Autumn leaves and a clean sweep: it's the October Fledgling Fly thread (2019)

[Slowchirp]

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 , 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, or sign up to the (many and frequent) e-mails (but your choice as some fledglings find the latter helpful).

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 and here

** daily focus (helpful guide to allocate a certain day for a certain task) here and 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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Last but not least, a huge thank you to ChicCroissant for running such a lovely (and busy!) September thread [cake[

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Baby-step no.4 for Thurs 4th Oct: here
Launch pad link: here
Habit of the month for October focuses on: paper clutter

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Long day.

Not much Flying here either Lisette (2 loads washing that's it) arf at the dusting observation!

[More chocolate for Zoo] Fellow evil witch here; although secretly quite happy that dd was snippy with me today because it's a sign she is feeling better

Waves to I've and everyone else; g'night!

P.S. Only look at baby-step link if you are feeling strong tomorrow morning ... I think Marla may have been indulging in the happy dust ... .

No post it notes here :o

I’m awake as Cagletini fell out of bed! 😳 it’s really cold in here too. She even said so herself when she woke up earlier. Things are definitely getting easier with her now that she’s able to express herself, she has a lot more words (well over 100) than the others did at that age.

We have a benefits advisor person coming round today to start reapplying for DLA. Really want to dig my heels in and refuse as I’m so sick of all this form filling and stuff. But it needs doing.

Luckily though the SEN organisation I spoke to yesterday convinced me that it would probably be the wrong time to apply for an EHCP for DD1 ourselves, and we should ask the school to do it as they’ll be assessing her ASAP anyway. Huge sigh of relief that it gets me out of doing it myself 😳 she reckons it’s worth applying for DS ourselves but we need to get DD1 settled first really.

It's cold here too!I should get up and be productive but it takes some adjustments to cold and dark mornings...in summer I love to be up at sunrise,birds singing and some quiet reflective time just enjoying that sunrise by myself.everyone sees winter sunrises so they aren't as special to me,plus half the time at least one zoolet needs shoving out the door schoolward at that point!!

Good luck with the paperwork.hurrah at suggestion school do DD set for you!I sent in D's DLA last week and posted initial application for EHCP paperwork in Tuesday....

Well,best get up.think I may make some porridge this morning.noticed yesterday have couple apples starting to wrinkle so was thinking cinnamon and a little brown sugar and chopped apple might get approval of dd2 --depends on temperament on waking,but if it's presented no options offered hoping to get away with it!

zoo that's a great idea for porridge , my dc only ever want it plain and tbh in the morning I only have the patience for plain anything!!

Sc wow post it notes I think I'll skip that!

Morning!

Oh yes, post it notes ! Sorry, I was looking at the eyes! Slight gleam of the obsessive there I think ... . It must be a terrible pressure to be Flylady mind you. Imagine inviting people around ...they'd be checking out your skirting boards for sure! Although. now she has made it big, perhaps she employs an army of cleaners and just pretends to follow her own system?

Can you tell I am bored? Very busy in the office this week and start of next, so I am doing yet more 'work' work (from afar because I want to see d🐎 again today!). It is tedious in the extreme. But not too bad if I can visit with he of the long face at lunch time.

SC calling your husband long faced is very uncharitable(I know we are actually talking of your gorgeous equine boy)
Foxes mine will all eat it plain,but dd2 can be very difficult in the mornings these days so I try not to enrage the beast within and a little flavouring and brown sugar appears to help!!
Other options mine love-banana slices,mix spice and spoonful tahini(D's favourite)
*Pear,allspice and top few hazelnuts,chopped.
*Strawberry,vanilla and flaked almonds
*Blueberry,vanilla,coconut shards(not dedicated,sometimes called flaked?) and sunflower seeds
*Grated carrot,sultana,mix spice or cinnamon and nuts(carrot cake oats)

I cannot bear to eat once I'm up for a few hours,so quite ironic I make the effort for everyone else!dd2 needs something substantial-ruce Krispies are adored but she's "fading away starving" in under an hour...

