Fledgling flyers October 2009

[Countingthegreyhairs]

Everyone welcome!

Here you can, for one month:

• repeat or start baby steps

• repeat baby steps + do 15 mins a day decluttering in the current zone

• reinforce babysteps and do daily missions if you have finished decluttering

As we are coverning more ground, to avoid confusion, I'll be posting links early in the morning on the relevant day.

Good luck!

CGTH you and me both today, woke up at the time we're normally walking out the door so no garderie for DC's today and caught myself walking dog with cup of tea in one hand and a slice of toast in the other, all sorted now and morning routine done with one lot of washing on line and my bedding in the machine washing as we speak.

Had quite a good day yesterday, dusted and polished in living room, took an hour in DS1's bedroom in the zone cleaning, even got him to go under his bed and pull out all the crap very precious toys he's stored there. Kind of went wrong in the evening though, spent 2 hours yacking to my old friend in the UK so went straight to bed, had forgotten to shine sink and even worse get DS1's bag ready for school swimming lesson today, so another contributor to me running round like a headless chicken this morning. You don't realise how useful these routines are until you forget to do them, it's a useful lesson for me.

Right I'm going to try and fly through my work today so that I can get back into DS1's room and wash down all flat surfaces.

Have a good day everyone.

Urggh - back of toilet bowl or DS1's bedroom. Not sure which is worse.

Today I have

d/w and w/m loaded / unloaded and laundry on line

Written cheques that need posting

Swept up stables garden (the rabbits create such a mess but they are forgiven as they are cuddly!

To do

Post cheques
Pay for DS1's diving lessons
Buy and post pressie to a friend who has just had a baby.
Ironing that didn't get done yesterday

Have a good day everyone.

It must be the day for it
DS moved into my bed at 3.30 and drove me nuts so I moved ito his room. Woke up at 7.45 to find him happily lying in my bed listening to alarm clock radio

Why is it at weekends he comes in so early (well I say erly by whihc I mean before 8.30 am) but during week wants to lie around???

Forgot to say that I did missions yesterday in ALL three toilets woo hoo- wasnt bad as I do it every week or two anyway, but nice to see them all shining. Bins should be very easy- not sure how mcuh time I will have for a 27 fling boogie in DS' room tho ...

WalkTheD totally agree- I forgot to do my clothes a week or so back, and the whole morning went wrong after it!! I actually couldnt sleep Sunday night and couldnt work out why, then suddenly recalled my clothes. Got up did them and was back in bed and asleep in minutes

Why is it I can get clothes out in less than a minute of a nighttime but in a morning I stumble about for 5 minutes and get wound up? Maybe just cos my eyes are still half shut? LMAO

have a good day all

Argh, a few minutes turned in to a few hours ...

Being late this morning had a knock-on effect and I've been trying to catch up all day

Waves to Dreamteam (I'm a fellow "morning stumbler" )

• your ds sounds LOVELY - I often wonder on waking how, dd ends up in our double bed alone and dh and I are on sofa bed/in guest room when we'd started off in the double!!

And no need to apologise, you didn't confuse things at all earlier by posting baby-step - very useful in fact - particularly at weekend when I have only posted on Fri and thread is long and people are checking in for instructions which are difficult to find. I was just concerned that I'd got the wrong end of the stick with the posting (bird-brained emoticon).

Thanks for info about zones - it does help - thanks. I've already divided up my house but it doesn't really fit in with Flylady zones so will have to make some adjustments. Sorry to be thick about this!!

Congratulations on your three-lav hatrick!!

Well done Paranoid - that's a good list you've got through - I haven't started my mission yet.

WtheD while you were walking dog with tea and toast in hand, I was helping dd with her homework while brushing her hair, cleaning her teeth and trying to ease myself in to a pair of trousers that are a size too small (I am NOT on top of our washing). The day didn't get any better. Well done for pulling yours together!!

Waves to Droitwich and Anmar - you are both setting very good examples to us with your consistent and realistic lists - well done!

Hope you are OK PA and just like you to tackle the bathroom with enthusiasm despite not feeling on form ...

Optimistic - so sorry - will look down thread - seem to have missed why your ds needs crutches - hope he is OK

Hope you are feeling better too Elliepac

Hi to HavingaG and anyone else I have missed

Now - one, two, three - let's all shout at the screen in unison ...

"GOOD LUCK TOMORROW tibni WE ARE ALL ROOTING FOR YOU!!"

someone give me a quick kick up the bum motivational speech please, I either seem to be able to keep up with the washing OR keep up with the the baby steps and that day's 15 minute declutter ....but not both I've got to be doing something wrong as we are only a family of three and I only work p/t.

