Fledgling Flyers - Mad as March Hares

[MiniMarmite]

Welcome to the spring(ish) edition of the fledgling flyers.

Some of us will be flapping falteringly and others flying faultlessly towards making our homes look perennially spring cleaned!

Here you can do any of the following:

• repeat or start baby steps (again!)

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

or

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

This is what it's all about - Babysteps each day to try to get some order back into our home with LOADS of support from our regulars.

So join in! We start this thread on March 1st, but you are welcome to dive in at any point in the month.

Hop along to reserve your place...

Yaaaaaaaaaay teamcullen what fabulous news!

Evening everybody,

Have had a quick scroll through but no time to post individually will be back later for a proper catch up!

Busy day at work today but have managed to:-

morning routine done - i'm finding that just finding 15mins in a morning to clear away pots, quick tidy etc. is making such a difference, it's soooooo nice to come home to a tidy house
washing on
washing away
dinner
evening routine

Not a big list but enough to keep me going!

Back later .

So pleased teamcullen - have had that letter 3 times - horrible but great when you get the school you want...
Hi everyone sorry I've been awol. House a mess but it will have to wait as I'm off for a Messiah practice (soprano if you must know - OM casually buffs her nails and looks non chalently (sp) into the distance!!)
See you all tomorrow! tra-la!

Evening everyone - great news teamcullen swan can I join you in the non-singers' corner? I am ok at singing but DS tells me to stop if I start didn't think I was that bad!

Trying to work out what to do this evening. How about:
15 mins ironing
put clothes in right bedrooms
lay clothes out for tomorrow
work out route/train times for tomorrow's expedition
have bath
unload/load DW
load WM
shine sink
s&s
bed
oh and eat at some stage

Back later!

Evening all

tc congrats for your DS, really pleased he got in.

QoD and MM, I trained as an opera singer, but gave it up to be an ecologist . Taught piano and violin for years too, but so so exhausting and a bit of a pita having pupils in your own home, particularly if, like me, you live in a terrace. Got me through uni and a succession of badly paid jobs though . I am very rusty now though and can definitely empathise with the sudden realisation that you are nowhere near as good as you used to be!

LPP I remember that pre-wedding excitement very well, although DH and I have been married for nearly 5 years now. Makes me feel all nostalgic to hear about other peoples weddings (and all the better for being without the organisational stress of it being your own )

I have done very well with the house clutter, but so rubbishly with the body clutter that I am and with myself! Can't stop eating for some reason this week, no idea what that's all about - I was doing so well as well!

Hi to DWM, ellie, PA, Swanriver and everyone else i've missed!

Evening All,

I hope you had a lovely sunny day.

Another busy day at work today and no time to prepare an evening meal (I normally do this during my lunch break) so we had to have fish and chips .

PA how exciting about your Kenwood Chef. I bought a Kitchen Aid last year and can't live without it now!

Feetheart Banana AND chocolate cake...yummy! And a chocolate cake PA! I always get hungry reading this thread, I wonder why!

Ellie Hope you are having a good evening in your tidy house - short bursts of tidying definitely make the most difference without it feeling too painful!

DWM Thanks for the bouquet and hope you remembered to eat something!

MissB Hope you enjoyed your yummy packed lunch - I never seem to be organised enough on work mornings to get one together.

MIB it does take a while to get used to the layout, mainly because we all fairly prolific posters so there's a lot of (lovely) chat to read!

Deaddei welcome to the fun and well done on the bathrooms!

SR well done on having an early night last night! I'm a mezzo sop so can just about to stretch to Purcell but when I first started I was trying to push to full soprano pieces - it took me years to realise that I should go with what I've got and singing has been a much happier experience ever since. A few more lessons and you'll probably start to enjoy yourself again. I'm a bit of a hopeless perpetual amateur though as I don't practice nearly enough and hate singing in front of an audience these days. Hope the Messiah rehearsal goes well OM. I am rather impressed at all the musical talent we have here! PMPY - an opera singer and QoD's sister too - wow! Where did you train? I'm very of all you pianists too - I'm just not agile enough to do something different with each hand!

Aberita a shiny sink is a good start and the distractions sound like pleasant ones

Jas well done on a great first day and especially on cleaning the wheelie bin - I think you may deserve a medal!

QoD hope DS's teething is better today and that you all have a better night tonight.

PMPY glad DD enjoyed nursery - know what you mean about mixed feelings when they don't want to come home at the end of the day!

MrsD glad you have a shorter list today!

LPP How exciting about your wedding, I managed to miss this when reading your posts yesterday, sorry about that. We'll have to have a fledgling party nearer the time!

So pleased for you and your DS Teamcullen, great news

Waves to SC, EllieA, Peachy and anyone else I might have missed.

