Fledglings May 2021 thread: MAYbe we’ll keep our routines going as the outside world opens up 😊

[halfhope]

Welcome fledglings to May’s Flylady thread – many, many thanks to ED for her expert guidance through April 2021.

All are welcome and especially Newbies. Don’t be shy in making yourselves known because we are a friendly bunch.
We follow Flylady’s system for house and sanity maintenance which is based around 5 room zones spread over the month. There is a weekly quick home clean in the midst of more thorough zone cleaning. I am an aging fledgling who really should be more proactive about following the plan but to be frank I enjoy the natter and good company more than I enjoy cleaning. Every day I will be checking in and giving the ‘flight plan’ for the day with links to the Flylady site. You can join Flylady on her site for email updates but she does like to send a lot out, just so you know!
The most importantist thing to know is that you are NEVER behind – just do what you can when you can. Many of us post ta da lists as we cross items off our [never-ending] to do lists.
You may find the following acronyms along the way (adapted below from ED’s useful list from April)
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
Pointy stick —-> = for when a fledgling needs a motivational prod
The naughty corner = a relaxing haven where we hang out when motivation is low or when life becomes overwhelming. Usually enticing food is left there with squishy cushions.
KCC – (Keep calm corner) these are little stories, photos, memes, off-topic questions, just to keep us all distracted from the general tedium of lockdown life. Feel free to chip in.

I've been slacking, both on house front and diet front. House is a grubby mess.
Up what a glorious cat you have! Sounds like a perfect way to spend a Saturday - under a cat.
Sing hope the assignments and sawing goes well today.
Hills survive.

Overslept until 11 and missed an appointment! Arghh. today

Today's link in previous post but baby step 8 www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/31-beginner-babysteps/day-8/

here

What a wreck of a day. Off to do tax return.

Oh no hope :( is it something easy to rearrange?

I am so tired. Have sorted the clothes, once DD1 moves her laundry on I can wash the stuff we are keeping and the stuff for nursery. I need to decide what to do with the recycling stuff (I don’t think we can put clothes in our bins) but there is also enough to do another icollectclothes pick up at some point. I should probably wait until DS has had a clear out too, but then he can’t really do that until I’ve got him some next size up stuff. I think I will have to brave Primark during the week

I was supposed to Skype someone who is now living on their own due to their wife having dementia. She's recently been placed in a care home. I've caught up with him now and apologised profusely. I was trying to pay a social virtual call to him because he's lonely.

Tax return is now in and I'm off to ASDA

I've basically slept through the morning. I wouldn't mind but I told dh about the call and he was meant to join me. He should have woken me. I hate sleeping in. Missed all morning.

Apparently the thing that i needed to do was roll over and go back to sleep. So i did still really tired but everything hurts just a little bit less.

I think exhaustion is catching up with all of us, Hills, Sing and Hope. Sorry you missed your call, Hope. I've spent the last two days totally in reactive mode responding to everyone else and I'm exhausted. I tend to fall asleep with my book on my nose at 9.30, then get up at 7.30 still tired and start it all over again!

I'm on my phone so can't scroll back and have to do personals from memory.
Hazel good luck with final packing, hope it all goes ahead ok.
That hope the UFM situation has improved. Patio in Naughty Corner is needing an extension if not.
Zoo hope Lilzoo has recovered digestively and you are ok too.
Up lovely cat pic! Nothing achieved here either.
Lovely stickers, Cloud (I think)
🍒👋 To Mc, SC, foxes, Double, ships, ED, Red, Dancing and everyone else.

Vague tadas last week:
❤️ Everyone fed
🧡 Nobody dead
💛 Bathroom blinds ordered
💚 Our bathroom scrubbed
💙 Kitchen bin cupboard scrubbed
💜 DD got the job, she is working for Wenzel's the bakers. Hooray, but she starts at 5.30 on Wednesday, before the buses start, so I will have to get up and take her.
🤎 DS2 had his last day of school

Today not much achieved beyond a dog walk and a few bits purchased in town. DH had his second Covid jab yesterday and feels rubbish, so I am going to:
🧙 Clear the kitchen table
🧙 Fill all the cracks in the bathroom ceiling
🧙 Start reverse-engineering the lego we've sold into boxes.

Hey ho. Best get on.

UFM situation is on going

I am exhausted and envy all your sleep 😴

oh no that - you definitely need the sleep not me. I can remember being very tired in the last stage of pregnancy. Sorry to hear UFM situation is ongoing. Is there no reasoning with him?

