Social distancing around the Maypole: Fledglings fly into Flylady thread May 2020.

[Lisette1940]

Welcome to the May Flylady thread Fledglings! We are finally coming to the end of Spring and, erm, what a Spring it has been. Keep safe everyone and a special shoutout to Fledglings who are in the frontline of the response to Covid 19.
Lane has been superlative with the keep calm corner and has had a truly magnificent engagement with fledglings all through April – well done Lane!!! I have totally abandoned my routines (and my clean eating) and have been flying perilously close to the ground but am ready for take off again. But we operate a no fledgling left behind policy and indeed Flylady herself stresses that you are never behind in the system – no need to deep clean the house first, just jump right in.
All are welcome here from longtimers to newbie and those lurking – we all follow this zone-based Flylady cleaning system:
There are five zones and at the beginning and the end of the month we usually straddle Zone 1 and zone 5.
(amend rooms to suit your house – I do the living and dining room together as it’s all one room in my house)
MAY
Zone 1 Hall, entrance/dining room (Fri 1 – Sat 2)
Zone 2 Kitchen (Sun 3- Sat 9)
Zone 3 Bathroom and another room (Sun 10- Sat 16)
Zone 4 Master bedroom/closet (Sun 17 – Sat 23)
Zone 5 Living room (Sun 24 – Sun 31)

Pop onto the Flylady website to have a closer look here but be aware that lots of emails arrive if you sign up.

Flylady has an introductory scheme called Babysteps which is a light 31 day introduction to the system – dressing to shoes, shining your sink etc here.

There is a morning routine and an evening routine to keep things ticking over and a weekly home cleaning hour to change bed sheets, mop, hoover, take out rubbish etc. Flylady doesn’t want us cleaning all day so she is very keen on using a timer. Clean then stop!
In addition each day has a purpose: see the daily focus here

Monday: Weekly home cleaning hour (can be split into ten minute sections and spread over week) here
Tuesday: Plan and play (Menu planning, family event planning)
Wednesday: Anti-procrastination day
Thursday: Errand day
Friday: Clear out bags, fill car with petrol, date night
Saturday: Family fun
Sunday: Lift your spirit

Launch pad for guidance every day! launch pad

Habit of the month of May is moving – whether that’s your daily get out of the house during lockdown or in house movement. – moving is not my strongest point apart from pottering around the house…
We also have a naughty corner as a restful break out space and a Keep Calm Corner (KCC). I suspect I’ll be better at the naughty corner rather than the latter but I’ll do my best! Not sure I can muster the memes but I’ll do my best to keep spirits up.
So welcome to the new thread (I hope I haven’t left anyone out): Lane, SC, zoo, Bower, KTCluck, Willow/Megiddo, foxes, That, averytiredMom, fluffliest, ED, Strawberry, Chic, Hazel, Happiness, Cineraria, We3, stressy, and give.

And breathe!

Sorry I missed it was your birthday lisette 💐

Cookbook: errrrm... we don’t actually have any 😳 I’ve borrowed some from the library in the past, especially when I worked there, but never really get far with them. I do have lots of screenshots of recipes that I’ll probably never use. I also like watching recipe videos on FB, I can waste a lot of time on those (wouldn’t be a waste if I actually tried any of them!)

Learning style - in terms of everyday stuff I’m kinaesthetic, for example mum has told me at least ten times how to do her onion sauce but I never try it on my own because I’ve not actually tried doing it with mum there! 🤦‍♀️ This may also be why I don’t get on with recipe books 😅
Academically I’m probably visual mostly, I have quite a good memory in some ways. What helps me most is writing/drawing something out by hand - I even did my A Level Psychology coursework based on that idea :o

I am a big fan of kinaesthetic stuff anyway, over the years I’ve built up a lot of hands on stuff like maths manipulatives and lots of different letter toys etc.

I also struggle with auditory learning - my hearing is fine but I don’t understand what I hear very well (although this has slightly improved with adhd meds so it must be partly attention based 😳). I rely on subtitles a lot, and lip reading - I’ve found pharmacy trips tough lately because they are wearing masks, it’s not that it’s muffled, I just can’t see their mouths moving! 😳 I was thrilled to see a thread a while ago about people who “can’t hear without their glasses on” and that is so true. 😄 So I don’t learn from listening really. I am tempted to try short podcasts and I do have some audible credits to use (I subscribe mostly for the Caglets) but it takes a lot of effort 😂

I’ve still not moved, today is a write off really so my main aim is making sure DD1 is ready for school tomorrow, including hopefully getting some English done.

