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! 💐

that Michelle Obama had the same problem with Barack and getting up for night feeds. Apparently she decided the only option was to leave the house and go to the gym so he'd have to wake up properly to do the feeds. And thus remarkable biceps were launched...

She's being diplomatic here but I've seen interviews where she basically called him lazy 'First Lady Michelle Obama: I've always been a closet jock, but when I got married and had kids, that fell by the wayside. My "aha" moment came when our first daughter, Malia, was 4 months old. My husband's exercise routine hadn't changed a bit; he was still getting his workouts in, and I was getting irritated (laughs). Then I realized he was just prioritizing it differently. So I said, "If I get up and out before the first feeding, I will work out." That will engage my husband to do that first feeding with the baby. So I started getting up at 4:30 in the morning and going to the gym.'

Morning all.

Hooray for negative test Tinsel! I like the titanic line too. Thankfully the lifeboats are women and children only so we can leave useless menfolk behind.

Sing that is too long to wait without hot water 😡

Hope today is a better day Hills. Asking the tutor for help def sounds sensible.

That’s really unfair of ‘D’P to the girls Zoo, must be tough for them. Your zoom Christmas Eve quiz sounds fun. We are also doing zoom present opening in the morning with my family, and probably a boozy zoom call later in the day (I’m actually on call until 6 so will have some catching up to to do on the fizz!)

Mc my DH is was exactly the same. If I was there, I had to have some input with anything he did with DD (he’s much more capable now). I think some of it was confidence but there was definitely an element of laziness too! Hand mctiny over just before bath time and head out for a walk .

Woolly. No, I do not want to do yours. Sorry

Forgotten the rest of of my personals. (Frozen) cherry waves to the rest of you. Hope MrsTidy is ok, haven’t seen her for a while.

So today is my day off with DD, although my DF has asked to take her for a walk this morning. Was a bit but as he probably won’t see her before or over Xmas I didn’t have the heart to say no. I might join them. She’s playing happily in her room at the min so I’m going to crack on with more of The Big Christmas Clean. Will ice my cake at some point, get DD to help wrap her present for DH, deliver some cards and may do our gingerbread house.

Back later fledglings!

Morning! I’ve not caught up yet and only woke up at half nine. DH and I actually had a really good chat after I posted, about the idea - much as my initial reaction was bad there are some very good points to it and I’d be a hypocrite if I didn’t recognise that (it’s studying related) 😳. It was nice to have a proper conversation completely uninterrupted by kids and to really discuss our thoughts/feelings/needs, and to talk about future plans and how we can both look after ourselves as well as the kids, and how to fix what is missing in all our lives due to the bad luck we’ve had health wise etc.

So he can have a temporary reprieve from the crap husband bench/fire :o but it was a very late night, hence sleepy now! Where’s the caffeine? 😴

I’ve never tried frozen cherries but I’m intrigued! I quite like frozen grapes now and then.

Someone posted this in a group I'm in, thought it was nice

Ah I love that ed ❤️

I had a total FFS moment yesterday with the Caglets as they couldn’t bloody agree on a Christmas film to watch. 🙄 I am now watching the grinch with DS, last night we compromised with Mr Bean Christmas episode, and will watch Elf at some other point. I’m determined to watch a couple of other new (to me) Christmas films this season though - thinking Christmas With The Kranks and National Lampoons.

National Lampoon Christmas is very funny - thanks for reminding me. Home alone 2 is currently on. DS back to school tomorrow.

I despise Mr Bean. No real reason, i just hate him!

Johnny Galecki from The Big bang theory is in National Lampoon Christmas as a kid.

He’s a bit marmite that 😂 my two love him, I got the DVD a few years ago so they could see the Christmas one and the new year one where he uses real sticks and marmite as twiglets.

We also discussed two rules for Christmas Day - DH said we will not be spending all day on phones etc (but will still have some time to chat to friends) and I said that since I’ve wanted to for several years but nobody has ever agreed 🙄🤬 we ARE going on a Christmas Day walk this year no matter what. I may have pointed out that I’m the one that makes most of Christmas happen and so I should be able to do one thing during the day that I want to do :o they agreed when I put it like that. Will make it after presents/a bit of playing time as DS won’t want to be dragged away from his Lego set! And then we can chill with screens for a bit when we get back.

Ooh no way tinselette we are all big TBBT fans here! (We also got Young Sheldon s1 to watch together on Christmas Eve). DH remembered the film is a bit rude in places? But it’s only a 12 so can’t be too bad?!

I don't like cherries

Sherin that's the spirit! And living well is the best revenge, and all that.

Making the honeycomb bell... hmm, it was a while ago. The background is cut from some wrapping paper, which is why it's an odd shape, stuck onto some old card I had lying around. The honeycomb I believe you can pick up in the supermarket. I think I may have drawn my own bell template - ooh, hang on, maybe I used the biscuit cutter? There's bound to be loads online nowadays anyway. (Something about needing to put it on the edge because of the way the honeycomb is made... it's clear when it's in front of you.) The only mildly tricky part is making sure you stick it centred properly in the fold.

