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 .

**
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.

*
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.

Worked this morning. Now home and laundry wrangling.

Swimming lesson at 4.30, then enchiladas for tea.

Mmm I could do some serious damage to an enchilada right now

Latest news is that one contingent of visitors is terribly ill at the moment with flu and when phoned today suggested to dh that they might not be coming for Christmas after all ....but they might .... argghhhh... this was ten minutes after ordering enormous gammon ham and two turkeys (which come quite small here). They can't help being ill of course and they sounded awful but arrrgggghhh!

Spent rest of afternoon so far not wrapping presents and writing cards as intended but focusing on future careers event for school which is being organised by Parents Assoc. It's really cool actually, like speed dating! Parents of various professions have been recruited and will be seated at tables in room. Students will enter and be able to talk to them for 20 mins before the bell rings and students move on to next person/potential career interest.

The following are indications of how chaotic things are here currently:

Had to spend 10 mins finding handbag before I could find my mobile to call hairdresser and fix an appt

Trying to work my way through list so that I don't get side-tracked but currently can't find list!!

Wm is beeping! I'd better get back to it! (Or start, in the case of Christmas wrapping and cards!)

Oh like sound speed dating style career chats SC
I'm having one of those days
Can't find scissors
Muffins sank
Cat furballed D's bed
Girls both on one

And top it a bloody palpitations I had last summer are back and I'm sat here bloody panting and feel dizzy.i DO NOT want go a+e as suspect my it's hormones again,and thought Friday night in December there
..erm.no.will be a freaking circus of drunks fighting/etc....

I have achieved very little and am intending do very little not that I can anyways at mo for rest of the day

Blood pressure zoo? That sounds like a stressful day.

I had to write out a second Christmas card for someone because I'd put the first one somewhere 'safe'

Puts enchiladas in naughty corner - extra cheese SC

Lovely festive local events this evening. I am actually feeling a bit Christmassy now. I briefly saw the bottom of the laundry basket, it had filled a bit now but that is life!

Love the sound of speed careers evening SC. Really hope you feel better soon zoo. Hope you enjoyed your enchiladas Tinselette .

Festive kirsch cherry waves to everyone else.

Launch pad

Christmas missions. Flylady calls them holiday missions since it is an American group. Having seen the flack a few posters have got for saying holiday instead of Christmas I thought I’d change it. Not that this is one of those types of threads though; you are all lovely .

‘We get there in the end ’

Thanks for links Toostressy!

Zoo sorry you are feeling so rough, that doesn't sound good at all. Were palpitations related to lack of iron last time, I forget? Hope you can get a good night's sleep tonight and rest up a bit over the weekend.

More ta das today:
DW emptied
2 more loads of washing done and hung one up & TD the other
2 more loads on
S&S
ordered turkey
ordered gammon ham & sausages
three flu shots administered by doc + Christmas prescriptions acquired
served and cleared lunch (home made soup + bread and cheese).
cooked fishcakes and salad for supper and cleared up
ordered January Christmas present
four pictures cleaned and frames polished
Christmas period meal plan sketched out (5 days)
hung on phone for what seemed like 5 hrs to arrange to get very ancient digibox renewed before Christmas
5 mins (literally) tidying in boudoir before I was interrupted

Just watched last week's Strictly with a glass of wine; first moment I've had time to see it! Going to try and do a bit more tidying again before bed.

G'night all!

SC we need to get our Christmas prescription for ds

I've hit the Prosecco. Mad day at work and worn out child.

Okay Christmas mission - clean the fridge - that so needs to be done here

SC I've got permenant low iron thanks to bad periods.take multi vit with iron.could be time for a top-up round script pills
Tinselette I veer on low b.p.always have

Enough wingeing.new day and all that
I've not movedand am planning get some things one.this could,of course,go tits up if things feel worse once I'm upright!

The plan of action-
Kitchen clear up
Quick tidy front room
Menu plan/recipe sort
Mountains laundry

"Fun" stuff
Games or dvd with zoolets
Xmas craft or baking
Hot shower and intense self care hour

Kits getting very loud complaining it's waaaay past breakfast time id best go feed my furry overlords!

