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.

And glad you got out for a relaxing walkToffee!

Hi Everyone. Another tentative newbie signing up for some post-house renovation cleaning and tidying.

Thanks for the welcomes

Engels - am due 20th Jan but taking holiday before mat leave so finish work on 15th Dec. not that I am counting down or anything!

SC - must be something to do with the nesting instinct that makes you want to do flylady whilst pregnant

Have shined my sink and am off in front of the TV to spend a few hours with Jack Bauer before bed and autumn starts tomorrow !

Yes Ellis wish I could say the nesting instinct was still intact 11 yrs on but has sadly dissipated Make the most of it while you can!

God that felt good to get rid of a big bag of junk today from the tops of the kitchen cupboards. I'm really looking forward to finishing that last one and the fridge. I may even do it tomorrow. Nothing more entertaining than standing on top of your counter to reach the top of the cupboards and scrubbing like mad, eh?

Well my hours spent photographing and listing things on Gumtree have paid off - we're about £200 richer and my lounge is beginning to look like a place we can sit once more! I've posted my last August list on the old thread and will start afresh here tomorrow. I've bagged up bundles of clothes and I've also washed and cleaned everything we have borrowed to return this week.

I've found it so weird that I can list things for free and they don't go, but put a price (even a low one) on something and people grab it. Had it happen so many times now I rarely list anything for free.

Revamp of the playroom is part complete - just waiting on some storage boxes. It will mean its easier to put away activities and then clean.

So. I'm off to shine my sink, put out the breakfast things and go to bed!

Night all - I'll do personals tomorrow :)

Hello all! Back from holiday and wish I wasn't! Too much to do in this week coming as it's back to school plus DS2's birthday to organise, and work stuff too... Also going to have to go on a post-beer-and-clotted-cream diet...!

Huge thanks to Toffee for July and August and to Engels for this month

Interesting about Gumtree, Soot - will have to try that.

Waves to SC - like the new name - and to all newbies and oldbies.

Evening all,

Back from holiday today here too and up to my eyes in clutter, although we've broken the back of the unpacking. Got somewhat derailed by an invitation to the pub with 5 other families who each have DCs in the same two school classes as our two, had a very pleasant couple of hours (and too much wine) catching up with everyone's summer while the DCs played in the field opposite, lovely.

Sobered up now, watching Brassed Off in bed and making a to do list for this week, back to school and work on Weds, I need to sort out uniforms, PE kits, my calendar, and various other admin jobs. Oh and get the cats from the cattery first thing tomorrow.

Welcome to all the new and returning Fledglings, September is a great time to start Flying.

Thanks for taking over, Engels. You are off to a great start as thread leader .

WhoKnows - Welcome home. How was Scotland? Oh, and I LOVE 'Brassed Off', partly because it stars a very scrumptious Ewan McGregor, but also the overall calibre of acting, the fabulous brass band and the story itself. DH has never seen it and I often nag him to watch it with me, as I haven't seen it for years.

Sootball - on the subject of people not wanting stuff for free: DH was telling me, the other day, that he once couldn't shift some art books at the bookshop he was running, so he doubled the price and they all sold out! People associate price with quality, so maybe if something is on for free they assume it's not good enough.

Welcome back from your holidays, Blue.

Good to see some newbies and returnees. Welcome Ellie, Vivacia, Fraggle and Jemima.

SC - hope going back to school goes smoothly for you and DD. And that FIL settles in well at hospital in preparation for the op on Thursday.

Alice - am really impressed by your ongoing decluttering.

Well, I fell asleep when we arrived back from our walk this afternoon and now I'm wide awake when I should be in bed. Have no children to get back to school as they are both learning at home, so no panic over that, but am aware that DS1's online learning will start up again on Wednesday and he'll need support with that, so life may get bumpier again. At least I don't have any uniforms to worry about.

