September Flying, Fledglings are trying; holiday steps were slow, back to work we go ...

[Stillcounting]

Welcome to the September 2010 Fledgling Flying thread!

This is where from the 1st of the month, we attempt to declutter and follow the 30-step wisdom of the Fat Fairy, with lots of chat and support and mutual motivation along the way. (More info available here! )

Many thanks to our previous splendiforous thread leader Ellie for guiding us through July and August and to her dynamic deputy, the one and only PA. You've both made it a lot of fun!

As usual we will be following a three-pronged approach (and don't worry - we are all at different stages):

• 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.

Together we can do it! All newcomers welcome!

Evening. read through and gathered that PA has to wait for her specialist appt and someone was making penis casserol

SC - was away this weekend so handing in an excuse note and will try harder this week.

Tomorrow's list:
pre school run
lounge - tidy
finish sorting laundry (folding/ironing/away)
15mins in bedroom
School night routine
early night.

Right time for sleep. have a good one.

Evening everyone

tigger glad you still with us. My
Comp broke 3 weeks ago I'm only here cos I can do it on my phone
Ellie well done on accomplishing your list I love ratatouie {sp.}
toffee enjoy your wine
bob sounds like a fab day well done you. Oh and youve just reminded me I've got parcels to post!!

Right my list for tomorrow I need kick up bum.
Smoke alarm testing
s/s bought new microfibre cloths
Make beds
Get dc up dressed
Make packed lunch
Zoo trip with dh and some friends
Dh and Dd to dentist early evening
Tidy house
Start painting!!!!

That's plenty fingers crossed

Have lovely Monday. I'm off to sleep now night night

Evening everyone

tigger glad you still with us. My
Comp broke 3 weeks ago I'm only here cos I can do it on my phone
Ellie well done on accomplishing your list I love ratatouie {sp.}
toffee enjoy your wine
bob sounds like a fab day well done you. Oh and youve just reminded me I've got parcels to post!!

Right my list for tomorrow I need kick up bum.
Smoke alarm testing
s/s bought new microfibre cloths
Make beds
Get dc up dressed
Make packed lunch
Zoo trip with dh and some friends
Dh and Dd to dentist early evening
Tidy house
Start painting!!!!

That's plenty fingers crossed

Have lovely Monday. I'm off to sleep now night night

Good morning everyone

Again, sorry I didn't get back on here yesterday - have picked up dd's bug - shivery, temp, streaming cold etc and am feeling a bit rough. She got over it in a couple of days so hoping will be short-lived. Glad to see you have all been busy AND that some of you have had a bit of a rest too this weekend.

Today's baby-step, no. 20, is about including laundry in our routines Very important this one.

Today we start in Zone 4, the master bedroom, here

The mission here is clearing tops of bedroom dressers - a decluttering super fling boogie thingy which is going to happen in every zone apparently in prep for Christmas

Today is Monday so time for home overhaul/home blessing hour. If you are a newbie, this is what that means

And finally, I can bring you the sneak peak for the week ahead

More reminders on the site itself but they are remodelling it at the mo so difficult to flit about within it.

Hope you all have a good start to the week and when I feel a bit better, I'll be back to answer personal messages etc and thankfully I see that Toffee and others have been doing a good job of that already - thank you !

Have a productive day everyone! [SC slinks back under duvet - well I will once dd is off to school]

Finally, Monday's reminders

Lovely w/e here with just DS and I - lots of jobs done, firemen (), blackberrying and a roast dinner for 2 last night, made by both of us.

Back to school for DS today (until after lunch) and lots for me to try and do before DH and DD return tomorrow night, including blitzing DD's room and finishing her curtains!
List for today:

• Morning routine
• Sort out shed at school where School Assoc keeps its 'stuff' - need to see what we have for Autumn Fayre
• Book as many people as poss for Autumn Fayre - Police, firemen (), craft stalls, etc, etc
• Email helpers for 'Tea and Tissues' event on Thurs - tea, coffee and lots of cake for parents of Reception children who have their first full day today
• 15 mins x ? in DD's room
• See where I got to with curtains last time I attempted them about 9 months ago and DO SOME MORE
• Pick up DS
• More blackberrying if he's not too tired. Have found fantastic spot and am rapidly filling the freezer :)
• Make huge Spaghetti Bolognese for dinner and freezer
• Reading and playing with DS
• Early night for both of us

Hope everyone has a productive Monday and sorry (again) for lack of catching up/personal messages

x-posted SC. Sorry you are feeling rough - passes hot toddy and tissues

Sorry to hear you aren't feeling well, SC - hope you are back in bed now and able to rest while your DD is at school.

