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!

Thank you, it’s weird but I guess some of the integrated ones are smaller because they have to fit behind cupboard doors etc?!

I’m just so worried we will choose the wrong thing!

You’re right waders it does take a lot to get me to post a thread these days 😂

It seems we could get the integrated one, it would just look weird and the door wouldn’t stay open because it’s very light without the wooden front. Hmm. Better than no dishwasher! But perhaps not ideal.

foxesI suspect parents up and down the country,not just us,can relate to having one of those days.parenting at its finest is surviving,keep showing up and doing the best you can on those criteria you are doing mighty fine.DO NOT beat yourself up over it,no one will be scarred from abandoning impossible schedules and being allowed choc chips for snack
Sing cagletini deffo has her own sense of style going on there
Ed/waders❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️spring flowers really do something special to lift spirits

It's pissing down here,really really hard
I got 3/4 my list done early,had a nap as three hours interrupted is not a good night's sleep.
Crochet for the day done
Lunch
Fell down rabbit hole of SM(Instagram) and had a 20minute nap.still tired...

Contemplating if I can be arsed to tackle last list of chores

Elderberries and elderflower has long had medicinal properties and is not the only thing to have an reductive effect on allergies. Elderberry tincture (being careful to ensure to lower toxicity load found in UK variety vs american variety) is commonly used as an immune system booster Particularly in the states. However, it was found to be problematic with covid due to the inflamation cascade issue that also made antihistamine and ibuprofen problematic with the disease.

waders - what is most annoying is he has now confessed that he made the changes LAST WEEK and only told me now!! I have ignored the whole situation, unless someone specifically says I need to re-do anything then I'm just not.

ta da
ORDERED A DISHWASHER

Well, technically DH did. But I had input. And the money. 😂

We kept going back and forth but in the end we’ve just decided to go for a standard size freestanding, and accept that it’ll stick out about 5cm. Which is annoying, but not nearly as annoying as washing up, frankly. 😂

Which did you go for sing i keep looking but also cannot decide

A beko, not sure of model! It has a child lock which is rather appealing 😂

Getting here on Monday.

So. Noob alert. What do I actually need to buy to put in said dishwasher? Tablets? Liquid? Rinse aid, whatever the fuck that is? 😂

Do you have hard water Sing? I guess you probably do. In that case tablets plus rinse aid plus dishwasher salt. Aldi and Lidl stuff is pretty decent, otherwise I tend to buy whatever's on offer.

Today has been a day full of the rages and me aimless walking around the house ranting at everything that has been annoying me and not knowing where to start.

I now have to figure out birthday tea and I really cba. It's cold, I am grumpy and tired. School conversations were not as bad as expected today but I expect more tomorrow/into the next week.

Sending strength to all homeschooling mom's, you are doing a fantastic job in such difficult circumstances 🧚‍♀️
Sing Congratulations on the dishwasher! I wouldn't do without one. We tend to buy Lidl tablets+rinse aid+dishwasher salt (mainly because that's where we do most of the shopping, and the quality is good).
Waders I want to do that program once I stop breastfeeding. Hope you are surviving hangriness. ED and Waders beautiful spring flowers.
Hope I just realised I haven't wished you a happy anniversary! Lovely story on how two of you met.
I was going to say something else, but I forgot..

Ta das:
💥Amazon spree on playmat and other play paraphernalia for mctiny. In my mind somehow getting more stuff added to living room looking more orga used without daily toy tidy up... I will let you know if I am just delusional once everything arrives.
💥Framed mctiny's clay hand and foot prints.

This morning I decided to let my short ish bob naturally wavy hair to airdry without brushing. In my mind I was all 'je ne sais quo' effortless chic and then I passed by a mirror and saw a frazzled and disheveled mum. Not impressed.

Mctiny rolled from tummy to his back yesterday! And is trying to flip from back to front, but not quite there yet with that. Made me very happy 😍

Goodness me, autocorrect and typos. Sorry.

Childlock - that thing that keeps grown ups out and requires child to access!

Bekos are supposed to be a really good make sing I second what ED said about what to put in

Apparently i get the hangrys and am now feeling better after a birthday tea of pigs in blankets and sausage rolls and scones. Cake looks very home made and won't win any prizes but thankfully no one cares what it looks like because cake

Hills LOL at childlock!
Is it your birthday today?

Ooh happy birthday to you or whichever of the People’s it is! 💖

:o at child lock.

I’m so bloody relieved we’ve made the decision.

As for hard water, I’m not sure - I was only mentioning those things because I’ve seen them mentioned, I’m clueless! I think there’s a website you can look up water type by postcode so I shall do that later. EEEEEK I’m so excited. I’ll probably be scared to use it 😂

You can dishwash duplo and Lego right? :o

I thought you mostly swore at lego and duplo and then allowed the kids to take it in the bath but not the tiny bits which would disappear into the drain and block it

Not my birthday Mc I don't celebrate or even bother with cake for my birthday.

People are fat and happy (and fairly quiet) fingers crossed I haven't cursed it so I am making a hot water bottle, locking the house up and going to try to head to bed. Fingers crossed as other people are also going to bed we will be drama free tonight.

Do you get limescale in your kettle Sing? If the answer is yes, lots of it, you have properly hard water (like us).

Hope the birthday person had a good day Hills.

Waders - the IGCSE thing sounds lile a nightmare.

Peanut - hope you get more sleep tonight.

