Social distancing around the Maypole part 2! Flylady thread May 2020

[Lisette1940]

thanks for the heads up lane! shiny new thread to bring us through to Sunday!

Baby step 28 - take it easy and a recap of our routines here

It's Thursday so errand day.

We are in the living room which is zone 5

Can I join please? I’ve let my house go to shit over lockdown as we’ve been renovating a caravan for holidays. We have 3 DC and expecting another in Feb, 2 dogs and 3 chickens. So the house is chaotic to say the least.

Mmm BBQ. Like Lane I like the bog standard sausage and burger. The burger has to have melted plastic cheese on, ketchup and a token bit of greenery. However I’m also partial to a spicy chicken skewer with red and green pepper on. Drink wise a nice chilled can of G & T, a pimms, a mojito, or a vodka, lemonade and chambord. I’m not fussy really

I’ve stuck to my plan and have fed us (potato waffles, chicken dippers and peas ), hung out the washing and have achieved nothing else. Most enjoyable.

Hi howl of course you can. The more the merrier. It sounds like you have good reason for a chaotic house!

Welcome howl and congrats on the new baby due next year. Flylady is zone based with a weekly quick home cleaning hour and a swish and swipe of the bathrooms to keep things ticking over. We are in the living room today but from tomorrow we move back to zone 1 - entrance, porch and dining room (or in my house entrance, cloak and stairs).

Potato salad 💗

Welcome howl you sound busy! How old are your current dc?

Thank you for the welcomes. And thank you lisette, we’ve only just found out so it feels so surreal. I think I will start from tomorrow, so I start from the very start.

that they’re 4, 3 and 15 months.

Welcome howl

I need a kick up the bum this afternoon. This morning was fine but then a video chat with family has royally taken the wind out of my sails. Kids were not behaving and I couldn't hear anybody, made me just miss them all more , I can't get to grips with video calls anyway, the slight lag means people talk over each other and I'm sure what I was saying was being completely misunderstood anyway 😂 and then add to that the kids shouting right next to me and refusing to go away! I shouted at them a lot. And since then the TV has gone back on and we've sat on the sofa too long...humph.

I could do with going for a walk by myself but dh at work.

But I'm definitely going to get up now and try and get out of my mood!

Hope everyone else is having a better and / or more productive Saturday

Favourite BBQ food you say? Definitely a burger, with a cheese slice , some lettuce and lots of ketchup. Closely followed by the humble hot dog. I love most BBQ stuff though to be honest! We are having burgers on the BBQ tomorrow 😋

KT I had forgotten to mention well done on your weight loss!

lane I'm sorry you're having a hard time with everything right now. Hopefully getting dressed and ready for the day helped. Don't beat yourself up on any weight gain, mine usually fluctuates 2-3lbs every day (I weigh daily so I know where I'm at) and goes up 1lb just after drinking one glass of water!

Meg it's crazy how eating bad makes us feel. After switching to keto I discovered I'm gluten intolerant and it gets worse the longer I go without and then cheat. To me it's not worth it for the most part. Anyway, enough of me babbling on.

I've been up 1 1/2 hours this morning and dragging. I was up an hour before I even MADE my coffee (not normal for me, usually within 15 minutes of being awake). I need to get my picnic benches repainted, but finding it hard to get going today. I have a grocery pickup at 11am and it's my turn to cook dinner tonight for ILs.

My favourite BBQ food is pretty much anything barbequed! I love (DHs)steak, FILs ribs, chicken thighs (which we're having tonight), all beef hotdogs (no bun anymore😔) and any kind of sweet alcoholic drink in my hand! Most importantly I love having our friends and family over, getting the firepit going, kids in the pool and lots of laughs!

Oh, I forgot hamburgers (I make them with mince beef, shredded cheese, seasonings and eggs to bind) we make them quite a lot year round.

Welcome howl don't feel like you have to do all of it starting out, even if you just start out with one or two things and add to it, it helps. I'm pretty certain this is the nicest, friendliest thread you will find on MN!

Thank you hazel that might be the way to go, it’s daunting. I used to love cleaning, but it fell into the wayside when we got the van because all our time was spent working on it, but I need to get back into it now otherwise we’ll be bringing a baby into a home full of dust and cobwebs. Everyone seems lovely on the thread (from what I’ve read).

Welcome howl, congratulations on the pregnancy. Can I be nosy and ask what your caravan is like? I always love hearing about other people's hobby projects.

BBQ food - chicken and prawn kebabs, and my mother's famous crunchie pudding for afters (which is pretty similar to Eton mess but with lots of bashed up cadbury's crunchie chocolate bars instead of fruit)

DD spotted two deer in the garden first thing this morning, I thought she was just making up a story until they jumped the fence back into the field. It was a lovely moment and seemed to start our Saturday right.

