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]

Morning! Or at least it is now as I’m typing at 11:59 🤣

Feel rubbish today, really down. Made the mistake of looking at FB which I usually ignore, and now have an odd mix of nostalgia and sadness and envy and resentment. But I have the house to myself properly for the first time in ages (often have Cagletini free time on Saturdays but DS is usually milling about and talking at me about Minecraft/Lego etc) as DH has taken them all to Hobbycraft/B&Q.

I am not going to do a power of three, just grab food and watch telly for now. You’re all right of course, I am doing a lot more than I was, it’s just hard to view it like that when so much is just sitting with a laptop. But also, it’s making it even more important that other stuff gets done because I feel like while I’m working everything and everyone is falling apart around me. Even worse with uni stuff - the guilt I feared is real, I feel like I can’t justify going off to study (whereas at least with work I can because wages etc).

It’s not that anyone is trying to make me feel guilty. And it’s not like I was some amazing housewife before, I would hate people to think DH is a typical Mumsnet Useless Husband(TM) because he really isn’t. He’s kept a lot going and has always done more of the house stuff including when I couldn’t due to health etc and when I was working before. But he really is falling apart both physically and mentally now and so more is falling on me. I have no idea how to manage the physical side or the task of keeping everyone going mentally.

Hmm. Might just go and have a cry before anything else.

Work ok because contributes to the NOW household situation
Study not ok because contributes to the YOU now situation even if it will contribute to the LATER household situation.

Thing is sing your studies are what you are doing for your mental well being, for your future, and are your welfare things. You cannot pour from an empty cup. And whilst you feel like you have to contribute to the household without contributing to your cup it is always going to be a problem

And yes I know exactly the struggle but that is why I book certain time in my calendar where I leave the environment to focus on that study. because me sitting on top of a hill with my studies is me time that renews my spirit and provides for my future when my immediate caring responsibilities are over.

I hope the cry helped.

Sooooo the bath tub approach to washing the duvet - bad life choice. Bad bad life choice. That is all

ta da
wash double duvet in bath tub
2 loads of pots washed - allergy free, allergy 1 set.
dw unloaded and reloaded
grill pans washed
water change in the fish
fold laundry
currently on my 3rd load of laundry
ironing pile turned the right way around ready for ironing
bed stripped - for washed bedding
email check through and cull
towels away
moving of the waiting for the office to be finished stuffed out of the bathroom
look at paperwork on floor in lounge and stick one lot in a box for another day
deal with with the crappy stuff waiting to go to rag recycling
consider theme for bujo for March
move all food stuffs out of dinning room into kitchen/utility room
shift foam matress towards the junk room
find the source of the horrible smell by the washing machine and chuck out the mop
got through the fridge and throw out everything that has died
look at state of fridge and anyone else got people who open a new bottle of ketchup rather than finishing up the one they put on its lid and there is now ketchup ick on the shelf?
Continue working through writing up some notes
deal with the flood on the bathroom floor
pull out the few craft projects that need finishing this next week.
speak to ds' dad on the issue of ds and contact swap details
mentally prepare self for a battle when the teen gets home.

I should get back to stuffs, there is so much stuffs to be done. And i don't want to do any of it.

Ahh Sing that is one the emotional signature blends of my more 'mid life crisis' days. Not a comfortable mix. Hope you shake it off easily.

I've spent all day working on work, work rather than housework. Quite a bit of progress made on target/department contribution work. Not officially needed till September but better to get ahead and have lots to show at my Spring appraisal midway review thingy.

Back to school tomorrow for me.

I've done dw, rubbish, recylling, dinner in oven otherwise. Not a lot and I think the bathroom may have gotten as far as it's going to get as I will def need to move onto bedroom with any time I've got from tomorrow.

Sorry for lack of personals - everything has gone out of my head and it's just a fly by from me.

Sing

Wild (think it was you asking about hoarding) reading Marie Kondo really changed my mindset about stuff. I didn’t declutter in the exact way she suggests but I was definitely able to be more ruthless after reading it. Buying less in the first place helps massively, as well as knowing where everything is and making things easily accessible/logically placed so you aren’t tempted to re-buy and use what you have.

7.5 hour of paperwork sorting is impressive Wassail

Not many ta Das to report over the last few days. I also spent a good chunk of Friday watching planes landing (despite knowing someone on one of them!) It was a bit addictive wasn’t it. I did sweep downstairs and de-crumb the living room rug, and made enough progress in DD2’s room that DH noticed I’d been in there. I also remained calm when DD1 wanted a picnic tea on the de-crumbed rug.

Yesterday was an enjoyable family day with a walk and park visit, then a meal out with a snifter of wine. Only basic routines were achieved. Today has been spent in the house due to the weather, though DH has taken himself out for a long run this afternoon. Weirdo. DD2 had a long nap without being on me so I’ve been able to play board games with DD1. I wrote a list for a big stock-up shop to use a voucher that was going to expire. DH did the shop and I put away. It’s baby cuddles and tv for the foreseeable now

Hills the double duvet in the bathtub is a veritable Everest of housekeeping, never mind a hill! I had a double mattress topper which had to be handwashed. I tried washing it in the tub a few times and then went back to the online store and got a new one which could be washed in a commercial washing machine.

wassail - 7.5 hours😳😱 that's a long day in the archives iykwim!