Spring clean for christmas is now completed. I never knew there could be so much dust anywhere ever.
Presents are under the tree, house is decorated. It nearly killed me literally.
Christmas lunch is ordered. Just need to cook the damn thing now.
Christmas crafts with the children completed. I think they have eaten them all already, and there is just cones left.
Homemade cards completed. The dog is still doing glittery poops in the garden.
Hand made fireplace wreath done, shabby half dead thing is not exactly my finest work, but it does look VERY 'handmade'
Play list and cooking list is ready. And brace.

I have saved the christmas cards so I can write them whilst the tree is up to a christmas film with the children. No doubt an argument will ensue about what film and crush the magical moment I had envisaged.

I started this christmas prep back on the 1st of September, when the trees were in full leaf and it was warm and sunny. It has taken a full three months to reach this point, and to save my sanity. I need a lie down a very very long lie down.

I was wondering if I just threw out everything in my house into a large skip except our beds there would be nothing left to clean. Hey presto job done [goes to look up number for skip company]

castle dc5 is 13 weeks today! What ages are your other dc?

I used to have a really nice pair of treggings but they died, i should buy more

Ty to tinselette for mentioning the flu vac as it prompted me to book dc4s! However he now seems to have caught the cough doing the rounds so they may not want to give it to him!

There was a massive cock up with one of the dcs main presents (not my fault) but fingers crossed that is now sorted 🎁

Happy bday to your dd willow 🥳

I ALWAYS feel behind!

I had palpitations in last pregnancy zoo but down to stress / exhaustion by gp. Stopped when i was signed off sick! Stress / exhaustion could be you?

Morning!

Arf at furry overlords Zoo! . Take it steady today!

Considermesometimes That is amazing work to be all ready for Christmas two weeks in advance! (So sorry cannot scroll down very far on this device, is that a new NN?). Hats off to you! I always end up doing things in an exhausted rush at the end. It takes real discipline to get things done in advance, seriously, well done!

Everything still in chaos here and this morning has already run away with me. Due to give someone a present today and I can't find it ...

Have a good day everyone!

Foxes meant to say - don't begrudge yourself a low key morning once in a while - with working and young 'uns and broken nights etc, you have earned a bit of chill time.

Ha! Considermesometimes I threaten that quarterly too. "I'm putting it ALL OUT!" "Even (precious thing) Mum?)" "No. The skip is cancelled. Go away and tidy something!"

Zoo, sorry you're feeling rubbish, low bp can be a total pain. My cough has now reached the point where I am light headed even if I cough sitting down, so DH has made me promise to see a GP next week. Not going to make helpful suggestions for you, suspect you are sick of them, so will just exhort you to look after yourself .

Thank you all for birthday wishes for DD. For the first time ever she is happy and calm and not overwhelmed by dealing with the attention and gifts and family jollity, and I put it down entirely to her getting a diagnosis that we can all learn from, and the home schooling. The change is remarkable. In the past, she has spent birthdays swinging between manic and crying hysterically, so it's just lovely that she's enjoying today and using her new art stuff. DMum is arriving in a minute for birthday cake (which is in the shape of a radish. No, I don't know why she wanted one like that either!).

SC sorry your Christmas plans may, or may not, be unravelling themselves. We have told Christmas guests that dinner is a pooled effort this year, after getting stuck with food and drink for 12 two years running after they cancelled at the last minute. People who bring food, eat food.

Plans for the rest of today:

• Sort out last 3 bits of Father Christmas wrapping.
• get DS2 to send his not-girlfriend-honest home and do some work
• think about writing Christmas cards
• do so more work on DH's gift

Hi,
I’m back. Need to catch up on all your posts.

