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.

Honey crossed posts. So sorry that has happened. You must be feeling really fed up. What is wrong with some people?

Sing it does take your mind off your own problems though. Also guilty of spending too long sometimes. It doesn’t seem long then half an hour, an hour has gone by.

Right teeny tiny bits of remaining wallpaper scrubbed off, filler put in various holes and dents (some will need more), and I’ve put bleach soaked cotton pads all round the bath sealant. Feel a bit better now I’ve done stuff!

Thank you. Yes just rather disappointing.

Well done on the fiddly 'get it right' job Sing. It will mean a much better end result.

Thanks, I’ll need to add a bit more tomorrow evening (with DS again, he helped me do the filler and I took photos as I think he can use it for a scout badge.

Here is an incredibly lame joke if anyone needs cheering up (or to exercise their eye-rolling muscles).

Thanks I need cheering up.

Facebook has a lot to answer for.

DH was scrolling through on his phone about 10:30pm to find photos of my niece. She got married, not even sure when. This is one of the sisters I went to visit in May, the one that had the baby.

Red- i liked reading you experience of bringing up your children. I love it that you baked and cooked with them.
The dressage was fabulous yesterday, i watched the highlights and rewound it several times to gape in awe of riders and horses dancing.
Ed- Oooooo your Everhot looks lovely! So exciting!
Sing - I also welcome Esmeralda (bows)
Wellies- I want a Monsetra (what does it looklike?)
honey-what the hell is wrong with guys
Up- hope you have had a rest and not done toi much!
yup- thanks for the link, i will listen today.

Tadas-
Dbro came to help sort kitchen. He was a amazing help! We cleared away on side of stuff from kitchen. I want nothing on the sides. We worked for 5 hours i was shattered then we went out with the kids for a meal it - kids were superb! My brother is coming back tomo.

Todo
Going to get up an start by wiping then ceiling, then walls. Then vacuum above kitchen units. Wipe all cupboards/sides. Then finally vacuum and mop floors. Wondering - Is there anyway to ban dh from messing the kitchen up?

Don’t let him in there🤣 what a lovely brother.
Dancing
Baking. There was a village show so they loved to bake for that. They entered the scones and rock buns, sometimes cakes.DS2 came 2nd once in the Open class and beat our neighbour who wasn’t pleased. They also were placed in the Men’s class several times. Our kitchen used to be like a messy factory with flour from one end to the other. Some of their friends came to bake as well. We had a lot of fun.

DS1 made a Roast chicken and vegetables plus a pudding for his Cub badge. When it said make a 2 course meal I thought they meant it. He was 8. We had a practice run the week before. We invited Akala who was a young lad in the RAF.

After finding it difficult to stay asleep I slept well eventually and have just woken up. Tea beckons.

Morning all.

Red what a way to find that out! I guess there’s a chance they kept it smaller due to covid, but to not even tell you?! 🤬

Dancing glad you got some help in the kitchen

Well I’ve just checked my email and a zoom invite has been sent for 9am when we’d agreed 9.45 🤔 do I need to log on at 9 anyway?!

po3.1
❗️Meds and breakfast
❗️Dressed/sort rat’s nest of hair out
❗️Switch PC on and do quick zoom rescue

It has possibly been set for 9am so they can do some set up work?

Teen took a nap and apologised for being out of line when i got back. The timing is a flash point, always has been. He finds the transfer between houses tiring, stressful and is often hungry as well. I am often tired and hungry. So i should know better than to engage. But i do.

I got some new meds. The instructions come in the form of an A2 piece of paper so I gotta figure that out later. It is also one of those arsey ones that HAVE to be taken at the same time which is something I just don't manage so I need a chat with a pharmacist about how strict that timing thing is. I also need to contact a GP with questions based on the will occur 1 in 10 people side affects...

to do
survive work
figure out new meds
don't die
sort out anti virus on teen's laptop

Ah yes possibly. I’ve only spoken to her by phone before, it’s just a quick chat hopefully.

DD1 decided last night that today will be an Organisey Day. Sorting her room and apparently planning what work she wants to do over summer 😱

Need to get her school uniform ordered today too (new dance top etc) and if we go to order the sofa I’ll also pop in to Hobbycraft to get her a big folder and/or a new sketchbook - planning to do lots of art practice over summer (teacher recommended practising various techniques, drawing from observation etc) so it would be good to keep it all in one place so she can show the teacher in September.

