February Flying for Fledglings, No More CHAOS here

[ExpletiveDelighted]

Welcome to February! This is a friendly ongoing thread where we follow (n 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.

Every day I will post a link to the Flylady 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.

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.

More info to follow.

I have absolutely not a friggin clue expletive - couldn’t see anything with a quick look around the website either. Weird.

ta da
✅LOL
✅removed some board books to hallway
✅bought some toiletries (earlier)
✅watched iplayer

Going to journal now while I have a chance

Very weird. It has been jumping off the screen at me when you've mentioned it as I have family in Solihull.

Right, planning ahead for Friday

launchpad. The mission is to empty your wastepaper bins.

Friday's daily focus is to declutter your car, handbag and it is Date Night - which is either a good or bad thing with it being Valentine's night. Good if you celebrate it, probably best stay at home if you don't.

Was hoping DH and I could have a date TBH - but DSD is unwell still so I think it’s unlikely. Might go swimming instead. Although I just realised it’s an inset day for some schools so perhaps not, I’ll see what friend says. Probably better than going next week when it’s definitely half term though. I’m not expecting to manage much either way!

Trying to get the toddler back to sleep. I’d just written the time/date on my journal when she woke up 😑😑😑

I'm feeling much better Expletive. I'm a bit tired so I have been pacing myself. Not really been flying, more just tidying a little. I was surprised how much it took out of me.

I've been wondering how flu husband is. Hungryhazeleyes how is he?

Hope Cagletini is snoring peacefully, Lane, and the mock went well We3. Big wingflaps to everyone (and a subtle prod with the pointy stick).

Ta Das today
✓ dog walk
✓ DS3 submitted homework by email and had a conversation with the teacher (instead of a meltdown). So proud of him!
✓ hoovered, dusted and polished the music room (we call it that - it's the garage converted into a 3rd reception room, with a piano, a drumkit and a sofa in it)
✓ cleaned puppy nose prints off the window and sill
✓ rediscovered the kitchen under all the crap
✓ cleaned and wiped the kitchen bin cupboard
✓ emptied all the bins (ahead of Flylady here! Hooray!)
✓ emptied, reloaded and ran the DW. Emptied it again.
✓ 2x LOL
✓ Quick trip to Tesco for Emergency Parmesan (obvs)
✓ swept the kitchen floor. Mopped off the puppy paw prints.
✓ drum lesson for DS3
✓ took DD to Greek
✓ sat down and stuffed my face with biscuits.

DS2 has been home all day. He slept til midday and is very quiet and totally incapable of making even simple decisions like "shall I put some trousers on?". We have the beginnings of an agreement that things can't go on as they are, but he doesn't know yet what he is prepared to change. I am not above getting him signed off the rest of the school year on health grounds, though. He's not going in tomorrow either, but he is seeing his Not Girlfriend tomorrow night. Obviously she's not his girlfriend (ahem) but he holds her hand when he thinks we're not looking, and he's so... careful of her. It's very sweet. I see no point in removing everything he enjoys from his life. He's ill, not being punished.

I'm putting a box of chocolate oranges in the naughty corner. They were on special offer, it would have been rude to leave them there...

Sounds really sensible for him to see NG willow that should be restorative. He sounds absolutely burnt out. What you said about not being able to make simple decisions really struck a chord with me.

Writing journal (can’t focus) and also posted my poem on a small group. Might make that and my previous one into a blog post. Maybe.

DD angling to watch more stranger things but ugh so tired 😭

Well the exams were a lot easier than the last one or they seemed it anyway.

Have written DH valentines card. I still fill it with poems. We don't do anything else for valentines but I love writing poems in the card. I think he may have forgotten though.....

Well my poem writing was a nice break but I need to get back to my biology assignment.

Oh and I've put 5 bags of stuff out for charity collection tomorrow so 🤞 no snow

I am feeling much better ty expletive

Have just fed and changed baby now trying to get him back to sleep

Yesterdays tadas

Beds stripped - us, dc4 and dc5
Beds remade - as above
All cups and rubbish removed from bedroom
Bag in bin
Carrycot cleaned and in loft
All washing taken down
Half washing away
School run and shit x2
Ordered tesco
Retyped cv
Sent cv
Checked for jobs
Spoke to bank
Spoke to british gas
Finished and sent essay
Tidied downstairs toys
Pots washed
Bottles washed and sterilised
Checked lost property at school
Meeting at school
Few bits tidy in dds room

Anyone with bunting up how is best to fix to walls?

