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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Hello! Can I rejoin? I was on the thread last year, got a job, couldn't manage flylady, small children and working, so got a cleaner. I have now reduced my hours, kept the cleaner, but I think there's a hangover from the months I left stuff - hot spots, clutter, procrastination everywhere....

Welcome back callme!

Hi Cordelia! Lovely to have you back!

I’m all bleary eyed. DH just left for a hospital appt, we were sort of meant to have a play date today but don’t think they can make it now (would quite welcome the chance to rearrange TBH) and I’m hoping DH gets back in time for me to swim and sit in the steam room as my throat has that annoying scratchy feeling.

My plant covered windowsills are making me happy! There’s one big and two small on each, but I can definitely see me adding to them in future :o

I bought a new plant yesterday I have plants EVERYwhere I did not need another new plant. Only advantage with this one is that I am going to enjoy it in my room for a while and then it an go out in the garden

Feeling a smidge better for sleeping and a night off from people and doing things other than driving. People are so flipping exhausting. I need a holiday.

Hey Callme welcome back!!

Cag mine too. Although i need to save some time for some repotting...

Good morning!

Yay CallmeCordelia lovely to have you back! (And good plan to keep the cleaner!). How did your lovely new garden fare in the hot summer last year?

Oh no hope Scoutcat ok Zoo (fingers and paws crossed here for him) and love the sound of your gardening plans! Please, please can your dp get hold of that strimmer accessory though so you don't have to cut the grass with scissors! It sounds so back/shoulder-breaking!

Vivamos la revolucion Cag!

Did I tell you our BTS story, about DD (who was keen on them a while back) who borrowed one of dh's office laptops to do some sort of school presentation and had obviously faddled with all the "personalising" settings while doing so. Next time dh used it, dh (and entire office staff) were with some big-wig American clients, and he opened it up in front of them in a meeting, displaying a home page pic of seven 17 year old "pretty" Asian guys scantily dressed in what appeared to be black string vests and wet-look black leather posing provocatively in clouds of smoke. It didn't quite give the impression we were hoping for ... ! And what's worse, both he and I went and did the very same thing on two other occasions before we got the dratted pic deleted!

Well done Foxes re: consistent Flying practices! I am going to try and follow your good example in June. As with Lisette far too much "all or nothing" going on chezShady currently!

Always try and have two big "chuck outs" a year, one before or during the summer, and one in Oct/Nov prior to Christmas. Need to do it much more regularly.

As Chic said, it is worth bearing in mind all the time that "we can't clean clutter"! I am failing on that point very consistently at least

Very relieved to hear you are stuck to your sofa I've but it must be frustrating for you. Take it very steady!

Bit hectic here currently. We all had a really really lovely day at wreck2 yesterday and I was going to stay there and do the "pont" from Ascension Thurs hol to the weekend, while dh and dd came back to town for work/school today, but because I got so little done Flying-wise before I left, I had to come back with them. Regretting it now because it's such a lovely day and I would have enjoyed some solitude!

On the positive front : cleaner arrived early at 7.50 am because she has an appt later on, and we have got loads done together already and I am on my fourth load of laundry! And post-flu, I am not as behind with laundry as I thought I was (having found a load of dh's cleaned and ironed clothes in a stray suitcase ) and , and, wait for it, I am currently making good progress in boudoir

Have a good one Fledglings! Looks like it is going to be a lovely weekend weather-wise!

Onwards!

Waves to Toostressy Honu Bower and all newcomers and everyone else I have missed (can't scroll any further back just at the moment sorry)

Newcomers: how are you getting on?

x posts

Glad you are feeling a bit better Hills!

Haha that’s brilliant sc :o must have been mortifying at the time though! We are currently storing a lifesize cardboard cut out of one of the boys for DSD (he’s her favourite and DH got it for her birthday but she wasn’t able to take it to her uni house so she’s picking it up on Monday now she’s moved home) - it’s a bit unnerving as he’s currently staring through the bars of Cagletini’s cot :o

Morning
Welcome back Cordelia.

Sorry to hear you are not feeling so well Cags.

Hills glad you had a good nights sleep. It can make all the difference next morning.

Zoo. Gardening is good for MH. It rained all day yesterday so I haven’t got much done. I went to a lovely garden with my friend on Wed. Pm. I liked the fact that they had weeds😀 my weeds are growing at such a rate.

Decluttered four files yesterday. All Wednesday’s jobs done including some ironing! Going to lose post be back later.

Glad you had some people free time hills! Plants are medicinal surely, oxygen is essential so they must be an essential purchase :o I really should have checked the labels when I bought things though as two of them are meant to grow to over a meter tall... hoping that by the time that happens we are well out of the buggy phase and thus there will be plenty of room in our lovely spacious hallway :o

I would really like a spider plant and cheese plant and an aloe vera and definitely something with colour (just got one so far unkillable orchid). And then herbs on the kitchen windowsill, since there is now space left by the stuff that moved to the living room.

I am hungry but CBA to move.

Here is the new thread for June!

Crikey Cag I hope Cagletini won't need therapy in her later years

Well done re: file decluttering Bower! I agree about gardening and mh! Going to refurbish a greenhouse and start a veg patch and dig a wildlife pond this summer! Can't wait!

cag we cannot have aloe or cheese plant as poisonous for cats..I've managed to kill one of dd2 spider plantsI didn't think it was possible?!a quick Google search says I may have over watered it...

