July's Fledgling Flyers: Summer holidays are on their way and the clutter is going to FLY away

[elliepac]

Welcome old and new fledglings to the July Fledgling FLYers thread!

Thank you very much to cpmpy for leading us expertly through June- it's been a while since I lead so I can't promise to be as efficient but will do my best . This will start by copying and pasting pmpy's original June post

If you're overwhelmed by clutter and general household grub then join us as we (loosely) follow the step-by-step Flylady housekeeping system or languish in the naughty corner hoping to do better tomorrow

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 and maybe even detailed cleaning in the weekly zones

For more information have a look here, although to avoid a cluttered inbox, we advise not signing up to the Flylady emails. The basic principle is little and often and don't worry about perfection (no chance of that here!).

Don't worry if you are behind; just jump right back in and it will all come around next month again anyway!

All the links for the babysteps and missions will be posted here every day and we'll all be here to cheer each other on and chat our way through the month

Go

Not sure how I just managed that - good luck at the docs bitchy :)

Luck not needs I have some nice abs and made the doc jealous about the cold environment i have had the pleasure of. still not sodding doing anything. going to pick up my hook and do some crocheting for a nice gentle afternoon. Ds has asked to borrow the portable dvd player so he can watch sponge bob in his room because i have banned it from the lounge tv for the next month ish depends on when i am feeling generous enough to allow it back as it realyl gets on my nerves as he likes it on endlessly

Just flying by - NN should be changed today! Not positive at all!! Rejected for the perfect job. Hey ho!!! DS has got another interview tomorrow morning!

I have managed to get a new phone today though.... more reason to get a job very soon to actually pay for it....oooops!!

I have got a small job, just a few hours a week. I am never going to be a millionaire on a few hours each week, but I suppose it's a start.....that's as positive as I am getting today.

Hi PA lovely to have you back . We were on holiday not far from you (assuming you're still in the same place!) last week and I wondered how you were getting on. The job, or at least the employers can't be perfect if they rejected you . Their loss. A few hours is a good start though and I'm sure you'll find something else very soon.

trazzles I hope your mum turned up eventually. It must drive you mad. I'm not sure this is going to sound right but I think people generally deal with as much as they feel they can, but when you are the mum (this should be parent, but it often seems not to work out that way) you are the most important thing to your child and they are to you so in critcal situations you end up having to cope with far far more than anyone else because there is literally no choice.

love the new name jess

Hope pox girl is ok ellie. We haven't had it here yet, I am seriously considering vaccination for my two, partly because they spend a lot of time with their immunocomprised uncle and partly because DD is hypersensitive to itching and scratching (she will literally scratch until she bleeds every time I accidentally leave a label in her clothes). I can't begin to imagine the state she'll be in with chicken pox.

Hope the abs kick in soon bitchy

carpe. I used to take dexamphetamine tablets and they were fab for endless energy and a general feeling of invincibility. No eating or sleeping though so on balance it's probably for the best that I don't take them anymore!

to sc, jdub, swan, goth and everyone I've missed (or cross posted with during the 2 hours it seems to have taken me to write this post )

no flying here at all except routines . I could do half an hour in the kitchen before bed and I really should, but I don't think I cba.

Evening all...

Just bare minimum flying today. (Had a ta-da list yesterday, but CBA to post it - how pathetic is that?!) But errand day was well and truly done and dusted.

PA - good luck with the job search.

((Hugs)) to Trazzles

at your inspirational phrase ellie. Mine is "things are only clutter if they're getting you down". Also that there's nothing intrinsically morally superior about living in a white, minimalist box...

Still, I have done some decluttering - I have just emptied my spam and deleted items folders.

Now need to get to bed. Night!

The only way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time
tidy is the new normal
get a fucking grip and do something, anything. Doesn't have to be much as long as it takes you in the right direction.

just a few motivation thoughts from the mind splat that is uniquely bitchy.
Not feeling the ability to sleep tonight. Side effects of the abs. which is a bit of a pita. have been up since before 4am. just hooking atm. trying to rest even if i can't sleep.

