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

I think BitchytheGreat has a certain ring to it . Wish it was August this weekend - I want to be Paaaiiiidd!!! Have spent all the money in the world this month - mostly on cake - so now am fat and broke!

Despite an impressively early list post I have done bugger all except routines today, and tbh at nearly 10:30 it's not looking promising!

How did that post? Wasn't me honest!

The suits you trazzle .

I'm going to try to partially redeem myself with a quick bedroom tidy before bed.

Night all

Have decluttered bedroom. Not a huge task as I did a thorough decluttering last month and luckily not too much has crept in since then. Might have to look at the detailed cleaning.... just look. Didn't say I'd attempt
Also rebooted laundry.
And did ten mins in each of the DS's rooms!

Trazzles is better than any day!

Blue Fingers crossed you get some ncie weather for your holiday

I like the new name Bitchy but greatprocrastinator is good too.

Waves to everyone and happy holidays to everyones DC who broke up today!

another successful day child entertainment wise. They love sailing YAY, and Ds2 announced he had the best afternoon "caving" in dark tunnels where you didn't know where you were going

We managed to get home on the Tube, which I really didn't forsee happening without a lot of spoilt-bratitis, but luckily the cheese strings got us through the journey. I need to be braver with these children and not feel guilty about lack of car to pick them up; they need to get used to finding their way around London on public transport anyway, whatever my responsibilities as chauffeur are

Ds1 then insisted on racing off to football in wet gym shoes
and ds2 went with him without quarrelling either.

Lazy evening followed, supper, half hearted attempt at organisation for tomorrow. Collapse and rubbish out (takes ages)

Better go to bed now, still soo tired from walking, and my ankles feel like they need some WD40 to bend properly.

done
s& s loo
washing load
supper
rubbish
recycling
alley rescue

Good morning. Shocking night's sleep again. feeling a bit bug eyed atm. so a gentle start to the morning. Also made the mistake of actually looking at the bathroom. Why is the male of the species so incapable of aiming? So i will have to do something about that otherwise it will really annoy me.

Got distracted by the ironing this morning. So that has been done. Logic being it needed doing and I wanted a cold shower before doing anything proper. no point in cooling down before doing the ironing. So got it down first. Not exactly the way of the fat fairy. But made more sense.

ta da
prepare ds for changes that will happen in September
prepare ds for changes that will happen eventually but are already being worked to
ironing

going to be a long day. Lots of coffee, and lots to do. Massive meetings and all sorts that needs doing. Is it bedtime yet?

Morning all.

Today's babystep is to add swish and swipe to your morning routine. This is one of the most useful habits to get into with your routines, I think.

Today's mission is here: tidy up the floor in your wardrobe (I can't even see the floor in my wardrobe ).

Wednesday is anti-procrastination day.

Hope you all have a good day.

Had a few minutes at home yesterday and cleared out Joe's box of treats (he hasn't hardly eaten for months) and started to empty our blanket box (so that it can contain blankets) and found the extra shelves for our CD tower - they've been lost since we moved 2 years ago and we'be been on the verge of throwing out the tower due to misssing shelves.

Also disposed of Yellow Pages 2010

It's a start anyway!

Morning all.

Live the swish and swipe step - my favourite!!

I have said good bye to DH and DD4 yesterday lunch time. they are somewhere between here and Cambodia at the moment. See them again at Christmas.

I have just had to announce on the dreaded facebook that I am going to be a grandmother. DD3's MIL put something on last night, which has upset DD3 as she wanted to tell a lot of people herself first. I smell trouble ahead for her!!!

Loads to do here, but feel like doing bugger all!! I wonder what will be done!!??????

Bugger all?

want to get this craft project finished and gone so have been working on that. Using the time to do some important thinking. Been trying to draw up a five year plan.

PA that sounds incredibly hard. Thank God for internet and Skype in the meantime. Presumably at Xmas you can rethink if it isn't working out? Still sounds as if you are very much needed on the ground in IOW.

done
back from drop off
visited friend for coffee
feeling a bit overwhelmed by the all the tidying there is to do, let alone the stuff I was meant to be sorting out this week.
Trazzles I know what you mean about the small triumph of throwing away an old Yellow Pages. I have been throwing away old loo rolls and a bra that is too small and feeling pleased with myself for tiny steps.

okay I really have done
folded up laundry
put another load on
hung out a load
wiped kitchen table
put best dress away till later, and going to clean in old clothes
threw away 5 pieces of paper from a drawer

todo
deal with dd's room
ds2's room
and ds1's room
deal with my room
deal with hall rubbish

black bin liner required!!!

