookAgain25Percent&orderoffercode=U8BP&entry=3

In stock £42 and 25% off if open an account

Cripes!! I've only been away for two days and Cag has been in a&e and Bowerbird5 has been scammed. How horrible for both of you I hope you are both ok!

Cag my dh had exactly the same thing as Cotswold's dh. My dh was doing the 5:2 diet. Ate an "ordinary" meal on his "normal" day, and in the space of 5 mins felt a pain and then collapsed in the kitchen (and he's a big bloke but ginormous gallstone felled him like a timber - have never seen the like!). Rushed to a &e and shortly thereafter had a v straightforward op to have it removed and he's never had a problem since. I was very very relieved at the time because I thought he had had a heart attack but sympathies to you because I know the pain is wretched and, as everyone has already said, it's the last thing you need right now.

Bowerbird5 no wonder you are shaken up. That sort of thing totally undermines one's faith in humanity. How awful for you that they knew your address but thank heavens you twigged in time!! And glad to hear police could advise/support.

Anyway, I'm now back in the hell hole which is currently home! (Builders still here. All a bit tense. Shower compromise is crap. And I mean really crap. I am trying not to cry. Dh is spittingly furious with me in a very English tight-lipped sort of way. [Wibble]) Time to hoik big girl pants in Zoo-like fashion and come up with a better solution ... but I think it is going to involve bricking up a door and plastering ... all of which will cost more. Bum.

Also, just to add to stress, dd has just exploited my general distractedness and put me on the spot just now about coming home later and I wanted her home on time tonight! Arrgh!

ta da
unravel 2 very very dusty sock blanks and turn into skeins
soak, towel dry and leave on swift to dry under slight tension to de crinkle
wind up a crap ton of yarn cakes
take apart sofa,
polish wood,
hoover the dark scary depths of sofa innards,
hoover sofa cushions. put sofa back together
4 loads of washing
folding
ironing
back up laptop - it is really on its last last legs... so any day now it will become a renovation project
tackle the frutility room - well 5 mins worth of hotspotting anyway
wash and lay to block a shawl for mum - who has done her back in and can't reach floor level atm
deal with stroppy ds before school
wonder Why the actual fuck none of ds' school shirts have their pockets any more and are left with a thread ghost outline of where they should be - is this some sort of weird crazy like the old taking threads out of the ties thing of yoof gone by?!
clean the clutter associated with the fire place
sneeze for england
Survive hostal homework negotiations with ds
deep clean any piece of furniture in the lounge that has not yet been done.
Hoover the rug a billlion and 1 times because of other areas not being clean yet = trecking through
ignore the sock pile that is accumilating
clear the box of various programs that have recorded. (most where just delete because actually watched tv this weekend - shock horror)
delegate loading and running of dishwasher and tip run
Interragate ds over missing shirt pockets - final answer was not convincing so who knows wtaf that is all about
measure the loft hatch - don't ask

And now I am sitting down for 5 mins, before I get to do more fun stuff like wash PE kits, check school uniform shop opening times, bemoan the fact that I dropped a spoon down the back of the bed and I am going to have to take the bed apart to get it. thank god it is a full office based day tomo!

Oh no, SC, sounds v stressful about shower.

Afresh, i’m not sure why, will have to investigate further. All children enrolled in school in certain school years get done in school apparently - I understand it improves uptake and takes pressure off GP practices. Surgery were surprised school didn’t have a mop up day. Can’t be helped as she shouldn’t have it if she’s been poorly.

Ta da:-
Homework
Skipped gymnastics as DD2 couldn’t have gone anyway so took pity on DD1 and gave her the night off
Tea eaten
Did a (very) token amount of exercise earlier

To do:-
Wait until bathtime

How strange. Last year ds2 had the flu vaccine at school. About 2 weeks after he had it my gp phoned asking to book him in for it saying he was on a list that hadnt had it! I would think you should be able to get it somewhere

negotiate hostile homework situation i also living the dream hills....

sc big hugs on the shower front.i think phrase required is "oh bugger.fudge it n stamp on it sideways" (or i can do a bluer version should you request) as fir dd ...lil minx.they like to push the boundarys.esp if can see you are weaker than usual(think stressed.ill etc) extra hugs and sympathetic shoulder at the ready.supplies in naughty corner...

toostressy i too surprised bout gp.in my area they do littlies.guess depends on practise rules

foxes out of stock is my disorganized speciality

Dd2 went school after lousy weekend.got app see peadiatric nurse.potential infection.canals swollen.ear bit pink.keep an eye blah blah.dp bought her home as cried so had ring school wouldnt be back in(sigh)

Tadas
Cats fed.littertray
Recycling n bins out
Breakfast and pack ups
3loads laundry
Wipe bath n sink
Bleach lav
Wipe surfaces
Locate liv room floor
Florence nightingale moment...
Dinner.couscous.asoaragus.carrots.roasted peppers and onions.baked salmon.jelly and tinned fruit