Fledglings cocoon, we're Flying in June ... .

[SansCollier]

Welcome to the June 2017 fledgling Fly thread!

Feel free to park your mops and buckets here from the 1st of the month!

This is where we attempt to declutter our homes and follow the 30-step wisdom of Flylady (minus cutesy barftastic language and a surfeit of e-mails) with lots of chat and support and mutual motivation (and of course) along the way.

More info available here, here and here.

As usual we will be following a three-pronged approach - and don't worry - we are all at different stages. (Some of us are still stuck at the decluttering stage after quite a few years ):

1 - repeat or start baby steps (again!)

2 - repeat baby steps + do 15 mins a day decluttering in the current zone

or

3 - reinforce babysteps and/or do daily missions

And those of you who have decluttered and are really enthusiastic can throw some detailed cleaning in to the mix as well!

The idea is that we focus on short, ring-fenced, daily bursts of activity (steps and routines) that will help our homes run (more or less!) on "automatic pilot" allowing us to do far more interesting things instead!

This is a very long-running thread so we may appear cliquey but we really aren't! All newcomers, long-termers, lurkers and intermittent returnees welcome!

Helpful pointers: No perfectionism allowed! If it took a while to create the current C.H.A.O.S. (can't have anyone over syndrome) in your home, then it will probably take a while to reverse the situation (you can't clean clutter!). Small steps are the key! And you are never behind: just jump in where you are at!

Any questions, don't hesitate to ask!

Good luck!

Congrats aunty mermaids!

I'm up with sunburn (I'm normally always super careful but dh accidentally picked up a bottle that had run out and we got burnt walking from the car to the shop to buy more). I've just had a freezing cold shower which was horrible and taken more painkillers but I can't find a comfy position to lie down in. I feel like a total wally.

Have you got any moisturiser purple
I always keep a bottle of aftersun in the fridge for these occasions as I am a typical celt and burn terribly easily.

aunty mermaid congrats
Hugs for cag and Einsteinhope feeling bit better soon
afresh summer colds bloody awful.Sympathy's and
foxes hope your brain catches up and you find a groove working and flying/family life
sc can I move in with you and eat home baked goodies

Kits got on ok
They are however demanding babies and after extensive snuggles flopped on dd2 bed(illicit snuggling spot as my back can't take bathroom floor sitting for too long and they like laying in folds my maxi dress like its a kitty hammock!!)
I snuck my room to meal plan and end up kits im my bed as escaped bathroom and scratch door/mew pathetically for me.they did just want tummy tickles and to sleep so I did get menu done,but I suspect I am now a Kitty slave.....

I keep after sun in fridge too.dd2 crisps on contact with sunlight and despite best effort ti drown sunblock EV 20mins still burns often (bad mum award in post)short keep her inside I don't know what else to do as she wouldn't do that she crisp today in friends paddling pool despite her mum apply sunblock at 20min intervals (sigh)

Must crack on and do something before too hot to do owt but wilt!

Purple do you have an aloe plant? If so, break a stick off and slather yourself in the juice inside. I bullied ndn's teen to do this last year (bossy teacher here) and he now thinks I'm some kind of witch as it works so well.

I keep meaning to get an aloe plant! Actually I'd like lots of plants in our house but I feel like we are so messy that we can't 😳😳😳

Yay for new baby! ❤️️

It is recovering from surgery, but yes I have had problems with it since I was a child. Thankfully it no longer seems to dislocate and I had already booked the physio to get them to look at it. But bloody annoying as there is nothing better than a stomp in the hills. Recovery is just so slooooooooooooow and two steps forwards, one back sometimes.

Right got a crap ton of stuff to do today (yes that is an official scientific amount) including sorting the car insurance which runs out at midnight someone shout at me later if I have not done it!

cag is a plant is living in a space clutter can't also. Get the plant it will help reduce places for clutter to accumulate. not that I have used this logic at all, oh no

I like your thinking :o

I'm just not sure I'm organised enough to not kill a plant I mean they need watering like EVERY DAY right?

I have an aloe plant! I totally forgot one of my pupils gave it to me when I finished with her. It has had a soothing effect. Thank you! I'm still quite sore today and in a pickle about what to do about my horrendous tan lines. I think it might be gradual tanner. Im also a pale celt and super careful in the sun usually so I'm not at all happy about burning.

cag aloe plants are amazingly low maintenance. I water mine about once a month when I remember. I think they're originally desert plants. Cactuses are obviously the same. My poor aloe plant got badly damaged when moved house (as in the whole plant got knocked off the roots right down to the compost in the pot level). It's totally regrown. Spider plants are also really low no maintenance and I love how they look with the runners of baby plants on them. Orchids thrive on neglect and I've got a massive umbrella plant that very rarely gets watered. Pick your plants carefully and you won't kill them.

