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.

So today has been meal plan and food shop. Along with a phone call I have been putting off. Not loads but baby steps!

Hope you have all had a good day. x

Hi Swan, Lauren, PMPY. Lots of waves to new folks and other returners I've missed too.

So, I have a list... Ta DA!
2 loads of laundry done
4 loads of laundry put away
Shiny sink
Cleaned downstairs loo
Library books renewed
Planted triffid agapanthus brought back from holiday
Weeding
Picked raspberries and beans
Work
Booked swimming lessons
Name labels sewn into uniform
8 pairs of trousers turned up!
Worst of cobwebs attacked

Tomorrow have got to brave school-shoe-shopping. Wish us luck!

They're on until October I think bitchy we usually go at least once as one of my best friends is in Darley Dale. Although this time I will be following her advice and parking at Sainsbury's and getting the train rather than trying to drive in a ending up parking miles away with the consequence that I have to walk 2 miles at 11 pm with a sleepy 3 year old (who is scared of fireworks) sobbing on my shoulders. Are you west of the Pennines? I am mid Pennines but a bit further north than Matlock.

I am all over the place tbh. Northwest based but spend stupid amounts of time all over the place. I commute that way 4 times a month and have friends in the area, although generally go through the town with the twisted spire and often in the town of steel (was there last wkend and will be back this)
Hopes PMPY understands above

done
washing up
wiped worktops
hung out washing
recycling pile

spent a long time with ds2 before bedtime discussing geography for tomorrow - he ended up falling asleep on top of an encylopaedia entry for North Korea - has always been strangely obsessed with the subject of Kim Dom Jong and his haircut.

Will try and catch up a bit better tomorrow. push your little ones must be much too young for homework surely? ellie good luck with ds and his new/your old school Last year seems so incredibly recent. I was telling dd she should be nice to the new year 7's (from her old primary) and she said very snootily, oh I won't want to talk to them so obviously not recent for her...toffee I have been admiring your kittens. Kittens are admittedly a lot of extra work though, sort of mentally all consuming, not to speak of the fur whoknows glad holidays were so reviving.

having a bad night. :(

need a list for later:
make ds' lunch and deliver him to school
find paperwork for meeting
prep for meeting
meeting
ring and negiotiate the new system for doc appointments
make up ds' kit
make tea for ds
transport ds to training
die quietly in corner whilst ds trains
transport ds home
supervise washing with actual soap and shampoo
collapse into bed

Morning all.

Thanks for bias tips bitchy and ellie

Knew I missed someone out last night.

Ready (or not) to get back in the classroom for another long day.

Yesterday I had to wake up DS and he told me that he was cross with me. Today I bore this in mind when waking him up and got a cuddle and have just been told he loves me and I look pretty (he's 2). Sending me off to hormonal teens with a spring in my step

To do
school
tackle hen do admin tonight
wrap bf's birthday present and write card
book ferries and hotels for later in year
Leave request

Morning all. Think it is even harder to get up this morning than it was yesterday! First day back for DD today, Year 2! Where did that go!

Small list again:-

Survive work
Dd to swimming
Dinner
Tidy kitchen
Washing away
Washing on
School work
Get DS ready for tomorrow.

pmpy love Gulliver's Kingdom. Though the hill with a buggy was a nightmare!

bitchy about time you had a name change.

Have a good day everyone.

Have a good day everyone

Woke up at half 5 this morning for no obvious reason so expecting a sleepy day!

To do
Organise new phone
Practice evening routine(s)
Go to Costco
Put away online shopping
Worry about work!

Loving this thread - it's really motivating me

Went back to work yesterday and then out in the evening so no time to post. But it was a productive day because I now have a classroom I can venture into, although everyone else who have no children to look after in the holidays has done their rooms and they all look great had to hang head in shame for a couple of hours!!!!

Anyway, now have tables, pencils, name tags, displays, empty folders after dumping too many trees new planning etc etc. Going in today for INSET and half a day of clearing. Cue smiling at my TA, hoping that she is being paid to stay this afternoon and help me laminate!

When I got home, I managed to find kids PE kits, label and sort and put back in bags. Should have probably looked at school bags before - as I didn't, there were many pieces of school uniform to wash! Then cleared top of hall cupboard and school launch pad.

Ta Das today

Actually managed to wake up - seeing a 5 in the clock is never good!
Dressed to shoes
Swish and swipe
Load of washing on
Uniform for yesterday drying
Fed kittens
Unloaded dishwasher
Loaded new stuff
Kids up, dressed and breakfast
Write next term's dates in diary
Sort out work emails too many of them!!
Rescue kittens from tree that they are great at climbing up, but not down?!
Finished treating sofa and was able to throw kit away
Cleared hot spot in lounge
Read flylady site

To Dos today

Put washing away
Sort out new underbed storage in kids rooms
Hoover upstairs hall wonders where new Roomba is???
Go to bed at a reasonable hour

Have a great day everyone - thanks for the encouragement!

