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]

www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/31-beginner-babysteps/day-6/

Oh sing so annoyed on your behalf. I remember people in my NCT group getting annoyed about a local wheelchair user who would use the wheelchair space on the bus and hence there would be no room for a buggy. And one of them said to me at a coffee morning 'I don't think he's really disabled because sometimes he doesn't use the wheelchair at all' 😡 The concept of a disability being better some weeks or even a hidden disability seemed to be beyond them. I was horrified.

Oh that’s awful, so bloody ignorant 🤬

Anyway, Cagbunny is super adorable, and has brought much joy already!

Oh my word though what a lot of fur 🤣 I’ve been thinking of getting a rubber broom anyway for the stairs but do they work on hard floors? Thinking of having maybe a little dustpan by the hutch. Also been thinking about how to work bunny tasks into my habit stacking which would mean it needs jigging about a bit (eg it would make sense to do her litter tray before my shower rather than showering before coming downstairs) but I’m tired now.

ta da
🐇reading
🐇shower (including tidying last night’s bath toys) and moisturiser
🐇tiny bit digital decluttering to clear some space on phone… mainly so I could update pokemon go!
🐇got Cagletini up ready and out on time for ballroom, and got cash to pay fees
🐇pharmacy, Co-op, charity shop while Cagletini was in her class
🐇made lunch and did puzzles with Cagletini
🐇towel LOL, then put in dryer
🐇LFT
🐇welcomed Cagbunny, set up hutch etc
🐇bathed Cagletini
🐇put away puzzles/games
🐇fed and groomed Cagbunny
🐇applied ointment to sleeping Cagletini… whoever said parenting wasn’t glamorous?

TaDa

went to B&M and got a slimmer unit for the hallway to have the BT hub on (£12 bathroom cabinet)
Built the unit whilst DH had a nap
sorted out the hallway window-sill & made a new face mask tub
watched different tv shows with different kiddos and DH
annoyed DH by asking if he could open/close the garage door all afternoon
cleaned litter tray & cats area
re-sorted the app zones and made written version cards I put onto the family chalkboard in the hopes I might get a helper 🤣
tried to convince hypochondriac ADHD kiddo he isn't dying just because his pee is slightly cloudy today 😂

lady/sung great lists!
I lay down at midnight
Awake 230.like proper wide awake
I'm now on my phone as 99 minutes laying quiet breathing slowly hasn't made me feel even atint but sleepy
Today could end up be v long,and a Not Playing Very Nicely With Others kinda day

Excellent list there, Ladyrattles! I too have a bit of a hypochondriac (dyspraxic, hypersensitive, sensory-seeker), it can get a bit wearing, can't it?

Sing welcome to Cagbunny! Hope the ointment helps Cagletini.

Zoo sorry about wakefulness. WassailHound woke me at 6am not even to go outside but because he wanted to sleep beside me on the sofa instead of in his bed. Silly woof.

DH arrived with takeaway and a car full of paperwork at about 7pm yesterday. FIL still has a house full of paper, as he insists on printing out every email he receives, so we're not at scorched-earth level yet, but we're getting there. The new computer keyboard, which has letters you can see from space, is problematic because FIL suddenly doesn't understand how to use the numbers (what do I do if I need a double one? There's no double one button) or the letter keys (but there aren't any lower case letters). Thanks for the link to the mobile, Bean that may well be exactly what we need. The visit ended when FIL told DH to get out because he clearly didn't care about him, after DH pointed out that if Pa falls or has an immediate problem, we are 2 hours away, and someone more local may be more appropriate. The great shame in all of this is that DH wants to help his dad but will always be the Bad Guy if FIL doesn't get what he wants RIGHT NOW.

Not sure what the plan is today - we need to get on with decorating the little room, the ceiling might get painted today. I need to recharge and do the weekly planning. Usual round of bedchanging and endless LOLs as a result. It's my dogwalk this morning. Roast chicken for dinner, possibility of batch cooking other things for the week. Want to get stuff out of the garage - DD emptied her room into it, à la Sort Your Life Out (hurrah for a second series!) then stalled. Or rather, kept the bits she wanted and has assumed the Sorting Out Fairy will deal with donation / recycling / chucking out of the rest 🤦.

