August already?! Time keeps flying like the Fledglings!

[SingToTheSky]

Hello and welcome to the (slightly early) August Fledgling Thread! Join us for housework chat and a ridiculous amount of non housework chat too.

We follow (supposedly) the FlyLady system, which helps you gradually build up a set of routines. This month I won’t be putting regular links on, but there will be regular references to whatever the current zone and daily focus is. Please ask if you need any further info!

Here are some links to get you started (but don’t sign up for the emails as you’ll get inundated!)

www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/31-beginner-babysteps/ - a set of little tasks to gradually add to your day - some are a bit twee so pick and choose what you want!

www.flylady.net/c/sp.php#missions - this updates weekly with a set of five specific tasks for the weekly zone - worth checking for ideas! I will try and remember to remind us what zone we are in. It changes on a Sunday and we will be starting with Zone 1, the entrance/porch/hallway, and dining room if you have one.

www.flylady.net/c/lp.php - this contains links for most other things so is a good place to check if you don’t know where to start

It looks like the focus of the month for August is LAUNDRY - getting into the habit of a full load washed, dried and away each day.

Also I was bored a while back so I put together a little glossary of the many weird and might-seem-a-bit-cliquey terms. We have been going a long time but we always love newbies - hopefully this list will help you settle in.
KCC - the Keep Calm Corner, invented by our lovely Fledgling SC back in March, where the OP posts nice diverting links, memes, questions etc to distract us from the pandemic.

Ta Da - instead of a to do list (which is of course welcome too) we often post our achievements, with accompanying jazz hands, in order to celebrate the positives, however small they seem! Sometimes if we want to share an embarrassed giggle/commiserations we also post a ta didn’t - the stuff we didn’t get done. Oops.

BRC - Bag/Box of Random Crap. These are usually formed when we are panic tidying and shove anything in “to sort later” which is also known as a stash and dash.

Power of Three or PO3 - the idea that if you’re feeling really unmotivated/overwhelmed by your to do list, you just choose three things to do, and then post when you’ve done them.

Cherry Waves - borne of a typo of “cheery waves” this is now - to the extent my autocorrect just changed it again - often how we sign off. You may also see it in emoji form! 🍒👋🙋🏻 (😷 for socially distanced waves!).

Haughty Corner - this is from a typo of the naughty corner - the virtual hangout spot where we hide from housework and eat virtual snacks.

Future Friend or FF - the idea (apparently coming from The Organised Mum Method) of doing something to make life easier for yourself in future. Includes things like choosing clothes for the next day, getting bags ready etc.

DLMS - didn’t lose my shit - in other words, somehow stayed relatively calm despite a stressful day!

SS/S&S - Swish and Swipe - this is one of the key parts of the morning routine, a quick once over of the bathroom.

And a few basics:
LOL - load of laundry
WM - washing machine
TD - tumble dryer
DW - dishwasher
HSL - hallway, stairs, landing

And finally, for any Fledglings old or new who are trying to lose weight in lockdown, here’s our new body clutter banishing thread: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/weight_loss_chat/3975886-Body-Clutter-Be-Gone-The-Fledglings-Weightloss-Thread?pg=1

I’ll stop waffling there. Welcome one and all, a huge thank you to KTCluck for steering us through July while also working, and away we go for August! 🍒👋

I am loving the food-stuck-in-the-hair stories! 😂
Upholder hope you get your productive alone day as you planned.
Sing good luck with the assignments! Keep ploughing through, there will be an end.
Double loving the sunrise photos 😆
Bower colouring hair should be fine in pregnancy, which I am very glad for as that bird nest of mine needs sorting.
Zoo virtual hugs your way!

TaDa from yesterday:
🎉LOL - washed, dried, sorted
🎉Decluttered/organised 2 out of 3 'random junk' kitchen drawers.
🎉All photos finally up in the hallway
🎉S&S kitchen

It's Friday! 💃💃💃

:o Love the “expectation vs reality” sunrise photos!

I didn’t wake up properly till 8. So feel a bit more rested although not actually sure when I slept in the end

Zoo I’d put all the flat pack boxes in the most inconvenient location for lilzoo (on her bed?) and refuse to have anything to do with them until she sorts her stuff :o

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It’s Friday at last. Although the days have lost all meaning so who cares 😂

So, today is the day to clear out your bag. And your car, which may just need the tumbleweed chasing out of it if it’s not been used!