Cool to hear so many of your grandmothers had one!

I've written all my cards except for the awkward emotional mess; and ordered some more presents so everyone has something (will need to send off parcels in a day or two).

Lunch!

I remember it being a bit rude but looked it up too and twas a 12 so puzzled now

WTF I was convinced my area (West Sussex) would be included. Maybe it’s not an exhaustive list?!

I'll watch it first with dh. I remember watching a film with dh and ds which DH insisted was 12s. After a couple of scenes where I had to turn to DH with raised eyebrows and a quizzical look I checked it myself and found it was 15s. Can't remember what film now but I never leave film checking to DH now!

Sorry to hear of tier movement down south and all the attendant effects. We move up a tier on Friday here. Couple of outbreaks in care homes.

No change here

Was tier 3
Still tier 3

We were already in tier 3 and I don't know when we will ever get out of it tbh sorry more of you are now in tier 3 too though, it certainly does suck.

It's very doom and gloom at the moment but I guess we just have to hold our nerves!

As for Christmas, I'm so sorry so many of you aren't going to get to see who you want to see. But the zoom quizzes do sound fun. We are doing a zoom murder mystery with friends this weekend 🙂

I feel like our Xmas plans are still up in the air, I am trying my best to just go with the flow now tbh, I can't change it, I can't make other people's decisions for them either. It really is tedious though, that's just the right word glittery!!

Ta da
Dropped dd at school
Working today while ds at home, he has watched a lot of TV but I did have a morning break to play a board game with him and make hot chocolates together
Washing on
Dishwasher on
Some recycling out to bins
Cleaned coffee machine (although not finished)
Made lunch for us both
Put veg box contents away

Caught up. I should’ve taken notes, sorry if I forgot anyone! 😳

Hills well done for being honest with your tutor!

Mc that level of helplessness would drive me batshit. I have been lucky that DH was always hands on with the babies and he was no different with his older kids either so it’s not just the benefit of experience. Hopefully your DH will get more proactive with his own son! I remember a friend visiting when DS was a baby and she turned to her husband as DH tended to him and said “You SEE Richard? HE changes nappies!” #awkward

Nice one Michelle Obama! Can’t imagine ever being disciplined enough to get to the gym so early. I’m a bit sad to imagine Barack being a lazy sod though.

Aaaaaand anything else I meant to say has fallen out of my head. Although I had an email back from my tutor and my assignment edits were good so I have officially completed unit one and I can go and colour in my chart :o

Links in a sec, just going upstairs to watch Netflix and fold shitloads of laundry.

❄️🍒👋

We're still tier 2 but are more or less encircled by Tier 3 now which means some of the few things we were planning (including panto) will be off. FFS.

🎄❄️🎁 Monday 14th December 🎁❄️🎄

Zone - 3 - bathroom and another room

Daily Focus - errands. If you’re allowed out of the house that is. 🤦🏻‍♀️

Today’s Mission - quick spruce up of office area, desk etc

✈️ FLIGHT PLAN ✈️

🎄❄️🎁 The Keep Calm Corner Advent Calendar 🎁❄️🎄

I know we’ve discussed carols many times on here but this meme made me wonder about other Christmas songs. I like most really, although the beginning of fairytale of New York makes my heart sink a bit despite liking the second bit! One of the first CD singles I bought was Billie Piper’s cover of Last Christmas 😳😂 my parents didn’t listen to pop music when I was young so I had no idea it was a cover. Very confused when I heard the original 😂

I like this one, When A Child Is Born, which I’d never heard before they did it in the infant school nativity, so it makes me feel a bit warm and fuzzy.

🎅🏻🎅🏻🎅🏻🎅🏻🎅🏻🎅🏻🎅🏻🎅🏻🎅🏻🎅🏻

For sing and interested others - suitability review National Lampoon Christmas www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/national-lampoons-christmas-vacation#:~:text=Parents%20need%20to%20know%20that,iffy%20for%20kids%20and%20tweens

Ooh thanks Tinselette I think I’ll watch just with DH first then. Christmas with the Kranks is a PG so I’ll go with that one although I doubt the Caglets will be keen to watch something new maybe I’ll bribe them with chocolate. 😂

I put away some of the laundry but I hit the wall energy wise so I’ve come back downstairs and might put a film on once DD1 is off Sims. I must say she’s coped fairly well considering she was so upset at the start of the week but she did agree that having a break from the bullies has been good.

DS has two more maths sheets to do (Christmas themed! :o) and that’s him done for the year. DH wants to be more involved with the planning next year which is great but it’s actually quite hard to relinquish control TBH because as I said to him, home ed is one of the few things I can honestly say I am good at, that I’m doing a good job and achieving something. Not to mention the fact I actually enjoy it! FWIW he is often the one supervising him actually working but I’m the one who finds the resources, plans what to study etc. But he’s right that if I want to focus more on my own studies (not to mention my piano tutoring now!) I need to not have the whole load on my shoulders. So we are going to divide and conquer along subject lines I think.

Aaaaand Cagletini just knocked over DH’s giant dalek mug and smashed it 😩