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Housekeeping

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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
SingToTheSleigh · 12/12/2021 19:21

Ah the volume… I do not miss living with my dad for that reason

Well done for delegating though. It is not a horrible person thing, it is a sensible thing!

I’ve not done much more. Feel a bit stuck.

po3.3
❗️Hang out laundry
❗️Put away dry laundry
❗️Diary check and write on board (dreading this task!)

HalfHolly · 12/12/2021 21:29

Friends' kids' presents wrapped. Only our presents to do now.

I did my best is all I can say about the wrapping!

SingToTheSleigh · 13/12/2021 00:10

I meant to make a start on the wrapping tonight! DD1 dozed off on the sofa though (tired from ice skating and sleepovers) and then we finally started the escape room game.

Still need to write on the planner board although at least I did do the diary check earlier 😇

Redsquirrel5 · 13/12/2021 04:14

Will be trying to see GP today. Ate some spaghetti and meatballs now awake since 1:45 with stomach ache. Could be waissailing but think it is bowel related as more in centre today. Guess it will be anti biotics.

Been to Mass, choir practice then carol service for church choir. It was lovely and my voice held upafter a previous 1 1/2 hours. Children sang from the Catholic schools and two soloists so everyone enjoyed it.

I have nothing planned for today so hope to finish cards and put the tree up. I would like to go and get some new lights for outside.

Slowchimes · 13/12/2021 06:29

Good luck RedSquirrel I hope you feel better soon and gp can point you in right direction Flowers

Aargh! I don't think I have the energy this year to do everything I need to do before Christmas. In short, I want to get back under duvet!

Slowchimes · 13/12/2021 06:31

Hills I hear you about people winding you up!

Halfholly bravo re: wrapping!

ExquisitelyDecorated · 13/12/2021 07:14

Morning all,

Me neither re getting everything done SC - I still haven't written a single card or wrapped any presents.

Red - glad you are seeing the doctor, hopefully they can provide some answers / treatment.

Hills - sorry the people are peopling again, you have the patience of a saint.

Work today, I could really do with a week off to catch up. Decisions to be made about any further going out this side of Christmas, I'm not someone who likes staying at home, DS wants to meet his friend in town, we are all concerned about catching it and giving it to grandparents though. DS has his booster booked in next week, will feel happier once that's done.

OP posts:
ExquisitelyDecorated · 13/12/2021 07:27

Today's flight plan

Monday is Home Bleugh day, our mission is to clear and clean the flat surfaces in the bathroom.

OP posts:
HalfHolly · 13/12/2021 07:46

The wrapping was not perfect but clearly YouTube is having some effect ed

Morning! I exercised yesterday with weights and am paying this morning!

HalfHolly · 13/12/2021 07:48

You must be feeling very tired red - hope the GP gets you right as rain.

SingToTheSleigh · 13/12/2021 08:52

Hope you can get some help red 💐

I confess I am still under my duvet! DH overslept a bit and managed to get Cagletini (who had climbed in with us at some point due to a nightmare) ready for nursery in record time.

I should really get up as although I don’t have to leave until about 12, I have a lot of other stuff to try and get done at home. Having finally dared to fill in the planner I can see it’s going to be a very busy few days, and I really need to NOT do my usual procrastinating about the other stuff that needs doing, as I’ll end up too tired later in the week.

po3.1
❗️Meds and breakfast
❗️Write down what needs doing ASAP
❗️Somehow figure out a plan for doing what needs doing… 😬

IWasWillingToGoWassailing · 13/12/2021 09:14

Morning! Hope the GP can help today, Red, it's miserable having ongoing tummy pain.

SC I totally hear you on not getting everything done. I haven't the energy and am reaching the point of striking things off the list. I have already given up on homemade mince pies and passed that over to Mr Tesco.

Hills if the people are going to whinge and mutter, they can shift for themselves. You have the patience of a saint.

