Stepping forward in October: the new look fledgling Fly thread.

[Spreadingcudweed]

OK so maybe not new and improved exactly... but a more slimline, concentrated version!

Huge thanks to Hills for guiding us so slickly through September !

Many of us have been here forever; the thread where we (loosely) follow the Flylady housekeeping system here to combat CHAOS (can't have anyone over syndrome) with a load of chat and mutual support along the way. For that reason, we may seem cliquey, but we really aren't and all newcomers, lurkers, returnees and (intermittent) regulars are hugely welcome!

We are not posting links to the Flylady site on a daily basis anymore, just the daily baby step and flight plan, and the missions and zones on a weekly basis, but don't hesitate to ask questions about the system if you have any!

More information available here and from the launch pad here.

And borrowing heavily from Hills September introduction ... .

There are 4 levels for Flying:
-Baby steps - good for finding a routine in the tasks and getting over the perfection crippling effect
-Baby steps and missions - yep basic routine and more in depth tasks

• Baby steps, missions, and deep cleaning (if you are at that stage) - can't clean clutter so don't consider this one if you need the next level
• Flying combined with a decluttering system (kondo/unfuck etc etc) lets be honest fly lady is good for routine but not so quick with the decluttering results sometimes.

There is NO wrong or right way of doing this, it is about adapting the system to suit your life circumstances, which will be different from someone else's.

And when it all gets too much: come and take a seat by the fire in our specially adapted "naughty" corner where you can enjoy virtual and and tangible support from fellow fledglings.

Had a lovely lie-in, thanks Zoo. So nice not to jolt awake at 3.30 am as usual! Only woke up 30 mins ago and feel really rested. DD is still spark out. She is going shopping/mooching with some friends later this afternoon and I am basically packing up car/doing advance cooking/prepping and sorting bed linen for half term with a view to leaving this place in a decent state for our return.

Really sorry to hear you are feeling low Zoo enjoy the walk and make sure 'me time' goes to the top of your list today

Oh no Foxes that sounds like a really tough morning. Can you postpone supermarket trip and get everyone out to the park or some such? Light-bulb buying is tortuous at the best of times! [Hands over tea and paracetamol.]

Great list Cag and I'm loving the big mama meerkat! . Enjoy your time with your ma today!

Cheery wing flaps to everyone else!

Oh and for ironing Zoo!

We have snow!!!!!

Thanks for the blankie zoo will use it later. For now I am going to get chilled to the bone and have a glorious walk in the cold and crisp weather

Wow hills

Zoo so far it's getting worse not better! He's still screaming and I've put him in his bed because nothing I do is helping anyway

Sc supermarket is postponed until he calms down! Unfortunately I can't even get them to the park because he won't do anything I ask so the prospect of him putting shoes on is unlikely!

He's shouting now because I cleaned his teeth and I put some trains back in his box (that he wasn't playing with but were about to fall down the back of his bed). How awful of me.

He's gone quiet. It would be nice if he just fell asleep for a while tbh! Oh no he's shouting again.

Sorry hills that was meant to say wow snow!! Not just wow which sounded very unenthusiastic

We have had a teeny tiny bit of snow ❄

SNOW😱

Oh no Foxes for later

Oooooh Hills and I've snoooow!!!

Enjoy your walk Hills!

DD has surprised me by scarfing down an omelette and a huge bowl of porridge and we are off out to walk the furry. She is keen we discuss/formulate a strategy re: eliminating one-use plastic from now on.

it’s a lemur (I think)

Hey ive

Omg snow!

On the bus to lovely town. DH’s family annoyed me by assuming they were visiting today. Um no we have plans. They have done this often (and sometimes even turned up unannounced) and I was glad to have a reason to say an outright no. As too many times I’d bend over backwards to change plans or rush back early (only to then find they are late anyway). No more dammit!!! We do really want to see them just not when we are being pushed about for it IYSWIM.

