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

Continuing the spring clean I started yesterday...

Done :

Coffee drunk first thing to kick start me
Boys' breakfast
Washing machine on (bedclothes)
Sitting room tidied and toys taken upstairs
Floor and sofas hoovered
Dusted shelves, pictures, etc.

About to have breakfast, then get dressed, then continue. Am hoping to declutter the kitchen, upstairs landing and our bedroom today. And do a quick room rescue on DS2's bedroom. And put dry washing away. And make up our bed with clean sheets. DC will have to amuse themselves. Am so fed up with mess.

Morning Toffee Great going - you've inspired me to vacate supine position on sofa while baby eats his toast and get the hoover out instead. So now lounge & dining room done. Woo.

MOrning all .

I am currently living in the house of puke. DD several times during the night (all over the landing in a desperate attempt to get to the toilet) and DS started this morning all over the living room floor.

Had a lovely day yesterday with Dsis, DN and DBIL and DC's at Clumber Park.

FLying has been minimal and will be today as I am tending to poorly DC's.

whoknows have a lovely holiday.

toffee good luck with the spring clean. DC's are still at school this week so am planning on doing much the same myself.

trazzles so glad you and DH managed to get some time for yourselves, makes such a difference .

chb hope you managed to declutter DS successfully .

Back in a sec with links.

Your babystep today is Ask Flylady.

No missions as it is the weekend.

Today is Renew Your Spirit Day.

Have a good day everyone .

Ta da :

Decluttered all hotspots in kitchen (may have used the hiding-it-all-in-a-carrier bag trick )
Threw out loads of junk
Wiped down all kitchen surfaces with bleach
Wiped down kitchen walls
Cleared out and wiped down inside kitchen cupboards
Washing up done, dried up and put away in clean cupboards
Shined sink as per Flylady instructions
Followed Bitchy's example and drank coffee to keep going
Wiped down and tidied kitchen window sill
Polished kitchen taps for extra sparkle
Cleaned kitchen windows
Emptied kitchen bin
Put recycling out
More washing done and hung on line
Made lunch for DC
Made lunch for myself

Still so much more to do , but really want to get as much done as I can before DH gets back later today. I want him to get a nice surprise and I want it all ready for the school holidays, so that I don't have to worry about it then and can simply enjoy the DC.

Glad I inspired you, Polkadot . I am breaking all the Flylady rules here by having a purge, but it's good to do this once in a while, then get back to Flylady little-and-often routines again.

Oh, Ellie, I'm so sorry your DC are so sick. Fingers crossed it passes quickly and that you and DH don't get it.

Right, I need to tidy up the lunch stuff, give the downstairs one last quick once over, then make myself start on the upstairs. Oh, and buy wine from the corner shop for tonight.

Woah toffee, are you chb in disguise .

No more puke as yet, just cracking on with the washing created by puke. DD has picked up loads and eaten and drank with no re-visits so am fingers crossed it is a short-lived thing. Nice way to start the summer holidays. On the plus side it means I am officially tending to small children and cannot possibly do any FLYing.

I hope not Ellie although if toffee continues on that way I will offer her some respite from her dc and ask her to deal with ds who has not been decluttered yet and is still pissing me off with attitude. We have just had an argument about communication. quote of the day from ds being "You said I need to communicate, well I am communicating" --yes but there is effective and ineffective means of communications and if you nag me one more time you will have the delights of the 6 walls of you room and I shall ignore you for a bit. Poor camhs lady thinks she might get away with discharging us next time. I have just done a good job of convincing ds he needs to talk to her about a load fo stuff he doesn't cope with. I know she will want to deal with this.

ta da
lie in
drink coffee - but not enough to deal with today yet
declutter hall/remove everything ready for sanding later. (with the exception of a chest of drawers that I need to negoiate somewhere for it to go.
deal with ds and his attitude.
deal with various too hot and thus grumpy people
Not kill anyone
not go into hiding and say fuck the bloody lot of you I am feeling hot and grumpy too
Find a way to cope with CAMHS AND get some help on the issues that are a problem
deactivate the fb account where people have pissed me off. I am done with that shit.
come up with a plan of action for tackling the house this week
come up with a tea designed to placate the grumpy ones!!
update the master plan with everyone's planned movements (trips away/activities which impact how house is run)
Teach the mother to use her new smart phone
construct a plan for getting my life a bit less stressful.
Ask ds to use one of the strategies that camhs has asked him to use and have the effect of his sitting in his room and angry sobbing.

