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.

Btw Zoo tell da I think he made a great choice with the middle one!

Five days would include TODAY and CHRISTMAS DAY

What a productive bunch you’ve all been since I last checked!

Impressive lists SC, Zoo and Ive.

DH has already eaten the Christmas nuts SC. If your DH turns up soon and starts on those I think that’s definitive proof they are one and the same.

Bower your choir sounds lovely. It’s true that DH’s Christmas to do list would look very different to mine. It’d probably say:
Buy beer and cheese
Buy more beer and cheese to replace original
Go shopping on Christmas Eve
Get DM or KT to wrap last minute purchases
Turn up at DM’s for Christmas lunch.
Sounds like a good Christmas now I think about it!

Too that drive sounds very stressful. I don’t mind driving in the city centre but get so stressed about finding somewhere to park! Glad you didn’t miss the event.

Willow I’d be grumpy with DH too. Hope you had something lovely to replace the pie.

So I did manage to get the bathroom floor done with a toothbrush and bleach yesterday, however it hasn’t come up as well as I’d hoped . I’m thinking it might need regrouting. It’s a pebble effect so lots of grout and all wiggly lines, and it just looks so grubby despite frequent attempts to stay on top of it.

DD was a bit grumpy this morning but her temperature has dropped and we’ve had such a lovely Christmassy day.

Minimal flying has been achieved as we left first thing and weren’t home until almost 5. However I managed a load of washing, beds made, and I had a sudden productive burst while sorting dinner and tidied up the kitchen drawer of doom.

DH is currently supervising DD finishing off her cards just before bed.

Tomorrow’s plan is homeblessing and tidying downstairs ready for family get together in the afternoon, and probably helping DSis at some point in the morning. I normally bake and do a full buffet for the family thing but this year they’ve been told it’s shop bought mince pies, cake and fizz.

We are so close people! Roll on Christmas Day but not too fast for those of you still with lots to do

I know I've he gets some kind of thrill from taking it right to the wire . That's fine if you have a tiny family with a dictator at the head (not referring to late mil oh no- not at all--) but when you have a huge extended family (with whom you are close) and loads of people coming to stay, you can't really operate like that.

Glad you had nice Christmassy Day KT

Launch pad

Christmas missions

‘We get there in the end ’

He is also infuriatingly fond of working right up to the last possible moment and then doing the last minute present dash which means inevitably that he isn't around to help with cooking and prepping for guests ... funny how that happens every single year ... despite me asking him to be available weeks in advance!

Sorry to bleat on but he has ONE present to get for his sister (and maybe for me and dd) and has he done anything about it? No. I refuse to do it (although I always have some smellies in reserve in case he doesn't do it). In the meantime I have bought, wrapped and delivered, presents for entire office, and all presents and cards for his side of the family, as well as my family and dd and the pets and written all cards to friends, family, business connections etc, people who work directly with us, friends in the countryside etc. Oh yes and a close member of his family has a birthday two days after Christmas and I have organised a present and card for that as well!

Grrrrr.

Sorry if I wrote exactly the same post at this time last year

Great that your dd was well enough to enjoy her day out KTcluck.
I had to beat dh off with a stick to retain the 75 g of brazil nuts needed for Christmas cake btw!

Dh's Christmas list would be:
buy as many processed pork products as will fit in a fridge
ditto cheese
leave everything until last minute
second-guess the wife as much as possible and faddle with oven temperature when she is cooking
when going out shopping for a list of 12 things, come back with 8 totally different, unrelated things
procrastinate for as long as possible over the one single present that I have to buy in the hope that wife will feel sorry for me and capitulate and buy it on my behalf.
Allow dogs to make as much mess as possible and tread mud all over newly cleaned floors.

I should be grateful though really. I was really tired when I got back at six-ish but I am so riled now that I have a second wind!

OMG SC. We really do have the same DH! The faffing with the oven, the incorrect shopping, the procrastinating until I take over. If you tell me he leaves his socks on the living room floor every night I’m going to have to start questioning him about his other family!

Right come on. Who will motivate me to wrap?

Hi
Decs up bar one I bought which is just not working.House looks better.Still need to do dining table but you can SEE bits of it. Try to finish that tonight. DH put lamb shanks on but not veg so waiting for those. Smells divine. I went to Mass had to drive quite a way as our two churches have no service tonight likewise the big church so found the one in village where MIL &FIL lived had a service at 6pm. Lovely old church, unusual decor. Parking a nightmare but everyone seems to just park and then wait until someone comes to get out. Patient people. I also received a hug and kiss from a handsome man.Told DH when I came but he didn't answer as he was watching the match! He has a lovely wife and five kids.
Mended an angel.
Supper nearly ready mmm the smell. i must buy those more often. So easy.
To Do.
Put boxes away DH watching match dare not go in there or to the stairs.
Haven't done room but might do a 15 min fling into drawers and wardrobe. Took shirt out of charity pile and wore it this morning.
So kitchen almost sorted. Sitting room sorted bar the boxes to go up looking at DH. Three presents to wrap plus trousers to mend for DS2.
Hall presentable. Bedroom not. Bathroom passes. Need to change towels on Monday. Still need to make cake tonight. shouldn't take long then three hours. Helicopter overhead so must be Mountain rescue. Brr!
Cousins hosing down their houses. Area where friends live told to stayput if they haven't already evacuated and the main motorway is closed for miles where we lived. Sister is ok at the moment.They will likely look after their street as oldest houses in country. Puts it into perspective. Hope everyone is safe. One cousin is on her own the others miles away are a family and looks like they have to evacuate and might not have a house to go back to.Scary! Glad DD no longer there.

