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!

might be more appealing.

ta da
not kill ds who is in full melt down mode and seriously going to get a technology ban
strip bed
turn matress
bedding in wash
summer bedding onto bed

Aww, I like that mug, Who, we don't 'do' Valentine's Day either :)

Appointment went well, got another one booked in a couple of weeks, just to keep me going until the CBT kicks in :)

Ta da:
Most of morning routine
GP appointment

To do:
Mission for today
Afternoon and evening routines

Should really do some hoovering, but think I will leave that until tomorrow when I am home all day :)

Hope everyone else's days go ok :)

Hold on, Bitchy, you're putting your summer bedding on your bed? In this weather?!

Valentine's Day will be studiously ignored in this house....

Engels Such a lovely snuggly baby! He's beautiful . Good luck on your first solo week!

Whispers Glad you're feeling a bit better.

Not much done here beyond the basic morning routine. Will try and fit in 15 mins decluttering though.

Engels Aww! So cute!

Yes, we have continual running commentary in this house too. So wearing.

Plumber is here again, progress being made. Giving me an excuse to put off house bleugh though. Feeling pretty ropey with DS2's cold from last week too.

Morning all

engels what a beautiful baby I want one now

Ta da
Morning routines
Washing on

To do
Finalise online shop
Ring estate agent re putting house on the market
Paid work
Design data analysis spreadsheet for school (am expecting this to take a while)
Clear out email inbox
Decide on something for me and DH to have for tea and get it
Book spa trip for heavily pregnant sister

Don't panic Whoknows just changing the really bright brushed cotton for normal cotton and green. Duvet thickness is staying the same

I should be doing sooo much. But i don't want to do anything having been screamed at soo much this morning. Needles to say I have a pot of Bitchy special brew brewing and hopefully some lunch will help. Got to collect ds in about 20mins. Today is going to be one of those kinda days.

Blissful day with newborn snuggles.

We don't do V-day either. Just make a nice meal at home but no flowers and never go out to eat!

Ta da
managed to get toddler breakfasted and dressed and out the house for nursery on time with DS2 in sling
1 load of washing away from yesterday
1 load of washing today done and away
emptied upstairs bins
hoovered downstairs
online banking
post office for online shopping return (included a walk in the snow!)
researched tunnel/ferry and hotel for March
froze breast milk
made dinner (potato, bacon and veg bake)
washing up
long chat with best friend

It's been a good day! And now it's almost time for bed for me so I can get a few hours kip in before the first night feed.

Engles squee, oh I just want to squosh him!

Another one here with a running commentary, I swear what goes through her head comes out of her mouth.

Done
Vacuuming
Bathroom
Rubbish out
Laundry on
Ironing
Dd to school
Crocheting (making amigurumi to use up some odds & ends)
Twitter (it's worse than FB or here for taking up time)
Dd to karate
Dinner

To do
Washing up
More crotchet

Not sure if we're going to be doing V Day, bit strained here atm. DH has not been pulling his weight for a while & I lost it on Friday with him. He's starting to buck his ideas up, but I don't see why I should have to repeatedly chase him up.

I had a bit of a go at my DH last week too Goth - he is better than he used to be but still does very little actual cleaning apart from vacuuming, he has never once cleaned the bathroom in our 18 years together for example. Also he's so disorganised, he has missed his tax return for the second year in a row and doesn't seem in the least bit concerned about it. He's also in danger of three points on his licence if he doesn't get booked onto his speed awareness course in the next few days having been caught a few weeks ago.

Glad the appt went well Whispers.

PMPY - no 2 on your to do list sounds interesting!

Ta-da!

Morning routine etc, which is going much better again at the moment, long may it stay that way. Then off to work, where I had to spend an hour scanning and sending stuff to my solicitor re statement appeal (our scanner at home is broken), so I ended up a bit behind, but can catch up later in the week. Then home, homework, dinner and out to ballet class, which I'm enjoying. DS is still playing a lot of darts, and DD had her sewing machine out tonight, they are both total screen addicts, so it was nice to see them engaged in wholesome-ish pursuits for once. Links in a minute.

Links for Tuesday 3rd Feb.

Babystep Explore the Flylady website - even for us oldies that's good to do as a refresher from time to time.

Mission Put out those hotspots in Zone 1, shoes, mail, general clutter.

Tuesday's Habit Planning.