Yes Ta Da
❤️ New Christmas bedding on our bed
🧡 Helped DD find her floor (there was carpet!)
💛 3 x LOL, 2 put away
💚 Helped DS3 find things in the locality that look like letters of the alphabet, for Design & Technology project due on Friday. Still stuck on K, M, N, R and Z if anyone has any bright ideas.
💙 Cooked roast lamb etc. Tesco mince pies for pudding, too tired to crumble
💜 Walked to town for M&S parcels and emergency lamb stock
❤️ Lovely chat with DS2 and GF who popped in because they knew I'd roasted to watch the Grand Prix and see us.
🧡 Found the missing Nativity and decorations for the porch tree 🥳

Ta Didn't
❌ Wrapping
❌ Cards

TaDay
❤️ Morning routine
🧡 Healthful breakfast of apple and cinnamon porridge
💛 LOL 3 from yesterday put away

To do:
🐧 Planning, I am totally out of control
🎄 Take DD to school at 9.35
🐧 Zoom coffee with a friend at 10
🎄 Collect DD again at 11.15
🎄 Help DS3 with English homework at 1 (he has to write his first proper essay and is terrified)
🐧 CARDS
🎄 WRAP SOMETHING, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD
🐧 Client work - where the hell has the missing link generation born c. 1725 gone? It doesn't help that they bobbled across county boundaries from Northants to Rutland and back again, repeatedly, without a care in the world, or a single thought for genealogists of the future! 🤬
🎄 What actually is for tea? Haven't an earthly.

🍒👋 to everyone, hoping Honey, Dancing, foxes, MrsTidy, Mc and Goth and Bramble are doing ok. Much love to sickly small people That and hope your ears are better Sing.

HillsBesideTheSea · 13/12/2021 10:16

It doesn't help that they bobbled across county boundaries from Northants to Rutland and back again, repeatedly, without a care in the world, or a single thought for genealogists of the future Grin you'd hate my lot as the surnames aren't fixed and keep changing. On a whim.

Good luck with tracking them down wassailing

Long conversation with ds this morning, he is struggling with 6th form. Impressed he has the guts to say the option for 6th form is not working, but he has asked for help to work out options, impacts of options, improvement techniques to make current situation work etc. Which is going to be a tricky balance of guiding him through this time and staying neutral enough he feels he has the control of his choices on that. Parenting is a hard balancing act.

Long to do list but also have to run some errands, which is tricky because also waiting for a phone call.

SingToTheSleigh · 13/12/2021 10:40

Wow hills that’s huge. I’m sorry that it’s not working for him - has he elaborated on what the specific issues are? It’s so mature of him to be able to tell you and to be trying to figure things out. 💐

I’m doing my emails at the moment and still haven’t heard about going to an event for work… assume it’s still going ahead and hope it is because I need the hours!

po3.2
❗️More work
❗️Write list for shopping in next town after the event
❗️Shower and make self look presentable

StillFestive · 13/12/2021 11:33

Very mature of DS Hills, hope he can come up with a solution.

Also feeling out of control here Wassailing. Just can’t seem to quite keep on top of the house and have no idea what day of the week it is.

Fingers crossed you get sorted at the GP today Red.

We had a busy weekend with our last Christmas event last night (other than school stuff). It was lovely but a late night so DD was a bit grumpy getting ready for school this morning and I am sleepy.

Weekend ta Das:
⭐️ pram cleaned down and assembled with replacement parts. Just need to hand wash the hood and apron as they smell of garage.
⭐️ half of DD’s Christmas cards made for family, and a craft project for school this week done too.
⭐️ general laundry/kitchen cleaning/never ending tidying that never seems to quite cut the mustard.
⭐️

Today:
⭐️ Prescription sorted
⭐️ Maternity appointment
⭐️ erm.. made roofer a coffee. Scraping the barrel here Grin

I should probably just set my timer and do something. I can categorically state however
that there will be no home bleurgh being completed today or perhaps even started

HalfHolly · 13/12/2021 22:31

I'm going to have to catch up with work tomorrow as things unravelled a bit today.

