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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Welcome Putsfootinit . I agree with others, decluttering is not the Flylady system’s strong point. That said, there is some useful information on the website about how to do it (not in my very limited computer knowledge advised to download due to website security). I also think if I actually did 15 mins a day I might see some progress .

I like Emily Norris and Clutterbug on YouTube for decluttering.

Thanks for doing June’s thread SC .

Must get up now and start the day.

Morning all
Another silly o'clock start here
Wash on
Fed cats
Paint another coat on D's ceiling
Wash in drier
More in
Breakfasts
S+s bathroom
Hoover stairs
Wash on airer
Tumbled stuff folded and put away
Wash up
Need bread/milk/fruit etc so it's now time get zoolets sorted and out the door.as much as D's hates Morrison's,it's a nice walkand we can acquire everything on necessary list in one place

I like fly lady's approach to decluttering. the 15min slots works on a bad fibro day. There is an end. You can achieve surprisingly large amount if you focus really hard on the task for 15mins.

That doesn't mean that a damn good blitz doesn't happen on far to many occassions. But just doing a little bit every day is a lot better than nothing.

Fibro has flared and it is gym induction day. bollocks.

Yes, just popping back in to say that I was probably being far too negative there at the crack of sparrows Putsfootinit! I've forgotten what it is like to have an infant in tow! I did used to find 15 mins of decluttering v useful, it just doesn't work so well for me now!

Waves back to everyone!

Also may have been a bit negative !

FFS lost two posts, one because the iPad died and the second because I got distracted and the page refreshed.

So I will just say for now, hills I hope the flare up is a quick one x

Toostressy it's complicated though because you're right, there are certain flaws in how Flylady integrates decluttering in to the overall system I think ie the balance/prominence she gives to it as compared toother routine steps.

I need longer shots than 15 mins now - or it just returns to how it was beforehand - in other words, a total mess!

I guess overall it's a reflection though of how difficult it is to clear time to focus on the decluttering rather then the "every day" chores etc!

But it is a good system if you are feeling below par/ have young uns because in those circs, you are never going to have long wodges of time at your disposal!

Sorry I couldn't remember that far back at crack of sparrows! It seems like a lifetime ago!

Decluttering is a constant journey for me, PutsFoot and I do like it when I've had a bit of a decluttering binge!

IIRC, Flylady says to declutter first - you can't clean clutter - and do the detailed cleaning of the routines afterwards. Once you get the place right, the routines keep it looking clean all the time. But the clutter does need to go first (guess which stage I'm failing at .... )

Children are a constant source of toys and outgrown clothes though, so the task can seem endless to me As my DD get older, it's more the outgrown clothes than the toys (although she still has plenty).

I haven't done the KonMarie method either, as the thought of getting it all together is a bit scary! It would be really effective for clothes though. I find reading KonMarie very inspiring and I also have the Japenese decluttering book that she refers to (the art of decluttering) which is usually really cheap on Kindle - that is good at pointing out the sentimental reasons we keep hold of stuff (a big reason I keep stuff).

I'm going to make us a late breakfast of bacon and eggs now, and start packing ready for a couple of days away. Catch you later!

We are pottering about today. Just waiting for the iPad to charge so I can take photos of the sellable items (up to 24 now as I took a load more upstairs with me and then sorted 4 of them). DH has cleared the windowsills and moved our houseplants onto them, three on each side, yay! Hoping for at least a while it’ll help us resist piling a load of crap on there. Realistically I know the crap will just pile up around the pots.

I have my hearing check later and will pop into WHSmith as they have fountain pens on offer and DD would love one for her birthday. So would I TBH. :o

Also need to make plans for Saturday as DD has only gone and been invited to the BTS concert at Wembley 😱😱😱 she will be excited but I’m quite nervous because London, crowds etc... without us! And it’s not a best friend she is going with. But I’m also wary of holding her back from experiences (especially ones we would never be able to provide ourselves) because of me worrying about her worrying IYSWIM

cag totally get that.im not good crowds,lots noise etc but I've let dd2 ho with others to do stuff I never could.i don't want to stifle her,or make her fearful of new stuff.its hard as they get bigger and do independent stuff isn't it?
Well done on games sorting