Oh no hills I hate time specific ones. Always get stressed out because whose life is that predictable in the real world?! 😩

Morning all,

Getting into the routine of the paper rounds now (they just deliver bags of papers and lists and we have to sort them out and mark them up). So the DCs are up bright and early every day but then they revert to sofa/bed when they get back. Builders have called in sick today, which is a shame because its a delay, but I'm quite glad of the house to ourselves TBH, it means I can crack on with the laundry (WM is in the shed so in theory could do it when they're here but have to go through kitchen to get to shed (or out the front door and all the way round the house) so it has been done early mornings only. Kitchen is taking shape but the supplier has sent a random blue cupboard door instead of a white one so I need to contact them.

Just reported our broadband to BT, it has been dropping out all week and the landline isn't working either (not that we use it).

Hills - I'd struggle with medication on a tight time schedule, I couldn't cope with the mini pill for that reason, although that wasn't helped by starting it when I had newborn DC and life was a hazy blur. Hope you get some reasonable answers.

Red, grrr, FB does indeed have a lot to answer for, that is a horrible way to find out something like that. I like hearing your tales of bringing up your DC too.

Sing - we are planning a Hobbycraft trip today too. I need to go to nearest big town to get something for DH's birthday so will pop in. DCs managed to catch the bus to same town yesterday but couldn't find the bus stop to come home, DH ended up picking them up but it was good experience. I will find the bus stop with the DCs today.

Dancing - your DB is a star

Right better find a link or two.

It is nearly the end of the month, did anyone volunteer for August? I don't mind carrying on if not.

Friday - clean out your handbag and car, and the mission for today is to "place something lovely in your living room" - in my case that'll be the kitchen bin, microwave, fridge-freezer and kettle.

Flight Plan

Ed- i would volunteer, but I dont think I am organised enough at the moment 😬

My brother is taking the 3rd day of work this month to help me organise the house.
I feel so bad but I cant physically do it without him.

'D'h tippped a can of sloppy tuna slurry on the side of my shiny sink. I txt him and asked him to rinse it. He replied no.
So i told him I wont go swimming with him and the kids i will stay home and clean the house. 😠
My dbro is on way I better shower quick and be ready to wash the ceilings and windows.
🍒👋everyone.

I’m happy to do August :)

Just off to the retail park to actually buy the sofa 💸💸💸 art stuff for DD1 and then hopefully have a nice (cheap) family lunch

Crikey, it sounds to me like declaring today Fuck Off Friday is in order!

Honey I can't believe adult men would send such a thing. Are we all supposed to swoon with delight? 🤮 It's always upsetting when someone turns out to be not who you thought they were. Sorry the teen was a graceless troll about the state of the house, has he considered helping out 🤣🤬🤐?

Dancing your brother is a star, and you "D"H is a spanner. How can the answer to "please clean up the mess you made" ever be "no!" after the age of about 13? Hopefully once you and your brother have finished sorting things out, it will be clear to H that he can't do that. I'm in the loft at the moment, but next time I go downstairs I'll take you a picture of Mickey the Monstera.

Hills I have never got on with time specific meds either - I tend to blitz through reminders as well - so I hope you can find a work around. Like ED, the minipill was the prime example of this (although it made me psychotic when I did remember to take it, as well 🤦‍♀️)

Sing good luck with Organisey Day! When DD here decides to Organise, we all take turns at hiding under the stairs... . I need to start thinking about uniform too - DD has a loose dress code for September that will not be a problem, but DS3 has decided he wants to approach Y7 formally and would like school trousers and shirts to wear, to demarcate school time from home time. Glad the decorating prep is going well.

Red what a way for the news to appear! I'm sorry, I hope it was just thoughtlessness, painful though that is. I love hearing your tales of bringing up your DC too, you have done such a good job it's good to hear the background. Yes, it was DS2 and the Not Girlfriend looking at the flat. I think he's realising how lucky they are here - and also how things change with geography as DS1 and GF are paying only a little more for a two bed flat in Manchester. Their flat is lovely, there is a good sized alcove (dressing room?) off the bedroom that his GF is using as a study, and DS1 is using the second bedroom, sharing it with the spare bed, the washing and all the boxes they've not yet unpacked 🤣.

