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.

Hmm, not sure there will be a huge amount of play in my Tuesday. No doubt there will be some planning though!

Ta Da
Bathroom/kitchen/toilet swish & swipe
Swam before work
Worked all day
Picked DD up from netball
2 loads of washing and ironing
Cooked dinner
Cleaned out fridge
Took DD to Brownies
Tesco delivery
Supervised homework and instrument practice, tested spellings
Made packed lunches for tomorrow
Made sure DC have packed correct stuff for football training/orchestra/wind band after school
Peeled and chopped veg for tomorrow night's dinner (will be sausages, mash, Yorkshire puddings, carrots, cabbage and gravy)
Got my swimming kit ready for tomorrow morning

Tomorrow's To Do list:
Bathroom/kitchen/toilet swish & swipe
Hang washing inside as it is forecast to rain before I get back from work
Swim before work
Work
Pick DS2 up from Wind Band (DH will pick DD up from Orchestra and DS1 up from football)
Cook dinner
Ironing
More washing
Prepare dinner for Wednesday night (beef goulash, will be thrown in the slow cooker on Wednesday morning)
Get DD and DS2's swimming kits ready for Wednesday night lessons
Supervise instrument practice and homework
Make packed lunches
Locate library books that are due back on Wednesday

I still have not mowed the garden yet. I really need to get that done, however, it's looking overcast, and I won't be able to get to it until just after lunch. I suspect it might be raining by then.

Another job added to tomorrow's list. My living room is getting closer and closer to completed. I just need to decide on what trim/moulding I want to use, touch up the paint to make sure it's all done and then get the moulding and finish that up. The skirting board is a puzzle at this point. I can't decide whether to replace it or not - so for now, I'm going to paint it so it at least looks decent, and come back to it when I'm ready to put carpeting in - which won't be until summer.

I will be focusing on getting those bloody carpet tacks out of the stairway base and the few stairs they are still on. Then I can finish the painting and get a quote on a stair runner. I am still flip-flopping back and forth between the runner and the carpet squares just on the step itself, so I want to see what the expense involved is before I make the decision.

ta da
child to school
put request in for prescription
throw ingredients into bread machine for cheese bread rolls
put a duvet into wm
hang out ds' kit
sort out ds box of transformer bits (removing anything that isnt)
tidy up the porch amap

Suppose i should go find some breakfast. Goodness I am tired today.

Afternoon all!

Engels I'm sorry - I'm afraid I can't do the links this Thurs to Sun as school shut for two days this Thurs/Fri and we are probably going to be away. Hopefully someone else will be able to fill in?

Glad to hear you have had some relaxation after your very productive day yesterday - although bm dress situation doesn't sound very good - hope you can sort something! Hope injections starting to help too!

Hang in there Bitchy you've achieved a lot this morning, despite fatigue!

Well done re: the living room Alice and yesterday's list

Jemima your lists makes me feel quite exhausted!

Hope tooth not too sore today Shannara

How was the school visit Whoknows?

Hope difficult phone call done and dusted Blue

Although I am missing dd (whose away on school trip) dh and I enjoyed a lovely child-free evening last. Nothing spectacular because we were both tired but I cooked roast shoulder of lamb and all the trimmings (delayed from Sun owing to horrid nit-eradication-fest) and we were able to enjoy a civilised conversation about future plans, business development, politics etc etc and then watched University Challenge without being interrupted as well! And no hwk supervision all evening - ah - it's the small pleasures!

And I feel rather guilty posting today because I am enjoying an entire day of leisure. Decided, for once, instead of ruining free time over feeling guilty about decluttering, I jsut would not plan to do anything from the start!! (Usually make totally unrealistic plans that I never start because they are too daunting, or I start them and nowhere near finish!) Have swapped my volunteering slot to Weds so have been sewing all morning and painting a birthday card for someone. It makes a lovely change! Off out for some fresh air now ... .

