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

***

Take it steady Cag

Thanks for recipe Zoo!

Hope you enjoyed your day "off" Hills and that you survived shopping trip Chic

Hope you are ok Bower

Waves to Toostressy and everyone else!

I've eaten far too much delicious food from UK haul today! Lovely Wensleydale cheese, Carr's table water biscuits with soup for lunch. And a gammon ham, new pots, peas, purple sprouting broccoli and parsley sauce which we shared with friends this evening. Time to lie down in a darkened room.

Yes, I am thanks SC. DD won’t be though. She is in Manchester airport. I saw her on the news. I was just thinking that I might catch a glimpse and the camera panned past some people to speak to someone and there was DD sat on the floor looking thoroughly peed off. There plane was due out at 9pm. I guess she will be sleeping there tonight.

I was upset when I had to leave her but it was quick as I had to pick girls up from the station. Then they were late. Trains late.

Zoo now you have made me feel guilty. So I went down and made DD vegan banana muffins for breakfast. I bet she wishes she had taken more with her now.
I will try your recipe one morning.

Ta das.
Washing done, dried and folded. Presently next to Everhot.
Cat fed.
Chicken put to bed. Houdini has been out again today. She was kept in for a bit as she escaped to neighbours and he was quite huffy last week.
Garlic mushrooms on toast for tea. Vegan ice cream. Tea and muffin.
Washing up done x3 and sink shining.
Recycling put out.
Clean 21/2 shelves in bathroom. Wiped sink.

Back niggled all day sometimes quite stiff and sore. Took strong painkillers.
Other meds are working now so will drop off shortly.

Hope hills and cabs feel bettertomorrow.

Thanks as ever lovelies. Feel slightly more human this evening. Had a decent lunch although didn’t manage healthy eating for the rest of the day. Hot bath, set up home ed for tomorrow with DH, ordered Tesco, booked a couple of exciting home ed things. And feel a little positive about a couple of things I’m going to start chasing up.

Super headachy and muscle pain creeping back, really need to try and sleep so going to take some meds and finally settle down I think.

Good morning!

Glad you are feeling a bit better and more positive Cag! Take it steady!

Hope your DD got off ok in the end Bower. That's seeing her on the telly!

A shed load to do today! Don't want to think about it really!
Have a productive vstartcto the week everyone!

Morning all
Lil zoo is either preteen from hell or premenstrual.either is unthinkable
Yesterday we had answering me back,not doing as asked,being mean to D's til he cry/had added anxiety multiple times,fighting dd2, lying,saying she wants to live somewhere/anywhere else.....mostly bit tongue,but had couple spectacular bad parent moments engaging in slang matches.dd2 looming GCSE and D's worsening anxiety means I'm stretched to breaking point thin.am looking at a family meeting after-school to discuss how our behaviour affects others and to girls have chance to voice how things are for them.bit scared of what's going to be said,but I cannot continue with days like yesterday or I will shut down and walk away...
Must go start the daily grind

Foxes how was dh birthday?hope Little girl fox is ok,and no one else dropped

foxes I pressed I swear!!
SC forgot to say lush food choices!!I HATE/allergic to oranges but lemon and lime marmalade is fab;also very delish but half mix in fairy cake cases,add half teaspoon and cover with rest mix before baking...on similar vibe I had pack lemon and lime Jaffa cakes yesterday.intended have couple,ate whole box.has 10 in it so could've stretched it over 5days but I am such a greedy 🐖

Yes, Foxes sorry, should have asked. (Sluggish brain this morning!) Hope you managed to salvage some of the weekend and your DD is feeling better and no one else succumbed!

Wow Zoo thank you, going to try that recipe! Sounds ace!
Sorry Lil Zoo being so demanding (DD in a right strop here if it's any consolation) and hope family meeting goes well

zoo ds wasn't the easiest yesterday and had to be told to cop on to himself. It just seemed to be one thing after another. Long weekend. Guest departs today but flight not til 7 so after a morning in the house they'll have to come into the public areas of our workplace and amuse themselves by visiting exhibitions. We enjoyed ourselves over the last few days but it's been a juggling act and ds is tired, clearly.

I long to get into the main bedroom zone and Flylady normality.

Thanks dd is okay now and we still had a couple of visitors over the weekend and managed to go out for lunch yesterday so it was fine, nobody else got it!

Ds keeps coming into our bed at 3am and then kicking and squishing me the rest of the night so I'm tired.

Hope everyone okay this morning.

Glad the weekend wasn't a right off foxes
Lisetteyou deserve a medal.i couldn't do it!!

