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.

Dd1 not at all well, laboured breathing, lots of coughing and a high fever. Just waiting on a GP to call to advise what to do next. Toddler dd2 started with it as well and have just had a call to collect from nursery as their thermometer says she has a temperature of 40 degrees - she was ok when I dropped her at 8.30.

So I'm going to have to look after them both in a house full of brick dust and the smell of window glue.

For those not in the know, the special brew is extra strong coffee. Used to be used to power me through super dooper over 35 things done ta da lists. Help yourself. Or just hide in the naughty corner comfy cushions and blankies... Which ever will help most.

Morning all

Hope everyone's having a good morning.
Soot [ brew ] hope they all feel better soon.

Done
Washing, about to put in tumble dryer.
W.W lost 1 pound must be burnt up nervous energy because I've been comfort eating terribly all week.
Brought fruit and veg from market.
lunch - drop scones naughty but nice, and pointed so not feeling guilty!

To do
Deciding on music and wedding guests today. Had better check with dp later!
Set timer and declutter - not sure which room but i guess bathroom and main bedroom.

Had better get on. Have a good day everyone.

[necks yet more special brew]

Thanks for everyone's kind words over the property disappointment! I'm trying to be philosophical about it although secretly still feel quite glum! Also, at the back of my mind is the fact that the buyers had entered in to such a convoluted agreement with the vendor, that I can't help still thinking that their deal will all fall apart and it might become available again. Although I should really just take a deep breath and move on and start the search afresh [sighs with very little enthusiasm]

On the positive front dd and I are feeling much, much better today and I think dh, although still sneezing and coughing and working too hard, is finally on the mend too!

Glad to hear you are taking it relatively easy today Bitchy [looks sternly over pince nez] and at your humungous quantities of jelly! Arf also at involuntarily swearing at neighbours

Poor you Soot and your poor dc - that sounds absolutely all-round awful - especially if it is as hot where you are as it is over here. I couldn't believe the amount of dust and mess created by the builders when we had our double glazing done. That's quite bad enough without having the worry of dc illness on top. Talk about sod's law... hOpe everyone recovers as speedily as poss in circs x

Glad your dishwasher is now functioning Toffee and good luck with home edding today

Keep taking it steady Engels and enjoy your parents' visit!

Was up at crack of sparrows this morning (interested to hear Scottish ref result) and subsequently got rather a lot done!

Ta da:
morning routine inc s&s, rabbits, wm and dw
made packed lunch
ironed shirt
carried folded towels upstairs
carried other clothing/laundry/shoes/misc items upstairs where they belong
carried tents (don't ask), boxes, cake tins, hamster ephemera, dirty laundry, glass recycling downstairs in to basement
dining room table hotspot
thoroughly cleaned kitchen
tidied and dusted and cleaned rest of downstairs includ lav and playroom

Off to make pasta sauce

Enjoy your Friday evenings everyone! Big feathery waves to all!

x posts

Good luck with wedding arrangements Shannara!

Soot - can you stop the builders for a day or two? Say it's an emergency. It's really not going to be good for your DC's chests if they are that ill. Hope GP is helpful and that your children both recover soon. Poor things. And poor you.

Today I got a customer service questionnaire from camhs. I might have written on it what I actually thought. whoops.

Bitchy

I have just had an email from the LEA: they are reconsidering the specialist school that we named on the statement and will let me know more next week. I had to ring up to confirm the email and ask why. Turns out the mainstream schools with ASD units that they were hoping to shoehorn DS1 into are all full. Which is what I told them in my last meeting over a month ago and wrote down for them to take to 'the panel' they keep talking about. So, they have spent several weeks confirming what I had already told them . Anyway, there is hope now that DS1 might have an appropriate placement to come out to once he has finished treatment at the hospital.

ta da

Long session of cycling practice with happy DS2 (very proud of himself )
Maths
Handwriting
Lunch
Loaded dishwasher
Unpacked Tesco online delivery (ice cream was not frozen! This would never happen with Ocado)
Phone call with DS1's dietician
Watched 'Christian the Lion' documentary instead of studying Titanic, just because we were talking about it and one of the joys of home ed is that we can do things like that .
Discovered cats had managed to get a packet of Dreamies out of a shut cupboard
Dr's appointment
Phoned LEA

Am going out for a drink with friends tonight, but feel shattered after broken sleep last night. Would like to see them, just not right now. Ah well. Maybe dinner will perk me up.