Busy day today, so I need a list:

Post new baby card done
Phone gynaecologist for appointment done - appointment at 10.30

Morning routine
Mission
15 min decluttering
Gynaecologist's
Pick up DD2 and drive home temporarily carless friend's DD
Pick up DD1
DD1 and DD2 to piano lesson
Pick up DS and take to friend's
Afternoon routine
Invoice
Plan English lesson
Book hotel for October
Discuss summer plans (!) with DH
Evening routine

Poor SC - hope you can just stay in bed and sleep today. I should forget the weekly overhaul, if I were you.

Feet and Linzer - busy days for you both, I see. Very impressive lists.

Stayed up till 2am this morning to get work done. Have sent first chapter back and am just checking through second chapter in preparation for sending that back too. Have DS2 with me all day, but he is playing with DS1's 'Dr Who' toys and is, thankfully, quite preoccupied with them at the moment, although he has just asked if we can do some cooking together today. No childcare till Wednesday, so tricky to work at the moment.

Have done a quick swish and swipe in the bathroom, loaded the d/w and tidied the kitchen (haven't had a shiny sink for some days though, i confess). Walked DS1 to school. Am not planning to do my weekly overhaul or missions, as work has to take priority at the moment. But I do like the idea of preparing for Christmas. I get ridiculously excited about Christmas.

Must resist the lure of MN and get back to work again now.

Morning all, slow start here ( having this iPad has proved disastrous for productivity).

SC sorry you are poorly, would you like me to deputise for a couple pf days?

Not going to stop and type as I am well behind today, keep getting distracted by the hilarious wedding thread that has been going for several days and shows no signs of slowing down.

Morning all,

I am the world's grumpiest woman this morning. Don't really know why! It is DH's birthday today so have quite a lot to do after work:-

Present for DH from DC's (I am taking him away for the wkend in a couple of wks without DC's for his present)
cards
Birthday cake
Buy some steak for tea
Tidy up
Pick DC's up
DS to Beavers
Schoolwork
Washing (got behind with this again due to rubbish weather this wkend and cba yesterday)

Have a good day everyone!

sc hope you are feeling better soon

mrsd that wedding thread is hilarious, was reading it at 4 this morning when I was grumpy and unable to sleep!

Right have been through and gotten a bit more organised. Been through control journal and despite the twee layout i gave it [bluhs] it is well set up, so it is just a case of inputting and getting up to date with new routines etc.

Can someone answer me this question:
Do all the days have a specific theme?
eg monday - home blessing hour
wednesday - antiprocrastination day...

if so what are they and where can i find out the information not emails

right i now have a list of urgent phone calls and i am going to go tackle them. Will be back after lunch to start everything else.

Good morning (sorry, afternoon) all,

I haven't deserted, but having been very busy with our office move, plus a lot to get on with at home, I've barely had time to myself, let alone for MN.

Best wishes to PA, I had a quick skim through the last few days of posts, and hope your medical stuff gets resolved soon.

So far, office move has taken place, boss has totally thrown my (very good) plan out the window and imposed his own, meaning (much, much) more space for him, and my staff and I squeeezed into a tiny corner. Oh well, we'll get used to it. However, everyone that passes by is commenting adversely on the layout so it'll be only a matter of time before someone says it to his face. (I'm being non-comittal as ever)

Phones work, PCs work, so I can get on with work, now.......

As for home:

Morning routine done
after school collect dd, ds and dd's friend who's coming for tea.
cook said tea (bolognese)
washing
dishwasher
sort papers for governor meeting tomorrow night
make doctor appointment (nothing serious, I think I've got roseacea and may need antibiotic cream)
sort cosmetics/facial cleansers, etc if do have roseacea inc sunscreen
finish toybox (nearly there)
evening routine (am also teaching dd to make own sarnies.)

longer term plan:
clear out garage, because I want space to install a freezer to have meals pre-cooked and ready to use. DP actually agrees with me, and its the prompt he (and me) needs to get going. Anyone want a buggy? Dresser? Dressing table? Dart board? (sorry, no you can't have that I need to practise now and again )

We moved into this house 3 years ago, and some rubbish hasn't been used in 3 years and it's all going!

