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.

Evening all

Just flying by because i was reading all your posts and wanted to comment and wanted to distract you all from my lack of done list today!

Toffee bad news for you my girl, the microwave is not this weeks job, just todays, so I will expect double on tomorrow's mission. But how on earth do you cope without a microwave??

DEM Oh yes, you know we are all nosey interested in your productions!! GO on, post away.

Linzer Hijack away, never worry about being off subject on this thread. EIther we are nosey and will read, or anyone can ignore anyway. There's always plenty else to read!!

Right, for whoever asked about my PIL I will give a very small, short, tip of iceberg summary: I have never been good enough for DH. My family were not the family that she wanted one of hers to marry into! We had been together 6 months before i was taken to his home. The first 3 times I went in the house, she went up the stairs and sat in her bedroom until I left without saying a word to me!!
Just before we were married I decided that I would be more friendly to build bridges from my side and invited her to a meal to meet my parents. She just did not turn up and when asked why she said she didnt want to eat with us! DH has always said he was the least favourite DC of hers, so I am the least favourite in-law.
When I was pregnant with DD3, DH was working away 5 days a week. We had negative equity on our mortgage and the smallest kitchen ever, so decided it would be good to have a good kitchen put into our large basement. We needed an extra £2,500. DHs GPs had both died within a few months of each other, leaving MIL a fair sum of money. She made a huge deal about giving SIL £10,000 for a deposit on a house, BIL £10,000 for a sports car he wanted. Nothing to us. After a few months of trying, the bank had refused an application for a loan for the kitchen, so DH went to her to ask if we could borrow £2500 over a 18month period, with all the interest payments worked out. She came round to our house to give us her response. She said no way would she loan us the money, but she would give us a gift of £5000 if we moved to a house she had chosen for us ...... NEXT TO HERS!!!!!! Can you imagine my response?????? I could type all night about all the things she has done and said. We used to really try with her, more because I never had any grandparents when I was a child, so really wanted my DCs to have what I never had, but we would get a phone call asking for us to not go to her house because she was having a "family day".... What on earth are her DS and his DCs then? I have been snubbed so many times, its what I expect now, so hence 10 years ago, after a particularly bad set of comments about us, our family (her GCs) I vowed I would never go there again .... and I keep my promises!!

Sorry, very long rant there, I have only just got started........

Vino please.....quick......to calm me down......

PA

All I can say is that I'm not surprised you haven't been to visit for 10 years and I don't blame you in the slightest - in fact, I'm impressed that you tried for as long as you did.

Hello ladies,

Please may I join? (even if I don't wear laceup shoes and won't use post-its through the house!)

I've been lurking for a few weeks, and finally got up the gumption to join in. I've never been a good "joiner".

My "normal" week routine is off kilter, as DH is home on holiday this week, and we're going camping on Wednesday.

So today was:
Clear up after cats - had been out hunting in the night and brought home trophies
Washing out on line - and in again when it started raining - now drying on airer in kitchen
Make beds
Collect tent and other camping stuff stored at mother's house
Take broken cleaner to tip - its only been parked in the bathroom for the last eighteen months
Take in repeat prescription request
Write camping kit list
Started decluttering ensuite - first time I've been able to get into the room since the building works we did last year, when we used it as a store - its full to the gunnels
Find camping gear and dump in living room
Pack DS (3) clothes with lots of "help"
Help DH finish building playhouse
Do bins and recycling and put out for collection
Water plants
Cook tea
Wash up
Get DS to bed
Shine sink

Now to write tomorrow's list and off to bed

Evening all,

Ihatecobwebs - welcome on board, sounds like you have made a good start! If you have been lurking you probably know the score, babysteps and decluttering are the first things to do. Where are you going camping?

PA - hope you have calmed down!

DEM - yes please to project piccies, might inspire me to do something.

