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]

Thanks for all the support ladies, it's a grim time and the on going hideousness upsets my friends and family to the point I try to keep a lid on a lot of it to spare their worrying, so really appreciate the care shown here.

Pretty I have to make notes at times to be a good friend! I'm so forgetful. In particular I feel awful when the other person remembers things going on with me - my old hairdressers memory was amazing and it made me feel so guilty I couldn't remember even her kids' names 🤦‍♀️ I also repeat myself which is embarrassing, sometimes I get dejavu but other times I have zero memory of the same conversation!

Loving the

Today I had my car in for its MOT and it passed 😅. Also got a few things outgrown by dc listed for sale as well as baseline jobs, though the vacuum parts weren't all dry 🤯 so couldn't vacuum today.

Thanks for the updates from flylady I don't follow it either, like someone else said - possibly wild - I don't want to disappear down the wormhole either! I can get quite obsessive about things but it's more like procrastination because I focus on the information/research rather than the actual doing iyswim!

New dog has started a habit of barking through the night, which is tough going, especially when it wakes dc. It's hard going with him in many other ways too but I'm going to try to keep hold of him until a more suitable home comes up (he's such a bad match for our home and lifestyle, not just for us, but for him).

Errands is a good one for tomorrow as I have childcare so might actually be productive!

We have scissors in multiple places and still struggle to find them when I need them ditto tape and a dustpan and brush upstairs,one for stairs(rubber) and one downstairs as I CBA go a hunting everytime need sweep something up!!

I have sent D's ehcp off via email to potential post 16 setting and now we cross everything and wait...

ta da
🐞caught up with threads
🐞home ed
🐞bit of work
🐞sorted dinner
🐞maths and history with DD1

Feel like crap still, more mentally than physically tbh, it’s been a stressful day, not helped by the fact I missed out on a work thing due to being disorganised/procrastinating - I’ve managed really well so far despite my struggles so I’m a bit gutted about that even though it’s not a huge catastrophe.

Going to put something relaxing on to listen to on my phone and do a crossword or something.

Having been a TA there is any amount of scissors in this house. I can recommend Dunelm pretty packs of three. Cheap lovely and sharp and stay sharp for ages. I made a box at Christmas with sellotape and scissors, ribbon and a few gift tags. I found eight reels of sellotape and a few of those wrist ones that are great for multi wrapping presents. Plus two small on a stand. We won’t need to buy sellotape ever again!

Welcome Wild-poinsettia
I can’t retain all the info posted either. I put a message on ages ago to say I would never feel left out and hoped others would be the same as I can’t remember everyone’s posts. I am the oldest so I have a bit of an excuse but do also remember baby brain and it is a ‘thing’.

Shining the sink- I do love to see my sink shining as I had a very old stainless steel 2 1/2 bowl sink for years. Now I have a Butler sink. DH often does the sink but he doesn’t do the sink. It had a stain mark tonight ( it often has tea stains because he doesn’t rinse after emptying the tea pot) and he was bothered about it. So I sprayed it with Bar tender’s friend most of it gone but after a lot of rinsing I put a teaspoon size bit of bleach. I hate using it but sometimes it is the only thing that works. It is brilliant now and the mark and the stains are gone.

I think her main thing is in order to shine your sink it has to be cleared. So plates, bowls, pots and cutlery. I have a small dishwasher but sometimes we wash up. DH more than me. When I had the kids young I sometimes left it until the next morning especially when I was studying. I had to get my course work done and study for exams. Oh and like That I had a baby half way through. I hate my newish (3 years) kitchen messy. It looks so much better cleared but I have got canisters and jars on the edge. One of my neighbours has a huge kitchen and just has a kettle and a toaster out nothing else. DH has Spotify speaker a coffee machine and knives cluttering up a small area. I might tackle that area when we get to the kitchen zone. My gadgets are all hidden away.
If you keep going with Flylady it does work. I find now when I cleaned under the bed it isn’t as dusty as it was. I am cleaning it about every six weeks which I wasn’t before. It doesn’t take as much effort now( I have storage under it) because I have worked out the easiest way to tackle it. Some things do become habits and then you don’t notice so it is less effort.
I still need to Declutter.
I am still chipping away at the boudoir. I did the top of the chest of drawers. I changed things around and it looks better. I have quite a lot of things that people have given plus some inherited. If I didn’t have these out it would be quick to clean. I was tempted to put everything on the bed then just put out the essential to see how it felt. I might do it next time. You still have to find homes for the things or get rid of them.

