January Fledglings - Resolve to Fly!

[WhoKn0wsWhereTheMistletoes]

So, here we are at the start of 2016, poised with our control journals and ready to Fly for another year. New and old, all are welcome here, we loosely follow the principles of Flylady to manage our homes and lives, we also chat and lend an ear to whatever life throws at us.

We post links to the Flylady site each day throughout the month, with daily babysteps and missions inside that weeks zone. We also declutter. No links in this post, I'm on my phone and will do some separately, but it's time to get ready for 2016. A big thank you to everyone who has run the thread in 2015 and everyone who has contributed .

Links for Friday 22nd

hopefully the right ones

Control Journal go on, you know you want to...

Mission declutter your dresser

Daily focus - declutter your car and purse.

Oh, impetigo is horrible, Who - and terribly infectious . Make sure you all use separate towels. And I hope DD recovers soon.

Glad you had a nice relaxing day. DH was doing the same as you yesterday, as DS2 has come down with a streaming cold. No chance of school for DS2 today either.

I have the easier day: going to work and having lunch out with a friend.

Well, it has pretty well disappeared this morning, the rash wasn't actual blisters, just flat, no crusts either, the cream seems to have sorted it, so I suspect it was something else. And she's very keen to go back to school today, so I think we might send her in

Motivation = 0 today! So much to do and zero energy. Pain isn't too awful today, I'm just tired. And BLAH.

Still here. Still not flying much.

Have a lovely weekend, PA.

Hope all the poorly offspring are feeling better, and sending you energy, fuzz.

Cold and damp here today. Don't mind the cold, but I hate the rain. So steaming vats of on the go here.

Thanks Blue :)

I haven't set foot outside at all! Raining here too. DCs played Lego all morning and then we did a little work after lunch, then DD had a friend round anyway. Not feeling great about the laziness of the day but glad I didn't just write it off altogether. Got some freelance stuff done, and put one measly wash on.

DH on way home now and I've told the DCs we need to do some tidying. I've cleared some Trofast drawers (partly by bunging random contents into one of those massive Ikea bags!) and hopefully we can sort some toys into them.

Have a happy Friday folks

A busier day today, I have revived a bit now, but I was staggeringly tired earlier, too many late nights on the computer recently.

DD went back to school as the rash clearly wasn't impetigo after all (thank goodness). Went to a friend's for coffee, then to work for a couple of hours, then off to DS's school for a meeting, a bit of shopping and DD to tutoring. Zero Flying. Am going to have a blitz tomorrow.

Fuzz - sounds as though taking it easy is what you need just now, hope you are felling a bit less painful than you were a day or so ago.

Blue - thanks for the

Toffee - hope lunch was enjoyable and that DS2 is feeling a bit better tonight.

OK, time for some links for Saturday (23rd).

Babystep Afternoon routine

No mission, but the Daily Focus is Family Fun Day

Actually, I've just remembered, I did do some Flying today, I cleaned out my purse having done my handbag a couple of days ago. And the car doesn't need doing . I feel better now .

Morning all. Very quiet on here. Hope everyone is ok.

Glad it wasn't impetigo in the end Whoknows but that the possibility was there long enough to allow you to have a relaxing evening for once

The modern preserves book you recommended has just arrived. I'm enjoying looking at all the slightly unusual flavour combinations. I am definitely going to try the orange and cardamon cordial recipe.

If anyone here makes cordials, or drinks, where do you get sealable (if that's a word) bottles from pls?

Pretty miserable weather here too Blue

Hope you are ok Fuzzpig and Einstein

Whoo-hoo PA! Enjoy your weekend away

Sounds like you've had a tough week Toffee hope your ds2 is feeling better and that you haven't succumbed.

Waves handkerchief at everyone else!

Been a bit of a gruelling week here too. Very unusually, dh still really ill with cold/flu which isn't going away. Loads of staff still away in the office with various ailments. And there were nine students missing from dd's pointe class last night I've got a sore throat and a cough but don't feel actually ill with it apart from the odd temp spike now and then; so thankfully have been able to keep the home and office fires burning.

Not that home fires have been burning very hard tbh. Didn't get my usual batch cooking done on Thurs (just when everyone was in need of a good home made soup) so hope to get that done today. Also need to go food shopping and catch up with laundry. Boudoir still a pit, despite doing a few of last week's missions.

But the "hands" off experiment with dd seems to have had pretty good (albeit mixed) results so far. She's been surprisingly good with hwk thank heavens. Sports & ballet kit were a disaster at the beginning of week but she seems to have got herself more organised as week went on. And although she has showered, she hasn't washed her hair or cut her finger nails. So apart from greasy hair (how long can I let this go for without being charged with neglect I wonder ?) it's all been pretty good going. Most importantly, the atmosphere has been a lot calmer in the house which can only be a good thing! Plus she voluntarily cooked supper one evening.