Hope school goes well for dd1 Lane. No stress about the birthday thing honestly. I've been really bad about name checking people on the thread but I have been reading virtually all the posts.

I also lip read and use subtitles. Languages were purgatory at school and for the Leaving Cert i had to take Irish and a foreign language which is good in many ways in terms of breadth of education but I needed extra support for exams which involved aural comprehension.

With Irish I cannot remember pronunciations because I would have learned them (badly) via aural learning. However I can remember the meanings of words because that would have been from visual comprehension. I seem to be able to commit things to memory easily if it's visually presented. That's not the case with aural presentation.

I would dearly love to be able to listen to the radio but it takes so much energy to work out what's being said even with hearing aids.

Oh, forgot the cookbook question. My absolute go-to is the New Step by Step Good Housekeeping Cookbook which we were given as a wedding present in 1999. It has never failed me on the basics. It was given to us by my DM's cousin, who had been given an older version when she got married in 1974 and it had never failed her, either!

I also regularly consult Marguerite Pattern's wartime recipes book and her jams and jellies book and Gladys Mann's Good Meals On A Small Budget that was my DM's when she got married. It's very good for "what on earth can I do with this leftover meat and the ton of parsnips next door gave us?"

We do also have Nigella's Domestic Goddess, which I keep for the banana bread and chocolate loaf recipes, but they are the only two I use.

Lunch time break ...

A very belated happy birthday to Lisette [champagne] (sorry on the big computer without emojis!). Hope you had a lovely celebration (well as much as poss under lockdown conditions!).

A belated happy birthday to Icy's little sister too! I'm sure your sister knows how much you care Icy as your love for her shines through on here xx

Expletive sorry you are finding things tough going currently.
The uncertainty is very testing that's for sure. Dh is also finding wfh much more difficult as he is used to a more collegiate approach and bouncing ideas off people. Plus it takes a lot longer to gather up opinions/info. Bravo though for your productiveness and for ploughing on, despite feeling wobbly

Lane fwiw I also think it's the right decision. All of us can only do what we think is best - based on current info - according to each indiv child, and their specific indiv needs.

Foxes hurrah for fruit crumble. Enjoy your work-free day! Would ds enjoy making a den out of large cardboard boxes? I swear DD used to virtually live in a cardboard box when she was an infant Sympathies re: your bathroom. I feel the same way about my entire house! It's so scuffed and scruffy, cleaning doesn't improve it that much!

What a lovely gesture from your church friend Fluffiest! Arf @ styling it out in Christmas pjs! And oh yes, used to sob continually reading all the Narnia stories as a child. Unbearably heart-wrenching in parts.

Wow Lisette love the Scottish gaelic words.. to my shame only know a few of the Irish ... even though, like Bower, I have family "back home" who speak Gaeilge. (My favourite saying is "Is fhearr fheuchainn na bhith san duil" - rather appropriate for this current situation actually!) Anyway, really admire you for learning properly. I have the Alba tv channel on my satellite telly. I listen in awe (love listening to a native speaker) but can only understand a very few words here and there.

Day 3 of home bleugh here (how embarrassing is that!). It is simply taking ages (and ridiculous with only three of us, and dd a teen).

Our cleaner has texted to say she and her dh are starting work again this week.

The situation is a bit delicate because she is registered under a government system called the "titres services" which allows individuals to hire a cleaner from an accredited company for household chores. We pay her with a so called "voucher" or "titre-service" , one for each hour of work, so the cleaner is assured a decent salary, social security benefits and holiday pay. We the employer are insured for fire and theft etc and the cleaner's salary is partially tax deductible. And the government eliminates working in the black, worker exploitation and illegal employment etc etc.

So at the moment our cleaner and dh who works for us (in the home and in the business) for approx 12 hrs a week, with other days thrown in here and there for special events, is being paid 80% of her salary by the government and 20% by us on furlough.

She wants to come back now but the government furlough scheme continues for the titres-service until June 20th. In addition, her daughter, with whom she lives (and looks after the gc) works for a care home which unfortunately has been devastated by Corona virus.

I really want to say "come back" because I like her and I don't want to lose her, and I could do with her help frankly, but I think it is a bit soon yet in terms of risk, and dh and dd are adamant it is too risky. Maybe we are being over cautious though? It could well turn out that we are worrying for nothing and the risk isn't as high as we imagined, but until we know for sure it's a bit difficult to ascertain accurately! Plus there are quite high penalties here for paying people in the black which would be legally what it would amount to, if she is receiving gov furlough money in addition to working ifyswim.

