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

foxes you are doing fine. promise. The fly lady site has been made less navigable for link making i have noticed.

If the babysteps question has not been answered (tbh i didnt spot the question) give a shout as i can give not only a shout but an explanation as to some of the logic behind the twee language that means the step doesnt make sense or sounds like something that you wont want to do (step 2 - dressed to shoes - it is NOT about the shoes). I particularly hate what was baby step 13 (not sure if it still is as i notice she has changed the steps a bit) which was go to bed early.

And yes my memory is that ridiculous...

Don't worry foxes you are doing the best you can and IF you feel this is too much do shout, you will not be the first fledgling who had to ask for help when life needs more focus. I know i have had to disappear mid thread leave in the past and can think of others too. Until then the best you are able is more then good enough for us! Thank you for taking on the thread leading!

Hope DH is recovering well Sing

Vio we are a chatty bunch, but don’t worry too much about catching up if you miss a few days unless you’re like me and want an excuse to put off the actual flying

Isabelle fed and washed is the goal really. Anything else is a bonus in my world.

Hope the bad back eases soon ED.

Foxes you’re doing a great job of thread leader, especially with the new work hours.

Waves to Bower, Zoo, Lisette, Woolly, Hills, Hazel, That, Flushi, Handbag, Mc, Merry, Tidy, Chic, and SC, Mog, Stressy and Pumpkin if you’re lurking.

Ta Das:
Home bleurgh
🥊 upstairs dusted and hoovered (did landing thoroughly)
🥊 sink, toilet, bath and shower screen cleaned
🥊 bins emptied
🥊 stairs hoovered
🥊 general tidy

Zone 2:
🥊 hob cleaned thoroughly
🥊 cupboard fronts and oven doors wiped
🥊 checked under sink - looked ok
🥊 unpacked and washed spare crockery
to replace broken bits. Squeezed rest into a high cupboard ready for the next round of breakages (DH).

General:
🥊 LOL
🥊 fed us. Kept on top of dishes.
🥊 minimal ironing, put away
🥊 end of day tidy
🥊 work/nursery bags packed, food sorted including big pan of soup for work.

Entertained DD with a beach walk, colouring and hide and seek in between multiple requests for snacks and the odd threenager meltdown (my favourite was the one when I got to ten during hide and seek but she wasn’t finished hiding, followed by a second when I said I would therefore count to twenty and that absolutely was not allowed )

I’m feeling just about organised for my 4 work days. Will try and keep up with you all but expect minimal flying from my end. Night all!

Thanks everyone I'll be ready to catch up again a bit more on weds when it's my day off! Hills thank you , and love your memory of all the baby steps! I may have to revisit them myself!

Links for tomorrow
flight plan
Tuesday is plan and play day
Our mission is to declutter one shelf of your pantry!

Hi I’m back with my ta da list, I did the first baby step yesterday and shined my sink before bed. I do need to start washing up as soon as I have finished eating or using the dishes as I end up leaving it to pile up.
Today’s baby step was to get dressed to shoes, which was quite easy as I had to go to work (if it was a weekend then I’d struggle with this and I can barely get dressed). I also decided to do a sort of control journal, just so I can stay on top of everything. I’ve read through all the little bits and the weekly routines etc and have made my own daily routine that I’d like to follow that differs every day (I get very bored when my son naps😂). So hopefully I can stay on top of it all.

ta da
🦊Made bed
🦊Showered
🦊Did hair, makeup and got dressed
🦊Nursed DS
🦊Changed him
🦊Got him dressed
🦊S&S
🦊Took last nights laundry downstairs
🦊Made breakfast for me and DS (blueberry porridge)
🦊Cleaned litter tray
🦊Put wash on
🦊Took medication
🦊Left for work/nursery
🦊Picked up DS
🦊Nursed DS
🦊Emptied handbag and DS’s nursery bag
🦊Wiped it all down
🦊Finished laundry
🦊Played with DS
🦊Made Dinner (cottage pie)
🦊Fed DS
🦊Washed up and put away
🦊Played with DS
🦊Bathed DS
🦊Did DS’s bedtime massage, creams etc
🦊Nursed DS, Read him a book and put him to sleep
🦊Home bleugh
🦊Put DS’s clothes in washing basket
🦊Picked up DS’s toys
🦊Put out things for breakfast tomorrow
🦊Shined sink
🦊Wiped down the surfaces in kitchen, dining table and the coffee table
🦊Lay out tomorrow’s clothes
🦊Did my nighttime skin care routine

I’m sorry to hear you’re unwell hills

bower money is very tight here too. If it wasn’t for child maintenance we’d be really struggling, but I love my job and the hours are brilliant and will fit around school when DS is a bit older. I’m currently in one of the preschool classes so 3-4 year olds.

sing I’m sorry to hear about your DS, I hope your DC help you out a little this week.

foxes it was me asking about baby steps, that’s answered by questions, thank you :)

up fed and washed is definitely the goal. I hope you enjoyed your walk to the beach, I’d love to live close to a beach.