Big feathery waves to one and all!

ta da
child to school
put request in for prescription
throw ingredients into bread machine for cheese bread rolls
put a duvet into wm
hang out ds' kit
sort out ds box of transformer bits (removing anything that isnt)
tidy up the porch amap
wash summer curtains
cook up cheese rolls
Meeting prep for later of today
towel wash
Go through PDA stuff and SPD stuff again with highlighter

Remind me when it is needed, am happy to throw some links at the thread.

Sounds great, SC. Phone call now transformed into a meeting tomorrow, which will be fine if I can get a word in edgeways and make sure I get answers to questions!!

ouch sorry! Meant ... who is away ...(dd) NOT whose ... ergh ....

Good luck with it Blue!

Good going re: washing curtains bitchy that's usually enough to finish me off for one day!

Just a quick note to say I mowed the blasted garden. Front and back. Now I don't want to see the mower for at least a week.

Hi everyone, you all sound so busy!!

I seem to be losing the fight against mount washmore :( I tried to wash two bedding pillows in the machine thd other day. The label said it was fine to do, but they came out lumpy, out of shape and useless basically . I can't reshape them either...

sits and mutters in a corner

Links for Wednesday:

Babystep number 24 is to add swish and swipe to your routine.

Wednesday is Anti-Procrastination Day.

Wednesday’s mission is to dust the master bedroom. You can see all the missions for the week here or today’s mission is on the flight plan below.

Here is Wednesday’s flight plan.

Ta da
Work
Evening routine (washing up, lunch made, restocked DS nursery bag)
Wash on

Ta-da

Full day training for a work project
Made lentil curry and lemon rice for dinner
Cleaned the cooker hob
Cleaned the bathroom sink
15 minutes timed declutter in the bedroom
DH hoovered the living room
Sprayed mould spray on the bathroom tiles and cleaned mirror
Put a wash on

Now time for Game of Thrones box set!

So what have I done today?

I load of washing
up at 5.50am (ouch) to get ds1 off on camping trip
drove ds1 to school
did reading, handwriting and phonics with ds2.
Most of the day he did "experiments" with remote controlled car and hover craft (also went to park by himself with remote car to test it)
3/4 hour with French tutor (student)
He played The Cube with dh, whilst I crashed out after lunch
we had Chinese for supper, ds1 is camping, dd is a bit ill after an HPV injection so woohoo we don't have to get up tomorrow morning

ds2 was very upset today when his hover craft didn't work (although it turned out to be simple to solve problem - it needed recharging) This ASD is not going to go away is it?? His anxiety about getting stuff wrong or failing seems to be increasing with adolescence. I hope that everytime things work out, he learns that the world is an easier place than he thought it.

Swan Ds1 tends to do what I term (privately, obviously - not to him!) the "Chewbacca" howl/growl when he is upset. It's usually the first sign of impending meltdown.

School visit went very well SC, thank you for asking. DS is now booked in for a taster day next week, he didn't know the place existed till last night but he is quite excited. When I went to pick him up from school today I went in to tell his teacher about having the day off and he said DS had been telling everyone about it. I have made it very clear that it is only a possibility though.

Quite a productive day, not much housework, but the big declutter is starting to pay off in terms of getting tidier. Sorted a pile of paperwork and made appointments for:

Doctor
Smear test
log delivery
eye test
chimney sweep

Still doing battle with the statement paperwork too. Oh and DD brought home the dreaded headlice letter so we had to endure the much hated Nitty Gritty session, nothing found but we will have to be vigilant.

Today is going well so far, apart from a splitting msg induced post Chinese headache

Woke up late at 8am, yay, dd has reacted badly to this HPV virus vaccine and it turns out other girls in the school have felt awful today today so we were right to keep her off (I always feel guilty when I let her stay at home)
rang school to find out more about this vaccine and its sideeffects
(they weren't much use - now rang district nurse who is coordinating the big immunization programme)

ds2 is still obsessed by his remote controlled gadgets and took the car down three flights of stairs using skill and daring

We are off to tennis lesson now.