Hopefully you’ve all done loads of zone work and have been practising the habit of the month, which is getting used to doing one LOL washed dried and away each day. I have done less flying than ever this month though

I did read an interesting tip in TOMM which is to never start a new LOL until the previous lot is put away - I think once we have our wardrobe we will try that and it fits with the August habit of course. It does make sense to stop it building up on the clean side as for me it becomes tempting to just get another load clean and add that to the pile. And so it builds! Maybe it’s better to have clothes safely in the laundry basket rather than in a random towering crumpled heap, even if said heap is clean?

Enough rambling sorry! KCC time!
What’s your favourite sauce? As in, for pasta/noodles/rice or anything else really.

Mine is probably arrabbiata (sp?) but I really want to try one my dad made once, I think it was Veronique, it had grapes in. I generally like creamy sauces tbh. He also used to make one with apples and calvados 😋 lovely with chicken. I love a good fresh pesto too and you can’t beat a good cheese sauce either... ah heck this was a bit of a pointless question just gimme all the sauces!!! 🐷🐷🐷
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Happy Friday everyone! I do indeed seem to have managed a day to myself, and I am most excited

So far I have:
✅ made beds
✅ packaged DD off to nursery with packed lunch and wellies
✅ sorted laundry and set of LOL 1 of 2
✅ straightened living room
✅ set off DW and made a start on a few handwash bits
✅ chilled breakfast of french toast and tea.

About to treat myself to an episode of the umbrella academy before an hour of something more constructive. Planning on

🧹 home bleurgh
🧹 zone clean
🧹 sorting of DD’s photos etc
🧹 ironing

Interspersed with plenty of tea, reading and Netflix.

Double that photo is hilarious. There’s a very similar view outside ours this morning too.

Mc well done on getting the photos up and making a good start on the drawers.

Lisette the last pair I had gave me blisters in first wear but then were like slippers. I wore them to death and they look a bit more feminine with dresses than my current battered pair. Office have them for £35 in their junior section although not sure if the price increased at bigger sizes (I’m a 5).

Zoo I think I’d dump the boxes in her room (perhaps on top of her phone ) and tell her you won’t be doing anything with them until she shifts what she needs to. If that’s too late in the day for you then she’ll have to wait until tomorrow for her lovely new room to start taking shape. Concentrate on making yours lovely for you until then. Sorry to hear DD2 had another bad night.

Sounds like you’re flying with your purse stuff Sing.

Cross-post Sing. Great minds with the dumping of wardrobes .

Favourite sauce is sweet chilli. I love it in sandwiches, on noodles, salad, burgers, chicken and on chips.

Course stuff. Although I’m sure you’ll sort your purse today just like Flylady suggests.

Aah, thanks! I was wondering what purse stuff I had managed :o

I like sweet chilli but only when paired with something else. I generally love contrasting flavours I guess. In my first pregnancy I worked opposite a sandwich shop and got hooked on baguettes with cream cheese and sweet chilli (separate, not mixed) and rocket! I still have that in bagels or in rice cakes sometimes. Or with mayo in a wrap.

Damn, why did I do the shopping order already? I might have to amend my basket 😂 I do need to take apples off as DH bought some yesterday...😇

Hi everyone, Welcome Alex (waves.)

Welcome back Howl.

Princess its lovely to hear from you whenever you get a chance, just take care of yourself lovely.

Bower- a big hug about work stuff.

Meg- biscuit...lol

I love kallax units too and baskets.

I have fallen behind with the thread....big hello and cheery wave to everyone that said they like going on picnics too. I think I have been on two picnics since then.
And a few little bike rides.

That meant the house went to rack and ruin.
The hot weather finished me off (i was melting in the heat) and I could barely do anything. Thankfully yesterday the temperature dropped and I am back on to try and salvage the house.

Ta das yesterday....
Decluttered sitting room
Finally went to tip
Decluttered hallway
Lol x2

I am getting there with little steps. It feel so lovely to come down to a slightly tider house in the morning. I am sure you all understand that feeling....i feel abit lighter....

Big cheery wave to everyone!

Hi dancing :) sounds like you have a great approach there.

Sadly I don’t really know what it’s like coming down to a tidier room 😳😂

The others have all just gone out. There’s a lot of stuff I could be doing. Even nicer easy tasks like cutting up magazine pics for the toddler so I can recycle them. Or even reading or watching a film that requires focus.

I realised I have (as is probably apparent from my whinging lately 😳) hit burnout point. Probably since the beginning of the month TBH and I’ve pushed myself too hard and achieved not much at all. So I’m grabbing some ice cream 🤫 and sitting in front of the telly to watch more of the Middle and I don’t plan to move until they get home! I did set up a LOL just before they left but I’m not even pressing start because it’s so bloody noisy and I want some actual peace.

