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...

'flying' through, waving hello, off to do my homework, back later when it's done!

MrsDinky - and at Cheerio comment.
Getting off quite lightly at the moment, spot count up to 21 and Calpol is doing its wonders. Can't be feeling well though as he was happy to lounge on the sofa most of the day watching videos rather than zoom around being Dash from the Incredibles/Buzz Lightyear/Lightning McQueen/etc.

SC - at Hardy and 'sympathetic background'. I do remember a lot of rain in his books!

Not a bad day considering:
Morning routine - done
2 mins Hotspot - done
Work as and when I can fit it in - managed 15 mins filing!
Mission - no, haven't managed one yet this week
15 Mins sorting paperwork - 15 mins as above plus 15 mins sorting out 'School/Activites folder so can fit in Brownies info. Seem to be avoiding the large pile that has been developing in the living room for weeks though.
Finish painting 'Thing 2' on sweatshirt - done
Defrost freezer in kitchen - done and now feeling smug as I have been meaning to do it for months. Just the big one in the garage now!
Make Toad in the Hole - done
Afternoon routine - done
Evening routine - done
Bed by 10.30pm - yes if I hurry up

Need a decent night's sleep in order to steel myself for dyeing DD's hair blue tomorrow morning . Its only spray-on stuff but she has the most gorgeous thick, long, blond hair (we have NO idea where it comes from!) and I have visions of it turning green
Hoping to go for a run first thing to calm my nerves!!!

Hi Ladies,

I hope you all had a good day and everyone that was having toad in the hole enjoyed it! My DH has never had TITH and thinks it sounds horrible (he is not from the UK)...I think he would love it though so will have to force it on him one day!

Don't worry about not feeling too sociable MrsD, we'll still be here when you're feeling more chatty again. I must have a look at the Debenhams sale . Oh, and LOLOL about the 'Cheerio'!

DWM How did the toad in the hole go? Have you got a mountain of it in the freezer? Yummy!

OM hope you managed to get to yoga (and coffee).

SR - wow, sounds like you've had a really busy day.

PMPY hope the lentil thing was yummy and just what you needed after the dentist.

Feetheart I hope DS is ok. Chicken Pox certainly seems to be doing the rounds at the moment. We were invited to a CP party but I'm going to avoid it as I've a really busy week at work next week!

I hope you had a relaxing and/or productive child-free interlude aberita .

Ellie don't be too hard on yourself about being a bit cba from time to time! I've been promising that I would S&S all day and still haven't done it!

Good going on the exercise QoD. I normally do Spinning on a Monday but people keep putting meetings in my diary so I'm feeling a bit blobbish - maybe a DVD is the answer for me too.

Sounds like you had a creative time with DD SC, lovely!

Off to post links for tomorrow, can't believe it is nearly the end of the week.

Happy Friday!!! Hello to all Friday's Fledgling Flyers...the weekend is in sight so well done for working hard all week.

Today's babystep is to write down what you hear - this is all about getting the nagging voices out of your head and turning it into a positive message for yourself...I'm not very good at this myself.

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

This is Friday's mission

And I thought the tips for not getting sidetracked might be handy for Friday (mainly for my own benefit)!

Waves to anyone I missed earlier - TC, LPP, Jas and everyone else.

Just stopping by on my way to bed.

Toad in the hole went well - ate one and another is in the freezer. Had flash of inspiration and made them in my loaf tins as DS and I eat together in the week as DH is still at work - just right for 2 of us

Lovely afternoon at school with DS finished off with coffee for the mums before home time.

MM congratulations on getting to the end of your first week

Hi, all - just catching up and really too late - DD2 has been hogging the laptop!

Been very busy at work and home so done little no flying at all but have managed to stick to routines. Think I've lost the plot though - thought we were in the sitting room! I might draw a line and start again on Monday!

Enjoying the thought of more cake = calmer mummy !

I too remember Hardy and his sympathetic background. Am still traumatised by Jude the Obscure and the children hanging themselves because their parents were too poor to feed them. Think it must have rained a lot at that point of the tale!

Anyway, too late to do any more - am off to bed. Will try and do more tomorrow......

