Fledglings prepare to fly their lockdown nests and jump into July - join us for the July FlyLady thread

[KTCluck]

Welcome all fledglings, newbies and lurkers to the July 2020 flylady thread, where we try and follow flylady’s system to keep our homes in order and our lives organised. We are a friendly bunch and like a bit of a natter, amongst posting our ‘To Do’ lists for accountability and celebrating our ‘Ta Da’ lists no matter how long or short. No fledgling is left behind, just jump in and join us wherever you are at - whether you are a lazy slattern living in chaos or a fully certified domestic goddess wanting to keep up the motivation. Most of us flit between the two depending on the day. The threads tends to be a supportive corner of MN, and we readily provide listening ears for woes and rants when needed.

Flylady is a system based around morning and evening routines, with babysteps to get you started and a daily focus, such as planning and family fun day. There’s a weekly home blessing (or ‘bleurgh’ as we prefer) which is a basic clean to keep the house ticking over, with short bursts of decluttering or deeper cleaning in weekly zones once you are ready. Flylady also suggests short missions each day. Feel free to adapt the system to make it fit in with your life.

Link to the launchpad is here (I hope) and the baby steps are here. From the launchpad I like the ‘flight plan’ for a reminder of the routines, and ‘sneak peek of the week’ for a list of the week‘a missions. You can sign up for emails, but be warned, you will need to regularly declutter your inbox!

As thread leader for July I have taken possession of the thread pointy stick —> for anyone in need of a sharp prod of motivation, but I’ve also set up a chilled quiet naughty corner, complete with comfortable day beds, a gentle sea breeze, and unlimited fruit platters, ice creams and cocktails to any fledgling who is in need of rest and recuperation or is just on strike. No partners or children allowed.

I’ll also try and keep the ‘keep calm corner’ (KCC) going. Originally introduced by our lovely SC, it’s a little daily dose of respite we’ve been using to help us get through these strange times.

I’ll do my best to keep us all motivated and flying throughout July. On work days I may appear with the larks, or not crawl in until the end of the day so apologies in advance if I’m late with links.

We start tomorrow in zone 1 (hall, porch, dining room). Here’s the missions. Habit of the month is ‘swish and swipe’ which is a daily 2 minute wipe of our toilets and sinks. Tomorrow is anti-procrastination day where we tackle those tasks we’ve been putting off.

Anyway, enough waffle, July we are coming for you! shortly, I’m just checking the naughty corner is ready

Thanks for the instant ink info. That sounds really good it's been a nightmare trying to find ink in the supermarket at the minute so fab if it just arrives when needed.

I think I'm going to have to go down the hands and knees floor scrubbing route. Maybe not today though...

Sorry for all the twatishness going on with OH's. That I remember my DM packing up my stepdads clothes once and delivering them to the pub he was in. She said he was there that much he may as well move in 🤣

Ta-da's so far:
⭐️ cereal for DC
⭐️ LOL on line (maybe risky looking at clouds) and another in

Now just trying to get us and LR presentable because DS3 has his first session with the online tutor at 11.

Tutor session went well.
Have also
⭐️hoovered
⭐️ made DC a ham sandwich and crisps for lunch
⭐️ rescued washing when it started drizzling
⭐️ dishes DS1 dried
⭐️ tidied kitchen and cleaned worktops

Have just walked round the block to try and get DS4 to nap but he's still awake so I'm sat in the living room rocking him in his pushchair in the hope he goes to sleep and I can have lunch and a cuppa in peace 🤞

Today has been good again!. The rain is awful here but have had a movie day with the boys which has been luvly. I’ve got a bit of a headache so have had a few paracetamol but would like a nap!. Silly tried potato mashed with his milk. He’s loving it. I found some great sample menus 4 food 4 all of us!.

ta da’s
❤️Got dressed
🧡Got kids dressed
💛Made beds
💚S&S
💙Made breakfast
💜Washed up
❤️Cleaned out silverware drawer and wiped wilverware
🧡Planned meals for week with weaning
💛Logan did the fly kids challenge and tidied clothes in his room

Three nights on the trot? that I’d be changing the locks!

bower thank u! I’m deffo finding flying a bit easier. She was rly kind I think actually seeing what I do with the kids and keeping a house has made her realise I’m not a child anymore. I’m sorry ur feeling crap❤️

I’m sorry ur DD was panicking zoo bless her.

lane I hope you manage to sleep in a bit tomorrow!

princesdd1 loves mash when weaning
I have survived tidying under dd2 bed.storags is ridiculous problem.i have given room measurements to dd1 who is a walking encyclopedia of IKEA...