Tada
Fed cats
Bleach lav
Wash on
Sweep living room floor
Sweep kitchen floor
School work for D's sorted for today
Recycling to kerb ready for collection
Breakfast and pack ups

Tada
Kitchen
Windows wiped
Tiling wiped
Sills cleaned and mini decluttered
Surfaces
Wiped
Hob wiped
Cupboard fronts wiped
Cleaned kitchen sink and drainer

Lil zoo had mahoosive meltdown couldn't find tights(I point out if in laundry basket get washed,if not I'm not hunt for them to which she scream as stalk off in huff) I told her to wear socks.of course that was met with disdain and five minutes before she wanted to leave way too early was complaining her legs are way to hairy for socks and a skirt I ask what she wanted me to do.shave them so I did and then got shouted at cos now we were "late"....
School run,with lots huff and puffing I wasn't walk fast enough

Phew , glad to hear it Foxes and so glad your dh got to have a bit of a celebration in the end!

Crikey Zoo I haven't done half as much as you this morning and I'm an hour ahead!

Glad you get your house back to yourselves tonight Lisette! (Your workplace sounds v interesting btw!)

I find guests a real strain nowadays. We did a lot of hosting and entertaining when dd was young (we regularly had nine people staying) but we've had to curtail it over the years, because we were spending virtually all of the holidays food shopping, cooking and cleaning for others. Still do to some extent!

And horrible though it sounds, we discovered that some people are happy to take advantage which really really surprised me, as I started off very enthusiastic and a bit naieve tbh and felt that as we had a big house (albeit with holes in walls and floors) it was our duty to share it and really went all out to ensure people felt comfortable. Don't get me wrong, some behave impeccably, are careful to sound out if their visit really is convenient, come for a defined short time, and leave when they say they are going to, having pitched in etc etc and have been an absolute delight throughout and continue to be so and they are always welcome to stay. These people tend to be those who host themselves and know how much time and effort (and cost!) is involved.

Some however come when it suits them, don't make it clear when they are leaving, dump their DC on us so we have the pleasure of entertaining them (don't mind doing this in short bursts obviously but not for entire stay) consume lots of food without ever offering to shop or help in any way, criticise the sleeping arrangements when you've gone to huge efforts to move bedrooms around for them, involve you in some issue of theirs like trying to sort out a power point presentation they have to give when they get back ( taking over your office and reading your private e-mails and re- configuring your computer in the process) or shopping for clothes for their DC because they "forgot" to pack and the rest of the time are content to sit around or be driven around and become professionally helpless and never say a simple "thank you". They even berate us for "making such a fuss" . My favourite one is "oh there was no need to go to such trouble to entertain the DC, they'll be content amusing themselves" when 3 mins in to the visit( I kid you not) , little Johnny was pulling my arm saying "I'm bored" as their parents sit on the terrace drinking chilled wine and ignoring them . And another time "oh no need to cook let's have a take out" and when we did "oh I don't like eating so late and take out food gives me indigestion". Aaarrrggggghhhhhhh!

Last summer was so stressful in the extreme (two houses to prep in 31° c heat ) that I am refusing to do any hosting at all this summer , with the exception of one family. I know two or three more will turn up or try to pass through but I really really need a break from it. Our wrecks are hard work enough without extra people in them!

Morning all .

Ta da:-
School run
One load of washing on line
Dishwasher finished
Tea for tonight planned
DD1 wants to declutter a couple of backpacks that are really too young for her now... sadly DD2 wants them so not sure anything will actually leave the house .

To do:-
I’m going to do a power hour and see how much I get done in a general tidy up
Quick calendar check
Prep tea for tonight

Bower, your poor DD, hope she managed to get a flight. Must have been so stressful for all those passengers (and staff!).

Glad weekend not total disaster foxes.

zoo

Re. guests. I’m ashamed to admit that (like so many things in life) it’s only as I have got older and we have hosted guests that I realised how much work it is. And also how much money! We used to go to parents every Xmas / Easter / holiday type thing. We brought bottles of wine and flowers but it was only when we started hosting Xmas every so often that I realised that what we brought was a drop in the ocean . I don’t mind having guests of being a guest but I think, yes, 3 days is enough or everyone loses the will.

My parents are coming for three days next weekend...

Don't worry at all Toostressy if you take wine and flowers then believe me, you are way ahead of the game!

I couldn't do it sc! I think you must have the patience of a saint! We don't ever have overnight guests really as most people are local , occasionally brother in law's but they are happy on a blow up bed and to be jumped on by their niece and nephew at 6am and they make their own breakfast!
We had a few visitors this weekend for dh birthday and ok there should have been a few more people but it cost us so much money to feed everyone! I don't mind but we'd never be able to do that regularly. It was basically my food shopping budget for the month!

