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

[EventuallyDeleted]

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!

Good idea ED

2pm already. I have a feeling DD1 hasn’t done much work yet. Really should get DS to do his English now! And leave my phone charging nearby in case the psychiatrist rings back.

Sing- great you hv booked jabs.

Ed- great info on the CA and jabs thnk you.

Mc- you are very welcome.

🏳Hv admitted defeat and taken paracetamol and crawled into bed. Joints all achey. I am snappy...not fair on my chirpy happy kids so thought i had better rest. They are playing paw patrol in the other room. Upstairs the house looks so much better.
I was so close to nearly organising and sorting out the downstairs sitting room and dining room....why why why now 😖😭
I hv caught whatever lurgy Dh had last week. He passd it to the kids who complained of achey legs. I had it all last night. So painful.

Heya all I finally finished my control journal today. It isn’t really exactly what she’s said to do it’s just more of a reminder for me and also altering everything so that it fits our home. My bubble had the kids for a bit earlier to take them to the park so I cracked on with the control journal to make sure I got it finished. I also got rid of a leather chair and side table that I had. Didn’t have any use for it anymore as it doesn’t fit my decor so put it for free on marketplace and someone came to pick it up earlier. It was a bit of a faff having to get it out of my tiny flat but the person who picked it up was really grateful. I’ve made a lot of space in the living room now it’s quite big anyway so I’ve divided it into a living and playroom. On one side is the sofa tv etc and then the other is the kids toys. It’s not a proper playroom with stuff on the walls or decorated for the kids just an area of the living room with toys but it’s a big space and I’m hoping it means they play in it rather than in the middle of the living room. I’ll be back later when I’ve actually done something to put on my ta da list. But I’ll post some pictures of my control journal. Please excuse my handwriting and the yellow pen you can see it more clearly in person 😊

mc I’ll have to get a drain cover too I hate doing the bathroom because of the drain it just makes me feel ill 🤢. Especially as I have quite a lot of hair so I malt quite easily even more so now I’ve had the kids why doesn’t anyone tell you about hair loss after children😂.

Ooh thanks for my ⭐️ sing I will wear it very proudly😁.

I hope your DH gets jabbed soon ED I completely agree with the mixed feelings about everything. I desperately want to be back to normal but now I’m seeing light at the end of the tunnel I’m quite scared about being back to normal. I just can’t imagine going to the shopping centre for Christmas shopping or swimming or even just to the pub with all my family. It’ll be really weird. I hope you get rid of the moths too 🤞🏻

Thanks dancing I was worried I hadn’t done enough after seeing some of the lists on here but I’m glad to have done well. I hope you can figure out a way to manage shielding and taking the kids to school etc. Sorry you aren’t feeling well.

Sorry you’re feeling so stressed that it’s completely understandable❤️

hills I think it’s good to get away from Covid chat for a bit. It sounds so frustrating for you could your college or work put something in place so you don’t have to be too involved in being around people?🤗

Sorry about the shielding too sing I hope you also find a way to make it work. Great news about the jabs though.

I also think I have some sort of bug. Last Thursday I had a really bad headache and had to go to bed early ever since then I’ve just felt very sick and TMI have had the runs. I’m still getting bad headaches and earaches too plus I’m super tired. I suppose it’s the time of the year for it. No temperature though so I’m happy about that at least.

Oh no dancing I hope you feel better soon.
DS is home today since he's not feeling well, my stomach also feels queasy, and I've spent a lot of time in the bathroom already today 🤢 sorry for TMI. DD also said hers doesn't feel good either, but she also has lots of stomach aches, which may or may not actually be true (I think she plays it up a lot because she doesn't want to go to school - typical teenager). I'm expecting a text to pick her up soon..
Ugh. I have so much painting to do. All of the skirting boards are up, now just need filling and painting. My filler is dried up so I'll have to get new stuff before I can do anything today.

Ta Das, so far:
🦔 Warmed breakfast up for DH
🦔 Called the school to let them know DS isn't coming in today
🦔 Dropped DD off at school
🦔 Brought in paint for the skirting boards, from the garage
🦔 Currently drinking my 2nd cup of coffee, waiting for motivation to kick in, to leave the house, yet again 😖

While I'm out this morning I should get my jeep washed. It won't last, it's supposed to be wet again this week, but it's so dirty, it really needs it 😫

Sorry to hear about the mixed feelings re announcement. I hate the uncertainty of the future, as I'm a planner.

