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! 🍒👋

Thank you sing😂

THAT I’ve only planned it all! Will be buying when we get back off holiday. I like getting most of it sorted in early sept so we can just enjoy the holiday season!

Good evening fledglings. After many, many months absence I'd like to join you again. I recognise some names, and think I can identify some of the name changers; I'll soon catch up.

I know the September thread can get super busy so I thought I'd hop onto this one. DS (7yo) is going back to school on Thursday and I really have to get us organised.

We got back from a week in the Isle of Wight this afternoon which was lovely. However, am happy to be home.

Ta Da
Nearly finished unpacking
Loaded dishwasher
Sorted laundry into loads
One wash load done
Took box of biscuits to neighbours as a thank you for looking after our chickens
DS to bed

KCC - not technically picture books, but beautifully illustrated - my favourite childhood books are the Puddle Lane series and the Brambly Hedge stories

Howl I've only just started to think about Christmas, with some birthdays before that I'm still figuring out those too. I'm so impressed!

Ta Das so far:
🌻 DW started
🌻 Made ranch for dinner.
🌻 Wiped countertops down (multiple times)

🌻 Sorted out fridge and threw away some questionables that were becoming science experiments.

🌻 Came across a few things in the kitchen we haven't used in a very long time, cleaned them up and will put them in the yard sale (when we have one)

🌻 Sewn up a couple holes on a cushion. I washed it the other day and a bunch of stuffing came out. Instead of putting it back on the couch to sew another day, I got the sewing kit out and got it done within 30 minutes!
🌻 Dusted on top of the fridge.

I've now lost motivation to really do anything else but I do need to get some milk and a couple other essentials before tomorrow, I just don't want to!

Welcome back Mog it's nice to get away for a few days but it's also nice to get back home again!

Hope everyone is ok!

I need to catch up on the thread. I've been doing DIY so flylady is on the backburner. I will try again next week. It's either cleaning or DIY and DIY is winning at the moment .

Hey mog welcome back!

ta da
🍓made and discussed to do list with DH
🍐booked bowling including surprise jug of slush puppy
🍓got DD1 to try on new blazer and P.E. top (all good phew)
🍐sorted plan for the day (which was then messed up by surprise visit but hey ho)
🍓quick tidy of living room (stash and dash tbh)
🍐tidied landing of toys
🍓delegated other chores to Caglets
🍐quick clean of bathroom
🍓started unit 3 and did three questions
🍐ordered present for DH and noted cost
🍓wrapped presents for DS
🍐downloaded digital presents (film and game)
🍓sorted money for said presents including changing settings so purchases can’t be made automatically

Welcome back mog!! I’ve never been to the Isle of Wight I’d love to go though.

Thank you hazel, I love getting sorted for Christmas in advanced!

It seems everyone else’s DC are going back earlier than DS. He has a taster day on the 9th, then 3 more and officially goes in on the 17th. Must just be because he’s reception but I got very stressed then and thought he was going back next week and I wasn’t prepared! I need to start meal planning lunches.

Well I never got floors washed as DD continued procrastinate on Tudors and didn't put recycling out.theres 4bags tripping up kitchen now,so I surrender and will do myself
I was actually COLD last night!

Still not feeling motivated but it's not a choice,things must get done/sorted

Back in a bit with a list

Tada
Cats fed
Wash on
Harpic lav
Bags recycling dump outside
Sort overflowing kitchen bin
Second coat gloss inside my bedroom door
Wash in drier
More on
Open jus roll.bake cinnamon rolls

Wait zoolets sense smell send them all galloping towards kitchen

zoo cinnamon rolls , amazing!! They smell so good when they're baking i would also be straight to your kitchen if I was anywhere near!

I was hoping this weekend would be productive, we have no plans so I was hoping to get on top of the housework and my work as well which is just so ridiculously busy and I think people are forgetting I'm one person and only work part time

Anyway the universe had other ideas as I don't feel well and I'm still in bed feeling sorry for myself

X post foxes oh no lovely,what's wrong?

