Fledglings Flying Frightfully into October

[EerilyDeleted]

A huge thanks to Mogthesleepycat for steering us successfully through September

If you are struggling with C.H.A.O.S. (Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome) and S.T.U.F.F. (Something That Undermines Family Fun) then this is the thread where we (loosely) follow the step-by-step Flylady housekeeping system (in our own, unique, relaxed style) with lots of support and chatter along the way.

The FlyLady link is here Flylady. Don't be put off by the twee language of the site – we all agree that the underlying system is very effective.

This little-and-often system is designed so that you can follow a series of steps and routines each day (which gradually become second nature) in zones of the house which are designated weekly; defining and minimising housework - which in theory should leave you with loads more time to do something more interesting instead.

At the same time it is intended to reduce that panicky "rabbit in headlights" feeling when you are overwhelmed and everything needs doing all at once. No problem if you miss a day or two; just jump right back in and it will all come around again next month.

It's up to you, but we advise not signing up to receive the Flylady e-mails as you will be swamped with marketing nonsense. All the information you need will be linked here on a daily basis.

From the first of the month, we will be following Flylady's steps and routines using a three-pronged approach (dependent on the stage everyone is at):

• start or repeat baby steps
• repeat baby steps + do 15 minutes a day decluttering in the current zone
• reinforce baby steps and do daily missions if you have finished decluttering.
• And if you are really enthusiastic and have finished decluttering - you can go on to detailed deep cleaning in each zone.

There are three key points to keep in mind throughout:

• No perfectionism allowed - this is harder than you would imagine and many of us on this thread struggle with this one.
• You are never behind - just start where you are and anything you do is progress.
• It didn't get into a mess overnight, it won't get tidy over night - accept it will take time to get on top of things and you will be happier.

If you are new; then trying to spend 15mins decluttering daily and doing the baby steps is a good way to start. Some of us (mentioning no names) can have scary looking ‘ta-da’ lists but don't let that worry you. Do what you can, anything is better than nothing, and don't judge yourself against others.

If all else fails, a brew + the power of three technique + a bit of support on here can work wonders.

Here's the launch pad for more experienced fledglings Launchpad.

Don’t let it put you off if we appear a bit cliquey, we really aren’t. Some of us have been on here for years – but all lurkers, intermittent returnees, oldies and newcomers very, very welcome.

SingToTheSky put together a glossary of the many weird and might-seem-a-bit-cliquey terms. We have been going a long time but we always love newbies - hopefully this list will help you settle in.

KCC - the Keep Calm Corner, invented by our lovely Fledgling SC back in March, where the OP posts nice diverting links, memes, questions etc to distract us from the pandemic.

Ta Da - instead of a to do list (which is of course welcome too) we often post our achievements, with accompanying jazz hands, in order to celebrate the positives, however small they seem! Sometimes if we want to share an embarrassed giggle/commiserations we also post a ta didn’t - the stuff we didn’t get done!

BRC - Bag/Box of Random Crap. These are usually formed when we are panic tidying and shove anything in “to sort later” which is also known as a stash and dash .

Power of Three or PO3 - the idea that if you’re feeling really unmotivated/overwhelmed by your to do list, you just choose three things to do, and then post when you’ve done them.

DLMS - didn’t lose my shit - in other words, somehow stayed relatively calm despite a stressful day!

SS/S&S - Swish and Swipe - this is one of the key parts of the morning routine, a quick once over of the bathroom.

Home Bleugh - Flylady's Home Blessing routine

And a few basics:
LOL - load of laundry
WM - washing machine
TD - tumble dryer
DW - dishwasher
HSL - hallway, stairs, landing

And finally "The Naughty Corner" - this is for Fledglings who perhaps didn't get done what they had planned for the day but are in need of a comfy seat, pile of cushions, tasty snacks, stiff drink and friends to chat to.

Looks like I missed a party in the naughty corner last night .

Hi Hills! Don’t think we’ve ‘met’ but it’s lovely to have you here.

Zoo sorry I have no wisdom for the insomnia, I’ve never found anything that works for me other than sometimes Foxes strategy of the notepad. That’s only effective if there’s a list of things keeping me awake, but often there’s no reason for it. I only suffer one or two nights a week though, I’ve no idea how you’re coping on so little sleep every night. Would it work if you actually got up when you first wake and do something for an hour or so and then go back to bed? I did that a few times while pregnant and it meant I wasn’t lying awake for hours and I did go back to sleep more easily. I’m sure I’ve read somewhere that we used to have two sleep periods anyway or something might be talking bollocks

Hi SC. How worrying about Covid cases at school. Hope DD isn’t too stressed. Numbers are increasing rapidly where we are and I work in one of the worst areas in the country (thankfully in PPE!). Nothing in DD’s nursery yet touch wood.

