September Fledglings gather here, let's banish clutter at the start of a new school year!

[CallingAllEngels]

Here we go again- a new month to whip our houses into shape!

If you're suffering from CHAOS (can't have anyone over syndrome) and STUFF (something that undermines family fun) then you need Flylady.

Don't sign up for emails on the Flylady website as you'll be inundated. Everything you need to know will be posted in the thread on a daily basis.

Depending on the stage you're at with FL you'll be:

1. Starting or repeating FL's babysteps.

1. Repeating babysteps + decluttering for 15 minutes per day in current zone.

1. Reinforce babysteps + daily missions if you'vefinished decluttering.

4.Number 3 and detailed cleaning anyone here yet??!

Bear in mind:

1. You're never behind!

1. No perfectionism allowed.

1. Your house did not get into a mess overnight, it won't get tidy overnight.

Some of the fledglings have been chatting and flying on MN for 10 years. I still think of myself as a newbie sometimes (even though I've been here for 2+ years!). Everyone's welcome! Old timers, newbies and lurkers alike, come and share your ta das, to dos and a whole lot more

Sorry for lack of OP links - am posting on the laptop that time forgot and am just keeping my fx that the OP posts!

Will be back on August 31st (pretty late probably!) with links for the 1st September.

Ah, that's an interesting distinction, Alice. I would, obv., never swear at the DC ignores a couple of times I have sworn at DS1 who would try the patience of a saint and, luckily, DS1 found it hilarious. DH was brought up by parents who believed 'fart' was a bad word (seriously), whereas I was brought up by parents who swore like troopers. So, very different backgrounds.

Just as well your DH isn't around anymore. So sad that he swore at your DC.

No Toffee I mean a grown man who would be shouting at a 4yo that he needs a good kick up the ass. Or telling them to "drink a big glass of shut the fuck up" when they're 4 and 7yo. Completely inappropriate. And that doesn't even factor in physical abuse that had started.

He IS in the area. His "fiance" dumped him. He recently has attempted suicide (on ds2's birthday) and then pushed to get back together (soooo not happening). Now I think he's trying it on with his OW again. In the meantime, I have to struggle with supervising contact visits as he cannot be left alone with them. And dealing with all financial stuff, as he is not paying any child maintenance at all.

I hope he does get back together with OW, as last time he did he virtually abandoned the dcs. At least then our lives are relatively calm.

sigh. Sorry for the rant. I've found that I'm reaching saturation point with his nonsense tbh.

Sounds horrible Alice . DH and I had words yesterday when we didn't seem to be able to have a conversation without him getting very annoyed and me bursting into tears. he takes it as a personal insult if I have to ask him to repeat himself (which I don't have to do with anyone else btw, so I think he mumbles or catches me unaware).

Have been looking at a bookcase like this for ds. For him and dc2.

Ta da
PHOTO ALBUM - hoorah!!!!
15 mins dining room hotspot - nearly clear of my stuff
30 minutes of hen do admin - trying to sort out photos, games and round up rsvps.

Failed to book ferries because bastard internet banking is still down.

Have big plans for tomorrow
Home blessing
Town - box files to organise stuff at school, look in maternity shop if it's open,
Order photos
Need to buy nappies

- I swore at DS (10) this morning, told him to bloody well shut up, he has been driving me mad lately, attitude, attitude, attitude. The F word is strictly off limits though, so is name calling. I was brought up in a house where fart and bum were not allowed, but my parents did use bloody from time to time.

Anyway. other than a great deal of attitude this morning, we have been having a nice weekend, but very little Flying, back later.

Dcs each have this one in their rooms: www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/6092067.htm

Pretty full at the moment. Not really sure if I'm going to get them larger ones or wade through the books or what.

Sometimes you need to rant about the twatty ex.

Alice my mum has bookshelves like those. They are lush, although she went overboard and had them in every room. Which are small. And now even smaller!

We compromised and had them fitted into a couple of small alcoves, but I still dream of a house with a library and a cosy chair that you can snuggle up into.

Having a quick lunch break after doing Tescos, DSs have just done their first solo outing so I am having a relax after the hour of panicking! They were fine, had a wonderful time and were very good at calling to let us know they had arrived at the park and phoning at correct time to let us know they were on the way home. They are now extremely proud of themselves and exhausted and playing nicely with their sister so everyone is happy.

Got back from the shops to find DH finishing the lawn although I suspect there was some sneaky F1 watching while I was out. On the plus side, this means I do not feel guilty about mn-ing while he finishes the washing!

Next job - family organisation, although I need a new whiteboard pen to completely finish it off. Then going to put the bookcase together and finish DDs room.

Those bookcases would be pointless in this house. I have some of the small ikea billy ones) I need some huge ones but there is literally no where to put them. widowsils are now book cases. :( poor poor books :(

Bitchy yeah, mine in my room is utterly overloaded - all the shelves are literally stacked completely full - top to bottom, and couple rows thick. Plus the boxes of books stashed. And I got rid of about 75% of my books (sob) before I moved to the UK over 10 years ago, or I would have loads loads more!!

