Fledglings Fly into July!

[BlueEyeshadow]

Welcome to the July 2012 Fledgling Flyers thread. Park your mops, buckets and microfibre cloths here!!

A huge "thank you" to SanguineChompa for leading us throughout June!!

If your house is a mess and you are strugging with C.H.A.O.S. (can't have anyone over syndrome) and S.T.U.F.F. (something that undermines family fun) then this is the thread where we (loosely) follow the step-by-step Flylady housekeeping system (in our own, unique, relaxed style) with lots of chat, support and wine along the way.

We advise not signing up to receive the Flylady e-mails as you will be inundated! All the information you need will be linked here on a daily basis.

From the first of the month, we will be following Flylady's tips on restoring order to our homes, and as we are all at different stages we will be using one of the following methods:

• repeat or start baby steps

• repeat baby steps + do 15 mins a day decluttering in the current zone

• reinforce babysteps and do daily missions if you have finished decluttering.

All welcome!!

Apologies for starting the thread so late - it took SC lobbing the duster at me to make me remember it's July tomorrow (and I've blatantly cut and pasted her OP too)!

The first baby step is to shine your sink! See here for the Fat Fairy's tutorial...

No mission because it's Sunday. But here's the flight plan for established flyers

meh thank goodness sunday is nearly over. Not feeling the love today. Mind you it has been filled with a mithering child who is iffy but not properly ill. So he has be shoved on the wii and left to it for most of the day amongst other things.

Ta da:
30mins in my room
clothes away
ironing done
folding done
machine edge 2 projects
make up one project.
buy remaining school uniform bits (except shoes and pumps)
label school jumper
sort out makeup - throw out old, make sure what is needed for comp is sorted.
sort out competition stuff.
sort out raffle stuff
Get ds to ice biscuits for teacher's thank you pressie
Get ds to make his thank you card no glitter, thank fuck
get ds to tidy up the marble run he had out first thing
find a charger and get ds charged
sort out problem with wii remote
2 maintenance washes on washing machine (one of vinegar, one of soda crystals)
clean washing machine dispensing tray and seals
rinse run to clean through washing machine
rescue tea that was burnt
rescue burnt pot
deal with over tired child
sort out uniform for tomo
sort out breakfast stuff for tomo
make sure ds has put his homework into his bag
take out the recycling
deal with various traumas
Sort out plan of action for the day that will become crazy

plan will be to plan tomo's activities and get an early night.

Hi, if it's all right I would like to join. Been trying Flylady on and off for a few years unsuccessfully. At least four times properly, but a few more half heartedly. Never get passed a few weeks. Really struggling with depression atm which isn't helping so thought I would come for some encouragement to get on with it. I know a tidy house helps my depression hugely. It's a viscous cycle :o

Today I have done absolutely nothing so far. I will get the dishes done and sink shined before bed tonight though. :)

Oooooooo a treacle cycle, perfect. Jump on board there MsOnaTopp

think the plot is burried beneath the clutter might find it one day. Don't mind me

hahaha, oops *vicious :o

Thanks WitchyBitchy!

sometimes it helps to be a little be crazy makes the huge to do list seem more meh

Welcome msonatopp jump right on in.

bitchy wow you have had a busy day. I'm exhausted just reading that list.

Well my afternoon was very unflylike but I did spend 4 hours in my bedroom tidying off surfaces, finding the floor and the windowsill .

Now I'm off to have a shower and then do my marking before an early night. 5 more get ups until I'm unemployed but have some time to myself, my family and to sort my house

phew, another hideous taxing day over...

good news is that I have now have longing to see Muswell Hill area properly [pan-London emoticon]
bad n ews is that I didn't manage it today... despite treking to far side of town and back for family do

but I did
manage
2 kids to church
I altar serving
get to other side of town by 12.45
got back by tube okay...can now see how to get there another time
saw shy cousin and family, and his lovely house
dd played nicely with cousin's daughter

Ooh ballet exams OFM dd refused to train to do hers and we have now given up completely
ds2 seems still to be the most balletic!

Toffee what a kind involved mother you are...Hope ds2 is grateful! Hope the plans for Sept don't get you down, maybe just be easy on yourself, and think as holidays as part of the home -edding anyway...

Anxiety seems to be not particularily improved, I am now considering drinking large quantities of milk and eating of potatoes as a remedy.

Ever since I read Mr tiresome Briffa, my diet has been ruined and my anxiety has increased! OFM I think I definitely am someone who needs carbs to thrive, in moderation of course What nonsense he speaks about grains being the root of all evil, what on earth does he think most of population depends on going back to Bible times Swan reads book properly for first time Rice is included in this embargo for goodness sake. Okay if you are overweight, diabetic, or have a gluten intolerance, maybe his advice is good but for a lifetime's regime it does not wash. Okay he allows parsnips....

