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

Thanks, Swan. Luckily, my typing has lulled him to sleep!

Good luck to your DS2 at his induction day tomorrow.

Hope all goes well tomorrow Toffee, sounds as though DS1 did really well with his appt today.

Doris - what you are describing is exactly what I was talking about when I said at the end of the last thread that I hate packing for holidays, I just get all panicky that I haven't got everything, then I procrastinate, then it ends up being a rush, then I worry myself sick that we will miss ferry, plane etc (even though we usually allow ages more than we need). Hope you get sorted. And you Engels - I had a fabulous month in NZ about 20 years ago, lovely country.

Trazzles -

Off to bed here, not much Flying done but I have got freshly washed and line dried linen on the bed. Night all.

Good luck today toffee

I hate mornings. struggling to get going this morning.

trazzle If you're angry with DH then tell him. He needs to know if he's being a selfish, lazy, unreasonable so and so. (as I've learnt from my DH, he needs to see and hear my rage or he just potters along thinking I'm superwoman and coping fine).

Waiting for DH to get his arse out of bed so we can go into town to get last minute bits and hair cuts.

Ta da
Washing on
DS up, fed and at nursery

To do
Town/haircut
Pack!
Collate and print all info for holiday
Online check in later today
Crisis tidy and clean so we can come back to a reasonable house

Hello I shined my sink last night before bed:)
In my flip flops granted, but footwear in situ nonetheless!
My first baby-step.
I'd really like to join you all this month. Can I just check I've got this right...each day: do baby-step (such as shiny sink shenanigans), do mission, swish & swipe and before bed tidy up & lay clothes out ready?

I'm in, a day late and infrequently posting but I'm here!

Good morning!
Absolutely zilch achieved here this morning apart from eating a slice of my mum's coffee and pecan cake (bloody marvellous!)
Must try harder (and clear up the crumbs!)
Happy Tuesday to you all x

Just swooping by (from a very low Flying height btw!!) to wish your ds1 the best of luck today and this week at his new school Toffee. I hope the fact that he was able to control his panic in the recent session will be really empowering/confidence-boosting for him.

Trazzles sorry you had to struggle on by yourself at the hospital (and that they were disorganised) and that your dh is behaving the way he is. Bullying is not on. No wonder you are furious.

Big waves to Lauren how is the new horse?

A warm welcome to PolkadotRosa! Have a look at 'Getting Started' on the Flylady website and here Strictly speaking, all you have to do to begin with are the baby-steps each day (included in those are S&S, hotspots, power of 15 mins etc, laying out of clothes, and missions, so the system builds up gradually). Once the baby-steps are fully ingrained, you can then start doing 15 mins decluttering in current zone each day. Once decluttered (you can't clean clutter) you keep going with baby-steps, missions and then start detailed cleaning. You don't have to understand it all at the beginnning, it will gradually become clear as the month goes along. Little and often is key. And suggest not signing up to Flylady e-mails/Big Tent or you will be inundated (although some people find weekly summary useful). Good luck! Any other questions, don't hesitate!

Wow Engels sounds like the holiday of a life-time!!!

[Espresso to Bitchy] Arf at bio-hazard suit! (Words fail me re: your list yesterday )

Ellie huge congratulations to your dd and her fab school reports!!

Well done to Asheth and Mercury re: their extremely productive Mondays!

Love the image of your husband bringing in the hay Castle while you lie in wait with a face-pack

Swan Many congratulations to your dd and her exam results! Hope she is v. happy at her new school! (They are lucky to have her!) Sorry about school struggles with ds1 though - can really really sympathise (as you know)! Oh and yes to multiple compasses!! (We were on Mark 6 at the end of term, and that had to be bought especially for the exams!)

Speaking of stationery, we have already received the dreaded multitudinous itemised list for next year and my cunning plan to complete all the shopping in the first week of the holiday was foiled on the first day when I discovered the only stationery shop within a reasonable distance, with the particular blue notebooks they use, in a particular size, has closed for a month's break. Ah well ...

Huge waves to Whoknows Just Feetheart and Goth and everyone else I've missed.

I did a lot of my list yesterday. And a lot of things that weren't on the list. That's the good thing about Flylady. It stimulates you to do stuff, even though it's not necessarily the stuff that you are meant to be doing precisely at that moment ifyswim!!

Have a good day everyone!

x post Waves back to Jdub [snaffles a slice of cake]

tada!
two children dropped at Induction Days with pencil cases and their dinner money in the right denominations!
[Ds2 moaned all the way to new school that no-one liked him in old school and they were all mean to him, then proceeded to chat merrily for five mins the last bit of journey to an acquaintance from "old school" without any apparent problems. As Dh said when I told him this story, sometimes he just moans because he trying to release tension

Now, for a bit of decluttering/re-organisation before I have to pick up dd (set off again at 1.30)

PolkadotRosa I was a new to this last month. I think the main thing is is to get the system that works for you. That way you'll want to keep doing it. Some of the baby steps are useful and some I can't see the point of, so I ignore! For me the most useful part was the 15 minutes decluttering a day. If, like me, you have loads of clutter then sorting it all out can seem too daunting. But doing 15 mins is easy! And it's surprising how much of a difference it makes by the end of the week. I also like to complete the missions as it really makes me feel that I've achieved something! Good luck!

Oh sc the new horse is fantastic a bit wild for my mum though so we are going to look at one tomorrow for me her so we will have a little herd at this rate! I will find the link to the advert of said new horse to look at. He's a giant!

www.preloved.co.uk/adverts/show/108235234/reducedhandsome-163-shire-x-tb-gelding.html

The horse we are going to see tomorrow!

