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

998 replies

KTCluck · 30/06/2020 21:50

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

OP posts:
Thread gallery
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LaneBoy · 10/07/2020 09:22

Oh. Well I went into the kitchen with some clothes and DH had already put a wash on :o so I’ll change my list:
❗️Assignment questions
❗️Shower/change
❗️Set up tuff tray for Cagletini (timing it for when DSD arrives, as we will be helping her with forms etc)

Best go... glad to escape the toddler who has just thrown a cuddly toy (a lemon, to be precise) across the table because DH got her the wrong cereal. :o

Stilllivinginazoo · 10/07/2020 09:40

lane I've no baskets in bathroom.zoolets have designated towel baskets in rooms as well as one for clothes
A)space
B) I find as they half drown bathroom on regular basis stuff gets mouldy if not dealt with on virtually daily basis

I'm not a fan smell fustering mould so for me it's a deffo NO

Tada
Rang vets
Told try anxiety meds/drops
Ring around various pet shops etc to find something.sort wipes for today and to get some felaway from Amazon delivered tom
Arrange "d"p to pick up wipes, then dd2 declares wants go as in a garden centre that has the works.this could be expensive....
Finish sorting food bank bags and drop at vicarage

On top feed everyone
Bins empty
littertray poo picked
2nd load in drier
Sweep lower floors
Harpic lav
Clean bath and sink

KTCluck · 10/07/2020 10:00

Good Morning fledglings. Quick check in on a tea break

launchpad

I have nothing for the KCC this morning other than to say ITS FRIDAY! 🙌🏻 🥳 and I’ve had a fully stocked bar assembled in the naughty corner. You’re welcome Grin

No running was achieved today, and I have no excuse other than I really didn’t want to. DD slept until 7!

Ta das:
✅ LOL
✅ s & s
✅ DD’s packed lunch made
✅ some clean washing put away

Bower fantastic your bathroom is so close to being finished. Hope the allergy settles down soon.

Zoo hope poor kitty is ok! It’s such a worry and they really are part of the family.

Lane we have a basket in the utility room for anything that gets dumped downstairs. Mainly DH’s socks Hmm

Waves to SC, AWOL, Expletive, Lisette, Hazel, Meg, That, Foxes, Stressy, Merry, Chic and Princes and apologies to anyone I’ve missed - waves to you too. Hope those homeschooling aren’t too bogged down. It’s almost the holidays!

OP posts:
THATscurryfungeBITCH · 10/07/2020 10:30

I am here

I do not have a new patio

TV2020 appears to be under control for now ..... (here atleast)

LaneBoy · 10/07/2020 10:44

I want a utility room! Envy I have to bring aaaall the flannels down to wash later as DS must have somehow dropped them all in the bath 🤦‍♀️ So I will probably do a towel wash as well as a normal one. Sigh.

I had an email back suggesting I take a bit longer for the assignments but I still want to do what I can or I’ll just get complacent again! I have about an hour to crack on with it now.

I was thinking with the PO3 lists maybe I’ll try and always make sure one of the three things is something for me, rather than the house/everyone else 🙄 would make sure I had a balance and prioritised the studying/self care/time alone etc

Bowerbird5 · 10/07/2020 12:43

On a go slow here today. Started with breakfast in the summer house in my jamas and kimono. DH eventually followed down after thoroughly checking the Lakes weather. Had a leisurely breakfast while we did a crossword. DH took the door up to the top shed and I put all the 36 pieces of wood into their bags and into the bottle carrier. I came up and had a long, hot shower and washed my hair it is so lovely to have a shower year. Used Himalayan salt (DDs) over my scaly legs and arms and feet. Put lashings of lemon grass lotion on later so now I am lovely and clean and smell delicious. So climbed into bed and been researching eBay things. DH left ages ago. Very lazy and self indulgent but I have had lots of stress this week. I did try and phone GPS but phone line still down though I got through they are only taking emergency work. Nurse for hypertension will have to wait. She wouldn’t make me an appointment. So third time unlucky. I wanted to tell hear GP needs to make note of allergy as it means immune system compromised after respite for two years. The steroids worked and it is just starting to itch now so I am going take four more.

