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.

Morning. Really need to stop scrolling my phone (tired after a rough night with Cagletini)

po3.1
❗️Shower and dressed
❗️Meds and breakfast
❗️Make sure Caglets are up and getting chores done

Morning.
We came back yesterday. Had lovely weather and mostly a good time but marred by one person ranting at me. Will be putting distance between her and me in future. I have always found her a bit much. Everyone in the family better than everyone else. Can be very wearing. I can’t say more as daughter may be a mn person.
Spoilt my holiday which wasn’t much of a holiday as doing a lot of the prep etc for others. I think IF I go next year then I will camp and just be ‘ on holiday ‘ like the others. I did see a friend and she was a work colleague too so caught up and she is coming over to visit.😃 so that is great, a lovely person.

Can home to a messy kitchen 😳😠DS1 and my shiny sink was filthy but luckily a bit of bleach sorted it out. He also turned the Everhot off but I found that useful as I cleaned the hot plates which were filthy. You are meant to leave them like that. Ovens were hot enough by evening to cook.
Chickens were fine. Tomatoes a bit droopy so hope they have perked after their water last night.
Need to get up soon. I am tired as lots of late nights and even when I went to bed there was some drunken singing which kept me awake.
DH behaved impeccably and went Fell walking every day so he was first to bed every night after the children. The kids were fabulous except one teenager.
Have only read previous page. Will try and catch up a bit more but in dire need of a cup of tea.

Morning red I was just wondering earlier when we’d last seen you! Sorry about the being ranted at 💐

Right Caglets are vaguely up and running, and I’m dressed in slouchy clothes as my jeggings for today were in the wash, so I also had to move the LOL into the dryer 🤣

po3.2
❗️Look at printed stuff for maths lesson with friend’s DS
❗️Find out what time my job centre appt is on Thursday and write on the board
❗️Check I have the right stuff to return the shoes I bought that didn’t fit

Welcome back Red

ED sounds very manic at your house for you at the minute.

Sing how old is DD? Would something like Dr Frost or one of the other online maths resources be useful? Also some good videos on YouTube if there are specific things she's struggling with and needs to get to 'click'. Sorry - probably teaching to suck eggs here.

So far for anti procrastination I finally tried to start my scooter which unsurprisingly doesn't want to start so when it stops drizzling here I'm going to see if I can work out how this trickle charge thing I've got works and if I can charge the battery as I need to pop and see someone about a bit of extra work at some point this week a couple of villages away.

I've done a lol and have started chipping away at the clothes mountains both in the kitchen of clean stuff and on my wardrobe doors where I put clean things I've tried on and decided against and things I've worn briefly but don't need to go in the wash - should be a momentary thing but they just end up piled on top of each other and staying there. So definitely need to keep chipping away at that today.

Bit overwhelmed by the state of the house and at the stage where I wouldn't want to let anyone in here so I really do need to get going on it. Can't decide if I'm just lazy or it's my adhd side where I can't just focus and get a task done at a time so flit about then lose all interest without any real results.

This morning the cat vomited on the kitchen floor as I was hanging out the washing (thinking oh f'ing great cat sick to clear up too) and then the dog ate it whilst I had my arms full of clothes - gross and I was gagging but a tiny part of me was thinking oh well at least I don't have to clear it up [lush] I am a slattern.

That should have been nothing lush about cat sick

Ooh I’ve not heard of dr frost, thanks honey! I’ll check that out for next term. I think over summer we will just do revision - the problem for DD1 is as well as generally struggling with maths (when she was assessed for dyslexia they said she’s very likely dyscalculaic too) she has difficulty processing and with memory. So it just. Doesn’t. Go. In. Or rather stay in I suppose. I expect she won’t want “teaching” per se over summer so I’ll get some question books for things that she’s already covered. But she’s agreed that next term she will be doing more - she’s so, so against having extra lessons in school because it marks her out as different, and in some cases (like some English boosters) she was having to miss other lessons which meant she wasn’t getting her practical work done. So she now understands that the only alternative is to do more work with me at home. Maths we can crack on with but some other subjects I’ll be emailing her teachers about in September! She is doing history (edexcel I think) so any revision stuff you can recommend for that would be super helpful! 💐🥰

