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.

Tell a lie, our youngest has a snuggie blanket too.

ds has about 10 blankets plus, different sizes, textures etc. I fecking hate blankets but yet find myself making him yet another one for christmas. Anyone want to mutter the words Blanketgate again?

Finished my to do list - hurrah!

Three home related things have made me happy today:

1. My Organised Mum calendar came in the post. Although it is a 2015 one it actually starts in September 2014. I love how much room each person has for stuff (necessary in this house with the DC's endless activities) and I love the stickers

1. I bought some ironing water. Which I previously dismissed as a stupid idea but my old iron got full of limescale so I thought I'd try it. It smells really nice and I think I am a convert.

1. Morrisons had reduced loads of flowers tonight. I bought enough pink roses and gypsophilium to fill two big vases for £2!

So as the end of my upside down and back to front week draws to a close I have mostly followed my household organiser wall chart which I did last weekend. We have managed to order the following shop on time, we went out for a family day yesterday (because of my work patterns and other commitments we only get one day a week truly all together and once a month go out) ans used vouchers ans took a packed lunch so spent only fuel money and two coffees. I even had the goodies for the packed lunch in my fridge!

Only chores for tomorrow outstanding from today are to vacuum downstairs and put Mt CleanandAired away, and have another go at a particularly stubborn stain in the bath.

Hope everyone is well - sorry about the bullying Alice, my mum told to man up but it would have been so much better if someone had actually done something.

Thanks Engels
I will have a go at the utility room them, and save the horror of the wardrobe for a bit!

Sootball, sounds like a good day!
Ta da
First feed of the day

To do
Empty dishwasher
Load of washing
Skirting boards
Tidy corner cupboard in kitchen
Make flapjack with DCs
Roast dinner
Prep DCs uniform for tomorrow

Have a great day everyone :)

Sootball The school were right on it as soon as I talked to them, so we'll see how it goes.

Up even earlier than my normal 5am today. Jaw aching, so had to take some ibuprofen. I'll be glad when this is done hurting - a bit worried that dry socket is developing, even though I've followed the post op instructions to the letter.

Another day of doing as little as possible. I can't believe how wiped out I feel.

My second already this morning. Ah well, these things happen, eh?

My list for tomorrow is growing steadily. I am going to do some serious cleaning tomorrow. Hopefully I'm feeling up to it - I'm tired of just resting. Have you ever noticed that when you're "resting" for a few days, you actually feel more tired?? I think it's because I don't really WANT to rest, I just am doing it because of the aching jaw and headache. I feel a bit better right now, but I'm under no illusions. I took ibuprofen around 0430 this morning and it's still in effect. We'll see how the rest of the day goes.

Have a lovely Sunday everyone!

Ta Da
2 loads of washing on the line, another in the machine
Put all the dinner and after school club money into envelopes and filled in the forms that came home from school
Paid bills online
Checked DD's homework
Put the meat etc for a cottage pie in the slow cooker
Peeled and chopped veg for today's dinner

Off now to Sunday School. We'll have dinner when we come back (roast chicken followed by crumble) then we're going out for a walk at the local national trust place.

Have a good day!

Alice - I really hope the tooth gets better soon. DH had dry socket and it was very painful, but quickly sorted by an emergency trip to the dentist. My advice would be to get down to the dentist asap tomorrow if your tooth is still really painful - the sooner it's treated, the better.

Jemima - that sounds like such a lovely family day . Am envious of your roast chicken and crumble as we're just having ready meals today (so I can concentrate on other stuff instead of cooking).

Lairy - congratulations on your new bundle of gorgeousness and sleepless nights.

Sootball - which household organiser are you using?

Spent yesterday evening compiling lists to get our lives organised again after the holidays. I have delayed starting home ed by a week because I had so much work to do on my essay last week.

I have done three lists: one for myself, which includes everything that needs doing daily, including Flying routines, DS2's home ed and DS1's online lessons and appointments; one home-ed timetable for DS2; and a list of daily chores for DS2 so that he can start taking responsibility for himself more. He will be rewarded with pocket money and can earn extra 'prizes' for eating more fruit and veg (very stubborn about that).

