April Flying with the Fledglings - We’re No Fools

[EffortlesslyDecluttering]

Welcome to the April Flylady thread, we are starting the month with spring well and truly sprung, flowers out, longer days and hopefully warm, dry weather.

If you're looking for something simple to start that can be easy to add to over time, Flylady may be the answer for you! This is a long running thread, but we are a friendly bunch and all are welcome to join in.

Do NOT sign up for the Flylady emails - unless you want to end up with a very cluttered inbox.

There are Baby Steps for starting out, add one thing at a time to start good habits and routines.

There are 5 zones that we will rotate through, don't worry about finishing it all this month, it'll come around again next month! Flylady is NOT about perfectionism! Her motto is “you are never behind”. We will be decluttering and cleaning in these zones with a daily mission posted, these are tasks that should take up to about 15 minutes.

Other daily themes: each day of the week has a different regular to-do:
Monday: Home Blessing (or as we call it, home bleugh) - hoover, dust, change beds etc
Tuesday: plan & play
Wednesday: anti-procrastination
Thursday: errand day
Friday: clean car & purse out a week. It's also date night (with your significant other, or friends, or yourself!)
Saturday: family fun day
Sunday: renew your spirit

Common acronyms we use:
LOL: load of laundry (washing is certainly NOT funny!)
DW: dishwasher, we are not rotating wives by any means, although an extra pair of hands could come in handy sometimes 😆
LMS: lose/lost my shit
DNLMS: did not lose my shit
There are more, feel free to ask us to explain something. I'll try to update links every day.

Note: The Flylady website and app are not working reliably at the moment, both are stuck in Zone 5 and have been for several weeks. So the launchpad is not always up to date. However the Zone and Babystep pages are useful for reference. I will be posting the daily Flight Plan from the Flylady FB page instead for the time being.

Launch Pad: https://www.flylady.net/d/new-links/
Zones: https://www.flylady.net/d/zones/
Baby Steps: https://www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/31-beginner-babysteps/

THAT I haven't done it myself, but I do remember growing up the dining room was my brother's bedroom for a few months until he moved out (we had just moved into the new house), but I was only 4/5 at the time so my memory of it is a little fuzzy!

I do know people have and do set up bedrooms as they need to. I would try to block it off a bit to add some privacy, either using Kallax units or wardrobe etc, and have someone who stays up late sleeping there (even if that means it's you).

I'm crossing my fingers and toes for you to get the bigger house though!

That . . . What makes a room a bedroom rather than a dining room? We have a downstairs bedroom, I suppose it could be a dining room, it's at the back of the house and we just keep the door shut when there are visitors. We do have enough space in the living room for a kitchen table though.

Pulled the fridge out & cleaned behind it. The drip tray was really vile (i won't describe it!) and I've put Milton through it all to hopefully stop it getting so bad again. It is probably 10ish years of buildup as I don't think I've done that since I bought it.

Other than that, reasonably on top of things. Well . . . Sort of . . .

Thanks ladies

If we did have to go down that route i would be looking at using a room with a proper door and that doesnt lead to the garden or another room. Id have that room myself too

Wish there were more bigger houses to rent!

That sounds like a good plan THAT. I'm still keeping everything crossed for you for the better option house 🤞

Thanks Hazel

Im hoping me putting I want to move in asap will help my application - other people might not be able to do that. House is listed as available in 3 weeks

Had a shit night sleep. Just wide awake for ages around 3am which isn't like me!

Oh no THAT I'm sure the stress of moving and not knowing about the house is what made it so you woke up. Hopefully you can have an easy day today and an early nights sleep.

Our family fun day is going to be a busy one!
This morning I need to make lemon blueberry bars for tomorrow and cook some hard boiled eggs. I then need to take the dogs to my ILs since we will be out the rest of the day, probably till late.

Once DH is home from work (noon), we're going to head to the big city where DD is, to help her move her big things to her new apartment. She lives about 2 1/2 hours away.
She needs a few things for her apartment as well as some groceries, and of course we'll take her out to eat dinner. It's going to be a long day.
Hopefully it won't be too late so we can pick the dogs up tonight, otherwise they'll bring them over tomorrow.

I have about 4 hours to get done what I need to this morning (including eating some lunch), so will start once I've finished my 1st cup of coffee.

thanks hazel - suppose could be stress related!

Hopefully better night sleep tonight cause I am struggling now!

Yesterday I got everything done that I needed to. It ended up being a really late night, so didn't go pick up the dogs.

Happy Easter! 🐰🐣🐥🪺🥚

I have quite a bit to do this morning.

🐰 decorate for Easter (I usually do this at the beginning of the month, I'm very late this year!)
🥚 stuff plastic eggs with candy
🐣 make deviled eggs
🐥 make rolls
🪺 make ranch
🥕 roast baby carrots
🐇 S&S bathrooms
🐰 rotate DW

I wanted to try to fit in a workout this morning, but realistically I won't be able to 😟
I still need to take a shower and get ready for the day. It's 8:15am here. But I need a 2nd cup of coffee 1st, and DH is still asleep (I shower in the en suite).

How's everyone else's Easter going?

How do i get started?

👋 @Georgeismydog I would recommend the baby steps, just jump right in where we are or start with the 1st baby step if you'd like, which is shining your sink. The baby steps are all about building a routine: https://www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/31-beginner-babysteps/

BloomingHazel

Where are you?!

