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!

***

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

***

Hope you got some sleep hills

Totally trying the dryer sheet thing!

Bit of a crappy evening here. Tried a different aqua class and it was really difficult - not physically, I actually feel fine, but it was in the deep end and the float belt thing (mandatory - I float really easily anyway but still had to wear it) made it really hard not to drift around and I was super paranoid about bumping into people and felt like everyone was laughing at me :( stuff like that really triggers my anxiety/self esteem issues. I did talk to the teacher/fellow attendees after which reassured me a bit that everyone struggles at first, but it was sort of too late by then IYSWIM and I’ll just stick to the shallow class in future. And possibly avoid going with this particular friend I went with who was laughing. And heckling the teacher

Anyway. DH just left, thankfully I woke early enough to spend some time with him first. I didn’t write anything on the whiteboard last night but there’s stuff written on there that we do every day anyway so that is a start, and we have trampolining this morning anyway plus a couple of errands in town.

I have a quiet plan to only do basic home ed stuff for the next two days, so we have more time to do some decluttering/sorting in the living room with the kids while he’s away, so he has a nicer tidier living room to come back to. Not sure how much is realistic though.

Hello!

Good morning all! Sorry to be late with link.

In a right muddle this morning! Couldn't access Mumsnet first thing, DD off school with recurrence of flu (not good during build up to exams) and couldn't get through to school office to report absence, then I posted under wrong nn, then dog trainer rang to say "puppy" distressed missing us (long story but she was dropped off yesterday) and can I come over, and to cap it all I still have the flu and am feel a bit rough, so let's see if I can manage it right this time:

🌼 launch pad link containing today's flight plan safer to just refer to it, rather than download!

Hope everyone has a good day! Bbl to catch up once I have rescued overgrown puppy. It's honestly like having a toddler in nursery all over again (just a bit furrier)!

I never use dryer sheets in the dryer, strangely! They are usually quite cheap if you buy the supermarket own-brand and can be used as a bin (rubbish or laundry) freshener if you put one in the bottom. I have sensitive skin so don't use any perfumed laundry stuff. Dryer sheets are not actually used in the dryer (and I can't find mine now )

I have had a similar expedition to FarmFoods this morning, got a few basics in. Not emptied the laundry basket yet but it is getting perilously close now. The stuff left is probably languishing there because it doesn't fit . More decluttering needed ....

Sharing the laptop with DD is certainly cutting down on my screentime but hopefully by next week we'll have sorted something out for her.

I'll be back later!

cag I understand why you wouldn't want to do that one again, I'd be feeling the same I think! No harm in sticking to the one you're comfortable with for now, you can always try it again another time

Sc in a muddle basically sums up me too at the moment!!

Dh birthday this weekend and we have several plans including people coming here and dd has a party to go to too so lots of things to do today and tomorrow to prepare for it all and then I couldn't do my work this morning due to IT issues and one of the people I work with is bombarding me with emails despite the fact that I've told her already I can't do any work at the moment! And ds about to finish nursery so not really sure when I will do any of it now

Hope you and your dd feel better soon sc

Mumsnet site all weird this morning. Hope people feeling better.

House a bit chaotic.

Am ironing out weekly routine. Ordered new mop. Flying minimal due to guest.

Couldn't get in to MN either earlier

Tada
Fed cats
Bleach lav
Wash on
Sweep living room floor
Sweep kitchen floor
Maths,science,ethics and English set for D's
Wake everyone
Breakfasts and pack offs
Dp took lil zoo sat breakfast club(2nd breakfast) and dd2 left with them
Wash in drier
Wash up
Do set work with D's
Took him out as lovely day to local large reservoir to walk
Lunch
More wash on
Took frozen bananas(saved whilst oven defunct ) out to make muffins
Maths and science

Just about make muffins with D's

Dinner tonight-
Fish fingers with salad in warm pittas/baked beans stew and warm pittas with cheese

I had no MN issues this morning. Crappy day again, it is really quite incredible how anxiety spirals after one thing going wrong :(

I managed to get the Caglets to trampolining but the toddler was super hard work and I got really tired/dizzy. Food helped :o and then managed some bits in town including buying some indoor plants which hopefully will go on the windowsill if we get it clear.

Did a tiny bit of home ed when we got home and then got a bit if decluttering and sorting done at snails pace.

I’m another who couldn’t get on this morning. Have been at work today and plan is ready meal tea and .

Thanks for links SC

Evening all!

Bit of a crappy day here too! Felt so ill after going to fetch "puppy" that I lay on the sofa in the sitting room feeling really feak and weeble, while DD lay on the other one. Very odd virus. You recover for a day, then feel ill for two days and so on, all while coughing for England. Sorry thread leadership not more inspiring

Sorry yours was challenging too Cag and Foxes . Hope it got much better as it went along!

Wow that's a really fab list Zoo and well done for moving in May! Your walk sounds lovely!

I never have the energy to Fly and host at the same time nowadays Lisette except for essentials!

That's another great tip for td sheets Chic would have never thought to use them as bin fresheners!

🍒 Waves to everyone else! Link coming up!

🌼 Launch pad link containing Friday's flight plan is here!. Best not to download!