MSOnatopp I find untidy house definitely makes me feel worse,
but it is not the be all and end of all of happiness, so please don't let it get you down, just respect yourself for any little things you can get done/achieve.

Right
Three saucepans washed
big pile of ironing assembled
cat food, and cat litter and dw salt bought
packed lunch for ds trip tomorrow basic ingredients in house
milkbottles out
dw on

swanthing - I have anxieties too. Made worse by the house. Just started CBT for it so hopefully it will help.

Glad to see some of you also couldn't see your floor. Lounge is OK, kitchen is OK apart from HUGE mountain of dishes (When I eventually do them after 2 or 3 days I do scrub very well and use an anti bac washing up liquid to be sure!), bathroom is OK but needs a general scrub down again, but our bedrooms let's not talk about them... :o

By OK I mean liveable but not the best!

Evening all. I can't even begin to match witchy's stupidly big list so I am not going to bother. Suffice to say I have maintained mammoth effort yesterday and kept the place presentable and done lots of washing etc. It hasn't actually rained here today. First day in ages!

lauren glad you survived the bbq

ofm and swan dd has started bugging me about dancing lessons but i read posts like yours about how much time it takes up and i put her off.

toffee am fairly positive but have to say am dreading the holidays a little bit. We have a week in Pembrokeshire planned with dsis, bil and dn but nothing else. Money is really tight since break up, so can't afford lots of days out and I live in a small town with not a lot to do. Plus the fact that it will just be dc's and I all day everyday. Think it is going to be hard. DH had dc's all day today and I felt a little lost. Pre split I would have dreamed of all that time to myself but not entirely sure what to do with it. Feels wierd.

witchy calm the fuck down .

lovelynewladywhosenameihaveforgottenasampostingonphoneandcantgoback welcome.

Better go and sort uniforms out.

blue when shall i take over my lovely?

foad hope dds ballet went well...we have many lost leotard incidents here...and I have often resorted to black bagging rooms in desperation...Love the idea of your dd1 doing her own black bagging LOL

mc sorry that you dont have anything lined up for September...but enjoy the thought of a nice long summer at least without work stress added to life!

bitchy wow...hoge list, well done

msonatopp hi and welcome

swan I really dont think I would do well on a diet as restrictive as the Briffa idea... I do TRY and make my carbs wholegrain as much as poss(brown rice, pots with skins, wholegrain bread in moderation etc) and do try to eat more protein...but couldnt ever give up grains/carbs altogether I dont think
well done on managing all you needed to get done today.

ok...well....I have had another mad day dashing from one thing to another...
I really NEED to have a quiet weekend sometime soon.....
I have also been feeling totally stressed out/on edge all day....started when the road was closed the way I wanted to go to shopping centre...I got into total panic and became almost hysterical at the thought of having to find alternative route ( I have a thing about getting lost...am rubbish with directions...totally over panic in these situations...)
anyway...rest of day I seemed to lurch from one panic to another...
minimal FLYing done as I haven't spent that long actually IN the house!

I did however buy a really lovely book with patterns in for super sweet knitted teddy bears and have dug out my knitting needles again...hoping it will be a way to relax in the evenings that doesn't involve wine or chocolate!

anyway....on the positive side I have another day off work tomorrow and (crosses fingers all dc are well and at school) should have some time to myself! Will hopefully get some catching up done!

Waves to all others
BBtomorrow

ellie Xposts! ...I did put DD3 off for quite some time re dancing....but she was very persistent and does love it bless her!

Erm ellie so the fact that I have now finished naming sept school uniform, cleared my email and watched a film tonight is not going to help my case? things will be back to normal soon. Coffee was a bit too strong this morning. Might be a little bit late to bed, but might spend an hour killing little green chopping things. In the name of being able to help ds of course

witchy do fuck off dear.

With pleasure. My bed appears to be burried under a layer ton of chaos. Can i have your presentable house? Here it is still a bombsite. ps read my list properly.

Holy fuck. I will appologise. I have slipped up by my standards. Virtually everything on that list is a proper job. That never normally happens.

Thanks for the welcome ladies :) Am mostly lurking for now and trying to push on renovations when actually I know it would be more sensible to start clearing stuff in this house. Going to try and at least 'shine my sink' tonight.

I have perused your list witchy and I hereby declare avec mon gavel that that is a proper list with proper jobs and everything. You are letting me down badly. Sort yourself out.

