September Flegdgling Fliers - Part 2!

[elliepac]

Here is the second part of the thread ladies which is much needed because we chat fly so much

This is where from the 1st of the month, we attempt to declutter and follow the 30-step wisdom of Flylady (minus cutesy language and a surfeit of e-mails) with lots of chat and support and mutual motivation along the way. (More info available here )

Humungous thanks to our previous thread leader Blue for navigating us all through the August school holidays...and for doing it so consistently and well!!

As usual we will be following a three-pronged approach - and don't worry - we are all at different stages. Some of us (SC stares at feet) -are even embarrassingly stuck at decluttering stage after two years

• 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.

All newcomers welcome!

Right I am afraid it will probably be a day of many updates from me. It's only just 8:30am and I am already flagging.

Update:
Laundry 1st load on
kitchen - DW, pots
folding and ironing both up-to-date
Hall - move and deal with large pile of laundry and recycling and contents of stuff evicted from car earlier, sort out kit storage.
Lounge - laundry, general mess 5mins done, project work.
Landing- pile of doom
My room - few bits that have made it into the room but not put away done, Laundry away.
Ensuite - clean up behind ds getting ready for bed angry done with exception of floor needing bleaching will do with main bathroom floor when I get to that point
Bathroom - pile of doom, clean.
Get ds up and ready for school on time done
Send important email, check email accounts, check mn and facebook done all
Ds' room - laundry away and put toys into finally dry storage unit.

Have good days. Must fly to get ds to school on time. Fresh coffee here >>

SC - I wouldn't mind as much if I was large of norkage but I barely scrape a C cup.
Swan - I have only bought one pair of Boden trousers and whereas the long length was fine the fit was horrendous and the most uncomfortable I have ever owned
I have NO idea what shape they design for.

DD much better, just having a bath and washing her hair on her own for the first time - its is very long and thick so it could be 'interesting'
Probably need a list to get things done today:

• WORK whilst DD keeps herself amused
• Washing out and most of rest of morning routine done
• Paint bottoms of lolly sticks with DD - for Fayre!
• Make plan of Hall and outside for Fayre with DD
• Ring round people to check they are still coming (and try and wrangle raffle prizes from them!)
• Start shopping list for Fayre
• Email programme advert to right person
• Chop up LOTS of apples to start making Hedgerow Jelly - another activity for DD
• Fish fingers for tea - DD helping again. She will be glad to get back to school tomorrow :)

Morning all

I have just found a pack of Choccy biccies in the cupboard. Please help yourselves

I have woken up in a good mood and am enjoying the sunshine. Unfortunately I have too much to do to enjoy it for too long.

Ouch good luck with your list. Don't go too mad on the coffee
Swan I am surprised about the radiator, it would have gone in a flash around here.

Ok I have taken DD to school. She is very happy as she gets to wear her summer dress today, which she loves. I've also popped around Morrisons for essentials (namely pancakes and strawberries - I think i'm becoming addicted) and then walked across to shopping centre for some suspension files for filing cabinet. Have decided to use it for what it was made for and actually file paperwork in there.

Rest of list for today

• Another CRB form to complete - I completed this one in June but supply agency have been dragging their feet so need to complete again
• Make lunch to take out with me. Main pain with this yeast intolerance is I can't just stop and buy a sandwich
• Visit Supply agency with more ID to replace out of date ID (better find ID first)
• Swimming lesson
• Karate lesson for DD
• Label suspension files and sort out paperwork to put in drawer
• 30 mins on understairs mess
• 15 minutes in lounge
• 2 x washing loads
• tidy the bomb site that is the kitchen. Spoke to DH last night about him helping by washing pots if he has been left to make tea. Found out this morning he had chips and curry sauce and didn't even rinse the plate. I'm really hoping I can get the stain off the plate
• Complete paperwork for interview on Friday. Downloaded it yesterday there are 7 files of stuff to fill in
• Recycling
• Bins out tonight
• Bath DD as school photos tomorrow (May delegate this one to DH)
• Bed by 10pm

Right best find my ID, make lunch, pack bags and brave the city centre.

Have a good day everyone

Mmm, coffee and choccie biccies. Lovely.

Mildly miffed bloody furious that the special delivery of kitchen feet has been taken back to the Royal Mail depot and we can't get it till tomorrow. It arrived while I was taking DS2 to music. Would have been fine, except the kitchen fitter's van's broken down and he's not here yet, so there was no one to sign for it. [Wail!!]

Aaagh! The fitter's just rung to say he won't get here at all today...

