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...

Afternoon everyone...
I need to make a list this weekend as I have parents' evening looming (as the teacher!) and am starting to feel stressed. 'Tis because I tend to procrastinate rather than get things done and feel better!!

So, to do:
pick up Mum from station
mark literacy books
planning for next week
check weekly email
15 mins declutter
15 mins paperwork
get on top of washing and ironing

That doesn't look much written down but somehow it feels enormous!!

Have a great day all. Glad you are more on top of the flying MissB and well done on your continuing weight loss. Can I ask whether you count points or do the other method (can't remember what it's called)?!

catch up later....

Hello everyone! Just dropping in while DDs are playing well together and not arguing (yet). I can empathise with what you're going through with the fighting elliepac, although it's not quite as one-sided in our house - all three are equally good at defending themselves (physically rather than vocally, unfortunately).

It sounds like you had a hectic morning ahead of you swanriver - I had an early start too and managed to get my baby step (2 mins working on hot spot) done before the DC got up. Also had a blitz on downstairs, children's bedrooms and playrooms as we had a visit from a journalist and photographer this morning - great excitement! It was for an article about Kindergarten children and we'd been chosen as we're bringing the children up bilingually (just a shame they were too shy to speak much!).

missbennett - it doesn't sound like you've failed at all, especially if you've spent quality time with your DC - something I need to work on... And it certainly sounds like you've been busy this morning!

Hope the chocolate cake and bread turned out OK PositiveAttitude, just the thought of freshly baked bread is making me feel hungry! And glad to hear you're feeling better optimisticmumma. Thanks for all your encouragement MiniMarmite; I hope things are better soon with the teething - I remember what it was like!

I have a very short list today compared with most of you:

Shine sink (still not done )
2 mins working on hot spot done
Do tax return

Afternoon all,

quick progress report

washing up done
washing on 3rdloadon
general tidy downstairs *done(
bathroom done
get ds to tidy his room done
dd's room done
washing away
tesco done
schoolwork

2 worst jobs left then

Um, probably asking a silly question - but how do you all find time to make these giant lists and get them accomplished? I desparately want to declutter/keep a tidy house, but I work 4 long days, walk 3.5 miles roundtrip to and from with DD (2.2, attends nursery just around the corner from my work) and am 19 weeks pregnant with DS. My house has always been a bit of a tip, but I'm nesting already and found myself moving furniture to vacuum and mop every floor in my house last weekend, only to see it a bombsite today. I've really needed some inspiration a kick up the backside for a long time now, and I always notice these threads, but I just don't know if I could actually find the time/energy be disciplined enough to actually follow through with a cleaning routine. So I guess I'm wondering - is there any hope for me? Would I be able to find time to actually do enough of this flying stuff to really make a difference? For example - on workdays, it's a lucky day when a home-cooked dinner gets made and the dishes get done.

Sorry if this is a hijack - just saw this post up in active convos again and toyed with the idea of trying to join you all, but scared to actually toss my hat in and quit by Tuesday...

rockinghertosleep - I completely get where you are coming from. I work full time and have two relatively small DC's (6 and 2). Us fledgling flyers are just that....starting at the beginning. Nothing in the babysteps lasts longer than 15 minutes and it is very small steps at the beginning. I have been on this thread for 6 months and have still have not mastered it in any way shape or form but I can see green shoots of recovery ifyswim. I quit about three times a week but the beauty of this thread is that it doesn't matter, you just hop right back on and each time you hop back on it gets a little easier. You can find the time because it doesn't take a lot of time, i promise you. The best thing about this thread is that we are all very supportive of each other and there is no telling off! Please come and join us, if you find it's not for you then nothing lost . Plus there is always lots of wine and cake on the go (pa has just bought some fancy new kitchen appliance and I like wine )

HTH (or it may be as clear as mud in which case our esteemed leader mm will come along and make some sense! )

Come on in rocking, and it doesn't matter if you quit on Tuesday! . It's all about doing one tiny step and then adding to it a bit at a time. The lists posted don't necessarily get done but some of us find that posting makes us get on with it!!
I'm sure PA will be along in a minute with her choccie cake....

