New year, new organisation! Fledglings fly in 2018.

[TooStressyForMyOwnGood]

Hello all and Happy New Year!

A warm welcome to the January Flylady thread. This is a lovely friendly thread where we loosely follow the Flylady system (see the Flylady website) in the hope of having organised homes and lives.

Every day the thread leader (me this month) posts links and missions from the Flylady site and also some friendly (!) personal comments. This is quite a ‘talky’ thread but we try our hardest not to be cliquey and new members are very welcome! Typically there are a lot of new members in January so I will do my best to keep track of everybody .

Old members, as you know there have been a few issues with links at times so if there is some chopping and changing over the month with the links then that is why. Please note that Flylady is (understandably) keen for people to click on her site so please do have a look around the site and the links.

On the website there is information for beginners. You can also sign up to the Flylady emails but we would advise caution as there are hundreds of them.

We post our achievements (ta das) and our to do lists and any other general chatter about life / flying.

Information on getting started: www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/

The launch pad is also a good starting place:www.flylady.net/c/lp.php

Fly stands for Finally Loving Yourself. The general idea is that short bursts of tidying / organisation are more achievable than marathon efforts. Flylady advises 15 minute bursts is effort but you can tweak this to fit your own circumstances.

I’m sure lots of you have New Years Resolutions to be organised and to declutter, as I do every year . Be kind to yourselves and careful not to crash and burn!

I am risking making two:-
Go to bed at 11pm unless decent reason why not.
Spend less time on my phone.

Here are the links for Monday 1st Jan. although I am linking these then if you are treating today as a holiday (as much as is possible in real life anyway!) then feel free to take today off.

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

I’m afraid I start the year confused . I’ve just looked on the Flylady website and the link to the zone and missions is here which indicates we will be in zone 5 which is the living room. I would have thought the month starts in zone 1 but I know this has happened before, I think SC explained? TBH after Xmas I think most living rooms could use a bit of work so it won’t hurt . Apologies if this is confusing.

Re. zones, do what works for you. I don’t always stick to the zones myself and do what works best at the time, with varying degrees of success!

Spend 15 mins decluttering, or whatever you can manage, in Zone 5.

When you have finished decluttering, the detailed cleaning list (if you are at that stage) for Zone 5 is here.

daily focus

missions for the week

Flykids mission

January’s habit is shining your sink.

beginner babysteps.

Happy flying everyone.
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Going to be honest I am super glad I treated myself to some new pillows earlier today when went to replace other worn out bits of school uniform. Missing bit have to come from the school's uniform shop and will have to wait until next week. Will post a ta da list when I finsh for the night but I suspect most of you will be safely tucked up in bed before I get that far

cag did you get a coat? I am currently online coat browsing

Thanks TooStressy - I had DH home with me yesterday which made getting out and doing errands easier; I find it much harder to leave the house with the littles when I’m on my own!

Cag I’m in awe of you home schooling, especially with a new baby!

My day started out really productively, but this afternoon turned it into a definite contender for ‘worst day since I became a mother’. Toddler was a NIGHTMARE after a far too short nap (on top of YEARS of overtiredness - it’d take far more time and energy than I have to explain it all but suffice to say she’s always been a dreadful sleeper) and it descended into lots of tears on everyone’s part.

But before all that happened I did manage to get some things done:

Ta das:

1. Finished sorting the baby clothes into boxes and put them away
2. Washed all the baby soft toys
3. Called my Dad
4. 3 loads of laundry done
5. Cleared out, cleaned and tidied understairs cupboard of doom (finally!)
6. Cleaned kitchen and dining room
7. Vacuumed downstairs
8. Vacuumed half of upstairs (before battery on Dyson ran out)
9. Changed DS cot bedding

10.Rearranged furniture in living room so it looks less corridor-like! 11. Put up travel cot in living room so DS has somewhere safe from his sister now he’s outgrown the Moses basket! 12. Cleaned Moses basket and put it in garage 13. The Usual: kept kids fed and alive (just), made DH and my dinner, cleaned up kitchen, etc.

Tomorrow I’m going to cut myself some slack and have a very short to do list. DD and I have had a very hard day today and deserve some time together with lots of cuddles and not much else, so tomorrow’s to do list is (mostly hangovers from other days):

1. Call shop about triplicate order
2. Declutter bedroom CoD
3. Register pram warranty
4. Buy stamps (get DH to do!)
5. List baby bouncer for sale

DH arrived home and within one hour had made a mess. Jacket and shoes in sitting room and he got in some logs and didn't wipe his feet so mud all over the kitchen floor as it is raining. At least he said"It looks very Christmassy in here." Twice! He has had a few drinks on the train I think. He slept on the train. At least he didn't go through to the next station. He has done it about three times.it is two hours away!

Ta da
Dusted and tidied my bedroom. Clothes put away.
Made DH pizza for tea. He said it was lovely. Makes me wonder why I bother cooking. It was from the co op.
Had lovely fire going when he came in and fairly tidy but he didn't notice. It is about 90% tidier than when he left.
Worktops done , sink shiny, floor washed.
Still wheezy but not as bad. Will get DH to vacuum tomorrow to avoid dust.