Power of 3 😊thanks Lane.
Must get up and going to clean summer house.
Have lunch.
Do ironing.

Lane I have baskets/bin in room. One I like most is a bamboo one from Dunelm. I would love a utility room. I had utility room envy when kitchen planning looking at Pinterest.

KTC thanks I will add a photo of wall and floor tiles. He did a good job. Getting itchy again so it is long lasting. Must be still in my system.

Oh no it has gone dark and started raining. DH will likely get soaked.
Glad I didn’t go down earlier I was going to take everything out and rearrange summerhouse. Might have to skip that job.

LaneBoy · 10/07/2020 13:57

Thanks for all the laundry thoughts. I think we will need to go basket shopping tbh, we got a wicker one when we moved for our room but it’s falling apart so we don’t bother 😳

Change of plan - not doing tuff tray yet, as DH was going into town (some of the meds weren’t ready yesterday) but I’ve nabbed the opportunity instead, as I’m totally brain fried now and he is much better at filling in forms so he can help DSD while I’m out. Except I haven’t left yet because DH can’t find the shopping list of stuff DD1 needs. 🙄

I did shower, change and do all my assessment questions though. Not ready to send yet as they need going over and editing. But that’s two out of the PO3, and I brought down the towels and the flannels DS dropped in the bath.

Turns out I’ve missed this more than I realised, and I want to write essays again 😳

Anyway new PO3
❗️LOL
❗️Walk to town to do errands
❗️Take some quiet time while I’m there to read and rest

foxessocks · 10/07/2020 14:34

I have a utility room, which constantly has clothes on the floor Grin I actually don't like our utility room, it's always full of clutter and really hard to clean because it's desperately needs decorating. We are getting rid of it soon and making the kitchen bigger so we can fit a table in there amongst other things.

I'd just stick an extra basket where the clothes pile up lane I'm a great believer in baskets and boxes for making things look instantly tidier 😂

foxessocks · 10/07/2020 14:39

I actually went into a supermarket with the kids today as we needed some bits and dh was at work, it was fine, not even any queues. Got them McDonald's as well so they were happy Grin

Ta da list not that great today
Bit of school work with dd but tbh we are winding down a lot, as she is back in school mon- Thurs we have really only been doing Fridays but today she just did RE and then some phonics...we got Disney + (bit late to the party I know!) so they've been watching 102 Dalmatians this afternoon instead!
Went to supermarket
Put shopping away
Dishwasher on
Washing on and hung up
Finished decluttering craft cupboard and got rid of some old colouring books

I'm going to have a bit of a blitz through the housework this afternoon while the kids are TV zombies. It's become a bit of a tip again, just can't keep on top of it!

squanderedcore · 10/07/2020 15:39

Hello, just popping in to wish everyone a good weekend!

Whoo hoo! I have the house to myself for 20 mins or so as DD has managed to persuade DH to leave his desk during the working day (oh to have that power! Grin) to go and pick up her school books for next year ...something she is very excited about... bit of a rite of passage for her.

Have had my now traditional 5 mins of pronking like a goat in delight at being alone for a bit Grin (although have put so much weight on under lockdown it's more like a hippo creating a crater in the floor). Now sitting out on the terrace with cup of tea in wonderful silence and dappled sunshine with a furry by my side. Aaah. Bliss.

And what a difference a day makes. Yesterday we were all grumpy with one another, it was grey and raining, the house was all scuzzy and messy because I had neglected to do a home bleugh this week (busy with other things) and it was driving me MAD, plus had mounds of photocopying and digital filing to do, and it was all a bit grim and I ate my own weight in ginger nuts Blush and felt v guilty afterwards. (We can't get them here v often so got over-excited! #lifeinthefastlane Grin)

Decided not to go to bed and to to tidy and clean instead (silently so as not to disturb dogs) until 4.30am so (three hrs later on) this morning I could wake up and pretend that Dobby the House Elf (or Ned or Ted!) had visited in the night and we were starting afresh Wink. Not something I would recommend doing often but it got me out of a hole.

