August's 1st Anniversary Fledgling Flyers: It's our party and we'll fly if we want to.

[elliepac]

Welcome to the August edition of the Fledgling Flyers where we are going to attempt to restore order in our houses, chatting as we go.

This month is officially our first birthday so we are celebrating sink shining and swishing and swiping in style!

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

For those who are curious, these are the Babysteps which we all hope will restore order in our homes and make our lives a little bit easier with lots of support (and chat, and wine, and a little more chat )

So please come and join us for our birthday party, old and new, from August 1st.

Hi all, last post of day on my way to bed. Didn't get much more done on my list - apart from hoovering and dusting first floor and cooking fish, chips and peas from scratch for supper - so will have to do parcels tomorrow morning, together with cleaning out gp cage and fetching prescription from chemist. All in all not a bad day though as ground and first floor are gleaming and all washing and ironing ready to bung in cases tomorrow. Thanks for the motivation everyone!

A warm welcome to Namechange! Sounds like you have made a very good start with your decluttering project. Don't get despondent -you WILL get there in the end with the help of the 'fat fairy' and everyone on here! There are two Flying threads on Mnsnet - we are the fledglings ie we are still finding our way. The other Fly thread is for the professionals (who are also very friendly btw!) This is a good place to start though as many of us are STILL on baby-steps and haven't graduated to missions yet (I'm finally contemplating this step come Sept after an entire 12 mths on here!!) You will soon get in to the swing of things ....

Linzer of your bkswap facility

MrsD the ice cream sounds delicious

Have a fantastic time Ellie and a much deserved rest (as far as is poss with young 'uns)

G'night all ....

What a shame about the fireworks PA but oh, oh, you have an M&S five-mins by foot from your house ????!!! It's the possibility of being able to buy knickers that counts ... Enjoy your bunny- fest!

And forgot to say happy anniversary to Toffee

Welcome namechange, this is definitely the right place to be.
Think this is my 4th attempt at Flying but the chat support on here has kept me going since January. I have nearly 8 years of my own clutter, 44 years of DH's and 49 years of DH's parents clutter (I moved into the house DH grew up in) to cope with To say it drives me crazy at times is a HUGE understatement.
However today I have been on a mission following the festering rodent incident and now have a beautifully decluttered landing that has been cleaned to within an inch of its life Admittedly most of the clutter is now in our bedroom but that is the task for tomorrow.
I also have a properly shiny sink for the first time in ages and am raring to get on and sort out our bedroom. I have also warned DD that her room is next as she seems to have inherited the hoarding genes

I think there are also 3 or 4 of us with DC starting school in September so there will be cake and sympathy all round!

PA - enjoy the fireworks. I LOVE fireworks having been a poor deprived child growing up in N Ireland in 70's where fireworks were banned. Can't wait to see what they do for 2012.

MrsD and PA - my ice-cream bible is Ices The Definitive Guide Looks like it might be out of print but worth getting 2nd hand if you can.

MiniMarmite - lovely to see you pop in. Know what you mean about MN taking over, I try to just stick to this thread but am often lured onto 'Active threads' at night and before I know it its midnight
:) at DS and his 'sister', my DNephew told everyone they were having a dalmation
Good luck with potty training. Was very lazy lucky with mine and caught them just right. My theory FWIW is to leave it until they are almost begging you to let them have pants but we never had the threat of 2 in nappies.

Another monster post so am going to bed now - before 10.30pm, the Fat Fairy would be so proud :)
Night night all

Took so long to write monster post that I missed SC and PA. Shame about fireworks :(

Must look at Ben and Jerry's book again, have had it for a few years but didn't rate it as much as the Ices one. I am willing to be persuaded otherwise :).

2 minutes to 10.30pm deadline - I'm going, I'm going.

PA / Feetheart - one of my friends recently turned down a job in quality control at Ben and Jerry's factory in Vermont because the commute was too long . She does live in upstate NY BTW, not here in the UK. That really does sound like my kind of job.

Bed, bed, bed.

