July's Fledgling Flyers : The dc's drive us round the bend, the school holidays descend, our sanity we will lend, and flying will be our friend

[elliepac]

Welcome to the July edition of the Fledgling Flyers where we are going to attempt to restore order in our houses, chatting as we go.

Here you can do any of the following:

• repeat or start baby steps (again!)

• repeat baby steps + do 15 mins a day decluttering in the current zone

or

• reinforce babysteps and do daily missions if you have finished decluttering

For those who are curious, these are the Babysteps, which we all hope will restore order in our homes and make our lives a little bit easier with lots of support (and chat, and wine, and a little more chat )

So please come and join us, old and new, from July 1st.

toffee lol at dirty dishes but lovely control journal. Sounds like me (although it's on my list to do..)
sc mahoosive musclie thighs [drool emotion]
dem sorry bout hay fever it stinks. I'm pretending mine is a cold so not that bad, when actually I could rival my ds in the snot wars!
ellie gosh how you manage and flying I'm amazed guess that's why your our fearless leader

today I have
wmx3
hung out x1
tdx2
general tidy
cleaned BBQ for visitors
took more stuff I forgot to caravan with dc on bikes (fun quota)
pushed dd on swing adfinitum
sold my phil and teds buggy on eBay - one less thing crowding conservatory!

Just chilling waiting for visitors. Have lovely rest of Sunday.

MrsDinky I can really relate to the rabbit in the headlights feeling! I do that all the time, and dd has inherited it from me. Luckily my 12 year old ds is great at just getting down to it and he helped so much in the last couple of days with packing etc.

DidEinsteinsMum sounds good if you don't have a deadline to have to beout of yourold place. We have to hand over keys on 2nd of August so theoretically plenty of time. Packing is going well, have run out of boxes which I knew we would so have to go shopping for more. It's the last few bit and bobs taht are a pain though and then the kitchen cupboards need emptied and sorted. Thank goodnes sthe kitchen isn't moving with us as it very ofetn does over here in Germany.

Toffeefudgecake love the idea of teh journal now too infact I think I'll get myself one and one for dd -she's only 10 but the earlier she starts the better I think!

Thanks for your tips on getting the sink clean everyone, I think a dishwasher is the best thing that will happen to me once we move, I can imagine getting something done in 15 minutes. I am so slow, maybe that's part of my problem - the rabbit in headlights keeps creaping up on me!

break to take on water ...

feeling fairly chuffed with myself today:

on top of usual routines + trip out this morning:

have done 1 hr planning myself & organising dates with dh
1 hr decluttering and sorting in home office - yippeeeee!!!!!
x 4 loads of washing
as well as roasting a chicken (having cold tonight with salad)
taken dd bicycling/park
gone to fruit & veg. market

have yet to do:
1 hr ironing whilst listening to French cd
sort one box papers
a spot of maintenance gardening

admylin - good luck with all the packing - at least it is summer and you have light evenings which always helps I think - Fat Fairy does help with rabbit in headlights feeling (which I am often prone to as well)

My dishwasher is the first thing I would try to save in a fire (after the living of course!!) ... absolutely love mine. If you buy one, try and get a time-delay function on it so you can control when it turns on and off (cheap rates at night). I find they save money (I used to be a very inefficient washer-up - used loads of hot water - and usually soaked myself in to bargain) plus they are very hygienic if you have any tummy bugs/viruses in house or just generally for youngsters and elderly relatives living with you or visiting- especially progs above 60°c. Also useful to clean toothbrushes, plastic hairbrushes, gas stove 'ring things etc and brilliant when baking/entertaining ...all those tricky food processor parts ....

Fantastic idea about giving your dd her very own control journal (notes down for future!)

Toffeefudge - um, for me 'Sink Reflections' was worth buying because I prefer reading print in hard copy form [old codger emoticon] but I have to say it suffers from the same problem as her website ie lack of proper organisation (although website has improved of late to be fair to her). The baby-steps are laid out in detail as is her 'philosophy'. Not a huge amount of new info though and written in same saccharine language unfortunately.