As for cleaning...
Tada
Fed cats
Wash in
Empty bins
Sort littertray
Sweep kitchen floor
Make porridge
Wash on airer,more in
S+s
Wash up breakfast(and m in be and dd2 stuff from last night)

I realised lil zoo slept in her bun and the ten tonne of hairspray/mousse ment it was still fine so she went to school in it..necessary given she decided to do maths homework at 735,and at 745 dd2 was screeching at her to "hurry the fuck up or we will both be late"(uncharacteristically j let that slide as I was feeling the same tbh,it's not homework due in today)
Lil zoo left near hysterical refusing offers hug.no goodbye and stomped off down the road.i texted dd2 20mins later to be told she was "a dickhead all the way to school.glad of the 6hours I don't have to be with her and hope she's got her head out of her bum for the walk home"

Oh yes now I see what you mean sc :o

I got about 2.5 more hours. All bleary eyed now and am pinned under sleepy toddler again!

Zoo huge well done for sorting all that paperwork! I really hope it’s all accepted without appeals and stuff.

I have a small and gentle mostly admin related to do list to get on with when I get up. Trying to get the easy stuff done again as I’ve been ignoring the big scary stuff!

Only one of mine will entertain porridge. The other three will eat weetabix though. We go through so much cereal here. My porridge eater, apart from porridge only eat chocolate cereal The others will also eat plain shreddies, cheerios, crunchy nut so not quite as bad there!
That being said i hate porridge, and weetabix My breakfast is

Ta da

School run and shit
Washer on
Wheelie bin brought into garden
Window sill of crap cleared
Important email sent X2
Pots washed
Bottles washed and sterilised

Its freezing here. Dc1 tried going to school coatless in the pissing down rain. I think not mate.

I have a question re school blazers! How often do people wash them? I have been doing once a week but DP thinks i will ruin it (i dont know how though)

Gentle sounds good Laputa and hope Cagletini has no ill effects from her rude awakening this morning!

Zoo . Although DH rather opposite of long-faced in fact! both in terms of shape and mood. He is one of those people unlike me who is permanently cheery! Great porridge ideas btw. And arf at "enraging the beast" -

• gosh I so get that. Nowt worse than a hangry teen. It's like feeding the lions. Take life in hands>poke plate through crack in door>scarper

Good luck to both of you with all the SEN-related paperwork. It always sounds so hideous a process and the opposite of user friendly

Waves to Foxes and everyone else. I am editing a very boring report that was written in English by an Italian on the most tedious subject known to man (think specifications of widgets) . Thank God it has a tight deadline or I would never make it to the end. Had better get back to it unfortunately... 👋

TGIF fledglings!

X post I've no blazers here but depends on fabric I reckon. Synthetic could take quite a bit of washing I think. Wool number with braid and fancy badge not so much. It's the collars, top of pocket and button placket (plaquet?) you have to watch as the interfacing puckers when washed a lot.

I've depends on type.ds had one with piping around edges and after fourth wash was starting to look but shabby.the girls ones are thinner and more robust
I expect them to wear deodorant and wash if stinky,fabreeze inside once a week and wash each term (if not needed before hand) on fairly delicate wash and hand on padded coat hanger to dry

SC hangry describes dd2 completely!!
Laputa slow and steady,everything done is something off the to do lovely
Chic I thought my phone was on one.ive struggled repeatedly to get onto MN today

I'm on a go slow.really tired today..I've snuck in a lay down this morning for 30 mins as felt sleepy but there are builders tackling subsidence in house over the road and they are very very noisy!
So cold i cooked lunch today(carrot,pepper and chickpea soup).sleepy again now.maybe my body is saying I should hibernate now it's getting colder and darker?

Blazer is polyester, nothing fancy. Looks ok so far. Blazer is worn at all times in school unless given permission to remove. Deodorant is an ongoing battle here (not envy)

Ta da:
over half a day of "work" work
big tidy up
laundry x 2 and hung up
made leek and potato soup
nattered to two farmers
brisk walk to neighbour and back
only saw dhorse for a short while today for various reasons but still, better than not at all!

