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.

Come to think of it That I did see some woman competitor in one of those interior design shoes paint an old leather chair in one episode. It was the series where they all do up a room each in the same row of houses, or one beach hut each on the same beach. There are two male presenters (one who is egregiously floppy-posh and the other who has a funny name - dick something??? ) and a blonde lady with dangling tassel earrings and bright clothes ... if that makes sense. I think the chair turned out ok but the competitor had covered it at the end with a load of throws and a cushion and I thought that was a bit suspicious tbh ....

shows not shoes

sc I think I know what programme you're talking about but I can't remember the name of it either!

I have a ta da list! Doesn't happen very often at the moment...
Laundry X 2
Dishwasher X 2
Presents bought for nephews
Cleaned out cupboard under the sink and binned loads of random stuff that had been in their for yonks
Spoke to guy at sports club I joined, want to swap the day I play so there is a better balance of players, unfortunately the other day is a Friday and I'm not free for the next few Fridays. At least I can stop thinking about it for now!
Made cheesey pasta for dinner (always a hit with the kids, they will eat any vegetables if they are covered in cheese sauce!)
Sorted socks
Dusted in bedroom
Helped dd with homework

I'm feeling pretty pleased with myself, I wish I could be this productive all the time

Don't really have a ta da list today
2 x LOL and ironing before work and that's about it.

I'm now attempting to make dinner before I have to go out to pick my DM up from the train station and call at the supermarket. Really need to do a big shop but haven't found the time this week so I've had to call in for bits and pieces every day.

SC yes! We are in a valley, but mountains are only 45 minutes away, I can see them from my yard. We do have incredible lakes and mountains around here, as well as the desert in the opposite direction. We love to go camping in the mountains in the summer time, and float the river, where there are more hot springs. We also live just over 30 minutes away from one of the largest waterfalls in the West, which is gorgeous to visit. It does really bother me that my family doesn't have any desire to come visit where we live, but also know it's very expensive to fly out here.

Lane bringing up head lice has made my head itch! I hope you're able to get it under control soon.
Tinselette I've heard the name, but don't know what he sings etc. I should Google him.
KT sorry to hear about a crappy night's sleep again. That was an impressive ta da list though.

SC if they haven't explored the city before that should be more of a reason for them to get out of the house. I'm guessing they want you to go with them and show them around maybe?
bower I hope everything is ok at the doctors.

Sorry it was that who had a crappy nights sleep. I knew I couldn't trust my memory!

Major adulting fail in the Cluck house tonight . I made a salmon risotto, packed with veg, slaved over it, and had nailed it. Started to eat and we were all a good few mouthfuls in when we realised the salmon tasted dodgy and had gone off! DH had said that it smelt a bit fishy but I couldn’t smell it so ignored him. If I’d listened we would have at least had a veg risotto. Instead it all went in the bin and we had fishfingers and oven chips. Just waiting to find out if we ate enough of it to make us ill. Dr Google reckons we should know in 2-3 hours ...

Fab list Foxes. I never manage much of a ta da list on work days We3.

SC I know the program you mean too, but can’t help with the name. Hope they stayed out a while, and you’re hanging in there.

Hope appointments went well zoo and Lane. I’d also never thought of flattening loo roll. Inspired!

DD was absolutely not on board with any cleaning being done today. Had her out for a few hours on her balance bike which tired her out enough for an epic tantrum then a danger nap. I let her sleep for half an hour while I did a very quick blitz

✅ 5 minutes upstairs dusting
✅ 5 mins upstairs hoovering
✅ 5 mins bathroom clean
✅ 5 mins tidy DD’s room
✅ 5 mins clean laundry away

None of the above was as thorough as I would have liked but I did get everywhere done. Speed cleaning is surprisingly effective!

✅ made soup for lunch and work
✅ overnight oats sorted for next 2 days
✅ took apart DD’s little table (converted from a jumperoo type thing) following a milk spillage. Doing previous mouldy milk spillage inside . Scrubbed it.
✅ Travel insurance sorted for weekend away (after reading a thread on here which reminded me)

DH has done kitchen and disposed of dodgy risotto.

