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

I am up. Dealing with a crisis of laundry after a crisis in milk which means no coffee

Thankfully milk that is on the turn but not gone, whilst will split in coffee makes excellent pancakes so will be doing that for tea.

1st load of laundry is on. I didn't take into account 2 sets of boxers per day for the teen. 1 for school, 1 after bath from coming home from school to decontam. So that needs to be resolved asap.

1st day of furlough, 1 migraine, 1 long list of things that needs doing, first up see what situation with dentist is because i had a tooth explode in a mass of ick. Although i think the advice for now will be salt washes as i don't think they tend to give antibiotics if the infection releases itself.

Also i can now crash and burn and embrace the flare. So will probably feel the full force of that the rest of the week.

Power of 3.
Clothes, and up - retrieve instant coffee with milk satchets from the ofrs which i keep in the car
Laundry
make a plan for rest and achievement

Foxes hope it wasn't too horrible getting going this morning
Zoo sorry you couldnt sleep, hope you managed to get everything you wanted

Woolly :o electric boogaloo :o that certainly jazzes up lockdown.

Zoo thank you that sounds good! Need to be much more organised anyway as one of our other aims for lockdown is to stop top up shops. Not just because of unnecessary journeys etc, it’s mainly financial and for health as well because that’s when more junk food sneaks into the basket. I’ve booked our delivery slots for the whole of lockdown but there’s quite a big gap next week so we will have to plan to use up freezer/tinned stuff. TBH in the first lockdown having to go to the shops was quite useful especially before DD1 was allowed back to school as it gave her a purpose to go somewhere as she’d help DH carry stuff. But now she has school and we have the nursery run too so we need to end the top up habit.

Hills take care me dear 💐

I am In A Mood because the charger I specifically went to town for yesterday does not seem to be working. 🤬🤬🤬 And I overheard them saying in the shop that they’ll be closed other than repairs so I’m not sure getting an exchange would count. I need to look up their number and ring them, and find the receipt which must have been shoved in my pocket/purse/bag.

PO3.1
❗️Put iPad on DD1’s charger until it’s charged enough to do the rest of the week’s HE plan, then print it
❗️Sort vitamins for the next two weeks, and take today’s with water
❗️Move laundry on

Hello everyone,
Please can I join in?
I'm one of those people that lost their job due to the pandemic (musician) so apart from the odd bit of teaching my duties are now housework and cooking while my OH works from home. Struggling to adjust to it all really. Sometimes I have an amazing week where I've done loads of housework by 10am and other times I am absolutely rubbish and hardly make it out of bed before 10!! We don't have any children although we're trying (had a MC last year and just plucking up the courage to go for it again) so really I have a very easy life right now! Just looking for motivation and hoping this group will help. X

bio welcome aboard!
Hills what a crappy start!we had critical pant wash done yesterday.sadly I peg to dry on mini airers upstairs with socks and not much dried as don't have heating on huge swathes as this house always cold regardless so waste of money.thus dd2 on last pair pants...had put radiators on an hour and all lined pants and sock to utilise heat!(glad not expecting visitors)
Wooly glad yesterday was better on DD and a level fronts.silver linings in election then with size of your list
Sing we find regular shops at junk food in too,but volume bread zoolets eat means no other option as I don't have space to freeze any bread/store masses..am aiming try reduce slice consumption.im not expecting it to Go Well or to Make Progress.but worth a try I guess..
Foxes hope new chairs comfy!

Morning all,

I'm finding the fish discussion fascinating. Someone mentioned fresh tuna, that's one I don't like much, too dry and not fishy enough for me. The DCs and DH like it though. Although I love most fish, I don't like fish pie, I am not a huge potato fan and find the combination with fish and cheese too much. Also most people put smoked haddock in it. My reason for hating smoked haddock is that I ate it once and was very, very ill later than night. So even the mild stuff reminds me too much. I love smoked mackerel though, one of my favourite foods, I make it into pate regularly. I also love smoked salmon, I buy the packs of trimmings to keep the cost down. Also love rollmops. Yum.

Tada!
Up, dressed and dropped DD at station
Popped into Waitrose for a few bits
Returned via nature reserve, absolutely beautiful morning, took lots of photos
Various emails and phone calls
1 x LOL on line

To do.
Planning 15 minutes in each room, none are a total mess but none are tidy either.
Also want to pop to the allotment

Tada!