Hi, can I hop on?. I’m 28 weeks pregnant and nesting has well and truly hit home, so I’d like some tips

Welcome lostlobster

Course you can Lobster! Congratulations on your pregnancy and welcome!

Hope you survived the day Hills!

Meant to say earlier Cag in true Flylady style that it's the fact you did the aqua-fit class that is important, not that you did it (in your eyes) imperfectly!

Oooh to goslings and lovely plants Bower!

Zoo haven't forgotten, must get you the ISBN number of that bk tomorrow!

Waves to Toostressy and everyone else! G'night all!

Thank you Shadycorner and TooStressyTooMessy. Our house is tiny as it is so clutter seems to build up very easily

Our pleasure Lobster! Don't worry, consistent small steps will see it right! It really does make a difference. . No, seriously, it really does work so dont go all out, take it steady!

Hi lobster!

Living room is a total tip. Doesn’t look like we did anything at all. I know we did but got loads to do tomorrow.

Had a friend and her DS round for a takeaway which was nice.

Paranoia is still at record high though. Argh. Somehow need to manage to get DD to ballet, not sure if I can.

Good morning! How the blazes is it Friday already?

Cag you can do it! The force of the fledglings is with you. 💪

DD has exam this morning and is then training on an army assault course this afternoon. Rather her than me!

Have a good one everybody!

Morning everyone. You ok I've?!

Hope you're feeling better sc and your dd too

Hi lobster!

You can do it cag is there something nice you can treat yourself with after? Small steps. I know it's hard.

Dd was sick in the night so me and dh have pretty much been awake since 3am...dh has gone to work and I'm about to get dd in the shower and her hair washed. Ds seems fine at the moment (he was unhelpfully up at 5am though just when dd finally went back to sleep!) I'm wondering if it's an excess of mucus (sorry tmi!) causing her to be sick because she is so full of snot and she never blows her nose properly. Hopefully a hot shower will help that too.

Meant to be baking and generally preparing for dh birthday weekend but not really sure whether our plans will even go ahead got so much food being delivered later too!

Obviously I'm not sending her to school this morning.

Oh no Foxes on your dh's birthday weekend too! You've been preparing for ages! Here's hoping (fervently) it's just a one-off and not a virus. Hope your DD recovers quickly

I've hope you're ok. Please tell me you have stopped working (for today at least). What did you decide about maternity leave in the end?

Ta da:
DD packed lunch
deep conditioned hair which is like a hay stack currently
walked the "puppy"
breakfast things in DW shone sink etc
dining room table hot spot
gathered up clothing taken off and left in sitting room (thanks DD)
picked up choc bar wrappers and shoes and chargers and mugs left in revision site (ditto)
welcomed fortnightly ironing lady with open arms, nattered a bit

Fledglings I despair. DD has taken another look at what was going to be my sewing room, but doesn't like the state of decoration now everything is out of there, and says she doesn't want it any more for her study. So we put two big desks and a bookcase in her bedroom. Both desks are now stacked with books and clobber and she is revising on her bed Tall house so I also prepped small study corner in corner of sitting room for her with lamp and she sometimes works there too. But more recently that is stacked with files and cables and clobber, and she works on dining room table Which rather undermines the point of having a desk in the corner for her in the first place if we have to keep clearing table before every meal again! I've been asking her for three weeks to tidy up! Aaarghhh! Think the phone is going to have to disappear this weekend until it's done. But she's revising so well I don't want to cause a conniption!

Right, now the traffic has cleared, like Cag, I have to gird my loins and do a journey I am scared of, and drive "puppy" back to trainer for overnight stay. It involves going on hideous ring road. DH is away but daren't take cab for that distance as he'd be furious (he's not being horrible, he very kindly bought me a car for town use but I don't use it enough because drivers are nuts here and I'm nervous and find it scary on the roads outside of my set routes). Gulp!

Nervous wing flaps to all!

I don't drive SC but think it's brilliant that you're determined to make the journey. In practice I'm sure it will go well.

I'm so sorry to hear about all the flus and bugs on the thread.

Musing on the principle of c.h.a.o.s and how Flylady helps with that and my growing realisation that I don't like having anyone over at all because it interferes with my Flylady routine. I seem to be a creature of routine. Mop is due today. I'm keeping it for downstairs cloakroom and upstairs bathroom. Kitchen is a Karndean floor and I have a different floor detergent and mop for that. New mop will have zoflora solution in dispenser. Current just getting on my hands and knees for the bathroom floor cleaning and that's not very quick due to old age.

Hi all, I am struggling to get MN to load again this morning. It seems to do it occasionally but otherwise not. So just popping on to say hello to everyone. Good luck with journey SC.

Just in from the school run

I put in my request for mat leave at 29 weeks a week ago and have been ignored. As i am not entitled to smp due to time off sick i need them to confirm this and give me a form to claim maternity allowance. I have also made requests not to do certain tasks as it is making my condition worse. And have been ignored. I am fed up of being in pain and going to see gp about another sick note.

House is awful. Need shopping. Cba.

Ds1 has done SATS this week and found them ok. How did other peoples dc get on?