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

The thread has been moving at a fast pace!

I did manage to get some ironing done thank goodness, I did that Sunday or Monday night I forgot which day now.

Tuesday was my day off so had a few ta das;

🌻 bedding washed, dried and back on bed.

🌻 DS hair appt.

🌻 grocery pickup.

🌻 DD eye appt.

🌻 Costco shopping.

🌻 pulled some weeds (they're never ending!)

🌻 sprayed off cement pad really good for the pool.

🌻 set pool up.

🌻 went to the river so the DC could swim in it (pool water needs to warm up a bit!)

Today (Wednesday) the DC pissed me off, they didn't do any chores today so after working a 10hr shift here's my ta das:

🤬 1 LOL (towels from Tuesday night, still wet!)
🤬 chicken pulled out from freezer since I forgot last night.

🤬 cooked dinner for tomorrow night as I will be working late.

🤬 rotated DW.

🤬 emptied kitchen bin and took wheelie bin out to the front for tomorrow.

I'm now really needing to get to sleep. I did want to say to lane before I forget. Mfp does have exercises stored in it, just have to search or browse for it. Just go to add cardiovascular and browse all is an option. I hope that helps. I've used mfp for years on and off. It's changed a little recently but if you need help with it, I can try.

👋 to everyone, I'm off to bed. I hope you all have a great day. Hope to catch up better tomorrow.

Morning campers.

launchpad and jazz

T’is errand day today, but as I’m working today I feel I am exempt

KCC - what do you do to lift your spirits? My usual is a hot relaxing bath with a book and wine. However, I’ve really struggled to get out of bed and stay motivated the last few days though, and this morning I felt really achey and exhausted (I suspect due to my diet being crap for the last week). I had quite a bit to do and forced myself to get up early, and did a 15 minute morning yoga video. I feel like a new woman! That might have to be my new pick-me-up.

Ta Das:

Yesterday:
✅ ceiling painted
✅ upstairs dusted and hoovered
✅ bathroom cleaned
✅ general tidy before bed

We made a spur of the moment decision to eat our last night in our local Italian. It was great - everyone well spread out, staff wearing masks, good atmosphere. It felt lovely to be doing something normal!

This morning:
✅ LOL
✅ work/nursery bags and food prep as it didn’t get done last night after our meal
✅ yesterday’s LOL in dryer as I forgot
✅ DW on and few dishes from yesterday hand washed
✅ yoga
✅ arrived at work with enough time to catch up with you all.

Zoo that’s a bit rubbish about the sleep people. Surely it’s no good helping one family member if another then isn’t getting any sleep.

Hazel I’m with you on the weeds. I pull a few out daily from the front and it gets no better.

Lane well done on futurelearn progress.

I had more I wanted to stay but work has officially started so I’m off. Catch you all tonight

Aaah thanks hazel I had missed that! It says “all exercises” on that tab. I’d done the other bit where you have to write a name and put in the calories for it yourself. That’s a relief. I wonder if it’s a generic estimate or based on weight? Although I did find a calorie calculator thing online so I can use that as well (it’s not like I vary the exercise much so once I’ve saved the ones I do it’ll be easy) - it had loads of different exercises to choose from, and you can also calculate calories burned by breastfeeding and sex 😂

We actually started work at 9 today which is good as it’s a longer list. Just realised I haven’t written the quiz which I thought was for tomorrow but is on today’s list. Bugger. iPad needs to charge so I’ll grab some paper (so glad I gathered all the old notebooks and scrap paper so I don’t use new!)

Haven’t got much of my FL course to do, I did have to leave out some of the optional stuff though. I think I’m not really built for that kind of learning - it was interesting and I’ve written notes but I really do prefer having an actual tutor and feedback and tests. I’m going to do the ADHD course next but just to get access to the content really as despite being diagnosed I don’t actually know a huge amount (compared to autism where I did a ton of research).

It has made me realise I do need to prioritise some kind of official study but that’s a bit scary as financially I’d need to make it worthwhile and that means actually deciding on what career path I want to attempt and aaaaargh. I was feeling a bit more confident about this a couple of months ago but lockdown has chipped away at that (I have got a blog post brewing about this :o just need to be confident enough to write it ).

