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...

Aww waders that’s so sweet about DS1’s poem 🥺

Yay well done zoo :o🩲

Right, filled pasta and sauce (with bacon for me) done - in part by DS, who is never enthusiastic about preparing food unless he’s absolutely desperate for it, he would’ve eaten it at 11am if I’d let him.

I’ve finished another book (a children’s one 😳 childhood favourite I found on eBay) and DS has done a bit of work, now lunch is over I have no excuse - or time - to procrastinate further in finishing the renewal form.

At least my tutor emailed back about my ILP so I think that means I can sign up for the next one as you aren’t allowed an overlap. That can be my reward for finishing the form... along with a mini Hagen Dazs tub, naturally.

Glad you got a sensible doctor Zoo

Good luck with the form Sing

I apparently needed the sleep and slept through the whole morning
And going to grab a bath and get up and see if I can achieve anything productive. This sinus this is still hanging about (thanks hayfever) and my hands are swollen enough for most things to be a nope. But that goes with the needing to sleep thing.

I made breakfast muffins with a new milk free recipe yesterday. I think i have eaten more of them then ds. I should probably make some more of those Perhaps if I make them banana which I can eat, that will help them to last the week.

ta da
🏆FINISHED THE DAMN FORM!!!

Had a brief walk to the park to post it but following some friendly advice :o DH is going to get it sent from the PO, really relieved we already got the covid result! Feel sick again following the walk. But at least I got some fresh air. And pokemon.

Realised again how awful we are with paperwork too. We have a big concertina file thing but it’s all a mess and there are other random bits of paperwork dotted about. DH gathered some while looking for some medical letters and I added it to the file, throwing away some of the obviously not needed stuff. But we seriously need to go through it all at some point.

Also the fridge. It’s a total mess. How do you all organise your fridges? Separate tubs etc?

Luck sing i organise my fridge with luck.
My paperwork is organised with mountains of threatening to cascade paper...
The sock pile of doom however, is nicely contained in a basket.

Sing- weldone for filing in the form!
And getting out for a walk.
That-oh no! hope you feeling are ok?
Hazel- lovely photos!
Hills- sounds like you needed the rest.
Red-weldone for making progress on rofd.
wader-😪 hug- lovely you sent him with Easter eggs.
Up- lovely you got out to the seaside!
Mc-was it lovely adding Mctiny to your census for the first time?
Ed- how are you?
Alo- hope you are ok?
Zoo- weldone for getting a doctors appt! Hope you get all tests booked in soon!

I need to do this as falling apart here too. I struggle so much getting a doc appt.

Thanks dancing! I’m so pleased it’s done. It’s out of my hands now, here’s hoping one of the nicer ones reads it :o

I have rewarded myself with copious biscuits and Line of Duty.

Oh I'd completely forgotten there's new line of duty so thanks for the reminder sing.

I've done very little other than schoolwork with DS3 today. I did ring and book my hotel for after fridays shift so I can tick that off and I've kept everyone fed and watered and S&S. Haven't even done LOL. I'll sort it all tomorrow.

My fridge isn't too bad but DH asked me to put dogs papers in the drawer earlier and commented that the drawer was a little less organised than usual. I've literally just been flinging things in instead of filing them properly 🙈

dancing hope you get app/feel better soon
Sing clear plastic tubs.i can pull out all cheese based items to check dates etc in one go.d.free in another one.fruit pots,jelly,etc in another.yogurts another.was life changing here!
Sadly socks and paperwork are a sorry mess!

Hills care to share recipe?(never have too many muffin recipes)sorry you are still feeling rubbish.glad you got some sleep.amazing how much a bit of sleep can help.hope you start feel better soon

Took lil zoo doctors and nurse kindly did my bloods there and then too- saves 30 mins each way walk tom!results should be back within 48 hr,poss 24 as reduction in patients at hospital due to cleaning between each blood taking means actual labs able race thru what does appear

Thank you for the pantry love, it didn't look like that a couple of weeks ago - it was a mess! The new house has lots of storage space/ pantry, which was a must for me as I'm used to mine.
waders yes, we have to sell our house first as part of the proceeds are the down payment.

We already have 2 viewings booked, it only has an old Google earth picture on it for right now. Professional pictures are tomorrow, when I'm off.
I'm excited and nervous at the same time!

zoo I'm glad you were able to speak to the doctor, that sounds like a breakthrough!
that I hope you feel better soon
Sing my fridge isn't organised very well. I do have a clear tub for cheese, but that's about it. I'll need to sort it tonight as I'm sure buyers will be opening it (the fridge is staying)

2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 table spoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons oil
2/3 cup water
2 eggs

1. dry ingrediants
2. wet ingrediants
3. well and mix
4. add fruit

15-20 mins preheat 375F/190C

Sorry i didn't write down proper instructions. And no idea where I got it from on the interwebs.

Oh just in case you were wondering it is a muffin mix. We made blueberry muffins with frozen blueberries. And yes the dough really was that claggy.

Hurrah for negative test Sing! I have a few baskets in the fridge - one for cheese, one for smaller veg items and one for some of DH’s many sauces. It definitely helps. Paperwork wise I once read somewhere that there’s no value in having paperwork really well organised, as it’s too much effort to keep it that way. As long as everything is in one place so that there’s only
one place to look then everything is at hand when you need it.

Zoo I’m so pleased you’ve called the GP, and that they listened and are doing something!

Hazel book me in for a viewing please. I need that pantry. Your bed looks lovely too.

Thanks for the reminder about the clocks Hills I think the lighter nights will be an issue here.

