May our houses be uncluttered ...the Fledgling Fly thread.

[Shadycorner]

Welcome to the thread where we (loosely) follow the Flylady housekeeping system here to combat CHAOS (can't have anyone over syndrome) with a load of wine, chat and mutual support along the way. Quite a few of us have been on here for a while, so for that reason, we may seem cliquey, but we really aren't, and all newcomers, lurkers, returnees, regulars, and intermittent regulars are very welcome!

Every day I will post a link to the activities for "Today" which summarises everything you need on a daily basis if you want to follow the system strictly, but we tend to adapt it to suit our individual circumstances, homes and energy-levels!

Please note that, athough Flylady is keen for us to check in to the website, we've recently had a few concerns wrt security, so although there is lots of useful info on the site, it's best not download it or put any of your personal details into the website for now.

More information on getting started available:
here (containing baby-steps!) but please don't hesitate to ask if you have any further qs.

There are 4 levels for Flying:
-Baby steps - good for starting a routine and overcoming the perfection crippling effect
-Baby steps and missions - basic routine + more in depth tasks
-Baby steps, missions, and deep cleaning (if you are at that stage).
You 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) let's 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 suit 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 lots of support from fellow fledglings.

More info follows ( but again, please note we advise only looking at the pdfs and not downloading them ):

** launch pad (general info) here

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

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

** info about zones (explanation of how zones work) here

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

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

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

Good luck and happy Flying one and all!

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Also, a huge thank you to Toostressy for running such a lovely April thread

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Hey expletive :)

Ugh 1am and I’m nowhere near sleep. Reached a new parenting low of putting Pocoyo on at half past midnight as nothing else at all would avert the almighty tantrum (during the day I’d just crack on but I was worried about waking everyone up, possibly even neighbours)

Earlier I printed my gym routines and laminated them for my bag. I’ve also written plenty of work up on the whiteboard for tomorrow. Meh

Hope you got some sleep cag

Late to the party but I'm in :)

Welcome back Zoflorabore!

Is your DD2 starting her GCSEs this morning Zoo? Very best of luck to her if so.

Very best of luck with the window replacement Expletive! Probably shouldn't say this but my sister had hers done and said the disruption was awful but she hates having builders in! Hopefully not as bad for you.

Strong for Cag

Still coughing for England here with a cracking headache but . no worse so going to attempt to get vertical today!

Have a productive start to the week everyone!

SC mocks this year

Had drop lil zoo at school early as they want kids in 815(means leaving 745) for "breakfast club" aka can't do SAT if late,and we need be sure get many in as poss early to be sure of numbers so offer them toast...as lil zoo can't do the breakfast due to allergies she's eaten and taken fruit to have whilst everyone else troughing!!

Very tired and achey.tricrp/bicep is super stiff and shoulder aches but no sharp pains.very limited movement.guess thus means I need suck it up and just crack on...

Aye, I am sure there is Zoo good luck to dd2 and Lil'Zoo!

Take care of that shoulder. Could you possibly go swimming with it? Or get it in a hot bath or under hot shower?

Ta da:
I am washed and dressed and upright

Excellent tada in circs SC
Don't over do it!!
Warm water in shower last night was uncomfortable/borderline painful
I don't swim perhap I could wallow? as hate smell and noise and I have nearly drowned twice,once in a pool as a child
Maybe I just need shooting??

Nah, I am with you on the total pool hate! Echoey, noisy, chemical smell, wet [!] . I know I should go as it is excellent exercise, but I hate it, nor -do -I wish to inflict the sight of my flab on others.

I love swimming, in fact I just went :o

I am totally shit at it mind, I just flail about like Animal from the muppets and somehow move forward without drowning.

somehow move forward without drowning that's good enough in my book as you aren't able training to do an Olympic event. cag

I had a nap ..

I will now crack on.the theory is if I muff it up worse in process of powering thru I'm only expecting dd2 to help with maintenance....

Waves to Zoflorabore

I may have done so much laundry now that putting it away may be an issue. Gorgeous day weather-wise here so still avoiding the ironing.

Good luck to all the junior fledglings doing any kind of test this week.

Tada
Kitchen
Wipe surfaces(could do deep clean scrub but I can't do with dodgy arm not co ordinate left arm to do it quick and we'llso just a spray and wipe,but at least coffee DP sloshed come off and cornflake coating has been removed...)
Wipe sticky cupboard fronts(not sure how got sticky,they don't tend to when I'm in charge unless baking)
Wipe new hob
Sweep floor

Living room
Wipe and disinfect D's chair at dining table as a cat appears have had a stuck on by hair poo and sat on it on his seat to get it offgrateful I spot that BEFORE he sat down!!
Put away some bits
Sweep floor

Bathroom
Bleach mould.its on grout joining bath to tiling iyswim, and I expected to just run it off with a scourer but nothings happening any suggestions?
Wipe bath and dehair plug hole- no one else does this
Clean sink
Throw away two discarded shampoo bottles and an empty handwash bottle
Sweep floor

Aching uncomfortably,I've one more task desperate to do- hoover stairs.theyre wearing so much hair as not had hoover few weeks it's a problem with cats ingesting whilst wash and having poo with hair hanging out bums or yak it up on bedsI've learnt experience it too much expect zoolets to do it properly so got suck it up and do it..I have frozen veg on standby in case it causes me a mischief!!

