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Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

Fledglings Flying into the Festive Season

729 replies

ExquisitelyDecorated · 30/11/2021 22:18

Well here we are, December is upon us and we are settling in for the winter. We aim to follow the fly lady system, it does work if you follow it, but many of us have found that it works better if you combine it with an additional decluttering system to speed up that process. Flylady is more of a maintenance system, some combine it with other systems such as TOMM. Links at the end of the post.

These threads have been running for years, many posters have been here for a long time but new Fledglings and returners are always welcome, just jump in and ask if you don't understand anything.

Experience has taught us that these threads are only loosely about housekeeping, they are more about keeping good company and looking out for one another. So we have the naughty corner fully stocked with cushions, blankets, hot water bottles, comforting drinks and snacks, with a few sausage rolls and mince pies in a nod to the season (gluten free, vegan etc all catered for).

A few of our abbreviations and sayings:

BRC = box of random crap
Mount Washmore = out of control laundry
CHAOS = can't have anyone over syndrome
LMS / DLMS = lose my shit / didn't lose my shit
It's all gone a bit Pontypridd - it's all gone pear-shaped (some sort of spellcheck error)
No Fledgling Left Behind - there is always someone here to lend a listening ear, whether you want to have a grumble, let off steam, or just feel a bit behind or out of sorts. We recognise that many people have a lot going on in their lives, caring responsibilities, work, health conditions, general family life

So, with that, I will pop a couple of links to Flylady pages here:

www.flylady.net/ - homepage

www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/flying-lessons/ - getting started

We suggest you do NOT subscribe to the emails, unless you want a very cluttered inbox. Ask here instead.

www.flylady.net/d/cruising-through-the-holidays/ - seasonal stuff

OP posts:
Thread gallery
8
THATlittleCRACKER · 11/12/2021 08:41

Omg its nearly christmas!
Omg its nearly christmas!
Omg its nearly christmas!
Omg its nearly christmas!
Omg its nearly christmas!

IWasWillingToGoWassailing · 11/12/2021 09:33

And , That

IWasWillingToGoWassailing · 11/12/2021 09:36

Ta da:
Nothing
Ta didn't:
Everything

To do:
Much.
🐧 morning routine
🎅 Dye hair so I look far less like an exhausted middle-aged Mum of nearly 50
🐧 Pick a recipient and wrap their Christmas presents
🎅 Pre-emptively wash new bedding for the spare bed
🐧 Put the Christmas tree up
🎅 puff pastry pizza for dinner

Redsquirrel5 · 11/12/2021 09:41

😃🌲Yes, it is That🌲 can’t imagine how you will get everything wrapped. Can you enlist help or have you been doing one a day? I go and help my friend as she hates wrapping. I don’t mind it and I haven’t got much.

FestiveHope the roofer arrives and you get it all sorted within this week coming. Not long now till baby how exciting.

Plan today hinges on BF family. We have planned something but so had various members of family which involve her. Hoping to get out for a couple of hours.
Going to aim for getting the tree up and maybe decorations. Have half a pheasant casserole so won’t have to cook. Not sure if I will have a little. Been on a bowl of soup a day and had two eggs last Wed or Thurs. The good thing is I might lose some weight. This might help someone find what is wrong. Have nasty pain this morning but only about a 2/10 worse if I prod it. Low right hand side. DH has brought me a mug of tea.

IWasWillingToGoWassailing · 11/12/2021 11:01

Red I don't want to speak out of turn, but are you sure it's not your appendix?

Ignore me, of course, if you had it taken out years ago!

ExquisitelyDecorated · 11/12/2021 11:02

Erm, still a bit busy. The links are all in my posts of 01 Dec, they should update themselves. My house is a tip, my shopping is not finished let alone wrapped, my cards are not written, but the tree is up, the other decorations done, the turkey ordered, the cards bought and I am on a train to London for a Christmas concert with DD. Oh and I bought a beautiful Advent Candle for half price in Oxfam this morning after the chat last week, will put it away for next year.

I have crammed in a lot of socialising in the last week but reigning it in after today to lower the risks in the run-ip to Christmas.

OP posts:
IWasWillingToGoWassailing · 11/12/2021 11:07

Ok, have achieved some stuff.
❤️ DW emptied and refilled and kitchen wiped
🧡 LOL on
💛 Bed airing, in preparation for stripping
💚 Now in bath with head wrapped in clingfilm. 17 minutes to A New Me.
💙 DH on phone to FIL while glossing picture rail, and I will go down and start shouting "it's time to leave" and "put your coats on" and "who's got the dog?" to force the call to end at 11.30. We are not actually going anywhere.

