Fledglings go on summer mode, Welcome to July.

[YesEinsteinsMumDid]

Ok, so as there is no thread, and I can't remember or find a volunter for this month I declare summer mode operational.

This means:

1. You are still welcome to join and post

1. If you want there to be links and no one has posted them, feel free to post them.
2. As technical thread leader I shall be hanging out in the naughty corner bar
3. We'll still answer questions for anyone wanting information on the fly lady system and support each other. It's just a little more relaxed.

And with that, bring on July and crazy pants school holiday stuff...

Ta da!
Dealt with cat mess
Laundry
Boiled eggs, potatoes and beans for salad later while still cool enough to cook
Pilates class
Retrieved cake box from DS1's school after fete
Bought rest of salady bits for tea

It's just about bearable in the house at the moment, but I'm just about to leave on the school run, and will probably melt!

Dumps huge paddling pool in naughty corner,fills cold water.restocks fridge chosen beverages and ice box choc ices and sorbet (little zoo can't have dairy so makes us cater all needs)

Shuffles off leaving a melting trail.I NEED to see forecast tonight(prays cooler days)guarantee rain Thur as 1st day school hols for D's and little zoo

Ooh good point about Christmas Celeste thank you, must remember that.

I am far far too hot to contemplate doing anything! I have an easy dinner planned - was too knackered to stop by the shops, so I'll do a quick stir fry with tuna/micro rice/micro veg. Can't believe it's 7pm already!

... follows melting trail to naughty corner...snaffles ice cream gratefully ... dives in to paddling pool fully dressed ... remembers too late that I am the size of a whale ... mops us sheepishly and refills

Well I was expecting the heat to be much worse here today - but it was 32°c - which is do-able in this old house. Sat with the rabbits for a while in their cool basement room this evening and 'twas very relaxing indeed.

Apart from two quick dog walks (dog-walker did major one this morning) and a quick flit to post office, I haven't left the house today, which allowed me to really make proper inroads in to Mt Washmore. Very satisfying doing the laundry in this weather - as soon as one load finishes it goes out to the terrace to be be grilled (literally!) - and everything dries in minutes!

Ta da:
Have got through eight loads of washing today! Yay!
Have also done half important legal admin for important rdv Fri
Major sort of laundry room.

Carried up stuff for fortnightly ironing lady tomorrow (praying she turns up).

Untangled another huge bunch of bunting which didn't hung up at the weekend.

Played brain teasers with dd on the Wii ... apparently my brain is 82 yrs old
Nagged dd to start Latin study (which she did reluctantly and she also made us lunch)
Answered some e-mails
Cooked mediterranean pasta thingy for supper
Cleared up supper, filled dw
Played with furry one on the lawn
Rebooted wm and td (yes I know , but I hate scratchy towels)
Watched recording of University Challenge with dd

Cag was about to recoil mahoosively at the mention of the "C-word" but see it is in relation to decluttering!! Agree with Celeste we usually declutter before Christmas and before dd's birthday (luckily for me this is July and Dec - so approx every six months) and it sounds awful but the gentle hint/reminder that there might not be sufficient room for more presents seemed to do the trick. Not so relevant here now dd is older, but used to work when she was little!

Your day sounds v productive indeed btw Celeste!

Blue think I am going to nick your deconstructed salad (nicoise?) idea for tomorrow ... !! V impressed that you are doing pilates in the heat!

Congrats re: another humungous list Stillliving! Hope you can catch up with a bit of shut eye tonight!

Just need to triage the dryish laundry for ironing tomorrow, lock up etc, see if dd and I can agree on some sort of English telly to watch!

G'night all! Hope everyone can keep cool overnight!

SC yes, something along the nicoise lines, with a tin of tuna, some olives and whatnot. Pilates isn't too bad in an air conditioned gym! Unfortunately, disorganisation resulted in having to do end of term baking in sweltering temps anyway...

Plan for tomorrow is somehow to survive the day and then collapse with bought quiche.

Evening all, sorry for not posting much, our family computer is on the blink, I've dug out a laptop instead tonight.

Well, we were doing pretty well with the housework till this heatwave struck. Things are going downhill rapidly at the moment, but I'm off work Thur and Fri and it's supposed to be cooler by then so hoping to get back on top of things then. Both DCs have broken up from school now and extra-curricular stuff mainly stops after this week, which helps too.

We had a BBQ tonight, it's our first of the year and I wasn't missing the chance with the good weather. I think we're in one of the places that is destined to get a month's rain overnight or similar. BBC Breakfast said we'd be hotter than Miami, trains have been cancelled due to the heat (rails)!