TaDa

took sandwich stuff out of freezer
s&s x2
made bed!
did Thursday's mission - recycled a few squashed pots to add to the huge pile of yoghurt pots and lids that went in the other day, sellotaped two torn cardboard boxes, etc

ToDo
a couple of the "deep cleaning" tasks
make interim shopping list (include S2's baking ingredients)
discuss whether we're having a takeaway or Normal (homemade) Pizza tomorrow
decide rest of weekend menu
make pastry for pies
go shopping
make filling for pies (chicken from freezer if spot nothing in the shop)
make pies
order new washing-up bowl (and some thermometer covers if possible)
ironing [sigh]

meg nope, Hannah senior died eight years after her marriage and five years after Hannah was born, and the probate definitely states "only surviving children".

There are definitely records missing from Ancestry - there's a Nancy Surname (who according to someone else is definitely Hannah's grandparents' daughter) who marries in 1835 but has no baptism record anywhere on the site, and they have quite a large gap with no children except for one baptism in the next village over...

I may have to buy Hannah's birth certificate (surprised my dad hasn't already, actually. Will have to get sis to check the folder again).

meg thanks for solidarity
I'm evil it seems,esp as her study period Is Not Going Well.its all stupid and don't make sense.i can't help because what would I know?!
My response has been to apply irritated cleaning in progress with musicin background to drown slightly the huffing,puffing and expletives coming from sofa as I do various cleaning tasks around her!
Aerosmith are my heroes today,stopping my from commuting murder and spurring me onwards...

Tada
Fed cats
Wash on
Harpic lav
Fall over shoes in hall try avoid weaving cats after dreamies/fuss
Swear profusely and then decide tidying said mess was simpler/much less energy
Check and reply emails
Internet banking
Make to do list
Breakfasts-lil zoo smoothie today was raspberry half banana,sunflower and hemp seeds,big dollop soy yogurt,cashew milk,spinach and oats.i didn't add enough milk to suck it up with a straw so got scowled at for that,but she drank it all once rectified and stalk off upstairs she's really not a very pleasant teenager
DS was simple wanting cereal and discarded half banana!

I've discovered as dd2 sleep on sofa opposite me at mo if I bang about enough prior to making lil zoo smoothie it wakes her so she's slightly less antsy to get up to take meds
Meds taken she skulked off to wash face
Get DS sort his piles washing
Wash in drier,first of his washing in machine
Wash up last night's stuff
Wipe surfaces
Empty bins
Poo pick littertrays
Sweep lower floors
Try help dd2 who is rant at laptop
Rejected and irritated apply music to room
Get under dining table
Sort 2brc
Liberate 3cat toys
Find 2stress toys dd2 been complaining D's must've taken...
Find 4 missing dvds...
Discover a banana that'd fell off back table.very black,but not liquid form so for that I'm grateful!
Sort cupboard under sink
Start building a bag for food bank
Fill in phone call appointments into diary so I don't forget

Commuting murderobvs committing,but if anyone needs help with twatvirus2 victims it seems autocorrect us volunteering me to help!

Well, train journeys to London do make me feel murderous so that phrase works for me too :o

Home ed a big success today, DS has completed two of the books we’ve been working on so I’m pleased how the planning has worked out. He even talked about doing some things over summer 😱 (now if only DD1, who REALLY needs to do that, would have the same view... 😣).

All he’s got left is the quiz which I just need to print/cut out (one page of opinion type questions, and a set of cards with descriptions and associated words to match to each of the 14 people), and that’s the person of the week topic done for the term too.

That side of things is all going very well but housework is non existent - can’t get motivated at all. 🙄😳

Finished course yay
Signed up to the ADHD one, and a couple of very short ones as well. 😳🙈🤦‍♀️
Need to go and get DD1’s meds now. Means I get out of the house I suppose.