That's why I though perhaps making one wall in the dining room a library wall would be helpful.

thought* good grief, the typing...

Alice we did this in our old terrace, was surprisingly cost effective. Look on Pintrest for ideas, we found designing a mix of heights was beneficial and to avoid them becoming a home for clutter we had baskets on the bottom shelf which could have miscellaneous but useful things in.

I have made my organisational thingy and I have also sorted out my rhubarb, my strawberry runners and my fuchias, debating a small polytunnel next year for my fruit and early beans.

bbl

Meh sodding the fucking typiing. I understood ya and it aint an essay for school or work.

I am feeling all ranty about the ice bucket challenge. Super duper ranty. Almost ranty enough to brave aibu. but as i have to go out soon it will all end badly if i walk away from a thread like that.

i still haven't washed any school uniform or work stuff. I have eaten breakfast which is a start Lungs are sore today :( I am bored of this, shame they seem to think this is how it will be until the demise of bitchy. So i am going to have to adjust. I just don't want to. It will be fine but need to adapt to the huge life changes and been implementing some pretty big ones this wkend which is why i am so resentful and off sorts. Yesterday I packed all my training stuff away. Any of the old timers know that training used to be a massive part (like 5 days/wk) of my life until last october. I will survive but will appologise for the grumpy self indulgent posts in the meantime

I have a bunch of plums I need to use (£2 bag of fruit at fruit market had a bunch of peaches - eaten, a bunch of pears - half gone, and a huge container of lovely plums in it which the dcs won't eat). So.. I think I shall make a plum orange crumble with it - it is, after all, a Mary Berry recipe, so it must be lovely. I wonder if crumble freezes well.... anyone??

www.goodtoknow.co.uk/recipes/530244/mary-berry-s-orange-and-plum-crumble

Doesn't ever last longer enough to be frozen in this house alice sorry can't help. Otoh crumble makes a lovely breakfast.

Very unproductive day in terms of housework. Two loads of laundry done and I think that's it. Occupants are currently putting dibs on the ironing board and I'm going to pretend that intend doing some hoovering. But I don't.

Right ta da
cull fb
cull twitter
cull people off both before culling both

Aaaah there is something nice about that kinda cull

Links for Monday:

Babystep number 8 is to write down your morning and before bed routines. This is the start of your control journal.

Monday is home blessing day.

This week we are moving into Zone 2: The kitchen.

Today’s mission for the day is to clean out the cupboard under the kitchen sink.

Here are the missions for the week.

Here is Monday’s flight plan.

I can understand how sad that must make you feel bitchy (packing away training, not culling).

Go easy on yourself vivacia - it is Sunday after all

Ta da
washing up
renewed my spirit by taking a long shower and a short nap while DH cooked
swept kitchen floor
emptied kitchen bin
2 loads of washing done and dried.
Put school dates in family diary (was very satisfying to realise how much I will miss at work with ml)

internet banking still down..grrrrr

Ah... plum and orange crumble baking in the oven, children showered and in pyjamas. Enjoying my floor to ceiling curtains in the dining room now that they're finally up. Hooorah.

Looks like everyone has been busy today!

I've managed to get everything on my to do list and squeezed in a trip to the park on the way back from church too. So I am starting the week with a clean and tidy house, almost empty washing and ironing baskets and meals planned for the week. I even have tomorrow night's dinner prepared and ready to go in the oven after work.

Chaos will probably return by midweek though

Alice - you can freeze stewed fruit, and you can freeze raw crumble topping but I'm not sure that a cooked crumble would freeze very well. Maybe make a mini version and freeze the rest of the components separately?

Bitchy - hugs, whether or not they're MNtty!

Survived DS2's party, though fell asleep on the sofa afterwards! We're going to have to have a huge toy cull to make space for the new stuff.

Ah, x-post re crumble. Well done on getting the curtains up. Now need to dragoon the boys into a bath.

Ahhhhhhhhh. Two smalls asleep.

Bitchy I am sorry you're poorly at the moment, is it the change of season? That sends my dd1s muscle tone all over the place until she gets used to it again. Hope you get a chance to rest this week with school starting again.

Today:
Control panel started in kitchen, weekly routine, month calendar, fortnight meal plan, barebones fortnight shopping lists and the flylady room missions by week.
Garden worked on
Lawn mown
Two loads of washing done
Laundry hasn't been put away but that's a job DH can do tomorrow during the day
Everyone bathed, hair washed, clean PJs and 50% of the family in bed asleep

Now have to prepare for the meeting tomorrow, pack my lunch and sort out money for the month. We ordered the carpet yesterday for the lobby which has a bare cement floor and has done for two years (old owners kept their dogs in there and it stank) but that means the room needs a last coat of paint.

Unbelievable though it may sound I did my carrier bags, plastic tubs and store cupboard last week when I had to find something I'd lost. So I start the week in credit