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.

Good luck with corpse dealing

Honey fingers crossed those patches will do the trick! They worked before, so hopefully will do again. I like your to do list 🤠
Zoo decapitated corpses.. that painted quite a picture! Hopefully Zoolets will clear the field for you ☺️
Up enjoy camping!

Ta das:
💥Front garden weeded
💥Grass cut on the front garden. Back garden is like a jungle. That's for laters 🤪
💥Front door washed
💥Entrance and hall cleaned, hotspots put out
💥Coat rack organised. I think it's safe to put away winter hats..
💥Hoovered and mopped downstairs
💥LOL

To do:

• fold clean laundry. I really need to do it more often.

Haha zoo there will definitely be no more thread babies from me 🤣

Ahem. Anyway.

Badger ooh that’s cool you used to HE too! We have been for just over six years now, DS and DD1 came out in year 1 and 3 respectively but DD1 decided she was ready to go back into year 8 (precisely one term before schools closed for covid 😭🤦🏽‍♀️). DS is staying HE, and we are gradually increasing his workload/expectations - I am very proud of how he’s responded to it. I have to admit it’s all getting a bit scary now and part of my list is to look at GCSE providers etc as he might take chemistry early. 😬 Alas history is not his passion so that’s done in a more casual way, especially now we are starting to focus on exam pathways etc. I may pick your brains for DD1 at some point though please, as she loves it and chose it as one of her options!

Also made the decision - finally - that we really do need to pull our fingers out and apply for an EHCP for DS. So many hoops to jump through and of course we have no school to back up, but when I’ve spoken to the relevant people they have all been quite sure he should be eligible.

So my current terrifying long term to do list is:

1. Prepare for interview… and if I don’t get it then make a plan as to what else to look at and probably some other relevant volunteering
2. Decide what work DS needs to get done by end of term (tying up loose ends)
3. Sort my OU application, student loan etc
4. Research and prepare for DS’ next year using my task list
5. Apply for EHCNA

😬😬😬😬😬

Re tutoring badger - I really think there is a demand for this, a lot of people did home ed lessons online pre covid too. No idea if you’re allowed when also teaching in a school but you could potentially do support for GCSE/iGCSE students, but there may well be people keen on more casual workshops too like small groups of younger kids learning about a particular period or event. Totally worth a look! I’m considering offering a sort of correspondence course for English and/or maths which would be more like marked assignments/challenges with feedback perhaps.

Errr pain with his back, I mean, just thought I should clarify

Sing - i did think...sing does mean back pain, not pain in other areas...back pain i was correct. Phew.

My dear brother has been organising cupboards and my utility room. He swept and wiped up floors. He helped me move hallway furniture and was horrified at the dust bunnies. I told him if I could have moved the router and unplugged the house alarm and many other bloody flipping things that needed untangling and and lifting at the same time - I Would Have Bloody swept under there 🙄.

Dear brother (db) has been brilliant. I have swept and moved furniture in the dining room and moved the dining table back into the middle of the room. It looks lovely!

Glad you had some help dancingand things look nice
Sing/honey I looked at help for dd2 to pass maths and there are loads online tutor groups,some current teachers others students etc.all says in blurb and offer ratings from others that have used them plus prices which if qualified/experienced are higher.some also have pass ratings too if for exams!

Ed meet with lil zoo was a right off as she's not been on plan since came home dd1.its the weekend to visit and I've reluctantly let them both go explaining very clearly she is to return without any excuses.im very nervous over it but they like visiting and it will help distract D's school worries plus we need build up some trust...

Zoo - sorry to hear lil zoo's ed meet was a write off. Its good you let them go, it must be hard after last time. I hope you get a moment to yourself this weekend.

