Festive Fledglings Flap Frantically Towards A Calm, Clutter-free Christmas!

[SingToTheSky]

OK so clutter-free is a bit ambitious. But anyway, all welcome to join us for a jolly holiday thread, in which we very loosely follow (or at least half-heartedly mention now and then) the FlyLady system of housekeeping.

I’ll be posting links and reminding us all of various tasks up until Christmas Eve, for those who want to follow the system - and if it’s like previous years there will also be some specific extra missions to help us prepare our homes for Christmas. However, we really are just a bunch of frazzled Mumsnetters who will be very happy to welcome you along for chat whether you follow the system or not! We discuss housework, sure, but a whole lot of other stuff too.

We will also continue with the Keep Calm Corner, in which you’ll find various diverting questions, memes etc.

And finally a huge thank you to Foxes who did a fab job of running the thread for the first time in November! 💐

Zoo- i hope your shoulder plays ball today and lets you complete your decorating.

Woolly- how many wash loads will it be today? Is there a washing machine emoji?

sing ooh, I actually did do something for me this morning, I put on my new primer that I got in my beauty advent calendar (thank you dh!) and then because I did that I ended up putting more make up on than I usually would for school run / working from home! It did give me a little boost this morning (but it won't last!)

Our decorations usually go up on the 1st but we did them at the weekend as it seemed easier, and also it was something fun to do with the kids at the moment! Still need to finish the outside decs though, we have a snowman and penguin that sit on our flat roof, I love them they bring me real joy!

Sorry will be back later to catch up with everyone's replies properly, need to eat my toastie before it gets cold!

Aw thanks tinselette TBH doing the KCC gives me a bit of structure too so I quite like it. The first one I did in April helped me so much as that’s when I was getting over (?) covid and it gave me focus each morning! Hoping it might make me feel a bit more festive too.

Dancing I love the colours in your kitchen! I’m not sure how I’d angle a photo in mine to avoid crumbs 😳 also I forgot to say, I relate to the fun mum worry. Lockdown has really shown up how little we do as a family, TBH even before all the restrictions we were just surviving not really enjoying life. But actually the times you set out to make fun activities etc aren’t necessarily what they’ll remember anyway. Family is made in the little unplanned moments. I try and remember that when we are curled up watching Strictly or they’re in hysterics over some random thing that doesn’t even involve me. We can only try our best right?

Well I only came down just before 11 and I’m still in my jammies but I HAVE SUBMITTED MY ASSIGNMENT!!! Woooooo!!! Two days early as well. Chuffed to bits. Making my tick chart thing really helped. Going to have a break from it for a few days while I do more of my (very simple) futurelearn maths course, but not too long because the deadline is Christmas Eve and I don’t want to be thinking about it then.

Haha, just realised the “family is made in the little unplanned moments” could be interpreted in more than one way 😳😂

Cagletini is now back from nursery. Thankfully DS has got a decent amount of work done already as it’s so much harder when she’s here.

I’m liking the new lamp DH got. It’s not pretty or cosy but it’s a daylight bulb thing and I must admit it does feel brighter in a more natural way. Ideally I’d like to get proper daylight bulbs for all the fittings in the house and then have nice low light lamps to put on in the evenings but that’s a project for next year. We do have a dimmer bulb in our room now but I’m not sure that’d work in our living room (two bulbs and relay switches one of which also has outdoor light switch) and TBH the slight buzzing is a bit annoying with dimmers!

Not sure what to do now I’ve finished the work 😂

KCC - went back to bed and slept after getting teen out the door. Terribly behind as a result but feeling a bit better. Otoh hand knee is playing up so the other self care thing i will be doing today is physio taping that.

urm.... I forget what else has been said. Brain still groggy.

I am going to hot up some coffee and see if i can get my brain going. Amazon delivered a parcel today that they said might not arrive til friday and i am a smidge excited about the content as it is long over due treaty stuffs for me from birthday money last year.

Ooh that’s exciting hills! I love getting things in the mail.

I’m also excited as it’s Drawcember 🤣 as I’ve mentioned before I’ve done drawing prompts, like Inktober. But I didn’t get very far this year due to everything else going on. However I’m now justified in making the time to do the festive themed Drawcember list that I did some of last year. Hopefully it’ll get me back in the drawing frame of mind!

I’ve just remembered other referrals I should really chase up. Feeling a bit overwhelmed at the thought of it all so I think I’ll start by just making a phone appt with the GP as I’ll need that to discuss the Caglets first anyway. So I guess that’s my Power of One 😂

I was wrong it was a delivery of text books. which is good but not as exciting.

