Spanking new Flybaby "nursery" thread - learn how to Fly for the month of September only

[Countingthegreyhairs]

Hello. Does anyone want to join/re-join us for a mutual "kick-up-the-bum" motivational thread starting tomorrow 1st September?

[Then we can join the main Flying threads thereafter if we want to.)

We did the same throughout August

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/good_housekeeping/799866-starting-tomorrow-accelerated-flying-for-month-of-Augu st-only

and it has really helped but being confirmed slatterns extreme cases we feel the need to repeat the exercise throughout September too. We need to declutter, organise, tidy and clean and generally get our lives under control.

All newcomers welcome!

sink is shiney and I've made some small progress with bedroom hotspot .

Think I had a bit of an unscheduled stopover at the weekend . Sat was the party - and yes the jackets were crispy perfection, such a relief . Didn't get in until 1.30am then had all day Sunday at a guides do with my god daughter.

Done Asda shop this morning, had a bit of a tidy round and have promised to make (from scratch) a chicken pie with dd this afternoon so I am going to have to get of laptop and get a little done first.

I managed to get our bedroom under control when I followed fly a while ago and I was so pleased with the result that most the time it stays ok. I remember one mission was to sort and colour code your wardrobe and I felt so sad doing it but it really has helped me save loads of time when getting ready - so much so I did the same to both dc's wardrobes

The days I work I always get my clothes ready the night before - saves me having to think during morning chaos, I also put the dc clothes ready and school bags because it reduces morning stress.

Hope you are all ok

Badges are sewn on, washing been on line and now in because of rain, utility room nearly done.

So, still need to get off here and get on with it........

Hi, DD's daughter still a little missshaped and podgy looking and now a disgusting colour too, but she has stopped saying "it hurts" "it hurts" repeatedly, so huge step forward.

Have to confess that the weekend was a disaster for the fly- lessons. Trying to get back on track today, but not really happening so far.
Washing is on line, but it has rained and I was at work, so it got wet and now I just think I will leave it there until it either dries again, or it can go straight to tumble dryer.
Dishwasher has been emptied and reloaded and is going again.
1st day back at school today and me back to work. - we managed just without fireworks.
Other than that I have an hour now to myself, which I could spend doing lots, but no, I am doing nothing and not feeling a bit guilty!! - til I typed that!!!

Off now to contemplate guilt vs relaxing. I know which will win!!!

Hi all.
Just got in from work but am pleased to report that I put out my clothes this morning and it did help with the stress levels! Came down to a shiny sink and a mini hotspot cleared. I have to say 2 minutes won't touch any of mine so am going to do 10 minutes at a time!
I have so far:
Got new contact lenses and arranged eye appointment for DS2
Got yet more files/pens/ highlighters for DD and DS2
Picked up a posh(ie almost homemade) ready meal from local shop .
Unloaded dishwasher.
Wiped around in ensuite and bathroom.

Tonight I will:
Do work for school.
Put out some of hotspot paper mountain in kitchen.
Shine my sink.
Put out clothes and encourage DC to do the same!

Got engorssed with cleaning the kitchen yesterday and elded up cleaning the insides of the cupboards too!!

Never managed the floor though

Ah well, back to it today. Got Messy play and a toddlers party this morning so hopefully DS will be tired enough to just sit and play while I get some jobs done...

Doing well with my spare bedroom hotspot and the kitchen one...both are clear. Now if I could just sort out the "filing" pile in the lounge!!

I can't believe I've been doing this for a week now and I think it's working. I've come down to a clean and tidy kitchen every morning. There is no clutter downstairs, just plumping up the cushions on the settee before I go to bed seems to make a difference to how tidy the living room looks. I'm completely on top of my ironing and laundry (not very good at putting it away though). Fourth day back at school for DC's and we've all been dressed before going downstairs for breakfast (me with makeup on too).

A neighbour popped round for a coffee yesterday and I invited her in, she said to me that it was the first time I'd ever invited her in, I normally keep her standing at the door, but it was because the whole of the downstairs was tidy, I wasn't embarrassed.

Yesterday i scrubbed the bathroom and tidied DS2's bedroom, I looked at DS1's room, but the phrase don't know where to start sprang to mind, so I moved some things around and then walked out. Bit busy with work today but will try and keep on top of everything.

Hello all - sounds like lots of activity going on!

Sink needed a bt of an extra shine this morning but otherwise on track still (so far...)

Have a nice new notepad in place of ring binder - so ticking off todays step!

Good morning all

Just diving in to shout

YOU ARE ALL DOING BRILLIANTLY!!!!! Well done - we have been airborne for an entire week. So great that some of you are finding that the routines are helping already.