Ugh it’s been a loooong day. Home ed done except one bit (drawing a big timeline and sticking the bits on it, the cutting out and writing stuff took longer than planned and DS has been really distracted today!)

I am “attending” a webinar tonight about some online school resources so hopefully my brain will be in gear by that point. And hopefully it won’t clash with a friend dropping off clothes for DS (hurrah for friends with bigger kids! Yay!) - must make sure we go through them in the next few days so as not to clutter the place up as we won’t necessarily need it all.

Had a lovely surprise today when mum put some money in my account 💕💕💕 no idea what to use it for as we do need various things but could also do with just leaving it as a buffer, or maybe we could use a bit in the interest of “homification” of the living room... nice problem to have :) feeling very lucky today!

TaDa

got up in time to see S2 off at some ungodly hour
s&s x2
churned pineapple ice cream
squashed out syrup from pineapple wastage
lol (currently on line, don't think it's going to rain yet)

errrrr... that's it. Today is obviously Crash And Burn day, but I have married off some third cousins so it's not a total waste.

Gggrandmother Hannah was the parent of Eliza who died when my granny was a baby, so we have little oral history. She and her husband moved to Leicester from Staffordshire (where her surname is plentiful). In addition, she doesn't seem to have been of interest to anyone else (that's what not having piles of siblings does for you) so I've had to do all the legwork myself. Now I've got a better feel for how Ancestry works it's easier than it was two years ago. And half-way through this morning I realised that Random Grandson with odd surname was actually her brother, written down incorrectly . Not that I can find any further details on him.

The annoying thing is when someone has grabbed completely the wrong record (because they don't know that twenty miles means probably a different family, or because it's the first one they found and they haven't bothered to think about dates) and shoehorned it in so everyone following just copies them and all the hints and connections come up with the same error...

Totally nap wasted today and sat and did nothing until he woke up 🙈

Then made HM Doritos and dips with the DC. They loved them and said they were worth the effort of making but I'm not convinced.

Then set the printer up and started printing schoolwork which we really must get cracking with tomorrow.

Made bacon and onion roly poly with oven chips and gravy for dinner and DC had ham tarts for pudding. Now really need to go and put the bath on and start bedtimes but also really lacking the motivation to do it.

Ha, meg I've seen at least one where someone had a child before she herself was born, which is a neat trick if you can manage it.

Then there's the entirely different frustration of someone who obviously has information from Somewhere Else, but doesn't make a note of where (I've made a point of stating "family lore" or "family records" or "JEOW's book, record missing from Ancestry"). I had a death this afternoon which was stated categorically but not sourced, and there was no such record in the entire county for that year...

Some more TaDas!

Did today's mission - wiped out cutlery trays and the drawers they live in
Noted that yesterday's mission is unnecessary because we wipe our stove every time we wash up
Noted that tomorrow's mission is also unnecessary because we use everything in the fridge (well except the jars of goose fat, which are gradually being worked through)
Did Friday's mission because it consists of adding green scourers to the next Big List
Pretended I haven't seen Thursday's mission
Emptied and wiped herb and spice shelf
Sorted a handful of peppercorns, putting the ones too big for the grinder in the Use Whole jar
Refilled a couple of jars from the big cheaper bags, put a few things on Next Big List, replaced everything on shelf
Put a whole load more stuff on Next Big List
Threw out a mouldy malt loaf I bought when I thought flour might be an issue and then forgot about oooops
Brought washing in and hung up inside
Stretched legs on stairs for 5 minutes while H and S1 discussed the narrative shortcomings of Revenge of the Sith
Cooked oven chips chicken thighs carrots peas
Made cup of tea, stocked up chicken bones
force-dried S1's pyjamas because he appears to have only one set at home
tested pineapple ice-cream

Well better late than never eh . Bit of a manic day at work and lost my lunchtime post.

