Fledglings flying into the Roaring Twenties! January 2020 Flylady thread, all welcome.

[LaneBoy]

Welcome to the first Flylady thread of the decade! This is a friendly ongoing thread where we follow (loosely. In some cases, very loosely. ) the Flylady method for sorting out our homes and lives!

Newbies are always welcome here! It’s a long running thread so please don’t worry if we appear cliquey. There’s a lot of chatter and support for all sorts of things, alongside the housework stuff.

Over recent months we have agreed that big lists of daily links aren’t necessary - on a daily basis I will post (if I remember... it is maybe 18 months since I last hosted so please forgive any screw ups ) a link to the launch pad, which is where you can access the information for that day - babysteps, missions, daily focus etc. But if you’re confused about anything, please ask!

Check out the website too - but we suggest not signing up for the millions of emails.

Information on getting started here.

The great thing about Flylady is that you jump in where you are. Everything you do is progress. Don’t worry about not “keeping up”. Any achievement, however small, means progress.

Anyway, huge thank you to Stressy for running our very busy December thread!

And... HAPPY NEW YEAR FLEDGLINGS!!!

Aw bless your dd2 Zoo she did really well (and so did you supporting her) to get to school despite the panic. Anxiety is the pits. Its very very hard but if she can conquer it now and overcome the hideous bits like she did this morning, it will really build her confidence. Hats off to her

Well done Expletive if it's any consolation, I can't find anything ATM! Even getting dressed is a bit stressy as a result, which is a ridiculous situation! I need to do a huge clear out but not sure I have the energy!

I find I'm more tired if I don't jump up as soon as my alarm goes off.

Same here We3kings! I force myself up at 6.30 am on weekdays and have to be in the bath at 6.50 every^ day and dressed to shoes and ready by half past for a dog walk or whatever, or my day is f**d basically because I have the self-discipline of a slug and could easily sit on the sofa and read books all day so have to impose Dranconian measures! Need to work with the light too as this house can be a bit gloomy.

Having said that, today is very slow going indeed... need a kick up the pants...or a green field and a few trees... .

Phew, half way through. Sorry your DD2 was panicking zoo - I too have done the "walk them up to school trying to distract" thing, then matron/ head of year / favourite teacher / best friend applied to try to get her into class. Their distress is so hard to watch, but she got in! Very well done to her. And it sounds like the school are being really helpful too, which makes a big difference.

Expletive, one cure for surface dumping is to go round the house with a box at a given time each night and sweep everything into it. Then at least it's all contained in one place if someone can't find something!

I have had a blinding flash of revelation - the reason I'm not getting Flylady missions done while the kettle boils is that I'm already doing other stuff. That's when I rotate the washing, wipe the sides, sweep the floor, get another load of laundry in etc. First thing in the morning, that's when I help Ds3 with breakfast. So, now I understand that, I have to find somewhere else for missions to go.

Ta Das

• morning routine
• lunches made
• DS3 walk and off to school
• counselling for me
• Lidl on the way back
• lunch

Now to put shopping away and get on with the afternoon.

Hi,
Yesterday ‘s meeting was awful. I feel rung out today.

Can’t even remember what flying I did yesterday.

MissionsI just fit them in where I can and if I can’t I don’t bother/worry.

I did wipe all the cupboards down and the work top just don’t remember which day it was.

Yes I think it might have been Hills that had the Power of Three.it was definitely someone on the thread. I thought it might have been you Lane. Anyway it seemed to work for lots of us. We popped in every time we did three posted short posts.

Ta Da
Washed up Das dishes

ta da
✅up on time
✅redid snack box 🙄
✅remembered to take water (I end up buying a bottle so often!)
✅proper shower/exfoliate etc
✅got to playgroup on time
✅got a very stroppy toddler out of playgroup when she didn’t want to leave
✅popped into Wilko while waiting for the bus home and got dryer sheets and a little chocolate bar 😳
✅Cagletini napping by 12.30!!!

I’m so exhausted and feel really low despite the day going well. So I’m sitting around doing fuck all. Oh well. 😂

Willow unfortunately that is DH's preferred method of tidying (just lob everything into the nearest drawer/box/other receptacle) and it means the house ends up with numerous boxes of random crap (BRCs as they are known on this thread) because funnily enough most of the random crap is stuff no one actually wants but no one except me will sort and throw out.