Actually you can kill plants watering them every day. A lot of them need watering once a week ish but a little more in summer.
Spider plants are very resilient and good for air quality improvement
Christmas and easter cactii flower once a year and will die is you leave in standing water/water too much - also not spiky cacti
Africa violets are rather boring looking plants but again once a week watering

I have killed an aloe plant but I think i tried to take care of it which was the problem.
There is currently a pepper plant in the house which has green fly and is going in the garden - where it will probably die

I think what I am trying to say is pick a minimal fuss plant. I like spider plants simply because they are resilient to over watering/under watering etc just don't drop in a bubble bath it kills them

Phew it's humid here! Hope everyone as ok as poss!

Will be bbl to catch up with personals but for now "locking" myself in a room to do some overdue work. DD is "locked" in the room alongside me doing revision.

Why is it that when I have "work" work to do - I really want to do housework and really don't want to do the work. But yet when I only have house work to do; I would rather pluck out my own eyeballs than do it. Genuine question. It's not just procrastination; it's strong resistance. Getting me down because I should have more mastery over myself at my age.

Congratulations mermaid!! Enjoy being an aunty!! I'm envious of the aunty status, it maybe the reason I can't stop having kids because I can't pinch anyone elses haha!! All them newborn snuggles you'll all be enjoying over the next few weeks - I'm sure you'll treasure them

I didn't have chance to catch up with you all yesterday or Friday evening - it was the usual weekend mayhem. I'm currently sat on my own for the first time in 13 months!! oh has taken the kids to his parents and told me to stay and have some peace - woohoo!!! I'm sure his Dad won't mind me not being there - it was too rare an opportunity to refuse !! haha

No housework was done yesterday, so I'm on a recover the house mission now so we can enjoy the sunshine when they get back. Will try and do 15 mins on the bedroom too because I missed this last time because I was on holiday. My room is desperate!! It is the 'dump it' room, bags of dd2 clothes that no longer fit to pop on ebay or charity shop, wardrobes and drawers are full to busting and underneath the bed must keep telling myself it won't be done in a week, focus on achievement and forget how much there is still left to do.

sc I have ordered the after school planner, £3 second hand on Amazon - bargain!! thanks for the recommendation!! at mumsnet chicken !! Salads, Pasta sauce, soup, sandwich and making chicken burgers out of whats left today - surely that qualifies haha

My achievements for the past week:
All daily tasks done
bathroom is fully decluttered (full carrier bag thrown of rubbish that we no longer want /need) and got a good start on the cleaning list
Car fully decluttered (half a bag of rubbish, a bag of blankets, toys and clothes!! how did that much stuff end up there??)
Kids got rid of a full carrier bag of broken/happy meal/general tat that they love to hoard, toys
Kids shoes decluttered
carrier bag full of kids books donated to school and to other kids
Ironing pile is non existent
All washing has been put away

Doing fairly well when I see it wrote down!!

Excellent thanks I shall look into low maintenance plants then :o

Feeling really sick again

cag prob the heat

Tadas
Early trip shops
Futile attempt at hedge(path side its back a little,as over 8ft and I am both short and ladder less and armed only with borrowed shears)

Not sitting inside moaning.I too bloody hot
Kits flaked iyt on stairs having decided bathrooms too hot and giving me pleading kitty eyes "" we will be good and not come down and annoy big grumpy cat if you let us sleep here where its cooler"

To do
Make lunch(shop bought cooked beef.spinach nd various other salad ingredients in a wrap.humus with it for dd2)
Washing trickling down stairs,that needs attention-but not using t drier so need try sort the airer out)squashed and won't stand straight)
Clear up-place craphole

I really can't be arsed.

Even though its hot I STILL don't get thirsty, just feel faintI managed 500ml bottle water plus few extra sips yesterday....

ta da
rewash washing that had been abandoned in the washing machine
Collect laundry from various locations
put school uniform wash on
washing up - pots/ non dishwasher stuff
Dishwasher loaded and running
Tea figured out
put ds' clothes away
put ds' books away -awaits confusion tomo morning when he is throwing his bag together....
remove unwanted training gear from ds' room
Hide ds' fleece onsies -it is too hot for that nonsense and it is a yearly thing as he won't consider not wearing them
Drink enough water to drown a fish
Sort out hanging basket and put in its home
brave the cupboard under the stairs and come out swearing about idiots who use it as a dumping ground....
50mins decluttering in lounge
Spot hoovering in lounge as patches get tidy
Apply toothpaste to car windscreen to remove tax holder sticky residue from its removal.
Wash out kitchen bins
Renew care insurance!!! [phew]
collect ds
hang uniform to dry
put a load of normal washing on
Fall out with ds because he can't accept an instruction

Shame that one child can spoil a good day with attitude

It was car insurance I sorted not care

Thankyou for all the lovely wishes

Tadas

Dishwasher on
Washing hung out
Lots of baby cuddles had
I forgot how tiny they are when they're newborn

Hello all, congratulations mermaids and to your sister . Sounds like a very productive day Rosa. Cag, must be tough in this heat to be pregnant . SC, no answers to your question I'm afraid, motivation and procrastination fascinate me but I don't understand them .

