Fledglings flying though July into the summer.

[ColdHeartedBitch]

Roll up, roll up. tis the month of school fetes, sports days and annual reports. In all this flurry of extra activities and with the summer holidays hurtling towards us at rapid speed, now is the time to tame the chaos before our very special chaos creators are able to help us. Fully intending to beat the Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome so that my personal chaos creator can be occupied by others this holiday. Good luck to all to are also striving to achieve this.

Starting from the 1st of the month we shall be fluttering our way to tamed houses. If you are new to the system it is recommend that you focus on making the babysteps your main focus. The babysteps will build up to form routines to help you to stay on top of the house once you have discovered it. First step is to shine your sink. But not just half heartidly, deep clean til it shines Instructions here

For the more established flyer we then progress onto decluttering. 15mins each day in alloted zone of the week. New zones each week. and current zones and decluttering instructions can be found here Zones will automatically update for July.

As for the advanced flyer, there are missions to do each day in the current zone

We have one rule we are NOT perfectionists anything is better then nothing, real life gets in the way and we have to do other stuff other then cleaning (put it on your list, tick it off and :) ), besides the fat fairy's moto is "You are never behind"

As such take the vomit inducing cuteness of the website with a pinch of salt, and join us for wish lists formally to do lists , ta da lists and home bleurghs.

See you bright and early tomo although hopefully not too bright and early.

Janey I know that feeling well! Still, I think this is quite a "safe" place, and, as everyone has said, no need to ever even mention anyone else, unless mood takes you.
I've been cuddling dd for a while, left her briefly, but just had a phone call from UPSTAIRS to come back and minister...

My morning tada list is done
Turn laptop on and go through e-mails
Empty & reload DW
Reload WM and hang the wet washing in the basket out to dry
Drink coffee

Next I need to
empty DW and reload (need to find sink for shining later)
eat lunch
wait for Tesco delivery and put it all away
5 min blitz of dining room table (made a start whilst prevaricating earlier)
look over work I did last week and amend as necessary
plan tea
pay for holiday
reboot WM and hang wet stuff out
collect DS from school

Must now turn screen off and walk away from the PC (back later)

don't forget me - I'm on the thread to

bartlet you have my upmost respect for managing the shred (and any others doing it). No way could I manage that at this moment :(

swan so we have a mn celeb on the thread then hey

so far ta da:
-been to gp for apt and taken a very moany and tired dd with me (poor gp )
-done dw
-shined sink and hob top
-made banana cake (it's still in oven )
-swept and mopped kitchen floor
-tidied dds room (sadly most of the junk belongs to my room so has just been thrown on the floor in a different room )
-washing load on
-hand washing bras
-bath
-discovered a beautiful plaster wall hanging originating from an 18th century stately home my dad had purchased from an auction years ago I'm hoping to talk dh into putting on the wall of our sitting room (we have v different tastes - he's more ikea and I'm more antique)

Trying to get as much as poss done now so I can watch the murray match later

Will you lot stop chatting so much - its midday on the first of the month and there are THREE pages here already.
How is a girl to stay off the computer and tidy the house when I have to catch up with so much? :o

Need lunch then Sports Day
Will try to catch up later :)

Right, survived Sports Day yesterday, DS didn't win anything but managed a close 3rd and enjoyed himself thoroughly. I had a manic day, did 8 car journeys but was never more than half a mile from home . I did the ice lolly run for the KS2 children (mine are KS1) - which means that I had to dash to Iceland and buy 150 ice lollies to distribute courtesy of the PTA, which goes down very well with the children and is an all round nice thing to do. I also survived the mum's race.

Todays tada list

S&S - done
Washing done
Empty DW done
Clean kitchen counters and cooker which DH "missed" last night
School run
10 mins in school garden
Hoover downstairs
Washing on line
Speak to builders working next door about some work that need doing on our house
Play tennis
Host 4 friends for coffee

Still to do

Lunch
Hoover upstairs, with floor tidying as I go
Need to do a couple of hours paid work on the laptop
School run
Tea for DCs
DCs to cricket
Order spare parts for toilet
Oh and watch a bit of Wimbledon.

Waves frantically - I have read all your posts but haven't got time to reply for now.