Welcome @Georgeismydog . @BloomingHazel is in the USA, I think the rest of us are in the UK. If you have followed the thread you’ll see that I have been posting links most mornings with the day’s tasks on, and the opening post has some explanations too. The house is divided into weekly zones so we do a bit in each room over the course of the month, with the emphasis on decluttering and making good habits from routines.

Sorry for being AWOL over the weekend, it has just flown past. Back to work and college tomorrow, DS went back to uni yesterday. Let’s have a look at today’s flight plan even though it’s nearly bedtime, we are moving into the master bedroom this week. Today’s mission was to tidy up under the bed. Will start again with a proper link tomorrow https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Your-Flight-Plan-for-Sunday-.html?soid=1120012284937&aid=fSlFFXNq5Qw

Hello all! Ummm.... I went totally off track this month but rather than waiting till May, this is my post for accountability and starting again tonight, with my minimum which is draining board cleared, dishwasher on and kitchen counters ready for the morning! Off to read thread to catch up and be inspired 🤣

George, ED is correct, I'm in the US, in Idaho, so 7 hours behind you lot.
Well, that is until June, when I'll be back home visiting in the UK for 10 days! Woohoo! It's only been 7 years for me, 9 for DH & DC.. far too long!
10 days isn't really enough time, but DH doesn't get much time off work.

ED it's a busy weekend!

Welcome back Captain 👋 you know the drill, just jump right on in! You've done better than me, I still have dishes from Easter lunch/dinner 🫣 although I did put away a lot of stuff from Easter tonight, after work.

I'm off tomorrow and have a lot to catch up on, housework wise.

So i start by cleaning my sink? Then the following day i put my shoes on?

Yes, it's not called baby steps for no reason. But if you read flylady babysteps, it's a bit more than that, the mentality of starting good routines. There's links on this thread.

Hi all, I've had some time off with the family, my exams are very near but I think keeping my daily routines should help me feel ready to study rather than be a procrastination.

Today I have a rare day just with 7 year old DD, as she has an inset day. My plan is to plan the day with her when she wakes up, make her feel grown up. She's keen to do some cooking, She's a big reader. We're going to do the weekly shop and go to the library so the day will fill up quickly.

Morning! Is it Tuesday already?!

We had a lot of visitors over the long weekend so I've spent the whole weekend either tidying before or after them. So the house is good, but I need a rest!

George welcome, today you need to shine your sink and get dressed to shoes (not that we do, we're a shoes off house). The list gets longer as the month goes on!

Gah, it's happened again. I did post this morning and now checking in my lunch hour, no post. Sorry!

The mission was to spend 15 mins decluttering the master bedroom (can include ensuite if you have one) and Tuesday is Plan and Play Day.

George yes! The first few days you add something each day, then there's a few days when you're just doing those few things to get used to the routine, before you then add something else. You can pick and choose what you do, don't do. I've never done the sticky notes baby step, with no intentions to ever do it, so I just ignore that one (sorry!), even if you only do the first few for a few months, that's something and better than doing nothing.
Flylady is very much laid back imo. I do like to do the missions though, if I can, as each zone is then improving, but only add the missions when you feel ready.

2in2022 that sounds like a lovely day, I'm sure she'll love it!

Dilly isn't it great to have the motivation of guests coming. I do agree that a rest is needed though.

ED that's frustrating to have your post completely disappear!

To dos:
🐣 laundry, lots and lots of laundry!
🐣 bathe dogs
🐣 bleach bathrooms
🐣 vacuum
🐣 mop
🐣 dishes (DW & handwash)
🐣 pull weeds
🐣 bank
🐣 grocery shopping (once I've figured out meals)
🐣 dust in master bedroom
🐣 pay a couple of bills (I must do it now or I'll keep forgetting!)

A lot to do and only one day to do it! I keep telling myself I'll call in sick to give myself an extra day off to get stuff done, but I never do. I'm just not wired that way!

I think it doesn’t like the links. When I got home the typed out post was still there so I pressed post and got an error message, repeatedly. I have emailed MNHQ.

Sounds frustrating, ED.
It's very good of you to keep persisting 💐

Ta das so far:
🐰 LOLs x7 (6th lol in dryer, 7th lol in washer) including mattress protector & sheets
🐰 bathed dogs
🐰 vacuumed (including our mattress)
🐰 mopped
🐰 cleaned bathrooms
🐰 cleaned kennels
🐰 rotated DW
🐰 handwashed dishes
🐰 wiped countertops down & stovetop
🐰 lunch with DH (at home)

Well, I might just quote what the FB page says. It has worked some of the time. I haven’t checked the website for a couple of weeks either, will go back and have a look again.

Tada's for today
🎉sent off ADHD/ASD forms to both boys schools - must remeber to chase them if don't hear back that they have received them
🎉contacted docs office to try and arrange CBT for DS1
🎉3Lols washed and my / DH's out away. Kids have been instructed to put theirs away 🤞🏽
🎉all my bedroom floodrobe clothes put away 🎉(might count that as my biggest win!!!)
🎉 school lunch for kids prepped
🎉breakfast prepped
🎉 counters cleared
pretty productive all round!
tomorrow I'm back to work .... sort of looking forward to it.... sort of not! I had started a habit of looking for one thing to look forward to for either that day or the one to come so as not to feel like I was wishing my week away to get to the weekend.... so my look forward to for tomorrow is - I get to see my work colleague friends and catch up with them 💕