And, and, a flipping miracle occurred last night! DD came home from school and announced that she had had "a really good day". That she had got loads of maths questions right and that she had enjoyed the entire day [yay!!]

Keep warm everyone and have a good weekend!

Lakeland do some SC. I have been coverting them but not making cordial atm.

Ds and I are locked in a battle of wills. We ARE going out and getting errands done.

I broke out the sewing machine and have been making stuff. WHich is very calming when I don't try to push the rotary cutter with my thumb

Ouch!

I get the bottles in Sainsburys, I think Ikea do them and probably most cookshops.

I haven't actually tried any of the recipes in that book yet, as the cupboards are full if stuff made last summer/autumn, my problem is my picky family who just want plain strawberry jam all the time. I am going to look through it soon though and see if I can tie it in with my growing plans for the allotment this year.

Einstein and Whoknows: I've just looked on the Lakeland website and they have some lovely ones. Have tracked down some more basic ones in a cook shop here and we don't have a Sainsburys, but will look in Ikea next time I go! Thanks both!

Ouch: re your thumb! Einstein! Well done with the crafting. I would do some sewing here but it's too dark ... .

Whoknows Sympathies as I get very despondent about cooking too. Dh is an extremely good cook and although he never says anything openly, I somehow just know when he thinks something could be improved upon, so I never feel very confident cooking for him. And dd is expanding her horizons taste-wise but I tend to cook quite healthy things and it's always a battle to get her to eat them. So I usually end up eating a lot of the things I cook myself. I really envy you being able to plan your cooking around your allotment though!

I was trying to think where else I had seen then and it was IKEA.

Not much light here for sewing so it is a whole heap of desk lights shining at the bench where I am working. Gets a little toasty.

Hi folks! Thanks for all the kind words. Sorry I've been so moany lately, it was a hard week in terms of illness - as well as pain/fatigue, the 'brain fog' has been ridiculous! Most frustrating. But I actually feel a bit happier today.

Yesterday we did get some sorting out done - a mere drop in the ocean of course, but I feel happy that we've made a start. Not sure that we'll get a lot done this weekend as DD has friends round (she had a bit of a wobble re: home ed the other day - nothing serious, as a simple look at the pros and cons of both reassured her and she really is miles happier out of school, but we realised we needed to make more of an effort to keep up with the few school friends she did have).

The day started with DS announcing that he'd dropped a full bottle of milk on the floor, the plastic split and so it's lucky I needed to do a towel wash anyway! DD had dancing and I had some nice time with DS playing card games while we waited.

Today's tasks - must do one more wash and another lot of tumble drying, hopefully we can put that away. Need to really make more progress on the editing as the deadline looms. It's hard with a houseful though. Also would like to get some more sorting of toys done.

Have a great weekend folks

Glad you've been feeling a bit more cheerful today Fuzz.

And glad you've had a calmer atmosphere at home SC.

Hope your thumb isn't too bad Einstein

Not much to report here today, DH tidied and hoovered downstairs while I was at hockey and the supermarket with DS, family fun day has ended with us all watching a film with popcorn which was nice. Tomorrow I need to menu plan, shop and sort out the paperwork for my tax return. I'm going to need to renew my spirit after that.

Links for Sunday

Babystep - one of my favourites, swish and swipe.

No mission because it's Sunday, however on Monday we will be heading into Zone 5, the living room

In the meantime, Sunday is Renew your spirit day

Morning all! Like the sound of your film night Whoknows It is indeed calmer here but everyone is terribly grumpy so think I spoke a bit too soon.

Dh is grumpy because he is still ill and he hates being ill (I offered him a doctor's appt of mine last week and he refused it) and thinks he should be better now and can't understand why he isn't even though he is never off his phone or the computer even though he is meant to be resting at home.

And in response to what I consider to be a reasonably mild question such as "have you drunk anything this morning?" or "would you like a drink?" dd goes from non-committal grunts (if you are lucky) to full-blown outrage and shouting in under 5 seconds. I don't understand it and am crap at handling preteens obviously. I know I'm old, and my pre-teen years were many, many years ago, but I do remember it being customary for children to actually have to answer basic questions addressed to them by their parents in a reasonably polite manner [sigh].

Boudoir is still the tip of all tips but school uniform is in wm (late) and chicken and root veg and big bunch of herbs have been thrown in trusty enamel chicken-in-a-brick thing along with some glugs of white wine and stock. I am going to escape with young Mr Furry while it cooks.

PA where are you? Furry and me are coming to find you ... .