Well, I have spent most of my free time today trying to sort out a colossal backlog of photos on the computer, I take 100s of them every month, and used to print out the best ones for an album but fell behind about 4 years ago. I've now decided to let the nice people at Kodak print them for me, but it's a huge job sifting through them and picking them out, especially as they are a right jumble of filenames, folders etc. So my eyes are a bit boggly tonight from too much time on the PC, but hopefully in a few weeks I will have some lovely photo albums.

Er, Flying. Well, I did clean out the microwave and do 2 lots of washing. Hmmm.

PA - at your PILs. May I second Linzer in saying that I am also impressed that you tried for as long as you did. What a terrible woman. I shall remember your story when I next feel mildly irritated at my MIL who I find endlessly frustrating, but who is always unbelievably kind and generous to us.

Re: the microwave - I blew ours up several years ago whilst baking a potato and we have never replaced it or missed it. Hate to contradict our present leader, but microwave is listed as this week's Fly Spot Alert for the Week - it is the counters that are today's mission (and I have done them!). If I am feeling strong, I may continue the missions at my mum's house...

Ihatecobwebs - welcome. Have been on this thread for just over a month now, I think, and am finding the Flylady routines really helpful. Reporting back to fellow Flybabies gives me a much-needed incentive to stick to the routines aswell. Also, there is good company on this thread - they even have parties here, you know.

Right, must stop chatting as I am still packing for our trip tomorrow. Definitely suffering a case of cba today. As a result, the clothes have only just finished being tumbledried and I still have to pack the rucksack before bed. However, I have a list, so can just throw things into the bag and cross them off as I go. No thought required.

Tomorrow we are setting off on our long trek from Sussex to Essex to stay with my mum. I am trying to sell it to the boys by promising them a great bus ride through the capital on the way to Liverpool St. DS2 is falling for the 'buses and trains are exciting' line, but I don't think DS1 is. Have packed lots of snacks, water, books, sticker books for DS2 and a few surprise gifts for when the boys' enthusiasm begins to flag. It will be a challenge, I've no doubt, but it will be worth it when we get there.

I'll try to pop in occasionally to say hello.

Bye for now.

i haven't done anything today

well, my kitchen looks ok as i've made it through the day and got all the detritus into the dishwasher, but that's it. i've spent all day watering the garden...

because...

the contractors came and laid our lawn! 369 days after we were told it would be done within a fortnight!

dh has opened a nice chilled bottle of white to celebrate.

i've got grass!

the joys of rental living.

Morning, morning.

A little bleary-eyed this morning, but a flying post as I am off to work.

Not time for a long round-up today, but you all seem to be keeping up and chatting well without me!!!

Must say a huge welcome to Ihatecobwebs. You are very welcome, ask any questions you may have and just take things easy. THis really does make a difference and the people are quite a friendly bunch, too. (ie: lots more chatting than housework, sometimes)

Toffee I bow to you superior knowledge - yes, I got it wrong!!!!! Which is not a bad thing as I didnt actually get round to do the microwave yesterday, so maybe today
Have a good time away and I hope the journey isnt too tiring for you.

MrsD I ahve never been very good at the photos and always get so far behind it all seems too much of a humungous job to catch up with it all. Well done with your efforts and I ma sure the albums will be lovely and worth all the effort.

Linzer thanks for the wine!!

Nick Congrats on the new lawn and I will be waiting for the barefoot dancing momants!! Only barefoot mind......

Namechange We had a lot of discussion a few months back anbout the wires problem. I think we all have them., Guaranteed that DH will need one the day after they have been dumped, IME!!

RIght, well yesterday I collected DD2 after being away for 11 days, and at 6.30 tomorrow morning she is off camping again with DS and 148 other young people from the island to a big Christian festival, so guess what I need to do adinfinitum today...... yes washing, washing, washing, packing, packing, packing!! Going from job no.1 to job no.2 today I will have to pop in home and put another load in the machine, or i ma going to run out of time!

Must dash now and pop back with the babysteps and mission in 2 ticks......

babysteps for today ........ the power of 15!!

Mission - anyone dare to go under their sink today??????

Happy flying, have a good day everyone. I think a number are heading off this week, so it may go a little quieter, so you will have to put up with me droning on and Ad, who is back to normal life already.

