It's February - Fledglings are Flying (let's face it there's not much else to do).

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Here we are on the February 2021 Flylady thread - this time last year we were just starting to realise that the world was going to change in a big, big way. The Fledgling threads have pulled us all together and been a great source of comfort and distraction from it all.

This is a friendly housekeeping thread based (loosely... Extremely loosely sometimes 😂) on Flylady's housekeeping system . Welcome one and all, lurkers and long-time posters alike. Join in, hang out, but above all remember you are not behind, just jump in where you are.

The beauty of Flylady is that you don't have to flatten yourself trying to get your house clean to begin the routine upkeep; the first - and only - thing she asks you to do is to shine your kitchen sink. Routines - morning, afternoon and evening - are built gradually through her Baby Steps. To those, you add a Daily Focus and a weekly area to concentrate cleaning on. By the end of a month, your whole house will have had some attention. If you miss a bit, never mind, it'll come round next month!

For this month, I'll be posting daily links to the Launch Pad on the Flylady site so you can follow the daily focus and cleaning missions. You can sign up to receive emails from Flylady, but we suggest you don't - she sends masses, which will clog up your inbox and drive you insane into the bargain.

Because this thread has been running a while, there are some acronyms we use to make life easier
S&S - swish and swipe, round the bathroom to keep it acceptable daily
LOL - load of laundry. No, we don't find washing that funny!
Ned - born of a typo, a mythical being who assists with laundry mountains
The pointy stick ----> to motivate people
PO3 - Power of 3, if you can only face a few tasks. People often find groups of 3 tasks stack up over a day!
The Naughty Corner - where we head when it's all Too Much. Usually stocked with fresh coffee, fluffy throws, delicious snacks and the opportunity to sit quietly with friends or build a blanket fort and sulk in it if you need to.

During the Pandemic, we have also been using the KCC or Keep Calm Corner, invented by long-time poster / thread leader SC. This is a regular dose of memes, questions for discussion, random trivia etc to distract us from the rest of the world. All contributions welcome!

Remember - No Fledgling Left Behind!

Sorry to hear emotions running high for some of you. A good cry can sometimes be a blessing because it lets it out and you feel better afterwards. Hope that is the case. I hated taking my babies for their injections. Hope he is a bit better today MC.

Zoo art least you didn’t have to go on that long walk. Hope everything ok when they come back.
Waders brilliant news that you are getting your money back. Annoying that you had to poke them again.
Sing do they have kids? They are not living your life...a day in your shoes may be a change of heart. You are doing the best you can. We all know you are a caring mum and there are others in the household to consider and need to be dealt with and then there is food and the house. You are doing a good job.💐

Beetroot just remembered about beetroot jelly. Not sure if it is a local thing. Beetroot cooked then diced and put into a jelly I think it is raspberry of black currant as it is pink. Serve with salad, side such as gammon like chutney etc. It is quite nice.

Had spatchcock chicken again last night but reheated it in gravy and there was some cold potatoes so sliced those and fried and heated the others in oven. Had made trifle. We bought sherry in MS when we were there so a bit heavy handed. It was delicious. I made the sponge yesterday and ratafia had been soaking about two days. When I put jelly on there wasn’t much room for custard so I made two separate cow and DF for me. So we could pour it over which means I can have some. Poured cream on after. DH loved it. I felt like spoiling him a little as he had his mole thing done yesterday and has had his head stitched. That and his jab( no ill affects yet) so we are having quiet days.

Ta Da
I did over an hour on desktop and pencils. Rof D

I did an hour in garden. Chopping back and raking up. Felt good once I braved the cold weather. Was very windy in night.

Be back later must crack on.

Thanks so much red 💖 everything just really got on top of me. I seem to spend so much energy treading water and it’s too hard to actually get stuff sorted to make life easier in the longer term

Hills I’m sorry things are crap x

Zoo I have no idea about furlough etc but I hope it all works out for the best!

ta da so far
🤹‍♀️Eventually got through to GP to request triage
🤹‍♀️Put dryer on for an extra 30min cool dry for the teddies
🤹‍♀️Sat around doing fuck all other than commenting on a couple of autism threads, while waiting for the call back, because apparently I can’t multitask
🤹‍♀️Spoke to triage GP, she agrees with the plan idea but is concerned about interactions and is going to speak to someone senior while I try and get through to psychiatrist
🤹‍♀️Left message with psychiatrist

I hate looking back at lists like this and realising just how little I’ve done other than try to fix my stupid brain 😳😂

And on that note I think I’d better book a therapy session - not had one since before Christmas and it makes sense to book one in before her prices finally go up in April.

