Fledglings bolt into Spring! Fresh air, fresh flowers, fresh sheets – No fledgling left behind…

[BeanAnTae]

Thread starts on 1 February, but you are welcome to land and say hello until then
Thank you to Hills who has given us a tour-de-force thread for the deepest, darkest days of January when we were all flagging. We all know you are really busy and appreciate the time you took to go in depth with the baby steps.
Welcome to Flylady if you are a newbie or a regular fledgling– it is a zone based cleaning system, spread out over 4-6 weeks (depending on how the month falls.) The zones cover different areas of the home so we concentrate on a particular zone in a given week. But there is also a weekly hour of cleaning (can be split into 10 min segments) to make sure the bins are emptied, main areas hoovered, sheets changed – you get the drift…
And each day of the week has a focus – Thursday is errand day for example.

So , today is Tuesday 1 February – the first day of Spring if you are joining us in the North Hemisphere or Happy Autumn to those in the South. This thread brings you right up to Pancake Tuesday which is 1 March 2022.
Flylady site
This week we are in 2 Zones:
Zone 5: The Living Room
Zone 1: The Entrance, Front Porch and Dining Room
February Habit: Decluttering for 15 Minutes a Day

Monday – Weekly Home Blessing
Tuesday – Plan and Play
Wednesday – Anti-Procrastination Day
Thursday – Errand Day
Friday – Clean-out your Purse and Car Day
Saturday – Family Fun Day
Sunday – Renew your Spirit Day

It is plan and play day on Tuesdays – I usually plan menus and things to do on Tuesdays but the system is customisable to what works for you and your life.
Feel free to jump onto the thread and post your To Do list of household and family stuff achieved and, if you like, post your Ta Da list when you’ve got stuff done. We all encourage each other along and we all have different lives, pressures etc and we are not at all precious about the system – it can be used as you see fit. For example I don’t clean my dining room in zone 1 as it’s part of my living area so I do it in zone 5.
There is a general mantra of ‘No fledgling left behind’ which basically means you can’t fall behind in the system – you just start up again. So there’s no need for a massive Spring Clean – you just jump in.
Some jargon has evolved over the years, for example – cherry waves was an autocorrect of cheery waves, the pointy stick ---> is sometimes requested if you are having particular problems with procrastination and the naughty corner which is where we collapse to take a break.
As well as ‘To Do’, I’m going to try ‘To Be’ because I’m a Human Being not just a Human Doing. So my aim is to be more present (on the thread and in my head!) and more positive. I live far north in the UK so it is pretty dark here at the moment and I am SO looking forward to more daylight. And a shiny sink!

[Exit stage left pursued by a child]

Today has not been the day I'd hoped, as news arrived at ten minutes to nine this morning that my darling friend died yesterday. I am glad she is free from pain, and her husband was with her as she slipped away peacefully, but I am going to miss her so much. She was my check-in point for everything, because we've been friends for so long.

I am muddling through doing routines on auto-pilot and baking madly - turns out I want to feed people lovely things when I'm sad - and will just have to see how the days go from here.

Still haven't handed the damn washing out, now up to 8 loads 🤦. Made some nice custard creams, though.

I'm so so sorry Wassail. That's terrible news about your dear friend. I hope your family are looking after you 🌷❤️

I'm sorry Wassailing How old was she?

www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/31-beginner-babysteps/day-15/ - add making your bed to the morning routine.

Plan and play Tuesday www.flylady.net/c/fp.php?tzm=0

wassailling I am so sorry. Sending you hugs.

You could tell us the story of your friendship if you feel like talking about her Wassailing

I managed to sort the contents of a cupboard in the kitchen (hello ton of tupperware with missing lids or lids without matching containers and way too many takeaway containers - and goodbye as you go into the recycling) and organised my two bathroom cupboards so that they make more sense and all the excess shampoo and the like that I've somehow amassed is out of sight. Turns out I don't need to order shower gel, shampoo, deodorant or razers for us for many moons to come.

I've re-S&S toilet and sink, put things back on the big tiled shelf by the bath that I removed to soak and scrub that area yesterday and given shower screen first coat and wipe of limescale remover. Will have another go at it in the morning and then climb in the shower and rinse everything off. Will also do mirror and woodwork and leave window and floor for another day most likely.

I think some other jobs got done but can't really remember now. Ready to watch something light and go to sleep.