I've I'm a firm believer in clear industrial vinegar sploshed on armpits of dh work shirts, sports -shirts, dd's school jumpers, my polo shirts etc for getting rid of whiff

Hope you can have a good rest this evening Zoo

I've IME that's a big thing.my girls are much more deodorant friendly,although lil zoo had to have it spelled out bluntly that she was stinky and needed to a)wash properly and b) use deodorant ON HER ARMPITS NOT HER CLOTHES!!all sorted now(sadly she does stink when sweaty and not deodorized)D's it's a daily nag reminder and he hates the feel of aerosol (cold) on his pits and roll on is harder for me to detect instantly if he's used it
I do find fabreeze is good for a light freshen up but if you have a slightly soap dodging teen I'd be inclined to wash it low heat and hang up to dry weekly.last thing you want us him being picked on for being "the smelly kid"

Tada
Kids food nearly ready-pasta,cheesy sauce and cauliflower followed by strawberry jelly and tinned peaches

I'm having green bean and mushroom risotto tonight as it's been chilly and overcast here a day so the perfect excuse for some delicious comfort food

*boy thing

I frequently tell him when he stinks. And i am very blunt about it lol. Will stick to weekly wash and see how it goes!

Polyester blazer with piping here too, also worn all the time - has lasted quite well, still wearing the same as last year. I don't wash it weekly, but it has had a few emergency, unscheduled washes. I don't think it would last long if it was washed weekly or we'd need more than one.

DD often needs to be reminded to shower/hairwash/deodorant and I find it really frustrating. Once she's in the bathroom, she is in there for ages though I will probably look back on these days with fondness when she is in there spending hours on makeup or similar

Still doing laundry, not started any packing yet but only away for one night and not leaving until after lunch. Do need to sort out a decent outfit for DD, I bet none of her dresses fit her now.

Sorry for buggering up the baby-step late last night btw! The link and date were correct, but the day was not!

Posting links for tomorrow very early tonight as I am busy this evening!

Have a good night everyone!

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Baby-step no.5 for Sat 5th Oct: here

Launch pad link: here
Habit of the month for October focuses on: paper clutter

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Safe travelling Chic

FFS

Lil zoo has got my hackles fully up and I'm in kill,kill,kill mode
Whining about not being able to have friend round to bake Saturday(I said possibly Sunday,despite making D's very stressed but friend can't do sunday).whining didn't want hot dinner.whining cauliflower was hard(D's said nothing and he has textural issues so it can't have been) whined about half a teaspoon of pasta water in bottom of her bowl and refuse finish her pasta and cheese and try start pud.i also get it in the neck as she wants to see another friend,who she's know for years but they were separated after bf changed schools as moved and they're back tog at secondary as her mum is tech in science lab) but said friend is now all cosy with her ex bf from primary who was a bloody nightmare being mates one min,not the next and constantly having lil zoo at her beck and call/on a string waiting to see if she would be her friend that day or not with no reasoning as to why.i hoped as they in different sides of secondary school things would calm down,but no.i removed child's number from lil zoo hangouts on tablet and dd2 change settings to stop lil zoo messengering her on various social media.but she's whitterinv about her tonight with her friend from years ago.you wouldn't think she had made a set of new friends in her class!!i am so angry I'm shaking and have no desire to cook or eat.ive warned dd2 to come finish homework downstairs(lil zoo been sent to bed) but dd2 refuses.it will only take one word to start a spat then I give up for today and am going to bed...

I'm still here and still ineffective as we are going after Saturday lunch, should be back Sunday night. Quick trip back home for a family event.

Oh God I know the whining over having friends over zoo. Sympathies. 💐

Mammoth fridge freezer clean. It's gorgeous. I just want to hug it. We ate every scrap and every fish finger . I'm too tired to do an online shop tonight so will just start a list.

At the moment the fridge freezer is having a rest while it dries fully. I'll plug it back in later.

🍒🍒 Waves to all