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! 💐

It finally stopped raining so I went to town, freezing cold though. Stocked up frozen stuff from Iceland, I can never believe how reasonable the prices are compared to the big supermarkets. Just got to find room for it all now.

I have realised the Christmas cards are going to be a problem, I injured my right index finger at the weekend and although it's getting better I can hardly hold a pen and write. I can only type a few words with it too - I'm avoiding using it but that slows me right down. It's been hard cleaning this week too, I hadn't realise how much of cleaning involves pressing down with the index finger.

Appointment was great, and didn’t take the hour. She said yes to trying a different medication, I just need an ECG (I’m assuming I can’t just drop in for that under current rules so I’ll ring tomorrow).

I am now sitting in a quiet pub on my own which after a month of very little space from the madhouse is Actual Bliss. Cheers! 🥂

Hi everyone!. I’ve had a rubbish day here. It’s been horrible and rainy most of the day and DD has been grumpy because we basically got no sleep last night. We walked the dog for 2 hours this morning, normally we do 1 hour in the morning and 1 hour at night but DD still falls asleep better in her buggy so she got a 2 hour nap. We did some painting this afternoon and some messy play and now we’re having a cuddle on the sofa and watching some CBeebies, she’s absolutely exhausted bless her but I’m trying to keep her awake until 7 so she sleeps through and keeps her routine. Thank you everyone for all your Christmas film ideas, there’s some brilliant ones on there that I’d forgot about.

Also a quick COVID question. I’m not sure if you’ll know the answer but I might as well try here. I’m in a bubble with my DM, Step dad and GM (they all live together), so does that mean we are 1 household?. My DF, DSM and Dsis’ are in a bubble with my Daunt1 and her 2 DD’s (so they’re 1 household?). My DGM2, DGF, Daunt2 and DUncle all love together. Does that mean that as they are one household, me and my bubble are one household and my dad and his bubble are one household, we can all meet up for Christmas as that’s 3 households?. Sorry if that’s confusing! And I also know it’s a bit weird that so many people in my family all love together, but house prices are expensive here so some people never moved out of the family home!.

zoo we didn’t get to sleep until about 5am! It must have been some sort of post lockdown party🙄. We love Polar Express here, we’ll definitely have to give that a watch soon. Sorry about the insomnia!. That’s a massive list of films, thank you so much.

foxes Arthur Christmas is a big hit here too, I’ll add it to the list.

I hope your heating gets fixed sing how annoying! Thank you for the suggestions, I’ve not watched a couple of them before. I love Polar Express, it makes me feel the most Christmassy!. I hope your kitchen survey goes well. I’m glad your appointment and tutor went well!.

It’s so annoying dancing they’re quite young and do it all the time. They’ll have a crying baby to annoy them soon though😂. Here’s some 🍫, sorry about the stressful morning!.

Great going on the cards bower I need to do mine soon!.

I’ll be back later with my list. Currently cuddled up with DD before she goes for her bath. I’m really treasuring these moments with just the 2 of us before the baby comes along.

Haven’t finished them yet.
A bit start stop here. I write short letters in some.

UP- i forgot to say...I love your shiny sink photo! I have sink envy 😊

Hi Bower- you are so organised with your Christmas cards.

Hi ED, has it stopped raining over there? Here its been drizzling all day.

Sorry sherin as i understand it a bubble is 2 households that have special exceptions. So that combination would count as 6 households. It is all terribly confusing though.

Does a bubble still mean the same thing, that one of the households has to be with only one adult?

I need to do Christmas cards. I drew a couple last year and was hoping to paint some this year. Although it sort of makes me sad because one of the recipients last year I can’t actually send one to now (as I knew her through her work with me) and I miss her ☹️ But I should try and paint some for my parents etc. Must find the blank cards!