Never mind, it's a beautiful day and I've got a quiet, if chaotic house. I've hoovered upstairs and cleaned the bathroom. I guess I'll get the ironing done in front of crappy daytime TV and make the most of the sunshine instead. At least this means we don't need the feet till tomorrow, although we also didn't need to pay extra for special delivery. Sigh.

Hope everyone else is having a better day.

Swan we had school harvest festival yesterday, complete with a bishop and free soup in the allotment. at Boden in a charity shop though. Hope you get shot of the radiator.

MC - bon courage for the city centre.

Big waves to everyone else.

Hello everyone - I'm still here flapping quietly in the background.

Had bout of severe depression at the end of last week brought on by RL issues on top of feeling that my working from home is not working out but feeling a bit better every day - I haven't cried since about 1.30am on Monday morning (although I was close when I got into work on Monday morning!) so that is an achievement

Anyway...
Anti-procrastination day today eh? Before I realised that, I had fired off letter to working from home boss handing in resignation. I have been thinking about it for a while but didn't feel able to do the deed but I have, and I've sent it so no going back now. I will still be working FT as it was a 2 year secondment due to end in January anyway so I will just be back to where I was before but a bit earlier than expected.

I have decided to try to do the missions every day regardless of what else gets done, so the bedroom is looking better than it has for ages and the sitting room is a work in progress.

Time for and then wait for the fallout from my letter

Hi all,
Droitwich sorry to hear you are having such a tough time, but you are coming out of the other end with any luck. Keep going you are doing well!
I have been having quite 'blue' feeling spells, but I know mine are down to hormones because they tie in with my cycle, probably age (does a Les Dawson face and points downwards) I don't have any major RL issues luckily - for now. [looks around worriedly]

I'm off out this afternoon AGAIN, but nice to see old friends.

List today
Morning routine - all done
cleaned washing machine drawer - eeewww some kind of living slime monster under the power drawer.
Wrestled with washing machine filter to find an old underwire had got stuck in it (popped back in bra - not really)
lunch pizza cooking
trimmed phox
trimmed blackcurrant
watered outdoors plants
sent money to property shower
new load of washing in
ironed work trousers - getting ready for work before going out, save time.
hotspot done

To do
make a snack for work (cold pizza?)
get DS - park
go to work
water indoor plants

Ooops that should have been trimmed 'phlox'. I don't have a fox or a phox and I don't want to give one a haircut.

Afternoon! I was a good girl this morning.

Ta da for this morning :-

Washing on
Washing on line
Beds made
Dc's dressed/breakfast/out to school
General tidy

It is a beautiful day here. Might not do anything tonight.

Sorry to hear you are having such a rough time atm DWMummy.

List Update:
Laundry 3rd load on
kitchen - DW 2rds loaded rest needed presoaking, pots awaiting sink space, recycling done
folding and ironing both up-to-date
Hall - move and deal with large pile of laundry washed and recycling dealt with and contents of stuff evicted from car earlier mostly dealt with, sort out kit storage. Put stuff into car that is by door waiting to go in.
Lounge - laundry, general mess 25mins done, project work.
Landing- pile of doom
My room - few bits that have made it into the room but not put away done, Laundry away, transfer stuff into office hell hole.
Ensuite - clean up behind ds getting ready for bed angry done with exception of floor needing bleaching will do with main bathroom floor when I get to that point
Bathroom - pile of doom done, clean.
Get ds up and ready for school on time done
Send important email, check email accounts, check mn and facebook done all
Ds' room - laundry away Next job and put toys into finally dry storage unit done.
Sort out swimming kit
find knitting. Put somewhere safe and it is upsetting me I can't find it. However, why i don't know as I have 101 other projects on the go (knitting and fabric).

I need more coffee, more time and more sleep.

Phew what a scorcher! 26°c here and rising ...

Doing as much washing as I possibly can to line dry

But wierdly (although I could have misunderstood the French) I thought I heard the weather man say on the radio that they were expecting snow during October .

I don't know but what with all these recent tsumanis and earthquakes and droughts and tornadoes - the polar ice cap shrinking at five times the rate anticipated (could have got that bit wrong) - you do start to wonder about the end of the world being nigh and all that ... well I do.. but I should really be thinking about decluttering the home office....

But it would really be a tragedy to unknowingly spend the last day of one's life shredding 7 year old bank statements when one could be out enjoying the sunshine ...

(I know that's a sacrilegious thought to have on anti-procrastination Wednesday)

I have found the knitting and have coffee. Going to treat myself to 5 mins sitting with the knitting before hitting the chaos some more. So much more chaos. Today I am grateful for swimming lessons when i have to take a break.