Up far too early (as is DD though she has stayed in her bed - sensible girl!) so have done some stuff for School Association - anyone know anything about running a Car Boot Sale? Got one at the end of this month and I don't think any of us have experience of running one - eek

Wasn't disturbed in the night so hoping DS isn't too bad.

Today I will try to do:
Turn DD into 'Thing 2' without covering everything else, including me, in blue hair dye
Morning routine
2 mins Hotspot
Mission or two
15 Mins sorting paperwork
Curl up with DS and watch The Incredibles/Toy Story/Cars
Play games with DS - Top Trumps/Tummy Ache game/Pop to the Shops being the current favourites
Maybe do cooking with DS - buns or biscuits
Afternoon routine
Evening routine
Bed by 10.30pm

Good morning all you lovely fellow fledglings out there

Thanks for links Mini-Marmite and for all your encouragement this week. I have printed the (very necessary for me) tips for not getting side-tracked for my control journal !!

I was up at crack of sparrows too Feetheart (sorry haven't run a car boot sale but certainly have lots of potential stock. Good luck with blue hair today!!

Gremlins seem to be against me getting back on track

DD up all night coughing, she is worse not better, so won't be going to school today

My cleaner has just called in sick (sigh) and dh is still travelling (sigh) and will probably be good for nothing when he returns this w/e

Still, at least I am filling slightly more energetic and will try and do the following today and over the w/e (keeping list short and therefore hopefully achieveable):

kitchen - general tidy and clean
dw/sink/clean surfaces/clean out fridge

sitting room - general tidy
clear surfaces and dust and hoover

laundry

bathroom: s & s

master bedroom/general tidy of surfaces

recycling/rubbish

clean out gps cage

supermarket shop

Hello to MummyD Optimistic Ellie Swan PA Pushme QueenofD Aberita MrsD Jas and MissBennett and everyone I've inevitably missed

Have a fantastulisticFlyingFriday!

Good morning everyone! A bit of a hectic start to the day here - school run followed by visit to the doctor's to get the all clear for DS. Arrived to find it was blood test day and there were already 12 people waiting and a 1 1/2 hour wait - luckily we were allowed to jump the queue, so made it to Kindergarten just before the doors were locked at 8.30. I'm still "recovering" and haven't done any flying yet... Thank you for the tips for not getting sidetracked MiniMarmite - they're exactly what I need. Going to read them now!

Hi everyone,
I've just discovered this thread and immediately join the website!
I am about to buy a house my very messy but ever so lovely DP and I hoping this website will stop his laziness laid back attitude rubbing off on me

Morning all! Welcome Swan78 - don't sign up to the flylady emails (if I'm not too late!) otherwise you'll be inundated with them! You will have all you need on here.All you have to do today is shine your sink!!

Another lovely sunny day here which makes everything more doable I always think.
Just aquick post to check what I've done and still need to do!

morning routine done
Mini shopdone
Buildings insurancedone I forgot it!
Email/phone calls - school done
Rescued kitchen done
Lay table for lunch - 2 lovely friends over to do
Mission
PAPERWORK including pay phone bill before we get cut off!
Declutter

Phew! That'll do for now!
Hope Ds isn't too grumpy feetheart
See you all later!

Hi Swan78 from another Swan...

DONE
Sink still looking good
morning routine (ever more minimal
clothes for Mufti day laid out last night
last minute homework supervision
found lost homework

I've done errands galore - dr for ds2 done
ds bck to school done
rescued car from traffic warden as parking suspension next to housedone
cat no 2 to vet for vaccinations, and pre-payment for neutering, microchipping, more information about cat no 1, special food etc done

Last night's bookclub was fun - although I was the only person who had finished the book - a violent but thoughtful thriller set in Post Troubles Ireland called The Twelve, I think I only finished it/enjoyed it by skipping most of horrid bits. Next month we are reading Brooklyn, which I've already read, so time to cruise a bit.

Today - dunno really...back hurts from carrying cat baskets, seem to have lost weight again (cake and wine have kickstarted metabolism???)
thousands of things to do..cuppa first and enjoy lovely sunshine.

