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!

Argh!!! Two big spiders in one night!! I swear I'm going to start walking around with a can of hairspray and a flyswatter... gasp gasp... I could deal with it if they were SLOW... but they're fast and hard to catch....

Morning all. In UK after DGM funeral yesterday. Went as well as could be expected. Sun came out which brightened the day.

Decluttered yestrday! DM is emptying out 2 spare bedrooms and there was a shelf of my things so was sorting recycling/charity/bin/burn and have come away with one bag of things and a winter coat.

Will try to get on laptop fri or sat to start Sept thread. Sorry for lack of personals...on phone now!

Alice - oh no, poor you. Rent-a-Kill offer a 'Professional Spider Service' (images of spiders with briefcases and bowler hats ). You have to be brave to click on the website, as they have included large photos of spiders (with eyes!), which they should know will lose customers because all the arachnaphobes will log off instantly. I braved it, however, and this is their advice:

Vacuum regularly, high and low - particularly sheltered spots such as beneath worktops, backs of cupboards or under/behind large furniture.

Remove noticeable webs - on a regular basis.

Fill in gaps - in walls, around pipework and under doors to deter entry.

Remove sheltering sites - like firewood piles, garden bags, compost piles and general clutter from near your property.

Deter all insects - use lighting in a way that is less attractive to the insects (flies) that spiders feed on.

They sell spider traps, but those have the disadvantage that you then have to look at the bloody things once they've been trapped.

I have used Spiderex (no nasty photos on this site) before and will use it again. In fact, your post has reminded me that I need to get organised to prevent the inevitable September invasion.

Engels - glad the sun came out for your DGM's funeral. Well done on the successful decluttering at your mum's house too.

ta da

Woken up by DS2 getting into bed with us
Replenished kitten food and water; dealt with litter trays
Made b/fast for me and DS2
Put rubbish and food recycling out
Put new binbags in
Unloaded d/w
Cleared dishrack
Shined sink
Checked emails and MN

Have a quiet day planned today so I can continue to work on my OU essay.

Hello everyone. We're back home. (Meant to be away for our own rare holiday time together but events have conspired against us.) Car broke down in UK, hotel in Germany we were planning to go to has shut, dh has a shed load of work (no change their then!) + torrential rain + dh's father is dangerously ill again and is going in to hospital on Mon for another op on Thurs (if he makes it that long).

Dashing about (dd attending horse centre every day since Tues) but just wanted to say ...

Toffee so sorry to hear about your mil. Hope she is OK. And does she have a personal alarm (the ones you wear around your neck)? MY late mother had one and they worked a treat when she fell in the garden one time (unhurt but she couldn't get up by herself). Very reassuring for someone who thinks they may fall again.

Engels Condolences once more and good to hear the funeral went as well as these things can. It's a lot to handle when you are pregnant. Take care of yourself and I am happy to do September thread if a later month at some point easier for you. (I'm also happy to do Oct or Nov) Just say the word!

Listen to your body Dizzy [proffers comfy chair with foot stool] and take it steady too! [And that goes for all pregnant fledglings hatching fledglings of their own!]

Spent most of this morning so far trying to chip away at the two rock-like lumps of dried mud left by dd on the kitchen doorstep last night. It turns out they are jodhpur boots underneath Got to deliver dd to stable now (and we are late) but big feathery waves to everyone else!

ergh - no change 'there' then

Wow at Goth's 175 broccoli and brilliant about your dd being in the top ten readers!! Congratulations to her !! And arf at your lunging dh!!

Toffee I think they come in through the breeze blocks or gaps in the front of the house, as there are quite a few plants out there and ivy.

I've seen two in ds2's room (thankfully neither boy seems to be scared of them), but no idea where they've come in from.

I can't really vacuum behind the tv stand as it's massive and solid wood... I did pull it out recently and do so. When I pull it out again to do the wallpaper, I will check for any gaps back there and fill them.

Alice - I'm going to find the polyfilla and go round the house filling in gaps today.

SC - welcome back - but sorry your holiday was cut short by circumstances. Very sorry also to hear about your FIL - I hope the op turns out well after all. And yes, MIL has several alarms in her flat (sheltered housing) including the ones she is meant to wear round her neck, but does she? Of course not. Have given up trying to reason with her. She tells me that she will put it on if she feels unwell and doesn't seem to 'get' the fact that she probably won't have any warning. She certainly didn't have warning the last two times she fell.

Which reminds me - I must ring her and check she's ok.