We do edexcel too - let me know what topics she's doing. We do Medicine, Elizabeth, Germany and used to do American West but are switching to Cold War instead this year.

po3.3
❗️Make sure DD1 has done what she needs to before leaving (need to sort out cash for her too)
❗️Pack bag for today with my money, piano books etc
❗️Ring opticians to see how long the appt is likely to be, and probably message piano pupil’s mum to move time slightly (she did this last week 🤣)

Also, a question for the many wise fledglings! This kind of thing is all over the bathroom wall - like paint layers have chipped away. What is the best way of smoothing all this before painting? Some kind of undercoat/primer? Or a filler? Sanding doesn’t seem to do anything. I’m hoping that it doesn’t need to be completely stripped 😩

Pics would help 🙄🙈

You can use filler to smooth it out. Unfortunately it is only going to be a quick fix and ultimately you will need to redo the whole lot eventually as it is likely to just flake in other places. So the question is do you want a quick fix or a long fix?

Still feel like crap. Which is not fun. slept in because apparently i forgot to set my alarm (or i killed another alarm clock) I should probably check it as i will need it for tomo.

red glad chicks ok in your absence,hope Tom's perk up!(and glad dh behaved on trip,shame about the ranter)
Ed not the start of your dreams!glad powers sorted tho
Singmine all used heggarty maths.not sure that's online or a school only thing.mr heggarty does explain things well,even dd2 could grasp wtf was going on
Honey I had two furballs on stair carpet.no dog,so I had to clean up
Hills sorry you still feel crap

Still feel rubbish
Top up of bread based products acquired
Scrubbed dining table
Scrub sink/drainer
Filled in eating disorder paperwork ahead dd2 appointments.depressing and time consuming stating all her problems..
DS just finishing his lunch(tuna and avo bagel,crisps,cake,apple)
Dd2 and I have veggie sausages,green beans and med veg roasting

We've actually had some rain today,sunny now.mwnt rain again later.felt so strange hearing rain falling at 5am,but I've missed it.scared now mowers broken what'll happen to back garden....

In other news we have sparrow fledgers,so FINALLY we have a few birds again visiting.ive missed them so much

DS is not doing good today.lots worries making him stroppy,not listening/doing as asked as worries are louder than my voice it seems
Dd2 hyper anxious now filled in forms,she's fearful of weigh in and having the accompanying tests Thursdaywe have a teams assessment Monday next week to go thru paper work.i already know her RCADS will flag up acute anxiety and depression before they even test them

We had a similar problem zoo

hope your day treats you kindly.

I rang for a GP appointment. Will hopefully get some sort of treatment plan if needed.

But we are waiting on the consultant letter which has not arrived yet (me being super optimistic as I know it is before he said it would arrive)

Sing I'd buy premixed filler that's decorable in 15 minutes. You only need a very thin layer there, and it's very little different from spreading jam on toast. It even comes with its own spreader! Hurrah for DD wanting to keep maths going for herself, that's such a grown-up attitude.

ED that sounds like the morning from hell, work must have been a nice break! Hope, despite the power cut, things are a bit more straight forward today and the kitchen is going well.

Red glad you had a good time, sorry there was a fly in the ointment. The chickens must have been happy to see you.

Honey I did wonder about lush cat sick! At least the dog was proactive

Thanks lovelies, I have bought her a year 7 revision workbook as it seems well laid out and right for her - she agrees we can aim to work through that followed by years 8 and 9. As she goes I’ll keep a note of what topics need extra work (most, probably!).

Zoo we have access to Heggarty via her school, it’s quite good but she finds his voice so annoying 🤣

Spreading filler seems easy enough, thank you all. It’s a very small amount (small bathroom and halfish is tiled anyway) but TBH a quick fix for now is fine, we have so much other stuff to do (the living room absolutely must be done before the sofa arrives) that I don’t want to get held up doing too much extra IYSWIM.

Willow having a cleaner is not a betrayal. It is a realistic understanding of how your needs are best met. Who gives a shit that you have a cleaner? For some people it is a time thing, for some people it is an ability thing. Society needs to fuck off with making people bad for employing someone to do something for you. Who cares as long as you are not taking advantage of the person doing it. So yay for the cleaner!!!

