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! 💐

Hills what fishtank set up do you have?
Zoo I hope you hear soon. Not knowing is the worst.
Sing progress, however small, is still a progress.
Ta da today:
🎉Went for a walk
🎉Dropped off presents/cards

No other flying done. I am firmly parked on the sofa and I ain't moving.

Mc tropical fish that i swear are bomb proof. Well some of them, others a bit more tenderfoot. We have had a number of issues ranging from heater failures, filter failures, water quality issues due to covid lockdown and no access to the RO water, white spot, me disturbing the substrate a bit to much and releasing god knows what into the water (that took out a few of the poor things), having to spend the night in buckets due to tank problems. I know far more about medicating fish then i ever wanted to know. As as much as i moan about the work to look after them, they do make me smile.

Woolly- that is a very Christmasy post! Aww glad your zoom with fil went well!

Isaw- that is such a great hiding place!

Foxes- wow that is so lovely of the lady who put gifts on a tree for children.

Sing- weldone for trying to work.

Zoo- oh no, insomnia and about Dd and possible isolation.

Ed - did you try the shops and turn back. I understand if its a queue and you had to get back to work.

That- did you take your children shopping! Did you survive?

Merry - have you tried out the new bells?

Mc - rest, dont do too much, you got your whole life to tidy. Sit and enjoy the baby cuddles. If your arms get too tired, pass him over here, I will happily hold him! You put your feet up.

bower - i hope you are ok? How is the new stable door? Did you say you had some painting to do?

I have been doing late night shopping for the past 4 nights. Its been great at I leave the house a 6.30pm and didnt get back until 11.30pm. Its lovely a quiet.
Sainsburys, Iceland, Tkmaxx, Tesco, Primark.
Its been really helpful to avoid to many people...although its been getting more busy in tkmaxx. People buying last minute presents I guess.
I have got all presents yay.
Dh is going to M and S to pick up some christmas food tomo night.
As long as we have milk, bread and cheese- i dont care.
Will post more in a bit. Lack of sleep affecting me.

I think I forgot my ta da list yesterday.

ta da from Monday
🤷‍♀️Studying
🤷‍♀️Reading
🤷‍♀️Helped with Asda list for fresh stuff
🤷‍♀️Made Cagletini her own picture shopping list so she could help daddy

Think that’s about it.

ta da from today
🤷‍♀️Reading
🤷‍♀️Studying
🤷‍♀️Painted gift tags with the Caglets and then cleared up
🤷‍♀️Hoovered living room
🤷‍♀️Watched Caglets’ dance show DVD

Again... think that’s about it. Feeling unfestive, grumpy and really sick/headachey. 🤬

Just back from Waitrose. No queues, not very busy and well stocked, lots of staff re-stacking the shelves. This morning the queue was right round the car park and up the street. That's the shopping done now, I just need to put petrol in my car tomorrow, I don't like it too empty just in case (I had a 5am trip to A&E once with DS and the car was running on fumes just to add to the stress. No 24 hour petrol in this town).

Most of the rest of the day was work, I got quite a lot done, some end of year review and report stuff plus some planning for next year. Tomorrow is holiday but I do need to send a couple of emails in the morning (fine because I took an hour out this afternoon to go for a walk before it got dark). I also took DS to football training tonight, very few there which is good really and they did very distanced training.

Dancing - late night shopping is a great idea, I often do that with the DCs in normal years.

Sing - I hope you feel better tomorrow

Hills - the tropical fish sound like a lot of effort!

Zoo - hope Lil Zoo doesn't need to SI.

Bower - we have a stable door, I really like it, I often have the top half open in summer as the light floods into the kitchen that way.

Waves at everyone else

So, not much Flying today, but tomorrow I need a list.