Oh hope your appointment went well too bower

Oh no KT, fingers tightly crossed for you both.

That, when DD1 was a baby we went through a stage where nappies leaked every night. So frustrating as you say. Eventually I contacted Pampers. I called them but you can also email. Of course they advertise their products but they were really helpful, sent me some money off vouchers and gave me some ideas of what to try. Frustratingly of course I can’t remember what they said now as it was so long ago. I do remember being really impressed though. If you are only using pampers at night then it doesn’t work out horrendously expensive if you get them on offer and, tbh, once you find a style that works you can then try a cheaper brand anyway. Might be worth contacting them as you have nothing to lose.

SC for pointing your guests in the direction of pancake ingredients. You should do more of that sort of thing .

Big wing flaps to all. Have been at work today. Done a bit of flying but not a huge amount. DDs asleep so going to tackle some laundry.

Any ideas what to get someone as a small token thank you (£5 ish, maybe £10) who doesn’t drink alcohol, eat sweets or chocolate? Not sure if they like flowers. Maybe just a nice card that I get the kids to write in nicely? Don’t want to do a voucher. Am usually a massive voucher fan but it’s not the right present on this occasion.

Too can't help I'm crap at gifts.

If you're wanting pampers and you know anyone with a Costco card that they are just as cheap as supermarket brand nappies in there. It's where I always get my nappies. Well DC nappies I haven't quite reached nappy stage again yet 🤣

What about products such as hand cream Stressy, or something luxurious like nice coffee or a posh pair of socks? A mug is always a fallback for me as well and I have far too many already but I am the world's worst present buyer so feel free to ignore!

It's obviously not-sleeping-well week for the fledglings, and I joined in last night after my epic sleep in last weekend --and two cups of coffee yesterday- Will skip my usual Thursday morning meetup tomorrow due to having two appointments in the afternoon to dash between. One booked ahead of time, the other is work my car needs PDQ. DD may have to either wait for me at school or get herself home on the bus which she is not a fan of. Needs must.

Big wing flaps to all fledglings!

Not much flying, need to do another batch of washing up here and iron for tomorrow morning and plan some tea as I'll get back late tomorrow.

I’ve totally crashed this evening. Today was pretty good, but I’m very peopled out and achey. Thus future friend is not happening at all 😖 I’ve brought Cagletini to bed (late nap but I’ve managed to keep her asleep with a feed so hopefully she will sleep through). I dozed on the sofa a bit earlier with her. Just had a go at caglets for shouting on way up after watching a funny show as they woke her up 🤬🤬🤬

ta da
✅made it to course
✅meeting with FSW although we didn’t discuss everything we needed to as we got distracted talking about tattoos 😂🙈
✅emailed later to arrange next visit (she’s coming to me that time so it’s easier)
✅messaged about visit from nursery nurse from HV team
✅checked DS’ hair (found two 🤬 DH about to check DD’s)

Writing off the evening.

toostressy a Lush bathbomb, posh teabags, a nice notebook, a book, a compact mirror...just ideas of things I would definitely appreciate! (Although I'd rather have chocolate and alcohol 😂)

KT fingers crossed you're all okay!

It's so lovely to read all this chat. Three or four years ago I was thread leader on the February thread after a very hectic January one with lots of new people and honestly, I thought I'd killed it, it went so quiet. I remember pm'ing some of the other regulars as I was worried. I am feeling a bit "rabbit in the headlights" about trying to reply to everyone, but just want to say to those who are under the weather that I hope things improve soon.

Anyway, I had another busy day at work and then with swimming/dance classes this evening. A bit of swishing and swiping, laundry etc but not much Flying really. Tomorrow I only work a half day so hoping to catch up a bit then.

Thursday

launchpad

Well, oddly, tomorrow's mission is the same as Monday's, to remove anything from your living room that doesn't belong there. Probably addressed to those of us who didn't get round to it or those of us who did but lots more stuff has already crept back in.

Thursday is errand day. Babystep 27 - "what's for dinner?" Think about this before 6pm .