Evening All

I hope you are all having a good weekend with minimal FLYing. We've had a good day, family trip for a mini-shop and coffee this morning followed by reading the papers during DS's nap and a trip to the local park this afternoon. DS and I both have a bit of a cold so taking it a bit easy and I must confess to having had a brief nap while DH went to Homebase! Yummy dinner of lamb koftas and cous cous - except I haven't given DS cous cous since the end of the summer so he gave it a slightly dubious look and just picked out the pomegranite seeds and ate those!

Welcome Rocking Ellie's got it exactly right (well apart from the leader bit where, having just taken 10 minutes to find a cup for my DS's drink, I had to pick myself up floor ). Just do what you can, a babystep at a time. Over time you will start to find that the falling-offs don't have such a huge impact because things are more generally organised and/or you have a way to sort it out quickly. If nothing else, the friendship, support, laughs and virtual (calorie free ) wine and cake are worth dropping in for!

Feetheart love the pictures of DD with her friend and their blue hair, so cute . Hope DS had a good night's sleep (and you too).

MissB you have NOT failed - it sounds like you've done a fabulous job managing to keep up your routines despite a very busy week at work.

SR wow, what a busy Saturday. I think I must make the most of having a toddler and not having the commitment of lots of clubs and classes.

I hope it is not too chaotic Ellie and that they're all behaving themselves .

Glad you are enjoying your new toy PA sounds like you've been testing it the limits (or rather your DS has)!

Glad you are feeling a bit better OM.

Glad you have a short list aberita. Tax returns fill me with dread, such a confusing form for my poor brain! Thankfully I don't have to do one this year.

Ok, off to post the links for tomorrow then should probably go and talk to DH!

Here are the links for Sunday - picking out clothes for the next day. I think most of us that having been doing this for a while find this to be one of the most useful babysteps, alleviating those inevitable morning panics!

No zone decluttering or missions today so take it easy everyone.

Evening all, just popping in while cooking dinner which is late because DH and I had 'one of those evenings' if you know what I mean. He was being a/an (insert your own expletive here according to your sensitivity to such words ), I told him he was being a/an (insert your own expletive here according to your sensitivity to such words), he denied it, i asserted it. He eventually relented 2 hours later and acknowledged that I was right. If he'd just admitted it straight away I wouldn't be cooking dinner at 9pm! Wine Time!!!

NOt much else achieved today. DNiece has arrived from wedding reception and all is quiet having sent them to bed with Monsters VS Aliens for company.

AM going now to drink wine, cook dinner and then indulge in my guilty pleasure that is Casualty!

Have a good evening everyone!

Evening all!
rocking, I know what you mean but I am finding that this does work - albeit sometimes slowly Having got some basic routines in place my house generally seems cleaner and less a squalidmess bit of a tip! And having got the routines going I am maanging to begin to get rid of some of the clutter. I struggle in the week - full time work and 2 teenagers and between us there's something on every evening - but try and focus a bit more at weekends and some progress being made. So you are very welcome - and very understood here And the chat is lovely

OM I am doing points. Rather worryingly though I found myself trying to work out the points in the dog food the other day Hope you got your work done. In spite of getting very stressed with schools and teachers from time to time, I am very much in awe of your dedication and the amount of work you have to do!

alberita - the tax return is a big job so your list does not count as short!

minim thank you for all links and encouragment. I will get there!

elliepac we have those sorts of evenings too!

pa I am very of your new appliance

Waves to everyone else.......

Well, I've had a lovely afternoon. DD1 went shopping with freind so I took DD2 out and the afternoon started with trip to bottle bank and libary.
Then back home as realised had forgotten handbag.
Conversation with DH then back to car.....and just as backing out the drive realised I STILL hadn't picked up bag Cue hysterical laughter from DD2 and comments about age and mental capacity
But once we got going we had a good time.....did the grocery shopping, mooched round the big Tesco, coffee in Costa and then Next and M&S and Boots. And she was lovely and chatty So I treated her to Jeggings (?) and she looks lovely in them.