The whole day has been really chilled, paddling pool and suncream top ups. I got to read my book whilst DH and DD kicked a ball around. DH got an hour to take some wildlife photos whilst DD and I played with her science kit. I washed the bedding, DH cooked tea, it's all just been nice and relaxed. Just what we needed, I think.

Just waiting for DD to drop off then I'm heading for the bath with book and wine. Hope you all have lovely evenings ahead of you too

Evening all. Welcome howl and congrats! Hope you’re not feeling too morning-sicknessy! 💐

Another non-starter day today, but we are now watching BGT on catch up (with the space launch on DH’s phone) and the takeaway just arrived so life seems a little better :)

ta da
⚡️booked a couple of Tesco slots including one for the day before DD1’s birthday including cake etc
⚡️gathered ideas for birthday presents
⚡️printed next maths and English for DD1
⚡️did only 1 sheet of maths with her
⚡️put yesterday’s wash in dryer

Meant to say that’s amazing about the deer! I’m jealous 💕

fluff it’s a 6 berth trailer. We’re currently in the process of painting it. The kitchen area is bunk, living room blue and boys room green. I’m buying some multicoloured tiles for the kitchen too and we’re going to put some solar powered lights inside it. We’re also using glitter paint (I have it on my dining and living room walls anyway). I’ll post pictures when it’s finished 😀. And thank you for the congratulations! I’m glad to hear you had a nice chilled day.

lane thank you!, no morning sickness just yet, but very nauseous. It gets harder with every pregnancy because there’s more children to look after, this is definitely my last!

I haven’t done any housekeeping today, other than the cooking and washing up. Our accomplishment of the day is that our new pup is not toilet trained and is going outside instead of inside!.

Goodnight fledglings! Long day here and nice walk this evening with the smell of neighbourhood BBQs all around. Zone 1 hallway tomorrow. Can't believe it's almost June!

Good morning feathery ones! (We think our young pigeon survived it's ordeal btw! It is no longer in the undergrowth and our garden is walled so it must have flown away! Hurrah! Dh is very proud of being its saviour ... )

A very warm welcome to Howlathetrees (I love your nn btw!) Sorry if I missed it, but what breed is your new pup? (Don't worry if you don't want to say if too identifying.) Well done re: toilet training!

Hope you survived Tesco Megiddo*!

KT also forgot to congratulate you on weight loss! It has taken me quite a time but I have finally got my mind set on the right track (like turning around a tanker in full steam!) and have begun my new eating regime. This is day four. Best of luck to you and to all fledglings on their continuing battle with body clutter!

Hazel I read or heard somewhere just this week that some people become gluten intolerant as a result of giving up carbs apparently though, when they weren't before ifyswim. I wonder if some people are sensitive to all the additives and rubbish they put in bread nowadays, esp yeast accelerators.

Dancing good luck with continuing book organisation!

Foxes hope you have a better day today!

That Lane and Lisette another potato salad fan here. I particularly love the type with dill and vinaigrette (not so keen on mayo).

Lisette glad Chris Whitty has had a mention on here!

To do:
-Leslie Sansome followed by LWR arms and tum
-empty dw
-hang up early morning washing to dry on terrace
-make oat raisin cookies and do food prep for supper
-eyebrows, manicure, pedicure
-sort out camera/photographs
-clean white plastic storage containers that were decluttered yesterday and put to dry on terrace
-write note and card and deliver both on dog walk
-dog walk
-boxes upstairs to roof
-family Zoom call
-one corner of boudoir
-family bed changing
-body clutter weighing in!

Sorry haven't caught up properly but hope everyone ok. Dh massively busy with a deadline this Tues and therefore I am busy too prepping all the pertinent docs.

I absolutely love eating outside but I'm not that keen on hamburgers or barbecued red meat in general, so my favourite bbq would be some sort of spatch-cocked chicken in a chilli marinade with huge amounts of salad. But only if I had cooked it in the oven first so I could be sure I wouldn't be poisoning myself or anyone else!

Must get on! The days go so fast! I CANNOT believe it is the end of May? Honestly, just how?

Last but definitely not least , Lisette - thank you - you have done a really sterling job of keeping us all going throughout another strange month!

Tally-ho everyone! Hope you all have a lovely Sunday!

The oat raisin cookies are for dd btw - not for me - just in case anyone was wondering about the incongruousness of talking about weight loss and cookie-baking in the same post!

Morning all! Bloody phone ate my post again yesterday, grrr! Welcome Howl, several of us have 4 DC here, except That whose devotion is exceptional and she has 5! 😁 The lovely thing about Flylady is that you are never behind and the system gets that sometimes life gets in the way.

We had a lovely day yesterday and decided that with a big paddling pool we never need to go on holiday again unless we want hill walking or city culture. This is fab as I so don't enjoy planning / packing / dealing with food difficulties in other countries etc. Even in the UK it can be hard work with different water ("my tea tastes wrong" etc), unpredictable ovens, blunt knives etc.