IWasWillingToGoWassailing · 11/12/2021 11:09

Have a lovely time in London, ED. We are cancelling all public socialising from here on, for safety's sake.

ExquisitelyDecorated · 11/12/2021 11:33

We are carrying on working outside the home and with the DCs sports but their schools broke up yesterday. DS has one last Explorers meeting to go to (he is leaving). Will still be shopping. But no more social events in the diary this side of Christmas. We switched our work Christmas meal from next Fri with partners to yesterday lunchtime without partners. Hunkering down.

OP posts:
Mc3209 · 11/12/2021 13:56

That if it makes you feel any better, I haven't even started Christmas shopping.

I've been keeping the household afloat, but other than that not much has happened in flying department.

HalfHolly · 11/12/2021 14:25

I'm the world's worst present wrapper. I watch YouTube videos of people wrapping expertly in awe

HalfHolly · 11/12/2021 21:17

The Christmas tree and all decorations are up. Anything to avoid wrapping presents.

Mc3209 · 11/12/2021 22:03

I've made a good dent in Christmas shopping. I hate shopping for Christmas presents.

IWasWillingToGoWassailing · 11/12/2021 22:37

❤️ Tree up
🧡 DH has put picture rail round the music room
💛 New music room lamp arrived and makes everything much brighter
💚 Our new bedlinen washed and dried
💙 Spare bed linen washed and dried
💜 2 x other LOL
❤️ Everyone fed

Ta didn't
❌ Wrapping. Any of it.

ExquisitelyDecorated · 11/12/2021 22:55

We had a lovely time in London. Came home with plans to do lots of stuff this evening but spent it flopped on the sofa (this is rare for me as I'm such a fidget-arse). In bed now. Tomorrow there will be things done!

OP posts:
Stilllivinginazoo · 12/12/2021 08:11

red if you haven't already,please speak to your doctor.tgats a fair few days of not being able to eat

I have read everything else but my colander brain has leaked it all out again.sending cheery wingflaps,hope everyone's ok!
Well tits up best describes life here.i had health scare Thursday,need try and be kinder to myselfbut was cleared for booster Fri,plus doctor for D's in with me as like me he's unhappy he's not received it yet(dd2 had 2nd Sunday as 17,but as ASD and asthmatic he should've had his ages ago,but school fluffed that up)
Pleased to report Pfizer booster has not given burning skeleton moderna did,just upgrade of usual aching.i can live with that!
"D"p was unusually panicked by health news and took Friday off to look after me/drive us to clinic for jabs.hes in for weekend and has amused zoolets(mainly D's) and been a polite taxi.sure it won't last,but utilising while it does🤣
Wrapped dd1 and husband's gifts.
Sorted rest zoolets into piles checking no one has masses more than another and dividing some D's off for next Saturday 16th birthday
Ment to be food shopping today

THATlittleCRACKER · 12/12/2021 08:26

We have two poorly dc again. Fml. So sick of this. Lfts negative, pcrs ordered.

I don't have any help with wrapping. Dc1 offered but he makes it harder so no point.

IWasWillingToGoWassailing · 12/12/2021 11:19

Oh That I am sorry. Hope the PCRs are negative and it's "just" the end of term lurgy.

DD's school have sent Y13 home and stopped all extra-curricular stuff for Y11. How they are going to manage the Sixth Form Entertainment (traditionally written and performed by the U6th) next Weds on this basis, I cannot fathom.

It is Sunday and things are running. Ta da:
💖 Up, washed, dressed, breakfasted, medicated, Doing Stuff by 9.15am
🧡 Stripped bed ready for new Christmas bedding
💛 Put LOL 1 on, LOL 2 waiting already
💚 DW emptied and refilled
💙All wrapping stuff finally put completely in the spare bedroom which is now the Wrapping Room of Requirement
💜 Discussed moving DD's room round again (no! Not at this point! I refuse)
💖 Talked to DD and DS3 about whether can shift any games and things on from the music room

Zoo sorry about your health scare, I hope "d"p continues to step up and be useful.
Red definitely time to see a GP I'd say.
ED glad you had a good time in London, hope you get some stuff done today, don't wear yourself out.

To do:
🐧 help DD tidy her room
🐟 finalise Tesco list for collection on Tuesday
🐧 remake bed
🐟 put little Christmas tree up
🐧 Help DS3 with Design homework, because the moping and worrying about it is driving me insane
🐟 Finally write the Christmas cards
🐧 Roast lamb for dinner. Think of pudding, as not enough apples for crumble. Possibly pumpkin cheesecake again.
🐟 wrapping of some kind
🐧 make chicken and vegetable soup for lunch
🐟 LOL 3 & 4

Apparently it's 11.15 and I've lost a) my energy and b) my momentum.