I will catch up with u all after just popping in 2 say I haven’t dropped off the thread but I have a 2 yr old who’s decided his only goal 4 2day is 2 tantrum

Lane go D's!and for you for finishing course

Sen support call was useful
Followed by lunch

Afternoon all! Logan has been a nightmare today😂 it all kicked of this morning because I said good morning 2 him n he decided he didn’t want me 2 say that! Then I told him we’re having salad for lunch n he didn’t want that he wanted sandwiches so I made him sandwiches then he didn’t wan5 sandwiches he wanted salad🙄 rolll on bedtime!.

Ta Da’s
❤️Made bed
🧡Got dressed
💛S&S
💚Breakfast
💙Washed up
💜LOL
❤️Cleaned microwave
🧡Cleaned under sink
💛Made lunch (papaya purée for Sully)
💚Washed up
💙Washing on dryer
💜Ironed

2 lift my spirits I like to put the music on and have a sing and a dance wiv the boys.

Thx 4 the chocolate zoo!

TaDa

cleaned cupboard fronts (I don't know how many Flylady has, but doing them all in one go was fine - mind you I didn't do the laundry room)
cleaned casing of cooker hood
cleaned wall tiles, sockets and light switches
checked millionaire shortbread recipe
decided menu for weekend
made shopping list
went shopping
made pies
ordered new washing-up bowl and thermometer covers
ironing

Tesco have removed the one-way arrows - I was suddenly disoriented to find myself going down instead of up the banana aisle

merryhouseyou animal

Princes ah I remember those days we'll

Realised D's had drank all the milk,I'd not got the t bags and baked beans for food bank drop I'd planned for tomorrow,and that we are out of foil

Is it the weekend yet??

Ta das
Dishwasher on X 2
Washing on and hung up
Worked AM
Dropped off and then collected children multiple times 😂
DH took ds to get his hair cut - one down! She didn't have space for me or dd but ds needed it the most
Cooked dinner - spaghetti Bolognese
Tidied up dinner things
Rubbish round to bins
Deep cleaned the fridge ready for food shopping arriving later
Did next online food shop
Dh is busy putting up dd new blinds 🌟

So sorry that I'm really not keeping up with the thread, I am reading as much as I can!

Isn't is amazing how we think we've had a day of not doing much then you write it all down and realise you've actually done a lot, I think we all need to remember how much we are doing even if it doesn't seem like it and on that note-

Dh has been to the shop so I will stock up the naughty corner with currant buns, kinder buenos, maltesers, dairy milk, gingerbread men and the ibuprofen that I actually asked him for 😂

What was that we were saying about resting bitch face?

To lift my spirits I like to leave the house (on my own) jump in the car and just drive around with my music on singing my heart out.

Ta-da's
🧼 slept in 🙈 made the DC a quick fruit salad and glass of milk for breakfast
🧼 schoolwork
🧼 went to Lidl
🧼 made lunch last nights pizza for 1,2,3 and scrambled egg on toast for 4. I had tomato and mozzarella salad and toast.
🧼 LOL
🧼 more schoolwork - they've gotten through loads today
🧼 made dinner - chicken curry (jar sauce), oven chips, rice, naan bread and HM samosas. Except I didn't have peas so substituted for sweet corn and didn't have potatoes so they were erm interesting 😂 DC had little ready made jelly pots for pudding
🧼 washed pretty much every dish in the house, DS2 dried

I can't believe it's 8.30 already this day in fact this week is flying. May be the excitement of knowing the summer holidays are coming 😀

I think I need that mug Lane . Well done on finishing the course.

Zoo, Merry, Princes, Foxes and AWOL you’ve all been very busy.

Hope you got some of your want to dos as well as have to dos done Meg

I got home at 7pm find DD had fallen asleep on the sofa. I felt a bit sad not getting to spend any time with her, but it did mean I got to enjoy DH’s stir fry in peace. I’m sure she’ll be up early to make up for lost time.

Ta da:
✅ LOL from this morning hung up
✅ DW and hand washing
✅ sink shiny
✅ hob and benched wiped
✅ a few scattered bits of crap returned to their homes
✅ kitchen window and sill cleaned
✅ stuck to calorie budget and resisted ice cream even when serving some for DH.

