Fledglings assemble for the nurturing November thread!

[foxessocks]

Thank you to EerilyDeleted for being an excellent leader on the October thread! Time to put your feet up for a well earned rest now!

This is my first time running the thread so sorry if the links below don't work I'm learning as I go!! If they don't I'll come back and try again

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 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 launchpad 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

Ah, that's handy! That was my next question, how are you managing childcare in these difficult times. Mine are teenagers now but I remember it being a shock to the system when I went back to work each time.

Ta Da for yesterday (ie Sunday):
🎉 Aquariums water changed X3. DH helped with carrying buckets.
🎉Kitchen cleaned. I can tell poor DH is running out of steam with the whole helping me out cleaning. In the evening I found a pack of butter on kitchen counter that was left out since the morning and a half unloaded dishwasher (among general chaos).. 🥴
🎉Downstairs Hoovered
🎉Beds made
🎉Living room dusted and surfaces cleaned.
🎉Evening routine done
🎉LOL X1

Thankfully there is not too much entropy in the under the sink cabinet, but it could do with a wash. I will see how I feel today in that respect.

I've caught up with the thread, but I forgot who said what! I am sorry..
Woolly that's a tough day. Sending good vibes and energy your way.
ED fabulous nails! I am impressed how long the nail polish lasted. Mine (when I wear it) usually chips in 2-3 days and looks pathetic.
Isabelle welcome to the group 🥰

Wishing a productive Monday to everyone!

Welcome Isabelle. I worked in nurseries for a while then school including nursery. Now recently retired.

Ta Da for yesterday
Bed made
S&S
Made Christmas cake for DS1. DS 2 has decided he will just have a slice of ours. He is on a diet. It turned out beautifully. I made Delia’s Classic as I had no pineapple for the other recipe. DS3 to go and one more. I am also going to make the Creole cake because I have lots of fruit and it sounds delicious. I have most of the ingredients for chutney so will make that next Sunday.
Made a Where’s Wally jigsaw 500 piece only had 495 though. I have a little pot with found jigsaw pieces so need to check. Do I throw it out? It was quite enjoyable to do. It is at an airport so some funny happenings.
Watched The Exotic Marigold Hotel.
The house smells of Christmas.

Yes, I am awake again!

That does seem a lot of homework for Yr6. It is often stepped up because of SATS but it seems a lot in general.

Crossed postsMC up with baby I am guessing.😀

Bower we are the night team today! Yep, hungry pup was calling.
Sorry you can't sleep, insomnia is no joke.
I would keep the puzzle, but I do tend to have hoarder tendencies.. For me, decluttering is the toughest part of this whole keeping things tidy malarky.

Your Christmas cake sounds amazing. I am silently drooling over here 😂

MC we certainly are. I got about an hours sleep.
I also have hoarder tendencies in a I love it or it might come in useful.
In this case...I might find the pieces. I also find the decluttering very difficult. As I see the house being tidier it is slowly changing my mindset. I am hoping that continues. I am thinking of getting rid of all the school games. I left some there and have some to give bf for her grandchildren but she was complaining about DC leaving to much of their DC things at her house. That is one of my aims today to find and gather them all together and then decide what to do.

It was very difficult not to cut into the cake. It smells amazing. I haven’t made this recipe before. I can still smell it.

Glitter "he was reeled in with promises of photography and digital manipulation, then made to do painting and drawing. He simply couldn't care." ds was reeled in with promises that he could get everything done in school and that it wouldn't be like yr7-9 which he hated. Neither is true and he simply doesn't care either. He is also predicted an 8. He has not completed enough work to scrape a 4 so yeah I cant see school letting him even be entered at this stage, especially as the art exams have been scrapped due to the covid. ds is under achieving in all subjects. He just doesn't thrive in the environment. He is not a school work at home person being aspie. I am just glad that he is not doing course work heavy courses nor needs really high grades to do what he wants to do. They'd help but not essential. School otoh are starting to freak out by how much he is under achieving which is making him dig his heels in about it

Everything hurts and moving is an issue this morning. Tbh breathing is an issue. Which probably means i should crawl out of bed and do some physio exercises. But it is cold out there and my hot water bottle is still slightly warm...
And i have most of yesterday's to do list to do today

Morning more for FIL and DC stress, but glad DS2 has settled with a levels.

Hazel, just looking at flights, I’ll be over soon

Welcome Isabelle! It’s tough going back after mat leave but this thread is great for support and motivation.

Happy anniversary Sing! Hope you enjoyed the Nandos.

