Fledglings Fly back to school & work, September 2017, decluttering along the way ...

[Sandycarrots]

Hello, it's time to brush the sand off our feet, empty out the suitcases, sharpen our pencils, polish our lace-up shoes, and get stuck in to the September 2017 fledgling Fly thread!

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.

Fly stands for Finally Loving Yourself (cheesy but there is merit to it). The general idea is that short bursts of tidying / organisation are more achievable than marathon efforts. Flylady advises 15 minute bursts of effort but you can tweak this to fit your own circumstances.

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!

More info available here, here and here.

Your choice whether or not you sign up to the Flylady e-mails, but we advise caution as there are lots of them!

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!

cag i like your ticks

sc/foxes I dont think our night wakings are food related i think ds just likes to sleep with some body!

He slept 10-230 in his cot then came in with us until got up at 6. We were joined by dd around 5 and so i was very squashed

Hope your dd is feeling better sc

Zoo my big two do the two loop method (8+9 years old) 9 year old pretty good but 8 year old has to redo roughly once an hour. Practice makes perfect?

Cag i probably would have had a massive paddy about the dog especially at 30+ weeks!

Yesterdays ta das

All dishes washed except me and dps pizza plates
Two loads washed and dryed
Table clear and clean
Kitchen swept
Hall swept
Both living rooms swept
Kitchen bin empty
Recycling out
Landing pile crap cleared
Cot stripped and remade
Pets cleaned out
Some glossing done
Sorted some paperwork
Highchair scrubbed
Outside of fridge wiped
Dc half homework done and supervised
Star chart dug out and restarted

You know what I wish I was brave enough to have said something. I'm a wuss though! I just grumbled and walked off fuming once I regained my balance. I'm not actually sure if the driver let her board properly in the end, he was pretty pissed off the dog wasn't on a lead

See i probably would have made a show of myself
I have form for kicking off on public transport...

Shame you weren't there really, TBF she would've deserved it! :o

It's an MN cliche about parents smiling on indulgently while their errant toddler runs riot, well this was the canine equivalent! But we were all too British to say anything. :o

Caglets are up now but I'm still in bed. No idea what the plan is today, or when my parents will get up! Dad usually sleeps really late. So grateful for melatonin though as although DD was awake longer (10.30ish) due to the change - she always struggles to sleep here - it was still earlier than she used to get to sleep even at home, and we didn't have any of the stress and tears we normally have (lost track of the number of times I've thought we may as well go home as she doesn't sleep here). So yay!

Tadas

Fed cat/kits
Bleach lav
Wash on
Tidy corner living room that houses dolls house other crap
Pop co op for eggs milk
Breakfast(dippy eggs.marmite toast soldiers.cherry toms)
Wipe bath n sink
Hoover hall stair n landing
Wash hall floor
Wash bathroom floor(sweep up bits cat litter first)
Wash in dryer
More in
Wash breakfast stuff
Pop corner shop pay tv license/top up phone
Polish zoolets shoes for church
Just have their hair to do then they are ready!!
Need pop morrisons for lunchbix supplies whilst they are there(30min walk each way) will have to hoof it to be back in time pick them up!

Of Cag that is good news!

Jumping back in ....again. I thought I would get the house, ironing etc under control over the summer... it didn't happen so I am going to see if I can do it before Christmas

DP is away next week so I will have lots of time to get me and the dc organised or be driven to

I haven't read the thread yet but will start from here.

ta da
Chicken in
Washload in to tumble
Socks paired
Small pile of ironing done.

Now I need to clean the bathroom before my dad comes for dinner.

Wishing you all relaxed Sundays.

Welcome back mercury! I didn't achieve much over the summer either. I'm not really sure where it went TBH.

Good afternoon everyone.

Great to have you back Mercury and good luck with term time Flying! I usually only just manage to "maintain" Fly and I am with you with trying to really get to grips with house/decluttering etc between now and Christmas!

Cag sorry to hear you had such a rotten journey. Well done for all the clothes decluttering and I hope you have a restful stay with your lovely ma. Great the melatonin is working for your dd too!

Speaking as a dog-lover and owner, I cannot bear irresponsible owners. That bus driver should have called the dog warden on the grounds that is was unsupervised (even if owner present). Owing to a very difficult youth, our furry adoptee's behaviour isn't always the best, but we keep him on the lead at all times in public and he is undergoing constant training. Allowing your dog to inconvenience and endanger anyone (never mind a pregnant woman) is despicable. And not picking up dog crap is another sin at the top of my misdemeanours list [anger]. There is never any excuse for it, I am with you there Zoo. Nor is there any excuse for leaving your filled poo bag hanging from a tree [anger].