Also, SC, I feel for you missing out on your holiday with DH. On Tuesday, DS2 had an unexpected invite to a friend's house for the afternoon and DH came home early. We suddenly realised that we had the afternoon to ourselves (DS1 was upstairs on the computer). We started planning how to use this lovely two hours of freedom. Then the phone rang: MIL had had a fall. And that was the end of that oasis of free time . Obviously, it was dreadful that MIL had fallen, but when you don't get a lot of time to yourself it's really frustrating to lose it. We have had this happen so many times.

I hope you and DH can have a break together another time soon.

Have just posted new thread for September - could someone link as on geriatric laptop at my parents' which is just about to give up the ghost.

Going to catch up on thread on my phone (much quicker, though posting is a pain) while I wait for DH and DS to arrive in a few hours and tidy up my parents' house. It's so dirty and cluttered and stuffed with piles of things, it makes me want to take a shower which I cleaned yesterday before I could bring myself to take a shower

Hoping that DSis and BIL moving in in a few months time (which is what has prompted clearing out wardrobes in 2 spare bedrooms) will be the push they need to sort it out.

Have already tidied the lounge for them and gave bathroom a wipe over yesterday. Now going to do washing up and surfaces in kitchen.

I must say, visiting them certainly gives me the urge to clean and declutter my own house!!!

New September thread

Engels - I feel sorry for your DSis and BIL moving into your parent's house if it's that dirty and cluttered . Sounds like you are being very helpful to them with all your Flying.

Phoned MIL to find that she was in the middle of a drama and had phoned DH at work to ask him to come over. She has had ongoing problems with her boiler and now it turns out the boiler, which is in her bedroom wardrobe, has been leaking. DH has had to go round and sort it all out for her. I feel sorry for her - that's all she needs right now - but also for DH who has his work frequently interrupted by various crises. And if he doesn't work, he doesn't earn.

Engels congratulations on all the decluttering and thank you for new thread! Very good of you when you have so much on!

Thank you Toffee it sounds as if your summer hasn't exactly been one of undiluted relaxation! I hope you and your dh manage to carve out some some time alone to relax together a bit x. Life is hard enough without constant outside pressures (not that your mil can help her situation of course but believe me, I know what it is like to be constantly stressed/on tenterhooks over a family situation involving ill health/dependency etc).

Totally agree about it being so demoralising having plans constantly scuppered! It's ironic that the time when one need's to be tight with one's other half; is just at the time when it seems incredibly tiring and stressful to make the effort/make arrangements because of the draining and time sapping nature of what is going on and because those arrangements have been interrupted so often that it doesn't seem worth it!

Oh and as for Flying (grin) house a total tip (mud everywhere) and beyond doing essential/unavoidable routines and making sure that dd's uniform is in order, and keeping on top of laundry, I am not even thinking about housework until September, never mind doing any!

Feathery waves to one and all!

SC- DH and I are hoping to get some time together this weekend as DM is coming to stay. Am a bit worried she'll let the kittens outside by mistake, though . Yes, I understand what you mean about feeling too tired to make the effort to do anything in the end.

ta da (cont.)

One hour's ironing
Put ironed clothes away
DS1's b/fast
Swished and swiped
OU essay - background reading and notes
Various interruptions from DC, kittens, phone and social media
Lunch
Played with kittens

Back to work on OU essay now

Babystep Number 29: a pamper mission and do it.

Friday's focus is here: declutter your bag and car.

Sneak peak is here:detailed dusting session in sitting/living room.

The flight plan for Friday is here.

Feeling exhausted. Don't know why as I've been at home all day, working on OU stuff. Anyway, am going to give in to it and take myself off for an early night.

Engles so sorry to hear about your DGM but well done on the decluttering.

SC sounds like your holiday could be turned into a film (Planes, Trains & Automobiles)

Had another day at the croft so about 80 spring cabbages transplanted, I would have like to leave them in the cloche a bit longer but something has been eating them. Things are coming along nicely. Having a day at home tomorrow to do some much needed Flying

The house has descended into CHAOS and needs sorting from top to bottom and to cap it all off DH has just called from work to say he'll be handing his notice in on Monday .

We are going away staying at my sister's house for the weekend as DD and I running a 5k ColorRun on Sunday so I need to focus today on packing an overnight bag or 2.

I will be back for September as I had decided that after my birthday tomorrow life will be different. (especially if DH is unemployed )

goth - that link made me laugh .

dizzyday07 - sorry to hear that things are still strained between you and DH. I hope you get a good break at your sister's and that you have a happy birthday on Saturday.