Ranty McRant has left the building... Finally!

I got home just around lunch and spent more time than I should have curled up on the sofa... Kitchen still looks a mess but I know that the fridge is now clean and the freezers are free of unlabelled mysterious foods of disputed origin and time. I'm almost at the point where I can declutter the ice out of one of them... We have an amazing recipe book about how to use your freezer more efficiently. I think it's called Freeze(!) but suggests freezing most things flat so they stack better. And also how to freeze cake/ road in the hole etc.

And I got to spend a whole hour with DD tonight. It was wonderful

Sneaking on again hoping no-one notices absence.
I did a ranty, cross post yesterday morning that I then forgot to post but the day turned out better than expected so possibly just as well.

Trazzles - glad you got home and had some rest. Well done on fridge/freezer clear out. My freezer tip is make cake, cut it in half and freeze half. Stops us scoffing it all as well :)

Welcome back PA, have really missed you on here. Sounds like a sensible solution to stay here but will be hard for lots of reasons - we are here when you need us, we are very good listeners as it is another good excuse not to fly. Yeah to 4 stone . Well done you.

Ellie - hope its not CP but if it is hope its not too bad. DS was v spotty but not that ill, DD (10) still hasn't caught it inspite of my best efforts. She is either immune or waiting until the most inconvenient moment to get it

Hello newbies. The system does work, just give it time, adapt it to suit your life and things will be different, not perfect, but better - says she who has been here for nearly four years and still does not have Show Home

Quick list:

• Make brownies school office staff who have done sterling work this week with disco-related inquiries from people who don't read the bl*dy letter!! - done*
• All up and out
• School early to deal with disco-related inquiries
• Shop for flooring for new shower room
• Order radiator for above
• Tidy whole house which has descended a long way as this week has been so busy
• Write 5 reports!
• School disco x 2
• Wine

Have a good day everyone.

Morning all.I seem to have inadvertently decided to be leader at my busiest time of year. Sorry for lack of round-ups etc.

Your babystep for today is deleting e-mails.

Your mission for today is here.

Today is clean out your car day. Makes me hyperventilate .

And tonight is Date Night. Fat chance .

Have a good day everyone.

We had a v busy afternoon yesterday; three cousins turned up unexpectedly yesterday for two hours to collect something big cousin had left behind. My dcs were so pleased to see them..but unfortunately it has caused fallout this morning because ds2 had a tantrum that they weren't staying on "to play cricket" with him (he had got wrong end of stick because I asked them if they were "staying" (in London) till Sat, and he construed this as "staying in our house" till Sat. Dh has reached the end of his tether with ds2's screaming fits, and started screaming himself . Nasty scene on doorstep.
Dd then scribbled on Ds2's face on the Hairspray flyer which was destined for scrapbook, and generally everyone is in a TRIGGER MOOD.

But second instalment of Hairspray went very well, and ds2 acted his part with gusto, and got loads of laughs which the first actor playing his role didn't, previous night. So, only Ds1's BIG PERFORMANCE on Sat to go..[nailbiting] We have no idea what he is doing as he refuses to tell us. That's teens for you, as we have heard the twins performances in the bath, at breakfast, and every moment of the day it seems...

Cleaning lady is helping this morning. I am tempted to not be anxious and just leave the house this time. But I know if I just do some sorting first she will be more productive so that is my plan.

done
sorted out row
three kids to school & 2 disco outfits
nothing else!

todo
tidy ds1 room
hide PE clothes from cleaning lady
find a pile to iron
tidy my room so she can hoover it
buy dustbin liners and jeyecloths
plant up courgette?
purge utitlity for electrician next week

In hospital all day and night again today so no flying. Or tomorrow either as I'm leaving here then taking DD to a wedding really hope I don't fall asleep and embarrass myself or crash the car I'm a bit nervous as I only know the bride and the maid of honour so they will obviously be busy!

Still DH has his new job!!! Very pleased for him as he has worked so hard for it and now I can hold him to us getting a cleaner!