Top marks re: mega-list Zoo Thanks for frozen veg tip too. I tend to shy away from them (except peas) because I don't like their texture much, but as you say, that doesn't matter with soup does it as long as flavour is good? And I think freezing methods have improved over the years. I have a friend who swears by frozen and chopped onions for speeding up cooking prep and she says frozen mushrooms are good in stir fries and soups, so I must give them a go!

Fab Saturday list Afreshstart . Hope you can get a bit of a rest yourself today although I am sure that is not easy. Thanks for kind thought but dd is fine - tis Cotswold's dd who is ill. (SC and CS easily confused!)

Speaking of whom, hope your dd is doing better today Cotswold?

Foxes I am sure the wine was much needed and did you good but hope you are not feeling the after-effects too much today !

Einstein oh no to yet more building work!! Just when you were starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Poor you!!

Glad to see you are ahead of the game with today's baby-step Newchick

Whey hey to eight loads of washing Mermaids . I guess it is safe to say you are happy with your new machine then?

Thanks for kind wishes, I am totally fine but feeling very tired and a bit sore today so staying in town while leaving country matters to dh. The only thing I have done is gone to early Mass with dd, tried to coax remaining wm in to some action, and seek out the source of a really rank smell coming from the cellars. The good news that is wasn't a plumbing problem as originally thought! The bad news is that it was the end of a sack of rotting potatoes that I had totally forgotten about so 10/10 for slatternly house-keeping from yours truly! Nearly lost my breakfast sorting it out!

The washing pile is diminishing more slowly than anticipated because my main wm has officially died (code 47 is something to do with spin and/or engine - the spin had always been a bit dodgy tbh) so need to get the engineer out this week. I do have a cheapo second machine (bought last time main machine threw a wobbly and took ages to fix) which has a problem with the door seal so will have to see if I can manage with that. Fortunately, dd opted to wear her old (skirt a bit too short and jumper a bit shiny) uniform last week as she didn't want to start back to school looking too "new" so we have new stuff available to see us through until machines fixed hopefully.

I am increasingly convinced that wms are now designed to internally combust between about 5-7 yrs. Doesn't matter whether its an expensive machine or a cheapo. My late ma old Bendix was built like a rock and lasted over 20 yrs with constant use! These modern versions have too many electronic nubbins in them that constantly fail and they tend to have snowflake tendencies when "spinning" and the load "isn't sufficiently balanced". Any recommendations (in case needed) anyone for a basic, well-built, efficient machine that won't have tantrums pls?

To do:
cover another text book in dreaded sticky back plastic
make sweet potato and pepper stew thing to go with sausages tonight (cba with roast today)

Enjoy your Sunday afternoons everyone and try (where humanly possible) to grab a bit of time for yourselves!

Forgot to wave to anyone I have inadvertently missed, such as Honu!

Hi mercury good to have you back
afresh lil zoo been tying laces 18mnths competantly.hes always struggled to learn new things like this.we plod on....

Tadas
Got pack up bits n bobs plus gift dd2 friend(13 today so opt little eyeshadow compact and stationery)
Scurry home n put shop away
Fold and put away dry laundry
Pick up zoolets from sunday school
Wash in dryer.more in
Pop local pet shop for flea treatments
Pop local "its a gift"(bargain shop) for wrap paper and cards(family friend birthday tom)
Lunch
Write this weeks important stuff on whiteboard in hall
I am n w goung were angels fear to tread(to attempt help dd2 organise/tidy her side if the girls room and locate where the dickens her laundry is underbed as ive wssh dry n put away lil zoo n ds uniform sat morning.no signs hers or pe kit.(sighs))
Wish me luck!!

X posts sc frozen carrots and sweetcorn(corn ciuld be tinned) with onions or garlic(or both) plus bit dry sage is quick and quite satisfactory soup
On wm front if you can find a lasting pack horse i am very interested.i have a bosch.last bosch lasted 5years.cheaper model only gave 2 years service.we do work ours hard at least 2 loads everyday but i get annoyed how quickly they stop and how normally cheaper buy new than repair!
Right.i am entering the seventh circle of hell(girls room)

SC of course machines spontaneously combust, it is all about redundancy and income for the companies. It doesn't make sense in a purchase led economy to make machines that are built to last. 5-10yr warrenty but mostly 5yrs is most you can expect these days

I am still alive!!
3 loads washing located.incl uniform needed fir tom.as ive done 4 already today
Under bed cleared.was funny as i unearth a year 1 topic book."when i griw up i want to be a sheft and cook food"😊
Just need wash all bedroom floors.dust and make beds in morning.and make sure evetyones fed n watered....by 715am no pressure there then

Hooray well done zoo

Ta das
Picked up parcel / got bits from town we needed
Dh has cleaned grout in bathroom
mopped bathroom floor
daily routine
sorted out the bath toys as ds got new ones for his birthday so chucked lots away
did some work

To do
make fish pie for dinner
clear out the fridge

Ds slept until 645 this morning and I'm feeling more like my usual self...