Thanks Zoo. Part of me feels embarassed that my little brother has to help me reorganise my housewares/clothes/kids stuff/ and crafting stuff.
But without his help I was frozen and just didnt know where to start. Db piled similar things together and put them away.
He organsied my recipe books into one lovely shelf in the kitchen.
We have a staycation booked in the summer holidays. We dont do holidays, as I hate using other peoples pillows, duvets and sleeping in a different beds. I cant sleep, therefore i feel on edge and anxious. But for my kids I have a holiday.
I went to pieces thinking about packing for this holiday and my dad operation. I realised i have to put stuff away and make it easier to find things to pack.
And hopefully feel proud when a room is done and maintain it. I feel like I will have to have words with Dh. That is he wants me to keep a clean house i will be shouting 'put things away!' Or I wont tidy and clean. What does he prefer?
I am thinking of selling some of the kids large toys to make space in the house. I watched the video if the minimal mom....i want a house that is easy to clean.

(Sorry i have so much running through my mind i just needed to write things down. )

Aaargh I forgot “finish my course” on my to do list. I have two more assignments 😬

don't mind me just place marking so I don't lose you all, need to catch up...

I popped into the pub for 'one' pint after the chemist and oops. Interesting chats had and probably did me good after days stuck at home but it's definitely disorientating waking up at midnight and thinking it's morning

Dancing - glad your brother has helped you out and that you could let him. If DH wants a clean house then he needs to help make that happen surely?

Sorry ed meet wasn't useful Zoo I have to have a meeting with the pastoral team soon about ds and I'm kind of dreading it. It could/should be useful but in reality they're all sticks and no carrots and they've overused the stick on petty things so ds is just meh now and they don't really have anything else up their sleeve. He has very little respect for some of his teachers and they won't do anything to win that respect or try and turn things around and he won't auto give it 'because they're a teacher' so it's a bit of a stalemate. Just got to get him through the next couple of years and make sure he gets 5 GCSEs at what was C and above somehow so he keeps his options open.

Need to be productive this weekend both on the house and the work front. I'm not filled with confidence that I'll manage it but must give myself a kick in the butt and try.

Good luck on the home front this weekend honey

I'm contemplating return to sleep or cracking on.i MUST knit some hats today,by end of today I will be 38 behind schedule...

Zoo- hope you have got some sleep and powered up with energy to knit more hats!

Up- i forgot to say, have a lovely time camping!

Honey- its good you went out for a pint and enjoyed it. Hope your head feels fine this morning.
Hope you get stuff done on the home and work front today. Just keep chipping away.

Dancing I'm so pleased your DBro was able to help you. Sometimes it takes two people to lift / move / sort things to clean under them, unless you have an extra arm about your person? Thought not! DH certainly needs to help by putting things away - or you could pile stray things of his on his desk? 😁

That here is even more . How is Baby That doing?

Sing well done on getting the interview. Remember, they wouldn't have asked to talk to you if they didn't think you were are interesting proposition. I'm impressed with your planning / approach for DS in Y8. I need to look at extra curricular stuff for DS3 for next year, particularly some kind of sport / outdoor activity that suits dyspraxic kids who struggle with teams / large numbers of people.

Honey hurrah that you got a brief Out with some people! Sorry the school pastoral team are being a bit blinkered. My DS2 went through a dreadful phase of school refusal / phobia at 14ish and the school were little help, but he did come out the other end of it ok and has just done his A levels. There is hope. I had wondered if you taught history from some things you said - I don't suppose you know anything about early 19th century Cornish mining? I'm in a hurry with something and can't find any straightforward sources.

@merryhouse I meant to ask you the same question about Cornish things. And have you heard anything back from your interview?

Foxes we're still here trogging along - catch up when you can, lovely.

Zoo so sorry the ED team meeting was no use and there is further school worry for DS. Don't overdo it with the hats - it's a fun challenge DS has set you, but the world won't end if you don't meet it.

Today is the first Saturday for ages I've not had to take DD to work at don't be daft o'clock. Naturally, I am awake anyway and wondering what to do with myself.

