Pumpkin spice and ghost abound, fledglings flying through the crazy

[HillsBesideTheSea]

Right for this seasonal thread of the Fledgings, I invite you to pull up a comfy chair around the fire pit and pour yourself a mug of something that you fancy.

We loosely follow the flylady system and her babysteps. But we have our own spin, our own abbreviations and have been around for far longer than some of us would like to admit. If you are new to these parts welcome in, we'll get you up to speed in no time. But we have rules, yes rules!

Rule 1: No fledgling left behind.
life happens. If you fall off the thread, jump back when you are ready.

Rule 2: If you wouldn't say it to someone else, don't say it to yourself
Be kind to yourself, the world is still crazy, and life happens. Just do what you can, when you can.

Right that's the rules now for the fun part. Acronyms and autocorrects!
Amongst others (and there are others but we'll have to explain as we go along)
It's all gone a bit ponty pridd - tits up, pete tong, wrong etc etc we get to thank auto correct for this
WOW wash out Wednesday - humps days often don't go to plan and get washed out
LOL round these parts it is load of laundry

Urm... Yeah about that fire pit and comfy chair... Dibs on the big floofy one with fluffy blankies... Last one in brings the marshmallows!

honey

Zoo- sending you a huge hug!
I am so sorry to read you had been crying. Its so sad you didnt get your shower, its unfair and out of order your dd took so long to help- kids are a pain sometimes.
I hope you are resting in a warm and cosy bed.

Honey- hope you have managed to order everything you wanted to order.

Scream- 🎂🎂🎂🎂 Happy Birthday to Cagletini 🎂🎂🎂🎂 hope she has a wonderful day.

I am awake at my usual time of 1.30am onwards. Had 4 hours sleep. 3 hours awake. Back to sleep, then struggle to wake in the morning. Thank you peri-menopause.

Went to visit my dad yesterday. It was so lovely to see him and the kids had missed him and he had missed us. He didnt want us to leave, I didnt want to leave either.

Hot teas, coffees, herbal teas all in the naughty corner for when everyone wakes up.

Happy Birthday to Cagletini

And good luck to anyone entering half term.

Where did the weekend go? I thought things were meant to be less work with teenagers, it’s our turn to we’re do the Halloween party this year for her friends and she wants everything to be perfect. Although I much prefer this to Christmas so it is fun making decorations with her.

I was supposed to be meeting a friend for coffee this morning but she’s not very well, so instead DH & I are going to a morning showing of Dune. Very excited, read the books as a teenager and this looks to be a good adaptation.

I’ll fly tomorrow

Morning all

Feeling a bit more human today. Sunshine always helps.

dancing Ugh at peri. It's endless, isn't it? I'm surprised by how many different symptoms I have. And yes, insomnia is the worst. Lovely that you spent time with your dad.

Oh zoo. That's so maddening and sad.

Glad you managed to do the essentials and get the essentials honey

goth sounds fun making decorations and is dune a 12? Thinking of taking DS to see it.

Happy birthday to little cagletini, scream. Hope she has a fab day.

Tada

Put 2 LoL away
Put LoL in wm
Put last night's washing up away
Swept kitchen and futility room
Tidied kitchen
Tidied futility room
Tidied living room
Set off Boosty, who managed to escape into the kitchen
Looked at flight plan on flight lady and noped out of there fast. Wash carpets? Is she mad? (Detailed cleaning)

dancing totally get that can't sleep peri rubbish
I've been up since 5,awake waaaay longer

Tada
Cats fed
Wash on

Kitchen
Wash up
Wipe surfaces
Spray hob
Wipe tiling
Wipe cupboard fronts
wipe hob
clean windows
Wipe sills
sweep floor

Living room
Clean around TV unit
Wipe mantlepiece
Clean around fireplace
Tidy under dining table
Sort book case
sweep floor

Wash in drier
More in

Wake dd2 for meds

Bathroom
Clean windows
Clean mirror
Wipe sills
Wipe radiator
Wipe bath skirt
Wipe a tiling
S+s
Make crumpet mountain

Fold dry towels and put away

To do
Bedrooms
Laundry

Then I'm planning bit self care and knitting

So...made mistake requesting dd2 sort her extensive clothing collection out...ww3 broke out,few items discarded,I'm the devil personified as I dare to suggest she needs shed basically half a wardrobe of stuff so all her things fit into less space so lil zoo has some room.i left her ranting and rip stuff out wardrobe..I had a regroup and think..checked out nearest cash for clothes and suggested a monies made were hers.shes being more thorough now🤣

Morning all! Thanks for Cagletini’s birthday wishes. We’d hoped to have a big day out but I’m glad we didn’t book anything as we are all tired and groggy. Might get the bus to the next town though.