I am happy to report i may have found a nappy that works for us! Dc5 has just gone 10 hours in a 4+ pampers baby dry nappy with no leaks. I changed him as feeding him and from looking at it i think it could have gone 12+ hours. So nice to just change a nappy not all clothes and bedding We3 exactly how cheap are the pampers at Costco? I did Amazon subscribe & save for a big box and came to around 10p per nappy but i do have a relative with a Costco card too

kt fingers crossed for no sick

stressy i have bought nice candles as gifts before

Those with dc in secondary school do you have more than one pe kit? Dc1 needs his 3 days in a row but it stinks after one use because he is not best in the world with deodorant! Thinking of getting another top atleast to calm the manic washing i just had put a load on at 4am as found said smelly top in bathroom (not envy)

Would fabreeze for day two work that?
Mine only have p.e once a week for double lesson,so we don't have that problem thankfully
Glad you got nappy problem sorted

I've been awake since 3again,clearly my brain feels sleep is unnecessary,wish my body agreed though....

Tada
Two hours in my room
Empty top blanket box by my bed,sort and put away piles
Tidy inside said box
Sort everything end of bed shelving(helps it has little baskets of like for like so I actually can see where stuff should be)
Empty bookcase,wipe,wipe dust off books and reload
Tidy top chest drawers
Clear and clean window sills

Just needs a floor wash when do other floors layer and bed remake and it's as tidy as it's going to get

Morning all! So busy yesterday I didn't get on here at all, so catching up now. On phone, so doing it from memory, apologies if I miss anyone.

Expletive, you're doing a great job leading the thread and you don't have to name check everyone, everyday. We all have lives outside the thread (I'm told ) and you're keeping us nicely on track. [Gin] and to keep you going.

KT hope you are not all hovered over the lavatory and you got away with the salmon. So disappointing when that happens. Well done on speed cleaning! I need to do the same thing around WillowHound, who hates the hoover. And the broom. And the mop. And the feather duster...

Zoo so sorry you and Chic and That can't sleep. I woke up early this morning, hearing water dripping... So no snow!

SC, why in earth are guests causing you to run up and down the stairs with a hoover? I don't believe I've ever done extra hoovering while guests are here (slack housekeeper alert... Although I need Flylady, so that shouldn't be a surprise!). Are you effectively chamber-maiding for them? If so, stop! You are not a skivvy in your own home! Hope they go home soon and never return.

Hazel, where you live sounds so beautiful. Foxes well done on eating up birthday cake. Someone must, and it's good of you to step into the breach there .

Lane sorry you are peopled out and had to can Future Friend last night. Hope you feel better today 💐.

Ta Das yesterday
☑️ S&S and spray bathroom with mould remover. It's absolutely brilliant, but makes upstairs reek of bleach 🤮.
☑️ DW
☑️ Set Wendy on the kitchen floor
☑️ Got final printing done for client including
☑️ Trip to print shop
☑️ Boundd report
☑️ Finally got to the Post Office
☑️ Started writing next report
☑️ Sorted out client filing
☑️ Packed up china we sold on ebay for DH to deliver
☑️ Made sausage casserole
☑️ Helped DS3 with humanities homework (causes of WW2 in the form of a letter to a friend. Very odd for Y5, I thought)
☑️ Nursed DS3 through adding and subtracting mixed fractions homework. He sobbed throughout, again 😢.
☑️ Managed not to kill DH, who is using gardening leave to read and watch TV with noise-cancelling headphones in, while I continue to flog up and down 2 flights of stairs between homework and hysteria on the top floor and answering the door to DS2 who never remembers his keys. Going to have to have another word today about using this time to be useful at home as I'd love to spend until 22 March relaxing and doing hobbies, but that's not going to happen. And his nee job takes him away for at least the first week and I'm going to need to build up energy reserves.

To do today:
🔳 My counselling appt 9-11 (including travel)
🔳 Lidl on the way home
🔳 DD to orthodontist for midday (DH's problem)
🔳 Drumming lesson for DS3
🔳 More humanities hwk for DS3
🔳 Science experiment hwk for DS3
🔳 Greek lesson for DD and dentist for DH (he is combining travel for them)
🔳 Usual house stuff
🔳 Chicken for dinner
🔳 More writing for client, while it's in my head
🔳 Client filing.

