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!!!

Try NOT to wallow that should say obviously!

The "how to build a cj" link is here for anyone interested. Also lots of more visual examples on You Tube.

Totally amazing list That!

A fish pie is a labour of love Foxes so pat yourself on the back!

I haven't done much except doss around and cook.
Ridiculous really as boudoir is still dreadful and I am dreading the big Christmas clear up. Had the best tree ever this year, don't want to see it go!

Ah Foxes sorry you’ve had one of those days. Gin and chocolate sound well earned after managing to not wallow.

Thanks for the link SC. I’ve just ordered myself a notebook with 10 dividers from amazon prime, and I’m going to start building it tomorrow!

Tbh the instructions seem to have changed a bit over the years KTCluck ; it didn't include the spiritual stuff relating to days of wk before!

Or that personal section, with virtues, did it? Don't remember seeing that before anyway!

Thank you sc I’ll have a look. I’d never follow someone else’s rules entirely but I need a rough guide that I can adapt.

What did people think of the masked singer thing? It was weird but funny. DSD was reading out Tweets about it, someone said the costumes looked like watching Power Rangers villains having a karaoke contest :o

I’m still sleepy.

Many thanks for the welcomes folks - what a friendly bunch.

Strategic - thanks that makes a lot of sense framing it as how to hand your household over at short notice. I'm allied health prof (currently 'resting' lol to be sahm) and your prof notes should do the same . Now can frame cj better in my mind.

I like the spiritual focus idea - im not at all religious but finding myself more thoughtful as years pass. .. may ponder this.

Tbh when starting to get into flylady it was the regular weekly schedule part of system which was really making a difference for me. Weekly clearing crap from car! Wow that was good. Oohh it's horrid right now. Also trying to schedule appts and stuff on specific days . I worked out a regular week with dh to divvy up bedtimes, dog walking, a few other things (still far from equal mind) but i found that very calming and grounding. Never really got as far as doing zones , and decluttering has been more about which area is really bothering me the most.

Welcome rachael .

Absolutely SC the supermarket was most enjoyable .

Astonishingly productive day here! Ta da:-
I worked an extra shift today so a bit of extra money
Food shop on way home
While I was at work DH took down decorations and did home bleugh

Unfortunately both girls quite awake now after the party but they both need to be up in the morning so trying to convince them to go to sleep!

Oh yes and was inspired - had a couple of gins. Very nice thanks for the idea!

Didn’t watch masked singer, sorry Lane.

I'd be interested how others have convinced OH on benefits of system.
I completely have absorbed the idea of my bedroom being nicest room in house - and I've made a big difference in there over the autumn. I get sooo narked when i've made it all neat and tidy first thing and then Mr Rachael scatters his pj's and all sorts about the place.
Or if I get a chance to go out early with the dog for brief fresh air , fitness and freedom - he does a fraction of what I would in that time (beds not made, dishwasher still full, washing not on, bany bag not packed ) so then I generally feel like I'm on the back foot for the rest of the day. Eg If I do the freedom thing then getting out to whatever the days plan is is always much later and I get stressed and internally cross with him.. .hmmm .

My DD has been obsessed (thank you, YouTube) with the American version of the Masked Singer for a while now, so we'll be watching it all

Welcome all newbies, it's a very friendly thread.

I've still never done a CJ in all the years I've been flying

I started one but stopped using it. Was thinking I might start again. I did past some of the Flylady zones etc in there so can refer to it.
I have had a Christmas one for donkeys years. It has present list, card list to and from and some room for notes. Address and change of names etc.Postcodes!
Last year I did note in my red journal (funny that lots of us have red) how much stuffing, sausages, bacon etc and size of turkey I bought then added whether too little or too much. This was really, really useful this year. Even DH was impressed when I referred to it before shopping. I just need to adjust the turkey size as we were restricted by the butcher this year so might need to refer to the other butcher.

I haven't taken my decorations down yet.I have been thinking about it. Don't really want to but will have too soon.

Made mince pies. Better late than never. DH kept buying some after he knew I had made mincemeat. Next year I might not bother. Christmas Cake has been yummy only about 1/4 left.
Washed up.
Made dinner
washed up
Tidied sitting room.
Haven't done any clothes today, can't be bothered.
I haven't felt great for the last few days so hoping feel better tomorrow.
Dining room table not done but DH wants to try swapping the tables around. I only suggested this spring before last but now if it works it will be his idea!

Marvellous lists.

Rachael - I've never bothered explaining to him, he knows I'm on a MN thread about housework but I just do Flylady for
my bits, he does his share his way. I do more of the laundry, bathroom, detailed cleaning and decluttering, he does more of the daily cleaning (dishwasher, kitchen wiping, sweeping floors etc).

Whoops! Sorry Welcome Rachael

BF rang so was distracted.

I’ve never really explained much to DH either. I gave him a rough outline when I first dabbled with flylady when DD was tiny, and I explained a little bit to him this morning when he wanted to know why I was timing myself wiping down the dining table . Like Expletive we do our own jobs in our own way. We agreed when I went back to work after mat leave that I would do the majority of the housework and admin while he does most of the cooking, DIY / maintenance / car stuff, tidies up after himself (that one took some work!) and empties the bins. Whoever didn’t cook does the dishes, and he will do bits of housework / laundry if I specifically ask him. Food shopping is done by whoever it is most convenient for.

