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!

Stayed up too late last night watching Yellowjackets and then combination of DD and DHs snoring means I've definitely not had enough sleep. Also completely left kitchen last night and regretting it today.

Got today and tomorrow to myself before going back to work on Monday and trying to get into a vaguely productive mindset as such days are so rare, but I suspect I may end up napping

Anyway, ta da

• Got two children to nursery
• Fed cats

To do

• Run dishwasher
• Wash up
• Clean sides
• Put away laundry
• Wash bedding and towels
• Vaccuum everywhere
• Sort out DDs clothes
• Declutter my sock drawer
• Sort out bureau
• Read in the bath
• Eat chocolate brownie

DD1 has left now.

DH told me something yesterday that made me really sad. He’d been talking late into the night with DD1 about school, and she’d apparently kept saying that school hadn’t been like she thought it would be at all.

(For newbies - she was home educated from halfway through year 3, but felt ready to try again in 2019 and joined year 8 in the December, now she’s year 10. DS is still home ed, year 8 now. Both autistic.)

I mean, we knew it wouldn’t be like the TV shows she enjoyed (like So Awkward). But I am devastated for her that she’s had such a shitty experience TBH. Bullying etc.

Much as covid chaos has been difficult I actually think all the school closures stopped her burning out sooner.

Home ed again is definitely not the answer though, not for her.

Morning everyone . Nice to be able to say that. I'm not a morning person! I'm tired from going to bed too late but here I am.

I feel like I should apologize in advance if I seem unfriendly, I can't reply to you all personally because I forget most of what I've read 30sec after I've read it. But I am reading everything and I'm not ignoring you on purpose.

I felt like I didn't have a clue and the best place to start is the beginning. So I sought out the January thread. I was quite shocked that you all shine your sinks. I don't even know how to shine a sink. But I clean it every time I wash up, so I figured nobody gonna shoot me Thanks for explaining the difference between self-soothe and self-care, very thought provoking. Also the comment about how basic self-care is getting promotion in the media as a luxury, for women anyway. There's always been something that niggles me about it and I couldn't pinpoint what it was, so thank you for putting my unconscious thoughts into words. I shall stop feeling indulgent for having a nightly bubble bath to ease my aches and pains, because yes it is essential. And I now know what those rubber brooms exist for!

I think I'm going to learn a lot here from you wise ones.

Please don’t worry about that wild it’s not mandatory to namecheck everyone etc! Just join in with the chat as and when.

January was definitely a thought provoking month wasn’t it, lots of interesting discussion thanks to hills!

Thanks Sing I'm only on page 5 of January so lots more to go.

Definitely decluttering is a problem for me. It's impossible to be tidy when things don't have a place to go because there's just too much stuff.

I’ve only just finished reading January. I think November and December I didn’t read every post and that made me sad as this is my favouritest thread! So this year I am determined to keep up. Of course I now have three pages to catch up on here too 🤣

I have done nothing else though other than persuading DD1 to leave the bloody house and doing some maths with DS. He’s doing well with his functional skills book, I need to think about booking an exam (I really don’t want his first exams to be GCSEs!). Cagletini is watching Ben and Holly. DH is in town after the doctors and should be home soonish I hope.

Really struggling to get going. I just CANNOT.

po3.1
❗️Sort laundry - need to put the wet stuff in the dryer and get DS to put his dry stuff away before doing English. While I’m up I will take vitamins as I’ve been neglecting it which may be having an impact.
❗️Log on to work and figure out what needs doing.
❗️Relax after doing a decent amount of work, and catch up with this thread.

Something i have noticed is that when you are disorganised you also have to have more stuff because you need multiples because you can't find what you need when you want it.

Another night owl. Stress has undone the good work i had done with shifting my sleep pattern to a more normal one. Spent the morning doing stupid little thankless tasks that has just bred another to do list. Instead of being able to just place a couple of internet orders I actually need to contact the company for advice because they don't have what i have had before and i know that different brands are not comparible fit and I would like to know what they recommend/need to check syllabus requirements etc.

My get up and go is not getting up and certainly not going. Which is a problem because i have a hectic day that requires much success.

Wild wait til you get to the "rant" Occassionally i speak sense on the internet. Sometimes I throw my toys out the pram and stomp off. I am trying to do more of the first and less of the second. Which means i might go quiet when I have strong feelings on a topic.

Something I have noticed is that when you are disorganised you also have to have more stuff because you need multiples because you can't find what you need when you want it.

Yes! This, totally Hills . I also end up with multiples because I've forgotten I have something already. I feel quite ashamed of that financial waste , but I suppose it'll all get used up eventually as things break or wear out with age. I need to get organized then stop buying things.