Morning all. How sniffly is too sniffly for nursery?
If no fever/puking/dodgy nappies.

I got to sleep sometime after 3 and she woke at 5.30

I use masking tape that.my walls hard and crumble so tacks ain't going in.so far I've never took off paint/marked paper
DS has found couple little projects on Pinterest we can do today for valentines.i like reminding zoolets they are loved.

Dp stayed over last night as took lil zoo ballet class.unfortunately his phone diedand I had set my alarm for 5 as he's working in project on county border this week and needs to be there for 645.at least it's been productive..

Tada
Woke DP
Cats demanded breakfast as I was moving around/making a noise
Made him breakfast and pack up
Sorted 3carrier bags random crap cupboard understairs-
Swept all lower floors
Wrote a to do for the day
About tackle bins and littertray before I get everyone up

lane if no fever ok in self send her.if she's clingy/off food etc keep her home

Forgot to add any personals!!
That glad you are feeling better
We3 glad exam seems gone ok.mum guilt won't change anything,he's never had more of your time so doesn't expect it just make most time you do have together
Willow poor D's.hope time with his not girlfriend gives him some respite,and we'll done ds3
Chic may I ask how big is your yarn stash?I have a large crate but still tempted by the Aldi stuff....I am contemplating doing some charity knitting for lent.that gives me excuse buy more.right??
E.d hope you feeling on little more even keel,remember pace yourself and be kind to yourself

Hazel, hope you are ok in House of Flu and your DH is recovering. Tinsel, glad you are pottering gently and getting back to speed slowly. Elective, hope the anxiety wobble is righting itself. Lane, if Cagletini is ok in herself just a bit snotty, I'd say she goes in (with a hanky up her sleeve!). That, that's an alarmingly long Ta Da list! Zoo I love your idea of valentine crafts to remind the DC they are loved. Might see if DS3 is receptive!

I seem to have caught foxes' cold and have a permanent tickle at the back of my throat which is grim. Going to try sleeping propped at 45 degrees tonight. Hope you are recovered, foxes.

DS3's Homeschool Playdate today has been cancelled because the other boy's Mum has been called into work and we can't find a way to make it happen. I'm partly glad because he's exhausted too (gave himself a stonking black eye yesterday twirling round the garden being Lucius Malfoy) but he's very disappointed.

Hopefully my new printer cartridge arrives today so I can get on with my client printing. I need to do some writing too and just keep the house ticking over. And finish the next stage of DS3's EHCP application - apparently the 20 week clock hasn't started ticking yet even - and discuss with DH whether DS2 actually needs one too. "Valentine's Dinner" with DH of burgers with the DC round the kitchen table - twas ever thus! 😂

Cherry waves, KT, Chic, We3, Rachael, bower, cineraria, petal and anyone I've missed (sorry). It's Friday!

Arghh slept in! So only ta-da for this morning was to Stick a wash in as I shepherded everyone out of the door. Got a parking space in the college car park though which is unheard of.

Thanks. She was grumpy and just fell asleep on me again anyway so I guess that answers it! Bit gutted as we may have been able to sneak off to the local for valentines breakfast but hey ho. Too tired for romance anyhow :o but I shall enjoy the present DH got me from hotel chocolat 😋😋😋

Bizarrely I’m not even tired enough to sleep some more so I’m going to start sorting laundry I think.

Lots of little things I need to get done today really. DH not looking fit for anything so that will be a challenge.