Bower I’ve learned if I let DH think something was his idea it’s more likely to get done!

I don't tell DH anything about Flylady. He knows I am on Mumsnet and I have mentioned trying to keep to a routine. I went to bed late/early hours stupid. I therefore was up late. Felt a bit guilty then when I came down discovered he had done zilch! He had made himself a coffee and done the fire. Then told me he had fed 'my' chicken and cleared out the litter tray. He hadn't done anything else and said he had been up since half nine. He hadn't. I heard him getting up and the cat was yowling for a while. She always has food when I go down she just thinks you should be up.

ta da
✅emailed dance school principal again re sudden change of lesson time that we can’t do 😭
✅added more stuff to the big to do list😖🙄
✅napped
✅discussed various things with DH
✅messaged a friend about paying for something I forgot to! 😳

I was smiling to read that you have an assertive October 2017 baby, LaneBoy. I have one of those too. Must've been something in the air that month. Mine was quite a shock really as we were used to his older brother's very different disposition.

I am glad to find I'm not the only one still making mince pies, Bowerbird5. I will be doing my last batch tomorrow when MiL and her partner visit. MiL doesn't like doing baking herself and is always very appreciative of others' homemade cakes etc. I'm just finishing off the last batch with a glass of pink port, which is a very nice match for it.

Rachael my DH is aware that there is a system i sometimes follow for domestic stuff that suggests tasks to fi each day and that lots more gets done when I follow it, so he is quite positive about it, which is good as I thought he would find it silly but generally he leaves the decisions about what needs doing when to me as I'm at home full time and just does what is requested without knowing if it is part of the system or not. We did have our biggest ever argument about whether the sink is an appropriate place to put used crockery though after I moved into his flat for a short time while we looked for a house in that area. I never liked plates in the sink even before following Fly Lady. Fly Lady won that argument!

Today we had niceish weather, so DH took the boys out in the garden and I got a few big tasks done.

Made and canned a batch of fruit butter (DSes always took their reflux medicine with a fruit butter we got at a local Polish supermarket and liked it with their Weetabix/porridge for breakfast too so i had to learn to make it myself when they stopped importing it!)

Tidied up and gave a light clean to the house except for the dresser in the dining room, the spare bedroom and the utility room which are all too piled up to do anything with right now. Fingers crossed, I will get to grips with them soon too.

Sorted and filled a huge pile of papers including lots of mail for past occupants, receipts and instructions for Christmas presents, stuff to file for bank accounts, mortgage etc. I was pleased to find a bunch of nice greetings cards and thank you notelets in the pile and a bit worried too notice that a letter from the doctor about DS1 which I thought was just a record of an appointment, also had a form on the back that I should have signed and returned for him to have a further assessment booked in. At least I have seen it now, I suppose.

Ha cineraria yep she’s been quite amusing to parent thus far. She was our surprise third baby (after a gap - the others are 12 and 10) but she has brought a whole world of joy and laughter to us all :)

I mean, apart from when she asserts herself about not wanting to sleep.

The to do list keeps getting longer. Bit frustrating. But I do feel a bit more capable of tackling some of it in the morning. Also hoping to swim in the afternoon but that depends how the meds go.

I’m also hoping we can ask DSD (living with us for a few more months after graduating last year) to babysit soon so DH and I can get some life admin/home ed planning done. She’s pretty run down this week though so I might wait a few more days and we can just crack on with achievable stuff in the mean time.

I’m intrigued about the fruit butter. Is it literally what it sounds like? Fruit flavoured butter?

Ohhh and I forgot a Ta Da - ✅ renewed my library books with four minutes to spare. :o

Good morning all!

Well I am awake for fourth time during night (now morning) with fever/sweats and joint pain. Can't work out if it's usual menopausal issue or cold/virus issue but result is the same. Might as well get up!

Dreading starting the big Christmas clear up. Also, feel a bit flat as all of our energy, time, resources went on dh's family this holiday (and my sister, although she helped us by gamely doing lots of cooking) and we didn't really get to have any nice family time ourselves as we were too tired/ill afterwards. It was the right thing to do this year for various reasons (although I wish I felt better about those reasons frankly but that's another story...), but next year I am going to make sure our immediate family is prioritized.

Going to ask DH and DD to help me bring all the decoration storage boxes up from the basement and sort the tree lights, and bring all of the very high decorations down today as I am not good on wobbling ladders, then I am going to put them away in peace when I am on my own later. There are about ten boxes so I will probably need part of tomorrow to finish it too. Also need to write some thank you notes for colleagues in office who unexpectedly bought us some really lovely presents!

Also need to do a bit in boudoir, a bit in home office, and sort laundry (check school uniform situation) and cook some sort of last festive meal that doesn't involve ham! And a nice family dog walk together in the woods I think if I am up to it... . I also need to deliver some very, very last home made (New Year) cards through various front doors!

Have a good one everybody!

I have mentioned Flylady to share in passing, but he's not remotely interested in anything about the home or housework really .

share = DH there!