ED we changed the colour of ours a few years ago (dramatically, we went bold). Even though I liked it it took a bit of getting used to at first. I don’t notice it at all now though. I’m sure it’ll be lovely. It’s hard to picture your home a different colour though isn’t it.

We had a very enjoyable day yesterday. Bacon sandwiches for breakfast, a few hours at a country park and then a rather delicious lunch out with a sneaky glass of wine. The afternoon was then spent cuddled up watching Disney with DD, with an easy tea of warm crusty bread and veg sticks. Finished off with some more of the bramble gin. It is very drinkable Foxes, I recommend. Flying was minimal - s&s, beds made, LOL, sink shiny and a quick tidy although I think the hallway and living room might need a bit of attention today.

Today we planned to do a final grass cut/strim, weeding, deadheading and put the garden furniture to bed in the shed. However current weather says this might have to wait. DH got up with DD this morning so I’ve had an extra hour in bed but I’m about to get up on a food and cuppa mission. We have pork for Sunday roast and I’ve got usual Sunday ironing and prep for the week to do. Back later! 👻 👋

Oh forgot KCC - I have lovely memories of Saturday nights as a child - throwing tea down our necks in time for Baywatch (we were not allowed to eat in the living room) then gladiators and blind date. Now there’s nothing that grabs us on a Saturday - we used to watch take me out when that was on, or sometimes ant and dec, but Saturday nights definitely don’t hold the same excitement TV wise. It’s mainly Netflix really. Currently we are watched the Donald trump series. Wow

Oh I remember watching gladiators! I suspect the showboating of some of them would be even more cringey now 😂 wolf anyone?

Yet AGAIN I am exhausted by my lovely but very frustrating 13yo. Although TBH the issue is (again) caused by DH using vague language and forgetting that DD1 will take said vagueness and run a gazillion miles with it because she just doesn’t understand 😑

Anyway I need to send a top up list to DH now as no delivery slots till Tuesday! Today is quite busy as it’s dance workshop day which involves lots of to and fro, and then hopefully DH is watching the football with DSS in the pub. So a home day for me and I am not feeling at all productive!

zoo what's your vit d levels like? i know i had to take my winter dosage all summer due to the covid and lack of outside. I had forgotten you were an early morning riser but that list makes me feel better about the one I need to post.

There is so much covid in this area it is bonkers. Ds' school though is really good about the online learning. Ds otoh...

Nice to meet you UP thank you for clearing up after SC and i it is appreciated. GhostlyWellies bounce is a very good word for me

So the list. It's a long one. Hold on to your hats as when i get going i is not entire fat fairy compliant.

To do
sleep off migraine *mostly still got a bit of residuals
make bed
Get dressed to shoes
drink a crap ton of coffee
wash uniform
wash normal clothes
wash towels
seal shower *next week's zone is the bathroom so thought would get a head start and work on finishing its repairs and get it back in action
wash up pots
empty dw
wash grill pans
wash jars for making apple sauce
wash baby blanket
parcel up rest of baby gift
weave in ends of shawl gift
wash shawl
write cards to go with both gifts
Write card for gran
Mount ironmore
hot spot the porch
15 min declutter
15 mins on the monthly focus of paperwork (going to be hole punching and filing of sorted stuffs)
Calendar check
Find all the hospital departments that need ringing 1st thing monday
15 mins ecercise
collect ds
asda george if i make it for a quick grab couple of pairs of trousers for the parents - both have lost weight so decency is becoming an issue but they are looking healthier.
water plants - whole day job that uses bathroom sink in rotation
clear light box and hustle the lemon balm into it for some sun treatment

I think that is everything that i need to get done. Scarily most of it needs to get done before 4pm and i am still in bed. Better get moving.
but it's so comfy....

*hills bit d levels suprisingly good,but I do tend walk outside before 10 extensively in summer months and as early without sunscreen,so I top up as I go!(do take it in winter when I remember ) iron levels are beyond crap.ferritin was 9 at last check,should be 15 I think....

Tada
Pop co op
Wipe shop and put away
wash in dryer
More in
Make zoolets buttered English muffins and fruit
heron foods trip
Wipe shop and put away
Fold washing and put away
More in dryer
More in wash
Tackle big bag random crap

I was feeling a bit pleased with myself for my ta da list so far today but you have both outdone me!

