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.

Ridiculously hot here already. Have sent DS3 over to the skate park to get some scooting in before the lack of shade becomes (even more of a) problem. Just sitting in the garden with a cup of tea.

We have the "proper" version of CAH, but DS3 is far too young for some of its nastiness and I find it hard to play with the older DC - the rude bits don't bother me, but the casual cruelty and needless offence does.

Sorry the heat is affecting your sleep too zoo. I think in weather like this the most minimal of home-bleughing is allowable.

DH is suggesting raspberry curtains in my linen-and-gold music room. The man's lost it!

Yup thanks, the headache's gone. Well done on getting so much cleaning done in DS's room. You were talking about synesthesia - DD has aspects of that, physical sensations have taste, sounds have colour. She also personifies objects, but we always thought that was part of her autism. She is also very restricted with food - there are 10 Acceptable Dinners, don't try suggesting anything else - so I know how you feel.

Honey excellent job on shifting clothes. Sometimes if you factor in the value of your time, it's better just to give them away.

🍒👋 to Up, Hope, Mc, foxes, Hills, ED, Sing, MrsTidy, Dancing, Red, merryhouse and everyone else.

Today is supposed to be:
🥵 Bits of home bleugh
🥵 Put away about 6 loads of clean washing
🥵 Make oatcakes and take them to a friend's house for lunch
🥵 Get some work done without melting
🥵 Spinach and ricotta cannelloni for tea.
🥵 Collaspe

Good luck not melting, everyone!

I crashed and hit burn out. 2hr nap yesterday afternoon and 9hrs last night.

ta da
lateral flow - neg (yay)
sink into cold for half hour
1 load of washing
remove some storage boxes from my room ready for necessary furniture rearragement for next stage of building work

to do
work
cool down from working in the green house (not literal green house but yay surrounded by glass office soooo hot)
move furniture
empty dishwasher
reload dishwasher
wash some more pots
water up in the garden
nap
move a table and another storage box out of my room
do a happy dance cos annual leave starts this afternoon.
Look at to do list sigh and feel work out be easier

Morning all,

Interesting re personification, DD does that, although shes growing out of it a bit now, she explains its whats behind her hoarding tendencies, she can't bear putting things in the bin because it will upset them. The first film we ever took her to see at the cinema was Toy Story 3 and she was devastated when one of the toys went in the bin (I can't remember, it was a long time ago and I snoozed my way through it as I do most children's films).

Not so hot here today (Norfolk), its cloudier so far and a bit more breeze. The house isn't too bad, although annoyingly all the ground floor windows are locked, leaving the doors open lets a bit of breeze through and upstair we can open the windows so its bearable. I don't think its as hot here as the rest of the country but its still making it unpleasant out and about, I don't like heat.

Links for Monday

flylady.net/c/fp.php?tzm=-60 Flight Plan

Monday is Home Blessing Day (otherwise known as Home Bleugh, especially in this heat).

We are now in the master bedroom and the mission for today is to tackle whatever is lurking under the bed, declutter it or vacuum it or both.

Super stuck this morning. Been up for ages but just doomscrolling. Nervous about trial tuition lesson later.

po3.1
❗️Breakfast and extra meds
❗️Reply to a couple of messages re tuition and send a third re piano tomorrow
❗️Read a bit

Willowglad headaches better
Ed frustrating can't open the windows.im getting ready to melt,not helped by fact overnight someone in neighbourhood must've decided I'm a crazy old cat lady age as every attempt to open back door to create some kind of thru draft has resulted in random cats strolling in.next doors scrummy 10 week old boy

Breakfasts
Wash up

Living room
Clean windows
Tidy around cat tree
Tidy TV unit
Clean around fireplace
Scrub dining table
Sweep floor

Gasmans just been/left.only took 15 mins,so hoping he's not done a bodge it and scarper job

To do
Quick spray down where he's been with Dettol spray
Poss girls room/my room

Not much else to report as I'm contemplating melting imminently....

Ooh, a chocolate kebab? 😁

I spent so long messaging and sorting out another trial lesson (maths AND English!) that I haven’t done any reading yet.

Masks hung up to dry
Spray where gasmans been
Take highly stressed pacing dd2 short walk over nature reserve(30 mins stroll)saw a bunny,near melted on way back
Locate shorts now he's gone and take of pencil skirt

It's possibly too hot for flying isn't it? Or am I just making excuses?

I can't sunbathe today as I have had too much sun already. Not sure what to do with myself

sorry for falling off the thread again...

It's hot isn't it 😂 I'm considering picking dd up in the car later because the walk is awful in the heat... I'm happy to walk in torrential rain (well not happy, but I never take the car!) but blazing sunshine ...not so much!

I'm off to take a load to the charity shop, we've decluttered a lot over the weekend. (And that's where any flying ended really)

Making me hungry now zoo 🤣

po3.2
❗️Shower etc
❗️Zoom rescue (top of Kallax is a bit messy again)
❗️Switch PC on and look for some appropriate questions to try with new pupil (based on what her mum has told me about recent work)

Must say I do like the idea of more online teaching though, especially as it means I only have to worry about making myself and my bookcase presentable, rather than the hallway, living room and bathroom 🤣

Added bonuses sing,plus if any restrictions return there's no need to cancel lessons unless either party is I'll

I now find myself needing to do Difficult Conversations with dd2.we need to go thru unifrog and look at options for education/work going forward...

