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!

WhoKnows -

Love the cats! Grew up with one but DH is allergic to everything!

Ta da
Yesterday's wash away
Wash#1 done, dried, sorted and away
Wash #3 done
Wash#4 on
Kitchen table decluttered and now proud home of diary on stand
Washing up and wiped down kitchen surfaces
Hoovered kitchen, downstairs toilet and lounge
Emptied bins in kitchen and bathroom
Cleaned downstairs toilet/sink
Hoovered stairs and bathroom
Cleaned shower/toilet/sink
DS and I showered
DS now in bed

Was thinking about ironing while watching Sherlock, but reckon after that lot I will put my feet up instead. There is just something about DH being in the house siting on his arse that makes me feel very tired and very lazy. When he's not here, I generally get a lot more done and feel more motivated. I guess then I feel like I'm tidying for myself to have a nice living space, rather than tidying for someone else who doesn't pull his weight but will be the first to complain if the place is a pit

Sometimes I find it very hard not to get dragged down with his depression. But today has been a good day (getting DH out of the house this morning at 10am for a walk was a victory ).

Anyway, we both have the week off, 2 nice things tomorrow (20w scan and dinner for wedding anniversary). 2 child free days to do what I want as well (will mostly be school stuff to prepare for next week or house stuff).

Alice re limescale and toilets. cheap coke and leave to soak for a few hour before stiff brush and gloves to give a scrub apparently will do wonders.

I am home. I am tired. I should be doing paperwork. But i think i am about to go to sleep coe my bed is comfy.

Bitchy I've tried it, but was diet coke, does that make a difference? Get some rest if you need it. No point wearing yourself out further. I was going to do some more shredding tonight, but I have a headache and am tired, so just going to relax.

I think the link i saw suggested leaving it more than 24hrs if really bad. clearly they didn't have kids.

Indeed I have more training tomo. Roll on tuesday, i have been consigned to compulsory rest on tuesday. No getting out of bed unless it is for essential needs. Normally this drives me mad. I am actually looking forwards to this. I have a new book in honor of the occassion.

24 hrs In my house? No toilet in my house goes that long without being used. lol

I know alice I think my mental response was HAHAHAHAHAHA need to change my alarm and take out my contacts. it seems like too much effort.

Whew. A large amount of decluttering today. Pretty well all day long, apart from going out to the pub for lunch and beach afterwards, then some more baking (thanks GBBO, tomorrow I will be trying to assemble biscuits into a house).

DH's tada list for the weekend.

Tidied shed
Cut grass and strimmered long bits
Three loads of washing hung out
Ironing and clothes sorting
Washing up and general kitchen clearing

My tada list

Strimmered allotment (cordless strimmer arrived Thurs, can you tell?)
Two lots of washing
Food shopping
Decluttered craft area of kitchen - took a good two hours, was very thorough, also went through every collection of pens and pencils in the house, sorted, got rid of a lot).
DEcluttered landing toy shelves
More clean clothes put away
Strippedspare bed and our bed and remade (MIL arriving tomorrow)

We are drowning in clutter again. I think I have got too much in the habit of putting baskets and magazine racks in every room to tidy into and just filling them with crap. So we are getting rid of some. The pens and pencils were crazy too, we had two small drawers jammed with them plus a couple of other boxes upstairs and could we ever find a normal grey pencil? No, so I kept buying more. I must have found about a hundred of them today, plus similar amounts of biros. Have chucked out every non-working felt tip (i.e. most of them) and sorted more than half the coloured pencils to donate to Brownies.

Sorry to be here so late with the links. The kittens have woken up and come out of their den and they are....crazy! They are charging all over the dining room, jumping up on shelves and tables and play fighting (I think) with each other. The white one likes nipping my toes. One of them managed to nibble on the phone cable and has cut off our phone .

DH is muttering darkly about whose bloody idea it was to get two (that'll be me ).

Anyway, here are the links:

We are on Babystep Number 18: read Flylady's 11 commandments.

Monday is our day to the house.

The sneak peak for the week is here. We are in Zone 4: the master bedroom. This is the one room that most of us seem to leave till last. Today's mission is to spend 15 minutes getting rid of anything that doesn't belong in your bedroom. I know, it'll take a lot more than 15 minutes. But the idea is that you are getting rid of some of the stuff, not all of it. Every little helps.

The flight plan is here.

And this week's pamper mission is to pamper your feet.

Night all.

Awful weekend, still trying to fly, DH away in a few weeks ans having dreamy thoughts of a week off work (dc in nursery) and hiring a skip....