Evening everyone. Well am all packed and ready to go and all we need to do is to pack the car on the morning and we are away to the north yorks coast for two weeks! I do have to say ladies that this is the tidiest I have ever left my house before going away and am feeling a little proud of myself! I have no time to post individually because I have a couple of things left to do but ......... I hope you all have a lovely two weeks that those of you departing on hols (feetheArt? Sc?) have a fab time and that those remaining don't miss my sparkling wit too much. I leave you in the more than capable hands of the fabulous pa and I shall pop in to see how everyone is. I will give mm a special wave. So glad all is well with you . yak care everyone and happy flying! xxxx

Yak care? You can tell it's way past my bedtime! What I was trying to say was take care. Doh!

yak care sounds quite alarming, even more so than bathing and brushing two filthy labradors...

admylin - ohh, MB. hmm. we're in alberta (oil country) but a prairie's a prairie, really. fantastic opportunity though. (was just fishing to see if it was going to be u of calgary lol - am toying with applying to start phd there)

feetheart nah, i'm not really an early bird at the moment. i have been in the past, at different times i've run and swam before anyone else is up, but not since having three children! i'm quite tempted though - i might trail it next week and see how i get on (fancy joining me?) i did laugh at you managing to get from early bird to dead bird so swiftly though... am hoping i don't end up feeling like i've been attacked by cats...

pa i was very jealous about the looming cowes extravaganza, until i read about the rain. yuk. i do miss sailing, there's none here at all.

i still think of myself as a newbie, but i think this is my third month! what ou course are you doing? i need to get a grip of myself and organise my study... it's either ou or i need to persuade my uni to let me finish the msc i keep fretting over. i had to take a sabbatical because we moved, and i haven't quite got it together enough to finish yet, which is a total pita as i've got a ready-made phd that i need to apply for. gah. but welcome to flying! apols for student hijack

linzer i had no idea they had closed all the m&s on the continent... i've tried online shopping but have recently had an unfortunate experience with 3 x 5 packs of extremely large bridget jones' which have put me off slightly. they were supposed to be my 'sensible cotton exercise knickers' and i swear you can even see the waistband over my running pants.

will post my lists tomorrow, as i've bored even myself with my waffling...

enjoy hols, those who are off on their travels!

Right ladies, I saw that Ellie had posted, not realising she hadnt done the steps for today, so sorry if you have been waiting here it is babystep for today

This is one that I know a lot of you do, but I confess to not liking that much .... putting clothes out. I never know what I am going to feel like wearing the night before when I am knackered and dont know what the weather is going to do. hey-ho thats just me .

No mission for the weekend, just have family time and enjoy!!!

I hope Ellie got off fine and has a good time away. I'm very glad she is pleased with her tidy house and feels rightfully proud.

Last evening DD3 stayed at the fireworks with a friend and we had a phone call from her just before they started to say that she had been attacked!! I was soooo . DD3 is recovering from CFS/ME and only gets out of the house about once a week, on a good week, so this was just so unfair. I hope it doesnt knock her confidence and sends her back healthwise. She came home with a deep red mark on her face, under her eye and all over her cheek. Hopefully it wont be black today!!

Ok, well a good start to the morning so far.
Washing machine unloaded
Reloaded
Tumbler loaded and on
Wetroom scrubbed (found mould on floor, so needed urgent attention)
Me showered in clean wetroom
Cats fed
Rabbits fed

To do:
DS to tennis
Shopping
Sweep kitchen floor
ironing
sweep front lounge floor
Cook curry for tonight
Should do some paid work that I keep putting off
Anything else that crops up - like playing with bunnies.

Have a good weekend everyone and I will see how you have all been doing later.

PA - I'm so sorry to hear about your daughter. How is she today? What a terrible thing to happen. Poor girl. And poor you. I'm so glad that my children are still safely at home with me, although I know it won't be that long before I have to start letting the oldest go out without me. I try not to think about it because it scares me so much. But the day will come, of course.

Thanks for the babystep. I actually do this one as I'm so sleepy in the morning (I never get to bed at a decent time) that I can't think straight. It's lovely to get up and find all the clothes laid out. I often check the next days' weather on the internet to see what clothes to wear, btw, so that solves the 'wrong clothes' issue.

Ellie - congratulations on your tidy house. That will feel wonderful when you come home. Hope you have a lovely holiday.

