Fledglings are Flying into February

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes]

Welcome to the February Fledglings thread. Before we get started we have some important notices?:

1. The Fledglings are a long running thread, some of us have known each other for several years but newcomers are always welcome.

1. We follow the Flylady way (somewhat flexibly) and we adapt it to suit our lives and needs. That also means we chat a lot too, it is a general thread about life, as well as Flylady.

So the fly lady system there are rules and we have adaptations.?

1. NO perfectionism - life’s too short.?
2. Something is better than nothing and sometimes good enough really is good enough.?
3. This is not about the housework, it is about having more time to do fun stuff. Don't ever feel guilty about doing stuff with the kids over doing the housework. The kids are more important.??And the practical adaptations.
4. For newbies to the Flylady site and system everything you need will be posted here in the form of links. The homes is divided into zones where we spend one week each on a monthly basis. Within the zones we do babysteps and decluttering - the babysteps are little daily habits to get into, decluttering speaks for itself. As we progress we start doing missions (a more in depth task in that weeks zone). We may even get to detailed cleaning once we have decluttered. There are also daily tasks, on a weekly basis.

WARNING: Unless you want a very cluttered inbox full of gushing quotes and testimonials DO NOT subscribe to the Flylady emails from the site.

So, welcome on board and lets get Flying in February!

Thank you again. Really kIndd of you. Still on phone. Looks like funeral won't be for 3 wks (first available slot) tough for sil. Huge change for her.

Thanks again everyone.

Sling, so sorry to hear of your loss. And whoknows, sorry to hear of the diagnosis - I hope you can get some support for your relative.

Not much happening here, bit of baking aftermath to clean up in the kitchen as DD decided we needed a Valentine's banquet so we were baking pink shortbread biscuits last night. I made it a dessert banquet - nothing pinterest-worthy just red jelly, pink biscuits, quickly melted white choc to make chocs etc. I'm not sure where she got this "banquet" idea from for celebrations as it's cropped up a few times now!

Might head out for the day today, will make an effort tonight to get the place sorted out before the busy week of half-term starts. Does anyone else have a child that wants to be out doing something all the time?

Have a good Sunday everyone.

Yep, I do, fizrim, every day my dd asks over breakfast 'where am I going today?'. DS also loves getting out and about, I'm a real homebody so find it all a bit exhausting!

When ds isn't ill he does, but being a bit older than some of the dc on here, he is also happy to spent all day on technology. He does spend most of his half terms with his dad so is off doing anyway. The custody split seems to be mum: practical stuff eg school, discipline, medical appointments, after school/weekend actitivities; Dad: fun stuff, discipline. in some respects main custody is sucky cos there is never time for the fun stuff once the write your bloody thank you notes/ tidy your room battles. but it is great he has such a good relationship with his dad.

Whoknows sorry about the diagnosis. Hopefully she has been caught early enough that meds will have the greatest impact for her.

So yesterday I decided to rearrange two of the kitchen cupboard contents, pick a fight with ds over technology, and some laundry

Today there is kit sorting, laundry and long roadtrips on the to do list. Yay Not feeling the love of today yet. Managed to fall asleep under 2 duvets and 2 blankets and cooked myself so have a dehydration headache. PLenty of water drinking to sort that out then. PLus there are people here tomo, visitor kinds of people. Which is sucky because that means the house needs to be perfect and I can't be arsed. Ah well. Another coffee, another ltr of water and must get going. Pizza dough into the bread machine is needed to be done now too. Argghh. Sunday is disappearing too fast...

so sorry to hear your news whoknows

sterkte sc . My DGF died 3 weeks ago and my DF said it felt like a relief - seeing him deteriorate over the last few years, getting frailer and frailer and dementia taking hold was so hard for my dad to watch, especially since my DGM dies in August. Thinking of you and your family.

Rotten colds here, even DS2 so feeling pretty sorry for myself.

Even so: ta da...
washed DS1's coats
Wash now in td
2 loads of washing away form yesterday
reorganised DS2's clothes (nb stuff boxed up for Dsis and next size ready to use!)
hoovered lounge

currently watching Madagascar with DS1 surrounded by snotty tissues.