Ive you won’t regret doing some wrapping tonight but you might regret not doing some. Make yourself do 5 minutes and then you’ll have started and will probably continue.

Sounds like things are well under control Bower.

Awful about people having to evacuate though bower!

I've ----------->

KTcluk um, should we encourage them to have Christmas together do you think? Then we can drink gin in peace .Socks left, not on sitting room floor, but irritatingly, on floor beside laundry basket in bathroom [grrr] so if not same person, quite possibly related

That's a great plot for a novel though ... two women meet on Internet forum... both their dh's travel frequently and for sustained periods of time... it gradually becomes clear they are married to the same man ... Bestseller I reckon!

Love the line "mended an angel" in your ta da list Bower very seasonal!

And hark at you being kissed by handsome strangers!

That poor family having to evacuate over Christmas ... and possibly losing their home ....awful, awful

Makes one ashamed for ranting ...

Going to do some wrapping now I have calmed down so am with you in spirit I've

Bower boudoir needs doing here too

Will try that "just do five mins" technique ...sounds good ...starting new task (especially when tired) is the worst bit.

Non-food shopping done bar one item which I can get tomorrow.
Food bits still needed
Neighbours cards still not written
Presents wrapped = 0

Instead I took DS to football thing, spent the hour while he was there buying books in charity shops and having a coffee. Then took DS and friend to big town where I did my non-food shopping. Home and round to a friend's house for far too much mulled wine and nibbles. Now in pJs watching darts with DS.

Oh that 5 min thing makes so much sense but i have ended up in bed

Got waylaid looking at news. Not allowed out now too dangerous.Not sure if they got out in time Cousin D has several maybe five horses plus several dogs and I don't know if she has got out or got them out. Really worried about family but glad DD is in NZ now. She was there two weeks ago with sis.

Hope I can sleep. Going to Edinburgh tomorrow to see niece. Haven't got everything done.Ingredients for cake four weighed out so will do when I get in tomorrow. Ice all cakes on Monday and clear rest of dining room.I have stuff like paper, tape, scissors out to finish last few bits.Wish Dh had helped a bit more.

my ear is weird.Since this afternoon I have pulse in my ear. It is racing and thumping in my ear weird.

Hope you are ok Bower try not to worry about your cousin; no news is good news hopefully

That sounds like a good balance of things Expletive

and fwiw, I didn't do wrapping either I've

it isn't just one.There is my DSister and BIL. Several families of cousin in the area. I've just seen it on the news.It has been smoke and crap air for weeks but is much closer now they have shut the main road for about forty miles. Cousin D is further south and on her own she was on Facebook earlier and didn't know whether to go or stay and try and save the house everyone giving her advice.She filled the gutters and hosed down all the roof and was going to leave heard nothing since. Rest of family a couple of days drive plus if she has the horses and the dogs it will be scary.Horses panic in fires.If she can get to my sisters then they have allocated the showground for animals and you have to stay there.Local families have been taking food. My sister has offered her gorgeous shower to anyone as limited washing facilities. I think they took some dog and cat food down too.

At least its not just me sc!

Was just nodding off and baby woke wanting another bottle. Can never judge if he will want one at this time or be ok without! Anyway he has drained it so must have been needed!

Fires look awful bower It must be very scary to have family caught up in that. I have family in Florida so they get some scary weather too and it is always worrying when you cannot make contact!

I have had ear ache and sore throat since early afternoon, this is usually my first sign of a cold. Please god not round two of the flu!

It is 19 hrs now since she posted.

I don't do Facebook but DH joined recently. Cousin J has posted on last on 16th so I guess they have left their house. The area that they live in isn't far from my sister so she might know. They were told to get out.some areas if they didn't they are now being told to stay put as it is too dangerous because the fires are changing direction.
Where Cousin D is some B** set fire to a car.She sent a photo it is her last post. Shows the smoke over the roof.

Yurgh - 1 am here - drunk too much coffee and now feel ill. Think I need to give up and go to bed... . A horrible amount to do tomorrow but it was worth it to see he of the long face and whiskery chin

Oh no I've hope it's not a secondary infection; try and drink some pineapple juice or eat some pineapple (fresh or tinned) it is said to have protective effects if you eat/drink early enough.

That sounds really scary for your family Bower I hope you hear from them soon.

G'night all!