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Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

This New Year, The Fledglings are Flying a new approach

824 replies

HillsBesideTheSea · 31/12/2021 16:54

Hello and welcome to new and old.

If you are new around here. Hi, introduce yourself around the fire pit in the naughty corner where we are all sitting comfortably. The naughty corner is decked out with comfy, and snacks, and a place just to have a chat when things haven't gone to plan. We are a very long running thread but do love new blood stopping by to join us.

Welcome to those who are returning.

We had a chat on the previous thread about possibly trying a new twist on the fly lady system. We all know that the fly lady system is good for establishing routines when we follow it. But we also know that sometimes we need a quick hit of a big declutter. And that life has a habit of throwing curve balls making it very difficult to stay on track.

So this is the plan. Each evening I will post the babystep, a thought point and the flylady daily focuses. We are not giving up on the fly lady system but just bringing it into line with the individuality of our lives, and trying to resolve some of the issues that comes from being the family brain, trying to do all the things and generally having modern busy lives. The thought point is to try to get you to think differently. And may require a click on a link (video), a discussion on the thread, or just you considering things. I do not promise it will make you feel better, or magically change your house straight away. But hopefully it will help with the overall flow and approach. And may just tweak the twee out of the fly lady system to the point where it is now your system.

But before you entirely regret your choices in letting my try this craziness we are going to start with some key basics that I really do think has been incorporated well into the Flylady system.

  1. the mess, disorder and chaos did not happen over night. Give yourself the grace and time to fix it. (also known as roman weren't built in a day so don't kill yourself trying to get your house immaculate in a day)
  1. Goals vs system.
We will go into this a little more shortly but to start, the fly lady system has an end goal - a house which is tidy and clean that comes second nature. It achieves it by building habits and routines that make the steps needed to achieve that goal second nature. There is a lot of research that says goals don't work, systems do. And systems are built on the formation of habits.
  1. You are never behind.
You might not be making the progress you would like, you may have taken a break. But you are not behind. So again, give yourself a break and drop the guilt. There is probably a reason why you have taken a break - illness, other demands on time, mental health etc etc. And yes some days it is an effort to make sure that everyone is fed and ok. But that is ok, so give yourself grace that on that day that was exactly what was needed and thus you succeeded in the essential goal of the day. guilt is just going to make things harder than it needs to be. It is ok not to feel guilty if you did not do all the things.

I will be back later with links for tomo. I am posting them in the evening the night before because some of us are morning people, and some of us are night people. And this way everyone will be able to see prior to when they need to consider it.

Come park your broom in the new thread for a little while and have a natter whilst we wait to bring in the New year.

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HillsBesideTheSea · 04/01/2022 17:50

I hear you Sing. I was going to walk down to the garden centre but decided to pack my books into the car and head off for a hill to do some study. Far more productive and the less frustration from the people being peopley means that i am calmer for having achieved my goal and not having them in the way.

Tea is left overs. But i need to put laundry on, and have a look at some of the other tasks on my to do list. Like get the dw loaded and run. AFTER i have issued a get your washing up downstair shout at the people. The 70yr olds are the worst for it to

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swallowedAfly · 04/01/2022 18:18

I'm back (and still in the naughty corner).

Can't believe I've missed 8 pages of January!

Back to work tomorrow but will hopefully be more fledgling 'on it' on Tuesday.

Hope everyone had a good new years.

SingToTheSky · 04/01/2022 18:57

Ah well done hills garden centre avoidance shows remarkable restraint in the face of adversity!

Hey fly!

I’m curled up on the sofa, it appears the booster was just waiting 24h before making my arm hurt 🤣 and the headache is back. Living room a mess. Blah.

HillsBesideTheSea · 04/01/2022 19:10

I have 3 things i have to do tonight:

  • unload and reload the DW
  • a load or 2 of washing
  • talk a walk.

None of them are big nor complicated tasks. So why do i not want to do any of them?

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BeanAnTae · 04/01/2022 20:16

3 things too many Hills?

BeanAnTae · 04/01/2022 20:18

Cleaned the house except for the kitchen which can be stretched over this week.

Need to do plan and play. Tuesday is not a great day to do it for me either but for now I'm going to bend to the system. If it really doesn't work then I'll change it. 🍒👋

HillsBesideTheSea · 04/01/2022 20:32

i have been stuck in my head since something happened last night and finding motivation for anything is hard today.

only walk left

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YesIReallyHave · 04/01/2022 20:33

No flying done by me as back to work today. But DP did lots so all good. Early to bed tonight. Night all.

frankiefirstyear · 04/01/2022 20:51

Calendar chore for today was vacuuming the stairs which is one of my least favourites, but got it done - Christmas socks = more fluff to be found around my carpeted areas so upstairs needs another doing tomorrow WHEN SCHOOLS ARE BACK 🥳 can't wait to not have the little 'destroyers of hard work' instantly undoing all the ta da's I achieve!
Apart from the stairs and the daily dose of laundry and dishes I've done very little. Covid has struck down a family member, so today has been filled with medicine grab and drops and lateral flow test hunting 😰

IWasWillingToGoWassailing · 04/01/2022 21:14

Evening all! Sorry I dropped off the thread over the weekend - have been hiding from all the things I ought to do, and mulling over Hills' wise words re: the difference between self-soothe and self-care. I am definitely guilty of doing the former (particularly in the form of hiding in a hot bath with my book) when I am avoiding doing the hard bits of the latter (Physio, walking, sending emails I'm worried about).