Thank you for the lovely welcome back ladies.

We have just had our wm replaced under warranty. I will definitely be extending the warranty on this one. I agree they do not last.

We had dinner and dropped dp to the station. Since then I have done two loads of washing, hoovered downstairs, washed up, cleaned the kitchen and shined the sink. We are all bathed and ready for an early night.

This evening I am going to try getting ds2 to bed upstairs. He is 18 months and is usually cuddled to sleep downstairs but I am determined to get him sleeping upstairs before dp comes home at the end of the week. I love the cuddles but need my evenings back.

I remember that dilemma well.lil zoo was bloody nightmare learn sleep by self.

Zoolets all clean n helped with hairwashing(as all have super long thick locks)

Lil zoo n ds fed n watered

Mire wsshing done
Ds room tidy
Finally found marker for uniform(knew i had one somewhere!!)replaced biro names with permanent pen but expect some will still disappear in vortex nown as lost property forever
Bit tidying my room

I need try relax.eat and start again in morning.i getting tired and over fretting things!!

Good evening everyone.

Zoo I can't believe how much you have got done on a Sunday! Humungous lists there! And thanks for soup tip - will definitely try it! Arf at "where angels fear to tread" - glad you survived!

Mercury you sound very prepared for the morning! Hope your ds2 is cooperating tonight!

Glad you are feeling a bit more rested Foxes and v well done re: list of things achieved! Fish pie sounds lovely!

Einstein & Mercury I absolutely hate this "throw away" mentality wrt white goods. Will let you know if I find a model that lasts but am not holding out much hope!

Apart from making supper and covering a book, I did very little else today. DD however did her hwk, tidied and hoovered her bedroom on her own initiative [yay!!]

Mahoosive wing flaps to everyone else!

Links coming up!

The summary for Monday 11th September 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. 11 for Mon 11th is here. It's a bit of a "take it or leave it" one about adding a page of inspirational quotes to your cj.

We will be in Zone 3: Main Bathroom and another Room, this week (Sept 10-16 inc.) here.

NB: The "other" room this week is represented by the various "stash and dash spots" in your home such as a bedroom corner, or a nook in a garage or guest room where clutter has begun to assemble!

Spend 15 mins decluttering the current zone.

When you have finished decluttering, the detailed cleaning list for Zone 3 (if you are at that stage) is here.
FYI the detailed cleaning lists this week cover laundry room and children's bedrooms.

Monday's mission is: here. Not a particularly edifying one to start the week: wipe down around the base and back of the lav!

For the "other room", choose a "stash and dash corner" - see above - get a bin bag and spend 5 mins sorting stuff for chucking or recycling.

The daily focus for Monday is the "home blessing" or what we call the "home bleugh" here. Spend ten minutes on each of seven essential tasks. You may find that bed-taking takes longer though!

The monthly habit for September is the before-bed routine: here.

Flykid's challenge: here (hopefully continually renewing itself).

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

Have a productive start to the week everyone (if humanly possible)!

Evening all. Just lying in bed MNing while DD drifts off (earlier yay! But not ready for falling asleep without me here at mum's yet)

Obviously no housework done but did manage to cook a simple dinner here and bathe the Caglets (don't normally bother while we are here TBH and have pretty much packed our stuff as I want to get an earlier start home tomorrow. Might get a chance to see DH before work that way. Will need to get changed, and sort out the living room a bit by 2.30 as we are meeting my health visitor. And somehow fit some HE stuff in.

Really hoping DS behaves, he has been such hard work lately, all I seem to do is tell him off.

Meant to say great news about DD hoovering and everything sc yay!!!

How soon until I can sneak out of the bedroom and raid the freezer... there is ice cream with my name on it (chocolate and pistachio) and we bought strawberries today... [stocks haughty corner]

Basic routine still baffles ds. he really doesn't understand the point. I can't decided if it is a teenage boy thing, and aspie thing or a combination of the two thing.

ta da
upset the washing machine my own fault I got the proportions wrong of washing powder and soda crystals wrong
regret not shoving ds' trainners in the washer/dryer with his pe kit.

I know i have done more but no idea what it was I have done. I am hoping both ds and I wake up in better moods than we went to bed in.

Long work day here - feeling like Wonder Woman for having managed to cook family supper and sort and put away a single load of laundry. Sometimes there being clean pants for everyone in the morning is as much as I can manage!

On some days clean pants ARE an achievement Newchick

Well done to your dd SC. I hope one day my dc will tidy up without nagging