Slow start here as scoutcats in residence on my chest purring and snoring

Ah, no worries about that here because DH hates cats so we won’t have any :(

I’ve done nothing today but field toddler tantrums mostly related to pandas and butter (not at the same time).

Super pissed off because DH went all the way to the hospital in another county, to be told his appt (which he had cancelled another one for because they clashed) didn’t actually exist and had been sent in error. Hours wasted and £7.50 on bus fare which due to DH being on sick pay we don’t have to waste on pointless journeys

That's infuriating cag!

Sorry I haven't been around much, half term and dh off work means we've been out and about a lot this week. Welcome to everyone new and returning!

I'm struggling today, have done daily routine and decluttered bag and purse. Tidied all the play doh up that ds got out. But hit a bit of a wall with living room decluttering. Not really anything I can declutter and I don't know where to start with deep cleaning, it all seems like a huge job whatever I do so I need some motivation!

For now, we are going to go and have lunch somewhere and I think I'll buy a pot plant after everyone has been chatting about them , that'll at least brighten the room up

cagim on your behalf...

Tada
Saw friend and slip out round block/had time out on front wall.moaned about our family,pets,o.h etc

Lunch- just about raid cupboards,dd2 has some tofu to try I got cheap at heron foods.think rest of us be on the marmite toast

To do
Need menu plan with lowest poss budget,whilst try maintain my need feed everyone well
Wash lil zoo bedding with kitty poo paw print on it
Spray her bed/duvet
Wash lower floors
Try find some motivation for front room decluttering...

On plus air ambulance put chazza bag thru door.ive until Wednesday to fill it,so there's room for some decluttering by then!!

Hi Cordelia .

at computer pic issue SC.

That is really annoying Cag.

I’m like you foxes, it’s half term here too so out and about lots. Thanks for setting up new thread SC .

I think I have most stuff ready for back to school next week and summer stuff but both girls need summer sandals. Ugh. DD1 has quite narrow feet so it is not usually a simple process and we have already tried two shops. No shoe shops or even any sandals for sale in our town. It’s a sore point but apparently there isn’t enough footfall / demand to support one .

So any shoe shopping involves a trek out. Need to attempt tomorrow or today is we get back from our day out on time.

A good day! Pulled things back from the brink and feel relatively well organised for once, although still loads to do!

Ta da (in no particular order):
threw away dead flowers and washed three vases
empty DW
tidied up bathroom ready for cleaning
tidied up downstairs ready for cleaning
nearly two hours office work: e-mails mainly
on-line banking
quick flit supermarket and bakery
home banking
5 X 15 mins boudoir - yay!
carry a load of things from downstairs, upstairs and vice versa
wrote a list of June tasks! (Eek!)
prep some of DH shirts for washing
6 X loads of washing (3 hung up and 3 in TD)
folded a mountain of clean pants and towels
(cleaner did ground floor home bleugh + bathroom + hoovered and dusted 2nd floor)

It was our intention to head back to wreck2 tonight and I was really looking forward to going (lovely weather this w/e apparently) but DH has driven himself to exhaustion and came home early from work and has gone to bed, citing possible flu, and DD came back from school exhausted too and promptly changed in to PJs and said she's going anywhere tonight! Oh well ... disappointing but never mind.

To do:
finish making bed in boudoir (as DH ill)
dry last of laundry in TD
walk furries
Fri so fish tonight (frozen) with potato wedges and peas
clear up supper

Have a lovely evening everyone!

Sorry about your dh's cancelled appt Cag! What a hassle for him!

Toostressy have you considered buying sandals on line for your girls? I know this is seen as the height of negligent parenting in UK (!) but children don't have feet measured here (or in quite a few other European countries for that matter) and I haven't noticed that the feet of continental DC look particularly crumped or anything! I actually found it easier to lay a large towel on the floor in front of the bedroom mirror and get DD to try on a couple of pairs and walk on the towel and really be able to study and test the fit in the privacy of my own home. I know sending stuff back is a pain but there are far more styles to choose from on-line and you kind of get to know which make/brand suits your particular child's feet. (Incidentally I always found certain styles sold by La Redoute and Dpam good for narrow feet.) If you look on the Clarks website, they actually have a very detailed "measuring at home" guide and there's a gauage you can buy too. Iirc, John Lewis have a detailed guide on their site too - well they used to anyway!

Have fun filling chazza bags Zoo!

Good to hear you've been out and about Foxes and had a change of scene (if not a rest!) with the young 'uns! Stuff the housework for once!

toostressy we have limited options for shoe shopping.i HATE online show shopping with mine.lil zoo has narrow heel wide at bridge if toes (as do I) dd2 they rub at heel if not careful,D's no idea if comfy or not...I often schlep round shops losing will to live,supermarkets have added a limited extra choice but we often end up driving an hour to get better choices

Tada
Started menu plan
Sticky floor sorted
Lil zoo bedding wash n dry,bed wiped and remade!

I had to have a nap earlier swimming was more tiring than usual. Couple of errands run without leaving the house, and have made meet up arrangements for the concert tomorrow, I need to take DD to one of the Wembley stations.

Thanks SC, must admit I because I couldn’t face it hadn’t thought of ordering a load of shoes online then sending them back.

Plan is to go to the shops tomorrow and if no joy they will simply have to be ordered online.

Posted link for tomorrow on
new thread here!
See you there in the morning!
Have a lovely weekend everyone!