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!

This one

Love parkers and had a great one for my 21 st birthday but lost it was nicked by a student when teaching in the UK.

Oooh and first time using clicky links worked. Bodes well for the fledglings next month

Ta da
Anniversary card ordered
Online banking

Don't think I will make it into town today as cba. Instead on mn and fb and doing Christmas browsing (I know it's August but in my defence I get a lot of stuff online and many sites either won't deliver to NL or charge an extortionate amount. I usually get delivered to my parents but our last UK visit is in October because of baby so have to get sorted!!!!).

Pretty Engles. I am furiously protective of my fountain pen, people can admire it but I litterally leap out of my chair and snarl at anyone who tries to use it!

Ta da
Had a lie in
Finished book (Shutter Island)
Vanish applied to DSs food stained clothes
Wash on

DS is ill so I'm drastically lowering execrations today, so:
to do
Dinner into slow cooker
Change bed sheets
Food shopping
Lounge hot spot: bug pile if papers and magazines on sofa

Dear god what is an execrations?! Expectations ffs!

Must proof read before posting

Ta da
Dress
Make bed
Hoover downstairs
Wash on with first throw
Swimming stuff in dryer

To do
Tidy and clean desk
Unload dishwasher
Load of washing washed and dried
Clean down in utility room
2 sofa throws washed
Hoover upstairs
Hotspot
Slow cook dinner sounds like a good idea.....

Phew. Meeting over. It went fine, although no decisions were finalised. Now I just have to wait and see what happens. There are a series of hurdles to overcome: agreements to my amendments to the statement and then agreement to our school choice. We probably won't know till early September.

Off to have a cup of tea and cheer myself up by watching an old b&w film on the Titanic with DS2 (his latest project - his choice). I have warned him that it won't end well....!

Afternoon all,

Is it too early for wine? Just had an irate customer ranting on the phone because their account isn't open yet - because they haven't sent the application form. And that's my fault how?!

Anyway, been shopping (early lunch) and come out with three new bras but no shoes.

Still no AF

Glad your meeting went well Toffee. Fingers crossed they have taken onboard your arguments and ds gets the support he needs.

I spent yesterday afternoon and this morning decluttering dcs room. Im planning on doing a carboot sale with a friend next weekend to get rid of lots of things they have outgrown.

Ta da
Hoovered downstairs
Beds made
Swimming things washed
Dc bathed and hairs washed
More decluttering in dcs room
Pasta cooked for lunch

To do
Wash up
Get washed and dressed
Clear dc floor
Decide what to make for dinner
Go to work

X post - no of course it isn't too early for wine

Ta da
Dress
Make bed
Hoover downstairs
Wash on with first throw
Swimming stuff in dryer
Load of washing washed and dried
Hoover upstairs
Unload dishwasher
1 sofa throw washed
Get rid of all cobwebs in house (yuk!)

To do
Tidy and clean desk
Clean down in utility room
1 sofa throw washed
Hotspot
Slow cook dinner sounds like a good idea.....

Toffee FX you get what you need.

Coffee Quite right, fountain pens should never be shared.

for Carpe and anyone else who needs it!

I have a new mantra "she's back at school next Wednesday"

Done
Breakfasts
Washing up
Cleaned taps
S&S
Litter tray
Washed kitchen bin
Rubbish & recycling out
Post office & shopping for bits I missed yesterday accompanied by grumpy DD

To do
Ironing
Small bit of gardening
Possibly baking
Dinner
Washing up & SS

Dear Lord, cleaners certainly earn their money!
I have spent 2.5 hrs in total cleaning but kept having to stop to clear up first (another plan with trying to get a cleaner was that it would make us all be a lot tidier!) so have done about 4 hours in all.
I am shattered but house looks better and I have FINALLY got rid of the big, wonky coffee table in the living room that has been in the way for over a year. Admittedly it is now on the patio but it is No Longer In The House :)
I do also have to sort out our bed as everything on our bedroom floor has just been dumped on the bed - I will clear my stuff and leave DH's in the hope that he sorts it and realises just how many books he has squirrelled away down his side of the bed!

To do:

• Toast for lunch
• Pick up DD and friend
• Buy carrots and ice-creams on the way home
• Make dinner

Toffee - glad meeting went as well as it could. Was anyone taking minutes? If not it may be worth doing your own and sending them to whoever chaired it so their is a record (cynical moi?)

Engels - I do love a fountain pen. Been looking to get DD one but they all seem to be ££s.
Glad to see resting is the order of the day :)

Carpe - for you re dim angry customer.

Right, I have 10 mins to make and eat lunch

I am absolutely shattered, I had a horrible night of insomnia, spent the morning at work and now have an hour to finish a job application and get it emailed in before the 5pm deadline. I am so tired I am at the point where i want to cry rather than do paperwork. Needless to say first stop whilst everything is loading up, is to go get an ice cream out of the freezer.