Morning everyone

Well done to your ds2 on his star performance Swan (and good luck to ds1 tomorrow)

End of term is always stressful with loads going on - think all families are having squabbles on their doorstep - I know we were!

Sounds as though it is hectic for you too Feetheart

No worries about round-ups Ellie (ditto above) it's just great to have the links

Good you got some sofa time Trazzles

Sorry about the job PA tis their loss

And sorry to hear about everyone going through chicken pox. They have a mandatory injection here + follow up - you can't get in to a creche or school without producing proof of having had them.

Waves to Bitchy Pushme Blue Goth Jess Toffee and everyone else

Well, I got a major bollocking from the cardiologist yesterday afternoon as I pounded away in my bra (as it were) on her stress test bicycle. The lecture conversation went "eew zay eew av bin trying to looze ze weight, but I zink eew are not zerious" . (She is only about 4 ft high with lots of purple eye make up - but is completely terrifying.) And she is right of course Good news: heart is strong. Bad news: blood pressure too high ie in danger of stroke, so HAVE to lose the weight (react badly to blood pressure pills). Ashamed that I have let it get this bad tbh.

DD at final session of art workshop this morning (which has been a great success) so taking the opportunity to do some Flying routines and prepare for more dc here this afternoon.

The rest of the day I will be eating salad

Have a good day everyone!

x post

great news about your dh's new job Trazzles You deserve some good news for a change.

And now you can get a cleaner!!!

Hope you are not too tired to enjoy wedding x

Well she has managed to scare me into sticking to my diet SC bloody hell. I think you are not serious. Err well yep. only person i am cheating when i cheat on it is myself

Dreaful night's sleep and tried to catch up so sleep this morning but my brain is going 101 miles per hour and sleep is not going to happen. Shower and a cup of coffee before i ponder on the tasks that lie ahead for th weekend.

Sorry, haven't been able to catch up with the thread since my last visit, so will just say:

Welcome back, PA!

Trazzles - good news about your DH's new job .

We are still being pummelled with less than positive things here in the Toffee household . Received an envelope from the holiday home we had to cancel this year because of DS1's illness. Ever hopeful, I assumed it would be the return of our deposit because they had managed to let the flat. Oh no, silly me, I forgot the stars are aligned against us at the moment - it was a request for 2/3rds of the total cost of the holiday accommodation because they hadn't been able to re-let the flat. £450 on top of the deposit.

So, this year we have paid a small fortune for a kitten which died and a holiday that we didn't have . And we can't make up the money because I can't work because DS1 can't go to school .

But, never mind, I'm sure something good will happen soon .

On a more positive note, my house is clean and relatively tidy, thanks to bursts of activity from me and my wonderful cleaner working hard on it yesterday.

Toffee it is like a bad dream
SC try low carbing (not no-carbing) and include lots of buttery cauliflower, and green beans, cannellini beans etc so you don't feel deprived and dh can do culinary escapolgist tricks with the ingredients. It will work because it beats the cravings that salad and willpower alone will not beat. Stay away from Belgium's finest! except possibly endives baked with ham and butter

I've discovered some MOTHs in the skirtings! aargh (well tbh in an old sock stuffed down the back of bookcase.

Am tidying dd's room YET AGAIN and trying to stop her room getting to moth stage. I have threatened her with no outing tomorrow if she doesn't tidy it up (meant to be her Sat morning task) She is worse than me she is me

done
utility purge
2 bags of rubbish out
recycling out
kitchen is tidied (by cleaner)
2 dws unloaded by her and me
pile of ironing created

I'm getting there slowly

Toffee - how did you pay for holiday? Some accounts have holiday insurance included, I know Nationwide do and we didn't know. May also be worth looking at credit card company if that's how you paid as they can have insurance included. House insurance can also include insurance sometimes.
May not get you anywhere but worth checking it out.

Swan - my DH has been known to end up screaming too . Not nice but sort of understandable.

SC - sorry you got into trouble with cardiologist, it's so hard isn't it? Don't try and do it all at once (that way madness lies), babysteps remember.