Hi, I have a rare child free day so trying to get stuff done especially now it's cooler. Keep trying to catch up on the thread but it is moving fast!

Sing ice cream and the middle sounds perfect, I LOVE the middle so much. Enjoy your quite time ☺️

My ta das since the kids went out are not as impressive as I had hoped (why do I always think I will get EVERYTHING done and forget how long stuff actually takes!)

Tidied kitchen, living room (kids toys are all on the stairs though waiting to go up!)
Tidied dd bedroom
Tidied our bedroom, put lots of clothes away
Sorted ds clothes out, big pile for charity shop
Tidied bathroom
Put bedsheets in wash and hung up
Cleared out one drawer of the freezer
Took loads of dd crafty stuff upstairs and put away in her new desk
Filled a bin bag of general rubbish from around the house

To do - I will try to be realistic here 🤔
Sort out charity bags so I can drop them off tomorrow
Put ds clothes away in his room
Put last toys away properly
Dusting
Hoovering
Clean kitchen floor
Make some sort of cakes 😋

Still think I might be being overly optimistic!

Hope everybody has cooler weather today!

Thanks Upholder! Favourite sauce: peppercorn for savoury and custard for desert

The kids were in with us again last night, there wasn’t even a storm but DS1 came in about 12 after having a nightmare, then DS2 came in at 3 with belly ache and finally DS3 came in with no excuse other than he wanted cuddles!. So no sleep for me again because they’re bloody wriggly sleepers (DS2 deliberately hits you in the face as he sleeps). So we got up with DH and he dropped us off to DM’s with the dogs. It’s really nice to just have the kids wanting someone else’s attention for a change. I do love them and I adore being a mum but I’m crap when I have little sleep and it is nice to have them off my hands a bit and also to have a bit of help. Her neighbours kids get on really well with my DC so they’re chatting the fence😂. Then we’re going to walk up to the woods and take the kids and dogs out. When DH gets home we might go out for the evening maybe to the river and have fish and chips or something. I’m on holiday countdown now, super excited for it.

upholder I’m loving going to restaurants lately, it’s just lovely to get out and about a bit.

Thank you sing!, that’s good news about the water station.

I’m sorry DD was panicking again last night zoo

Love the sunrise pic double!!

KCC My favourite sauce is a mustard sauce DH does for pasta, it’s so tasty!

Thank you dancing good luck with getting back into flying!

Enjoy your day in front of the tv sing! I’m having a similar day

Four straight episodes I think? I’ve turned it off now as they’re on the way home and getting an episode interrupted is annoying.

Oooh I love peppercorn sauce. I sometimes (yesterday in fact) order some if I’m having chips with anything. Get some odd looks but I don’t care 🤭

Maybe this afternoon I’ll get stuff done. Will see what DH has managed to get done in town as he was looking for various things that we need to order if no luck.

Sing - its good your sat down and watched The Middle. (Its a funny program...I always watched it thinking who choose those wall colours....) I hope it helped you.
Its time well spent to recharge the batteries. I understand you not putting the washing machine on so you got some peace .
I was at breaking point last week and had to binge watch 'The Long Run.' By Idris Elba On Sky One. I love watching all 1970s and 80s house interiors, furniture and clothes. All the cast are superb - super actors. I would love to be on set with them. I have a original 1970s navy blue, Mothercare pram in good condition if they wanted it for the set. I saw they used a dark red Silvercross pram in series 2, but I didnt think it was accurate....I think there were more Navy blue prams with the big silver base and wheels in the 1980s in use. I am just guessing this by the way.
I would love the job of set designer can you tell?

I really love the crazy patterned blankets the Hecks have on their sofa! :o They look so much nicer than the cheap throws we have (snuggly but boring). My mum’s friend was a costume designer on TV shows, usually CITV so I got the odd freebie growing up like game show t-shirts :o

Washing went on when the others got back, wrote a quick chore list for DD1 (as she’s out a lot we said she just has a list to do on one day instead, as DS is home with us all the time and tends to help out as and when), then had the support worker zoom session.

She was really lovely about the fact we’ve not implemented the idea from last time and said it’s just stuff we can try in our own time.

Not much flying happening today for me. Just usual DW and tidy up as I get through the day.

I am afraid to declutter my handbag. It has everything under the sun and a kitchen sink. I will need to face it at some point, won't I.

Sing I actually prefer to bunch laundry, that was I get it sorted in one go, especially folding, rather than dribs and drabs. I use my tumble dryer more often than I probably should, so I like to stagger wash/dry cycles.