Came downstairs to get an hour of work in before the others get up and bl**dy SAGE won't let me on. Probably has more to do with the server/network/whatever DH was fiddling with last night than SAGE itself but its damn annoying

MissB - so sorry that you are going through a hard time. I will echo what everyone else has said about coming on here for support when you need it. I am also able to offer a RL listening ear with tea and real cake thrown in if you fancy coming south of the county.

Welcome to Ihatecobwebs - if you rebel against lace-up shoes and post-its you will fit right in :)

Namechange - I often don't finish my morning routine until sometime in afternoon (if at all ) and its not that long

MrsD - I spent last night sorting photos on PC too as I am trying to do a scrapbook thingie for DS's wonderful pre-school keyworker (I know, I know its late but she might get it before he starts 'big' school )
A proper sort out is on my list to start come September. Still not sure what I am going to do with them yet though, are you just putting them in a regular album?

PA - thanks for keeping us on track, good luck with the washing marathon. Definitely better off without any contact with hideous PiL, people stagger me at times :(

Very interesting thoughts on 'traditional roles'. I also became a SAHM when DD was born, partly because DH was earning silly money and partly because as an older mum I seemed to have done everything else and was ready for something with a slower pace I did struggle with a lot of it at first, especially as I moved into DH's family home at the same time and still struggle to make it, and its historical clutter, feel like mine even after nearly 8 years.
Now things are changing again as DH works for himself (earning a pittance ATM) and I have been learning to do the accounts/admin/etc. I still seem to do the majority of the housework/cooking/etc which usually seems fair enough as DH has to be out and about for work a lot - both actually doing his job and going to networking events to build up more business. I do get bored and fed-up occasionally and have a rant but I really like the flexibility I have to do what I want when I want to (hence accounts at 6am when technology allows!) With DS starting school in September things will change again, hopefully allowing me to do what I do already but also to have some more time just for me - we will see!

Anyway today's list:

• DC up, dressed and fed
• Morning routine
• Make up picnic
• DS to tennis (he is going all week and LOVED it yesterday)
• DD and I to chat and do arty stuff by side of tennis court for 2 hours - really enjoyed it yesterday as it gave us a chance to chat without too many distractions
• Photos developed, shopping/eating whilst waiting
• Make choc and banana cake before bananas turn to slime
• Out for curry with the girls to plan support for friend who is having awful time ATM
• Bed not too late with tummy full of curry :)

Not much Flying on that list - ho hum!

Morning all,

Feetheart - when DS was born I bought a couple of big photo albums and started filling them. I fell by the wayside after about 18 months, and then started printing again last year, those albums were getting full so I bought 2 more and then promptly stopped. So I have 2 and a half empty albums to fill. I am going to printout the 400 or so photos that this needs (Kodak have got a good offer on this week, hence the rush) and then will probably do photobooks. Or buy more albums, not sure yet.

We made little albums of photos taken at DS's last class assembly for his teacher and TAs, they really appreciated them. I also want to make a scapbook of his year at school for DS, with all his certificates etc and he loved it.

Sorry, thread hijack. No plans much for today, we are all still in PJs and it is raining. Undersink cupboard is dire so might have a look at that.

Morning chat catch up:

I am feeling overwhlemed today - this is my third week of trying to sort this house out and I have not been to the gym or took DS out as much as usual - I've told him no Wii today.

