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!

MiniMarmite - Youve got it!! Then later you come back and tell us all how much you have actually managed!! Your list looks very impressive. Don't worry if it doesn't all get done, just put it on tomorrows list!! Congrats on the pregnancy news. I'm sure your boss wasn't impressed!! I know what its like all crammed in a small house. We had 5 dcs in a 3 bedroom house, but the smallest room would not fit drawers in once a bed was in there. It certainly taught me to throw away/give away ANYTHING that was not essential. We now live in a big house and I love the space, but still like having a good old clear out of non-essentials!

OM - You are very brave!! I have not been brave enough to actually go and sort out my teenagers rooms! Hope he will be so bowled over by the lovely clean room that he just gives you a big hug and a huge thankyou!! . Good luck for tonight!!

How can one house get so messy in 24 hours...aaaaaaaaaaaagh

I'm intrigued by this on the FlyLady website:

"Put Away" Stuff: When the "Put Away" box gets full, take the box in your arms and run around the house (good thing you have shoes on - right?) and put the items in the room where they belong.

Why is it a good thing your shoes are on? What type of flooring does she have?!

I've also realised why her shoes=working thing doesn't work for me - I tend to take my shoes off at work so I can sit on my feet (very casual office). As long as I'm not in pyjamas though I guess I'm okay!

Am at work today, but have been planning out the evening cleaning and decluttering, and emailing lists to DH as I work!

Hello all

Step for tomorrow:

Thursday 24th September

This is a really useful one!!

Oh dear ... I really don't deserve the title of "esteemed leader" ... sorry not to be responding to everyone's comments/questions properly. Still feeling a bit grim.

Hope everyone else who is ill or who is coping with horrible bugs is on the mend!

Answers to specific questions following!

The Control Journal:

I totally appreciate that, for some, this may seem like a step too far! I certainly don't tick off the daily routines with a marker etc but I do find it helpful to have my routines and address book and emergency contact details in there. (Plus details such as how to turn the water off or the gas off in an emergency for example.)

Adapt it to suit yourself. Like the rest of the Flylady system, this is a process. It doesn't have to be complete or perfect from the off-set/don't be perfectionist about it. Progress not perfection is key.

At the moment it could contain your morning and afternoon/evening routines, and you could start adding important addresses as they come up. Eventually it will contain zone cleaning lists and menu planning.

It is also a very useful document (as I can testify) if you have to go away suddenly or are incapacitated for some reason - someone else can take over easily - plus your dh/dp/family will know how much you actually do!

It also really does help with one's own sense of achievement - once it is written down in black and white - you really appreciate what you have done every day.

I am now starting to sound a tad too evangelical about the system for my own liking [worried emoticon] I shall be ordering one of those denim vests next ....

Rhian - here is the explanation regarding shoe-wearing -

www.flylady.net/pages/FLYFaq.asp#whyshoes

you can take it or leave it!! The Flylady argument is that you act differently when you are dressed and have your shoes on and then there's no excuse not to put that box of old toys in the car to go to charity or take the bottles out to the recycling bin etc etc.

I think this one may be for those of us who are tempted to curl up on the sofa and read a book instead of clean!!

Snorkie:

This sounds like a cop-out but there isn't anything that "ought" to be on your afternoon routine. It should be individual to you and suit your needs.

Personally, for example, because I'm an old grey mare lacking in energy at the moment and am lucky enough to work school hours I do most of my evening routine when I get home ....because once I sit down of an evening I don't usually get up again except to be winched upstairs by dh!!

Here's an example of Flylady's routines though:

www.flylady.net/pages/FLYingLessons_Routines.asp

Hope this helps although it doesn't specifically answer your question. Maybe others on here have better suggestions??

Welcome to Mini-Marmite and congratulations on your pregnancy!

Deepdarkwood - you really MUST not hang your head in shame!! It is not allowed!! You did your morning routine this morning and that is terrific!!

NOTE TO EVERYONE:
Start small! The whole idea of the flylady system is that the routines must become automatic - a good analogy is learning to drive - you won't think about it consciously after a while.

If you are having a problem keeping up then your routines are too big/complicated. Just focus on one routine or one small thing for 15 mins if nothing elsee. Take loads of breaks. You are never behind. You are not competing with anyone!!

Don't try and do everything at once. Write down small routines, establish them, and then add to them when you feel stronger!!

Take care everyone!!

Thanks for the links Counting, will put in my diary to look properly tomorrow. Hope you are feeling a bit better.

Positive - haven't told anyone in RL yet but I'm already in fear of telling my boss!