I also did laundry today, not such an impressive amount though! I seem to be spending a lot of time washing up in the kitchen (even more puzzling when we have a dishwasher) so really must focus on a different room tomorrow!

scwell don't on laundry pile-8loads is amazing!!(glad someone else ironing for you)

So I am up,been up awake since 4 but lay there sweat exhausted heap
Little zoo woke me at 11.30 cos hot and again 2 ask for drink.D's is up moaning hot.my house normally freezing in winter and cool in summer is horribly hot-1st time since I've live here been over 30 degrees.
Go crack on with some chores. Once zoolets at school plan try get a nap in if poss

Ta da
Cats feed
Bins emptied
Plants outside watered
Washing on
Drinks wrap wet kitchen roll and pop in freezer for school(water bottles and Capri sun for lunches)
Made D's a paper airplane
Hotspot dining table
Wipe kitchen surfaces

By the way,sun rise was stunning

Oh no Stilllivinginazoo you must be shattered ... [proffers strong coffee] Hope you do get a chance to nap today.

Had a somewhat interrupted night myself. Furry one kept trying to creep upstairs because he was upset by dh's absence. It was like one of those parenting progs on the telly, when a toddler keeps climbing over the stair gate Finally got him to settle in his basket at 2am. But he then felt it was his duty to "warn" me about a cat in the garden around 6 am ... . Anyone want a furry four year old with raging halitosis?

Might consider trade for 2barmy cats? One excels taking down pigeons to snack on(slept in pile feathers yesterday from one his hunts)unfortunately also gets baby birds and just eats their hearts and maims butterflysalso likes sit(and shed)in kitchen sink
Other one barmy as box frogs,nervous chews,anxiety/separation issues and opens doors if can't wait me to get to them(fine in summer,freezing in winter leaving front door wide open)
Also likes nap on kitchen surfaces....
(Maybe that's not considered a remotely fair trade when see it written down)

Morning,

Zoo Part of me would love to get up at the crack of dawn as you do but most days my ds knackers me out and i need all the sleep i can muster!

I just managed to catch the binmen in time this morning to put the bins out. I totally forgot to do it last night and then heard them trundling down the road whilst making a cuppa. Today my big chore this morning is to do the weekly blitz of the kitchen. Also need to go to my Gran's this afternoon and do some cleaning for her.

I am taking a bag with me today to drop at the charity shop near work.

It's been sitting in my hallway for 6 weeks.

Today it is going.

And I'm going to get some washing done while I'm at work (thank god for washing machine timers).

I'm holding off proper cleaning until after my bathrooms finished.

Celesteglad you caught binman.I have 2weekly collection and the smell is fierce at this time of year.u am truly afraid of my bin by time due empty in summer
em6weeks is drop in the ocean in my ability to remember to take things to charity shop out if the door!!good positive attitude,hope you do remember to take it when you leave house

Ta da:
triaged laundry for fortnightly ironing lady who has arrived! [whoops with delight] She is Peruvian and never happier when it is boiling boiling hot!! She described today's weather as "un poco de calor"
animals (herb smorgasbord for rabbits this morning with a smattering of vine leaves)
emptied dw, filled with supper things
emptied and re-booted wms
hang up dark wash to dry
laid out dd best dress to dry flat
cleaned down kitchen surfaces
made myself slimming breakfast (2 scrambled eggs and nothing else - had a hugely calorific day yesterday - must improve)
greeted and paid dog walker

I am so unusually organised this morning that I now have no excuse to ignore boudoir -which is a total pit as usual - oh no!! - what was I thinking?

Emenem good on you re decluttering!

Celeste yay for leisurely bin men!

Still ah but I didn't list furry one's other foibles (too many to mention) so not really a fair exchange.

at heart-eater and butterfly maimer

Blue how is Smokey Joe doing in this weather?
Btw, just twigged that you were baking in this heat yesterday which certainly deserves a medal!

Ta da:
more legal papers
more laundry
think about supper
boudoir
home office
go out and do something fun with dd

Enjoy the sunshine while it lasts everyone!

Sorry that last list was obviously a "to do" not a "ta da"

Big airy wing flaps to one and all!

Smokey's the only one unfazed by the heat, but he just tried to eat a drawing pin. It's like having a toddler again!

Friend told me yesterday that those with dogs should put tennis ball in freezer (in a bag) and throw that for them as dogs regulate temperature thru tongues and cold ball is very pleasant for them on their tongues.
My cats bit partial to bit ice in water bowl-one long hair n he looks utterly fed up and lacklustre

We are lucky with our cat in that he never brings any unfortunate animals back home, not to say that he doesn't go out hunting, maybe he just chooses not to bring back bodies as he'd know i'd dissapprove of his hunting wildlife

Ta da

fed ds
washed dishes
made beds
cleaned fridge
cleaned hob
cleaned microwave
bleached kitchen sink
dettol'd worktops
mopped kitchen floor

Just chilling in the garden now, ds is playing in his sandpit and i've got my book. Will do lunch for me and ds and then head off to my Gran's.

Our cats are totally flopped out too, I keep finding them sprawled out as flat as they can make themselves, I've put ice in their bowl too, but they don't drink from it very much. Like yours Celeste they don't bring in animals, we found a dead frog once and they occasionally bring in worms, but no mammals or birds, I don't think they are very good hunters.

I'm at work today, nice and cool here (aircon). Got up a bit earlier to tidy up after leaving it all last night due to the heat, I propped open front and back doors this morning which lets a lovely breeze come through the house.