I feel I dont deserve to go out and do anything nice until I've 'done' my back log of jobs. Writing this I know this is just beating myself. Forgive meif I post regular prgress up dates on my list - it helps me to see what I've accomplished:

Whole kitchen/diner completely cleaned and reorganised (took 3 days) outstanding: Oven (LOL) and 1 cupboard of unallocated stuff

Master bedroom completely cleaned, cupboard decluttered (took two days) outstanding: lightbulbs, charity stuff in cupaboard, cosmetics & toiletries need proper storage, lots of temporary boxes piled around bed til garage done

Living room is visibly cleaner and minimum items in there (small jobs left to do)

I need to improve my morningness, the last two days watching smallville in bed has crept in to my AM routine! How on erath am I going to get DS to school in Sept

DID thanks for welcome
I hate I just joined - welcome this sounds like the right thread for you too
MissB I don't know about the background to your current situation, my DH moved out almost this time last year, my thoughts are with you and here if you need to chat.
MrsDinky Thanks for sharing your situation, most of the people I have known have always worked and most of the ones I know now do too. Event he ones who work part time struggle. All I know is that I am very lucky to be at home and have choices others may not have - this works for us. Mind I would still say what I have chosen to do - work for myself part time and study part time is a result of having to fit around DH job - but he earns good money and it would be silly to do otherwise from a practical point of view.
Toffee I am actually ok about the MC now, we were both shocked to find out it happend so quick (not thinking it would at all - I am not sure naive re age etc) and that I remember reading it is your body'd way of protecting itself from an unhealthy pregnancy, I was also grateful that the three of us were healthy and living under the same roof as I never thought this would happen just 6 months prior.
Feetheart see above - I'm just hopeless on a morning, pleased I am not the only one. I am currently washed but not dressed, breakfast only just done at 11am
Positiveattitude Thanks for your reassuring posts, I have had a slow start this AM and steel feel overwhelmed - I think FLYlady is right about letting perfectionist tendancies to get in the way of progress. It is just awful how PIL have treated you and your family. We dont have any family nearby us and DH'd parents both died when he was young. LOL re wires, the more I read the more normal our house is beginning to feel

I HAVE A PLAYDATE TOMORROW - AT MY HOUSE

I am proud to be at a point where I can, so thanks for all your support FLYER's

I am going to post a very long list, it's intended to help me keep organised sorry if its seem exhaustive.

x

Washed done
Dressed
Breakfast done at 11am
Laundry X 1 in done
Shine Sink done

Checked emails done
Swishes and Swiped bathroom - does this really need doing everyday or am I being dirty?

To finish lounge:

Damp wipe paintwork - porch and stairs (open plan you see)
Hoover
Shampoo Carpet

Damp wipe paintwork in downstairs loo
Fold clothes and put away upstairs
Take DS swimming
Get ready for night out (regular commitment)

Rest of house:

Declutter DS room
Reorganise DS toys in his room
Decorate 2nd bedroom
Move DS into new room
Clear out garage (3days?)
Move boxes from bedroom to garage (organise stock)
Kitchen cupboard - allocate places to items
File 'keep' paperwork into proper domestic file
Photo albums
Wire basket
Clean Oven
Assemble drawer inserts for wall unit (ikea!)
Organise CD's Ipods & Itunes for ME!
Replace all lightbulbs (whole prject in itself not one light fitting has the same type of bulb as another)
Clean under cooker hood
Find home for posh glass sets X 3
Organise cutlery drawer (use new tray thing)
Do garden (3days)

Anychance I'll be ready for September? I have a weeks holiday booked and have to order my stock and general organising for my part time business!

Namechange - dont worry I am also feeling overwhelmed today and have lost track of the baby steps. i find it so hard to get back into a routine having been away even for a few days.

So today I have
MOT - overslept - goodness knows what possessed me to book an 8:30am MOT when I am ds free and can lie in
MOT - Rebook for 2pm and need to leave in about 10mins
Empty car - kinda done take one big ikea bagb and shove car contents into it. need to sort it when i get back
Ikea trip - done 30mins drive there, 30 mins drive back and the whole trip including driving took 2hours. Smart shopping - although they didnt have half the storage stuff i went for.

As for the rest of the house and to do list it goes something like
Important phone call
Jig around laundry baskets
Sort and start laundry
Put away ironed clothes
Transfer sorted haberdashery boxes to their homes
Put clean washing away
Take out rubbish
tidy a bit of the room
Photocopy patters and library bok run
Wash ds' bedding
Wipe down plastic sheet on ds' bed with disinfectant
Tidy 15mins on my room.
15mins in lounge
15mins car stuff bag
15mins on kitchen
15mins on dining room
15mins bedroom etc

So lots and lots to do. should really be resting but dont feel the need. must have an early night tonight.