Saturday Ta das
♥️ Early dog walk
🧡 Found the kitchen
💛 Tesco (2.5 hours, back by 10.45am!)
💚 Shopping all away
💙 Almost finished sewing my garden bunting
💜 DS1 made pie for tea 💕
🖤 Kitchen cleaned and set for the morning til DS2 Happened overnight.

Sunday ta das
♥️ DC all awake prior to vaguely sensible non-halfterm hours from tomorrow
🧡 Huge list written of things to prep for next two weeks
💛 Mentioned English homework to DS3. Hysteria ensued 😢
💚 Our bed stripped and in the wash
💙 New summer pyjamas ordered for all DC as everyone has grown / worn them out (DS1 particularly was displaying alarming Amounts Of Buttock this morning!)

Sunday To Dos
☀️ English hwk with DS3
☀️ Help DS2 find pit of despair bedroom
☀️ Help DS2 organise self for exams week of 8 June 😣
☀️ Help DD with chemistry revision
☀️ Usual washing, cooking, meal planning, week ahead planning
☀️ Write to DS3's OT and possible new Online School.
☀️ Bollock DS2 over state of kitchen and freezer left open all night. I am furious 🤬
☀️ Finish garden bunting
☀️ Steak for dinner!

I'm afraid I don't barbecue, we never did when I was a child because my DM was too afraid of food poisoning and my DF hated cooking outside on unpredictable equipment. I've never really picked it up as an adult.

Thanks, Lisette for a brilliantly led thread in another very odd month. I believe I volunteered to do June - everyone ok with that? Do not wish to stand on toes!

[blushes] thanks SC. I was very nervous about doing the Keep Calm Corner as I wasn't sure I'd find stuff of interest. I loved reading all your replies. I'm not good at name checking in the posts but I do think of you all.

It is almost meterological summer (1 June). I am not a summer person, more autumn. And I hate wasps. But somehow I find the sunny weather very cheering at the moment.

Tada:

Sorted through food stores, reorganised food cupboards, sorted cleaning caddy, got breakfast out of the way and tidied kitchen.

to do

Ironing, strength workout, hoover and wash kitchen floor.

Well done on the clean eating SC. I don't appear to be losing weight but my shape is changing and I look much firmer. it must be the running and weights. I'm eating well and avoiding empty calories. If I keep doing that and exercise eventually the scales will change.

fluffiest we live on the edge of a moorland area and we see deer around. They don't come near our garden though so that must have been very special. Beautiful creatures. We once happened upon a fawn on a dusk walk - she just pranced away as if on springs.

Baby step 31 here

Sunday is renew your spirit.

Launch pad for the interested: here

KCC - a variety of images

We are in ZONE 1 - entrance, hall, dining room!

We aren’t sure sc, she’s a rescue. We have a yellow lab and we think they share similar features but she has brown and white markings. I’ll attatch a pic. I’m glad the pigeon is okay❤️❤️

meg I’d love 5, I’d love to go to 7 really. But we haven’t got a big enough house or bank. DH only wanted 1😂. We agreed to have 2, DS3 came along as a surprise and so did this one. He’s happy though, all 3 so far are mummy’s boys so he’s hoping that this one is a daddy’s boy/girl😂. When I was a kid we had a big paddling pool in our garden and we put up a tent too, it felt like we’d been on holiday. We don’t go abroad, but we caravan holiday in the UK once a year. With our new caravan we’re hoping to be able to holiday lots of weekends. Ideally we want to join the caravan and camping club so it’s a little cheaper and we can go to lots of places. I don’t blame you not enjoying the packing etc though, it’s hard work!.

Ta Da’s

❤️Beds stripped and remade
🧡Made our washing up liquid, laundry detergent, fabric softener for the week
💛Put on LOL
💚Made breakfast, washed up etc
💙Watered our fruit and veg
💜Put swag shopping

I’m feeling quite nauseous today, so I’m having some ginger tea and biscuits. We are planning on maybe going out today, there’s a place by us where kids are allowed to dip in the lake so we might go there to cool off.

howl they are both beautiful! I really like holiday weekends. I've never really gone on a full two week break except perhaps for the honeymoon (Madrid and Seville). You do feel really rested after two weeks away but that was before kids! Now I am happy for little snatches of time away. We don't have a caravan so we usually head to bigger cities than the one we live in. Dh goes abroad for work and to bigger UK cities. I'm desperate usually to get to museums and art galleries elsewhere so that's what we do. It doesn't need to be abroad .

Ooh, howl, will you tell me about your washing liquids / softener recipes please? It's something I've often aspired to but never got round to, and managed to dye all the trim on all my underwear pink using only white vinegar as fabric softener, so I gave up! What lovely hounds you have ♥️.