Good advice here about keeping pets cool in this weather.

That is a great idea about freezing tennis balls - sadly, furry one, owing to his difficult childhood, doesn't understand or know how to play with balls (despite numerous attempts to encourage him). He just sits and looks at them with a puzzled expression on his face as they roll past

Will put ice cubes in water bowls though!

Glad SmokeyJ is enjoying the heat Blue - funnily enough my sister said the very same thing about her cats when I spoke to her this morning - they choose to lie in the very hottest spots in her garden.

Wish we had aircon here Whoknows!

Enjoy your afternoon visit Celeste

Really too oppressive to do anything remotely energetic now ...it's very humid here and clouding over - you can tell that a big storm is on its way. Boudoir = a big fail but content that laundry pile has diminished hugely since the start of the week.

Dieting should be easier in this weather shouldn't it? If I am finding it this difficult now (had salad for lunch) I dread to think what will happen come autumn!

Well I'm not doing too well with the laundry, I totally forgot to put the next lot on. I have now, and have hung the first lot on the airer (all there's room for, as no garden). Did lots of Spanish with the DCs which was nice. We're learning days/months/seasons. :)

It wasn't really much of a leisure visit to my Gran's Sling, me and my cousin take turns to clean for my Gran and today was my turn. As for dieting, i normally eat more lightly in the summer. I think making sure you have a good breakfast, lunch and tea is the key to dieting in order to cut out the snacks.

Ta da

fed ds
washed dishes
made beds
cleaned fridge
cleaned hob
cleaned microwave
bleached kitchen sink
dettol'd worktops
mopped kitchen floor
cleaned and mopped Gran's bathroom
mopped Gran's kitchen floor
hoovered Gran's
dusted my Gran's
made tea
washed up
wiped down kitchen
bathed ds
cleaned bath

All done for the day now

I hada much needed3hour nap today. Woke to find a nice breeze blow thru house,and definitely bit cooler!!I caught sun a bit on back yes,slight pinking,but sat back against new leather sofa its so itchy and angry looking I want scratch it off
Will be pick up calamine tomorrow as dd2got aftersun (as despite our best attempts she always gets some burning if has be outside)but didn't help and think coz has aloe vera in it and last attempt use product that in made my skin hot and itchy!
At least in hols we can venture out before 11and stay in til after 4droening her in suncream and hat when we are outside.she has brown hair,with ginger tints that get more golden as summer goes on and freckles-rest us white hair as kids that's darken to light brown/gold with blond streaks
She gets cross if we pink we tan and (usually)it a painless process
Zoolets broke up today.D's very unsettled as his best friend is one whovmum die and he leaving school now
They at last cubs(had stayed would've gone up scouts tog sept)at laserforce tonight,then after his dad drops D's they pick ip cats and Gerry yhr gecko and heading to live with dads grandparents(dad there too) in a village around 30mins away. Will be back n forth few weekends collecting stuff then dad plans do jobs never got round to and sell up.I feel quite bereft-been taking their son school best part 2years as my friend battled brain tumour and he like one of the pack,a funny,smart lad that save me from endless my lil pony chats with little zoo everyday.time for them to move on but change is go be hard D's as he not a sporty not,quiet and loves books and he struggles make friends like him.....

Good evening everyone,

SC glad your back is feeling better and that your DD had a good time at camp

Kruck congratulations on your engagement, I love the sound of your reception afterwards.

Blue Smokey looks utterly adorable (when is a kitten not?)

Cag what a shame your DD didn't get on with the basket ball club, hope her lip is better soon.

Big waves to Celeste and Em I couldn't agree more that this is a lovely thread to be on. I've been a fledgling for around two years now and its my favourite part of Mumsnet.

WhoKnows and StillLiving my cats are also in high dudgeon over the heat. One of them dislikes tap water, preferring puddles, so it can be very hard to keep him hydrated

< waves to Cotswold, Feetheart, Honu, Ellie, Dogsbum, Einstein, Toffee, Mercury, MidLife, MadSprocker, Ratbag, Scatty > and everyone else I'm sorry I've forgotten.

Our chain has broken as our buyers have pulled out, fortunately the place we're wanting to move to have agreed not to go back on the market just yet. Please cross all your limbs and digits that we find someone else to fall in love with our house.

Ta Da:
Took DS to nursery
Cats fed
Put bins out for collection
Dishwasher
Removed DS's car seat cover, washed, dried outside, refitted
Took a boot full of rubbish to the tip
Took two bags of donations to charity shop
Went to therapy appointment
Collected my new writing desk from the auction house we went to yesterday
Dusted said writing desk
Made beds
Hoovered living room
Cleaned and packed away our beach tent (bloody sand got everywhere)
Towels washed, hung out to dry, folded and put away
Online food shop
Emptied fridge, chucked science experiments, removed all shelves and compartments for a thorough clean
Emptied and inventoried freezer, washed and replaced all drawers
Some business admin with DH
Collected DS
Fed cats again
Flopped on sofa....

To Do
Eat dinner
Water the garden