I've been out most of the day, so my ta das are minimal, just keeping on top of the dishwasher, wiping down surfaces, the basics.

I think the point with the Home bleurgh is that you do what you can in ten minutes (per thing)... so just the middles of rooms when hoovering, just the worst shelves when dusting, some of the others shouldn't take longer than 10 mins (emptying the bins for example). The idea is then that each room gets a thorough clean when it is the right zone, so the edges get cleaned then. I think it's to stop people like me who decide that they haven't got time to do a 'proper' job, so just won't do it at all...

Think i need to look into home bleurgh a bit more. It might help me. I do skip over most of the actual fly lady stuff and just do my own thing and chat shit on here.....

My take on home bleugh is that you can do it in an hour IF you only have one bathroom, you skip the bed changing and the house is passably tidy in the first place. I only have one bathroom, skip the bed-changing and still never get done in an hour .

Well, an unproductive day today, Dyson ran out of charge because someone didn't plug it back in yesterday. Swept kitchen floor, one load of washing, a small amount of tidying. Trip out with friends was nice, all the children have known each other since babyhood (now early teens) so minimal adult supervision required and plenty of nattering time.

but 10 mins for 7 things is more than an hour, unless my maths is super squiffy.

10 mins to throw a mop around a bathroom floor yep no problem. 10 mins to strip beds again I can achieve that when they are not buried under junk 5 mins to shove a hoover around the downstairs actually that is in theory possible.

And tbh that is how i interpret it. Although saying that I have been ignoring mopping the bathroom floor cos it seems like a HUGE job, it isn't really I just don't want to do it.

My motivation buggered off Dammit

Yes, you are all right, I think Flylady herself says the idea is that it is not a detailed clean. Some areas take less than 10 mins I guess. Flylady talks about it here. (I’m trying to link a bit more to the website this time thread leading to keep Flylady happy as it is her system we are following after all!).

Think I’ll stick to cleaning the house each time my way though as I never get round to detailed cleaning in the zones. There is always clutter that can be sorted instead .

Well I am past my 11pm deadline so not managed that today, must go to bed now.

Wow Hetty what a list. You deserve some playtime.

FML Safari crashed and I lost a post.

Thank you re: home ed. It’s a pretty laid back approach we are taking really so not much admiration required :o and baby has just slotted right in for the most part (the sling is helping a lot with getting her to places and lots of friends willing to hold her too). I never really planned such a relaxed method but it’s been necessary particularly for DD’s mental health due to what went on at school (this isn’t an anti school post AT ALL by the way, it is very much an outlier. Unfortunately bullying within the home ed scene (very unusual TBF, just one incredibly toxic family who have damaged many of us) set her back considerably, but we are free from that now and they are both now happy to actually do what looks like work. We don’t really do topics yet, I think the approach for the next few months will be ‘bits and pieces’ - very short sessions mainly to get confidence up and get back in the habit of doing stuff. I’ll probably end up posting more about home ed as we get into the swing of it.

ta da
✅put some washing in the machine. Didn’t even switch it on.
✅went to doctors and got blood test forms
✅got the Caglets to their first club of the year
✅fielded endless anxiety from DD, melatonin break is definitely hard work for her and bad timing with seeing her school bully at the ice rink yesterday, having seen the home ed bully there the first time we went (seriously what are the chances FFS) and we are going again tomorrow, so she’s nervous and has been super sensory defensive as a result. Getting through the day is a big achievement I think!

Must sleep.

Aw cag big hugs for you and DD.and don't downplay HE the caglets..they have what they were lacking in the system and are blossoming⭐

Hetty great list and cuddles are the way forward after tears all round meltdowns

Afresh my take on the bleurgh is just clean windows.sweep bits floor can see n move on.if you do zone work it does feel like making a bit of a dent I things

Bower I'm sure twas the alcohol talking when a co op pizza warranted praise over home cooking.maybe today with clearer head he might notice your cleaning efforts

Foxes I got my last coat from studio

Hills I think the motivation buggering off is a common theme for us all.maybe there is a motivating naughty corner out there somewhere

I fell asleep just after 9 and my body thinks it's now morning and doesn't want go back to sleep/feel tired.it could be a very long day!!

Got up 430
Tada
wiped all surfaces
Clean job
Feed cat/kits
Littertray and bathroom bin empty/cleaned
Cleaning dining table and chairs
Blitz hallway moving shoes etc that don't fit too chazza bag.disintegrating belongings to bin bag ready for tip run
Swept living room,hall and kitchen floors
Tidy down dvd corner

As D's kept lil zoo awake til 10(she is 10yo but goes up at 7and reads til 8 at latest as wakes at ridiculous o'clock no matter what time goes to sleep.on grounds he clearly wasn't tired I woke him at 545.he looks very bleary eyed but tbh I don't care.hopiefully means tonight he will not muck about and keep tired zoolets awake!!)

Hob not job of course!!

DS didn't sleep well. Where's the matchsticks?

< throws long cooks matches at callme >

I do the home bleugh but I miss a few bits out and rotate what I miss. So I don't polish mirrors every week, sometimes I might dust one room properly and leave the others etc. I always hoover, mop and dust downstairs though. I think its open to interpretation!

