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! 🍒👋

Morning, you've all been so busy and productive! Did I see it's your birthday howl happy birthday if so, sorry it's tricky to scroll back on my phone so hope I got that right!!

ED I have also neglected back to school planning and now left it too late and the cardigans I need for dd are out of stock so she'll have to squeeze into her old one for a bit longer on the plus side I did manage to get her some dresses and skirts.

We haven't heard from the school at all about what their staggered start and finish times will be or what they should bring, before summer they weren't allowed to bring bags in at all so it was just a drinks bottle which they left at school.

My brother is visiting at the moment so we are having a long weekend pretending we are on holiday which means we've not cooked or cleaned much and we've spent too much money 😂

Enjoy your sunday!

Morning all! Trying to decide whether to get up or sleep some more :o determined to relax lots while I’m here with zero demands on me.

I’m so glad it’s not just me with the uniform! We did it all the other day but it’s ridiculous how little time measuring and ordering the logo bits took - WHY did we not do it weeks ago? No idea when they’ll arrive. Thankfully she can just about fit in her old blazer (when she got her place in December the school gave her a few bits from their spares) and her PE top fits too, we were just ordering an extra one in a bigger size. Then DH took her to town to get the rest when I wrote a list and they found everything thank goodness. Will have to sort pencil case type stuff soon though I suppose.

✏️🖍✏️🖍✏️🖍✏️🖍✏️🖍

It’s Sunday! Relax and renew your spirit. We are now in zone 4, the master bedroom - aka the boudoir.

KCC - when was the last time you took a train? In pre lockdown life did you use trains a lot more?

Yesterday for me, hence the question 😅 but before that I can’t actually remember - definitely not since lockdown. In March we were thinking of going to Brighton for the sea life centre but then there was a high infection rate there. I’m sure I was thinking then that I hadn’t been on a train for ages 🤔 maybe November when I went to see an anime film in London with DSD and we went to Chinatown after. Didn’t use trains that often really since Cagletini arrived as it was a PITA with the buggy, so just the odd day trip or for U.K. holidays.

🖍✏️🖍✏️🖍✏️🖍✏️🖍✏️

Anyway I think I’ll get up but mainly because mum bought chocolate croissants :o

I miss exhibitions too meg :( We are further out so it’s about 40min on the train. Normally if staying at mum’s (in London zone 5) at least one day would involve going into the city! I feel better about trains now (and will tell DD1 that we can go as she requested, she’s been asking for ages) but mandatory masks in the museums and galleries themselves (and the sea life centre) are what puts me off. I can manage on buses and trains. Shops I’m getting really used to it - but I’ll time things so I can leave easily, like in the mall I’ll go outside between visiting shops just to take it off for a while! Being in a big museum without a break would be tricky I think. But then, masks might be compulsory for ages so maybe we just need to try it

I last went on a train on 7th March, to London to meet friends, which was right on the cusp of things starting to get serious Covid-wise. I only use them 3 or 4 times a year. DS has been taking local trains to practice for when he starts 6th form. When I lived in the same part of the world as Meg I used them all the time.

I miss going on trains.

I have been out and about in the fresh air!

DH is on holiday so we have been out to the woods, large parks, the local farm park for walks. So i have not been able to be on MN much.
Its has been beautiful watching my little fraggles run and be free. They have missed visiting the farm.
Its been very special to see DH walking and jogging with the fraggles, as last year at this time he was bedbound and in and out of hospital. We thought he may not have walked again. So it has been wonderful being a family again, and having family adventures.
Just feeling grateful.

I have been trying to sort more bits of school uniform too. My boy who is 5, has struggled to find a school shirt that fits his middle, so we bought a M and S plus size school shirt and I am going have put tucks in the back of the shirt....and figure out what to do about his extremely long sleeves....

Jig love it how your DD is able to sew outfits together!

Mum guilt is creeping in, maybe I should have done more handwriting practise with my fraggle one...but he hates it.

The school have sent in the plans for return in reception. I am trying to avoid being anxious about my youngest starting school as she is summer born. I am just going to keep busy taking the kids out on day trips.