Easy to compile the lists, of course, but not so easy to keep following them once the novelty wears off.

Started getting back to routines this morning, so have already explained daily tasks to DS2 and helped him make his own bed, brush his teeth for two minutes (not 30 seconds ) and so on.

Aiming to get ironing, washing and house tidying up done today, ready for a fresh start on Monday.

Alice yes yes yes to rest making you feel worse. But in the long run you will realise you feel more tired from resting because you actually really needed it. Really hard not to let it drive you crazy though.

As I had a complete day of rest yesterday and even turned down and invite to meet up with a friend I decided that I needed to do one big chore today before I rested. So i took my bed apart, put the competition stuff from training into storage and have put the bed back together again. I need to pop up to the local shop in a bit but there will be some work on crochet project before then. Tbh i could now curl up and go back to sleep I had 10hrs sleep so should be fine, but am clearly not.

Toffee definitely. If it's still painful tomorrow morning, I'll ring the number the dentist gave me. I've had dry socket previously, and it was awful. Not an experience I wish to repeat. Although that time, ibuprofen and paracetamol did NOTHING for it, and the ibuprofen or paracetamol separately seems to ease it quite a bit, so this might simply be pain still from the procedure. They DID drill bone, so I imagine there's some trauma to the jaw there. (yeah, sorry)

Bitchy You had to know I couldn't just rest. I've tried, really. But I've reorganised my bookcase (I did it sitting down, does that count?), done 3 loads of laundry, and I'm looking at a new idea for my kitchen that I REALLY think will work well. Pegboard on one wall that would be perfect to put some items on. I'm looking at some examples on pinterest and thinking it would be ideal. It would also cover up where the wallpaper has come loose and is very faded from being in the sun all the time. win-win!!

I particularly like the stencilled pegboard on this page. I think it's around item 20 or 21 on it. Cool ideas.

www.buzzfeed.com/peggy/genius-ways-to-hide-the-eyesores-in-your-home-949?sub=3267778_2991161#4675d6m

Alice I otoh have been good and rested. Didn't get any crafting done as checked emails and had a heap of admin to do instead. Now time to get showered and up and pick up the meds that are needed before the shop shuts. Ah gotta love an exciting sunday. I miss them.

Ta da
First feed of the day
Empty dishwasher
Load of washing
Begun work on shelf one of the wardrobe
Reading and phonics with DTs

To do
Skirting boards
Tidy corner cupboard in kitchen
Make flapjack with DCs
Roast dinner
Prep DCs uniform for tomorrow

Not making much progress today! Currently waiting for DS3 to drop off so I can get on with things!

Alice sympathies on the pain. Make sure you are looking after yourself.
Toffee, I quite enjoy the Sunday 'reset'- makes me feel organised for the week ahead :)

I've found a site that is similar to Pinterest. Eeeeeek! A second place to browse cool home decorating and DIY and craft stuff!!! It's called hometalk.

Alice pin it just so you don't lose it...

Alice I would indeed have the jaw checked over - It is extremely painful but an infection needs to be dealt with very swiftly and you shouldn't be feeling so poorly IYSWIM?

Toffee my organiser is one I made after having a look on Pintrest and also the flylady site. It is a series of slippy fish (plastic pockets) which are on the wall in the kitchen next to the fridge/freezer. There is

1. A month at a page calendar followed by
2. Our weekly rota of what arrangements happen each day and what has to happen each Morning/Afternoon/Evening (for example days we cook from scratch vs freezer reheat, or which days packed lunches are needed, cleaning etc)
3. Fortnightly meal plan
4. Skeleton shopping list

then next to that there is the Flylady detailed cleaning routine which I have laminated and I can go through and tick off each job each week.

I also have a bulldog clip for any forms from nursery etc which need completing.

So far today I Have managed to get up, dressed to shoes, get out of the house, get to work, forget my badge, come home and attempt to work downstairs in the study while hearing DH gets very frustrated with the DC.

