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! 🍒👋

Oh Zoo I missed that somehow. Sociology is interesting and could be a good match with Health and Social Care. We did Sociology as part of the NNEB Dip. It was about drug and alcohol dependency and affects on families. Social Services. Made a directory of available agencies for support both National and what was available locally. Short description. Showed links between need and service. H&SC offers work in nurseries at Level 2 ( needs supervised), Special Schools, Elderly Care homes, supporting adults with Special Needs. Possibly NHS as Health Care Ass. ( need to check that) but I can work in Children’s Wards as Nursery Nurse/Play therapist if I did another certificate and I was offered placement in Edinburgh. I would think they could be Health Care as I know someone who is a Level Two doing that work. My friend did This and then went on a years access course and then a four year degree in Nursing. Ended up as Staff nurse overseeing two wards in Mental Health now has her own business doing health care in the community and get referrals from SS. Psychology is very difficult at A Level I believe ask if there is a GCSE I did one as an evening course. It covers all the basic stuff like Bowlby and Pavlov etc.
Just some ideas.
Are careers guidance available?

zoo sorry I missed that post. I didn't mean to be insensitive to your DD if she was disappointed with her grade 💐 It is hard when you don't get a grade that reflects the work you put in. I've been there (with French in particular years ago)

Lisette you weren't insensitive lovely

I've been awake listening to the wind howling for a couple of hours,no motivation to move.i need to get up and Do Stuff

Morning, I'm listening to the wind too.

Zoo - I hope you get DD2's subject choices sorted. Sociology rather than psychology sounds a good bet to me - less scientific and mathematical but still a very interesting subject. If I personally had to choose between the two I'd prefer sociology even though I am scientifically minded.

Hi everyone. Ahh poor DD zoo. Hope she gets some clarity in the meeting. Sociology sounds like a very sensible alternative and some (not all) of the way it teaches you to think is similar to psychology I believe (am no expert but I did psychology A level myself many moons ago).

Huge sympathy to anyone caught up in the BTECH wait. I heard exam results described on our local news as a fiasco and can’t disagree.

I couldn’t catch up on the whole thread but did manage to read bits and have chuckled at biscuits in hair - Meg - and baked beans in beards.

We are off on a trip to the beach today. Currently DH driving looking for somewhere to park. We live nowhere near the sea so this is a proper trip out.

Morning all. Having a bit of a crash MH wise so didn’t post my list from yesterday

ta da
✅Brain training
✅Hung clean towels up
✅Exercise bike
✅Made healthy breakfast
✅Went through all DD1’s uniform to check fit
✅Wrote list of what is needed
✅Ordered logo bits on website
✅Booked next two weeks of dance classes for DD1
✅Paid online for dance
✅Tried phoning school
✅Finished FL course

ta didn’t
❌remember dance class for DD1 - realised halfway through the first session what the time was 🤦‍♀️ teacher was nice about it but so embarrassing!

Zoo 💕💕💕

I have decided to bite the bullet and go stay with mum for a couple of days tomorrow, so I’m a bit emotional (being away for two nights means weaning Cagletini from night feeds 😩 she actually didn’t feed at all last night or this morning either as I slept so long) and have loads to try and get done today which is a bit overwhelming in itself.

🍏🍎🍏🍎🍏🍎🍏🍎🍏🍎🍏🍎🍏🍎
It’s Friday which means it’s time to clean out your car and handbag. Last mission day in the bathroom/extra room.

KCC What’s your favourite ice cream?
I like a lot of Ben and Jerry’s flavours, my current tub is Netflix and Chilll’d 😂 but I was surprised recently to enjoy one called chip happens which has crushed up crisps in it?! I do miss cherry garcia and chunky monkey.

I generally like combinations of more than one thing though. Especially something chocolatey with a sorbet like raspberry. 😋

Thanks zoo and I hope something works out for her. KCC - Haagen Dazs Pralines and cream. It's way too sweet but it's the candied pecans that does it for me. Slowly the house is coming around. To do: clean shower, change our bed linen, circulate laundry.

Oh yes those pecans are amazing!

Productive sort of day so far. I wrote a list on paper and we are working through it. DS’ zoom session at half 2, hopefully I can relax a bit after. Still lots to do though.

Happy relaxing holidays to everyone holidaying!
And to those who are currently in the throws of exam results, hoping all will work out (and it will!). It's a bit of a mess to say the least.

KCC I love vanilla ice cream, can eat it by the tub. Or the just plain thick cream one. Yum! I think today I will need to hunt some ice cream 🤤

Ta Da from today:
🎉Kitchen S&S
🎉Bathroom cleaned
🎉Baby clothes sorted and tidied away into the drawers. Now I am working through organising what would be the baby room.
🎉LOL - towels and bath mat, all on the line and it's raining on and off 🥴 Might need to give in and shove everything into a dryer.

Hoping to sort the garden a bit this weekend, weeding and grass cutting.

🍒🍒👋👋

Oh also, I need to clean one of the living room sofas, it has a peculiar scent 🥴 Does anyone have any pearls of wisdom or tips on how to clean the fabric 2 seater?