Been up since 8am got 2 loads out onto the line .

At 5am Realised to forgot all my clothes outside to be 'darked on' eeeekkkkkkkk! 😱 (shudder)

Wash load number 3 going in.
Dw on.

Po3
Must put dry clothes away.
Chip away at kitchen
Shower and dress.

dancing how dare you let the side down like that,darked on washing needs to be boil washed((according to some on MN,my only caveat is bonfire smoke.bloody hate smokey clothes))

Convo didn't go well.rage and snarling followed by stomping upstairs...
Nothing resolved as was then In A Mood...

She's still radiating hostility to I cannot eat around such stress I may have something later

Nooo not darked on washing! 😱

Lesson done. Went well 😀

Then came downstairs and got argued at by a moody teen but oh well you win some you lose some eh?

Well done Sing. Totally get, 'argued at'. It doesn't require any real participation at all does it?

I don't think I've really achieved anything other than trying to stay cool and getting rid of a few more bits of ds's clothing via facebook.

I could quite fancy a walk but can't take the dog or I'll be named and shamed on a facebook page that doesn't understand that actually my dog seems to happier out than in and is a chi who basically walks on tippy toes of claws rather than pads of his feet and no I'm not trying to kill him he evolved in south america. I take him out very early morning and early evening currently but can't convince him to walk on grass - he much prefers the hot concrete.

I also have a cat who likes to lie on the road in 30 degrees of heat on hot concrete - no doubt I'm abusing her too

I feel like going to the shop and buying cold beers and then reading in a shady spot. I'm conscious it's the first proper day of holidays despite a phone call and several emails with the head trying to work out what to do about a positive lft which led to 30+ families isolating who are now waiting to hear what the outcome of the child's pcr is but the family have switched off all mobiles and aren't answering the landline This being a family who sent their kid to school despite someone having tested positive in the household after going to see the football.

Should I go buy beer? Should I do cleaning? Help.

Indeed. I think the heat is getting to her 😁 and everyone else TBH.

po3.3
❗️Ring school to see if I can collect DD1’s books (since she is isolating and has work to do - she’s only allowed back in on the last day of term)
❗️Figure out the plan for getting the above sorted and other errands despite the fact I really CBA to leave the house…
❗️Get stuff together for what I need with me to get the errands done

Ok scratch that can’t collect till tomorrow.

Now what do I do 🤣

honey you cannot abuse a cat.as furry overlords of us mere hoomans,yours clearly has masochistic tendancies and these should be bowed down to and respected else a foot in your eye at 3am and yowling may occur about being half starved in middle of the night

I've played with ds all afternoon, mostly board games thank goodness as it's too hot for much movement. Then hide the car (slightly more movement involved) then constructing huge car ramps...too hot for that but then had to collect dd anyway.

Ta das
Made two different types of ice lollies with various fruit that needed using
Played with ds 😍
Collected dd and provided said lollies as after school snack
LOL on
Dishwasher on
Phoned vaccine clinic again still trying to sort out second jab (long story short, they lost the record of my first one and won't book me in for second )
Amended online food shop
Sausages out of freezer for dinner

It's too hot for housework really isn't it.
Need to hang the washing out though.

Zoo frozen fruit is the only sort DS will eat regularly and those cherries are so delicious, we get through loads of them. We are also having the conversations about what comes after college, with varying degreed of success.

Honey - that happened in one of our local schools last week, positive LFT and family going no contact with the school the heads must be tearing their hair out. DH muttered "must have made it up as an excuse to go on holiday early".

Hi all

Not achieved anything this evening really other than finding resources for my lessons this week.

po3.something (as I didn’t actually get to do my earlier one)
❗️Finish rough plan for remaining lessons this week (four maths and one English)
❗️Look at some possible dates to see my parents in London
❗️Start writing a list of books to look for (mainly for DS’ year 8 work but some for DD1 to support with school)

To do
work
cool down from working in the green house (not literal green house but yay surrounded by glass office soooo hot)
move furniture
empty dishwasher
reload dishwasher
wash some more pots
water up in the garden
nap - wasn't needed
move a table and another storage box out of my room
do a happy dance cos annual leave starts this afternoon. [grin
Look at to do list sigh and feel work out be easier

Also done
start work to empty lower half of book case
more books from temp storage in lounge to their longer term (until end October storage position)
remove breakables
wash a duvet
prep for paperwork sorting tomorrow
mutter dark dark words about being too hot
curse the fact that i forgot to change the light bulb so can't read book in bath without a table lamp in the room
put on an awkward wash (now remember why we rarely use the draining board things)
Go to make rice pudding, smell the milk, change milk and dispose of milk.
Open tin of rice pudding.
Have another immersion in water damn it is still nearly 30C in this house and not cooling!
nearly have heart attack when accidentally knock fan over and it stopped working apparently hit the off button when i tried to stop it falling, it is working atm
Discuss plans for walk with friend this week
hang awkward load up
put a black wash on

i want to do more but after soak in cold with book i think i am going to clear my bed and crash....

night