And the thing about not keeping up with the laundry is that you can't put out your clothes the night before if they are still squished up in the laundry basket ....

Hi CTGH

OK, in flylady terms, forgive yourself [I know I know its pukey!)
You are doing brilliantly, you just need to sort a few things out. Are you using your timer?

Does your morning routine include putting a LOL on, and your evening/ afternoon one removing it and hanging out? Could you speed it all up by doing some 'cleanish' things on a fast wash?
Just forget decluttering and get caught up on laundry- that should take 2 days- using your timer for ironing (do you iron?) and sorting alongside yur babysteps- I bet you only have 3 or 4 loads to do, and if you sit with the clean washing in front of tv and sort it it will be done before you have watched 1 sky plussed programme.

I have a little tip for laundry sorting if it helps? I clear the sofa/ table/ floor around me and as I sort/ fold I put it in piles that go away together
e.g. My long sleeved tops, my short sleeved tops, my trousers, my jeans, DS' longs leeved, DS' pjs and so on . Then the stuff for putting away I just lift into basket in sorted piles and putting away takes like 45 seconds. The ironing goes into basket in piles and again is dead easy to put away as it is just 'life pile of tshirts, place in draw' not t-shirt in draw, ooh trousrrs they go in my room, oooh pjs, ahh DS' school shirt etc etc

Hope that helps a bit, but dont worry, leave the decluttering for afew days- it'll still be there

sorry for rubbish spelling
'life pile of tshirts, = LIFT piles of tshirts... Obviously...

First day at work accomplished yesterday, made it home all in one piece.

Today,
morning routine - done
clean bathrooms and floor - done
laundry on and hung out - done
second load of laundry - done
built DS1s trainset in the name of tidying and sorting - done
made cake - done (although not that successful as the recipe didn't make nearly enough mixture for specified tin and I didn't eat that much - honest!)
kitchen floor swept for the 8th time in about 3 days - done

Actually writing it all down makes it feel a lot more than in seemed.

Hurrah!

Oh Fruitstick - I'd temporarily forgotten it was your first day back - congratulations!!! And you have done fantastically well on the Flying front too. How does it feel to be back in the land of paid work?

Thanks Dreamteam - that IS tremendously helpful. I do need to take time out to get on top of this - thanks for "giving me permission"!! (pathetic emoticon )!!

I am being inconsistent about putting a load on every day. Thanks for the reminder - it's a very simple rule - I think I resist doing it because our entire basement is in a muddle and going down there depresses me.

Also, I know I am washing too frequently/too obsessively (ie always pre-washing when not necessary) and because I have a perfectionist obsession with beautifully ironed rows of t-shirts, underwear and tops, I am always ironing unnecessarily (although I must confess at this point to having an "ironing" lady who comes in for three hours once a fortnight although she is away for two months getting married at the moment). So I haven't really got an excuse there either .

Dh does get through 11 formal work shirts a week and (I don't know how) about 15 clean towels a week. (He's a big bloke and he swims alot!!) I can keep up with dh and dd's clothes though - it's just mine that suffer.

Tbh I think we have too many clothes, not enough storage and I need to streamline the whole system.

Your tip about folding etc in front of tv is a good one. I live in a tall, thin house with a ridiculous amount of different levels so instead of bringing the laundry to the tv, I might install a little tv down in the basement.

OK - duly motivated - I am donning a head-torch, crampons and going down there right now to sort it out ...

... I may be some time ....

Well done on your first day at work fruitstick ctgh wtd and dtg have you all caught up yet?

Not been home from work long. DH cooking dinner, DS decided he wants a bath so I will do the bathroom stuff while he's in there . Really tired so will probably defer some stuff until the weekend - sorting his pile of clothes out top of that list, might just move them tonight...

Check in later

Evening all, and good luck tibni for tomorrow

I've been a bit rubbish the last couple of days as I actually went out . At night. Without the baby!!

Meant I didn't even manage my evening routine very well last night. Never mind, caught up this morning and now morning and evening routines are done, but I am behind on hoovering, and can't do it because DD is in bed.

Haven't managed to start in the bathroom yet either. Will clean the toilet backs before bed though.

CTGH am very impressed by your laundry dedication. We are less fastidious chez pushme and Mr Doolittle is discouraged from excessive towel usage . We are baby led weaning DD though so we still managed to get through a couple of loads of washing per day between the three of us.

