It's July, Fledglings are Flying towards Freedom (hopefully!)

[EverythingDelegated]

Hello and welcome to the July 2021 Fledgling Flylady Thread. Thank you Willow for an excellent pair of June threads. Welcome to one and all, old hands and newbies, lurkers and longtime posters and anyone in between. This thread keeps us vaguely on track with Flylady and is where we post our Ta Das and Yes Ta Das (what we did yesterday 😁), our To Dos and To Didn'ts, and discuss anything that comes to mind (often not housekeeping!).

The beauty of Flylady is that you are never behind, the whole system repeats every month, just jump in wherever. The aim is to gradually get into good habits and regular routines that keep the house ticking over rather than having a huge blitz on it.

To help you with this I'll be posting links to Flyady's Flight Plan and other useful parts of the website, which is updated daily, it's also good to go in and have a browse (some of it is a bit twee though). Do NOT sign up for the emails, you will be inundated.

The system divides the house up into weekly zones, then in each zone there will be timefor decluttering, a small daily task (the Mission) and each day of the week has a theme too (eg Errand Day). You can switch things around to suit your circumstances, there is a weekly Sneak Peek page to help you plan ahead. There are also 31 Babysteps, small daily habits to adopt (eg wearing shoes around the house if you'd rather not). Finally Flylady wants you to make time for you and your family, so weekends are more relaxed.

Jargon
Flylady (and the thread!) has a little bit of her own peculiar jargon it can help to know:
S&S - swish and swipe - a quick go round a bathroom or cloakroom to keep it acceptably fresh
LoL load of laundry. We are not collapsing into hysterical laughter over the state of our washing baskets
Hotspots any areas that tend to collect clutter no matter how often you clear them - mine is definitely the corner of the worksurface by the kitchen door, and the bookshelf at the bottom of the stairs
5 minute room rescue a quick whizz round any room to create a semblance of order
Weekly Home Blessing (often Home Bleugh here) - an hour a week to keep the house acceptable. I think this can only be done in an hour if you only have one bed in the house to change, so take it with a pinch of salt. I spread mine over the week as I cannot get it down to an hour and don't have an hour to give to it either.
Ned and Ted - imaginary friends often draughted in to assist with washing and ironing
BRC Bag, or box, of Random Crap
(D)LMS (Didn't) Lose My Shit - often a necessary acronym around spouses and teens!
Naughty Corner - the thread's imaginary space for rest and recuperation when it all gets too much. Often stocked with soft cushions, blankets, drinks and snacks. May or may not have a free bar, fire place, sunloungers, hot and cold running barmen etc.
Cherry waves 🍒👋 - lovely type for cheery wave that stuck!
All Fed and No One Dead - a good outcome to a busy day.

The beauty of Flylady is that is can be adapted to any household setup - lots of DC or just one, or none; a partner / spouse, or ex, or those going it alone; those working within or outside the home; shiftwork, you name it.

Our motto is No Fledgling Left Behind, so if you are a returner or a lurker, welcome on board, there is always space her for more Fledglings.

Oh and Hugly got washed

I will be yes. If I start organising now Yup there's a chance of actually being able to switch my brain off and forget about it all till late August. Looking forward to tidying away all textbooks, piles of worksheets and all the other work overspill out of my sight for a month.

I haven't even thought of dinner yet. Ds disappeared out with friends shortly after coming home from school. I have easy pre prepared hunters chicken or katsu chicken in the fridge so will let him choose which and add veg and rice if he ever shows up.

Is zoo ok - sorry I've only skimmed to catch up. Hope you're ok zoo if you're reading.

Finally put the laundry away 😳 while DD1 sorted Cagletini’s bath 🥰

Also got a new maths pupil it seems, so that’s good.

I’m absolutely shattered physically for no apparent reason. But mentally a bit better than the last few days and hopefully I can start tackling all the stuff I’ve been avoiding for days/weeks. Need to make a massive list divided into categories to make it less overwhelming.

I have an announcement.

For the first time in months I have FINISHED THE HOME BLEUGH. Feeling very accomplished and housewifely, although the cleanliness will only last about 10 minutes.

I have also run a series of errands with DD that involved 3 different towns, two different book shops and a post office. I am exhausted and grumpy.

My nice day out tomorrow to see my Mum has been cancelled because she has a form of shingles 😢.

Hey ho. I did also order some new summer clothes that might fit my truly amazing girth, and get some writing done at last.

Well done Willow! I got everything on my list done today so I will join you in the not-so-naughty corner.

Kitchen just about clear. Cats despatched to cattery. Appointment attended. Keys picked up. Swimming attended and lots of nice chat on the way back. Bed now.