3x15 mins in kitchen
Cleared and wiped counters
Swept floor
Put compost stuff and recycling out
Wiped small appliances
Hotspotted floor by back door
Cleaned back door (stable door with various dust-gathering horizontal surfaces)

Best roll mops we ever had were in a short 30th Anniversary trip to Copenhagen and ate them for lunch in the Tivoli gardens. Three types and salad. One was dill and a white sauce I think probably yoghurt and creme . They have something similar in Lidl if you like them. My dad used to make his own and customers used to rave about them. Best sea bream we have ever had was in the Mandarin in Chinatown, Newcastle. Mmmmmm! Steam and a beautiful sauce.

Sorry you had a rubbish sleep Zoo. DH said he had a brilliant sleep on his new bed. I could hear him snoring when I was up to loo in early hours.

We have been out for a few days so I am glad to be in today. Went to see BF and her DH( birthday card and a 1/2 bottle) had a chat as she was busy cancelling patients. Stayed for a while so good to see them all. Her DS2 is doing the most amazing pictures in fine pen. He doesn’t realise how good he is. He is self taught.

Slow start today despite early bedtime.

Ta da
🍁bed made
🍁sorted washing
🍁first LOL, got behind because of DH washing pile when he sorted his room.
🍁 sorted next load and took downstairs.
🍁dusted boudoir, not all but bed and one chest
🍁put away some sheets and tablecloth.
🍁S&S

To do
🌻start sorting dining room
🌻hot spot table- littered
🌻lunch
🌻Window sill, dust.
🌻ironing
🌻find a jigsaw to start with declutter in mind. Hospice like them for the patients, visitors and charity book shop.

🍒👋🍒👋🍒 to everyone.

Ooh! Welcome Vio😄

ED we are still waiting for the joiner to come and fit our stable door.

I make fish pie like our family - dad and aunt.

1 fillet of smoked haddock, natural.
2fillets of haddock
1 piece of salmon
King prawns ( not always added because of cost)
3 hard boiled eggs, cut in half or quarters depending on size.

White sauce
Seasoning

Potato mash

Sometimes add a bit of dill to sauce.

It went down well on a Friday night.

Bower - we went on a family holiday to Denmark when I was about 10, we went on the ferry from Harwich and they had the most amazing smorgasbord, I loved it and have liked Scandinavian foods ever since. I have had the Lidl rollmops, Sainsburys do some nice ones too and I always buy some in Ikea. Here is a picture of a smoked salmon lunch I had in Estonia a few years ago, it was heaven on a plate.

I just don’t like the smell of most smoked things. Other than salmon in moderation.

PO3.2
❗️Drink another mug of water while healthful lunch cooks, then eat said lunch
❗️Get DS through the rest of his work
❗️Start rough meal plan

ED ooh I've got some smoked salmon trimmings in the freezer and am struggling for ideas (I think I bought them on a whim!) Any suggestions welcome! I think I had half heartedly decided to do a fish pie and put it in that...

I used to love roll mops but haven't had them since I was a kid , we always had them on holiday in my grandad's caravan because he loved them , happy memories!

Welcome vio sorry to hear things have been tough of late , hope flying helps and if not we are a friendly bunch regardless!

Well I've barely noticed my new chair because it's been insanely busy at work so far today. I've stopped for lunch and because otherwise my brain might explode. Someone has had to take leave for a couple of weeks to care for a relative and they've decided the best person to cover her work would be me...whilst I'm meant to be working through my own backlog. I'm feeling really overwhelmed by it tbh because tomorrow is my day off so I feel stressed thinking about how much more will pile up ready for Monday

Probably connected but I made lunch which was some soup my mum made for us (she often cooks with ds and he brings the goodies home 😍) and some nice bread and butter but my appetite just isn't there, just feeling a bit sick

Oh well deep breaths and I'd better get back to it I suppose.
o

Waves to everyone sorry I haven't replied to lots of you I'll be back later and hopefully in a better mood!

viol12 I'm so sorry that you lost your job. You are very welcome here. Hope it helps given this is a tough time for you. I'm about to Hoover downstairs and the stairs and swish and swipe the bathrooms. Quick tidy of Ds room which is a bit untidy. Then a walk with a podcast on self confidence. Will have to listen properly later as a bit deaf and don't catch everything with ear buds.

Oh and my half hearted ta das
School and nursery run
Found stamps ready to sort out birthday card
Dishwasher emptied
Washing on
Made a posh coffee so I could take a break from the screen
Ordered 2 X Xmas presents for ds following a conversation with him this morning! Wanted to do it while I remembered
Put veg box contents away / handed old boxes back

Oh and dd fell off her scooter this morning and I think her tights may be ruined so I should probably order some more since we didn't really have enough anyway 🤦‍♀️ but main thing is she is okay and went into school still smiling (just!)

Phew.

Lisette cross post, that pod cast sounds interesting 😀

Just found half a post I didn’t finish 🤦‍♀️

Welcome vio sorry about the job loss. I hope TTC goes well and quickly for you 💐 I find motivation really varies too. Hoping that my habit tracker helps me keep the basics going as otherwise I tend to crash and burn every few days rather than being consistent!