Dh has the day off today but he's studying. He did the school run this morning so I've managed to get ahead

Ta da
Daily routine and s&s bathroom
Hoover
Mop
Dust
Polish mirrors / windows
Empty bins
Changed towels, bed sheets etc
Got stuff out of freezer for dinner

To do
15 minutes bedroom decluttering
Eat leftovers

The sum of my achievements today so far:
Weighed self 🙈
Emailed carers support charity
Phoned doctors and harangued them into letting me try diclofenac

DH is getting the kids to go through the home ed list I wrote on the board last night. My head is really not in the game! Will have to sort myself out later though.

Trying to decide whether to risk a swim. Might help the joints. And... steam room. It’s ace.

SC I think you are either Saint or crazy hosting in such circs.id have lost my shit with Johnny parents on terrace leaving you to entertain them so bloody rude

In the zone today,as never lasts blasting thru a huge Todo
Pit stop to stop D's play with cat instead doing geography thats boring him but I'm a slave driver and as I point out cleaning itsnt my one true love

Wash up
Clear and scrub dining table
Hoover hall stairs and landing
Tidy hall

Bathroom
Clean windows/mirror
Wipe sills
Clean bath panel and radiator
Wipe all wall tiling/remove cobwebs
Clean bath
Clean sink
Wash floor
Try the mould AGAIN
It's not all shifting,like it's actually IN the grout?
Scrape D's shoes of dog pooboak
Help D's sort his room,including a small plastic box for dirty undergarments and bag for rest laundry
Remind him where things go away
Clear cat fluid off landing

Mr bath grout mould
Any suggestions taken
Tried soak in bleach,"fuzz" came off but not this...

I hear you Zoo! I'm aware this sounds like a very first world problem but we've cut down on ordinary entertaining too because the food bill is so €€€€ nowadays. It is possible to cut down on the cost of ingreds (my sister is great at producing wow food on a budget) but it inevitably involves more time and a lot more work.

Steam room sounds good Cag! I was prescribed diclofenac post op and I agree they are really effective (the only thing that works for my occasional migraines too) but I try to hold off using them whenever possible because it was explained to me that they come with a significant increased vascular and cardiovascular risk; stroke and heart attacks basically, so best discuss with gp.

Right, slow morning, have done far too much waffling on so far. Parish priest is popping around tonight so need to (a) finish home bleugh and (b) exhaust the furries.

X post Thank you Zoo (and Foxes) definitely not saintly or I wouldn't be moaning on on here!

That's awful about the dog poo! On behalf of all owners, I apologize profusely! I have been known to ask people why they haven't picked it up, or why they are leaving a bag of it swinging in a tree! Told one man that if he wasn't going to put it in the bin provided then I would do it for him and got a mouthful of abuse back which may have included the words " you f*ING English" . Totally irresponsible ownership .

As for mould, not sure, I think Dettol do a specific anti mould product? I used it in the basement once and it worked quite well I think!

I LOVE shaming dog poo leavers..... really it gives me great joy. I am not sure what this says about me

zoo Astonish also do an anti mould product which worked quite well on mine (it's probably the exact same thing as the Dettol one sc mentioned!) but I have to say it didn't get rid of all of it. I've never found anything that does and I tried the bleach and cotton wool trick the other day and that didn't shift all of it either! Basically I need a new bathroom

foxes I had a new bathroom about 6years ago
I've I like to use my loud mum voice "yes,I know it's disgusting D's when people don't clean up after their dogs.there would be rooting in the streets if we let babies and toddlers poop all over the paths"simple pleasures!!

Mucked out a two foot square section lil zoo side of room.bag of paper,bag rubbish,multiple plastic drink bottles,two clumps mould(suspect unidentified food from school bag) and a teddy covered in it also which I need to figure out how to salvage as it is a beloved giraffe in a t shirt with I ❤️lil zoo on front!!4 pairs missing socks,two pairs missing tights.i refuse gather up the 100 expensive fine liner pens that tumbling from their box...
I think family meeting needs include about own responsibilities now they are bigger.includinv laundry IN basket,not scatter in vague direction.pick up rubbish behind selves.and making sure any slothenly incidents,like unemptied lunch remains are reported forthwith not buried and hopefully forgotten about til near liquid remains are found by me and explosions occur!!!

*in OVEN obvs...

Ps thanks for mould feedback,will have peruse home bargains/wilko for a specific product I think..
I just been for a wee,and admired my shiny toothpaste free sink/clean tub and I spotted a very cross looking HUGE spider sitting by edge tiling at ceiling level.i believe he may have been the cobweb owner and is very unimpressed about being declared homeless!!I had toy idea bath later,but if he's not cleared off I shall stick to hot shower as I don't fancy being ambushed