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

Just- so sorry to hear about your friend

Trazzles- congratulations on the shiny car!

Toffee- I hope your kitten is okay!

Quick to do...I probably won't be back later because tonight is horse trying night and I'm working straight through until then...

Dry and put away DD laundry
My laundry
Clean kitchen floor
Walk dogs
DD to 2 year review
Work
Clean bathroom
Finish home bleurgh
Horse related shenanigans

Ill be back tomorrow! Have a nice day everyone!

My To Do

Empty all the kitchen cuboards
Clean the insides.
Restore order
Dump anything that's got a bit crap or been unused since the last clear out.
Stick lables on inside of doors so DS stops putting things in the wrong place when emptying the dishwasher.

I think it's a 2 day job if I don't want to have a funny turn cos making order creates chaos first, and I go a bit odd in the choas bit. So today I reckon do either the food cuboards OR the non food cupboards, but keep a grip on things so I don't get carried away, drag everything put and then go all overwelmed and ...odd.

Hi carpe

Lauren it's not shiny. I haven't cleaned it. I just threw out all the empty bottles/ half-eaten biscuits/ car park tickets...

I think the mantra is not to get out more than you can put away in the allotted time.

Toffee maybe Ds1 will want to help you in this difficult time by being brave about school - it may have unexpected outcome. Hope kitten rallies again
Whoknows have you seen Moonrise Kingdom yet? (re: tents) Not suitable for ds but it is a funny take on the whole scouting thing. That is an amazing success;my kids definitely do not yet know how to put a tent up (despite ds1's three years of Cub Camps). I think you and your Dh must have taught Ds1 well.
Just that's what happened to my mother's dearest male friend in Ireland, she still misses him and it seemed so unfair after he had beaten the cancer to go from a heart attack. It comforts her to remember all the things he was good at, and all the funny things he used to say. He was a typical Tipperary business farmer - larger than life and wonderfully cheery, very clever and wily.

Ds1 has gone to school, and told me I he had got an Green Slip (special merit) for his my Art homework. I fear the boundaries are becoming blurred between his efforts and mine.

Ellie you are right, I tend to rant rather than swear. I used to be known as the Vicar.
Feet a very inspiring trip - they will remember that for a long time. It is strange, due to lack of vocations in Catholic Church, I know so few people who have become priests; whilst Protestant friends have experienced the pleasure of watching dear friends and relations being ordained.

hink the mantra is not to get out more than you can put away in the allotted time.

That's not a bad idea at all.

I think I'll set the timer for ten minutes for taking out. I reckon that will limit me to one cupboard at a time.

So if I feel all wooferly and disturbed after one, I can stop and do something to take my mind off it, restablise, and then do the next one without any panic setting it.

Carpe you might be surprised how much you can get out in ten mins. 5 might be better. You can always get a bit more out when you have cleared up the first bit if you have more time/energy

((((Just))))

toffee ds might be more worried about the kitten then school and might then cope with school a bit better. Poor kitten.

I have planned to do fuck all today. Sod anti-procrastination day. CBA

Oh wow, "The Trazzle Ten Minute Take Out" works!

I even changed a broken hinge on the door.

Such a different feeling from my usual haul it all out, panic, and go headless chicken on it style.

Innthe wrong order, but before picture, all out and I'm not headless chicken, just a bit anxious picture,mand done picture

Took no time at all and I feel fine.

Shit this is going to make a huge difference.

I usually put off jobs like this untill I have a day with no lessons or appointments cos I see it as an all day, all consuming task. And I'm too afraid of Hoard Seeds to break off in the middle while stuff is still all over the place.

I don't have to do that. I can just eat the elephant one bite at a time. I can do big jobs in a series of small jobs without Hoard Seeds fear.

That's HUGE.

I don't need a whole day off before I tackle something. It can be done in a small time slot, an hour or less. And I won't be physically tired or emotionally wrung out when it's done meaning I can't face work or company.

Right. I'm back from hospital. Let the flying commence!!!

Carpe it's sadly not my idea. FlyLady's all the way.

Though I have been hailed as a god on another thread for suggesting Yorkshire pudding to accompany chilli...

Was the cat IN the cupboard?

And I want your kitchen btw.

I'm going against the grain here and say that I'm going to really really tackle dd's room, and 10 mins is not going to be any use in there! Certainly if I want to find stuff. This morning we again, could find, NO PE Shorts, No White Teeshirts.
SIL and toddler are visiting impromptu at 12 so I had better dash. feel anxious at thought of her dropping in. Madness, and shows how bad things have got again. Luckily I can give her the remains of the Sp (well done Blue* that was the proper spelling

done
stripped my bed
all laundry in laundry pile downstairs
new pillowcases on my bed
one white wash on

No, she was just trying to get in. She is a little sod.