To do:
🏋️ Financial stuff
🏋️ Usual washing etc
🏋️ Rest of home bleugh, or just abandon it
🏋️ Find a way to put daily / weekly tasks in my Bujo in a way that doesn't overwhelm me
🏋️ Try 1234 task management - 1 is simple, easy, 2 min tasks; 2 is something housekeepy so your space is nice; 3 is a task requiring proper concentration that you're probably avoiding; and 4 is a fun reward (sewing, reading, knitting hats etc 😁) that helps you reset. You just keep cycling through 1-4 until you run out of time / things to do. I think it will be better for me than blocking out time to do stuff, which is often capsized by urgent / important things that can't wait, like a crisis in Y6 maths.

🍒👋 to everyone - I think family fun day for us might be capsized by a) forecast thunderstorms b) DS2 having gone to Southend (as you do!) c) us all much preferring doing our own thing to enforced jollity! 🤣

willow the opportunity to sit on my bum and knit makes it a great "excuse"(plus for most part I can watch TV and knit so...)
Had to laugh at capsized family fun.tis forecast a trifle inclement here too.very dark for the time of day and eerily still like storms on the way

Morning all!

Thanks so much for all the kind words and advice re the interview. I did write my list of what needs doing yesterday, but still felt overwhelmed and exhausted so didn’t actually crack on with said list. But I feel a bit more with it this morning so I will start doing the things. Priority actually needs to be the clothes first due to delivery times, really should’ve done that yesterday. DD1’s covid test was delayed and should arrive this morning, just hope the results are quick again!

Dancing I love that dress! Sadly my body shape is such that I’d look like Miss Trunchbull in it 😭🤣

I have some pretty tops I got in Next recently. But I need some proper trousers, and probably a cardigan (I have a lot of scars on my arms from when my MH was awful in my teens, and much as I’m not bothered and they aren’t super obvious, I would rather cover up in an interview). And shoes!!! I have black boots but I’m not sure they’d go. If I could even find them 😬 I don’t even have a smart bag 😭 I am such a scruff. A frumpy scruff. 😩😳

Zoo why did I read that as capsized nun?!

ED I’ve been pondering the greatest achievement question, thank you! That is difficult and it sadly doesn’t surprise me that women find it harder to answer. Is it meant to be a work related achievement?

If I was asked it in another circumstance I would probably say overcoming a fuckton of barriers to get to where I am now (and the fact I frequently use my experience to help others) but that would involve sharing a lot of personal stuff that isn’t really appropriate when I’m trying to get hired! But then possibly it would be, given the nature of the organisation (a charity supporting families of children with SN). Hmm.

I can’t remember if DS3 has tried martial arts willow? DS is dyspraxic too, and really enjoys taekwondo. Sparring is non contact for a while, it took several belts before we had to buy the stuff for contact, and even then so far it’s more about technique and speed etc rather than something like judo (I think?) where you’re throwing each other on the ground. DS enjoys stuff like kicking a ball around and loved the sports club DH used to run, but the communication aspect of team games is so hard!

Thanks re the home ed - I’m hoping it all works out! We’ve had structure for a while now but this is the first time we’ve really had clearer overall aims and followed a specific curriculum etc. It is a bit sad that we will be giving up some of the freedom we’ve enjoyed, but then I’m still including some creative stuff - things like making stopmotion videos of particular events etc - and it’s partly due to that freedom that he’s even at this point (eg being able to spend more time on chemistry because that’s what he loves). I think the new approach will be good for him, and given I’ll be studying and hopefully tutoring more and maybe even in employment for September, in a way it actually could make things easier as I have fewer decisions to make myself on what to cover IYSWIM. I’ve always been the planner (which is fine, I enjoy it!) and DH as usual will be with DS doing more of the actual work. Will have to be very organised with what is done when though as DH is hopeless at stuff like grammar 🤣.