Ooooops it's not that one! Lol thats next on the list though...sorry for the hijack!

www.preloved.co.uk/adverts/show/107564886/172-id-x-shire.html

This is the one. Last unrelated fly post I promise

To do:
DD laundry
Ride
Dust
Hoover
File away paperwork
Be generally excited

Only a day late this month so a better start already :)

Thanks to PMPU for last month and to ellie for agreeing to take on the lot of us this month.

Just back from a lovely w/e in Durham seeing a friend being ordained in the cathedral. Lots of firsts for the DC - first time we have had authorised absence from school(:)), first long train journey, first stay in a B&B, first service in a cathedral, etc. It was all very inspiring, even for a heathen like me, and a great thing to be a part of.

Back to reality today - trying to work whilst builder drills things far too close to my head . About to leave him to it and go and read with children at school.
Hopefully will be back later when Flying may even get a mention :)

Congratulations to your friend Feetheart glad you had a good trip!

Lauren very for you though too!!!!! He is absolutely gorgeous. Love a Shire x!!! Great to bring on! Good luck tomorrow!!!!!

Waves to Swan and everyone else. Trying to do 'work' 'work' this morning and having technical difficulties ...v. frustrating ... .

Lauren if that is the last non-fly post then you are on the wrong thread Nice to see the horses and to side track from the house.

Focus? wtf is that?

today I have:
been training
been to the nearby massive shopping centre
Bought Ddad's bday present and some wool
started an angel hug (which I am hoping will convince me to sit down occasionally but it is unlikely as was stood crocheting a few mo's ago )
been food shopping for bits for birthday cake

DS1 lasted for one lesson before having to make an exit because of his panic today, but, still, that's a start. The other children in his class are absolutely lovely and his teacher really made an effort to reassure him. Ah well. We'll try again tomorrow.

Came home and fell asleep with the kitten. Best relaxation method ever.

DS1 is feeling a bit down about it now as he thinks he'll never be able to overcome his panics. Am trying to help him focus on the positives.

Welcome, Polkadot.

feet - that sounds like a very memorable and lovely weekend.

lauren - what a beautiful horse! Hope you and your mum get him tomorrow.

Asheth - glad you are finding Flying helpful. I love the 15-minute bursts of activity. I use it to tackle the ironing when I'm feeling overwhelmed by it.

Swan - hope your DC's induction days go well . Agree with you about telling DS1 stories of our own triumphs over adversity. On the way home from school, I told him about my own panic over certain situations and how I coped. He doesn't usually want to know, as he thinks he is the only one to suffer so much (!), but he actually listened this time and seemed comforted that it's not just him.

SC - thank you for the good luck to DS1. He still has a long way to go (see above!). How frustrating that your stationary efficiency was foiled!

Jub - at cake for breakfast!

Engels - good luck with your packing. Agree with you about getting the house tidy before you go, if possible. Have you had time to read Flylady's 'vacation planning' tips?

Bitchy - thanks for the good luck for DS1. Sorry you were struggling to get going this morning.

WhoKnows - more thanks for the good luck to DS1. (If he only knew how many people are rooting for him!). I love the sound of your freshly washed and line-hung bed linen. Sounds very organised and comforting.

Off to eat a late lunch now. Feel exhausted!

Trying not to overdo things but here is my list for tomorrow (DM should hopefully be giving me the day off...)

Declutter car

30 day shred
Laundry reboot
File paperwork in in-trays
Send payslips to Carers Allowance
Clean DVDs for Joseph
15 mins sorting bag shelf in hall
Clean downstairs toilet
Clean hob
Clean bathroom
Declutter playroom
Tidy up DD's room
Clear top of laundry basket
Clear my side of bed
Declutter bedside table
Put suit bag under bed in mum's room
Clean en suite (ever hopeful)

Thanks muchly for the warm welcomes and advice on getting started. I'm really chuffed that I've managed to sort the entrance porch and hall today, whilst baby had almost 3 hour uber-nap! I even wiped the doorframe and door outside too (our lovely, immaculate elderly neighbours will think they're hallucinating) and even blasted the mucky marks off the radiator with our fab steam cleaner. It looks and 'feels' so much better, and I feel better too now it's done.
Amazed by all your lists and impressive accomplishments. That's my Ta-Da for today:)

I need your help ladies. A former colleague emailed last week to say that he would be visiting the area with his wife and 2yo DD this week and was I around in the evenings? They will be about 45 mins drive away. I don't really know his wife and have never met the DD. I suggested meeting early evening at a leisure park place near where they are staying (it has lots of family friendly pubs/restaurants). He has come back and said to save me the drive they could come to our house instead. Now at a weekend or daytime that would be fine, but 6.30pm on a weeknight, when I hardly know the wife and it is usually pretty chaotic here (we have tea early so DD can go to Brownies that night) and I am usually launching into homework, kitchen clearing etc at that time, I would probably need to feed them, it all seems a bit much. DH and the DCs have never met any of them before (well, DH might have done once or twice years ago on work outings). I just can't see DS taking kindly to all this. What shall I do? What if they don't want to take their DC to a pub and that is why they suggested coming over? I need to let them know tonight. I'd actually far rather drive to the leisure park than try and host them here TBH but don't want to seem inhospitable.

ellie will be pleased to know that other then icing cake and making pizza the only thing that I have done today is working on the angel hug. the car still looks like a skip on wheels.

whoknows is it possible to just say that due to various of the DCs activities that night, it's not really practical for you to host them?? Something I always read on here (but have never put in to action myself) is that you can say no! You aren't obliged to host them. They refused your suggestion - you are not being rude to refuse theirs.

I would agree with trazzles Be honest just say that you would rather drive to the park then have people at the house. Suggest if it is impossible then perhaps you could meet up next time. You are allowed to say no. And if I need to I will for the sake of ds. I would rather put other people out who are being a hinderance then disrupt ds' schedules when he needs them.