Flapping calmly through lockdown: Fledglings April 2020. Welcome to the Keep Calm Corner!

[LaneBoy]

Hello all!

Thank you for joining us, please note if we seem cliquey it’s only because it’s a long running thread - everyone really is welcome!

Welcome to (probably) the most bizarre Flylady thread yet... in which we are attempting to impose/maintain some kind of order in our homes, while also many of us are adjusting to working from home and homeschooling the kids for the first time too! Not to mention the anxiety around health and accessing food!

Of course, normally the opening post would talk about banishing CHAOS - Can’t Have Anyone Over Syndrome - but now we aren’t allowed anyone over anyway :o so, let’s just try and make our homes nicer FOR US. We are spending more time than ever in them, so let’s make them really wonderful places to be, our own safe little nests for our families.

Flylady routines might just help us get through this crazy time, by giving us a little structure to work from when all else is unpredictable - but as usual there is no right or wrong here. All of us follow it only to the extent it helps us - we can take ideas and make them work for us. And the key principle is, YOU ARE NEVER BEHIND. I feel like that is even more evident now, with so many of these outside pressures and commitments suddenly gone, and frankly the days rolling into one!

This is potentially a great time to declutter. Of course, Flylady suggests 15 minutes a day - but perhaps in these unprecedented times we will all do more! But we are all busy getting into our own routines now that school is out, and work too for many, and we’ve lost a lot of the outside structure to our lives. There’s no right or wrong here, we just have to try and adapt.

Links wise, I’ll just post the launch pad, and will add reminders about zones too. If anyone has Flying questions, please ask!

The Keep Calm Corner
The lovely SC came up with the brilliant idea of the Keep Calm Corner last month - this is a daily post with things to make us happy! I figured each monthly host can make this their own, and I’m a little worried my taste in art and music would not be calming to most :o so for this month, the KCC will consist of:
Some memes - either funny (we all need a laugh! Warning though - some will likely be unsavoury :o) or thought provoking/relaxation based. Do PM me (here or FB) if you have any you want to add!
A daily “ice breaker” type question - obviously answering these is entirely optional, and don’t say anything that will out you, but if you want to join in and create some extra conversations on the thread then treatment, we can all get to know each other better! Again, if you think of any questions please PM!

Thank you for settling in, and of course thank you to SC for making March such a lovely thread. And lastly, a huge thank you also to our key worker Fledglings, who are doing an incredible job of keeping things running!

Thank you Sly, KT and Lane, that's a good help. I know how to find the flight plan now.

Ooh the control journal looks interesting, and tempting. But I promised myself I wasnt going to start any new journals till I used up more of my other ones. I have a bit of a journaling habit. I'm also not allowed to buy any more notebooks as I have a box in the attic with empty ones that I haven't even got to yet!

LOL that’s one of the other reasons I didn’t do a proper CJ.

My “control wall” (not that we are using it as I’d only just done it before all this craziness and now some of it is irrelevant! I need to start doing the house related bits though, I have no excuse) is 8 sheets of paper. The seven days, plus one called “future friend” which we’ve not really discussed on this month’s thread (I guess because we’ve not had the usual commitments!).

The idea of that is stuff you do every night to be ready for the next day. For me it was things like packing my bag, checking nursery bag, getting clothes ready, rinsing water bottle, even little things like choosing earrings, and I was thinking of gradually adding more housework things like another Fledgling’s suggestion of getting a LOL ready to switch on first thing.

Anyway the idea is that by doing a few things in the evening you’re making your morning easier and you will be thankful to your last night self! It really has made a difference.

I should get going on that again really - even stuff like clothes for the next day as it means we will get the toddler dressed earlier instead of faffing, and I’ve gone weeks without earrings now so I should start doing that (they get more “closed” if I leave it too long).

Also, I guess it’s one thing, as per last night’s post, that we CAN control. A little bit of normality in this batshit crazy time!

🧡🧡🧡 the keep calm corner 🧡🧡🧡

(LOL, I typed “cor” and autocorrect suggested coronavirus 🙄)

So today we have:

• a little cartoon to remind us that we will get through this
• a nice list of ideas, since we are on the topic of daily tasks and also things that we can be in control of. It’s more well-being based but that may be a good place to start anyway!
• a post that made me laugh, about a homeschool art idea that went a bit wrong 😳 sorry for lowering the tone 🙈😂

Today’s question: What kind of films do you like watching generally? Any favourites? Any that you’re looking forward to seeing?

I’m not really sure I could choose a favourite myself 🤔 maybe it’s too tricky a question 😅 but I find anime pretty calming even though I generally can’t concentrate that long. I grew up watching Disney classics on repeat (sword in the stone, Robin Hood, Alice in wonderland, Fantasia!) and TBH still find that stuff comforting even if I’m not actually watching.

