Is there a market for it? (good housekeeping guide for hopeless people)

[littleEDfamily]

I started at Day 1. I get the Daily Flight Path email every morning (high fromage content) as well as some random other updates by email (I think best ignored for now). I cleaned the sink on day one, yes, and now do it daily. And I quite enjoy it. The other hugely significant change has been getting up, making bed immediately and getting totally dressed (including a bit of make up) before even going downstairs. Oh and laying out my clothes at night. By starting the day on top, I seem to be more efficient all round.

Here is the contents of today's flight path email (yes, I must admit again, it is wonderfully weird):

Zone 3: Mission #2 Tuesday

Dear Friends,

Our bathrooms get grungy from dirty little hands and big hands that

come into the bathroom to get washed. Today we are going to take a

hot soapy rag and wash these dirty spots off the door facings, switch

plates and door knobs. They have become invisible to us.

5 Minute Holiday Leftover Room Rescue for your Dining Room. Set a timer and spend 5

minutes putting away any holiday items that are still hanging around.

Kelly

Today's Reminders:

* Morning Routine:

-Get Dressed to Shoes including Hair/Face, Brush Teeth

- Make Bed

-Swish & Swipe

-Empty Dishwasher

-Reboot Laundry (a Load a Day Keeps CHAOS Away)

-Check Your Calendar

-Check Your Control Journal

* What's For Dinner?

* Drink Your Water

* Declutter for 15 Minutes

* 15 Minutes of Loving Movement (exercise)

* Before Bed Routine:

-Lay out Your Clothes for tomorrow

-Check Your Calendar

-Put things needed for tomorrow at the Launch Pad

-Where are your Keys?

-Spend Two Minutes Clearing off a Hot Spot

-Shine Your Sink

- Wash face/Brush Teeth

-Go to Bed at a Decent Hour

[citizenED]

I'm liking the "15 Minutes of Loving Movement (exercise)"...

[littleEDfamily]

Yes, I am not sure what her exercise of choice is, but I imagine it is along the lines of Aerobics Oz Style (US version...)

[Pickle]

That website is hilarious, but weirdly attractive and makes a lot of sense. Makes me realise that I'm more organised than I think (I always lay our clothes out for the next day before bedtime, and always get myself fully dressed/hair done etc. before coming downstairs in the morning).

And the smell of cleaning products at 8am together with an unusually shiny sink is making me feel like I've achieved something today ;-)

[jollybaby]

Feeling bad about lying on the sofa in my pyjamas now . .

[Pickle]

Don't feel bad - enjoy it while your little one is still a baby. I have to be out of the house for a school run these days, forces me to get dressed (although I may try out the trendy pj's and Ugg Boots look one morning and see if anyone notices!)

[Fuschia]

When pg with the twins I once accidentally did the pickup in my my pj trousers.

Like flylady too, used to do it when DS1 was a toddler. Morning and night routines and 15 minute declutter have stuck with me. also huge organised mum calendar with pocket for school letters etc

[dullified]

LittleEDfamily very sorry to hear your mum passed away before you were able to share your own experiences of motherhood and attempting to run a home with her.

While I have no desire to be some sort of domestic goddess I do already follow and have devised frighteningly similar mundane routines to the ones you posted from flylady to make sure everything flows smoothly. Including laying out my clothes before I go to bed, sorting all post as it arrives (junk, file or ?actioned?), writing things down on a shopping list as soon as I run out and once a week creating a must-do list and devoting the day entirely to making sure everything on the must do list gets done. I found initially it took will power and discipline to get into the routines but once they become habit they are rather comforting and satisfying. However it?s a bit like going to the gym, giving up smoking etc. - the initial discipline, will power and habit forming behaviour really has to come from you.

[pebbles]

well.... my sink is clean... shiny due to baby oil!!!! now i don't really want to ever use it again :)

am now sitting on sofa watching the biggest loser (never seen it before, it's brilliant :), and am looking at fire place that hasn't been cleaned since fire at weekend and you know what... i think i might get dustpan and brush and bag and clean that out as well - ooooer

bed still unmade though and toys everywhere but as flylady says - babysteps

sadly i'm actually really excited!!!!

[snowboarder]

Please stop it, all of you, stop it...!!

I am currently collapsed on sofa after an exhausting morning of swimming. There is wet washing in the washing machine, and dry clothes in the tumble dryer, but I can't face even sorting that out. Several mountains of ironing to put away upstairs. Have chosen cup of tea and hot cross bun and internet while small sb snoozes.....I have after all important research on potty buying to do....

[Gussy]

Getting fully dressed, hair, face etc before coming downstairs is a really BIG one for me, ie I'm not sure I can do it :) I'm not at my best in the morning and while I'm normally up anywhere from 5-7am due to bubba, I'm often still in a morning trance and my pjs come 9am - I know, terrible eh? It's because I do the breakfasts, get baby back down to sleep, then finish toddler and then, whoops its 9am and I haven't dressed. I've done everything else - washing up, washing on, cleaning surfaces, dressing kids, I just come last and I really don't know if I can get dressed at 6am, not knowing the weather, rummaging around a clothes drawer with unironed bits and pieces in it. Oh dear, poor excuses aren't they? I *LOVE* my PJs. Hmm, have been embarrassed a few times though when my neighbour has popped something round. MUST TRY HARDER.

[Fuschia]

Gussy, I do morning stuff in pjs (clothes don't get dirtyu with breakfast/stained with bleach etc) then get myself and the twins showered and dressed as soon as DS1 is gone.

[littleEDfamily]

I think it's like putting your oxygen mask on before attending to others - when you're sorted you're in a better position to look after others.