DS2 is going to visit a friend tomorrow morning, so I'll have time to tackle my essay again. Gave myself a whole day off it today as I felt too bogged down in it and couldn't get any perspective on what I'd written.

The kittens continue to be completely bonkers and increasingly affectionate. DS1 fell asleep on the sofa with both of them this afternoon - looked very sweet. As this thread hasn't been decorated with kitten pictures yet, I feel obliged to contribute some.

Night.

Hi Fledglings!
I can't sleep tomorrow is my first official day in my new job and I am terrified! I have just got out of bed and written a list of things I need to do to get my classroom organised tomorrow because I thought that might help - it didn't On the plus side at least I will be shattered and definitely sleep tonight

Dp and I had a productive morning yesterday and decluttered the conservatory and steam mopped all the floors - it looks lovely!

We also managed to tidy and hoover the house ready for the new week and change our beds.

Ddad came for a roast dinner which was lovely. I have decided that now Autumn is officially here I am going to aim to cook a Sunday roast every week - I know life will be manic with school and the run up to Christmas so it will good to have some time set aside to sit down as a family each week.

Anyway I am babbling now. Half an hour of mning and then bed for me.

Meant to add welcome to the newbies

Morning all.

Massive bunch of to toffee for the last two months and to engels for taking over this month.

I am still at the caravan in the lingering hope that back to work tomorrow isn't happening. Unfortunately it is so we are packing up and heading home this morning. DC's are at CM's this afternoon so I can get a few bits done. DS only has today, tues and wed left with her as he starts at my school on Thursday. End of a beautiful 10 year relationship as she has has him since he was 1!

Have just finished the financial heart attack that is kitting him out for secondary. And just need to get DD some new school socks and we are good to go.

Had a lovely day in Whitby yesterday, met up with one of my uni housemates who was on holiday there. Love the fact that we don't see each other very often and that now it is with ice cream and buckets and spades rather than cider and fags but it doesn't matter.

Welcome to all the newbies and big waves to everyone else.

sc love the new name.

mercury good luck today. A new school year is always daunting particularly as a fresh faced new teacher. I still don't sleep the night before school starts and I have been teaching for 15 years and am middle management. Any advice needed please just ask but i am sure you will be fab. You have worked really hard for this.

Better go and get some coffee to enable functionality.

Back later, 50 miles away in the midst of mount mustwashholidayclothesmore.

Dh and dd left for work and school 30 mins or so ago! And I am looking at a wreck of a house ... . Sorely tempted to get back under the duvet but going to make a list instead!

Really good news though because dd's new teacher turns out to be someone we know and respect hugely (she left teaching for a bit but has happily now returned!) so hugely relieved as dd absolutely loves her but at the same time she is quite strict and really good at her job.

Thanks for links Engels which I am determined to follow for once. Hope your day goes well at work!

Good luck today Mercury I hope your first day at your new job goes well! YOu'll be terrific, don't worry

Beautiful furries Toffee how they've grown in just a week or so!

Great holiday photo Dizzy!!

Hope you feel better today Soot. Interested to note about not selling anything for free!

Welcome back Whoknows your holiday and relaxing Sunday afternoon at the pub sound lovely!

Waves to Alice Ellis Vivacia and everyone else!

Ta da:
rabbits
packed lunch for dd
supervised dd getting dressed
hung up things washed overnight to dry
phone call to sil

To do:
sort out hair etc
wash brushes
s & s
empty dw
shine sink
home bleugh downstairs including mission
clean out ruddy hamster
card and present to db
thank you letter to friend
two on-line shopping returns (not done yesterday)
think of supper tonight (haven't organised food planning yet)
possible quick supermarket shop/chemist walk
change beds if have time
school run
hwk supervision
early supper
ballet inscription (or not)
early bed hopefully

Hello all!

We're home from a lovely break and few days doing not a lot at home, back to the grindstone today

First mindee I'll arrive in the next few minutes- I'll post a quick list and do personals later.