Ellie I am going to be alone with the dcs for at least 2 weeks in Ireland, with no dh, and so I know in a small way what you mean about the days you hve to fill with positive vibes which don't always turn out that way. I've been going "on holiday" to Ireland for a long time without dh and it is hard, but I suspect the only way to cope is to turn it round in your head, and just enjoy feeling you are a team, with only yourself to be accountable to. I think kids love that, as long as I just try and get down to their level. Also, the more playdates/friends over the better...because every friend has an adult attached, and adult company - sisters, parents, grownup friends is the other vital ingredient..Good luck..
Oh yes, and every day you have to give yourself a moment of chilling/treating (book, lovely cuppa, telephone call), so that you can survive the rest of the day in good spirits. Not even a saint can be on call emotionally for 24/7.

I am really feeling anxious about my trip to Ireland this time, as I'm not sure HOW I am going to cope, but actually your post has made me realise I will cope and I WILL enjoy it, I just have to reset myself to a different pace of action.

Oh and you can have my presentable house if you bear in mind that my idea of presentable would bring some people out in a cold sweat. Merely means I can see floors and we won't catch any diseases.

Thanks swan, you, as ever, talk a lot of sense. I think you are so right about it being a change of mindset. DH always used to work most of the holidays so am used to being on my own in the days, just not all day. Suppose that means we are not tied to what anyone else wants and if we want to head off to the seaside at 6 in the evening we can etc. etc. I need to keep an eye out for those threads that always pop up about free things to do with kids. I do have dsis, mum and some good
friends with dc's so am lucky to have a good support network and I am eternally grateful to dsis for inviting me camping with her as I couldn't really face holidaying on my own just yet. Thanks for the advice.

OFM I am always getting lost. In fact when I went to the pysch, and was late, and declared I had got lost as an excuse, he immediately wrote it down in his little black book...aah that is interesting, "lost" you say? I felt like saying, yes, lost, what's wrong with that, not everyone has a sense of direction...
I love books of craft projects. Hope you feel better tomorrow; I know I am not meant to say it, but you really do manage brilliantly, and it is not fair that your conscientiousness should be making you anxious. No-one can do all the things they are "meant" to do, and demands come so thick and fast that one's conscience can never be satisfied.

Well I am giving up this evening, more messy kitchen, and off to bed to get a goodnight's sleep and face tomorrow. Family therapist Cleaning lady need to order holiday stuff catflap

Welcome, Angelico and MsOnaTopp .

MsOnaTopp - Fly Lady herself had anxiety/depression issues and started her routines as a way of coping. I'm sure there are a few of us who empathise with that.

Swan - well done on today - it sounds as if it all went very well. I really hope you get on top of the anxiety, though I'm not sure potatoes will help . and (legal) drugs work better, in my opinion... DS2 not in the slightest bit grateful for my attentions this morning, in fact he just wanted more . I'm OK about September - a little manic and overplanning about it, but actually looking forward to it. Still very happy and feeling an overwhelming sense of relief, which a dear friend tells me means I have made the right decision.

OFM - am really not surprised you are feeling stressed out. Can you make a weekend of (relative, bearing in mind the DC and dogs) relaxation a priority and book it into your calendar like an appointment?

ellie - I'm so sorry you are dreading the holidays ((hugs)). Planning is key, I think. A close friend of mine who split up with her DH nearly a year ago told me holidays were very difficult, so I think you are right to be concerned, but that also gives you an opportunity to plan. Can you arrange lots of playdates and free days out? Make sure you include enough adult company for you too, plus breaks for yourself if you can. It's really important that you look after yourself and see lots of the people who cheer you up.

I can't keep up with the thread!

A nice day today, two parties for DD, DH took DS swimming this morning and this afternoon I took DS shopping while DD was at the second party, we had a lovely time choosing cheap new clothes in a fab new children only branch of H&M that has just opened up and lots of crap stuff for entertaining the DCS on wet days in the equally huge and bargainous 99p shop. I even managed to persuade DH to get his hair cut while we were there, in one of those children's salons with the DVD players, he was as good as gold, which is a blessing considering he used to be absolutely phobic and scream the place down when he was younger. Oh and it has been sunnyish, warm and dry all day.

Ellie - I guess the holidays are going to be quite a challenge, have you got a park or similar where you know you will bump into other children/parents from the DCs school? I think we are going to give the library reading scheme a miss this year as it is quite a chore for me but doing it does mean that you are pretty likely to bump into friends there in the school hols. One or two of our local churches run summer holiday schemes at very low cost, those might be worth checking out too. If we were a bit nearer I'd come and meet you!

I need a to-do list for tomorrow:

School run
Home blessing
Pilates
Ironing
OU work (nearly there!)
Book all holiday childcare (immensely complicated)
School run x 2
Re-organise upstairs bookshelves