Wednesday's babysteps and mission:

Our baby step for Wednesday is to do what we have already done to get into the habit of shining your sink and getting dressed to shoes...and a bit of FLYlady philosophy on sink shining.

Decluttering and mission: we're in Zone 1 this week - The Entrance, Front Porch, and Dining Room.

This is Wednesday's mission.

Have a great day!

Well, it's a small world on this thread isn't it? MissB, Feetheart, MuminBeds - I'm also from Luton, although moved away when very small. Growing up in the 70s I had to endure years of "Naaah, Lu'on Airport" jokes .

SR - I can't sing to save my life, the DCs all yell at me to stop! PMPY - I have a degree in chemistry and recently did some of the GCSE bitesize on BBC website, only got 8/10, so I am also not very good at my old subject.

PA - this thread has already talked me into getting a slowcooker, DH will kill me if I go out and buy a Kenwood Chef, but, ooh, would love one .

MM - excellent roundup - "Flying" start to the new month.

Well, satisfactory day today, got done what needed to be done, had a lovely amble round town with DD, then an hour in the park with both DCs after school, first time in months, then they both ate all their dinner (v.rare!) .

See you all tomorrow

I've had a rather discouraging day.

Did lots of good things, but somehow we've had a rather horrid afternoon; dcs exceedingly tiresome, ds2 spat part of his tea out on stairs, and I only stopped putting kids to bed at 9.30 (fell asleep in dd's bed in the end). Cancelled going to NT study group, so dh wasn't left doing bedtime again, but then HE was cross because he said if he'd known he would have gone to pub with workmates...hey ho.

no mood for any sink shining

DONE
but have put a uniform wash on
put out dd's clothes for tomorrow
drunk a restorative glass of wine, with hobnob and stilton
bookclub book has arrived
dh is being nice and kind again - shows no concern about sink at all
ahead with piano practice (lesson tomorrow)
invites nearly written
cooked eclairs with ds1 and dd for freezer/Cubs

I love reading about all your days btw, sorry for no personal messages - but lovely news Teamcullen
next year it will be me waiting

LPP - x-posted with you earlier and have only just realised. LOVED, LOVED, LOVED my wedding
All planned in under 6 months and a bit 'off the wall - small family ceremony and meal (13 including DH, DD and I) followed by BIG picnic the next day with everyone else we wanted to celebrate with.
Enjoy every moment of it all

teamcullen - well done to DS. Hope the wine is out tonight

PA - that's one of my quick teas though I chop up ham so don't even have to cook bacon!

Very of Kenwood Chef/Kitchen Aid - I would LOVE either but no chance and nowhere to put it even if I went for the minimalist look in the kitchen

MrsDinky - small world indeed

Today's list:
Morning routine - done
Work - done
2 mins Hotspot - no
Hoover downstairs - no
Make chowder for dinner - done and eaten though enough left for lunch tomorrow
Make banana and choc cake - done and not all of it eaten!
Do some gardening - done Bit of back hedge/bushes and hacked pruned my 2 roses
Afternoon routine - done
Take DD to Brownies for first time - done and she loved it. Getting up tomorrow is going to be 'interesting' as she was in bed much later than usual
Evening routine - done
Early night - going soon, night all

On my way to bed, trying to (nearly) make the 10:30 babystep!

MM I trained at the Royal Northern. I'm a sop, but actually a bit jealous as my favourite all time aria is a mezzosop one! If you're feeling inspired it's una voce poco fa from the Barber of Seville. Lovely song, but quite ahem challenging, worth it though even if you do as I do and end up only able to sing it to yourself in the shower

Sorry to hear about the rubbish day swanriver. Hate it when DD won't go down until after 9 as it leaves me no evening to myself and I end up on MN until stupid o'clock trying to get some adult time. Should probably be interacting with poor old DH a bit more to be honest

Anyway, now I really really am going to bed!

Evening! reading this, I feel like I should be singing. But I can't. Enjoy it but not good. (DDs both good though, especially DD1 - and wanting to study music at uni so I may be needed to pick your musical brains ladies!) I play the piano a little - perhaps we should all form a band and perform the Fly Lady Chorus ?

Cakes sounding good too and lots of jobs seem to have been done!
TC glad you got the school place you wanted.
swan hopefully tomorrow will be a better day for you.
PA philly cheese is fab for quick sauces - and the extra low fat one works well too - I've used some tonight in a mushroom risotto

No more jobs for me tonight - have shined my sink. Dh got washing off line but I've not sorted it and come up to bed now.....will do in the morning. Will also try and tackle a mission tomorrow as I'm in. Have been to aquacise but ruined the benfits by eating a peanut butter snadwich Nice though.....

Oh and I've been to work and it was manic and I didn't stop all day - went from one meeting to another - glad I had made some lunch but ate it on the run in a meeting.....ho hum some days just are like that.

