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.

Hope missing fledglings are well. Waves to SC, Zoo, Princes, Double, Foxes if any of you are lurking. Glad you had a nice time Howl.

KCC - other than a few zoom calls/quizzes with friends and family during lockdown I haven’t really had to embrace much of the technology. NHS so work has been the same as usual. Colleagues have had to have zoom meetings but I’ve avoided it .

I managed yoga yesterday, and an LOL on before work, but not much else.

Today’s plans is our final planned summer holiday activity - a big garden place. Not quite the weather for it, but it’s booked so we are going to brave it in waterproofs. It’s meant to dry up at lunchtime fingers crossed.

We have to leave in an hour. Everyone is fed and I’ve sorted the kitchen out and made the beds. Currently having a cuppa then I’ll get myself and DD dressed and a bag packed. Hoping to do a quick bleurgh upstairs before we go, and whack an LOL in. I have some pre-school forms to do tonight and probably some ironing.

Must get going!

Morning all

Todays main aim is to finish ordering the rest of the school shit .....

Shoes for ds1
Boots for dd
Wellies for ds3
Last few logo bits for ds1&2
Water bottles

Also need check the waterproof situation with dd

Trainers for dd

I really hope all this school stuff gets some decent use

Hope Zoo is ok.

Glad to see those with BTec are getting there results at last and hope all the fledglings children get what they hoped for.

Starting on the boudoir
Put the clothes away first.
Dusting
Vacuuming
Try to declutter. It is no use taking stuff out that shouldn’t be here as there is no where else for it to go.
Empty bin.

🦆🦆🦆🦆🦆
Wednesday is anti procrastination day. Which is annoying as I don’t want to.

KCC - a few memes on a theme. My ducks are most definitely not in a row! Apart from at the top of this post :o

I like it sing. Squirrels are my spirit animal 😁. DH had an interview at the University of York many moons ago (pre-kid) and I remember sitting near the lake on campus watching a moorhen with her brood. I thought she was the most awful mother - harried and pecking the chicks into line. My God I understand her now 😁😉😳. Please do not despair expectant fledglings - you do manage to up your game 😊

I'm getting my gutters done 😁 also facade of house being washed and windows and patio. Then we can get the painter for the front facade. Dear Lord the garden is such a mess.

It will be worth it in the end Lisette plants are starting to die back and soon it will be clearing dead leaves and stalks. Then most of the earth will just be earth and the plants will hide underneath until next year. Then your house will look wonderful and set the garden off as it comes to life again.

Sing those are great. Love ducks but they make more mess than hens and I haven’t room for them.
I miss the squirrels. We used to have red 🐿 on the village green and they used to cross the road into our garden. A car hit one and the others just suddenly stopped being visible. A pair which may have died from old age and a youngest about two year old the last time anyone saw it.

🐿 clothes all away
🐿dusting done, except for top of wardrobes.

Forgot to charge vacuum and it is easier for here.

Lisette Impressive tidying campaign you got there. My garden is like a jungle too, I keep meaning to cut the grass and weed the front garden, but then it either rains or I am too tired. Fingers crossed this weekend will be the weekend garden gets sorted!

Sing loving the duck memes.

Bower Red squirrels are very cute. Hopefully they will re-establish again in your habitat one day.

Ta Da for today:

• S&S
• Finished tidying away baby stuff. Now all I have to do is to mount a bedside crib and put moses basket and a bouncer downstairs. Planning to do that around 36 weeks.

Still to do:

• Clean the bathroom
• Order wicker baskets for bedroom and living room to store/hide stuff in. For bedroom, I am planning to put hairbrushes and body lotions etc in there. I don't like having all of them sitting on the surface where I can see them. The living room one hopefully will hide an extension cord that sits under the aquarium table. I am not a fan of visible wires.

Also, does anyone know, does Ikea do delivery?

Mc - I think Zoo had a wardrobe delivered from Ikea a week or two back.

Yep mc it’s quite pricey if ordering furniture, also I’m not sure they cover everywhere so try adding something to your basket and checking out first as it’ll check your postcode

Hiya! DH has said I can borrow his phone for the rest of the holiday for MN check ups as I’ve been missing you all😂😂. Phone has been sorted, got it on my insurance and should be there by the time we get back. So sorted!.

Quick question for you all, what are/were your 5 year olds like?. Jude will be 5 next month and I’m really worried that he’s still quite young. He’ll be one of the oldest in his class but he just doesn’t really like playing with people other than his brothers, won’t really play on his own and is still quite sensitive (always wants cuddles etc). He’s great and so confident with the people he knows but when he doesn’t know people he’s shy. I’m just worried he’s going to seem really young compared to others when he goes to school, but also this is my first 5 year old so I’m not sure if this is just what they’re like.

