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! 💐

My turn for insomnia too

Well I'm giving up now and cracking on...

Oh Lord you poor things being up! I've just woken. Do you feel better today zoo apart from the insomnia?

Morning all

Disrupted night here due to cold and being unable to breathe through my poor nose

Yesterday i FINALLY started the wrapping. Managed about 9 presents. Very small dent in pile but better than nothing!

that it's a start!
Tinselette bit better I think,I'm so tired I'm not functioning on all cylinders so can't be certain
Ed hope you drifted back off!

Tada
Cats fed
Wash on
Harpic lav

Kitchen-
Windows cleaned
Sills cleared,wiped and stuff put back
Clean all tiling/splashbacks
Clean crumb tray on toaster
Wipe toaster
Wipe kettle
Finally get round removing paint from side cupboard
Clean surface one
Clean surface two
Wipe all cupboard fronts
Wipe tumble drier
Clean filter
Wash in drier
Wipe washing machine
Reload

Sort thru cupboards checking and rotating stock,noting items needing replenishing

Clear and clean dining table

I need pop Waitrose shortly,then dd1 popping Tesco about 9
I will just need grab extra milk/bread etc xmas eve...

Todo
Lots shop,wipe and put away
Gift wrapping
Hall stairs and landing

Today a nap will be essential I think!

Oooh a nap i like the sound of a nap 😴

Thank you Zoo. Yes, I did drift back off in the end. I also want to go to Waitrose, ours opens at 8, so I'd better get moving.

I missed all the chat yesterday because of work, trying desperately to get everything done before Xmas. So I'm just jumping back in here. Sorry about all the insomnia. I've been sleeping very badly too but last night was better.

Day off today, dh at work, I must wrap all his presents today! And really, really try to go for a walk for some fresh air.

Ta da

🎄 dc 1 3 4 and 5 up and fed
🎁 dc 5 changed and dressed
🎄 ordered presents i forgot for dp
🎁 alter tomorrows tesco order

I need to brave the shops but will have to take dc 3, 4 and 5. Am i insane?

I don’t want to go back to work . Haven’t caught up yet but I see we’ve had a few insomniac fledglings so

☕☕☕to all insomniacs!
I am awake but still in bed. Don't want to get up.

Ta das
All up dressed and breakfasts
Went for a walk with the dc (a very kind lady has put little Christmas presents on the village Xmas tree for children)
Posted the card dd made for her cousins as she was going to give it to them Xmas day
Took a couple of books to the book bank thing
Unloaded dishwasher
Took recycling out and it appears dh has left an obstacle course round the side of the house for me to trip over
Tidied kitchen sides and wiped
Got Xmas crackers down from the cupboard so we don't forget them!
Cleaned out veg drawer in fridge ready for veg box delivery today.
Worked out what to do for dinner to use last of the veg in the fridge (veggie cottage pie with celeriac and potato mash on top, I imagine the kids will not be impressed 😂)
Sent a message to the lady who put the presents on the tree to say thank you

I'm waiting for the kids to stop making a big mess in the kitchen so I can go in and make a coffee / tidy up after them. They are playing with bubbles and I stupidly didn't make them go outside, I don't know what I was thinking!!

Hope the online Xmas with FIL goes well glittery

Well, the queue at Waitrose was huge so I came home as I am working (WFH) today and didn't have time. It's open till 10 tonight so I will try again this evening. Or tomorrow as I'm off work so it doesn't matter so much about how long it takes.

Just having a quick break. Second LOL on. Sourdough in progress. Cottage pie filling out of the freezer for dinner.

That's lovely about the present tree Foxes

Hope your Waitrose visit was more successful Zoo

Hope the FIL online Christmas worked well Woolly - what strange times we live in.

Strange times indeed!

Got the Caglets doing some gift tags, hurrah. DD1 out on her skateboard for a bit and I just need to do more studying.

Was on the insomniac bench too last night as didn’t sleep till about 3 I think, but was watching outnumbered and doing a puzzle instead. And breaking into the Christmas fudge. 😳

🎄❄️🎁 Tuesday 22nd December 🎁❄️🎄

Zone - 4 - boudoir

Daily Focus - planning

Today’s Mission - 15 minutes getting rid of anything that does not belong in the boudoir

✈️ FLIGHT PLAN ✈️

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

Here’s a Christmas song my friend showed me yesterday - Rudolf the All-Gracious King. It was written using artificial intelligence! There is a longer video explaining how it’s made, but I daren’t send myself down that YouTube rabbit hole right now 😂

🎅🏻🎅🏻🎅🏻🎅🏻🎅🏻🎅🏻🎅🏻🎅🏻🎅🏻🎅🏻

Very Christmassy TaDa list
delivered neighbours' cards
marzipanned cake
put a wash on (not quite so festive...)

S1 has brought one of the sets of handbells home with him (yes, he carried a suitcase full of metal on the train, along with a gig case full of metal and the normal suitcase of clothes and rucksack full of work). I've tried handbells once before and couldn't get my brain round them moving independently even in the simplest straight line, so if he thinks we're going to get on to methods he's got another think coming...