So today

LOL
Loaded dishwasher
Tidied kitchen
Wiped
Washed and dried pans( wooden handles).
Put away pans and trays.

Cleaned top of two chest of drawers.
Dusted
Reorganised stuff.
Decanted meds’.
Threw out prescription boxes. Will use them to light the fire tomorrow.
Threw out some other bits of stuff.
Vacuumed bedroom mat.
The messy area is a lot less. Most of what is left needs thinking about.
Vacuumed upstairs hall.
Bathroom- basin and loo cleaned. Just have one side of glass door to clean and then all the bathroom is done. Clean towels put out. Which lead to me cleaning out a drawer in the airing cupboard.
Cleaned out chickens, fed and sorted the tarpaulin which had blown off yet again.

Feel like I have achieved a reasonable amount because I didn’t feel like doing it this morning then DH arrived back so he distracted me. Usually I am better in the morning but today I have done most in the afternoon.

YesTaDas (Tuesday for me):
😇 washed, dried bedding and made bed, ours & DS
😇 2 LOLs of blankets from living room
😇 vacuumed couches while blankets were in the wash
😇 adulted! I finally completed DDs & my passport applications, I plan on mailing the docs in on Thursday (tomorrow for me). I was going to do it today but realised I need one more thing (& I have to rely on someone else to follow through)
😇 anti-procrastination complete - I took DS trombone to the music shop to get the deep clean it needs. He has a loaner, he hates it and wants his back! He'll have to make do for 1 1/2 weeks.
I don't remember who said it now, but it did make me laugh that you envisioned his trombone in a bubbly bath, unfortunately for it, it'll be more chemical based to kill any bacteria that might be lingering.
😇 rotated DW
😇 handwashed dishes
😇 wiped down countertops
😇 got clothes ready for morning
😇 made keto pizzas for the rest of the week

Today:
💕 worked my normal 10 hour day
💕 finished loading DW (DC rotated it earlier)
💕 for clothes ready for the morning

Welcome to the newbies & returning flybabies 👋 don't be afraid to ask if you have a question on anything. It is all about baby steps and doing a little at a time.

🍒👋 to everyone

Morning
Tada
Cats fed
Wash on
Harpic lav
Sweep lower floors
Wash up
Wipe kitchen surfaces
Triage laundry piles
Online banking
Wash in drier
DD up for meds
Check low supplies ahead pop shops
Put more wash in
S+s
Remind lil zoo where will meet her at 11
Check and discover I need return her at 130☹️
Pop shop
Sort shop and put away
Check emails
Chivvy D's sort bird feeders
Remind him of work he has to do today online(think today is last day at home as returning to fulltime next week)
I now have 40 minutes before I need head out again...

Morning. Another crap day so far. I seem to be waking up and getting an instant flood of a mix of lethargy and dread every morning atm.

DD1 isn’t even going in late today… just not going. She’s got a wash on, has had her inhaler/vitamins and is planning to get on with school work and some extra studying set by me. Really struggling with physio though :(

DH has gone to a work thing (happy Time to Talk day everyone!) so I’m panicking a bit about balancing everyone’s needs today. At least he did some home ed stuff with DS first. Didn’t even consider Cagletini going to nursery today as there’s no way I’d manage collecting her.

po3.1
❗️Get DS to empty DW and do some more work
❗️Log on to laptop
❗️Make a plan with DD1 about what she needs to achieve today

For the moment though they’re all snuggled on the sofa/play fighting etc which is nice

Hope it doesn't bother anyone that I don't put my TaDa's here. I do write them but in my journal so I'm going to keep doing that.

Thanks for all the info about shining sinks. My system for washing up is to stack it on the side neatly and when there's a sink full, crack on with it and clean the sink when I'm finished. I leave it on the drainer and put it away next morning while the kettle boils. A shiny sink sounds lovely, but I have a lot to do and not sure it's the best use of my time so think I'll skip that step.

Sunday is Home Blessing day for me and Tuesday is often busy so I think I'll use Monday for the Renewal of Spirit day.

Thanks for the link to the Fly Lady baby steps. I'm having problems with my internet so I'll take a look once that's sorted.