Not sure if I should say this. Went to Country Living fair and I have done all my shopping bar sending two sisters something and DS2 needs a present and the toiletries for three DS’s from Boots. Then I am done! I bought a couple of things for our house and restrained myself from two. Wish I had bought one now but I have a card so can order on line but maybe later in year. There wasn’t as much craft though which was disappointing.
Lots of clothes stalls which I didn’t bother with as I will get something old out for Christmas Day. I have a couple of velvet skirts which I bought in LA sale one year which only get worn at Christmas and elastic waist so still fit 🤣
We had a lovely relaxing time so I feel a bit better. The hotel was lovely lots of cornicing, stain glass and old fashioned elevator.
First breakfast was hilarious though. Like Faulty Towers. 🤣Waiters running about with food and asking everyone on our side did they order it. There was about six tables with couples and it wasn’t anyone’s x about seven plates of food. They were taking orders but not remembering whose it was. One woman finally got hers but not one for her friend then when she started eating it she had to send it back because it was cold. Friends arrived after that but it had beans she didn’t like bean. Guy opposite shouted that looks like ours as waiter went past. They had been waiting before we came in.😂it got so bad we all started laughing each time they asked us. We were the only ones that side who got the right order on time. A young English lad who seemed to be more in charge was tearing his hair out. We assumed two were new to the job. They didn’t even matched order by table number although table numbers were randomly placed. We felt like we were in a farce.

Right best go. I am off to sing carols. Concert on tonight.

Sorry I’ve been absent for a few days, finished work late on Thursday and Friday so we’ve just been thankful for everyone fed and no one dead.

Times it’s scary how quickly chaos can descend in this house. I have no idea how bigger families manage when I struggle just keeping on top of the clutter and destruction from one (and a messy DH).

How exciting for your DD Laputa! But nerve wracking for you. Hope it goes well.

SC your tada lists always amaze me, you’re too hard on yourself!

Glad you enjoyed yourself Bower. Sounds like a lovely break and well done on being so organised with your gifts.

Croissant thanks for reminding me to clean the vacuum filters. Haven’t done mine for a while. Had to do some emergency repairs on ours this morning as it kept cutting out and wasn’t picking up properly - piles of crumbs and fluff kept dropping back out every time it was turned off. Turns out one of DD’s plastic coins was wedged in it and there was fluff backed up all the way along the stick. How I hadn’t noticed it hadn’t needed emptying for a while I’ve no idea.

Tada for last few days:
Laundry basket under control
DD’s nursery photos into frames and assigned to family members to go in with Christmas gifts
Home blessing complete (I’m so pleased it isn’t just me who struggles to get it done in the hour!)
Cat beds de-haired and food bowls washed.
Dining room floor and table washed more thoroughly.
Hob cleaned
Downstairs loo cleaned

To do:
Rest of decorations up
Sort pile of paperwork, and junk mail from hallway
Lunch

We’ve got a festive afternoon planned - heading into Newcastle to the Christmas market and to see Fenwick’s window. We must be mad going in on a Saturday but DH hasn’t accrued enough annual leave for us to go on a week day and he didn’t want to miss out.

clean vacuum filters
Willow id love to see a radish cake!glad the days doing well!very sensible re Xmas hosting too(and FWIW I swear by bag salted crisps and either banana or sweets to perk me up when flagging usually not working this time

KTall fed no one dead is deffo a won! Regards how busy everything else becomes!

Bower sounds fun.enjoy the carol singing

Tada
Wash up
Locate work surface 1
Sweep living room and kitchen floor
Realize no litter and trays vile
Decide family walk to shops
Lay on bed for bit
The make lunch- omelette and wraps with salad for all but dd2.she has pasta with quick pasta sauce made predominantly of cashews-all lob in blender whilst pasta cooks with a few peas so no major effort required!

I was scrolling on phone,KT failed re note you had a list too!defur cat beds and sort bowls needs doing here
I remember my great aunt be very pleased with school photos and proudly shoving our ugly mugs on mantlepiece.brings back fond memories
Enjoy your festive afternoon

Hello everyone.

Ta da:-
Dancing uniform ordered which also ticks off a present from my parents for DDs.
Spoke (AGAIN! Although I am grateful for the thought of course) to parents about presents for DDs.
Food picked up for tea tonight
Realised I have not booked any delivery slots or ordered turkey etc for Christmas .

To do:-
DD2 has a party so DD1 and I will drop her off as DH working today.

Hope market still enjoyable even if super busy KT.

Ah i need to get the DCs last TWO YEARS of school family photos printed

Hope carol singing went well Bower. for Christmas shopping.

Sorry, posting personals in sections as I get a chance!

So pleased it sounds as if your DD is having a nice birthday Willow.