Well, bit late to the thread this month, but hi anyway.
Thanks Toffee for sterling work both last month and this.

feet if you struggle to get jam into jamjars then this is the essential bit of kit. I make quite a lot of jam and marmalade and always made a terrible mess before I had it.

I am, very slowly, slaying the paperwork dragon. I bought 5 collapsible crates, labelled 4 of them with categories and the 5th 'anything else'. I put these on the front room floor. I also had 3 random piles on the floor called 'rubbish', 'shred' and 'vitally urgent'. I then got piles of paper off my desk, stood in the middle of the room, and distributed them appropriately not actioning anything.

Then I cleaned the empty (but for diary and laptop) desk - and that felt really weight-lifted-off-the-mind good.

Then went round the house picking up other heaps of paper and doing the same with them.

Rubbish paper to recycling, shredding in bag by shredder (still there) and urgent (fortunately not much) onto desk to be actioned.

Crates now in pile, top one being worked on. Incoming mail still going into appropriate crate if not urgent but, and this is the crux, I now feel in control and can just work on a bit at a time, confident that all appropriate papers can be found in the crate.

I suppose the above was a tada in process!

Anyone got any tips to stop jam splatter everywhere because that is the bit that I hate. The cleaning up afterwards. Benches, cooker, tiles, under cupboards and me.

Job application has gone. thank fuck. not my best piece of work but best i could do today. thankfully a cv was not considered acceptable because i realised that mine is hideoulsy out of date. whoops.

Lots of busy fledglings today!

Welcome back, Honu ! Sounds like you are doing well tackling the paperwork mountain.

Well done on getting the job application out of the way, Bitchy.

feet - wow, you've had a busy Flying day. No, nobody taking minutes at the meeting, but I did email the caseworker afterwards, thanking her and saying I was looking forward to hearing the outcome of the next panel meeting, as we'd discussed. And I've made my own notes of the meeting. I can't quite bring myself to send those to her.

Goth - at "She's back to school next Wednesday!" Lovely to have around, but tiring, yes? DS2 is being particularly exhausting at the moment: it's the endless chatter and the shouts of "Muuuuum!" that's really getting to me, lovely as he is.

Lairy - you've been busy. Any more twinges?

I have a small ta da list, it should be longer, but not sure i can face it after the complete lack of sleep last night:

ta da
showered, up and out having found clothes after losing my 1 good pair of trousers :(
Work
meeting
shopping
write 3 1/2 appologies for late thank you card letters
put a load of washing on
print out pain diary stuff i created last night
write Job application and get sent off
completely revamp CV
sort out all emails
look into issue of tablet vs upgrading phone

Not much actually flying going on, lots of admin stuff.

Am back in work tomo, but finish earlier. Which is good because i have no energy to boil up Jam tonight. Instead I think i am going to eat tea and head straight to bed. feeling positively ill from lack of sleep now.

Thursday's to do list
work
finish last appology letter
write letter to gran
finish laundry
boil up Jam
try to spend 15mins decluttering my room

Updated Done
Breakfasts
Washing up
Cleaned taps
S&S
Litter tray
Washed kitchen bin
Rubbish & recycling out
Post office & shopping for bits I missed yesterday accompanied by grumpy DD
Ironing
Baking:
Sausage rolls using leftover pastry from yesterday's raspberry pudding
Bread
18 little chocolate cakes
large coffee chocolate cake
Dinner
Washing up & SS

Am so looking forward to getting the normal routine back, have loved the freedom of the summer holiday, but due to in-service days DD will have just short of 7 weeks off.

Tomorrow is Babystep Number 7: before you get into bed, choose the clothes you are going to wear the next day. I always do this now and find it one of the most useful Flylady habits, especially as I'm always really groggy first thing.

Thursday is errand day: get all your errands done today, then you have the rest of the week free for other stuff.

Tomorrow's mission is to clean the doors, handles and surfaces of your big appliances (fridge, etc).. Set your timer to 15 minutes for this mission, no more.

And here's the flight plan for the day.

I'm off to bed soon, as we have an early start tomorrow, driving to Hertfordshire to deliver some books, then having a celebratory pub lunch somewhere (it's our anniversary today).

Night all.

It was me toffee that got a skip. Truly the best decluttering thing we ever did.

Still poorly with my abscess. :( I'm on two lots of ABs and painkillers. I had to send my mindees home today at lunchtime, struggled on until I could no longer. Also told parents I couldn't work tomorrow (different children though). First time in 5 yrs of minding I've taken a sick day. Feel like I'm letting them down even though they've all sent lovely messages. If you use Childcare would you be annoyed with me if I was your cm?

A bit chaotic here, and I had lovely friends over all day, so other than eating brownies and drinking coffee and tea, I've not done a whole lot.