Mum got here earlier than I thought so she is going to keep the three Caglets while I go into the game shop (much easier without the buggy and it may well be crowded with bargain hunters)

. Oh blimey, yes, so it is! Thought it was rather large for a meerkat . (Obviously been watching too many insurance ads! ) Aren't lemurs the ones that split off the evolutionary path in some way in Madagascar or something and some species were human-sized? That thought always freaked me out somewhat!

Enjoy your retail therapy Cag! Hope you find some bargains!

I love lemurs!we went a zoo once where you walk thru enclosure and they scamper all around you.its the tails that draw me to them.guessing remind me of cats how they use for balance etc.....

SC wish D's would eat like that.hes literally skin and bond but so anxious get food ins a blinking nightmare.so far today-horrible banana.for a bit on firm who eats cereal,banana,yogurt and toast this is not enough,but fighting it makes him more anxious and eats even less
Ate some junk to power thru some chores

Tada
Fed cats/zoolets
Wash on
Bleach lav
Freeze heading to local co op for milk
Brown mince,onions and peppers.into oven with tin tomatoes and paprika
Locate dining table under sea empty crisp bags,general detritus and apple cores/banana skins(half carrier bag rubbish)
Sweep living room floor
Sweep kitchen floor
Bag up overflowing and throw it generally near-- kitchen bin
Wash in drier,more on
S+s bathroom
Empty bathroom bin
All rubbish in wheelie
Locate TV unit surface and fireplace surface
Finger in squishy pear core on computer table took me over edge to rage status.left mess and will rant a zoolet into submission to "sort it aaaaaaahhhhht" later!!
Fold first load,set stuff needs ironing aside,put away folded stuff

For now D's begging me to colour and I've lost will to live so stop to relax for a bit

To do
Make soda bread to have with mince for lunch and whizz up dd2 a quick blacke eye bean and broccoli stew to go with her bread

Anything else I can be bothered!!

Wtaf....
Corrections NEC!!
Skin and bone
A banana(no idea how a becomes horrible)
For boy on form who eats...

I survived the supermarket! Zoo we also went to a place where you walk through the lemurs enclosure over the summer it was great!!

Ds is still being a monster. I'm drinking tea and trying to ignore him until dh gets home

And annoyingly yet again I forgot something from the shop - bread this time. I've got an appointment later so I'll have to divert to yet another shop!! I seem to be constantly spending money last few days.

I do it ALL THE TIME FOXES driving me bonkers!!

No idea why that just went all capital letters
Deffo one of those days!

Soda breads cooking,dinner in 15
Strong urge for a nice nap.not sure D's would leave me alone long enough to have one tho....

Well tbf zoo it seemed like the right thing to put in capitals!! I feel like shouting! What's worse is I came home with a random chocolate cereal that dd spotted but no bread. So not the really useful thing then!

I haven't really achieved anything since getting home. Dh got home and made lunch for the dc, emptied dishwasher. I got the washing out of the machine but haven't actually hung it up yet...

The thing with random bought chocolate cereal is no one in my house likes chocolatey milk so it's eaten dry in handfuls as snacks(usually only ever bought when dp thinks they'd like it and secretes into trolley unnoticed in my harassed state...) It comes in very useful in an I need chocolate pms type way and there is none

zoo that's exactly what my two do with it! I don't usually buy it but dd spotted and said she had had it as a snack at nursery school before and wanted it again! I was too weak to resist i.e.i couldn't he bothered to argue at that point.

Hi all!

DP has been loving me being all nest-y, he has even (surprising, given his hoarding tendencies!) asked me to help him de-clutter the cellar, which is currently some sort of workshop like chaos. I've said that I will as long as he reins in his annoying 'but what if I need it?' nonsense! I have de-cluttered and tidied so much that he is now joking about keeping me knocked up permanently .

