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.

Links for Monday:

Babystep number 15 is to add making your bed to your morning routine. Personally, we only have duvets, pillows and bottom sheets so I don’t make my bed as I like the bed to air a bit. Made beds here are the pillows fluffed and the duvet folded back on itself (my MIL airs her duvets out the bedroom window once a week – have never seen this in the UK but everyone seems to do it here).

This week we’re moving into Zone 3: the bathroom and one other room.

Today’s mission is to wipe down the base and back of your toilet and go into your extra room today and throw any rubbish into a bag. You can see all the missions for the week here.

Here is Monday’s flight plan.

Monday is the day to do your weekly home blessing.

Sunday is renewing your spirit viva and gardening can certainly so that (as long as you didn't have to do any heavy labour!).

sootball your organiser sounds AMAZING!

alice sorry to hear you're still suffering. Hope it goes well tomorrow and take it easy!

toffee and three you sound like you've got a lot organised and sorted today.

bitchy hope you did some more curling up after you posted. Sounds like you need your rest (and of course you're not reading this any time soon because you're sleeping right now, right? )

jemima I have the organised mu life diary too. love the stickers and we have put it on the kitchen table (where we eat) on a book stand open at this week. DH is even writing things in and checking it so it's working! Your Sunday sounds lovely.

Waves to lairy and anyone else floating around today.

Have had a family day today. Took my DM down to ILs caravan (my DF not feeling great so he stayed to rest at their cottage) and we sat in the fresh air, took a stroll and DS got great applause for doing a poo on the potty (exciting times ).

ta da
washing up
epic 2 hour phone call with friend who's helping me organise hen do for best friend

hmm...that's about it!

DH did quick dinner (leftover lamb with rice and peas) and put DS to bed. Tomorrow my DPs will be over late morning so will be pottering after GP appt until they get here and may spend the afternoon in the garden or taking advantage of their babysitting skills if they offer to take DS to the park/children's farm.

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
Make flapjack with DCs
Roast dinner
Prep DCs uniform for tomorrow

To do not going to happen
Skirting boards
Tidy corner cupboard in kitchen

Night all!

Oh toffee the Titanic is one of my favourite subjects. I have two ancestors that were aboard. I get obsessed and engrossed reading about it.

Unfortunately I was off gallivanting around the countryside. Managed to catch up with a friend too but am very ready for bed. Unfortunately ds who is high from adventures with his dad is talking 100 to the dozen, worrying about a very wobbly tooth (he get very distressed about wobbly teeth) is not showing any signs of sleep. It is nice to hear him so happy about what he has been doing though.

Whew busy day in my new flat- -scrubbed the disgusting shower curtain and soaked with bleach then put it in the washing machine (will replace when we can afford it). Cleaned the loo and the wee stains off the wall (thanks, previous tenants).
Cleaned the taps.
Put about 25 boxes and sundry items - suitcases, backpacks, sports kit, Xmas decs etc into the loft - will sort in the coming weeks.

Then walked around our new area!

Baked cinnamon rolls and made gnocchi for dinner.

Unpacked all the living room boxes, arranging all the furniture, books, photos etc.

Ironed mine and DH's work clothes for tomorrow in a very Flylady fashion!

Thanks Toffee, enjoy the Titanic - I am embarking on a 1066 mission tomorrow.
Hope the dentist goes well Alice
Lairy it sounds like you have done loads.

We whirled round like tornadoes tonight.

Ta Das
Tesco shopping put away
Most of hedge de-brambled and nettled
Two bushes pruned
Hot spots dealt with apart from * study
Dinner done and cleared
Dishwasher
Kids sorted for tomorrow
Next week's routine written on whiteboard
Homework finally finished
DH doing ironing

To Do
Sit back and enjoy the calm, peaceful house!

Night all

Engels - thanks for the links and round up. Hope you get a babysitting offer tomorrow.

