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Housekeeping

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

999 replies

LaneBoy · 31/03/2020 10:28

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!

Star The Keep Calm Corner Star
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 Blush:o so for this month, the KCC will consist of:
Star 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!
Star 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. Thanks And lastly, a huge thank you also to our key worker Fledglings, who are doing an incredible job of keeping things running! Thanks

OP posts:
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117
Stilllivinginazoo · 12/04/2020 16:38

lane lots people wandering up and down our street today,which has seriously unnerved me that covidiots are out in force.dd1 took doggo walk and saw picnickers aplentySad
That what sort of help you want?an alibi?a partner in crime for torturing and help dispose the body

Foxes I wouldn't refuse a slice

Well I changed my mind about resting,zoolets are in garden,so chance clear up with no one underfoot

Tada
Wiped living room surfaces
Swept floor

Wash up lunch stuff
Wiped a tiling
Wiped sills
Wiped cupboard fronts
Clean front wash machine and t.drier
Wipe over t drier
Clean hob

Just have sink and drainer to do,sweep floor and bag up all rubbish bins/baskets into bigger binbag and put out in big bin

As dd2 16th tomorrow I thought would start bleurgh today to maximise time with her tomesp as there's no presents to giveSadhalf are no expected take even longer than original dates.buggity bugger

Plan will be give her time,pamper her and hope for the best!I couldn't even find birthday candles so it will be a lot match in a homemade muffin as birthday cake!she's not big on Cake anymore as vegan options are a bit meh tbh,esp for someone with reflux that doesn't want it drowning in frosting etc

Enough my parenting fails,onwards with last few chores before hungry hoards start asking when they can come in for food/drinks etc

foxessocks · 12/04/2020 17:09

You're very welcome to a slice zoo Smile
And you've definitely not failed parenting wise, your dd will still have a lovely day , these are very strange times!

givemeacall · 12/04/2020 17:49

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Message withdrawn at poster's request.

givemeacall · 12/04/2020 17:54

This reply has been deleted

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Stilllivinginazoo · 12/04/2020 18:03

give pretty sure a communism space would be closed/not be in useGrin

Thanks kind words guys,I can't help but feel sad for her..

Tada
Sink and drainer scrubbed
All bins emptied into binbags
Swept kitchen floor
Recycling into big bin
Rubbish into big bin
Littertrays emptied,disinfected and reloaded Grin

Not sure what to make for dinner for little ones,it's cooling down/clouding up here a little,so not sure if they will still refuse hot dinner as still warm(as opposed quite hot earlier)...

KTCluck · 12/04/2020 18:53

Annoying to hear about all the people ignoring lockdown. It’s been a complete ghost town here, just the odd family walking along the beach but no one stopped. We went round the block with DD on her scooter and saw one person walking her dog. It’s so strange. We are a tourist town and I normally don’t move my car on an Easter weekend - lose my parking spot in seconds and struggle to get off the street as it’s usually gridlocked. I certainly don’t miss that aspect of Easter!

Zoo I’m sure you’ll still manage to give DD a lovely day. Sorry her presents didn’t come. Why don’t you suggest to her doing another birthday once things settle down - a proper celebration, with friends, candles, whatever she would have liked that you haven’t managed to get. And in place of presents how about a jar with little notes in from everyone? Such as something you all love about her, a ‘voucher’ for something you could each do for her, and an idea of an activity to enjoy with her when circumstances allow. It must be tough for a 16 year old bless her.

Love the cake Foxes

Glad the bath helped Lane.

Limited flying today:

✅ DD’s bedding all washed, bed re-made
✅ DD’s bedroom tidied
✅ roast cooked, demolished and cleaned up
✅ decluttered some Easter chocolate Grin
✅ DH has put the living room back together

Otherwise a very nice and relaxing day of playing with DD and watching TV. Now having a hot bath and a Prosecco. Tomorrow is my last day off work and I’ll need to dig out my uniform and do some food prep to kick off operation weight loss.

Cheers all Wine

LaneBoy · 12/04/2020 19:16

Just had fun with an app called Shout About on the iPad - a picture appears and you have to shout the name, but the voice recognition is errrrm a bit sketchy 😅

Just getting set up for the Disney Quiz on the National quiz app

OP posts:
givemeacall · 12/04/2020 19:43

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Cineraria · 12/04/2020 19:51

That is a funny cake, Foxes. It looks tasty too.