I’ve had today’s maths lesson (while DS helped Cagletini build the lego he chose for her) and played her new Egypt game :o

I think I forgot to attach the pic of the wall last night, here’s the colour (willow green from Dulux) - IRL it looks very much like the green the OP’s posts are highlighted in, if you have that setting on.

That is the same colour as my room used to be and my curtains are. Sing

Zoo money is a good motivator for them isnt it

had a minor panic about ds getting to school on time - it's half term. Glad i didnt attempt to wake him up.

I SHOULD be getting up. what i am actually doing is procrastinating. mornings are hard, motivation is lacking. And it is MONDAY....

Home bleurgh day
launch pad

happy birthday cagletini
We have same op colour in D's roomvery calming

Tada cont
Sent girls out to do some studying at local nature reserve as suns come out (and D's and I need break from the hormones tbh)
Sort D's room,incl moving Lego that missed the cullonto landing
Moving his mini rocking horse he can't bear part with under midi sleeper and getting full access to wardrobe as intend to and see can get all belongings in there,ditch chest drawers and add a desk!

One of the similar shades that was even more like mumsnet green was called Wellbeing I think. Wellbeing applies to mumsnet posts like this… not so much AIBU 🤣

Off to the next town soon. Will just have a wander. I’m feeling a bit grim - last night my ear was agony but then it went all crackly and now it just feels odd but not quite as painful.

Must go and get the bus.

Morning all! Lovely living room colour Scream, very soothing.

Welcome to half term everyone (but not those in Scotland and possibly Lincs, I think?). We all need a rest! So obviously (clearly been reading Flylady, Yup) DH is shampooing carpets.

Glad you found a motivator for DD's clothes culling, zoo. We have the opposite issue - DD has one single-width Ikea wardrobe, and no room for any other storage as her room is absolutely stuffed with furniture. She's separated her high sleeper so she has a bed on the floor and a sofa / desk combo so she's got to streamline her clothes or get creative with storage. Mostly she solves the problem by keeping clothes on the chair / floor 🤦.

Hope the Hallowe'en party preparations go well, Goth. We decorated yesterday and DD is going to to her first real, actual party on Wednesday evening. She is the only Y12 invited, and finding her stock has risen markedly in the Common Room as a result. I am so pleased this seems to be coming right.

Honey focussing on essentials and your own mental and physical health is what's important right now. Might DS agree to help build his bed as a half term project?

Hills it is a Monday in half term, you are allowed to go slow.

YesTaDa
❤️ make DD a Hallowe'en pillow case
🧡 Decorate for Hallowe'en with DS3
💛 Make roast beef etc for dinner, to slot in between the football match and the Grand Prix
💚 Write Ideal-World DIY to do list for half term
💙 Decide NOT to take DS3 to see Mountfitchet Castle as it appears to be more theme park than useful historical site any more 😭. We want to see a motte and bailey castle, not pose for photos with "life size models of the Beatles and Elvis" (WTAF?)

TaDa
❤️ Hoovered all of upstairs and down, including insisting on children's bedrooms
🧡 2 x LOL
💛 Assisted DH with carpet shampooing in study and living room by doing the really difficult bit i.e. reading the instructions and stopping him breaking the Vax. Carpets do look better.
💚 Worked out what's for tea
💙 Ate large Belgian bun to replenish energy after hoovering.
💜 Spoke to Hospital, who rang to cancel and rebook the echocardiogram I cancelled last Thursday. This didn't work because I used their two preferred systems for cancellation - online service and text service. Neither of them work, apparently, and I should have rung up. 🤦

To do:
🕸️ Play Financial Reconciliation or, where has all the money gone?
🎃 Collect WillowHound from vets, where he has gone for a little sleep and a nail clipping and many fluffs and treats from the nurses
🕸️ Get into town for biscuits, more carpet cleaner and another soda stream cartridge.
🎃 Empty make and do cupboard so it can house Tea Of Many Kinds
🕸️ DH wants to buy a rug for the study where he's got Baby Bio on the carpet

I am going to have to spread the Home Bleugh over the week. 🍒👋 to all of you!

