September fledgling roll call: Ready, Set, FLY....

[HillsBesideTheSea]

Yes this is the bonkers back to school thread. We welcome you to jump aboard for the ride. We are following the Fly lady system for taming the chaos (can't have anyone over syndrome). We are at various levels and there is NO obligation to follow it to the letter (we've installed a bar in the naughty corner for hanging out and relaxing when needed)

4 levels for flying:
Baby steps - good for finding a routine in the tasks and getting over the perfection crippling effect
Baby steps and missions - yep basic routine and more in depth tasks
Baby steps, missions, and deep cleaning - can't clean clutter so don't consider this one if you need the next level
Flying combined with a decluttering system (kondo/unfuck etc etc) lets be honest fly lady is good for routine but not so quick with the decluttering results sometimes.

So ground rules, yes ground rules it is September:

1. Newbies - we are a long running but friendly bunch. We try not to seem clicky but it doesn't always come across as some of us have known each other on here for a long time, just join the chatter and you'll soon be a fledgling
2. There is NO wrong or right way of doing this, it is about adapting the system to suit your life circumstances, which will be different from someone else's.

Linkies will be posted daily and will appear shortly. Until then, jump on board, enjoy the ride and there are still hammocks, sand, comfy seats, cushions, blankies and a full English on the naughty corner bar it is a Saturday morning, breakfast is earnt

Studying and new job I've good for you!! I sure as hell couldn't do the studying right now and I only have two children and a very part time job!!

Welcome catmathat just do as much or little as you like, small steps are the best way!

Zoo that's a good idea hadn't thought of testing the marker on another bit of clothing I'll do that tomorrow, thanks!

We gutted the living room and I can’t believe how much better I feel already!! When he first moved out I was all about the independent woman thing and the house was spotless. Now I’m not ashamed to admit (on here at least) that I’m really struggling. If I can do one room day to get everything sorted out it’ll be onwards and upwards from then on :)

It was probably adrenaline catmatrat. I go through very clean phases and then life (and dust) seems to take over. Currently cleanish...

Hi everyone :)

Just trying to get better at posting a list each day this month.

ta da
✅rinsed and hung out wool wash
✅put regular wash on
✅vacuumed spilled food a million times
✅sorted through plates with DH, I got one of those stacker shelf things that will make it way easier to get them in and out
✅made it out the house despite not feeling like it
✅didn’t succumb to ready meals or stopping somewhere in town to eat, had a simple meal once home instead
✅walked home from town (only done that once before - Asda/Tesco I do regularly but town is that bit further and I usually can’t face it. But had no choice as no buses for ages and it was fine)
✅sent a message to organise something I’ve been procrastinating over
✅got Caglets to do a maths app session - really brief and only the one app (I have four minimum I’d like them to do daily) because we got back way later than expected. But it’s a start and a symbolic beginning to the new term.
✅wrote down all my food intake for the day (just trying to make notes to keep myself a bit more mindful, I’m not tracking calories or anything)

Sooooo linkies for tomo:

launch pad - in case the links fail and you need them before I figure it out.

babystep 2 - Remember yesterday when I said that some babysteps it is about the principle behind the words? This is one of those babysteps! This is about the concept of getting up straight away, no lingering and getting ready for the day so that you can dash straight out the house or receive visitors. Get dressed to shoes is just the way to summarise getting showered, dressed, doing your hair and put you make up on if you wear it.

No missions - it is the weekend

Daily focus As it is a sunday you might want the pamper mission

flight plan - this will update tomo or you can click through to tomo's as there is a link

The missions for next week have not updated yet but are
here

I have probably forgotten stuff but meh I have sleep to find. Early night folks, Early night. School is coming and some of us have signed up to college, eeek

And while I was typing the baby started destroying more pages of the Moving Notebook. Sigh.

Need to discuss more of the home ed plan with DH. TBH it is mostly down to me, which is fine as I’m the SAHM and he works FT! But he is around most mornings, so he can be fairly involved, and I don’t want all the decisions to be on my shoulders IYSWIM.

Feeling fairly optimistic about the new term. Must start arranging some social learning stuff too, I think that is going to be key for DD especially.

Meant to say - skip the shoes if it doesn't work for you that is not the key part to the babyset. It is the rest of it.

@HillsBesideTheSea I think the babystep about the shoes (even though it’s not really about shoes) makes so much sense. I am way more productive and feel better mentally on days where I’m up and dressed even when I’m not going anywhere. Less likely to just laze around. I know it’s a the norm for most people but I admit I’m guilty of staying in pjs if I’m not going anywhere and that turns into doing nothing in the house all day either. So if I could master that one I think it would really help me!

Same here I’m terrible for not bothering to get dressed.

Forgot
✅watered one of my new houseplants for the first time. Following strict instructions from friend. Just realised I need to take it out of the jug now.

Welcome Catmatrat, good to have you with us.

Signing in for September, always a busy month (in real life and the thread!) so I hope my enthusiasm last until the end of the month!

Not done that much flying today though ... always tomorrow!

I started a habit tracker in August which really helped, haven't filled it in for a bit but it does help with sticking to the habit so going to do that again in September with more items on it.

Glad it’s not just me @Cagliostro

Just saying hello again quickly while waiting for DS. I joined last month and worked through the baby steps, finishing yesterday. I didn't post though after the first week or so as I was busy decluttering and cleaning! Also, DS2 got very clingy and unhappy and it took a while for us to realise he'd had a growth spurt and needed his dose of reflux medicine increasing to match his higher weight. He's back to his usual happy self now that he's had a week on the higher dose so I should have more time for reading along.