And somehow I also need to come up with a plan to support DD1 through her GCSEs, which is a whole other ball game given her dyslexia and processing issues. I am glad she chose to go back to school - she benefited from her time at home, but it’s just not right for her anymore - but I was sadly correct in my prediction that having one at school and one at home would be utterly exhausting and mean I spent all day supporting education rather than clocking off at 3pm 😩

Right, must stop waffling sorry.

po3.1
❗️Look up route from station to interview location
❗️Look up train times
❗️Browse Asda for possible clothes

Aww, thank you everyone that said they like the dress.
Sing - i had to laugh as I have developed into a bigger 'Miss Trunchbull' styled body shape 🤣 this amazing dress skims nicely. But I feel comfortable wearing a dress. Smart trousers are a hit or miss for my size.
You will look lovely in a pretty top, cardi and trousers, for a interview its a great choice.

Willow-
bujo planning....(skips!)
I like the sound of the 1, 2, 3, 4
Going to try this!
Love it.

Currently i am lounging on sofa....its started raining today. Weather forcast for rain.

Zoo- hope you do some hat knitting. I would love to try make one.

🍒 Saturday morning 👋 everyone!

Morning everyone! I'm not even going to attempt to fully catch up as I've missed pages and pages and my brain just won't compute it all! But I have skim read a bit and I hope everyone is generally doing okay and I can see lots of exciting things have happened too so that's lovely 😍

I hope it's ok if I just attempt to jump back in here and fingers crossed I do actually keep up for a while.

We are still in full on house renovation, the kitchen pretty much done apart from a few finishing touches but we now need to sort the living room and of course downstairs toilet and utility room. Then hopefully move straight onto family bathroom. I have felt overwhelmed with it recently but I think we just have to keep on keeping on really! It hasn't helped that I've been feeling increasingly exhausted / flat myself and I finally went to the GP and have been referred for a blood test next week so hopefully I'll get some answers. I haven't felt right for a long time but kept putting it down to hormones then realised that it really isn't normal to feel shit most of the month!!

In the meantime I've upped my vitamins and trying to eat really well etc. But it explains a bit while I've been very absent recently as I can't seem to keep up with as many things as I used to. I've only finally this week got back into keeping my daily routines going so that I'm at least back on top of laundry etc. The house was chaos for a while but I do feel it's under control a bit now at least.

Anyway enough of my rambling on, I've got to go and get ready now as we are off out for my dad's birthday lunch today (at an outside table eek!! It is at least under a cover I think!)

Have a good family fun day everyone!

Hope the vitamins and blood test help, foxes and that you enjoy your Dad's birthday lunch somewhere dry!

This is the article about 1234 task scheduling that I found.

Could be thyroid foxes - hope they work out what's up and give you some help.

Sing the good thing about a summer interview is you can just go with a cheap simple ballet shoe or mary jane sandal or something. I'm a natural scruff and am a bit weird about textures so a lot of 'smart' clothes feel yucky to me. I recently bought some marks and spencers jersey type trousers that look smart but feel comfy and non restrictive and can be dressed up or down - they were also on sale which is a big incentive for me as I do like a bargain. Despite being huge I've found some nice summer dresses that are very forgiving. For long sleeves maybe have a long sleeve blouse in case it's hot - though that may just be my hot flush panics talking.

I was awake till about 4 in the morning - ds was also awake and I cooked us fried rice at about 2am. I woke up about an hour ago and am stuck to my bed so far.

Will come up with a proper po3 soon but for now I think it will be: - get up, - make coffee, - fill dw.

No use on Cornish mines I'm afraid Willow - we've been doing the industrial revolution recently and did touch on mines but were mostly focussed on the risk of factories and the work acts that came in to try to improve working conditions marginally.

Hey foxes 💐

Right, I have looked up the office and train times (brief panic when thetrainline told me there were no trains, but looking again said different…) and browsed lots of clothing sites. I will probably order from shops we have in town as then returns should be easy.

po3.2
❗️Start thread on the jobs board for possible interview questions (given the role/sector etc)
❗️Order trousers
❗️Hide

Thank you honey 💐

Slinking onto thread. I've not done anything except drink hot whiskey and loll. Heavy cold (minus cough or temp). Not been right since Monday. Beginning to feel human. DH taking up slack. Plan to watch football I'm that sick and perhaps potter.