Got home and did tea - was supposed to be beany moussaka but couldn't find aubergines anywhere! So had beany stew and garlic bread and 'twas very nice!

This evening, after a lot bit of prevaricating, I have sorted out a box of papers. Hooray! I mean, I know there are a lot more to do (my idea of filing is to dump everything in a box and leave it. For a few years. Then move it out to the caravan/under the table for a few more years ) But it feels like a start. Big pile to dump in the recycling and big pile to shred. Progress!

So I've done verything from my list and we will tackle bedrooms tomorrow
See you all then!

My only contribution to today was/is, in no particular order:

I've finished my new book! Which I only started today
Changed sheets on two children's beds, and tidied two bedrooms whilst dcs in bath
washed and dried some laundry
did some piano practice
Taken ds to cooking comp which his team won
Did some scarey drving and managed it
dh successfully negotiated morning's clubs etc without me and cooked supper

Ellie we often have those evenings too.
MsBnnt what a lovely day with your dd, don't tell mine - she will want Jeggings soon.
Albertita hope photoshoot/interview was fun
your house already sounds v.shipshape
Optimistic hope planning and parents'eve stuff goes well
PA Ellie enjoy your friends large and small. What I like best about dcs' friends staying or mine staying is the breakfasts together, and the children all playing first thing.

hello to everyone else, must go to bed
tomorrow looks busy too

Morning everyone! We had a good day yesterday; the interview was fine (I was a bit nervous about it but it was much more relaxed than I was expecting) and the photographer took some very creative shots (DC lying on the floor surrounded by all their toys and books, us lying on the floor being tickled by DC, etc). It will be interesting to see how much of it actually makes it into the magazine, due out a week on Monday (a few sentences and a minuscule photo, I expect!).

I actually managed to get quite a bit done in the afternoon too, including two of last week's missions. Putting my tax return on my list finally motivated me to get it done (just need to get it ready to send now), so I'm going to do a slightly longer list today in the hope that it will give me the kick I need!

elliepac Glad your evening got better in the end; I find wine always helps.

rocking I asked myself the same question, having tried flying on my own a couple of times in the past but never having got very far. It's amazing what a difference this thread has made though; everyone here is so welcoming and encouraging, and I feel much more motivated. And even after less than a week of doing babysteps, the house is already starting to look much better.

swanriver Wow, a book in a day - I can't remember when I last managed that! Not in the last few years anyway...

missbennett It sounds like you had a lovely afternoon, and congratulations on getting everything on your list done!

My list for today:

Empty dishwasher
Shine sink
2 mins putting out hot spot
Finish off tax return
Get school photos ready to send to grandparents
e-mail agency 1 re invoice
Send invoices to agency 2
Pick out clothes for tomorrow

Hope everyone has a good day!

MOrning everyone,

Yesterday I said I was worried about DNiece and DS fighting, turns out I should have been more worried about them getting on so well they woke up at half 5, snuggled up in bed together and began chattering and giggling so loud they woke me up and also DD so it has been a very early morning in the elliepac household today!

It is a beautiful day here so am thinking we might venture to the park at some point. List looks like this:-

Just one more coffee
Morning routine
Washing on
Washing away
Schoolwork
Sunday lunch
Tidy out car (not quite sure there are enough hours in the day for this!)
Collapse in a heap

Have a good day everyone!

Morning all! Sunshine here too

Have started with looking after myself and enjoyed nice bath before anyone else up! DDs both getting up now though - DD1 has D of E planning meeting at school and DD2 is coming to church with me (I think to show off new jeggings rather than for any spiritual reasons!) but says she'll hellp with coffee and today there is a cake stall

swanriver what did you read? Am very impressed and very ! I only get to do that on holiday. At the moment I am trying to read 'A Wasted Vigil' all about Afganistan but I'm afraid I'm not getting on very well with it

I decided to tidy my car out yesterday,elliepac. I got rid of all the rubbish then entered the boot. Oh dear. I'd been shoving things in there for a bit severalmonths in the style of storage unit and unfortuunately damp had got in and there was some mouldy bits Is all drying out now. Am seriously thinking about a change - but I love my little car - is a Citroen Pluriel so when the sun shines I can roll back the roof - or even go topless but it's not waterproof!