Oh and i dont think i will be ready for september either.

Hi DID

Lets muddle through together then, we have our lists which is a start.

at 830 am booking!

About that september thing - there are about five of us I think, we need to share some tips, the pros can tell us there tips too.

I can't compete with everyone else's long lists; I'll have to start getting back on track when we're back home at the weekend. I did try to declutter my wardrobe yesterday, but ended up just taking everything out, making a list of everything I have here (so I know what I need for future visits) and refolding/hanging virtually everything back up. I got rid of a grand total of two bras. Next to be tackled: the DC's sock drawer.

Went into town this morning on the off-chance that Clarks might actually have some shoes in the DC's sizes. DS actually had a choice of two, but v. difficult to find anything for DDs as I didn't want black school schoes. There was nothing at all in DD2's size so we went to the other shoe shop that stocks Clarks shoes. Plenty more black school shoes and lots of sparkly pink shoes with heels - what's going on? - but nothing in between, so we came away empty handed.

I've just come back from lunch with an old school friend, which was lovely (apart from constant interruptions from the DC, but I thought I'd take them to give my parents a bit of a break). Nice and sunny here again today so the DC are back out in the garden - it's typical that the weather improves just before we fly back.

No time for personal messages I'm afraid, but just wanted to say welcome to Ihatecobwebs.

just got up, so nothing done yet (and no, i'm not dressed)

dw
wmx2
keep moving sprinkler round
cook something for book club
dd2 ot/ physio appt
groceries
book club

an easy day today, mostly because i will be fretting over the stove - somehow we were persuaded that 'mastering the art of french cookery' was a good read, and i have to go into town, with all the joy driving that entails.

will read later!

Linzertorte - dont worry about the long lists, at least you seem to be doing nice things instead!

My long list has actually took me three days to do, I've found as result of doing certain jobs, it creates another job you hadn't accounted for! e.g.

Puting pre-treatment on the carpets before shampooing! - more about this later (its ok if you just yawned )

Anyway I don't think you're supposed to do FLY by trying to catch-up are you - I think I'm doing some sort of hybrid version

Nick - I am not drssed either, and I'm pleased as I am sweaty from jobs

Sounds like you have a nice day.

Linzertorte

Meant to say, I don't know where you are located but there is a Clarks outlet shop at Biscester OUtlet Village, it is an upmarket outlet village that include high street brand as well as designer ones such as Gucci and Dior clothes and household.

Its off the M40 nr Oxford, 30 mins north of Windsor and Legoland!

Watch out for the bus loads of tourists they can be quite pushy. It has child play areas and a few restuarants.

Even has valet parking! poshest cark park flower beds I've ever seen too!

Washed done
Dressed done
Breakfast done at 11 am
Laundry X 1 in done
Shine Sink done done

Checked emails done done
Swishes and Swiped bathroom done
Damp wipe paintwork - porch and stairs done - oh my hands are so wrinkled up!
Hoover done
Shampoo Carpet done

Damp wipe paintwork in downstairs loo done
Fold clothes and put away upstairs half done these are in basket on bed
Take DS swimming feel very bad about this but he loved helping me with carpet using his toy 'hooder' and has been good, he on the wii now, again

After a very slow start I have finished my list for today. I am so pleased with my carpet. Aside from the clutter this lounge carpet was really cheesing me off. It has took me ages, about two hours but my cleaning tips are:

Use a pre-treatment solution with a micro fibre cloth (love these for everything) and spot clean stains.

Wipe around the edges of carpet next to skirting with a damp micro fibre cloth it gathers fluff and hair that even the attachments can't scrape out of pile.

I have used hot water in my VAX (not recommended by manufacturer) but it worked a treat, used 3 tanks on lounge, porch and toilet (which is off porch).

