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!!!

Cagletini is eligible for 2 year funding as of now

What the heck - where did the time go there, then? Makes me realise how long I've been on this thread for a start!

Thank you for the good wishes, my lump did have a chunk removed before Christmas so the difference between yesterday (looking at a photo, might be unusual case of something dangerous) and today (looked at chunk under a microscope, it's fine) makes all the difference to a slightly panicky 24 hours. I couldn't believe that the GP rang me and didn't see me though, although they were apologetic for giving me the news over the phone. I did stay off Google, which I am pleased about. Onwards and upwards.

Is anyone else's child looking forward to the Masked Singer that starts tomorrow (TV)? Mine is obsessed so I'll be seeing a lot of it

Chic you must be so relieved. I m sorry I meant to post that earlier but was interrupted then just posted my Ta Da as I had been distracted.
So pleased for you.

I remember lurking and then joining just around the time Cagletini was born. Just before I think.

Very inspiring to read how much everyone is achieving despite various difficult circumstances.

It's an easy week for us still as nobody goes back to work/school until Monday, so I have chance to do a few bigger tasks. I cleared our big old pram from the hallway which made room for the pushchair we use daily to be left up and DH's folding bicycle to be left there, so that's going to be a lot more convenient for us both. He was really pleased and took the pram pieces up to the loft and vacuumed the stairs after.

I changed and descaled the powder drawer from the washing machine and ran a cleaning cycle.

I also put all of this year's dates (birthdays, Mothering Sunday, a friend's wedding etc.) in my Google calendar for the year ahead with suitable reminders in advance as I worked out last year that I remember best with a reminder in the evening a week before and another on the morning of the day before.

I did the Friday handbag clear out and also the daily mission to clean the dining table and chairs. I did it straight after breakfast. It was disgusting. I think DS1 is keeping a food diary on the underside of the table as he seems to have recrded a small blob of every meal we have had since getting that table. Yuck. At lunch, DS2 threw a tantrum and a full glass of diluted apple juice over the table and chairs and in the afternoon, they both wanted to do painting, of course. I think maybe I need to make thorough table cleaning at least a daily thing!

It feels good to have got back on track with these kind of things a bit.

cinereria I need pencil in new calender important dates
That's hope you got some sleep,
Stressy good luck with playdate

I've had less 2hr sleep and no idea wtf I'm doing....

Think i got similar amount of sleep again but more broken. Slept 11-12ish, 1 til 2ish, 4 til 6ish like having a newborn again!

I'm so sorry to read that that. Can other half be more helpful today? You must be so tired. Maybe when meds kick in little one will be more settled.

To be fair he was pretty helpful yesterday and has made me breakfast already today. I may slope off back to bed but ive had a few so sleep may not happen!

Morning everyone , great news chic

Toostressy i have started an attempt at the organised mum method but have probably over simplified it. I didn't do the boot camp even though I probably need to! It does sort of work but my house is pretty chaotic at the moment anyway with building work...I like setting a timer so I don't feel like I'm doing housework all the time. That was the main thing for me, to focus me!

That's good to hear that. Do go and have a rest.

Morning all!

We are still in town

So sorry about broken night That poor mite (and tough on you too) . Glad to hear oh being helpful.

Welcome back to Cinereria and welcome to Dorzaron

Not much Flying to report as dh and I have some sort of cold/virus and feel a bit rotten as does dd for other (female) reasons. So we're a merry bunch.

Our Christmas ham was enormous and I am still trying to think of 101 ways to eat it up. So far we've had ham sandwiches, pea and ham soup, baked spuds and ham with watercress, ham with parsley sauce , ham with golden root vegetables and ham salad.

I need to do calendar too Zoo

Don't get on with Kondo. My decluttering tome of choice is "Decluttering at the speed of life" by Dana K White.

You are doing a splendid job of thread leading Lane 👍

You need a pie sc!

My grandmother would make a coddle consisting of potatoes, onions and left over ham. Think it has to be floury not waxy spuds.

Sorry to hear of SC house illnesses/conditions. There is a monstrous heavy cold virus going that leaves you sleepless and feeling depressed - it see to be located in the throat and leaves you a hacking mess. Dh and ds got the male version and so were completely incapacitated but I got the lighter female version 😉

I think along with that all flying should be suspended for you SC

I think we used floury potatoes cut into chunks so that they'd break up a little after cooking. We'd use the water that the ham was boiled in as stock. Gran only used ham and onions with the potatoes - no carrots, barley or sausages. The dish apparently dates back to the 18th century as a way to use up meat before no fish Fridays.

Morning all! Here’s the launch pad

I can’t even remember what Saturday’s daily focus is... er... family fun? Yeah that never happens to schedule really

Well done cineraria and you’ve reminded me I still need to put more stuff in the new diary ASAP.

Poor baby that :( hope you can have a vaguely restful day. If nothing else, having to hold a grumpy grizzly baby means you HAVE TO sit down

I am a bit nervous about the day because of looking at the piano (big decision) and trying new meds dose!

But I’m looking forward to watching the masked singer thing tonight. Partly because we’ve really lacked that “all sit down together” programme for a while, we’ve not even bothered with Strictly this winter. Much as I love having Netflix (and Prime as we’ve signed into DSD’s while she’s living here) it has pretty much removed scheduled TV from our lives as you always think “oh we will watch on catch up” and then often don’t bother! We didn’t even watch any of the animations I was looking forward to on Christmas Day! Something to work on I think, as that would count as family fun too. Less TV (as in Netflix etc) overall definitely a priority too. It’s on far too much and a lot of the time it’s stuff we’ve seen several times.