Anyway, enough rambling from me! My tasks for today:
-clear dog poo from patio so I can hang out washing
-clear shelf on unit
-insist encourage DDs to do something in their bedrooms
-go for walk and insist encourage Dh to come too
-stuff I've brought home from work Maybe accompanied by a glass of wine if anyone fancies it ? )

See you later......

Morning!

Sorry I've been AWOL for a couple of days but was SOOO tired I deceided not to turn on the PC so I could do what needed to be done then get some rest. Couldn't understand why I was so tired then I remembered: 1 day working at Warwick Uni this week, 2 days at Greenwich last week, 1 day in London week before, the mad rush to get my job application in, then the stress of HR putting me forward for the wrong job! All sorted now - interview on Friday afternoon.

No structured flying here but I am on top of the washing (hanging on line, first load of bedclothes in WM), v small amount of ironing to be done (only what dried on the airer overnight), kitchen pretty tidy, beds half changed (to extent that job must be finished today or we have no beds to sleep in), bins emptied ready for tomorrow.

Intend to just potter today and do more tomorrow. No travelling for me this week so hopefully can het back to normal!

MissBennett I read "This Thing of Darkness" by Harry Thompson, which was a fictionalized account about FitzRoy, who was on journey with Darwin on the Beagle.

I read it partly in a pub(next to Scout cook thingy) and partly at home (avoiding flying). I got to end, to find the real life man was buried in the VERY church I had spent the day 500 yards (Norwood Green) from, without realising there was any connection when I chose the book (it is not my local area at all) So spooky. London is full of old villages, all just swallowed up.

Hello All

I hope you have all enjoyed the sun.
Yesterday I whizzed around the house, wiped down the bathroom, washed and dried school uniforms, emptied dishwasher and shined sink after breakfast. The rest of the day was spent viewing houses, taking the children to a kids disco and then having dinner with a friend for her DDs birthday.
My friend and DH spoke about the stress of having a CHAOS house and I told them about the fly site. When quizzed by my friend, it suddenly dawned on my DP that he does nothing around the house. Today I woke up to breakfast in bed and have been told that DP will take care of the Sunday roast!!!

TO DO LIST
iron uniforms
pick out my clothes for tommorrow
change bed linen
hoover
clean windows
ignore any mess DP makes in his effort to cook Sunday roast (praise the good, ignore the bad and all that! LOL)

I hope you all have a lovely Sunday

I'm very envious reading about you all enjoying the sun - we've had snow here (the winter seems to be never-ending this year), it's got much colder and the sun has yet to put in an appearance.

A quick update:

Empty dishwasher done
Shine sink done
2 mins putting out hot spot done
Finish off tax return done
Get school photos ready to send to grandparents done
e-mail agency 1 re invoice done
Send invoices to agency 2
Piano practice - done with DD2, still need to do with DD1
Pick out clothes for tomorrow

Hi everyone! Am feeling a bit more in control today and it too is a beautiful day here. aberita where do you live (nosy emoticon)
pick up Mum from stationdone
mark literacy bookshalfwaythrough
planning for next weekdone
check weekly emaildone
15 mins declutter
15 mins paperwork
get on top of washing and ironingdoing

I knew it was more than it looked! To add to list I have also:
taken Dd to town to get new calculator and ink cartridge (she's in the middle of coursework)
Taken DS1 out for driving practice - he is now getting over confident and inclined to go over the speed limit!
Put chicken in oven

I'm now going to go and start on my ironing pile and check the uniforms have actually been washed!. Will join in with wine later while watching Lark rise...(my Sunday eve treat!)
I could do with a good book - something lite-any ideas??
See you all later

optimisticmumma I live in Austria - about 30 miles south of Vienna - so snow isn't all that unusual here; it's just that we don't seem to have had much of a break from it since November. And no worries re nosiness - I tend to be on the nosey curious side myself.