🍾🎖🏆Willow! Amazing.

I haven’t done any.
I have dusted the hens and watered the garden.
It was so hot I got sunburnt at Coniston. It is not often I have said that. Went to Mass. Went to meeting. Tea and cake available. I was desperate as I was a bit car sick in friend’s car. Just queasy for the last 6 miles.
We went out for lunch after and we were under an umbrella but the sun moved around and I couldn’t sit anywhere else so now burnt on shoulders of my brown arms. Will be taking sun cream. Rest of the day I stayed in the shade or indoors. Came home had a bowl of ice cream about 4pm then went to the pub for ginger beer and lots of ice. DH was out and then arrived back had several beers and I made my last a gin. Chicken drumsticks ( Southern fried)and salad.
Dusted the chickens.
Watered the garden.
Came to bed.

Got lots to catch up on. Have bathroom to still do.

Night night. Tired.

🥈for ED.

Honey Zoo has a lot of life going on at the moment.

I just slept 12hrs, I feel like death. I am going to be late for work if I dont move. I don't have uniform but our uniform super warm and temp is looking like it is going to get right up so a white t-shirt will be fine today.

At some point i need to start considering my to do list. I have a crap ton that needs to be done next week.

but first work and the crap ton that needs doing there!

Some one send coffee? tia

☕☕☕ for Hills

🍏🍏🍏🍏🍏
Morning folks, just popping some links on while our lovely thread host has been busy getting ready to head off on holiday AND getting her kitchen renovation underway!

So, we are still in Zone 3 - the bathroom and one other room. Missions are here

www.flylady.net/c/sp.php#missions
Today’s is to clean the baseboards in the bathroom. Not gonna lie I don’t have a clue what a baseboard is… is that a skirting board?!
And the other room (office) mission is to do a stationery check. Any excuse… 😇

It’s Friday so we are clearing our handbags and cars! www.flylady.net/d/daily-focus/daily-focus-friday/

Remember our habit of the month is the swish and swipe.

Baby step #16 is to look at flylady stuff. Whatevs.
www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/31-beginner-babysteps/day-16/

Flight plan here:
www.flylady.net/c/fp.php

Have a great day one and all!
🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎

Ooh stationery check. I'm sure I must be running low on something.🤣 (any excuse!). Thanks Sing for backstopping ED.

Ta Da:
❤️ Bed made ✅
🧡 S&S ✅
💛 Showered, dressed, breakfast, vitamins ✅
💚 Financial crisis due to stupid Plum app averted ✅
💙 Paddling pool refilling ✅ (it went green 🤢)
💜 Various DC out / in classes ✅
🤎 LOL on ✅

Off to Tesco now and then on to Mum as we have remembered I had a chicken pox antibody test when I was pregnant and I passed it 😁.

Have a good day everyone, don't melt!

Feeling a bit “meh” this morning after a rough night. Was finally settling down when DD1 wanted to sleep in with me - very rare now she’s a teen, but the anxiety has built up over this melatonin break :(
She was still upset and anxious when Cagletini woke up and was clambering all over me like a giant cat trying to get comfy.

Not convinced the productive day is gonna happen, at least not this morning!

I’m going to write my “all the shit that needs doing” list though. I’ve decided to make one category “really quick tasks I’ve been putting off for no reason”

Morning all.
ED exciting holiday and kitchen getting done.

Sing aaarrgghh what a rotten nights sleep. A nap for you later!

Willow great list already. Hope mum isn’t too ill. My lovely aunt used to get shingles. I heard yesterday of someone else getting it just now must be about. Hope she is on the mend soon.

Zoo in case you are looking in. 🤗

Honey ahh the joy of summer holidays. I can remember some staff wanting boards backed. I just thought six weeks of dust to collect on them and one year it back fired on a couple as work done on those walls and all needed redoing. Agree though it is satisfying to get a few of those jobs completed beforehand.

Bathroom completed except for the mirror and shower doors. I washed the glass cloth so need to find where DH has put it. Guaranteed it won’t be in the basket under the sink. Bed airing. No dressed to shoes🤦🏼‍♀️Does Flylady not realise you can do it in your pjs and barefoot! About to get t shirt and painting skirt on. Then prune the roses well dehead about 150 heads.😳

After that maybe an hour in the boudoir need to find homes for stuff or de clutter it to somewhere.

25 forecast here.😃happy days.

Right, I have written my list of 18 small tasks. I should be able to do them all today theoretically, but I also know that I find they build up stress quickly (hence procrastinating over them in the first place) so we shall see. I’ve also written a list of scary stuff - EHCP application, OU application and some tutoring stuff (which is scary only because it’s new families and new online format) and some other “for my future” type stuff.

