Festive fledglings flying through December - the Flylady thread

[TooStressyTooMessy]

Welcome to the December (dare I say the Christmas?!) Flylady thread. This is a really lovely thread where we loosely follow the Flylady system (see the Flylady website ) in the hope of having organised homes and lives.

Every day I will post a link to the launchpad which has everything you need for that day if you do want to follow the system strictly. Plenty of options to follow the system more loosely as well :).

Please do familiarise yourself with the Flylady website, especially if you are new. The Flylady is (understandably) keen that people do look at the website.

On the website there is information for beginners. You can also sign up to the Flylady emails but we would advise not to as there are hundreds of them.

We post our achievements (ta das) and our to do lists and any other general chatter about life / flying.

Information on getting started: www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/

The launch pad is also a good starting place:www.flylady.net/c/lp.php

Fly stands for Finally Loving Yourself. The general idea is that short bursts of tidying / organisation are more achievable than marathon efforts. Flylady advises 15 minute bursts is effort but you can tweak this to fit your own circumstances.

Be kind to yourselves, jump in where you are and be careful not to crash and burn!

Any newbies are very welcome .

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Flylady also does Christmas missions which I will link to each day. They are really useful and nearer the time she does super missions which help you if you have not managed the regular missions. They are just there to help and as Flylady says... do not worry as you do not need to catch up, just jump in where you are .

Link to the holiday cruising is

here

December’s habit is usually [[http://www.flylady.net/d/habits-of-the-month/december/
pampering yourself]] which is much needed this busy time of year. This can be as simple as taking two minutes to have a cup of tea, if long pampering sessions are unachievable.

The website will update to the December missions etc in the next few days so I will link it again if it is different.

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A daily summary (which should update automatically every day) is available on the Flylady website at flight plan here.

The link to the current zone and missions is [[http://www.flylady.net/c/sp.php#missions here].

Re. zones, do what works for you. I don’t always stick to the zones myself and do what works best at the time!

daily focus

missions for the week

Flykids mission

beginner babysteps.

The best place to look for an overall summary is the launch pad.

Happy flying everyone.

Please note that while there is lots of information on the website, from a security point of view we would advise caution with putting any personal details in or downloading anything.

Also a huge thank you to Ghoulette for the November thread.

Someone out to point out to various OHs that the season is about worshipping Mary's boy child not various Manchilds (sic)

Indeed Tinselette!

Poor you Zoo you sound really run down try and take it as steady as humanly poss

Waves to Hazel and Foxes!

Ta da cont'd/...
3 on-line returns parcels
lunch time dog walk
Parcels and cards to siblings and nephew and nieces X 2
Parcels and cards to godchildren X 4
Parcels and cards to cousins X 3
Spent half an hour nagging persuading dd to come with me to PO
Schlepped to PO with parcels
Sang carols and had a cup of tea on return (piano thankfully now in tune!)
Wrapped presents for other godchildren
Found cake silver cake base stand things
Found icing bag and nozzles and snowflake and christmas tree cutters
Laundry loads X 6 (4 hung up to dry and td)
picked up prescription for dh
put chicken in oven in trusty enamel casserole dish along with carrots, celery and fennel and a splosh of white wine, some thyme and half a lemon

I know I say this every year but why does packing parcels take so ruddy long????? Feel tired and there is still so much to do!

Theres a thread suggesting a lot of men believe in father christmas and that is why they are shite at christmas prep! Maybe some truth there?

There was a great thread a year or so back on the subject of "what would Christmas look like if we left it to men to organise"

gah, "to do the organising" that should have said!

Left out best bit earlier: dd and I popped over to expat shop after visiting PO (she was only at school for one hour today and will go back on Friday for her report as its the week of the délibé (post-exam deliberations ie marking week) and we found ... English crumpets (or pikelets as we used to call them at home - but I think they are slightly different) so we had them toasted with butter and hot tea: yum!

That counted as lunch but definitely starting diet properly again in NY!

That thread sounds funny, my dh is very unorganised in general (tbf it's just his personality as he certainly does his fair share I really can't complain, he's just so forgetful!) But he is a huge fan of Christmas so actually if Christmas was left to him I reckon it would all run smoothly, only thing he'd be crap at is remembering all the things for the dc for school and nursery, like costumes or dress up days or money for various things. I also write a list of who we need to buy for as he'd probably forget a few people! The rest of Christmas he pretty much does anyway. I can't wrap presents I'm terrible at it, and I'm rubbish at bothering with cards or decorating the tree. Dh does all that. And we choose everyone's gifts together.