I am still playing hunt the glasses. No idea where they be lurking. and I am running out of contact lenses :( Have increased my order for the next shipment and thereafter as tbh i do tend to wear them more as they give me less headaches then my glasses (i do need the new ones with new prescription in for this reason too)

RIght now to do some proper flying rather then psuedo flying

Right now i am very , seriously considering writing the letter to cahms i want to write but probably would not help my cause, and ready to walk of this special kind of hell. :( I am done. Had enough, more then enough of this!

Oh dear Bitchy we have a lot of those days re: ds2. Tbh I think a lot of it is frustration - my ds really likes to be out and about and gets bored does not know how to amuse himself and demands things. Yesterday Dh was really fed up with constant being on duty re: football, chat etc, but today has been a bit better. Church went down well, followed by chores (everyone did some messy job which they enjoyed) [House now covered in muddy water and sand and old buckets and dishcloths - sigh and then Dh managed to placate everyone with Olympic Monopoly. That is not to say that ds2 hasn't been mildy tiresome at several junctures. We've had wet pants, screaming over the quiche, sneaking off to watch telly, and yawning excessively and doing my hair in Mass Also trying the ambush the girls - as dd had a friend here. He went out to a friend with his brother (not exactly a friend but someone whose house he has being longing to visit for ages, and I wangled a visit) and I think that took edge off bad behaviour.

I seem to have spent much of today trudging round shops stocking up with provisions. Tomorrow they go on a sailing course which involves a lot of to-ing and fro-ing on public transport as it is in Hillingdon not near anything! So packed lunches etc needed and I'm not going to have much time to turn around. Also dh has been doing his usual miserable git routine over the contents of the food cupboard. So it is all comfortably full at the moment and both fridges

the idea that hillingdon is in the middle of nowhere transport wise made me rofl. swan

I have done some angry tackling of tasks. ranted and raged a bit too A chat with a good friend or two has helped defuse me a little. I am going to see if i can get a short notice babysitter and escape out for a few hours to defuse a bit further. Guess sometimes everything all builds up and we need to release some of the emotion in order to move forwards.

Whoknows enjoy your holiday!!!!

I'm enjoying being at home for now, I don't think my brain could process any packing at present.

I am also very pleased that today I got all three children to do some DIY chores. Dd and her friend cleaned an area of patio and scrub creeper, ds2 stacked dw, stripped his bed and carried lots of shopping, and Ds1 scrubbed the front windowsills. He started the job and started crying after 10 mins (he is 13 years old!) because he said he was rubbish at it (job involves buckets of water, suds and a scrubber so not difficult - possibly even fun) - so I am really going to have to work at convincing him he has a practical side. Also lots of praise for job badly done, is only way I can get him to finish anything or do it the next time

Bitchy Yes I know Hillingdon is near everything it is just for the non-driving moi, the HOAC is just that bit too far from Ickenham or Uxbridge...will have to do contortions

Evening all. Back from a fab but tiring weekend. Boys too overexcited to sleep and still have 3 more days of school to go...

House is a tip and we're off again on Friday. But family fun and renewed spirits were definitely achieved.

Trazzles - so glad to hear you were able to get a bit of a break.

ellie - hope the bug is indeed shortlived.

Bitchy - sorry to hear your hassles with the system.

Swan - hope all the travelling works out tomorrow.

Big waves to everyone else!

Hello eveyrone - hope you are all surviving the stonking heat

Don't envy poor Kate in this weather ....

Thanks again for all your lovely messages

Dh is now at home recuperating and having investigations as an outpatient (seeing ordinary GP for tests/interim treatment until gastrologist back from holiday mid August). He is taking this week off work for a start and all our travel plans for the summer have been shelved (although have arranged for dd to go and stay with my sister in UK once they are back from their holidays so she doesn't miss out on her horse-riding).

I am living in fear of him collapsing again and having to police everything he eats and stop him from working or doing anything strenuous.

My dsis2 was an absolute heroine and dropped everything to come out and help us and missed her last two working days at her job at the former College-now University where she has worked on and off for thirty years!! (Fortunately she had had already celebrated all her retirement/leaving parties last week.) Really don't know what I would have done without her as I think I was in shock for a couple of days after the event and felt ill and out of it - kept doing wierd things like leaving my keys on the pavement side of the front door! It's times like this when I feel very that we weren't able to have a sibling for dd - I am so lucky to have a sister like mine!!