This year's word is CONVALESCENCE, or the delicate art of recovery. I have been assuming I will snap back from ill-health and it's not going to happen.

Hello and welcome to all the newbies 🍒👋 and lovely to see SC again and other returners. Loving the New Year names too, I am too tired to think of one myself at the moment.

Not much to report except a massive laundry Ta Da because DS2 had a bit of a Housekeeping Crisis and appeared here yesterday afternoon with four loads' worth of dirty laundry and an urgent plea that the NGF (Not Girl Friend - for newbies, she absolutely is and they have a flat together, but they spent 10 months insisting madly they weren't a couple, they were just "best friends" who met up every single day possible. It was very sweet 🥰) needed clean work uniform and perhaps some pants for this morning 🤦‍♀️.

I have also:
💖 Been through my financial records - if I did the business accounts on 5 May, why on earth haven't I done my tax return before now? I am mystified.
🧡 Cleared emails back to Christmas and sent some boring admin-y ones
💛 Packed up a parcel to my sister
💚 Finished my 2021 book list in my bullet journal, including the Wait Here list of things I want to read jumping off from other books I've already read. Now I can get going on 2022.
💙 Finished reading the fantastically topical Doomsday Book by Connie Willis - it was written in 1992, but is set in 2054, in a world where a Pandemic cause chaos in society and then another virus appears . Honestly, you could map it to things that have happened in the last 2 years without any problem at all. I first read it at Uni in 1993, but I heartily recommend it. Oh, and it's about the study of history through time travel. What's not to love?
💜 Walked up to town to the Post Office (two parcels to return and one to post to my sister) and Robert Dyas (new cannister for the sodastream and recycling batteries before the utility room gets too full!)
💖 40 minute nap on the sofa with WillowHound in attendance
🧡 Took DD to Tesco to collect her prescription
💛 Emailed client to find out her actual address for tomorrow's meeting.

BeanAnTae · 04/01/2022 21:26

I hate hoovering the stairs too 😬.

I read an article today about how drs don't emphasise convalescence enough Wassail. It used to be the case that people would 'build themselves back up' with complan or beef tea and get plenty of fresh air and rest. Now everyone chucks themselves back into the fray...

BeanAnTae · 04/01/2022 21:28

I think you should take tutorials from WassailHound - I'm sure he could provide guidance on advanced lolling and sniffing out beef tea.

merryhouse · 04/01/2022 21:35

...aaaaand I spent most of today with a headache.

Shouldn't be surprised, as chocolate was identified as one of my triggers way back when I was about three - along with orange and cheese, and as later discovered red wine. Honestly, why is it never things like liver?

Extra coffee, three lots of ibuprofen, lavender oil and half an afternoon dozing on the bed finally saw it off. So now I'm hankering after the rest of the chocolate Xmas Confused. Not helped by the fact that H's delicious mince pies made with the Amaretto mincemeat turn out to be far too almondy for me Xmas Sad.

I did do aaaaaaallll the ironing this morning. Should probably put on a red wash now.

Had a go at Cambridge Surprise Minor this evening. Got through H's plain course with very little problem; then the rest of us attempted a touch but so many people were making silly mistakes that we gave up on that in the end. I was ringing a different bell from the one I've taken most often for Cambridge recently, and realised that I was seeing it a lot less than I thought, which is annoying.

foxessocks · 04/01/2022 21:57

I fell off the thread already! Just place marking for tomorrow!

Redsquirrel5 · 04/01/2022 22:13

Ah beef tea. My mum used to make that for us when we had been ill. In Yr 8 equivalent I had glandular fever for a whole term and a fractured skull, school ‘accident?’ I can remember getting beef tea then. All I can tell you is that it is made from skirt steak. Will have to delve in Elizabeth Craig’s cookery book. I am sure it is in there if anyone wants it.

I am knackered.
I have been cleaning and re-organing my drawers.
The kitchen ones.
I have two sets of three either side of the Everhot.ED NY meal sounds delicious. We had a small piece of rib of beef without the rib🤷🏼‍♀️

I have also made a roast dinner- pheasant, bacon and stuffing balls. sauté potatoes, onion, bacon, leek. Swede and carrot mash. Roast onions, parsnips and Sweet Potato. Just loaded DW and washed the rest by hand. We have a slimline due to new kitchen ( 3 yrs) and children (4)have all flown the nest. Oh and I made the last Christmas Cake. It got left behind but I haven’t been asked for it yet so 🤫 It smells wonderful. It is a light one so always made last but I got a bit behind by a day or two.

Been cleaning, wiping out and washing all baking stuff. I cut some Christmas Pudding paper to size for bottom. I fitted and cut Magic Liner( Lakeland) for several baking tins. So next time I go to bake I have a liner ready. Decanted some sugar and flour etc.