I have regressed . Having everyone poorly has really put the stoppers on everything. I haven't been able to get on top of anything. Am still feeling grotty and after a long day at work, i just can't summon the energy. [pathetic, feeling sorry for myself emoticon]

fruitstick glad your first day back at work went alright.

ctgh please don't stress out about it. Take DTG's advice, listen to her, she's my idol .

droitwich you are seriously impressing me now

Please forgive me while i shout the next bit. GOOD LUCK TIBNI FOR TOMORROW.

Hello and an enthusiastic wave to PA, OM, Havingagiraffe, Anmar and WTD (I also hate myself when i don't get things ready in the evening, valuable lesson learnt .)

After the last few days, am thinking am using this thread as my social life and not as a motivational tool .

Bugger, forgot MrsDoolittle. SO glad we x-posted so i don't look rude .

without the baby, can't remember the last time we had time without the darling dc's. Am very [jealous].

Double bugger, that should read,

am very

Evening girls...
Just flying by to see what you've all been up to. I have done a bit fat nothing today regarding zones but I promise I'll be catching up tomorrow! elliepac sorry you are feeling so grotty, for God's sake take the day off if you are ill. It doesn't matter that DD was ill before you...tell your head Optimistic told you to!
Tibni will be thinking of you tomorrow and good luck from me too.CTGH I think you need to have a serious chat with your DH about his excessive towel and shirt usage even if he can cook!{smile]
Hi to PA Having a g fruitstick PMPY and everyone else.
Where's the wine tonight????

It was good thank you - so nice to be able to finish a sentence! It's one short day in the office a week and one short day from home so I'm hoping juggling everything won't be too stressful.

I've decided to leave the DCs with the childminder for a little bit longer on both days so that I can get other chores done too. Hopefully that way I can spend quality time with them on the other days rather than dragging them round Sainsburys and sitting DS1 in front of cbeebies while I do the hoovering.

Does anyone divide the laundry by person? I'm thinking of giving everyone their own laundry basket and then washing them all a once. That way they won't need so much sorting, they just go back in their own room to be put away. Do you think that will work?

elliepac hope you're snuggled up in front of masterchef and feeling better. Start again tomorrow.

I'm too poorly for wine .

fruitstick am snuggled under DS's spiderman fleece but holby city (guilty pleasure) instead of masterchef. That washing idea sounds like an extremely good idea. My problem would be getting people to put them in the right basket. As I speak DS's socks are on the floor in front of me, his school jumper on the floor in the hallway, pants and trousers on the landing and shirt in the bathroom. That's how bad my house has got but am going to take OM's worldly advice because she told me to (scared emoticon )

TIBNI hope you get an early night and have laid out your clothes all set for the morning. You can check your hair and make up in your shiny kitchen sink. Good luck!

Fruitstick Congrats on surviving the first day back.

Good advice from dtg - I really need to get sorted on the laundry front. When I was working full time before mat leave I would only do about 3 loads a week for myself, DH and DS1 but now I seem to be doing 2 or 3 a day. I know the baby creates a bit more - but he's not that bad. Where is all the washing coming from??

Haven't managed my babystep today. Just haven't had time and I'm worn out now. DH is working late tonight - he has very long hours - so I've done baby and DS1's supper and bedtime routines on my own (and twice more this week). I don't mind but it's always so frantic - the couple of hours of doing supper, clearing up, baths, and stories. Not sure how I can make this less hectic though. Any tips anyone?

Evening ladies,

Well done on your first day back at work fruitstick - I have tried giving all my kids wash bins each, but they all ended up full at the same time (weekends) and it was a bit of a disaster to be honest, but with so many I just need to do at least one load a day and about 3 each day at the weekend. DTG- I also sort my washing that way, but with my DCs being older I put their stuff separately all in a pile, trousers at bottom, then tops, then PJs then underwear then put it on "their" stair, which, in theory, is then taken upstairs next time they go up. They do HAVE to clear their step each night on their last Goodnight trip! (horrible mum has been known to wake child to clear stair after serious nagging has failed!!)
OM - Yours for the wine tonight then?
Elliepac - Hope you feel better soon and don't stress about flying. It will all still be there when you recover and you can hop back in again.
Hi to Mrs Doolittle - Doing a lot! , DWM, To CTGH if she ever returns from her cellar!
Good luck TBNI

I am well impressed with myself tonight as I have just mended our heating system, saving me about £60! For the last 4 years the first time we put the heating on we have had a problem and ended up getting a guy to come and fix it. Last year I asked him what the problem was, watched him do it, asked if it was safe for me to attempt it and he gave me a lesson! (nice guy) So, tonight, gave in to the moans of Dcs and attempted to put the heating on - nothing. It took me about 3 hours (took the guy 3 mins for £60 last year, but hey!!!)BUT it is now fired up and cosy!! Dh is out, which is good, as he would hate the fact that I could do something that he would not have a clue about! >>

But, consequently place is a bit of a mess and I am all behind with routines now. Giving up for tonight and will try again tomorrow!
HAve a good evening all.