I still need to collate a list of all the things we need to buy to sort stuff in the house (things like baskets/hooks for hats etc, a new dustpan and brush etc) but I’ll do that later. DH and DS have cleared the bottom half of the landing cupboard so I’m going to start moving the sellable books into there. Then I can move the games too, but I need to actually check them first and get rid of any with too many missing pieces etc.

Stopped for early lunch. Sing - always happy to talk about EHCP, it is daunting

Our bathroom has tiles right down to the floor and no skirting board, although it could do with a new application of sealant. Some morning when it's not boiling hot. No chance today! I've quite enjoyed this mission. Probably because the bathroom has only bathroom-related stuff in it, even though there's too much of it. Nothing random that belonged in another room.

The office is better than it was. All the bank statements and credit card statements are now filed in chronolgical order, and I can see the pattern of our expenses since the first lockdown. Today I'll file the utilities, and see whether there's anything I can cut back on.

This is just skiting over the surface of the office and paperwork. All I can do for now is make sure eveything is in order, ready for action from the accountant. It is so tied into emotional stuff that I become overwhelmed. Anyway, that would be a whole nother post.

Thanks ED 💐

Landing cupboard is progressing well - emptied of the last bits of random crap, and the box of books moved in. I’ve been sorting games to go in there and only just realised the time! DH has done a few of the tasks on my list but most of them need to be done by me (emailing from my account etc).

po3.1
❗️Stop sorting games and eat something!
❗️At least five items from my “tiny tasks” list
❗️Delegate a few more house jobs before coming back up to continue sorting games

Apparently it’s a cereal for lunch at 3pm sort day. I do have some homemade leek soup defrosting though. Got my five tiny tasks done, then got distracted helping clear the cupboard under the stairs. Sooo much dust (it’s where the dryer lives)

Ah dust, yes, definitely grows!

Deadheaded roses. It had hundreds on. I did about half then had a cup of tea and two ginger nut biscuits. Some people walking past said our garden was lovely.😃

I might have had a nap. Laid down on bed( still here) and had a really deep sleep. It is very hot here. Lovely in bedroom. No flying done in here.🙄
Right going to paint door.

More games sorted. Will get a willing Caglet to stack them in the cupboard once they’ve had their dinner (the small games are in a bag).

Jeez though I’m wiped 🤣 pleased to see so much stuff getting properly ready to leave the house though.

Going to take a break from the games and take the clothes DD1 sorted downstairs. Need to rebag and stash them - hopefully soon we will be able to drop all the rag bags to the charity shop as they recycle them for money.

Right I have given up on game sorting for now. Stuff I have sorted is now stacked neatly in the cupboard. DD1 has filled two bin bags with rags. I’m tired 😴🥱 but have accomplished plenty today so I’m happy

Sing you are right, baseboards are skirting boards. Well done on all your sorting! I need to get sorting at my house too, we still have boxes that need emptied, and I'm wondering if we need it all at this point. We do need some shelving though. There's lots of space in this house, but mostly empty space.

Monday I worked all day, DC rotated DW and washed 1 LOL. We went to see Black Widow in the movie theatre, that was really good.

Tuesday I accomplished a lot:
🧜‍♀️ I had an hour long, full body massage that was amazing
🧜‍♀️ Made myself lemon and mint water that I drank all day (kept filling the pitcher up in the fridge)
🧜‍♀️ 5 LOLs, including mattress protector and 2 lots of bedding
🧜‍♀️ Vacuumed main level
🧜‍♀️ Rotated DW
🧜‍♀️ Relaxed in front of the TV

Wednesday, worked all day, no flying done by me, other than rotated DW, same on Thursday.

Today (Friday) & yesterday I have had a headache. I think it's related to the smoke in the air. It doesn't smell smoky, but does look hazy. It really sucks that the nearest mountain to us is now on fire, not sure how it was started and if it's contained or anything yet, I haven't looked up any updates.

I was going to add more personals, but between my head hurting and my eyes wanting to close I should probably take a few minutes to nap before going back to work.
🍒👋 to everyone. Hopefully I can add personals later

Ah it’s tricky without shelving isn’t it!

Once I’ve actually sold/donated the games and books in the landing cupboard then I can move the shelves into there. So it will be a very useful space hopefully!

I was almost tempted to try and rush ahead and get the shelves in now but I figured I’d then lose the incentive to actually sort the rest of the books and sell everything 😩

Everything feels a tad complicated 🤣