So far

Done
Morning routine
Washing on line
Make beds
S/s
Toddler group/birthday party
(Whilst there - write up Treasurer notes for next poor soul who's taking over - ongoing, remind people to hand in their resignations from playgroup committee)
Arranged for informal job interview for next week - scary, as first time I've gone back to work since DS
Chase garage to see if car is ready - it is!!!
Phone DH to get him home early so I can collect car
Phone DM to look after DS while I'm collecting car
Clean washing away
Meat from freezer
Lunch

To Do
Post letters
Finish bear paw square
Vacuum living room
Zone cleaning
Practice letters/numbers/phonics with DS
Take DS to DM on the bus (with car seat)
Collect car
See if I can get DH to take DS home in his car
Take DM's dog to the vets with DM, as she doesn't want to go on her own (potentially bad news , and we may have arrange to take him to another surgery
Phone dentist to reschedule appts now I have wheels of my own again
Cook tea
Tea
Evening routine
Battle on with playgroup end of year accounts
Water plants
Washing on airer
Washing in machine
WI paperwork

Not happening/postponed
Find library books - won't need to as...
Visit mobile library - can't do as need to take DS to DM's this afternoon
Write up library book list and file - n/a
Collect playgroup invoice from local shop as hadn't been done when I went there this morning
Gardening

You are as generally quite right Linzer the zone is indeed the entrance and dinning hall It hadnt updated last night when i looked.

swan that would be fantastic!

Janey no pressure to post of read everything. promise. I often simply dont have the brain space to actually pay attention to what my eyes are looking at sometimes.

Wish list
sort car for long journey
check train times for tomo
tidy lounge
ds dropped off for contact visit

Ta Da list
sleep another 3 1/2 hours still dont feel human yet need coffee
ds to school on time mostly
remember to bring ds' scooter home after dropping ds off
sort out the plans for the next few weeks.
speak to coach about training session for next few weeks. thank fuck for texts
swear at power cable that keeps failing and will require a new one

Right about to go get up and tackle friday. After this weekend i need to sort this sleep thing out. Links will be late tonight as out of the house from 3pm til around nine and then need to get some stuff done. But will hopefully be prior to midnight as not training tonight.

Hope your friday's are treating you all nicely.

So, my sink is shiny and I've even done the ironing. Roll on day 2 .

It's going to take me a while to suss out who's who on here, so no name-checking for now. I will wave to Bartlet, though.

I have loads of irritating newbie questions, but I'll try to restrain myself to the least dumb:

Is swish and swipe a baby step (since people are raving about it)?

Does flying eventually cover those little jobs that I one puts off forever, like mending clothes, or changing lightbulbs? I have a few things lying around that I don't put away because they need cleaning first .

Just got back from DD sports day. The weather was perfect thankfully and the afternoon went mishap free. DD was only in 3 races but i'm still hoarse from cheering

Made some gingerbread rockets for a party we are going to tonight and DD is at a sleepover. Unfortunately i inadvertantly booked a school uniform fitting for 9am tomorrow so have to pick her up early with a hangover oops!

Got washing dry on the line as sunny this morning and am about to take DD to Rainbows. That is the extent of my FLYing today.

Hope you are all ok and catch up soon

I just want to Mark my place. Hoping to get back on track after my holiday. See you all around 14th July.

nicwnacw sorry to hear about dh and dc both being quite ill. Hope this help to make you feel more under control.

chb thanks for leading this month
sc so sorry for being absent for this month
linzer thx for playmobile world postcard. Ds is now pestering for playmobile world every two days

My tada list

Work ginormous mail merge done
Dc nurseried and picked up
DVD sorted for humongous journey to Perth and kinross
Window cleaner seen chatted to and paid
Last of washing drying
Bag of camping stuff tied to roof rack by dh
Swept all floors downstairs.

Lots to do still

Humungous waves to all, newbies and oldies

Silken - I too am a newbie & so lovly to hear I am not the only one that ignores mending & blown light bulbs :)

ta da list today involved

finding ds had wet the bed again so instant removal of sheets
both dc bathed (or sent to bath) & hairwashed
dc bags packed for weekend adventure
2 lots of washing done & online
all wine returned to wine warehouse (sale or return,thought had better give back or else PTA will have mahussive bill)
found floor in ds bedroom & out everything away
stripped dd bed (yah no making it as she is away)
piled up dishes on side but sink visible

forgot again !!!
PTA errand,eeekkk am going to be in mega trouble

still to do as am working all weekend

make sure all uniform present & correct for mon
pile up alcohol for village rounders match tommorow pm (not playing just spectating)
drag dog round fields
poss visit pub for 1 yes 1 pint of something yummy as dc not here & would be shame to waste opportunity
consider finishing kitchen but have yucky headache so may conserve energy instead

I will apologise now if I do potter down the lane to pub & have 1 pint if I say something silly on here as that is all my silly old body can cope with of real beer & dh says I am all gigly,loud & talk total tosh......you have been warned :o

Arrrggghhh!!! Just posted long message and lost it!! Here we go again!

Good to be on spanking new thread. Day one and 62 posts!! Here's some Dutch courage for tonight's round-up Swan

Thanks for links CHB

HAven't felt quite as sprightly as hoped during past two days but a better day today. Need to build my stamina back up. Sink shiny and a couple of loads of washing done and dusted. Downstairs looking a bit cluttery (dd's school materials EVERYWHERE) but all basically clean, dusted and hoovered. More progress in home office!! Hurrah!! (It's been long enough coming ...!) Two more boxes of papers shredded and floor sufficiently clear to be able to run a hoover (nearly) all around ...