My kitchen is very achievable. It's just IVAR cupboards from Ikea, with painted doors and handles from the iron mongers added. And a cheap worktop slapped on top. When we moved from Milan I discovered all my IVAR storage didn't work here cos of how near the windows were placed to the ajoining wall to maximise light (theoretically). So I split it all up and turned it into kitchen so I didn't have to spend three grand plus on new units.

You can't put wall units in these houses, it looks odd, Lomabardy trad. kitchens are low level and wall shelf based which means a shedload of floorbased cupboards and they are expensive. And the built in custom brick ones are outragously expsensive and the fecking ever present hoardes of iders LERVVVVVE brick. So that was a no from me. I already wage a war of epic proportions on their existence and bastard cobwebs.

For me it will always be Trazzle's Ten Minute Take Out.

I cannot believe how a chance encounter on another thread just gave me a revelation that has completely changed how I approach Big Jobs.

Sounds silly, but, it's massive and deeply emotionally charged for me. I get angst while waiting for a full day to do the military "everything up in the air" operation, suffer anxiety all the way through the doing, and collapse in a heap of emotional exhustion when it's done.

To not have to do that anymore.....HUGE!

Carpe wait until you find you are doing house work without realising it because you are waiting for the kettle to boil and you have a few minutes to kill.

I am productively working on the angel hug. Finished one ball of wool and was going to leave it there, and then just had to crochet in the second ball. That was 15mins ago. still crocheting. Should really move. cba. I think it is because I am looking at a to do list. perhaps I should stop writing to do lists and just ta da lists. To do lists scare me

Carpe wait until you find you are doing house work without realising it because you are waiting for the kettle to boil and you have a few minutes to kill

Oh... I think that just happened.

I am sitting here with tea. There was a bit too much water, and while I was waiting for the teabag to work, I picked up the "oh shit, power cut just happened!" bowl that was splotched with wax from my hsatily assembled candles. I was going to chuck it out. But I poured the rest of the boiling water on the waxy bits....and they all came off!

Which led to the bowl going in the diswasher. Which meant it was full. Which meant I turned it on.

I only went for a cup of tea.

Now you need to package up some motivation, instant energy and wish to be arsed and send it here.

OK, the good news is that DS1 went into school on his own and stayed for three whole lessons! He ran out of steam halfway through the morning and felt too panicky too continue, but, considering he and I have been up since 4am with the kitten, that was pretty good.

He said the children are really friendly and welcoming and he feels at home there. And he got 11 out of 11 on a test on properties of materials (luckily we had been looking at that in home ed last week), so that bolstered his confidence.

Now for the bad news... the kitten has to be put to sleep this evening. We took him to the vet after dropping DS1 at school and he said there is nothing more that can be done. The illness has affected the kitten's brain and he can't stand up or walk anymore. So we have brought him home for one last afternoon of cuddles. DS1 is being very calm and brave about it. I think he knew this would be the outcome.

Have to go to DS2's sports day this afternoon and then will have to tell him about ToffeeKitten too.

No Flying today.

Carpe - welcome to the thread. Glad to see the magic of short bursts of housework/decluttering is working on you already.

Swan - well done on getting a merit for your DS's art homework. I'm still proud of the Tudor project that I 'helped' an uninterested DS1 with a few years ago - it was the best in the class .

the kitten has to be put to sleep this evening

Oh no!

Oh love I am so so sorry.

for the pair of you.

Thanks, Carpe. It's just awful. He is such a sweet, loving kitten too. The house is going to seem horribly empty without him.

Oh Toffee

Massive hugs to all of you.

And well done to DS1 for doing so well.

Oh it is bad enough when they are old, tired and ready to go.

But a baby cat, that makes it so much worse.

Back at work, so just a quick-ish visit.

Just so sorry about your friend, must have been such as shock.
Toffee such sad news, will be thinking of you tonight.

BBL

Huge well done to Ds1! So sorry to hear about the kitten toffee :(

I am about to start drinking my 5th I still want to curl up and sleep. Think am going to have to speak to the doc about this combination of meds. Perhaps swapping the allergy tablet to the non drowsy form might help so that there is one less med with drowsiness as a side effect.

found my way here again! Hopefully I can get some motivation this month, back at work after two week break and its the first week of our summer hols in scotland. dd nearly 2 broke her elbow on sunday so going to be a pretty boring week for ds =(

SIL has gone, she was exhausted poor thing. I think it cheered her up to see what a tip my house was She doesn't live far, a bus ride, but the bus is the most unreliable route, where you always have to fold up the pushchair because it is so overcrowded. I'd forgotten how life with toddlers is just a series of small stresses which add up to overload.

Back to dd's room again now,
and another load of washing done