Would also appreciate any suggestions for a good light read! If only I could stay awake for long enough to read more than a page or two at a time...

I've now finished my to do list apart from putting out clothes for tomorrow, so will be joining you all for a large glass of wine later!

Good day!

Lovely sunshine here too. - showing up all the dust and grim.

Hope the sun reaches you soon Ab Swan78 Enjoy Dh being on board, Well done you!!!

OM - I am reading New York by Edward Rutherfurd at the moment. Brilliant book, but at 1000+ pages could not really be classed as a Light read!

We have had a lovely weekend. Empty washbins. - mountain of ironing for my Sunday evening tv! (or that is far more likely to be tumble dry and shake!)
DS and I have cooked so much this weekend we have run out of loads of ingredients. We have had lots of people popping in all weekend too, and they have all been able to be offered homemade cakes, bread, delights of some variety. All good. I have used up my weeks supply of dishwasher tablets too! Even after all this baking and eating Mr Wii Fit told me I had reached my latest target this morning. Yeah!!!
Also I received some work via email from one client last evening and I was really pleased when I got up early this morning and got it all sorted, rather than my normal trick of needing that last minute panic to get anything done.

Tomorrow I really need to be mega organised and do the supermarket shop before work in the morning to replace all my used stock and get everything for a meal I have been brow beaten into-- and cant get out of asked to do for some of the youth group tomorrow night. I am thinking probably a mexican medley. I will also need to get the house scrubbed and looking more acceptable for their arrival. And a long day at work, so really not looking forward to the morning. Must try and get myself as organised as possible tonight, I guess.

Hope you have all had good weekends. I am up for wine and cake sharing tonight.

Evening all,

lovely day had here. PLayed in the garden this morning, out to impromptu Sunday lunch at local pub with Dsis and family (more importantly this meant no cooking/cleaning up!), and then a walk in the park. DC's all bathed and ready for bed, all clothes out for tomorrow bar DH's which are in tumbler as we speak, vast majority of washing done and relatively tidy house .

Am now going to watch Waybuloo (crazy, yoga doing bears) with DD as DS in ensconced in Ghostbusters with DH. Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

Evening! Quick catch up before I embark on tea...

Nice to see you DWM and hope this week is less hectic.
Good luck with youth club, PA !
OM I read 'the Water Horse' recently which I enjoyed, about a girl who goes out with Florence Nightingale to the Crimea - quite good. Also a couple by the same author, who I unhelfully can't remember - one was called 'The Secret Life of Bees' and the other, 'The Mermaid Chair' which I loved. And swan's choice sounds interesting too. Swan, that was some coincidence!

Well, we've (DD2 and I)been to church, served coffee and chose a yummy cake, enjoying a slice after we ALL went for a walk in the sunshine!

DD1 now doing homework and DH just watched footie. DD2 has made good progress in her room though all her clothes are currently on our bed so a bit more needed. I've cleared and cleaned the two remaining shelves of the unit I wanted to deal with. Very dusty but now gleaming

Right, better go and do tea. Have arranged to chat to friend tonight so looking forward to that!

Pleasant Sunday evening to all

Thanks for all the book suggestions! I will investigate!ab - how wonderful to live in Austria .It has been beautiful here today but soooo cold! have put washing on line for first time this year! PA - i love reading about all your meals! It sounds like fun in your house! Well done ellie - always goodto go out to eat! we're about to have our roast - once we've dug the lovebirds(DS1+GF) out of their lair -yikes!
Will try to be here Monday and Tuesday but the week from hell is coming up and it will be all I can do to be in the right place at the right time....

Enjoy what remains of the weekend!
x

Just thought i would stick my head in. Had a really rough week or too. Nearly fell off the PGCE course (long story) Now making progress towards finishing but the O words are due in probably next week at i believe 24hrs notice or something short. Will probably have to rejoin you next month. hope you are all ok.

I will let a brave teacher explain what the O word is. Tis bad luck to utter at the mo...