Again, really sorry for your news Willing - hope you manage some sleep.

I've got spare shampoo everywhere swallowedafly 😁 I seem to fear running out of it. Well done.

Wassail we're all thinking of you - It's such a shock when you lose someone you've shared a lot with. Friends can be siblinglike for many. They are the family we choose for ourselves. Often they know us and accept us better than relations. I'm so sorry and sorry too for her family 🕊️❤️🌷

Waissailing so sorry you have lost your lovely friend.

Fly there should be a place to send Tupperware so that all the missing lids and bottoms can be matched up and then charity shops could benefit. DH has done something to some of mine as there are two bottoms and a lid missing from the fridge. He denies it all.

Sing you seem to be really impressing them at work.

Cleaned outside of fridge
Dusted sitting room
Vacuumed
Made bed
Cleaned sink and toilet.

Sorted out the scarves I have made. Trimmed and tucked the ends in and measured for the Cumbria Way Scarf Challenge. Ready to be taken to Women’s Refuge and Men’s Hostel this week.

Oh wassailing I'm so sorry to hear about your friend. It sounds like you have lots of good memories with her though. I'm also sorry to hear that you had a rough day on Sunday, does DH seriously not think to help you out?

Sing well done at work, you deserve the rest by the sounds of it

I really need to sorry through my bathroom cupboards as well. I also need to figure out what storage solutions I could get for under the sinks too, as I know I have wasted space.

Full day at work today, dinner out with DH, just the 2 of us, which was nice. DD took tonight off work so her and DS could be at home while we went out.
DH got me a nice Fluffy robe for Valentine's Day, which I'm enjoying right now, it even has a hood!
It's currently just after 9pm, I'm considering taking a bath, as it'll be relaxing.

YesTaDas:
💕 truffles finished and orders put together, 2 orders delivered
💕 kitchen cleaned up
💕 grocery pick up order ordered & picked up
💕 gel on nails

Day off tomorrow 🙌
🍒👋 to everyone

Thank you for your kind thoughts. Darling Friend was 47, no age at all, and leaves a husband, children under ten and a large extended family (on his side) utterly distraught. Her parents are in their 80s and I don't know how they will go on.

We met in the first term of secondary school, 35 years ago, when we both went to sign up for clarinet lessons and Junior Choir. She was in my form, but at the other end of the alphabet, so I sat by the door and she sat back right by the windows, so I hadn't really met her til then. We discovered Monty Python, Douglas Adams and Sue Townsend together, laughed til we couldn't breathe over Red Dwarf, had endless in jokes about a penguin called Denis, and did the ghastly formative years of GCSEs, A-Levels, first boyfriends and learning ballroom dancing together. We ended up at the same University - which I was pretty miffed about at first, as I was trying to escape our small-town upbringing! - but it was actually lovely to have someone who knew exactly what social mores I was working with there with me. After graduation, we were more geographically distant but ultimately ended up in the same south-west town, where one of her work colleagues had been at school with DH. Darling Friend had so many people who valued her, and we were all interconnected at other points in our lives too. The most lovely thing about her hen night was us all plotting out the points we had almost coincided previously! Friend A was at school with my DH, friend B was at school with my sister and we had all shared a clarinet / piano teacher at some point, Friend C was a teacher local to me now, and so it went on.

She was just always there, cheering me on when things were good, commiserating, letting me wallow for a bit, and telling me to buck up when things were bad. I cannot fathom how I am going to manage the gap in my life and it must be so much worse for her DH and the DC.

Sending my deepest sympathy wassailing it sounds like beautiful friendship that you both cherished ❤️

I've just caught up with the thread from Friday when I last had childcare and had an anniversary date with my bf which was wonderful. Then straight into full swing of school holidays, leaving me very little opportunity to catch up, or indeed do anything much! Though last night I forced myself to do a batch cook meal when dc were in bed, and will aim to do one every night this week to alleviate teatime stress of doing actual cooking (best I can cope with is a warm up!).

I'm attempting a 'this too shall pass' mantra to get me through the destruction that is the mass of toys and games scattered everywhere throughout the holidays 😅

Gosh. How lovely to have had a friend last through the eras like that Wassailing - that's a big loss. Nostalgia is quite lonely ime if there's no one around who shares the memories of those times. It must have been lovely having someone who shared all that.

