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]

All things considered you did very well indeed with the housework Frankie. So sorry things are so difficult at the moment. 🌷

www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/31-beginner-babysteps/day-18/

The baby step said to read flylady's 11 commandments. Didn't know of them myself. They're here for those interested: www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/flying-lessons/flyladys-11-commandments/

www.flylady.net/c/lp.php Launch pad. It's Friday tomorrow so clean out your bags and car.

Today I went to work and got my hair cut. No housework done, zilch 😁

No idea what happened there. Here's the link again www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/31-beginner-babysteps/day-18/

That sounds tediously grim, Frankie, I'm sorry. If it helps at all three of my four (and DH) all turn out to have varying levels of ADHD and once the diagnosis is done it's made life easier.

Hills as ever your ability to take on more and more puts me to shame. I agree, sometimes you need to stop planning and just DO.

Glad you got some info to help DD1, Sing. School refusal is an utter nightmare (been there x 3.5).

Bean don't do yourself down - your job has exploded and taken up far more space than usual.

Today has been another bits and pieces day.
Ta da:
❤️ Morning routine including school lunches and DS2's last bedding
🧡 Healthful porridge and fruit breakfast for me and DS2
💛 1hrs Pilates, without WassailHound sitting on me for extra counterweight this time
💚 Sat with DS3 to be Emotional Support Mum while he did his geography assessment. He was fine.
💙 Decided how to approach the study - starting with wall prep and possibly ceiling painting tomorrow
💜 Packed up two parcels to take to the PO when I collected DD
❤️ Remembered at 2.31 that DD finishes at 2.35 on Thursdays 🤦
🧡 Got to the carpark before she did!
💛 Walked into town to the post office after I got her home
💚 Dried DS2's duvet (not mouldy, thank goodness, but smelled off)
💙 Small nap on the sofa
💜 End of half of term dinner of takeaway curry and prosecco.

Now soaking aching knees in bath and planning how tomorrow might work for prepping for decorating.

Still haven't managed to change my curtains over. Been trying all this week. Found new curtains, rings and hooks a few weeks ago but been putting it off. Got the old ones down Monday and found somewhere to put them tidy for when I next want them. Got the worn looking rings replaced Tuesday and the hooks onto the curtains, then discovered hooks don't fit rings, dump curtains in a pile and ignore them. Folded curtains neatly on Wednesday. Today I customised the hooks so they fit the rings, hung curtains to discover I'd put the hooks in the wrong place and it looks awful. Unhang curtains and change setting of hooks. Hang curtains again and realized there's about a foot too much fabric trailing on the floor. Remove curtains and add to to-do pile for hemming shorter. So now I've gained a job instead of getting one done. Sigh.

Did get some paperwork done which I've been procrastinating over for about a week or two.

I want a holiday. I want a holiday I want a holiday I want a holiday!
Laundry is taking over the house. Help.
I am determined to do some decluttering tomorrow. And finish laundry.

Goodness you have all been so busy.

I finished the bathroom. However the floor has been wiped with emergency Flash wipes instead of washed. Why? Someone put the bathroom mop in the shed with the mop part on the floor near where the shed door which floods sometimes. I took the mop in to ask ( mention it) and as I turned it water dribbled on the floor. DH called me stupid. He suggested I use the other mop. The kitchen mop. Apparently he used it last week. He said why wouldn’t you. To which my answer was because I don’t want to wash the pissed on bathroom floor with the mop I use for the kitchen. We didn’t communicate for a while after that.
I bought the bathroom mop for the bathroom. The bathroom is very small.The mop is supposed to live in the airing cupboard. It has a rectangular mop head that I take off after mopping the floor and sling in a hot wash usually in the WM. Then it dries on the bottom radiator rail. Simples! I discovered there are also no floor cloths under the sink.

Anyway everything out. Wiped, vacuumed, floor washed, stuff back in.
Just need to empty bin.
Make cake and shortbread for gardening club.Had a speaker who we had in 2019. Amusing and great photos. Bought some plants. Happy.😃
Going to do Flylady’s suggestion. Take a bin bag around upstairs.Need to iron and tidy dining room.

Air ambulance has just gone over.
Wind is getting up now.

Heartburn from eating two biscuits.

Frankie can you get an injunction to stop him? Scary. Alternately is there anyone who could respond to a dedicated ringtone as an alert that you need help?

