January Fledgling Flyers - The 15 minute mess removal squad

[droitwichmum]

Happy New Year!

This is the place for you if you have made a New Year's Resolution to get on top of the chaos in your home

Here you can do any of the following:

• 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

Here you can find out what it is all about. Try to ignore the cutesy stuff - cute the regulars on here are not! We also take some of the suggestions with a HUGE dose of salt (look out for wearing tie up shoes in the house)

If you decide to register for the e-mail updates from flylady be warned: unless you choose the daily digest only option you will be innundated with e-mails throughout the day. I will post the links you need each day so you don't need to register on the site to join in.

Dive in and mark your place - we start on January 1st!

Checking to see what you're all up to. I am knackered! I think you will be proud of me though as I've nearly completed my working week (don't work Fridays) and I have done all my evening routines every night and got to bed by 10.30pm. If I just take one day at a time I really hope it will get easier as I feel there's no me time just now - no surprises there though.

done
packed lunches
1 load in w/m
clothes out for tomorrow (me and DS2)
DS1 school bag ready for tomorrow
some hotspots which were burning like a furnace
bins out

to do
Y12 prep
hang washing once w/m is done
Ocado order
more hot spots

Sorry to hear about the toothache OM and I'd love to hear about your trip to Heston's place as well PMPY

Just did long post & it disappeared Just wanted to thank you all for welcoming me & for the links. Had crappy day but can't face typing it all out again. Nothing done, sink not shiny any more, WAIL!

Evening!
Tallulahbelle sorry you've had a rough day. Tomorrow is another one - here's hoping it is better for you.
I have done little in the way of jobs - still feel knackered rather tired.

But managed to do tea with assistance from DD1. Washed up, sink clean and clear, did mission - is fab really - getting to all these little jobs that only would have embarked on previously as part of major cleaning effort, i.e.never done . So the rails round the top of the bed (it's a four poster style) are now dust-free - lovely -I've been looking at them for weeks when I've got into bed and thought must dust them - but haven't. Now I have - a little thing I know but satisfying!

Nice soak in bath and then we watched 'The Reader' - not exactly cheerful but .....but what? Not cheerful at all!!

Must try and do a bit more tomorrow! Definitely a hot spot must be tackled.

TALLULAHBELLE - tomorrow is another day, hope it's a calm and productive one.

Yet another one awaiting the Fat Duck story

MrsDinky - Thanks for pamper Night info, really helpful. Think we are going to charge a nominal entry fee and possibly £5 per 15 min treatment. Our school has zero history of events like this so we are really trying to break new ground. It's also a very mixed area economically so need to keep things looking reasonable if we are to get anyone through the door!!

PA - I can see the attraction of SAGE when it works well but it is SO far removed from anything I have ever done before (I've always been in caring/creative type jobs) that I am struggling with the HUGE amount I have to learn. DH has been working with it for 4 yrs and he is being a good teacher but I feel like I'm paddling frantically just to stay afloat at the moment! I keep muttering 'baby-steps' in an attempt not to get overwhelmed
Well done on supporting your friend, give yourself a chance to catch your breath!

MrsGok - 2 windows is great idea though is likely to make my posts even longer!!

Rest of list for today:
Lunch for DS - done
Buy birthday present for party on Sat - partially done
Another 15 mins on top of wardrobe - no
Mission - no window tops so did top of all 4 doors upstairs
Room Rescue - no
DS swimming lesson - done and he was in the water in about 10 mins!
Have also done a few necessary phonecalls/texts however still need to do washing up and shine sink so planned 10.30pm bedtime is not going to happen tonight!

Meant to add.....

achieved 5 portions of fruit and veg today

finished the sherry - am sure that's healthy eating too - must be lots of liquid?