Oh while I was typing the GP phoned back, her senior isn’t sure either but there’s a meeting on Tuesday with a psychiatrist so she will ask then. Yay

Oh dear Sing they seem to be floundering around themselves which isn’t very helpful!

I do think we can all ( except maybe those in work) look back over the past year and feel we haven’t done much. I know I can. It is all too easy to say to yourself I can’t be bothered today I will do it tomorrow because there isn’t much excitement in our lives and we often haven’t got anything on tomorrow. I know I am guilty of that I shut the door on RofD so I wouldn’t have to look at it and feel guilty. I am trying now to do one hour a day. The room is too small to have so much stuff in it. I don’t know whether I should remove all the kids stuff that is left. I can’t put it in the loft because of the mice and the bats. DH says we have enough stuff up there and need to clear it out this summer. 😳 it wouldn’t be fair to leave it to the kids though.

So I have done 1 1/2 hrs and it doesn’t look any better.

However I have found some felt and some fabric to finish DSis bag. I found more wool groan but on a good note I have found the wool to make the throw I was going to do 10 years ago. I had lost the pattern but found that safely in my sewing box then didn’t know where the wool was. I really wanted to start it in the cold weather. Never mind I will start one tonight. I found some knitting on a needle but can’t remember what it was I was knitting🤣 it might be a scarf. It could be turned into a scarf.
I also found some felt samples and thought at least one would look good framed.😃 Just abstract pieces that I ought to frame and try selling. I really like one. I hope to do some felting in the summer.

Oh well at least a small area is sorted and I found DDs lovely baby Jasmine now discarded. I had to give her a little hug. DD wouldn’t go anywhere without her for a couple of years.

Right lunch.

I'm having an adulting sucks week too. Currently filling in my work annual review form due on Monday. Major upset with estranged family in Australia too. Sorry to read others having their own struggles but it's nice not to be alone! Hope McTiny is feeling better MC. I am determined to persevere regardless. Not much flying to report.

Ah Red even those of us in 'work' are struggling to list achievements this year (casts eye over blank form). It's hard to get things done when the world is on hold. I mean I've moved paper around and got some things sorted but really getting things achieved is looking patchy.

Hope 💐

I am back from a little walk with DH and Cagletini, we left the big two at home finishing an anime series. DD1 (yes the 13yo) is sitting/spinning in an empty washing basket. No I don’t get it either but it’s nice to see her laughing :o

I need a nap 😳

I get it. Regression is a reaction to stress in children. Think new baby can be a reason for regression. Let her enjoy it. We all need to be silly sometimes.

Halfhope if I was still in work I would have been very busy and very stressed. Starting to feel I am glad I resigned especially after speaking to someone on Wednesday. Sorry about upset.

Hills I hope your day improved.

I’m glad DH had already left his job in retail, I can’t imagine how awful that would have been - I was in the store he used to work in a week before lockdown and someone was shouting over not being allowed to buy ten loaves of bread. I’m sure that only got worse.

I have done nothing but doomscrolling all afternoon, I can’t believe it’s almost dinner.

My one achievement is that I also emailed my lovely therapist to ask for a session next month :) oh and I took some of the clean teddies upstairs to put in the drawer/DD1’s room. I am clearly super productive today.

It’s been nice having a good chat with my two besties though.

I have chocolate and potato free crisps. Not better but it'll do for now

Ta da
Hospital
food shopping
pick up prescription
try to figure out what the fuck is going on with collecting ds
Note fish shop is open
figure out what the heck to feed the people

Next up - round 2 of trying to figure out what heck is going on wrt ds...

Welcome naptune sorry I hadn't said it sooner, I haven't had a chance to catch up with the thread until now. Finding homes for things in your new place sounds like a great place to start.

Sorry to hear so many of you are having hard times right now. With things being out of your control it makes it hard. I hope you're all able to do something to get your mind off your troubles.

waders I'm so happy that they have decided to refund your money, nothing like a gentle nudge of a threat of filing a claim against them to get their ass in gear!

Not much done this week, just general clean up of kitchen mostly. The DC are out today so no home bleugh happening today, will get done tomorrow instead.
Tomorrow night is a birthday dinner for SIL, so we'll decorate tomorrow and get some baking done.
I have realised I need to be very strict with myself and avoid gluten as it appears I am now reacting to it via a rash on my arms (small circles, blistering, itchy) so that's fun 😪

Hopefully I'll have more to say later, almost time to head back to work.
🍒👋 to everyone

Hi naptune I also hadn’t said hi!

Hazel how frustrating about the gluten 😰

Cagletini has been an absolute horror today. Grumpy about coming home from the park and in an almighty grump since. Not sure DD1 got any work done today either, and I’m totally not prepared for “back to school” for DS on Monday either.