We had a nice Farher's Day today, so so hot though. Just having a quick rest then will try to do a bit of before bed decluttering.

Big wing flaps to all.

Just seen you got sunburnt Purple, hope it is easing

Argh, sorry, ran out of time to catch up with personals tonight. Hope everyone had a good weekend though! Forced myself to do four hours works today. Rest of the day was spent dog-walking, cooking and keeping revision woes at bay. Links coming up... .

The summary for Monday 19 June is available on the Flylady website here under "Today" and via the flight plan which should update itself automatically on a daily basis.

Baby-step no. 19 for Mon 19 June is here. An ignorable one about Flylady testimonials which are meant to reduce us to purple puddles .

We are in Zone 4 this week : The Master Bedroom, Bath, Closet (June 18-24) here.

Spend 15 mins decluttering the current zone.

When you have finished decluttering, the detailed cleaning list for Zone 4 (if you are at that stage) is here.

Monday's mission is here. Spend no more than 15 mins getting rid of anything under your bed.

The daily focus for Monday is the home bleugh which we all agree takes much longer than the stated 10 mins each on 7 essential tasks.

The monthly habit in June is drinking water.

Daily reminders (which should also update automatically) are here.

Have a productive week everyone!

Quite chipper we are in the bedroom zone this week. Broke the back of it last month (a truly hideous task) and although it is still v cluttered, I am hoping it will be much easier to do the missions this week. For example, there is nothing under the bed so I can spend that 15 mins decluttering a BRC or sorting a sock drawer. Can it finally be that I am actually making progress after so many years ? (You wouldn't think so if you looked in our home office.) But at least one room is a bit better.

Argh, too hot to sleep, so round up herewith to catch up with what everyone has been doing ... .

Afreshstart has been battling a cold - rotten in this weather - hope you are feeling better now - and has made a start on house move prep.

Mermaids has been cuddling a newborn and celebrating becoming an aunt! Yay! Congratulations [champagne]

Toostressy has been having a nice (but hot) time celebrating Father's day, has done ridiculous amounts of laundry and exchanged wry smiles with a fellow parenting class companion.

Cag has been, sadly, feeling sick (take it steady ) and has been contemplating swapping clutter for plant life

Einstein has completely killed a mahoosively mahoosive list! , thereby killing a ton of crap, extolled the virtues of minimal fuss house plants and has put a fleece well out of the reach of a teen (funnily enough I've had to do the same today - what is it about 90°c degree heat and teens wearing the warmest clothing possible??).

Zoo has (despite the heat) been cooking delicious grub (as usual), hedge trimming, kitten doting; and has stemmed the flow of washing trickling down the stairs!

Rosa has been cooking chicken five ways , been on a house recovery mission and has celebrated a humungously impressive list of decluttering achievements this week by sitting down and enjoying some blissful "alone moments" for the first time in 13 months - whoo hoo! -

Purpledaisies has been tending to her tan lines with slatherings of aloe extract (hope it's done the trick!).

Foxes has been juggling her return to work with family life (hope its going well)

Honu has been masquerading as a white witch and scaring teenagers

SC has been utterly crap at Flying this week and has - once again - "got by in minimal fashion" - and has therefore awarded herself a D minus.

G'night all!

Love the roundup SC and thanks all for the kind words

Couple more easy days planned, just want to 'get through' until DH is off on Wednesday - he's got 8 days off then. After that it's not long until our holiday :)

thereby killing a ton of crap I wish. A meer drop in the ocean of what has to be done before Thursday morning was accomplished.

ta da
get ds out the door with out killing him but leaving the neighbour

to do
go pick up mystery parcel
Declutter the entire lounge floor - it will take hours and hours
make waffles for tea
argue with ds
get ds' lego sorted
argue with ds some more
get ds' room tidy
sit in separate rooms sulkily eating waffles and ice cream
provide ds with the funds for a new planner
laundry - wash it
fold it
iron it
put it away....

Somehow I suspect that that to do list is getting out of control... Ah what will be will have to be although we all know I am aiming for the whole lot less the arguing with ds but lets be honest: teen tidying room = shouting as a general rule

Well a drop in the ocean is better than nowt Einstein and it looked like a fairly substantially sized drop to me Good luck with today's tasks! (Like the sound of the waffle and ice cream consumption )

Hope you can survive ok until Wed Cag and then have a bit of down time.

Ta da:
animals
dd lunch
furry walk 1 (whilst it is still cool)
empty and fill dw with breakfast things
fill up wms with white towels
wipe down kitchen surfaces and stove top
s & s
[have given up on clearing dining room table hot spots during revision season]
after school revision snack prepped
tonight's supper checked and prepped in advance

Right, going to try and stop chewing my knuckles over dd sitting her maths exam this morning (she has an obligatory state exam every morning this week; very stressful indeed) and start wrestling with myself again for the next four hours trying to get this work project well and truly off my desk for once and for all!

Have a good day everyone!