Building our bonfires with clutter, and cruising towards Christmas, it's the NOVEMBER fledgling Fly thread!

[Staringcoat]

Many of us have been here forever; it's the thread where we (loosely) follow the Flylady housekeeping system here to combat CHAOS (can't have anyone over syndrome) with a load of , chat and mutual support along the way. For that reason, we may seem cliquey, but we really aren't and all newcomers, lurkers, returnees, regulars, and intermittent regulars are hugely welcome!

We will be posting the baby-step and flight plan (which will point you towards the current zone and missions) on a daily basis, but don't hesitate to ask further questions about the system if you have any!

More information on getting started available here (containing baby-steps!).

And borrowing heavily (again!) from Hill's September introduction...

There are 4 levels for Flying:
-Baby steps - good for finding a routine in the tasks and getting over the perfection crippling effect
-Baby steps and missions - yep basic routine and more in depth tasks

• Baby steps, missions, and deep cleaning (if you are at that stage) - can't clean clutter so don't consider this one if you need the next level
• Flying combined with a decluttering system (kondo/unfuck etc etc) lets be honest fly lady is good for routine but not so quick with the decluttering results sometimes.

There is NO wrong or right way of doing this, it is about adapting the system to suit your life circumstances, which will be different from someone else's and don't be put off by the barftastically twee nature of the Flylady site, the underlying system is sound. Feel free to ignore any step or routine that doesn't sound you or your home! No perfectionism allowed!

And when it all gets too much: come and take a seat by the fire in our specially adapted "naughty" corner where you can enjoy virtual and and tangible support from fellow fledglings.

More info follows:

** launch pad (general info)

** daily babysteps pdf (ignore the ones that don't suit you or your home)

** week day missions (some fledglings find it easier to do them at weekends)

** [[http://www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/flying-lessons/zones/
info about zones]] (explanation of how zones work)

** weekly zones (a rough weekly guide to which area of the house we are tackling currently, again adapt to suit yourself)

** daily focus (helpful guide to allocate a certain day for a certain task)

** deep cleaning lists pdf (only attempt when you have decluttered as you can't clean clutter!)

Good luck and happy Flying one and all!

Good luck Zoo

Dd2 upright,feels ok gone school
Lil zoo,croaky whispering that's painful,painful swallow,temp
DS temp,painful swallow and full snot

DS didn't want breakfast and is asleep again.lil zoo spent ages forcing in a yogurt(think duck try swallow whole slice dry bread) and looks like dozing off on sofa is fairly imminent

Second load towels in dryer
Bath and sink wiped
Windows and mirror cleaned
Sill and radiator wiped
Clear drawers of empty toothpaste/shpoo bottles etc

Might try sneak in an hour kip I'd they both fall asleep as flagging a fair bit now!

Hello all. I am so on your DD’s behalf SC. Why does society pressure our children so much?!

Sorry to hear zoolets poorly zoo. Crickey, sounds like a very stressful situation in the car park yesterday Bower. Well done for manoeuvring out of it.

Well I have as usual seemed to rush around all day yet have done no decluttering. I am sitting here now waiting for an appointment (eyebrow shape!) which I took as it would have given me time to run to the shop before school pick up. However, they are running late and I fear I won’t have time now which means going later with DDs. Ugh.

Ta da:-
Another holiday mission - the errand day one so I picked up some boxes of sweets I saw for teacher / school gifts which I saw while I was out earlier. Also got something for school raffle.
Went to gym
Laundry in a precarious position but just about under control.
Got out Xmas stuff from airing cupboard - towels and soft toys
Got ready meal for DH and me later as Monday nights are busy.
Watched some of Nativity so feel more Christmassy now .

To do (later tonight after gymnastics):-
Put stuff back in airing cupboard
MUST put away laundry
Still need to deal with BRC in kitchen
If time... calendar check and / or declutter shelf in bathroom cabinet.
Make a note in calendar to start December thread!

Big wing flaps to all.

Aw thank you Toostressy! I watched that BBC tv programme "School" recently and was pretty horrified when it was explained that a school doesn't get any more funding when it is in special measures. It's just miraculously meant to pull itself up by the bootstraps while simultaneously having its budget cut. And the morale of hard-working teachers ground down again and again.

Although the conditions for teachers and funding is a bit better here than in the UK (although classrooms very stark and tech only just being introduced so about 30 yrs behind in some things) the actual pressure on dc is even worse I think. Teaching time is compacted down in to minimum hours because so much admin time is spent on exams and reports! That in itself puts pressure on the dc, because the curriculum (and it is dense!) is delivered so quickly that if you miss more than a day or can't understand something, you can't keep up, never mind the pressure of the exams themselves at the end of every term. And then at the end of every academic year, the pressure of knowing that 50% of you will have to either leave the school or resit the year. Plus having to be educated in one or two langs (two in dd's case) not your own. Tis brutal I tell you. Poor dd is valiantly hanging on by her finger tips atm.

And don't get me started on the lack of creativity in the core system. You only get to practice or study art here if you are academically challenged. It's an outrage imho.

