Fledglings are Marching into March (and tentatively inching closer to freedom): The March Flylady Thread

[StillUpholding]

Welcome fledglings old and new, to March’s Flylady thread!

For any newbies who have stumbled across us, we are following Flylady’s housework system which is based around routines and short bursts of activity to try to keep our houses and lives in order. (Sometimes we follow it more loosely than others). Feel free to join us, the more the merrier! We post our ‘ta da’ lists for motivation (no matter how long or short), and enjoy some random chatter along the way.

The link to Flylady’s ‘flying lessons’ is here . Have a read, and if you have any questions, just ask. You can sign up for emails but be warned there are lots so most of us rapidly unsubscribed.

I’ll be posting links daily to keep us all on track. Jump in wherever you are, remember you are never behind.

This is a long running thread and we’ve developed some lingo along the way:
LOL = load of laundry
S&S = swish and swipe, a quick daily clean of the toilet and sink
PO3 = power of 3. When motivation is on the low side or you’re overwhelmed just pick 3 things at a time and do them
DNLMS = did not lose my shit
Ned = our mythical mate who helps with the laundry (hasn’t paid a visit to me for a while)
Pointy stick —-> = for when a fledgling needs a motivational prod (we can be gentle if required)
The naughty corner = a relaxing haven where we hang out when motivation is low, we are on strike, or we need a rest and some TLC

I’ve just realised that it’ll be around a year since our lovely SC came up with the idea of the Keep Calm Corner (KCC) to keep us going in these strange times. I’ll try and keep the tradition going with little snippets of happy stories, memes, questions and distractions. Any contributions welcome as we enter what could be the final stretch to some sort of normality.

Thanks to ED for being a lovely thread leader for February and keeping us (mostly) on the straight and narrow, despite being very busy herself.

Right, quiet at the back there, have we got everyone? Let’s head into March...

How’d you get a photo of me double? :o

I'm only doing this because I've been slovenly double. I'm trying to get the place right. I join the kitchen week as normal tomorrow.

Thank you for solidarity re DH, ladies.

Hope wow, you've been busy.
Sing 💐
Waders I hope your DH is feeling better post jab. Has your DD come around to the new assessment system?
Aloeha how tedious re DH and his flights.
I only have one boy, so don't really have any experience with girls, but I will say beware of the sprinkler system during nappy changes 😬

Ta das:
💥LOLx1
💥DW run x2
💥Dusted everything that needed dusting
💥Antibac to surfaces, taking stuff off the shelves, wiping, replacing. Mainly focusing on living room and bedroom, but some surfaces done in 'piano room' too.
💥Bathroom blitzed.
💥Hoovered the whole house
💥Done my physio exercises for persisting SPD/PGP. Have been doing them for a week now. Apparently breastfeeding is responsible for things not going back quite to normal after DS was born. Well, it will go away at some point, I suppose.
💥Had a bath! My first proper one since I found out I was pregnant! Scented candle, soft music (and DS in his bouncer in the bathroom, but he behaved). In the first trimester I was paranoid about miscarriage hence no hot bath, and by the end I just felt like an upturned tutle, so gave up on it. I feel like a new woman!

Good night, everyone! 🍒👋

Sounds lovely re bath MC.

I am just going to hop back on board because i have been trying to catch up. I was about to post when DH called that tea was ready. Reheated Tattie Pot. Layers of onion, carrots, sliced potatoes with black pudding sliced and halved and thick lamb pieces. Stock and slow oven or slow cooker for 3 hours. We had it with pork last time. It is delicious. So easy too.

Sorry I was AWOL.

So I haven’t been following Flylady this week as I have been concentrating on Room of Doom. I have done one or two hours most days. Rearranging things and trying to reorganise. So I have what is left of the games. Together. Wool and wool that I am going to use for scarves. Angels. Pencils. I did a couple of things then I was stuck so after a nights sleep decided on working around the room from the left. Have quite a bit in the hall but need space to work. I hope I can make a better space and then I can work in there. I am thinking about making some angels for next Christmas. I bought some patterns years ago and i made some felt angels.

We did a bit of gardening and put new tarpaulin for the hens. Persephone and Lady Penelope have been laying every day. Penny is sometimes laying two eggs a day 😳 no signs fro Gladys. They are very pleased to be on more ground and it has some ring bound holes for attaching.
DH thinks the rat or rats have met their end as nothing has been touched for days. We have had to dispose of the compost heap. We’ve got traps down under the shed. DH has kindly fed the hens and shut them in as he knows how phobic I am about them. I braved it and cleaned them out yester day.