Hiya, I’ve got back into flying!. The DC have been okay today, we did some jigsaws this morning. Then DS1 served us our lunch from his cafe. They’ve planned an activity for DS2, later they can help plan tea and help me make it. Currently we’re playing hide and seek, pic attached of their hiding place😂.

Well done on the wrapping wooly, sorry about the disrupted sleep. I hope you enjoyed your online Christmas.

Great going with the studying sing you deserve ALL the Christmas fudge paintings with a 3 year old!

The light walk sounds nice zoo at least your DD’s enjoyed it!. Sorry about the insomnia, I hope you managed to fit in a nap.

I bet it really cheered her up seeing you bower. Brilliant ta da list.

mc I love my feather duster! I love the wish tradition!

Sorry about the insomnia too ED, glad to hear you managed to drift back off.

Well done on masking a start with the wrapping that!

Sorry you’ve been sleeping badly too foxes, I hope you get the wrapping done!. The Christmas tree presents are so lovely.

Lovely christmassy ta da list merry

Hide and seek us over and we’re going for a walk to DM’s to have a chat in the garden. The kids love going to see her.

ta da
🍫Deep cleaned kitchen and bathroom and 🍫they were getting mucky
🍫Hoovered/mopped all floors
🍫Dusted everywhere
🍫Shook rug
🍫Washed bedding
🍫Changed bedding
🍫Decluttered my room

Love the hiding place isawthat 😂

Ta das
Mopped kitchen and downstairs toilet
Made lunch for me and the kids
Put veg box contents away
Put dinner in the slow cooker (completely random made up recipe in the end, some kind of veggie cottage pie, but tbh its just throw everything that needs using up in a pot!)
Hung up washing
Finished wrapping dh presents!

Need to head out to collect shopping soon, finish tidying downstairs, clean the bathroom, tidy my bedroom, check the kids bedrooms aren't crazy messy (they are building traps!?!) and make the mash to go on the cottage pie, and sort out some green veg to serve with it.

Excellent hiding skills there :o

Well I have done three measly mini questions on my assignment, which is overall one out of 12 proper questions IYSWIM. Can’t concentrate, kept clicking away etc (this is the problem with an assessment system that is on a website, you can’t avoid the internet!).

I may have also ordered myself a Christmas game that came back into stock 😳 it won’t get here on time but hopefully it’ll still be here fairly soon (depending on backlog) and in any case it might cheer me up after Christmas is over especially if we have more horrible pandemic news! I must say I’ve never felt particularly that it’ll all be over by 2021 but I feel more dread than before about what’s going to happen after Christmas. I think at this point I’m more sad about that than Christmas itself!

After noon.

I made a stupid life choice and braved the shops. Vodka is the only solution to that nonsense. I swear people forget they know how to drive in December!!!!

So now i don't have to leave the house after tomorrow until the new year except to pick up an order from the caterers supply shop. fyi if you batch cook and have one that sells to public as well as wholesales - this is often the cheapest option of supplies. Admittedly you have to buy in bulk but the cost savings if you can accommodate is completely worth it.

ALso picked up RO water for the fish tank and some other needed chemical treatments.

I gotta go de outside. Must say was very impressed by the fact the garage i took my car to for its MOT washes it on the outside. It was such a state i had to check you could read the number plate before i handed the keys over

to do
all. the. things.

Ed queue was substantial,but moved fair speed.took 25 minutes to get in but once in we whip round and were out in under 30 me muted as limited numbers ment at most one in queue at checkout!
Dd1 said Tesco was hideous.no counting of numbers and a milk delivery was pounced on with no distancing/elbows everywhere.left her both slightly disturbed by lack of concern for covid safety and glad to escape..
Few bits couldn't get,might try co op tom
Wrapped 2/3 remaining gifts
Lunch
Nap.i ended up having two hours and whilst I feel half alive now,I woke 4pm.whoops.sleep may not occur tonight!
3lol done

On downside someone on lil zoo Wats app declared tested positive today.she sits a table away in artassuming they still inform school/track n trace I'm expecting to hear she has to self isolate.anyone know how long it takes to be contacted?assuming this kid hasn't got most twisted sense of humour on the planet
Dd2 is freaking and record to living room refusing share a room with her

To do
But more wrapping
Might crochet a but whilst watch TV with dd2 in a bit

Oh dear poor lil zoo

Going off how it has worked with us before parents of positive case contact school who should stil have contact available this week. School speak with dfe etc and work out who needs to isolate (can take 24h+ on normal working days) then school will contact people to isolate. I think it is only people been in contact with in 48 hours before symptoms so depending on when that was you may be ok

We still have to contact school about positive cases throughout the holiday, they have procedures. But by this point for us it will only be cases moving forwards. I guess it depends when symptoms started, and contact based on that. Some kids do have a very sick and twisted sense of humour but any precautions are probably wise until you know otherwise. Poor lil zoo though.

I should probably make tea. I have been working in the dining room/kitchen area and it looks 5 billion times worse than before i started. More christmassy but waaaaaaaaaay more messy