To do
Food shop
Wash lower floors
Planning for EVERYTHING

Good morning all, thanks for the welcome back.

Zoo we also love those bake at home pastries - yum!

Foxes sorry to hear you're not well - any chance you'll get a rest today?

Howl I would definitely recommend the IOW for a family holiday, we had a great time. My DS has autism and we stayed at a place that specifically caters for families with a loved one on the spectrum. It made the break so much more relaxing!!

We have my in-laws coming over at lunchtime so I have to get a lot of tidying done! We'll all have lunch together and then they will mind DS whilst DH and I go out to buy school supplies (easier without DS, strangely) and some sports gear for us.

Ta Das so far:
Hung up yesterday's laundry in spare room
Next load into WM and on
Put away all items in the stair basket
Watered all house plants - some had completely passed out whilst we were away
Rescued kitchen island of stupid amounts of clutter and rubbish

To Do
Clean kitchen surfaces and sweep floor
Hoover hall, stairs and landing
Cat litter trays
Send DH to collect Cats from cattery
Tidy and hoover lounge

Morning all. My day started at 5.40 when I got up so DS could open his birthday presents... he’d been up quietly playing with his new transformer (he knew he was getting that so we left it outside his room) since 3! Cagletini fell asleep early last night too so she was awake as well. I then went back to bed and dozed till just gone 9 thankfully.

I need a proper shower and to secretly put his wall sticker up (Bumblebee the transformer breaking through the wall 🤖🚕), I might set up the subscribe and save things today too as we’ve almost run out of one of the vitamins. Cooked breakfast first though 😋

Foxes hope you feel better soon!

🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁
Happy Sunday folks, make sure you renew your spirit. Since we are limping towards the end of August we are now in the final zone, the living room.

Speaking of the end of August, do we know who is leading September?

KCC in honour of my baby boy turning eleven 😱 what do family birthdays usually look like in your house?

I know we’ve mentioned traditions before a bit. We don’t have any specifically, birthday person usually chooses where to eat either lunch or dinner depending on plans - for years this meant Pizza Hut for DS and Harvester for DD1 😅 creatures of habit they are! Obviously for the latter it was a takeaway this year, DS just asked for pasta today though. Other than that we’d usually arrange something with friends, local home ed birthdays often mean the ice cream parlour! DS likes bowling (again creature of habit) but this year the rules mean it is just one friend not several :(

We have no cake traditions as we are crap at baking but this year DS wanted to decorate one so they did that yesterday.

Mog that sounds amazing. We have been to the IOW this summer too, we're not too far away on the mainland and manage at least a weekend over there most years.

Foxes - hope you feel better soon.

Zoo those cinnamon buns are lovely. I'm not a fan of cinnamon in apple based puddings but love a cinnamon bun.

Thanks all, not tummy issues so would love cinnamon rolls zoo , it's just a cold and my energy levels are at zero!! Have managed to get the washing hung up and the dinner in the slow cooker at least.

zoo I’ve been cold on the nights lately! It’s quite exciting I think, I do love the colder weather

I’ll look into that for next year mog, is it good for little ones? I’ll have 4 under 6.

Happy 11th birthday to your DS sing!!! I hope he’s having a great day so far.

KCC our birthday traditions, I don’t think we have one really other than the birthday boy/girl will choose the meals for the day and what we do!

Hope you feel better soon foxes

We have packed up and are now driving to a waterfall for a walk. I’ve just had a look at some decent rain coats for the kids as I’m hoping to get away a lot this year for weekend or day breaks now we have the van and want to get a bit more outdoorsy!. I’m just planning our last few days out of the holidays, the Sunday before school DH and I will take DS1 out to town for the day and have a meal with him and spend the day with him. We may go to clent for a walk one day and next week DSD is looking for caravans so will take the DC to look too and then go for a meal after. And then that’s it, I’m back to work and the kids are back to school/nursery and then it’s back to normal until feb when we’ll have a new little person joining us!