I'll try and clock in later, and maybe tonight the Pinot will be on offer!

SC have just spotted you also don't feel well. Hope you feel better soon.

Hope those who are illing soon feel better. PA - just take it easy and slowly.

Autumn is definetly upon us and there is so many colds going on. i have dust allergy so must tackle greatly.

To do list:

Find test certificate done
Question need to redo test done and not
track down correct email address for important email that failed to send done and resent
Pay bills done
Turn matress done
Fresh bedding done
soak toilet in strong cleaner soaking
Bleach sink soaking
Find ds' missing book bag done
Check through babysteps and create check list done
Look through control journal done

Final important phone call
ironing
washing weekend stuff
folding
the sock pile of doom :( i hate socks.
school night routine
30mins shredding - paper work variety :( another job i hate and now have days worth to get through.

Afternoon :)

Been to school with dd this morning, she had music therapy and loved it but she screams as soon as anyone but me tries to deal with her :(

Today

-Morning routine done
-Washing done now hanging outside
-Ds to school with multitude of forms and payments done
-Chase community nurse done
-Bedroom mission done I did dps chest of drawers and the top of the wardrobe. My chest of drawers has a tv on it

Wow everyone sounds so busy off to pick ds up from French club in a sec, hope everyone is having a lovely day :)

Finished next batch of work and emailed it back. Phew. Visited a friend at lunchtime. Now home again and having a quick cup of tea before I face the inevitable afternoon stuff. My list for the rest of today looks like this:

Mark DS1's Kumon maths
Unload d/w
Tidy kitchen sink (and shine!)
Tidy kitchen hotspot
Put washing away
Make pasta sauce
Dinner
Get DS1 to practise his times tables and do tonight's Kumon maths
Evening routine
1 hour of work

Am not even going to attempt the bedroom mission, much as I'd like to. I think I'll have to save this week's missions up and do them all in one go when I have time, which rather goes against the spirit of Flylady.

Bob - it's still early days with your DD at school, so don't despair. Very hard for you though.

Am very jealous that you have done the bedroom mission, Bob. Don't think I could do the top of my chest-of-drawers in anything under an hour though.

Hi to Ouch and Darts.

Tea finished. Time to start on the above list (but might have a sneaky look at the wedding thread first).

Have finally finished supervising the DDs' homework, which is all we've been doing since we got back from the piano lesson. DD2 had lots of animals to draw as a counting exercise (cue much wailing - "But I can't draw mice/cats/hedgehogs!"), which took a while but we got there in the end. It was a real struggle to get DD1 to concentrate today and I was at the end of my tether at times, but at least DS was at a friend's all afternoon so I was able to give her my full attention.

Despite achieving virtually nothing this afternoon, I have so far managed to do:

Morning routine
Three loads of washing
Mission
15 min decluttering in DS's room
Gynaecologist's (which seemed to take up half the morning and left me no time for coffee before the school run )
Pick up DD2 and drive home temporarily carless friend's DD
Pick up DD1
DD1 and DD2 to piano lesson
Pick up DS and take to friend's

Toffee Well done on finishing your latest batch of work. I am always impressed by how much flying you manage to do when you're working - my routines fall by the wayside as soon as I have work to do, and I don't usually even attempt the missions and decluttering.

Bob How old is your DS? DD2 is very interested in languages (she seems to take after me), but I don't know whether she's a bit young to do anything formal (or even informal with me) yet. Mind you, some of her friends have been going to English lessons for a few years.

Ouch Yes, as far as I can remember the days do have a specific theme - I'm sure SC will know as she is the fly oracle. Will have a look on the Flylady site to see if I can find a link.

Darts Hope your doctor's appointment went OK.

ellie Hope your DH enjoys his birthday - of your weekend away.

MrsD I've read the first 3-4 pages of the wedding thread and it just gets funnier and funnier.

Must go as World War III is breaking out here and DH is due home any minute (and won't be too impressed at finding me on MN while chaos breaks out around me).

Ouch This is FlyLady's schedule for the week:

Sunday - Renew your spirit/ Family day
Monday - Weekly jobs/Focus Clean
Tuesday - Free Day
Wednesday - Focus Clean
Thursday - Errands/grocery day
Friday - Paperwork/Misc.
Saturday - Family/DH day

(from the Building Your Own Contol Journal page)

Fabulous. Thanks linzer. Ds was very excited after school today. He has card picked. He has also just signed up for french club .