Am amazed at the cats' ingenuity: they managed to push a heavy toolbox out of the way, pull down a wooden panel, crawl under the kitchen unit, find a hole in the back of the kitchen cupboard, sniff out the Dreamies and pull them out again so that they could continue eating them. They are sleeping off their feast now, thank goodness.

and re school issue toffee Not surprised you had to check that email.

"Am going out for a drink with friends tonight, but feel shattered after broken sleep last night. Would like to see them, just not right now. Ah well. Maybe dinner will perk me up." i know that feeling, hope you feel a bit better when you have eaten.

@ kitten antics.

I have no real further ta da other than research some stuff some wise mnners have given me to help sort ds out, and sort out meeting up with a friend tonight. Been a very very long week.

Toffee fingers crossed for you!!!

I have been absent (or at least fairly quiet) a short time as I've been sorting out a gazillion appointments, been out to coffee far too many times , and worked on getting back into the DIY stuff.

My living room wallpaper is now completely up. Woooohooooo!! So pleased with how it looks!! I ended up wallpapering AROUND the bloody shelf on one wall because stbx no-more-nailed it to the wall when he put it up and I was afraid of taking half the wall down with it. On the positive side, it's a solid shelf, it's going nowhere!! And it's a nice shelf, so it still looks nice with the wallpaper. I used a very small pair of scissors and trimmed it REALLYCLOSE so no gaps around it.

Next I have a couple jobs for next week. Finish sanding the railing on the stairway, so I can put a walnut stain/varnish on it. Finish pulling out the fifty million carpet tacks that the previous owners put in the stairs so I can finish painting the edges of them. And then get the carpet down on the stairs. Plus I need to finish the trim/moulding in the living room around the wall/ceiling edges.

Plus today's ta da
usual morning routines, school run
check bank account
go to bank and withdraw cash
put petrol in car
go weekly grocery shop
friend here for coffee
bake couple loaves of pumpkin bread
wallpaper remainder of living room
washing up
one load of laundry washed and now in dryer

Going to sit back and have a glass of tonight and enjoy looking at my wall.

Links for Saturday:

Babystep number 20 is to include laundry in your morning and evening routines.

No missions at the weekend.

Saturday is Family Fun Day.

Here is Saturday’s flight plan.

Fx toffee and at kittens

Wow Alice - you are a whirlwind of activity - I take it you're feeling better!

I have felt rotten today. Had my first injection, though even at 9.30am they were already running nearly 30 minutes late and when I got in to see the nurse she asked me if I had the B12 with me? WHAT? I spoke to both her and the GP on Monday and neither of them told me to pick up the B12 myself (which I have not been given a prescription for). Luckily she took pity on me and ran to get it from the pharmacy next door, but honestly...talk about lack of communication.

I have to go back on Monday and twice a week for 5 weeks, but the B12 is now in my fridge so I have to remember to take it every time and pop home if my appt is after work. I find it really strange. That's the Dutch!

Then managed to have an argument with DH over what to have for dinner on the phone and got ridiculously upset, so much so that he decided to take a half day and come home, which really wasn't necessary since he knew my parents were on the way over anyway.

DPs took DS for the afternoon to the children's farm/playground which gave me a break but he's been impossible all day - made a fuss when we left the doctors and in the shower and at bedtime.

Still, DH got the floor laid in the baby's room and he's now out with colleagues for a social, DS is in bed and my parents have just headed off so I have some peace

Sorry for the whinge. I'm not feeling like a very inspiring thread leader atm. I type the missions but haven't been doing them

Ta da
Injection
Had to ring H&M about online return because I found their instructions to bloody confusing
1 load of washing
washing up with DM
Dinner (leftover chinese)
Showered DS and put him to bed
Emptied kitchen bin

What to do with my hour or so of peace and quiet? definitely , maybe watch the 1st episode of Shetland or read my book or browse MN/amazon...

Engels A bit odd, that. How in the world would they expect you to know to bring it?? A hint - never ever argue over what to have for tea. Just say "we do what I want or you pick up takeaway."

