August fledglings fly over here - chatting and Flying will help us persevere!

[ToffeeWhirl]

Here we go again - another month for us to tackle our clutter and get on top of our housework!

If you’re struggling with C.H.A.O.S. (can't have anyone over syndrome) and S.T.U.F.F. (something that undermines family fun), you need Flylady.

Flylady is a system for managing housework. Starting with babysteps, it builds up into a routine which becomes second nature. In theory, once you are used to the system, you will have a tidy house you are not embarrassed by and plenty of time to get on with more interesting things.

Flylady banishes the panicky "rabbit in headlights" feeling when you are overwhelmed and everything needs doing all at once. If you fall off the Flylady bandwagon, it’s no problem: you just jump back in where you are and carry on.

Don't sign up for the Flylady emails as you will be inundated! All the information you need will be linked here on this thread on a daily basis.

From the first of the month, Flylady's steps and routines will be listed here on this thread.

Flylady uses a three-pronged approach (dependent on the stage everyone is at):

1. start or repeat baby steps

1. repeat baby steps + do 15 mins a day decluttering in the current zone

1. reinforce babysteps and do daily missions if you have finished decluttering.

(And detailed deep cleaning in each zone for those who have made real progress).

More info here on getting started (but ignore step one!) and Flying lessons. Here's the launch pad for more experienced fledglings.

Try to ignore Flylady’s purple prose (hard, I know) - the underlying system is sound!

Three key points to keep in mind:

1. No perfectionism allowed - this is harder than you would imagine.

1. You are never behind - just start where you are and anything you do is progress.

1. It didn't get into a mess overnight, it won't get tidy overnight - accept it will take time to get on top of things and you will be happier.

If you are new, then trying to spend 15 mins decluttering and doing the babysteps is the most you should expect of yourself. Lots of us here like posting our ‘to do’ or ‘ta da’ lists and they can look quite scary. Don’t be put off.

If all else fails, try the power of three – just pick three things that most need doing and focus on those.

And if you have visitors coming over this afternoon and need a quick fix NOW, try Flylady's crisis clean.

We all know each other pretty well on this thread and some of us have been around for a long time, but all lurkers, oldies and newcomers are very welcome!

Hope dd is ok this morning SC

I have 4 big boxes that i will be burning next week alice. I have already burnt 12 boxes of shredding this year. Due to the sheer qunatity it makes a good fire for toasting marshmallows cos i would break the shredder. It feels bloody good to get rid of it doesn't Alice

Ds is in a very chipper mood after more than 12hrs sleep. unfortunately I did not sleep enough, got too hot in my sleep and have woken up tired and with a migraine. So the plan is a whole heap of computer based skills challenges for the child and curling up with sorting the laundry as I have just remembered that as of monday night I have no washing machine for up to 4 days due to building works. Not a major pain as ds is away and I can wash before and after but does mean i need to be organised

To do:
stuff
not kill anyone
not to suffer hideously
ds doing computer stuff
declutter more of ds' room
ds to training

is it bedtime yet? nope and it is a late night

Yes Bitchy I love getting rid of stuff, it's just so hard to do! But loads of paperwork still to go through. I used to burn them in the chiminea in the back garden, but this way I can sit and just shred by hand (with the shredding scissors) and watch television, so when I'm tired I can just stop, rather than be stuck monitoring a fire.

I've emptied one box in my dining room. Three more to go. (thought I'd brought down 3, turns out it was 4. See how well I pay attention to what I'm doing??

To do
Check for any washing to put on
Start filing system
Email company about faulty goods
Draft letter re: van rental
Finish tidying playroom
Clean up garden
Cut grass
Take measurements of display cabinet
Email person about display cabinet

I can see I'm not going to gt ANYTHING done today. Ds1 is all over the place and ds2 is crying every time you look at him, so having an incredibly whingey day. sigh.

Treble snurk at whoknows' knob polishing comment!!

Thanks everyone! DD is fine-ish this morning, a bit pale and a bit tired but no pain or other symptoms. Ate 3 pancakes for breakfast and she certainly felt strong enough to protest loudly about having to have a bath and a hair wash anyway . Will definitely take her to the doc if it reoccurs even slightly though. Want to make sure she is definitely well before we head off to Blighty again at the weekend.

Yes! Still have more boxes of paper than you Alice Haven't counted them but tons in office and then there are the ones that moved with us in the roof, eh, a decade ago . Sorry your dc are general whingy today - hope they feel better as the day goes on. Btw, what are shredding scissors please? (Have an electric shredder here but its a bit of a pita, overheats, things get stuck, you have to stop every 5 mins to clear etc.) Also thanks for appendicitis advice - noted about bladder pain area - will definitely push fluids.

Bitchy so glad your ds slept so well (he obviously needed it!) but sorry your night wasn't equally restful [hands over paracetemol and strong ] Hope you feel better as day goes on. (And I am laundering with you in spirit - still piles and piles to do!)

Toffee hope your dh is feeling a bit better today!

Dizzy you sound very organised and on top of things. Good luck re: med appt.