I heard yesterday that my second cousin has had another baby, which is lovely, but there are fractured family issues there and she may not be able to keep her, which is awful. I don't really know how to feel about it, and she must be in a blind panic.

Hope you must be much closer to the start of the new school year than us - hope the aversion to uniform and tendency to panic (for DS) is subsiding; you may continue to panic, of course .

Up, foxes hope you are surviving the summer holidays and it being the summer before someone goes to school is not biting too hard. I always found there was such pressure to have "one last marvellous summer with Mummy" that we all ended up arguing.

Yup we totally still do bedtime routines for our ND DC (i.e. all of them) even if it's just a "10pm, go to bed, you have work in the morning" for DD. It just works better.

It appears to be Friday again, although I can't work out where the week has gone!

ta da:
💖 Up, washed, dressed, vitamins
🧡 Took DS3 to tennis club - he wants to go again next week! 🎉
💛Made appointment for DD to have second opinion on ADHD meds
💚 Bought 4 pints of milk and Friday buns at the bakery 😋
💙 Discussed financial things with DH
💜 Spoke to DM who is visiting later and will pick DS3 up from tennis for me
🤎 Concluded there is not a wash to go in

to do:
⛈ client stuff including a list of What Wants Doing
⛈ Writing
⛈ hem new trousers, which have completely fallen to bits after one wear 🤬. This, M&S, is why people stop buying things from you.
⛈ Decide what's for tea and defrost it
⛈ Plan the weekend with NO DECORATING in it (except perhaps I could just paint one wall of the music room...?)

🍒👋 to everyone, I'd best actually do some stuff.

Aww willow that’s so sweet about DS3’s uniform!

Just on the bus to the retail park now, we walked into town though. And sorting out a trial maths lesson with a friend’s DS yay!

Meeting was good - she’s going to look into other volunteer roles for me but we’ve agreed it would be wise not to actually commit to anything until I’ve seen whether I get this new vacancy. If I don’t then I’ll keep working on boosting my CV but if I do then taking on work AND another volunteer role would be crazy

Oof. Feeling terribly lazy and unmotivated this afternoon! Hopefully DD1 is doing better than I am, she’s gone upstairs to sort her room apparently.

po3.2
❗️Send an email
❗️Sort out railcard on DH’s app as it seems to not be on his phone (it’s a joint family one)
❗️Respond to message about tutoring

Thank you those that like hearing about my family. I hope I show that you do come out of the other side eventually. I love hearing about your families too.

DH showed me the photos and initially were holiday type photos. Then there is one of her in a long dress and bouquet and him in a suit.
Initially we were given a save the date, an invitation then cancelled due to it being in Scotland and Covid. Then a message to say re booked a year later. I sent a decent cheque as my sister’s husband ( separated) died but she has never claimed anything. Then we hear niece is pregnant. Had baby and just after decided to have a smaller wedding. Fair enough as other plan was 100-150.
I feel really hurt. Hurt that my sister didn’t tell me we were uninvited and hurt that niece didn’t write a note to say what the plan was. On our side their are my ill sister and I and the 9 cousins. Niece has two brothers. I don’t know what he has on his side. Niece was close to two cousins I would say DD and my sister’s DD2. My other sister is in Australia and DD is in NZ so neither could attend.
Even if sis had put a message on but just the photos. I just put a FBCongratulations but that was hard. I don’t know whether to send a card. The one I had has a wedding dress on. She bought one but I take it that she didn’t wear it and I know my sister had bought her outfit. I have been supporting my sister financially for over a year as she wasn’t entitled to any money. It is my savings. It isn’t about the money as some of it was left to me by mum. My other sister’s have spent theirs. However it isn’t like we weren’t speaking not sure what to do now. Just be the bigger person I guess.

Willow looking at accommodation and paying bills and food is a real eye opener isn’t it. Bet you have them for a while yet!

Sing that seems a sensible plan. I think I will fill out two voluntary forms so one day in each until November then see.

Dancing That was so annoying of DH. DB is a gem.

ED so exciting it will all be worth it in the end. I would buy the covers if you can or make some. Stops tops being scratched. Everhot discussion group have links. What colour is it? Graphite? Happy cooking.

Hills hope you are ok on the meds’ always a hold your breath moment.

