August is when the fledglings party, and perhaps do a bit of flying, maybe.

[BitchytheGreat]

Roll up, roll up to this special birthday month for the fledglings...

We are going to attempt to keep the dc happy, whilst flying. No mean feat in the month of holidays and adventures.

Rule 1. yes even in a birthday month we have rules
It is not about perfection. A little is enough, no really.
Rule 2.
You are aloud to spend time doing fun things, don't regret them or feel guilty.
Rule 3. This one is a fat fairy rule.
you are never behind, jump in where you are

So newbies if you are reading this you are probably thinking wtf?! This is a wonderful system designed by the fly lady. in days gone olde one fledgling had a dream about the fly lady in which she was a fat fairy, thus the thread nickname fat fairy was born. Just so we don't confuse you like
Anyhows, this month it is Bitchy's turn to lead, and perhaps this should come with a warning. She has her own unique style of leading but don't let that scare you off, the fledglings are luffsly and generally far more sane then the bitchy one just be aware of bitchy's special brew. Terribly high in caffine and can sometimes be found in the naughty corner. Which reminds me, the naughty corner if for those who are struggling for whatever reason or those just in need of a stiff drink.

So this flying thing. It has three stages:
stage one: the babysteps. these build a routine. some of them are contriversial, and some a little wishy washy seem a little less significant. But most are really good.
Stage two: babysteps and missions one the routines are in place the missions are designed to help you tackle tasks room by room. These room by room approach is helpfully referred to as zones.
stage three: the mythical deep cleaning stage yeah lets just ignore that, none of us have got to the point where we have not only decluttered but got in control of the chaos

Oh yeah CHAOS - what the fat fairy calls "Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome"

That clear as mud? good. Let's Begin....

Could someone be a love and post the links tonight. Things are a bit out of control here tonight and I won't get back on to do the links until late afternoon tomo. So fine for links for sunday.

our house looks great!

estate agent took some lovely photos, house is on market, on website and we'll have open house next week!
and we got a very good quote from EA, plus apparently he has 5 clients who will definitely be interested so fx!

can't wait to see houses tomorrow, if we like either of them we'll put in offer...and If we are very lucky we might be able to get on with the whole thing fairly soon!

Swoops in with links

Babystep 10 is a good one - the power of 15! You can do anything for 15 minutes.

No missions as it's a Sunday, it's renew your spirit day

I hate when I miss a few days, so much happens: dogs humping, DVDs of internal organs, decorating and summer holiday activities.

The latter is my excuse for the low profile, however we are ready for school next Wednesday, which explains the largish hole in my bank account (especially after the visit to Clarks)

On a plus note DD has won the prize draw at the local library, she's won a mummification kit! Luckily it does contain a small rubber skeleton, so I don't have to worry about being attacked with a 'brain hook'. So we've had the joy of plaster of Paris today, god it gets everywhere, but it kept her quiet for 2 hours, and there's at least 1 more afternoon worth of activities left to do.

On the flying front, meh, it's reasonable, and that's all I can hope for during a holiday (did I mention gloat we only have 4 days left?) TBH I'll miss her when she's back, it's been nice not to clock watch.

Morning all

I'm still here, on day 20 today and have been sticking to it so far (although starting to worry slightly as apparently down the line I'm supposed to fit some sort of weekly routine in as well as all this and not sure where I'm supposed to find the time to do fit this in )

Hope everyone is ok...need to check in more regularly to keep up with everyone!

Have the day to myself today, so wrote a list what I want to get done and 61 things on there already - think the power of three and 15 minutes will be used a lot today!

Will check back later with progress as will definitely need accountability today

Ha,ha, ha Today is Saturday which is Family Fun Day.

Blaming my 8 day week plus the summer holidays, I was sure yesterday was Saturday. Going now before Bitchy points and laughs

Shows how awake I am goth ...didn't even notice!

Just wasted loads of time looking for Velma...DD is having a Scooby Doo haunted mansion cake for her birthday and need to take figures to cake shop today and Velma has gone missing...do you think anyone will notice?Does anyone like Velma anyway? Can't waste any more time looking...today not going well already!