OO-er what happened there then!
I have retired to bed for half an hour before I do anything else as I have a stonking sore throat which is beginningto get the better of me!

Still to do:
make tea
mission
declutter
Paperwork - particularly phone bill!
pick us DS1
drop off DD
pick up DH

Wine
whine(poorly)
more wine

Come back everyone. Mumsnet is fixed and I need to know how you've all done today!!

Thank you for the welcome.
I had already signed up to the daily digest but not the email updates.
I hope your throat feels better soon Optimisticmumma

I have cleaned my sink (I don't have a metal one, so can't say it's shining)
emptied dishwasher
put a wash load on using colour catchers for the first time.
swept and mopped floors
cleaned stairs
made lunch
both DCs off sick, so no need to do school runs
ironing done
read through fly website!
quick bathroom clean

Still to do
make dinner
bath DCs
lay out clothes for tomorrow
fill dishwasher and clean sink after dinner
wash hair and give myself a full facial!

Evening All,

I'm glad the tips were helpful . I've had a good day with DS but I think he is teething a bit so not quite himself and falling over quite a lot so a few tears from him today, poor little mite.

I'm exhausted so posting the round-up early in case I fall asleep so sorry I'll be missing out the evening crowd's activities today.

Welcome Swan78, I hope the house purchase goes smoothly. We're all pretty laid back here but that's all part of the fun of trying to stay on track with flying!

MissB You were up late last night I think I was just about in bed by then.

And Feetheart you were up and about very early! I've never done a boot sale (although I could probably do with having some as a bigger incentive to get rid of some of my clutter). How did the blue hair go?

SC I've been trying to imagine what you could be keeping in the gp's cage...I did finally figure out that it was likely to be a guinea pig rather than a doctor or elderly relative! Please do excuse me, DH opened a bottle of bubbly when he got home!

That does sound like an hectic morning aberita. I had a bit of a delayed start too as a friend phoned early in a crisis so I hadn't even sorted the breakfast things or dressed DS by 09:30!

Well done on braving the supermarket OM . I hope your throat is feeling a bit better.

Wow SR you're having a fun time of it with your cats this month, it gets expensive doesn't it? Mine is coming up for 12 and seems pretty healthy for now (except when I accidentally shut his tail in the car door a few months ago . I hope your back improves. How often does your book club meet? I sometimes think about joining one but am in fear that I would never finish the book in time.

Well done for getting to the end of the week - I hope you all have a fun and relaxing evening if you can. Waves to MIB, LPP, PA, TC, DWM, Ellie* and anyone else I have might have missed.

I might pop back in later if I am still awake.

Evening everyone,

Thank the Lord it's Friday! It's been a tough week and I am super tired. Also feeling a bit grotty so haven't done much apart from attempting to maintain general order.

Welcome to swan78, good luck with the house move and welcome to the thread. Enjoy, it's better than my social life (although that is non-existent so.....)

Hope everyone is ok. Back tomorrow when feeling less grotty hopefully.

Evening ladies,
Came to check in earlier and couldn't get on.
Anyway, back to normality now I see.

Om Hope you feel better soon. Is the wine medicinal by any chance?

Oh no, 2 swans just to confuse me. On my first quick scroll I thought swanriver has name changed, which did confuse me. So, Welcome to swan78 Swanriver - Hope the cats are ok. I always feel bad taking mine, cos you cant explain like you can to a child. - Stupid I know!

Stern look at MissB - A little past bedtime last night i see! Although I know the feeling about peskey DCs wanting computer!

Hi to Aberita, I don't think I have said hi to you before, so welcome aboard.

Feetheart - Hope the chicken pox is ok.

Great excitement here today...... dum, dum, dum........ My Kenwood has arrived. So, of course I have had to make chocolate cake, a wholemeal loaf, banana smoothies and some meringues, just to try all the attachments. How did I survive without one??? I am totally besotted, but ahve been banned from doing any more tonight. I will be up with my recipe book in the morning! I am happy!!!!

So DW has been going non-stop due to all the cooking! and nothing else has been done.

Always tomorrow - um well actually my bestest friend since we were 9 is visiting, now lives abroad, so I will be seeing her, but then there is always next week.