Must go for a visit

Just taking a brief breather, did my list quickly and then got out the new (charity shop) puzzle to do with Cagletini, but she has moved on from this morning’s endless repeating of ONE song line to pretending to be a cat and the meowing is driving me absolutely mad 😬

Hopefully I’ll still be able to say DLMS by the end of the day

Well, instead of the fitters the electricians turned up instead so we now have lights in the kitchen but no sockets, so no cooking yet. Red - I have got covers already, from one of those places posted about in the group. It's Marine Blue. I don't really have any wise words re the wedding but I would feel very hurt too.

Sing - thank you for agreeing to do next month, fingers crossed for DLMS. DS's railcard has disappeared off his app too and it was definitely in date, I went to check it when we went on the train last week and couldn't get it back but he was able to get the same discount using my Network railcard and his would have expired soon anyway.

Lots of wise words about teenagers above. I was nodding along to the fact that peri / menopause + teens + in many cases elderly parents is a very unfair combination. We had this discussion on another thread I'm on last week, a lot of us on that thread have sibling pair DCs who will be doing GCSEs and A levels and moving on to the next stage next year and it is going to be very full-on. I haven't really got much to add, but am always available for and sympathy.

Redfamily sucks sometimes
Sing hope you still hanging in there
DS has decided to go to dd1 and see lil zoo this weekend
He's quite antsy,so we cracked out a board game from Xmas hadn't played.patchwork.i liked it a lot,and nice to have a two player game,rather than needing a hoard to play with us!
Followed by two chapters of watership down and snuggles💞
Dd1 due collect him shortly

Still down,still exhausted and napping a lot.i have no patience for feeling this crappy,but attempts push thru are not working
Have achieved 4 loads washing,dd2 has semi tidied her room and decided has a BINBAG of laundry.wtaf?!was it breeding under her bed??
I've not done any for three days due to soap pod ran out,but I was on daily loads so no idea how this happened...

Oh the whole marriage thing I have no place to comment. I got married and never even told my parents. they still don't know that it happened despite the fact that that relationship is long over. Honestly it is none of their god damn business. So yeah. But the invited/uninvited covid mess is not great. Sorry you had to find out that way red

New meds are... interesting. Really not feeling well atm. which could be the meds, the weather, a flare, stress or a combination of above. I have put bread dough on to rise and am taking a nap before making pizza for tea.

Hi everyone 👋🏼

I've enjoyed reading about everyone. Sorry for no personals but I can feel myself getting a migraine so keeping this short.

4 hours of heavy traffic, god awful weather and an armchair on the motorway (!!) which was narrowly avoided, we finally got here. Am knackered. Am quite proud that I tidied up before leaving and I've not lost my temper. Am tired though.

Have a good evening everyone. 🍒👋🏼

Sorry so many are feeling crappy :(

I appear to have some more tutoring work 😁 a friend of DS for maths and a sibling pair for maths and English. Hopefully both work out. There was me thinking it would calm down over summer 🤣

po3.3
❗️Send another email
❗️Update tutoring earnings note for last few lessons/income
❗️Check diary for possible trial dates/times and message people

Red that really is awful of them to not tell you about the wedding, even if they had to change plans and not invite you. That would completely change my view of them going forward. I'm also one who likes to hear about your DC growing up. You have raised some productive members of society from your posts, I'm sure you're proud.

honey Sorry that guy decided to spoil what you had. I really don't know why some men just don't grow up.

hills Hopefully your teen will step up and help instead of moaning about what didn't get done while he was gone. I hope you feel better soon and don't have any allergic reactions to the new meds.

Sing well done on getting more tutoring clients!

yup I'm not even going to ask about the armchair, although one has to wonder how long someone had sat in a traffic jam to require an armchair 🤔🤣😅 sorry I must have missed it - are you going on holiday now or just getting back? I'm getting everyone confused with others 🤦‍♀️

zoo laundry multiplies by 100 the longer it sits in a teens bedroom (& some might even be clean still and worn for 5 minutes)

ED your Everhot is beautiful 😍

YesTaDas:
🌺 Washed my Jeep, and added wax so it's all shiny
🌺 Cleaned up the backyard, we still had chairs out from our BBQ 🤦‍♀️ which went well (sorry I forgot someone had asked, and now I don't remember who it was)
🌺 Took some things downstairs to the pantry
🌺 Had a drink while watching hoarders
I worked all day yesterday too.