Hi everyone, I've been absent since Sickgate, we're all much recovered now.

Really sorry to here of the bereavements and serious illnesses on here to SC, WhoKnows and Engles

We've had a nice day here, DHs birthday was in the week so we've had some family over to watch the rugby and catch up.

Some ta dah's to report as well:
Cats fed breakfast and dinner
DH - did food shop and made lunch
2 wash loads done and hung up to dry
Dishwasher filled, on and emptied x2
Pile of yucky baking trays washed
Beds made, sheets changed
Kitchen table and sides cleaned
DS showered as bloody bath tap is broken (showering a wriggly toddler is not fun)
My clothes ready for tomorrow
DS clothes ready for tomorrow
Lunch made for tomorrow
Kindle found - yay! DS I'm looking at you and your grabby little hands

Sorry for lack of proper personals, have a lot if catching up to do on the thread

Thank you all for the kind words about DMIL, it hasn't really sunk in yet.

I'm not feeling great myself tonight so want to get off to bed, but will post links first.

Monday 16th Feb

Babystep Looking at the Flylady website

Mission Deckutter your bathroom

Monday Focus Home Blessing Hour

Half term this week! It was so nice not to have to be out of the door by 8.45
Have changed the zones on my home routines app to change every day, will see how that goes, although won't get a true test until next week.
Hope everyone has a nice day :)

Hope you feel better this morning, Who.

Thinking of you, SC.

DS2 has gone to a friend's house for the day and DH is at work, so I'm nearly on my own for once, apart from DS1 who is up in his loft bedroom.

I should make the most of my free time by sorting laundry and catching up on Flying, but decided to drink and go online first . To be fair, I do have to do an online food order. That counts as Flying, right?

Toffee - that definitely counts as flying! I gave up on having online deliveries as it used to take me as long as just driving to the supermarket

Yes it counts Toffee . I've found I'm much better with my online shopping since I booked a regular slot at the same time each week instead of leaving it till we start running out of things. So we get our veggie box with milk, eggs, butter and cheese on Monday and our main shop on Thursday night with a top up of milk for the weekend. Do any extra bits on Mondays in Sainsburys between work and school pickup.

Well, I've felt fine today, yesterday I was a bit off balance, like when you've just got off a ship. No idea what caused that.

Back later.

hi all.

Back from ski-ing (just ds2 ski-ing that is ) adventure. Very therapeutic indeed although I had to nip out and buy thermals as we arrived in a blizzard.

Dh was seized by a horrid lurgy in London whilst I was away but he struggled through although he is still coughing now. It is a pity he did not have the benefit of that Alpine air - although in all fairness he always refused to go anywhere near a ski-slope. I'd forgotten that ski-ing is so sunny and so much scenery. Serious scenery. A bit like a stage set from Hollywood

whoknows sorry to hear your news about your MIL and having to deal with that just when your father is just recovering from his stroke.
Toffee sounds v civilised that ds1 likes watching Walking Dead with you
Sling it must have been a very very hard four years for you all watching him suffer although he was in best care - it takes a lot of grief just to get through that part of it, let alone the loss itself. Your dh and by extension you must be feeling utterly drained by the strain it has put on you all.

It is a relief it is a half term. I've given up pretty well on doing anything except wash dirty clothes from the suitcases and other washing which is gathering in piles everywhere. Dh did a lot whilst I was away but the silting up was there before I even left and it is worse now. Books and papers everywhere.

done
big grocery shop from Morrisons by car
put away
cooked chilli salmon cauliflower and noodles for supper followed by blueberries and Morrisons' walnut cake

children fought a bit first thing - ds1 and dd are temperamental nightmares atm and then calmed down. Dd went out to Oxford Street with a friend took a wrong turning at Bond Street and ended up in Piccadilly and rang us up wondering why she was next to the Ritz not JL. Ds1 and his dad went to a film. Ds2 and I did Home Ed and had a pj day.