Five items crossed off list...but five new ones added

Goth - I hadn't even noticed your slip up

Had a good night's sleep, but unfortunately have already lost my temper this morning (children's demands and computers breaking and all at the same time as me trying to drink my wake-up cup of tea and needing peace and quiet - no chance).

Have told everyone to leave me alone so I can have some quiet MN time. They have all skulked away. Think the holidays might be getting to me. I am feeling really stressed.

Nothing much planned for today apart from having to get DS1 to practise his CBT homework, which involves us going to a cafe. Should be a nice, relaxing experience, but it will actually be really stressful for him and, therefore, for me.

Going to drink coffee now to kickstart myself. Hope you all have a good day.

Back now after

Done
Beds
S&S
2 loads laundry out (please don't rain)
Washing up
Set DD up for last batch of plastering

To do
Clean up after plastering!
Vacuum
Shopping
May take DD out for a practice on her bike.

10 down - 56 to go

Hope you have a lovely time at the cafe Toffee and DS doesn't get too stressed

Morning all.

Holiday today. Just whizzing around trying to get everything tidy as I hate leaving a messy house. Or rather I couldn't give a shit about leaving a messy unclean house but hate coming back to one. Also need to pack which is quite important.

If I don't get back on, i shall see all you lovelies in a week.

Good morning everyone!

Good luck with the next 46 items on your list Saturn!!
(Hope you find Velma figurine btw - presumably you can always add it in later... hate to say it but speaking as someone who's Velma-obsessed niece recently went to a fancy dress party dressed as said character with mustard socks, jumper and square glasses - I definitely think you can't leave her out.. she's too much of an icon!) Btw, don't worry about weekly routine, the theory is that as things get more organised and less cluttered, everything else takes less time, leaving you more time to do more chores ifyswim

Hope all OK Bitchy

Have a lovely time Ellie

Your post made me cackle last night Goth Well done to your dd and treble arf at "brain hook"!! Thanks for links too.

Glad you had a good day out yesterday but sympathies with lack of time by yourself Toffee I go a bit nuts when I can't retreat in to silence for a bit. Can you get out of house by yourself today at all? (I've just snapped at dd who is driving me nuts by constantly trying to evade washing/brushing of teeth - she is 10 fhs - not a 3 yr old. It's so boring having the same argument again and again and again.)

Great the valuation went so well Zing (a testament to your Flying skills) and good luck with the house-hunting!

Welcome back Jdub and good luck with Mt Washmore! (Should stress that glittery hoof oil is washed off at end of day) I'm now tackling the pile of muddy jodhpurs and boots that have been dumped in the hall.

Thinking of you Castle and ¨Trazzles, Just and Honu!

Had good day in the end yesterday, and cold/flu thing a bit better. DD had a great time with the ponies although she has developed a morbid fear of one of them who is a little to free and easy with her teeth and hooves. She and dh slept in a tent in the garden last night (I know, I know, dh is meant to be recuperating - but he insisted he wanted to and enjoyed it) They stuck it out until 4 am when a large crash and loads of police sirens woke them up unfortunately. (There appears to have been major burglary a couple of streets away.) Having a bit of a slobby weekend so far...

Ta da:
morning routine inc dw, wm, rabbits, s&s
hair cut
tidied hall
helped dh and dd with tent
tidied and cleaned down kitchen which I neglected to do last night
dining room table hot spot
muddy boot duty
wrote shopping list
took dh's shirts to laundry

To do:
sort/clean eveyrthing else that's muddy and put away
make carroty/lentilly/veggie dish that will either be a casserole or a thick soup, haven't decided yet
do something fun with dd
get dd to try on new clothes
send back on-line shopping items that don't fit
continue with laundry
out to bead shop to indulge in a bit of retail therapy buy a present for baby-sitter who is going back to USA
art shop for supplies for Monday's play date
quick supermarket shop
Channel 4 Racing from Ascot
4 x 15 mins boudoir
evening routine

Enjoy your weekends everyone!

Thanks SC, have added 'find Velma' to my to do list! Retail therapy...now that sounds more fun...may have to procrastinate on list for a while after lunch and go shopping...

15 down, 52 to go and half the day has gone already...this isn't going well!

Have a lovely holiday Ellie

So it has been a while since i did a round up. But ds is off at the park with Dsis, the visitors for whom the crisis clean was necessary have been and gone, with the deadline being met. And i am currently sat eating hideous quantities of sugar and chilling out with a touch of mn.