Go enjoy the sun SC We have also had predictions of snow for October. And the modellers who are forecasting it have been unusually high in accuracy with their models. Tbh I am looking forward to the cold coming and staying. All this tooing and froing with the weather is making me ill. Stinking cold and made worse by all the dust bunnies I have been ruthlessly evicting this last week. Dust allergy sucks.

Droitwich sometimes just making decisions ends that feelign of powerlessness that accompanies depression. Do hope you feel better soon, crying is v. important and helpful too. And sun is good too!

Feet I admire all this activity with dd as well as Fayre.

[clunk -head on table]

back from Further Ealing.

dd's friend coming round after school. Need to tidy.

oh yes, the radiator has gone

OK - a bit more time drinking coffee Mnsnetting - then I'll get started.

Those of you who were talking about cleaners - I have also decided to hire one permanently (we've had an intermittent one previously who mainly cleans our office - separate premises a few steps away). But I can't cope alone any more with the size of this place (it has at least 10 zones) and it's old and dusty and dirty (as only an old unrenovated house can be) with a load of stairs and I've decided I need help 'cos it's getting me down. Even changing a net curtain is a major operation with stepladders (curtain rails at least 3 m off floor). It's got to the point where I daren't look up because of the cobwebs. And as someone said (was it Swan?) the discipline of having to have Dracula's house the place tidy because a cleaner is coming will be good for me.

She starts on Friday so home office has to get basically sorted by then - although it will take a lot longer to do all the filing properly.

Sorry - those were very "me" "me" posts ...

How have you all been getting on?

Ouch well done on conquering the pile of doom and for achieving so much this morning. Take it steady! And hope you find your knitting. (Like you, I have at least six sewing projects on the go but I can never find the one I want either. Putting something in a safe place here is fatal.)

[SC pins gold star to Elliepac's lapel, and with a waft of a giant pink feather duster grants a one-afternoon Flying dispensation in the sun for good behaviour ]

Rowingboat you sound v. organised! (Noted about er, bush trimming ) Hope you are having a lovely afternoon with your friends.

Oh no Droitwich so sorry to hear you have been having such an awful time of it. Hope rl issues start to resolve themselves and the definitive act of handing in resignation for home-working work will start to turn things around for you. (Hopefully will make you feel more in control of things at least.) You should congratulate yourself for carrying on with the missions despite everything else - that really takes some doing. Take it steady and look after yourself. In the meantime, here are some x

Blue sorry the feet delivery turned out to be so problematic (sod's law that deliveries only arrive when you are out!) but hope you are able to enjoy the unexpected "pause" and benefit from some sunshine this pm.

Thanks for biccies MC I've been meaning to ask you how your yeast free diet is going? It must be difficult having to plan ahead all the time. Have you noticed a difference in how you are feeling? Good luck with all the admin you have to get through today, especially all that interview prep!

Feetheart at Boden C-cup inadequacy. Good luck with all your prep for the Autumn fayre and good to hear your little helper is on the mend.

Huge waves to CheerfulYank!!!

Right, the moment has come. Going to turn on the timer and try and do one thing in the home office.

Enjoy your afternoons everyone!
See you later ...

x posts

Oh dear - I was so slow typing that, that it was out of date as soon as I posted!

Hope Further Ealing not too hostile Swan

Glad you found the knitting Ouch! I have decided to take your advice and alternate every 15 mins between home office and sunshine on terrace!

SC I resisted getting a cleaner for ages (despite my ILs/DH/virtually everyone I knew telling me I should get one) but we've had one for a year or two now and I haven't looked back. We have the same problem as you with all the stairs, which makes the home blessing virtually impossible in an hour (not that it's achievable for most people, I don't think) as I'd spend the 10 minutes' hoovering time just lugging the vacuum cleaner up and down the stairs. It's also nice not to have to worry about cleaning the shower and bath, washing the floors and all those other jobs I hate. It's not as if I'm short of things to do otherwise, either; I struggle to fit in all the cleaning, washing, tidying, etc etc as it is.

Btw I can't decide whether the discipline of having to keep the place tidy is an advantage or a disadvantage for me - although keeping tidy is a bit of an exaggeration, as it's usually a panic-stricken house rescue the evening before. Our cleaner is due tomorrow morning and two of the three floors are by no means ready for her (she refuses to set foot in the cellar)... but the house does look lovely and tidy (and clean, of course) afterwards, even if it only lasts for a few hours.