Ta das
Been to Asda to get ingredients for pad Thai which dh wants to make tomorrow (I volunteered to go because a) peace and quiet and b) wanted to buy some new sports leggings but they didn't have any annoyingly)
Washing hung up
Cleaned microwave (used the lemon trick and it smells nice and fresh in the utility room now!)
Cleaned utility room sides (ones I could get to as there is so much junk in there, however since we will soon be removing said utility room and it's mostly dh stuff in there - he can deal with it when he rips it all out 😂)
Cleaned washing machine and put it on a maintenance wash
Dusted furniture in living room and our bedroom and did one top shelves in dd room
Bought all the cups down

Dh has sorted the dishwasher and washing up and the kids have done some more weeding.

I need to tidy the living room a bit and possibly do some work and then we are heading to the pub for lunch with FIL who is back plastering for us so deserves a meal and a beer on us! Then it'll be a quick rush to swimming. Then possibly starting my teeth whitening this evening, keep putting it off because I don't want to stop drinking tea and coffee and eating chocolate 🤦‍♀️

Have a lovely Sunday afternoon everyone 😌

The low iron levels will be contributing to the insomnia if i remember my anemia symptoms right. Hope you manage to get that sorted soon and find some better rest.

Well rip up the list up there^^ people have been helpful which is incredibly unhelpful. And i fuming and trying to figure out what i can actually get done.

Everything is always "possibly" with me I don't like to commit to stuff 😂

Waves to all fledglings 👻. Not caught up yet as have been with the medics this week and on antibiotics so have taken my eye off the house. Local electrician, as opposed to sparky from other end of the land, has been and fixed some stuff but will return to finish in next two weeks.Things ticking along. Hope all well here 🌈

Welcome back hills is frustrating when people don't actually do exactly what I imagine them doing - in my house anyway.

ED I think it's exciting to change the colour of the outside of your house. I just changed the window frames, from brown to white and I would love driving past the front of my house just to look at how pretty it was! It is something that you will get used to.

KCC - Saturday night TV
Growing up we would watch Noel's house party (Mr Blobby was funny when I was younger, then just got annoying), I loved the generation game, big break, blind date. Now we have the ILs come over for dinner and hang out, play board/ card games and no TV (we don't have cable anyway).

Yesterday we went to a local straw maze, lots of different activities, huge slides made out of straw (with a hard plastic cover to slide down), we had a lot of fun. Took MIL for her birthday gift and she loved it. They also have a pumpkin patch so we all picked some out, we will carve and paint them next weekend. DD had a homecoming dance last night, she went with a friend who was nominated homecoming queen although she didn't get picked for the title.
Today I work at my 2nd job, leftovers will be dinner tonight. I do still need to get my Halloween decorations out, do my gel nails - Halloween designs, make chocolate truffles for bosses day later this week as well as the usual cleaning. I do have tomorrow off though so plan to get the majority done then. The DC both want to help me decorate the house for Halloween so that'll have to be done after school.

hazel glad you had some fun,your life is so demanding and busy with work etc!
Do you eat pumpkin or just carve them?
Hills that's actually very interesting.my iron levels did take quite a tumble last year and aren't recovering well...

No one in my house regularly cooperates

Hazel the straw maze sounds brilliant, and your Saturday nights sound lovely.

Hope the day didn’t go completely to pot and you managed some if the to do list Hills. Annoying when people mess up your plans.

Glad the electrician got there in the end Lisette.

We didn’t leave the house today, and have had one of those days where no matter how hard I try the mess just multiplies .

Ta Das:
✅ beds made
✅ a & s
✅ LOL
✅ bit the bullet and scrubbed both mouldy prams with soapy water and then zoflora. All has come up well but I didn’t attempt the seat part of the worst one. Hoping silver cross can provide a replacement if we are anyone else ever need it. They are now in front of the radiator before we put them in the garage which isn’t damp and was where they were supposed to be until DH moved them.
✅ peeled potatoes and prepped veg
✅ made Yorkshire puds
✅ decluttered large plate of Sunday lunch cooked by DH
✅ cleaned up kitchen and dining table
✅ did some Christmas present research
✅ eventually got the place tidy before a soak in the bath. DH ran the hoover over while I bathed DD

Ironing didn’t get done but I keep forgetting I don’t work Mondays now so it can be done tomorrow.

Hope everyone has managed to enjoy at least some if the weekend amongst all the flying.

Evening all,

Tada!