To do:
Final wash of kit
Get boys to wear in shoes
After work dh and I are shopping for dd birthday tomorrow.
Play and keep on top of the tidal wave of mess
Print off new paperwork
Write invoice
Give out invoice

x post with Ellie love the bucket and space exchange with cider and fags!! Aw, that's so happy/sad about your ds and childminder. She's obviously a thoroughly good 'un. Good luck with all the back-to-school prep!

Meant to say to Mercury that I find roast dinner on Sunday makes sense economically and organisationally too. A roast can stretch quite far/never need to plan Monday supper (always cold cuts and veg here) and dh usually gets a couple of rounds of sandwiches for lunch out of it too.

x posts Yay Nicknacks! Welcome back and hope your first day of the academic year with mindees goes well!

Finally, finally, forgot to say to Toffee not procrastinating honestly my furries now on profile although they always seem to turn their bums to the camera

I'd do roasts more often but they do not go down very well Chez Whoknows, so I only do them a couple of times a year to keep my hand in for Christmas. I like them myself but am not a huge fan of the leftover meat.

Lovely kitty pics Toffee.

Scotland was great, best weather we've ever had up there, it didn't rain till Friday and that was only drizzle. Came back via ILs in the Midlands which was nice too.

Must get up.

Good luck today mercury ! One of the things I love about being a teacher is feeling like I can start again every August/September and new stationery

Welcome back from holiday whoknows , ellie and nicknacks and good luck everyone who's starting something new or packing kids off to school this week.

We don't do many roasts here but Sunday's meal is usually something that takes a while and can be portioned off for Monday dinner and one meal for the freezer. DH does most of the cooking so we may have meatballs, split pea soup or slow cooked lamb. My Sunday aim is to get out for a family walk every Sunday morning as long as it's not chucking it down. We spend far too much time inside.

Off to a slow start today. Heard DH get up and 6.30 and went back to sleep for 2 hours. Feeling worn out from coughing all night. Think today's jobs will be done at a very slow pace with lots of MN breaks!

ta da
ds and I up, showered and breakfasted
emptied bathroom bin
wash#1 on

Hello, I'd like to join too please.

To do:

Shine sink
Label kids clothes for school
Put PE kits together
Tidy hot spots which seem to have exploded over the weekend when Daddy was in charge!

Toffee don't be too impressed.. I'm knackered today. Don't know if I'll get anything done at all. Cute kitten pictures!!!

I've been noticing how filthy it is behind my appliances. The fridge has a jungle of cobwebs and dust between it and the wall. sigh. I'm going to have to pull it out this week, kill any spiders that run out, and scrub behind it. It's been there a couple years without being cleaned behind. How embarrassing.

Ta Da (am I doing this right?)
Load of laundry done and hung out.
Dishwasher on.
Cleaned floors of utility and office after workmen.

To Do
Empty dishwasher.
Fret about whether laundry should be in or out.
Distribute clean bedlinen for occupiers to exchange.

I can only think as far as midday.

helllooooo
back in for September!
Hope all are well and have enjoyed the summer hols (!)
August has been a disaster in terms of FLYing....but am starting afresh for September!
Inset day today so dc still here...but I've made a start this morning!
Aim to get a bit more done today...then have day off tomorrow to totally blitz a whole month's worth of chaos LOL

to do today
vacuum downstairs
mop floors
mountains of washing away
more washing on
finish labelling dc uniform
S&S bathrooms
tidy littlies room
vacuum upstairs
pop to shops for black leggings for girls and last minute stationary requests
sort through mountain of shoes in garage
old clothes to recylcing point

I suspect some may get moved to tomorrow...
bbl

toffee such cute kittens!

Morning all!

Back to work / nursery routine this morning. Had to wait for the British gas man to come and do our check this morning so managed to take DS to nursery then Hoover the house while the gas man did his thing which is good as if DS is around he likes to 'help' which takes a lot longer! I actually cleared out out porch/ entrance area yesterday so am ahead on that one for a change!