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.

Feeling tense and awful again this morning too many things to do, including those not-quite-scheduled-but-I-sort-of-promised-I-would-do-them-not-sure-if-I-can-reschedule-turning my brain to barbed wire..

Dd is at home again, in a moochy mood, promises she will go back to school at 10.30, but is still complaining of stomach pains and clutching her stomach, sad expression/wants cuddling/chat..

todo
recycling
bins
breakfast table
beds
s & s

then will return for more tasks to do...

typical scenario:

apologise to three people this morning for not attending PTA meeting last night, because
last night didn't want to offend the old ladies who give the Bible study group (also first Tues of every month)
also managed offend DH who didn't want me to go out at all...

and this morning, I am going to offend SIL for not helping with baby, Library for not cataloguing books, and school for not sending in dd!![aargh] and myself for not making headway with house because I'm not sure where I'm meant to be!!!

and annoying phone call with Mum who does not intend to visit SIL today, as I had assumed she would (thus covering for my absence)

Saying NO is proving hard. Perhaps a calendar and firm plans/decisions would help

CHB 20 mins on house is my plan now too.

Morning all. Sorry have been AWOL again, have beento see a few supply agencies and trying to sort other things out and no time to get online. Yesterday I spent a grand total of 30 minutes in the house all day, but did go to my last placement school and watch the fantastic end of year production of my class last night - I was soooo proud.

Today is much less hectic - thankfully as the heavens have opened.

To do

• DD to school - Done after turning her room upside down for a copy of Little red Riding Hood that she was convinced that she needed
• Washing -One load in so far
• Tidy kitchen - Left DH to cook tea last night - Looks like he was having a party not just cooking pizzas. The kichen is a tip!
• Search for jobs that are updated today
• Swimming lesson
• Tidy up lounge
• wash DDs ballet clothes for tomorrow
• Tidy DDs book landslide in bedroom
• Sort through CDs as going to sell some to clear some space and make some money

DH is getting edgy about the state of the house,but doesn't do anything to help and I am getting really frustrated. I've not been in all week and all he sees is that I have lots of free time, So far my freetime has consisted of appointment after appointment. I sometimes wonder if I life in the 19th Century

Hello

Just dropping in to put up a list in the hope that posting it will make me do it :)

An especially bad task lies ahead - cleaning under the fridge/freezer and washing machine. I know it's not in the missions but we have lost a back door key and that's the only place it could be. If I'm going to have to pull them out I might as well clean underneath as well. I know it's going to be disgusting because the freezer leaks periodically underneath, and when the water dries all the dust and fluff dry in it and stick to the floor like a layer of glue. Dirty glue at that! Yuck!

So, for today:

Lunchboxes (done)
Swish & Swipe
Kitchen Mission
Pull out washing machine + fridge
2 loads washing
Strip beds
Ironing
Do some proper work!

Have a good day everyone!

quaffs rescue remedy and feels better.
done
recycling
also see that DD is ill not just malingering, so feel less impotent about that state of affairs
dishes
dw
s & s

MC v.frustrating

Right had 20 mins of drinking coffee off to get on. Starting to buzz from the all the caffine so will be unable to sit so should be productive. sleeep please

can't believe how busy this thread is

so far today tada -

s&s
vacumed playroom, hall and sitting room
made bed
had bath
got toys out ready for a friend and her dd visiting
plumped cushions in sitting room

still have to do kitchen but need to do a bit of cooking first so no point in cleaning floor before I make a mess of it again. Just linking to my new mop www.lakeland.co.uk/20556/Leifheit-Spray-Floor-Mop as I heart it so much and don't know if any people here interested (prob not!). You don't need to fill a bucket of water or anything for it - just spray and go and it uses microfibre cloths (I know how you all seem to love those!). I'm managing to clean my kitchen floor every day now because it's so quick and would be great if you had wood/laminate (I don't work for lakeland, honest! I do love them though )

Just popping in to report a lack of flying. I did actually manage to get quite a bit of tidying and school book sorting done yesterday morning by staying off MN, but feel like this morning has been a bit of a write-off. I was all set to go running but bumped into a friend at kindergarten who persuaded me to go to zumba with her instead. Not really my thing but at least I know what it is now - I kept reading about it on MN but hadn't realised that it's made it over here (we seem to be several decades behind the UK in certain things!). Anyway, I didn't get back home until 10.15 am so that was half my morning gone - going running is def. a more efficient use of my time as I can be back by 8.30. Have only managed one run since the race, though; I must go tomorrow.

