What is the easiest way to introduce new chickens to an existing flock?

[Redwing]

I've been following this thread with interest

 

There is a car boot sale in our village tomorrow so I have a car load ready to go

[Plum]

Good luck with that what are you selling?

 

I never thought of sending quilts to an animal sanctuary, I have several that were going to the tip tomorrow. Mind you don't know if they would want one a cat has already peed on.

 

I still haven't started on my quilting magazines but have done amazingly well in other areas Today I went through one of the cupboards in the garage. Why do I keep empty bottles of drain clearing stuff or weed killer I will never use and hundred of curtain clips the same?!

 

A good job done was sorting through margarine and ice cream cartons and all the takeaway plastic tubs. Now I have a selection of usable items and lids

[Olly]

OK, the last post on this thread was July ... I am going to revive it, because I have started following Flylady properly. Yes, I looked at the website originally and thought 'No - no way am I going to start polishing the sink last thing at night, what on earth is all this about'. And - honest answer - I am still NOT polishing it! However, I have discovered that the 15-minute declutter sessions are the way to go.

 

I am now really aware of 'hot spots', and I'm targeting one a week to get rid of and not fill up again. And it is working - as soon as I fill a charity bag, it goes in the car boot and then next time I'm near the charity shop I have it with me. It's a slow process, but it's lovely to not have piles of stuff in the wrong places.

 

I thought it might be useful to revive some interest in this, October is 'paper decluttering month' and that is probably my worst thing, the 'study' is really just a place to dump any post, on the basis that I will file it later ... yeah, right! At the moment I am unable to claim my expenses at work because I can't find my paper driving licence, which I need to produce. So all this clutter is costing me money too!

 

Anyone want to set their timer for 15 minutes and join me in a quick declutter?

[Plum]

Just found my timer under all my paper Olly. I'm with you

 

Come back flylady I'm overwhelmed with envelopes, magazines, letters, bits I put together to deal with later. I found my letter inviting me for screening at the beginning of the year.

[The Dogmother]

I did a couple of hours worth of home admin and filing last night ... god, I feel so virtuous!

[Angie]

I have managed in all honesty to have decluttered the bathroom , my bedroom , most of the lounge and kitchen.

I have had a go in the loft .

I would dearly like to do more in the spare room but it holds my dolls house and pub so drawer units have houses on them. It also has the exercise bike in , i know it takes up a lot of valuable space but with my arthritis it is often the only real exercise i get so i am hanging on to it , those two miles a day are precious to me.

In the little bed room is the office and tumble dryer .And quite a few chrissy things, so maybe in the new year i can tackle that room. I would really like a slightly bigger house. ( we down sized to move to Yorks 10 yrs ago) I like where we are but it is a new house and there not great on size.Roll on the new year.

[LolaLayla]

I started to declutter the bedroom in sections (yes it was that bad). Our headboard has got lots of shelves etc and those were full of all sorts of bits and bobs. I cleared so much away that for several days going into the room it looked so bare that I thought we had be burgled I will need to tackle another section soon..........

[Plum]

much easier tackling it in little sections isn't it.

 

Tonight I am going through all the letters I put on one side to deal with later and most I'm chucking away

[Olly]

I would dearly like to do more in the spare room but it holds my dolls house and pub .

 

Angie,you're an inspiration with the amount of de-cluttering you've done. I'm intrigued, though - your dolls have a pub?

[Plum]

impressed!

[Olly]

I spent 15 minutes last night (actually, possibly 20 minutes) in the back bedroom, turning out one shelf. I was actually looking for a music book that I've mislaid, didn't find it but I did:

 

- organise my music into a sort of order

- throw out several pounds in weight of leaflets for museums etc - all collected about ten years ago, for visitors to refer to, but not used since we all go straight to the internet now

- throw out about a dozen copies of publications that I've produced at work - I was hanging on to them in case I changed jobs and wanted to show what I've done, but they are ancient and probably irrelevant

- find and throw out receipts, etc for when the kitchen was put in. Er - that's the kitchen I put in eleven years ago, in a house I no longer own!

 

The best thing is that I've now got a whole free shelf, which will help me to clear another 'hot spot' - cookery books.

[LolaLayla]

I spent 15 minutes last night (actually, possibly 20 minutes) in the back bedroom, turning out one shelf. I was actually looking for a music book that I've mislaid, didn't find it but I did:

 

- organise my music into a sort of order

- throw out several pounds in weight of leaflets for museums etc - all collected about ten years ago, for visitors to refer to, but not used since we all go straight to the internet now

- throw out about a dozen copies of publications that I've produced at work - I was hanging on to them in case I changed jobs and wanted to show what I've done, but they are ancient and probably irrelevant

- find and throw out receipts, etc for when the kitchen was put in. Er - that's the kitchen I put in eleven years ago, in a house I no longer own!

 

The best thing is that I've now got a whole free shelf, which will help me to clear another 'hot spot' - cookery books.

You are on a 'roll' now. It gives you a great sense of achievement doesn't it

[Plum]

Oh dear I'm so tired this isn't flylady its torture. 4 long shelves now empty and 2 bin liners full, it's supposed to be therapeutic but just want to collapse.