Hi zoflora sorry I neglected to say hi before! I have the attention span of a

Zoo pleeeease be careful! Could they at least hoover more often in a maintenance way to save you doing it often?

Re mouldy sealant, what we did before moving was dip a fuckton of cotton wool balls in bleach and then line them up, and leave them overnight. Got pretty much all the black off.

I am achy now and if I wasn’t exercising a modicum of willpower could eat an entire loaf of white toast and marmalade. Aaaaargh.

Hi everyone.

Yes, lots of good luck vibes to anyone doing exams.

Today I spent loads of time doing a paperwork task I have been putting off for ages. It took hours so I can see why I was putting it off!

Brilliant idea for sealant Cag, I might have to try that.

Cheers cag I can always make room for a loaf of toast

Just lost a post so here goes again , fingers crossed

Lovely day here too Chic!

Cag tis good you are swimming no matter what technique you use!

Well done for getting that horrid paperwork done Toostressy

Wow Zoo how on earth did you manage to get all that done with a poorly shoulder? I don't know whether to applaud or to be concerned! Please rest now!

I haven't done so well. Tottered around block in lovely sunshine to post misdelivered letter (postal service is pretty crap here) whilst trying not to offend members of the public with my hacking cough. Emptied dw. Put two loads washing on, then in td (I know, appalling behaviour in this weather but still feeling rough), sent dh to nearest supermarket with short list Summoned dog walker to take out furries!

Oh and a bit of sponge cake and a fruit platter may have been administered (forkful by forkful initially) to a defiant angry tired lump of a duvet on the sofa containing DD, who (without saying too much) may have had a very bad day at school owing to a combo of exam stress and a shed load of crappy things . Adolescence sucks sometimes 😔

Ping supper tonight. Those microwaveable tortellini which keep for a suspiciously long time, with a jar of excellent tom sauce, grated Parmesan and some broccoli to assuage guilt.

Wing flaps to all!

SC a case of years of practise from having to,mixed with stubborn streak,and a hint of idiot...

with D's.dd2 is losing will to live revising for this damn ethics test tomorrow,why oh why did teacher think it necessary when they have mocks in couple of weeks anyways??she is ranting to self and emitting an air of fear to those who enter her personal space!!I administered lemon and lime Jaffa cakes which were ripped from my clutches and inhaled with a grunt of appreciation as I tiptoed back to other safe distance side of front room..poor thing,she's fretting needs help make dinner.mad at me for doing chores in case I do make it worse,an arguement at school,a teacher on war path and then this revision on top everything else...oh and a complete prat of a tutor who thinks 8am-11pm on weekends is great revision plan and at least 4-11 on school nights,to point he made the class each a chart to put revising planning into.seriously???I tore hers to tiny pieces as she burst into tears saying when am I ment to sleep?(has get up at 630 on school days)
Aaaaargh

You know I mean DD SCdamn phone

Oh dear Zoo it's far from easy

Solidarity on the revision testing front! I am currently printing off and cutting out the 75 (new) Fr words and their Fr definitions which DD needs to know for her French aural exam in a fortnight (the words only get released 14 days in advance ifyswim). I will be sticking them up with blue tack all over the house shortly. (Outside of shower screen (facing inwards) , on fridge door, up the stairs and near kettle are all prime positions ). This is one of the rare times when having a house in a very poor decorative state, is actually an advantage

X post Zoo oh your poor dd2 🌺 (and poor you!). I thought that dd's revision schedule was bad, but that sounds ridiculous! Very similar situation here tonight so you have my full sympathies. I very much recognise the, "tiptoeing around and leaving food tray and tiptoeing out again" scenario. Teens do have a habit of dumping their stress on us until they learn to handle it better. It's bad enough handling one of them though tbh, never mind three!

If it's any consolation, dd's school has a habit of ramping things up now and putting the fear of God in to then and getting them working at a higher level than normal (and testing their time management skills and resiliance in the process,) so when the actual exams come around, things are a bit easier than anticipated. Could that be the scenario at dd2's school perhaps?

Fwiw, and you know this better than me, I tell DD NOT to go for a perfectionist all guns blazing approach which is unachievable and overwhelming, but just to stick with short sgpharp bursts of focused, intense work done steadily and consistently....

sharp bursts!
And yes Zoo I knew what you meant!

Oh dear good luck everyone with all revision stress! Also love that you are seeing the positive of your house SC .

zoo fair play to you for getting stuff done with dodgy arm. Best wishes to assembled kids doing exams. Hope Duvet daughter feeling better SC

I'm also a proud graduate of cottonwool with bleach school of demoulding. Tis fab.

Now have weekly routine up and going. Home bleurgh being split over a few days.

Kitchen floor washed. Waiting for husband to vacate bath to do floor there.

Just ate half a giant cadburys bar. no shame.

Have guest from weds to Mon so will do what I can.