We are missing stressy too :(

CBA to write my ta da list so far but it’s been fairly productive. I need to tidy up the kitchen post-lunch-cooking-apocalypse.

@Vio112 sorry, I missed your post earlier, you are very welcome. Sorry you have lost your job, and about the MC, I had two before my DCs came along, it's hard.

Tada!
Car 15 mins
Pumped up tyres (I've just bought an inflator that runs from the car power socket as doing it at petrol stations can be such a pain)
Vacuumed
Dusted
Wiped inside of windscreen

Crashed and burnt earlier. Just had to crawl back into bed and sleep. Just made a coffee with some good milk and put another load of washing into the machine.

Fresh tuna is easier to keep moist if you fry it but put a lid on it so it sorta steams too iyswim
English fish pie is odd. I like fish souflee
Also pickled herring (Sursild)
Never eaten oysters or squid/octopus. Crab is fabulous especially if it is so fresh you have caught and cooked it yourself. I find the dressed stuff tends to be dryer.
cream cheese with splash of lemon stirred into it is fabulous with smoke salmon, as does scrambled egg. Both best with fresh made bread...
Trout is amazing baked, Sea bass freshly caught and cooked for breakfast are some of my fond holiday memories. Mackrel with a sour cream sauce.

It's funny because i really love to eat fish but i rarely fancy eating it. If we do around here it can often be a white fish (haddock etc) in a white sauce with prawns. A proper treat so doesnt happen often

And y'all reminded me that i promised the teen to pick up some battered fish so he could have fish and chips at some point. I had completely forgotten

Foxes that sounds stressful
Welcome viol12
Sing i tend to delete half finished posts because they are often out of point by the time i find them. You are not the only one who creates them though. Did you find the number to sort the charger?

I haven’t got round to looking yet hills 😳

Home ed finished for the day except waiting for the final stage of the chocolate rock cycle to cool. 😂

Haven’t done a meal plan yet either, had an unexpected phone call which was lovely. Going to wash up now.

Oh, I love fish pie!

When I was a teen my mum had a one-day-a-week job in the centre of town and would go to the fish market on the way home for coley and some smoked mackerel. Mackerel was eaten as soon as she got in and we'd have fish pie either that day or the next depending on timings (some weeks the wage packets took longer to put up than others).

My dad likes tinned salmon, but only tinned (he's a classic 30s working-class palate). Proper salmon was a posh buffet thing. Fish and chips was a family favourite, some of us cod, others plaice or haddock.

Unfortunately S2 isn't particularly keen on fish (with certain exceptions) so I only do fish pie when he's elsewhere. He does like tuna so tuna pasta bake is one of our staples. Tuna pasta salad for variation. Fish fingers are a safe bet (though when tiny he'd get very upset by their falling apart whenever he tried to cut them).

S1 likes most seafood - his go-to starter in some restaurants is mussels and he loves smoked salmon on his croissants (and Marmite, which the rest of us consider a step too far). He likes prawns and scallops and appreciated the cockles but I don't think he's tried oysters. He shares my love of taramasalata but wasn't particularly impressed with caviar .

I still like smoked mackerel. H tried to get me into kippers but I can't be doing with the faff given that mackerel is just as nice.

For a while we had fancy fish for Sunday dinner every 3 or 4 weeks - tuna, swordfish, salmon, lemon sole, monkfish, sea bass, rainbow trout. I'm not sure I would bother with lemon sole - it's nice but it's a very delicate flavour for something so fishy.

Smoked salmon scraps can be used (with cream and dill) to make a mousse which then holds two fillets together into a convenient shape for wrapping en croute.

ta da so far
(With terribly witty emojis, obv)
🔒brain training apps
⬇️digital decluttering (it’s on my habit list to delete 20 emails and 20 photos a day)
🔒quickly got Cagletini ready for nursery as she was still asleep at 8.30
⬇️self care (shower, moisturise etc)
🔒got DS started on work
⬇️aired house
🔒cooked healthful lunch and tidied up after
⬇️moved washing to dryer
🔒home ed planning for tomorrow and next week
⬇️did rock cycle chocolate activity and then melted chocolate for DS to cover some honeycomb
🔒put some laundry away while friend phoned me
⬇️washing up
🔒tidied and swept hallway (or one end of it anyway) for DS’ tap class - 5 mins in hallway

Off for a quick walk as one of my other habits is to try and get outside every day... I’m actually glad I got Pokémon Go as it gives me a bit of direction!