Expletive, can you take it one step further and announce that on Sunday nights the BRC will be tipped into the dustbin? You will know there's nothing important of yours in there, and everything else is everyone else's problem... Although you will have to be very strong minded about it to start with.

Lane, sorry you're feeling low, you've done so well today. Would a nap while Cagletini naps help?

She’s already woken up! Just chilling now, DS on Mario Kart as he’s done all his work (return to home ed going very well I must say). Unfortunately stimulants make daytime sleep tricky so I’m trying not to. I’m really hoping her waking up already means she might sleep at a better time tonight.

Just catching up. Willow hope the rest of your birthday was fun :o

Zoo I love the trays. We definitely need to arrange our fridge better. In particular cheese seems to dry out so maybe a giant Tupperware for that. I nearly bought some plastic baskets for the bathroom today on sale but trying to not spend much.

I have to admit here, I am awful for putting things down randomly. Like really, horrendously fucking AWFUL.

(Sorry for being a sweary thread host btw! )

It’s attention related for me I think. As soon as I’ve had the thought of “I’ll put this here and pick it up later” I’ve already moved on to about 63 other thoughts. So it’s just... gone. I’m getting better at this now. And we don’t have nearly as many BRCs anymore either. I mean the house is a mess don’t get me wrong 😂😳 but we don’t do the shoving everything in thing much at all anymore.

Bower I’m sorry the meeting was bad :(

Not strong minded enough! My stuff does creep in and lots of the things that do end up there are small parts of games and toys which I would in future end up binning instead of charity shopping. Also a lot of what gets left lying around isn't anyone's in particular, eg tape measure, so I don't want to chuck it out. About twice a year I have a blitz on all the BRCs, it is satisfying but takes time.

I sometimes wonder if it is all related to me being the only person in the family without dyslexia/dyspraxia or similar.

Bower , sorry about the meeting. You too Zoo with your poor DD2. In fact sending virtual hugs to all the Fledglings.

Ohhh yes dyspraxia is a very likely culprit for that too. I blame my ADHD personally :o but my DSD who is dyspraxic as well as dyslexic is very similar.

I do wonder if the house was a little tidier before she moved in 😂 she keeps apologising for leaving stuff around but I tell her I’d be a hypocrite if I was annoyed about it. She lives here too so it’s all good. Just trying to focus on sorting other aspects of the house at the moment like the Caglets’ toys.

That should have said DHs dishes!

Phone call from a friend I have been worried about over Xmas & NY as I couldn’t get hold of her and her DIL was very ill. She hasn’t been well herself sounds like stress from family worries.

Today’s
Vacuumed right through downstairs.
Wiped worktops
Did fifteen minutes hot spot dining table.
Folded some clothing.
Got journal out. Going to attempt using it again.

Thanks
It was more having to drag up some of things and talking about it. It was difficult and I got upset.

bower
SC if I don't jump to it when I get up the day slips by as I pray on phone/do random stuff that shows no results/get no where fast

A tick list is working wonders for me currently

Tada
Stew on
Wash black baskets for bedroom and put up.filled stuff that was chuck on shelves in random carrier bags
Make lunch
Wash up
Empty cupboard under sink
Wipe out
Add plastic tubs
Admire handiwork

Scrub stair carpet
Clean all woodwork in hall way
Clear hall,scub floor,return only necessarys.
we had 2 broken umbrellas,pile opened mail unwanted and behind front door,three pairs shoes don't fit zoolets,ditto 2pair wellies..that's made a considerable space!!

Scrub toilet and floor

To do
Wash all lower floors
Sort a snack for lil zoo

It helps I can reall see where I've been and the difference it's making is motivating me to keep going despite horrific period pain/flooding...

zoo how do you do your tick list, do you just think what needs doing or what you want to get done by a certain time and write it down?

Our house is a bit of a disaster zone at the moment, ds still doesn't have a bedroom so we've got all this extra stuff but nowhere to put it. I've been decluttering all afternoon but it doesn't even look much better

I've now got three bags for the charity shop, couple of things for eBay and two more big bags for the local preschool...and yet still no room in ds toy cupboard! How is it possible! We need more storage solutions but until we decorate ds room we don't know what furniture we'll have.

I need to go and make dinner, jacket potatoes with veggie chilli tonight.