Have a good evening everyone. I think I could be persuaded to share copious amounts of vino with you all!

ItÂ?s Saturday (well nearly but not quite)!

Today's babystep is to work for 2 minutes on a hot spot and it can make a huge difference in very little time. You can read about them in more detail here.

As it is the weekend thereÂ?s no zone decluttering or mission to do, time to have fun instead.

Evening all and welcome to Swan76

Thanks for good wishes re blue hair and chicken pox.
Blue hair, and the rest of the outfit, went really well. DD and her best friend looked great (I even created a profile so I could put the pics up!)
Chicken pox boy has been full of beans all day, dressing up, climbing trees, charging around in the garden! However he crashed at about 6pm and I have just dosed him up again. Hope he lasts the night.

PA - even more now. Sounds like a lovely way to spend a day.
at being banned from using it again tonight. What time are you planning to get up tomorrow?

Quite a productive day in the end:
Turn DD into 'Thing 2' - done
Morning routine - done
2 mins Hotspot - done
Mission or two - done Did porch, cleaned out bin and bin cupboard and cleaned and swapped shoe cupboards around as an anon DC put stickers on one which removed the VERY thin laminate
15 Mins sorting paperwork - no
Curl up with DS and watch The Incredibles/Toy Story/Cars - watched a few cartoons
Play games with DS - didn't need me to as friend came to play though I was required to help them get into the tree
Maybe do cooking with DS - as above!
Afternoon routine - done
Evening routine - sort of done
Bed by 10.30pm - maybe 11pm, maybe a bit later!

Have a good w/e everyone

Failed miserably

Waves to everyone. PA wish I was in your house with all those cakes!
SC hope DD feelng better tonight.
OM hope all the whining wine has helped!
Hello, swan78 and waves to eveyone else!

MM thank you for all the links and encouragements.

Sadly the week has passed me by with little flying. Have been manic at work though and I have kept my routines up . Just no missions, no zone decluttering, no hot spots and no room rescues And look how late it is again Plus most of the week I had lost the plot about which zone we were in

But I have spent quality time watching traumatic film with DD1 (The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas - very sad) and done lots of science revision with DD2

So my Saturday resolution is to try and do a little bit - I will do my list now so I'm all ready to go.....

• washing

-house blitz -menu plan -shop -encourage DD2 to tidy room in readiness for grandmamma staying next week -encourage DD1 to tidy room so DD can stay in there for duration of GMM's visit (she has DD2's room!) -work out rota for DD2's computer useage! -at least 1 pile of paperwork! -weightwatchers -check homework etc -Do work I've brought home

and no doubt more will be added!

Night night all, see you tomorrow

Today is super busy again, I think I was not created to be a busy bee

Feetheart shoe cupboard neverending grief here - partly allthe unused dh walking boots, but if we put them somewhere else (which I have tried) we can't find them when when we DO go walking (which is hardly ever)
I am trying a sep shoe rack in bathroom but that is rather squalid.

MissBennett you should congratulate yourself on everything you've done - good luck with visit - always scares the life out of me to think what visitors think of this house, but really they just are glad to visit us so I shouldn't get in such a twist.

Today
early start [grr]
eclairs for Cubs test defrosting need to fill with whipped cream and ice (Ds1 needs to do it not me
check communion homework x 2
check dh knows how to cover drop-offs this am at music classes
get dcs to have breakfast and off telly
get everyone dressed in right clothes/uniforms
drive ds1 to Cubs with tomato sauce and eclairs, and find where it is and an easy non-motorway route

PA imagines whirling clouds of cake mixture
and here's me with my wooden spoon.

Morning all,

sr just reading about your whirlwind day makes me tired

missb at least you've kept up your routines, i too have had a crazy week and not managed anything bar routines. Good luck getting ready for the visit. Am lucky in that all my close relatives close by so don't have to worry about them coming to stay!

feetheart had a peek at your pics that hair looks fabulous and your dd is gorgeous!

pa who knew a simple kitchen appliance could get one woman so excited though am jealous of all the yummy cakes you have!

mm congratulations on your first week. Marvellous job, particularly loved those tips to keep me on track!

swan78 full facial sounds divine. The closest I ever come to one of those is washing my face in the morning

om hope the poorly throat is feeling better this morning, a bit of an occupational hazard there. Hope the wine (clearly medicinal of course ) soothed sufficiently.

aberita hope ds is ok and your day clamed down a little!

sc hope dd is feeling a little better today.