Am not feeling too good today - awful headache, though paracetamol seems to have done the trick. Tried to get DS1 to go to his appointment at the dentist's, but he couldn't do it. I managed to stay calm this time and was very sympathetic, but also encouraging. In the end, I decided it just wasn't worth the angst, so I cancelled, explaining why, and the receptionist was very understanding.

The kittens are absolutely crazy. I have had to start shutting the kitchen door, otherwise they wreak destruction by chewing up kitchen rolls, clawing their way into boxes of new litter, jumping on the counters, etc. The tabby even jumped into the fridge when I opened the door this morning . They are not the calming influence we'd hoped for, but they are very lively and make us laugh a lot. DS2 played with them for ages first thing and was roaring with laughter at their acrobatics.

ta da

Fed and watered kittens

OU work - reading and taking notes
Checked emails etc.
Reminded DC to dress
Dressed to shoes
Reminded DC to dress again
Spent some time coaxing DS1 to come out
Phoned dentist to cancel
Took paracetamol
B/fast for me and DS2
Kitten playtime
Put recycling and kitchen rubbish out
Replaced bin bags
Cleared litter trays
Loaded d/w and switched on

That list makes it all look so straightforward, but all those 'ta das' were interspersed with numerous interruptions from children and kittens.

Have managed to get into my bedroom on my own for a bit so I can work. All is quiet - for now...

Oh no. I've been posting on September. Shame on me. Okay. I'm here. but I'm not reposting from the other thread as I'm laaaaaazy!

Dizzy - Happy Birthday and enjoy the colour run, Ds and I loved the one we did earlier in the summer :)

Toffee - a plant spray is your friend for teaching kittens not to go on the worktops, just spray them every time they get on there. It takes a while but works - even if it means they only go on the worktop when you aren't around and leap off and try to look innocent when you come into the kitchen :)
One of ours can still hear the fridge door being opened from anywhere in the neighbourhood and then tries to get her head in to have a good look

The tabby jumped into the fridge when I opened it earlier, feet. He has springs in his feet, I think. Thanks for the tip.

One of those stupid big spiders just prompted me to clean out the space above my cupboards. grrrrr. Nice that it's clean, but it had tons of stuff, most of which is now out in the bin. I had far too many cleaning things (that I wasn't using ).

Just popping in to say "hello". Mahoosive case of CBA here and not even pretending to try and battle it. House has gone to pot and I'm just "meh, so be it".

Fil still in a very bad way but dh (having finally 'heard' some of my darker mutterings) managed to have two whole hrs off work this afternoon which was much appreciated (and he only answered two calls during that time which was quite an accomplishment!!). We didn't do much but it was lovely and quiet (dd off with other young riders in the countryside subjecting a poor pony to horsey hair dye, hoof glitter and purple ribbons plaited in to its mane and tail for end of week 'parade'). Horse riding lessons are a lot more fun nowadays than back in my youth !

Did manage one bag of decluttering though: old riding hat (barely used and certainly never fallen on), two old pairs of jodhpur boots, and three pairs of old jodphurs (too small) gratefully received by stable who will sell them to raise money for mounting blocks for their disabled riders so very much a win win.

Toffee hope you are feeling better and that you enjoy your time with your dh this weekend.

Dizzy hope you have a fab birthday. Hope you have a lovely time and more power to your elbow with the plans you have ahead of you x Good luck for the run on Sun!

Goth arf at the slug cartoon! We are over-run with some real whoppers here - yurgh, I can't stand them!

Big waves to everyone else! Enjoy your weekend!

Sorry forgot to wave to Alice Engels and Feetheart too!

SC - really glad to hear you and DH managed some time together at last . I am feeling better, thanks. The headache came on after I'd dealt with DS1 refusing to go out and it hasn't come back, so maybe it was stress.

Alice - can't believe you had another big spider! I found a dead one in the kitchen this morning. Think the cats might have got hold of it (an unforeseen advantage of having cats).

Took the cats for their first check up at the vet today: both judged very fit and healthy . Have come home with flea and worm stuff for them and am going to book them in for neutering and chipping next month. Then took them to visit MIL, who lives round the corner from the vet's.

Cooking roast chicken for dinner with pre-cooked roast potatoes, as I knew I wouldn't have time to make them when I arrived home from the vet.

Have made some progress with OU essay, but am painfully slow and too often distracted by MN.