Reward yourselves with some ceremonial gold wings!!

By now we should have shiny sinks, be putting our clothes out for the morning before bed, be getting dressed to our shoes (if you feel that will help) be sorting out our hot spots for two minutes a day, putting our bills in one place and have the beginnings of a house control journal.

Today we just have to keep doing all of that or catch up if we haven't!!

Sounds as though you are progressing in leaps and bounds never mind baby steps. Even if you are not - do not allow any negativity to slip in - just do one small step on the grounds that a small something is better than nowt!!

So sorry not to reply to everyone individually but this thread keeps growing!! Tis fantastic!!

Will just say:

Welcome CJCregg? How are you doing. Still plenty of time to catch up!

Congratulations Snitch - had not twigged you were pregnant - just adapt the steps to suit you - I find putting clothes out the night before absolutely essential to the smooth-running of my morning but if you don't then don't bother - also ring-binder thingy builds in to larger house control journal but again - some people do this on-line or whatever suits.

Have a productive day everyone!

Hi all, Well done to everyone. It does work, doesn't it?

Back on track now, although must do some more washing when I get back from work and have to clean the kitchen floor again after DCs made me a birthday cake and managed to get icing sugar all over the floor and it now had gone all caked and mushed and needs a bloomin' good scrub!

Bit of a manic day today and with it being my birthday I feel like having a little relax in the routine may be in order. Off out toninght with DH for celebratory meal and I do NOT intend to come home and shine my sink, so I will catch up tomorrow!

Happy birthday PA!! Hope you have a lovley day and enjoy your meal tonight.

Sink's a bit dull today so I shall give it a good shine this evening. Dp and I ended up having a take away last night so I ended up just slobbing relaxing before I went to bed.

I'm sure I have a ring binder here somewhere, left over from the OU course I never completed

Happy Birthday PAO

Had a guy round this morning to sort out loft insulation quote. He has given us a date of work for 25th September . Our loft has over 20 years of junk!!! We have decluttered it in the past but never really well and now we have to empty it!

I see lots of visits to the tip , even surveyor asked if we would have time to get it sorted! LOL

Children go back to school tomorrow and dh between contracts so we will both have to get busy - dh hates throwing anything away so this could be fun, determned not to transfer mess to double garage which is already full!

I haven't got going on the 'writing it down' thing either. What do people write that merits a whole ring binder? Examples please.

On the plus side, sink is still shiny, bedroom hotspot slowly improving, I cleaned the kitchen cupboard doors today (I signed up for the e-mails & am being deluged with them. Most get binned, but one said to clean the kitchen cupboard doors today so I did - are we supposed to?). Rest of the house is still a tip.

I don't like putting my clothes out at night either. It takes no time at all in the morning & I don't see the point.

Overall it's going well though!

Hi

Stumbled across you yesterday and was intrigued. Was looking for inspiration as after DP being off work for 6 weeks I was expecting to have the house spanking and the freezer full but - NO CHANCE! So now back on my own with 5 mth baby I need to get organised.

Read a few bits on the Flylady website and got all excited so have SHINED MY SINK. Does that mean I'm flying?

Bit worried I won't catch up on the other days but Countingthegrey has done a nice little summary so thanks.

Am I in the right place for inspiration and hand holding if I fall off the wagon.

Also, do your DH\DP's think you've gone mad?

Hello all, thanks for welcoming me to the thread.

I'm still behind - yesterday was Day 1, so I shined sink (oh yes) - should that be shone? - wore shoes (!) and chose clothes for today. Am still wearing the tights, boots, skirt and jumper I put out, even though it's suddenly summer again ...

Still need to catch up and had a massive regression today, did nothing at all as if in rebellion against yesterday's success. Does anybody else do this? Anyway, will start again tomorrow ...

Happy birthday, Positive. Hope you are having a lovely meal....

Havingagiraffe - haven't quite got roound to mentioning what I am doing as such yet to DH. He knows I'm putting out hotspots and keeping a shiny sink but he thinks I'm controlling enough with showing him the flylady site!!! DD (14) has seen it though and does think I'm totally mad. Anyone else keeping it a bit quiet from other halves or am I the strange one??

So far I have:

emptied, reloaded and filled dishwasher
hung out 2 lots of washing
been to Tesco for mini shop
got out clothes and come down dressed to shiny sink.
Also managed 10 mins of hotspotting last night.

Oh, also worked all day!!

Looking forward to rest of the week now (only work p/t)and doing more flying!!

Evening all and a happy birthday to Positive .

I have a confession to make......my plane has crash landed and I am no longer flying . I need to figure out how to take off again. The last two days have been crazy at work and I just haven't been able to do anything. (or is it just that I am a slattern?).