Well done with your spanking new control journal!!

Onwards and upwards everyone!!

DEM Oh yes, have just remembered, if you look on BBC website under 'Make Your Own Drugs' (was a recent tv series with a scientist/naturalist called James Wong I think) and look under recipes in past episodes, he describes a natural remedy for hayfever which includes I think; honey, dried mint leaves and dried camomile flowers or some such - can't quite remember exactly - will look it up and paste here if you can't find it. Anyway, a colleague at work has made it and drinks it regularly and finds it very effective. Just thought worth mentioning ....!!

Well, I have had a slightly emotional day

burst into tears of frustration on a train to Hemel Hempstead - travel arrangements very badly planned

done however
ds1 back from Scout Camp (very tired and also emotional because I forgot to pack his tin mug
taken dd to Kew
practised driving on a fast road
bought some presents for teachers/etc
cooked delicious veg lasagne
also delicious fried pots for supper
ironed some clothes [sure sign of extreme bad temper - I do it to show dh how cross I am]

now I am cheered by severalcups of strong tea, and going to tidy ds1's room. He is sittng in pjs enjoying family life again.

everyone
sheds, jam, office decluttering, marking, packing boxes, barbecue giving, and of course sofa cleaning Nettie I love watching how sometimes thing do drop quietly off people's lists [not your sofas in this case , I think there was a pair of curtains I once never finished sewing, that I never dared put on a list again for fear people might remember tthem from months back...

We have had a nice afternoon, picked DCs up from grandaprents and took them to an open day at a local large organic farm (Laverstock Park ,owned by Jody Scheckter, for those of you who were following Formula 1 in the seventies [old emoticon]). You might have seen their stuff being heavily promoted in Sainsburys lately. Anyway, I digress, it was very enjoyable (free for DCs under 8 which is both of ours), lovely food, no commercial tat apart from Sainsburys doing some giveaways (I have come home with free rocket, tomatoes, basil and mayo, also pair for mozzarella and meat from the farm). Also (a highlight for me) Raymond Blanc was there judging a BBQ competition. I do like him.

Needless to say, not much Flying done, kitchen is in a right mess, but I have enjoyed moving a load of stuff from the understairs cupboard to the newly vacant shelves in the shed, with a view to moving all my filing stuff under the stairs and decluttering the dining room.

SR - sorry you've had an emotional day of it, a good cup of tea (or 3) works wonders.

Admylin - you can just take the parts you lie from Flylady, as the others have said. I do sink shining, hotspots, meal planning, daily laundry, putting out clothes, making beds, swish and swipe. I do not do dressing to shoes, my control journal is empty and no post it notes adorn my house. I do not even bother looking at the missions a lot of the time. It would suit me a lot better if I knew what they were the night before, but with Flylady being in the US that's not going to happen.

Nettie - how much did you sell your buggy for? I sold mine to a friend for £150 recently rather than bother Ebaying it. The strwaberries were from PYO, we had an INSET day on Fri and took the DCs. My plant have not produced a single strwaberry

SC at the cycling thighs. Who cares if it's the real Tour eh?

Ellie - hope you conquered the marking mountain.

I'm off to conquer the washing up mountain.

Waves at everyone else.

tidied all three dcs' rooms
now cooking dh supper, he has fallen asleep in one of their rooms, but may emerge

mrsd sounds great day
I am fine now!

Very quick fly by to wave to everyone; no flying this weekend as we were at the ILs.

MrsD I like Raymond Blanc as well so am quite . I never seem to run into anyone famous - mind you, I don't think I would recognise any celebs. I did spot Paula Yates and Michael Hutchence having afternoon tea at the Pump Rooms in Bath once (hardly a claim to fame, I know).

There's a sneak peak for the week on the FlyLady website if you want to see the missions in advance btw.

swan I was talking on another thread earlier about how a cup of tea solves everything (as a non-Brit, DH is mystified and amused by this).

