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

Morning all. DH is still being a twunt and things still a little frosty chez moi. I won't go into the gory details but I have been asking for 2 weeks to do something that needed doing by yesterday. He left it and left it and then was too hungover to do it yesterday. He then, somehow, managed to get grumpy with me because he hadn't done it. Tried to smooth waters this morning before he went to work but he is still being an arse. Oh and while am ranting I asked for 1 hour this weekend to go to the gym, one friggin hour, and have I had it, have I bollocks. How the fuck he has the cheek to be grumpy with me I do not know.

Back in a sec with links.

Your babystep for today is planning ahead.

Your mission for today is here

This week we are in the the living room.

Today is Home Bleugh Day.

Asheth here is the link for flybabies flykids.

Have a good day everyone .

Ellie - I think he's grumpy with you because he knows he's in the wrong and feels guilty. I hope you two get it sorted soon.

Swimming lesson went very well. I'm glad I booked it now. DS2 and I went to the park on the way home and I bought him an ice lolly from the cafe. We had a lovely time .

So, I have a ta da list:

Dressed to shoes
B/fast
Put rubbish out
Swimming lesson
Park
Snacks at home
Time with DS1
Mopped kitchen floor
Washed swimming things
Hung up washing
Put another wash on
Unloaded and reloaded d/w
Lunch
Shopping delivery put away

DS2 is going over to a friend's house for the rest of the afternoon. DH has just arrived home with some work - naturally, I had just sat down and looked at MN. I can guarantee that if I'm busy he won't come home and as soon as I sit down at the computer, in he walks! And then he thinks I spend all my day on MN....

Hope you are all having a good day.

Hi all, hope everyone is OK. Had very surreal night again yesterday. A man and a woman with American accents were arguing (increasingly loudly) in the street (seemingly outside our front door) until about 2.30 am. And when I woke up this morning, there was a Christmas cactus in a blue plant pot on my doorstep . Bizarre. What do you think I should do with it? Ask the neighbours if they are missing one? Dig up the plant and search for keys or stolen jewellery?

Spent most of yesterday morning clearing up from leak. Fortunately, the three days of rain that was predicted, hasn't arrived and it is sunny but cool here which couldn't be better in terms of getting things done (and finally letting out the rabbits for some exercise). Builder is coming tonight at 5pm to look at roof.

Felt wierdly tired (almost ill) yesterday and stomach is a bit off today. Don't understand it as, apart from leak, had quite a relaxing weekend. Wish I had more energy. Just feel a bit teary and low. (Possibly the prospect of being stuck in the city all summer is finally sinking in but shouldn't complain as so easily could have been a lot worse!!!)

Dh insisted on going to the doctor by himself this morning (which was a mistake on my part!) and came back none the wiser. We were hoping for more info but basically doc had received letter from ER for gastro-consultant that dh is due to see in a fortnight and it's as if the patient themselves don't merit any explanation. (Health care excellent here but very old-fashioned/hierarchical.)

So we are still a bit in the dark which is stressful in itself but from what I can work out after an hour on Google translate and consulting an on-line medical dictionary is that dh has a fatty liver and gallstones but nothing more sinister than that (I hope!) Although have to admit that one of the sites I looked at was a veterinary science advice centre !! Woof!

Sorry - this is trillienth post of the month when I haven't even mentioned Flying. That's because I'm not doing alot ! Sink is shiny and I am cooking fat free suppers. And I've done some on-line shopping (dd school coat and a few clothes for autumn). That's about it. DD is apparently going to empty the dishwasher every day .... . I must crack on with laundry and rabbit husbandry.

Ellie sorry your dh is being a ... bloke! Hope he begins to see the error of his ways soon AND that you get to the gym!

I think swimming lessons sound like a good idea Toffee I'm struggling to keep dd off the screens now her friends are away. Have imposed strict time limits. Good to have some structure!

Can you give us a link to your folding thing PA- appeals to my obsessive/compulsive side! Glad you are skyping and hope your dh learns a few easy recipes or finds a cook soon!

Oh no Bitchy I find sewing for other people 20 times more stressful than when I am sewing for myself (hate having deadlines!) Good luck with it!

Good job with the bookshelves Asheth

Saturn as others have said, control journal not compulsory by any means, but you can shape it to suit your own needs useful link here I must confess to not looking at mine as often as I did in the early days. Emergency addresses, instructions for house-pet sitters, meal planning, jobs to do annually, monthly, weekly etc all very useful. Most useful of all though I find is a timetable I draw up for myself on a term by term basis with all work hrs/reg appts/extra curric/school runs blocked in - helps me make most of rest of time!

Trazzles have posted on your other thread. Sorry things beyond frustrating atm. Hope you get to see consultant today x

Big waves to everyone else!