Today the furniture recycling comes to pick up a few items, so my dining room will finally have more room in it!! I cannot wait!!

Then the dining room will go on the "big project" list I have to have the walls stripped of wallpaper, a curtain rod put up, painted, and then I can put down the new flooring like the flooring I put in the hallway. (wood vinyl planking) Sooooo pleased!! One of the ugly aspects of the dining room is the old shelving in the alcove by the fireplace, so I think what I am going to do is hire someone (at some point) to take it out clean it all up, and put new shelving in the alcove as well as the open fireplace (which was plastered a few years ago at my request - it's not like I'd ever use it as an actual fireplace at this point!). I may still have the fireplace opening framed out and put a mantel on it, so it looks nice (as it's obviously a fireplace), but that's probably the extent of it. That way if, in future, I want to put an electric woodstove thing in there, I could with very little effort.

So excited as with both dcs back at school I can progress again with the DIY. So wallpapering on Friday and next week I'll be working on finishing up the wall by the stairs so I can then put the finishing touches on the paint on the stairs, order the carpet, and stain and varnish the bannister. And that'll be my entry/hallway done, so I can decorate it all nicely for Christmas. (I know, I know... the C word)

Will post my list after school run and coffee.....

Morning! All this talk of Matlock is making me feel very nostalgic. Being an East Mids gal originally, we used to go there on the odd school trip. But all I can really remember is a cable car and Sister Pauline's grim face; I think there is a Blue John mine nearby isn't there?

Thanks for links and wonderful round up Engels (but don't feel you have to do the latter every night! Take it steady; you and bump come first!) Idea for teaching bias: anything written in the Daily Mail especially if related to Europe and hoovers

Hope worry over work turns out to be ill-founded Pushme

Good luck with all your classroom prep today threeislovely glad thread working for you!

Hellloooooooooo Swan - yay- you are back! [Waves wings excitedly!!] Arf at Kim Dom Jong obsession! Very impressed that you managed to do a bit of home ed each day of the holiday! We did absolutely nothing academic here at all despite having good intentions to study a bit of French every day. Did have French speaking guests here at one point though. HOpe you can get the damp sorted out.

Now try not to die too quietly Bitchy [supplies strong caffeine free coffee]

Congrats on your list Blue (and home grown harvest)

Good luck with returning to work/school tomorrow whoknows hope all goes well

Jemima and Ellie good luck to your dc re: first day at new school/new class!! And everyone else whose dc are returning to school this week.

Ellis¨[gulp] at mention of C word although I confess to having bought some presents in the sale. Determined to be organised this year.

Yesterday ta da:
usual routines + pets
laundry
returned school fish to classroom [quite miss it - ridiculous sob]
sewed on masses of name tapes
hair cut and gossip
supermarket shop
hwk agenda
played dressage competition with dd on the lawn (I was a judge)
cooked healthy chicken dish with blé, summer veg and kale
sorted sideboard in sitting room

Ta da so far today:
rabbits
ironed maroon balloons (as dd has named her new tracksuit bottoms)
and rest of sports kit
emptied and filled dishwasher
first load of washing on
prep ironing for lovely fortnightly ironing lady

To do:
finish cleaning rest of kitchen
cover school books
call window cleaner
still need to clean out ruddy hamster; getting very urgent now [grrr]
poss dye Barnet Fair?
downstairs needs another hoover (holiday mud still making itself known)
prep for dh's birthday ie frantic sewing
exercise/walk
shopping for ingreds for cake
think of something for supper and prep
put away ironed clothes
boudoir/home office
school run at lunch time (half day today)
afternoon routine
run around house with large net and herd dd in to bath
supper
early bed

Have a good day everyone!

--only on the basis that I have no idea how to declutter in time for mattress delivery in 2 weeks. I need to sleep tomo, all of tomo.

School run went fine, have just been hanging around for window cleaners to finish (I like to lock the side gate after they've gone) and now I'm off to work. Got up earlier today, dressed (not to shoes) and sat down for breakfast with the DCs instead of shoving it in while I assemble packed lunches etc. However we were all ready 20 mins early and just stood there looking for things to do.

Can i join please? Im totally overwhelmed by the house again and need motivation. My older 3 girls are back to school tomorrow so im going to crisis clean today and get school things organised.

Can't keep up with the speed of this new thread. But I have speed read it all, just don't have time to post personals.

ta da

Fed and cuddled kittens
and b/fast
Dressed to shoes
Swished and swiped
Lost kittens
Found kittens behind the bath panel, covered in cobwebs and dust
Took DS2 out to practise riding his borrowed bike - he's doing well
Back in time for Ocado delivery (waiting outside as we hurried down the hill)

Am suffering from lack of a dishwasher: it has really had an impact on me keeping the house under control. Must check out that link you posted, SC, and try to mend it. The other thing stopping me from managing the house is this bloody essay, which takes priority over everything, apart from feeding the boys.