Coffeeandcream sorry, have not forgotten about pm'ing you about how to do links! I just do it ordinary way through Flylady site and cutting and pasting from previous day (which is what I will pm you about) but it sounds as though Bitchy and toffee have more technologically sophisticated ways of doing it which I am too thick to understand

Really should have far less sleep more often because have had very productive morning so far (started at 6am!):

Ta da:
tended to rabbits, fish, hamster
complete, thorough tidy up and home bleugh ground floor, 1st floor bathroom and 2nd floor
carried trestle table up to terrace and started repotting a few plants (wip)
dd planted out some kitchen herbs someone had given her in a set for her birthday
released butterflies which hatched during weekend in garden and waved goodbye
red wash done and out drying on terrace
dark wash in progress
wrestled with and ironed 4 double fitted sheets

To do:
nip to plant shop for a few specimens to fill in gaps in terrace pots
buy flowers
carte d'identitie admin
thank you letter to aunt and uncle
upload photos
carry on ploughing through laundry
BOUDOIR (which has become littered with detritus again sadly)

Lovely and sunny here again (but not too hot or humid) which makes such a difference to my productivity levels!!)

Have a good day everyone!

SC no worries - I just know that bladder infections can go badly very quickly once they reach a certain point and fluids can sometimes clear things up (flush it out so to speak) before it gets too bad - sort of gives the antibodies in the body a chance to fight it before they're overwhelmed IYSWIM.

shredding scissors are like this...
www.amazon.co.uk/Blade-Security-Kitchen-Shredding-Scissors/dp/B0012D1CB0

Granted, not as fast as a shredder, but it means I can sit here shredding while the television is on and not make a bunch of noise. I just go through the papers and tear then into strips, then shred. It actually goes fairly quickly, and once you're caught up, only takes a few minutes to do it as the mail comes in.

Alice - sorry you're having a testing day. Best to forget getting anything extra done and just focus on the DC for the moment. It's better not to fight it when they're like that - too frustrating. Got any playdough? That always calmed my two down for a bit. Otherwise, going outside for a runaround was the best thing.

By the way, I had no idea there were such things as shredder scissors. I have now bought a pair! Thank you for that. I will look forward to shredding all my papers.

Wow, Bitchy, that's a lot of sleep for your DS. Sorry you didn't get enough though. Hope the computer skills challenge keeps him occupied.

DizzyKipper - hope the midwife appt went ok. It sounds as if your DD is a born leader - she's already delegating the menial jobs!

Feeling groggy, thanks to going to bed too late again (1.30 before I could sleep). And this was in spite of feeling so tired during the day. However, I've ordered a CD that's meant to help your child sleep and told DS2 that he's going to listen to that this evening (it's due from Amazon today), instead of me sitting in his room, waiting for him to sleep. I only started doing it because he went through a phase of feeling very frightened if he was in his room alone, but I've reassured him endlessly and now I'm fed up with it. It's taking up precious hours in the evening and having a knock-on effect on me getting DS1 to bed and then getting to bed myself. By the time I'm finally free to go to sleep, I'm wide awake.

ta da

Woken up by DS2, got up, washed hair, got dressed to shoes
Swished and swiped in the bathroom
B/fasts for all
DS2 and I to work with DH
Tidied up and hoovered DH's office
Packed orders
Home by 11.30. Lunch
DH very grumpy - dispatched back to bed
Unloaded d/w
Put washing on

DS2 is going to a friend's house this afternoon. I am intending to do some ironing, but I think I might catch up on sleep too.

X-posted, SC. Glad your DD is feeling better this morning. I see you and I have identical plans for this afternoon .

Alice - Amazon are going to get a surge of orders for shredder scissors today!

By the way, I am genuinely planning to do some knob polishing later today .

Toffee they are so handy - and ds1 really gets upset at the noise from it (sensory), so it's a much better option for me. And I feel a bit more productive lounging in front of the telly tonight watching GBBO.

argh - kids and typing don't mix - ds1 gets upset at the noise from a regular shredder.... not the scissors obviously.

I like the idea of combining decluttering with watching telly, Alice .

Have just waved DS2 off with a friend and his mum. He said he wants to stay for two hours but no longer, which is annoying cos I could do with three hours of uninterrupted time.

Right, time to start on the ironing .

Hope you get some (if not completely uninterrupted but nearly) time to yourself Toffee

Thx for scissors link Alice!

Have booked doc appt for dd tomorrow because as day goes on she is definitely still a bit peaky.

Having cleaned almost entire house & just put finishing touches to dsis1's + entourage rooms and made beds etc etc, she has just telephoned to say that she has won't realistically have enough time now to finish her work and come out; so is not coming, which is disappointing but understandable.

Feel a bit all at sea now having geared up to it all week - deflating balloon syndrome

Going to carry on with the washing and gardening anyway ... .

Enjoy the afternoon everyone!

Oh, that's a shame about your visitor, SC . At least you have a lovely clean house though. Sorry your DD is still peaky.