Not heard of drawcember. Am watching a lot of VLogmas again this year. I was going to join in in a December knitalong but life is not going to permit me to start atm and i am considering if I would be biting off more than i could chew. So I might reverse to the blanket project i work on every year just to try to get it finished off.

Sing- thank you for liking the colours, they are my favourites. Kitchen scales are from lidl. Breadbin is from Home bargins. Egg holder was iceland- I know, didnt even know they stocked things like that!

Oh and welldone Sing for handing in your assisnment early! I am impressed as I am usually late doing things.
I am away with the unicorns, dreaming.

Zoo happy birthday to your 18 year old. I love the idea of making snowflake chains.

Woolly- yayy you wore your Christmas dress!! Bet you looked fab!

Sing- its true, the giggly fun moments happen when not expected.

I dived into the tinned can cupboard....i nearly got lost....a bag of out of date stuff...

A shopping bag to donate to a food bank.

And send strength....I found Dh beloved toastie maker from the 90s......I have thrown it in the bin...I cant clean that. I found it dashed in a bottom, corner cupboards that I had to partially crawl in to get things out. I must have chucked it in there about 10 years ago.

2 bags of unused stuff like, potty and ice cube trays thrown into car of doom.

Oh! I made space to put away a huge, huge bottle of sunflower oil and my soup maker...so it close to hand.

I want to stop now but fraggles are doing after school class of speaking/learning stuff. So I should try and get some stuff off the sofa of doom. Thinking the fraggles can sit there and watch cbeebies rather than get up to mischief in the front room and I cant see them. (I have a rectangle shaped kitchen diner.)

Hope you can find something hills and that your nice parcel arrives soon!

I have paired some odd socks and put a towel wash on while my phone was charging. Then discovered DH on hold to the GP (he’s had his free flu jab invite) so got him to book a phone appt for referral discussion too, saved me a job and the phone bill 🤣

KCC re putting decorations up - we follow our neighbour across from us. When her outside lights go up it's Christmas and our decorations go up. She knows this too 😁 - no pressure Mrs Alexander.

Weeps with laughter over 'Family made in unplanned moments' - allied with ' many accidents are caused by humans and many humans are caused by accident'. I'll hide away the mistletoe and wine - this thread's had quite a few lovely babies recently with more due soon 😁

:o Tinselette

I have not had my planned top up shop yet this afternoon as ended up in a long discussion with DH, about DD1. School is really not going well.

Ta da:
🎉Bedroom dusted and surfaces cleaned
🎉 Downstairs hoovered
🎉De-moulded the entrance hallway. It's so humid there in the winter. Those pot dehumidifiers just don't do the job of keeping all the moisture out. I guess I just have to keep battling and chucking bleach on the walls (thankfully surface permits) every now and again.
🎉LOL X2
🎉DW rotated
🎉Went for a walk

KCC I need to sort my nails out today. I am making a point of keeping up with my skincare and hair care routines, so things are not too wild on that front.

Decorations - usually it's a dash every year in 2 weeks coming up to the holidays. This year I am going all out. Tree is up, house is decorated, I just need to put a wreath on the door and that's me done.

Dancing I have the same kitchen scale ☺️ Live the egg holder, need to get myself one of those. At the moment eggs live in their cartoon box in the counter corner - not very glamorous.

A mixed evening here... I have got another piano pupil! This one lives even nearer - 10min walk.

On the down side, just found out DSD is being made redundant 🤬😰

Evening all,

We don't have any December birthdays to influence decorating dates. Normally I would say they go up the 2nd weekend in Dec (so 12/13 this year) and DH would say 1st weekend and I would concede and do the first weekend. However this year we had to book a slot at the Christmas tree farm, normally you just turn up and we missed out on the 5/6 so we are going on the afternoon of the 11th as the DCs break up at lunchtime. You choose and cut your own tree, or they cut it for you, DS is going to do ours this year. Also normally Christmas bedding, teatowels, throw for the sofa etc come out on the 1st but we got them out about a week ago, I also put the outside lights up about a week ago and added some more tonight. It all stays up till 12th Night.

*Foxes" - is that the Boots calendar? I've got that too but didn't open it until I was about to leave for work.

Zoo - I totally get the paint, move things, paint, move things routine, our rooms are too small to move much stuff out or push it into the middle. Decorating doesn't happen as often as it should here.

Sing - sorry to hear about DSD, is it a Covid-related redundancy?

MrsT - wow, what a day you had yesterday, great job with the utility (wish we had one) and glad things worked out for the DCs with not going to school.

Hills - nice to have some treat stuff for yourself to look forward to. I treated myself to a new mask this week.

Tada!