Wipe kitchen counters (again) - I swear crumbs randomly appear overnight
Descale kettle, teapot and tea diffuser
Bleach toilet
2xLOL (all the towels and bathmat) dried on line
Click and collect shopping collected and put away, with fridge cleaned out at the same time.
1/2 hour work on laptop
Put up a battery operated light over the bathroom mirror, it has always been too dark there.
Made sourdough bread
Took DD to swimming and DS to football
Weeded around outside of house to clear the way for the painters.

Hazel the straw maze sounds great. I'd love a picture of the Hallowe'en nails when you've done them?

Well done on the pushchair cleaning Up.

Lisette - hope you're feeling OK, glad the electrical work is progressing.

Foxes - yes, always possible with me too, Flylady gets that with "you are never behind".

Hills - sorry to hear about unhelpful helpful people

SC - good to hear from you, sorry to hear about DD's school, very worrying.

Sing - hope the dance workshop went OK.

Wellies - yes, we had a bit of ITV disapproval too, also American TV was frowned upon. However I was allowed to watch Starsky and Hutch, that was another highlight of Saturday night in the 70s/80s. We tried watching The Two Ronnies with the DCs and although some of it was still funny, a lot was a bit "of its time".

We have one rule in this house "Don't help unless you are asked to help and then only do the thing you are asked to do" threw all my timings out which throws everything out for the week because this is a week of 'adventures' read as crazy shit which needs intense planning to survive

It is the mum brain effect - where you have so much you have to make decisions about for so many people that if you spend the brain space to make a plan you get completely thrown of course and stuff with analysis paralysis if you have to spend brain space that you dont have spare to rethink the plan. Been feeling off sorts all day, thankfully a hour wait for FW to appear with ds was spent with pen and paper trying to figure the nonsense out and at least i have a very very very scary 12 a5 page list of everything that needs to be done before tuesday.

As for the to do list:
To do
sleep off migraine *mostly still got a bit of residuals
make bed
Get dressed to shoes
drink a crap ton of coffee
wash uniform
wash normal clothes
wash towels
seal shower
wash up pots
empty dw
wash grill pans
wash jars for making apple sauce
wash baby blanket
parcel up rest of baby gift
weave in ends of shawl gift
wash shawl
write cards to go with both gifts
Write card for gran
Mount ironmore
hot spot the porch
15 min declutter
15 mins on the monthly focus of paperwork (going to be hole punching and filing of sorted stuffs)
Calendar check
Find all the hospital departments that need ringing 1st thing monday
15 mins excercise
collect ds
asda george - will happen tomo now, with added food shop.
water plants - whole day job that uses bathroom sink in rotation
clear light box and hustle the lemon balm into it for some sun treatment

Also done
online food shop
write list for tomo's errands
shower after being outside amongst the peoples
written the plan for the week
started the meal planning for the next 2 weeks
taken the pictures for writing ds instructions for operating the washing machine
striped the bean plants who decided the almost frosting weather was a good time to grow aaaaall the beans i only turned my back on them a week

Left to do tonight? 2 loads of washing ready for wearing tomo. And bed.

I hear you on the Too Much In The Week wellies

Bit knackered, meltdown earlier (me not the kids), shit day. Tomorrow DH has the first part of the nerve blocking thing. I will be taking Cagletini to nursery and quite likely collecting I guess. And have I planned DS’ work for the week or even the day? OfcourseIfuckinghaven’t. 🙄 Going to attempt that now while DH looks through the ideas for house rules on my phone.

I've got a busy morning tomorrow, so links coming up now.

We have missed out a couple of babysteps over the weekend, one of them was inspirational quotes for your control journal (very much optional), one was the power of 15 (very useful) and the one for Monday is to delete any Flylady emails (if you ignored the advice and subscribed!).

This week we move into Zone 3, the bathroom and one other room.

The sneak peak for the week is here - we will be starting missions with clearing out empty shampoo bottles etc from the bathroom.

Monday's daily habit is Home Blessing known also as the slightly less twee Home Bleurgh and impossible to achieve in an hour, I reckon spreading these tasks over the week works better but it is entirely up to you.

This thread moves fast!
Hazel please post pictures of your carved pumpkins!
Zoo insomnia seriously sucks. Don't have many practical tips that haven't been already mentioned. I started using eye mask to sleep, and that seems to help, but I don't get it anywhere near as bad as you do.
Hills hello! Nice to meet you! Your to do list is scary, and you are working through it at an impressive pace ☺️
Wellies dancing ears of the hound! That sounds so adorable. I absolutely adore dogs, but can't really get one as normally it would have to spend most of the day alone in the house. One can dream though.
Sing finders crossed all goes well for your DH tomorrow. I am sorry to hear you had a shit day. Virtual hugs your way, lovely.