Also thinking of doing some naice hampers for DSCs (would be two) and my parents. DH won a set of posh beers which he can’t drink (one is gluten free but I’m not sure he can drink on his meds anyway) so we can put those in too! Was thinking some nice chocolates and stuff like that but I’m not sure where to start really, any suggestions? One couple, two sisters (one a coeliac so will look for fancy GF stuff) and my parents 😂

hills this is what it says on the government website? So I think bubbles are one household aren’t they? This is so confusing.

sing I think so! I’m in a support bubble as I’m single and my dad is in a support bubble as Daunt is single. But I think that for Christmas non single people can bubble. There’s some nice ideas for hampers in a telegraph article I think

DD is in bed. I’m having some bourbons and a cup of tea and catching up on I’m a celeb. It’s raining here and freezing but feels very cosy.

This is where them having 2 definitions of bubble gets really quickly isnt it. I guess the simple thing is the more people the greater risk of post christmas covid. Guess you gotta figure it out as deniable plausibility is the governments favourite game.

FYI today was shit, I am in a shit mood take above with half a tub of salt and ignore, the tone is probably off by a country mile

hills yes it’s so confusing! I’ll probably just stay in my support bubble, maybe see the others separately if at all. Sorry you’ve not had a good day!

I’m so confused, I can’t really be arsed 🤣 luckily the rule about the Xmas period means we can see all of DH’s DCs, that was the main worry for us. Although I’m still hoping they’ll have the big two Caglets over if it’s allowed for them to stay (that was the original contingency plan as it would be under 6 people but the rules have changed about a million times since) so DH and I can have a peaceful evening 🤣 ah well. Will figure it out in a week or two - there’s one more tier announcement before Xmas anyway isn’t there.

Sorry for the crap days hills and sherin and anyone else I missed. Ouch at the lasting finger pain ed!

I’m excited for DS as he’s getting more activities back - joining a home ed parkour class tomorrow, and then Saturday morning he’s got his first in person scouts meet since pre covid. However they’re going on a hike (his first as he only joined a year ago and missed the overnight thing) and so we need to get him suitable footwear, so looks like a trip to town is needed when Cagletini is at nursery! Will fit in some Christmas shopping fripperies too. The main bulk is done which I’m really pleased about but it would be nice to have it absolutely ALL done before Monday. Then I can start wrapping which I enjoy, as it’ll only be waiting for some deliveries. And DECORATING!!! And hopefully some Christmas baking and craft.

ta da
🥸home ed
🥸read email about my assignment, replied and marked off “approved” questions on my tick sheet
🥸reading
🥸booked parkour!!!
🥸cancelled yoga (which was pointless by the way because nobody showed up for the boiler)
🥸went to my appt
🥸lovely relaxing dinner by myself in the pub. Nobody wanted anything from me for over an hour!!!
🥸swept hallway and kitchen as per the chore wheel
🥸made tick sheet for our new pick n mix tradition (we all - not including Cagletini yet - choose pound shop bits like chocolate, toiletries etc - for each other and then we have to guess who chose what for us when we open it)

Should really sleep. 🍒👋

Thanks for chocolate zoo and sherin. It helped.

Sherin- your neighbours partied until 5am? I am so sorry to have to experience that. You and your DD need peace. Have you tried putting on headphones and nice music on to drown out upstairs? Hope you dont mind me suggesting this.

Hills- this drizzly weather hasnt got people. In the best of moods. I blame the weather.

ED- sorry posted before I had caught up on the whole thread. Glad it stopped raining so you got out.

Sing- your graffiti course sounds brilliant.
Parkour for your Ds sounds so cool. I hope they come and sort your heating soon. Pub sounds bliss!

Ta das
Cooked chicken jollof rice with veg recipe. My own made up recipe. DH really liked it.
Cooked mac n cheese for fraggle- they ate it! Yay!
Washed and tided most of the stuff away.
I wanted to say thank you to this thread as the support on here kept me going. As the kitchen more organised, I feel like I can cook the family a dinner and clear up. Before I was just wading thro treacle. I have got more organising to do in the kitchen, currently my baking things want to fall out.