I'm ravenous reading your post Merry!

Today: cleaning cleaning and more cleaning.

The storm has been bad all day but has died off now.

Yes that was me Still. I'm currently working on the knowing where everything is and making it accessable part. I've definitely been guilty of buying multiplies because I've forgotten I already have something. Maybe I'll get a book by Marie Kondo then. I've heard lots of people swear by her and it's a different thought process I need to achieve so maybe it'll help. Thanks

Hope you're feeling better Sing you're getting a lot done for others and deserve your study time for yourself.

Sing I'm sorry you feel down. Remember facebook is mostly fake. I have pictures on there of our Lovely French Holiday in 2017. It rained 6 days out of 9, the sheets were mouldy, the whole place stank of sewage, the window fell out in DS3's (downstairs) bedroom and we left on day 9 and paid a bloody fortune to move our Eurotunnel tickets forward from Day 14. You'd never know that, from fb. It's all sunshine and happy children and Local Cuisine.

Please remember also your studying is an investment in you, and in the family's future. It's necessary in case your DH has to step back any further for his own health. Sending 💐 and 💪.

Hills if not batter then perhaps a light allergen-free gravy? Sorry about the sick migraine and I hope you can get the duvet dry. Enjoy your People free fortnight.

Up hurrah for babies who sleep other than on you! Sounds very promising.

Fly good luck back at school next week.

Zoo hope you are ok, lovely.

Ta Da:
❤️ Pancakes for breakfast (am SuperMum™)
🧡 Dog walk
💛 Dried last night's last LOL, 2 more washed and dried today
💚 2 more hours sorting papers for FIL, followed by another half hour of sensible filing while DH tried to chase down errant bank accounts etc
💙 Tried to have a nap. Foiled by a bunch of scrotes who kicked our fence in, using a bicycle as a battering ram. The fence itself is galvanised steel due to previous problems of this kind and I am beyond furious. The police came our but can't do much.
💜 Went to Tesco with DS2. Bought a top up shop for us (including lemon meringue pie because I ran out of oomph) and bin bags for him. Don't say I don't know how to treat my kids right. 😂
❤️ Updated bullet journal for next week. Considering daffodils for March set up
🧡 Made roast pork etc
💛 Did more bullet journal stuff.
💚 Bath
💙 Putting phone down now, to read.

🍒👋 to everyone!

😱 wassailing that sounds awful about your fence!! So sorry you've experienced that! What's wrong with some people 🤯

The storms are really getting nasty round here, floods and high winds are causing a few nightmares. Hopefully our trampoline and animal house can survive 60mph winds (survived up to 50mph winds in the past).

Today has mainly been trying to get on top of washing. Youngest's duvet is taking an age to dry and obviously too heavy for washer that refused to spin it 🤦‍♀️ one more load to go in now then I'm caught up dc bed wetting on Friday.

So glad it's bedroom this week, I tend to make mountains of to do things in my room so be lots of listing things for sale over this next week so I can have my corner back!

Ta Das:
🌹 Showered, got dressed & ready for the day
🌹 2 LOLs
🌹 threw away some old potatoes from the pantry
🌹 put away things from kitchen to pantry
🌹 rotated DW
🌹 bills sorted
🌹 meals planned for the week
🌹 grocery shopping list created
🌹 grocery pickup order placed and later picked up
🌹 vacuumed kitchen, dining room and bathrooms thoroughly
🌹 washed (scrubbed in places) kitchen and dining room floors, hands and knees
🌹 put table and chairs back in the dining room since I moved them for a deep clean
🌹 wiped out one of the cupboards in the bathroom, I got storage for it. I really need another one now for the other bathroom
🌹 took a nap!

DH is going to be cooking dinner tonight, I'm looking forward to it!
There's still more cleaning I need to do, but can spread it over the next couple of days

Apologies - I forgot to post links. Will do after work tomorrow 😬😣

Wassail that holiday sounds awful and I'm sorry your fence got kicked in too.

Hazel you've been busy today you surely deserve that nap 💤

Bean don't worry the sky won't fall in because we don't have links yet.

I optimistically put my recycling out for the bin men tomorrow when it was quiet. Tried to wedge the boxes in place but now the winds are fierce and I'm wondering if I'll ever see them again.

Fingers crossed wild

Something just screamed its way up the road. The wind is just roaring and gusting.

I have a friend popping in tonight so there is a whole heap of house taming to do. In short:
finish the kitchen
finish the laundry
sort and move the charity shop stuff
sort and move the tip stuff
check on over dramatic fish
finish sorting paperwork in the lounge
sort through and get car bits into the car
deal with the utility room
deal with the paperwork in the dining room
finish the dining room off
oh and empty the main bathroom, clean down, strip out old sealant, and apply new sealant

Going to be a long day.