HillsBesideTheSea · 12/12/2021 11:31

insomnia is the worse.

Sorry for all the poorly little one, tasks that need to be done which arent enjoyed, and hoping that the massive to do lists are more managable.

SingToTheSleigh · 12/12/2021 12:23

Well done for getting some shopping done mc what have you got the little one? I love present shopping, too much tbh as I go over budget 😳

Sorry about all the poorliness. Getting very frustrating now isn’t it!

I have done nothing today and can’t believe it’s already the afternoon. My ears have gone bad again 🤬😭 not much pain, but I can’t hear properly. Not sure what to do, as the swab came back inconclusive the other week so it’s not like they can target a specific thing, and when they phoned to tell me I said it was better anyway (because it was at the time!). Argh. It’s all unravelling a bit and I had to tell DH that no I really can’t manage if he picks up yet more volunteer shifts (he’s Santa/elfing for local charity drive).

But anyway. Must get on with some stuff that I can just about manage while I’m home with the younger two watching Looney Tunes.

po3.1
❗️Sort and send answers to the “getting to know you” quiz for work
❗️Make sure drying is fully dry, get DS to help with room rescues in kitchen and living room
❗️Order a couple of presents for DSD1 that we’ve agreed on (she’s been the trickiest to choose for this year!)

Slowchimes · 12/12/2021 12:48

That Brew Hope dcs recover quickly

Zoo hope you are OK? Flowers Take it steady. Brew Glad to hear dp stepping up and long may it continue. Profitez!

ED great to hear you had a good day out!

Halfholly and Wassail well done re: trees!

Mc3209 Star for shopping

Hope you can get checked out soon RedSquirrel pls do not neglect it!

How is your back Hills?

Sorry to hear about ears Sing this may not work if you still have bad infection but have you tried fully submerging yourself in bath on regular basis?

I am just back at home having spent a very long and difficult day yesterday trying to deal with building issue which means I have not been dealing with anything Christmas related at all. In short : project most likely will not be finished for Christmas and builder has obfuscated if not lied badly and done several other things that are well dodgy. So much for giving people the benefit of the doubt. Budget for this phase very stretched now.

I am stressing about it a lot.

Visited favourite friend who is lame Sad

Need to channel remaining bits of energy today to laundry/ housework/Christmas prep but first have to deal with further mess that dh and dd created yesterday & this morning in my absence ffs. Angry

HalfHolly · 12/12/2021 13:40

has the pain moved Red? Particularly if it was more central and then moved to the lower right area (from your perspective looking down at your body) could be appendicitis. Over the other side could be bowel issue - get it checked out as you'd like to be able to eat goodies over Christmas without wincing.

SingToTheSleigh · 12/12/2021 15:31

Yes, worth checking out I think!

I’m still being very slow and lazy today.

po3.2
❗️LOL of non tumble stuff as I need my work shirt tomorrow and may as well put DD1’s school stuff in
❗️Order meds and work out when to order the other lot (as pharmacist had a grumble at me for ordering them too early last time!)
❗️Get dressed 😳 as I’m wearing my scuzziest jammies and our delivery (I put in an Ocado order for some Xmas treats/gifts) is due 4-5!

SingToTheSleigh · 12/12/2021 15:32

I wouldn’t normally bother but these ones are covered in paint 🤣

HillsBesideTheSea · 12/12/2021 18:27

Today I have exercised my inner horrible person and delegated the jobs I hate/dread doing to the people that have spent half the day winding me up. They are now muttering dark dark words in what they think are quiet levels hint it is not, put your hearing aid in sweetie

On a plus note I didn't threaten to ban christmas this year, which was what i was tempted to do. Chore delegation is so much more productive....

I really don't like peoplely people.

ta da
wool sock hand wash - 2nd load in progress
pots washed
shelf put back up and contents returned
Shelving unit emptied, moved and refilled
Chair emptyed and put back
fish tank cleaned
Plants watered
Garden table cleared
Long discussion on Christmas logistics

Not going to claim credit for the undertakings of others, but there is progress to tidier in other areas thanks to their efforts.

to do
put away fish tank stuff once last of water added - was really cold and didnt want to cold shock the fish so been gradually topping up
Sort out amazon order list for getting done tomo
put in other amazon order it makes sense but 2 orders from 2 diff accounts
consider a walk so sleep happens today
Stop drinking coffee. yeah i know, didnt think that one through, got a bit late