Fledglings summer holiday and fly their way through August into tidy organisation.

[HillsBesideTheSea]

Welcome to the August Thread for the Fledglings. This is a long running thread, some of us have been here from the start, we have had many posters come and go. We love when new people join us. We just request that you respect the thread community and understand that familiarity can make it seem clicky sometimes. There are inside jokes, there are phrases and terms we use specifically that others would not use in the same way. If we confuse you, ask. Someone will always explain - although these days the glichiness of the new platform means you may have to wait til someone wanders by as we are not quite as active as we used to be and the summer holiday always sees a quieter thread because people are quite rightly enjoying their selves instead of chores. --We encourage enjoying yourself, housework is not your life!

Now the formalities are done, lets me explain: we loosely follow the Flylady system. We DO NOT advocate signing up for the emails, experience tells us flylady is a little email happy and you will have more than you know what to do with.

If you are new to the system start with the baby steps. These are designed to get you into a routine so you know longer think about doing the chores they are just habit. Set time, set day - do the thing. We do recognise that this is not a good system for quick decluttering and many of us in the past have combined this system with other systems for getting the heavy duty sorting out and cleaning out done. We don't judge.

And lastly my favourite part of the threads - the naughty corner. This month the naughty corner is decked out with a pool, deck chairs sunshade and what ever cool drink and calorie free treat you need to survive the chaos. It is the perfect place to park if you need a chat and 5 mins from the kids, to restore your spirit on a Sunday or if you have been super active and need a break. You will notice we are a chatty bunch and don't stick to topic.

We start a new round of baby steps on the 1st August. If you join us mid way through the month you can jump in where we are, or start from the beginning as you chose. The babysteps repeat each month, and Flylady says that you are NEVER behind.

running late

launch pad
missions
babystep

i have 2 mins to finish coffee, breakfast and get dressed and leave house. will be back

Can I join tooooo! I feel exactly like you lothermand and others, overwhelmed, sooo much clutter and house needs a paint ( and new everything) and I am so over housework. I wish I could get rid of stuff and then my little voice says,’but it might be useful! You’d have to buy another one! It costs money’ ugh. I’m sure it’s from my mum who was a war baby so grew up having to save evry bit of paper and string. Anyway, hoping fit motivation!

Gosh flylady got complicated since I last looked!

Welcome Cleanbedlinen12. It’s hard getting rid isn’t it. I found I get increasingly ruthless the more I declutter though, and I’ve yet to regret anything I’ve disposed of. A slob comes clean on YouTube is good for decluttering I think, alongside flylady.

Hope you got out of the house on time Hills. Thanks for the links.

Well done on the shiny sink Really.

Progress so far:
👍put away upstairs piles of clean clothes without waking anyone
👍got a good chunk of the toys in DD1’s room put away. She’s been good at tidying up after herself recently but it’s gone a bit to pot the last week and I must admit I’ve been slacking on it too so can’t blame her.
👍made beds
👍LOL in
👍fed everyone
👍made a start on reclaiming the kitchen (had to stop for bored baby)
👍de-yoghurted baby and part of highchair/floor
👍made arrangements with relative to help her this morning
👍looked at flylady links to work out where we are and what I’m supposed to be doing

Power of 3:

1. finish kitchen/highchair clean up
2. hang washing out on line
3. carry up and put away the few bits of clean washing from the airer downstairs

Then I’ll get us all dressed, s&s, deposit DD1 and head to relatives. Back later - hopefully with lots more TaDas!

Logging me out as soon as I log on arrrgh!

I didn’t get the boudoir finished but I made a big hole in it. Several baskets of RCs to sort. Ironing pile in another.

Yesterday
✅I did shine both sinks.
✅dusted top of chest of drawers and bedside cupboard
✅vacuumed half the floor can’t see other half yet as been moving stuff that needs a home onto mat.
✅checked drawer for curtains.Meant taking all the duvets and sheets out.
✅checked bedding chest again. Meant taking most of it out. I found an almost ✅new flannelette sheet for refugee child.