I’ve done no decluttering since the flooring arrived really. That was a short bout of motivation

Oh no Sing it's Friday night (jealous, as it's only 1pm here) just write off the day, try to relax/ have some fun. I hope cagletini behaves a bit better for you. Maybe she'll go to sleep earlier for you.
I do find that if I need some motivation I look on the decluttering thread and sometimes I get ideas for what to go through.

I'm not wanting to be at work right now, I feel like I have too much to do at home. 😖

I mentioned that volunteer role a week ago... well I am happy to say I finally did the form 😳😄

I had been putting it off having become convinced I couldn’t do it. But I have now, yay :) I checked multiple times for a deadline but there was none, the training starts March 17th. Hopefully I will get confirmation next week, the sooner it’s definitely booked the less chance I have to wimp out!

Hi, I won’t join in with the ta da list just yet because I’m not entirely sure what I’m doing lol. I’m just familiarising myself with the website, I’m looking to buy/make a control journal. Are they useful and if they are do you have any recommendations?.

mc thank you for my welcome 😊. I’m sorry to hear about your day yesterday but it’s completely understandable. I hope your little one is feeling better today after his jabs the poor mite. My plans completely changed after having kids because I’d planned to get a degree in the career I wanted but it hasn’t worked out that way. I work from gone 5 hours a week at the moment and then when the kiddos are older I’ll go part time. It’s really common to feel the way you do motherhood is a huge life change🥰

sing Econsult is a PITA I made an appointment through it not long ago and had to answer the same questions multiple times only for the doc to call when I had my appointment and ask me the same questions all over again🙄. I hope you manage to sort it all out 😊

zoo I’m sorry your day has been so stressful and I hope your daughters bloods are okay x

Thank you for welcoming me hazel😊 finding a home for everything is deffo helping I’m determined to have an assigned cupboard for everything in the kitchen and not mess it up this time around😂

I’ve spent the day sorting out toys which has been tiresome. I have segregated part of my living room so that it’s a sort of playroom/area with all their big toys and I’m hoping that because it’s in the main room I’ll have to keep it tidy because I’ll be seeing it all the time. I’ve also made a plan of where my little boys cot will go when he moves into the room he’ll share with my little girl. He’s only 8 months so he’s in with me still. I’ve moved their chest of drawers so that when he does come to move in there I can just put his cot in and don’t have to worry about messing about with furniture.

I should get some sleep now but I’m trying to think of something to do tomorrow with the kids. We’re bored out of our minds.

Sing well done on getting the form sorted!
Red, Naptune, Hope McTiny is more like his normal self today, thank you very much!
Hope I am sorry about all the family troubles. Sending you strength and a hug.
Hazel oh no, hopefully the rash will respond well to gluten free diet. Have you managed to find any more houses you like?

Ta das:
💥LOLx3 including towels
💥Bathroom mat washed
💥Bins emptied and taken out to the bins outside
💥Baked a carrot cake with cream cheese frosting
💥Cleaned the kitchen after DH cooked pork chops. I think ceiling is the only place that didn't have oil splattered on it..

Now it's time to read a book and collapse into bed.
🍒👋

This evening:

DD1: DS, you look like an emo [because of his hair]

DS: ... isn’t that a type of bird?

Cue me showing him the following Google searches 😂

They might be hard work but there are some funny times to treasure 😁

Sing 🤣😂 I love it!

So I'm feeling a little under the weather, throat is a little sore and scratchy and I keep getting a sharp pain in the left side of my neck/ throat. I've already drank 3 cups of chamomile tea with honey which seems to help. I'm hoping I can nip it in the bud.

MIL is going to help me decorate the house for SILs birthday dinner, she's going to pick up balloons for me. If it turns out decent I'll try to post a picture.
Now I'm just waiting for DD to get done with work so I can go to bed early! It's not quite 8:30pm on a Friday night, I'm such a party animal 🤣

Oh god i've got reaaaaally bad at this thread

Ran out of patience with the understairs cupboard. Emptied out the furthest recesses bent double with head torch. Now everything back there is clearly labelled and the labels are visible from the door with a torch.

So many emotions so close to the surface. Wrestled for a while with online gp and school, burst into tears, no chocolate and I didn't know what to do. Felt my mood like a physical poison creeping through my body. Phoned Sams, lovely lady helped me just by not being anyone I know and she listened, and I am so grateful for those seventeen minutes that got me the right way up again.

After that, got stuck into the toy cupboard and found the football and bike pumps, and several adaptors. Pumped up footballs, basketballs, netball. Two big heavy footballs with leaks will go out to the back door. Great for LOs thumping against the wall and getting rid of temper. The bouncier ones end up next door or on roofs.