Must go and do something useful ...and then play with dd/take her out for a bit. And then yank dh out of office (he has gone back to work today for just 2 hrs - intend he sticks to that!!)

Sorry for usual essay!

Passes ellie

I am going to have to admit to being incredibly frustrated atm. Due to wet paintwork there is a ban on anything that might create dust. Which, in this house clearly covers everything. So i am sat twiddling my thumbs wondering wtf to do. don't want to go to sleep, although tired. Don't want to get lost in mn, tbh lost the love with most of the site but as you lot are so luffly i am still here, just. And it is throwing all the weather under the sun at us at once here. so out is out of the question. I am sitting and doing nothing. this is so very wrong on so many levels.

Thanks Trazzles - tonight I am going to order the planner and the calendar!

Bitchy - sounds like a very organised system you have going on! Complicated sewing things good luck with it!

Asheth - well done on the decluttering (dreading that bit when I get to it on the babysteps). My I-pad keeps changing your name to A sheath - just to warn you as one day I will forget to change it

PA - keeping up with ironing to use your gadget!

Ellie - good luck with DH - echo Toffee - he knows he is in the wrong and feels guilty or us it too early to offer

Toffee - sounds like a nice day - typical DH coming home when on MN when you ave accomplished so much today!

SC - hope you are feeling better today. re cactus - very strange. Hopefully builder can sort roof before more rain comes and hope everything turns out ok with DH

Ta da
Dressed to shoes

To do
Hot spot
Read Flylady e-mails
Lay out clothes for tomorrow
Negative voices
Write morning and evening routines down
Shine sink

Quick question...tomorrow is 5 minute room rescue for me...thought I read somewhere this is to be done in your worst room - but can't seem to find where I read that. Is that correct? Or is it in the zone of the week?

Thanks x

Struggling with motivation again, so:

Ta da
Dressed to shoes
Sink shined
Negative voices
Flylady e-mails read

To do
Hot spot
Lay out clothes for tomorrow
Write morning and evening routines out

Never looks as bad when I write it out, don't know why I procrastinate...

saturn - we all suffer from procrastination, but it looks as if you are doing really well building up your new routines. Focus on the positive! I'm not sure about the five-minute room rescue. I think I would just pick the room that people are most likely to see.

ellie - any apology yet?

SC- that's really odd about the cactus. I hope you find out what's behind the mystery.

Bitchy - sitting and doing nothing? Isn't there any dust-free Flying you could be doing?

Am feeling quite positive about today. Managed to get DS1 out for some exercise in the playground this afternoon, which is always difficult. And DS2 has had a lovely day, with lots of exercise and time with his best friend. Am off up to London tomorrow to bring my mum home after a minor op, so won't be around much. Hope you all have a good day.

Saturn

The five minute room rescue is Baby-Step 9 here I suggest tackling the room that is most in need of decluttering/tidying but in this explanation Flylady suggests the kitchen or the living room.

Oh and no need to dread the decluttering btw! You are in control and can do as little or as much as you like. Tis just 15 mins a day in the current zone. info here Don't try and do any more. And if that is too much, just do a 5 min hot spot. Anything is better than nowt. Take very, very small steps. It's amazing how much you can get done in short focused bursts of activity. Good luck!

Thank you - I am feeling much better today - and no more rain thankfully. AND builder came and hopped about rather heart-stoppingly on roof and declared main structure very sound (incredibly so for its great age) and it's just one piece of channelling/guttering that is at fault and is easily fixed. Pheww!!

Ta da:
morning routine inc wm, rabbits and dd did dishwasher
cleaned kitchen
Googled dh's diagnosis
did a more thorough than usual s&s of bathroom
quick supermarket shop
quick trip to chemist
took dd and scooter to park
cooked lamb with lots of veg and rice

To do:
clean kitchen again
sort neglected pile of post
play game with dd
re-boot laundry

Hope you got to see consultant today Trazzles

Hope the boys enjoyed the swimming Toffee

Waves to Bitchy! Can you watch a DVD or some'at (not a very original suggestion I know ...but doesn't create dust!)

And hope your dh has brought you some Ellie!!!

Have a lovely evening everyone! Big wing flaps to all!

Leaving lots of out on naughty corner bar ...

x post

Toffee have a good trip tomorrow - hope your ma recovers swiftly x

Saturn best tip for keeping up motivation is to do Flying list in as short a time as humanly poss and then go out and do something you really enjoy

Thanks Toffee and hope your mum is ok

And thanks SC...misread your post re the builder though...when you said heart stopping, thought you meant because he was so good looking - then realised you meant because he was on roof . Glad it is something that can be easily fixed!