Yes, we get that all the time Hills, things like torches, tape measures, fairly inexpensive so you pick up a new one when you can't find the old one and then realise you've actually got about 10 of them when you do finally have a clear out.

Wild - I've been on the thread a long time and still don't keep up with all the chat / namechecks, I don't think anybody does, we all dip in and out to some extent and pick up on specific bits here and there. I don't shine my sink properly Flylady style very often, but it gets wiped out daily and a blast with Cif once a week or so, but we have a dishwasher so not washing much in there.

Sing - sorry to hear that about school and DD1, it's very hard being a teenage girl, especially if you are neurodiverse or have other challenges.

Don’t worry about the sink shining Wild, it’s basically just making sure your dishes are done and the sink is clean before bed. It’s FlyLady’s recommended starting point.

I don’t normally read much of her ramblings but I happened to look at her “morning musing” on the app in the early hours during a night feed and I found it quite helpful. It’s basically about how she habit stacks her evening routine (I totally fail at this most nights). She does the dishes as soon as she’s finished dinner, then while running her bath gets her clothes out for the next day which means she checks her calendar because she needs to know what is suitable to wear. Then it’s ‘free time’ and then clearing hotspots en route to bed. I’m going to try something similar as I tend to eat tea then sit until bedtime and forget everything I’m supposed to do.

Hope you got the chocolate brownie part of your list done at least Pretty.

I do enjoy your rants Hills I agree about the multiples thing, although sometimes I’ve found it beneficial to buy multiples - e.g. I use Koh cleaner and I bought a set for upstairs too, as well as magic dusters etc. We have phone chargers upstairs and down. I bought a few sets of scissors to have a set with cards and wrapping, a set in the kitchen, one upstairs, another in DD’s craft trolley and a set in DH’s basket of crap so that all the others don’t end up in there. Far easier than chasing the one pair round the house like we used to.

Sorry DD is struggling Sing. Do you think it’s her wrist that’s knocked her or do you think things were getting worse anyway?

My Ta Das:
🏋️‍♀️ Showered, dressed, hair done, 2 x DDs dressed and fed, beds made and 2 x s&s before the school run
🏋️‍♀️ Shop for milk
🏋️‍♀️ Breakfast and cup of tea
🏋️‍♀️ LOL in, clean washing upstairs
🏋️‍♀️ DW emptied and breakfast things in
🏋️‍♀️ 10 mins in zone 1 - decluttered shoe unit and dusted it
🏋️‍♀️ Investigated freezer contents, meal planned and texted shopping list to DH
🏋️‍♀️ Cleaned hob while heating leftovers for lunch
🏋️‍♀️ Caved into baby cuddles and Netflix

Need to find a home for some like-new shoes of DD1’s to hand down to DD2 and put the clean washing away upstairs.

wild other than hills wise words you will discover we chat...a lot😜
Ed I ment to add well done on the dressing table.thst first view when you open your eyes can make a huge impact on the start of the day.a calm organised space deffo us a great start
Rose any spare brownies need to be directed IMMEDIATELY to the naughty corner and kept away from me
Singsorry this morning has been hard for DD.being a teen is hard enough in school these days without asd meddling in the mix

Well a rough start,lots shouting dd2 not wanting dental app later and unfairness lil zoo starting later today so I went back to for an hour once she and D's left
Leisurely brekkie with lil zoo then walk her in as fields are quiet outside school run times
Pick up new reduced timetable and heard on way back "d"p got a job he went for
Been wading thru options for post 16 for D's.borderinh a lot counties I've been working thru local authority local offers which I found nothing suitable as he's academic but with Sen need,and am now wading down list kindly provided by fellow MNer.ive a favourite but small and outstanding with Ofsted so no idea if he even has a chance if placement but I will try I think!

sing I'm sorry that dd has had such a disappointing experience with school so far. These things can change though so hopefully going forward she'll have a better time. It's difficult though

Wild - I read everything too but have difficulty holding it all in my head to name check everyone. Some people on here are really good at it but I just get flustered and confused! Regarding the sink cleaning/shining - my sink nearly always has something resting on it. In fact we were researching a kitchen upgrade (possibly for 2072 at this rate) and came to the conclusion that I would always need a stainless steel sink because there is always something draining or something hot placed on it or something soaking. So for me sink cleaning means that I've put everything away and that the kitchen is basically done for the day. I bought barkeepers friend which is some sort of powder which I use on the very rare occasion that I shine the sink. It does make it look very swish!
The Flylady dressed to shoes thing I can never do. That said I have stripped the bed as part of the home blessing thing and I am trying very hard not to procrastinate.