Now can pack the car for weekend with clear conscious for when dh is finished. Have meeting with builder scheduled early tomorrow morning to view new barn door (fingers crossed).
Also going to collect new tack for he of the long face.

Oh yes and had a lovely lunch with dd (DH was working) discussing holidays past and all the funny events that happened on them. Really good to be on good terms ... !

Glad builder finally making consistent progress Bower! Hope you can rest a bit this w/e.

My futility room floor seems to be permanently covered in little piles of clothes too Foxes

I hope your cat is ok Zoo! So sorry dd2 anxiety spiralling Sad

ARF at banana aisle confusion Merry Grin

Hope you are all having a better day today Mummy

Bravo Lane if you don't make time for your own things no one else will!

Hope your student finance is granted soon That

And Grin at your flying toddler AWOL launching himself off the bins Grin

How to lift my spirits ...lean my weary head against d🐎's enormous shoulder ... ...gaze in to his lovely big eye ...and breathe...and hope he doesn't bite me on the bum for my trouble Grin

Mahoosive 🍒😷 ✋ to all fledglings!

squanderedcore · 10/07/2020 15:51

KTCluck oh yy to dh sock overload!

merryhouse · 10/07/2020 16:13

TaDa

s&s x2
exercise class (not too bad) - oh I did leg stretching yesterday - and shower
Sorted purse (as in, actual Purse) by taking out two shopping receipts; followed spirit of the thing by unearthing rucksack from understair cupboard and removing the two things that got left in there a few months ago Grin
Pondered re-sewing the zip so it actually closes
Car is organised as it's only been used twice other than me going shopping in the last three months
Cleaned fridge
switched off fridge so that the water freezing scuzzy stuff to the element would thaw
swept behind fridge (the socket is behind it under the worktop)
wiped off scuzzy stuff
dried fridge
turned fridge back on again
Discovered that fridge light has randomly decided to work (the 17yo said "I had no idea the fridge had a light")
Got out the insulating tape to cover up where the shelf had broken its plastic and had rusted because it was next to the frozen element
Realised half-way through that I have become my parents
Decided to throw away all except the newest jar of goose fat because they smell quite unpleasant
Emptied bin
Made garlic butter to go on the baguette H made earlier
Prepared toppings for pizza

LittlemissAWOL · 10/07/2020 18:01

I took my lot to lidl yesterday foxes. We were out of milk and I needed a couple of other bits which tbf I could have gotten from the corner shop (if I go there I just leave DC outside) but they would have cost 4 x as much. Well it was an experience that I won't repeat in a hurry 😂 problem is there are so many of us we kind of fill and aisle so I felt like we were getting in everyone's way.

We had a utility room when we bought the house (actually there were 2 it was the oddest layout I've ever seen) but we got rid to make a bigger kitchen and downstairs loo.

Ta-da's
☂️ everyone up at a reasonable time, DC given cereal and all dresses including bath for me
☂️ schoolwork
☂️big break for lunch, made littles ham sandwich, mini roll, breadsticks and apple. Bigs had tuna scotch eggs
☂️LOL
☂️ dishes
☂️ schoolwork - while feeding DS4 most of the fruit bowl to keep him happy because he refused to nap
☂️ made crispy cakes
☂️ nipped to lidl
☂️ made sausage casserole for dinner

Have now promised DS3 we can make milkshakes (it's part of his homework tbf but 😖 the mess)

Lisette1940 · 10/07/2020 18:03

Two weeks of annual leave 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

foxessocks · 10/07/2020 18:08

AWOL we went to Aldi and it was well organised, no queues , told ds he had to sit in the trolley (he usually refuses!) and dd had to stay by my side but she did start messing about at one point and I felt everyone staring at me... however, the main reason why I'd rather not take them is because I always come back with things I didn't need, in this case two packs of snap cards and two little cuddly toys Confused

It was good for them to see some normality though!! And they were very excited to be able to choose some snacks.