Hello everyone - late posting for me but I don't have to be up as early as usual tomorrow so that's ok

missb I'm sure that sherry must count as one of your 5 a day as its made of fruitas well as counting towards your liquid intake
feetheart was that 5 mins longer than last time for your DS - babysteps!
tallulah deep breath, go outside, shout and come back in. Any better? Write today off as a bad job and start again tomorrow. I'll put the kettle on nice and early.
Pluto If you work out of the home you do need to accept that on your working days you get little or no time for you. I take the train to the office and have turned that into 'me' time - read book, doze, whatever, and get some time for me at the weekend whenever possible. (You've done really well this week btw)
MrsGok I am of your 24 shelves of books
MM hope you got your early night
chaos you mustn't feel guilty about making time to have fun!You've had a rough time lately so be kind to yourself and if you need a day or two off, have them guilt-free and just jump back in when you have managed to get some rest
OM was I a trend setter back in 1984? I had magnetic plates then!
Mmmango hope Shelves of Doom capitulate and get themselves into order for you soon
PA have you cracked the wine open yet? Other posters are right - it was far more important that you be a great friend than keep your house tidy. You will soon get back into it - get the DC on the Riley's Challenges to help!
MrsD hope your snow has gone. Thankfully the snow we were threatened with didn't arrive.
neenook glad your laptop has had the flylady treatment. Was it a hotspot or crisis cleaning
deckeng (is that what DH does?) enjoy DH being home. How long is he back for?
SC thanks for the encouragement. Did well today & didn't get too disctracted. DH even turned the TV off when he went to work at lunchtime so I didn't drift in there

Hello to anyone I've missed - hot chocolate and croissants in the morning I think..

Swish etc - done
Washing - done
DW - done
Hoover our bedroom and stairs - done, after moving lots of stuff from bedroom floor to understairs cupboard
Tidy front room (Hama beads everywhere) - DH has done
Stack logs - half done
Hotspot the coffee table and kitchen table - er, no. But did do landing shelves and take some more stuff to loft.

Invited people round straight from school run this morning and wasn't too embarrassed about the state of the house! Woohoo.

Water - yes. Seem to be spending a lot of time in the bathroom at the moment!
5 a day - yes, in bits and pieces

Crochet - achieved a circle 2 inches in diameter in 1 hour....

Talulahbelle never mind, don't give up. Tomorrow is another day.

PA - , you have 5 DCs and 3 jobs and you still find time to Fly - wow! Campsites that are quiet at night are exactly what we want, will have a look at that second one, thanks.

WCTR keep going, you can do it, hope the sleep thing resolves soon

Pluto well done, one day at a time is probably the best approach

OM hope the toothache eases with the ABs

MrsGok - I am more confused than ever about slowcookers, that review site I found (other thread) was a bit crap I thought! Didn't sound as though any of the reviewers had ever actually used a slowcooker.

Waves at everyone else, night night.

Good Morning! Coffee on the side for those who feel in need.

I'm up, showered and dressed and have sent DH off to work. He has Ofsted today and tomorrow. Great timing; as we don't have enough to deal with this week. DS2 is snuggled on my lap after downing his morning bottle and I'm ready to face my last day at work this week.

to do before work
Tidy living room
S&S
make bed
confirm cubs pick ups
green bin out
pram in shed
defrost supper

after work
load in w/m
cubs pick up
mop hall floor
lesson prep for Monday.

Morning Pluto - love the snuggly baby image

Working this morning too though I work at home so don't have too far to go!

This morning:
Morning routine
School runs
Bank
More SAGE!

After work:
Tumble Tots
Change beautician's appointment
Room Rescue
15 mins in bedroom
Mission
Few school Assoc bits
Cook Toad in Hole with DD (6) who is getting v into cooking

Later:
Collect rent from my old flat

Have a good day all

Good morning! Errand Day today

Have a good day Pluto and feetheart I have a picture in my mind of you as a rent collector

Babystep is a catch-up one today

The mission should be fairly quick too

Quotation from the fat fairy herself for PA and anyone else who feels they need it:"This is the beauty of FLYing. We don't beat ourselves up when life happens. We have the tools in our babystep habits and routines to take care of what needs to be done." ~FlyLady

Morning!
Thank you for very appropriate quote droitwichmummy - well worth remembering!
Like the idea of 2 windows mrsgok - will see if computer skills allow....
Will do the mission today and keep doing what I already am! And that may be about it!Have to get car to garage after work, then it's Guides night and work will be a bit fraught as inspection now over and no doubt an action plan will appear!! Shame I finished the sherry
Right, better get off. Very tempting to stay at home and read mn!