Have retired to bed with my book and herbal tea. I feel a bit more motivated again and may attempt a run in the morning...

Night all!

ta da
🍏home ed including resource prep
🍎reading throughout the day
🍏paid tap fees
🍎finished FL course
🍏created a wish list on FL and signed up for other courses. I’m now just thinking of them as getting free access to some useful information, rather than courses, IYSWIM. But I’ll still be calling it studying on my ta da lists because it’s quicker 😂
🍎wrote list of each course and week on reminders app so I can keep track
🍏saved links I need for HE planning
🍎went to collect prescriptions, picked up a few things in the shops too. Really not liking the new normal! Included a walk to town which registered on MFP
🍏gave DS a haircut
🍎shower and hair
🍏wrote my June summary/hopes for July. I have made the decision not to get hung up on calendar months anymore 🙈😂
🍎major antiprocrastination - wrote two email replies that I’d delayed (one for no apparent reason, the other because it was one of those that you get more anxious about the more you leave it...)

Tomorrow I absolutely must do my assignment questions. We have DSD visiting so will try and get a lot done early (and get DS to do lots of his HE out the way too).

Also an FB friend who makes patchwork, clothes, bunting etc out of scraps put a post up saying she’ll collect bags of rags so that is a huge help - not only does it fix the issue of the handmedowns from the other day (I am sorting out some for another friend but most would have been stuck) it also means I can sort through stuff in the cupboard downstairs. I won’t get caught up in that till I’ve done the assignment though.

lane I think mfp calculates for your own weight. I have noticed I don't burn as many calories when I weigh less, doing the exact same exercise. I honestly don't think there is an exact science when it comes down to it, and it's more than likely a pretty good estimate.

Meg do you have the test strips for your pool water? It might need more alkaline or something like that. Since it already went green I would start over again (I know that's a lot of water to waste) but even with doing a shock you might not kill it all. When that's happened in the past we have emptied it, cleaned it really good with bleach water and Refilled it. Make sure you're testing the water at least a couple times a week, if not every day, depending on how much it gets used. The more it's used, the more often you test it.

We have a floating dispenser for our chlorine that we have in there at all times, unless we are in the pool. We also have a timer for the pump that turns on for 4, 8 or 12 hours at a time, the same time every day. Make sure the filter is clean, replace as necessary, about every one to two weeks. DH sprays ours off a couple times a week and that helps it last longer. I hope that all helps. Green pool water is awful to deal with.

Sorry about the book. I worked today but ended the evening with a fire in the fire pit. Was out there longer than I planned so it's really late here now. Kitchen is cleaned up thanks to DC and DH although I wiped down the worktops and the sink. DW is on now, outfit pulled out and ready for tomorrow.

I'm falling asleep now, goodnight all, have a good day tomorrow TGIF!!

Night hazel

I didn't get woken by hungry furry overlords.nelly is still a nervous wreck.she was on D's midi sleeper and looked too scared get down.i put food in bathroom as usual and had bring her to itI end up sat talking softly and occasion stroking her whilst ate.she ate quite a bit.i fear she may not have got down in night to access kibble we leave out as was too anxious😞
No idea what's wrong with the poor lamb.im worried silly.shes not just a cat,she's family.will ring vet at 8

Can't decide whether to anxious clean or sit with her

Morning,

I was too tired to post after trying to catch up yesterday.