Foxes I am happy with the way you are leading.

Ta da
3-4 hours gardening. Pruning, cutting back, weeding front path, moving perennials. Swept front and side paths.
Let hens out into the garden at DH suggestion. We have some spare Omlet fencing so made a triangle and coached them out into pen.
Made carrot cake as too many carrots.
S&S
Wiped work tops washed up x3
Decluttering jigsaw.
LoL
Made cottage pie and spring cabbage.

Cleaned under the sink cupboard.

foxes you are doing just fine lovely

Didn't get a chance pop back inyesterday

DS struggling with change of timetables AGAIN
dd2 meds=very very stressed and increasingly angry.4x we had huge rows each ending with me asking her to go to her room to simmer down

Thanks to those who posted understanding and encouragement. And to everyone who posts their days. It's good to belong, even though I have to keep reminding myself that I do belong. Making a conscious effort now to post every day.

I'm glad the kitchen is the zone this week. Mine is crying out for some tlc over and above just keeping my head above water. The table is never completely clear, as it is the dumping-ground for homeless stuff.

Like a pp,The tech is getting me down, tbh. So many things that would still work but everything is updated, making my tech obsolete. I'd kind of hoped that DC, all of whom use tech daily for work, would rally round and dig me out, but that didn't happen. Then I started having difficulty with remembering passcodes, which have been required more and more over the past few years. Basically a perfect storm.

That was depressing. Time to start my day.

That's a great list Isabelle

I love carrot cake bower one of my favourites , haven't made one for ages though. And thank you re thread leading!

Thank you zoo 😊 sorry yesterday was so hard

Mrstidy the kitchen is always a zone that I need to work on! It gets messy so quickly. Sorry you're feeling down about the tech stuff ☹️

Have a good day everyone

mrstidy I too struggle with cluttered table- cept its dining table is in front room depressing when I sit down/stop.we don't expect posts everyday.that has been here a while and when things are busy disappears for days.tis cool."no fledgling left behind"❤️

Tada
Cats fed
Wash on
Harpic lav
Clean washing machine filter
Clean seal on door(glad wearing gloves as safety pin was stuck in it)
Clean out drawer
Fold dry washing forgot take out drier
Clean lint bit properly
Clean out filters

Breakfast for me and dd2(lil zoo refuses eat breakfast anymore.ds hasn't got up despite being poked twice!)

S+s
Wipe sill
Wipe radiator
Scrub trails shower gel off tiling

I have stuff on the dining room and the kitchen table at the moment. Kitchen table hasn’t much so need to clear that quickly. DH has put more on dining table when I was about to tackle what was just half.
I am going to do some more gardening so just planning the tea coffee cupboard today. Most of the kitchen is ok I try and do small areas while cooking/ waiting.

I agree MrsTidy re the tech. I get frustrated that people expect you to do things that you don’t know how to without even asking you, just expectation. Passwords🤯🤬 “don’t write it down” but then how do you remember it. Must be 8 letters and numbers lower and upper case. Don’t get me started. Then I find I can’t get into my own accounts because I don’t remember. Ahhhhhhhhhhggggggghhhhh!
You have my sympathy.

Zoo I hoped they at least helped do their room!

Dark here this morning after yesterday’s bright, sunny morning. Must get cracking. We were late to bed last night. It is no good.

Isabelle and Vi after realising I couldn’t do all Flylady’s Zone or detailed list I sat down and wrote the Zones down skipping any bits that weren’t relevant to me. I also wrote detailed lists using hers as a guide and adding in my own bits. I don’t refer too often but handy to read through as a reminder and if you are planning. It does become more second nature as you go. Both of you have great lists. It does help posting them doesn’t it😄

🍒👋🍒👋🍒👋🍒 to everyone.

Anyone seen Ned I have a pile of ironing.