Here's my progress for today:

Clear away lunch things - done
Prepare dinner for tonight - done
Put beans to soak for tomorrow dinner - done
Put market shopping away - done
take DS swimming - done

load dishwasher, tidy kitchen - done
put washing on and hang out to dry - done
make decluttering plan with DH - done
ironing - done
Prep DS lunch for tomorrow and pack nursery bag - done
put out breakfast things for the morning - done
Be in bed by 11 - if I'm quick

For tomorrow:
DS to childminder
clear b'fast things/clean kitchen
washing on
work (from home)

washing out
change bed linen and towels
cook evening meal

collect DS
clean kitchen/load dishwasher
iron
read flylady info

Ok, off to bed!

marmite we may have to ban you from this thread for being too good at it!

Hi all

For those asking about routines

If this helps at all? It is from my control journal

Morning Routine
Up, make bed, shower and teeth
Swish & swipe
Dress and down stairs
Clear breakfast dishes, wipe table and sweep under table
Breakfast stuff in dishwasher
Wipe kitchen sink or kitchen worktop as necessary
Turn on dishwasher if full
Empty bin if necessary, and put in new bin bag, wipe bin if it needs it
Make Sam?s bed
Put on LOL
Put on makeup
Give Sam inhalers

After work Routine
Make tea and unload dishwasher if run
Hang LOL out/ bring in yesterdays
Put tea stuff in dishwasher or wash up
Give Sam inhalers & montelukast
Damp dust Sam?s room

During Evening
Fold laundry and put away/ in ironing basket (whilst watching TV!)
Ironing
Check diary for to dos
Daily job -see section 3

Before bed Routine
Put away items from lost property basket at the bottom and top of the stairs
Tidy round sitting room
Lay out clothes for morning
Wipe round sink, and put cloths in washing machine
Shower & bed!

Section 3 -Daily job

Monday
Change Sam?s bed

Tuesday
Vacuum upstairs

Wednesday
Vacuum downstairs
Dry mop Lounge
Polish lounge

Thursday
Wash kitchen, hall way & downstairs loo floors
Polish hallway cupboards

Friday
Wash upstairs bathroom floors

Saturday
Change my bed

Sunday
Get ready for week ahead
Check uniforms ready
Iron any odd bits left
Tesco.com shop

Wow marmite you putting some us (ie me) to shame already.

dreamteamgirl, thanks for that. It's really helpful to see how a full routine can work, especially from someone who's working. Wears me out just reading it though!

Has anyone got any tips for getting ground in rice, porridge, potato and rusk out of carpet? (Round the high chair, if you can't guess)

Didn't get much packing/decluttering done last night as had work to do, but have brought a bag of books out of the house that need to come back to work, so that's something!

This morning:

Up and dressed and at work!
DS up, changed, fed and dressed, taken to nursery
Skim-hoovered kitchen, living room, bathroom and halls (only around stuff on the floor, didn't move anything)
Swished round bathroom
Put DS's bowl in to soak
Tried to make the flat look presentable as people are viewing it today! It's impossible though - we have too much stuff, plus now we have packing boxes piling up!

This swish and swipe business.

I'm out of the bathroom first so if I do it it will just be all mussed up again by the time DH has finished his ablutions.

Am off to
finish morning routine (did all of it but none of it very well)
change all the beds
prepare lunch for DS1s return
declutter toys
take DS1 to gymclub

erm - that's it

Same here - DH showers before me but then does his hair and brushes his teeth right before he leaves the house. Had to make sure he didn't mess it up today as I'd cleaned ready for the viewing - he honestly never notices when he leaves stuff a mess, it's very frustrating!

Thanks elliepac I have been staying at my mums for a few days so fly hasn't taken off for me yet (she wasn't keen on me shining her sink!). I have started making the bed as soon as I get up and getting my clothes ready the night before so I am keeping in the spirit of fly I think.

Loving the idea of a control journal! I might have to start this properly next week when I am home.

Thanks for the welcomes. I love this thread!

Congratulations minimarmite!

Thankyou for your routine dreamteamgirl, I used to have a rota written on the inside of the cupboard under the stairs but have not followed it since ds was born nearly 4 years ago

Have been decluttering more of my bedroom this morning. I bought some of those vacuum bags from the poundshop last week so have managed to make some space up there. Have also taken 2 bags of clothes to the charity shop and am going to take the old ironing board and stairgates to the tip later.

Hi all

You are all doing so well I'm trying hard not to hang head in shame...

My day started off by doing a packed lunch run to Tesco at 7am . How bad is that? Flylady would be totally ashamed of me!
Since then have:
Done beds
Swished and swiped
started on tea as we have 2x rugby matches followed by a meeting at school later.
Hung out washing
Done enough ironing so that the rest of it fits into the basket.