Just a quick message to join new thread. Me and DP never made it away due to snow but I haven't been on here as he's been off and we've been doing things like cinema and shopping, etc.

I haven't been doing much flying apart from the basics, which I think I'm really getting into the habit of. Had a very good day yesterday though, decided to tackle the worst room, which is my study. Clutter is a big issue but realised how bad the dust was too yesterday. So I used the timer and kept putting it on for 15 mins and I probably did a couple of hours of dusting and de-cluttering and I can really see the difference. Sadly, there is still masses to do but it's the first time that I've felt like I've started to make a dent, usually I seem to just end up paper shuffling.

Totally exhausted today, slept very badly last night, feeling quite sick and had to sleep propped upright and with sick bowl at side of bed for reassurance as we have a cream carpet in the bedroom. So got a terrible nights sleep so nothing achieved today and I feel really tired, so I'm about to log off and go to sleep.

Like I say I'm getting into the basics like sink and bathroom swish and swipe but I need to get into the de-cluttering, which is probably why I'm so pleased about yesterday. I only de-cluttered toiletries but I definitely threw out over 30 items so I was pleased with myself. If I can use the February theme of de-cluttering to create a 15 min a day de-clutter target then I could get on top of clutter in a few months I suspect. I tend to do other jobs on flylady list or other cleaning jobs in general and keep putting off the de-cluttering and then I run out of day. Has anyone else had this problem and has a handy tip or two to make yourself do little and often with the de-cluttering? Any tips welcome.

I'm not literally limping, just metaphorically with the domestic maintenance.
Although that could be different tomorrow with my post-zumba burn...

Good timing to tackle the hall. It's begining to merge into one major hot spot...

Oh dear lord I am broken. Just got in from an evening of stuff. My duvet is in the washing machine about to be transferred to the dryer fuckfuckfuckityfuck Pain killers have not been strong enough to touch pain levels today. Tomo is going to be a long ass day and as for wed I don't give a shit, i am sleeping through as much as possible of it!!!!

Oh dear bitchy I hope you managed to find a duvet alternative and are ok. Can you rest a bit today?

Didn't manage to ring the estate agent yesterday whoknows - will be adding it on to today!

To do
Ring estate agent
School spreadsheet
Gym
School visit (governors thing)
Swimming
Tea
Tidy entrance and stairs
Paint chips on stairs

Morning!

Courage to all of those who are finding life a struggle atm. I think this is always a tough time of year.

House a total pit. Felt a bit wretched yesterday and only got a 10th of my list completed. Feel totally overwhelmed by what continually needs doing tbh. I can't keep up and like MrsMook feel the house is one major hot spot!

Diet going badly, not helped by the annual "Fete de la Chandeleur" at school last night which involved eating lots of pancakes for charity!!

DD did a very good job as part of a team welcoming and directing parents, and then clearing tables for 2.5 hrs, but now says she never wants to be a 'servant' ever again (which was one of her most recent career choices along with dolphin trainer, show jumper and singer).

Engels well done re your first solo nursery run with baby in tow!!

Hope you feel better today Dogsbum and sorry to hear snow prevented you and dh from getting your break away! Glad the baby steps (how I hate that term!) are starting to become second nature!

Thanks for links Whoknows!

And sympathies to those of you with non-cleaning dhs. I don't think mine would even register that a bathroom does actually require cleaning from time to time.

We don't really do Valentine's day here either. (The most that happens is that we cook a nice meal or I bake heart-shaped cakes.) But I always use the date as a reminder to send my god-daughter a letter and a little present. (Her mother is god-mother to dd and she always very kindly sends her an advent calendar, so I needed to find an alternative special date in the year, that wasn't Christmas or birthday ifsywim.) I'm sewing her a present this year but am very behind with it as with everything else.

Had better get on! Big waves to everyone I've missed! Have a good a day as possible fledglings!

waves toboggans slips wet feet wet hands urggh...

only virtual but this morning I honestly could not understand where all ds2's enthusiasm is coming from..he rushed out in his dressinggown to make a snowball (out of one piece of crushed ice) Now he has donned his special "ski gloves" and some furry boots (dd's) to rush off the nearest park and see if there is some more snow there! And we are going to Innsbruck area this Sat so he really doesn't need snow yet...

done
no tidying
no flying

however I have signed up to ConquerMaths finally... tempted by thought of ds1 getting a better grade in his GSCE if I do (much talk of D's becoming A*'s on that site) Ostensibly it is for home education purposes though.