Morning all!

Am feeling a bit better this morning so I think the antibs might be working - doesn't solve the probelm though I don't think

Pluto - well done you for getting through your first week back. Tomorrow is your pamper day. Make sure you book lovely stuff for you on Fridays!! Poor DH - I hate ofsted!

Feetheart - souds like a busy day ahead. love your image as a rent collector!!
Thanks for hot choc DWM

Today :
Take 2xDC plus 1xDH to station
Take DS1 to station slightly later.
morning routine
washingdryingironingwashingdryingironing
Supper?
bills (from yesterday)
missions x 2
Yoga
Walk with friend to town and collapse into nearest coffee shop. Walk back
water
fruit/veg
work out what i can fit into to wear for a 'do' we've suddenly been asked to go to on Saturday
Another busy day.
enjoy yours - catch up later1

x posts with miss b.
Why can't I do crossings out????

Good morning everyone, still have connection issues at home so posts a little erratic at the moment. .

House is a tip
Washing piled up

Apart from that i am tickety boo .

To be fair i do have good excuses reasons for this! This week has been a ridiculously busy week at work and i have struggled to keep up with that every evening let alone the housework. Am aiming to get back on track tonight.

pluto am glad to hear you are surviving your first week, although to be fair it would appear you are doing more than surviving you are doing brilliantly! Oh and good luck to DH with the Ofsted. In 10 years of teaching i have so far managed to dodge the buggers once by moving from a school that was due to one that had just been done and the next time by being on maternity leave. There may be another addition to the elliepac family next year . (just joking...)

talullahbelle welcome to the madness .

Big waves to everyone else as haven't got time to catch up with thread.

Have a good day everyone. Am not list posting as am still working ridiculously hard and therefore will just see what i manage to get done

Morning all,

Today it is sunny which is nice, but means every speck of dust in the front half of the house is showing, which is not nice!

DD (4) wants on the computer, so a quick list

Dust hall shelves
Hoover downstairs
Washing - on
Empty DW
Some more decluttering (random)
Go to school to help with reading
Finish stacking logs

Morning all,

Late start at work today so I am going to sort the master bedroom.

Between sleep problems with ds (ASD) and work I have been treading water with the house. Dh is doing his best to help out so we are managing.

Got on scales and realised it is not just the house I have let slip. So I am now going to increase my gym time, drink loads of water and watch what I eat. If I feel fit I can cope with the rest of the stuff life throws at me.

Must dash - I have bed stripped off and polish at the ready and an hour before I need to get sorted for work. The room isn't bad so it shouldn't take too long.

Have a good day all

Morning.

Frustratingly having problems with laptop - just typed out a long post and it decided it wanted to go to sleep! Lost it all, so may be a shorter message now before I go and do some housework!

OM - Pleased the mouth is feeling a little better. Crossing out and making bold - you have to do the * or the weither side of any word, without any spaces. I think you are putting spaces in so it looke like this-- whereas, with it around each word it looks like this.
Thanks for thoughts about DD - not been brill, but hopefully will bounce back now homelife is less fraught!

MrsGok - I thought your idea about the 2 windows was genius, until I discovered a potential problem for --morons- like me. You have to make sure you have the same threads open, or you end up posting about cooking chicken in slow cookers on a thread asking about dyspraxia in teenagers!

mummy - Thanks for the personal fat fairy tip. I had planned to blitz today, but really CBA! I think a relaxing day may be more productive in the long run.

Hey, MissB if alcohol is counted as a five-a-day I must be in for the gold medal here!

feetheart - I also changed from being a nursing sister to doing accounts/sage/admin, after being at home becoming braindead for 13 years! It was great to discover that my brain worked again!

MrsD - Please don't be shocked that I do 3 jobs. The hours are probably less than most of you do, just variety is the spice of life!
Well done on the crochet.....it will get bigger and faster!