Tada!
3 x LOL including our bed sheets changed
Hours and hours of swimming club stuff
Made bread and ate far too much of it
Short walk in the rain
Yoga

Decided to book takeout from a favourite pub for Valentines. We aren't a particularly romantic couple but its nice to have something to look forward to. Have promised the DCs whatever they fancy from M&S (not paying Valentine pub prices for them!).

I don’t know ED because I haven’t looked 😳 I think we do though. DH chucks one of those limescale tablets in it sometimes.

Helpfully, google has told me we live in... medium 😂

Should really go to sleep! But having nice messenger chat with a friend. I’ve cleaned the bath, and sorted the tray of geomag (chucked away a few crappy bits) and then spent a while swapping speakers for DD1 so she can use her own Spotify playlists (we got a free Google speaker a while ago, so she’s got that and we could have the echo dot in the kitchen?). Then did my drawing :o I’m finding coloured pencils sooo hard, I need to find some YouTube videos I think. Someday.

Also have been inspired for a new craft project and wondering if I should take the time and resources to do it :o

Just caught up. Not sleepy. 😳 (combination of having a coke with the takeaway we had for dinner, and sleeping till ten this morning)

Foxes gaaaah at the director. I think your approach of only changing it if asked is sensible. Not your fault you weren’t told!

Well done mctiny for rolling! How awesome 😍 it’s just lovely seeing them do new things!

I’m sure I had more to comment on, but my memory is pants. Which reminds me I must check my eBay bids on the Pants/More Pants books! 😄 Best finish my post before I get distracted doing that.

I’ve antiprocrastinated a lot today I guess. The dishwasher being the obvious one. But also replied to some messages and that sort of thing. So I feel a bit lighter in my mind? And I’m starting to find the tiny bits of decluttering easier, and feel motivated to do more. So it’s building up nicely.

Really seriously need to get some of my course done tomorrow though. I’d already told my tutor how much harder this month is due to DD1 being home etc and I know an extension won’t be a problem but I literally haven’t even opened the book for unit four and the original deadline is the 9th 😳

Right, off to eBay before I forget! 🍒👋

Goodness lots of chat and chores today 👀🤫just realised I mean yesterday as it is now 1:02am

Hills what does he think he wants to do with no exams, experience or qualifications. Would it be possible for school to find someone in that field to talk to him otherwise I would be inclined o walk around muttering “Boy are you in for a big shock when you go out into the world. Not get drawn in to discussion -argument-

Sing well done I was going to say we had a ? And then a Hotpoint and it stuck out about 15cm from work top. You just have to clean the top bit and pull it out a bit now and again or wrap a handle of wooden spoon in a cloth and wipe it across.
I usually buy the special offers. Found the co op ones quite good. You may get a few sample of tablets and rinse aid. You don’t have to rinse the plates unless very dirty or going to leave them from lunch to supper before washing. I stick a bit of soda crystals in now and then to clear any debris in pipes. You need to check the filter sometimes. DH doesn’t seem to want to use our Neff integrated one. He often washes up at night so I just let him.
Mcoh isn’t he clever to be doing that already!

Nothing but cake crumbs left. Hmm!

Ta Da
Bed made
S&S
Dusted chest of drawers and ornaments in boudoir.
Also bedside tables and everything on them.
Worktops in kitchen.
Made fried left over mash, bacon and fried egg for lunch.
Washed up.
Went for litter pick walk. Just one bag of rubbish.
Put some stuff away in dining room and sorted a bit more ready

Made pork chops in Greek sauce, cous cous and mushrooms. It was very yummy. Thumbs up 👍 from DH. I put onion, pepper and lots of diffferent spices in then cous cous and water later sultanas. A good change from potatoes.

Weather- no snow though Pennines got a lot and problems with cars there. Quite a lot of rain but none when we went out.

Leaves it cosy for Hazel.

Well done McTiny! Well that was a rubbish night's sleep - or lack of it! Insomnia for hours. Not like me.

I have read through thread.brain fog from lack sleep has reduced it to cheery waves to all
Bit the bullet and started my room pm.
Drawers all tidied
Clean windows
Clean mirror
Polish bookcase
Polish chest drawers
Clear around door getting in and out
Found homes for things

All done with cd and some singing,much to zoolet annoyance

Tada
Cats fed
Wash on
Harpic lav
Attempt wake dd2/lil zoo
Wake D's
Make D's breakfast

Make and consume crumpets
Wipe all doors,frames,door handles
Wipe TV remotes and keys
Wipe over living room floor
Attempt wake dd2 again
Barrage abuse as was gone 2 before settled
Lil zoo up til gone 1,but as ok as she gets of a morning.agreed have milkshake
Make and add today's valentine message hearts to each wardrobe
Wipe kitchen surfaces

Dd2 now up and eating cold crumpets with face that could sour milk at 30paces...

To do
S+s bathroom

Then I'm doing my crochet and keeping tight eye on D's to make sure he stays logged in
Might finish my room later!

A disco on zoom?! I’m with DS there!

I didn’t get to sleep till about half 3 in the end. So was tempted to go back to sleep now but I know I’ll end up awake late tonight as well. Really need to wash my hair today and go for a walk because I’m stagnating again. Might drop my books at the library (contact free returns although I could also ask if they have the book I reserved in ages ago - doesn’t really matter if not).

Felt randomly inspired in the middle of the night while catching up on the decluttering thread, and almost got up to sort pens 😂 so might quickly do that today too. I won’t get distracted by testing them though, it’s not a high priority right now, I just need to get them together in a safe place.