Ta Da for today:
🎉LOL
🎉Aquariums water change and usual weekly maintenance X3
🎉Hoovered downstairs and mopped the floors
🎉Usual morning and evening routines
🎉Watered indoor plants

As it turns out we have a (presumed) small pipe leak... Had this musty smell in the living room for a week now and could not locate the source. Until I found a patch of wet carpet adjacent to the shared wall with kitchen. I suspect it's the dishwasher or sink plumbing leaking. How wonderful. Hopefully will manage to get someone to come out to have a look at it soon.

Ah thanks mc :) have had a quieter late evening and feel a little more ready for the week now I’ve planned a bit more. It’s ridiculous having this last minute rush every week though, I need to make time earlier to do a bigger chunk of HE planning properly rather than just scribbling (typing) notes as and when I think of something. It’s easy and fun when I do it. But it’s one of many things that gets ignored until the last minute and beyond because Real Life Right Now gets in the way. 🤬

Anyway. Must sleep as DH is up early. I also have to set up a zoom meeting to chat to my partner for the assessment on Friday as we are going to chat tomorrow so we aren’t total strangers. So nervous! Also must remember to edit tesco shopping, our food spending is really haphazard lately.

ta da - pretty much nothing until the afternoon/evening
🌀got Cagletini’s stuff ready for tomorrow
➿set up wash for tomorrow
🌀bathed Cagletini
➿entertained/did learning stuff with Cagletini
🌀got DD1 to shower, do homework and put laundry away
➿heated ready meals and added veg and ate with the Caglets at the table (this definitely counts as an achievement today)
🌀vaguely discussed house rules with DH
➿tidied living room a bit from toddler destruction
🌀planned much of the week for DS including finding new audiobook and resources (firework maker’s daughter by Philip Pullman as it’s so short we can finish before half term)
➿caught up on MH thread I was avoiding because MH not good

May the week ahead be a positive one for all of us! 👻👋

Goodness it has been busy here over the weekend.

Not much to say except quite relaxing.

Hi Hills good to hear from you.

SC I missed you...I’ve resigned!

Went to lovely village yesterday to buy sis a knitting kit. Met friend and her ‘ not a boyfriend’ for a coffee she can destress for a while after armed police arrest on neighbour. She is still a bit shaken as he is back home.
Went out for something to roast and came home with a large shop because the car was pointing that way. Put it away and had tea in the summer house where it was lovely and warm . Made roast and had filo apple and mincemeat plait it was delicious. Made DF too.
BP is very erratic. Don’t know what Nurse or GP will say about that.
Not much flying done bar the essentials. DH going to dentist tomorrow so I hope to get a good start. I did get the ironing put away though.
Other room needs to be boudoir. Bathroom new radiator is working. Yeah!
Merry dear me I hope you feel better soon. Don’t go doing too much.
Zoo That was why I went onto Meds. It was just as you describe. I have lavender too.
Hazel sounded a fun weekend.
Sing hope it goes well tomorrow.

DD FaceTimed from NZ. She is still waiting for full visa then they hope to start picking fruit. Cherries a possibility.
DSis ( abroad) card didn’t arrive so that is me in the shit again.

Too tired to remember anything else.

Eerie waves 👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻to those I missed on personals.

Forgot
➿sorted meds for the week
🌀spoke to someone about tutoring, I don’t think I’ll do it but it was a step in the right direction maybe
➿started finding out about the link between my meds and increased anxiety

Right, actual sleep seems to be elusive so Netflix it is 😑

singfood luck flying solo today and to dh with his nerve blocking thingy
Welliesreading Sunday dinner made my mouth water

Busy day today D's getting flu "jab" at 1pm.bacj and forth multiple school runs and ment rain from 11.bugger,cold and wet is not my favourite combo!

Dd2 had fab time at dd1s.she now has red dip dye on her hair and spent large chunk day be presented various types balls/toys to play with by very excited to have a new friend pup (one year old alsation collie cross) she was bit irritable on her returnand has massive wibble about 930 but was good to get out I think

Best take a run at the day now.beenlay her what feels like forever and as pitch black totally unmotivated to get up!

Digging myself out of a fortnight of despondency and getting back into a routine.

So, today it's kitchen and living-room nonstop, then laundry mountain. Then to apply some Flylady. Accompanied by whatever music and podcasts that put a smile on my face.