Nowhere near caught up on the thread. Trying to keep up with my daily tasks and despite them being quite small in themselves it feels like I am constantly deciding what to do next, although I think I’m still spending plenty of time staring in to space 😂

continued ta da from last night
🎡got Caglets doing more chores
🎡changed email address on tesco
🎡ordered resource for DS
🎡started Italian on duolingo with DS
🎡edited shopping to add more meal ingredients
🎡washed some Tupperware I had found and matched up
🎡LOL
🎡reading

today
🎯need to get a bit more home ed done than yesterday
🎯there’s a lot of small bags of rubbish around - not yucky stuff but decluttered things, packing materials from the wardrobe etc. It would be good to bag those up properly but the bin men don’t take extra bags so they’ll have to go in the garden I guess?!

po3.1
❗️Breakfast
❗️Start reading the new home ed book (London Eye Mystery) to DS while Cagletini is at nursery
❗️Move laundry on when dryer is finished and put a new LOL on

🍁last nights LoL in drier.
🍁not only have I cleaned the shelf in one cupboard I took out and cleaned three shelves in two cupboards😀
🍁ran a couple of messages
🍁answered emails.

Hope you’re not coming down with something Woolly
I have lost my Mojo. Can’t find it anywhere.

Hi everyone, another bad nights sleep here. The students were up all night again, I managed to get DS to slee at about 1 (due to sleep regression) and then at 3 he woke up from their noise. There’s a student house a few doors down from me and they’ve been generally fine, the odd bit of noise but nothing you wouldn’t expect. I know it definitely isn’t them, as they complained about the noise to me this morning. It seems some students who live in halls are walking around the town in the morning screaming and shouting. I hope they get it out of the system and it’s just because it’s the first week of lockdown.

Another decent day at work today, it wasn’t as foggy this morning and was clear so it was much closer. DS got all wrapped up in his little fox coat. I walked him to the cathedral after nursery, everything is closed there, usually we stop at a cafe on the way up but this time we just got to sit outside it. We’re on our way home now, the suns already setting.

I will be back later with my list but I hope yesterday’s was okay. I think I’m getting it.

zoo I’m sorry your DC are struggling. It sounds really difficult for you.

Thank you foxes, I love your username btw. Fox is my DS’s middle name :).

bower it’s really helped posting the lists definitely! It gives me a bit of an incentive to do it too.

wooly I hope you’re feeling more awake now. I’ve sorted my zones into Zone 1- Dining Room, Stairs and Landing
Zone 2- Kitchen
Zone 3- Bathroom and Freddie’s Room
Zone 4- My room
Zone 5- Living room.
It’s not too different to the normal zones, but the front door goes straight into my dining room so there’s no entryway to clean. My landing also doesn’t really exist, it is tiny. But it still gathers things.

woolly i hope the extra sleep has helped!
Bower enjoy the garden.i mucked it out myself as got fed up asking lil zoo to help n be glared at/ignored.shes in a horrid phase at mo.hoping outgrows it soon
Isabelle that would take me over the edge.hope tonight's quieter

I decided likely not going to improve anytime soon so palpitations and breathlessness and all dd2 and I strolled to town for cleaning supplies
Home bargains was RAMMED with people trailing preschoolers not being supervised/running amok as mum's chatted masks askew/noses out ignoring them.and toilet roll hoarders
Wilko,slightly better
Sainsbury in local shop centre- average day
Superdrug(dd2 wanted hair mask) was quiet.
Centre itself was lovely and quiet as only shops open were sainsbo,boots and superdrug and couple had click and collect

Last served me in HB said standing room only on bus and much busier than normal,she assuming those now "working from home where possible" are nip in to Xmas shop/see friends(judging by casuall groups chatting dotted about inclined to agree)
I do fear come Dec we will be told we didn't follow rules and full lockdown will be necessary(incl schools,which really isn't working.school D's used go to now has just 30 of 350 kids in year 11.rest SI or with covid.girls school have another outbreak in year 10.lots supply teachers now in who pass between bubbles and probably schools )

And breathe.....

Tada
Shopped
Dropped nearly
Lunch
Sort shop and put away
Wash living room floor
4loads wash done today

I'm beyond rubbish now.hearts flipflopping and moving making me feel like crap so go have nice hot shower,wash my hair and mooch in pjs

Tonight's dinner
Lil ones- pasta with hummus sauce, broccoli and cherry toms(halved,raw)

Me and dd2
Little Pasta with whatever green veg left(prob green beans,broccoli and peas) and cheese and some bread

glittery oh yes I do remember that, bad timing wasn't it! Hope the nap helped a little today

Isabelle thanks, it was from the book foxes socks as my dd was obsessed with it when she was tiny, but now both my dc are obsessed with fox in socks the Dr Seuss one so it still works . That's a great middle name!

Zoo hope your shower restores you a bit and you feel better

Bower and mrstidy passwords can be so hard I know it's security but argh I sympathise! Also pin numbers because the minute I focus on it I forget it!

today has been crazy busy again at work but I got there in the end! Sent dh to the shop for the laundry detergent in the end 😂 he has also done a great job tidying up when he got home from work!