Namechange and Feet - my DS2 is also starting school in September. Have just received the name labels and am going to do a batch of ironing and labelling every day till it's done. Still have to sort out PE kits, trousers, fleece and shoes. However, he has a very long settling-in programme so doesn't actually start full time until the third week of September. Am feeling mixed feelings about him going. On one hand, I'm excited about having time to do my own stuff and hopefully earn some money, but on the other, I'm worried about how he'll cope with school (he's quite a shy boy). Who else on this thread has a child starting school in September? Tea and sympathy will be required for all. (I see there's a 'starting school' section on MN, which I shall go and browse after this).

DS1 is in his last year at primary, so I will have him starting at secondary school to worry about next year.

Had a lovely meal out last night (thanks for all the good wishes). Am not even dressed yet this morning. Have spent a lot of time with the boys, who wanted to be with me all the time this morning(maybe they missed me putting them to bed last night). Minimum of flying planned today. I suppose we are de-cluttering, as DH and I are going to put some stuff on ebay to raise money for our holiday in France later this month. We are going to an outdoor concert with a friend this evening - hope it doesn't rain.

Have a good weekend and waves to those I haven't mentioned, including MrsD, Linzer, MiniM, Still and DEM and anyone else I've missed.

Oh no, Mrs D - I've just taken that Ben and Jerry's recipe book to the Heart Foundation shop!

Forgot to say yesterday, LOVE the thread title!

Thanks for all your hellos everyone...must go again now!!! If I am good I might allow myself just back on this thread, will see how I go!

Decluttering continues apace here. I have been through all my stationery (I had enough to keep me going for several decades; now it's more like several years) and now need to finish sorting out the DC's toys. We've just come back from lunch out at the arts centre cafe; I resisted going into the bookshop afterwards, but called in at the supermarket on the way home to buy a paper for my dad and came out with about 10 magazines for myself. In my defence, they'll keep me going until Christmas.

PA So sorry to hear about what happened to your DD - that's just awful. I really hope it doesn't set her back; I know what a struggle it can be living with CFS as my dad has had it for about 20 years (he had to take early retirement).

Thanks for posting today's babystep. I have to admit I don't do it for myself either, but I find it invaluable for the DC and they usually remind me if we forget to do it!

Toffee DD2 will be starting school in September and I'm also quite worried about how she'll cope as she's very shy. It was quite a struggle with DD1 as she has dyslexia-related problems; DD2 is already reading and writing very well (I must point out here that she's already 6) so I have no concerns about the academic side, but she's far more sensitive than DD1 and I've heard that her teacher is very strict. We've just received a list (over a page of A4) of everything she needs, so I also have plenty of labelling to look forward to when I'm back in Austria!

Where will you be going in France? It's a lovely country but the fact that I have to speak French there puts me off going - I just find it too depressing when I realise how much I've forgotten... (I studied French but haven't used it for well over a decade.)

Stands in road with white handkerchief to wave Ellie off ...N. Yorks sounds so lovely ... hope you have a fab time

PA thanks for today's step (one that has transformed my life - even dd does it now)

am about your dd3 - that's so awful - did you contact the police? - I hope she is OK x

You always impress me by how much you get done on a Saturday which I always tend to treat as a half day (even though I'm no longer working full-time!!)

Glad you have a lovely evening last night Toffee and hope you have another rain-free one tonight.

Nick I've reached that stage of life where big pants are mandatory

I have an unexpected day's 'reprieve' before we set off. Dh who hardly ever takes any holiday is - for the first time in about 6 yrs - taking an unexpected duvet day. He works so hard that when he stops he just collapses in to a heap. Very relieved he's getting some rest but am a bit as to our immediate plans .... He'll hopefully rally later!

In the meantime a v. light Flying day:
washing
more ironing
sewing on name tapes for Sept 1
helping dd write thank you letters
doing a few things here and there towards party
cleaning out gps
spot of gardening

Off out on bikes to blow away some cobwebs with dd

Waves to Feetheart MrsDinky Namechange Linzer Mini-M Mummy Nettie et al

See you later!