Wild bloody annoying. Are they header tape. Do you have it on the bottom of the three. Buy cord tie backs hook them up a bit. It was fashionable a few years back to let them ‘ puddle ‘ on the floor. Daft idea in a cottage, maybe ok in a mansion. I think I might trip on them while opening and closing them.

Wassailing you need a 🎖and a No.1 Mum award🥇

Sing also feel your pain re school refusal. I can still remember. He is now shift manager and earning more than I was when I left according to DS 2 who is his boss. This was because of some discussion about the house. DS3 lives in house DS2 and I own,well nearly. 18 mths to run. I could pay it off but no advantage and possibly a disadvantage.

Thanks Bean for all those links. I don’t like the fat fairy calling them her commandments. Only one set of those.

🍒👋🍒👋🍒👋🍒👋 to everyone. Hope Hazel is ok we haven’t heard from her for a few days. Zoo you ok?

Need to look for art print materials tomorrow. Might get some snow tomorrow although higher ground more likely. Hope all safe later today.
We’re on yellow/ amber but quite usual here.
Candles, torch at hand. Camping gas stove in shed.Might need to move some plant pots but they never moved earlier this week. Could shut some in stable/shed.

Morning all. I have been absent a bit. Took parents out for lunch on Wednesday then was meant to go out with friend for lunch yesterday but woke up full of cold so gave her the option of not seeing me but in the end we did go out for a late lunch and a well timed lemsip and alcohol actually helped a lot. Still snotty today but feel much better than yesterday morning so far.

I just have the floor and the windowsill to go in the bathroom. Bath and tiles haven't come up well and I've put some cream cleaner in my next grocery delivery as I think I need something slightly abrasive to scrub with and which actually sits on a vertical surface.

It sounds like the rain has stopped lashing so I better go take the dog out before it starts up again. I'll be back!

Morning everyone. Very slow start today, didn’t wake up till 9! Had the good news that the job centre has moved appts to phone calls which is a relief due to the weather. I have a lot of work stuff to get on with though.

YesTaDa
✈️Shower
✈️Cagbunny care
✈️4hr workshop (didn’t actually have to do much)
✈️Put laundry away
✈️Maths lesson

Pretty sure I did nothing after that.

po3.1
❗️Discuss with DH what else we need to do in case of weather issues (garden mess etc)
❗️Log on to work email and update to do list (technically not working next week due to half term)
❗️Make a half term housework to do list

It is looking like a really nice day outside, so i need to stalk the met office and double check it is not lies before i head out.

Wassailling just remember that whilst i forget I can't do everything i may get a lot done, BUT it causes burnout, loss of ability to function and generally feeling overwhelmed all the time. it isn't really to be recommended. But i also know that when a respected organisation offers a course that I have a lot of interest in for free for a short period of time, that sometimes the short term pain is worth it.

I actually slept during the night and got nearly 8 hours sleep last night. I need to get to the point where this is a norm. I am not feeling great though. My body has decided that it needs to be outside in the cold (i run hot normally and enjoy walking about in short shelves during the winter) My neck has however, decided it no longer wants to hold my head up which is a bit of a problem. No idea which muscle group i pissed off this time, or even how but hopefully with a bit of tlc it will settle down relatively quickly.

People are heading out and it looks like they are doing their normal thing of leaving me with a shit hole and expecting to come back to a tidy house.

ta da
stretch and consider life choice wrt to shoulder and neck muscles
check on fish and discover that melodramatic fish is not dead yet.
feed fish
drink coffee
catch up with social media
take pain killers and the morning dose of vit supps.
Stalk the met office and discover it is going to be 2C with feels like of -4C so even thought the wind is not kicking up til later aint no way sitting in car is going to be pleasant today.

To Do
have a chat with fish people about the tank and pick up some tank plants
water the remaining plants in my room
dish up the lasagna into its batch trays and get into the freezer
Take the stollen out of the freezer to send with the people tomo.
find pots for potting up some plants
Sort out lounge windowsil so it is clean and tidy.

I have also been absent for a few days. Lots of Netflix, tea and visitors. Flying-wise I’ve been achieving little bits here and there. I haven’t got as much done in the bathroom as I would have liked, but I’ve reminded myself that it’s progress not perfection and we’ll be back in that zone next month. All of upstairs needs a good clean but it feels pointless until it’s all organised again. (FlyLady is definitely right when she says you can’t clean clutter). We can’t finalise dd2’s room (cot and shelves up etc) until it’s repainted after the water damage, can’t sort the boudoir until our wardrobe/storage is built (struggling to find someone!), and can’t fully tidy DD1’s room until we’ve emptied the rest of the old toys and clothes into DD2’s. Plus because everywhere is a bit chaotic the landing seems to have become one giant hotspot. I know I just need to keep chipping away at it, and I am seeing little bits of improvement. At least downstairs is mostly tidy and decluttered, except the utility, and even that isn’t too bad.