Ds as at my parents today and they had him using a wood chipper 😱 needless to say he had the BEST day ever and my dad says his expression when he saw the first bit of tree going in was priceless. I love how much fun he has there and how much fun my parents have with him (and dd too obviously but now she's older she is at school, but my mum does pick her up for me on a Tuesday so I can work undisturbed longer)

I must dash to tidy up the dinner stuff. Bbl for links.

Although I'm not sure if my mum can pick her up from school anymore because it's getting a bit difficult for them to get back in time as school times are earlier now ☹️

KCC
Tonight we had fish fingers chips and beans which is our "everyone's too busy and too tired and we need something convenient and comforting" meal
I always have oven chips and fish fingers in the freezer for such an occasion - what about you?

KCC convenience favourite as a family would probably be nuggets chips and freezer veg but tbh we don’t really enjoy it. We have oven pizza fairly often but again it’s not especially enjoyed. I would really be better off batch cooking some of my blended tomato sauce for pasta as that always goes down well

Evening all,

Foxes - DS won't eat fish fingers, chips or beans so that's out if we want something we'll all eat. Our "easy from the freezer" meal is burgers, either beef or breaded chicken, in bread rolls with salad. You are doing a great job with the thread BTW. We had that garlic chicken you posted a couple of weeks ago tonight, it was tasty.

I am struggling to keep up with the thread, and with admin sort of stuff generally. I have a huge list of tedious tasks at the moment - passport renewals, provisional driving licence for DS, tax return, PIP application, it seems a bit relentless. And all our normal sports and classes have switched straight over to zoom this time, after having got it all sorted in the last lockdown, which is great but I'm getting deluged with emails about times, dates, links, blah, blah, plus loads of info from the DCs schools about all sorts of things. Can't keep up. So I'm off to do the ironing.

flight plan
Wednesday is anti procrastination day
Mission is to shine your kitchen sink 🙂

Glad you enjoyed the recipe ED!

I never think of having chicken in a bread roll that's a good idea. We all like chicken nuggets here sing but don't have them often. The kids love a shop bought pizza but I prefer dh home made one (but obviously that does make it less convenient for dh but still convenient for me 😂)

ED sorry you're struggling a bit with all those tasks that does sound relentless ☹️

Thanks, none of them are urgent apart from the PIP but they are all hanging over me. I'm hoping to have a good crack at the list onu day off. My back is better now anyway, so that's one good thing.

Hiya, I’m very tired today. DS has been quite needy since we got back from nursery I think he might be coming down with a cold or something. He hasn’t got a temperature or anything just very grouchy and sniffly, but he isn’t settling to sleep so I’m up with him. I’ll see how he’s doing tomorrow. Is anyone else not feeling very Christmassy this year? I normally feel quite festive this time of the year but I don’t seem to be this year.

Thank you zoo they don’t seem to have started tonight but it usually starts around 2ish. Hoping I can get to sleep before then and try and sleep through. I worry about a full lockdown being needed, if people don’t follow these rules one definitely will be. I’m lucky that my job will most likely still be there for me when it’s done, but I’m not sure if I could survive another full lockdown. I hope you feel a bit better.

foxes my DS loves fox’s socks too. I really enjoy reading it him. I do love his middle name, it’s my grandmothers maiden name and I wanted to honour her when I had a baby, but as he was a boy I couldn’t use her first name, so his middle name became Fox. I think it’s very cool! I’m glad your DS had a lovely day.

I’m glad your backs better ED although everything else does sound very stressful. I hope you can manage to sort through it all.

KCC
Fish fingers, mash and spaghetti hoops is a go to for me. With the spaghetti hoops mixed in with the mash!. I also do a meal I call an Oompa Loompa, my dad made it for me as a kid. It’s beans mashed into potatoes so the potatoes orange, made into a circle, with peas on the top for hair and fish fingers for eyes nose and mouth.

ta da
🦊Made bed
🦊Showered
🦊Did my hair and makeup
🦊S&S
🦊Nursed Freddie
🦊Changed him and dressed him
🦊Brought dirty clothes downstairs
🦊LOL
🦊Made breakfast (rice crispies with pear)
🦊Took meds
🦊Washed up
🦊Played with Freddie
🦊Drove to nursery
🦊Work
🦊Picked up Freddie and nursed
🦊Emptied bags
🦊Wiped down
🦊Put LOL to dry
🦊Played with Freddie
🦊Cleared litter tray
🦊Made tea (leek and potato pie)
🦊Washed up
🦊Bathed Freddie
🦊Baby massage
🦊Read, nursed and put Freddie to bed
🦊Emptied fridge and cleaned it
🦊Cleaned animal bowls
🦊Shined sink
🦊Put away things in living room and dining room
🦊Nighttime skincare routine