Still need to finish hanging up the washing, do the ironing, decide what to have for lunch (the DDs refused to have lunch at the sport & games camp today as it's chicken - DD2 was in tears last night claiming she doesn't like chicken, which was news to me) - pizza probably a good bet as a friend of DD2's is coming to play - and continue my general house rescue. Will have to make a start on the packing at some point too; must print out my master list today at the very least.

The mop looks great reastie, although I'm not sure I can justify placing another Lakeland order this year after the extortionate P&P I paid last time! I have a Lakeland delivery waiting for me at my parents' as well, but I doubt a mop would be very easy to transport back (if I can justify having another order sent there). I also need to leave plenty of room in my case for essentials such as biscuits and chocolate. (Disaster has struck: I finished the last of my Cadbury's last night and still have almost a month before I'll be back in the UK - how could I have planned so badly? )

Lots of rain forecast today so washing can go in the tumble drier. Still tons to sort out and put away though.

Also to do:
Dusting
Make beds
Tidy bedroom
Filing
Find docs for tax credits form - thank you PA for the reminder!
Work
Work related emails
Decide if boys having sausages or fishfingers for tea
Zumba!

Linzer - I noticed they don't deliver that mop outside the UK so chocolate definitely a better use of space...

I have a decluttering dilema. Problem one that is really easy to see when not emotionally tied Ds has essentially not played with the bath toys (boats/stick on shapes) for ages now, preferring to take his collection of plastic insects into the bath Is the collective opinion that it should now be safe to despatch the bath toys? He is 6 now, but really funny about letting stuff go so need to despatch without his knowledge if i am going to do so. I'm keeping them for historic reasons really arent i he's getting all grown up...

Hellloooo everyone!

Don't worry PA - finished very late last night so I could have a leisurely morning ... which I sort of did (once dd off to dance workshop). Never like going back to bed/sleeping during the day (gives me a headache) but had a lovely bubble bath and gabbed to a friend on the phone for ages.

Hope you and dd2 have a lovely pedicure and a full quota of toes this evening!!

Oh, blither, just missed you last night CHB, we could have had a party!

arf at Linzer's Cadbury crisis!! (I'm out of salt & vinegar crisps but probably just as well in circs)

Swan sorry your dd is still ill and you have so much on your plate (hands over calming lavender -filled pillow). Sounds as if you are doing an awful lot for others. Hope you can ring-fence some time for yourself. How about that sewing class ?

Thanks for mop tip Reastie (they stock that brand at our local supermarket so will have a look for it)

Blue I have similar laundry prob. Loads to dry but it's chucking it down.

Hope you find the key janey

MC good luck with your job search and congrats to your class! (Obviously a testament to your good teaching!)

congrats on our cracking list yesterday Toffee

Right, [swigs Whoknows' rescue remedy -] off to put away on-line shop (as this involves lots of stairs to basement (pantry) this will count towards to aerobic activity for the day) and work through list I posted on Monday

Waves to Feetheart OM Cobwebs Toffee Pink Ellie and everyone I've missed

yes, declutter them immediately!! Take photos of them for scrapbook and pass them on to someone who will enjoy them.

I am having a kitchen cupboard cluttering dilemma. I have no kitchen cupboards, that is the problem...Knee deep in cake tins and stupid things I never use, but might use, like flan tins. Coupled with the fact that the kitchen has to house everything shedlike - extension leads, lightbulbs, and all the utility stuff too Try as I might, declutter as I do, endlessly, there is nowhere for this stuff to go...

However, on the plus side, I have found a bubble machine I can throw away.

CHB - I will have same dilemma over next few days. DC more interested in taking complete Polly Pocket/Playmobil collection into bath than stuff in 'bath-toy net'. Intend to declutter some to bin/charity shop and a few 'precious' bits to loft. I may meet resistance so will have to be sneaky but DD has scarily good memory
Good luck!