A question for all you teachers.... Why, why oh why oh why do schools have this ridiculous system where at parents evening the teachers stand around waiting to see parents and everyone has to dive towards them the millisecond that they are free. It is elbows at dawn! How can someone the size of an elephant suddenly become invisible when in a scrum with 6 other parents? GAve up and have emailed teachers this morning with the questions about year 10 options that I wanted to ask last night!

Right, no list, cos I know I will fail, so off to tackle the washing/ironing pile first.

Waves to everyone else, sorry for no more personal messages, there were more on the original post.

Catch you all later.

pa that sounds ridiculous. We have a system whereby pupils get appointments with us in 5 min slots. Sometimes there are people waiting but at least we know who is next in the queue. It's pointless if concerned interested parents can't even get to see the teachers!

Morning fellow fat fairy followers

Well hopefully today my new fridge freezer will be delivered, did I say I'm getting a new fridge freezer??

Todays list

Morning routine done
Washing on done
Washing away done
Washing hung up will do in a minute
Moved TV in the dining room that needs getting rid of so it will get in DH way and he will do so. It's only been there 6 months done
Clean seat pad (4 to do, but will do 1 a day)
15 min Hot Spot, bookcase shelves in hall
Clean kitchen floor done
List stuff on Freecycle
Babysteps done
Mission done
Sweep dining room floor
Evening routine

MrsD Can totally relate to the going to the toilet a lot But it is good for us, well I am sure it is lol!

Do you know the UK Camping website? there is a lot of good info on there UK Camping and the girls on the camping boards on here are brilliant. What tent do you have?

Definatly more confused about the slow cookers as well. What someone loves another dislikes. No straight answers at all.

Pluto hope Ofsted goes well. DH had them at the begining of September, so I know what it is like.

MissBennett, I actually now have 4 MN windows open atm lol. 1x message box, 1x this thread, 1x 10 years of MN sticky, 1x active threads. Though I have Firefox so it is easy.

OM glad you are feeling a bit better today. Hope you don't have to have to much work done.

You need to put the -- lines round each word

And while I was typing that my new fridge freezer arrived. Couldn't come through the front door, so I had to find the back gate key, move all the crap off the path, clear the floor in hte dining room, move the dining room chairs. But it is in, woohoo!! Have to let it sit till tomorrow and then turn it on. It's a bit bigger than I thought, must have missed measured so will have to rethink a few things, but it is do able. Then I had to get DC 2&3 out of the ath and dressed. Then the Citylink guy arrived, so I had a little chat with him. So I have probably cross posted with everybody lol

Hi evreyone. just a quick heads up as got dd hovering.
not been able to get on for a couple of days but have been flying!

so far i have done-
load of washing
breakfast dishes
hung washing out
swish and swipe

still to do-
lunch dishes
clean the bath PROPERLY (oh joy!)
todays mission
15min decluter in bedroom
ironing.
shine sink

have a nice afternoon

Afternoon ladies

Morning routine done
Washing onx2 done
Washing awayx2 done
Washing hung up done
Moved TV in the dining room that needs getting rid of so it will get in DH way and he will do so. It's only been there 6 months done
Clean seat pad (4 to do, but will do 1 a day)done but it will have to be 1 every few days as they are going to take a whie to dry.
15 min Hot Spot, bookcase shelves in hallx5 done
Clean kitchen floor done
List stuff on Freecycle
Babysteps done
Mission done
Sweep dining room floor
Evening routine

Can't remember who expressed jealousy over my bookcases but I have to say they do attract all sorts of crap, though doing zones will mean they are cleared every few weeks. I also have 2 in the lounge, 2 in the dining room, 3 in DC1's room (though only 1 is used as a bookcase, the others are for toys), 1 in the littlies room, all these are floor to ceiling Ikea Billy's. In our room we have one of these and aout half of it is used as a bookcase. In an ideal world we would have a house with a library

PA and MrsG thanks for the crossing out tips, I didn't realise it had to go round each word ormaybeiamthick
Did that work?