You’ve been busy today Waders. Sounds like DS is in for a lovely birthday.

Waves to Tidy, Double, Red, Mc, Dancing, That (hope you feel better), ED, Hope, Merry, Foxes

I’m short of ta Das today, but had a productive day at work. At home everyone seems to have been fed and still living so that’ll do. Tomorrow’s mission is to tackle the pile of clothes in the boudoir. Mine are all put away. DH will be getting a prod with the pointy stick.

Hallo, everyone!
Dancing I am in Scotland, so no census for us this time.
Sounds like you need to get that thing looked at.
Zoo I am glad things are on a roll with bloods.
Sing well done on getting on top of all your form filling!
My fridge is not particularly organised. I tend to keep various food groups on the same spot in the fridge - ie butter is always on a second shelf on the left, etc.
I actually organised all my paperwork during my nesting urge at the end of pregnancy, and now I am just keeping on top of filing things as soon as they turn up. The moment I open the envelope, I make a decision whether it something I need to keep or send it to the bin. It's working so far.

Ta das:
💥Aquarium maintenance x2
💥Beds stripped and re-made
💥LOL x1
💥Folded and put away dry laundry from previous few washes. These days I tend to collect it and then have a fold fest every few days.

I should really do some zone stuff, have been ignoring it a bit.

dancing DDs throat swelling up sounds scary, I hope you've figured out what it is so it doesn't happen again. Also I would definitely get that looked at, it sounds painful, but hopefully it's treatable.

1st day on the market, there were 4 viewings, and 3 more booked for tomorrow (Tuesday) one offer is already in, we have until Wednesday night to see what we get in, it's nerve-wracking!

🍒👋 to everyone

Wow hazel brilliant about the viewings and offer already!

Dancing that’s so scary about DD. Has she seen a doctor or specialist about allergies/intolerances? It would be worth booking for both of you - could ask for consecutive appts so you only need one phone call or visit. You can do it 💐

Thanks for all the fridge advice. We really don’t have even a “same spot for particular items” system, it’s just a mess and stuff goes back where it fits! I did have some of those baskets that slide under shelves but it just got in the way of the stuff above. I think normal clear baskets will be better - we tend to forget about stuff if we can’t see it. Also up that makes sense re paperwork. I’d be happy with broad categories like one for each of our health stuff, one for utilities etc. I think the concertina file is about 15 pockets. We just have so much paperwork and it’s always a pain to find stuff! But not worrying too much about perfect categorising will help.

On a lighter note, Cagletini’s first words to me this morning at 6.30am were “your boob is as big as a mountain” followed by giggling. Not sure if I should be annoyed at the earlier than necessary wake up call, or pleased she’s enjoying the use of simile. 😂

Also my friend sent me a video this morning by a psychiatrist who was saying that action precedes motivation rather than always being the other way round. So we shouldn’t wait for the feeling to want to do something. Just take the first step regardless of feeling and that might help trigger the motivation.

(Disclaimer: I only said ‘might’ 😂)

And on that note I have been awake ages so I should get up!

Sing- its true...i do more when I move....sometimes waiting for motivation is like waiting for a bus.
😂 very good use of a simile!

Yes dd was on the milk ladder...so they said you go up a fee steps and down a few steps. Sometimes their body can cope with the milk product, sometimes its too much to process.
Its very hard. She can tolerate a bit of milk in her breakfast. She can have most things. But we havent quite figured out triggers- mini yougrt pots, soft cheese and icecreams are definate no.

Thank you lovelies, I will make the appointments for us both.

Sorry Mc, I forgot.

Omg the time 🤦‍♀️

Being up since 6:30am does feel like ages. Sing I crashed out hard last night (asleep by around 9:30pm which is so much earlier than my normal 1-2am).

Ta da
Laundry load through washer and into dryer
looked at things that needed doing
grabbed coffee and breakfast and headed back to bed for social media catch up.

I need to sort a whole heap of stuff this morning. But have zero, precisely zero get up and go. But it is Tuesday and I have deadlines for Thursday and more work required to meet the deadline than is possible in one day. So today's motto is "suck it up buttercup". Teen is going to hate me

Your housing market is shifting some hazel also can I just say. Pantry envy. why the heck do english houses no longer have pantries?

I have wondered about turning part of the “long cupboard” off the hallway into a pantry, once we’ve sorted it (it’s currently got the flooring in among other things). It’s not easily accessible really being very narrow but maybe a small set of shelves near the front would be useful for a stash of tins etc.

I could’ve sworn I brought a book down to start. But I can’t find it now and my kindle is upstairs too. I’ll leave DH to sleep (sent him back up as the post jab effects are setting in now) and shall instead catch up on the Unforgotten and Line of Duty threads :o it’s so frustrating having to go at weekly pace now I’m so used to binging on Netflix etc, but the advantage is it means lots of speculation and wacky theories each week :o

Waders- thank you. I keep calling the doctors but I keep getting a line busy message. I will keep trying.
Wow your paper organisation sounds amazing!
I would have loved a pantry.

waders if you ever feel the urge to organise paperwork and have none,can I be first in line?
Hills thanks for recipe,assume makes 12?suck it up buttercup is the motto of the month and is going down like a lead balloon with zoolets.oh well.hard cheese as my mum would've said!
Sing boob mountain I'd take as a compliment.least that indicates round not flat like spaniels ears🤣

Today I am up
Chest /upper back pain and lots belching,so indigestion it is then.marvellous start to the day

DS fed
Attempts wake dd2 have failed.was up anxious til 4am.will leave her a while,she's really struggling bless her
I really need shift my arse,but boy I have a nasty attack if CBA...