Sorry that the meeting was so stressful Bower and that you are feeling low Lane you should pat yourself on the back for getting to toddler group though - I used to avoid dread them!

foxes I write a set tasks want cover in a week.look at diary to see which days are busy/won't get much done and only pencil in simple tasks for that day
Then I break down tasks like "tidy living room" I find if it's not a deep clean I give myself 1hr max,or as I do it 15 minutes per quarter of the room.i find if I have a rough amount time I think will take it keeps me moving
Tend to plot for mornings only and I give myself extra 10 minutes on tasks I know exactly how long they take in case I "overrun" on another so I'm not playing catch up.i also add in an extra task at side and circle it.if I complete all tasks within time limit I add on that one
Hope that made sense/wasn't too waffly!!

Tada
All lower floors washed
4plastic drawer tower washed out
Sorted out corner by where I sit and add it in there
Top drawer located all half decent pens,pencils a rubber ruler and scissors added food diary and journal
2 located and added puzzle books
3 has my colouring book and decent colouring pens/pencils
4 has stuff in to start learning to draw

This is my me time drawers and is part new year resolution.i know if I put it understairs etc I will forget to do it,and having everything to hand but tidy seemed perfect answer!

All lower floors washed
Lil zoo opt Xmas sweety snack
I nip in quick shower
Did her bun for dance

Dd2 made it thru the day but couldn't eat as too anxious and us now over tired,hangry and her reflux isn't impressed by big food gap so funding eating unpleasant.naturally it all my fault as if wasn't at school.couldve at least eaten!she's not really achieved any work either as was so out of it nothings gone it.i fully understand how powerful anxiety us,but also if she stops she won't go back and her exams are soon close...

To do
Pop new potatoes into stew
Made dd2 toast and cut into little soldiers to pick at in hope once gets something on board she might be able eat something but more substantial

Lane you did well to get there and she obviously enjoyed herself. Even if you don’t sleep just taking half an hour for yourself while she sleeps is good.
Breast feeding it is a long time ago but I think I dropped DDs morning feed first and evening feed last. She was part time fed from 11 weeks because I had to go back to college. I think she was about two and a bit when we stopped. DS 3 was about three and a half due to food allergies. Dairy and Soya also egg. I can’t remember how I did it he is now 33😂

Thanks for the hugs, flowers and kind words. I just need to go through the process. I don’t think the outcome will be a great end to my career. I think the stress I was under and am under now have affected me too much.
I have been that person to encouraged children into school and although I empathised and understood to a certain extent the anxiety I have felt in the last few months means I would understand a lot more.

Teens are so difficult Zoo.just letting them rant without responding negatively is the best way I found. Not easy though. Lots of holes in your tongue.

No more TaDas other than the new phone. Third person seems to know what she is doing and she had a lovely accent.

Sorry not managing messages as brain lacking concentration.

Love the sound of the me time drawer zoo and thanks for telling me about your lists, I'm still searching for ideas to help me so I'm taking notes on what you all do! I just can't stick to anything at the moment!

Right so treated my dd to a 'special relaxing bath' with lavender oil, lights off candles etc super chilled. Shes so tired, wound up fron school i thouught it might be wise to encouragr winding down pre bed. Swapped half way with dh to sort a few bits downstairs . the shreiks and leaping about up there are blooming deafening .
I'm telling you all hopefully to dump my rage before I go up to be bad mummy and wind it all down again.
Fgs

Hope the driving test went well willow and that DD2 is able to eat zoo

ta da
✅made a nice dinner which includes a load of hidden veg tomato sauce for the freezer.

Still need to tidy up the kitchen and portion up said sauce though.

Oh how infuriating Rachael after you were calming her down!

Sorry you are in pain Zoo . Well done for ploughing on through. "Me time" drawers sound like a great idea! I have my own stationery box but everyone keeps nicking things from it and not returning them!

Sounds awful at your work Bower

I got going eventually and speeder up as I went along! Motivated myself by watching half episodes of Season 3 of the Crown in between choring sessions. (The Aberfan episode was so sad.) Did approx 4.5 hours of box moving, tidying, laundry (inc scrubbing collars and cuffs of DD school shirts and dh work shirts) and all the post Christmas cardboard and paper recyclng and more home banking. Laundry room is no longer as frightening as it was thank heavens! Made an oven baked veg sauce to have with rice and grated parmesan for dinner and a sort-of minestrone soup for weekend. Also tidied bathroom. Have just cleared up kitchen and done more tidying so cleaner can crack on tomorrow. Boudoir still a mess though!

🍒👋 to everyone!