🍒🎄🖐

Ah I hadn’t seen that and said to DS2 only three households so someone can’t come. He immediately said DB( DS3) probably won’t want to come and I came back quick as a flash well somebody can’t and we thought it would be you as you’re on a diet! Ha! Ha!🤣 you should have seen his face. He loves his food. Which is why he is on a diet. He has lost a stone and a bit in five weeks. He is so good when he is on a diet. So if that remains the case re Covid that means they can all come as DS3 is in a bubble with us as we were worried he might get depressed. He is a bit of an introvert.
Sing I just saw the pentatonix Mary did you know? I had already listened to that in the last week. I love it. We sang a version of that somewhere. I can’t remember which choir think it might have been church a few years ago. Loved singing it.
Our Advent Windows start tomorrow night. I must get cracking and prepare mine I have two weeks. I kinda know what I am doing.
Zoo I wished I had picked up my paint brush at the same time as you. Congrats on being finished are you pleased with it? I. Wish DH would do our dining room. I ll have to pencil that in for next week.
Sherin I hope you get a better night tonight. She looks so cute snuggled up. I’m not sure about it I would have thought if going to yours then your bubble would be one and then the rest four so too many. It is crackers though. I bet it will change DS2 said since they are opening the pubs that at least one of them will probably have to isolate because he thinks it will be track and trace. He has had to do it three or four times already. He had one staff member and some customers altogether causing two.
I am actually cold in here. It was 3 C when I was out at 6 pm and we are forecast snow. It was snowing on most of the fells. Dh&DS1 have been walking on Tuesday.
Sorry I have forgotten the other personals now.
I hope SC pops in before Christmas.
I am going to have to get up for warmer PJs my shoulders are cold. Poor chickens and I didn’t shut them in tonight. They don’t really like being in so I just do it when it is really freezing.

It’s not that I am organised with the cards it is just that I have to do it in chunks or I forget people. So I have done all the Australian and New Zealand ones except DD &Pbecause they have moved. I have done all the Scottish ones but need a bigger envelope for DN 1. I have started the church ones and have a few local ones done. I haven’t made them all though just about half. DD painted hers and sent them for printing they came out really well. I wanted to do a Lino cut and then print them. Next year. I couldn’t get the stuff out due to builder .
Right I must get to sleep Dbuilder is coming at 8 :30 he laughed and said he just needed the shed keys.

🍒👋🍒👋🍒👋🍒🤣🍒🤣🍒👋🍒👋to everyone 💤💤💤

I won’t post my normal ta da list as you’ve all got a grasp of my daily routine now and it’s very boring to read it over again!. I don’t have much of an entrance, but there is an entrance cupboard and I sorted out the clothes/shoes that had just been chucked in there. Not much else done today.

I feel like that sing, I think I’ll most likely have my bubble over and then face time everyone else. I can’t believe we aren’t having a normal Christmas ☹️. It sounds like things are looking really positive for your DS!

It’s so infuriating dancing, I live in a maisonette, there’s 3 houses and I’m right in the middle and on the 2nd floor, the party flat are below me, but we share an entrance. They do things like this quite a lot, but I’m too anxious to say anything as our front doors are right next to each other and I don’t want to cause a faff. I have tried headphones but you can still hear the music unless it’s really loud and then I can’t sleep. If it carries on I’ll have to have a word with them. I love Mac and cheese, I might make some for lunch tomorrow!.

bower well done to your son on the weight loss!. Thank you, she loves cuddling up bless her. From what I can gather it would technically only be 3 households but obviously a lot of people are moving so we’ll probably just keep to one bubble. I’m lucky that I haven’t had to isolate yet, but then I don’t go out enough to have been in much contact with anyone!. I wish snow was forecast here, I’ve attached my weather forecast and it’s looking a bit grim :(. I can imagine lots of duvet days will be happening. Sorry that you’re so cold I hope you’ve warmed up now. I’m still very impressed with the Christmas cards!.

Right I should try and get some sleep, DD crawled in with me a while ago, she’s fast asleep again. I’m struggling to get comfortable, bump seems to wake up on the nighttime’s and he’s making it very difficult to sleep.

Sherin lovely and warm now. I have just climbed back into bed. DH is up and dressed and making tea😀 and no wonder I was cold...We have Snow! More at the back of the house, than the front and the Pennines are covered. The car has an inch or two. Brrr! The Everhot means it is lovely and warm in the kitchen. It used to be freezing in there. Years and years ago we had a Rayburn and that kept us warm.
Here’s the tea. Mmmm. Hope you got some sleep. I was awake until 2am then woke again around 3-4.