See you all tomorrow.......

Will post list before I get everyone else up and see how much I get done.
DH needs laptop for work so no chance to get on again until this evening but might be a good thing.

Morning routine
2 Mins Hotspot
Hoover downstairs (been on list all week but might actually get done today!)
Clean kitchen floor
Mission
15 Mins sorting paperwork (care to join me missbennett?)
Paint 'Thing 2' on sweatshirt
More in garden
Afternoon routine
Trip to flat to show round prospective tenants - fingers-crossed they show up () and want to take it
Evening routine
Bed by 10.30pm

Have a good day everyone, especially swanriver

Morning!
feetheart I will join you later.......unless I conquer the paperwork my progress will be very limited!

Have got up and done morning routine. Also sorted out yesterday's washing and got two DDs off to school, made a work phonecall and organised tea. Now I'm off to work! I share an office with two male colleagues - both lovely - but always look slightly when I appear in the morning looking like I already need a large G&T!!

Fortunately last night's row about computer usage/facebook/science homework/general I hate you, you're my sister appears to have blown over this morning But I'm afraid it will never cease - am currently having to do (very mild) refereeing between mother and aunt - clearly the sister thing (close one minute, not the next) endures!!! I have brothers and what you see is what you get - less close perhaps but also less complex and no undercurrents. Families eh

Right better go - am dragging this out as I'd rather stay here all day

Morning lovely ladies! The sun is shining and I've already made a start on the optimistic house!!
A very belated 'Thankyou' to DWM for keeping us on the straight and narrow for soooo long. I, too, have been trying to FLY since September and realise I need to go back a bit and do more decluttering...oh well!
MiniM - you are a star for stepping up - I know I would be rubbish and the thread would fall apart!
Welcome to all the newbies. We do,do flying on this thread but it's the chat that keeps us all going plus PAs lists of meals....!
I enjoyed my singing last night. I am just getting back into it. I trained as a Primary teacher with music as my specialism way back when...and am very rusty, mainly because I had to put my life on hold for 2 years while DD was struggling with CFS/ME. Today is the first anniversary of her being back to full health!
Anyway....today....
Must do bodyclutter (SC I confess I need to start again never mind add another one...!)
Car tax
Mini shop
PAPERWORK - I'm with the others who need to tame this, this month!
Ironing
Washingdrying and keep going until all done!
Change bedding
Declutter hall
Housebless or bust !

Have a great day all...
See you later!!
x

Morning everyone,

Sneaking on at work.

It is a beautiful day here too. This morning before I came to work I have:

Washing in drier and some on line (thought i'd give it a whirl after pa's success yesterday.)
S/S bathroom
General tidy downstairs
breakfast pots cleared away
pack-ups made

This evening I plan to:

washing away (still to do from yesterday)
washing on
cook dinner (lasagne tonight i think)
DS to swimming
homework
mop living room floor
mission ? (haven't looked at it yet!)

Have had a quick look through thread and would like to add that despite my mother's best intentions (sending me to some choir or other when i was a small child) i cannot sing at all. I am a lapsed pianist but haven't played in years!

om today sounds like a good day for you being the first anniversary of DD being well. Enjoy!

swan I hope you have a better day today .

Have a good day everyone!

Morning ladies
loving the talent on this thread

my list for today:
washing up
1 load laundry
hover living room and hallway
15 minutes in dining room - haven't managed to do this once so far this week
exercise
shine sink.

Hello, just got back from a rather serious chat with school about ds2 (7yrs) stimming in playground, assembly etc. He is perfectly lovely, on track academically etc etc, but seems to be stressed socially
They want me to go to doctor for assessment, in order to help him. I did go last year to doctor, but doctor never followed up, and he seemed fine, so I left it, thinking I was imagining things.

I'm glad to get their feedback - but...

Today I will post a list when I've got lots done, it all seems to be whirling in my head somewhat. Downstairs v. v. untidy, well upstairs too, but not going to think about that...

Done dressed first thing
laid out clothes
wash in
s & s loo whilst bath running
music practice x 3 dcs
dcs to school on time, with everything
what's for dinner - cottage pie - mince bit made already

Good morning, all you lovely singing ladies No talent or skills of any kind here....

I have over an hour before nursery finishes today so I am going to write a small list.

To do:
make tea loaf
put away shopping
washing into machine/on line/put away
swish and swipe
dishwasher
hoover
mission

Just jumping on here at work!

How are you all doing? lots of singing and piano playing going on I see. I used to sing in the choir until the age of 18, but now just sing to myself - best way, I am sure!!