Public holiday here yesterday - National Day celebrations - all the neighbours had their flags out - the old king abdicated in favour of his son - dd very excited as military jets and helicopters and airliners flew low over our garden!

Generally now doing loads of running around in stonking heat trying to get house sorted for internal removal men tomorrow (having a reorganisation - worst timing but decided to go ahead because humungous cancellation fee otherwise) and sorting out stuff from the office for dh (and stop him doing anything). Also got to decide whether I can go ahead with curtailed version of dd's birthday party that I was planning for Wed and hack it on my own (with a bit of help if I can muster some). (We cancelled the long version when I thought dh's condition was more serious.) Have fortunately done quite a bit of the planning in advance so would like to try to whip something together!! DD needs a bit of light relief after evrything that has happened! Only trouble is .... after days of sunshine.. the forecast is rain ....

Hope puke-fest is over Ellie and that your dc are on their way to recovery. I love Clumber Park! Used to go there a lot as a child...

So sorry about all the CAMHS frustrations Bitchy just so unfair

Hope you have a lovely holiday Whoknows!! Glad your ds had his last hospital appt in time to go away and good to hear your dh was OK in the end (although stress bit not good obviously).

HOpe you are enjoying/enjoyed your trip too Blue!

Trazzles so happy to hear you had a bit of "normality" for a change!!!
Sorry that Joe is stuck in hospital in this weather though.

Swan good luck with Hillingdon logistics today

Crikey Toffee on your mega-cleaning-fest!!! HOpe your dh was impressed!

PA hope you are OK - must be hard for you with dh and dd4 going back x

Big waves to Polkadot Feetheart Jesstryinghard Just Jdub
Lauren honu and eveyrone I have inevitably missed

Had better get on while it is cool enough to do so ...have a good day everyone!!

Sorry Blue - duh- I'm obviously still not functioning on all cylinders. Didn't read your post below mine!! Glad you had a good trip!! Good luck with packing for Friday!

(slinks back onto thread after a hectic week where virtually no flying was done and heads straight to naughty corner!)

So bathroom last week did not happen. Luckily I don't have an office to fail on! Will try to do better this week!

So far today - put on wash, swished and swiped both upstairs and downstairs bathrooms, changed DS3's bed, done 10 mins tidying in DS 1 & 2's bedrooms, 10 mins decluttering from DS3's bedroom.

Still to do - finish the bleurgh with 10 mins in each downstairs room, hang out washing, put away yesterdays washing, check out whatever mission i need to do today. Get DS3 out for some exercise. Then anything else I can do to declutter house before Wednesday when the DC have broken up and are generally trashing the place!

Hope everyone's ok! Off to catch up on the thread now!

Glad to hear DH is out of hospital and being regularly checked, SC. What a fabulous sister you have! How fantastic of her to drop everything and come and help . I'm not surprised you are forgetting keys etc. That's what happens to me when there's a life crisis - it's as if your mind is so busy trying to process the major stuff that it can't cope with the everyday stuff too. I resort to lots of lists at times like that, as my short-term memory seems to go into shutdown.

Bitchy - sorry about CAMHS crap.

Swan - best of luck with all the driving today. At least you can practise your CBT techniques ('reframing' it for you! ).

Blue - glad you and your boys had such a great weekend.

Am definitely not Bitchy, Ellie, although there was rather a lot of cursing and coffee drinking going on at Toffee Hovel Mansion yesterday. Hope your DC are better now.

Finally flaked out yesterday afternoon when DH came home, which meant I never managed to sort out our bedroom. By then, I was too hot and exhausted to bother. DH was suitably impressed by the tidiness and declutteredness of the house, although he then ruined it by producing a full dinner service that was given away by his old uni. We don't need it and where, exactly, are we going to put it? This is why it's a constant fight to declutter - people keep bringing stuff back in to the house .

Have finally had confirmation of DS1's OT appointment through for next week (we have only been waiting for two years). And have gone mad and booked DS2 in for a 'crash course' in swimming, starting at 9am every morning next week. He's going to love me.... Am now off to see DS1's psychiatrist for his six-monthly appointment. Am crossing my fingers that he has put on some weight since our last appointment.

Hope you all have a good day.

But actually it's better. And my doctor firend is trying to get me an epi pen by the backdoor cos the duty doc was deeply unimpressed by an ENTIRE SWOLLEN ARM! Think I would have had to stop breathing in front of him to make an impression.