Lovely to hear people are going to the seaside. I miss the sea and sand soo much. I wish i could go but i dont think i could do the long drive. Have a lovely holiday everyone that is going or having a weekend staycation!

Big cheery wave to everyone! Hope all have a lovely Sunday.

KCC the last time I went on a train was back in 2016 when we visited UK. We like to catch the tube and have the pass for zones 1-4 I believe and get on and off it all day. On a proper train other than the tube, much longer than that as I would have been a teenager.

Ta Das for today so far:
🌻 LOLs x3 (still more to go)
🌻 Breakfast at ILs
🌻 Trailer completely emptied and everything put away!
🌻 Kitchen hot spot sorted out

To do:
🌾 Power wash four wheelers and dirt bikes
🌾 Take both vehicles to car wash, wash and vacuum them both
🌾 Detail my Jeep 🚙
🌾 DH and DS will mow the lawn, I may get some weeding or trimming/ pruning done if I feel like it!
🌾 Ironing (!) Didn't I just do that?!

I'm not ready to go back to work yet, but I am looking forward to Tuesday, when I'll have the house to myself while the DC are at school!

Central heating on for most of today. That and the early nights got me down a little.

Had a quick tidy of my bedroom this morning, before realising it was part of this week's zone. Felt very virtuous about that, almost like a child who had finished homework two days before the deadline! Also tidied my wool boxes, and selected something to complete.

Apart from giving the bedroom a quick hoover later this week, I really can't justify spending much time on it when so much of the rest of the house is such a shambles.

Moved the living-room around a bit. Now lots more floor space, with the added bonus of the settee now up against the cupboard dooor, which stops LOs rummaging around in there. Did little bits of tidying here and there, unearthed a couple of things that should be in the garage and not the kitchen, and realised I can't find my good frying-pan.

Life is just weird sometimes.

Few more ta das:
🌻 5th LOL is in the washer right now, I'm stopping while I'm ahead 🤣 only got one more load of towels to wash, but the DC can do that tomorrow after school.
🌻 Jeep is clean! Took it through the car wash and used their vacuum, it was so bad it took forever.
🌻 Detailed Jeep at home, so now interior is shiny. I really have to clean it more often as it takes too long otherwise.
🌻 DH and DS mowed the lawn while I skyped my mum, so I didn't do any weeding or pruning today.
🌻 Washed mat the dogs dishes sit on, as well as her dishes.

I still need to make dinner, well I'll prepare the hamburgers and DH will BBQ them. I also have a bag of clothes that I need to take to the charity shop tomorrow, I need to put that in the jeep so I remember to take it with me. I still have yet to do my ironing, that might just have to wait till another day.

So we had dinner, cleared up everything. I washed the hand wash dishes, mostly water bottles. Made DS his sandwich for lunch tomorrow, it's going to take some getting used to the routine again. Cleaned out the vegetable drawer in the fridge 🤮 made some space throughout the rest of the fridge also. I may have eaten some chocolate that was in there as well 😋
I didn't get my lunch ready for tomorrow, I'm just too tired tonight, although I'm really hoping I don't regret my decision in the morning.
I did also manage to take the bag out ready for the charity shop, and afterwards DS brings me 2 pairs of shoes he doesn't want anymore and another that just had to get thrown away.

Tomorrow is DHs birthday. I am very unprepared for it, haven't made him a cake, didn't even cross my mind until this afternoon. He does actually want one! He's just going to get it a day late as I'll have time to bake it on Tuesday, unless I can get DD to bake it after school tomorrow.. hmmm, nope, we don't have enough eggs, ugh. His gift was our mini vacations, we spent more than enough money on that. Sorry for rambling.

Morning all, sitting in the garden with a cuppa, there has definitely been a switch to more autumnal weather here too in the last week so I suspect I won't be doing this for much longer. We have made much more of our garden as an extra living space since lockdown and it's going to be hard once we are more confined to indoors. It was properly dark at 8.30 last night which led to a hasty whatsapp discussion with my group of 5 local friends, we have been meeting in the park with our wine some evenings (makes us sound like total reprobates) and want to get another meetup in this week while we still can.