Having break from working ATM but have plans to be completely unFlylady-like and blitz over next 3 days as mess everywhere driving me mad. Started in DS's room yesterday whilst on hunt for 'Show and tell' item - MC I feel your pain. So plan for this afternoon is:

• Finish DS's room - tidied, hoovered, etc
• Bathroom - stuff relocated to where it should be, other stuff decluttered, cleaned thoroughly
• Landing - the dumping ground of doom to be rediscovered
• Hoover our room if time

Both DC being picked up and fed by SiL for first time today though I still have to go up to school to see someone re DD's reading - bit of a Book Band rant required as she is getting fed-up. Thankfully bookworm tendencies not affected at all but school have been pretty slack :(

When I get home I intend to have several hours TO MY SELF making a thank you card for lovely surrogate granny who has just done a very grannyish thing for DC :)

Swan ditto!! Sympatheis!! HAve hardly any kitchen cupboards (and those we have are in the most awkward body-convulating places known to man) hence keep baking equipment in enormous cardboard box in cellar and have 3 (no less) redundant bubble machine. I do LOVE a good bubble machine ... but they only ever seem to work for 5 mins ...

CHB can you just go throw bath toys with him? Tell him you need to get rid of half and let him sort it in to keep and chuck piles??

Feetheart good luck with landing of doom and enjoy your creative time!

SC erm i have to admit i have the advance as he hasnt seen them since christmas already, and we did that last time. tbh he really wasnt bothered by them its bugs all the way mustremembertoremovethemfromthebathroombetweenbathswhenvisitorsareherelaterthismonth

Swan we also have a bubble machine that can go somewhere. It is going to be replaced though.

Being quite productive which is nice. Loads of stuff being put away into the now decorated and furniture sorted room. so its looking a bit tidier in the mess storage locations. About to finish lunch and finish tackling ds' room. He finally accepted i had to cull the paperwork. he has had the room of a teenager for 4 months thank god for some small mercys. unfortunately I have found another 4 boxes of pGCE stuff to go through and despate. But feeling strong enough to deal with it so will tackle that tomo when cba to move. Training tonight

If you were a set of car keys where would you hide? Or probably more correctly, if you were a 6 yo which safe place would you put/hide a set of car keys?

right, kitchen and I have reached temporary truce.

All cake tins, picnic lunch box stuff in big cupboard
All utility stuff (dw,wshing powder) in separate cupboard from cleaning stuff next to boiler valves
saucepans in corner carousel cupboard
large bowls (salad, mixing, fruit) and electric beaters/grinders on second carousel corner cupboard

medicines in kitchen reduced to antispetic cream, plasters, paracemotl and piriton and suncream, and nail scissors (I see there are three pairs floating around)

saucepan lids off the worktop, now in the waterbottle cupboard [sigh]
water bottles [ahem] no idea where to put them...in dc friendly place

all jugs of every shape and size on shelf (not scattered in umpteen cupboards)
dc friendly cups in dc friendly place
cake candles and sparklers in small pink tin next to cake beater (so that's where they were - tins can be misleading)

kitchen looks like bomb has gone off...
also 5 mins decluttering in fridge has yielded various horrors, so that's good!

down the sofa
in a pocket
by the fridge
by the phone
in the hall
under the sofa
next to tv remote
in the latest toy stash, ds2 uses my car key to play with sometimes, think fiddling magpie mentality...

i might just tell him he can walk to swimming if we cant find them. It is hoffing down here. Wellies and macs as essential for the british summer time school as winter as normal then.

found them. under the ironing pile waiting on the ironing board. Definetly not boy fault

Pleased you found them in the end, CHB. I found mine under the washing machine, along with a lot of very nasty gunk. All gone now though and I am feeling very pleased with myself for having tackled it. Sadly it's one of those invisible jobs - no one will even know that you could now eat your dinner off the floor under my fridge

arf Janey
yes, my kitchen looks worse than when I started...

I feel much better for sorting the cupboards though

Landing of Doom not tackled - will be top of tomorrow's list however have finished DS's room, bathroom and hoovered our room.

Off to not pick DC up from school and back to creativity :)

Well done on all the activity here today, is there something in the air again?