No wonder our youngsters are suffering from poor mh tbh. Continual stress of exams (although to give a fair picture I should really say that dd both likes and loathes them at the same time!) , endless Instagram messages about the earth imploding (which, believe me, adolescents really take to heart and they are probably right to do so) plus all the other pressures of social media etc (think this country is a bit behind on that side of things thank heavens) combined with a system of news that picks up on every bad thing happening in all parts of the world and spews it out 24/7. In my day (growing up in the 70s) I was only aware of what was happening in my city, through local rag, and what was reported on 6 o'clock news - and that was it. The full horror of the world was only revealed to me once I read more widely at uni.

Even leisure activities have become less relaxing. With children's telly and literature taking on more and more "edgy" topics. Where is the escapism? Where is the comfort? When is stability not conflict modelled on screen? Where is the optimism and joy?

And finally of course there is the wretched smart phone that will only be prized reluctantly out of the little darlings hands. They are getting less satisfaction from actual face-to-face interaction (and less confidence in themselves) and less physical exercise.

Sorry for the rant! But one feels helpless in the face of all these changes. I do know that the Internet can be a glorious thing too

And, ahem, what I meant to say was ...

Toostressy good luck with appt, school run, gymnastics logistics tonight! My laundry (post-flu) is also in precarious position, only just keeping up! People will keep wearing clothes ... harrumph

Oh dear Zoo sorry the lurgy has struck. Hope you managed to get that rest!

One win today: I have finished my Christmas shopping! Whoo hoo!
I did go over budget though unfortunately. Apart from the Christmas food, I will be economising mahoosively next month.

Ta da:
stacked dw
collected parcels from office
3 hrs "work" work
received on-line delivery of things I'd forgotten first time around
cleaned bathroom that didn't get done on Fri
hung up wet laundry
folded towels and pants
fed wms again
prepped some of dh's shirts for washing
delivered parcel to neighbour
carried boxes upstairs
located items for supper (noodles, chicken pieces, tin sweetcorn, spring onions, lemon, etc)

STILL need to do boudoir!!!

sc finished your xmas shopping you say?! And here was I feeling smug after a day's xmas shopping with dh - thought we did quite well but definitely not finished!!

Ta da
filed some paperwork
dishwasher on, emptied and reloaded
washing on
xmas shopping
sorted out parcel to return
cleaned skirting boards downstairs
cleaned stairs bannisters etc
changed towels etc
changed dd bed sheets
mopped bathroom
mopped kitchen
mopped downstairs toilet
emptied upstairs bins
dusted
took glass and plastic to recycling place
finished some work

Dh is making pizza for the dc, we had lunch out while shopping today, just a burger and chips but wow it was luxury to eat without small dc interrupting!!

Tomorrow, I have the orthodontist appointment, I'm about to get braces, doing the xrays and moulds tomorrow, eeek...I've been researching / wanting to do this since January so I can't believe I'm actually going ahead and suddenly I feel a tad nervous!

Hope you have all had a nice day!

Oh foxes hope you find it less uncomfortable than dd2,but the outcome will be FABULOUS I'm sure!
SC finished Xmas shop

I'd just like to say there's a distinct lack of disorganisation round here at the moment,esp regarding c**...

Sadly most Xmas is ordered 1st Dec when do gets paid he normally goes well over budget,we fight tooth and nail over it and he buys wtf he likes anyways then moans overdrawn/credit cards bills well into next year
I used to love Xmas but he suck all the fun out if it,esp as refuses engage much o we festive period(blames parents pre divorce try hold ceasefire on his hatred/anxiety)

Did three more loads of washing
All dry,fold or ironed and put away
Fed zoolets at lunch
Lil zoo eating cereal(soggy cornflakes) for supper.ds has had a tuna roll and a pot rice pudding at lunch nothing else

Seems to have sinus pain too...

Hopes having everyone back at school tomorrow are about as likely as santa delivering all the stuff I need for Xmas in Friday prewrapped!!

Ps SC rant away

"In my day" when Dino's ruled the earth and Jesus was still alive if didnt like someone kept out their way.no cyber bullying.no photo shop pics making teens feel inadequate along all things you said.
It saddens me lil zoo understands about matters I never knew existed til my lateteens at 11
What happened to innocent childhoods?!

*hot water

zoo thanks, tbf I've had braces before as a teen so I'm sort of prepared for the discomfort pain ! I'm hoping it'll be easier this time round as no over crowding and only the front need fixing! But still eeeeeeeek!

Just stopped for the day gone 9pm and changed in to pjs and sheepskin slippers. Aaahhh! Menopausal bliss!

Except no. Dh is feeling understandably tired after first day back at work and has gone to bed. Dd is studying wearing noise-cancelling headphones (fairly open plan downstairs) so can't hear doorbell. And a colleague has texted to say he's left his keys in the office and can he pop around to ours and borrow mine? And he's late! (Cue SC wearily squishing rotund bod back in to too-tight day clothes.) Grrrrrrrrrrrrr < evil mutterings> harrumph.