Sorry, I know that is very much a first world problem

KCC deffo a combo of reading and visual learner and favourite cookery book is a toss up between Nigella's Christmas book which is fab/plus 'Kitchen'. I always keep a copy of Katie Stewart's Times Cookery Book which is rather old-fashioned now but reminds me of my late mother's recipes. And have some early Elizabeth David's with my late father's scribblings in them. We are over-run with cookery books Expletive my mother had Katie Stewart's Bee-Ro book too! There was a picture of her face on the front and I remember colouring in the teeth

Gosh I could talk about cookery books all day. My pet hate are those that are over styled and pretentious and wanky where the recipes don't actually work!

Hugely admiring of everyone on here and everything you are achieving! I think I am very slow in comparison but doing my best to plod on. The lack of variety is a bit stultifying I must admit ... .

Tally-ho everybody!

SC Be Ro book teeth. I have that book somewhere too. Maybe we should count how many cook books we have Marie Kondo would be shocked I am sure. She doesn't look like she eats.
I watch Alba sometimes. Sometimes I see someone I know. My brother in laws niece and nephew worked on Katie Morag.
I love the Mods. The singing is so pure.

Willow I have that Jellies and Jam one too. Great book.
That was the one the Hamlyn one that I can't find at the moment.It is the one I make Barm Brack from.

Be back later.

bower that Marie Kondo line made me literally chortle in to my brew

I learn best from reading or from a direct lecture. Unless the topic is something that involves physical dimensions, directions or physics. Then I need to see it working directly infront of me and even then its 50/50 whether I'd actually get it.

Morning ta das
🎀 put bins out
🎀 sorted recycling
🎀 lol
🎀 dishes washed and put away
🎀 went for a run
🎀 facetime friend about a rambunctious cucumber plant that has taken over my windowsill
🎀 made lunch

Now we are taking DD out for a bike ride. Don't really want to go. I didn't sleep well last night and really want to just mooch about. But it's good for us and will probably appreciate it once I get going

Hi everyone. I’m not going to attempt personals as I’ve been catching up bit by bit. Hope you had a lovely birthday though Lisette!

Lane I also think you are probably making the right decision too. I understand the fear of judgement though, I feel the same about sending DD back to nursery, but know it has to be done.

I had a productive day at work yesterday but apart from that there were zero ta das. Not an LOL or a shiny sink in sight. Thankfully that isn’t resulted in too much chaos.

Today (day off) is looking better:
✅ beds made
✅ DW on / some things hand washed
✅ supermarket shop
✅ fridge wiped and shopping away
✅ LOL on
✅ bathroom cleaned including a good go at the shower screen and taps
✅ phone call to bank complete

I’ve had a bit of playtime with DD and we are cuddled up now watching Disney. Considering a run later. Still have upstairs dusting and hoovering to do, and some meal
planning / prep.

We are sorted childcare wise thankfully. Furlough continuing for DH for 2 weeks from today and then I have managed to get a few days annual leave until nursery opens 1st June. Stress over!

Hi everyone
Virtually no sleep,can't remember half what just read.huge apologies!!

SC I'd deffo opt out of cleaner
Lane I've all but given up on FB,it's too much right now for me

Cookbooks- couldn't choose one as I have too many,and too many recipes cobbled off Instagram etc...
I loved my Delia how to cook books in my youth,a veggie kids cookbook by Sara Lewis was great as had nutritional info in it too when dd1 was veggie for a while,and when dd2 initially became veggieI love my wartime cookbooks for scrimping ideas and have a range of newer wellbeing style cookbooks...

Learning style I like to see people do stuff and have it written down to refer to.rubbish at auditory.my memory's not good enough!

Today I'm exhausted having finally finish wipe shop down and had my dinner at 10pm ,D's freaked out at change if schedule for milk and meds.wasnt fun evening.too wired sleep then kept waking plus serious period pain...I saw every hour

Up early to head little shops for bits dd1 couldn't get.tesco express was very busy at 645.i think more heading back to work
Wipe that shop
Breakfast
Then I burst into exhausted pain racked tears and decided it's ok to have a slow day and lay on sofa whilst D's did schoolwork and I napped an hour or so
Lunch done
I'm sat watch TV

Not good at doing nothing much,but I need to accept it's ok to have a rest day
I've done two loads laundry and everyone will get fed at intervals and that's enough!