I take it you didn't get an afternoon nap either? I checked my Fly app, remembered it was anti-procrastination day (posted the link for that last night, so I should have remembered) and ticked off one of the jobs on my 'to do' list that I've been putting off for ages (finding out where to buy new caddy bags for food recycling bin; turns out I can buy them in a shop round the corner from the house where DS2 is at the moment, so I can buy them soon).

ta da

Located caddy bags
Hung washing out
Put DS2's bedclothes in w/m
Unloaded and reloaded d/w
Wiped kitchen surfaces
Gave DS1 a late lunch because he was still on b/fast when we were eating lunch
Printed out map and train times for day trip with DS2 tomorrow
Started tackling the ironing moutain

The sky has suddenly become very overcast. Am really hope I don't have to bring all the washing in again.

ironic that I'm putting off looking at the flylady app on "anti-procastination day"

Apple

ta da

Phoned to see how DS2 was getting along; he wanted to stay longer
Ironing - 30 minutes
Put freshly ironed clothes away

Still not raining, so have left washing outside. Am going to allow myself a little nap now. What's the likelihood of it starting to rain as I'm napping?

ta da
folding
ironing
go through ds' pantsd and cull too small
set ds a couple of computer based challenges
15mins decluttering in his room (hidden laundry and rubbish kinda stuff)
turn two boxes of junk stuff into 1 box of rubbish, half a box of stuff to be put away and a small pile of no idea wtf to do with - ds helped
negogiate the chucking out of old worn out bedding
make up ds' kit for tonight
half pack ds' stuff for next week

Ds is feeling realy stressed and mithered about the decluttering and throwing out of stuff. He has, however, allowed stuff to get chucked so am feeling proud of the kid. So i suspect that it really is small and often on the decluttering. Thankfully I can get a good chunk of it done whilst he is away and he will come back to a streamlined but not finished bedroom.

Haven't had chance to get up today and feel really yucky so next stop is shower then out of the door for training by half past. Week 3 of the holidays and ds is ready to be back at school. Only 2 1/2wks to go... not that anyone is counting

Shit just realised i have a camhs meeting to prepare for. Arses. I expect it will go
Me: this is the problem
Them: oh dear that is not right
Me: what are you sugesting that will help
Them: couldn't possible say
Me: so you are discharging us again
Them: yep

Bitchy that does sound totally and utterly demoralising

Arf at Alice procrastinating over procrastination!

Yes toffee visitor ready house (well as visitor-ready as this house gets) is not to be sneezed at - would have got very holidayish and slobby otherwise. Dh and I now have double bed made with best linen with lots of lovely reading pillows too! And nah, day-time napping is not for me as I always feel far worse afterwards but hope you have a good 'un!

Just bringing in the washing here too as rain clouds accumulating ...

Ta da:
-made healthy lunch for dd and I and tidied up
-potted up 8 new plants on terrace to fill in the odd gap and 'keep the garden going' as it is now looking a bit blowsy and overgrown
-phoned dsis1
-phoned dsis2
-made doc's appt
-played football for 15 mins with dd (crikey I'm unfit)
-dark blue load out machine and hung up
-mixed cotton load on, done, hung up
-2nd mixed cotton load on

Bit of a lazy day today, meh.

What's the name of the fly lady app? I searched 'fly lady' and a load of crappy games came up.

I use Home Routines app but I quite like the sound of having all the missions and extras that aren't included

I have also ordered shredding scissors!!

It's this one, coffee. Funny that you have also ordered the shredding scissors!

Managed a 15-minute doze. Brought the washing in before it started pouring. Collected DS2 from his friend's house and bought the recycling bags from the corner shop nearby on the way home. It's only taken me about a year to organise that .

Cooking a lamb and apricot tagine for dinner tonight.

Erk. Have had a ridiculously grumpy afternoon. This morning was nice with friends, but had to rush home to sort out some work stuff and DS1 was in complete meltdown over a Nerf gun for ages. Got very with him and then with myself for losing it, and generally feeling like retiring to a darkened room with and a jar of Nutella.

Sorry about visitors not coming, SC

Haven't caught up since I first joined which is just awful! I'm failing after a couple of days! Really not helpful. Right, time to take control. Things have changed slightly in that I have a guest coming over next Wednesday and my house is erm.... messy. I pretty much have to panic tidy/clean my entire house. This is completely not acceptable in the slightest!

New plan:
Tomorrow - downstairs - tidy lounge completely
put away latest load of washing

Need an early night in preparation!

There are some things in my life which are changing and therefore I really need to tackle the house now to become more organised or it could all go wrong! Need to keep the focus!

Good luck everyone and I will catch up properly tomorrow.

Okay, I've watched the bakeoff. Now I'm going to continue shredding and watch a few programmes on Netflix. I'd go get a drink (have a lovely bottle of chocolate cream liqueur with vodka sitting out in the kitchen, but I'm too lazy to get up and get it.

This is what UI use instead of a shredder Protect ID stamp. After my experience of several years ago when I decluttered 20 years worth of paperwork with a very basic, constantly overheating shredder and had do proper way of disposing of the resulting shreds I bought this stamp and a bottle of ink to refill it with, now I don't need to shred anything except shiny paper which the ink slides off. It sits on the kitchen counter and I use it to deal with junk mail etc the moment it comes through the front door so it goes straight in the recycling.