De cluttering comes in phases heresometimes I work around clutter irritably,sometimes it builds up again whilst I'm not looking...
But I'm here and it's good for keeping things ticking over like laundry/keep bath clean/days to do certain tasks

Tada
Shop and nice walk
Shop away
Lunch
Wash up
Wipe kitchen surfaces
Sweep kitchen floor
Make up a jelly

To do
I really need to sort couple RBC

Dinner tonight is mushroom and green bean risotto with thyme and hazelnuts no cheesefor dd2.little ones having beef mince with thyme and peppers,new potatoes and carrots.
Followed by raspberry jelly with tinned peaches in it

I have difficulty sticking to 15 mins cleaning, decluttering. I either do nada or I'm there all day cleaning.

Enchiladas tonight.

Had some nice family time with DS as the toddler dozed off, so we played a board game with DH. I won by 1 point :o despite some pretty mean tactics going on :o

She’s still asleep so I should get dressed and then photograph the stuff while the floor is clear.

It’s so tricky with DD as she does struggle. And I’m not sure she knows the family well enough to admit if she’s worrying. I spend a lot of energy worrying about how she will cope with things. :( But then she does tend to just get through things, she might have a bit of a bad day afterwards as a sort of comedown from it but that’s better than worrying about her having meltdowns and stuff while out, which doesn’t happen thankfully. I just worry about all sorts of situations that are never likely to occur!

Really must get off the sofa!

I have confessed before but i dont really follow fly lady at all. I am a fraud. Purely here for the chat.

Same really. I like the idea of it, but any routines we build up gradually are mine and mine alone, as the idea of following someone else’s schedule makes me want to flip ‘em the bird and rebel 😳

Oooo cag i never had you down as a rebel !

I am stuck to my sofa. Send a crane.

I love the fifteen minutes a day, I get so fed up and overwhelmed doing more than that! I work best when I know what time I'm allowed to stop and be rewarded with a tea break I don't really ever finish decluttering though because of the aforementioned issues with dc constantly growing out of clothes, toys, and also the huge amounts of absolute crap they bring into the house, last week there was a super potato made at school (I have now disposed of the potato when dd wasn't looking, it hasn't been missed yet!). Anyway, because of all that I tend to also do the missions or a variation of the mission if I don't agree with fly lady's one that way I'm doing a bit of deep cleaning every now and then as well.

I stick to most of fly lady but I don't shine my sink every night and I don't wear shoes in my house! I don't really have a morning routine and bed time routine either just a daily routine which is dishwasher, laundry, quick tidy of each room, make beds and give bathroom a wipe.

Ta da
Daily routine
Hoovered under sofa cushions (yuck!)
15 minutes toy basket decluttering in the living room (I do feel like I'm constantly rearranging toy storage in my living room. I can't ever actually get rid of anything because the dc would be very cross so I end up putting things back in their rooms and then the cycle starts all over again!)

Sorry that was longer than I intended!

Dd2 sat out with her laptop in shade revising/reading
Lil zoo moaned her tablet wasn't picking up wi fi and went indoors

First time in year or two we've all been out there at once.i think this summer we will deffo have to use the space more now taking them places is pretty much off the cards as older and don't want to go parks with us as much and D's can't cope crowds/noise etc...

Well done on the gardening zoo

I’m not sure it’s so much genuine rebellion as the fact that part of my ASD involves freaking out about it 😂😂😂

🌼 launch pad link containing Fri's flight plan once it has updated itself best to read and not download!

scoutcat is booked in Tuesday for test

Oh no :(

Hearing test was useful, no problems picked up on that one which is as I expected, but they’ve told me what to ask for next so I need to book with the GP.

Some of the things have sold already so that’s a relief. I get sooo anxious about doing that and it bodes well that a few things can go the easiest way (friends).

We just told DD she is going to the BTS concert (as she’s excitedly watching them on Britain’s got talent) she is sooo happy :o

Gym induction postponed. stuff i was supposed to be doing tonight postponed. I would love to postpone life for a few days to ride this out. Instead early night and work is the plan