Big waves to pmpy, qod, jas, mrsd, and all the rest of you I have invariably forgotten .

Today's plan looks like this:-
washing up done
washing on
general tidy downstairs done
bathroom
get ds to tidy his room done
dd's room
washing away
tesco
schoolwork

That's about it, DN is sleeping over tonight as Dsis and BIL are at a wedding do so chaos will reign. Her and DS are more like brother and sister so it will inevitably end up with them fighting! Have had to have a chat with DS this week about hitting DD. To be fair she bullies him, hits him, whacks him with anything she can get her hands on (let's just say she is a strong willed young lady and she's only 2!), he's never bit back because since she was born we've always toldhim he has to be gentle with her because she's so much smaller. I have been waiting for the day when he finally snapped and whacked her back and yesterday he did. To be fair I actually wanted to give him a little cheer because she deserved it and she was good as gold afterwards even drew him a picture!! Oh the joys of parenthood!

Have a good day everyone!

Morning ladies,

Just a quickie as I need to take DD2 into work. First day back and only doing a couple of hours, so she thinks she will be able to cope.

MissB - you have not failed! You have survived and nobody has died, so dont beat yourself up! Love the Boy in the striped PJ film!

OM Hope you are feeling more alive this morning.

Ellie - sounds like fun in your house. Wait til they are teenagers!

Feetheart - Love the blue hair. Hope it all comes out ok and not all over the pillow cases!

So far, I have sorted the kitchen after last evening devastation! Cooked a very large chocolate cake for a church tea this afternoon. and I have bread proving. still excited. Although we did have a hairy few seconds when DS was helping and he jokingly said, what would happen if your phone went down this shute? As he was dangling my phone down the ingrediant shute while it was mixing the chocolate cake...... then a "OH NO!! I DIDN'T MEAN TO, QUICK MUM, HOW DO YOU STOP IT?" A little bit of screaming on my part later and a chocolate covered mobile phone was retreived and still works - Just why I love Samsung - the only think my sumsungs have not survived is the washing machine! Anyway, why on earth do 13 year old boys always have to do that? Ask stupid questions and just not engage their brain. I really pity you teachers who have a roomful at one time!

Right, DD2 to work and DS to tennis, then on to shop and back to spend time with my lovely mate.

Have a good day everyone.

Morning all! Thanks for the good wishes. am feeling much better - an early night helped!
PA - aren't 13yo Dss annoying - I have one of those too! I just looked at him sleeping though and he looks 5 again ...
Swanriver - your day sounds horrendous - that is beyond busy!!!! Hope it all goes smoothly and elegantly!
Elie - enjoy your weldeserved weekend.
Thanks MINIM for keeping us all on track! Hope the blue dye comes out feetheart and your boy is OK. Hi to everyone else! Argh - my laptop is bleeping...be back when I've located charger under DDs bed!....

Hello! And thank you all for encouraging comments. You are right PA we survived and no one died. And that is an achievement! Visits from my mama are fine - she fails to notice the state of the house and anyway she is worse as bad as me so that's OK - just making space to sleep everyone that is the challenge!

'Tis a lovely sunny day here which always lifts the spirits And am off to a flying start....

morning routine - done
house blitz - hoovered downstairs, dusted downstairs and up, cleaned kitchen, including floor, proper clean of bathroom and two loads of washing done, one on the drier, one waiting and sorted out bottles ready for trip to bottle bank
weightwatchers - done - stayed the same - a bit fed up but no doubt will catch up next. Challenge this week is NOT to weigh myself - and that will be hard.

So what's left is
-menu plan
-shop
-bedroom tidying
-library and bottle bank
-paper pile

and then we can start again tomorrow....
Be back later. Have a good day, everyone!