I love all the hot cross buns. I made the Paul Hollywood ones on the BBC website. They were nice and DH enjoyed making double entendres about whatever I was doing to Paul Hollywood's buns. I subbed Pure and almond milk for butter and milk for allergy reasons plus raisins and lemon zest for sultanas and orange zest as we just didn't have those. DS1 isn't sure about the raisins and it looks like the Easter bunny has left droppings all over our house.

Sorry to hear about the chicken pox Give. Hope it doesn't last long.

So nice to hear about what your older DD brought back you, zoo. Lovely to have things for the garden.

How scary to have your MiL so unwell, We3. Glad she is improving and hope she finds her hallucinations funny when she is back in full health. Sympathy for you with the clingy children too. Do you have a loft? I have been searching for things in the loft a lot recently. These things can take a lot of searching for, even though I left them there in plain sight the day before when I was searching for something else!

Wishing you luck with work KT and a nice last day off tomorrow too.

Love the memes, Lane, bonus one especially.

Catching up on ice breakers:

Animals - I like cats, big or small. We always had a couple of cats when I was young but then I got allergic to them, so we can't have them now. I have chicken envy too, Bowerbird although maybe I now want ducklings in cupcake tutus! Maybe chickens when the boys are older. Belated birthday wishes too!

Films - I like quite interesting, experimental films and films with amazing cinematography more than I tend to like story focused films. About half of my DVDs are from the Middle East or Asia, I think.

Relaxing: I like crafts. I have got back into crochet through this thread and am really enjoying it again. Going to a yoga class is relaxing but not doing it at home by myself. Organising things, e.g. a meal plan, chores lists etc. into a spreadsheet, preferably colour coded, is relaxing! Snuggling the children is very relaxing. Ooh, I haven't read a Miss Read book for ages, Willow. I must look in the library when it opens. I can understand about clothing folding being relaxing, I think. I found ironing very relaxing until I had two self appointed ironing assistants trying to help with it. It's terrifying now!

Chocolate - Hotel Chocolat cherry deluxe is my favourite but can't have it currently as it contains milk. Lidl chocolate covered marzipan log with pineapple is my favourite milk free chocolate. I miss the five fruit flavours Fry's chocolate cream. I would swap all that for one slice of Expletive's lovely looking sourdough bread, though. I love bread so much.

Injury - DS1, then 2, clambered off my lap and dislocated my knee somehow. I don't think the paramedic who fixed it (I was lucky that a specially trained one was nearby) after giving me lots of gas and air believed me, as she kept asking me how it happened with a frown and a bit of a twinkle in her eye. DH had put DS1 down for a nap before she arrived and I'm sure she suspected that we'd been enjoying adventurous marital relations of some kind but were too embarrassed to say. I also chipped my front tooth and split my lower lip open after I fainted when a bearded man kissed me on a date. I always found beards a bit creepy/alarming but hadn't expected that. I lived on homous and mashed potato for a fortnight as I could neither chew nor close my mouth.

I haven't been flying much other than sweeping up raisin bunny droppings and the usual laundry and dishwasher but did some other more fun stuff before Easter including making the hot cross buns. I found it hard to get dairy free small Easter eggs for the boys egg hunt, so crocheted one, decorated a hard boiled one each with a Sharpie, made some paper chicks and bunnies and a chocolate peanut butter egg each using a pebble, cling film and some play doh to make a mould! The hunt was a tidying up hunt so there was an item with a treat as each clue and if they put the item in the right place there was another treat and a clue. I will get back on track tomorrow with everything domestic, I hope.

Wishing everyone a happy Easter!

ExpletiveDelighted · 12/04/2020 19:55

Evening all,

We've just had a roast dinner too, chicken as DD doesn't like lamb and we did have slowcooked lamb a couple of weeks ago. I doubt we'll have a roast again till autumn now, we don't do them often (this was the first since Christmas). Set it all out on rhe counter like a carvery so everyone could fill their plate and take it out to the garden table, enjoying these lighter evenings.

I quite enjoyed JC Superstar in the end, I was only half watching on my phone while cooking but had earphones and loved the music. I don't think I've ever seen Tim Minchin in anything before.

Lots of random bits of cleaning and tidying today, all those little grot spots that I usually notice but don't make time to sort, well, I've got time now, no excuses.

Happy Birthday to DD tomorrow Zoo, it will be special despite the circumstances 🎉.

givemeacall · 12/04/2020 20:05

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

KTCluck · 12/04/2020 20:23

Productive day Give! Enjoy your wine. I’m on my second Wine

Jealous of your outside carvery Expletive, it’s been cold and miserable here today.