Toffee I bought Sink Reflections a while ago as, like SC, I prefer to read hard copy (I've printed out quite a bit from the website for my control journal). I did find it an interesting and (I have to admit) quite inspiring read at the time, but hardly ever refer to it now. I'd be happy to lend it to you if you like (can post from UK) as I think it's quite expensive if you pay full price for it.

No more time for individual messages unfortunately, but hope everyone has had a good weekend!

Linzer - well, I never knew that! THat is just what I need, as I don't go on the computer in the mornings, have often thought that I could plan the missions better if I knew them in advance, thank you.

Linzer and SC - thanks for yr thoughts on 'Sink Reflections'and also, Linzer, for offering to send a copy for me to look at. After hearing what you had to say and reading the reviews on Amazon, I think I'll leave it for the moment and stick to the website (also, Linzer, I'll probably never remember to send yr book back and it'll get lost in the chaos of my home). I'm tempted to get the cooking book now, which features recipes for every week of the year, but am holding back because it's expensive (and because I can see DH's face - "Oh god, you're going into one of your obsessive phases!"). Will focus on the control journal for now.

Ad - great idea to introduce DC to the idea. I suppose DS2's much-hated Kumon maths is similar, in that he has to do just 15 minutes every day, but gets great results. Gosh, I could give DS2 (10) a mini Flylady routine to keep his room tidy . OK, am going into fantasy land here.... He's still working on making his bed and not throwing his PJs on the floor every morning.

As I was otherwise engaged with work today, DH took it upon himself to tidy up DS1's unbelievably messy bedroom. Later, I did a quick hoover and persuaded DS1 to put away some of his Lego, which was scattered all over the sitting-room floor. I managed to unload the dishwasher and do one load of washing too, but that's it with regards to housework. Must do the evening routine soon, or Monday morning will be awful.

Am in awe at the amount that some of you get done in a day. You are amazing!

Just got in from a lovely evening out with my friend. I am trying to convince my 17 year old that I am not tipsy!!! Not working. - something to do with a fit of the giggles whne i trpoiipped up in the kitchen I think. Do as i say an dnot as I do, me thinks!!
Flippin heck, its hard work tyoing at this time of nighrt, (hands wont do what brain is telling them to)

Caughtup with the wasjing, just the ironing and foldong to be done now.

Need to get to bed long day at work tomorrroeew.

shlee you all in the morning.

PA

You type like I do after I've had a glass or two of wine (but I believe you about it being the time of night)!

Don't forget to drink your water (this month's habit - or was it last month's?) before you go to bed.

Oh dear, Oh dear, Oh dear. >

I am too old for this. I should have learnt my lesson. I must try harder. Why did I do it? Why did I think it was a good idea at the time?

Right, Monday, so long day at work (oh Noooooo!!)
Mountain of clean washing to be sorted.
Cant think about anything else right now.
The way i feel at the moment, if I get to bedtime without murder or insanity it will be a success.
Must drink lots of water - hot weather, of course!!

Weak pathetic waves to everyone on here!

MOrning everyone, no time to catch up but did catch pa's post last night...definite post of the month contender! . If it makes you feel better pa you did cheer me up on a miserable monday morning .

Didn't get on last night because I was busy working on the marking marathon.

Here is today's babystep write down what you hear.

The mission for today is here.

Have a good day everyone!

Cheered me up too PA!

[hands paracetemol over to PA with large steaming cup of strong black coffee]

Just looked in diary day seems to be completely free of care There must be some mistake. Sink is shone from last night, garden looking good.

However, that's no excuse, so...

Todo
Make beds
hoover bedrooms
hoover playroom
clean out car????????and take to be deep cleaned
singing lesson - some songs from MyFairLady
and Handel
what's for dinner - defrost something lurking

now the stumbling blocks..

thankyou notes to various people
CRB form
find curtains to start re-sewing
ring Dad to arrange pickup of stuff for Eire thatis now piling up in corridor
write dates in diary
kids swimming after school???
write dates in diary, write dates in diary - I have vaguely suggested plans to all sorts oof friends with no idea of what is or is not possible.