Oh gosh, PA, just saw your news about DD3. How is she doing? Poor love, you must be feeling pretty traumatised too x.

PA - sorry to hear about DD3, hope she isn't too badly hurt, physically or emotionally.

Another one her with a DC starting school in Sept, DD (my youngest) who is a confident and determined little girl, so not too worried about her. DS, who has just finished his 2nd year, was a very clingy, shy thing at this stage and I did worry, but he took to it like a duck to water and is now a very confident, outgoing boy. I'm a little sad on my own account though, it has been lovely spending this year at home with her (I worked until last September and have been SAHM since then by virtue of redundancy). We have a month of half days which I'm looking forward to. Don't feel in much of a hurry to go and find another job I must admit, but I am going to take another A level at evening class to keep the brain ticking over. I'm leaving nametapes till we get back from 2nd hol, as will still have a week and a half before school starts, but have bought everything except socks and shoes.

Not much flying here, but the bathroom is sparkly from top to toe and I have bought a lovely new rug to cover the irretrievably stained and grubby carpet in the front room.

In the latest of a line of discussions on kitchen gadgets, I am thinking of buying DH a little coffee pod machine to replace the giant espresso machine he had to get rid of to make room for my our slow cooker. Anyone got one of these? Are they good?

Evening all,

Thanks to the warm welcomes from more of you:

Positiveattitude LOL re Fat Fairy, thanks re post it notes, but I already got them out I thought I needed one to remind me to get dressed as I am not good am and have a bad habit of languishing in jamas for many hours if I don't need to go out (crosses fingers not wanting to be ousted to slatterns thread - want to make this work)

Yes I too have wondered re % of females under pressure re housework and regularly have that 'is it just me and my house?' Hence why this thread and you smashing lot I think are called for!!

WOW in awe of stillcounting 2 floors that are gleaming WOH!!

Feetheart re your clutter thanks for sharing, you made me feel a lot better, til I remember garage and look at garden - are these two included in fly?

Nickoftime I am doing an introductory course in psychology, paying monthly!! and looking forward to studying again, it will take me a long time to qualify but irons in fire etc... what were you thinking of doing?

nick and still well big pants are welcome in my house, though I never hang them outside to dry!!!

You seem so nice and yes chatty, bare with me while I get to know you all.

I didnt post this am but for afirmation purposes I have:

Shined the sink, putting all breakfast items away clean.
Ironed clothes - then got dressed (you see!)

then... as the blardy house is so disorganised I couldn't find DS trainers for tennis after being up so early. This ended up in a dash to ASDA to buy some and got him athere in my usual stressed manner.

And at the gym is where I stayed trying to write an AM and PM list (sept version) and a weekly schedule to work out when to do the blessing thing on. I've jumped ahead I know but I'll just go with it.

Oh I did do two loads of washing too.
Then went to homebase to buy paint testpots - yes decorating project in pipeline.

Hope you are all well. I am going to post my list for tomorrow now so I dont forget. Oh I feel all muddled.

So my list for tomorrow (SUN)

Washed
Dressed
DS Washed
DS Dressed

Laundry no. 1 in machine

Breakfast
Wash up
Shine Sink

So.. I know this is all I need to do according to 'Day' we're on but I need to shift some stuff I can't stand it.

Laundry no. 2 in machine (assume i've hung no.1)
Laundry no. 3 in machine
Tackle Pile no.1 in living room (redistribute items to correct places)
Tackle Pile no.2 in living room (mainly stuff to go to garage )
Tackle piles on stairs (not to big these)

The items in these piles have been displaced because of decluttering last week but never made it to their proper homes.

Iron DH shirts for work (eek must do this its one of the few things he expects - more about that later)

Now for the big guns:

Move all DS board games etc from wall unit upstairs (yes yes yes can't wait)
Dust all the living room
Polish polish polish (mmmm love the smell)
Clean windows
Hoover
and for the finale ...Shampoo the carpet (if I can remember how the dam thing works )

If I achieve this it will give me a completely 'done' downstairs....I am going to bed soon to read my new book. I hope to post progress tomorrow.