✅ sorted and sized two boxes of newly washed clothing for Ukraine. Ready to seal.
✅loaded dishwasher.

Today
clean windowsill in boudoir.
pack needle and different threads, sharp scissors.
pack pile of mending
go to stall in market for the day
pick up tapestry from charity shop
buy more parcel tape

sort one BRC
cook something quick and easy.
Vacuum sitting room
dust

I can’t do the dining room as it is full of clothing to go to Ukraine. I hope to pack it all on Thursday so I will clean after it all goes on Thursday/Friday.

Am I right that you could send rags to be recycled and charities could get money for them? We have some clothing given which is not fit for wear- stains, ripped etc but would be able to recycle and the money could go towards transportation of the rest to Ukraine.

Looks like a lovely day. Get the chores done and out in the garden, park or meet friends in a cafe.
I am inside from 10- 3pm but hoping it will still be lovely after that. Happy days.

Up Wow! Great start.
Argh now the bold won’t turn off.
**

Hello everyone. May I join you please? I have been doing FL for a decade or so on and off now and love the structure of it. I don’t always have a grip on things but try at least to do my MR and swish and swipe.
I have the skirting boards and bannisters in the hall to wipe down today and a POL to finish ironing.
Looking forward to getting to know you all!

Appointment got cancelled last minute, which happens.

Habit for the month is laundry - flylady does not live in a world where drying on drying racks and washing lines are a thing. She also lives in a world where bedding is washed every week as you remake the bed as you strip it so you clearly have more than one set of bedding for each bed. She lives in a world that does not seem so very realistic so if it takes you several days to do a load of laundry to her completion standards we are not going to judge. especially as you could probably hide a small child in my mount ironmore atm blush

ta da
check if the washing that is still on the line needs spinning before getting put back out to dry.
spend 15min cutting a plant down by 3rd
appologise for leaving cuttings in a pile
figure out when the people are heading off for a month longer adventure
rebook appointment
sort a few things in a person's room
fish some laundry out my room
eat leftover pizza for breakfast
let teen have the leftover bacon bits from yesterday for some wonderful concoction for breakfast - yesterday it involved fried potato cubes, fried egg and other bits
collect washing up downstairs
consider location for study today - decide out of the house is a good plan and throw stuff into car.

Ok enough procrastinating. I should be studying. Exam next week... <sigh> Not ready, so very much not ready!

@HillsBesideTheSea Your description of FL’s laundry expectation is fab! I would love to live in a world where my super king bottom sheet, top sheet, duvet cover and 6 pillow cases are washed dried, ironed and put away ready for next month week!

Hoovered LB's floor and windowsill.

Found more pjs to add to washing pile. Some down the side of the settee, others in a miscellaneous heap in their bedroom.

Tried to lift storage boxes down from shelf, but turned out I'm not as strong now as when I first lifted them up there several years ago. Got up a ladder, unpacked one particularly heavy box onto shelf then managed fine. Contents are now in a proper cupboard. Another small box is in the process of being emptied and sorted into same cupboard.

DS (35) wasn't thrilled to hear about the pile of yearbooks. Nevertheless, they will go on his papers-and-books-to-be-sorted shelf in this house, and he can work it out with his sibs later. I am not giving any more headspace to the detritus of people who approaching middle-age! They have their allocated storage space, and that's quite enough on my part.

Next move is to do more of the same - hoover LG's bedroom, keep straightening up shelves and books, tidy cupboards so that more things can come off shelves. Laundry mostly pjs and sheets, etc.

You’ve done loads today Weegie..

I’ve heard you can do that with rags Red, but never tried it myself.

Welcome aboard Knitter!

Hope you get the chance to study in peace Hills. I’m sure you’ll pull it out the bag.

DD2 assisted with my mission to sort my life out today by having two long naps. The first was at my relative’s this morning so we made good progress on her decluttering. The second allowed me to crack on in the house and also manage a power nap, and then she’s been an angel tonight, playing happily with DH while I pottered.