Ta da
Dressed to shoes
Sink shined
Flylady e-mails read
Negative voices
Clothes laid out for me and DD (although took a while to find DDs shoes, the only pair she claims will fit her at the moment -turns out they were in the cloakroom where they are supposed to be put away, but as she never usually puts them away that was the last place I looked after searching the whole house for them!!!)
Routines written out on scraps of paper until new CJ arrives (not yet ordered)
2 minutes spent on hot spot

So I am done for the day flying wise, going to buy the planner and calendar Trazzles recommended and then take your advice SC and spend some time enjoying doing not a lot

Have a lovely evening everyone

Actually Saturn builder is quite easy on the eye as it happens

Arf at finding shoes! I'm always when I find dd's in the bottom of her wardrobe, where they should be

Cheers !

Oh lawd ...spoke to soon ... another storm ... and yes ....we have another leak ...

Saturn I think the problem with decluttering is if, like me, you have loads and loads of clutter then it can seem like a much too big a job to do. But that's the genius of the 15 minute system (or whatever time you set) It's amazing how it all adds up. Even if you only put away/throw out ten things that's seventy things sorted by the end of the week! 15 mins decluttering is the only one of the baby steps I really follow, but it's certainly made a huge difference.

So today I completed mission, helped DSs do 10 mins each in their rooms, did 15 mins in DS3's room, shopped for holiday (spent too much), shopped for DS1's school uniform (didn't even dare look at how much!)

SC Did you solve The Mystery of The Christmas Cactus?

Posted too soon!

Trazzle Have been following your thread. Glad you saw the consultant today and that you can feel more positive.

Glad you had a good day Toffee

Never too early to drink Ellie!

Goood Moooorning!

had reasonable sleep despite being up at 5.30 and am feeling positive and hopeful about the coming days.

here you go SC

I have done a bit of a room rescue in the bedroom already this morning. go me!!! But now have a very overflowing washbin.

Once again I can't really think of a list as I am running around like mad again. I do need to get myself sorted though as I have a four legged house guest arriving on Saturday. I am sooooo inexperienced at this. Never had a dog - I am a crazy cat woman. Friend was stuck and I stupidly said that IF she couldn't get anyone else, then I would do it. Within 2 minutes it was announced on facebook that I was doing it........gulp!! But i am now looking forward to it and quite excited. As long as I don't lose him or nothing bad happens to him while he is here.

Ellie I hope things are settled and an apology has been made.

Oh flip, can't scroll on my phone, so waves to everyone else. I wont write out messages or I know I will get names confused!!

Morning all.

After prolonged grumpiness, DH finally saw the light and admitted that maybe, just maybe, he should apologise and consequently did so. Took some convincing of his dickheadness before it was forthcoming though . All is back to normal and equilibrium restored.

Didn't do much yesterday as was feeling a bit grotty and a lot mardy so got lots to do today.

Ta da:
Washing on line
Kitchen tidied
S/S bathroom
tidy dining room

To do:
Living room
Hoover downstairs
Shops for decorating stuff/furniture/carpets
Lunch out and soft play for dc's
Dinner
Take DS to friends for sleepover
clear out DD's room for decorating
declutter some of DS's room
Gym

Busy day all in all but this is the first day in ages where i haven't woken up feeling some kind of grotty. Think it is stress winding down after end of school.

Back in a sec with links and round-up.

Your babystep for today is being proud of yourself.

Your mission for today is here.

Today is planning.

Have a good day everyone!

Glad you are feeling better Ellie (I'm sure the stress from a job such as yours where you are "giving out" every day takes a while to dissipate.)
Also glad your dh saw the error of his ways ... eventually.

Thanks for links but not sure I deserve to feel very proud of myself at the moment as currently overwhelmed by CBA-ness. With dh ill, we are not seeing friends (most of whom are away anyway) not going out, not travelling, so everything a bit flat. Daren't go away with dd on her own in case dh has relapse (and he needs someone monitoring and preparing his food intake anyway). But need to keep dd entertained. Someone please give me large whack up bum!

Should be looking upon this as fabulous opportunity to declutter the two worst rooms in the house - boudoir and home office - then go on to cellars and attics - but perversely of course don't want to do any of it!! Need to get out of this rut perhaps a dose of Bitchys extra strong brew might help .

Did spend quite a bit of time making cerfeuil soup this morning, thinking it would be good for dh, but it looked - and tasted - like a bowl of pond weed.

Thanks for link PA. Enjoy your furry guest!

Glad you are feeling a bit more positive Trazzles

Asheth no but gather someone from block of flats next door has moved out ... so could be they put cactus out with rubbish and caretaker saved it and put it on our doorstep. To verify when I next see him.

Hope your ma is OK today Toffee

Big wing flaps to everyone!

sorry, chervil soup

hideous ...