No one is going to care if you list your ta da's or not Wild some of us just need the accountability motivation of seeing that list grow.

ta da
Sort tea stuff for the people
sort out picking some bits up for one person to help them
discuss their holiday plans - a whole few days without them. i am looking forward to this waaaaay more than perhaps i should be
discuss the reality of running this house - people freaking out as it has been verbalised i want out within 5yrs yes the guilt trips have started already
discuss the issue of the older generation and their dwindling ability to make abroad holiday trips
pack stuff for leaving the house for a bit
check emails
sort a picnic lunch
check car over after last night's road trip - bad road conditions.
Consider plans for the weekend when i have the house to myself for around 3 blissful hours

Wild we're very easy-going on lists. I think there's a general feeling on the thread that Lists are a Good Thing but it's very much personal preference. Some people put up immediate ToDo lists to make themselves do it (often manifesting as Powerof3); some people write everything they've done to encourage themselves - either throughout the day or in one go at the end; some people note the unusual or unpleasant tasks. Most of us dip in and out of methods depending on what else is going on.

I'm terrible about responding to people.

I reminded myself what Shining The Sink actually entails, and it's quite frightening. I've never done it. Clean AND Jif AND bleach AND polish
(which is not a product it would ever occur to me to put on a sink tbh). Followed by putting the washing-up bowl in the under-sink cupboard. Nah. I just wash up, wipe round, rinse and squeeze out; and leave my lovely red bowl sitting there being colourful.

damn, meant to check those asterisks. Pretend there are bold bits.

Yes, it’s entirely up to you how you use the thread! We are not fussy or strict at all here. It’s all about the chat. With occasional housework :o

My next power of three (which as merry said is a list of immediate to dos - can be good if feeling overwhelmed) is not proving easy to come up with today.

It feels like every other day there’s a reason to just get through it, and not make much progress. Feeling a bit wallowy. 😳

Right c’mon Sing FFS.

po3.2
❗️Book tesco mostly with simple food for me and Cagletini for the weekend, and snacks for the others to take (going to a convention both days)
❗️Get both Caglets back to some work after current break
❗️Read a chapter of a book

wild I have post it notes for my to do list and rarely post them online! You can use the thread how you wish!

Sorry to hear you are having a difficult day sing. I'm slow to get things done today. Work is mounting up and I feel disorganised and it's like groundhog day - which it technically was yesterday so maybe that's what we are channelling!

I love Bill Murray...

bean
Wild I have big lists sometimes as a reminder I do stuff even tho it still looks like a hurricane hit most of the time!I like the chat and support best.our cosy vipers nest free corner of MN❤️

Tomorrow is Date night and clean your bag and car. I'd read selfcare into this and take time to look after yourself.

It is also baby step 4 which is build your control journal www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/31-beginner-babysteps/day-4/
Personally I use the app rather than paper.

We are still in zone 5/1 so living and hall/dining. I have done the home cleaning hour - dh is merrily hoovering downstairs and I have just done a swish and swipe. I haven't mopped the floors but I will do that in daylight tomorrow. Otherwise the house is tidyish. But there is a mountain of ironing - three baskets of mount washmore!

I am preparing the naughty corner for late in the week collapsing - comfy cushions, nibbles and beverages of choice.

Here is your launch pad if you should so wish to access it - it is not compulsory and is just there in case you need it www.flylady.net/c/lp.php

Okay I need to cultivate the habit of getting out of bed when I wake up. I am going to try to count down from five to do this tomorrow. Then coffee and vits and a walk when sunlight hits.

Evening all.

Not a massively housework productive day today - in fact barely at all.

However,
I organised (and paid the shocking amount for ) having ds's phone repaired.
I finally went to Ikea and bought the unit and storage boxes I needed
I had lunch with my sister and caught up
I did some planning and sorting for work.

At some point that means I have to take everything out of the collapsed set of drawers I am replacing and sort it all out for keeping, chucking etc and organise it and get ds to take out the drawers and destroy them into bits small enough to put in the black bin (he's good at this), then put together the kallax unit and organise stuff into the boxes sensibly. It may end up being a half term job knowing me.

Sorry for no personals. Brain is a bit frazzled and I'm tired and just checking in really. Don't want to fall off the thread again.

Work tomorrow then it's the weekend thankfully.

Hope everyone is ok.

Thanks for the love, people 💕 .

Sorry you're having a bad day Sing

StillLivingInAZoo I'm surprised to find I feel most relaxed in the housekeeping section of Mumsnet, not really a place you'd think to go to relax . Some of the other sections threads feel quite stressful. I like it here.

Merry excellent, an excuse for not shining my sink! I don't even own polish or bleach (except toilet bleach, I'm not totally disgusting).

Hills that's an impressive list.

Bean having to get up before the sun is barbaric and nobody should have to do it ever, you have my full sympathy. I don't have any solutions though.