🍒🙋 to everyone.

Just opened the curtains. Now it's snowing! 🌨️

Snowing here too earlier this morning but it's stopped now, turned to rain.

Willow - which mould remover do you use? I bought some Astonish recently and it's brilliant. Good luck with managing not to kill DH. We should round up all the non-weight-pulling DH/DPs on this thread and send them to live together for a week.

That - we've always managed with one change of secondary PE kit per week but have had spare tops from the second hand shop in case they get lost. Pretty whiffy by Friday though especially if cross country has been on the timetable.

KT - what a shame about the salmon, hop there are no after effects.

Tada!

Swish and swipe
1 x LOL
Run vac round downstairs
Empty dehumidifier
Trip over pile of unwanted shoes that DH evicted from under the stairs and hasn't put in his car to take to the shoe bank yet (all his)
Remind DH about car tax (again)
Lecture DCs about handwashing, I've got a bad cold as well as CV worries
Whatsapp chat with other parents re school stuff (lack of comms from school)

Greetings from rainy and muddy countryside! Grey and cold with sleet here.

Firstly, Expletive you are already doing truly sterling work with the links so please don't feel "rabbit in headlights" over this thread! I'm afraid I will be doing minimal "personals" when I thread-lead in Feb as it will be the first time I have done so while working full time hrs.

I think the thread sometimes goes quiet in relation to school holidays/not school holidays/the weather/and the general ebb and flow of life! Not according to who leads it (although I wouldn't be at all surprised if people are put off by my endless witterings ).

It's true that what makes this thread fab is people reading and acknowledging other people's posts and feeling as though they are "heard" when they post, as housework can be such a soul -destroying ground-hog day lonely thing, and otherwise it could be just list after list of people's lists without any acknowledgement of anyone else, and it's great that people comment and respond to others but (a) it's simply not possible to respond to every detail when the thread moves so fast and (b) sometimes we are all in a position - whether leading or posting - when we can only manage to write down the salient bits or lists and it's important that that is ok too when people are under pressure.

Willow sympathies re: your dh and his noise cancelling headphones and gardening leave apathy etc! As a fellow fledgling and owner of a house with lots of stairs, it is really not on that your dh makes you come down two flights to answer the door when he is right there! Sorry you are having to "have a word" too. Feel on your behalf! Good luck with your very full day!

Zoo I hope you are feeling better today! Good luck slaying the dust bunnies but you have already done loads! Have a rest woman!

Wow Hazel the landscape sounds so amazing where you live!! The waterfall in particular! I'm so sorry that your family don't visit . I suppose I take it for granted that ours do, although it's a lot nearer to the UK to be fair.

Yes, the guests want us to show them around. One of us always takes them out in the morning (dh and I are taking it in turns) but we were hoping they would do afternoon excursions themselves which I had hoped would be fair enough, given that we have made suggestions, provided tourist guide books, sent website links, given them integrated travel cards etc etc. I have to admit it gets a bit wearisome doing the same old museum visits when you have lived here for over a quarter of a century!

Willow it's more the dogs and their muddy footprints and hairs that are causing me to run around with the hoover than the guests! Although I think I would leave the place to look a bit more messy and hoover as normal if the guests weren't here ifyswim! If it was solely up to me, I wouldn't have the furries going upstairs at all, and our older dog was perfectly happy with that initially, until dh got his way ... . Lord no, I'm not chamber-maiding, apart from doing the odd wipe-around of sinks and loos etc ... and changing the odd towel here and there.

That I'm afraid I have found multiple gym kits necessary and makes life a lot easier having enough so that you can always have one washed, ironed and set aside, for when the other is (a) left at school (b) left festering in bedroom and not presented for laundering (c) left at a friend's house. If your lad needs kit three days in a row then I would personally buy as many as I could afford but do what I did and buy them ENORMOUS so they last for many years ... [Medal] for 4am laundry session!