Enjoy your last summer holiday day out upholder!

Love the memes sing!!

It’ll be so worth it though lisette!!

MC you put me to shame with the baby stuff! I haven’t got anything yet really. I’m relying on hand me downs, but I won’t get anything until I’m about 30 weeks as I can’t bring myself to deal with the stress just yet!. IKEA does do delivery but can be quite expensive and I think some things take a while.

We still have 4 days of holiday left. We are finishing tonight by having some beans on toast and then a walk to the beach for the sunset. Have attached a few pics.

Sing, ED, and Howl thank you! I've ordered few Kallax baskets to be delivered next week. Got Kallax in the living room I am using as a book case, and over time there is a pile of random stuff accumulated on the shelves. Will need to do a bit of decluttering/ordering since I am on a basket mission 😜

Upholder how was your day out?

Howl looks like fab holiday. Loving the pink monster chairs!

Ta Didn't:

• didn't get around to cleaning the bathroom. That's job for tomorrow.

Howl I love those chairs, so cute. I think ours had those hard plastic ones I seem to remember some red ones. I think they must have been DD and DS 3 as the others were 16 & 14last time we went as a family I think. Love you tent with the bunting. The poles to our large tent have bent and we can’t get any more. The fabric is still good except the zip needs mending.
MC I used to love getting the baby stuff out to wash ready. We didn’t have much kept from the boys for DD but she was summer born so a couple of summer dresses did her in the day.

Ta Da
Ironing done just a small pile.
Washed up lunch and afternoon tea( tea and cake not the full works).
Made veggie pasta and DH is having lamb, new pots, cauli, peas.

Sing woohoo congratulations to DS. Also congratulations to the tkd club - very impressive to hear they are doing gradings by zoom.

Bower, how annoying about the leak. Glad you caught it early but still very annoying.

Hazel, thanks for asking! No, despite all 4 of us looking it has not turned up. I can’t wait any longer as I need them for a work thing on Friday so will have to buy batteries tomorrow. Which probably means the box will then turn up. They are a slightly unusual size of battery too so it’s not as if I can console myself that they will get used anyway. I find my scattiness (is that a word?) so annoying sometimes .

KCC, another great question! The answer is I have mixed feelings. Honestly I hate it but as Mc says, I find looking back painful and unhelpful and am trying to accept the new normal (I realise that is a completely personal view but seems to help me. It was undoubtedly the best piece of advice I got when I became a mum and was finding the change very hard - accept that things have changed and that your old life has gone, at least for now). I feel much better about it all than I did at the beginning as am more aware of what works for us and what doesn’t.

Pressed post by mistake...

From a work point of view I feel ok. There are things that are much harder since Coronavirus but, for me, the video calls etc is not the hard bit as it’s not a huge part of what I do.

From a family point of view I miss seeing my in-laws face-to-face. I feel guilty that things are actually much easier with my parents while they are at arms length and it is one of the few things I am dreading about going back to.

Zoom drinks etc with friends are ok but so not the same as real life for me.

Re. clubs.... as some of you know my main worry was gymnastics. I feel hugely better on that front in the event of another lockdown as the gym club eventually offered good zoom lessons and I also in desperation found a private zoom coach who is just brilliant. Plus some other people to try if need be. So there are options for further lockdowns. DD1 is still having zoom lessons for half her gym classes. Ballet also got in on the act and while the lessons are no substitute for proper practice they were ok. Surprisingly Brownies was awesome and they are sticking with zoom for the foreseeable future.

My main worry with zoom is DD2. She really needs individual attention and can be very difficult to engage over zoom. My worry is if we have further lockdowns and home learning she will be very difficult to manage. DD1 is better but desperately misses social contact.

Well that was an essay and I’m not even sure it answered the question fully but felt good to get all that off my chest .

Thanks for excellent thread leading so far Sing and cherry waves to everyone else.

I've fallen off the thread and haven't been doing flylady, I'm going to get back to it when I've finished off a few house tasks and got organised. No idea about the zones but still doing swish and swipe etc.

Howl One of mine is a similar age and I think when you have littler ones, you almost expect them to be more grown up. We still have the full on tantrums at the moment and I was expecting that they would have passed by now. Friends are having a similar experience with their kids, I'm not sure if it's worse due to the lockdown and all of the changes?

