June know it's the fledgling flyers?

[Stillchuckingit]

A warm welcome to the June Fledgling Flyers' thread.

If the state of your house is getting you down, this is the thread where we follow the step-by-step Flylady housekeeping system (in our own, unique, relaxed style ) with lots of chat and support along the way and where lace-up shoes are definitely optional.

A huge thank you to Linzer for keeping us all on track so splendidly during May and thank you to DroitwichMummy for the thread title.

As usual, we will be following the Flylady three-pronged approach:

1. Baby-steps (a daily step to establish routines)
2. Then baby-steps + 15 mins daily decluttering
3. (And once decluttered) babysteps + daily missions

If you are feeling overwhelmed by clutter and mess, you can make a difference, one step at a time.

For more information, have a look here. You don't need to sign up to Flylady e-mails (we advise you not to do so in fact - you will be overwhelmed - all the information you need can be gleaned from this thread).

All long-standing members, intermittent returnees, lurkers and newcomers welcome!!

Sorry to hear that Cubs isn't working out for your ds, swan. I thought about signing DD1 up for some kind of social activity (was thinking about Jungschar - young Catholics) but she was adamant that she didn't want to go and tbh our afternoons are hectic enough as it is without yet another activity to fit in.

Lady We also wash DH's bedding at 60° (ours and the DDs' only gets washed at 40° and not quite as regularly, either). I also put his duvet out in the fresh air whenever I remember, which probably isn't often enough.

My house keys have gone MIA yet again - I really must get some kind of gadget to help me locate them. Have looked in all the obvious places and all the less obvious places that I can think of (the car keys turned up in the cutery drawer once). The DC are asleep so I can't ask them if they've seen/played with/hidden them (I spent ages looking for them just before we checked out of the hotel on Saturday - DH and the DC had already gone down to the car, leaving me to pack up the last few bits and pieces - only to discover that DD2 had put them in her bag). DH is helpfully in Turkey at the moment, so I won't even be able to borrow his if they haven't turned up by tomorrow morning. Will go and continue the search.

Have finally found the keys - on a shelf in the playroom. Goodness knows why I took them up to the top floor; I was convinced I'd flung them down somewhere as soon as I'd come in.

Mmmmm, what brings so many of us dust allergy sufferers to this thread I wonder??

Right ho, time for my first proper round-up of June [SC ignores eye-rolling and general tutting and muttering from onlookers]

First though, as it has been a "getting back on track", "going back to work", "home bleeurrrghiing" sort of day, I think we need a few of these

Flylady yes, the Fat Fairy herself [outrage emoticon] overcome by the monotony of constant sink-shining, shoe-lace tying, and macaroni salad consumption, succumbed to a moment of madness, during which time she went AWOL, splurged on 117 packets of tan tights and became totally rat-arsed, which meant that she overslept this morning and was late posting our mission [taps foot disapprovingly]

Linzer on the other hand, was up with a lark, battling technology and thinking of creative ways to avoid eating sprouts

Ellie and Scatty both had tough mornings requiring lots of caffeine. (Hope your respective days improved as they went along!!)

Whoknows decided that the Fat Fairy's house is dreadfully twee, full of "framed slogans about tidy houses making tidy minds... in amongst the little posies of flowers in china vases". Oh yes

Swan having contributed to Ellie's history lesson plan, home blessed, negotiated singing, ballet, football, Cubs AND Scouts no less, contemplated re-stringing her dd's violin but opted for piano practice and some creative cuisine involving kohlrabi. [Is there no end to this fledglings talents??? ]

Speaking of the multi-tasking and multi-talented, PA as usual, held down three jobs, shopped and stir-fried for hoards of teenagers and still found time for a bit of mild flirtation with the telephone delivery man

LadyinPink has been damp dusting, cooking a delicious supper and has delivered her dd to a drama drama class with feather duster and plastic tarrantula. (She's not playing a mini Wicca version of the Fat Fairy by any chance?? )

Toffee has been rescuing her house in order to prepare for her holiday on Saturday and will be aided and abetted by a friend tomorrow

Off to look for Linzer's keys ... back in a minute ...

Ha! X-posted Linzer (I knew I would find them! )

Swan sorry to hear about ds2and cubs ... perhaps he could go back to it a bit later when he's older ... is that allowed?

*

Tomorrow's step, no.7, for Tuesday 7th June is another important one here! Trust me, this is a life-saver in the morning.

This week's zone is no.2: the kitchen

Your mission for tomorrow, should you choose will appear here once the Flylady site updates itself

However, for a sneak peak at the rest of the missions this week, have a look here!

Tuesdays, as I recall, are free days in Fat Fairy land, so you just have to do your usual steps and routines, including hot-spots, spend 15 mins in the current zone either decluttering or doing the mission(depending on which stage you are at) and then... feel free to relax ....!!

Oh and if you missed today's reminders (those nuggets of wisdom you would have received via e-mail had you been barking enough to sign up) here they are!