PA you are enjoying life that's GOOD!

I have no hope of catching up with any of you - far, far too much chat

Lovely w/e away - nice quiet campsite, took DC canoing (and DS's cast survived) and good family party yesterday in amazing 'Grand Designs - type house. Was just a shell 2 years ago so good to see the finished result. DD now wants a swimming pool in our back garden, she hasn't worked out where to put it though

As today hasn't been scuppered by illness or broken limbs so far I am trying to get as much as possible done. So far have done:

• Morning routine
• Meeting at school
• unpacked some of camping stuff
• 15 mins in DS's room
• Work - bank rec and VAT return (with lots of help from DH) and head spinning

Still need to:

• 15 mins in DD's room
• 15 mins in our room
• Put away rest of camping stuff (including all the stuff I am ignoring in the car )
• Email School Assoc committee re 'stuff'
• Make Tuna Pasta Bake
• Sort out DS's swimming lessons and reclaim money
• Afternoon/Evening routine
• Ironing
• Attempt to catch up with thread
• Collapse into bed early

Got 40 mins before pre-school/school pick-up so best get cracking

Now have streaming cold..dosing on lemsip and not rushing around

done
singing lesson very cheering
laundry out on line
cleaned out kitchen cupboard under sink
reorganised saucepans
made new cardboard recyling bin out of kitchen bin
hoovered entire house
s & s loo vaguely
tidied dcs rooms again and hoovered and made beds
put away scout stuff, luckily he seemed to have changed none of his clothes
fish or bolognese for supper

not going swimming now I think
or sorting out car

Feetheart canoeing LOL excellent

stillneedtodo
pickup kids now
homework
snacks
cubs
thankyou notes? some

Hi,
Very quick post as still at work!
RL getting in the way - very fraught at work and home is hectic

So minimal flying - the house is vaguely straight but in desperate need of hoovering and hoover blowing more than sucking at the moment . Might ask DH to look at it tomorrow.

Will try and do better......

Flaps weakly at everyone

my coldis getting [or should that be gedding]worse, feel hot and cold.

Have been to friends/park
now need to wipe worktops
dish up the pasta
get ds ready for Cubs

hoover is also lying in middle of corridor here missb haven't strength to find a cupboard it might fit into...

Where are you all?

SR - if it's any consolation my hoover didn't even make it out of the cupboard, let alone back in. Hope you are feeling better.

Well, today, I have sorted out a few long overdue bills, forms to fill in etc. Have hotspotted a couple of places, done weekly shop, 2 lots of washing, bit of gardening and played tennis. Oh and another tip run.

Also, made chocolate ice cream. Well, DS doesn't like strawberry so it only seemed fair....

Hi all!!
Just a quick visit to say hello as I am lurkign on the thread his week after getting abit behind with things
Really nice to see you all doing so well

Hello to (deep breath)

MrsD cracking work on shed and icecream.
swan hope you are feeling better. Boo to having free day ruined by cold

Waves to
MissB, feetheart, QoD, nettie and Linzer- Hows Austria? Hello MM

MASSIVE Hellos to SC, PA and the fabulous ellie Oooh and DEM nice to see you back to that user name. Missed you all heaps

Welcome to flying and the thread admyn- do you have space in cupbaord under sink for you washing up bowl? I keep mine there and it saves a lot of clutter. As you say dishwasher willmake it all much better tho. Also welcome and well done on control journal to Toffee

And to whomever I missed- sorry but HELLO

So nice to see you all
I have got LOADS done today and plan to do the missions this week to get back under control as well as cracking the old control journal back out and FOLLOWING it.. What a concept huh ...

Hello DTG, was just thinking about you, good to see you.

Thanks MrsD I was thinking of you also (and your uninvited guest before your holiday) and it was another sign I needed to come here :-)
Hope things are ok with you xx