Bean don't worry about it. Life happens.

Sympathy to those with wind or scrotes damages. Very windy here again today - school will be fun because for some reason windy days make crazy kids.

Ta da:
Up, took dog out
Made ds pack lunch
Got ds out of the house on time
Fed animals
Cleansed and moisturised (my skin is so dry lately that I've added moisturise to my must do dailies list on my app thing so I don't forget)
Looked over lessons for the day and made a mental to do list for work today

Just chilling briefly now before I start getting ready and packing back etc to leave for work.

I fell off. AGAIN.

Oops. Started a post but got distracted.

Thanks all for the loveliness as always. Feeling a bit more human this morning after forcing myself to do some self care. Now printing some stuff for a couple of work meetings this week (am officially off for half term, so this means overtime!).

Flagging a bit already though and need to actually make a decision about when to head out - meeting is at the library which will mean I can say hi to old colleagues and I also want to get some uni work done there. But I should try and get some other stuff done now too really.

po3.1
❗️Read forms for today’s meeting and make notes
❗️Dry hair and finish getting dressed properly
❗️Write week up on planner

Hey that :)

I forgot to upload the memes that made me laugh yesterday. They’ve been around a while (I saw them while looking for old photos) but still relatable

po3.2
❗️Pack bags with work and uni stuff - includes finding earphones 😬
❗️Walk to town
❗️Have sensible lunch then go to library for study/meeting

ta da
take a nap
fish dead fish out of tank

Ha! Loving the meme about waiting for things to slow down again, Sing. I am waiting for a "nice, quiet six months" without a Christmas or and In Law in it to adjust my meds...

Hills sorry about the fish, but glad you got a nap. Good luck tamin the house.

That hello! where are you on the half-term continuum? We are off this week, but I think we might be unusual in that.

Frankie if the duvet is still failing to dry I have paid the dry cleaners to put it in one of their really big driers before. It cost about a fiver, as I recall.

Wild hope your recycling bins have survived. We appear to have lost a bit of apple tree and a bit of elder tree round the back of the garage.

Ta Da:
💖 Morning routine, including new item to hand out clean washing. We will see if that works
🧡 Stripped our bed and washed the mattress cover, per Flylady's Boudoir Cleaning List
💛 Finally wrote to Dear Friend's widower and parents 😢. I have been avoiding it because it makes it too real.
💚 Walked up to town with DH so he could go to HSBC and I could take DD's prescription to the chemist and buy cucumber (this is Tesco's delivery blindspot this week). He was 90 minutes in the bank while they failed to be able to apply the Power of Attorney to FIL's accounts.
💙 Hot dogs for lunch because it is half term. DS3 says I can have my Best Mum badge
💜 Did a bit of crossword as downtime for me.

Right, most go and swap the washing over again and start bringing boxes down from eyrie to study.

Bin men kindly brought recycling boxes back to the door instead of leaving them at the top of the drive so they've not blown off down the street thankfully. Last of the cardboard recycling mountain can go out today so that's another space finally cleared.

Self care day today having done the cleaning yesterday. Probably reading and painting my nails. Actually got a full night sleep last night so feeling quite bright today. The sunshine is helping too. Feel like I've been living in a cave for months, I'm ready for spring now.

I need to be better organized. I need to stop feeling like I've failed at being an adult.

I was reading FlyLady Morning Musings articles on the webpage and she does talk a lot of sense so I'm going to do my best to keep on with it. I noticed a difference yesterday when I really didn't want to do anything. I kept telling myself just do 3 things, it'll take around 20min, then rest. Until it was all done.

Will do a planner for the week today. One LOL done and on the line drying. Yesterday's still on the radiator to put away.

Sorry about the fish Hills 🐠⚰️✝️ I'll say a prayer for it.

Wassail and Sing are you telling me there's no such thing as a quiet life, ever? 🤯 Perhaps I need to adjust my expectations of life!

Enjoy the meetup with your colleagues Sing

Metaphorically or physically fell? Hope you're not hurt That

Well mn is going to be a peach today. Every time an advert changes it refreshes the screen and I lose what I type. Grrrr. I'll try saving as I go so I don't have to put 5 posts on unnecessarily.

wassailing 90 minutes at the bank and they still couldn't get him added? That's ridiculous! I used to work at a bank (here in the US) and have added POAs to accounts before. It only took a few minutes, then scanned it in onto the account.

That no need to look guilty, you have your hands full! 💐
Sing enjoy having time time to yourself, even if it is while studying.
Wild that's good news re recycling boxes. We keep having sunshine here too and it really does help to motivate.
hills sorry to hear about your fish, was it the over dramatic one? 2 weeks without the people sounds like bliss, but don't wear yourself out by doing too much while they're gone

fly it does seem that the wind & stormy weather in general makes DC and animals go crazy 🤪 my dogs would always bark for no reason, run around chasing nothing and MILs cats will pounce on nothing too. My mum always said there's something in the air during a storm that sets them off.
Bean no need to worry about links, if anyone needs them they can use yesterday links to take them there. Plus, who really wants to do home bleugh?!