Cross post naptune well done on the control journal. Making it work for your routines in your family is going to make it easier for you to stick to. I hope you're feeling better soon too.

hillsare you still going to be here if having a break
Sing good idea not to have them together."d"p had his couple weeks agohad the AZ one and was in bed 2days with aching limbs,shivers and bad headache.says rather that tho than die/hospitalised..I'm rubbish with feeling ill,so scaring me about having it eventually (I'm not in any at risk groups,just very aneamic and have a crappy immune system)

That glad to hear you are doing ok.will you go back to work?I know a few pregnant ladies and they're considered vulnerable and WFH or off?
Enough whining/jibbering
My tada
Fed cats
Wash on
Scrub kitchen floor on hands and knees
Make D's breakfast/try wrestle crumpets from new toaster.mangled to oblivion...
Walk with dd2(I was not pleased about the crumpets!)
Try calm DS as timetable changed and no list who teaching what
Wash in drier
More in
Scrub shower caddy
Clean bathroom windows
Clear and wipe sill
Wipe radiator and bath skirt
Clean tiling
Wipe shower
S+s
Wash around cat bowls
Poo pick littertray
Wash floor
Supervise D's schooling
Talk to attendance officer on doorstep(weekly wellbeing check)
Clear dining table
Scrub
Sort pile stuff that doesn't need putting back on table
Cook lunch
Wash up
Short nap (with grey tabby on legs stealing heat)
Wash in drier
More in
Start write shop list for dd2/check cupboards

I will probably lurk. But I think I am going to full on delve into notion as a means for organisation and that is going to require a steep learning process. I have been spending the day trying to figure out why my to do list is so overwhelming and why i feel like i am drowning. First up i need to sort things as learning a new program especially one which is quite complicated to extract information in the way that I would want it displayed is going to be steep so will be a hinderance to start off with. But i do think in the long term it is going to be a massive help.

Repeating lists and deadline reminders are going to be helpful if they are automated that is for sure. Half of me still likes the idea of pen and paper though. So i am going to start with that as I know that it is going to be difficult to find time to set up notion until the summer when i have a break in studies.

Thank you for thinking of my broomstick, it is a treasured posession.

Well done on your control journal naptune. I've been pretty good at getting stuff done today. I won't list here but only things left are dinner and ironing and tesco. I've done a lot of niggly things that I've put off. Catch up with a friend at 7.30. been for a walk. Need to move more, that's highlighted on list.

And I saw purple crocuses 🌷

Hills- hope you are ok. Hug.
Love the broomstick!

Hazel- thank you. Hope you and the kids feel better soon!

Naptune- superb control journal! Welldone for doing it!

I had a lie down with the kids around me....and we watched a few go jetters.
Then i got up, started tidying in kitchen and made Avocado sandwiches for the kids and myself. They had tiny cakes too...so they are very happy.
I feel abit better...thank you everyone.

I will be. I just need the illusion of being on top of things.
Although the teen came through making some wise crack about covid etc. Apparently the way I requested he cease and desist deserved an A for creativity but was mildly terrifying on a plus note he is getting tea that he wants and he also walked off with a plate full of food at 5pm.

The ground shaking news here is that chips taste better with gravy. Especially onion gravy. I mean really?! that's news?! But people are happy.

And I am playing with Notion. Paper was not going to work nor was access or excel. So I have just bitten the bullet.

hills at least onion gravy isn't exceptionally tough to rustle up,and requires only basic storecupboard ingredients!

I've actually cooked dinner tonight that didn't involve pesto!(did involve pasta,we aren't try walk before we can run!)used up a sad half courgette and a bendy carrot in the beef mince I found in freezer.added lots herbs etc and D's troughed it like a madman.lil zoo poke and pick but ate the 1/3 size portion I gave D's eventually.chopped plum,nectarine and grape salad after

At this point I cannot wash up as I have no sponges or wash up liquid(and no fancy pants dishwasher) til dd1 appears with food shop so highly likely wash up won't be sorted til tom

Or in this case - reheating

I have set notion aside for now and gone back to a spread sheet. The teen just asked me when something was going to get done, and what needed to get done before i could get around to the thing he was asking about. Yeah. apparently the offer for him to help to speed things up was not his idea of things on his to do list. He'd rather wait for me to get around to it

Hills 😂

Don’t you just love kids and their thought patterns!