Tah Dah!
(with swollen arm for some of it, extra bonus flybaby points!!)

One study created by moving all walk in wardrobe furniture into guest room, and by buying massively long ethernet cable and feeding it through various channels. That had fecking spiders in them. I know this cos some of them lept out of the holes with fangs akimbo. And I fell off my ladder as a result. Twice.

Late mother in law's room finished by removal of the sky box and cables and putting them in our bedroom. Sky nagged mucho for new sky box that was 2 months late. Chased "lost" courier all over town to snatch it off him before he took it back to the depo for the ninth time. New sky box wired in by me in living room, p,us also got sky on demand up and running. More ethernet cable hassle.

Using BENTO inventory of food cupboards and freezer done, set up to sort for amshopping list on demand. Just got to do the fridge now. Some mystery food chucked from freezer. Some empty boxes and packets removed from food cupboards and freezer. Food cupboards all dusted, clean and highly organised according to type or use (like all baking stuff together, allasta/rice/similar shit together) I have over fifty tins of pulses. So made white bean dip for lunch. And then ate it all, in the interest of keeping the frige tidy.

Shouted at rabbit for trying to bite me during feeding. Fucking vampire that he is.

Washed, dried and wrestled back on sofa fitted covers. Fucking "But I don't want to go back on" gits that they are.

Sweated mucho. Cos is stupid hot. Annoyingly so. And mosquito bit me on the bum during the night so I look like one of those people who can't keep their hands out of their trousers.

Fell over with hot, cross, tiredness.

Will now catch up with thread.

DS1 wouldn't come to the appointment because he was too anxious, so we did a telephone appt instead. He has lost weight since last appointment six months ago . I don't know what more I can do to make him put on weight, apart from continuing to hand bowlfuls of ice cream and endless fattening snacks to him. So disheartening.

Carpe - glad to hear you are getting an epi pen, though I'm not impressed by your GP. at the spiders jumping at you out of holes. They are not welcome in my house at all. I have even plugged in one of those things that is supposed to emit sounds to keep them away.

Hi, can I join you all, my home is definitely in CHAOS, have managed to declutter kitchen and garden is looking tidy (all due to council inspection of my garden), now I need to declutter the rest of the house, am taking holidays from work at beginning of August and intend to hire a skip then. However I want to get on top of things before then as my brother and his wife are coming to stay (this is a huge thing for me as I never really like/let anyone come into the house because of the mess it is in). My brother knows this and has offered to paint my kitchen and sitting room for me on his holidays from work and the least I can do is offer them a bed for the night. So I need to declutter and clean my home.

Welcome, obrigada. It sounds as if you have made a fantastic start on your kitchen and garden. And how lovely of your brother to offer to paint your kitchen and sitting room for you.

Flylady is all about doing things little and often and building up a good routine, but I think having a big splurge on chaos is a great thing as it inspires you to keep it looking nice. Am doing the same myself at the moment.

I am the world's worst leader ever. Fact. Although no-one appears to have commented on the fact that there have been no links today as yet . Slackers!

Welcome obrigda . Just hop right in. I post the links daily to the Fly lady website. Normally earlier than this .

sc glad to hear DH is feeling a bit better and things are calming down. It must be such a worry for you so glad Dsis is there to help you.

carpe glad the arm has calmed down and keep your hand out of your pants . I think DS may have a permanent mosquito bite .

toffee sorry things continue to be difficult with DS. I admire everything you cope with and how you cope with it all, and everyone with DC's with difficulties.

FIrst day of the holidays today. Pukefest is over and DC's are still at school until tomorrow! I have had a mooch round tow, been for lunch with DM and am about to get ready to have an induction session at the local gym. Busy day!

I did ask this when I said I would be leader for this month but is there any lovely person who can do links on Wednesday and Thursday as I am going away tomorrow night to Snowdonia for a couple of days and shall be without laptop and possibly without internet access. Pretty please.

Back in a sec with links (if anyone is bothering to look at them )

Your babystep for today is building your control journal.

This week we are in the Master Bedroom.

Your mission for today is here.

Today is Home Bleugh Day.

Enjoy the rest of the day everyone!

I can do Wed and Thurs, ellie. It might help me actually follow the Flylady routines.

Oh, goodie, we are in master bedroom. That is exactly where I need to declutter this week.

Glad your DC are better now, ellie. Enjoy your break.

Have to put my online shop away now. And have also just received a big box of wine from a thoughtful relative, so I know what we'll be drinking tonight .