One of the hazards of sitting here in my dining room is that I've spent some time looking at the walls. It has a really awful wallpaper on it, but good lining paper. I am seriously tempted to spend some time this week (after I've put up the remainder of the wallpaper in the living room of course!!) stripping the wallpaper in the dining room (but leaving the lining paper).

I've been told it's perfectly fine to put emulsion over lining paper (and with the state of the walls in this house, it's preferable!), so I could very easily strip all the wallpaper and paint it within a week or two.

I'm currently mulling over a couple different ideas regarding bookshelves and where to put them. I'm still thinking I'd like to have one wall of shelves, which would provide me with needed storage for books, and get rid of the need to have a cabinet in my open fireplace in the dining room - thus opening that up to actually look like a fireplace again. (although I wouldn't use it as a REAL fireplace - we had it plastered up plus I don't think the heat from a real fireplace would be very good for the freezer that is parked right next to it ). It would be more of a decorative thing. I'd even be happy to put another electric "woodburner" in it (like I have in the living room) just in case it's needed. And of course a big wooden mantelpiece.

You know, I think "resting" creates more work for me.

Alice the trouble is that even though your body is resting, your brain is clearly in overdrive . Your ideas sound great. But get the tooth seen to first.

Sootball - that sounds scarily well organised .

Lairy - yes, I'm enjoying the Sunday 'reset' too. It has made me feel properly organised for the week ahead.

Bitchy - sorry you still feel so tired even after 10 hours' sleep. It must be so frustrating.

ta da

Kittens fed and watered
Two loads of washing
Wet washing dried on radiators/tumbledryer
Ironing - lots
Ironed clothes put away in various wardrobes
Lunch
Washing up
Ds2 and I walked into town to visit MIL
Cup of tea and chat with MIL
Bought new trainers on way home (planning to start the couch to 5K)

to do

Lesson plan for Titanic project tomorrow (have the links and ideas, etc, just want to work out how we're going to set about it)
Usual eve routine and bed at decent hour

Afternoon - we have had a lovely weekend, culminating in walking up a beautiful waterfall.

Much has been done in the house of three - most of which was big decision making rather than cleaning, but it all feels like major steps forward to an easier life.

So far this weekend I have:
done all washing
sorted bags for charity shop
re-organised conservatory ignoring the fact that this room still doesn't work!
sorted all washing to put away later at bath time
organised kids school stuff
sorted lounge
bought new stationary
organised whiteboard control station
hovered and mopped again!
cleaned kittens' area
recycling
dishwasher

To Do:
Ironing getting desperate for DH's shirts now
Tea
de-bramble the hedge

Toffee Yes, the plan is to ring the dentist first thing after school run is done. I'm hoping I can just pop in Monday morning and have it checked. It shouldn't take long. Last time it was just looked at, "hmmmm"'d over and an antibiotic prescription given. So we'll see, as this is the hospital dentist (oral surgeon) rather than regular dentist. There's always that possibility they may put some medicated packing in (some do, some don't).

Again, the wallpaper may be put on hold if it's still too uncomfortable to lean over. (getting impatient now to get moving on projects, so this is really irritating!)

Good, glad you're on to the tooth issue, Alice. DH was in agony with dry socket, but medicated packing and antibiotics sorted it out pretty quickly.

Threeislovely - that sounds like a very happy and productive weekend .

.

Ta da Not a lot.

Cleaning cloths laundered and put away.
Poang chair cover washed, still drying.
Dishwasher on.

We were mostly gardening today, so not a lot got done in the house. Still, the reason we have daily routines is so that it doesn't matter if you miss a day, right?

Sighs wistfully at the concept of a whole day in the garden. In other news dd2 (15m) in now confidently walking and is becoming more independent with every day that passes not that I'm broody again oh no not at all and I really am loving watching her grow up.

In the hour between dinner and bedtime I have got the kitchen and hall vacuumed and washing up done. Still need to make lunches for tomorrow although bags are packed from yesterday.