Don't put up with these man children people!! It is not excusable! (Sorry but my blood boils on your behalfs)

Zoo please take it easy (I know it's hard)

Oh god dd is screaming because ds got out of the bath first

Tada

Wow, Zoo, that looks beautiful. Hope you averted WW3 over bath escapes, foxes. Great news about crumpets SC.

Ta Das

• morning routine
• last posting stuff written / packed
• hung on the phone for 20 mins to get GP appointment for DS2.
• Christmas Coffee with dear friend
• planted narcissi bulbs for DM's christmas guft
• posted last posting stuff
• christmas pot of tea with other friend
• DS2 to GP
• Latin lesson for DD and I won the Kristmas Kahoot!
• everyone fed, nobody dead.

I feel like I've been run over, I'm going to bed. DH and I have a meeting with DS2's SENCO tomorrow (the one who tacitly accused me of trying to game the system when we presented DS's diagnosis). He had better be ready for a Hard Stare.

There is always something for kids to argue about foxes!

That is lovely zoo! Must be tricky with a December birthday in the mix.

Big wing flaps to all.

Good luck with your days tomorrow Willow and Hazel.

Glad you enjoyed the crumpets SC!

I need to have a look at that thread Ive! To be fair DH is great at the cooking side of Christmas and does all presents for his family (we do discuss options if needed). I’m not sure (massive generalisation here) that most men see all the stuff that needs doing for school (as you say foxes) / activities / kids at Christmas though.

KT, hope you managed to enjoy your film and wrapping.

Launch pad

Christmas missions

‘We get there in the end ’

Foxes I hope DD calmed down, hopefully it was just tiredness?
Willow good luck tomorrow!
Zoo beautiful wreath you made!
SC yay for expat shop, I don't have one here so if I really want something from home I have to order online. No-one from home sends anything to us, other than Cadbury advent calendars for the kids.

My day did not go as planned! This morning was productive- dropped off box of mugs/ cups to the charity shop, paid a bill, went bulk shopping in Costco. Dropped off calculator to DD as she forgot it. Had lunch, Skyped Mum. Fell asleep on the couch for 2 hours!! Wrapped gifts for works Christmas party on Wednesday. Made dinner, started on dark chocolate orange truffles, got in freezer ready to finish tomorrow. Cut caramels and wrapped individually. Got 2 lots of caramels ready to go to new owners tomorrow. Wiped counters down in kitchen, started dishwasher. Shower, now in bed. It's just gone midnight, still so much to do!

Morning everyone. Yes Hazel, I can definitely related to so much to do!

So can I

You obviously needed the sleep though Hazel so it was good to have a break

Sounds like you made lots of Christmas prep progress SC! And now I want crumpets dripping with butter.

Zoo look after yourself. Hope the iron kicks in soon. You still managed to get loads done though.

Foxes is the floor finished? I hate the mess that comes with DIY.

Willow good luck for tomorrow’s meeting and hope you feel less hit-by-a-bus-like.

Hazel you got loads done yesterday even with a nap thrown in there.

I got most of my list done yesterday. All presents complete and 95% wrapped. Mission and most of homeblessing done (need to do downstairs floors still although I’ve done a spot sweep and clean this morning so it isn’t desperate). Upstairs is immaculate. Didn’t do cards so I must get that done in the next few days. Curtains still require sorting - that’s another of those 5 minute jobs that I keep putting off SC. I can easily do it standing in a chair. It just doesn’t appeal.

This morning’s ta das:
Elf brought DD a Christmas craft set which she wanted to do immediately. She was engrossed for ages and the products looks good - some are to go in with presents for grandparents. However I’ve had a battle to get her in the bath to wash the mess off. She’s in now so I get 5 minutes peace while she plays with her tea set
Living room partially tidied
Breakfast stuff in dishwasher
Floors roughly swept and spot clean
Beds made

To do:

Load of washing in
Living room tidied a bit more
Me and DD dressed (sorry flylady )
Possibly some cards and the minimal remaining gift wrapping. It took a while yesterday and that’s after really cutting down. No idea when I used to get the piles of previous Christmases wrapped!

We are having a festive afternoon out with family today so won’t get much else done, but after yesterday’s successes I can enjoy the day without feeling there’s other things I should be doing. Happy flying all!