I hope the teens and toddlers are behaving. I am dropping off soon

🍒👋🍒👋🍒👋🍒🤣🍒👋🍒👋🍒👋🍒👋🍒👋 to everyone.

Morning Red, Morning zoo.

👋

Oddly I am awake at this time...probably due to worrying about sending my kids to school tomo.

Zoo - have you pulled the pants past your ears cos thats when you know things are serious- and only Marks and Spencers pants are good enough for that job. (Quality of the material is essential.)

Red- hello lovely! Glad you are back. Its really good you are chipping away at the room of doom. As it will make a difference. Sending you a big hug. Hope you have a good sleep.

Mc- weldone for making time for you and having a candlelight bath. Its good for your soul. Weldone to mctiny for behaving. Your Dh- hmmm, thats....he shouldnt leave a crying baby. Has your Dh had much to do with babies and young children?
Waders had the right idea- wish i had done that more- leave the babies with thier dad for the day. Mine 2 would have been fine.

I really should get up.

Yes ta das:
👚bath kids washed hair
👔got them to try school uniform on
👗hurrah, it still fits
✏put on to hangers sets of the kids uniform ( on got 2 sets for each child. Wishing i had a full weeks sets.)
👖kids starving so made spinach pancakes for lunch with veg.
🖍rested in the afternoon and had a lie down and left kids to cbeebies and games.
👚emptied ds old school bag and found 4 school library books in there. 😮 school must think I am hoarding them- I'm not honest. Put in new school bag ready for monday.
👔made ds do school spelling sheet.
👗made a elmer out of card
✏ate healthy food so feel better but ate too many choc biscuits with my cup of tea.
👖got kids to bed very very late. Oops.
🖍told Dh i will cry on monday as I will miss the kids- dh was not impressed and couldnt understand why.

To do:
🍐locate lunch bags
🥪pack bags with lunch stuff
🍎make sandwiches
🍌find correct water bottles and have ready.

Ben and holly- i thought Nanny plum was very funny and I thought bens mummy was very too...'and on and on and.' I still sing 'nanny plum is lots of fun!'

Sing- i like the sound of the 90s cartoon thread.

My arm is still sore too, so get well wishes to anyone and Dhs who have them too.

Might have to take dd in stroller to school tomo as she has hurt her heel. I think she might enjoy not having to walk.

Morning all. Cagletini (who had the mother of all tantrums last night and was awake a bit later by recent standards) was awake at 6 and I didn’t get back to sleep even though she did but we are now watching Alice in Wonderland. 🥰 I am in my duvet. Have got DD1 to go and get on with one bit of schoolwork.

Multiple arguements with dd2 who is in foul mood and highly agitated
Lil zoo has had 2hours sleep,not going down til 630 and I woke her 830...another happy bunny

My pants are Tesco,and pulled up to eye level so I can still peep out over the elastic.the cheaper material means I'm near cut myself in half tho🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Tada
Cats fed
Wash in
Breakfast for me
Wipe kitchen surfaces
Sweep kitchen floor
Find dining table- rubbish in bin/recycling.belongings returned to home
Wash in drier
More in
Sweep living room floor,clearing detritus on the way around
Empty and scrub littertrays
S+s

Dd1 ordered bra tops for lil zoo as in emergency I don't trust self order right stuff.shes nothing that'll fit under a white shirtand as she's tiny of back,but c/d cup too hard buy proper bras without trying on/fitting advice.shemanage get some on express delivery and us drop them round today

🤣 omg....zoo....🤣.....i shall avoid pants from tesco then......😲😭🤣🤣

I find bra shopping so hard with DD1. Absolutely can’t stand trying things on in shops and hates being measured at home too. Thankfully soft cup ones from asda seem ok so far. BTW as when she went back to school we could only find coloured ones, she sometimes finds it useful to wear a skin coloured strappy vest top over it, under the shirt.

:o at jelly flood. My first two word combo was apparently “more cheese” - set the tone for my entire life, really.

sing dd2 first words after mum etc were bread,cheese,ham, Asda...obvs don't eat ham anymore but bread n cheese still highly feature....

The bra offerings are like bikini size,but her nipples are covered so will have to do for nowthe search continues.she wouldn't wear a nude/white vest under the shirt to hide odd coloured bras

Morning!

Glad you enjoyed your relaxing bath Mc. I definitely feel your DH needs to be left in the house to get on with it for a bit. It’s too easy for them to just hand them to us at the slightest whinge when we are around.

You’re doing so well with the room of doom Red. Your tattie pot sounds lovely. My dad used to make something similar but with corned beef.

There’s muffins, ear plugs and a hard hat in the naughty corner to help you survive the tired stroppy teens today Zoo.

Dancing well done on the back to school prep. Future you is going to love past you.