Up, went for a run, took some photos (beautiful sunrise but cold)
Shower, dress, packed lunch, breakfast
Dropped DD at station
Work
Spent my lunch and break times working on a photobook I want to get printed out and have been ignoring for months.
Home
More fairy lights up
Litter trays dealt with
Clean towels, teatowels etc put away
Yoga stuff put away
Mail opened
Dinner cooked and eaten
Another hour on photobook, nearly finished.

She works for the council ED there have been a lot of restructures and faffings about in the last year or two anyway. She’s feared for her job multiple times :( thankfully she’s got childcare qualifications so she should be able to get a job in a nursery or preschool but it’s not exactly ideal time for job hunting 😩

Today I put up our chore wheel on the wall, and as of today we put screens away and turn the TV off until they’ve done their job, showered and put all dirty and clean clothes in the right places. Went quite well. The little characters representing each of us move round clockwise so no faffing about trying to work out who does what on which day to make it fair. Calcifer is me, so I cleared and scrubbed the table.

I love the wheel sing. Cleaned kitchen and had bath. Am settling down to watch The Bureau which is set in Paris.

Sing- i am sorry to hear about Dsd job. Thats horrible at this time of year and making them worry so much.

I love the chore chart!

Mc- thank you! I dont put eggs in there as I was worried my heavy handed Dh would break the eggs trying to get them out. Two eggs did sit in there for 30sec....then I quickly removed them.

Big disclaimer- that corner of my kitchen is ok and tidy. The rest of the house has turned into a disaster zone. They only way I can describe my sitting room is like someone got a snowglobe and shook it. Really,really hard, and everything landed everywhere.

Christmas decorations, I usually want to put them up near the 1st of December but the Christmas Grinch I live with (Dh), looks like he might explode if he see's anything to do with Christmas.
I think fairy lights are magical and we have a colourful set strung across my sitting, from birthday that we had, earlier in the year (a la Bing cbeebies style- where they sing in the bandstand.) My fraggles where enchanted by the lights and switch them on singing 'O' Christmas tree O'Christmas tree!'
Last year, my christmas tree had felt pom pom garland (pom pom trims from the fabric shop) in different colours. I thought it look great for the kids, rainbowy, colourful and fun. The people who I worked for at the nursery, thought it looked abit odd.
But this year, the level of clutter in the house is putting me off even thinking about decorating for Christmas yet.
My household grinch complained so much about getting our big Chrsitmas tree out of the loft, that two years ago I bought a pop-up Christmas tree from Homebase and secretly decorate the tree at night and suprise the kids in the morning. Then they have to take alll the baubles they can reach off and on again.
Last year, Lil fraggle pretented to be a cat and keep batting the bauble hanging off a tree branch. She stood still for 7mins. Bliss.

See Dancing that stuff you’ve described about the tree is fun! 😍 TBH it sounds like DH is the spirit-dampener.

Well I’ve not managed to do my nails today. I’ve felt really achy TBH and even wimped out of going to get milk, DH went instead. I could have done something useful with the last hour or so - even watching something interesting or reading would be better than the mindless scrolling I’ve been doing. 🤦🏻‍♀️

ta da
🪲home ed
🪲completed and submitted assignment
🪲emailed current and former tutors re course stuff
🪲arranged lesson with another new piano pupil - sooo chuffed about this
🪲wrote and printed small and achievable daily task list (Caglets also need to open windows and turn down their beds each morning now)
🪲finished, printed, laminated and velcroed chore wheel
🪲paired more odd socks and hung the rest up in a bag
🪲got DH to book GP appt to discuss Caglets
🪲LOL (towels) - need to put this in dryer
🪲got dressed
🪲big discussion with DH re DD1, some plans sort of made
🪲put yesterday’s drying away
🪲cleared and scrubbed table
🪲got Caglets through evening chores
🪲booked and paid for tomorrow’s home ed group (includes graffiti workshop how cool is that?!)
🪲got on waiting list for next week’s yoga
🪲set reminders for piano lessons and yoga booking
🪲got Cagletini’s clothes ready for tomorrow
🪲found Trofast tub for dressing up stuff (so far she’s got a couple of cheap Halloween dresses but both DS and DSD chose outfits for her for Christmas!)

Think that’s it. So considering my sole aim was to complete the assignment I guess I’ve done ok really. But I’m still annoyed at myself for not properly relaxing this evening. DH and DD1 are finishing an anime series I’m not fussed about and I could have done so many other things instead of sitting on the sofa. 🤦🏻‍♀️

Hiya, really late post tonight. I don’t know how you all get so much done in the morning, me and DD just eat breakfast and watch tv for an hour before I can even contemplate moving. DD and I did some cutting and sticking this morning and she made a few pictures for the fridge, she loves arts and crafts. We also did Christmas musical bumps, she’s so excited this year I think she really get it. I need to buy a Santa key though as we don’t have a chimney. I packed my hospital bag today, I think that I’m all ready now. It’s quite difficult for me to do this zone, my dining table is in the living room and my entryway is just a small staircase as I’m in a 2nd floor flat. But I’ve given it a go.