I don’t watch films that often lately (TV series will probably be a question later in the month though so I won’t go into that :o) but I like drama/thriller type stuff I guess. Not into action, superhero, romance kinda things generally although there are always exceptions! Comedy is good but nothing too crude. I like finding foreign films too but even then a lot is animated, I love seeing different styles.

I’ve just ordered a DVD for the first time in ages - The Experimenter which is about the Milgram obedience experiments, a subject that has fascinated me since my teens. :o

💜💜💜💜💜

Wow it's taken me ages to catch up. Also MN have swapped the bookmark thing with report post so I've nearly reported a lot of you 🤣

I love foxes. We definitely do get them in the North East KT we have one in our garden and I think he lives in a bit of trees at the back of the school. He likes to use out garden as his toilet 🙄 and he nearly knocked me off my feet one morning when I went our early to hang washing. We had one in the last house we lived in too. I also love giraffes. I weirdly love owl things (have lots at home and have an owl tattoo) but I'm petrified of birds 🙈. We only have a goldfish. Would love to get a dog and we probably will one day. Not really an issue is being out at work because there's usually someone at home with DS4.

Music wise I listen to absolutely everything.

Had to go out and about yesterday (post office, Morrison's & 2 x pharmacy) still didn't get DS3 script sorted so will have to go back out today. Think we will all walk along and DH can wait outside with DC while I run in then we can walk back via my DGM so the kids can talk to her over the fence.

Got a load of laundry done yesterday and out on the line so my ironing pile is huge.

I cheat a bit for daily jobs fluffiest and I use TOMM daily jobs I printed the checklist out.

Finally started decorating the eggs this morning mine is the best 🤣

We're going to do the pub quiz again tonight and I've told the DC they can do the kids one he's put up and we might have a look at a few of the others.

DH and DS3 did the tent again last night but the weather has really changed so I think we'll all be sleeping indoors until it brightens up again.

I'm half an hour into the queue at Sainsburys, with probably half an hour to go. Gentle breeze, warm sun, people chatting, it's quite relaxing, oddly.

Films, hmm. I'm not a great film watcher. I like musicals, period drama, war, real life type stuff. My last two trips to the cinema were Downton Abbey and Emma. I hardly ever watch them at home. My all time favourites are Das Boot, The Full Monty, Muppets Christmas Carol, The Sound of Music. I don't like Disney, sci-fi, fantasy, horror. Never watched a whole James Bond.

Ah, We3 I tried TOMM for a short spell but couldn't get the Level 1 jobs done in 15 minutes and got in a bit of a strop about it. But I still follow her on Insta cos I quite like her as a person.

Wow, that's a long queue ED! I've only had to queue 5 mins for our local supermarket. But I have been going as soon as the NHS hour finishes.

I love lots of films, action, comedy, adventure, thriller, musical. I like horror ghost stories but not gore. Find sport movies a bit boring. Top 5 that I watch over and over would be: The Fifth Element, Down with Love, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Avengers Assemble and Singing in the Rain.

Ta-da list so far today:
❤ Lol
🧡 S&S
💛 Put away last nights dishes
💚 Tidied clutter
💙 Did some math sums with DD and her building bricks
💜 Made lunch
🖤 Ate apple pie and custard

Now I've gone all sleepy. Would love to doze on the sofa, with a Disney film on. But instead I'm going to take DD out for a ride on her bike. She gets grouchy if she doesn't get her body moving.

Oh do you We3? We are in a town but it’s pretty rural round it so they tend to stay away from civilisation and we don’t see them. Never saw any when I was at uni so assumed it was a north east thing. Mind if they treat your garden like a toilet I’m not at all jealous!

Films - since DD was born I’ve barely got through a full film and it tends to be more series we watch, as well as a daily dose of Disney. I do enjoy thriller type things, and films with a a bit of twist at the end. Dirty dancing is the one if the few I will happily watch repeatedly.

Ta Das:
✅ beds made
✅ Laundry in dryer and a second load on
✅ DW emptied, breakfast and lunch things in
✅ pile of DD’s clothes hung up, summer things I got in the sale last year added to her wardrobe and some winter things she won’t get into again packed away.
✅ DD bathed and dressed after a battle. She’s not in a good mood today but has thankfully just fallen asleep so hoping she wakes up happier and isn’t coming down with something.

Hope you’re now in or back out of Sainsbury’s Expletive and the shopping was successful.

Rumours said that our local big Tesco had a three hour queue 🤔 we have a tiny Tesco about ten minutes away that has the essentials and a big Asda a bit further in the opposite direction, but that’s got the queues so DH is only going there if really necessary. He’s probably going to have to get my prescription from the psychiatrist at some point too, my friend who lives nearby and has a car had offered but she’s got the virus now we think - coughing and chest pain - and is self isolating. Hoping it’s a mild case and trying not to worry about her :(

Ohhhh I LOVE Down With Love Fluff! Not watched it in ages actually, may have to dig it out. First saw it on a date with DH at the cinema, not his usual genre at all but we both found it really funny and sweet.