So far:

• All up and out - done
• Brownies delivered to office staff - done
• School early to deal with disco-related inquiries - they were queuing up to buy the tickets that they should have bought by last Friday Next time there will be an even clearer cut-off date and then tickets will be £3 not £2. I am NOT going to spend over an hour every evening in the week leading up to the disco sorting out tickets for those that can't get money in by the deadline
• Washing out and next load in
• Bathroom cleaned

Huge relief in our house this morning as Head teacher has managed to sort out the penalty notice we got for taking DD out of school for 5 days - they are being rediculously strict in our Local Authority and the wording in their policy is inconsistent which is what we challenged. DD's attendance is very good, she is a model pupil (exact words Head used on her report) and we haven't been late in SIX YEARS!!
Head took on the Local Authority on our behalf and penalty notice has now been revoked - HUGE sigh of relief as it would have been £60 each for DH and I

Right, need to get on.............

sorry you're having such a tough time Toffee Fingers crossed that there's something good very soon!

Well done for sofa time and DD time Trazzles! Both much more important that flying!

SC I want to lose some weight too, but it is so hard! and I ahve zero willpower

feetheart well done on getting the LA to back down. I wouldn't mind them banning term time holidays if they could also banthe holiday compnaies bumping up the prices during the school holidays!

My Ta Da list is more for the week than just today. But I do have a lovely clean kitchen now. Cupboards decluttered and cleaned, all missions completed, floor swept and mopped and oven cleaned too. Even the outsid of cupboards and walls got a good wipe down!

Still to do today - pick up a few bits from the sitting room and dining room, swish and swipe of bathroom, hang out washing. And anything else which i spot along the way!

ta da
An emotional declutter
some important paperwork
Attempt a nap.
put abandoned load of wet washing back through the washer

going to drink another coffee and then start some flying i think. feeling calmer then i have done in years.

SC - diet tip: eat rice for breakfast, rice for lunch and rice for tea and live in a sauna for a year! Alternatively, move to Cambodia!!

Toffee Sorry to hear about your run of bad news. ((((hugs))) oh and Hi back by the way!

Today has been rather hectic, but frustratingly unproductive! Up early to get into town to meet my D mum & dad. They forgot, so DD1 and I were hanging around for an hour feeling like right idiots! Grrrr!!! DS had another job interview.....and ANOTHER job offer......he started this afternoon! So we then had a mad dash to the clothes shop to buy some very expensive work clothes. I met my sister for a strategy meeting on how to handle mum and dad, then took DS to his first ever work shift. He is now officially a pizza chef in a very upmarket pizzeria in the posh town next to ours. Then to DD3's house to get it ready for her arrival back from honeymoon tonight. Now I am just waiting for a phone call to let me know what time boat she will be on. I have spoken with her as soon as she landed in the country and they have had a wonderful time, so that's good. I have instructions to do a mc Donalds stop on the way back to their new house as they have not eaten much all day.
no time for any flying!

I'll have another go tomorrow.

Oh, forgot to mention that after a bit of a grumble yesterday I had a phone call last night offering me a little work - it looks as if I am going to be doing a number of small jobs again, like before I left. I like variety!! But also there is a possibility of a larger job in a few months time, which sounds ideal and I would just love it, and I could keep up my little jobs at the same time!! The people involved have both told me that they are writing out a job description, but they called it the PositiveAttitude's job description, so it looks good!!!

Oh Toffee that sucks
Our credit card provider outright laughed at me when I called them to find out whether the insurance would cover our cancelled holiday due to Joe's diagnosis. If I had heard "er, that's what TRAVEL insurance is for?" One more time that day... I absolutely second checking with everyone though. We had insurance (that we had forgotten about) through a bank account. Actually, we had travel insurance through 2 bank accounts but only 1 covered the US. So it's definitely worth calling around if you can stand the patronising "well, if you had bothered to buy travel insurance..."

Ah, Toffee - ((hugs))

at the diet advice, PA.

Big waves to everyone else. Night.