Hi all. Sorry not even vaguely caught up yet 😳😭

ta da
🪐bit of morning yoga before getting up (no accompanying toddler)
👽ordered calendar for DS (rest of this year so he can start tracking clubs like DD1)
🪐started Christmas spends record on app as DH ordered the first gift
👽helped DCs with maths which was not supposed to be my job today 🤬
🪐started tidying up my planning notes for the new term of home ed
👽emailed DD1’s HOY about new timetable
🪐attempted to track down missing FSM voucher code with DH (emails etc)
👽quick boxing workout
🪐15min exercise bike
👽looked further into job role, think it’s a non starter so that’s upsetting but I did try and phone them and email for volunteer roles (form didn’t submit though FFS)
🪐found a charity that supports people with autism etc to find work and emailed an initial enquiry to see if they can help me
👽started properly planning the first half of term (topics and ideas) at various points through the day
🪐cooked dinner
👽booked gym for tomorrow
🪐reading - well, I haven’t actually done that yet but I’m about to. Night xx

Hiya ladies sorry I dropped off a bit I was just sooooo busy when the DC came home. I will be back tomorrow and will reply to everyone then. I haven’t done much housework, I’ve been so tired lately it’s actually insane honeslty.

I fall off the thread so regularly I'm permanently covered in bruises 😂🤣

😆 lisette that really made me chuckle!
egg it is okay, I don't always post, sometimes it takes me 3 days to catch up with the thread before I can even reply, it can be very fast moving.

sing Hopefully you can get your foot in the door, volunteering is a good start. Also getting some help with finding somewhere is a great idea.
Howl I love your bunting! I have a lot of DSs old jeans that I was thinking about using for bunting for camping. Did you make yours or was it bought like that?
stressy things like your batteries always come up when you've bought more. I usually go to put them away in a "new spot" and find the missing item there 🤨
bower that's really sad about the red squirrels. I used to love seeing them about, but definitely hard to see nowadays.

Not much flying today, although I did a quick vacuum at ILs on my lunch break. After dinner of leftovers I cleaned up the kitchen with help from DH and DS. DC worked on laundry today and took the bin out ready for tomorrow, it's very full. I made a sandwich for DS for lunch tomorrow. I forgot to make one for today 🤦‍♀️ but he had school lunch instead. My lunch is already out together for tomorrow as well. I just need to get my outfit out for tomorrow and take a shower before bed. Right now I'm sitting with my feet up for a few minutes.

Oh sing I forgot to congratulate DS on his blue belt, that's very exciting!

Hi everyone, it's been such a busy week with my brother and family visiting, they've now left and today is a normal working day for me, kids off to my parents for the day so it will be quiet!

I have read back as much as I can but am a bit lost really sorry, I do love the ducks in a row though, made me laugh!

Flying wise I'm all over the place, have really only down the bare minimum recently and it's showing. Dd school uniform all sorted I think but you've all reminded me I haven't checked the PE kit whoops. Adding that to my to do list!

Morning all!

Egg (and anyone else for that matter!) please don’t worry about not keeping up, or posting regularly etc. It’s absolutely fine to dip in and out as needed and to just post as and when! One of our newer phrases in fact is No Fledgling Left Behind! :o

🎯🎯🎯🎯🎯
Thursday is errand day so get those random tasks done! Remember we are in zone 4, the boudoir, so keep decluttering and cleaning in there

KCC - since the subject arose for me yesterday, have you done volunteer work in the past and what was it like? Is there any you’d like to do in future?

I did a fair bit in my teens as I loved working with kids - my mum worked in a big library and I helped with lots of events in the holidays (story time, craft etc) and when I was doing my ASDAN award (it’s a key skills thing, not to be confused with the lion from Narnia 😂) I helped at a council playscheme for a couple of weeks in the summer.

After DH first had to stop work I volunteered in a charity shop to get something recent on my CV, till experience etc. I loved it and carried on for a while after I started paid work. I actually wouldn’t mind doing it again and I’ve been keeping an eye on shop windows in case they need anyone extra (especially now more people are donating stock) although I’d have to be careful not to end up buying more stuff again! 😳

I am looking for volunteering around helping adults and children with autism and learning difficulties now as that is a line of work I’m interested in. Not sure how the “help me find work” people will react to that given the reason I need help :o

🎯🎯🎯🎯🎯

Anyway must get up. I can’t even think of a power of three list yet so my sole aim (although I could break it up I suppose) is to get up and out to the gym at 11 😳 I have some stuff to do in town but not sure if I’ll fit it in today.

KCC - I have volunteered for a charity, I did a few tasks that required particular skills (without outing myself). The Committee work can be frustrating though!

Bathroom leak finally seems to be solved, it's taken a few attempts, but now dried out so it can be painted and the new flooring laid. It's the en suite so the ripped out parts of it are in the current zone which isn't helping. But I have managed to keep the clothing pile down and even DH's clothing pile has reduced this may be because he has fewer clothes that fit him at the moment

Hard to believe that a week tomorrow DD will be going back to school. I think she's a bit nervous about it after so long and she's really enjoyed being at home (we all have). I hope it goes well.

Today - need to order some books for DD, check her new school shirts actually fit and label them if they do, general laundry/ironing. Catch you later!