Thanks Willow. Yes I'm sure ds would happily help when we get to it but he needs a good room tidy first. He's going out today with friends so maybe aim for tomorrow.

I like the colour Scream.

Zoo - you've reminded me to get ds to do a quick go through his drawers etc and pull out anything that doesn't fit anymore. I'm pretty sure that at least two pairs of his shoes on the shelves at the front door don't fit either so will check and then bin.

I've managed to do a lol which is sitting wet in in machine now so need to hang it out next and I think I'll attempt a bit of a wipe down and tidy in the kitchen today too. It may be a case of trying to do some basics in each room each day this week and that having to do.

Asda rang and asked if I was available for my delivery to come early so they've been and gone and tesco site is back up so I've done a small order with them for Thursday as there were bits I couldn't get at asda and I've used the need to get to £40 in my basket as an opportunity to stock up on things like olive oil and spices and other dry store stuff. I'll have spent a lot but I think it works Pay day soon anyway.

Still super tired for some reason. In peri news my hrt was doubled which has definitely helped hot sweats but my 'period' was over a week late with a lot of cramps in the build up and has been more like a few days of light spotting than a period. Don't know if that's hrt related or peri related - who can tell?

Had a reply from the husband of relative who died - I'm so sad for him. They loved each other very much and it was very unexpected and traumatic with delayed ambulances and him not being allowed to go in with her due to covid rules. I can't imagine how much he must be reeling. There's absolutely nothing useful to say in the face of bereavement. There is a 3 week wait for funeral slots at the minute apparently - all awful.

Afternoon all

zoo might be worth putting some stuff on Vinted she will get more money! Ive started selling stuff on there and up to £60 now. I'm using it to declutter!

scream happy bday to cagletini! Love the paint

that most of its only Primark stuff or chazza anyways,few bits from shein...

Well we have cleared 2 BINBAGS of clothes,almost all don't fit as either got taller or mostly bigger which has made her very sadthe irony was she thought was fat then too....
Anyways we been lovely walk at sunset down old railway line

Had my lovely hot shower,washed hair and am now sat watching D's and lil zoo inhale simple tea- 2 rounds of toasted cheese sandwich with cucumber and a pear for D's.hummus,toast soldiers a plenty and cucumber for lil zoo and black grapes

What a gorgeous picture, I need to get back into doing daily walks, I feel like I’m ready to hibernate

Freakily Dune is a 12A

I thoroughly enjoyed it. but have been a fan of the books since I was a teenager, it’s a lot closer to them than the David Lynch version and is visually stunning, huge panoramic views. DH grumbled about the battle scenes not being believable but he likes war films and strategy games. It only goes halfway through book 1 so they better do a sequel.

I have managed a teeny bit of Flying
Laundry just finishing in dryer
Did dinner and washing up.

About to crack on with more crochet. I have a few things I need to get ready for this Saturday’s class.

Sounds like a lovely tea, zoo. I'm sorry DD2 is sad about clothes, and I hope she can make peace with her shape.

Ta Da
❤️ got to town for biscuits, soda stream cartridge, vax shampoo, baskets for DD's bedroom, DW cleaner, take dry cleaning in and pay some cash into the bank
🧡 Got a lift home from DH as I had bought too much to carry 😳
💛 Failed to do recycling as they have changed the system
💚 Washed shopping bag we keep recycling in as it did not smell nice
💙 Had friends round for coffee. Was lovely.
💜 Made chicken, sweetcorn and greenery soup from batch-cooked chicken in white sauce base. Was lovely.

I have taken the piss out of DH and his carpet cleaning antics today, but the carpet looks much better (baby bio stains notwithstanding).

willow she's always been a big eater,loves food.doesnt really ever feel "full" never has..when did GCSE stress stopped her apetite and reflux was bad and she lost 2stine making her comfortable a size 10 first time ever.shes now regained it all plus a lot more as eating like was before,but stopped exercising
She struggles fact D's needs a high calorie diet to keep his weight ok,lil zoo obvs under ed team and has eat certain stuff so there's crisps,choc,biscuits around which doesn't help things as no one has any restrictions

Thanks goth I will try to take DS later in the week. DS is keen to see the James Bond film so have bought tickets for that. Nearly 3 hours long. My bum is going to numb, probably my brain too. Goth, my DP is the same about detective stories ("that's not procedurally correct") and war films. Also plays a lot of strategy board games and wargames. (Yawn)

Lovely sunset pic zoo Glad you got your hot shower.