See you in the morning everyone!!

*

er, apologies...typing too fast

that should have read...

should you choose to accept it

Morning all! Big day today! 2 years of hard work comes down to 2 exams, first one of which is today. I get so nervous on these occasions, probably more nervous than some of the kids .

I did manage my list yesterday apart from dinner as we cheated and had a takeaway after Beavers. swan sorry to hear ds is having problems at cubs. Ds moves up in a couple of weeks and i am a bit nervous about it. He has reLly settled in Beavers and found his niche and grown in confidence. Not sure how he will take to the change. And thank you for my lesson plan yesterday .

Will be back later!

Morning everyone,

Thanks for your help with the keys last night, SC - it was definitely a joint effort!

Hope all goes well today, ellie.

I feel like I could collapse and do nothing for the rest of the morning, as I've just been out for my run and it was far too hot. However, must get on with rescuing the house - the DDs' room, in particular, is in desperate need of attention. Also need to update my CV as I've decided to apply to a couple of agencies. I'm in two minds about whether I want/need more work (the agencies contacted me), but I've decided to go for it as work has been so quiet lately.

Good luck ellie I hope they do you justice .

swan shame about cubs. My dad was a cub leader and always said that some boys just aren't suited to cubs (not their thing, don't see the point), just like some boys don't 'get' football. My dh was horrified when I signed ds up for beavers, he had hated cubs and is highly suspicious of the uniform and 'rituals' (not sure what kind of cub pack he'd been sent too ).

Today:
school/work
dd friend for tea (sausages)
wash k and b floors
change our bed (wash at 60!)

Morning all. Just checking in to make sure FF is feeling suitably contrite for yesterday and has updated the missions ...which she has.

Good luck with it all today Ellie!! I'm sure your kinder will do you proud!

Well done with the running Linzer! (I think I would collapse and die if I had to run anywhere before lunch time!!) It was sweltering here yesterday in a horrible, heavy humid sort of way. Much fresher today thankfully.

Managed to get through my list yesterday + do 45 mins of decluttering/tidying - but that was in the boudoir not in the home office or basement. I can see this is going to be a much bigger project than I thought ... Still, every little bit adds up.

I now have an hour and a half in which to run around like a headless chicken, ironing, sorting out the laundry and generally sorting myself out. After which I will be out all day (dd at homework club tonight) attending various school meetings and doing errands in between. Won't be back until round-up time.

Have a good day everyone!

x posts, waves to Scatty

Morning everyone. Am feeling very tired today and the last thing I want to do is sort out the house, but my kind friend is coming over to help me so I have to. I suppose that is just the kick up the backside I need, really.

Am doing some work with DS1 first. I'm learning a lot, even if he isn't (we are studying overfishing for the conservation part of his project).

Ellie - hope it all goes well today.

Linzer - good luck with the agency applications, although getting more work is rather a mixed blessing, I should think.

Swan - Sorry you are having a struggle with DS2. My DS1 was like that in most groups he joined. I just gave up with it all in the end, as he simply couldn't cope. He is much happier on his own or with one or two close friends.

SC - aren't you clever to find Linzer's keys? I'll come to you next time I lose something (hint: it usually turns out to be in DS2's box of 'treasures' under his bed).

Scatty - at your DH's weird cub group!

Right, am going to attempt to get DS typing up some of what we have learned...

PS: Re earlier thread discussion - another dust allergy sufferer here. We have wooden floors in the bedroom and use mattress protectors and pillow covers. Clearing out underneath the bed would probably be a good thing too .

Morning all

Working furiously here at home computer but just stopped in for a quick hello.

Hung out a load of washing but watching the sky as we had a heavy shower an hour ago.
Got DD school open day today so i get to see her classroom and see her work etc.
Also am doing the story tellling and crafts at local library today with the pre-schoolers which is where i volunteer when i have the time.
Going to carry on damp dusting and thoroughly hoovering again today as DD is now suffering it seems

SCI DD is 'The old woman who lived in a shoe' which is their end of term play so she needed the duster for a cleaning prop and the spider apparantly is for a trick the kids play on her - I get to watch her in July.

ellie hope the exams go ok, deep breaths you can do it

BBL

Agh! Lovely friend who babysits on Tue afternoons is ill! No Work today either... DS1 can't find a t-shirt that he "really wants" and DS2 has just woken up. needed.

Lady hope volunteering goes well -I love props, I think my whole house is full of props I'm waiting to find a use for
Scatty and Toffee that is helpful - I think I will just accept I think I just will have to work harder at the one-to-one socialization with ds2, as he doesn't really do well in groups (apart from football, and even then he just likes being goalie!)
Ellie I'm sure you Ds will enjoy Cubs, it was just ds2's personality really.