Sorry have finally caught up but forgotten a lot of who said what as I read it in bits and had to do things in between reading.

Haven’t done much flying as I spent quite a lot of time in the garden yesterday and some 1 1/2 hrs on Sunday. Yesterday was glorious so I went around areas and cut back some perennials that needed a second trim. We had a mug of tea and sat in the sun. DH has lifted the slabs they have been down for 40/50 years so he could do another prep for the greenhouse. He seems really keen on getting it.

Naptune looks good. I did one so I could leave out things like cleaning your en-suite because we don’t have one. I found it too time consuming to do all the time but it is useful to refer back to the lists if I get off track. I might have found it more useful when the kids were home.

Talking of which. Saw and spoke to DD last night. They are fine, moved to an apricot picking job. Really love New Zealand.

Back later sore eye.

Heya😊. I’ve spent the day getting used to my new living room lol it feels a bit bare now that got rid of the side table and chair but I’m sure I’ll get used to it soon. It’s great though at least it gives the kids more space to play they’ve already got a toy kitchen there but I’m thinking of getting a few other bits like a toy shop or workbench or ball pit because there’s space for it now and they don’t have much space in their bedroom really.

hazel I hope you feel better soon and your DC as well❤️. I hope it makes it easier to follow🤞🏻

That’s a massive list zoo🙂

hills I hope you’re okay🥰

Thank you hope well done on getting stuff done today😁

Thanks dancing I’m glad I’ve managed to get it done😀. Glad to hear that you’re feeling a bit better.

red your day in the garden sounds really nice🌞. I’m glad I’ve tailored it to suit me like some of the days don’t fit in with when I do things so errands I do on a Sunday as well as planning so at least I’ll keep on top of everything now.

ta da
✨Made our beds
✨Made breakfast
✨Washed and dressed the little ones
✨Washed and dressed myself
✨Washed up from breakfast
✨Sent kids off to park
✨Helped get my chair and side table downstairs
✨Rearranged kids toys in living room
✨Made lunch for the kids and bubble
✨Washed up from lunch
✨Cleaned under my bed
✨Cleared top of wardrobe
✨Bubble helped flip my mattress
✨Made tea
✨Washed up from tea and wiped down kitchen
✨Bathed the little ones and put them to bed
Had a bath
✨Washed bath and sink down
✨Shined kitchen sink
✨Put out clothes for tomorrow

Today has passed in a bit of a blur. I’m super behind on the thread too. I have just accepted I’m not up to much. I feel silly being so blindsided by the letter I was half expecting 🙄 especially as it doesn’t have nearly as big an impact on my life as it could do (eg it’s not like I’m working atm). But it is what it is, and just accepting today was a bit of a write off helped a lot, and I probably got more done by accepting that TBH.

ta da
🛡got up, showered etc
🛡walked to nursery and back
🛡got DS to do work
🛡rang psychiatrist again (they never called back)
🛡rang doctors and booked jab
🛡folded rewashed clothes to donate to nursery - bagged them in age groups too as there were a few not 2-3y
🛡got Cagletini’s clothes for tomorrow
🛡gave her a bath

Think that’s it. Oh well. Should really sleep but at least I don’t have to get up early 😳

Sing 💐 it's tough. I hope the shock of it all wears off soon.
Naptune well done on successful decluttering of your living room! I like your plans to upgrade the play area, I bet your little one will love it. I've just accepted that my living room will look like a play ground for a while 😬
Red I am impressed you are out gardening already. I did a quick look around the garden in the past few days, and it needs weeding a bit. Although the mulching I did in the autumn helped a lot with that, so I am pretty pleased with how it turned out. When the weather is nice, I might get started on it.
Hills 💐

YesTaDas (Waders thinking of you 😊):
💥Morning and evening routines
💥LOL x2, and actually folded away as well
💥Kept on top of the kitchen and DW
💥Top shelf of the wardrobe is still fine since the last time I did it, so doesn't need sorting this time around, and my make up is still OK after the last purge (I use it once in a blue moon now, might need to change that..)

I feel 100% again, DS, not so much. I'll see how he feels in the morning, I'm thinking he'll be feeling better tomorrow, though there is a plan if not.