Sorry its long - I'm in on my own tonight!

namechange - i've got an unfinished MA in Women, Gender and Writing and an unfinished MSc in Social Research pending, so I thought I ought to get about finishing one/ both... (ou won't let me credit transfer into english so i'd have to start with A815, wasting my ft credits.). that said i hope i can still write up with my current uni at a distance for the MSc. just got my dissertation to sort, but keep getting waylaid to pay the mortgage etc. this moving lark is a right pita.

am about the shirts. expects? um. ok.

my downstairs carpets have been pending for some time, but we did get the carpet cleaner out to do ds1's mattress recently...

enjoy your book!

Good morning ladies

Right, so this is the part where I feel we will miss Ellie's wit!! The daily round-up.
I am not going to be able to get it up to Ellie's standard, but will do my best.......

So, 4 of you have DCs starting school in September. Namechange, Feetheart, MrsD and Toffee. Lots of sewing of name labels going on over the next few weeks. I confess to buying a permanent marker and writing names on the label.

Toffee good luck with the ebay-ing your "clutter". What a good way to make money.

I am sure this thread is allowed MM. We will keep you on track Talking of new babies a big wave to Chairmum if you are lurking. Hope things are good with you.

MrsD Is the Heart Foundation SHop far from you, if I remember correctly you and MM are close to each other, maybe you could pick up the B&J book?? (Probably cheaper on Amazon, though!) Oooh and a new rug. Lovely. Always makes the room feel nice and homely, I think.....anything new, really!!!!
A coffee machine is one kitchen gadget I know nothing about, due to being incredibly selfish and because I never drink tea or coffee a bog standard kettle is fine for my visitors. (hopefully make up for it with some cake )

Linzer enjoy reading your magazines, but dont forget they need to last you til December .

Hope you get off today, SC, after your "reprieve" yesterday and hope DH is feeling more invigorated and energetic. "See" you when you return. Have fun

Namechange Wow your lists are mighty impressive. Be sure you dont burn your self out. I am certainly an all or nothing person and can understand your frustrations. We do get around the house with the missions and everything can be incorporated, over time. Dont expect too much of yourself too soon. Its great to see a difference though and I am sure you will soon feel that things are coming together well and improving the whole house.

Ad - Are you on holiday? I've lost track a bit of all the holiday comings and goings!!

Thanks for all the good wishes for DD3. It was a particularly bad day for her yesterday with her health, I just hope that she can bounce back quickly. She was a bit down about it all . Bruising wasnt too bad and a bit of foundation slapped on more or less covered it.

Right, a day of taking it as it comes for me today. No list, so no failure !!!!

Back in a mo with the steps. Are you all ok with me posting in the mornings? I tend to not get on some evenings, but will try if thats what you all want.....let me know.

Here's the babysteps for today. This is the start of the control journal. Some love it, some hate it, some are confused by it, some dont give a damn about it!! Go with whatever you want!!

Nick - forgive me, I forgot to add you to the round-up. I wanted to say that I think you need to reword your "i've got an unfinished ........." to "I have nearly completed a MA AND a MSc ........" And we would all think..WOW thats mighty impressive!!! Half full, instead of half empty and all that.

No mission today, so enjoy family time and have a good day, everyone.

PA - mornings are fine for me, I'm just glad someone is there to tell me what to do

Make sure your DD takes it easy and allows her feelings to run their course - it can be almost like a grief reaction after something like that - shock, disbelief, anger, etc. I found the anger bit of it the most useful in the end in an 'I'm damn well not going to let this beat me' sort of way though I was a lot older then her when I had to deal with it. Hope the fall-out isn't too great all round.

Quiet-ish day here:

• Research new washing machine for friend's tenants done
• Morning routine
• Zap shopping from yesterday and put away - I do TNS shopping monitor thing
• Photo some things to ebay - I have plans to clear and sell most things in the loft over next 6-12mths. I start today :)
• Bung chicken in slow-cooker
• Sort out last few things with my new tenants including taking few things to tip
• Swimming at Beach Pool
• Ironing
• Evening routine
• Early night

Hope those on holiday are having a lovely time and all the rest of us have a good day.