Good luck with your appts today Chic

Hope you are all ok KTCluck and well done for fitting in and persisting with mini Flying blitzes when dd not cooperative!

Great list Foxes

Good luck zapping the lousy lice Lane

Toostressy would a plant in a pot work? Something decorative or useful like a mini thyme or basil bush?

Everyone else has gone orf to visit dhorse and I am stuck here editing . It is a miserable day though to be fair.

Mahoosive waves to Tinselette Honu Shannara We3kings Honu Bower and everyone else I have missed!

Meant to say dd bucked up yesterday as the day went on and actually became very helpful (I think she was just a bit overwhelmed with everyone in her space as it were) and dh finally stopped working today for a bit (praise the Lord) so I feel a bit less alone with it all now thank heavens. But thanks again for all the support on here. One more night to go ... .

Can you believe it is nearly March?

Eeeek

We also have snow. Big clumps of flakes falling but melting as it hits anything. That didn't stop the DC turning into overexcited maniacs for ten minutes though and asking for 'nowmans! Might have to put a snow related Peppa/Duggee episode on for them to cheer them up when they realise that isn't going to happen.

Handwashing for them has been on my mind too, Expletive. They are 4 and 2 and both recently started to go independently to use the toilet upstairs without asking/telling me. Since then, handwashing, if it happens at all, will be without soap as they can't operate the dispenser; it just falls over if they try. A bar of soap is too slippery to hold and makes the floor slippery as a result! I bought a shorter, wider dispenser to see if that helps and also put out a bowl of hot, soapy water on a low table in the dining room before meals to wash their hands. There is hand sanitiser downstairs next to the potty they sometimes use if the toilet isn't free but I'm not sure that is good enough really. Does anyone who has already been through that stage have any suggestions about what is easy for them to use or about encouraging them to remember, please?

I haven't posted since the weekend so belated happy birthdays to those who were celebrating!

I had a lucky opportunity of DH taking the DCs to soft plague pit play on Saturday and had a huge sort out of the spare room/playroom which is our dumping ground. The boys were supposed to have that room ready to share as a bedroom last October, so we can get our room to ourselves again and turn DS1's largish boxroom into a spare room/office. I now have:

lots of bags of outgrown clothes for DM to take to a charity she likes when she next visits (in the loft)

Several large toys and baby equipment put in the loft

Sorted bags of DS1's outgrown clothes into sized bags for DS2 in the loft, also any next size clothes for DS1

A big bag of paperwork to sort though,

Several bags of toys and books they might have outgrown but might be mixed up with other toys/books or missing parts of toys they still use ready to sort though, maybe tomorrow.

A floor that can be walked on to reach the shelves of books, films and music that need packing up. Yay!

I also moved the laundry basket into our room and the printer and filing cabinet to the landing.

I realised that I'm not good at doing all the tasks I'm supposed to do each day without a written checklist. I just dither and wonder what's next too often and miss important things. Writing a list each night for every small thing I might forget was getting on top of me though so l have done it as a Google spreadsheet (for a week, with a page per day) that I can access on my phone. Each week I can start a fresh copy and just add the daily tasks and area for decluttering plus any extra tasks. It also has a to do page, a page of monthly tasks like changing the water filter and testing the smoke alarms and a page that lists the home blessing tasks against each area. It seems to be working so far. I can see that I have forgotten to do swish and swipe and to give DS2 his vitamins after breakfast today and I can post TaDa lists here (although the real list has nice clickable tick boxes rather than true and false)!

Tada list
empty dishwasher TRUE
prepare breakfasts TRUE
water for all TRUE
top up water filter TRUE
blankets, underwear, drinks out TRUE
Children up TRUE
toilet and wipe nappy area TRUE
wash hands TRUE
prewash dark clothes TRUE
serve breakfast TRUE
A vits FALSE
brush children's teeth TRUE
wash faces TRUE
clean loo and sink FALSE
clean breakfast table TRUE
clean kitchen surfaces TRUE
make beds TRUE
Fold, line and store nappies TRUE
dark wash TRUE

Oops. Long post due to not posting for a while. Sorry!