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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Davetheghost and Elloello the zone link below contains reminders about how to get started and don't hesitate to ask if you have any other questions about Flying. Lots of info links in op too! Good luck!

I'm very good at paper clutter

I have menu planned for the week. Really busy week and dh abroad with work for most of it, including his birthday. I don't sleep very well when he's gone as don't have much support in these parts. Lovely neighbours and school parents and some colleagues but we are nowhere near family should there be some form of medical catastrophe. Hoping for a quiet week.

Ned has been very helpful with the ironing and the house is tidy for once!

Question! how long should we spend in the zone? is it 15 minutes tops or 15 minutes per day. As long as we fancy? I should know this.

Decaf they really are a handful! Especially now being on my own I realise that.

Listelle I hope the week flies for you, I get a little anxious when oh goes away but luckily it doesn't happen very often .

Foxes 🍷

Waves to everyone else

Well I didn't get anything in my to do list done but I did take ds to football, I was lucky enough to catch an afternoon nap after that shocking nights sleep (oh took the kids food shopping so I could rest) and I had the mil over for tea so although I didn't get much 'flying' done , we've had a lovely day. Back to it tomorrow 💪 but for now a cuppa and hopefully an early night xx

Thanks tidy - I'm going for a cuppa now myself!

Gosh twins sounds busy Dave but I'm sure there's twice the lovely toddler hugs too.

It does sound very full on Dave! Do you have any family support?

Lisette I hope someone will correct me if I am wrong, but I always thought it was 15 mins per day tops in each zone as stated last para here because with the Flylady system, there is obviously plenty more to add on top of the daily mission ie the baby-steps are cumulative so you are doing stuff such as laying out clothes for the next day, shining your sink, prepping dinner in advance, doing one load of laundry per day etc etc as well as room rescues and 15 mins of exercising ...as demonstrated by today's reminders plus we know that some of the daily and monthly focus's take a while... . I am doing well if I spend 15 mins a day in each zone to be really honest! What does everyone else think?

Bower good luck with the week ahead

Hope you have a better night's sleep tonight Tidy!

Are they big 2s or little 2s dave? I have a big 2, he can be very stubborn! also have a 11, a 10, a 6 and a 4 week old

Welcome Dave

sc i wish i felt rested!

I would like to hear about cagletinis meal out, it sounds interesting!

So it is SC! I'd never get much done in a zone with 15 mins per week.
I'll set my timer so!

And um I probably don't manage 15 mins in a zone every day. Something to aspire to, I think

Welcome dave :) that sounds like a huge life adjustment, you’re in the right place here

Just trying to get a very snotty toddler to sleep. Stressing bigtime about tomorrow, as I need to phone the MH team about what’s happening. The report I got sent a copy of suggested some huge differences from the appt. Actual lies in fact. And it’s making me extremely anxious about next time in case it affects me getting medication.

I do have therapy later in the day though which is very well timed (I can show her the report). Then we are taking DS to the GP to ask for a couple of referrals. Feel woefully underprepared for that.

Flying at zero it probably goes without saying!

Oh God nor do I Lisette!! Three times a week is probably my average performance over a decade of Flying .

Bloody hell I've with dc aged 11, 10, 6, 2 and 4 wks ...you should be running the country! Wouldn't be in the state it is in now if you were!

That sounds awful Laputa hope you can get to the bottom of it all. Good luck tomorrow with all of your meetings x

Laputa

Laputa I hope you get that sorted today sounds awful.
Also good luck with DS referral.

Morning and welcome elloello (love the name) and Dave (twins hard work but rewarding) and you will find this the friendliest little corner with lots of support.

So I am still off this week and hope to get some flying done as I feel a little better. The few days away has given me a boost. DS1 had a birthday yesterday so we went out locally for a meal. Christmas was mentioned.Whose house to have it at as we are at that stage. DS1 is allergic to DD's cat so can't come here.We had it at DS2 new house two years ago (I was ill)so we were all looking at DS1. He has a new kitchen and changed his living room into a dining room. Sounds good to me!