DWM Lovely to see you back, but sorry to hear you've had such a difficult time lately. Sounds like you're taking steps in the right direction though, and I'm very impressed with you still doing the missions despite everything else going on - I struggle to get them done at the best of times.

swan DH is "allowing" me to meet some MNers in London next month in exchange for him going to Ealing on his own the following day (I shall probably take the DC to the Natural History Museum, as he's insisting on being present at the Science Museum).

It's my week off school English lessons tomorrow (I teach both classes once a fortnight), so I was looking forward to the luxury of a whole five hours to myself tomorrow morning. Alas, it was not to be - the RE teacher is ill, so DD1 is being let out of school an hour earlier than usual. I am sending her get well vibes so that DD1 isn't home at 10.50 on Friday.

Time for ballet run so must go; waves to all.

linzer I wonder what joys Ealing has to offer your dh?

I hve tidied playroom imagining I am a cleaner rather than a desperate housewife, it looks a whole lot better a bit of plumping never went amiss

SC no it wasn't me...I think that was Ellie. I clean at the same time as the cleaner

rescued hall
swept recycling zone

added some more papers to the office corner

arranged an appt

clothes recycling

swan It has an Oxfam that sells big bags of used stamps (don't ask). But DH was actually quite taken with Ealing the first time he went there (have been there with him a couple of times since, and must say I still prefer Richmond ).

Have decided to invite neighbour over for coffee when she gets back in about 10 minutes (her DD is here playing with DD1) - I need something to motivate me to tidy.

Linzer I long for someone in my family to collect stamps. Such a nice clean occupation. I suspect that is the Oxfam selling music next to the one selling books on Ealing Broadway, or thereabouts... However the one selling music was cleaned out by the looters, so perhaps he should check it still exists? I could check for you..of course...just not tomorrow...

DH did try to get the DC interested in stamp collecting and DD1 was quite enthusiastic for a while, but her album has been sadly neglected lately. As far as I can remember, it's a normal Oxfam shop (I bought quite a few books there last time we went) - have just checked and the address is 34 New Broadway. If you do happen to be passing swan, it would be great if you could check - no rush though, as we won't be in London until the end of October.

Empty DW
Put on WM done
S & S done
What's for dinner? done
Pay DS's flute lessons done
Sign paperwork with new parent done
Meet another CM for coffee done
Order school tie, pe t-shirts
Take bins out
15 mins declutter
Paint larger patch of tester paint
Write Retail park's shopping list
Write DH a Sainsbo's list

Rubbish flying day today- to busy with little ones. I can only get so much done whilst they nap.

I also had to deal with a shitty letter from Southern electric (who we left about 3 yrs ago) saying we had a unpaid account. Funny thing is they paid us a refund when we left so i called them. Turns out they paid the refund twice though i have yet to check this with the bank. Will be making an official complaint though as the letter threatened debt collection and/or court summons which i felt was completely over the top for a first letter, considering it's their fault!!!! GRR!

Most of my list will be hopefully done this evening anyway.

Be back later!

Flippin heck you lot natter!!!

Just tried to catch up with you all, wondered why no-one was around today and discovered that my post was then rejected.

To top it all Ellie didnt PM me!!! (although I know I had been awol for a few days!)

Last week turned into a manic round of DD2 packing and unpacking for her gap year. On Thursday afternoon she finally found out where she would be living for the next year. I had been trying not to panic!!
Saturday we took her to the big metropolis and waved her goodbye.
Monday we found out that she had taken our "You are grown up now and need to be independent" talk a little bit too far. When she started having an asthma attack she wanted to be independent and not tell anyone she was struggling, so ended up in the back of an ambulance and in hospital! Stupid girl!! . Hey Ho, lesson learnt, independence should not lead to death!!

Yesterday we had an 18 hour day, 12 hours driving and an interview. All went well and it looks like we are going to be working in Cambodia starting next summer. I am now worried that you lot know what we are doing that I will have to become boring sensible mature and behave myself!! Get me as I am or not at all, that's me!!

Oh, its the fat fairy thread, isnt it. Well, hmm, not a lot going on there. I have been Waaaaaaayyyyyy too busy. One day life will slow down and I will be dead get myself organised.

I hope all the vomiting DCs are now bouncing with life again.
Oops is it you that has been too generous with the razor blades and cotton wool, they seem to have come my way!

Will try to catch up with THIS thread now.

Have a good evening everyone.

I was just as confused as you about the thread, PA. I checked the other thread a few times today and wondered why it was so quiet. Very exciting to hear that you are going to Cambodia next year, btw.

Got to get the boys to bed now, but will try and catch up on this thread later.