I’ve never watched the actual avengers films, unlike DH who goes to midnight screenings etc with his older kids! But I have enjoyed some Marvel - Ant Man (especially #1) and Doctor Strange are cool and I quite like some of the X Men movies (I find them more relatable 🤣).

ta da
💙LOL
💛looked up washing instructions for change mat
💚family walk - too tired for extra lap though as it was so hot!
🧡emailed FSW about an important question
💜completed my races for Mario Kart tournament (expecting to come last overall! I miss the Wii version)

Going to attempt soup shortly. Carrot and lentil which I’ve never tried before.

I got in after 45 mins and all was fine after that. All put away now.

I have seen most of the Marvel films as DD is obsessed but I struggle to get my head round all the plotlines and characters I just gaze at Chris Hemsworth.

Guessing shops are busy as it's good Friday/odd trading hours tom?

Fave film don't have one really,depends on mood.singing in the rain holds fond memories of my dad.he loved musicals(as do I and dd2)

Completely crashed and burned today.overwheing anxiety OCD sent me to lay down after hoovered stairs and I didn't move til 1230 and zoolets demanding food.couldnt prep anything decent as OCD was being impossible so grab snacks and lay back down again.need figure out a plan or I'm in deep deep trouble.fuckity fuck

Zoo

Right, whoo ha, it's nearly 7pm and apart from late start, I had a more focused day today. Excited to be posting my first ta da list with multi-coloured hearts!

Ta da:
💙 morning routine inc. emptying dw, wms rebooted, shined sink, tidied kitchen, dining table hot spot, etc.
💚dog walk/exercise
💙 Dettol swabbing etc inc banister
💜 huge reconfiguration (with dh & dd) of main joint rooms and furniture (Inc piano!) downstairs to accommodate dh temporary office. Looked good initially and then dh added too much stuff on top 😖
💛 carried dirty laundry downstairs and sorted in to piles (gulp)
♥ reconfigured daily lockdown action list on Word to inc some of the bullet points from Lane's helpful list 💐 for Covid CJ!
💚 improved Covid CJ a bit with a spot of re-organising/hole punching
💜 20 mins decluttering first floor landing
💛 Leslie Samsome video
💙 served and cleared up lunch (veg soup for me and dh) and rice salad for dd
💜 30 mins on sm
♥ lots of work e-mails
💚 print out massive labels for archiving boxes
💜 decluttered papers on pouffe thing and sorted office post
💛 20 mins "puppy" training
💚 quick bubble bath as joints playing up
💛 back down to deal with more laundry
💙 started gratitude circle with dd
💜 found bleach for tomorrow!
💚 cleaned main bathroom (wasn't too bad)
💛 found Easter decs for Sat

To do:
watch daily Netflix episode with dd
heat up veg casserole for supper on terrace (easy)
bit more tidying!
set machines for early tomorrow

Glad you made it out of the supermarket Expletive!
Fingers crossed your dd is ok KTCluck 🐻. Good for you ordering the yoga wear!
Fluffiest beware the Flylady Mon home blessing hour is very tight on time! I can't get the beds changed in an hour, so we do them together at the weekend!
We3kings egg decorating sounds fun!
Zoo bird feeder sounds good! So sorry your mh is suffering

Films: I love period dramas new and old. Don't mind the odd action/thriller as long as it's not too violent. Really don't like much animation but enjoy the classics and recently, animé dd has introduced me to! Love horse and dance related films too (National Velvet and Billy Elliott being my second favourite)! But my favourite film of all time is Babe 😁.

See you all tomorrow and have a good evening! 🐾🐾

Well I need be posting positives,no point us all being miserable!
Got four loads wash sorted out today,just put last of it away

Finally got round to sorting D's face-full spots/blackheads..gave good wash with flannel,sorted few huge blackheads from lip.applied pore stripe nose and chin(that dd2 provided from her stash).results were interesting...removed excess glue.
Added sudacrem to huge yellow heads
It would help stopped rub face round cats faces/washed it properly!!

Simple tea it is tonight- emergency tin spag bol heating in oven along frozen pitta breads
Will add some chopped raw carrots to dishes,and we have some grapes left.so I need focus on them getting fruit n veg rather fretting it's not what they would usually have a night.its not a usual night,so I'm allowed

Sat watch blog Radford's new baby arrival.newborns always bring something to my heart that lifts it.

Aiming cook some frozen sweet potato chunks and carrots for dd2 and I so we eat something with bread

Tomorrow's a new day,and one to start reminding myself it's Easter!normally we go to Maundy service,so weird not doing that tonight.might get out D's action Bible and go over it with them.if not we will do it tomorrow

Will need venture out early more bread and hopeful I might secure a hot X bun stash

Have a lovely evening everyone

*lil zoo,she's got a look that could wither the strongest spirit but to my knowledge hasn't murdered anyone!!