Mm, love cinnamon. I have it on my oats and raisins in the morning - if you squint really hard you can think it tastes of hot cross buns

KCC: traditional Birthday Breakfast is croissants and smoked salmon, though quite often it gets moved to the nearest weekend (for some years we always had a particular friend family visiting the weekend of S1's birthday). We'd usually go out for dinner at some point.

On the day itself I always make a cake. When they were younger I shaped and iced them - we had several trains (Thomas, Oliver and Lady-from-the-film), Thunderbirds both 1 and 4, Tweenie Clock, R2D2, dalek, Tardis, and Atomic from Robot Wars.

For my first ever birthday party (when I was 6) my mother asked me what I wanted for my birthday cake, and I said A House (I was obsessed with houses in my childhood). Come the party, and there in the middle of the table was a cake shaped like a house! I was so impressed. (Now, of course, I can imagine my mother going "yes! result! she wants a house! and a generic house at that! basic cube and a bit of a slope on top!")

When I made Thomas, way back in 2002, I spent two hours getting the fondant icing the correct blue, continually adding liquid food colouring and then a bit of icing sugar because it was so wet. Four years later, faced with the prospect of a Tardis, I discovered colouring paste - took about 5 minutes.

I kind of miss those days. S2 asked for a red velvet cake this year.

I don't like cinnamon unless it's in cinnamon buns. One of life's big disappointments for me is being served an apple pudding and finding it laced with cinnamon. I have odd tastebuds.

KCC - birthdays here start with presents. DH and I have ours in bed with the DCs passing them. Their bedrooms are too small and cluttered for them to have similar so we put them all on the kitchen table for them to open before breakfast. Breakfast is whatever the birthday person likes (but we don't all have it - eg DH likes a fry up but DS won't touch any part of a cooked breakfast).

Parties have varied a lot over the years but for the DCs now its just meet a friend or two to go bowling or similar. We usually go out for a family meal too. No parties for adults. Cake - always homemade, we like baking, the DCs mostly make and decorate them now.

More Ta Da
Cat litter trays done
Scrubbed kitchen counters and tabletop
Cleaned Hob
Cleaned cat food mats
Thorough clear and clean of kitchen window sill - including evicted a rather large spider!
Wiped coffee machine, microwave, kettle and toaster
Swept floor
Thorough hoover of entrance hall - pulled out all shoes, umbrella stand and banana tree to get all dust bunnies
Hoovered lounge
Swept out fireplace
Dusted TV stand
Trip into town with DH to get school supplies - partially successful.

Now I'm going to let the chickens out into the garden for a bit while I read my book.

I've been a bit AWOL... Oopsies. 🙈
Was doing some flying, promise!

Ta Da:
🎉LOL x2: one load on the line, the other in the dryer. Will fold later.
🎉3 aquariums maintained and water changed.
🎉Garden weeded and grass cut
🎉Kitchen cleaned. I love Elbow Grease. That stuff will cut through anything. My favourite product so far.

Speaking of cakes and birthdays, it's DH's birthday coming up and I really want to bake him a cake. I am not particularly good at baking, I can do simple stuff without much drama, but cake might be pushing my skills a bit. Can anyone recommend a relatively easy recipe for non-chocolate cake which involves ganache and icing please?

🌻 Made breakfast for DH.
🌻 Started LOL - towels.

Slow start here this morning (10am) DS is fishing with FIL and DD is at a friend's house. Will be picked up in a few minutes then she has to work today (8 hours!) It's her first long shift today.

Here we let birthday person choose dinner that night. We get to choose what to do, DH wanted to go camping, DS wants to go to laser tag with 2 friends. We have to figure out when though (it's next weekend!)
We always do a dinner on the weekends with ILs as well and I bake a cake (although dropped the ball with DH this year and felt terrible, so he got it late!) I'll bake whatever they wish for, but I'm not very fancy with decorating it. Pics attached are about a fancy as it gets! Last year DS wanted a minecraft theme. I also make chocolate covered Strawberries so that was one I did for someone too.