I'm in a strange mood that fits quite well with reading your story. Listening to Tim Buckley which is speaking to it quite well too. Life, as obvious as it sounds, isn't easy. Trying to see all the loss and pain and missed opportunities and beautiful things that can't be regained etc as part of the beautiful tapestry is hard. Lately I feel like I've lived a very long time. I'm only 46 but seem to have fitted a lot in and a lot is going round my head lately. Maybe this is the more... spiritual or psychological side of perimenopausal as in this phase of one's life cycle. It doesn't 'feel' like depression, it feels like another death and it's quite painful sometimes. There's a sense of a lot of life and love and beauty and adventure and passion behind me and a lot of loss and grief for what's gone and wondering whether I made the most of it. Some fear too that maybe life is all behind me.

Apologies for the darker focus. I've mostly been running away from these feelings for a while now out of fear and worry it's depression coming for me again but I can't outrun them and maybe have to go through them and hope there's something on the other side.

Death is a strange one because the sadness is all for the people left behind. The person gone is beyond that sadness and pain but we're left to process the loss and try to make sense of life again. Goodness knows how you make sense of losing your daughter when you're alive in your 80's. I wish I had my mother's simple but resilient form of faith.

Back in this version of reality I should get up and take the dog out, do laundry jobs, make coffees and go about the everyday business of 'life' and try not to find it depressing that this is how we spend it.

Oh wassail 💐 a beautiful account from you about a wonderful enduring friendship. I hope you will be able to share these memories and more with her family and other friends, when they’re ready. That stuff will never leave your heart. 💐💕

So sorry Wassail, it sounds like a wonderful friendship. Thanks for telling us about her. It’s so unfair

No need to apologise Fly

I managed a little bit of flying yesterday despite a grumpy hungry baby. She seems much happier today after a better sleep.

YesTaDas:
🧺 laundry put away
🛁 got half of bathroom floor cleaned properly (hands and knees scrub) as well as base of toilet and skirting boards
🛁 took feather duster to bathroom ceiling, walls and door frame.
🛏 spent 10 minutes in DD1’s room tidying up properly
🍳 swept kitchen floor
🎈 booked DD1’s birthday party. It’s her first thanks to Covid and she’s very excited.

Tadas:
🚿 showered and dressed
🧼 DW emptied and reloaded
🏫 DC dressed, fed, school run etc

frankiefirstyear - just don't step on lego!

Swallowedafly I think it is this time of year when we gear up for Spring and Summer. I become really reflective too. I've a few years on you (I'm 50) and if things keep going at this rate by May I will be postmenopausal. I'm feeling the lack of hormones and, with it, is the feeling that things are winding down. I'm not (very) young any more. That said I can still do things and have projects and keep going - there are things I would love to change in my wider life that I can't but I do have control over eating healthily, taking exercise, what I prioritise, how I treat people - and my thoughts.

I feel for you Wassail, with you having lost your friend who was such a major and happy part of your life. But she was a big part in making you who you are and her positive influence reflects back into the world still when you live your life. She's part of your tapestry - a lovely sparkly thread. The thread may have run out (so to speak) but it is still very evidently there to make up the fabric.

I am on a day off but have work stuff to catch up with and have a seminar to go to (also work)

I will make time for a walk, take time to be positive and reflect.

the house - oh, um I'll do a 30 minute straighten and load of laundry. Not done the home blessing hour but kinda did it on friday.

How is baby that? is she putting on weight nicely and revealing her little character?

Well done sing on your work achievements. I am so happy for you and am taking inspiration.

Pushing the boat out is hard work but sailing (once you get the hang of it) is fun! I'm learning new things at work atm but have become very busy. I feel happy though

Sorry for your loss Wassailing.

I am playing the "well fuck I can't grown up" and sticking a load of washing on.

I have a load of studies to attend to, but am feeling cooped up. But as it is a consolidation day I am about to head out onto the hills with a packed lunch.

I envy your hills Hills - enjoy your restorative time without people being peopley

Ah thanks bean TBH I’m not feeling so competent today, just got out of staff meeting and feel all uneasy - lots of plates spinning, a few things I don’t feel I’ve done well, and lots of little tasks to do, some of which I’m not totally sure I understand - much as it’s been amazing settling right into the team, never felt like the newbie etc, perhaps it has been a slight disadvantage in that sometimes people forget I don’t actually know how to do everything that they can! 😬😩

I feel it’s going to be a day of needing to micromanage myself, so apologies in advance for many many power of three lists (well, assuming I manage to actually get through many!). I do have a lot of work to do but want a break following that meeting.

po3.1
❗️Sterilise cup as period arrived, sorry for TMI 🤣 this won’t be helping my mood or energy levels 🤬 but at least I don’t need to go anywhere today
❗️Have lunch
❗️Change Cagbunny litter

Thank you for sharing that Bean

Hills You must have better weather than here if you're happily off out.

