Swooping into September - Flylady fledglings assemble!

[MogTheSleepyCat]

First of all, a big thank you to SingToTheSky for leading us through the August thread, (you can park your mop and hang up your duster now)

If you are struggling with C.H.A.O.S. (Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome) and S.T.U.F.F. (Something That Undermines Family Fun) then this is the thread where we (loosely) follow the step-by-step Flylady housekeeping system (in our own, unique, relaxed style) with lots of support and chatter along the way.

The FlyLady link is here . Don't be put off by the twee language of the site – we all agree that the underlying system is very effective.

This little-and-often system is designed so that you can follow a series of steps and routines each day (which gradually become second nature) in zones of the house which are designated weekly; defining and minimising housework - which in theory should leave you with loads more time to do something more interesting instead.

At the same time it is intended to reduce that panicky "rabbit in headlights" feeling when you are overwhelmed and everything needs doing all at once. No problem if you miss a day or two; just jump right back in and it will all come around again next month.

It's up to you, but we advise not signing up to receive the Flylady e-mails as you will be swamped with marketing nonsense. All the information you need will be linked here on a daily basis.

From the first of the month, we will be following Flylady's steps and routines using a three-pronged approach (dependent on the stage everyone is at):

• start or repeat baby steps
• repeat baby steps + do 15 minutes a day decluttering in the current zone
• reinforce baby steps and do daily missions if you have finished decluttering.
• And if you are really enthusiastic and have finished decluttering - you can go on to detailed deep cleaning in each zone.

There are three key points to keep in mind throughout:

• No perfectionism allowed - this is harder than you would imagine and many of us on this thread struggle with this one.
• You are never behind - just start where you are and anything you do is progress.
• It didn't get into a mess overnight, it won't get tidy over night - accept it will take time to get on top of things and you will be happier.

If you are new; then trying to spend 15mins decluttering daily and doing the baby steps is a good way to start. Some of us (mentioning no names) can have scary looking ‘ta-da’ lists but don't let that worry you. Do what you can, anything is better than nothing, and don't judge yourself against others.

If all else fails, a + the power of three technique + a bit of support on here can work wonders.

Here's the launch pad for more experienced fledglings.

Don’t let it put you off if we appear a bit cliquey, we really aren’t. Some of us have been on here for years – but all lurkers, intermittent returnees, oldies and newcomers very, very welcome.

SingToTheSky put together a glossary of the many weird and might-seem-a-bit-cliquey terms. We have been going a long time but we always love newbies - hopefully this list will help you settle in.

KCC - the Keep Calm Corner, invented by our lovely Fledgling SC back in March, where the OP posts nice diverting links, memes, questions etc to distract us from the pandemic.

Ta Da - instead of a to do list (which is of course welcome too) we often post our achievements, with accompanying jazz hands, in order to celebrate the positives, however small they seem! Sometimes if we want to share an embarrassed giggle/commiserations we also post a ta didn’t - the stuff we didn’t get done!

BRC - Bag/Box of Random Crap. These are usually formed when we are panic tidying and shove anything in “to sort later” which is also known as a stash and dash .

Power of Three or PO3 - the idea that if you’re feeling really unmotivated/overwhelmed by your to do list, you just choose three things to do, and then post when you’ve done them.

DLMS - didn’t lose my shit - in other words, somehow stayed relatively calm despite a stressful day!

SS/S&S - Swish and Swipe - this is one of the key parts of the morning routine, a quick once over of the bathroom.

And a few basics:
LOL - load of laundry
WM - washing machine
TD - tumble dryer
DW - dishwasher
HSL - hallway, stairs, landing

Dev : I'm sure you have a better balance than me though.

{to make a hollow laughing}

Hope your ILs are ok hazel.

Good work on the job application dancing

TaDa
drank tea while it was still a decent temperature
prodded S2 out of bed so he left on time
put recycling out
suggested S2 change a lever arch file for an ordinary one so as to close his bag without killing the zip
went to gym and ran all the 4km
brought bin back in
lol
picked celery and rocket, made lunch
made pastry
made filling for pies
pratted about
hung washing outside
made and cooked pies
picked and prepared the three bolted stems of chard
cooked chard really well! (unfortunately the secret appears to be butter...)
decluttered the last of the peanut butter icecream

H is now watching Stargirl. Surely he'll run out of telly soon?