Have invited a friend round for DS2 this afternoon, so I'm hoping they will play and leave me free to complete the reading for the second part of the essay.

Got to go and put the shopping away now.

Oh, Swan - so glad you're enjoying home ed. It made me smile when you mentioned the difference between your children reading: my younger one reads all the time; the older one never picks up a book. Although he astonished me last night by announcing, "I want to read a book." I almost fell over with surprise. He says he wants to read books on cryptography and social engineering of all things. I'll believe it when I see it, but it did make me think that he might return to reading of his own accord one day.

Must heave myself off this sofa and put the shopping away now.

Afternoon, posting from school during lunchbreak. Exhausted! And still a double lesson left to go. Think I will be leaving as soon as I'm done and then having a quick nap before DH gets home!

Well it's the 3rd of the month and this is the first time I've got on the new thread - though I can't report much flying activity

Yesterday was spent quietly at home. DD had a friend round and I did the last of the getting-ready-for-school bits completed - names tags sewn on, trousers turned up, uniform ironed, bags packed etc.

DD decided she wanted to bake a cake which she did herself and even washed up . Her father purposefully ignored the BIG HINT I gave him when I mentioned it at dinner!

We ordered a summerhouse on special offer which came yesterday but we noticed the veranda parts (which came wrapped in plastic) have got wet and therefore covered in mould/rot etc so called them today and new pack will come next week. I want the challenge of putting it together but my ever lazy DH want to pay someone instead. So much for getting a bargain

DD started Year 5 this morning so after breakfast and the obligatory photo we walked round to school where she excitedly waited in line to go in to find her peg in her new cloakroom. Hope she has a good day as she has a teacher she doesn't really know.

Ta Da

• DD up and off to school
• Handed in forms for after school clubs
• Called shed company

Now I need to go through DD's outgrown clothes as my friend is interested in buying a bundle of them for her DD

Oh and the imminent crisis of DH resigning has been shelved for a few months as he realised that he needs to be employed on Jan 1st to get his annual bonus - and if he goes self-employed we will need all the money we can get hold of! Hopefully having an end date will focus his mind

Done so far:
Back to school haircuts
30 mins OU study
Hoovered kitchen and hall

To Do:
Continue desk clearing and sorting while waiting for OU materials (hopefully to arrive next week)
Wash hall and kitchen floor
Finish loading and run dishwasher
Load and run washing machine
Work out what I need to organise and order for ds's party in two weeks

Saw several other mums doing last minute back to school things in town this morning - looking forward to tomorrow and having some time to myself so I can do some proper sorting and decluttering! I'm going to set myself a goal to clear one carrier bag of stuff either for charity or rubbish/recycling out of the house every weekday for the rest of the month.

To do list
make ds' lunch and deliver him to school
find paperwork for meeting
prep for meeting
meeting
ring and negiotiate the new system for doc appointments
make up ds' kit
make tea for ds
transport ds to training
die quietly in corner whilst ds trains
transport ds home
supervise washing with actual soap and shampoo
collapse into bed

Just realised i didn't eat breakfast. Not really hungry atm either. THis is not a good thing. Cup of coffee and then something to eat so am safe to drive later. Might even see about an hour's kip.

Epic 1st day of school fail. I sent ds to school with no lunch :( Had to sheepishly take it up at 11am.

it happens to all of us at some point me regularly NickNacks No harm done. Mind you if you had your 9 mindees in toy they would probably feel sorry for you and be totally unsurprised!

Been pondering why i didn't sleep last night. Got bastard CAMHS tomo not even sure why i didn't just plan for the not sleeping thing! fingers crossed for more sleep tomo

tonight I mean tonight!!!
Dammit that probably answers that then

No wonder you didn't sleep, Bitchy. I have an appointment with CAMHS next week and it's like a big black cloud hanging over me.

NickNacks - at least you noticed in time!

ta da

Emptied fridge of out-of-date food
Wiped down fridge
Took kitten out of fridge
Put all Ocado shopping away
Washing up and drying up by hand - took AGES!
Put washing on
Room rescue - sitting room, kitchen, hall
Tripped over kittens countless times
Hung washing up outside (with one eye on the black clouds)
Put another wash on
Lunch x 3
Put kittens to bed

Toddlers are definitely harder work, but these two kittens are still exhausting. The best thing is that they actually want to sleep for hours in the day, so, once they have finished charging round the house causing chaos, they curl up and sleep for hours. Can't say my children were ever that easy.

DS2's friend has arrived, which means I can now sneak off to the bedroom and get some reading done.