That sounds interesting Nick I hope to work with women and families in some way. I've been teaching for 11 years (secondary) and may consider becoming and Educational Psychologist but you need a PHd too now, whereas before it was just an MA! Some of our studies may overlap!

Well re shirts here is the gossip: DH and I have always done everythign 50/50 house, childcare runs etc. BUT then we moved our roles changed and we ended up seperating for a while. Reconciled earlier this year and have now assumed traditional roles - this works for us and feel more relaxed as there is no 'well I did this, you should do that task' anymore. So re expects shirts ironed is fair, its ur argreement. He works long hours Mon to Thurs and as long as he has a shirt and some food to eat he quite happy. He will cook if I ask and sometimes we eat at gym (eek this a very bad costly habit)

I have resigned from my post (had enough anyway) and feel very fortunate that we have flexibility to do this. May aswell include the rest: had a miscarraige in June and we hope to try again. So a lot has 'gone on' but we content (weight creeping back on )

I have many wondering thoughts about this whole career v stay at home thing, modern womens role. Mostly they are confusing ones.

PROGRESS: Got out of bed at 9.30

Washed done
Dressed done (un-ironed top not going anywhere does it matter?)
DS Washed done
DS Dressed done
Laundry no. 1 in machine done
Breakfast done
Wash up
Shine Sink
Laundry no. 2 in machine (assume i've hung no.1)
Laundry no. 3 in machine
Tackle Pile no.1 in living rooom
Tackle Pile no.2 in living room (garage)
Tackle piles on stairs (not to big these)
Iron DH shirts for work (eek must do this its one of the few things he expects - more about that later)
Move all DS board games etc from wall unit upstairs (yes yes yes can't wait)
Dust all the living room
Polish polish polish
Clean windows
Hoover
Shampoo the carpet

Positiveattitude you've hit the nail on the head I am all or nothing. One thing I've been grimacing about FLY is you are expected to do cleaning every day? I mean I thought I would have one day of the week to myself (yoga, swim and pamper etc) I assume FLYERS work, do they clean before the go to work?

To think I usd to have Molly Maid

Morning, no holidays here - we've just gone back to school as we've been off since the end of June!

Kitchen is tody, I am so pleased with myself when I manage it but the dishwasher really helps. I used to stand cursing my life when I had to wash up by hand!

Dd wants to bake chocolate chip cookies today so that's all that I have on my list apart from tidying the pile of stuff that still hasn't been allocated a place since the move (it's all chucked on the floor in a corner of my much too big bedroom.

namechange100 polish does smell good, think I might get some. It reminds you that you've done the housework when the smell is there for a while! Wonder what it is in German, never noticed it on the cleaning aisle.

Linzer, do you have any techniques from the Austrian school to help your dd1 with the dyslexia related problems? Very about all the access to books and magazines! Could do with a good read. Just flicked through ds's year 7 German book and he starts with Heinrich Heine, Schiller and a few other poets and authors this year which will really be hard going when I try to help him with homework.

nickoftime didn't realise you are in Canada - dh hasn't heard back yet but he often sees job offers there so if this doesn't work out he'll keep applying. He just wants to go up to the next step of the career ladder really but if they don't offer it here in Germany, we'll have to move on.

Oh PA how awful for your dd, is she OK today? Hope it doesn't put her off going out. First time I let ds out without me he got dragged off by a gang of older boys who wanted to put itching powder down his back just caught them in time as I went to check on him and he wouldn't go out alone for ages after that.

Just having a quick read through all your posts whilst I am supposed to be getting dressed to go out. Thanks for the round-up, PA - it's really useful to see who has children starting school in September. And I'm perfectly happy with babysteps/missions in the morning - Flylady often doesn't put them on till our morning in UK anyway.

Loads that I'd love to comment on, but I shall get into big trouble if I'm caught sneaking on here when we're meant to be going out shortly. Have a friend staying and we are all going out for a cheap and hopefully fun day in the woods.

Back later.

Quick note: read instructions before using new oven. One tray of chocolate chip cookies totally black charcoled underneath!

Luckily we're only half way through our mixture so now testing a different setting!

Toffee is ebay easy to sell on? Dc want to sell some grown out of toys but I have no idea how you figure out postage etc.