Thanks for the links mog. Ah that is sad greenwellies.

Foxes hope your head feels better tomorrow. merry I'm very impressed you can run 4 km. I have to get back to running.

Wellies that is a tough day. 💐

I don’t feel like I’ve achieved much.

ta da
🟪moisturised
🟦wiped table from breakfast
🟩set DH/DS up for home ed (they actually did it all while I was out)
🟨yoga - surprisingly tough today!
🟧quick top up shop
🟥got a new resource from a friend to support their business venture and looked through it
🟧started a list of things to sell
🟨autism support session with DD1
🟩prompted everyone through evening routine including phone-free dinner, baths/showers, eczema cream for DS etc

ta didn’t
❌take my meds🤦‍♀️
❌design the worksheet DS is meant to be doing tomorrow🤦‍♀️

I really should have a go at starting that now but I’m sleepy and DD1 has requested Stranger Things! At least Cagletini is allowed back to nursery tomorrow so hopefully I can get some time in the morning while DS gets on with his other tasks (this week he only has a few things each day to ease us all in) before my phone call at 11 which I’m super nervous about!

Oh WillowI am so sorry. I worry about that for myself. I am hoping my forgetfulness is part of the stress.

Orange what age do you teach?

foxes hope you feel better in the morning.

Merry great list. I’m impressed by the running.

Ta da
Emails sent.
Lunch Banty egg sandwiches.
Washed up.
Bed made, I should have changed sheets but as weather was rubbish I thought I would wait until tomorrow and off, washed, dried, back on.
Made list
Washed up.

Plan to make a decision tomorrow.
Email or phone Union.
Clean dresser.
Wash floor.

Cherry waves🍒🍒🍒🍒🍒🍒🍒🍒🍒🍒🍒👋👋👋👋👋👋👋👋👋

Evening all, I have just skimmed through the thread. Going camping at the weekend was lovely but has left me very behind with everything else. One DC went back to school today and had to be retrieved from town 10 miles away because all the trains were cancelled. The other goes back tomorrow. I am just about done with helping sort all the uniform, hand sanitiser, notebooks, exercise books, masks, money, railcards, pens, keys, debit cards, pe kits, lab coats, shoes, I thought this was meant to get easier as they got older. I will be in the naughty corner if anyone is looking for me

sounds like a stressful day ED. I think their lives become more complicated as they get older hence the parenting demands. Glad child retrieval went well.

Places cocktails of choice and medicinal vapours for stressed parents in the naughty corner

Sending good vibes to all of you battling through stress and frustrations!

Lisette what a transformation of the patio!

Ta Da:
🎉LOL x2: washed, dried, and folded
🎉Kitchen S&S and quick bathroom S&S
🎉Living room dusted/surfaces cleaned
🎉Utility room tidied up and surfaces cleaned
🎉 Downstairs hoovered
🎉Job jobbed - I surprised myself at how productive it was.

Was looking for baby wooly hats online, but couldn't really settle on anything. So I had a brainwave and decided to crochet it myself.. First attempt turned out to be quite small, and now the second attempt is starting to look it will fit DH 😬 Let's see if I can make anything remotely decent looking and in a roughly correct size..

🍒👋 to everyone!

Morning! Anti procrastination day! Looking forward to porridge and a cup of real coffee. Woke at 5.30 this morning which is early for me.

Morning everyone!
Oh Lisette, I was set on breakfast cereal, but now I think I am going to make porridge too 😬

Wellies congratulations on getting that milk bill! 🎉😂
Oh I hope you enjoy your date with your friend! This virus put a proper spanner in the works, hasn't it.

Morning all! Just dropped Cagletini at nursery. She was quite happy to go in the buggy this morning and only got a bit subdued at handover (which is now at the door). And I managed the walk a lot more easily than last time so I guess that’s because my general fitness is better.

