Flying high in July (or trying to!) - the FlyLady thread

[TooStressyForMyOwnGood]

A warm (or cooling with our current weather) welcome to the July Flylady thread. This is a lovely friendly thread where we loosely follow the Flylady system (see the Flylady website ) in the hope of having organised homes and lives.

Every day the thread leader (me this month) posts links and missions from the Flylady site and also some friendly (!) personal comments. This is quite a ‘talky’ thread but we try our hardest not to be cliquey and new members are very welcome! I will do my best to keep track of everybody .

Please note that Flylady is (understandably) keen for people to click on her site so please do have a look around the site and the links. On the website there is information for beginners. You can also sign up to the Flylady emails but we would advise caution as there are hundreds of them.

We post our achievements (ta das) and our to do lists and any other general chatter about life / flying.

Information on getting started: www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/

The launch pad is also a good starting place:www.flylady.net/c/lp.php

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

Be kind to yourselves, jump in where you are and be careful not to crash and burn!

The first day of the month is Sunday. Since it’s a weekend there is no official mission or zone work, unless you want to of course.

*
Here is the daily summary for Sunday (also available on the Flylady website at flight plan which should update automatically each day).

I assume we are going into zone 1 next week which is the entrance area. However this week we have been in the living room. The Flylady website can take a few days to update the zones when the month changes so I will have a good look at it tomorrow and Monday to see where we are.

The link to the current zone and missions is [[http://www.flylady.net/c/sp.php#missions here].

Re. zones, do what works for you. I don’t always stick to the zones myself and do what works best at the time, with varying degrees of success!

Spend 15 mins decluttering, or whatever you can manage, in Zone 5/ zone 1.

When you have finished decluttering, the detailed cleaning list (if you are at that stage) for Zone 5 is here.

daily focus

missions for the week

Flykids mission

Once I figure out July’s habit I will let you know what it is!

beginner babysteps.

Happy flying everyone.
**

Last attempt to make sense...

I guess what I am saying Toostressy is don't subject yourself to a lifetime of stress and unhappiness in order to "keep the peace". It doesn't work. You deserve better. Speak up now

Woeful ta da but something:
cleared up from serving "proper" brkfast to everyone
2 x loads laundry
folded dry laundry
emptied two drawers
taped up cardboard box and put stuff in it from emptied drawers to sort tomorrow
clean and re-line two drawers
hang up laundry
re-feed wms
fill dw
sorted stray parcel with post office

I spent 70mins on phone,60 of those as caller number fucking one in the queue for a stool sample result to be told the sample was back 3weeks ago and deemed unusable but no one bothered to tell me.about to leave an unsavoury feed back on the website

Big pile ironing done

Oh how frustrating Zoo!!

Late surge:
emptied out fridge
rubbish and recycling
lugged heavy hoover up from basement to boudoir
moved sleeping bags in to more suitable storage
washed out plastic storage box
cleared boudoir bed (again)
hung up more washing to dry
sorted medical file

I think your advice is spot on sc! I can imagine it's very hard though toostressy

Zoo that's so so frustrating, I'd be very cross about that!

Ta da
Mopped
Swept kitchen
Did the minimum dusting I could
Swish and swipe bathroom
Finished daily routine
Replied to my friend re birthday party
Skim read Marie Kondo
Changed towels etc
Stripped bed

I haven't started the Kondo method but think I will give it a go. I'll keep you posted! I don't want to make the mistake of starting it when I don't have much time so I'm going to be patient and wait for the right moment! may never happen going to continue flying as well though because all the usual housework and to do list will still need doing!

At another school event, will be on later with links and personals

Hope it goes well Toostressy

Waves to Foxes and good luck Kondo-ing! I know some people have had huge success with it! I found it wasn't for me because (thin tall house) we have duplicates of lots of things on different floors, so gathering everything together in one group is a bit of a nightmare! I think a lot of her advice about decluttering from an emotional pov is very good though.

I am currently reading "Decluttering at the Speed of Life" by Dana K White. It's really good! Currently working my way through my clothes with help from this bk.

Hi all, school event lovely as always but then late to bed and lots of hot and grumpy kids.

Just going to give a few waves and then post links I’m afraid and will be off to bed myself.

Thanks for taking the time to reply about my parents, SC especially, I really appreciate it and will have a good read through the comments tomorrow. Big waves to SC, foxes, zoo, Cag, Ive, Honky, Wh0Kn0ws, Cassandra and everyone else.

*
Here is the daily summary for Tuesday (also available on the Flylady website at flight plan which should update automatically each day).