Now why did that not work? I really must be thick!!
amgoingtotryagain

Yay!!!!!!!
now I really must go and get on.....

Evening all

Very full on at work at the mo (working extra hours) so haven't been on here as much as usual (and haven't been Flying very high tbh either). And had another late night yesterday (friend came around) but good fun. So only catching up now.

I see you have all been very busy as usual!

Bit despondent because still not making progress in home office.

Hwr, thanks to Flying, am on top of washing and ironing, kitchen and bathroom now permanently clean and shiny, sitting room uncluttered and tidy, and meal planning going well, in fact whole of ground floor pretty respectable which is a huge change from before.

Still need to work on master bedroom which is either clean and tidy but cluttered or a disaster area, and home office which is a total bomb site.

Also finding it surprisingly enjoyable eating my 5 a day and drink the water (only 1 litre, not 2). Easy today because it is veggie night.

Glad working from home is going well MummyD. I used to work from home and DID get distracted!! Always met my deadlines but had to burn the midnight oil to do so! Thanks for links/quote today.

Hope you have a better day today Tallulahb And wailing is what this thread is for!! (among other things)

You HAVE done really well Pluto - bravo! Enjoy your day off tomorrow.

MrsGok your post yesterday reminded me of how dd was at the same age ....I used to call her my little shadow ...it is terribly difficult and frustrating trying to get anything done while they are going through that phase!! I used to give it up as a bad job and do craft activities instead!! House only just recovering now!! Hope you are elevating that leg of yours from time to time... am also [jealous] of your bk collection. Great idea about jumping between 2 threads btw. Well done on your list today!! Btw, I always find that fridges have a tendency to expand between the time of purchase and delivery!

WhereChaos - doing something fun is v. essential (I've only just realised this and begun to ring-fence time for myself every Tuesday. Makes the rest of the boring stuff seem a bit more bearable!!) Hope things get easier for you on the sleeping front. Hard to do baby-step or anything frankly when you are sleep-deprived so don't be too hard on yourself.

Glad the antibiotics are kicking in Optimistic

Have a look at this Mini-M. My favourite is the one about supporting growing vegetables

PA your friend is lucky to be able to count on you like that. May the force be with you to conquer the clutter!! Hope you had a more relaxing day today and lol at your version of 5-a-day!! I think I could be persuaded ...

tibni I am also staring at the scales despondently ...we will prevail ... small steps, small steps

Feetheart Thanks for sage explanation btw .. although I kinda wish I'd never asked )!!!!

MrSDinky Sorry!!! didn't mean I was literally going off to Pontefract!! Tis colloquial phrase my family use and I um, er, sort of assumed everyone else uses it too (but obviously I was wrong Think it comes originally from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang - when Lionel Jeffries character marches off to his privy!!!???? Not 100% certain. But we just use it to mean "Right, off to somewhere else to get cracking sort of thing"

Neenook -lol at techie brain procedure - I could do with it too!!

Decking hope you and your dh are having a lovely reunion!!

Hi to Ellie MissB Mmango 1981 and all the other fledginlgs I've forgotten

V. embarrassed to be posting virtually the same list for 3 days running without much progress to be seen:

YESTERDAY
Before work:
Morning routine, including dw on, wm on and s&s done

After work:
sock drawer NOPE
master bedroom 2 or 3 x 15 mins MUST DO THIS - managed a miserable 5 mins
clear coatstand in hall (did once and now full again) NOPE
today's mission NOPE

TODAY
Before work:
Morning routine inc. dw on, wm on, and s&s done

After work:
Sock drawer halfway and now it's all over my bed
Master bedroom 2 x3 of 15 mins - did 1x15 mins
cleared bedside tabledone
clear coatstand in hall NOPE
1 (long) work e-mail done
post office NOPE
afternoon/evening routinedone
15 mins in home officeNOPE
dd haircut (no appt just dive in and chance it) done

Right, dd hasn't had as much of my attention as usual this wk so off to be a good mummy ...

Everyone is doing really well on here!! Remember to eat your 5-a-day!!