I have quite enjoyed it. It was so nice to have a ready list of things to do whenever I had time and the house is so much nicer now. The only places that are still embarrassing are the utility room/pantry area and the guest room which still has loads of stuff I need to pack to give away or go in the loft but I have done maybe a third of it and don't mind if it takes me another two months to finish as the only likely guests are DM and MiL and they have seen the whole house at its worst anyway. The other good thing was that I find I already had quite a few good habits set up or still going from the last time I did FlyLady's method. I feel really positive I can keep it up now during September and it'll be great to work alongside everyone else on the thread doing similar things. Thanks to all in last month's thread for helping with my motivation in the first week.

One thing I hoped to do was get the boys involved and now they do the room rescue with me each day after lunch. At the moment DS1 is really into watching Trumpton and Camberwick Green (or Cucumber's Green, as he calls it) on YouTube and I told them they could have an episode each day before their nap if the living room is tidy enough to walk round. DS1 runs as soon as I let him down from the table and starts speedily putting away the books and toys in the living room and then I do some with DS2 copying me. While they watch their episode I try not to get to nostalgic for the days that I had a nap after watching it and plan my chores to do while they are asleep.

Well done cine sounds like your house is ticking over nicely!
Cag I remember the days you barely walked anywhere home from towns a great achievement!
I've if you have capacity to decode insanity,you most definitely are not insane crazy round the edges maybe,but not commitable

Another busy day ahead in the mad house...
Dd1 and fiance are taking zoolets overnight(first time) camping!they've never camped before and super excited/bit nervous.they being collected at 2 and returned by lunchtime tom as dd2 having her tracks fitted at orthodontist.im told that hurts and painful few days so at least as school starts wed she's time to mooch around and live on painkillers/soup for couple days before that begins
Dp ment be showing face after work in attempt actually have some time together.we shall see if he shows up
Meanwhile onwards and upwards!

Bloody ds3 up from 2-330 😴 Just got up as dd was making out i was starving her

Could do with a nap already

zoo i had braces, it can be sore at first. Achey kind of sore. One of mine needs braces too but too young yet. Dentist has said will def get it on nhs due to measurements.

Signing in here too. Need to get up in a minute, been lying awake since 4, trying to get back to sleep and not succeeding, anxiety seems to be flaring up at the moment (probably related to back to school time). I've been on top of it for the last few months, got complacent, forgotten my strategies and it's snuck back up on me. Feeling very much like a rabbit in the headlights about my to-do lists .

So, plan for today. Get up, washing, unpacking camping stuff (came back yesterday). Help at an event at lunchtime, take DD swimming later. Dig out school uniform and hope it all still fits (DS had all new trousers/shirts in summer term, DD's was all quite big and she hasn't visibly grown).

Zoo - my DD got braces last month, removable ones, she did need painkillers for a few days. We have had a few panics where they have been taken out and mislaid (she has to take them out to eat).

Ta da

Ordered dc new trainers
Ds3 up fed changed dressed
Dd up fed

Really need motivation today

I've/meet dd2 had block braces to align jaw first(removable at meal times) and they hurt(has low pain threshold) then ached about week.first set goes in tom,bottoms to follow I think...

Tada
Wash on
Fed cats
Bleach lav
Swept kitchen floor
Sweep living room floor
Sort and label lunchboxes/drink bottles etc
Locate stationery and check have everything
Wash hung on airer
More in
Internet banking
Fed zoolets
Meal plan for week done
List written for town

DS doesn't want lunch bag he wants paper bags like last year with me draw pics/writing things on each day,so home bargains for them.need more tight dd2 from Primark(realised only has two pairs)

I've a motivational prod with pointy stick
-------->>

Or 🍫
Your choice my dear

Ta da

Ordered dc new trainers
Ds3 up fed changed dressed
Dd up fed
Recycling out
Wash on
Dd bed stripped
One area worktop clear and clean

I AM TIRED

Going over in a minute to look after Dgs10 so that Dd can go riding for the morning. Dsil is still away fishing.

Ta da
Fed 🐱 and 🐕🐕 (still got Ds's dog)
Quick wipe round kitchen counters.
Swish and swipe.

To do
Clean kitchen cupboards and hob.
Sweep floor and mop
Vacuum all through downstairs
Vacuum boudoir and dust/tidy.

That's enough for today I think!

Oh! And Hi, Catmatrat and welcome and welcome back on the wagon yummyeclair .
Bye for now!

Morning everyone more for I've no wonder you're exhausted. I'm earning some brownie points this morning and have brought the dc downstairs to let dh have a lie in.

Ta da
Hung washing out
Folded laundry

I was right it is a flare. Also shark week. Yay. Sleep has been off because I had put the Vit D somewhere safe. Found it yesterday so in a few days hopefully that will sort itself out by the end of the week. Because I feel exhausted and it hurts to breathe again.

Long list of stuff to do today because the bits from yesterday's list that I managed to get done took, forever So I have half the list left over.

Sorry not sure that actually makes sense Coffee first then post is going to have to be a rule.

Thanks for links Hills.

Welcome Catmatrat and hello again Cineraria. Interesting to hear the babysteps made such a difference - perhaps I should do them again. Tbh I don’t think I ever really did all of them .

How’s it going with work Ive?

foxes, sharpie is usually fine I find. I love Stikins. Quick delivery, super quick to stick on, work for bottles etc as well. They even email you a link each school year so you can sign in quickly and order some more. I have used other stuff as well from the name label company which do prettier labels and other companies do similar.

Morning!

Thanks zoo you’re right actually I may struggle still but I’m definitely walking more. Before the only place I could walk to was the coop but since the move it’s forced me to walk more - while also knowing there are buses I can get if I really need (the one that goes right by our street is very infrequent, and the other bus still stops a little way away, so it pushes me to walk more). Helps that a large part of the walk is through a lovely big park :)

DSD arrived and friends coming up later. Have got DD to put her washing on but not done much else.