We are in zone 3 this week which is the bathroom and one extra room.

Re. zones, do what works for you. I don’t always stick to the zones myself and do what works best at the time, with varying degrees of success!

Spend 15 mins decluttering, or whatever you can manage, in zone 3.

When you have finished decluttering, the detailed cleaning list (if you are at that stage) for Zone 3
is here.

daily focus

missions for the week

Flykids mission

July’s habit is swish and swipe which is a quick daily clean of the bathroom.

beginner babysteps.

Happy flying everyone.
*

Ta for links Toostressy!

Visitors didn't come back for supper and didn't let me know until quite late what was happening (grrr) so as I was "on duty" anyway I cleared out huge medicine cupboard and now have a bag of out of date medicaments to hand in to chemist.

Also, have decluttered clothing drawers 2, 3 and 4 in boudoir! Yay!

Morning all......

Quick wizz round this a.m. as off to brunch with Df , need to off-load about certain "things" that arose on our family holiday. Ok! I'll tell you!
Myself and Dd and family, practically burst with holding our tongues with Ds's
dysfunctional family! There I've said it!
Neither of them can say "No" to their Ds 7 (my Dgs, who is an angel when with the rest of the family) he whinned, I kid you not, the whole week. He didn't like any food, he wouldn't wear any shoes and his Df had to carry him on his shoulders, like a 2yo the whole time. He was pandered to and made the centre of attention all the time, to the point that the last half of the hol my Dd and family avoided them as much as possible.

The Dil went out with my Dgdtwins19 and her Dd16 and got pissed and made a "show of herself", not once but every night they went out, her Dd 16 told my Ds that her Dm had been over friendly with men on their night out (she had videod it for him but he didn't want to look). She also had to be permanently the centre of attention, flirting with any man in sight, waiters, boat trip captains, surf dude instructors, all the time. In the end Dgd's stopped going out in the evenings as they said she was such a liability and embarrassing. Her Dd16 who acts and looks about 25 was either sulking, arguing with her Dm, telling her to stop acting like a 15 yo, or curled in bed in her phone.
My Ds was running around, trying to make everything seem normal, pandering to all of them. Dil never lifted a finger in the villa, their bedroom was a bloody tip, all their clothes were thrown all over the villa and pool area.
We all think Dil has a problem with alcohol and so did Ds on holiday but is now minimising now we're back. Although he says he's told her that if there is any repeat of drunken behaviour from now on, he is leaving her.
What a bloody nightmare!
And breathe!

Sorry! I know this is a Fly thread but we seem to be off-loading about family quite a bit lately!

Ta da
Fed cat and Buffy dog

Can't be bothered much else. Back later!

Crikey Honky no wonder you feel the need to off-load! Returning to yesterday's subject of parental "input" - it must have taken huge self restraint not to say anything - no wonder you were bursting!
What strange behaviour though! The mother/daughter dynamic sounds a bit like Saffy and Edina from Ab Fab. If your Dil has a drink problem though, it is no laughing matter. How difficult for your ds and the whole family and indeed for her if she has an addiction. Very tricky situation for you if your ds is in denial too. I suppose it's hard to judge with these things when one feels obligated to step in and offer help or not? I would feel completely out of my depth in these circumstances. I guess it shows that parenting continues to present one with challenges, whatever the age of your DC! Wishing you strength with it all!

Very muggy weather here today and I slept badly again. Continuing with Flying where I left off yesterday. As ever, very grateful for this thread and all thevFledglings on it, as it got me through a dreadful decluttering hump yesterday!

Onwards ... .

Goodness Honky, I bet you are glad to be back .

Ta da:-
Halfway through morning routine
Made to do list

To do:
Strip beds
Look through school uniform as someone wants to give me some old bits which is fab and I may have some things which will be too small in September
Deal with paperwork
Ideally some decluttering

Wow honky welcome back to "normality" if you can call us that

I slept crap.was humid and "d"p slept with loudest fan.ever.kept me and the girls awake so we all slept(sort off) downstairs..

Anyhoo,onwards and upwards

Honky sounds like you need an actual holiday after that!

honky

Ta da
Popped to shops
Attempted to change internet provider over and failed
Tidied living room
Loaded dishwasher

To do
Finish daily routine
Swish and swipe downstairs loo
Meal plan for next week
Online food shop for next week
Calendar check
Decluttering- hoping to start with clothing today and have been chatting to dd about it to see if she wants to have a go too... we'll see how that goes!