Well done Still on impressive list.

Sing I'm sure you're doing great. I have been at this school for nearly 4 years and in this department for a year and a half and still have that feeling sometimes of why do they assume I know what the hell they're talking about let alone how to action it.

I put on laundry and made coffee and walked the dog before the rain turned torrential and then shopping came so I got that all put away. I also made use of some containers, one discovered while clearing out the tupperware and one given to me ages ago that is like a giant ceramic biscuit barrel but I think meant for breaded goods, to store the dried cat and dog food. The bags inevitably just end up left on the side for ease of access so this way it will at least be a less ugly sight as they're stored more attractively.

Must go fold contents of airer and hang out the new load of washing next. I brought up the glass cleaner and a new bottle of bleach and put them in the middle of the bathroom floor to inspire me to get on with bathroom progress so I'll aim to at least clean the mirror and have another go at the shower screen.

I have so many fires and am so sluggish in my energy levels. I seem to be getting things done in my short bursts but not in an organised fashion re: a kitchen cupboard took my fancy when I was meant to be doing bathroom yesterday and today I suddenly decide to sort out pet food storage. The bedroom really needs sorting - I now have a boxed ikea kallax and a load of flat packed boxes for it and a boxed tv waiting to be homed but first the drawers need fully emptying and dismantling and getting out and furniture needs to be moved and the room cleaned.

I am considering switching to a single bed. I actually have a single metal bed frame in a box downstairs that I ordered for ds but then was gifted a divan base so didn't use it. It would give more room in the bedroom and to be honest all a double bed does is see me sleeping with a laptop and a stack of books and god knows what else. BUT that is just more mental 'flitting' rather than getting anything done to completion before thinking about what's next. Reality though is I spend the majority of my time in my bedroom as does ds so it makes sense to try and sort it to a place where I can live better rather than pretend that's going to change.

Right sorry - I am doing a lot of brain dumping on here today. Thank you for the space for that - it helps.

Oh and I pre-ordered the next Strike novel. Link here if there are any fans on the thread: www.amazon.co.uk/Ink-Black-Heart-Robert-Galbraith/dp/0751584207/ref=sr_1_4?crid=PDW6V2T8OAQD&keywords=the+ink+black+heart&sprefix=the+ink+black+heart%2Caps%2C87&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1644928205&sr=8-4

It lands 30th August so will hopefully help comfort me through the back to school fear and stress dreams.

I really must give those books a try! I love JKR.

Don’t apologise for the brain dumping! We like chatting and reading. It can be useful for us as well. 💐

I ate my Tuesday Microwave Meal on my bed while finishing episode one of a BBC drama (Chloe - most intriguing!) but I’m already feeling a bit stressed again. I seem to be procrastinating over so many little, often really easy, tasks - and that’s building up in my head. Obviously it would be better to just get shit done.

po3.2
❗️Move laundry to dryer and put on new LOL
❗️Read/reply to a message re piano, and make/send an invoice
❗️Find more advanced resources for maths lesson at 2

Wassail - I'm so sorry about your friend, your post is testimony to what a wonderful relationship you had with her .

Swallowed - I have pre-ordered the Strike from Waterstones (it was half price for pre-orders there too). I only started reading them last year and have recently finished Troubled Blood, amazing books. I am now working through the Harry Potters for the first time while I wait.

Productive morning today, took DS to the Dr and then for a prescription (getting him to do it for himself), then the orthodontist and the bank to change his PIN no on his new account. He still needs support for all this stuff but I am determined to help him develop his confidence. Dropped a binliner of clothes at the clothes bank en route.

Then home for a few more bits of family-admin, now at work (just having a cuppa).

Argh.

Work seminar online. Ds says he'll do homework due after half term.
Delivery due (work delivery) ds to listen out as I'm quite deaf.
Work notes to read through

Tesco to order
Walk
Self care; look after nails.

Have just tidied kitchen. 🍒waves