Firstly big thanks to Goth for posting the links for me, gratefully appreciated. Did notice the slip but my only thought was "It is sunday? That would be nice, this chaos would then be all over"

SC has been productive, brought tales of horsey activities that DD sounds to have enjoyed and sounds like dh is gradually improving which is lovely to hear. Btw glitter is always good!

*Ellie has come back from holiday, run around like the energiser bunny on speed getting all manners of tidying and decorating done and is now about to head off on a well deserved holiday!

PA has kept us entertained with the adventures of her doggy visitor, but will there be the pitter patter of tiny doggy paws?

honu managed calm and wise word, whilst the rest of us sniggered at poor PA's recent excitement.

castle has been drowning in food and celebrating the lovely news of her brother's engagement.

mercury has been struggling with lack of sleep but still managing flying. Impressively difficult sometimes.

Blue Had a lovely trip but ended up with frustratingly complicated planning to retrieve the car that decided it wanted a longer holiday.

Goth has been working on body declutter and has dd all ready for her return to school next week.

toffee has been living up to the second half her name and whirling around doing huge lists and lots of stuff.

trazzles impressed us with knowledge about non flying stuff

jess stuck her head in and together with Zing provided and received much needed hugs.

engles came back from holiday and is already working towards the new school year

Beginner joined us briefly, hopefully she didn't get intimidated by the high levels of natter and insane, which are failing common for the thread during august.

Whoknows returned from holiday has hopefully tamed the washing

Asheth has continued as she started this month, with a nice balance btwn life and housework.

JDub has also returned from holiday and had a plan for getting back in control

Saturn is on a hunt for velma from scooby doo for a fabulous sounding birthday cake. Good luck with the massive list.

Bitchy has survived play dates, crisis cleaning at deep clean level and visitors and is currently trying to get ds' stuff washed and sorted for his going away tomo. She is particularly looking forward to an early night!

Thanks for great round up, Bitchy.

Ellie - hope you have a lovely holiday.

SC - glad to hear your cold is a bit better. No chance of time to myself today, but am going up to London to meet a friend tomorrow, so will have all day away from family demands .

saturn - sorry about your humungous list. Could you break it down into chunks so that it isn't so overwhelming? I can't make long lists anymore because it makes me freeze up completely. Thanks for your good wishes for the cafe trip.

Goth - that mummification kit sounds as if it has kept your DD busy for quite a few hours .

Managed to get some time to myself on MN in the end as the DC and DH kept well away from me until I recovered my good temper . Did the chores then took DS1 out to the cafe whilst DH took DS2 out to for a walk. DS1 did really well. He actually managed to drink some apple juice (normally can't eat or drink in a cafe) and stayed for about half an hour without asking to leave. It was sooooo lovely to sit and chat with him in a cafe again. We used to do that a lot before his anxieties took over his life. I really hope he keeps working at this so that he can regain quality of life again.

We also walked up to our friend's house to feed the bearded dragons again. Had to feed them live crickets this time and I'm afraid I shrieked when I thought one was jumping at me . DS1 thought it was hilarious. He talked about all the pets he'd like - basically, an entire zoo in his bedroom .

About to cook dinner, so have poured myself a glass of wine to inspire myself. It's that time of day, surely?

(DS1 is looking up tropical fish tanks on ebay ).

Love the round up bitchy!

Yes, toffee long list completely overwhelmed me and once SC put the idea of retail therapy in my head, went shopping instead . Very rare get the chance to go shopping on my own and thoroughly enjoyed it - spent far too much money (sales on everywhere, not my fault!). Now going to try on all my lovely new things, then will look at list (is there a naughty bar round here? Think that is where I should be tonight) and break it down into what absolutely must be done today and what can wait.

In future if I come on here with great long lists can someone please bring me to my senses, like you Toffee lists just do not work for me - think it's the writing them that I enjoy

So glad the cafe trip went well, you must be so proud of DS

Hey y'all how's the day going ?
We went to a air show which was awesome but even more awesome when we got home I got some picking up done and a heap of washing up ! Miracles do happen ! Head start for my day full of 15 minute sessions tomorrow ! I hope people are gonna be around to kick me up the butt !! Kisses

I like the idea of being an energiser bunny on speed.