So update.
One more job and bathroom finished to builder. I have to sand and paint shelves and paint walls with a colour I like. The Apple white is too green in daylight nice at night. The tiles are shades of blue , pale grey, pale turquoise and plum purple the mosaics are almost the same with an extra blue and a pinky colour. So blue white and something for the alcove where shelves are. It is more of a display are than practical.i have a laundry box that no one used for laundry so I keep all spares in there with a basket of ‘use me’ ion top. Oh and he needs to put the door back on! He is coming on Saturday. I do love him he will turn his hand to any little job I ask him. He has made a little step bit near where coal bunker and wood store are going so I can put two troughs of plants in. He is going to try making drainage holes in two stone troughs. He is also going to quarry tile both door steps. It turns out he used to be in the same football team as my son 1 they played for another village for quite a few years from 12 up. They had a catch up about people they are still in touch with.
All windows are painted on the outside and the surrounds. So water tight. He says it will probably last four years before need done again. They look like new. We have never had anyone paint for us before. He took two days and did about three coats £180 which seems very reasonable for such a good job. We paid him and gave him a tenner for a couple of beers. He was chuffed to bits I don’t think many people do that. He is g king to do the stairs and hall.DH has stripped it. I can’t have the paper I wanted as it is too expensive now. I wish I had just bought it years ago. DH said it was too expensive. It is three times that now.☹️Had my heart set on it. If you watch googlebox (somebody does) it is the posh pair I think maybe Gerald and Kate? I don’t watch it often but they have a chair and wallpaper in it.

I finished the door yesterday. The glass is ready and the joiner is back at work when he should be at home healing. Small job for him and DH is here to lift.

Yesterday’s ta Das
Finished door
Washed up a lot.
Made bed.
S&S
Vacuumed
Made rock buns left in oven for four minutes too long.outside a bit brown and crunchy.
Kept DH right with base for troughs.
Cleaned table and cupboard fronts.

Anti procrastination- tried ring two days.

Can’t remember what else though he announced that we needed shopping. I knew he would eventually realise. We nipped all to M&S mini shop and got something for tea. He said I could have gone in as only one person in there. We had frites and southern fried chicken with salad. Easy tea 😄 and he bought cod, prawns, scampi for today.

About to get up. Had a really good sleep after two bad nights. I have been bitten four times on the leg. So very itchy and lumpy. I have also had an allergic reaction to either that or something else. Taking antihistamines but very itchy on head ( haven’t been near anyone/ at school) ankle, arm, face at different times. My face went really hot and red though DH said it was a bit pink. You do wonder with men. I looked in car mirror one side was like teething rash/ severe sunburn and the other same but blotchy. It was hot to touch. So I took some steroids from emergency pack. Concerned it might be antihistamines as apparently you can become allergic to them. I have to take one a day at the moment. Weird!

Two chickens still broody. So funny sitting together. Persephone has a nasty peck. Ouch! Less eggs which means we can catch up. We have had egg and cress sandwiches and I gave a visitors grandchild some. Have about ten left. We had more than the rack at one stage.

Plan for today
🍒put all the pieces of window framing into each windows bag. Clean out summer house put it back to a retreat place and remove door to top shed.
🍒Clean top of kitchen cupboards.
🍒 one hour sorting in craft room.
🍒 complete some painting for summer if not too late.
🍒vacuum downstairs.
🍒heard there was one charity shop open so put things in basket for them. In random bags at present.
🍒 make a drawer in chest for visiting grandchildren of anybody.
🍒plant up troughs if I can get to garden centre.
🌺check garden for weeds, water herbs and lettuce growing and triffids in greenhouse.

What makes me relax. Sitting in summer house with a drink- tea, Pimms, gin etc and reading magazines and having a radio. Long walks, painting and drawing. Music.

Everyone one seems to be doing a lot.

Morning all.
to do - power of 3 (I think I might try and get into the habit of PO3 lists as I’m really not getting any housework done lately)
❗️Shower and dressed after breakfast
❗️Assignment questions - write as much as I can for all questions on the iPad today (not submitting yet)
❗️LOL (probably just whatever is lurking in the kitchen* rather than specifically ours)

Just trying to gather some energy and enthusiasm first by reading a bit while Cagletini watches Pocoyo (I’ve not been awake long 😳)

*We always have laundry on the kitchen floor 🙄😳 - I think I need to get a basket for there. Much as I’d rather not take up the space, it never stays clear for long. And so many clothes end up downstairs that it would be a faff to take upstairs to the baskets in the bedroom - eg discarded hoodies and socks 🙄Cagletini is usually changed downstairs too. I’m still avoiding putting one in the bathroom though (unless I put a hanging one up for towels) as that’s much smaller and the caglets surely could take their clothes back to their rooms after showers 🙄