Damn just realised I forgot to post my ta da list yesterday. I’ll try and recreate it since I’ve done well this month with posting, be a shame to miss one!

yesterday
🦔therapy
🦔some English, maths and art with DD1
🦔scary emails and phone call sorting out school stuff
🦔took rest of board books upstairs
🦔sat outside to write rough notes on therapy
🦔sorted out loads of random papers that were all over the living room - purely because we were looking for DD1’s English work, which we didn’t find so she had to redo it - but at least it meant we got rid of loads of recycling and put all DS’ work in a file
🦔finished DH’s work thing, bit shit but it’ll do
🦔had nice spontaneous phone call
🦔took some BRCs upstairs, they still very much need sorting though

I’d like to think there was more, but TBH I was pretty much in a daze 😂

lane only tell people you trust, there are some really judgey people around. I know someone who keeps posting things about how it’s stupid that everyone’s out and about now and how people are seeing her friends, but she’s been seeing her boyfriend since it started

meg it is difficult isn’t it. I think we’re all doing very well though! How old is DS2? Would he be old enough to have a socially distanced walk with a friend? I think that’s allowed now isn’t it?

I am a visual learner, I think. I’m crap with auditory learning, I think that’s why I didn’t do well at school as we had to just listen. We couldn’t make notes.

Thank you for the birthday wishes to DSis. And thanks SC, we FaceTimed her to see her blow out her candles and she showed me her bracelets she got. So I think she’s okay :)

I think I’d opt out of the cleaner sc, until she stops being furloughed.

Sorry you didn’t get much sleep zoo!

I’ve finished my planning for the week!. I’ve sorted out my homeschool files because they were a mess!. So from tomorrow we will start homeschooling properly again!. Today it’s a film day, because that’s all I can cope with atm.

Ta Da:
Made beds
Did breakfast
Made snacks and lunch
Cleaned down the sink and bath
Gone through our shampoos and chucked what has ran out.

Totally icy - someone I was friends with (I have actually unfollowed her and feel much better for it) is apparently posting loads of rants about how people should stick to the rules. Despite having messaged a photo of her with her friend’s newborn that she visited last week. 🙄

Afternoon!

I've typed this out twice and lost it 🤦‍♀️

Thanks for all the ideas re ds, it was better today because I obviously had more time but also we did less of the maths and English type stuff and did junk modelling, painting, bike ride and playing card games. The problem is they want to do everything together but still I think it's fine as dd only 6 so won't hurt her to have a day like this! And ds at least now feels included.

His nursery rang today actually to say they are hoping to reopen in June , so dd may be back at school and ds back at nursery, can't believe it really and I'm still obviously watching and waiting. The nursery will only be reduced hours for obvious reasons and only allowing the children to play in set small groups.

Anyway as I keep telling everyone else - one day at a time!

As for flying today...hmmm... really really not done a lot!

Thanks everyone for input re: cleaner.

Yes, sadly, I think opting out for now is sensible.
Guess I will just have to risk her being snapped up by others in meantime.

Bum. I really hate cleaning!

Dh home from work and entertaining the kids but changing his bicycle tyre

So had a mad half hour of cleaning
Ta das
15 minutes decluttering in ds room, including getting rid of big cardboard shop which they haven't played with for months
Mopped bathroom floor, cleaned base of toilet and changed bath mat
Finished pairing socks and put away

Also ta das
Bike ride with the kids
Arts and crafts with the kids
Some English and handwriting work with dd
Laundry on
Dishwasher on
Lunch made
Updated Asda order for next week
Phoned ds nursery back

To do
Cook dinner - easy one tonight hot dogs and oven chips
Evening routine (the living room looks like a bomb hit it!)
Hang washing up because I totally forgot about it

Have been trying to sort out the kids toys this week...people with little kids do you seperate their toys into categories so like box of cars, box of dress up or do you just stuff anything into any toy box as long as there's some floor space to hoover every now and again 🤷 because I've tried both approaches and I can't work out which is better. The first one they always undo all my hard work because obviously they don't put stuff away in the right places and they mix all their toys up in their random games they play so what's the point?! And second one means I'm always asked where something is and literally have no idea where to start !

Thoughts?!

sc sorry missed it about your cleaner! For what it's worth I agree

Evening all!

Zoo so sorry you are in pain and exhausted. A slow day on the sofa (or several) is definitely in order.

SC, sorry to say I agree with not taking the cleaner back at this point, particularly if there are tax/ govt implications. Can you make it your DH's "fault" 😁?

Foxes I just chucked all the toys in one box and told them to sort them, themselves.