TaDas:
🙌🏻 This morning’s LOL dried on line, and I remembered to delegate bringing it in to DH
🙌🏻 A load of towels washed and hung up
🙌🏻 Order restored in the kitchen - dishes done after tea, benches wiped etc
🙌🏻 Highchair, floor and baby cleaned up another twice. I forgot the relentless of weaning.
🙌🏻 A silly amount of random scattered shite returned to the correct home
🙌🏻 Cleaned and found homes for some baby toys decluttered from relatives to me. We don’t really need more but they were things she hasn’t got that will be outgrown and passed on again in no time, so I took the hit.
🙌🏻 Rest of clean clothes put away
🙌🏻 Hallway tidied
🙌🏻 Remaining shopping put away and shopping bags returned to car
🙌🏻 Did a sweep of the girls clothes for outgrown/stained/holed items
🙌🏻 Made a start clearing the dining table and tidying up the craft trolley in there (still a bit left to do)
🙌🏻 Tidied the random cupboard in the boudoir where I chuck gifts, next size up kids clothes etc. it’s nicely organised now whereas I couldn’t shut the door properly before

I feel better as the place is looking much tidier and I’m getting some level of organisation back, but I need to do some actual cleaning tomorrow.

You all get so much done!
i..tidiest kitchen, did wash.
fished out 4 or 5 cookbooks I’ve never used to go to oxfam. Thought I might use them. Realised I’ll never make anchovy celeriac and don’t like cookbooks that are mainly pictures of celebs looking smug.
got very anxious.
got too anxious to think.
and that was my day.
oh then put washing away, made dinner.

Welcome cleanlinen. You sound like me. My family the same brought up

to save string, paperbags, cards etc. Since flylady plus about 5 years I am trying not to keep everything ongoing and so far have only regretted once. I just put it into the recycling now with the exception of brown paper bags as I put potatoes in those. I also have a potato bag but seem to need others for different types of potatoes.
I am now (still) trying to Declutter, occasionally successfully. A shelf, a drawer.

Trying not to buy anything more. Failed this week. Bought two plates on eBay. I was planning to sneak them in but DH received an email. Damn. When we bought our dresser decades ago it had three Country Diary plates on. The shop didn’t want to sell them. I found one in a charity shop and while looking for something for someone else I found more than two. They will go on display and make me happy so I think that is ok. They will go on a wall display rack as the dresser is now full of Carswell Country Diary month plates. Oops! They are adjacent so will tie in. However I need to get rid of two other things now. I am working on one in / one out or preferably two out.

i did give some curtains and duvet cover last week. Still looking for the other ones. I have set aside two cushions and a small pile of other things for a family. I find it easier to give to someone else personally. These people do need them I am not palming them off. We have washed nearly all the clothing from the loft and I have sorted and mended a few. Cut the arms off boys shirts as the cuffs were ragged. Made them shot sleeved. They are good quality shirts otherwise. Might get the sewing machine out to do a quicker job. If it is working.

Woke up with stomach ache yesterday. DH had bought, frozen, cooked some Plant kitchen meatless balls on Tuesday night. Didn’t read the ingredients. They had soyabean in. I have an intolerance. Damn I had enjoyed them too. Still suffering this morning. So much I need to get done today.

To do
Boudoir

Tidy half
Dust chest of drawers
Clean window sill

Dining room

Pack all the children’s clothes.
vacuum
Sort what is left.
stack boxes until tomorrow
Clean window sill

possibly see GP, discuss operation and another thing.
charity shop purchase for a craft purchase this may be a mistake. Resisting urge to buy a job lot and turn it into amazing bags as discovered this week on Pinterest. Question- will I get around to doing it? Will they sell? I thought about finding this about 1 or 2 at a time. I have found 12 and the most expensive is £3 the others are £1.50-£2.50. I enjoy doing it so would give me a craft for the winter. Dilemma. I have other craft provisions do you hear me hills?

Ooh that went weird. Only the last word should have been highlighted!

Decided to post while it started behaving weirdly.