[Plum]

At last room empty, conservatory, office and every cupboard in the house full

 

Chaos here, then ES says he's coming home for rest of week. Arrgghh that'll mean his stuff is going to fill it up and be everywhere, I'm never going to get straight.

 

How are you getting on?

[LolaLayla]

I have managed to get more leaflets into the house as I went to the Good Food Show and picked up lots of recipes (to be honest I will probably only try one or two) I will need to be ruthless with all recipes and dispose of those not needed

On a plus note I tackled the top of a chest of drawers and put stuff in the top drawer throwing out a lot of rubbish in the process.....I didn't really need to keep that lipstick from 29 years ago which I held onto for sentimental reasons because I wore it when I got married I am a terrible hoarder ......or perhaps a very good one

[Plum]

Oh dear did it have fungus on it.

 

Had a sort through cheap jewellery I know I'm never going to use so that was a good job done.

[Olly]

Plum, you're putting me to shame! Having come back from a weekend away, I thought I'd sort out those cookery books - there are rather a lot that I never use, so they can go upstairs and some of them can go in the charity bag immediately. Then I thought how nice it would be if my huge beech worktop was actually visible, not covered in random objects ... I think I broke Flylady's rule about not pulling out more than you can put back in an hour, though. The worktop is nearly clear, but I have huge piles of things on the stairs to be put away (where?) and rather a lot of random stuff on the table. Not sure I have the energy to carry on!

 

I'm determined that by the first weekend in December, when I have visitors, I'll have decluttered to the extent that I don't need to spend hours tidying up before they come.

[LolaLayla]

Oh dear did it have fungus on it.

None at all Must have been in such good condition due to all the preservatives used in those days that are probably banned now (I do still have the shoes....should they go too?)

[Plum]

Nooo you can't throw anything away that means things to you. I've rehoarded the boys babywristbands and little babygrows and 1st birthday cards and...................

 

Day off for me ES here spreading his rammel, going to take some clothes he left here 3yrs ago but leaving a couple of boxes that have just been shipped in

[LolaLayla]

Yes I still have baby things such as those You can hardly imagine they were ever so small

I am determined to sort out those recipe books though.....but some of them came from mum's house and they even have letters in them from her mum and sister giving her advice as how to cook tongue jam etc when she was a new housewife and far from home...I want to keep those

[Plum]

Well did you get those recipe books sorted

 

I've had a bit of time off from fly ladying to paint, sand and be gofer for him indoors. Feel a bit intimidated about the amount of stuff I have to organise. Got some good wicker baskets and will get one of these

I've seen one decorated with papers on the drawer and it was beautiful likethis

 

Part of my keep sorting

[Olly]

Wow, that is gorgeous! It does help to have storage for things, as long as it doesn't fill up too quickly and become clutter in its own right. That decorating would be such fun to do, too.

 

I not only culled the cookery books, took quite a lot to the charity shop and parked a lot more upstairs, but I made a start on sorting my loose recipes. You know, those ones you cut out of magazines, people write down for you, you print off the internet and so on. I had a folder of them, and it was constantly getting knocked off the shelf and annoying me, and when I wanted something I could never find it.

 

When I read through them, I realised that some of them had been lovingly copied out over twenty years ago ... and never once cooked! Gone. Some of them were from books I wanted, and now own - gone. Some were ones written out by my mum - keep! I have now got them sorted into cakes, puddings, savoury stuff and 'other', and I am determined that they will all be filed eventually.

 

I have promised myself that if can keep the worktop clear for a month, I will buy myself a Christmas present.

 

It's always difficult with keepsakes that bring back memories, I rely on the FlyLady 'does it make you smile?' mantra. I also think 'would I want to get this out and show it to anyone?' I recall when I first discovered her website I read a post from someone who said they had kept the pregnancy testing kits that confirmed that she was pregnant with her two children. She got rid of them when she realised one day that her growing children were sufficient proof that she'd been pregnant and that she was NOT going to go to the cupboard when friends came round and go 'look at these'!

 

Keep flying. I'm off to spend 15 mins turning out the saucepan cupboard.

[Plum]

I have promised myself that if can keep the worktop clear for a month, I will buy myself a Christmas present.

 

Better get it now Olly

 

I'm going to use your 'does it make you smile?' but definately keep things my mum and those I've lost have written

[LolaLayla]

 

I'm going to use your 'does it make you smile?' but definately keep things my mum and those I've lost have written

 

Yes totally agree I took a pile of cookery books to the Oxfam shop but managed to bring one back I will need to sort out the recipe clippings. I did throw some away but there are still those that I am sure I will never make.

OH was looking at the storage unit and wondered if we could fit one in the conservatory. I think it would just add to the clutter though. I think that is an area I should look at and it shouldn't take too long to make a difference. OH counted that I had 7 pairs of shoes there including 2 pairs of wellies......all the pet food it there too so it's not really a conservatory more a posh shed I have been a bit distracted with other things. Yesterday was bright and dry so I gave the eglu a good clean. I also started on the Christmas cards and got out stuff to have a go at Kirstie's paper birds. I only got as far as getting the tools and wire for the legs so all that is now on the table along with all the cards (message to self - must be more focused) It is good to hear how others are doing as it spurs you on a bit

[Plum]

what type of wire? where do you get it from. I've got jewellery tools so can shape it?

 

*warning diversion* sorry mods