Sorry it's been a tough weekend, Soot. Is your DD on the mend?

Do it sootball - DH won't notice if you throw it away (I am sorely tempted to try this tactic with DH - there are things in this house that have definitely not seen the light of day since I moved in 7 years ago!).

That's a pamper mission I can get on board with toffee (if I can reach my feet).

Busy day here. We have painters in thsi week formour front and back doors, window grames and external pai twork so DH is off for the week and supervising.

I am therefore in charge of DS on non-nursery days and making coffee.

Ds has just started to tantrum when the television goes off, so think it's time to be very strict with screen time...he's only 2 and is stamping his feet!

Today's aims are some outside time and some decluttering of dining table hotspot. 20w scan this afternoon then dinner to celebrate wedding anniversary this evening (and my house looks fairly respectable - MIL proof anyway!).

Great decluttering efforts whoknows btw!

Good morning everyone. Sorry but this is just a flying visit this morning,ill try and catch up with everything tonight. Just want to get my list down.

To do today
Duvet back on bed
Remove at least 5 bits of clutter from storage room
Deal with clutter bowl on dryer
Dry clothes
Meal plan for rest of week
Calculate week's budget
Sweep and mop floor

Forgot:

Pay van repairs!

I need a to do list as well, I hava managed to lose my to do notebook (had it with me on holiday, remeber packing it, but can't find it since we got home).

Phone vet
Email DM
Email some info re trip to Scotland next week
Take DS for Ed.Psych assessment (not going to forget this, it is preying on my mind)
Shopping with DD while we wait
Pick up DMIL from station
DCs swimming lessons
Hoover
3 loads washing

Nothing, I repeat NOTHING is going to get done in this house today until I can have coffee. I cannot do that until the dcs stop fighting and arguing long enough for me to leave the blasted room to make my coffee.

This is not a good start to the day.....

Ta-da!

Hoover. Middles of rooms only, downstairs only.

ps Soot - sorry to hear about the crap weekend, hope DD is OK. I too have been harbouring thoughts of hiring a skip.

Until my hoover is replaced, I have been reduced to cleaning my living room carpet on my hands and knees with a stiff brush and a dust pan. I am soooo looking forward to a new hoover!

Ta da
yesterday's wash folded and away
coffee for painters
started work on hotspot...so much shit there
wrapped DN's birthday present

Next to do
Finances and online banking

Morning!

We were visiting ILs yesterday, which was nice, but tiring. Today is so autumnal I think a spot of blackberry picking is on the cards. Still trying to keep the kitchen tidy, having got it that way... Have also put out a bag of clutter for the Sally Army.

Toffee - yes, MIL's shy kitten has come out of his shell a lot when it's just them. He's still terrified of strangers and inclined to panic though.

Thanks SC, don't feel we do that much sporty stuff compared to some people on here though. Hoping that replacement clip for DS1's cycle helmet will come through before we need to go into town tomorrow.

Hullloooo!! Lovely blustery, fresh, sunny day here and we are off again ... . Rabbit sitter has just arrived and installed herself, took one look at the place and offered to do some cleaning and tidying up in addition to looking after animals She is our office cleaner so well used to our clutter thank heavens!

DD and me (together) and dh are off in different directions and hope to meet up in the middle somewhere for last four or five days of holidays! So won't be back on here until last day or so of Aug.

(Happy to run Sept or Oct thread whichever suits Engels best. And Engels don't worry if you now have too much on your plate (with recent bereavements) to thread run.)

In the meantime, wishing you all a fantastic end of the summer and good luck with back to school prep!

Engels enjoy 20-week scan!! Arf at crackling story

Toffee lovely pic of furries! Sound as though they are settling in quickly! And thank you for mega-double-thread-running-marathon in July and August!!!

Soot hope you are ok

Whoknows we seem to acquire crayons and felt tips from nowhere! The supply just keeps growing ... .

Saturn take it steady, sometimes there just aren't enough hours in the day!!

Bitchy take it steady too!

Big waves to Eustacia Blue Feetheart Ellie HOnu Just (if you happen to be lurking) Nicknacks dizzy Goth Carpe Coffeeandcream Castle PA Pushme Kia Trazzles Lairy Plod Mercury and Alice¨and everyone else I've inevitably missed (because I'm rushing)!!

Beautiful Green English Countryside here I come!! Whey-heeeeeeeyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!

SC have a lovely time!!

Massive link fail upthread. I will try again:

Monday is our day to clean our house.

Kittens had a quiet night. They are back in their bed now.

SC - hope you and DD have a lovely holiday.