Up hope baby Up has another accommodating day.

Waves to Zoo in case lurking. Hope you ok? Missing you.
That likewise hope you managing ok.

Going to get up now. I need tea.
May bring it back to bed.

Happy days fledglings.🍒👋🍒👋🍒👋🍒👋🍒👋🍒👋

Then put cookbooks back.
oh dear! Definitely need to read thread!

Hello redsquirrel5 yup, we’ve been brought up to hoard! One thing when you would get a chocolate box once in a lifetime to keep bits in!
I like that you call it a boudoir😀and your plates sound coooollll!
hooe you feel better soon.
I’m trying to declutter craft room too. ( and clothes and linen)How much space does canvasses and crap take up? Bonkers, and I have no idea how to store things neatly.
your bags sound interesting! Am all curious to see!
enjoy your tea!

Lala la la la Red Can't hear you. I have one cardi waiting for me to pick up and knit the button band, started a 2nd cardi, and about half way down the arm of some elbow length fingerless mitts. And that is ignoring the 2 crochet blankets on the go, the knitted blanket that has languished in time out and god know how many other wips that were abanded when ds was little and are newly abandoned due to current delusions about what i can achieve.

For those looking at the long lists Remember that everyone's lives are different some of us no longer have small children, some of us have helpful partners, some of us have full time jobs, part time jobs, caring roles, chronic illnesses, studying etc. Please do not lists and get disheartened. The only progress you should be looking at is yours. Are you consistent with your babysteps, can you see the differences in your house, etc etc etc.

So the babystep one is the fluffy post-it note clutter for the start of the control journal. I have noticed that whilst the fatfairy (oldschool thread reference) always had fluffy nothingness babysteps thrown in, she has increased her quoto but this one has always been post-it notes. babystep 4

Launch pad
Missions

Thursday is Errand day - do those chores that are needed to be done outside the house.

Right i threw date night in last night as Friday is a bit mental around here, so i am a wee bit tired from a late night this morning. A person has decided they can fix the soil pipe leak in the downstairs loo - because what could possibly go wrong.... but if it doesn't go wrong i will be needed to deep deep deep clean the cloakroom so that we can finally get the sealent on the stone tiles which never got done when they were fitted. <sigh>

Today's plan
Empty understairs storage accessed from cloak room and at risk if the DIY goes wrong
get to functioning
8hrs of study
figure out wtaf people eating for tea
make plans to be sat on a hill tomo whilst people doing what they doing I do not have the nerves or patience or tollerance of the noise for that nonsense

But first coffee.... Lots! of coffee

Hope you get your coffee Hills.

Thanks willow for the previous thread.

Sorry I fell off the thread - have started the summer hols, endured a static caravan stay at the seaside 😑. Still am sorting though all the luggage we took and never used half the kids clothes. Mountains of clothes of mine that need clothes.

Tried to make a dent in the dining sofa mountain of doom.
Can see dining room floor finally.
Sitting room is still a hell of a mess but i have packed up allll the millions of pillows into 3 black bags and stuck them into storage. 4 small ikea put into storage.

I planning to have only sofas, tv, tv unit and kids table in the sitting room- it might help it look less cluttered with stuff. (Heart sinks at the thought of all my clutter.)
I Have to get dining room and sitting sorted today. I need to spend time with the fraggles doing fun things- or i will start my job and regret spending time with them.🤦‍♀️
Hello clean linen and any other newbies!

Don’t be put off by any long lists Cleanlinen. Like Hills says, we are all in different places. I’m currently on mat leave with a very easy baby and my older DD is having a few days with her grandparents. My lists tend to be long because I post when I’m motivated. I can go a week in the naughty corner without a sniff of a TaDa .

If you’re struggling to let go of the cookbooks could you take a photo of any of the recipes you think you might ever do? You don’t have to get rid of them if you don’t want to though. When I did a big declutter a few years ago I started with things that were definitely rubbish and left harder stuff until later. I did one of those challenges where you get rid of one thing on day one, two on day two etc. Then you’re on a roll and it gets easier.