Very impressed with the nails ED. I don’t bother as I chip within the hour usually.

I didn’t reappear yesterday as there were no further ta Das to add. I had a pleasant afternoon colouring with DD though, and had a nice long soak in the bath once DH got home.

This morning I’ve planned to have us both ready and morning routine done by 10. Out with wellies and puddlesuit until 11 when I have a parcel
due to arrive. Then 15 minute bursts of zone cleaning and upstairs home bleurgh. DD has requested a game of hide and seek at some point, and I also need to do usual Monday ironing, food prep, planning etc.

Ta da:
😃 beds made
😃 downstairs s&s
😃 DW emptied and breakfast things washed.

Right, must get moving. Happy Monday fledglings.

Oh and hope everything stops hurting as the day goes on Hills. Good luck with the to do list.

I hear youHills I fell back asleep then next doors were making a lot of noise outside. Van/ camper doors opening and closing I got up to have a look and thought van was builders as same colour but shinier. Might have washed it? Have a big mug of tea and cosy in bed and my eyelids keep wanting to shut.

Sorry to hear that Woolly I have a wrist that throbs. I got kicked in it last year.

Not helpful but DD got into Uni on a GCSE in art. They wouldn’t let her do Alevel because she hadn’t done GCSE ...then she went and beat all but one A level student in a competition. Everyone was raving about her work as she did four portraits and lots of students recognised the girl from another town. One of her teachers bought one of them. I was rather pleased she proved them wrong. The new art teacher said she should have been doing ALevel. She had a C in Media studies and a D in Design technology as she did badly in the exam. The question was all about types of plastic including proportions of mix I read some of it and it did my head in.
Sorry he doesn’t want to do it. Very frustrating. I think there has to be a painting and drawing element but why can’t he do the photography is that to do with the Covid? Not being able to use the dark room?

Right must get up this is no good. Pointy stick needs sharpened and aimed please.

Belated Happy Anniversary Sing. 🥰I have never had Nando’s and I didn’t know they did take away. I think there is one in the city. Mum I have a plan.😁

Rest of ta da from yesterday
🤯reading
🤯self care stuff
🤯got DD1 doing laundry
🤯ate Nando’s and enjoyed half of the new nick frost series on prime with DH 💜

today
🎯DH is having his next bit of spinal procedure done so basically I’m not expecting much to get done. We have no idea how it’s going to go, they aren’t convinced it’ll work but it’s a last chance saloon sort of situation, pain wise.

ta da so far
🎡home ed planning
🎡brain training apps/duolingo
🎡phoned nursery to say Cagletini wouldn’t be in - wouldn’t be able to do both nursery runs plus playground plus probably taking care of everything the next couple of days without risking a flare up
🎡bit of home ed although it’s like pulling teeth this morning
🎡digital decluttering
🎡shower etc

Super hungry for some reason so it’s time for an early lunch I think.

@lisette @Mc3209 @Flushi @Easilydepleted @Sing @Foxes
Thank you for the lovely welcome messages. Wow! This is an active thread! I thought I had looked away for a few minutes (turned out it was about a week) and I've missed about 600 messages 😂

Yes, it's very chatty Vio just drop in and out and don't worry about keeping up, we all muddle through, as in life generally.

DH redeemed himself after my mutterings on here about the kitchen being a tip on Saturday morning. He did several loads of laundry yesterday. Then, I pulled a muscle in my back unloading shopping - he was cooking dinner yesterday as it was one of the things he cooks better than me (toad in the hole) so I said I'd do the kitchen and he told me to go and rest my back and did it himself.

Hello everyone thank you again for my welcomes its really kind of you.

ED this is my first, and most likely last, so it was a bit of a shock to the system going back to work. I’m really lucky with my job and his childcare though.

Did you enjoy working in nurseries bower I’m only new to this job, but I have worked in a nursery before and I am really enjoying it. Your Christmas cake sounds so good.

Thank you for my welcomes mc and up :)

glittery I love the origami :)

I didn’t get much sleep last night, I live very close to a uni campus and it is basically just student accommodation or house shares in my little area, a few of them must have had a bit to drink and were singing and shouting most of the night. I thought we’d finally had a break as the last few nights they’ve been constantly letting off fireworks, but I suppose that’s what you get for living in a student town.
I feel like I’m settling into a routine a bit with DS, housework is still rubbish but I’m doing okay with keeping both of us washed and fed. I’ve had a look at the zones and I’ve had to alter them a bit as I live in a tiny house, I don’t have nearly enough rooms to keep the zones as hers are. I’ve done a few little bits today, I will post them later with a ta da list although it isn’t very big. I have just got home now, it’s very foggy here.

ta da
deal with food shop delivery
deal with internet shopping discussions - still trying to figure out the new cooker thing
Deal with plans for building work that is due next week - need to moves stuffs in garden to give work room.
Deal with post that has been in quarantine
Swear at the bastarding door handle that caught and ripped my shirt.
Virus check some external hard drives and swear at microsoft over the back compatibility issue again [again]
Deal with various amounts of drama and technology related issues.

