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...

sing the filter is for the cooker hood. Ours isn't ducted out. The fridge doesn't need anything 😁 low maintenance all the way. Well it does need defrosting for the freezer part but it's full of food so we'll have to eat our way to freedom 😆

That’s a relief hope I was wondering if I should be embarrassed not knowing what a fridge extractor was 🙈

Dancing what I find helps me when I am feeling anxious about something is to make a list of the worst possible outcomes and then come up with the solutions/what I would do or say in that situation. That way I already have a plan should the worst happen.
Then I make a list of reasonable strategies on how to avoid the worst case scenario, knowing that if they fail I still have a plan in place and I would have a rough idea on how to handle things.
It will be OK, lovely.

Dancing great advice from MC. Sending Paddington Bear hard stares to aggressive Dad here. My bed calls now. Long day and I didn't sleep well last night.

Thanks guys. I will keep telling myself that. Yes sing thats what happened.
I am sure he doesnt know who i am.

Going to keep telling myself that.

half hope you sleep better.

great advice from MC there dancing*
It's highly likely he wouldn't even remember if he saw you again.hugs.
Sing:that's crap.gotta love streaking toddlers in the background tho🤣
Hope ice never washed walls unless I'm about to paint them.am I missing something important?

Well it's time to get up.lil zoo goes back this afternoon

Morning peoples :) Cagletini is stirring. Couldn’t even lift her into her bed last night so she just stayed in our bed

I am pleased I’ve managed to stay in a decent routine sleep wise myself for a bit. Now that she’s in one it’s easier for me too.

DD1 asked to attend school this morning too (she was allowed every morning this lockdown anyway, but she’d opted for M/W/F, so I still made her ask the staff) so hopefully she will get some work done. Her tutor emailed back and is going to message her subject teachers, but said similar to that about not worrying too much about gaps - especially as they take 3 years for the GCSE courses there (she’s year 9).

Plans for today... errrrm. Get DS through some work. Get outside for a very short walk. Edit shopping!

Good morning my little fledglings. Just popping in with links before I walk into work. I’m not fully up to date with the thread yet, hoping to catch up on my lunch break. Hope everyone is ok 🍒 👋

Here’s today’s flightplan. It’s plan and play day, and the mission is to do dishes and shine your sink. Does it count if I did it this morning having left it from last night? 🤔

zoo I'm too lazy to repaint house so washing walls freshens the place. Also reduces dust in room and Ds has dust allergies. I don't do it regularly 😁 - not even yearly. Just washed the kitchen ceiling using flat mop this morning. The kitchen walls and ceiling were slightly sticky due to cooking so the place looks much better. I am just noting here that extreme housecleaning chez moi is due to ongoing persistent sloppy/absent cleaning and is not to be seen as an example or route forward for any other human. Unless you're a man in which case - go ahead.

Morning still - those dishes count. Thanks for the links. Need to menu plan for week.

Dancing i also had a run in with an agressive dad on the school run last year, i just ignore him now and talk to the kids. Although tbf i don't think he would have another go as a) i gave it back and b) i reported him to the school

My primary two were burnt out last night despite insisting they were not tired! Ds fell asleep within seconds and dd not long after!

I actually got some decent sleep last night with just one trip to the loo which i went straight back to sleep after. Feel much better today

First day of just me and the small one today! I need to look at my uni work desperately

that sleeping DC is a win!hope they had a good day
Maybe a need a man after all hope
Up that counts
Singsleep is sleep sometimes,don't matter where

Tada
Cats fed
Wash on
Harpic lav
Make to do list
Breakfasts
Take D's out for walk as antsy and glorious here
11/2 hrs later...
Wash in drier
More in
Tidy girls craft drawers
Clean behind said drawers

Yay for sleep that! Here’s hoping the return to school is helpful all round although I know it’s anxiety provoking too. Hope you can get some uni work done this week.

Relaxing morning here, DS has done exercise, listened to me read and did some physics and then we played Forbidden Island again. But we lost this time. 😂

DH is in a zoom call now so I think I’ll try and play piano - I haven’t for over a week as I’ve been so tired so it’s sat unloved for the longest time since it arrived in January.

I think the higher meds are actually making a difference. Early days but I feel fairly positive. 🤞

Glad you got a good sleep that.

So far
Everyone up fed, dressed and to school/DGM for little one
Nipped to Sainsbury's for milk and diesel
LOL

Did my lesson in absolute heavenly silence!

Now have a break until 1 so I'm going to finish tidying round downstairs, do the floors and then do some ironing. Oh and do the dishes which are still there from last night never mind this morning 🙈

Hooray for an undisturbed lesson Double! So cool that you’re studying midwifery BTW!

Managed a bit of piano but felt sick again and DS has done another bit of work. Now for some peace and quiet as they’ve gone to get Cagletini, so on with Netflix. Got a can of carrot soup to heat up along with my fave seed bread. Yum.

Morning,
I was thinking i was organised, but had forgotton to make the lunch bags.