I need to design DS’ worksheet and then have the phone call at 11 aaaaargh

I'm a recent convert to porridge MC. I hated it for years but found a brand I like and I top it with greek yoghurt and fruit so it's like eating dessert. I'm the sort of person who loves semolina and tapioca so once I got a brand with the right consistency I was fine!

I'm so glad Cagletini was fine in the buggy sing and that the journey to nursery went well. My earliest memories are of being pushed to playschool by my grandmother in a square red pushchair in the 1970s. The name of the road to the playschool translated into english as 'The hill of the heart' (was a gaelic name) because it was so steep it was heart-attack inducing. I know poor gran struggled with the buggy at that point!

wellies well done on the milk bill

Ta da:
booked dentist
ordered outdoor lights for front and back of house
painted the chair leg ends of the garden chair
cleaned paint brush left in garage
Cleared up after breakfast
Starting work
Have got painter to come some time over next 6 weeks. He may be able to fit us in sooner and will ring at the last minute if we have a good day without rain.

to do:
general run around and tidy of downstairs
change bedclothes
go for a walk
pay bill
catch up on emails

wellies hooray for anti procrastination! I also have a bill to pay so thanks for the reminder. Sorry to hear about your FIL 😞
Yes, it is meant to be my day off, although I have so much work to do I am going to have to do a bit of overtime today unfortunately.

My headache is still lingering, it's hormonal, always lasts for a day or two every month.

Ta das
Dishwasher on
Recipe found for dinner tonight
Washing on X 2
Cups brought down from upstairs
Laundry away
Sorted through the vast quantities of fruit my mum gave me and threw the mouldy stuff out, the rest is now properly away in the fruit bowl
Washing up

Now to do some work I suppose.

I really, really need to find some time to sort out a proper routine for the housework because I'm just all over the place right now

Sing - weldone for pushing pushchair to nursery! Glad to hear your fitness is improving as I know how important it is to you.

Lisette- your patio looks so new after its been cleaned!

Merry- i love cooking with Chard too. My uncle grows it in his garden. Its makes a lovely light dish.

Foxes- i hope your headache goes soon. Its horrible having a lingering headache.

Ed- sending you strength

Wellies- i honestly dont know how you manage to juggle soo much!

Mc- crochet hat sounds lovely- please send us pictures when you make it. I loved the baby woolly cardigans when mine were babies.

I am have made a tiny start on my house of doom

Ta das-
First lol in.
I have loaded dishwasher.
DH cooked mackeral- kitchen ontop of being very cluttered- stinks- thanks mate.

I have hidden 7 plastic childrens plates, bowls, cups to reduce the sheer amount of shit stuff i have to try and juggle in the kitchen.

I am going to pop in and list the things i have done....so i dont crack under the weight of what needs doing here.

Can the weather just decide what its doing, humid, hot, cold, cloudy,

I am using my phone to use mumsnet...and its sooo difficult....argh...

Cherry wave to everyone here!

Wellies Sorry about your tough day, I hope your DD has a better day today. It must be hard with your FIL too.

Sing Great news on the fitness.

Dancing Good luck with the application.

It's anti-procrastination day so I've added to my to-do list. Tbh I have been procrastinating on that. I only have the littlest one today so I've been enjoying them and decluttering some chocolate whilst they nap. I'm doing an online course to fire up my brain again (I have terrible baby brain), the guy hosting it is about 12 and I feel old . I didn't get the job I applied for so I'm going to take a bit of time out whilst the kids are at school and I can enjoy the peace and get some headspace to prepare for future applications/any interviews.

Lots of talk of anti procrastination day so instead of spending last 45 minutes before school run staring at my phone I forced myself to do stuff I didn't want to do!

Ta das
Finally decluttered old pillows from our bed!
Put charity bag stuff away rather than on the floor!
Sorted socks
Put all the laundry away
Took some of ds new books away the ones he has read now
Tidied the main bedroom , got all the rubbish off the floor
Hung more washing out
Reloaded dishwasher
Put my work stuff away
Wiped kitchen sides (or most of them anyway!)

Still didn't clean the fridge out though 🙄

Got to dash now, school run is so early these days!