SwallowedAfly I love IKEA. I'd quite like to live in there.

Not got much done today, felt ill but better after I'd been out for some fresh air. Had an internet problem yesterday but that's sorted. I've been wanting to change my curtains for ages so I've found new ones today, nothing exciting just neutrals but the others are looking tatty. This meant digging around in the hallway cupboard for a while.

ta da
🍝home ed
🍝work with DD1
🍝puzzles and biscuit decorating with Cagletini
🍝work emails
🍝ordered tesco for Saturday (hard to get a next day slot these days!)
🍝made lunch (even pasta with a pot of pesto feels like an achievement today)
🍝reading
🍝quick teams meet with colleagues
🍝taught 1hr maths lesson
🍝sent homework and link for next lesson
🍝booked parkour and paid for ice skating scouts session for DS (busy Friday for him!)
🍝organised getting our first family pet!!! An acquaintance is (for very sad reasons) needing to rehome their lovely bunny, we are adopting her. Arriving at the weekend so lots of research to do.

Merry I'm so glad you explained what po3 means as I've been too embarrassed to ask.

Wild I really love IKEA too. A store being just 10mins away was one of the big draws when I picked this new house location.

Sing awwww a bunny. I had one as a kid and loved it. They are sooo cute.

Swallowed kallax units are so useful and you can store so much in them. We've done a few hacks with them too.

Waves to everyone I feel like I've left loads of people out tonight. I do read every post when I'm in bed as it's my relaxing notice board.

Ta Da

Research for a project I'm working on
Waiting for DPD parcel that never came
Looking online for a 3rd new toaster that will actually fit Warburtons.
looking at the job adverts
remembered to water the plants

Ah sorry lady I should’ve said! I just put po3 cos I’m lazy 🤣 please never be embarrassed to ask what something means - we are a long running thread and that means we have ended up with a lot of abbreviations and silly nicknames etc. Eg defrosting legs means shaving - I once put that I had deforested my legs and everyone misread it for defrosting and got confused :o but anyway we always love having new fledglings so please don’t be put off by our jargon - ask away! 💕

I’m being slowly edged off the bed by a wriggly grumpy Cagletini - every time I move she’s awake and upset, not sure what’s going on there but there’s no hope of getting her back in her own bed tonight

I am a bit wired, I’ve no doubt I will regret my lack of sleep tomorrow.

Sing are you taking any vitamins? Perhaps the lethargy is something lacking like iron...dried apricots.

Zoo great list.

WildPoinsettia love your username.
Another one saying no problem about the list. I find reading other people’s sometimes reminds me about something that I need to do. We don’t call people out on anything on this thread.
If you love IKEA go to the Bristol one. I actually was losing the will after going there the third time with DD. You need a map to find your way out. DH and I haven’t been to one since.

Merry I couldn’t fit my bowl under the sink if I tried...unless I took everything else out. Our sink is quite deep and built above a small cupboard. Much smaller than the one I used to have. I keep most of my cleaning stuff under there. In fact it needs a good clean out. I only shine my sink about once a week as DH does most of the washing up/ DW and I am not going to discourage him. I do like seeing it clean and it only takes a couple of minutes. I usually spray then go off and wipe the worktops and come back wipe and rinse. I leave the bowl out.

Bean 😂
Date night that would be the day. We have a meal out now and then ( tonight) but I certainly don’t feel I am on a date.

Hills you could send off for a few Explore Britain type magazines/ leaflets to encourage travel. How old are the People? Thinking they might be just a bit older than me. How active or not? I know two men aged 86 one has to sit down after a few minutes walk and the other has been walking 6km since the 1st lockdown. Oh and then there is Jos Naylor! I met him last year.

Fly better idea to leave it until half term perhaps. Or do a bit each day. 15 mins perhaps.

Ta da
Made my bed
Put laundry on radiator rail.

That is it!

I went out with two friends for antique shop, lunch, garden browsing. Didn’t buy anything. Friend paid for lunch my turn next time.

Man well a boy actually came to fit Smart meter. Very polite and pleasant lad. 19.Didn’t take long. So now we can see what we are spending. DH said wait till you go in the shower in the morning! And I have to wash my hair.

I had a little nap. DH went to the pub then rang me to see where I was. Had two halves of local ale and the asked me if I wanted my tea. So we did. Now I have indigestion and stomach ache. Hoping to go to sleep soon.

Oh do read the thread DSD booked afternoon tea🤣 bless her.

I will be more productive tomorrow. I will.