2x work email
Wrap pressies
Deliver local cards
Ice cake
Replace batteries in garden fairy lights
Water Christmas tree
At least 2xLOL
Declutter kitchen and coffee tables AGAIN

Hills tell me about treating fishies! I've got a cabinet full of anti-this-that-and-the-other, enough to stock a small vet practice, plus a spare hospital tank. The latest plague was just at the end of the first lockdown, I changed nitrifying bacteria brand due to lockdown availability, and it was either a bad batch or the thing has gone off somehow, but it caused a haemorrhagic septicemia outbreak in all 3 tanks. Took me a few days to cope onto why of all 3 tanks going off at the same time (only 2 of the tanks share a water hose, the big one has a separate Venturi one). Thankfully all of the goldfish pulled through, some casualties in the temperate tank and some of the nerites have gone to a better place. I agree, fishies are a lot of work, but definitely worth it ☺️
Sing hugs. I am sorry to hear you are in a funk.
Dancing late night shopping you say... That's good to know! Hope you manage to get some rest.
ED glad to hear you had a productive day! End of year can be quite full on.

🍒👋

Mc - yes late night shopping was really good. I left the kids with Dh and he had to get them to bed. Dh was not happy. I didnt care as I refuse to go shops when it is heaving.

-Tkmaxx open till 10pm was medium busy.
-Aldi open till 11pm lightly busy- i bought a insulated gravy boat- i was soo chuffed. It was the last one.
-Sainsburys open till 10pm and was busy yesterday. I quickly left.
-Iceland i was there at 11pm yesterday it only had a few shoppers. Its was great and everything was there. Great friendly staff.

• Home bargins open till 9pm lightly busy.
• Tesco open until 12am I think medium busy.
• Primark at 7.30pm yest was nearly empty.
• Marks and Spencers on Tuesday night at 10.45pm very lightly busy, lovely, friendly staff. I wish I had bought my Christmas food from there then. But Dh was being a chump.

I am a morning person so I did dash into a retail park at 7.50am yesterday morning- i loved it! The sun was coming up, a beautiful sky. There was only 10 cars maximum and I could have done my shopping at a supermarket and it would have been extremely quiet. The shop I went to was lovely and friendly. I had to rush back home to get to the kids for breakfast.

Ed it was very similar in the shops I went to. Staff frantically restocking shelves. I am glad you went when it wasnt busy too.

Hills gosh that sounds like alot of work to look after tropical fish.

Mc you must love your fish alot too. There sounds like alot of hard work cleaning out the fish tanks.

Sing I hope you are ok. I am sorry you are feeling unfestive. Its hard when there is so much going on. It hard on the adults as we have to make Christmas happen. Sending you a hug. You are so organised for Christmas.

I am going for a slap dash Christmas approach.
Like my slap-dash quiche I made today, the fraggles shockingly loved it and they scoffed it down. I was so suprised!

Ta das-

4 x lol
Drying
Put half lot away.
Washed new Christmas eve pjs for both fraggles...must put box together tomo.

I am on strike in the kitchen cleaning.

My fraggles enjoying playing with all the Christmas decorations makes me happy. They love the Christmas room (sitting room.) 🎄🎁🎀🎉🎄🎁🎄🎁🎄🎁🎄🎁

🍒🎄🎁🖐 everyone.

I remember typing out a post yesterday morning, but it seems to have fisappeared in cyberspace, so here goes a short version for Monday.

School uniforms - all trousers washed, up on pulleys, now on hangers to put away. All jerseys washed, now on pulleys.
Very short tidy in back garden. Still a visible improvement.

Supermarket delivery wiped down and put away.

Bookcases now stacked. LG delighted with that and her bureau. Enormous encyclopaedias on bottom shelf to prevent tipping. LG sorted her books, cards, dollies, very happy.

Yesterday (Tuesday) -

Massive pile of school jerseys washed and on pulleys.

LG and I sorted thtough her drawings. She made all the decisions, told me the stories behind many of her pictures. She set several aside as special, kept about two-thirds for her bureau, some for homework and school pile, rest for paper bin.

LOs watching far too much tv. Not many options for them, as we are all rather stressed and weary, and tv is their safe place. I need to have something ready for them for the extra week of holidays in January. Also the week of online learning. And lots of extra food!

Today's To-Do

School polo shirts.

Usual kitchen stuff.

Clear all floors, ready for huge hoovering.

New battery in beeping smoke alarm.

A few more decorations.

If LG amenable, tackle crafts boxes.

Hose down both LOs, hair, nails, etc.

Don't put on tv news when LOs up. Listen to radio. Play calming music.