And yes chic time has certainly flown! She was 2 in October (the free entitlement is the 2 year one that is means tested, rather than the 3 year one everyone gets).

I’m not too worried about how she will manage, my other two could barely speak at this age but Cagletini has no problem asserting herself :o

SC I agree with that you need PIE 😋😋😋😋
That nice to hear he's pulled his finger out.my do has had some kind of transplant- he's been brilliant over Xmas/new year - play kids,carry shopping if local.offering drive me do further afield places.i feel quite unnerved by it all

Tada
Cats fed
Wash on
Bleach lav
clear and clean dining table
Wipe chairs
Wash up
Clean surfaces
Wipe toaster/kettle
Wipe cupboard fronts
Sweep floor
S+s
Littertray and bins
Wash in drier,more on
Quick tidy living room
Feed zoolets
Wash up
Tidy hall

I an running out of steam already

Good luck with decision on piano lane

‘Family fun’ is the biggest joke of all the daily focuses . My kids often do not get the memo. I am at work today anyway so no family fun here. DH is hoping to get some of the decorations down so I doubt the kids are viewing that as family fun either . They are going to a party later though so not all bad.

Big wing flaps to all and glad to hear of men stepping up.

Glad to hear DPs pulling their weight a bit more now Zoo and That.

Hope baby feels better soon That.

Zoo - my DS (same age as your DD2) also panic-stricken by news yesterday, had same discussion about things we can't do anything about.

Lane sounds as though you are making huge strides with all the nursery/school/home ed stuff, well done.

I also have "fill diary" on my to do list. I am diligent about putting every appointment and event in my phone as soon as it is confirmed although quite often put it on the wrong date, however I struggle to visualise the bigger picture eg have we got a lot of stuff going on three weekends in a row and is it exams the following week or similar. So at the start of every school term I do a month to a page list diary for the next approx 4 months in my bullet journal so I can see at a glance what's happening when. I normally do one now for Jan to end of Easter holidays, however this year DS has GCSEs so may well do right through to end of summer term to keep us on track.

Re shared screen time, we all watched Christmas Gogglebox and Richard Osman's review of the decade thing together last night, it is very rare for al 4 of us to watch something together now as it's so easy to opt out and watch something else on a small screen, it was nice.

Ooh I'll definitely have a go at the coddle and the pie! I already have have the ingreds. Thanks both! . Although, having had ham and eggs for breakfast, DD is threatening to go veggie if she has to eat one more ham supper so I've made a note in the Christmas file for next year for dh to go a bit easier on the pork products

Tinselette my late Irish mammy used to make something similar with onions pots carrots and parsley come to think of it! But she only ever added pearl barley to lamb.

Btw, can really recommend a specific Christmas control journal (mine is very thick, bright red, A4 ring binder) especially if you happen to be hosting next year. I keep photocopies of all the traditional recipes we use over the season, so they are easy to find in one place and for any helpers to access easily too.

Good to include present lists so you don't duplicate for nephews, nieces, godchildren. Also thank you letter lists!

And card lists and separate/updated address print out so if you lose address bk/have computer issue, it's all there. Plus Christmas posting times.

Plus house cleaning lists and schedule (eg window and oven cleaning, stuff you forget from year to year like silver polishing and all the extra bed linen prep for guests) which configuration of wooden crates works best under piece of material which forms base for nativity etc.

Plus tips/noted to make things easier for next year! Which things worked (dedicated wrapping station) which didn't work (last minute wrapping).

Of course it would all have been beautifully efficient had I actually done the cleaning or wrapping on schedule and actually opened the ruddy file in November rather then in mid-December

Btw, that virus seems to have made it across the channel Tinselette because it's exactly as you describe!

Mahoosive waves to everyone!

I have similar SC - a red folder with all
my Christmas recipes, also notes from previous years about timings, quantities, non-food jobs etc. Also a separate red notebook with all the card and present lists, this book also covers the DCs birthdays so it lists what they have been given by others since birth which is nice. Although this year's entries went something like £15, Amazon gift card, £10 - so not much future sentimentality now. Losing my address book is unthinkable but I keep it and the red book in a basket with stamps, envelopes, a few blank cards, chequebook (gathering dust) etc on our desk and it has never been lost.

X posts

Have a good day at work Toostressy!

And wow that is such good news about the menfolk Zoo and That!

Forgot to wish you good luck with nursery search Lane! Hope you find one nearby that suits!

We have just got Netflix and YouTube on our main telly (years after everyone else) so I am wrapped up in a blanket on the sofa exploring it all! Looking forward to watching most recent series of The Crown once I can wrestle remote out of dh's hands!

Another X post! High five with Expletive!

I know what you mean about "seeing the bigger picture" wrt appts, so as well as putting rdvs and reminders in phone (only recently started doing this ) I have a big (bigger than A3) annual year wall calendar which I buy from NOTHS every Nov and stick it to a solid cardboard backing. It's good for visualising holidays and I find it much easier to work out dates on that than on tech version.

Morning all! Not much flying today, just the things I can't avoid as DH is in charge while DD and I go to the theatre!

Ta Das

• washing on
• breakfast and meds
• suits collected from cleaners so school next week is chilly
• additional lightsaber purchased with DS3's Christmas money (absolutely vital. One for each hand!)
• more vitamins purchased
• tea is left over frozen party food purchased for Xmas eve.

Zoo, my DD (15) was also very bothered by the news yesterday, and I remember feeling the same about the first Gulf War. Being 15 is hard.

That, hope the baby is happier today. Big wing flaps to all those under the weather. You're doing an excellent job leading the thread, Lane.

DD and I are on the train to That London and will be sure to bring home oranges and nylons from The Big City!