I’m sorry your DH was so ungrateful dancing! I think your kitchen looks lovely.

I hope your DD isn’t too unwell hazel

Sounds like you had a really productive day tidy and well done on not losing your mind.

Ooh foxes I’d love a cup of tea to wake me up, I can’t remember the last time I even had a warm cup of tea.

Great going with all the painting zoo

I sort of wish I hadn’t started this elf thing mc, but everyone does it now I was worried when DD gets older and goes to nursery/school she’ll hear others talking about it and wonder why she doesn’t have one. I don’t do all the crazy things that I’ve seen others do though.

I love the Christmas tree laundry sing that’s brilliant!. I painted my nails today as something to do for myself!. I normally put the decorations up on the first Sunday of December but my family had all put there’s up so I thought I should join in. Well done on getting the assignment submitted!! I love the chore wheel!. Sorry to hear about DSD.

wooly I wish I never started it really, it’s an extra thing to think about, but it makes DD happy!. I love the idea of an advent breakfast, sounds so tasty.

ta da
🎅🏻Let dog out for wee
🎅🏻Made me and DD breakfast
🎅🏻Fed ddog
🎅🏻Washed up
🎅🏻Made beds
🎅🏻LOL
🎅🏻Art and craft with DD
🎅🏻Vacuumed stairs
🎅🏻Wiped down bannister
🎅🏻Tidied table from activity with DD
🎅🏻Took ddog for walk 1
🎅🏻Went to shops to get bits and bobs I was running out off
🎅🏻Went to DM’s for a chat
🎅🏻Made lunch
🎅🏻Christmas musical bumps with DD
🎅🏻Put washing to dry
🎅🏻Made tea
🎅🏻Washed up and wiped down kitchen
🎅🏻Wiped down dining table
🎅🏻Shined sink
🎅🏻Took ddog for walk 2
🎅🏻Put washing away
🎅🏻Bathed DD
🎅🏻Put DD to bed
🎅🏻Tidied DD’s toys
🎅🏻Packed hospital bag
🎅🏻Had a bath
🎅🏻S&S
🎅🏻Let ddog put for wee

KCC
I like to put my tree up the weekend after Thanksgiving, so the last weekend in November. This year we did it on black Friday since I had to work the whole weekend. I still have my lights to put up throughout the house though.

I'm really not feeling the greatest. I think all the bad eating (& eating too much gluten) has got to me. I feel all groggy and bloated. Hopefully I'm better tomorrow for when I go back to work.
DD still isn't feeling the greatest, I had to pick her up from school at lunchtime. Hopefully she'll feel better soon.

ta Das
☕ Coffee with SIL, she came over and we had a good long chat and enjoyed each other's company
☕ 2 LOLs, including bedding
☕ Rotated DW
☕ Dentist appt for DS and me. I changed DDs to next week since she wasn't feeling good.

Really not much else. I was going to iron while watching a movie, but really didn't feel up to it.

Sorry for lack of personals. I did read them and noticed the decorated mount washmores, the chore chart and the picture of the cute kitchen corner. I just really need to get to bed early tonight. I'm sorry!
Hopefully I'll be better at catching up tomorrow.

Morning all
Brain fog/lack sleep means I've read what's going on,and forgot huge chunk.the rest I can't remember who said what

Well I did it!5pm I packed away and returned front room to functioning space!walls have gone from "cafe au pair" to cream.it feels very very light by comparison,but given no sun enters directly in winter it will feel less gloomy!
Still need to dye curtains and throws navy- laundry pile is backing up so that will have to wait!
My me time involved hot shower.defrostingand pedi egg my dreadful hard skin on feet.revolts lil zoo that "you grate your skin?" But my lord the results are good.couldnt find my foot moisturizer so will do that today.i am aiming to do "something for me" everyday in self-care and also in things for myselfas neither been happening for a very long time

Lil zoo has bloods again today to check liver/kidney function etc.we need get stool sample pots to check for inflammation too.grateful do is off today and volunteered to take her for bloods as despite hating sensation of numb spray and going "au naturale" at 13 she has to attend children's clinic at hospital rather than nurse at g.p.another plus it's all pre-booked so no loitering/waiting forever so it should be quick
He's offered help some shop after,so dd2 n I will mask up and go in his car

How the Dickens did cafe au lait....pair?!