Sorry about lack of links but it seems you’ve all been flying just fine without.

Merry I also always wipe the hob. Unfortunately DH does not . He is also the world’s messiest cook.

Bower sorry you’ve had a rubbish day . Hope the cake helped and well done on getting so much done. Hope your DH is over the twattyitis soon, and the rest of the ‘d’ps who have been infected by it. Will have to quarantine my DH I think as he tends to be susceptible to these things.

Enjoy your early night Meg

Ooh what a lovely surprise Lane! The rule in our house with unexpected money is half is saved or used for something we need and the other half is spent on something we want or a treat outing.

Hope you haven’t got lost under the bed Zoo.

Princes a weaning meal plan is very organised.

KCC naughty kitty

Today’s ta das:
✅ LOL
✅ s & s
✅ survived work
✅ ate all the food

Going to do a quick sort of the kitchen then head off to bed. Day off tomorrow

ta da
😣read a bit
😖wrote list of stuff to sell (I get really anxious about it so baby steps)
😣home ed including making stuff for timeline
😖dragged my sorry arse into the shower and clean clothes
😣quick clean of food processor base - DH has been clearing the counter and we now have space to keep it out - shame to take up room but it’s so heavy that I avoid using it when it’s in the cupboard
😖attended webinar and did some related bits online after
😣had clothes delivered by friend and sorted them as lots too young
😖tried logging into gym website (thought I’d check out the home workouts) and locked myself out as can’t remember password!
😣downloaded MyFitnessPal to try... this could be a disaster if it makes me too anxious about measuring food again but we shall see
😖got DS to go through handmedowns, he isn’t keeping much which is good really due to lack of space but now I have a lot of clothes to pass on
😣brief stint on exercise bike (while reading another chapter. How efficient of me.)
😖bathed filthy screaming toddler
😣managed to figure out how to order my meds online without throwing DH’s tablet out the window (or at his head)
😖remembered a couple of chores for DD1 and poked her

ta didn’t
❌study 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️ just got so caught up with normal life admin

Lots of other Didn'ts TBH but oh well. I could probably study now but I didn’t nap and thus I seriously do need to sleep.

zoo he luvs everything so far lol. He’s so different 2 Logan who is so fussy.

That’s luvly of ur mum lane! It’s come at a gud time 2 cuz u wanted 2 make ur living room cosy!

merry super interesting! I’d luv 2 do mine but we’re all just Irish lol and then my grandad came over to England 2 get a job. Wish wed stayed in Ireland :( you’ve got a great list!

AWOL I no the feelin lol. The boys have 1 nap at the same time and I just spend that watching tv lol.

KTC I’m hoping 2 keep up my organising I feel so much better 4 it!

Another gr8 day. I ordered a big water bottle that has all the water u need 4 a day in it and it came 2day. Hopefully it makes me feel a bit more refreshed!. Attatched a pic of my kitchen. Need 2 sort that out!!

mummy I'd be too scared post oic my kitchen
It's not dirty,just cluttered AF.counciks idea cupboard space is laughable!!

Well dd2 had huge panic attack and we ended up watching inside out,settling to sleep around 1130.grateful i had a nap as insomnia early wake up calls I'd be impersonating a zombie

Dd2 doing Tesco shop later so plan to clean fridge and freezer as she's helping pick up stuff for us I don't know how we would manage without her tbh

Anyways,onwards and upwards!

What a difference a day makes. I was really in the doldrums Monday evening and Tuesday until suddenly a plumber turns up and later on a builder. So we have progress. The bathroom floor is finished and grouted. Yea! The little bit in the garden is down and he is coming back today to do the steps and the bit in the kitchen.

Ta da
Craft room window sill cleaned of dead flies.