Day one holidays and dd already complaining that she is missing it!! (Although I am quite happy to hear it in a way as that's a huge turn-around from when she was friendless and unhappy mid-term.) But we started a huge art project today and went for a lovely long walk in the sunshine (dd on her scooter). Also huge excitement because we've been raising caterpillars and the crysallises hardened today so we could transfer them to butterfly cage. Then frisbee on the lawn followed by an hour's weeding. Going riding tomorrow (me just observing for now but better than nowt).

Ouch Nicknacks at broken thumb - that sounds painful!

Whoknows That's good and bad news about the age of this thread!!! Definitely good that it has been going for so long. Bad that my house isn't, er, further along considering I've been flying for 2 yrs ...but loads better so can't complain!!

A warm welcome to Silkenladder. Swish and swipe is baby-step no. 24 here!
More info here

Linzer hope your dd2's party went well today!!

Pushme that's why I am hesitating over buying a kindle!!

PA Hope you and your dh have a lovely wedding anniversary celebration tomorrow!! (My dh is a huge F1 fan so will be very jealous of yr conversation with Nigel Mansell.)

MakingChanges congratulations on finishing your PGCE! That's a huge achievement!!

Hope you all feel better soon Swan

THACA what are you studying (if you don't mind me being nosy)?

NicwNacW so very sorry to hear about your dh's and ds2's diagnoses - that must be incredibly tough on you

No more time for personals as dh is so tired that he's threatening to go to bed so I'd better go and talk to him for a bit as I haven't seen him all week.

Huge wink flaps at Ihate Ellie Swan Toffee Feetheart Curly theunforgettableReastie Bartlett Nettie janey Pink Blue Mummy Ernest and everyone I've inevitably forgotten

Here's to a great Flying start to the month everyone...!

Have hoards of visitors about to descend which is always nerve wracking daunting motivating!

That should have read ...

day one of school holidays

Toffee forgot to say - hope your ds2's appt went well today

oh dear - I'll preview message one of these days

sorry Toffee got your boys mixed up - that should have read ds1. Hope it was helpful anyway!

Roundup Part 1
Thaca foolishly sent the back but has thought better of it and departed to the pub (she deserves it after a long walk with dog)
SC is a bit of an inspiration as she doesn't just shine sinks and shred office clutter but raise caterpillars, start art projects on the very first day of holidays, and generally cheers us all up, hopefully you will not work too hard over next few days and stick to baby steps, steadily of course
Ellie [please tell us what the essentially right answer to Hitler's foreign policy is] is pleased to see:
Cobweb's list
CHB has sorted out training
Swan hears terrible shouts on landing....better post this before Dh appears and disconnects me

ok apologies,have been to pub & put away 2 ...yes 2...pints of beer (hic hic)

stillchuckingit - am doing psychology this time but have done social sience (broad sectrum),philosophy & econnomics in the past,all through OU.

Will now make no apologies for drinking red wine as no dc here & dog put a stop between dh & myself so am going to take full advantage.......will be in bed with a cuppa & a book in an hour :o

I shall just go straight to the naughty corner. Wine anyone?

Well, we survived DD2's birthday party - it was surprisingly unstressful considering that we had 19 children here (ranging in age from 2 to 9), but I'm still glad it's out of the way! Now just DS's to get through later this month. We have just rewarded ourselves with and The Apprentice.

SC Glad to hear you've had a better day; hope you're still managing to take it easy despite the start of the school holidays. I can sympathise re school materials, as the DDs have brought home a ridiculous amount over the last few days. It's now all in a pile on the sofa bed upstairs and I have no idea where I'm going to put it all.

THACA I lose the ability to type after about two glasses of wine (well, unfortunately I don't; I just tend to come out with complete nonsense). Ah, rounders - one of the few "sports" I enjoyed at school; I feel guilty for depriving my DC of such joys.

Nettie Oh dear, sorry! I did wonder whether it might cause some pestering... DS keeps asking when your DS is going to write btw, even though I've been telling him that he'll probably only have just received the postcard.

Lady Hope you enjoy the party and don't have too much of a hangover tomorrow!

silken Yes, as SC has said, the swish & swipe babystep will be coming up later on in the month.
Mending clothes is included in FlyLady's Basic Weekly Plan (Friday), although you don't need to worry about that just yet - just focus on the babysteps for the time being. Not sure about lightbulbs, though... If I need to do something but keep putting it off, I'll add it to the list that I post - the shame of posting the same items for several weeks days will usually force me to get round to doing something about it!