Oh and KCC, my sauce is mayo 😬 on sandwiches, with chips, you name it. For proper food, I love stilton sauce (or any smelly cheese sauce). Yum! 🤤

I can't choose a favourite sauce, I like all of them (except brown). Ketchup or mayo on chips, salad cream on virtually everything, sweet chilli sauce, mint sauce, mustard, horseradish, tartare, blue cheese sauce on steak, cheese sauce, virtually all salad dressings, tomato pasta sauce, pesto. A meal is not complete without some sort of sauce.

🤔 I like lots of sauces. Not salad cream though I have a quite embarrassing phobia of salad cream 🙈
If I was going to pick just one...I can't pick just one. Chip shop curry sauce, gravy, horseradish, sweet chilli or McDonald curry sauce. Yeh probably one of those. Or pesto.

🚗 Had a little nap with DS4 to recover from our early start. The other DC don't seem to be suffering from lack of sleep at all I wish I had their energy.

🚗 When I woke up I booked a week in a caravan which starts next Friday. Really need to get the laundry sorted or we won't have any clothes to take.

🚗 Sandwich, yogurt and cake for DC lunch.

🚗 Quick tidy round with the DC before DH got home so it didn't look too bad.

🚗 Supplied fruit winders and malteasers to keep them quiet while I went shopping.

🚗 Picked DGM up.

🚗 Went to Farmfoods and Aldi.

🚗 Dropped DGM home.

🚗 Cooked chicken and various bits and bobs I could cobble together without oven for dinner. Cheesecake for after. DGM asked if she could have the boys stay at hers tomorrow so promised DH we could go over shopping then.

🚗 washed dishes with my new dish washing glove thing which was a bit exciting not gonna lie 😂

🚗 Went to build DS2 hot wheels he got for his birthday....realised I'd bought the wrong batteries

🚗 Went to £shop to change batteries

🚗 Built hot wheels

I really need to start baths/bedtime but cba to move.

Evenin’ all. I think, despite the fact I still felt quite stressy again after the others got back, my deliberate do nothing time really did help. After dinner I actually felt fine to go and do more studying and then while taking a break from that I did some exercise too.

I am super excited about tomorrow morning because I’m seeing a friend for breakfast and I have missed her SOOOO MUCH. She doesn’t use messenger much so we’ve had the odd phone call since lockdown and that’s about it. The last time we saw each other (Feb?) we had a quick bite to eat in my local and ended up sitting there chatting for four hours :o she also wants to see the mind map of doom because she is equally frazzled :o

In other news Cagletini had another bath and I didn’t even hear screams when DH washed her hair 😱😱😱

ta da
🐠LOL
🐙got Caglets doing chores
🦀maths with DD1
🦈discussed some plans with DH
🐳exercise bike
🦐support meeting on zoom with DS (he engaged really well)
🐬two assignment questions
🐡quick weights routine
🦞amazon order

Sorry I haven't posted, I've been reading but it's been hectic. I've been filling in a job application for a fab job that would be great, but childcare would eat all the wages, I'd never see the little ones including the very chilled out baby and a few previous health issues with chronic pain mean I'm worried I would bite off more than I can chew as everything has been going well for a good few years. I was previously working p/t which worked very well, but I was a covid redundancy.

I've been watching the Secret Slob's flylady videos on Youtube and it's starting to make sense. I've been decluttering some drawers and various other things. More DIY as according to the very woo Karen Kingston (the book is called Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui ), unfinished tasks are clutter. I have a few of them...

Sing One of mine hated hair washing (screaming the house done), now they are older I put the shampoo in whilst they shower. How old is Cagletini?

I don't often feel like I'm productive enough, but just keep trying.

Double I am intrigued about dish washing glove thing! What contraption is that?
Sing have a fab time with your friend tomorrow.

Alex I am sorry to hear about the COVID redundancy. It's shitty times. On the up side, the job opportunity sounds good. With childcare it's always a balance of future career prospects vs money sacrifice in short term. Virtual hugs your way, things will work out for the best.

Ta Da for today (a very modest one):
🎉S&S kitchen and bathroom
🎉General tidy up in the living room
🎉LOL

Tomorrow is my no-housework day. Whoop!

Good evening (or good morning if you are more sensible and reading this on Saturday), those sunrise photos did make me laugh howl but I'm impressed that you are thinking about Christmas already.