Hope you managed to enjoy some of the beach holiday Dancing. Good luck with the decluttering today.

Hope you enjoyed date night Hills!

Hope your stomach feels better now Red.

TaDas:
✅sorted out playdoh accessories, binned the dried out stuff, and put it all in a better container
✅finished and ordered a photobook
✅sorted DD1’s monstrous pile of summer term artwork. Ruthlessly binned most but have a pile to photograph for the next photobook and a few bits for the memory box.
✅tidied a bit more of the dining room
✅a load of bedding washed and hung on the line
✅sorted out the pile of books I have waiting to be read
✅updated planner for august
✅made a start on some job related admin
✅vacuumed living room rug - the only bit of cleaning other than my usual MR stuff. I’m not in a cleaning sort of mood today.

I suspect that will be the end of ta Das for today. Going to have a cuppa before DD2 wakes up and then head out for a walk I think. It’s got out lovely and sunny 🌞

Up- thats a really good idea to photo the artwork and make a artbook! Then bin the original! (Have you thought of writing a book Up- i am serious on this. On your decluttering journey?)
I enjoyed the seaside thanks. I didnt like stropy dh and ill ds.

No flying completed.
2 hours making lunch.
2 lol
Ds bedding washed.
Gave up and went cycling while kids at karate.
Rescued drying washing from outside.
Bring my lovely travel rotary airer back into the house.
Give up on the house for the night.

Hoovered LG's bedroom and flat surfaces. The bed base is built in, and I had to slide under it to reach the hordes of dust bunnies against the wall.

Tried to follow FlyLady's instructions for today, but got massively distracted by deciding to shift some computer stuff that's been stored for years in front of several bookcases. Shifted boxes of cables, etc, into hall then of course wanted to read.

Had a moment of inspiration involving the bookcases and spent ages going back and forth with an inchtape. Figured out that I could move one small bookcase to another wall then slide the others along a bit which will let me bring the big bookcase through from the front room tomorrow. Then all the books will be easy to see and reach.

The playmobil can go into the sideboard that I can (maybe) bring in from the garage.

Now I'm watching the live feed on youtube of an active volcano in Iceland. Called Langholl.

Also just come across some spectacular drone footage.

Good morning.

How has every one survived the week?

Well you've made it to friday. Friday is clean out your purse and your car. It is also date night for those who wish.

Babystep
Launch pad
Missions

People were not impressed that i came home at 10:30pm last night and said oi shift from cluttering up the lounge i have to prep the understairs for tomo. They were not convinced it would happen. It happened in less than 30mins and i even shoved a load of washing in the machine.

Today is an out the house day but need to do a few things first.
plan to get done:

photo copy some paper work
DW unloaded and reloaded
washing into the dryer -it is pouring down.
figure out what is for tea

Need to also pick up my meds from the big city 1 over. Will also pick up some shopping in the same go.

ACTUAL LINKS HERE!!!!

Baby step
Launch pad
Missions

Sorry about that

Morning! Good going proving the people wrong Hills, and the bonus load of washing must have been icing on the cake.

Ah I’m flattered Dancing, however I think Marie Kondo and the slob comes clean woman would not be impressed with my stealing of their ideas! By the way, washing bedding, bringing it in and retrieving your airer are totally flying. Plus the cycling was good self care so flylady would approve. Hope DS has recovered and grumpy DH is less grumpy.

I regularly get distracted from flylady’s instructions Weegie. Sounds like you made an impact yesterday though.

I was blessed with an unexpected lie in until after 8 this morning. DH managed to creep out to work quietly for once. I was woken by the window cleaner, thankfully behind closed blinds (I don’t often close them as we have no one in front of us and a lovely view so he was very lucky). I’ve had breakfast and I made a start on cleaning up as well as putting a few more craft bits away in the dining room. That’s about it. Need to get me and DC dressed and head out for some fresh air I think. I have some more work stuff to sort today too. End of mat leave is coming too quickly!