A few more tadas
Phoned garage to check when I booked the service for - it's tomorrow
Helped DS revise for a test for next week - he can't do self-study
Helped Dad with computer problems - again!
Booked Bond tickets
Bought stuff for DS for his course
Sorted what we are doing for Christmas
Walked to the shops to get a few bits and pieces
Picked up parcel
Opened parcel, put item in gift bag, wrote card and put it in my work bag, ready to give to lovely colleague for birthday next week. Feeling good that I am organised about this as I have always forgotten her birthday in the past. Bloody embarrassing.

Evening all,

I have slacked off the thread big time this month, just caught up with the last week but may be a bit confused as to who said what.

Honey - sorry to hear about the bereavement, hope you can find a way to balance the workload stuff with the home stuff.

Hill - we have Ivar bookshelves (didn't know they still made them TBH) - they were one of the first things I bought in my first house so that makes them at least 25 years old. I had a deep one in the front room with the TV and video on it, a shallow one with a cabinet as a sort of dresser and a combination deep and shallow one with a flip up flap thing as a home office in the spare room. Back in the days when TVs and computer monitors were massive deep things. Most of it is in DD's room now. My mum is the houseplant queen of our family, some of hers are older than me (50+), including a trailing tradescantia, and a maranta. She has a trailing asparagus fern in the bathroom (the sort with fronds like dill) but it drops bits everywhere. I have a ceropegia in my bathroom, it does trail but doesn't seem to grow much, had it about 6 months.

Sing - love your wall colour, we are looking at similar for the non-tiled parts of the kitchen, I have a tester of Dulux Tranquil Dawn sitting next to me, it's a lighter grey-green.

Mc - I can't believe McTiny is off to nursery already, awww.

Yup - well done on birthday organisation, hope you are feeling better now.

Willow - I have a DH who wields the carpet cleaner with great aplomb. I am not allowed to use it I can't be arsed so I pretend I don't know what I'm doing just like he does with lots of other things

Goth - lovely gloves. I have just finished joining a blanket for Woolly Hugs, despatched it at the weekend, need to finish some of my other half-made items now.

zoo - sorry about the traumatic clothes sorting. My DD has so many her (admittedly small) wardrobe won't shut, we do need a clear-out but she too is reluctant hoarder.

Foxes - welcome back, I too am dipping in and out intermittently ATM, glad the kitchen is nearly done, so is ours now, waiting for the joiner to get back in touch about replacement back door and we need to paint the walls that aren't tiled.

Not much news here, another uni open day on Sat for DS (much more succesful than the previous one). Two more to go, one on Friday, one on the 6th. Getting back on top of menu planning and cooking from scratch after a long intermission due to kitchen renovation and being lazy. A significant family birthday this week (not mine) so celebrations to attend, gifts to wrap etc.

I have taken to going for a coffee by myself on Sunday mornings. My usual cafe was shut this week so I went in Wetherspoons (resisted the full English) and sat in a sunny window with my phone and diary having a good mental declutter, it is helping me feel a bit more on top of things.

Dancing - glad your trip to Ikea went well too

ED your Sunday mornings ritual sounds very tranquil.
Zoo nice work on supplying the inspiration for wardrobe declutter.
Willow your ta das are impressive!
Scream happy birthday to Cagletini!! How did you celebrate?

Ta das:
🎉LOLx3
🎉Dry clothes folded and put away
🎉Kitchen cleaned several times, DW rotated constantly
🎉hoovered downstairs
🎉Mopped the floors
🎉All fishtanks sorted
🎉Indoor ants watered

That should say plants. I don't think I've reached the stage of owning, never mind watering, the indoor ants 😳

I have finally caught up with the thread!
Up (I think it was you anyway) I LOVE ❤ your tile in the kitchen
scream happy birthday to cagletini! I love the green too, very calming as zoo said.
zoo that's good that DD2 was able to part with clothes. It's so tough as they're growing and bodies changing. I hope she doesn't see that as a huge negative. Hormones are terrible things too, I don't blame you for having the girls go out for a walk!
honey Sorry to hear about your relative passing away
hills sorry I can't add any other ideas for plants. I will eventually need to get some more, I have an orchid that is just leaves, that's it, but it's doing really well. Everything else dies 😪
ED good to see you again!