Today is the middle area of the understairs cupboard where there are tidy stacks of paper and ancient tech, especially mobiles. Less of a mess, but harder to make decisions. Or even know what anything is. Much more headroom than yesterday which makes it easier.

It looks reasonably dry now, so I'm loading up some podcasts for company while I brave the shed.

Quickly catching up with you all (well trying).....

Ty for the ikea link foxes was literally looking at that chair and desk wondering if they would work!

Sorry things are tough for so many of you

Zoo can dd1 fiance get some advice from somewhere?

Welcome naptune that sounds like a planet i would like to live on!

Red hope DH still ok after his jab, they are saying they will start 60+ here in March

Not looking forward to Monday and the return of home school. But i am glad we will FINALLY discover what our shambolic government have planned for school returns the speculation is killing me!

We had our scan this week, all looks good and we are having a boy!

Ta da
🪅 fed dc 3, 4 & 5
🪅 dealt with poonami
🪅 wash on
🪅 dryer on
🪅 started last nights washing up
🪅 checked emails

MrsTidy sorry you have had some tough feelings too. We are here for you if you need to talk things out here. Well done for reaching out, I am glad the phone call helped. 💖

Hey that how exciting, glad little boy is all ok 🥰

I am nervous and excited about Monday’s road map too. A friend sent a screenshot of the telegraph which suggests indoor family gatherings might be allowed which will be a huge improvement (I’ve been strongly considering just going to mum’s so I can adjust to the meds in peace, but I’m so unsure of the “needing support” exemptions etc, so I’ll just hold on to see what Monday brings)

Must get up, shower and wake the kids for theirs. It’s going to be a struggle to be up and ready for Monday 😳

Morning all,

I'm also feeling a bit twitchy about Monday's announcements and what they will mean. I've been having a wobbly few days since the announcement of the extra shielding letters going out in case DH gets one, it sounds as though lots of diabetic people have done. It would be good in that he would get priority for the jab but a real worry in the sense that we didn't think he was that high risk and he is still working outside the home (not possible to WFH and furlough isn't really an option, it's a small business and massively busy). On the other hand, the news about infection rates is good. I'm just so tired of it all and having to pretend that everything's fine when it really isn't. I'm worried about both sets of parents and can't see them either.

So, I'm opening up the naughty corner again, tea, coffee, hot chocolate, croissants, gluten/dairy etc free things for those who need them.

I am going to try and incorporate the KCC too, by asking what signs of spring have you noticed? It's much milder here now, light till about 5.30, I'm going to go out in a bit and look for flowers coming out, that always cheers me up.

In the meantime, Flylady says Saturday is Family Fun Day. It seems that there isn't much distinction between Saturday and the rest of the week right now, but we do our best.

@naptune Control journals are a funny thing. I know over the years many of us have started one, but i don't think many of us have stuck to them. Some have apps in their phone where they have a regular list they can tick off etc (looking into a notion set up for this atm), some have a note book and lists, some have a bullet journal.

ONe of things that you find when you go through the fly lady system repeatidly apart from the god awful tweeness is that there are bits that don't quite apply and things that don't quite fit in. So you need to tweak and adapt to you.

Example. Babystep 2: get dressed to shoes.
Over the years there have been many discussions about this baby step. Over whether shoes should be worn in the house or not. Safety risks vs hygeine risks. This looks at taking the babystep literally and not in concept. The concept being that you are supposed to get up and get to the point where you would be happy to leave the house with out additional changes (other than coat and shoes) or for someone to drop in announced. So basically dressed, makeup on, hair done and ready to be done with getting up for the day. iyswim?

Like clean of vents, we don't have heating vents in the UK but we do have radiators. SO there are things that don't quite translate.

The home Bleurgh blessing is supposed to take around an hour but non of us manage it and most of us will split it up over a few days. Especially in winter when getting stuff dry is harder and having to washing 4 or 5 or more lots of bedding in one day is a lot.

I would suggest you start with a lists, run the system a couple of months and see what works for you, what you need to tweak and how you need to adapt to get the system to work.

Remembering the key principles of:
Perfection = failure
a little is better than nothing
something often rather than a lot in one go (consistency over boom and bust)
you can't clean clutter

Hopefully that makes sense. I have bullet journal i build lists into but still very much in the can't clean clutter phase because building work is ongoing here. fucking sick of it tbh

Ask if this causes more questions we are a little fast moving and i have to back to find something i forgot to respond to later but we will try to catch the questions and help where we can

Our Narcissi are out. Snowdrops are fading out, and the crocus and daff are starting to show signs of life. Oh and the helebores are out.

The air smells different too. The birds have started their nest building activities and it is lighter longer.

All the signs of spring and yet our worse weather is usually due the last two weeks feb winter wise so who even knows what 2021 is going to throw us.