Ta Das this morning.
Fed cat
Fed chicken
put wash in drier
Put wash on.

It is blowing a gale here so I think we will be in for more rain. We're back on amber alert for flooding. Better than red which was last week in some areas.

SC my DM sometimes cooks us dinner and brings it over so I don’t have to worry about that. We go over on Sunday’s to hers too and she takes them off my hands a bit, but DT2 is very clingy so doesn’t really play. That’s about all the help I get really. I also run a cafe, so I’m trying to balance it all out. My mum will start having the boys after nursery on Wednesdays and do them tea, and give them their bath, so I can use Wednesday’s to get everything done for work.

Decaf DT2 is a little 2 and DT1 is a big 2. But sometimes they switch around😂.

Laputa I hope you manage to get everything sorted today and thank you, it has been a big shock to the system. Their dad just left one day, said he wasn’t happy. Since then he hasn’t spoke to the twins, not even picked up the phone and asked how they were. He said he will pay maintenance and that is the most contact he will have with the boys!.

Wow dave that’s awful! His loss in the end but that doesn’t help you or the boys now 😰 so sorry.

Managed to make the phone call to the psychiatrist but she isn’t in today, the receptionist will ask her to phone me tomorrow. Just delaying the anxiety really but hey ho. I’m not even mentioning the report I just need to see if they’ll let me try meds yet.

Off for therapy in 25 mins. Yay (that’s a genuine yay as she’s fab)

Davetheghost bloody hell that sounds very hard How can men just do that? Running a café on its own sounds hard enough but trying to wrangle the dc at the same time must require superhuman efforts! Your ma sounds lovely though

Glad you are off this week Bower and happy birthday to your ds1! How lovely to have dc old enough to host Christmas!

Hope all fledglings ok! It's been chaos here this morning; work-men! Say no more!

Have a productive start to the week everyone!

x post Waves to Laputa hope session helpful!

Good morning everyone ! I slept better last night so I feel a lot better today!

Laputa

Bower great that Christmas dinner is organised already!

Tada
School run and shit (pinching this description )
Cleaned the bathroom sink and down the plug hole🤢
Washer is on
Beds made

To do
Squeezing in 15 mins in the kitchen before picking up dd2 from nursery.

Laputa exactly, they’re lovely boys (I know every parent thinks that) and he will miss watching them grow up. So he’s missing out on a lot. I hope your session goes well!

SC she’s amazing! My dad helps out a lot with the boys too, they love him so he takes them off my hands when my parents come over. It is hard work with the café and everything but we’re coping. Their dad is an idiot, but like I’ve said it’s his loss.

Dave wow, what a useless excuse for a father he is! Good that you have support from your parents though and especially that your boys have a good relationship with their grandad!

SC i think i will pass on running the country for now i am trying not to be bald before 40

Ta Da

School run and shit
Dryer emptied
Baby to doctors
Picked up prescription
Dropped off parcel
Picked up fruit

I REALLY need to do some uni work today. Like REALLY.

Dave you have a lot on. Try and carve out a little bit of time for yourself. I am big on this now but wasn't when mine were young. mine are all grown up now but I have a lot of clutter because I work in a primary school and have accumulated a lot of stuff which I am presently trying to get rid of it. Even 15 minutes can set you up for the next slog.
Definitely his loss. Perhaps when he sorts him self out he will contact you so think of a plan that it will be regular not dropping in and out when he feels like it. Are his parents involved at all?

Tidy he hasn't actually agreed yet. I mentioned his sister wont be here and he loves her the most. He said " That's great I wont have to sort all that Vegan shit/stuff out." It is the first year without her as she is across the other side of the world just now. Where not sure where as we haven't heard from her for a week or so. I thought he would be upset because they are thick as thieves!

Ta Da
I have wiped and polished the work tops. New work top has to be polished with a special spray. Formica was quicker but I love the colour of the new one. I can't believe DH decided to buy it.
Another load of washing on.

I've I'm impressed you are even thinking about it.

Friend has invited me around later.