Ta da

School run and shit
Few bits picked up from shop
8 presents wrapped
Pots washed
Kitchen swept
Checked list of presents bought
Ordered couple bits on amazon
Checked school events for week

Ta Da

• Feel less like I've been hit by a bus (slept from 10-8, clearly necessary!)
• SENCO meeting done, he has redeemed himself by talking a good talk. The acid test will be January when we will see if he walks the walk. I am holding my Hard Stare in reserve!
• morning routine, except washing (oops)
• went into town with DD for revision stationery (mocks after Christmas) and persuaded her if she wanted an extra fiver, she needed to mop floors for me today .

Hazel well done on getting so much achieved and fitting a nap in! Good luck with the interview.

Zoo, hope the tablets are working. You really must take care of you - a pair of black eyes over Christmas because you've fainted and banged your head is not a good look, whatever the magazines are saying about "statement eyes being in this year" .

I'VE, Shambly, Tinsel, KT big wing flaps, you seem to be motoring along nicely.

I totally know what you mean about So Much More To DOo, although we reached the bottom of the Christmas budget yesterday so everything else is moot now.

To Dos

• more wrapping
• change our bed
• washing in
• kitchen floor and downstairs hoovering
• marzipan the cake

zoo, I missed your post about going to the GP. Glad you have an explanation and some iron tablets. Look after yourself as much as you can .

Glad SENCO meeting went ok.

Ive, you’ve reminded me, I really need to make some kind of coherent present list as a lot of it is in my head .

Wrapping always takes me longer than I think it will KT. I often do it late at night with good telly on but we are not quite close enough to Christmas for me to have a wrapping marathon yet.

Festive waves to SC, foxes, Laputa, Expletive, Christmas and everyone else.

Ta da:-
Went to shop to get board game that was either out of stock or ££ online.

Got a few other bits and have ideas (again in my head) for three other presents. Vague hopes of getting them before school pick up but doubtful.
Tidied half of house and hopefully can do the other half this evening. Aiming to do proper home bleugh Friday.

Must get on!

SENCO meeting message was to Willow!

willow way my life runs I'm more likely end up two huge bumps on head and resemble reindeer horns than statement
black eyes

Anyone else to delegate to I would.heyho.I've knows the score,you plod on and just have to suck it up.big girls pants pulled so hi you are peeping over knicker elastic and just keep going...

Dd2 continues to spiral.will be ringing gp triage team today to get her seen.isnt sleeping,can barely eat as throat feels like she's choking(silent reflux is out of control also due to stress which adds to that obe/) panic attacks now happening even watching TV.shes a mess.sent her school still as mindfulness classes start today.no exams,but no less anxious

Yes the dc are definitely tired, end of term exhaustion, dd has been snappy at bed time again tonight and ds fell down the stairs, dd fell over on the way home from school...argh, one more day at school then a rest!

No the floor is still work in progress but luckily mess is confined to one side of upstairs so not a huge problem, bit dusty at times! And ds is sleeping in dd bedroom until it's finished which is not a big issue they seem to like being together actually. More annoying is having to keep ds clothes and stuff in dd room and his mattress on her floor so a bit cluttered in there now. But needs must!

How is everyone this evening? Anyone feeling festive or not really?! My mum made mince pies with ds today so they've definitely helped!

Ah, Zoo, I hope your DD is on the mend. It's awful to see them so stressed and ill, sending sympathy.

Foxes and others with people still in school, good luck getting to the end of term. Only DS2 is still in of mine and he is very much looking forward to Thursday lunchtime!

Clearly you will all hate me, but today's Ta Da is... I've finished wrapping. I. Am. Done. I have never been ready this early before and am convinced I've forgotten something.

The rest of the house has mostly fallen to bits in the meantime. Flying again tomorrow I hope.

My achievment of the day is STARTING the wrapping. I normally wrap 90% on xmas eve which is AWFUL. Ive probably done about 15 presents so far

Wow well done Willow! Also well done Ive, to have even started that with a newborn and other kids.

foxes, I am actually feeling festive now. I am having my annual thought of ‘why on Earth didn’t I start earlier so I could enjoy it more?!’. Oh well, maybe next year .

Ta da:-
Aside from a food / drink shop and last minute gifts I think I have finished online Christmas shopping. Still have to wait for the orders to arrive though. Also I think I have finished buying anything that I cannot get in our local town. Aside from one shop which I need to go to tomorrow which is fine as I pass it on my way home from work anyway and DH has the kids as I am working late so will have time to go.