I've decided that I'm going to put the redecoration stuff aside for a few weeks and focus on decluttering. It's really difficult to do any of the upcoming projects with the dcs home, for safety reasons, so I will have to postpone them until September when they're back in school. Until then I'll be going room to room, decluttering and cleaning.

Oh nicknacks I'm really sorry, I have been at the wrong end of an abscess ans it was horrendous. And no I wouldn't be annoyed with you, these things happen and I'm sure that they appreciate your brilliant care the rest of the time. Big hug. Even if it is mumsnet.

I've a cleaning question - how to clean a stainless steel effect fridge freezer. It's filthy as the DC like to smother it in handprints but whenever I try to wipe it then it smears. Thoughts very welcome. We have guests this weekend and I need to blitz downstairs.

lairy I saw your post in larger families, I'm hugely broody for a third DC although ours isn't an average family as one of my girls is disabled ans I do want my younger dd1 to have an able bodied typical sibling. DH on board 'ish'!

So. This afternoon I collect dd1 from nursery, dry and clean for two months she has had 3 poop accidents in 3 days, she stank to high heaven and didn't care. Nursery had done their best but it was a bath as soon as we walked in the door and clothes had to be part thrown part bleached. I'm extremely cross we're going backwards.

toffee have a lovely meal tomorrow
carpe any news on the PO AS?
bitchy good luck with the job
honu wow you've been busy!

Ahem. Still here. Not tired at all and DS2 wanted me to sit on the end of his bed whilst he went to sleep which gave me the perfect opportunity to browse on MN.

NickNacks - your skip idea is inspiring. Seriously, I think I'm going to get a quote and start saving.

I'm really sorry you're in so much pain. If you were my childminder, I would feel terribly sorry for you and not in the slightest bit annoyed or let down. In fact, my DS2's childminder had to let me down on the day of my Dad's funeral (she caught a serious virus and had to go to hospital). Illnesses happen. It's no one's fault. I really hope you start to feel the benefits of the antibiotics soon.

Alice - that sounds like a good plan. I was wondering how you were doing all that DIY with two young children in the house. Glad you've had a lovely day with friends.

Sootball - would a wet microfibre cloth work? I use that on my stainless steel cooker hob. Sorry about your DD's accidents. Could she be sickening for something, maybe? If it's any comfort, DS2 (8) appeared to me stark naked this afternoon and announced that his wee had gone the wrong way, so his pants and trousers were wet. Ah well, these things happen.

Very much looking forward to our day out tomorrow . Night all.

Morning all. Didn't lost yesterday as no flying to report. Spent the morning doing crafty stuff with the dc's, the afternoon in the garden playing with dc's and then went to the seaside for tea and a beach stroll. Lovely day.

Today I am going to Sherwood Forest to play at being Robin Hood and his band of Merry Men with dc's and dsis and dn.

nicknacks I would certainly not be annoyed with you if you were my childminder. Illness happens and there is nothing anyone can do about it. Take time to get yourself well.

bitchy fingers crossed for the job.

honu welcome back

Right, I am going to make a picnic!

Bitchy - how big is your jam pan? Mine is HUGE and I don't get splatters anywhere but in the pan. Thanks Honu, I do have a funnel thing and it has helped, my problem is transferring the jam from pan to funnel! Maybe I should just concentrate more when doing it
Coffee - don't give up the jam making at all, it's lovely having homemade jam the slather on things. It isn't difficult and you can't do much wrong - too runny - stick it back in pan and boil it up again, too thick - still tastes great :) My only advice would be have a go at blackcurrant jam but be prepared to be annoyed by the pips and opt for jelly next time.

Honu - excellent progress on paperwork sorting, well done.

Nicknacks - hope ABs have kicked in now. I wouldn't mind if you were my childminder and would feel very sorry for you (as your clients obviously do)

Toffee - I really would consider writing up the notes and sending them as your record of the meeting, or at least the points raised, discussed and actions agreed (and by whom). That way everyone has a record and you have something to refer them back to next time.
If DS2 still wants to do stuff about Titanic maybe try and find the Bob Ballard exploration stuff about finding the wreck. His was the footage at the start of the 'Titanic' film but he had done a lot more before then and actually discovered the wreck. Also the Titanic Museum, Belfast website is good (The museum is FABULOUS with masses of amazing stuff about the engineering and building of the ship but maybe a bit far for a visit :)) Bit of a Titanic geek here - growing up in NI and a fascination with wrecks all adds up!

To do:

• All up and out with packed lunches, bike (DD), complete change of clothes as doing 'Water Olympics'! (DS)
• Morning routine - table clear, washing up, washing on, S&Sx2, kitchen floor, hall floor
• Contact plumbers/gas engineers re flat
• Deal with Council re flat
• Contact environmental health/fire officer re flat
• WORK
• Missions in kitchen
• Stuff into loft
• Car boot full of stuff to charity shop
• Remaining coffee table in living room cleared

That's more than enough for the moment.
Have a good day everyone.