Waves to Fuzzpig - well done on making a start - and glad you feel a bit more chipper! Did you try bicarb to eliminate any lingering milky smells!

Einstein have one or two desk lamps but also have ridiculous lack of plug points. The kerfuffle involved with extension sockets combined with the fact that all sewing materials went upstairs before Christmas to make way for decorations, means that I CBA when it comes to sewing atm.
I admire you for ploughing on through though.

Have a good Sunday everyone!

Fuzzpig that was meant to be a ? not a !

Good point on the bicarb! Thankfully it was on the lino though.

Managed a little tidying as a family today, although I didn't do much myself but DD now has a friend round playing in a much tidier bedroom, I've done a bit of editing and we've done a meal plan and ordered a Tesco delivery.

Need to decide what the next stage of tidying must be. It's tempting to pull out other boxes and put away the toys from them, but I know if we pull too much out it'll be chaos. I'm not sure where to go next!

Congrats on meal planning Fuzzpig! Flylady says never pull out more than you can put back in one hour, although personally I find 2-3 hrs more realistic. More tips here. Good luck!

Ta da:
animals: bowls/feeding etc
dog walks x 3
quick supermarket dash
glass recycling
made humungously large pot of bol sauce to freeze
made up shepherd's pie to freeze
cooked chicken dish for lunch
cooked rice and mince for furry one
made veg soup to use up ageing veg
washed school uniform and hung up to dry
folded dried bedding ready for quick iron
folded rest of washing ready for ironing
folded stack of towels and pants
hung up red wash
school forms and money for trip etc
on-line shopping order
bought slippers for dd on-line in sale
sorted dog coat sizing (for coats that have arrived and don't fit)
dw emptied, and filled and emptied
10 mins tidying boudoir (torture)

G'night all!

Good list, SC. All been very grumpy here too, making me wonder if DS1's coming down with something again, sigh.

Had a good dinner though, and just about ready to face the week ahead.

Night all.

ta da

Put first wash on first thing
Took DS2 to swimming lesson with new teacher
Visited MIL
At home - put DS2 in bath to wash off chlorine
Tidied DS2's bedroom
More washing (four loads in all)
Ironing
Put away washed and ironed clothes
Tried to help DS1 with revision for second GCSE Science assessment
Washing up
Tidied kitchen table
Persuaded DS1 to have a bath and wash his hair
More ironing
Reminded DS1 to revise
Phoned DM
Cooked dinner
Found library books to return tomorrow
Fed cats
Cleared out litter trays
Weighed cat food for tomorrow
Tried to help DS1 with revision again
Laid out clothes for tomorrow for DC and me

I don't think I stopped from the moment I left the house at 9 till the moment I finally sat down to eat at 6.30. At least we are now well stocked up with clean, ironed clothes, although most of DS2's pants have mysteriously disappeared . And at least we now have a relatively tidy house.

DS1 is being impossible about his revision. I've tried to help him, but he comes out with so many excuses for not doing it that I despair. I really don't feel I can force him to revise; he has to find his own motivation for that.

SC - good to see you are taking a step back with your DD and letting her take more responsibility. I really hope it works out. I try to do that with DS1, but as he genuinely struggles with organisation and personal care, I can only go so long before intervening.

Some great lists here.

Mine isn't too bad, but I have just remembered my clean bedding is still in the tumble dryer and not on my bed.

Ta-da!

I'm going to start with last night as I did some Flying late on.

Decluttered wardrobe and put out a pile for the charity shop
Stored away Christmas books and DVDs
Dug out all the paper for my tax return, not much as bank statements are all online now

Today

Menu planning and shopping
Home to make unpack and make picnic lunch
Out for a couple of hours to the New Forest, which isn't far from us - DS wanted to see the Rufus Stone (they are studying the period in History)
Home, homework with DD then played scrabble.
Took Christmas tree to tip
Took DD to swimming lesson
Homework with DS
Dinner
Watched a film together, we are going to try and make more of a habit of this now the DCs are old enough not to only want Disney films, which I find fairly excruciating. This was A Knight's Tale, also topical for DS and his homework and with just enough mild swearing to make him giggle his way through it
Did all the online bits and calculations for my tax return, just need to log it all on the system tomorrow night now

Links for Monday.

read a testimonial - optional

mission - declutter your living room surfaces

Home Blessing is our Daily Focus

Waves to all!! Epic fail on my plans to post more this month

I'm trying to post this with Meerkitten lying on me so I expect it will be brief, especially as she is lying on my right arm, making this hard to type.

We are all under the weather at the moment with cough and cold so sleep has been affected and breastfeeding is hard for Meerkitten with a bunged up nose, bless her!