Also made porridge for hens, they didn’t eat much - ungrateful! Put lots of fresh straw in at 4 :30pm and shut them in for the night as we are expecting snow. It was very frosty this morning.

Twelfth Night the 6th January so all the decs down then. Not sick of them yet.

Used up some veg because new veggie box arrives tomorrow. £10 a week for two then extras can be added in. Milk, butter, eggs, orange juice or added extra veg like avocado.

Right a mug of tea and an early night I think.

Wassailing I think I will put it on this years reading list. I have slowed down. I need to get back to one hour a day reading. Not the iPad. Sweet about DS and NGF🥰.

Redsquirrel5 · 04/01/2022 22:20

Stairs- game changer for me was the Dyson stick( on offer and a little discount as we gave him our old Dyson so he could mend others with the parts of our now defunct Dyson.
I give it a good vacuum once a week with full length then short version if very grubby, looking at you 😡 DH. Sometimes just use the short form.

Interesting about the ‘broom’ I looked at it in Lakeland but DH not enthusiastic and it was really a Christmas Shop. It is on offer so may put in an order.

SingToTheSky · 04/01/2022 23:59

ta da
🍓shower
🍓audiobook
🍓chaired first staff meeting of the year
🍓bit of work admin
🍓bit of BRC diving
🍓maths with Cagletini
🍓made decision re pension
🍓spent remaining Audible credits and cancelled membership
🍓bit of maths
🍓finally arranged a meet up that’s taken ages to sort

The rest of the day was a write off, the aches have set in big time. So I’m glad I did manage to get some little tasks done that I’ve been procrastinating with.

Ladyrattles · 05/01/2022 02:32

Managed to get out today without any anxiety/health issues to visit some shops. Did 2 tasks off my zone lists. However, it ticked past midnight so I couldn't tick off any of the evening routine items on the app so I felt cheated lol.

Looked at problem areas in the new house and realised the cat's area (away from the dog) is a huge eyesore on the landing as I raised it all up as I can't bend. So I'm going to focus on solving that tomorrow.

And as you can tell, my sleep schedule is out of Wack again... dang menopause.

Stilllivinginazoo · 05/01/2022 07:10

ladyrattles totally understand sleep issues!Flowers
Wassail agree the benefits of convalescent behaviour had been lost in need to do everything now and is deffo due a come back

I gave myself grace this morning to not get up exhausted when the alarm went off and gained an hour pinned by my knees to the bed by a furry overlord.i allowed it as she was warm and my room is artic. Slightly more awake I shall press forth with the day!

Dd2 back at school tom,lil zoo Fri(at same school) it seems lfts there are taken during the day on first day back so stupidly someone can rest positive having been with classmates up to all morning(last tests are at 1pm)im not holding out much hope we are going to escape catching it as 2000 DC in there..
DS returns been cancelled as staff shortages with 2positives so hes back next week...

HillsBesideTheSea · 05/01/2022 07:22

Our school was requiring LTfs at home last night and will then also be repeated at school this morning.

Speaking of which i need to get the teen moving. He was up gaming late again last night, but was wise enough to tiptoe around the house.

BRB with links etc. It is going to take coffee.

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BeanAnTae · 05/01/2022 07:55

Ah no Ladyrattles I had forgotten that late night cleaning cam fall foul if the app. Perhaps Flylady really does want us to get to bed at a decent hour!

I'm up - did lft. Taken vitamins and currently eating porridge and drinking coffee. Exercise is stretching followed by walk to the shops.

The household cleaned the house yesterday 😁 so we are now just ticking stuff off the kitchen zone over the next few days. Just as well as I'm back to work tomorrow.

HillsBesideTheSea · 05/01/2022 08:00

Right - teen is dragging his feet so we are definitely back to "school"

Sorry about the lack of links last night.

Babystep - Our brains are always listening to what we think and say. Start looking for your successes rather than focusing on your failures.

Point to ponder. How do you motivate yourself when you just don't wanna /cba to do a thing, the thing, any thing?

As an ADHDer I have Now and Not now as my default doing settings, if it is not now then i really struggle to get going, even if I know it should really be now. There are strategies that help - timer cubes, accountability buddies, to do list ticking off, breaking the task into steps and eating the elephant one bite at a time. But sometimes they just don't work. I know I will feel better if i get it/something done, it is just a really big struggle that can feel overwhelming.

So today's point to ponder (and share cos ideas help others on this one) what are your tricks to find the will to do, when the will is lacking? Or are you lucky enough to be one of those people who doesn't struggle with motivation and the will to do?

Launch pad with all the links here

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Stilllivinginazoo · 05/01/2022 08:04

Tada
Cats fed
Wash on
Scrub dining table
Wake dd2 for meds
Poo pick litter tray
S+s
About make breakfast..

Stilllivinginazoo · 05/01/2022 08:05

My motivation where basic/quick tidying up is concerned it's a lively selection of music on spotify
Other tasks I am looking for ideas...

HillsBesideTheSea · 05/01/2022 08:09

Forgot the Daily focus wednesday is one of our favourites. Antiprocrastination day!

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