By the way thank you to whoever recommended telling the time snap sorry I can't remember who it was, dd loves it! And we got the dinosaur one for ds and it's very informative Grin

Just had our dinner which was meant to be chicken wraps but the wraps were mouldy despite being well in date Angry so just chicken with salad instead!

I'm so glad it's Friday!

foxessocks · 10/07/2020 18:13

By the way AWOL don't worry because I felt like we were getting in the way even though ds in trolley so just me and dd walking along, I think we are all just very aware of our spaces right now! I certainly wasn't judging anyone in bigger groups, I think there are many reasons why you can't shop on your own and to be honest some people are just so impatient, I just stood back and waited for people if they were taking up a lot of space, it's no trouble really. I do understand why you'd rather not repeat the experience though, shopping with kids is not relaxing at the best of times!!

LaneBoy · 10/07/2020 18:21

PO3 #2 done. Yay. OMG I feel so so much better - I wasn’t planning to but the pub I go to in town was quiet and so I went in to have my lunch there and it was a bit odd at first but once I’d done the hand gel and followed the arrows it was actually much nicer than normal! :o So quiet and because the tables are spread out with screens I had more space too. I read plenty of my book and just having that little slice of normal (even if it’s different and thus “the new normal”) was really really needed.

Haven’t set up a tray for rowan after all but I got a couple of bits for her - felt tips and some little bowls/plates etc to match - so she’s been engaged with those instead.

I don’t think I’ll achieve anything else now as I’m really wiped from the shopping (more queuing etc) but at least mentally I feel a lot more human today.

foxessocks · 10/07/2020 18:28

That sounds blissful lane !

I need to start getting back into the habit of emptying and reloading the dishwasher before bed so that I don't have so much to do in the morning. I've forgotten the basic principle of shining your sink. How many times is it you have to do something for it to become habit?! 😂

I realise that was random but I'm writing it so I'm accountable to myself later! And also I feel you will all relate Smile (to the habit forming not the tidy kitchen I'm sure your kitchens are all tidier than mine when you go to bed at night!)

LaneBoy · 10/07/2020 18:42

I'm sure your kitchens are all tidier than mine when you go to bed at night!

Hahahahahahahaha.

No.

foxessocks · 10/07/2020 18:51

I'm glad I'm not the only one then lane 😂

LittlemissAWOL · 10/07/2020 19:35

Pub sounds lovely lane.

Every night this week I've went to bed and left the dinner dishes foxes. We've done the dinner ones today but we've left the ones from milkshake making.

Well I officially can't do anymore today even if I wanted to, plantar fasciitis is playing up big time so I've had to take some painkillers (not like me at all one of DH pet hates is that I always wait until unbearable pain before taking anything and even sometimes still don't) and an ice pack.

LaneBoy · 10/07/2020 19:56

I present to you DS, complete with his second lockdown haircut, making coleslaw via zoom with his scout group, in a fetching combination of scout shirt and scarf, and pyjama trousers :o :o :o

Fledglings prepare to fly their lockdown nests and jump into July - join us for the July FlyLady thread
LittlemissAWOL · 10/07/2020 20:06

Aww shit I forgot scouts 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️😂

LaneBoy · 10/07/2020 20:37

Easily done awol we’ve forgotten things a few times and at others just plain couldn’t be arsed!!!

I don’t normally watch him on scouts but I’ve had to this time due to sharp knives. And they hadn’t said they’d need a grater on the item list, so I had to quickly wash it 😳

I’m a bit nervous about eating the massive onion chunks in the coleslaw though.

LittlemissAWOL · 10/07/2020 21:04

Send it my way I love homemade coleslaw onion chunks or not.

I've forgotten 3 weeks in a row now 🙈

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