I know I missed others, I'm sorry. I'll try to be on here more.
We had our bootcamp weigh in today (Monday), I'm excited to say I've dropped 3.8lbs! I don't think I was drinking enough water, since I've upped it. Also, I tried on my costume and the top (a corset) fits a lot better - I was able to tighten it quite a bit!

Anyway, DH and I actually worked on emptying more boxes tonight, after work. Yes, we still have boxes 🤫 we rejigged some stuff and created room and homes for things. Still more to do, but we are making progress.

I'm off tomorrow. I have a cheesecake to make and take the dog to the vet. I did a lot of batch cooking with help from DS Sunday, so not much cooking to do this week, which is good, as I have a lot to do! I'm going to need to redo my nails as well as they are chipping off, 2 weeks is really good for me, although my nails keep breaking.

Anyway, I hope to be on here for a few minutes tomorrow 🤞
🍒👋 to everyone

I’ve been slacking off the thread too. Despite 3 very unproductive days I couldn’t seem to read more than 3 posts at a time before getting distracted! I’m finally up to date now though, and solemnly swear to do more flying.

Half term here this week. We have some Halloween activities planned but also need to empty rooms, scrap old furniture etc for the painter coming next week. Got a few maternity appointments, a birthday party etc thrown in the mix too…

So sorry for your loss Honey, sounds like very sad circumstances

Hope Cagletini had the best birthday Scream. We have the exact same colour in our kitchen and I love it. We just have a cream blind with ours but I am not very adventurous with colour. I can see both a deep or pale purple working though.

Glad you found a way to motivate DD in the culling of clothes Zoo.

🍒 👋 to the rest of you

Ta da:
🕷 fed everyone
🕷 LOL on and sorted the rest of the basket into loads
🕷 made DD’s bed and began tidying up her room a bit.

To Do:
DW and kitchen benches
S&s
Make my bed and pick up random crap from boudoir floor
Hoovering and mopping (fully paid up member of the hairy stairs club here 🙋‍♀️)
Supermarket trip and meal planning
Try and remove wall stickers from DD’s room carefully enough for them to be reused in the baby’s room
Finish tidying DD’s room
Join Willow in working out where all the money has gone (clearly it’s gone on my nesting spending spree)
Halloween decoration making and pumpkin carving with DD

I’m ignoring zone 5 for now as it’s one of the rooms getting painted so will deep clean when it’s empty.

Morning! (Well, afternoon by the time this posts, I should think).

Hills, here is my Bathroom Tradescantia (NOT as old as ED!).

Lovely to see you Hazel, Mc, UpSpooking, foxes and ED. I think we all increasingly drop in as we can.

I have not been lolling about this morning - although I did sleep til 8am, which was blissful - instead I have ta das.
❤️ DS2 called in for post and a glass of milk and a chocolate biscuit, then had to rush home before his shopping defrosted. I do love watching him play at being a grown up. 🤣
🧡 Zoom meeting with Pilates leader so I can get back into it. She says I am not as broken as I feared, which is good news. Quite excited for my first (Zoom) class on Thursday.
💛 Faffed about on the interweb for a bit
💚 Got dinner (variations on parmigiana) out of the freezer
💙 Now running a bath because it's half term, I have nowhere to be and I can.

Still to do
🎃 Wash self, hair etc
🕸️ Plan menu and shopping list with DH
🎃 Possibly get to Tesco for sausages and pumpkins for Hallowe'en Fun

I know it's early, but is anyone just not feeling it regarding Christmas this year? I'm sure I've usually snapped out of this by now, but I just don't want to do it this year. I love the lights and the warmth but the faffing with presents and food and money and FIL and my family and pretending I want us all to get together and be jolly feels like too much. That's not to suggest DH doesn't pull his weight, we very much split things evenly - he does buying and on-the-day cooking, I do wrapping and cards and fiddly extras that no-one notices til they're not there like Christmas trees and wreaths and charitable donations and Advent Calendars etc - but it just seems Too Much.