I get my Milka stash from Farmfood, I did buy a large bar of the hazlenut variety last week but DD doesn't eat it and DH is sticking to his diet so I ate it all myself too quickly and it was lovely. I bought three bars of the milk choc Milka this morning so we have supplies if you are quick

Most of DD's school uniform is sold by the school so I did buy hers before the school closed for the summer - usually they have a couple of days during the summer when you can go in and buy stuff - the issue for me is blue school shirts and she does need new ones.

I have been known to carry sick bags in my handbag double for emergencies - I bought a pack off eBay. The things we prepare for as parents ...

Sauce - I used to make a batch of white sauce and freeze it in a silicone muffin tray. Then when I wanted to use it I could add in herbs or cheese or whatever else I wanted. I'm the only one who really loves sauce!

Ta da's
Woke up early so went shopping at 8.00am (bought myself breakfast)
Went through boxes of paperwork and filed/disposed

No laundry today. Putting each load away before starting another would certainly reduce the ironing pile! I do iron less during lockdown although I've broken out the board and iron for DH's work shirts the last few weeks.

Late one! Or early one however you look at it. DS2 has worked himself up because he feels poorly so we are downstairs watching Thomas. I will catch up with personals tomorrow but no flying done today didn’t even make the beds

Hope you got some sleep howl poorly in what sense?hope he's feeling better now

Favourite sauce zoolets don't like sauces particularly,except if you count pesto.they will eat any variety of that,so that's probably only sauce even gets made eaten here!

Super busy day.furniture built.need organise today,place shit tip of chaos.dd2 asked can walk town early and pick up few bits we needI said DEP if you prepared get up early.will find that one out in 15 minutes....

Annoyed at myself was so busy I forgot get roses and polish mum's silver rose bowl.wouldve been her birthday yesterday.will add that to today's list which is longer than both my arms and legs

Glad you got the furniture built up Zoo, that’s good going!

That’s a good idea re the frozen sauce Chic

The thing about flying is there’s always another day to do some Howl. You’re never behind!

Alex that’s tough about the job. Childcare is so expensive isn’t it. Have you taken tax free childcare into account? The majority of working parents are entitled to it if you aren’t entitled
to anything else and it’s a good help, yet lots of people seem not to know about it. I was lucky that I can do compressed hours in my job too so I save a day’s nursery fees that way and get an extra day at home with DD. You do need to take care of yourself with your chronic condition though.

Set designer would be a fab job Dancing! We had that same type of pram as little ones. My DM really regrets getting rid of it but it was huge.

Enjoy your housework free day Mc. Mine is Sunday with the exception of the ironing of my work uniform.

Lovely to have a holiday booked Double.

Hurrah for lack of toddler screams Sing. My DD went through a similar phase but is much better at getting her hair washed now. Glad you got some real relaxation time and well done on still managing to be productive.

I realised I missed our lovely Hazel off my wave list yesterday among others. Hope you’re well 👋

My ta Das from yesterday:
✅ took everything off kitchen bookcase, dusted and wiped down (cats like to sit on one of the shelves so they get pretty hairy). Decluttered some bits but not the recipe books, washed others, put everything back neatly
✅ wiped all small appliances, rearranged them to look less cluttered including put DH’s coffee machine in a cupboard. Hasn’t been used in months. Obviously he will now want it daily.
✅ Thorough wipe of benches
✅ Elbow greased tiles, cupboard and cooker hood. Very impressed with it, it’s good stuff.
✅ cleaned kitchen window and sill
✅ dusted living room
✅ hoovered downstairs
✅ emptied bins upstairs
✅ big pile of ironing, put it away
✅ decluttered DD’s memory box - reduced the amount of nursery artwork I’ve kept
✅ Wrote a list of the Photobooks I need to complete. I do one per season, and separate ones for Christmas, holiday and DD’s birthday. This year’s birthday one is combined with a spring/lockdown one. There’s only so many photos of a three man tea party you can take . I haven’t got as many outstanding as I thought.

I also managed a phone call to a relative, some financial planning, a couple of episodes of the umbrella academy (Plus another 2 before bed), several cups of tea and a big bowl of ice cream. ‘‘Twas just the day off I’d planned.

Today’s plans - DH is doing some overtime this morning. I need to mop downstairs but otherwise looking forward to a morning with DD. She was shattered after nursery. We managed a game of pairs but wanted to go to bed by 6:30. She was asleep by 7 and is still flat out now (though seems to have appeared in my bed). Having garden drinks at my DSis’s later today hope she has a gazebo although she’s a single parent and we were her bubble anyway so we may just go in if it’s horrible.

Right. Must drag self up. Enjoy your Saturday everyone.