Not sure where today has gone tbh. But it doesn't feel particularly productive. And still havent done yesterday's list Breathing and moving still an issue but nothing sleep, physio exercises and actually remembering to take the pain killers won't resolve. yes i have been meaning take pain killers since this morning, yes i have just realised i havent taken them yet

Evenin all. DH didn’t suffer so much this time... turns out they used a lot more anaesthetic than usual 😬 he’s sleeping it off now. I’ll stick pizza in the oven in a bit but for the first time in several days Cagletini had a danger nap so that’ll be a fun evening 🙄 DD1 still hasn’t finished putting her laundry away and then she’s meant to be doing some washing up (it’s not usual chore time but they were briefed that they had to help a lot more this week as DH will be in more pain).

I just realised tesco is due tomorrow so need to edit that. Virtually no room in the freezer. Need to think about what to use up but also what’s practical given we may need to take easier options.

ta da continued
🎡more home ed, nowhere near finishing what I wanted to get done today so just have to adjust the plan for the week and lower my expectations
🎡reading
🎡made a really nice lunch - stir fried veg with goats cheese, walnuts, bacon and basil 😋
🎡quick tidy in our room - gathered some stuff to get rid of

Sounds like me Hills. I now have meds beside the bed. Two for night time and inhaler for the morning. I can even forget that. I have water for both.

Vio Yes, you can miss a day and spend ages catching up. As if Woolly!

Isabelle I did supply for the Local National Day Nursery Ass. I used to drop DD at her nursery and then go wherever but she only went half days so if others wanted me then she mostly had to come too. Most of them were desperate for supply cover so agreed to it. She was happy to go anywhere. She had been in two when I was doing my training anyway and we helped one move premises. If DH was home he picked her up. I think nurseries would be stricter now and of course you couldn’t do it at the moment with Covid. I preferred school. Also in the nursery I wasn’t coming out with much money with DD being in nursery.
I think I paid £2 an hour for DD and earned £3 -3:50 take out petrol and her before and after times wasn’t left with much.
I worked my up to HLTA and Nurture Practitioner so I was on £12.67 when I left. Which age group do you work with?

Sorry to hear you are suffering Hills
The origami looks great. I used to do a Christmas Tree and send cards with one or more on.

Sing glad you got your Nando’s. What are the best things to order? Sorry to here DH is having problems still. Back pain is awful.
Haven’t done much home bleugh as it was so lovely we spent about 3 hours sorting the garden today.
Be back later.

Hi all

ED Is your back feeling better now? Glad dh stepped up, good man!

Sing happy anniversary for yesterday 💓

Sorry I missed a lot of chat and I'm struggling to remember what I've just read (as usual!) I hope this doesn't blacklist me for the thread leader position in future 😂 I'm not keeping up very well! My new work hours have taken it out of me a bit I think, just trying to adjust to the new routine I guess.

My ta das are minimal today but I have done the basics at least and also heard dd read, paid for the kids swimming lessons and asked about a second hand school cardigan for dd. So I guess that's a few extra things ticked off my list. I was meant to go to the shop as we are running out of laundry detergent but didn't get to that.

Somebody asked about the baby steps...sorry I'm not sure who it was now 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️...others who have been here longer than me will know more but I think you just do whatever feels right for you and what you can manage, the idea of the baby steps is to build up a routine so those things become habit. Then whenever you are ready you can add in decluttering the zone we are in (set a timer for 15 minutes so as not to burn out!), the daily focus and later on the daily missions and much later on the deep cleaning tasks (which flylady says don't do until you've decluttered but I sometimes do them because I don't think I'll ever be finished decluttering 😂) . Although have to admit the deep cleaning tasks I should probably try and do more of in general 🤔

Anyway that's my waffle on the subject I'll be back later with links because I need a now

foxes you’re doing a fab job of leading! 💜

Also sorry if somebody else already answered that question and I missed it 🤦‍♀️

Oh thank you sing! Feel like I'm not keeping up! (Both on the thread and in real life )

Oh I hear ya on that one 🤦‍♀️🤣