Gosh that's an early start on Weds willow - very good of you to give her a lift. She must be so excited about her job.

The heavens opened and I left going to ASDA. Am tidying my office and paperwork now.

That I say put your feet up, have a hot cup of something, and let UFM firefight the household.
Hope at least you are rested. Weather is absolutely pants here, isn't it.
Willow massive well done to your DD! Best of luck with Lego.
Cloud those stickers are cute 😊
Dancing how are you doing, lovely?

Ta das:
💥LOLx2 so far, more to go
💥Rubbish to the bin
💥Recycling out
💥Reclaimed the kitchen (took a while)
💥DW rotated
💥DH blitzed bathroom
💥2 out of 3 tanks sorted
💥Rubber brushed upstairs
💥Hoovered

House is looking a bit less like a hovel. Will need to dust at some point (not necessarily today).

Does anyone have any recommendations on baby gates and baby proofing? Any absolute must haves you found?

UFM is in bed. Has been most of the day. I have contemplated setting fire to said bed but i love my bed too much.

Can’t beat Lindam for gates IME, we have used both the pressure fit and the screw fit over the years.

❤️ bathroom ceiling cleaned
🧡 Old blind fixings taken down
💛 Holes and cracks in plaster filled

Now onto the lego!

That I agree with Mc - rest as much as you can, let the UFM firefight.

Mc we had a wallfixed gate at the top of the stairs that was a godsend, and a pressure mounted one at the bottom that weakened the newel post worked well at the time.

The thing we could not have done without was the old-fashioned, Mothercare style fireguard that totally enclosed the fireplace. No bumped heads on the hearth if you can't get to it! It bolted to the wall, so couldn't be shifted and at least until mine were two-ish I could keep papers etc on top of it (we never lit the fire, really).

If I had to say don't get something, don't get socket protectors. It is my understanding that sockets in the UK aren't live until there's something plug-shaped in there, so they are actually making them more dangerous.

Ones that reach the ceiling!!!

Ds could get out of his by the time he was 1, he just climbed over the top. Seriously it was all about whether he chose to respect it or not. We also didn't have a stair gate on the stairs because pressure on it would have just "popped" it even if it was screw plate mounted. So we had them on doorways, and taught ds how to tackle the stairs safely at a young age. any thing he wasn't supposed to be doing he wanted to do but once he could he couldnt be bothered.

More important than a stair gate was the oven lock and fridge lock imo

I heard that too willow re socket guards.

One major thing for safety with a mobile baby is also blind cords, if you have any blinds on your windows, no idea what to do about them though as we only have curtains.

Yes to the fire guard!

You can get covers for blind cords or secure to wall

We swore by socket guards. they were so tight fitting they were almost impossible to prise loose. And ds loved to stick things into the sockets. There was actually shocks at one point when someone confiscated. Not as many as when we discovered that the light switch was on the wrong circuit and hadnt actually been turned off when we flipped the switch in the fuse box thank god.

And if you have ever tried to clear vomit out of a socket then socket guards are definitely the way to go.

But then some people hate safety catches on cupboard doors and doors. In my experience small kids can open them and the only one being stopped is the grown up who inevitably can't figure the damn thing out. ds still opens child proof bottles for me

We got a safety catch for the medicine cupboard door. Still had to move DD1’s tablets out of the way as little fingers could fit through 🤦🏽‍♀️😂

Small kids are just too damn good at problem solving!!!!

I second the big cage-type fire guard. We rarely light the log burner but it stopped her cracking her head in the sharp corners of the hearth.

We also didn’t have a stair gate (very difficult to fit on our staircase) and like Hills had her safely navigating the stairs quite quickly. We did have gates on her bedroom door and living room door, so there was always an area she could be safely contained (cheap as chips from aldi, lasted well and were passed on). We bought safety catches for cupboards but never fitted them in the end as DD never really bothered with the cupboards. Medicines are up high. We were lucky as she was never much of a climber/explorer. Blinds were my biggest concern after a horrible case at work. Ours were all newly fitted and they have safety things on them so they come apart with any pressure.

Ta Das:
😴 2 LOLs hung up to dry
😴 convinced DH to dispose of 3 pairs of holy boxers as they were taking up valuable hanging space and were no longer to, erm contain everything
😴 sent DH to the chippy
😴 had a nap.

We are going to attempt a short walk during a forecast break in the rain to relieve parental guilt although we’ve lied and told DD the park will be closed

Sorry your morning went a bit wrong Hope

It would be terrible if a stray DC went and jumped on UFM That. Hope you get some sleep soon.