To do
Daily routine
Dust dining table properly
Declutter in porch / detailed clean
Declutter car bag purse
Possibly book dd birthday party (we are going to play at a possible venue this afternoon!)

Ds didn't sleep well, he was up at 3 and didn't settle back down for about an hour. Think it must be a phase (I hope!)

Oh and swish and swipe downstairs loo

Damn it i keep thinking of more things for the list
Ring vet
Find old bras

Morning all. 4:30am zoo .

I need to get my DD2’s birthday booked too foxes - she can’t decide .

Big wing flaps to Afresh, Callme, Cag, Hills, Bower, Wh0Knows, Hetty and everyone else .

Feeling very unproductive as DH has already been out for a run and DD1 has had breakfast and got dressed. DD2 and I need to get on with it so going to do breakfast next. I have sorted though some PE clothes so I guess that’s something.

To do:-
Morning routine
? Shoe shop with DD1
Friends coming round for cup of later
Girls’ swimming lessons
Homework

I don’t do crafting but I know lots of you have said you do so here is the link for the craft thread that Bower kindly set up (hope that’s ok Bower).

I do my own version of the home bleugh and swap bits of Flylady's in if I have time. I found that I couldn't do it all, and I felt there were things I could do that made a bigger impact in less time. I struggled with doing a job imperfectly tbh - if I'm going to clean a bathroom I'd rather clean it iyswim.

What has been enormously helpful for me is the idea it happens on a set day. It was always really easy to procrastinate and leave things but I like how on Mondays I have a routine and on Wednesdays I do things I put off etc.

To do
Finish vacuuming
Zone 1 tidy and clean
Dust and tidy bedroom
Make beef stew (probably won't happen)
Go shopping... On my own!

Don't make that list too long now foxes.

My plan for today
Remove and sort coats in hall.
Fold all washing on drying rack and re load it.
Get DH to vacuum all downstairs and hall due to my asthma😉 as dust makes it worse.
Tidy one shelf of books in bookcase.
Go to M&S For fish( if he likes co op pizza he can have breaded fish rather than the fish pie I was going to make) easier, less mess to clean up and less washing up! Alternately I might just send him for fish and chips.
Upstairs hallway 15 mins of looking and sorting stuff sitting in crates to sort( left there months ago) 😳
Sort one of the many bags from school declutter it and probably shred it.
Do some work for school. Prep cards which means colouring, cutting and laminating! Will probably watch TV or listen to radio play.
Knitting 1 hour. It is coming along nicely. I'm nearly onto another colour.
Clean out one handbag. I'm going to go through them all then line up and see which I keep. I don't have a lot but might find I have more than I realise. Some old, some made, no expensive ones.

Flaming heck zoo i was still trying to fall asleep when you were getting up

Most of the Christmas decorations from my room are down. I need to pull out the boxes and sort out all the decorations and put them away properly this year because I didn't last year. The decorations in the rest of the house go in a completely different set of boxes and they won't come out of the loft until saturday because they will need to occupy the space that the lego from ds' room is currently occupying.

Right I need a list to focus the activity because the to do list is HUGE.

To do
finish tidying ds' room
tidy ds' floor
empty ds' bin (at least once)
sort the stuff from the drawers that are getting a new storage solution.
sort ds' school books into the emptied drawers
put labels on the drawers so ds has NO excuse.
sort out ds' ds games and put AWAY in their boxes (this is probably what will piss ds off about the whole thing)
sort out the collection of wires in ds' room
bleach ds' window sil
put on some laundry
find curtains from their storage space - either in the craft room or in the middle of my bed which will involve taking the bed apart
buy some new rings and find the curtain hooks for hanging curtains
hang curtains in ds' room
cull the stationery out that is going to be decluttered or ds is not to have in his room. because he takes sodding pencil sharpners apart to get to the blades
collect ds
ikea

fucking hell I haven't even put half the stuff on that list that I would like to get done. As that is the most important the rest will wait until tomo before getting on the to do list. Because lets be a smidge practical about this...

I wouldn't worry Stressy I am not even up yet!
Trying to get some rest re asthma. Wasn't awake as much last night and peak flow is 30 up on what it was yesterday. I only use it when I am low but maybe should plot it each day. When I struggling it is my go to as to whether I need medical attention or not. It was lower than I thought so a good warning.

Love some of the typos on here make me laugh. IPad changes them too and I don't always notice.
Cags our curriculum is Creative Curriculum which is topic based and we find that it works well for children on the spectrum as it links things up for them you might like to try it. We have topics like The Romans, The Vikings, The Snow Queen, the Stone Age, and you'll like this one...chocolate! Lots of schools do chocolate I wonder why😚 the kids get really into the topics there are lots of free stuff on TES too. How awful that you ended up with a bully in home ed group as well and the fact that she bumped into both when out. How bizarre! Perhaps you could talk about the fact that she doesn't need to bother about those people now would help to get her out again. Hope they don't appear again at least you have the choice to walk away if you need to or to "be" and let her see she is stronger now.