Tadas:
✅ rest of bathroom floor scrubbed
✅ more organising of Dd2s drawers - getting there!
✅ boudoir tidied
✅ ironing
✅ made a phone call I have procrastinated over
✅ posted a return (5 day turnaround. A record for me I think)
✅ made a plan for half term to keep DD1 entertained
✅ did another couple of Photobooks. Think I have 5 left to be back up to date (I do one for each season each year plus Christmas and holiday)

Today I have done the morning routine in full, hung up some clean clothes, and got DD2 to sleep. The latter is a big achievement at the minute as she has realised that there are lots of things to look at and she would rather stay awake

Hope everyone gets through storm Eunice safely and without any damage. It’s very calm here currently and I think we are supposed to escape the worst of it. I remember how terrifying Arwen was so thinking of those of you in the centre of this one.

Frankie that sounds like a really shitty day

DH once left my mop and bucket outside in the rain Red. Where is the logic in taking them out of the house?! I was very cross but he couldn’t see why I didn’t want to use it anymore - couldn’t see a difference between a mop getting wet with clean water to clean the floors then left to dry and it standing in manky rainwater for days on end.

Ooh a holiday Mc, I’m desperate for one too. Can we turn the naughty corner into a luxury all-inclusive Caribbean resort?

Up naughty corner has had palm trees and hammocks in the past so go ahead. Apparently sunny and 23C in Trinidad atm. Which sounds amazing!

The list is written. Basically I want to get as much house stuff done as I can over the next week while I don’t have much work (I do have uni though). Lots of cleaning. Have also told Caglets I’ll get them a ps4 download if they help a lot :o it’s difficult to know what they can help with though TBH - they can’t really tidy easily if the clutter doesn’t have a home

po3.2
❗️Fill bath with washing up liquid and water, put bunny toy into soak (one the previous owners gave us, very dusty!)
❗️Work phone call just after 1
❗️Wash toy and give bunny run a clean too

Mc3209 yes! A holiday! I was having exactly this thought a few days ago. But it's not going to happen so I put it out of my mind. Are you getting one this year?

Red thanks for the curtain tips 🙂 yes hooks on bottom setting which was why they looked awful, but they were fine once I moved the hooks to the top. I'm unsure about a tape thing you mentioned. I've only ever seen one sort of curtains so I don't know what I'm looking at. I assumed these things were universal but the hooks were too big for the rings. They've been squished and mangled to the required size now. Just the length to sort out then I can hang them. I never realized puddling on the floor was a fashion. Surely as you say it's for huge homes, where people don't have furniture near the window to get tangled up and have a cleaner to keep pulling the curtains out of the hoover nozzle. They're definitely getting shortened.

For all the weather warnings, today's storm doesn't seem as bad as Wednesday's here.

Yesterday I read the rest of the BabySteps and the system is making more sense to me now. I quite like it and I'm secretly hopeful it can change my life. It seems to be taking the thinking out of everything which in turn reduces the stress of trying to decide/remember or when you forget.

Does anyone have any tips to prevent hoarding? Is it just decluttering? What if you've got eg 3 things and they're all good and all used, but you could be fine with only one, how do you square your conscience with getting rid? It feels wasteful. And how do you stop yourself buying more "because I've only got one"? I feel like I have two brains, the organization decluttering minimalist brain and the "oooh! shiney shiney, must have" brain 🤦

Ha I totally relate to that wild I like stuff. Nerdy stuff, board games, naice toys for Cagletini. Must find the balance!

Can’t believe how out of breath I am from some simple cleaning/going up and down stairs a bit. Quite shameful.

po3.3
❗️Bit of work while watching a Christmas lecture with DS
❗️Some anti procrastinating - messages
❗️Take a bin bag upstairs to collect rubbish

po3.4
❗️Collect various empty storage baskets, clean them and put them somewhere so they can’t end up full of random crap
❗️Collect our/Cagletini’s own laundry from round the house and put towels in bathroom basket
❗️

Will also get DD1 to put another LOL on if she’s got enough

Oops 😳
Struggling to think of a third thing!
❗️Finally finish working out this month’s timesheet so far

Epically lazy day today - I seem to have taken the storm as an excuse to do absolutely nothing. In reality I always end up with a day like this after being more sociable than usual and that's ok.