Have done nil housework due to my headache, although I think persuading ds2 to get dressed and find his clothes (he keeps finding other more interesting things to do)is like pushing a stone uphill!

Good Luck Swan

Ta da
ds to school
sort out babysitter for this evening
Tip box upside to evict spiders before dealing with it.
2x laundry

Currently connecting squares so in progress project can be stored more tidily. Also need to get 2 boxes of stuff in this room and the pile of clutter on the floor in my room AND the doorway. Rather a lot to do today and note really any motivation.

to do
find paperwork for important phone - still not done
make important phone call - ditto
sort paperwork for meeting
go to late meeting

Hooray! New vacuum here and used already. Never thought I'd see the day when I was thrilled to see a vacuum!! But it works GREAT! (my goodness the suction practically lifts the carpet!) And clean clean clean living room floor again!

I'm happy. Hooray. Doesn't take much, does it?

Been busy, busy, busy with work so DP has done all of the housework for a couple of days so this morning I did the post-shower bathroom routine and tonight I'll do the post-tea kitchen routine.

Links for Thursday:

Babystep number 25 is to read FL’s personal testimonial.

Thursday is Errand Day.

Thursday’s mission is to make up your bed – clean sheets, fluffed pillows, take your time FL doesn’t mention chocolates on pillows but you could try . You can see all the missions for the week here or today’s mission is on the flight plan below.

Here is Thursday’s flight plan.

bitchy if you were able to take care of links Thursday to Sunday that would be awesome. I'm driving to England tomorrow night and back on Sunday.

alice you are allowed to be happy I did a little dance when I got my dyson

Feeling very big - baby has really been moving around today and sticking its bum out. Not comfy!

ta da
work
packed
not much else

Mostly packed and ready for tomorrow. Busy morning at school, then injection then child free road trip. Am packing my kindle, my nicest notebook and fountain pen and will be enjoying browsing on the ferry with no toddler hanging off my arm.

Away too for a couple of days, bk for Mon! Have a good trip to Blighty Engels!

So glad school looks promising Whoknows and hope that your ds enjoys his taster day!

DD back from school trip (nothing dry but her flannel - actually true in this instance!) having learnt a lot about the Gaulles and the Romans and made lavender artisanal scent and Roman yeastless bread in a bread oven.

Waves to Swan Toffee Bitchy (and ta for filling in) and to everyone else!

SC ds1 is just back from his trip, camping in Purbeck, and informed me that the countryside was dull because only old people lived there and there were no traffic jams Also it emerged he had slept badly because they insisted on sleeping horizontally in their tents and he was the tallest and his legs didn't fit the width of the tent No rain however.

Whoknows well done on organising the taster day, it made a big difference to ds2. Fingers crossed on the statementing.

Engels enjoy your escape.

Alice I am always on lookout for the perfect hoover. Always too heavy, doesn't reach under furniture, burns out, cannot find anywhere to store...aargh. Atm I have three, one which smells terrible although good suction ( a Henry) an old light one which cannot decide whether it is a carpet or hardfloor and stuck midway between two, and a new one I bought on a whim from Staples and is a Dyson travesty, also makes an appalling racket.

done
fell asleep in afternoon sitting on the sofa
ds2 tennis
read more book with ds2
spelling exercises with ds2
did some Art with ds2
made shepherd's pie
picked up ds1
calmed him down, he was a bit fragile (although looked so handsome [proud] in his hiking outfit
dealt with three squawking kids this evening, and I presumed everyone is now asleep!!!

oh yes,also did recycling
three loads of washing
s & s x 2
washed up

Have a good trip, Engels, and you too SC.

Still got a lot on my mind after meeting this afternoon. But tomorrow evening I'm heading off too, for a day conference on Friday, so got lots of preparations to do instead of either flying or thinking!

Waves to all. Night!