Dd and I have had a busy morning going to twin therapist. I was so late that I was forced to drive (usually I tube and bus the journey) and I managed it...[phew] So that was worth a morning's therapy, quite frankly, facing up to my fears Then we stopped off for ten minutes at a friend on the way home. Now I just have to get my darling daughter back to school! She is refusing to go because she says it is chicken curry for lunch .

Linzer I've lost my house keys yet again, despite attaching them to a very long dangly blue corkscrew fob. Dh has made me a spare set which he said I am to keep WITHOUT FAIL ONLY FOR EMERGENCIES in the blue jar in the kitchen (hope you are not reading this burglars) I already need them!

Dd is driving me mad, she is now insisting on writing the thank you letter I have been asking her to write for the last four weeks! Except it has no words, only cartoons, and no mention is made of the actual present she was given....

bbtomorrow

Blue very sorry, very frustrating.

Toffee hope visit from friend is revitalizing. I dread to hear what my friends think - I think they have to tread very lightly in these situations (everyone has different ways of "living"), but sometimes just a little help does wonders to morale Even just help moving large boxes or sofas etc..or just seeing the good things about a room and bringing them to the fore.

Swan - sorry to hear about DS and Cubs, I am wondering how my DS will cope when he moves up from Beavers, he has been fine there and enjoys it, but I guess as they move up things probably get a bit stricter about sitting still and listening, doing what you are told etc and DS also has Aspergers/dyspraxic tendencies which make this sort of thing hard. My DH and DB both got a huge amount out of Scouting when they were younger so I really want it to work, but must admit I am not at all sure it will. Hope you find the keys! My DH has an annoying habit of going out and managing to take both mine and his sets of keys, leaving me to find the special emergency one, which, surprise surprise, he had to borrow the other week because he had left his at work so it isn't there any more, grrr.

Got to go, lots to do, back later.

oh dear, I've managed already today to have a row with

dd (she had hysterical fit in afternoon and refused to go back to school, but I insisted...so much for therapy..I think I can safely say that backfired
ds1 (he took my door key after school and didn't LET ME IN (too busy listening to music

and the sink is unshiny again

on plus side I have done about 5mins book shuffling in school library and taken ds1 to singing.

I have returned to thread to force myself to tidy up kitchen and cook supper before homework and football and evening meeting - here goes...

to have had a row I mean...

This has been a very looong afternoon. Boys now ensconced in front of the Danger Mouse DVD...

Still, we managed to get to nursery and toddlers on time (and back again), make biscuits and rescue the kitchen afterwards! Nobody has actually killed anybody else or even, despite their best efforts, injure themselves or each other. So I count that as moderately successful.

I hope your afternoon improves swan and that all keys turn up! I now have an official place to put them which helps a little, but I very often wish that I could phone them up to locate them like a mobile! I also hope your afternoon was productive toffee.

DS2 is informing me that "Mao ninish", so I'd better go.

My friend has gone, leaving me with a kitchen so sparkly that I'm a bit scared of cooking in it. She even took away the dud blender that was taking up space on the worktop, but which we never remember to take to the dump. Whilst she was scrubbing my kitchen, I tackled the dining room. We chatted whilst we worked, which made it all much more interesting. I managed to clear and clean all the shelves and surfaces and polish the silver (not that I have much).

I asked my friend how she managed not to have any clutter in her house (she has empty surfaces ). She said she deals with everything straight away - it's either binned or put in its rightful place. I know that's what I should do, but I simply don't know how to keep up with it all. She is a single mum with two children, one of whom has autism, so it's not as if she doesn't have her own challenges to deal with as well.

I think she just has a gene that I don't have .

BlueEyes - roll on bedtime! Here's some for you.

Swan - sounds like you've had a stressful day. Well done on the driving! I lose my house keys frequently too. Drives DH mad.

LadyinPink - hope the open day and library went OK.

Back later.

hello, I've been lurking for a while (and have had several abortive attempts with the Fat Fairy (love that btw) but am motivated to get the house of crap dealt with. It was supposed to happen last year when D3 went to school, but didn't, then was suppposed to happen this year, but then I had two lots of foot surgery, but now I'm back and am determined to clear stuff out.

So far this week I've managed to properly clean the sink (bleach and all), and clear the surface in the laundry which was a general dumping ground for empty washing powder boxes, broken hangers, swimming hats and goggles, and piles of mending (helpful hint, if you leave the mending for long enough, the DC have grown out of whatever it was, and it doesn't ned mendign any more ). Tomorrow's task is the plastic bag cupboard which explodes if you look sideways at it. I think i'm a week ahead of myself, as this week is kitchen week, but not to worry, doing something is better than doing nothing (and other embroidered cushion mottoes).

Hello IShallWearMidnight, welcome on board, sounds like you've got the right idea, interesting image of plastic bags exploding all over the house!

Toffee - I think your friend has got it in a nutshell, I have sadly concluded that I am just a bit too lazy to ever be that on top of things. Still, things are decidedly better than they use to be Chez WhoKnows.