But for now, tea and cuddles with the dog, who is currently disguising himself as the music room curtains (see photo)!

wassail it's a good job he's cute waking you like that.what a rascal!

Well I never went back to sleep and am now starting to feel like walking thru treacle but still not sleepy.gah,I hate my hormones(or lack of them)
Tada
Cats fed
Wash on
Tackle my room
Mirror cleaned
Radiator wiped
Floor window side of bed cleared and washed
Tackled 4BRC(Boxes of random crap for any newbies) eliminating 2.whoo hoo!
Tidy thru box end of bed
Restack boxes I have nowhere else to put so not trip/avalanche hazard
Tidy other side of bed,clearing stuff that doesn't belong into piles as I went
Some to chazza bags
Some to recycling
Some now in piles in zoolets room
Lots wiping down,and it smells fresh in there and looks more orderly💞

Congratulations on your bunny sing! 🐇

We are getting a kitkat soon! 🐈‍⬛ Baby one, about 12 weeks, any advice on shit to buy is welcome!

Ta da

🧡 littlest 2 dc up, fed, changed and dressed
💛 dryer empty and reloaded

To do

🧡 empty dw
💛 wake rest of dc and instigate breakfast
💚 empty and reload washer

Ooh exciting that! What colour?

DH, DD1 and her friend have gone off to the convention again, DS decided to skip it (weekend family ticket was cheaper, so it’s not a waste anyway) as one day was enough for him.

po3.1
❗️Clean litter tray
❗️Replace water and add more hay (Cagletini can help with this)
❗️Put mat out and see if Cagbunny wants to come out for a play and a brush!

Sanity that? You really are a better person than I
Are you delegating bunny chores Sing they are good for building confidence and responsibility... Good luck with the habit stacking.
Sorry it was such a crap night for you Zoo hope the treacle becomes less treacley.

slept HARD last night and very discombobulated this morning. Also discovered - do not have any generic happy birthday cards in the card drawer.

Ta da
Find birthday card for BIL
Wrap BIL's present
Find birthday cards for nephew - one for me to give one for the people to give.
Find the thank you cards that the people are going to take off my hands - i'd rather say thank you in person then mess about with cards (they were left over from the days when ds was made to write thank yous rather then send a text message to day thank you)
Drink coffee
consider options for today, my breathing is off and O2 sat levels a bit down so needless to say i am feeling it.

Look forwards to having the house to myself for a little bit. I have defluff and long soak plans. But also want to figure out what little things i can do that will have the biggest impact for me. I am thinking that it might end up being getting the bathroom sealed/fixed finally. But there is a lot of stuff that would need being moved out of there first. It has been a storage room for many years due to building work etc. However, having the shower back would be useful.

Definitely hills I’m going to make a chart - laminated obv :o - with all the regular tasks so Cagletini can help keep track and do various tasks, I’ll get DD1 to join in too although she was too nervous to try feeding her last night - I guess she’s had much longer not really being around animals. DS if he had his way would never have a pet so he doesn’t need to be involved (he said he’s fine with there being a pet as long as it’s in a cage most of the time)

I think it’s going to be brilliant for Cagletini, she’s already talking about Cagbunny’s behaviour and needs etc 💕 and hopefully things like changing her water will become part of her bedtime routine too.

Have cleaned out the tray and changed food/water, she doesn’t seem ready to come out yet but we’ve put the mat down with her favourite broccoli and left the door open so she can hop out if she wants to.

Also Up I meant to say we had one of those ikea high chairs for Cagletini, really good choice! So much easier to clean. Also the local pub restaurant where we sometimes went for a quiet lunch had the same high chairs without the trays - it was great to be able to take our own tray with us so she didn’t have to eat off the table!

They sell sanity? TELL ME WHERE!

I have checked the local places, apparently they are out of stock or something? have you tried Amazon.com rather than amazon.co.uk? they often have things we don't and a lot of sellers will ship UK.