Cag Nooooo...baby has to stay put until after Christmas! I'm 29 weeks, but all of my others have been early so as long as he waits until after the 26th of December I'll be happy! Self care was so hard when I was Home edding my girls, so you have my sympathies there, I never did manage to get it right in seven years of home ed!

Foxes ha, small humans are annoying! I'm sending calming vibes (while looking at my bump in horror as I keep remembering having toddlers!). My lot love chocolate cereal, I keep it as a school holidays treat though, as they would eat their body weights in it otherwise!

Today's ta daas so far...

Spend the morning relaxing (valid ta daa I believe!)
Laundry (if I'm doing a load a day now, wtf am I going to do when the baby is here!)
Sort and de-clutter DVDs
Sort and de-clutter video games
Sort and de-clutter papers

Still to do

Food shopping (putting this off because the fire is nice and toasty!)
Sort and de-clutter electrical cord drawer of doom
Sort and de-clutter craft supplies, including my knitting stuff
Dishes

Pace yourself steg that's a whopper of a list done and to do for a Saturday!!

Arf at be permanently knocked up!(hope you don't have to be barefoot and in the kitchen too)I was more laid back/less stressy pregnant which DP liked....

Lunch was good.ds ate his(one hunk soda bread instead usual 2-4 but it's something)wash up done
Wash out drier folded put away rest on iron pile
More wash in

I've retreated to bed to read for a bit as I've not got masses of clothes and all warm ones are in wash and it's FREEZING in here...

Just about to make all the hot water bottle and crawl into bed for a nap. Feeling seriously under the weather and motivationally low. Did get out and do some soul soothing stuff but just plain utterly exhausted on return. I didn't even do much I was just driving. Fabulous views even if I would rather been going for a stomp.

I think I got one leg in the pants of positivity today, have done some tidying .

Seem to have missed some cakes birthdays, including the gorgeous Cagletini and Bower's DH, belated birthday wishes.

No snow here today, a bit of light frost on the cars this morning and a lot of rain this afternoon.

Tasks complete - nagged DD yet again about half-term homework. Nearly done.

Started yet another list of things to do
Bought stuff via eBay, one of which arrived today thankfully as needed for Monday!

Tonight, we will be Halloween-ing the place up a bit and DD will wear a costume to watch Strictly. The excitement never starts here.

How does everyone feels out Halloween?
When I was kid,even dd1 tbh no one bothered.my mum hated concept effectively begging for treats from others and I kind of follow along lines esp if knocking on strangers doors.i used give out treats til 2yeara back hit all time high of 170 they roam streets in packs of parents and 10+ kids,mostly under 8s.i don't agree teens doing in,namely as they can be intimidating in numbers to some.also agree with no pumkin not joining in so don't knock!!
I've never let zoolets go trick or treating.used dress up and have games(wrap teddies in loo roll to make mummies etc) made fun meal etc and they enjoyed handing out treats and see all costumes
Last year they just had few sweets and fun food,didn't dress up and I didn't do trick treater stuff as was silly expensive year before
This year I'm doing peppers that are "carved" with chilli in and rice and maybe some fun cakes for pud

Tada
Hot shower
Painted toenails,and lil zoos toenail
Send pic if above to dd1 on messenger who then video called lil zoo
Am now snuggled in bed try find inspiration for menu next week as rain slams down and I'm cold(need invest dressing gown)

Dinner tonight-fish fingers in buns with cucumber and carrot sticks.
Tinned peaches
Dd2 having roasted veg with cheese n bun

Harry potter on in a bit so I really need start dinner soon so I can watch it.not seen last one!!

Have just seen this and wanted to share:-

"Speak quietly to yourself & promise there will be better days. Whisper gently to yourself and provide assurance that you really are extending your best effort. Console your bruised and tender spirit with reminders of many other successes. Offer comfort in practical and tangible ways - as if you were encouraging your dearest friend. Recognize that on certain days the greatest grace is that the day is over and you get to close your eyes. Tomorrow comes more brightly..."

-Mary Anne Radmacher