Jas - I am sure you do have skills. A saying of DH is "I am in training to discover an as yet undiscovered skill"

Swan - Oh dear, sorry you have been approached by the school about DS. All children are different. I hope it all gets sorted out soon.
Snap on the cottage pie for tea, mince done and in slow cooker, too!

OM - Happy 1st Anniversary of wellness for DD. hopefully I can follow soon and be celebrating too! (should be on other thread I know, but I am on here and have just closed that thread!)

MissB - So reassuring to know that I am not the only one with those delightful "sister" moments! I also had an "I hate you" "I wish you weren't my sister" arguement going on here on Monday evening. I absolutely hate it, but I am sure it is all part of growing up. I suppose I was the same when I was younger, but the thought of even thinking bad thoughts now about my sister makes me . I have not bought them up to be horrible.

Feetheart - Love the idea of ham, not bacon. Will try that next time.

MrsD - i was very pleased that you said the thread had persuaded you to get a slowcooker, not just me.

MM - What is a kitchen aid?

I am sooooooooo mega excited about the imminent arrival of my "chef". I have loads marked off in my cookery book to try it all out. Day off tomorrow, so if it arrives today, or in the morning I can do loads of experimenting. YAH!!

Waves to PMPY QOD Ellie DWM and everyone i have missed.

Well, after all that, back to flying business..... errrrr ....... ummm.... not a lot to say! Kitchen is tidy - space made for "chef's" arrival. Other than that all slightly lacking.
A busy day as I have to, after work, take DD3 to an exhibition her education unit are going to and I hang around for an hour to take her home again. - Cafe downstairs from exhibition, so I intend to grab a drink and sit and read my (very thick) book for an hour. I will probably potter and do minimal flying after that.
Big plans to catch up tomorrow.

hope everyone has a far more productive day than it looks as if I am going to have.

"me, me, meeee, mmmmaaa, mmmmooo, mmmmiiiiii"
[exercises vocal cords)

just popping in to say "hello" to all you lovely fellow fledglings

sorry, till haven't caught up with your all your news

but thanks for steps and great round-up Mini-M

avoiding screens because felled by migraine-type headache yesterday and still feeling a bit spaced-out today (and dh is travelling again)

daren't bend down because it hurts too much so everything above waist level is getting tidied and dusted ... just ignoring the floors for the moment

[SC totters off in very doddery old-ladyish manner ....]

Flaps a microfibre cloth at everyone ...

Just sneaking on here while eating my lunch to check on my and everybody else's progress!

Must do bodyclutter (drinking water!)
Car tax done
Mini shopgoingtobakeinstead
PAPERWORK - I'm with the others who need to tame this, this month!not yetIroningnot yet
Washingdrying and keep going until all done!doing
Change beddingno
Declutter hallno
Housebless or bust !doing

Better get on then... thought I'd done more than that!!
SC - hope you feel better soon - don't worry about the floor, just keep looking straight ahead!
Swan - I didn't understand what the issue was with your DS. I'm sure school were trying to be helpful but it is such a worry isn't it? He is so young, in my experience many boys in Yr2/3 struggle socially particularly if they're not into football!! I teach Y3/4 so if I can help.....
Now I really must get on with list!!

Have just shined my sink - not sure whether I'm early or late - it's been so nice to have a clean, uncluttered-by-dishes sink these last few days. Just a shame about the rest of the house. I'm itching to get stuck in a bit more but don't want to crash and burn! I've done my other part of today's baby step, getting dressed to the shoes (albeit without the shoes - just can't wear them indoors), and am not sure what else to do now. Not that there isn't plenty, it's just knowing where to start!

Aberita 15 declutter in hall perhaps? That is current zone

Done
kitchen tidy
floor swept
cat litter tray emptied
vet booked for this eve (cat seems poorly)
dcs taken for run and snack at cafe on way to and from ds2 piano lesson
my piano lesson/frantic practice earlier

TODO
potatoes for topping
find cat
find cat basket
get dss ready for Scouts
get self ready for Beavers helping (vet on way)
get dd ready for Brownies
make tom sauce with ds1 for Scouts
get hm to do further violin practice 5 mins
take a breather whilst they are watching an episode of Dr Who/prepare supper

Optimistic thanks for kind words, it is really the "stimming" issue teachers concerned about, as it is putting other kids off - as he now seems a bit weird - like someone communicating with outer space constantly. [feel a bit like that myself sometimes
Need to make appt with RL Dr tomorrow for referral.

P.S. Have also decided I need to eat more cake in afternoon so that I am calmer and better tempered I think dcs need round calm mum rather than elegant frazzled mum.

Swan . Don't be so hard on yourself! Motherhood is a hard old job and anyone who says otherwise is lying!. Hope you have some luck with the Dr although it won't make any difference you know! School still have to cope with 'stimming'. Conversations with aliens sound fun! There are worse things....
Be glad you are elegant!!!!!