Sometimes I wonder if it's me alice - either a cultural misunderstanding/unwritten rule of Dutch culture that no one mentioned or it's implied that I "didn't understand" i.e. they think my dutch is crap but my MIL also thought it was ridiculous and even she will admit that my Dutch is pretty good

and Shetland it is [smile[

hi all,

had a lovely day with the home education group at coached football session in the park, which just turned into a long day in the park, playing more and more football, little children running around etc. Ds2 (12) played wonderful games with the little ones, and we also visited my SIL first and her little ones (she lives nearby)

Dh is away till late and dd is at a sleepover so the sons and I feel like the house is deliciously empty and quiet (and clean, because cleaner cleaned downstairs upstairs still a pit but still)

Cooked corned beef hash for supper for ds1 and I, my absolute favourite with mango chutney (and husband hates it)

done
two loads of washing in, and one hung up
recycling out
rubbish from dd's room
used up some near its sellby date stuff from fridge

otherwise, not much, except stay cheery!

Toffee we sat down to supper and heard strange muffled miaowing, and finally identified a cat in the saucepan cupboard where it had been for at least an hour.. I'm sure that's why it is considered "bad" to leave cupboards and drawers open, dating back to the time when vermin (okay my sweet little cats are not vermin) could jump in and take residence..

Swan oh my!! how funny! poor cat...

at cat antics, swan and Toffee. Hope the school situation works out for you.

Very impressed by all your DIY, Alice.

Flying-wise, I'm keeping on top of the washing, kitchen and bathroom, but everything else is going hang. Not sure why as not all that busy, just CBA.

Meant to say - took DSs to their swimming lesson this afternoon - was the third one and DS1 is getting very despondent cos he just doesn't seem to float! Any tips?? He's as skinny as a rake so no natural buoyancy, and just doesn't seem to get how to engage his tummy muscles...

Blue, my mum did the time honoured method of slowly reducing the air in my armbands, whilst encouraging me to do lots of kicking with my legs and doggy paddle. However my dcs teacher taught them to swim underwater first, so that it didn't matter to them if they sank. First step was to get them accustomed to having head in water and not be scared. Ds1 learnt to swim without any lessons at 4, just from messing around. Hated water till he was three mind you..

Evening all,

That's great news about the LEA Toffee - hope they agree it. My DS is in the middle of his assessment period at the moment and I'm finding it all very unsettling, he's getting tired of endless assessments too. We're off to see a school that is high on our wishlist next week, it's complicated because he's in Yr 6 now and we've got secondary transfer to consider as well as his current school and it's hard to know what to tell him when everyone else in his class knows what school they will be going to (there are two here and no problem getting itno either).

Swan - when we'd had our cats for a week and they were still kept in we lost one, searched high and low and then heard a scratching from the ceiling, found her in the loft, she'd followed DH up the ladder a couple of hours earlier without him realising. The other one has spent the day shut in our wardrobe a couple of times too, it has sliding doors so impossible to push open, we leave both ends slightly open now in case.

Big decluttering here this week, downstairs is looking really good, upstairs is a mess but there is a lot of empty shelf space ready to be filled now, so I have to keep at it. DH is working all weekend though, so not sure how much will get done.

Well Friday night is date night

Don't expect much flying tomo. Ds, tired, etc...

I need to pull the washer out either this weekend or on Monday as I'm getting a damp smell behind the cupboard and I'm worried there's a leak back there. Just frustrating.

ta da
usual morning routine
checked bank
updated budget, paid CM

to do
get ds1's glasses at Specsavers
stop at Poundland and pick up (hopefully) a 2015 diary, as I need to start filling things out for January and further
take dcs to library
go through paperwork
put together leftover wallpaper (2 rolls) and pack away (it's no longer available at shop, so will hold onto it just in case replacement needed at some point)
measure windows that I need new curtain rods for

sigh... pull out washing machine and see if there's damp behind it.

Good morning all!

Fingers crossed Alice that it isn't damp behind your washing machine.

I've been given two charity bags from Dcs various activities/schools to fill with clothes. I'm desperate to get dh to part with some t shirts (he must have at least 50!) - wish me luck.

I've actually got my backside into gear and done a few of those little projects that I always put off, Photos into frames and onto walls etc.

To do

Pop to shop for a few bits
Wash bed sheets of everyone
Clear top of fridge
Declutter DH's t-shirts
Wash my hair (hair dye needs toning down!)
Maybe order new fridge freezer
Cut dd's hair
Wash sofa cushions