When I was heavily pregnant with ds I had our carpets and upholstery cleaned - we had moved into our home and the previous carpets were still there. Look up magic carpet and our city in google and you'll find the company MC. Very pleasant owner. I've had him out in the years since due to various (child caused) spillages and he does clean sofas. Can't remember the prices - sorry. Bicarbonate of soda might help with the smell if you don't want to go the professional cleaning route.

oh my God it's 42 minutes past wine o'clock. Why am I still working?

Strange day.
Wet,wet, wet and storms forecast.

Not feeling great again but made myself have some porridge. Been decluttering some random stuff. About to start cleaning when DS2 turned up to see us. He stayed for lunch sandwiches made by DH. We had a chat about his house as a few things need doing inside and out. When he left I couldn’t be bothered so I haven’t done any more except catch on on some emails I needed to reply too. Remembered to take the fish out of the freezer for fish pie.

Ooh this didn’t post hours ago but was still on the message page.

Lisette found them, thank you!

Bower hope you will feel better soon. Now fish pie sounds good!

Just bumbling along this week. Inordinately please with myself for doing the school run on time without any yelling. And having mostly healthy food ready for tea and supper after pick-up.

And it’s Friday. 🍷Lisette

KCC - Ben and Jerry’s Dairy Free Peanut Butter and Cookies. Yum!

MC - my son has hired a steam cleaner for carpets and I think he got attachments and cleaned the sofas once. It might be cheaper but sometimes worth paying a professional if you can afford to.

I have a fabric chenille sofa from Laura Ashley. I put the cushion covers and arm capes into a cold wash. With the newer machine I risk a 30 degree wash and 🤞🏻 and it was fine. The other bits could do with washing and I have a steam cleaner so might dig it out and try. I don’t think you are meant to wash it but I reshape while damp.

Fish pie is always worth the trouble. Comfort food unless you don’t like 🐟. Tonight it is haddockx2 ( or cod) think it is haddock by the look of it. Smoked haddock x1 small fillet and salmon largish fillet. Hard boiled eggs. Bantam hens eggs are perfect for this. I might put some capers in since I opened them for the veggie dish last week. I do like frozen peas with it but we haven’t any.

KCC: great question! I have lots of favourite flavours of ice cream . In summer though my usual favourite flavour is a Mr Whippy 99 style ice cream from the ice cream van.

Stressy oh how could I forget the swirly soft ice-cream in a cone! Yum! 🤤☺️

Bower I was toying with the idea of buying a steam cleaner for carpets. Still a bit on a fence about it.

ta da in no particular order
😴wrote sensible to do list
😴got DH to show me some resistance band exercises, and tried them
😴rewrote question from unit 1 and submitted
😴discovered that tutor had marked unit 2, so I did the (very minor) changes and submitted
😴found and printed maths sheets for DD1
😴wrote top up shopping list for DH including stuff to take to mum’s
😴sorted out my futurelearn wish list and signed up for the courses that don’t expire
😴made it through a very frustrating zoom meeting where screens/audio kept freezing
😴did some stretches and a bit of cardio while watching telly
😴two LOL (mostly bedding)
😴sorted meds boxes for next week for me and DD1
😴tidied medicine shelf
😴helped DD1 with a bit of maths
😴ordered cheap 2020 Harry Potter calendar for DD1 (support worker suggested she take more responsibility for her schedule) and some new period pants for her
😴typed out evening routine
😴got some photos of Cagletini’s last bedtime feed 🥺

We’ve had a strange day.
Had a phone call from DS3 who is normally quite and boy was he chatty tonight. Lovely to speak to him and his birthday is coming up. He said he doesn’t want anything. Our kids are really like this whereas a friend of mines daughters have a list! Not much younger. Adults.
So we have decided on a Roast Dinner on Sun, Mon or Tuesday as he is off. He has decided he is going to let his dad pick him up and bring him here. We last saw him in Feb.🤗 then he might have a air fryer so if anyone can recommend one that would be helpful.

MC I had a Vax for the house that had lodgers( where DS3 lives) so I could thoroughly clean between people and I did the sitting room a couple of times a year. It was like an upright vacuum and more of a carpet cleaner /washer. It was really worth the money.

A few years later after watching several long ads I bought a Polti. I used it quite a bit and it was good for getting in awkward corners and cooker door between the glass but it wasn’t as strong as the made out. I used it for the tiled kitchen floor but think the newer, cheaper steam cleaners are probably better value for money.
I think I wasted my money on the Polti. It takes ages to heat up. It is good on some things but not on others.

Superb list Sing

Mc - we have both steam cleaner (Karcher cylinder) and carpet cleaner (upright Vax). The steam cleaner is easier to use and great for spills and stains but not suitable for large areas as the head is quite small and it takes too long. I use it for all sorts of hard surfaces.

KCC - I too am a fan of Haagen Daz pralines and cream, closely followed by their strawberry shortcake.

Still working my way through holiday unpacking and laundry today. Nearly all done, just a big pile of clean clothes to sort and iron tomorrow. Then I need to menu plan, order shopping and make a mega to do list for back to school and all the other jobs I have sacked off recently