Ha, “more cheese” came out of my mouth pretty early too Sing

Ta Das:
🫖 consumed breakfast in bed brought by DH
🫖 LOL in
🫖 convinced DD to help me tidy the mess she’d made in her bedroom earlier before I’d get her card and road out for her
🫖 beds made
🫖 clean clothes away
🫖 shower, hair wash and defrosting
🫖 family zoom call
🫖 some crafts with DD
🫖 peeled potatoes, chopped veg and made Yorkshire puddings to go with the beef DH is roasting. He’s currently turning the cauliflower into cauliflower cheese and it’ll be ready to scoff soon 🤤
🫖 chopped veg ready to make soup this afternoon

We should be able to be scanned for bras and then have them manufactured in a super soft material. Whatever way I'm constructed only plunge bras are comfortable. Balconnette dig in and non wired don't work for me. It's completely stressing for me to work out the measurement. Being young and being measured by someone else is awful too. Red the tattie pot sounds delicious. Must swipe that recipe. Glad to hear you are well and tackling the room of doom. Waves to dancing, sing and hills and MC 👋 and other lurkers. Have done hob, extractor, oven, microwave and 3 Cupboards. Currently washing food processor and liquidiser parts. Stitched upholstery tear on chair. Not noticeable so thrilled. Planning a walk when rain eases slightly. Leftover chilli for dinner.

Crossposted still 👋

And zoo. Meno brain.

I'm amending this month's habit to simply getting dressed. Never mind to shoes.

Dear god i feel like shat 😑

💐 that and ☕

Oh no that what’s up? A bug?

They seem to get mixed reviews on here but I like bravissimo for my own enormous bras. I don’t feel awkward and there’s a much better, prettier choice than the few, possibly-not-even-in-stock unflattering tent like creations that are usually my only option in department stores. And they don’t even measure you, they just know - they are some kind of Boob Telepath, I wonder if they get invited specially like a hogwarts letter as they have the gift. I got my swimsuit from there too. Sadly their method would still be too mortifying for DD1.

Half I haven’t got dressed in a week 😳

I have been productive mentally today though. Scribbled the last three questions sitting downstairs, then borrowed the laptop for about 90min typing up those plus the previous few - much quicker this time as only added a few references. Submitted it. Hopefully I’ll get it back in a week or so!

Ah yes sing that's where I get mine. Currently loving one that has a back band and fastens at the neck. Supportage 😆

I need new bras desperately. I'm still wearing nursing bras despite me not nursing for over 6 months now 🙈 boob or bust have a really good measuring guide. They're on Facebook. I measured with their guide and discovered I was wearing bras 2 cup sizes smaller than I should have been. It was no wonder my boobs were always falling out the top of them 🤣

I've done a good old top to bottom home bleurgh. Also done 1 LOL and some ironing. Going to have a bath now and then will make a start on Mac & cheese for dinner 😋

I was the opposite double I got pissed off with nursing bras early and just wrecked my normal ones 😳 although TBF for quite a while before weaning Cagletini was only feeding at night anyway. Or I’d just be in my pyjamas most of the time 🙈

Another stand off with DD1. Sigh. She did apparently get one bit of work done this morning but yet again she got really worked up when we said she needed to do something else. Soooo I emailed her form tutor and said she’s refusing to do it. Which of course made her more upset. However I’ve said before we might need to do that and I did make it clear it’s because she finds those subjects so hard. Some of her teachers adore her, she keeps up well with the subjects she finds easier! I’ve no idea what they’ll say - on one hand writing off the “debt” would enable a fresh start but then she’s obviously missed content. And due to her LDs it’s not something she can just absorb later.

sing i wouldn't worry too much about missed content, some DC will have done nothing for 2 months. Schools are going to be prepared to fill in gaps. They have to be.

I just feel exhausted and drained, i need to sleep but there is too much to do. I'm stressed about school return too which isn't helping.

Yeah that’s a fair point. I’ve got the impression that with her better subjects (mainly dance and sport studies) she’s one of the few more dedicated students. It is a very very non-pushy school and even in normal times homework is not really expected to be handed in. Anyway I am glad I emailed, hopefully it’ll show that it’s good to ask for help and not just ignore something in the hope it’ll go away!

Sorry you feel crap :( the anxiety must be making things a lot worse too. Is it staggered start for your older ones? DD1 isn’t officially back until Friday. Don’t expect anything of yourself the first couple of days they’re all back - try and enjoy the relative quiet :o

Sorry you're feeling unwell and anxious about back to school that.

All fed (well except DS4 he's danger napping) clean up done and packed lunches made. Going to watch a film now before baths & bedtime.