Decluttering, found the floor. Some is now in the boudoir so I can get in the room.
The painter is coming to do the windows today. Can you see any significance to this?
Kitchen floor swept and because I did so much on Monday I haven’t done anything more.

Migraine came back in the night.

bower hope migraine shifts.glad things better at yours yesterday

Started day at full speed as know full well I going to grind to an exhausted halt later..

Tada
Wash on
Fed cats
Harpic lav

Pull everything out of fridge
Wipe shelves
scrub withered raspberries and blueberries off shelf designated dd2 shelf
Wash out drawers
Check dates
Wipe and put back remnants
Wipe all seals
Wipe front

Freezer
Remove contents
Check,tidy and reload

Wash in drier,more in

Clean and tidy dried fruit box,noting dates
Tidy and replenish pasta/rice/couscous/orzo baskets
Sort thru flour boxes

Check cupboard with tins/cereal
Sort out crate of sugars,and other baking bits.note chickpea flour needs using up soon
Feed zoolets
Remind dd2 about getting up at civilized hour/routine blah blah blah
Clean hob
Nearly lose shit getting her to GET UP ABD TAKE MEDS
clean black lush bath bomb tide mark from bath
Clean toothpaste spit filled sink
Clean mirror of toothpaste spit,and window...
Fold dry laundry and put away
Wash in drier
More in
Realise I've nothing in for brekkie
Write shop list
Dd2 declares needs to come with me,but then freaks over What To Wear...
I'm now saton phone waiting

To do
Shop for stuff need today/dd1 can't get at Tesco.wipe and put away
Clean up games corner
Sort meds box

Glad you’re feeling a bit better Bower.

Good morning everyone. I’m feeling refreshed after a decent night’s sleep and not having to get up early for work.

launchpad

Anti-procrastination day again. Think that means cracking on with the painting.

KCC - a memory just popped on my Facebook that makes me giggle every time - a holiday photo from a day where I did a complete comedy fall on my bum down the ramp of the hotel reception, right alongside the bar . Do you have any memories that still make you cry with laughter even years later?

Ta da:
✅ breakfast
✅ LOL in
✅ curtains open
✅ s & s
✅ struck a deal with DH - ceiling painting or supermarket. He’s currently at the supermarket.
✅ placated a grumpy DD with Frozen 2

Plans for today:
📌 dressed
📌 beds made
📌 upstairs homebleurgh
📌 ceiling painted
📌 long family walk since we have DH off today too
📌 deliver some shopping to DGM
📌 food, bags, clothes etc sorted for Thursday and Friday

🍒 waves to Lane, Zoo, Meg, Too, Chic, Lisette, Princes, Foxes Merry, Hazel, That, ED, SC, AWOL, Wine, Tidy and to Kinky, Cornish and Duck if we still have you with us. Have a good Wednesday everyone!

Zoo I know feel a bit embarrassed by my ta da list

Now

Ugh I’m in a stressy panicky mood. Got lots of studying to do. Hopefully having doorstep visit from new friend today but what if it’s raining... I don’t feel ready to invite her in (apparently that’s allowed now?) because CHAOS! But don’t want to be rude either. Argh. It’s not like we never have anyone in, but I don’t know her well yet and have only actually seen her in a professional context (she ran a course I was on).

Also have loads of studying to do in the next 30ish hours as I did none yesterday. I know this one is just for fun really and I could just sign up again from a different address but I want to actually not give up!

Oh well at least we found the vikings book. Under the sofa. 🙄

DH had a lie in on Monday so he’s not going back to bed today. I’m going to shower and get properly dressed before studying, as not sure when friend has her meeting, so at least I’m not panicking about that. I’ve got so unused to actually seeing people!

Tally ho 🍒👋

I hate that stressy anxious feeling Lane. When I feel like that planning out the day in time slots helps me (think Zoo has mentioned doing that too?*). Would that help? Also re: visit I’d do a 5 minute blitz in the hallway and 5 minutes living room to make it presentable and then you can forget about it. If you do need to invite her in I’m sure she won’t be judging, it’s a family home with 3 DC. Hope you enjoy the visit and I’ve got my fingers crossed for a dry day for you.