Rather miserable that weather stopped us seeing Great Conjunction.

Morning.saw every bloody hour last night,maybe 10-15 minutes slee in some one hour periods.tgink that's worse than couple solid hours
So general consensus is we should be contacted by track and trace today and on meanwhile keep lil zoo at home?(tired and confused)

Need finish wrapping dd1 gifts
General clear up
Try get on top washing

Morning Zoo

i have been awake for half hour already. My get up and go has truly buggered off.
Flu shot, work, all the things, Christmas baking and birthday stuff around here. Not my birthday thankfully. but i need to make cake and find the card/present that were stashed in a safe place...

i should really go find coffee and clothes.

Yes zoo fingers crossed they dont contact you!

Oh zoo sorry you've been awake so much 🌷I'm having a minor hospital procedure in two weeks so I'm keeping even more distant from everyone. It's a local anesthetic thing to remove a lump from my lip.

Ta da

🎁 me and dc 3, 4 & 5 up and fed
🎄 wash on
🎁 dryer on / washing on rads
🎄 booked asda for between xmas and ny

How are you doing That?

tinselette hope you are able to go ahead and it goes well for you

Zoo what That said

ta da
Wash some new food storage jars
Work out a mental plan of action for the day
dislocate wrist

Pain killers to go with the second cup of coffee i think. Then clothes and doing. Next up stuff back into car.

Made the mistake of watching a planning youtube video whislt putting up my hair (yes i know i multi-task too much). I have now lost an hour and planned out things that need systems to make run smoother, whilst going Doh on the "if you can't achieve everything you are probably making the mistake of thinking/scheduling way to much in one day"

Otoh i am feeling slightly less panicked because actually ahead of where i had planned to be because laundry was a tomo job and i did half of it yesterday (yay) and the dinning room? yeah that was never achievable in one day!

wooly thank you.i look forward to seeing your cake

Finally moved my sorry arse.like walking thru treacle.urgh.not helped gut pain is back,and my eyes and back neck hurting

Discovered no ripe bananas or tuna left
So first upgo head co op with D's to replenish supplies.hooing bit freshair will help perk me up

I was planning to make a puff pastry tree Woolly but not making the actual pastry. I can't decide between marmite or chocolate versions. Might do half and half. Or cheese . Whatever I do someone won't like it.

Well I woke up realising I hadn't bought any sweets for stockings, so I jogged to M&S which was busy but not rammed. Also bumped into a couple of friends, was nice to have a brief chat. On work email done, one to go.

Sourdough out of the oven - I know some of you said you don't like it, but it is my new favourite thing. Picture later. Another new favourite thing (courtesy of Nigel Slater) is a morning cuppa at the kitchen table with a candle instead of the lights on so I'm just doing that now

Morning cuppa and sourdough

I've also got the back door open and the rain is coming down steadily, very relaxing.

Oh Ed what lovely pictures!
Love the cuppa and candle idea.

I love sourdough bread, I love any type of bread. Your bread looks amazing, looks like an artisan hand crafted bread

Morning! Very sleepy as it was another late night. Then ended up with Cagletini sleeping across my feet like a very heavy cat. I think being stuck indoors is messing up my sleep. One of my trackers will be “did I get outside today” with a square for every day of the year. Here’s hoping I can colour most of it and don’t need to isolate again! Can’t remember if I said I got a notification (while already isolating due to DS) about contact with a positive case so that’s added to my time at home. Apparently the app has made mistakes but TBH I am out on Christmas Day anyway so at this point I’ll just put up with a couple more days, and it means I definitely can’t do the shopping, such a shame. :o

Must get the rest of the wrapping done today, I’m glad DH bought some more paper with nice patterns on as I was getting bored with just silver and gold although I’m proud of my ribbons :o and I am desperate to watch some more Christmas films! First though I have a DVD to finish while I have the telly to myself.

I don’t feel very festive, what I’m currently much more excited about is that today is the day the boiler people come! Heating! Hot water!!! Please keep everything crossed, lovely fledglings, for I am going absolutely batshit without these things :(

Ooh, exciting about the hot water Sing - a very welcome Christmas pressie, everything crossed for you. BTW not sure if you had noticed, but the thread is nearly full.