I also have a DH who does his 'morning routine' in the last 20 mins before we leave the house!
I've decided that I need to pull back duvet (a la Kim and Aggie) to air and come back to it later!Can't stand the idea of making straight away.
Also can't swish and swipe till he's finished so when I'm not working it's fine and when I am I will just have to nip in around him!!Or get him to do it!

See you all later

In a revolutionary move I have decided to move swish and swipe to DCs bathtime. I can swish and swipe whilst singing 5 little ducks

Blimey O'Riley - you are all doing brilliantly!!

Marmite you are putting me to shame too!!

Dreamteam - I aspire to have your routine - and stick to it!!

I have the same problem (first up) with an uncooperative dh (although he is truly great at childcare and cooking) but he leaves a trail of devastation behind him ....always have to swish and swipe after him in the bathroom ....

That's a good tip about swishing and swiping during dc's bath-time Fruitstick.

More power to your elbows everyone!

This is the step for tomorrow:

Step for Friday (yippee!!) 25 September

• catch up day really but in summary:

we are never going to be able to do things perfectly EVER - so let's allow ourselves to stop trying to achieve that - let's just try and be content with the realistic goal of "good enough" or with just "keeping going" or perhaps "one thing rather than nothing"

it takes at least three months for the routines to become automatic

reward yourselves with a gold star half a bottle of gin

Dreamteamgirl - thanks for your routines, that really helps. It just made me realise that I had the beginnings of this all in place but just lacked the motivation and commitment to do them. I already have:

• excel spreadsheet of weekly and daily chores
• fortnightly menu plans (this is one bit I am good at)
• my own upstairs/downstairs rule (unless I am carrying DS I am meant to take something that belongs upstairs back up and vice versa each time I go up or downstairs)
• already get up 15 minutes before family so I can be showered and dressed.

Despite this my house mostly looks messy so i must be forgetting to actually do the things I've written down!

Thanks Countingthegreyhairs...how am I going to keep the motivation going for 3 months!?

Anyway, having to tell you all what I've done is very motivational at the moment so, here's today:

DS to childminder - done
clear b'fast things/clean kitchen - done
washing on - done
work (from home)- done

washing out - done
change bed linen and towels - delegated to DH
cook evening meal - done

collect DS - done
clean kitchen/load dishwasher - done
iron - done (but not very much)
prep for tomorrow's meal - done
read flylady info - done

Thanks everyone for motivating me!

minimarmite am not sure you need much motivation

Well today I have done - nothing......qulle suprise?

However...DH has earned himself husband points by unwittingly completing half of my fly-lady routine. So DH has:-

Shined sink
washed up
Cleaned kitchen
tidied living room
Tidied and swept floor in dining room
Done a hotspot in the dining room
Put on a load of washing

Please no plaudits for DH because this is a once a month occasion

Today has been a crappy day as it is the first anniversary of my stepfather's death but I have managed to fly without lifting a finger Result!

CTGH I am begining to realise that I will never be perfect (if i was i wouldn't need a website to tell me how to clean my house ) and have decided that the fact that my house is no longer a trashed mess by the time we get to the end of the week means i am making a success of it.

fruitstick fab tip about swish and swipe during bathtime, am going to use that one for definite

Ellipac, I am extremely impressed that you have somehow subliminally influenced your DH into doing the FLYlady routines!

Sorry about your stepfather, I think it's good to have a day off on an anniversary like that.

How is everyone??

I'm up and about on slightly shaky legs following piggy flu [pathetic bid for sympathy emoticon] doing laundry and generally trying to whip the house back in to shape for the weekend.

Elliepac so sorry to hear about your stepfather - the first anniversary is a particularly tough one - hope it's possible for you to get a bit of space for yourself ...

plaudits to your dh

MiniMarmite - your Excel spreadsheet is beginning to frighten me
The way to keep motivated for three months is to take it steady - little and often every day - so that cleaning becomes something automatic/finite/contained/focused and not something that drags on endlessly every day -leaving us plenty of time to do the things we really enjoy doing!! (That's the Flylady theory anyway!!)

Failing all else, we will hopefully administer kicks up the bum motivate one another on here!!

Optimistic (from Thurs 24th) no head hanging allowed!! Anyone who can face tesco at 7am deserves a medal in my book. You are doing brilliantly!

Rhian82 - I don't have any carpets so am no expert so I'm not sure about the best way to remove dried in starchy stuff ... I've clicked on lots of "how to remove stains from carpet" sites such as this home-owner-tips.suite101.com/article.cfm/an_easy_guide_to_carpet_stain_removal but they all seem to concentrate on the usual (blood, ink, vomit, grease etc etc). If it's totally dry now could you try using a high-tack sellotape to get it off? If you decide to wet it then amonia might work but it's horrible stuff. Hopefully, others may have better ideas ...

Hello to everyone else!