After three years of owning the VAX I only just figureds out how to use the 'tool' attachment and it was superb on stain spots, but alas I have no excuse for not doing stairs now I was impressed with the little heads concentrated power

Sorry if this is too much but I sooo happy with my carpet. I think we may make it last another year now it has come up nice and clean!

I am off to do evening meal then get ready, look in when I get back. x

To Do
Whack ready made pasta and sauce in pan for DH and chop salad.
Get ready for night out (regular commitment)

Evening all,

School shoes shopping for me today too, went to Clarks at the weekend and nothing fitted either DC. Our local independent has just closed down so went further afield and was successful. Other than that just mooching around, rubbish day here, drizzly and windy.

As regards getting out of the house on time for school, DS has already been going for 2 years, so our routine will be the same. No matter what, I am determined not to be late for school, so we leave a good 10 mins earlier than we need to (10 mins walk for us). This is achieved by putting out clothes the night before for all of us, also making sure all necessary bags are lined up in the hall the night before, together with shoes, coats, hats/suntan cream, whatever. I also make sandwiches the night before so I just assemble lunchbags the next morning (have been known to give the wrong sandwiches much to DCs annoyance). Someone on here a few months ago suggested putting out cereal, bowls etc too, good idea.

The weird thing is that any other day ~(weekends/holidays) I can never get the DCs out of the house when I want to, always end up running around like a mad thing.

Name - thankas for the carpet tips, my front room one is so bad I just bought a rug to cover it up. I do spot clean occasionally, and rug doctored it a few months ago. Maybe I should have pre-treated. Rug is lovely though.

Need to go, back later.

Oops, forgot, question for slow cooker owners. When you cook a whole chicken in there, what does the skin come out like? I've only done thighs and drumsticks in mine so far, and have skinned them before cooking. Thinking of doing one on Thurs when the ILs come over.

Hi All

Just popping in.

MrsD my slow cooker book says that you can't cook a chicken whole in the slower cooker (health and safety and all that).

The skin goes wrinkly, sort of steam roasted effect.

Evening all,

namechange I'm nowhere near Bicester unfortunately (although I did grow up in north Oxfordshire), but thanks for the tip. I'm normally in Austria but am staying with my parents in mid-Wales atm, where there's a dearth of good shops so I suppose I should be grateful that there's a Clarks at all. If I want to do some "proper" shopping, I usually take the train to England...

Re school, I would second what MrsD said about getting as much as possible ready the night before. I try and do their snacks (school finishes before lunchtime) and always get their clothes ready the evening before, which is a huge time-saver. DD2 is used to getting up early (well, she was before the summer holidays!) as DD1 is already at school (which starts at 8, so we have to leave by around 7.30).

As for carpets, we're quite unusual in Austria in that we have carpets everywhere apart from downstairs (and the bathroom of course). I don't think I've ever been to another house there with carpets, but DH was won over when we lived in England (although he could never quite get over the fact that my parents had a carpet in the bathroom in their old house).

I'm looking forward to a much more decluttered house when I get back, as DH has promised to go through all of DD1's school books (it's amazing how much she has managed to accumulate in just two years) as well as a lot of his things. He said he's also got rid of a lot of things from the cellar, went to the charity shop at the weekend and now has a car full of stuff to take to the recycling centre tomorrow.

Enough waffling for now; hope everyone's having a good evening and that your journey went well Toffee if you're reading this!

Important phone call will have to be tomo as too late when i remembered.
Jig around laundry baskets done
Sort and start laundry
Put away ironed clothes
Transfer sorted haberdashery boxes to their homes done
Put clean washing away
Take out rubbish done
tidy a bit of the room
Photocopy patterns and library book run done
Wash ds' bedding done
Wipe down plastic sheet on ds' bed with disinfectant
Tidy 15mins on my room.
15mins in lounge
15mins car stuff bag
15mins on kitchen
15mins on dining room
15mins bedroom etc
cut out some of the detachable parts of the quilt done

Tired and run down. giving up on todo list. Giving up on making stuff going to have an early night. Will set alarm and hope tobe up early tomo.