Hello again! Cagletini is tired from nursery but had a lovely time. I’m so pleased and surprised considering she had only just got to the stage of “slightly tearful at drop off” before lockdown! (She’d started in mid January).

I’ve had my phone call from the work charity, oh my word she was absolutely lovely. I have to admit I felt quite tearful and overwhelmed at first, this just feels huge. But she’s really positive, and has lots of ideas of organisations to look at, including plenty she works closely with, because of my skill set and ASD/ADHD knowledge - she even sort of joked about me working for them 🤣 anyway she’s going to look into a couple of things and we will speak again next week.

The weather is insane isn’t it, it was humid this morning then so hot and now it’s chilly. I’m so tired today, I have a raging headache and the kids are going crazy, roll on bedtime!. We had tomato soup with homemade bread for tea, I really love this time of year.

It is very good strange lisette, we can’t sing in class either, which I find incredibly strange. I’m used to singing games, it my main way of teaching😂.

You had such a tough day yesterday, wellies, I hope that today was better.

foxes I hope that your head feels better soon.

bower I teach year 3’s, I have taught early years before which’s is lovely but I do prefer year 3’s, I’ve taught them last year and this year.

mc how far along are you? I bet you’re so excited.

Thank you wellies! It is so difficult but I’m really hoping they don’t close now, so many children have come back a lot more anxious than usual, I really don’t think it will do them any good to be off again.

Great news about nursery sing, DD is at the age where she doesn’t want to be in the buggy but still takes ages to walk. I’d rather just put them both in the double buggy and be done with it, but she likes to make life difficult!. I’m glad it went well for DD, and that phone call sounds great.

ta da
🥫Made beds
🥫Dressed DC
🥫Dressed myself
🥫S&S
🥫Fed animals
🥫Made breakfast
🥫Dropped DC off at nursery
🥫Work
🥫Picked DC up
🥫Walked over the woods with the dog and DC
🥫Picked up poo
🥫Booked flu jabs
🥫Did hotspots
🥫Made tea
🥫Washed up
🥫Put on LOL
🥫Packed bags and lunches for tomorrow

Links for Thursday 10th September

We are in Zone 2: the Kitchen

Spend 15 minutes decluttering here before moving onto detailed cleaning.

Today’s mission is to clean the larger appliances Not necessarily a massive deep clean of everything; make it more manageable, like wiping doors and handles of the fridge and oven, or give the hob a good scrub.

Our tenth baby step is learn the power of 15 minutes This is all about getting started and giving ourselves permission to stop when the timer goes off. You cannot restart the timer and this is not a race to finish in 15 minutes, either!

Habit of the month is Before Bed Routine

Thursday focus is errand day Any task to be done outside of the home: grocery shopping, tip runs, dry cleaning, doctor appointments, that sort of thing.

Evening. Had lots to catch up on there but I’ve managed although I don’t think I’ll remember much for personals.

Good luck with the job Dancing. I actually find I’m more on top of the house when I’m working than when I have time off. It makes it easier to have a routine I think.

Glad nursery is going well for Cagletini Sing.

Hazel MIL actually hates shopping but there’s a toy shop and a market a few minutes walk from us and she has been taking DD to one or the other whenever she is heading in that direction and seemingly buying her everything her little heart desires. Which is lovely as a treat but not great for a regular occurrence! Hopefully it’ll reduce.

I have managed no zone work or missions the last few days, although I’ve been much better at sticking to my evening routine.

Today’s ta das:
🧹3 LOLs washed and dried (thankfully it was a good drying day as the tumble dryer was omitting a very worrying burning smell yesterday and so is out of anxious until we can get it checked )
🧹 clean washing put away or added to ironing pile
🧹 bathroom cleaned
🧹 upstairs tidied, dusted, hoovered
🧹 dish curry made for tea, and tomorrow’s work food prepped. DH on kitchen clean up
🧹 nursery and work bags packed

Had a trip to the park with DD and that’s about it for today. Hot chocolate and my book then bed I think.

Hope all is ok Zoo

That’s out of action, although it certainly made me anxious when I first got a whiff! And my curry contained fish, not dishes.