Lairy - I am very impressed by all you've done today considering you have a new baby. Didn't realise you had twins as well.

NickNacks - now you have me intrigued! Can you pm me more about them? (But ignore if you don't want to out yourself). Did they survive? (Obviously the odds are against it ). The subject was DS2's choice, but I have become really absorbed in reading about it over the summer and am probably more enthusiastic than him now! It's such an incredible and humbling story.

Bitchy - I hope your DS calms down soon and that his wobbly tooth falls out overnight. Glad he had a happy time with his Dad.

trainers - you have been a whirlwind of activity! I feel tired just reading your list. Bet you sleep well tonight.

threeislovely - enjoy your 1066 project . At least I only have to motivate one child, not 30!

ta da

Dinner cooked, eaten and washed up
Telly time with DS2
Kitten playtime with DS1
Bathtime and hairwash for DS2
Reminded DS2 of bedtime routine - he brushed his teeth for two minutes and chose clothes to lay out for tomorrow
Paid DS2 some pocket money for following today's morning and evening routine as requested
More washing up
Dried up and put away plates, etc.
Shined my sink
More ironing
Hung up ironed clothes
Tripped over kittens countless times - they are still charging round the house like crazy things
Snack for DS1

House is far from perfect, but the main things are done: kitchen clean and tidy for the morning; clothes ironed and put away; tomorrow's clothes laid out; routines stuck to the kitchen wall to remind me.

Off to bed shortly, as I don't want to forget the 'bed at decent hour' babystep tonight.

Woke up having a 'nightmare' that best friend had asked me to organise wedding crackers for her meal and I had forgotten and she was turning7ng into a bridezilla! She's obviously not, but maybe I have been a bit stressed without realising it thinking about the hen d8. So good to chat to my friend and talk through ideas. Now at least we have a plan!

Then up early with ds and had a shower. He managed to poo in the shower this morning so yesterday's success hasn't gone to his head

Off to GP shortly, so will try and put a wash on before I go. Am thinking about making a filo topped chx pie for dinner. Our freezer is absolutely rammed!

ta da
usual morning routine
washing up
phone charged (almost out - good thing I checked!!)

to do
school run
RING DENTIST (up half the night - definitely dry socket, it feels just like last time I had it now)
pick up few things at store
load of laundry to do
otherwise generally take it easy still

I will def pm you toffee though will probably be this evening when I can get on the laptop.

Ouch Alice. Poor you . Fell off thread again , but back and ready to tackle the bathroom!

To do
Go to Crewe
Conference call
Book train for London on Wednesday
Decluttering bathroom
More washing

Ta da
I'm up and dressed
3 DS fed and dressed

To do
Make beds
2 loads washing
Empty dishwasher
Sort corner cupboard
Book car MOT
Buy floor paint
Hospital appt

Engels - lovely to hear you being so patient about the ups and downs of potty training. Hope you get the hen night sorted ok.

Alice - I'm so sorry it's dry socket. DH was in so much pain with that - it was awful . But I do remember how quickly the pain was eased by the dentist's treatment (the packing with clove oil seemed to help instantly). I hope the pain eases soon. Thank God for dentists. I often shudder at the thought of life before them.

NickNacks - thanks, I'd be really interested. Not surprised you have so much interest in it, knowing that you are related to two passengers. I just hope they were in first class, not third.

pullme - welcome back again!

Morning, Lairy. I bet you were up early with your three .

Was up at 6.30 this morning and gave up trying to get back to sleep when DS2 joined us. So, I have a 'ta da' list already:

Fed and watered kittens
Cuddled kittens
Changed litter trays
and breakfast
Tidied kitchen hotspot
Washing up
Emails

Am sticking to a strict timetable today, which starts with cycling practice for DS2 at 9am, so had better get on with it now.

Is it bedtime yet?