Lane, great list again. I am quite envious.

Today has been a Domestic Day again:
♥️ DW rotated
🧡 S&S downstairs
💛 En suite scrubbed, mats and towels into the laundry basket, floor mopped
💚 Family bathroom scrubbed, mats and towels into the laundry basket, floor mopped
💙 Curtains from the little window by my side of the bed washed, dried and rehung
💜 LOL
🖤 Sewing with DD - taking in a pair of trousers to make them fit properly.
♥️ Finally got the back off DD's bedspread
🧡 Washed top of bedspread
💛 Cuts strips of old bedspread back to add width to new top (am too wide for 1970 size 16-18. Sigh)💚 pinned and tacked extra strips to new top
💙 Made meatballs / cold meat / sausage / quorn escalope tea. Everyone fed.
💜 DD is making pretzel bites and is upset they're not rising. Tin hat on.
🖤 Put DS3 in the shower after a bird shat in hid hair, again.

No thinking work today, but I am a reading/ writing learner. I think visually, though. All my thoughts and dreams and memories are entirely in pictures, but I must read stuff to get the hang of it.

Right. Chivvying people to bed.

Icy, DS2 is 17. Hoping he can get a socialy distanced walk soon, although not with the Not Girlfriend (some of you may remember her) as distancing is (ahem) unlikely to be maintained ☺️.

lane it’s bloody annoying, some people believe the rules apply to everyone but themselves.

foxes I just have one big toy box and everything goes in there. I find it much easier than way.

meg hopefully he is able to get a walk soon. I was saying I’d hate to be that age in all this (even though I’m not much older than him, but definitely at different stages in life). I can’t imagine not going out in my early teens!.

I have a routine now!. I will attach below!. 5:30 — Wake up, Boys watch TV in my room
6:30 — Breakfast
7:00 — Wash and get dressed
8:00-9:00 — Mindfullness
9:00-9:30 — Joe Wickes
9:30-10:30 — Activity
10:30-11:00 — Break and Snack
11:00-12:00 — Activity
12:00-12:30 — Lunch
12:30-1:30 — Activty
1:30-2:30 — Activty
2:30-3:30 — Break and Snack
3:00-3:30 — Fine Motor Skills
3:30-4:00 — Gross Motor Skills
4:00-5:00 — Free Play
5:00-6:00 — Dinner
6:00-6:45 — Bath
6:45-7:30 — Warm milk, mindfulness
8:00 — Bedtime

Also just come into bed now, to find this. Not sure where I’ll be sleeping tonight!.

Checking in late again, I have just remembered another favourite cookbook, not so much for the recipes but for the reading - Nigel Slater's Christmas Chronicles. Part cookbook, part winter diary, part childhood recollections, part explanation of Christmas traditions, just lovely.

Leaning styles - very much not aural but a bit of all the rest. I don't have hearing loss but am definitely slow to process aural information. A bit the same with video, I much prefer text, still pictures and diagrams to learn from. Use subtitles on TV routinely. Get a lot more out of plays and films if I have read the plot synopsis first.

Tada!
Didn't achieve much today but dug out the sewing machine and made my first mask, which fits really well. Cut out fabric for a few more but SM then kept jamming and I abandoned the project for the night. I have to say my hoarding tendencies are paying off in lockdown, I had elastic, ribbons, fabric (without having to sacrifice clothes or teatowels). Feel a bit more settled again now.

Errrm not sure you can be envious of the list when you have a fab list yourself meg :o

Today has not been so good really, I spent a large part of it in a daze.

ta da
🐉English and maths with DD1
🐉made a reminder sheet for maths (will be useful for both caglets)
🐉read four shortish chapters of a book
🐉sorted board books - found a few tatty enough to recycle
🐉LOL
🐉set recurring alarms for online classes for DS, after I only remembered half an hour before taekwondo - we could have managed to sort it but TBH couldn’t face the hassle of changing dinner plans, clearing the space, ousting the toddler... he can do Saturday instead this week (he can do both in future... if we are organised!)
🐉bit more English with DD1
🐉reminded her what she needs for school
🐉had a chat with a friend - we normally just talk on messenger (even before lockdown - we don’t get to see each other IRL much due to location/kids) but it was lovely actually chatting so we’ve agreed to try that more often! Yay!
🐉found more board books in the living room and piled up ready to check through them tomorrow
🐉replied to confirm induction appt with tutor for counselling skills course. Not till June 2nd though?! Gutted! I can focus on the other course for now but they’ve sent me a link to something I can look at for now.