Welcome back Swan and thank you for your kind words. I'm not sure if I ever came back and said what happened to my Dad in the end, it turned out not to have been a stroke after all this time, but it was a seizure, he recovered quickly but has been told not to drive for a year which has come as something of a shock to us all. Luckily mum drives, and they are being very positive.

Glad the skiing was good, I could do with a holiday myself.

Well, first day of half term has passed uneventfully. Coffee with friends and their DCs this morning, then round the supermarket and off to see my parents. Drama when DS couldn't find his beloved Ipod as we were about to leave, 45 mins of searching later and he located it under their spare bed. So, we were running late for his swimming lesson, DD and I swam as well and we all had a good session. I have managed a good amount of my OU work tonight too.

Tomorrow it's activity clubs for both DCs and work for me, boo! Oh and pancakes of course.

Tuesday 17th Feb

Babystep - set a bedtime and stick to it I keep trying to stick to 11, but it never seems to happen.

Mission - super swish and swipe and make the DCs beds.

Daily Focus - planning. I need to do that, my to do lists have not been done for ages.

Good morning fledglings,

Sounds like your ski trip was fun Swan

Hope everyone with littlies enjoys half term - any exciting plans? My DSs nursery doesn't close for half terms so it's business as usual here.

Ta da so far:
Cats fed
DS fed
Washing load on
Dishwasher emptied
Dishwasher maintenance: topped up salt and rinse aid, put a cleaner wash on

To do
Cat litter trays
Fold dry laundry
Hang up wet laundry
Make beds x3
Go into town:

• buy more bleach for cleaner on Thursday
• take some things to charity shop
• buy more cat litter
• buy a zip for sewing project

I'm hooked on the Great British Sewing Bee and want to improve my sewing machine skills. I've never seen in a zip before so thought I'd have a go.

It's the main day of Fasching (carnival) here today, so the DC were allowed to go to school in fancy dress - although only DS did so properly (and he cheated really by putting on his scout uniform ); DD2 couldn't decide what to wear so went in her normal clothes in the end, and DD1 just went with her class theme of black and white but in normal clothes too. Her school Fasching party (in a big hall on the other side of town) ends in 15 minutes; I've always been to pick her up before (a bit of a nightmare as I have to leave so early to get a parking space that I might as well not bother starting work) but she's said she'll catch the tram and then bus back home today. We'll probably go and have a look at the Fasching procession this afternoon, but it hasn't been particularly impressive the last couple of years (DS's main motivation for going is all the sweets thrown off the floats).

Grey Good luck with the zip! I haven't sewn one in for about 20 years so doubt I'd remember how to do it; I keep thinking I should really brush up on my sewing skills, but have got very lazy since meeting DH as MIL used to be a seamstress so can do everything far better and more quickly than I could.

WhoKnows We had a similar situation with my father a year or two ago - we thought he'd had a stroke, but it turned out to be a reaction to some medicine he was taking after an operation. That's a long time not to be able to drive; my father couldn't for several months after a different operation last year, but luckily my brother is still at home with them as my mother hasn't driven for about 20 years (and has given up her licence now, in fact). MIL has never driven and is completely reliant on FIL, although SIL and family do live in the same house and have several driving licences between them.

Swan Glad you enjoyed the skiing - you must have been here for the snowiest week of the winter so far (I'm keeping my fingers crossed we've seen the last of the snow now).

Toffee of your online food order. I really hate food shopping here; DH will go at the weekend but usually ends up spending far more than I would, so unless I'm snowed under with work I try to go during the week.

Done:
Made appointment for annual health check
Put washing on
Sorted out miscellaneous cables/DVD drawer
Checked train times for evening out in Vienna tonight
Work

Still to do this morning:
More work
Iron/hang up/put away washing
Make sure DD1 revises for various school tests as she'll have an hour or two of peace and quiet before the other two get home
Make lunch

But first, .

Grey - my DD (9) and I love Sewing Bee too, although I missed last week's. Between that and (like Linzer) DMIL being a qualified dressmaker she has picked up sewing very well and got a machine for her birthday (replacement for my very old and basic one which I have just sold). I can only do the basics though, we are thinking about going on a course together next month.