I always was a 'shower the minute my feet hit the floor type' until second sprog when I slipped into PJs all morning. For me I am finding I am psychologically in a better place if I know I am at least ready if things are going haywire with getting the littlies sorted.

pebbles - I hear you on the sink! Once it is so lovely and shiny I don't want to reuse....

PS I am such a loser - today I spontaneously decided to descale the kettle and de-stain my teacups.

[littleEDfamily]

Gussy Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Getting fully dressed, hair, face etc before

> coming downstairs is a really BIG one for me, ie

> I'm not sure I can do it :) I really don't know if I can get dressed at

> 6am, not knowing the weather, rummaging around a

> clothes drawer with unironed bits and pieces in

> it.

If you follow the gospel according to FlyLady, you would have your clothes laid out from the night before.... (having checked the forecast, I assume!);-)

[pebbles]

littleEDfamily - sorry to be ignorant - how do you descale mugs?

ok, i've gone beyond beginner steps now but i've just found while searching the net the saying "3 plus 1" when decorating your mantlepiece - http://www.fireplacemall.com/Article_Library/Fireplace_Mantel_Decorating__T/fireplace_mantel_decorating__t.html

so i've just gone around the whole house trying to find suitable things and i've just redesigned my mantlepiece - that's always in front of me when i'm watching tv and on internet - it actually looks quite good - i'm normally a picture type girl but i now have 3 candlestics on one side and a vase on the other (just need the flowers now) - all we need now is a mantle clock!!!!

i've always been a pj type girl but now i'm having to leave the house in the morning to take no1 to nursery i'm actually having to get dressed when i get up cos otherwise mornings just turn into horrendous rushing. what i've also realised is going to work is making sure both kids are dressed before we even venture downstairs cos then we don't need to go back up again - i did it this morning for the first time and it really made my morning so much smoother!!!

[ClareC]

snowboarder Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Please stop it, all of you, stop it...!!

>

> I am currently collapsed on sofa after an

> exhausting morning of swimming. There is wet

> washing in the washing machine, and dry clothes in

> the tumble dryer, but I can't face even sorting

> that out. Several mountains of ironing to put

> away upstairs. Have chosen cup of tea and hot

> cross bun and internet while small sb

> snoozes.....I have after all important research on

> potty buying to do....

Your ironing is done !?!?!?!? Pretty every item of clothing/ bedding we own is currently filling the ironing basket, filled to 3 times its height and overflowing!!! Resembles an EU food mountain!!

I am vegged on the sofa, Cbeebies on, me on here :-(

[snowboarder]

Umm, so, I'll let you into a little secret re ironing....she's great, she picks up mountains of clothes and they come back all lovely and flat, I can give you her number...but shhhhh!

Anyway. I can't even put the freakin' clothes away. Partly due to being halfway through decorating...that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

I do manage the getting dressed before coming downstairs thing, but that's purely because husband takes small one and gets breakfast started, so I grab 15mins or so before he leaves. It's kind of my sanity saver.

[Fuschia]

I cleaned the kitchen and bathroom floors first time in a fortnight today...

[pebbles]

SB - we also use the miracle ironer who picks up and drops off the following night. Honestly couldn't live without them!!!

[ClareC]

Phew...... was concerned everyone else was getting ironing done!!

We had a "reliable" (according to her advert) ironer found on this forum up until 3 weeks ago when she went AWOL...... I was concerned she was OK so text a couple of times, needless to say she didn't reply but is OK has been using the forum, I guess she found our ironing too much too ;-)

I can admit to having someone new starting tomorrow although may need to hide some of the mountain from her so as not to put her off ;-)

If it doesnt work out will definitely be after those numbers!! Thank you :-)

[littleEDfamily]

I descaled the kettle with white vinegar and destained the cups with a bleach solution (not eco, but effective).

I also have magic ironer - it's called my husband. Only does his own stuff though... using the age old technique perfected by men the world over, I have persuaded him I am bad at ironing.

Ok, so latest update from dullsville (aka my house), I have implemented '5 minute tidy up time' after dinner, before bath, during which my daughter has to tidy up an area of her choice (I do the same, baby just cries). I have discovered she has a natural affinity for interiors and seems to take great pride in plumping and arranging the cushions. Bl**dy brilliant.

[Ruth_Baldock]

Gussy; I set mine and Baby's clothes the night out before but it's still a miracle if I have myself dressed/fed by 10am. Baby = dressed, clean, fed, watered, happy. Me = psychotic baglady. I had a bag of minstrels for brekkie today, Baby nabbed a couple. Organised? No.

I haven't done ironing since Fifth Form (nasty kilt and blazer, yeuch!!!). DREADING school when I'll have to do the children's uniforms. Buggeration.

I am good with getting the washing and drying done, but it sits about for an age before I finally get depressed and put it away.

[littleEDfamily]

I don't iron my little one's uniform. The tunic is made of some hideous polyester and I just shake it like a polaroid picture when it comes out of the washing machine.

[Gussy]

I have a second sofa in the 'not sure what this is/toys all over the floor' room next to living room - it's not for sitting on, its for piles of clothes. Best of all, toddler likes to wait until it is sufficiently high and leaning like the Tower of Pisa, before leaping into it to bring it all down, whereupon Gussy lets out long sigh before returning to internet/tv.

Ladies I'm just not sure I can face being THAT organised to lay out clothes the night before...I just want to slink off to bed (still in my clothes) and lie down and sleep for an eternity (HA!)....actually that would work, I wouldn't need to get changed in the morning then! :)

PS do tell more of these ironing angels? How much do they charge?

[zeban]

This thread has started me wondering what my Mum did. She had 5 children and brought us all up on her own. We had a really small house though so no spare rooms to dump stuff in so maybe that's what pushed her to keep everything in check, and made it more manageable. I don't know how she coped though!