Awww SC I used to love Babe! In fact that song is very special to me, i was on holiday with my parents (missing DH who couldn’t go because of work) and bought a CD which had the original classical piece the song was based on. Listened to it in the hire car and imagined singing the words to a baby, felt a bit emotional... got home from that holiday and told DH that yes, I was ready to TTC :o I did actually sing it to DD1 a lot when she was tiny too. ❤️

Currently sitting in the hallway surrounded by crap. Have sorted through some toys, thrown away some stuff, and am now in the “Shiiiiit now what” stage where I’m tired and have made too many decisions and don’t want to make any more. Oops. I have made progress though.

Zoo it’s ok to hide for a bit. 💐

You are definitely allowed a simple tea prep tonight Zoo! Could you delegate some of the cooking to the zoolets a couple of nights a week? It's a lot when you are solely responsible for 3 X 7 meals a week.

And generally wish your dp could offer you more support as it must be hugely tough being solely responsible for 3 DC by yourself full stop 💐💐💐

I agree that this Holy Week seems so strange! Normally we would be back and forth to church! We are doing our best with on-line services but it's not quite the same somehow.

I had forgotten about hot cross buns! Might give them a go tomorrow!

Take it steady 🍰 🍵💐

Slychomping the old greenhouse was on concrete slabs, so rebuilding in the same place, although it’s 6x10’ rather than 6x8’. Judging by lack of progress this afternoon it’s going to take longer than I’d hoped! Now staying well out of the way with a g+t 🍸

Animal-wise I like pretty much any animal. I’ve had cats, dogs, horses, goats, donkeys, ponies, hamster, guinea pigs, stick insects and fish tanks at various points in my life.
I draw the line at spiders though DD is absolutely phobic about arachnids 🕸
Given a choice I would like a small scruffy mutt, won’t happen though because DH only likes bigger dogs, and not being in good health it probably means I wouldn’t be able to look after one in the future.
We do have lots of bird feeders that I love watching, and a pond with goldfish, frogs and toads, newts and the occasional grass snake 😳.

I’m attempting to crochet a shawl but it’s not going well......I can’t consult my crochet-wizard friend who would normally sort me out because of the virus 😡
All ready for Easter, indulged in an egg for DH and I, leg of lamb and strawberries & cream for Sunday lunch - then realised it’s only Thursday and haven’t thought about what to eat tomorrow and Saturday 🙄😊
Pot luck meals coming up! I honestly never know what day of the week it is any more.....

I didn't know it was based on a classical piece Lane! Do you mind posting the name of it pls? I ❤ it too.

Well done re: hall sorting! Don't despair, there's always a bit where it seems worse before it gets better! (You should see the boudoir of doom!) Or if it's really bad, could you sleep on it?

Thanks for greenhouse info Strawberrysundae! Exciting that it is going up despite difficulties. sounds like an excellent plan however! Can't decide (when we actually get one) whether we want to grow things up through ground as it were but lots of people have said concrete base is best.

How amazing to have had, known and loved so many animals! That's quite a collection 😁 I love a scruffy mutt too! Could you and your dh perhaps compromise on a medium-sized?) older rescue dog? There are lots in kennels whose owners have had to go in to care homes. Some tend to be expensive though in terms of vets bills.

Ditto re: arachnophobe dd! We have some whoppers here.

Here ya go sc assuming we are talking about the same song it’s Saint-Saëns symphony #3 - skip to 27:21 but if you have time do listen to it all at some point as it’s lovely (IMHO)

It’s funny I’d say I don’t have favourite composers but probably he would be near the top of the list TBH I like a lot of his work.

I am now down a YouTube music rabbit hole 😂 should really get up and rehome the toys I’ve dug our (I’ve sort of condensed the “no clue what to do with this” stuff into one box as per my usual method - get the easy stuff out first!

BTW it’s actually only a very small bit that the song was based on so hope it’s not a let down 😳 it may be interesting to hear it in the context of the rest though

Thanks Lane much appreciated! And it rings a bell now!

I h

ve similarly gone down a You Tube rabbit hole so signing off for now!

Waves to Giveme and everyone else!

I really hope you're feeling better soon zoo. That actually sounded like a great tea. We had what we call 'oven pick n mix' tea tonight. Basically chips and frozen party finger food with a bit of salad to ease the gluttony guilt.

Afternoon ta-da
❤ took DD out on her bike
🧡 cleaned kitchen counters
💛 put dry clothes away
💚 washed dishes
💙 tidied toys away

Now I'm about to do another virtual pub quiz with a different set of friends. Hope you all have a good evening.