Afternoon all. Half term is going OK, but did have some tears this morning from DD. We have been out (craft thing) and she is playing on the Wii at the moment. DH has been decorating so the main (only!) room is even worse than usual as all the furniture from the dining half of the room is stuffed in with the sofas, etc! Still, paint dries quickly!

May get DD out again this afternoon if she wants to go, have done a bit of washing up and need to do some laundry. As for the babysteps and missions, setting a bedtime would be an excellent one for me as I am a night owl!

Have a good day everyone!

Who - a sewing course sounds fantastic, a lovely thing to do with your DD. I think once I've built up my confidence a bit I might look into it.

Ta da part deux:
Washing hung up
Wash load #2 in machine
Dry clothes folded
Errands all done in town.
Some gardening

I stumbled across a Mother's Day present for MIL in one of the flashier charity shops- a Lladro figurine for £22 which is a pittance compared to what they cost new. I hate the things but MIL has a vast collection....

Any of my neighbours looking in the direction of my garden this afternoon would have thought I had totally lost the plot. We have an artificial lawn which is fab, but now the winter has passed it needs some TLC. So I was out there brushing the lawn and hoovering it with my DustBuster! The cats had slaughtered a bird and little weeds we're poking through so I had a lot if tidying up to do. Looks great now and I'm knackered

Morning.

Today I went to the wool shop. Today I added a grand total of 1600g of wool to my stash 1200g is to finish a big project that i grossly underestimated how much I would a) enjoy the project or b) the amount of wool required for the end project. The other 400g is for another project that I want to do. This is totally not flying and totally not culling/decluttering and I don't care so nerh nerh nerh. Personally I think it is the perfect way to spend christmas money from family. 3 lots of joy: the shopping, the making, the end product.

I have nothing else to add really. Until another day

Will the end product be leaving your house Bitchy? Then you can add another joy, the joy of giving and you will have decluttered as well.

Grey - I sometimes see my neighbour on his hands and knees sweeping his patio with a dustpan and brush, think he must be a closet Flylady.

Fizrim - you and me both on the night owl thing. DS was very tired tonight and took himself upstairs to watch the Simpsons on our bedroom TV around 8, he wanted me to get in and watch with him, I very nearly dozed off but of course am wide awake again now.

Linzer - hope you enjoyed the Fasching procession, nothing so interesting happens here at this time of year.

Not too much flying here as the DCs were at clubs and I was at work. Managed to get us all out of the house on time just and did do a bit of tidying and a couple of loads of laundry when I got home. Missions aren't really happening this week though. Same plan tomorrow, clubs and work, but I will have to step up the Flying a bit as we have guests coming on Thurs.

Wednesday 18th Feb

Babystep Read Flylady's 11 commandments

Mission Turn your bathroom into a spa and declutter your DCs clothes

Daily focus Anti-procrastination day

Oh no, nope mine all mine

Managed to get quite a bit of Flying done yesterday, whilst Ds2 had a friend round. I did two loads of washing (still to put away, though ), hoovered and mopped floors, dealt with endless washing up, changed Ds1's bedding and persuaded him to have a bath and wash his hair, and tidied his bedroom. Oh, and cleared and cleaned both cat litter trays. Also took delivery of an Ocado order and put it all away, made breakfast pancakes for DS2 and his friend, then did pizza and garlic bread for lunch.

As it's anti-procrastination day today, I have made some phone calls I've been putting off: tracked down a number to reorder DS1's melatonin, reordered a prescription for myself from our local chemist and booked DS1 in for a regular appointment at the doctor's next week. I have one more phone call to make which I'm putting off till later.

About to walk into town with DS2, thus combining exercise with chores.

DH is out all day, on an eight-hour business trip, poor thing. (Note to self: put the Prosecco in the fridge for his return).

Just re-read Flylady's 11 Commandments (thanks, Who) - very useful reminders especially 'don't allow yourself to be sidetracked by the computer'.