All i have left is some clothes putting away, sock folding and 30mins of shredding. Everything else is done . I am going to resist the need to done some more chores and relax with a long soak and a good book or mn tonight. And i even managed to prime the wooden desk that needs painting. 2 coats of

Tomorrows free day is so apt as it is training day and i get very little done on a training day with being out most of the day.

Good evening

Today have accomplished

Dejunked drawer unit in my bedroom
Smoke alarm testing-done
s/s bought new microfibre cloths-done
Make beds-done
Get dc up dressed-done
Make packed lunch-done
Zoo trip with dh and some friends-lovely
Dh and Dd to dentist early evening-some
Tidy house-hmm doing
Start painting!!!!-not yet

sc hope you are feeling a bit better
tfc blimey girl 2am working well done. Had to laugh at Dd shouting exterminate exterminate!
elliegrump hope you feeling a bit better!
mrsd I will have to investigate this wedding thread you talk off I love a good thread
ouch you are making me feel that I ought to be getting more organised. Well done. I love sock but I have been known to throw them out if they don't come out washing in pairs!!
dart fab list. Oh I really want dressing table but until house remodel is sorted no chance and dh talking about selling so probably won't get one. Good luck dejunking
bob music therapy sounds fab. Hopefully in time she will trust someone else to do it with her. It's great she loved it!
linzer hope ww3 calms down for you very soon.

I'm gonna run off and tidy as dh will be home from dentist soon and I need to make it look like I've done something whilst he has been out

Have lovely evening

done

Mad Monday routines.
Marking
Sparkling sink
Tidy kitchen
Packed lunches

To do

Watch Spooks
Drink cup of tea
Fall asleep

Evening all. Marginally less grumpy this evening, bright and breezy for dh's bday celebrations! Had a busy day but accompished everything on list including yummy tea of steak and homemade chips. Have done two loads of washing, drying cleared up from dinner etc. Ds has been to beavers where he has been told if he helps out for a couple of weeks he will be made lodge leader so he very pleased with himself. I think it will be very good for him because he lacks confidence.

Anyway am going to spend rest of evening with birthday boy!

Evening all,

The wedding thread is on MN Classics for those who haven't found it yet.

Feel like a rabbit in the headlights here, the house seems to have hit rock bottom again clutter wise, you know when you can't do any dedcluttering because there just isn't anywhere to move stuff to?

So, have signed up to sell at the local Nct sale next weekend, this will make me do the big summer to winter clothes clear out and the big pre-Christmas toy clear out. Have also been out and bought a few more big plastic storage boxes. Will also take some stuff to charity shop and hopefully tip too this week and kick start my cluttering again.

Othe than that, I have been ignoring my bedroom as it is full of clothes piles,a but have awarded myself bonus Flying pints for cleaning the filters in the dishwasher this morning when it needed filling up with salt. it was yucky!

Nettie well done for remembering your smoke alarms

SC hope you are tfeeling better

Linzer I'm struggling a bit with the extra homework this year too. However DS has been doing masses of writing, which is his weak area, so that's good. He is writing a story which is 20 pages long so far (creativity is not the problem, legibility is). Unfortunately the latest page says "it was Mum's birthday, she was 53 (!) it was Dad's birthday, he was 12 (!!!), mum said let's go to the pub now" all this is iwritten quite clearly, I feel very at the thought of his teacher reading it.

Off to make packed lunches and try and deal with so me of the clothes piles now. Night night.

Evening all. Sorry to have been absent.

Thank you so much for all your kind wishes - for offers of deputising and for actual deputising, round-ups and answering questions in my absence, not forgetting the virtual hot toddies, wine and lemsip. Very, very kind of you all and much appreciated! 'Tis a great group we have on here.

I'm now feeling much, much better thank you and although the virus wasn't pleasant (high temp, feeling "swimmy" + horrible achey limb thing with earache) it was thankfully short-lived and the fog has cleared this evening so to speak. Dh has been a star and done the school runs too but unfortunately he has started to sneeze now!

Gosh - you have been busy what with your penis casseroles, weekly overhauls and sock piles of doom - I don't know where to start with my three-day round-up. Tempted to read it all in detail tonight but I'm going to be sensible and go to bed and start afresh tomorrow.

Back in the morning!

In the meantime, this is my last opportunity to wish Ellie's dh a very happy birthday!