Am busy organising for Christmas tonight. We are having an unexpected guest who for various reasons can't be with family on Christmas day so needed to organise getting guest bed and a present for them for Christmas day. Obviously it all depends on lft on Christmas Eve.

Son is getting cast off hopefully tomorrow. I cancelled going to the work Christmas party but have not heard from the organiser so I hope I haven't offended her 😳

HalfHolly · 14/12/2021 08:05

Okay, morning all.

To do
*Phone school to say ds has hospital appt.
*Stretch out so that I can vaguely move after workout the day before yesterday. (Old lady alert - I didn't even PUSH myself in the w/o but hadn't done anything in a while)
*More coffee.
*Finish bits of work.
*Go for walk when rest of household returns ( waiting for parcels)
*Plan Xmas dinner
*Home bleurgh - quick sweep.
*Wrap some presents 😇

IWasWillingToGoWassailing · 14/12/2021 08:21

Hills well done to The Teen for taking such an adult approach. We had similar discussions with DS2 throughout his 6th Form career, several times. Ultimately what fixed it was a change to his ADHD meds and he stayed the course, at his own choice.

Still you must be 37 weeks now - "as little as you can get away with" is a reasonable amount to do in a day. Being hugely pregnant and having a four year old (and an unreliable roof!) is no picnic!

HalfHolly (I meant which half of you, not which half of holly! Top/ bottom? Left/right? Front/back? Every second cell? 🤣) you are doing a wonderful thing inviting an extra guest, particularly in these difficult Covid times. I salute you.

Still not found this bloody family. Have realised that their appearance in Northamptonshire is the outlier of a family centred just into Rutland, rather than vice versa. And the name! The first vowel can be anything except 'e'... and the ending can be ly, ley, line, lin, lidge, land. First initial C or K. I need a matrix just to work out what I'm searching!

Yes ta da
❤️ Take Dd to school
🧡 Coffee online with lovely friend whose life is at least as complicated as mine
💛 Collect DD from school
💚 Make pancakes for Emergency Lunch
💙 Read A Christmas Carol to DS3 for 30 minutes
💜 Finally get some work done while DS3 was in English
❤️ Run DW and empty again
🧡 LOL washed, dried and folded
💛 More work, while DH mithered me with stupid qu'ns on WhatsApp
💚 Made chicken with pesto / chicken and butternut squash traybake
💙 Finalised menu plan and shopping list
💜 Read another 30 minutes to DS3. He is struggling with the "deeper meaning" of Dickens' imagery, as defined by the teacher. I think some of what she's saying is bollocks.
❤️ Collapsed into bed

Ta da:
❤️ DD dispatched to school
🧡 Made breakfast for DS3 as he slept until 7.45
💛 Money shifted about into right place to pay Tesco card bill
💚 Christmas menu finalised

Big pre-Christmas clean this morning, for which I will have help. DD needs collecting at 11 again. DS3 is supposed to walk the dog in 11 minutes, so I had better go and chivvy. 🍒👋, all.

SingToTheSleigh · 14/12/2021 08:23

Morning all! I did not get much sleep. Yesterday was nice - very long informal meeting with another provider who was sooo lovely and chatty, then the (online because covid) work Christmas party in the evening.

This morning I have a meeting/presentation with a school, then straight into staff meeting Confused. Maths lesson online at 2 and piano at 5. Oof.

po3.1
❗️Make self presentable with work shirt etc
❗️Meds and breakfast, take clothes down for Cagletini and make sure DS is up (last chemistry lesson of the term)
❗️Log on to laptop and try and get 1to1 form done before meeting

HalfHolly · 14/12/2021 08:32

wassailing - let's just say the lower half is aching and I wish that part out as Holly and not human!