Happily ensconced in North Yorkshire. Sun is shining. I have wine. And all is right with the world.

Have a lovely time, ellie!

saturn - at your shopping trip. You are sensible to break down your lists - it's far less overwhelming.

Jess - I won't be able to kick you up the butt tomorrow because I'll be out all day - and it's 'renew your spirit' day anyway, as Goth reminded us yesterday!

Have made lasagne and fruity bars and drunk more wine. Unloaded and reloaded the dishwasher again. About to serve dinner, then read stories to both boys at bedtime. DS1 just won't read to himself, so I am reverting to reading to him instead.

Where is Swan, by the way? Haven't seen her here for ages?

Evening all,

Sorry to have been AWOL, been having a lazy week and feeling guilty about lack of Flying.

Toffee - Swan usually disappears off to Ireland for a few weeks in summer IIRC.

A nice day here today, been to a friend's wedding, DD was a bridesmaid. All went smoothly, it was a big but informal wedding which basically meant we sat at a table on the lawn all afternoon glugging Pimms while the DCs played (we were with two other couples with DCs the same ages as ours). The boys all disappeared under the table with a DS and an Iphone and the girls played with scooters and ride on toys (they are 9 and 7!).

Need to get cracking, I got downstairs tidy post-holiday but upstairs is a tip, the ILs are coming to stay for a few days on Mon, DH is working tomorrow, I'm really behind with my OU work and the DCs want to go to the seaside tomorrow (30 miles or so away). Gulp.

Happy Saturday evening everyone!
Hope you have more exciting plans than I do!
Saw my brother and fiancé off this afternoon, dropped in to visit DMil, did a crisis grocery shop, watched the live coverage from the Dublin Horse Show (can't believe I missed actually being AT it this year ) did a heap of dishwashing and have the ironing board and basket loads of laundry at the ready.....

There will be people about Jess, can't guarentee who.

I remember something similar to Whoknows re swan. Am sure I vaguely remember her saying something about being away this month.

Tbh August is usually so much quieter on the thread, it is a rarety that there are so many focused people. Normally it is the month for holidays and focusing on the kids hence why i volunteered to run it, smaller roundups

Absolutely exhausted by the crazy deep clean level crisis clean and have completely hit burn out. BUT after i have dropped ds off tomo for his big adventures with various family members who like to steal him away and spoil him rotten, I shall be carless and child free and there is a list of a small gentle jobs that need tackling.

At some point this next week I need to:
check my training kit
run machine over pinned blanket edging
sewing in name tapes of uniform (only had to buy new t-shirts and shoes but will get shoes nearer)
finish the sock monkey that got put on hold ages and ages ago because he lost an ear
finish making top
finish pattern mock up
make new pattern mock up
unpick alternative pattern mock up and check measurement
put my clothes away
finish crocheting blanket
sort all my paperwork out
banking
pair the socks

so basically a whole heap of stuff that involves sitting down. Which is always nice.

And the links are as follows:

Sunday is completely renew your spirit day. and i plan on catching up on sleep

No missions because it the weekend

babystep 11 is one that personally i feel is pretty wishy washy but does fit in with the focus for a sunday and some find it very helpful. wonders whether this one might vanish with the new more miltant style of the fat fairy

Sorry Jess, unlikely I will be around tomorrow as going away with work for a few days...was supposed to pack today for this today, but one of the things on my list that I didn't do - so will be packing in the morning. I have a tip for you for tomorrow though - don't make a list!!!

Ellie - sounds like you are having a lovely time already - enjoy!!!

Toffee - didn't break down list. List has been avoided and will be confronted again in the morning (if time permits depending on how long packing takes) tried on new clothes...clothes now everywhere...closed the door on room with clothes everywhere so I can't see how much mess I've managed to make...will deal with in the morning (if time permits depending on how long packing takes!) any left?

Sounds like a lovely day who knows, I also feel guilty about my lack of flying today...been on my own all day and managed to get less done than when I'm working and have a 5 year old to deal with

Castle to help you get through the ironing (hate ironing!)

Thanks for links bitchy

Going to bed now and hopefully have an early start in the morning and be more productive. Good night everyone