Still waiting for the gp call. I have achieved nothing, because even walking up and down the stairs is hard atm. But i want to escape the house because i struggle with being here sometimes. Especially when i feel like crap. Can't focus on anything atm.

sing I'll be doing my bathroom too fairly soon

willow so jealous you have a cleaner. Would love one myself. If you need a cleaner and can afford it, it's all good especially as you're contributing to the economy in a small but significant way. (I used to have a cleaner when I had more disposable income.)

hill and zoo hope you're feeling better soon.

honey I spent a wonderfully uplifting hour listening to JK Rowling chatting with Simon Armitage on Radio 4. Have you heard it?

Today has been very stressful. Trying on outfits (that I already have) for relative's wedding. There are a couple of functions for the wedding. Took a small suitcase to mum and finally decided on whole outfit for one of the functions inc jewellery. I got so hot and bothered. I had a top made by a tailor (mum paid) but it was awful. I phoned him to complain and he asked me to go back and he will alter it. I lost my confidence in his work so went to a seamstress to drop off the top and explain what I wanted. She insisted that I needed to make this change and that change. I think the top is going to go from making me look like a granny to a sex kitten (neither is my look).

Yup that does sounds stressful. Hoping the other seamstress will be able to alter it the way you want it.
Hills 💐💐
Willow I've decided I'm getting a cleaner when I go back to work. I want to spend maximal time possible with the baby when I am home, plus I know work will spill over into my evening time (once baby is asleep). I will still try to do decluttering etc per FlyLady zones in between.

Ta das:
💥LOL
💥Ficus pruned
💥Bought more fishies for one of the tanks. Excited!

willow/MCif having a cleaner means your lives are easier and financially it's viable then go for it.(hills said it so much better so I nod furiously in agreement with her sentiments)
Yup whens the wedding?my dd1 getting married end August.no idea wtf I'm wearing yet...
Hills hope you've heard from g.p

I've achieved naff all but have read a couple chapters of a book this afternoonafter a 30 minute nap made me feel even rougher so I've decided whilst I'm exhausted extra sleeps aren't the answer☹️
Dd2 revving up her for her evening anxiety and I'm expecting her to request a walk soon,which I could really do without

They can't do anything until they have spoken to consultant. A&e if worse.

Ooh yup I’m not a radio listener generally (my auditory processing leaves a lot to be desired 🤣) but I might have to check that out. I❤️JKR 😁

Absolutely nothing wrong with getting a cleaner, the main reason I don’t have one is our house is too messy 🤣 we’d need to be tidying up for them to clean so it’s easier not to IYSWIM. But I have often pondered using some PIP for this purpose. There is NOTHING wrong with delegating. 💐

Back from piano, it’s been a very busy day! I have a new plant. DH has named it Esmeralda. 🤔

hope you ok lovely
Welcomes Esmeralda(or is Esme for short?)to the thread.im ashamed to say my rose isn't looking too fabulous and my African violet has no flowers anymore,but clinging to life ....
Had walk(rained briefly with thunder in distance)4 bunnies seen
Promised D's would start reading watership down today.hope he's up for sandwich tea,I really don't have the energy for much else...

I’ve been to the gym and sorted through some more clothes. Still looks like a laundry in here.

Jkr talk sounds good.

I’m reading the hunger games prequel now.

I have blood tests at the hospital tomorrow which will take out most of the morning then grocery delivery. Will try and all least do a lol and do rotation before hospital

Zoo try not to worry. I am no longer coughing blood so that has healed some with the less coughing over night. just wheezy and need an inhaler that doesnt make me worse. I understand the logic behind speaking to consultant before treatment. but don't have great experience with a&e doing anything either because not acute. So i am going to be stubborn and sit on a hill with a book for a few hours.
Don't worry i have rl people to insist on A&e in worse case. but yeah. hopefully tomo the doc/consultant communication can sort a treatment plan. The joys of being allergic to ALLL the meds... i am the reason why they have to ask about plasters and don't automatically give you a pain killer/antiseptic wipe
But i am not dead and still have enough stubborn to keep it that way for a bit. God help ya if you piss me off right now though because the fuse is short.