Evening All

Sorry I went AWOL for a bit, I was busy decluttering the bathroom (LOL)...needs a surprising amount of decluttering for such a small room!

I'm quite of everyone that slept in. Ds didn't wake up until his normal time but I woke at 5:30 and couldn't get back to sleep!

Tibni wishing you the very best of luck for tomorrow, we'll all be thinking of you.

Fruitsticks - glad you enjoyed your first day back.

DTG I haven't been using a timer - I started off that way and then forgot, thank you for the reminder.

CTGH don't feel bad! I am feeling really guilty because I have a cleaner come once a week and I still seem to have loads to do. I would really like to get to the point where we only have her come every couple of weeks (or ideally not at all). Decided to allow myself a bit longer for decluttering and then see how it goes! Also, meant to say that I don't mind when you send the babysteps etc at all - just really grateful that you are posting them for us all (and to DTG too). I check the thread at different times of day depending on if it is a work day or not.

I went for DS's room by the way, couldn't face the back of the loo!

DH did a bit more decluttering the pantry last night and you can actually step inside. The rest of the house is a bit of a mess though (rice cake 'snow' is a real problem in this house).

Oh, and my top tip for the day. When decluttering your bathroom find yourself a lovely facemask at the back of your cabinet and then wear it when shining your sink...I'm not sure it did much for my marriage though, DH got quite a fright

Have a good evening everybody.

OK ladies - by popular request the wine is open! Form an orderly queue - elliepac I have calpol/lemsip for you TBNI not too much, can't have you going to your interview with a hangover. Good luck.
PAO fab job mending your heating.

Not a great day here - train delayed so late getting home, tired etc - but done more than I thought I would
dress to shoes done
breakfast done
make lunch done
clean bathroom bin done
sort clothes pile in DS room done
2 min hotspot landing
15 mins declutter bathroom done
15 mins room rescue spare room
ironing done
mending
shine sink

Leaving mending and hotspot for today. Might manage them tomorrow, if not Saturday will do.

can i have a little bit of wine with my calpol/lemsip....pleeeeeease mummy? At least i would sleep well

Good luck tomorrow tibni

No time for anything else ladies, sorry - 10:10 - way past my bedtime - I'll probably have to be up again in a couple of hours - grrrr?

Evenin all!

fruitstick congrats on your first day back- I am to admit I loved going back to work- I had a hot cup of tea!!!

CTGH at what point do we send out search party
God luck anyway! I cant believe how much you produce. Normally I am a firm advocate of washing towels at 60 degrees, but for you I wondered if you had seen this LG machine My sister has it, and it refreshes really well- she basically 'washes' her cleanish (like your DH's) clothes in 20 mins and the ironing is totally minimal. Maybe worth a thought?

Pressed submit too soon

DWM white wine for me please and yes all caught up now thank you

pushmepullme WTG you! Night out without the baby, that rocks!! Loo cleaning isnt too bad at all. Honestly! It took literally 2 or 3 minutes and you can do it with seat down and lid closed

elliepac Get well soon- enjoy your lemsip and we will keep wine for you ready for when you are better. BTW I have DS' clothes abandoned around the house too- luckily I also have an empty laundry basket so that will be sorted in a few minutes. And thank you

PND I think you get into washing mode- I know when I had a week and a half without a machine I survived fine and only had 3 loads to cath up. I def wash when I dont need to

POA Way to go to you! So so impressed. Can you pop round a do a few bits here? Need a new stop cock in loft, a boiler service, overflow replaced and a washer replaced. Should be no problem for YOU

marmite timers are the way to do it arent they? Its like everything the little fat fairy says... it works even if it is twee and annoying ...

HavinaAG Sleep well and chat tomorrow

Now as for ME
I have done bins- all smelling clean and fresh and even replaced bin bags!!
Also I told DS the 'mission' and he threw away 5 things! Dried playdough, run out felt-tip, 3 wheeled car, damaged party blower and a broken play dough cutter. Then he pulled out 2 jigsaws and said they were for the little girl next door, and his night light which is for the baby next door but one

I am so proud of him!! I only told him he had to throw away 3 broken things and choose 2 to give away so he did really good!

So now I have to match him and be equally unselfish and sensible

Have a great night all and sleep well