Ta da cont'd/...
downloaded a load of French study exercises and verb drills
on to tablet
did one exercise and read one newspaper article
scrubbed collars and cuffs of dd's school shirts
Hung up 3rd and 4th loads washing
Fed machines again
Folded more towels
Wrote another food shopping list
Wrote list of parcels to post and hand deliver
Sorted yet more of dh shirts for laundry
Made 2 fat chicken breasts stretch for three with help of udon noodles, sweet corn, peas, a small yellow pepper, broccoli florets, green beans, bit of chilli, bit of ginger, lemon j, spring onions and a chicken stock cube.

Cleared up kitchen
Cleared table hot spot in home office

Good luck at the orthodontist tomorrow Foxes! Ca en vaut la peine! (As they say here!) Glad you got to go shopping with dh in the end!

Zoo yes indeed - that's exactly it - the loss of childhood innocence . And I feel your pain about not being alone in your own space to get on Dh and DD seem to be taking it in turns to be at home atm! That's crap about your dp and Christmas too - sounds like a difficult situation for him - but he needs to be putting DC feelings before his own and be thinking of you too

Zoo and Foxes As for Christmas shopping, I've remembered I still need to get dd's new trainers, so I actually haven't quite finished yet! Plus, between now and end 4th December (apart from part of tomorrow) I won't be doing any Christmas prep at all as need to focus on decluttering project!

Plus:
rubbish & recycling
walked furry

I've only managed to be so organised by accident. Bc my health issues limit me so much and we couldn't afford any help I decided that I just gave up trying with the house and would 'just' do flylady. As in never ever any more than one washload a day and aside from the basic morning/evening routines never ever more than 15 minutes decluttering or cleaning in the whole day (apart from WHBH which I would do if I felt up to it and forget it if not) and I couldn't save up time like I had in the past (eg I missed yday so will do 30 today) if I missed it, still just 15 minutes in one day. And very very weirdly things are going much much better than when I was actually trying. The house is decluttered and I'm on to detailed cleaning and DH actually commented a couple of weeks ago "why is this place so clean?" So I invite others to join me and give up and 'just' do flylady!!

However today I have been terrible. Still really sore from yesterday and been up since 3:30am. Not only did I not get dressed to shoes but I got dressed into pyjamas!! And we ordered Chinese for tea. DS and I shared chicken and veggie rice noodles. My fortune cookie said I'll have a comfortable old age so here's hoping!!

Ta da:

• laundry
• more wrapping
• hoover (inc stairs but not bedroom bc DH was still in it)
• mop
• cleaned mirrors & downstairs windows
• changed sheets
• emptied bins
• 15 minutes in living room
• put garland on mantle piece
• washed dinner dishes and got set up for tomorrow

SC I've reached an age where whilst I still I can't be seen in public in pjs in my house I don't give a flying fig.im sat here in my pants and an oversize t shirt with a blankie wrapped around me

X posts Dani

Ps D's managed a banana and a small cheese sandwich tonight.better than nothing iguess

SC I don't eat chicken but your dinner sounded delish!!

Bower your Sunday sounded hectic, fun though!!

SC how is your DH? Seems like there's something in the air with everyone up so early!! Let's hope it's not repeated! Poor DD, that's so frustrating all you wrote about school where abouts are you? A lot of what you wrote is why I often avoid the news and watch hallmark movies and read Debbie Macomber Yay for Christmas shopping completion!!

,Zoo how are your DCs? Well done on being so breathtakingly productive on no sleep!! Sorry to hear your DH struggles with Christmas...

Stressy sounds like you've had a very productive day, well done with the holiday missions. [santa]

Foxes sounds like you've had a good day. I hope all goes well at the orthodontist tomorrow, very exciting!

Wishing everyone a wonderful night's sleep!!!!

Help

Pointy stick

Now

Dani I was worried you might be suffering today after your mammoth list yesterday. Hope the soreness diminishes soon Sounds like you really needed well-earned time out today but you've managed a really respectable list nonetheless . Definitely not "terrible" at all!

And that is so fascinating about the Flylady method - thank you for sharing - amazing that the less you do consistently the better! Definitely going to try and follow the system "properly" from now on inspired by your wise words! Less is more!

Zoo arf at "once the trousers are off ..."

Ok since begging for the stick i have

Put the washer on
Emptied the dryer
Filled the sink
Put the dry dishes away
Put all recycling at the back door
Picked up living room toys
Put few bits shopping away

---------> I've
(although feel cruel brandishing it at this late hour)

Xposts Dani - you too - hope you have good quality r & r tonight!

Dh gradually getting better I think thanks. He's feeling a bit more energetic today and has doc appt imminently (said he was too busy to go today ). We're in Belgium. State education system follows very dry, negative French system unfortunately. Very wise strategy about only watching/reading soothing things btw!

That's fast work I've You get extra points

Aw, that's better, back in my pyjamas with Ben Fogle

Adding to list....

One sink of pots washed
Wet washing on radiators
Living room 1 & 2 swept
Washer reloaded
Half pizza eaten