It would be a good day for Mac and cheese. I wish I could eat it and I have both macaroni and cheese as DH has some cheddar 😢

Plan to clear up the rest of card making then clean the sitting room. I need to phone the doctor for telephone appointment and the painter who I imagine is booked up. The

ED ouch sounds painful is it fractured? Lolly stick and taped three fingers together.

Mmm the tea is lovely. It is a hot scone and jam sort of day. I might make some. Can’t hear the builder’s van yet.

Off to check Flying. Leaves hot croissants and Danish pastries, tea and coffee for fledglings.

So last night’s positivity may have been premature - woke up at 9 (I really do love that DH handles the mornings ❤️ He’s a good sort!) and could still hear Cagletini. She’d been sick while they were getting ready to leave. Completely fine now. DD1 is still in bed as she felt really grotty (scratchy throat etc) - think under normal circumstances we’d be pushing her to still go but with all the illness around and the bullying he just said go back to bed and I don’t blame him TBH.

No idea what to do today though. DS is fine but friend (who was taking him to parkour with her son) has a vulnerable DH. We were meant to be going to town to get him some shoes for the hike tomorrow. 🤦🏽‍♀️🤦🏽‍♀️🤦🏽‍♀️

Great sewing Woolly.🧵bobbin of the year.
Just waiting for the dyson to charge. DH didn’t put it on charge since yesterday.
DD... has just parked up.😁

🎄❄️🎁 Friday 4th December 🎁❄️🎄

Zone - last day in zone 1 - hallway and dining room

Daily Focus - clear out your handbag, purse and car

Today’s Mission - choose your own mission! Do something that needs doing in zone 1

Today’s Holiday Mission - still stuck on #3, but if you so desire you could have a look back to some from last month here

✈️ FLIGHT PLAN ✈️

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

I’ve been thinking a lot about trying to make the house a bit cosier for the last few months and getting some nice Christmassy/wintery things is a big part of that (although I’m prepared to wait for the sales for some of it). Anyway I thought given the meme :o I’d ask - what to you are the smells of Christmas and how do you bring them into your home?

Last year I got a wax warmer thing from a friend so have some nice wax with slightly spicy smells. I guess baking type smells too and orange and cranberry although I couldn’t actually tell you what a cranberry smells like 😂 I don’t like mulled wine though so that sort of smell puts me off. I want to get a bowl of festive potpourri as I mentioned the other day and I’m on the lookout for another reed diffuser :o

🎅🏻🎅🏻🎅🏻🎅🏻🎅🏻🎅🏻🎅🏻🎅🏻🎅🏻🎅🏻

Still waiting for the boiler people. I’m so cold 🥶🥶🥶 apparently they turned up at 10.30 last night - no, we were both awake till midnight! We reckon they must have gone to the flats - we are like “7 Maple Road” and the flat would be “7 Mulberry House, Maple Road” and they always get confused. 🤬🤬🤬

Cagletini is completely fine, DD1 is now awake but DS’ ankle which he hurt the other day is bad again so I think he might just have to start parkour and scouts next week instead. At least that solves the “should he go or not” issue I suppose.

And STILL no way of getting through to IKEA. Lots of people on the FB page having similar it seems. Just glad it’s only a small order. Frustrating for DS though as he is getting a big Lego set for Christmas and it would be annoying if he hasn’t got his shelving to display everything.

Best have breakfast I guess!

Morning everyone!

Sing oh no hope the boiler people come very soon and you can all warm up.

Bower wow snow! My mum and dad got some, they don't live far from us but we got none at all! Ds is disappointed, he really wants it to snow!

I have done hardly anything this morning...took dd to school, nice slow walk back with ds and then I got the dishwasher sorted and some washing on. Then we sat down to choose some presents for dh online, but haven't moved since...just too cosy and ds watching TV now.

Got to have an early lunch and then go and pick dd back up as it's early finish on Fridays. The house is a mess tbh, it was so tidy at the start of the week but I really haven't kept up with it. Just feeling worn out this week for some reason 🤷‍♀️

Oh well at least my Christmas shopping is almost done!

Pointy stick please!!!!