Why am I sooo tired????

noo, that is too big and scary a list
todo
throw away bread rolls
clear excavated bag stuff off living room floor
put away clean sheets in cupboard
bin liner for dd's room and fill with 8 things

back in 15 mins!!

done my list about 2 hours later...and also put away a lot of clothes in children's rooms
got retrospective £28 off school uniform as they hadn't given me a 10percent discount
ordered some more school shirts
big pile of paper recycling
started packing for Ireland
more laundry downstairs

and it's 3.00pm oh no!

A little bit more than Bugger all Bitchy. Theory of the day - set low expectations then anything done is a bonus, which results in me feeling quite productive!

Swan not an option to stop this in December, but it is only until next June, so we will be half way there!!

Today I have cleared the kitchen (about 3 times!! )
Sorted out some financial matters that have been lurking for ages.
Went to Argos to get a new watch so that I don't now have to calculate the time by subtracting 5 hours and 50 minutes every time I look at it! - watch broke when I was travelling back here 5 weeks ago and was trying to change the time and has been stuck since. Oh what a joy it is, but today I have spent ages now calculating what timezone DH is in - flight from London to Korea, 6 hour wait, then on to Phnom Penh.
Took DD1 for a careers talk thingy - she said she would be 5 minutes - 50 minutes I sat in a boiling hot car. Not impressed!!
Ironed 3 sets of work uniforms for DS so that I dont have to do any for a while.
Cooked a mahoosive bolognese sauce and chicken curry that would feed an army for a week so that I can put into portions for DD3 and sonIL as she is sick if she cooks at the moment and he works long hours, so I am being a nice MIL!!

To do:
Just going to take DS to work
Take DD1 to babysitting job
Church meeting - very interesting one tonight, which could have a big impact on my future employment if the right decisions are made
Then pick up DS from work
Pick up DD1 from babysitting

Today I have mainly been feeling hot and flustered and sure that I should be doing something to get ready for holiday.

Ta da!
Washing done and on line
Finished work and sent off
Invoices/accounts
Went to surgery for appointment at wrong time [oops]
Missed postman with urgent parcel as a result [grr]
Went back to surgery for rearranged appt
Popped into Homebase and bought reduced, sorry for self plants
Planted them out with lots of water
Fixed bike lights
Paid scary tax bill [eek]

Going out tonight [yay] so tomorrow will mainly be more running around in a flat spin, boys' haircuts, packing and last-minute errands...

Swan - sounds like you've been getting things done
PA - how annoying re MIL. on your DD's behalf. Must be very hard to say goodbye to DH and DD4 for so long too. Glad you've had a productive day and good luck for the meeting!
Trazzles - sounds like a good start to me.
Bitchy - hope today's going OK

Unfortunately not blue. we are currently on concussion watch for ds. :(

Oh dear. Sorry, Bitchy. Is he on his hols now?

PA - you are being so lovely to your DD. Does she know how lucky she is to have you cooking for her? Nope. Thought so. I hope her sickness passes asap.

End of infant school for DS2 today. Can't believe he will be in juniors next year. He is still my baby .

Bugger all Flying done today. Bad Acting Thread Leader .

Flying in whilst I have internet.

Zilch flying done but lovely Family Fun Day.....think I may have my days mixed up.

Been to Caernarfon for the day for castles and fairs and ice cream followed by beach and paddling pool. Lovely.

I see toffee is channelling my spirit by being thread leader and not doing any flying. I move in mysterious ways.

Oh no, Bitchy, sorry to hear that. :(

I've had a fab evening out, but you'd have to be a translation nerd to fully appreciate it I think. :)

Really need to get to bed now, tomorrow's going to be a loong day.

Ds is not on holiday yet. Friday is his last day so tomo school drop off is going to be interesting.

I was lucky enough to have some time away from everything this evening. It sort of helped but sort of messed with my brain.

[seeks plump cushion in naughty corner on which to rest throbbing stumps and throbbing temples]

Loving the new nickname Bitchy. Hope your ds is OK now?