Dd has a friend coming over this afternoon so I'm trying to get ds to go to sleep before she arrives otherwise he won't sleep at all. It isn't going well it sounds like there's an elephant in his room!

Ta da
Ds asleep (or at least quiet!?) Only ten minutes before dd friend gets here though so let's hope he doesn't wake back up when she hears them squealing!
Meal plan started but need to wait to see what the butcher's meal deal is tomorrow before I finish it

Also realised I can't start food shop as no internet so can't use the computer and don't fancy doing it on my phone.

So not really very productive. Once I know ds definitely asleep I can get on with tidying upstairs and doing the decluttering.

I can do the downstairs loo though and then have a although it's too hot for one really!

Ta da:-
Went through all school uniform. We have so much! Have put the good stuff that we don’t need on Facebook selling site but no interest so far . Need to have another look at it tonight as may give some bits into the school.
Packed up DD1’s Brownie camping stuff.
Filled in a couple of online forms.
Avoided DM’s calls and instead left polite answerphone message.

To do:-
I have just over half an hour before I need to leave for school. Going to have a quick look through the teacher presents which all need giving in tomorrow.

Ran out of time to plan tea but feels good to have gone through all uniform.

4 year old girls are LOUD.

Ds was asleep but not anymore!

I need to sort through uniform too. Although i did bin a badly stained cardigan and a bobbly pinafore last time i managed to iron everything! All the white polo shirts will be going, although they did well having a vanish wash once a week once we started using suncream they stained around neck and sleeves.

I am really fucking lathargic
No idea what is up with me
Past couple of weeks i have been drained

The strain of everything's getting to you I've
Stressy not easy seperate get yourself as a competent adult.nicely handled I think,no confrontation and making your opinions clear
Foxes it is still bloody warm.i need a cool breeze and dare I say it some rain to freshen things up a bit.i can't remember our last bit of rain!!good luck with having extras underfoot(hope D's gets Some sleep)
Tada
Bit food shopping and a nap
Was ment to bake,was ment deep clean understairs,was ment to make start my room
I seem to have a nasty case of the was ment to's
Tonight's dinner-salmon pasta salad(green beans and asparagus cooked in last few mins of pasta which then cooled,cold roasted red onions and peppers,tomato based dressing with basil and black pepper,and salmon)dd2 getting roasted chickpeas with her's and sprinkle chop pistachios..feels like forever since I did a "real dinner"
Is it sad I'm start look forward to cooler days and Chance to enjoy cooking and baking again?!

Yes, emotional stress equally draining (if not more draining) than physical kind. Hope you're ok I've.

Supper sounds delicious Zoo!

Post play date for Zoo

Well done re: uniform sorting Toostressy

Haven't exactly felt energetic today. V humid. Innards feel a bit off. Haven't done much except laundry and work admin. Guests are away for a few days thank heavens. And worst of all, I have had a return of a bit of dizziness today (which had completely disappeared). Bit demoralising to put it mildly!

On a positive note DD really enjoying her new equine companion and is throwing herself in to attendant chores with huge enthusiasm. Long may it continue!

Honky what a holiday 😮 I bet you're glad it's over
Stressy that sounds like a really tricky dynamic. My DM is not quite the same but even as an adult I wonder what her reaction will be to things I do. It's hard to be an autonomous adult at times
Zoo can I come for dinner in your house please?!

My tada list
Read most of Kondo.
Dropped her into conversation with DH who is the messy hoarder in our house , he says he'd give it a go - hurray
Few washes of clothes done

To do list
Dry clothes
Put away
Pack for holiday leaving tomorrow, nothing done
Shower, wash hair, shave legs, moisturise, dry & straighten hair, fake tan, paint toes
Eeek

Am I starting any of this long list? Nope it's six in the evening, the suitcase still has tags on and I'm on MN

Thanks for flowers, you lovely peeps!
Feel better now I've spoken to Df, I knew there was nothing I could do about their situation but I just needed someone to tell me that!

I agree about the mental stress making you tired. I felt sad and "low" yesterday and had to lie down in the afternoon for an hour and then was in bed by 9am.
Stress is so draining!

Bloody hell honky that sounds stressful. And stressy you too, I love the idea to not offer unsolicited advice to grown up kids actually, that makes a lot of sense.

I have achieved pretty much nothing myself today, I have been holding the baby. DH has powered through packing boxes, there are loads now stashed away in the big cupboard under the stairs. Unfortunately we do have a few BRCs to move but they are in proper lidded storage tubs, so I don’t feel too bad about it, especially when I think how much worse it could be - we’ve been throwing loads out too. Up to 10 bin bags outside now!