Hoping I'll have some oompf tomorrow.

I have been watching Chocky on youtube thanks to a conversation with friends about children's programmes we loved as kids sending me off looking for it.

Animals have been fed, boy has fed himself and the world won't end from me spending a day in bed.

world won't end from me spending a day in bed. - exactly right Swallowedafly. It may look like 'The Last Days' outside but as long as everyone is inside and warm - who care?!

Red - indeed re commandments

Wild - re hoarding, I ask myself if I really need this item. I use the same question for food to stop myself munching.

MC I'd really love to go somewhere new. I've pretty much been in my suburb for two years. My ideal would be an Art Gallery somewhere. Actually I'd love to be in Boston - I'd go to the Museum of Fine Arts and the Isabella Stewart Gardiner Museum and I've have clam chowder for lunch. But the naughty corner will do for now!

Tomorrow is Family fun day and the last day of the zone.

Babystep 19 www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/31-beginner-babysteps/day-19/ - stop rushing around and use your timer to its best effect!

Flight plan www.flylady.net/c/fp.php?tzm=0&d=1

Ta da - laundry, general tidy and a day's work.

What is it about DHs and mops? We have the Vileda squirty mop with washable pads. I tend to use it often and just squirt lightly so it doesn't get very wet and the floor dries quickly. If I've only done the kitchen and it isn't very dirty I might put it away like that for another use. But sometimes after the kitchen I do the bathroom then the cloth goes straight in the hot wash and replaced with a clean one before putting away, same as if it is fairly dirty from the kitchen. Whereas DH uses it like a conventional mop, so its sopping wet and puts it back in the cupboard like that no matter how dirty it is . Or shoves it out on the patio "to dry". The one thing he never ever does is take the pad off and wash it.

Morning and happy weekend. Back to school on Monday, eek!

Tada:
-actually got out of bed
-took the dog out
-fed animals

It is freezing outside and I've climbed back into bed with a coffee for now trying to warm up.

Must do the bathroom floor and windowsill today and a quick swish and swipe all around then call it done. What room are we on next week please? I struggle to keep track of zones and find the website hard to find that on. I'll go check again.

Bedroom. Which is where I need to be so that's good.

Today might be time to start doing my lesson planning and sorting for the week. It's been nice to have a week not thinking about work but time to get back on it.

Yes I'm a mop pad washer. Separate one for ds's room and I use a fresh one on the kitchen, rinse it out and use in bathrooms, then into wash.

Coffee in bed sounds like an excellent start to today. I'm catching on on housework today.

Keep warm Fledglings 😱

Well, yesterday was an experience! We all stayed at home and watched the weather out the window and the planes landing at Heathrow on YouTube. Took the dog to fly him him round the neighbourhood at about 7pm. At various points the roof box for the car shifted itself from the floor into the raised flowerbed, the fence stopping the dog getting behind the garage fell down and we had to tape down the flaps on the coldframe before they came off altogether. The oak tree at next door's boundary we were worried about survived, and no-one was hurt locally thank goodness, although the tiles have stripped themselves off the old swimming pool building. Good job they're taking it down.

Anyway, spent the day emptying DH's stuff out of the study and putting some of my stuff in. Finally got brave, went through my thesis files and put some stuff out. Also sadly concluded the room needs completely replastering before we can paint it which will a) hold things up and b) be eye-wateringly expensive, I fear. But bits of wall are going to fall off otherwise 😢.

YesTaDa otherwise:
❤️ Cleared some shelves in the music room
🧡 Got some stuff back onto said shelves which had previously been in the study
💛 Got DH to take his large collection of random empty picture frames up to the loft
💚 Made beef and mushroom pie for me and DH, beef pie for DS3 and roast beef dinner for DD, so we could all eat together. Win!
💙 Pre-emptively made pea and ham soup for dinner today, so I'm ahead of myself
💜 Finally finished the book I started in mid January!

So a pretty good day all round although the up-and-down-ladders-to-high-shelves has rather wrecked my knees.

Today DH and I are finishing FIL's paperwork. It came to light yesterday that he's lost his will and cut up one off his bank cards by accident, so we need to know exactly what we've got.

"Family fun", eh? 🤣🤣