Bugger. Can't sleep. Absolutely cream-crackered after dd party (and it's relatively cool for once) so went to bed early but now I'm wide awake with 'brain race' and incipient migraine ...

Had busy two days. Removal men here yesterday who worked all morning in stonking heat removing a load of old junk, masonry and wood from basement from last bout of renovation, and who also whisked away two hideous pieces of my late mil's horribly ornate and bulky antique furniture (mahogany cherubs anyone?) to a storage facility (did a little war dance when they disappeared over the horizon I can tell you).

They also moved a load of furniture around within the house. So everything has moved on a bit (only a tiny bit in context of whole house but good nonetheless). Also, witnessing that it took 3 hefty blokes a good three hours to haul boxes and furniture up and down stairs, I also feel a bit less down on myself for not having got it done on my own before now.

Then had dd's party today which was a shorter version of the one I had planned before dh's health prob. Really wanted it to be a good 'un because she didn't have a party last year, plus she's had a tough school year, plus most holiday plans now changed because of dh being ill. So packed a load in (sun prints, butterfly tattoos, tent construction, rocket balloons, pinata, culminating in live butterfly release - insects had cooperated beautifully and hatched on the day!) and thankfully it all went well: lovely children, lovely weather etc etc and even better, dd's French tutor was available to help so dh could rest.

Looking forward to flopping a bit tomorrow and then back to Flying properly by end of week. Want to capitalise on house being "party guest ready"!

Waves to Ellie in Snowdonia!

Good luck with last minute holiday prep Blue

See yOu are back in to typically selfless full blown cheffing/chauffering mode therePA. Hope your dh and dd had safe journey back (must have been tough saying goodbye x) And hope that meeting went well tonight with positive outcome for yr future job prospects.

So glad sailing a success Swan and all your patient travel logistics/execution therefore worthwhile.

A warm welcome to Saturn and Obrigada

Ta for links Toffee

Well done for keeping on top of the bedroom Asheth consistency is definitely key

Bloody amazing that you can get any decluttering done at all Trazzles good on you

Jdub you have been struck twice by lightening???? Crikey ..!!!

Glad they sorted you out with epi pen Carpe

Feel the need for stronger ankles here right now Pushme

Right, going to see if my stumps will carry me down to kitchen to make a cup of tea, then off to bed again ...

Take care everyone! Weary wing flaps to one and all!

Forgot to say hi to PolkadotRosa and I'm sure, loads of others

Waves again

Hello everyone.

SC the party for DD sounds amazing!! Well done you and as for the butterflies, just WOW!! I bet she will remember that all her life as such a special party for her.

Swan DD3 and her Dh do appreciate it, I am sure. She is a lovely girl who likes to help others herself, so just giving her a bit back, I suppose. She has had a really tough time through her teenage years and I do believe that getting through that has made her a caring, lovely young lady.

Well it is most definitely not cold here. It is stiffling. muggle and claggy. horrible weather tbh.

SC i have party . sounds like you have managed to get some changes done. Hope you are ok and dh is recovering from his misadventure.

ds is ok this morning. i expect him to be fragile tonight. Spoke to someone last night who pointed out that as bad as it has been over the last week normally i would get a whole half term of this behaviour so it is a vast improvement. He will be so much better when the end of term is here and the change has happened. going straight on hol will help him too. I am not going so i have chance to rest up before i spend time with him in holiday mode.

I didn't sleep properly. not slept properly for a week now so the effects are really catching up. two things to do: make biscuits, car to garage. and then i will probably just curl up in bed and try to sleep.

Today's babystep is to read Flylady's personal testimonial, where she explains how small steps add up to big changes.

Today's mission is to clean your bedside table.

Thursday is errand day. Anything that needs doing out of the house - shopping, doctor's appointments, etc - can be done today.

Good morning!!
A very late night but a productive one for me so it was worth it! I can't sleep much when it's this hot and light anyway, so that's not too bad! Re; the lightning - it's hit the ground behind me and knocked me over twice (once at guide camp years ago - VERY exciting!)

Today is hoover day when I get home, and dust. I am putting into action my "I'm bored-jobs to do jar" tonight (as inspired from this group) so my dcs get a lucky dip of chores/activities if they utter the immortal words 'I'm bored!!!' now school has broken up.

Have a great day x