Optimistic I have not told DH either. I figured if I can get it to work and he notices the miraculous improvement in houseworl (ie I am actually doing some) I will then tell him crazy system that is flying.

So, am going to steel myself and get going again. I was at the hotspot point so figured I would pick up there even if I am a little bit behind you high fliers

Today I have:-

Done f* all apart from cook tea and Hollby City's on so I've got no chance

Tomorrow I will:-

Do 2 loads of washing
Re-shine my sink
Get dressed to lace up shoes
Get me and Dc's out
Take washing from pile in pantry upstairs
Tackle hotspot in hallway
Put out clothes

The rest of you are doing fab, shame my slatternness (is that a word?) is letting the side down.

I haven't told DH either - worried he'll think I'm being a bit of a loon. BUT he has commented on how tidy the kitchen is.

Am really liking the hotspot thing (now I've figured out what it means...) and have, hopefully, permanently put out the one in the kitchen where EVERYTHING gets dumped - 2 (OK 5) minutes a day seems to make a huge difference. Also tackled the top of the piano today, so we can now see the photos on the wall, rather that just a towering pile of stuff.

Am not getting the ringbinder thing though. Is it really necessary??

I've fallen off the wagon a bit too. This is kind of how my diets go. I think that by joining this thread my house will be tidy

Trouble is I don't seem to understand a word the flylady is on about.

My sink is clean
I get dressed before breakfast
but what are hotspots and what am I supposed to do with them? I think my house has about 10 of them!

Also, what are the reminders I'm supposed to be reading? Does she mean her emails? Because there are bloody hundreds of them and they are annoying.

Hi

I am following this too so may I join?
Keeping mostly up. Shining sink, getting dressed, got my clothes out yesterday. Did not buy a ring binder but a little notebook as I tried a ringbinder last time and I found it too bulky.

I have written out my morning and evening routine. Done a few hot spots. Going to do a 10 minute fling this evening as is our task for today.

The shiney sink thing is beginning to drive me nuts!

I have a stainless steel sink and quite a high tap. The result is that the second anyone runs the tap and water hits the sink bottom, it splashes against the sides of the sink and leaves horrid water makrks again.

I have to wipe over the sink every time it is used!!! Then, because of the shape of the tap (i'm told) it spits out a bit more water a few seconds later and I have to wipe it again!!

But it makes the kitchen looks so much tidier...

Any tips?

Morning all

Welcome HavingaGiraffe - yes we will hold your hand here !!

step for today, Sept 9th

Fruitstick, Elliepac and CJCregg - don't worry about "falling off the wagon" - it takes 28 days to establish a habit and that is what this baby-step period (much as I loathe that phrase) is for. If you miss one day, just dive in the next day, no prob. You can never be behind with the Flylady system. Just jump in where we are on that day.

Fruitstick - Hot spots are areas in your house where "stuff" that doesn't have a specific place collects. Examples of mine are: a basket on my kitchen counter full of old bubble mix bottles, cookie cutters, birthday cake candles, plastic coins, broken ice cream moulds ...etc and a drawer in dd's bedroom crammed full of stuff "that I've just put there for later" and now has got out of control: odd socks, broken hair bands, half used sheets of name labels etc, doll's combs, etc etc. If you don't have any hotspots like that, it could be a load of clothes on a chair or a huge lot of paperwork that needs sorting.

The purpose of the hot-spot exercise is NOT to do a huge sort out (please note Team Edward !!). You just tackle your hot-spots for 2-5 minutes once or twice a day and eventually they will be clear (if you don't add to them in the meantime). Not everyone has time to do huge clearing projects and so this is a realistic way of dealing with them. You think it will never work, but if you do it EVERY day, it's amazing what gets done in just two 5 minute periods of time. If you have 10 hot-spots just work on one every day until you finish it. Then do the next. They probably took quite a while to appear in your house - so they will take a while !!

Kemble and others - the file thing doesn't look important now but - and again you must adapt the system to suit yourself - but it has really helped me be more organised. Eventually, it turns in to a house control journal where you keep all your emergency numbers, your cleaning routines, your meal planning sheets etc etc and it has saved me a whole load of hassle. Again, it is built up very slowly from nothing - and we are not meant to be perfectionist about it - an old file with a sheet of paper bunged in will suffice.

I have chosen not to receive the e-mails too (because they also drove me mad last time I signed up for them) and choose to follow the system from the Flylady book which is available through Amazon (tis called 'Sink Reflections' .

Must go to work. Hello to everyone I've missed and hope you had a great evening last night Positively!!