Dh and I are feeling very very bleugh and tired with the school routine and the house and the .....well everything really. Dd and ds1 all seem quite bright and cheery (not to speak of ds2 who has boundless energy) but we are limp dishrags in comparison [searches in vain for limp dishrag which is actually clean enough to use to wipe worktops)

Okay this morning I have achieved:

there is a pile of ski kit ready for ds2's expedition
I have washed all the underwear in the house
Ds2 is taking exercise of his own volition
My bedroom is tidy - and all that needs to be done is change the sheets to make it clean as well
both elder dcs in a good mood with no immediate dramas from school
signed up for ConquerMaths
A Park's meetup in Hyde Park today if we choose to go!

however:
need to find mobile (in car?)
still have to renew parking permit
buy some extra groceries (cake that sort of thing...)
send email to bookclub
somehow tackle the longstanding problem of the sofa and the lightshades and the shed at bottom of garden (but maybe I will give up on those problems again)

Sling Do you think dd meant servant in a religious sense? just wondering if this is the confirmation programme bearing fruit...Ds1 is enjoying his but so far has shown no signs of wanting to help others (although he did tell me he stuck up for the bus driver when a passenger started insulting him (the bus driver)

Dolphin trainer too! Wow.

Bitchy sorry the Fibrom is causing so much pain

Whoknows brilliant that she likes her sewing machine

No rest for the wicked. Party day so it is crisis clean, cake making and party prepping all the way fuuuuuuuuuuck timer is on. Ds went to school on time without fuss well he did tell me off for making him late but we'll ignore that

ta da
Dw loaded and running
All pots and pans washed
cake made and in oven
ds to school
plate up sweet type aspect of food.

There are some crisps type stuff to do just before I collect them and some cooked bits to sort out when they are here so i can supervise without looking like I am supervising

Breakfast is now eaten so I have to tidy and clean:

Porch
lounge
dining room
kitchen (just the clean bit plus another load of dw/washing up)
Bathroom
Hall and landing
ds' room

So not alot then

DH has taken the DC skiing today so I have a chance to get on with things - although mainly work, as I'm snowed under atm. We all went yesterday (I sat in the cafe with my book) and DD2 and DS had a lesson while DD1 pottered around (can you potter on skis?) on the children's slopes, but they're all going up to the "proper" slopes in the lift today. I hope they've remembered all their paraphernalia; we had to turn back after five minutes yesterday when we realised that DS only had his skiing underwear on underneath his skiing trousers and jacket.

swan Have never been to Innsbruck as it's the other side of the country from us, but I've heard it's lovely. Plus definitely more snow than in this area (although there's plenty here too, at least in the skiing areas).

SC What a lovely idea to send your goddaughter a present on Valentine's Day. And handmade makes it all the more special. I like the idea of eating lots of pancakes for charity! They're very into their pancakes here (pancakes with jam are considered a main meal) and DH often makes Kaiserschmarrn (fluffy chopped-up pancakes) for the DC.
Going back to the previous thread and confirmation, I googled and apparently having a "confirmation name" (name of a saint who's a personal role model to you) is the norm here too - must check with DH.

Must get back to work - waves to everyone else - am hoping to fit in some Flying and/or decluttering later. I'm another one Kondoing; I did come to a standstill for a while after clothes, but have got back into it again at the same time as I came back to Flying and treated myself to the second book yesterday, which has already been translated into German.

Hello everyone,

I wonder if I can join you all please? I've been loosely following a flylady system for a while but keep falling off the wagon due to a mixture of ill children and sharing a house with my clutter hoarding, untidy parents!

I feel I need some support to motivate me to stay on track a bit more.

This morning I've stripped the beds and washed sheets and towels.

I've also managed to find DS2s carpet through the layers of lego, knights and pirates.

Linzer I've always fancied Kaiserschmarrn, but never tried it. Am also snowed under. Why does work come in like this when I'm ill?! [mutters]

on the bar!

Welcome hanbee!

Blue I tried making Kaiserschmarrn once but it was a complete disaster (I think I overbeated the eggs) so have left it to DH since then! Hope you're feeling better soon; work is guaranteed to get particularly busy when either you or the DC are ill or they're off school (as is the case here - and DH will be back at work tomorrow), I find.

And since I wrote my last post, yet more work has arrived so had better get back to it. My chances of Flying today are dwindling.

Good luck with the party, Bitchy!