Wine in the naughty corner sounds like an excellent plan ellie!

Right tomo is the weekend so that fat fairy intends for us to have family fun days. (in this house family hell days as it will always end up in some sort of arguement but shhhhh) Family fun time is essentially spending time with the family doing fun stuff together. Hope you all have nice weekends planned to that part. I am being naughty and have a child free weekend, so going out far too much . Opps meant to say there are no missions for the weekend.

Babystep no 2 is a contriversial one: getting dressed to lace up shoes. To be honest most people here don't bother but I dont interprete it to mean literally what it says. This step for me means get up straight away as if you were going out ie don't lounge about in dressing gown reading paper etc. Wake up, get up and make sure makeup/hair is all fixed. Shoes being rather irrelevant in this interpretation. however, as the thread of free thinkers and no fat fairy blind follows do or ignore as you chose.

Right i seem to be spouting a lot of randomness so am going to settle into the naughty corner and crash. Hopefully managing to meet the babystep of setting a bedtime and sticking to it for a change. Early start with long day planned. Don't expect sense tomo night either it will be posted after returning from an evening of cocktails. It could be a post of drunken nonsense, or more likely just tired nonsense.

have good weekends all.

Night.

My word you all talk! done o housework today, instead spent entire pm searching in vain for lost concert tickets :( I spend my life hunting for stuff.

Linzer - 19 kids! You're mad. Well done just for surviving.

Nice wend everyone

Right
Roundup Part 2.
Would you believe it, I've have to write notes...

Linzer is an example to us all, as she manages to have a party for several children, without getting into a frenzied state of panic, but providing essentials like icecream, homemade cake, balloons and good humour

Bartlett is still shredding and singing sweetly. Yes, onions seems to have disappeared from my veg box [perhaps they aren't in season - I'm learning more about the seasons through my veg box

Blue has been packing for weekend, including her own personal veg box I'm relieved to hear other people find packing can dominate Friday.

Cobweb - well done on finding someone to take on Treasurer's job; you did it valiantly for a long time, and good luck in new job interview

Nicknaw treat yourself gently and stick with Babysteps. Decluttering really helps with feelings of being overwhelmed, even though it seems that one hasn't time even for that.

Reastie glad that someone is baking again

PA has found someone to rival her DH in the bike department, and is hoping for an evening of romance [with her dh], also nurturing young chefs and their ingredients, and coping brilliantly [call me Hermione] with three jobs simultaneously

Curly is balancing toddler care with what sounds like some very efficient Friday catchup

and Janey yes lunchboxes are an eternal source of tension to me (I avoid them as much as possible) and well done at keeping hotspots at bay.
Ah but you'll be drinking wine when they have a hangover the next morning...

MC has made a brilliant start (although she probably won't admit it) by cleaning her car insideandout and deserves a bit of headspace by seaside. You have achieved such a lot this year, I hope it sinks in properly.

better post now unless it disapparates again!

DH has appeared, very angry, so I will wave goodnight, and finish round up tomorrow, waves to anyone I have missed...

Had quite a good day flying-wise, not much work done though Sink is shining and I even got round to picking the raspberries and blackberries in the garden. Decluttered some of the dining room table and found some things to pass on to next door
Late up as always on a Friday but just need to reload WM, quick s&s then off to bed.

See you all tomorrow

Thank you SO much everyone for your messages. It has been hard but I really feel the need to regain a bit of control now - it'll make day to day life so much easier if I'm not 'fire-fighting' all the time.

Had to work today, then DS1 was at Cub Camp for the weekend - had promised DS2 that his best friend could sleep over so pretty hectic!! Managed to do 2 loads of washing but still needs to be ironed. House is still a tip though. Hopefully tomorrow will get ironing done at least - will post wish list in morning.

Good morning!

Loads of chat on here!

SC - enjoy the holidays with DD. BUT I have to say, Kimdles are fantastic!!
Linzer well done on the party. Easy weekend for you!
Ellie Busy time of year for you, so just relax in that naughty corner.
Nettie have a good holiday
Cobweb good luck with the interview! What's the job?

Sorry, waaaaaay too many for personal messages to everyone, but huge waves and welcome to newbies!

Wedding Anniversary today. DH has gone to work and not mentioned it! I told you!!!! Anyway, restaurant booked for tonight. Not too sure how to play it. What if he doesnt feel like going out? (he will probably be dreaming of bike stroking all day and will disappointed!!) Oh crap!!!! I've got a new dress to wear too. Hey ho!!!

Yesterday was a bit of a disaster at work as printer messed up at job no1, putting the whole day out! I am now at work on a Saturday morning to print off what should have been done yesterday. Been here since 5.30!!! Who else would do this?????

Cant even think of a list for today, my brain is too concerned with tonights possible outcomes!

See you all later.