I finished painting the skirting boards in DS's bedroom, our bedroom and most of the hallway. I just have one wall to do in the hallway, the living room and kitchen. I didn't realise how worn out all the trim looked until I started painting it 🤷‍♀️
I'm a little achy now, I did work on that for about 7 hours.
Ta Das:
🌷 Took DD to school
🌷 Washed jeep (took it through the car wash)
🌷 Bought filler for holes as mine dried up
🌷 Washed my bedding and remade the bed
🌷 Washed DS'S bedding and remade his bed
🌷 Rotated DW
🌷 Painted trim/ skirting boards
🌷 Skyped mum while painting
🌷 Picked DD up from school and took her to her old daycare to pick up a job application (she's really not liking her fast food job right now)
🌷 Made chicken bacon ranch casserole for dinner
🌷 Put some casserole in a container for my lunch tomorrow
🌷 Finally putting my feet up

To do:
🥱 Shower & try to get Paint out of my hair 🤣
🥱 Get clothes out for tomorrow & put in bathroom ready for the morning
🥱 Take daily meds
🥱 Go to bed!

hills I don't blame you for taking a break from SM, I haven't really been on fb much lately, for the past year now I think. I just check it every once in a while (the notifications) and that's about it.
Sing you did end up with a decent list for today, at least you only have 3 more days until your vaccine.
dancing I'm glad you feel better
Red good to see you on here, I was starting to wonder where you were
zoo how unfortunate to be able to get out of washing up 🤣 although I would be itching to get it done
🍒👋 to everyone else, sorry I missed a lot of you

Hazel wow, what a busy day for you! All that hard work you are putting into sprucing up the house will be worth it when you sell. Hope you get some well deserved rest. Glad you are feeling better, and hope your DS recovers too.

Hazel- I bet the skirting boards are gleaming with new paint. Glad yoi feel better, hope your ds does too.

mc- well done for keeping ontop of kitchen and Dw!

Nap- play area in the sitting room is a great idea.

Red- its so nice you are getting out in the garden. So glad you got to see your DD and talk to her. Do you think she will settle there?

Waders- hope u are ok?

Yestadas-
🐯breakfast
🐯shower then bath kids/clean clothes
🐯pink wash on
🐯scramble to make lunch
🐯get kids on teams calls
🐯lose will to live everytime ipad tries to fall on the fall.
🐯half watch countdown with the kids
🐯crawl into bed as feel ill. Kids around me we watch go jetters. They love it.
🐯kitchen- stuff my face with 2 packets of crisps while i grumble to myself about tidying the kitchen again.
🐯 find 2 avocado that need using up asap. Cue the kids loving avocado sandwiches.
🐯load up dw and switch on
🐯kitchen looks lots better
🐯sit in daze and half watch tv and try and figure out wtf the kids are supposed to be learning.
🐯clothes into dryer
🐯kids are loving playing paw patrol board games of snakes and ladders. Dominos and the kids are learning draughts with dh.
🐯 feel not 100% so a bit snappy.
🐯eat lots of dessert
🐯 tidy up sitting room yay!
🐯upload and wipe dw dishes and put away.
🐯load dw and switch on
🐯milk and pancakes supper for kids
🐯take clean laundry upstairs
🐯get kids ready for bed
🐯scoop 4pts of water out of the upstairs sink as its blocked again. Even tho i have stayed ontop of it and keeping it clean.
Want to get into bed but worried kids might overflow sink.
🐯dh gets annoyed and takes over trying to up block sink.
🐯i put away laundry clothes and dash clothes to the side I cant be bother to find a home.
🐯10.30pm kids still awake asking what is daddy doing? Daddy is trying to unblock the sink by making the most noise possible to keep 2 kids from sleeping.

Nice thing I have woken up to is....a drained and unblocked sink. Yay! Thank you Dh.

To do-
🐕 clean kitchens sides, wipe doors and mop floor.
🐕 make a rainforest diaroma out of a shoe box.
🐕do schwork

🍒morning👋waves to everyone and delurker.

Waders ((hug)) sounds like DS2 is at the stage of Knowing Everything and Having Answers To All Questions, and thinking he knows better than his parents. He will come to his senses eventually, but in the mean time hang in there. Sending you lots of hugs and sympathy.

Dancing oh that's good your DH managed to unblock the sink!