Anyone ever tipped out yesterdays lunch stuff on the dining table...and shoved in todays lunch stuff in....?
Just me then.

that so glad its not just me. Sorry it happened to you too.
Yay you got to sleep! My dd fell asleep in seconds too at 7pm....i was suprised as she is a night owl.

sing sometimes its best to let them sleep wherever, esp if you didnt have the strenght to carry her.

zoo thank you lovely. Hope your dd is ok going in today.

up yay you did your dishes! Doesnt matter when. Have a lovely day at work.

half i am liking the wall washing. I need to do more at my house.

You guys do help, I managed to avert a panic attack last thank you all.

Tadas
🍐kids to school
🍎sainsburys to try find alternatives to milk for dd. As she has been scratching her skin open.
Alpro soya strawberry yougrt.
Alpro soya choco mini cartons to send into school to have at milk and fruit time.

Off for a bike ride...to try boost mood.

Happy sunny day everyone.👋

Afternoon ladies, it’s such a gorgeous day here. Only 12 degrees, so not hot, but it’s sunny and warm. We’ve started everyday lately having a cup of tea outside, I’m really enjoying the new addition to our routine because it wakes me up for the day and I feel much more productive. DD has a bottle of milk with a tea bag dipped in so she feels grown up😂. We’re going for a picnic later on, we have to go to the shops first to get some food. I’m going to do a bit of makeup and actually put on some jeans! I haven’t wore real clothes for nearly a year now as I just wear comfies, but I think I need to start getting back to normal a bit.

I hope everyone’s DC’s settled in well yesterday 😊 and happy international women’s day for yesterday!

sing did DD get on okay not being in uniform? I hope you feel better soon💐

THAT how are you finding your pregnancy? DD is like that, she knows the people in our bubble and she FaceTimes family but I don’t think she’ll like it all when she actually meets them, she’s very clingy😂

mc I hope you’re able to have your neighbour over soon! It’s nice now things are opening up slightly, I just hope people don’t go overboard!. I hope you’re feeling okay today💐

dancing it’s gorgeous, it’ll be lovely in the summer when it’s a bit warmer too. It definitely makes you more prepared for the day! I’m sorry you are feeling so anxious❤️

waders thank you, DD will always be a whirlwind😂 we FaceTimed her dad today and she didn’t talk to him she just kept jumping over me😂. I hope DS2 settled in well!

zoo good luck to your DD!

I will be on later to post my ta da list, I have actually done stuff but I completely forgot to post last night!. DC’s dad has been an arse, he FaceTimes DD most nights but last night he would only call her at a time when I was working, so I told him it was inconvenient as after that she has her dinner then bath and bed and she needs to be in a good routine. I’ve always told him it’s best to call earlier in the day and he’s able to do that because of his work hours. But he just likes to spite me and then make it out like I’m preventing him from seeing DD so he then said he wouldn’t call her at all. I spent most of this morning calling his friends that live with him asking them to convince him to call DD, and then he moaned because DD wasn’t interested. He thinks it’s me making her not talk to him but she’s 1! She doesn’t have a very good attention span!. He kicked off today and said there’s no point coming over for DS’s birth because DD thinks he’s a stranger so what’s the point in trying with DS. He’s infuriating! He is basically a stranger to DD, he hasn’t really been in her life very much and although we keep in touch she doesn’t see him as her dad because why would she, she barely knows him!. I honestly don’t know what I ever saw in him😂

aloe he will teach you more patience than you can ever need to deal with dc
That glad you got some sleep
Dancing check,I've done that many times when mine were in primary and we got distracted on arrival home so I forgot.i secondary we started paper lunchbags as I didn't fancy furry remains being given eventually back in boxes!!

Zoo furry remains 😂 that's hilarious!
Aloeha how annoying. To be honest, I wouldn't engage much in his mind games. I would formally give him DD's routine (email it to him, so you have a paper trail just in case) and leave it to him to call. If he doesn't, that's on him. I'd do the same for DS's birth. Keep him in the loop, preferably with email trail as well ("I am popping it into your email as well, just so you have it"), and leave it to him to book flights/come over. He is a grown adult, and should be accountable for his own choices. You will be just fine with or without him. You got this, mama.

Ta das :
💥LOL on
💥Upstairs, stairs, and downstairs Hoovered
💥Floors mopped
💥Rubbish out, including recycling
💥Dinner in the slow cooker

Will head out for a walk shortly, hopefully weather will hold.

Halfway thru laundry mountain
Lil zoo dropped at school
Gobbled my very late lunch
Try help soothe down highly stressed dd2 before heading off again to walk over fields to collect lil zoo(in ideal world would be walking home dd2,or non covid times another girl we know if different year group)
Lil zoo showered
Finally eaten(lots veg sticks,hummus and ham wrap)
She's retreated upstairs to edit on laptop
I need sort menu and shop list ready for dd1 Tesco trip tonight

I’ve done bugger all today except a bit of home ed, a little laundry and clearing/wiping the table after dinner.

The rest of my energy has been spent reading and watching part of Behind Her Eyes (man alive that is a weird series!). I felt a little bit better at times today but decided not to risk a walk.

Bath time for Cagletini now.

😁😆 Waders would gladly have your ds up. Eat out to help out 😆. Tired tonight. Long day.

Hope 🤣eat out to help out

Right, dishes are clean (courtesy of DW), sink shined, S&S done.
I shall retire to bed. 🍒👋