Prettygirl - I very much approve of the chocolate brownie eating!

I have decided that we need more pot plants and fresh flowers so I have daffodils on my list for the shops and vanilla essence for the baked oatmeal I am making.
Baked oatmeal is my new find - it keeps in the fridge and it is oatmeal, baking powder, fruit of choice, brown sugar, ground flaxseeds, with eggs, milk and vanilla essence - all mixed up and baked for 30 minutes. It tastes like pudding but is intended for breakfast. I just heat a slice in the microwave and add cold milk on top. Ds won't eat porridge but will eat this!

Interesting that other people find it difficult to remember details about conversations. I do that in real life so I can't always remember what to ask friends about - I sometimes feel like I'm telling myself to listen rather than actually listening. Is it ridiculous to write up notes after talking to someone to help remember what's going on in their life?

Anyway getting through list (not got to brownie yet...).

Bean like the sound of baked oatmeal

Still interesting thought. Saw that in Atomic Habits as well and it'd be interesting to see if anyone's making it work.

Wild completely get the issue with stuff. Been doing things most of the day and there are so many areas that need sorting and decluttering to properly look tidy.

Woohoo I have caught up with the thread!

Hills yep definitely with the buying duplicates. I do agree up sometimes it is worth having multiples, eg I have kept some scissors and tape in the wrapping paper box. Also though, I notice when I am worried about money I feel the urge to declutter more. It’s like instinctively I know that having less stuff means I’m less likely to spend money unnecessarily.

This afternoon has gone a bit arse over apex but I’ve had some baguette and aioli 😋 and have got a pizza for easy dinner tonight. Need to get on with stuff again now.

Can’t even think of three things to list. So. Get dressed and then log back into laptop to check arrangements for later and then type up yesterday’s minutes. Ok, likely just get top half dressed because Zoom. 🤣

Oh i totally agree with having duplicates. Eg we have a bathroom cleaning set in each bathroom. But we have 20 plus dinner plates in this house. Because we have that many NO ONE brings them down for being washed up so we often had NO dinner plates for eating off. If we had less and were organised with the washing up this would not be as much as a problem.

can you tell i have feelings about the washing up

Today has been an odd kinda day. Not sure how i feel about it tbh. But still lots to do including a quick load of washing because it needs to be done within half hour

Been to the dentist
DD wasn't up to even let him look
Lil zoo ok,D's he could tell looks after his religiously well and only drinks water and milk
Not great for me,and feeling sorry for myself

Moving on,DD go help me apply place for D's once she's showered and then I need find something to take my mind off my very sore mouth

I agree about duplicates too, we have scissors in several places around the house for specific purposes, cleaning stuff in both kitchen and bathroom, chargers bloody everywhere but never the one you need at the time.

Not much Flying today, the usual morning and evening routine of tabletting and ointmenting the cat, work. I took my car to the car wash on the way home today so at least it's clean on the outside. Off to the cinema shortly to see Belfast.

Pretty I have atomic habits on my kindle and I have not managed to read it yet!

Work day from hell today where everything converged and very difficult people were very peopley and obstreperous. Arghh.

But I got the bed linen washed - not anything else down on the weekly home cleaning hour though!

Tomorrow is Errand day - when all those fiddley things get done.

Thursday

The first two babysteps are shining your sink and getting dressed to shoes (although we don't all do this!)
Baby step three is to peruse the Flylady site so for newbies: www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/31-beginner-babysteps/day-3/

Well done zoo - the dentist is never fun. I got ticked off for not brushing my gums last time so I am doing it for sure this time!

We have duplicate hoovers - one for upstairs and one for downstairs. Ds has dust allergies so I am hoovering a lot. It seems like such an extravagance but we do hoover more now that we don't need to lug a hoover upstairs. I also have a night time basket with cleanser and a morning basket with cleanser - saves me rummaging through toiletries. I also have a basket downstairs which collects stuff to go upstairs and one upstairs for collecting stuff for downstairs. I should really live in a bungalow or a flat!

LOOK LOOK - we have a daffodil emoji on MN!

zoo - I have a funny story about ds and his first visit to the dentist as a very young child. We had him practising opening his mouth and letting someone look inside and we told him he was going to see Anna the dentist. We got him to the surgery and we carried him in. He sat in the chair and absolutely REFUSED to open his mouth. No sweet talk or gentle cajoling would work so we just carried him out. And at the point that he reached the door, he faced Anna the dentist and opened his mouth wide for 2 seconds and then clamped it shut again.
Outside he protested that 'she's NOT Nana!' - he thought he was seeing his Nana!