Cineraria your tidying egg hunt idea is genius . Giggling at the beardy kiss making you faint. Guessing there wasn’t another date? Grin

LaneBoy · 12/04/2020 20:49

Give I just said I was about to ask Siri that, and DD1 giggled and said NOOOOO don’t ask in front of DS :o then I remembered it from a Family Guy episode anyway.

The app/quiz is a bit meh TBH - crashed a couple of times, questions mostly really easy! But it’s entertained us for a bit so it’ll do.

DH managed to slice his finger open. Fucksake. Hope it stops bleeding soon.

OP posts:
Fluffiest · 12/04/2020 20:57

Evening ladies, I've just been catching up on this thread during a restorative bubble bath.

Well done to those whove got stuff done today. I'm impressed, and I've done nothing except cook a fish pie. DH did a fair bit of tidying up and trimming the garden bush (not a euphemism, I hasten to say in my Miranda voice).

Hope your DD has a fab birthday tomorrow. zoo. She'll have years and years of presents ahead of her. This one will be memorable for the way you loved and celebrated her during a world wide crisis. It will become a treasured story. These times are terrifying but fire reveals gold. The best of what is in us shines through under pressure. ❤

Now I am going to pour a second glass, put on my pjs and watch Brooklyn 99. Hope you all have a relaxing night

LaneBoy · 12/04/2020 22:16

Fire reveals gold. I love that. :)

Just had some more family fun playing a couple of games. Got one for the declutter pile.

Sleepy! I’ve had no actual chocolate today but DH informs me there’s a curly wurly in the fridge so I may have that. But I also want toast!

OP posts:
Slychomping99 · 12/04/2020 22:20

Evening all!

So lovely to read about all of your Easters. It's really quiet here too KTCluck people seem to be abiding by the rules.

Love the bunny tail cake Foxes! Smile

Yikes! Hope your dh is ok Lane? Presumably you've tried elevating it?

HungryHazelEyes · 13/04/2020 01:09

I love chocolate, try not to eat it so much as once I start, I can't stop. My absolute favourite is Galaxy, especially caramel. I do love Crunchies as well, unfortunately none of the above is sold over here locally, and I always forget I can order them online! I do eat Lindor truffles, I also make my own and have made many variations. I will try to post a picture of them. Mini eggs are my favourite Easter eggs, those and Cadburys caramel eggs.

We have had a nice relaxing day. No pressure or time constraints to get food ready. We tried a lentil loaf for DD, was a complete failure! Oh well, we know for next time.

I can't stand Turkish delight, never have liked it!

HungryHazelEyes · 13/04/2020 04:43

I apologise, I just reread my last post and it was all over the place, I guess I can't watch a movie and make sense at the same time!

Stilllivinginazoo · 13/04/2020 04:53

Makes sense to me hazel

Time to get u and whack most my chores out before zoolets wake/are woken so I can give today over to my beautiful dd2 as we are now "16 and in quarantine"

THATscurryfungeBITCH · 13/04/2020 05:46

Happy birthday to your dd2 zoo 😃🥳🎂

Stilllivinginazoo · 13/04/2020 07:02

Tada
Had Cat on kitchen surface....

*Fed cats
*Put limescale stuff in loo
*Wash on

Kitchen
*Wipe and put away sandwich toaster still languishing on sideBlush
*Scrub all surfaces of pawprints(why/how got greasy feet?!Confused)
*Reclean hob
*write sentimental poem and post on FB (dd2 not on FB,neithe her friendsGrin)
*Post mandatory "cool" photo on Instagram
*Make birthday banner
*Put up said banner on living room wall
*Quick tidy living room

To do
*Clear freshly deposited furball off landing carpet
*Clean bathroom
*Deep clean tiny room just lav is in(not even a sink)
*Pop last rubbish in bins ready for collection today

Stilllivinginazoo · 13/04/2020 07:02

Outing,but here's the banner!

Flapping calmly through lockdown: Fledglings April 2020. Welcome to the Keep Calm Corner!
Stilllivinginazoo · 13/04/2020 07:04

I was going to do hazard symbols and 16 in quarantine as she shares my warped humour,but given circs thought best not risk it as depending how she slept she may not be in good spirits for a "different" birthday,esp a landmark one....

THATscurryfungeBITCH · 13/04/2020 07:39

Your on a roll zoo! Celeste is such a nice name too

THATscurryfungeBITCH · 13/04/2020 07:41

Ta da

💙 little two dc up, fed and changed
❤ dry dishes away
💜 high chair wiped
💚 sink scrubbed
🧡 more pots washed
💛 steriliser scrubbed and set back up
💙 bottles washed and in steriliser

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