Hi hope everyone ok (as is poss to be currently)

That brilliantly done for getting application for student finance in whilst dealing with twattishness and five kids! Wishing all power to your elbow!

Lane It is indeed very odd meeting up with people after such a long time. Is there time to text her and ask to meet somewhere mid-way? A café with outdoor tables and a canopy? Just apologise and say sorry to change plans but chaos at home. I'm sure she would understand and if it's half way you are not inconveniencing her too much. Hope you have a lovely time anyway!

Tried to post twice yesterday but both times got interrupted and I'm in the middle of a barn door crisis now but briefly ... .

Bower Aye to Catholic guilt! So glad that reinforcements have arrived but sorry about your lovely bowl Good luck with boudoir clearance! I am with you in spirit and action because I'm going to be doing the same thing after admin work this afternoon.

Meg bravo re: Great Bed Manoeuvres of 2020 which I hope are now complete and everyone more or less happy!

Same here Zoo I am horribly embarrassed about my kitchen. It is clean but rather cluttered. Dh is a terror for filling up any clear horizontal surfaces, he insisted on semi-industrial oven which takes up horizontal space when all of our space is vertical, and we have (don't ask) very few cupboards I hope your dd2 is feeling less anxious today ('cos teens still need bears sometimes). I'd be interested to know what you do with the spelt flour. [I'm scrubbing down the medieval pike for you btw with a bit of wire wool. Sorry your "d"p seems to be only able to see situations from his own blinkered pov [anger] ]

Good luck with ceiling painting KTCluck and we have the same rule with money gifts. Half saved. Half given to child to do with (almost) what they want or put in their current a/c.

Merry/Megiddo fascinating about the more "interesting" aspects of ancestry work.

Mummy I have loads of family in Ireland too. I haven't been back in a while and lockdown is making me wish I had.

It's ironic that now dh is home 24/7 I can travel wherever I like (because before he was always travelling) but of course it's now not advisable so bit of a Catch 22 because by the time it is possible to travel freely, dh will be off again! Don't like leaving dd on her own yet but it will only be a few years before she is off herself and everyone can travel where they like (hopefully, if this pandemic ever ends!).

Awol Hope on-line tutoring went well. Love the sound of a bacon and onion roly poly and arf at ham tarts although I'm sure those could be good too if you add in a bit of parsley, and a few mushrooms egg and cream!

KTCluck that's lovely about your kind stranger story. Gosh so many instances of kindnesses but three that stick out are 1. my sister coming to my new digs at uni when I was young and useless and cleaning my room from top to bottom including fridge with moulding food from someone who had buggered off and left it ; she even cleaned communal kitchen and part of communal bathroom too! I think she is an actual saint. 2. same sister buying my wedding dress out of the blue, went to pay for it and she had already done so (and it was much appreciated because what with wedding and moving countries it was all a stretch) and 3. lovely old Egyptian guy in my regular dry cleaners years ago in London. Felt very faint one evening after v long day at work (hadn't eaten and was going down with flu) when went to pick up clothes and he brought me a chair and a glass of water and then closed his shop and drove me home!

Sorry if I have missed it but how did it go with the leak Lisette hope not too extensive?

Arf at Twattyvirus ... let's just say it has definitely crossed the channel

Mahoosive waves to all!

Oh and a mini rant if you will allow me.

I am so fed up of (a) clients who won't pay bills at all never mind pay them within 30 day limit and then ring up to chase their new work and (b) contractors who make up funny invoices to avoid paying VAT when we have to pay tons of the stuff and get inspected regularly when we have already stated to them 10 times and in writing up front ... don't start working for us if you cannot present us with proper up front VAT invoice. ... .

Why does jeffing NO ONE (apparently) stick to the rules? And these are people you trust

Sorry. It's been a bit of a crap morning so far.

I loved that about your red tractor fil ebtw Lane

[Should add to rant below that this is not about recent Covid-19 difficulty. Obviously understand if people have difficulty paying in these uncertain times and we have special provision for that. These are issues from last September and way before that!]

Thank heavens it's lunch time!