I love tinned tuna but I have never actually had tuna pasta bake, somehow it doesn't appeal. I think it's the same fish/cheese/too rich thing as fish pie for me but ot as bad as there ate no potatoes. DS won't eat fish fingers or battered fish.

Hi everyone, sorry I didn’t post yesterday. We went out to try and fill up the last day before lockdown, we went to the cafe for food after nursery and then to the pub for dinner. So a spendy day! But there isn’t much else I’ll spend money on in lockdown. I’m feeling very anxious at the minute and luckily have an appointment for the 16th so hopefully can get that under control!. Today we haven’t done anything really, I’m lucky I’m still working but there was a lot of DC’s not at nursery today. I’ve got all my Christmas presents sorted now, stayed up the other night and planned it all, I will order it soon and then I need to plan for the DC’s bdays in December and January. And my mums birthday on the 15th. There’s loads of fireworks going off here now too, the kids and animals hate it :(.

wooly I love your christmas embroidery, I’m getting a few Christmas jigsaws when I order the presents. I’m sorry your DD is struggling, this is such a difficult time for so many people. I’m glad to hear she was better yesterday and your DS has a better understanding on how to study.

Cluster feeding was the bane of my existence when the Dc were littler mc

Oh don’t worry about not welcoming me zoo!. Work and children has kept my mind of the world troubles!. Lovely that you got to see a fox, I have quite a few here. I hope you managed to get the meds, that seems really stressful.

bower thank you for the Christmas dinner help, I’ll get a magazine when I get my jigsaw and follow that too. I’m quite excited to do it, bus slightly stressed. I’m doing it for my bubble, but if it was just me and my kids I wouldn’t do a big one!. It’s lovely to hear about your kids differences, I’m loving the ages mine are at and definitely wont wish it away but I am excited for them to be adults to see the type of people they will be.

Sorry about the allergy foxes That’s quite scary!. Hope the new solution works for you. The office chair looks very comfy. Sorry today has been overwhelming

I must admit, I’m a seafood virgin really. I have started trying more now that I’m a bit older, but until a few years ago I’d only ever had cod or tuna. I do really annoy the new stuff I try though so I might copy some of these recipes.

hazel I’ve just googled it and Idaho looks beautiful.

hills look after yourself!

sing that’s really annoying about your charger!

Welcome vio! I’m sorry to hear about you losing your job and your miscarriage❤️

Yesterday’s ta da’s
Made Christmas present lists
Made doctors appointment
Made beds
Washed DC’s faces and dressed
Washed my own face and dressed
Fed humans and animals
Brushed teeth
S&S
Dropped DC at nursery
Work
Got DC
Unpacked bags
Hung up coats, cleaned shoes
Cleared litter trays and picked up dog poo
Made tea
Washed up
Walked dog
Dried up and put away
Activities with DC
Bathed DC
Laid out clothes for tomorrow
Read to DS and put to bed
Read to DD and put to bed
Packed bags for tomorrow
Tidied playroom
Cleared paperwork/toys off dining table
Wiped down kitchen surfaces and dining table
Swept kitchen floor
Swept living room floor
Tidied sofa
Showered
Shined sink
Laid out clothes

Well, the rest of the day didn't exactly go to plan.

DS broke his braces a couple of days ago, I emailed the orthodontist this morning and they called at 2 asking if he could come in at 5. He wasn't due home till 6 so I had to call him, check whether he could leave on time, then drive and pick him up and take him. Which was fine, it was a beautiful afternoon and the drive to his school is through stunning countryside. But I also realised that we had virtual parents eve for DD at 6, which I had thought was next week. That's done now and wow, it was so easy! I never want to go to a conventional secondary school parents evening again. All done in 40 mins at the kitchen table.

Anyway, in between all that I managed 15 mins at the allotment, better than nothing.

Song - I didn't realise you did Pokemon Go. DH is obsessed with it, drives me a bit mad at times but it gets him out and he has made friends through it. I find it irritating when we are walking somewhere together and he is checking his phone every 30s!

I've typed out this post 3 times already, but something always distracts me before I post and then I lose it.

Vio welcome to this lovely corner of MN. Sorry to read about your job, such sucky times at the moment.
Zoo I am trying to keep my wee beastie offline at the moment, I hope that's ok 😘
Foxes sounds stressful at work. Keep swimming. Sending you all the energy.
Flushi that's a whopper of a ta da list. Loving it! I hope your GP can help you out with the anxiety.

Ta da:
🎉Dinner made - roast chicken with potatoes. Nothing fancy.
🎉Bathroom blitzed
🎉Kitchen cleaned
🎉LOL X1

Christmas presents sorted and sent, and decorations are starting to arrive. I am beginning to wonder whether early November is too early to start putting them up 😂