RIP Ziggy Houdini Henny Penny.
She has been a bit off the last couple of days and very fluffed up and I thought she was going into moult her feathers are particularly beautiful and so soft. I noticed yesterday her comb was much paler than usual. She was off her feed this morning though hard to tell as I topped the feeders up last night but she normally goes for scattered feed but not today. Later she was in a heap and I thought she was dead but when I went to get her out she felt warm and then opened her eye when I spoke to her. She lingered all afternoon and I took her out and lay her in the garden in the sun which she seemed to like. I checked on her a few times and each time I thought she had gone only to find she opened her eye then when it went cold I retrieved a box and put her in. I went to check on her after and spoke to her and you won’t believe this but she actually lifted her wing. I went back after tea and she had gone. Bless her I wondered if I should have upset her with the new hens but she seemed to have excepted them this last week. She liked Gladys.
Did you know that hens can recognise up to 100 peoples faces? If it is true. I felt like she recognised me and my voice as opposed to DH.
I feel a bit sad as she was one of the first four chickens I had. She had a better life after being a battery hen and I did sneak her a couple of strawberry’s last week. Her favourite apart from slugs and snails. She must have been about six or seven.

Didn’t get much done. Faffed about in the garden potting up some herbs nicked from the pub. They are leaving and said we could have some. We bought a whole lot of fish from them last week. Shame.
So did that then had a cup of tea. Read a serial I kept starting then interrupted. Went through and took out recipes etc and have a pile for recycling. Bin men came today and took black and green bins at last yeah for the bin men. Made fish, new potatoes in oil and Polish herb sachet and salad with a Banty egg on each. No pudding because I was too lazy to make it.
Put away the ironed clothes and made lunch and tea. I washed up too.
Sat down with the cat for an hour and watched Father Brown. Faffed about on and off with other minor things. Oh yes and started late because while I was in S&Sing I decided to wash my hair in the basin. I was decluttering a sachet of shampoo!

Fluffy I hope I didn’t make you spill yourtea😁 I followed her( MK) method of folding t shirts ( BF thinks I have lost the plot) and I ironed and folded them. It is easier on the ironing board but some didn’t fit in the drawer properly. Do you think it has anything to do with her being about a size four and me being a good sixteen! My drawers are deep too. No wonder she can fit six t shirts in an envelope if she turns sideways on the video you lose her and think it is the stem of a plant.

Those boys are way too cute. Well you’ll just have to sleep on the floor! We used to call it musical beds. You never wake up in the one you went to sleep in.
Think I better go to sleep.

Oh forgot.
I’m a visual/ kinaesthetic learner with a high score in aural. I was tested at college. I wasn’t surprised. My memories conjure up mental pictures. My mum asked me about a country we lived in and I told her my memory of the house, the children next door and the fruit in the garden. She was flabbergasted as she said we left that house when I was 18 mths old. I followed that up by testing DS 3 when we went back to where we used to live years later. DS3 was 18 mths so I took him to the shop and then turned left out of it and walked along a bit then asked him to find our old house. He said “Don’t be stupid.” Then he walked up turned between two houses along the road then realised he knew which one it was. It was in a terrace of eight and adjacent houses were the same design.🤭

Aw I’m so sorry bower :( rest in peace ziggy xxx

happy belated birthday lisette I hope you had a great day.

lane sounds like a great choice with having DD go back to school.

meg sounds like you are doing good so far! To me the first 3-4 weeks can be the hardest, but it does get easier as the cravings go away. I just had to change my thinking and it works.

Yesterday's ta das;

🐞 Deep cleaned the bathroom.

🐞 Washed shower curtains.

🐞 LOL.

🐞 DW rotated.

🐞 Baked another lemon and blueberry bread (used the last of the blueberries up)

🐞 Sorted out a bill I got for blood tests for DD, got billed twice. 3 phone calls later and it's sorted.

🐞 Enjoyed watching Avengers with the whole family, but stayed up way too late and had to work today.

🐞 Got my clothes out for today.

Not really planning to do much tonight (already almost 7:30pm) other than go to bed earlier!

bower sorry to hear about Henny Penny. It sounds like she had a good life with you.

ED I agree with others and say wait to hire cleaner back on

I don't really have a favourite cookbook. I do have a Home and Garden one that I just use for my candies/ truffles. Usually my go to is Pinterest- there's everything on there!

For my learning I have to have a combination of everything, taking notes while listening, watching someone do something but then doing it myself. I do feel like I retain things better when I put it into practice.