MrsT - well done with your headstart in the bedroom. Someone was calling it the bood-wa in here a few weeks ago which was quite delightful. It's weird how things turn up in totally the wrong places.

Hazel - happy birthday to Mr Eyes. Hope school goes well.

Oh, it's raining

Big heavy drops. I have decamped to my shed.

Work today. I don't feel as though I got much done yesterday (it was mainly taxiing DS to and from work plus three hours at swimming with DD (chaperoning for club as parents are no longer allowed in to the centre plus walking to and from pool). I was thinking that although training is going well I can't see competition starting again anytime soon - hundreds of young people and dozens of adults from all over the place mingling on poolside, touching diving blocks, sharing toilets and change areas, breathing hard as they exert themselves in the pool.

Oh and I managed a couple of hours at the allotment. No wonder the house looks neglected.

Dancing - lovely to hear that your DH has made such a good recovery, your trips out sound lovely. We only live about 45 mim drive from the coast but it is an area that gets very busy so we don't go as often as we would like. We had a week away on the Isle of Wight though, beaches galore. However my DCs aren't keen on them . Of all the beaches on the IOW and there are beaches of every conceivable type, there is only one that meets both of their exacting requirements.

Oh wow you could do some serious pebble painting there!

Today is meant to be the only dry day this week so i am aiming to get everything washed and dried 🤞

None of my dc are back until atleast the 7th, i have booked that week off work to try and ease myself back into routine

ED - i love the photo of the pebble beach! Makes me feel like i am on holiday.

Love stacked up pebbles.

I have been searching for pebbles to paint on my walks, but never found any round pebbles to paint. I think I have been looking in the wrong place.

Dancing we havent found round ones either i have considered buying some

Ta da

❤ wash on x2
💛 washing on line
💚 pots washed
💜 bottles washed & sterilised
🧡 looked at money stuff online
💙 opened windows

Morning all! Not caught up yet as I need to get ready to leave mum’s. I’ve asked if I can maybe do this once a month or so and they’re really happy. Although I’ll have to time it better as period arrived a bit early, luckily I brought supplies with me just in case, but still 🤬 stupid biology.

That excellent planning to take that week off. I’m not even working but I think I might try and time things so I’m not needing to study and things like that on the first week of term (if I get my next assignment done ASAP and plan the first two weeks of term for DS, that should be doable).

🥯🥯🥯🥯🥯🥯
Happy Monday folks! We are now in the Boudoir, zone 4. Here are your missions, should you choose to accept them (I don’t):
www.flylady.net/c/sp.php#missions

KCC what was the last meal you had where you thought “ooh I must make this at home”?

Mine was on Saturday when I arrived at mum’s, a seeded bagel with goats cheese mashed with basil leaves, a little olive oil and grilled so it browned on top. Mum made it again for breakfast and added walnuts this time :o I love grilled goats cheese on toast with salad but I’d never thought of mashing it with other stuff first so I’ll be doing that more. 😋😋😋

ED those stones look like Makka Pakka!

KCC - there was a Jamie Oliver dish of pasta primavera with peas that was so delicious that I thought I'd try to make it at home. Don't think my stock was as good as his though!

Dancing I'm glad your dh is on the mend.

Dancing - I'm in a FB group for painted rocks, never painted them myself but I find them quite often and post to say I've done so. It seems they are mostly bought from garden centres, Wickes or wherever.

Lisette ITNG started when DS was about three and he never really got into it but he was given a cuddley Makka Pakka that he loved to bits. Happy memories .

KCC - we had some takeaway falafel recently which inspired me to make some, mine wasn't a patch on the takeaway one. Sing - I love toasted goats cheese too, that sounds delicious.

Hello can I join plz? I’ve become a single mom recently and am rly struggling to keep on top of housework and look after the kids.

Hi egg of course you can join :) welcome!

I’m home from mum’s, curled up on the sofa with cramps watching YouTube!