Morning,

I've been lurking rather than posting, you all seem so busy! We've had a Titanic discussion this weekend too, we were watching the Last Night of the Proms and the Belfast feed was from the Titanic Slipway, so we had a chat about it and I realised I was a bit vague about it all. DS was fascinated with what little I did remember.

I've had a bit of a "penny dropping" moment WRT decluttering. Have any of you seen this book www.amazon.co.uk/The-Life-Changing-Magic-Tidying-effective/dp/0091955106. There was a thread about it last week. It talks about decluttering by category not by area and is a bit of a revelation to me. Take pens and pencils. You don't tackle one drawer full at a time, you get all your pens together, from all over the house and have a good sort out, then you know exactly what you've got where and eliminate duplications. I did it for my pens and pencils the other week and was staggered by how many I had when I did it like that. Well worth a read.

Not feeling quite so zen after my wasted hour with GP appt toffee !

GP didn't have results, so either mw didn't fax them or they're in a pile downstairs in the office. And running late already even at 8.30, so I was trying to entertain ds who has a total strop when we came home. They going to call me back later so I can make another appt for the b12 shot that I know they'll give me. What a waste of time and resources. And will have to take some time off work one day

Morning all.

Sorry to hear about the tooth, Alice. Hope you can see the dentist quickly.

Achieved some gardening and hotspotting over the weekend, but not getting on very fast. I've realised that mess causes me stress, but so does tidying, which is not a good combination!

anyone?

Yes please blue !

Have just spent an hour hacking away in the garden. DPs have taken DS off into town for lunch and a stroll so now I can crank some music up and do some decluttering/cooking etc.

Doctor rang back quickly and I now have an appt on Fri for 1st B12 shot. At least I'm free so won't have to take any time off but ridiculous that it's taken 3 weeks from mw appt and being told to take a blood test to getting 1st shot! It's not like I'll be pg forever. Will have to have a shot every 3 days so going to have to juggle work.

Okay, onwards, onwards...

Back from oral surgeon's office at the hospital. Basically, I asked them if there was any way they could take care of it without an appointment and told them I was happy to wait patiently. So he did. All packed now with the clove oil packing - feeling a bit Christmassy now - and a bit better.

Suffering from lack of coffee though, as he had to numb the area up quite well as he had to take out a stitch, open it up, and pack the medication in it. Not the most fun I've had, I have to admit - the numbing didn't help that much, but at least it's done. So no hot drinks until the feeling returns. And I even went to Waitrose and couldn't get my free latte .

He told me to take it easy today and I will for the most part.

Got home to a notice from HMRC saying this is second notice that they overpaid me and stbx last year by £215!! Bit of a surprise since 1- this is the first I've heard of it! and 2-when I rang them before the July thing, they told me it was all fine and nothing was owed. So now, once the numbness wears off, I have to ring them. HE certainly won't pay anything, so we all know who will get stuck with THIS bill. ME!!

What a pain alice .

I am in suhc a bad mood - I just can't shake it. I'm wondering if I need to put a feel good film on while I tidy. Have child-free time - damn it, I should be either tidying up to enjoy a lovely house or at least enjoying myself!!!

I have looked at the paperwork 4 times now - I cannot see how they figure it out, but you know how it is. They will swear blind we owe it - it's from a YEAR ago FFS. So I will end up paying it, as they will take it right out of my benefits. Never mind that HE is getting benefits too. I am going to ask if they will take half from mine and half from his.

HA! I totally love HMRC!! I've just rung them. Yes, I have to pay, but only HALF the bill. I am legally only responsible for half of it. They will go after him for the other half and I am not responsible for the other half AT ALL. So he will HAVE to pay his share (as he gets benefits, so they know where he is).

I've made a payment arrangement for low payments, but I'll just pay it off in a couple weeks when I'm sitting better financially to just finish it.

sorry for the little happy dance there, but dammit FINALLY something goes my way.

Good news alice (not as good as not paying anything at all but almost )