Well done HillsJr on being so mature

Sing busy day ahead - you got this

Have phoned school. Really must stretch now.

Actually I am looking forward to having guest out wassailing - hopefully we'll be allowed to have him if lft are negative. He's staying Christmas Eve and Christmas night as public transport shuts down. We don't have family near so a bit of a novelty for us. And the person can't make it to family and they'd be all alone which we couldn't have.

Slowchimes · 14/12/2021 08:48

Good luck to your ds Hills ; bravo to him for speaking up! Hope you can sort the options between you!

Good luck piecing your work puzzle together Waasail And bravo to your list! An impressive amount of diverse activities as ever!

Halfholly [passes over the embrocation] I have similar aches & pains after riding nowadays which involve eating donner off mantelpiece Grin

And my immediate thought when seeing the words "cast off" was, I thought your ds was a tad young to be in the navy! Grin Hope appt goes well for him! Grin

Hands Brew over to Stillfestive along with footstool and fluffy blanket

Waves to ED Sing RedSquirrel That Mc Merry Hazel and everyone else I have missed!

OK, better late than never, but present shopping aside, this is day one of Christmas prep for me! Tree is arriving in an hour and I am not ready for it, so it is going on the terrace for a drink first.

Everywhere still a mess, and still have piles of washing everywhere, but had a better day yesterday in terms of family cooperation/communication, although we all seem to have dull headaches, nausea, slight achey feeling, so we are off to be tested ...again. Have spent an inordinate amount of time measuring curtains for dd.

Aving walked the hounds, I now need to do go to bank for cash, do French hwk, contact vet, buy Christmas lights, make pastry (track lard first), pack and post a parcel, tidy up generally downstairs, tidy up specifically downstairs and do more washing and ironing, and open the stack of Amazon boxes waiting for me in outer hall.

And, oh yes, there is the small matter of cleaning. Looks like my cleaning lady (who came twice in 2021) has been poached by someone else, so I am on my own with it.

Need to put my blinkers on and plough through and stop getting distracted too!

Good luck today everyone!

Slowchimes · 14/12/2021 08:52

PS just to be clear I will be masked and gloved at cash point and not interacting with any person just in case! Doubt we have Covid as have just been boosted! But you never know!

Slowchimes · 14/12/2021 08:53

Halfholly dinner not donner! Grin

ExquisitelyDecorated · 14/12/2021 09:12

Morning all,
DH is off for a PCR this morning, he's had a cold and has been LFTing regularly but just been told someone he was with last week has tested positive. I feel a bit coldy too, LFT all negative here too but toying with getting a PCR to be on the safe side as I was in central London at the weekend. Fingers crossed for negative for you and family SC

Hills - sorry to hear things aren't working out for DS, but well done to him for being so pro-active about making some changes.

Half - that's lovely that you are having your otherwise-alone friend over for Christmas.

Wassail - hope the missing family turn up, sounds as though they are playing games with you.

OP posts:
Stilllivinginazoo · 14/12/2021 10:52

hillsanother one who is very impressed your D's has realised he can't go on like it.dd2 getting to that point,but we have no better options so I've no idea wtf we will do if she flat crashes and burns as is resitting yr 12 as it is☹️

I did get a very basic clean of living room.got kitchen,bathroom under control.kids rooms I glide over.if beds are made and I can see floor it will do I try and ignore surfaces!🤣

Today's Not Going Well
Up at 3 for reasons unknown despite be tired
Palpitations and breathlessness are in vengeance today and I'm tired and fed up,plus the pile shit to do climbs ever higher.
ds may break up today,as we are currently going day by day but in knowledge as heads towards midweek the level noise//excitement will be toouch and we are trying to balance keep him going in as much as poss,with not freaking him out so bad he frets all hols and won't return
Lil zoo is on one
Dd2 a panicking mess today
DS is in overwhelm and highly stressed
My stress levels have gone from thru the roof to orbiting the sun in the last week!

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