Also pondering DD’s increased social life and the money this involves. Now that we are trying to implement more chores for her generally with her phone time/homework list (not that we managed to keep it up what with the sick bug chaos) I’m wondering about increasing the expectations a little further in the holidays in exchange for some extra money for lunches etc when she meets her friends. We’ve always been reluctant to link money to helping at home but we also can’t afford to just give extra very often, either as and when or by increasing pocket money all year. She’s not demanding at all - never really asks for extra, she’s going out today (a double date in fact ) and they suggested cinema but she immediately said she can’t afford that and never asked us. We are struggling a lot now we are on UC but don’t want her to miss out on a quick McDonald’s with mates etc. So maybe we will do things like ask her to wash up twice as often in holidays, watch Cagletini more (not while we go out obv but while we do more housework etc), extra cleaning type things that we wouldn’t normally expect... maybe? Thoughts please? :)

Lane i get what you mean re money. Dc1+2 get a small amount of pocket money per week (increases 50p per year) this is a fairly new thing. They can either save this or fritter it away. This is not connected to chores. They can earn more by doing chores but not basic stuff. Dc1 has several friends who get what to me is a crazy amount say £20 a week on top of £5 a day lunch money even if i could afford to give that i wouldnt. Thats £45 a week!

Hello everyone!

Have been busy at work the last few days and you have all filled pages and pages of the thread !

Off today and have DD1 off on INSET. Had lovely drink at cafe with her school friends and another mum. Now home and have told her I really need to get on with some tidying while she watches telly / plays. She’s happy with that for now after cafe visit.

Going to see what I can get done.

Your pocket money strategy sounds sensible Lane.

Big wing flaps to everyone else.

Actually Lane a quick Maccy D is much more sociable than the cinema. The cinema is like a big screen version of your phone 🤣

Our inset days are next week so have crammed asthma checks into those days.

Hope every one is well - waves to newbies 👍. I might try light flying in zone 4 master bedroom next week. Not major cleaning or anything as still recovering.

Gosh it's cold up here today. And a bit grey.

I have removed clothes which are too small from ds's room and am getting them ready to recycle.

Hope SCis well and not lying on the floor and trapped under dossier.

Thanks for all the welcomes! It feels nice to do all the house stuff with some online company.

I am in awe of all the studying, journalling and crafting everyone seems to be doing. I really have got out of the habit of doing anything like that since having children and I feel like recently they have become more independent so I have spare brain energy which is good but like with housework I want to do everything and can't settle to do any particular thing! I need a fly lady email to tell me what to do. Maybe I should just put something on my to do list.

I got quite a bit done around the house since starting again yesterday:

Dark laundry washed, dried on radiators and folded
Moved boxes of Christmas decorations and highchair to upstairs landing to go in the loft
Swept and mopped upstairs and downstairs except for our bedroom and sitting room where the boys were napping
Cleaned bathroom but couldn't get the shower curtain down to wash. DH will have to help
Took down all DH's birthday cards and my birthday cards and our anniversary cards
Dusted dining room, DS1 bedroom, landing and hallway
Bathmats were cleaned already this week but I did the task to clean the front of the washing machine and then did the fridge, dishwasher and all kitchen cabinet doors
DSes decided to help with Friday handbag cleaning. I wish they hadn't used the contents of DS2's water bottle to do it though!
Waste baskets were done anyway as it was bin day today
Got boys out in the garden for some exercise (resulting in naps mentioned above)
Did some heart shaped painting, sticking, cutting with them
Did some reading aloud with DS1 and made pizza with DS2

Still need to:
Get recycling crates in
Sweep and dust bedroom and living room
Make chocolate cake (nod to Valentine's day)
Fold few remaining bits of laundry and put away

That's an impressive list cinaria. I don't manage to get much crafting done. I think baking is probably more my thing. Good luck with the cake - sounds yummy!

ta da
✅started the clean clothing Everest- so far I sorted them all into piles by owner
✅went swimming - half what I generally aim for but it was easier than last time when I was getting over the cold. I am absolutely shattered now though (partly due to lack of sleep)

Giving up on the nap idea. I dozed for like five minutes. I think I’d better just get on with the laundry sorting really.

Cineraria fab list but eeeeek at the water bag cleaning!

Tinselette ha :o good point, I guess at least with the cinema they can talk about the film after (not during though hopefully) but in some ways it isn’t a social thing. I actually quite like going alone sometimes. I’m actually trying to replace some of my screen faffing time with Netflix etc so I don’t do so much mindless scrolling of FB etc 😳😳😳

And on that note I think I’ll put another episode of Keeping Faith on while I do more clothes. Will leave phone downstairs to charge so I have less distraction - I actually deleted FB/messenger off the iPad the other day.

Hello sorry I dropped off was in the middle of a house love