P.S. if you find some will you please share. Sanity is not a word that is used around here. There is none

I have a load of "costumes" from a previous hobby, I don't have space to store them, and honestly don't want to store all of them (maybe just 2 or 3). How the moneys would i declutter something so down right hobby specific. Selling is not going to happen as I have had things in the for sell pile for best part of 15yrs and never got around to it.

I did feel better thank you once I'd had a sleep. I think the nausea was just sheer lack of sleep - looked at my fitbit app and I'd had a few days last week of only 4 hours ish a night. Had a 3 hour nap after posting and then still slept well last night.

Well done on your up a ladder achievements Hills and your incredible mini egg self restraint.

Cute bunny and grr at rude people on the bus Sing

I've done my morning routine and got a lol on plus done some planning for tomorrow's lessons and sorted emails etc.

I've also got a couple of one and done type jobs ticked off - contacting a friend I've been neglecting, paying money into help to save account and cancelling my train tickets for a partial refund because my seminar is now online because of covid.

Going to do a lap soon - look for and take downstairs stuff that should be down there (mainly cups, rubbish, etc), see if clothes on stand are drying enough to fold and if they are fold them and hang out the next load, get a drink, bring up an armful of whatever needs bringing up and putting away.

I'm saying a feck it and ordering pizza. I'm hungry and lazy and ds is sleeping and it will reheat as and when needed.

Oof that’s a tricky one hills are you still in contact with any of the other hobbyists (assuming it was a team/group type thing)? Maybe one would know someone who’d buy them?

Selling stuff is a pain - I still have a cupboard full, I know most will sell well due to being home ed related, but I won’t do eBay etc for anything that doesn’t sell, I just CBA. However I need to somehow spare the time and energy to take it all out and photograph it in one go because the thought of doing it in dribs and drabs is exhausting.

Want to get stuff out of the garage - DD emptied her room into it, à la Sort Your Life Out (hurrah for a second series!) then stalled. Or rather, kept the bits she wanted and has assumed the Sorting Out Fairy will deal with donation / recycling / chucking out of the rest
LOL wassail yep yep yep. That is DD1 as well. The space outside her door (actually happens to be in front of the selling cupboard) and the top of the trofast units along the landing bannister frequently have stuff that I’m supposed to know what to do with now they’re out of her bedroom :o

po3.2
❗️Make lunch for me, DS and Cagletini - filled pasta with a pot of sauce that was dropped on delivery so needs using ASAP!
❗️Do some playdoh with Cagletini
❗️Clean pet carrier - have emptied it when doing litter tray but figured I may as well give it a thorough clean and put it away nicely since we hopefully won’t need to use it for a while

Aww Cagbunny 🐇🐰💕

Wassail is this for real or strategic incompetence maybe? Sounds hard work either way.

The new computer keyboard, which has letters you can see from space, is problematic because FIL suddenly doesn't understand how to use the numbers (what do I do if I need a double one? There's no double one button) or the letter keys (but there aren't any lower case letters).

I slept half the day away, not the best start. LOL on. Off to wash and dress so I don't demotivate myself further, I agree with that part of FlyLady plan except I don't wear shoes indoors.

Hills the hobby stuff can you sell it as a bundle really cheaply just to get rid? Otherwise I've started looking at the components of things and have discovered that almost everything can be recycled, failing that things go to landfill, I CBA with selling any more either. Charity shops round here aren't accepting donations but if yours are they might take the things, lots will sell expensive or niche things on eBay etc now.

sing love a pet pick
That boy or girl?plan purely indoor or outdoor too?
I'd say littertray(obvs) litter scooper,I use pets at home litter tray disinfect as have to be careful what use to clean trays with and I CBA keep checking.lol
Bowls.i discovered one won't eat out anything that's not wide and shallow as hates her whiskas touch the side,and also dislikes plastic,so we have a mixture
Check food it's used to as sudden changes often cause dodgy bums!
A collar,with bell.useful for stop bringing in birds etc and locating indoors bit easier to if it's hiding🤣
A toy isn't essential,no cat nip under 12 months.mine have all adored bits screwed up foil or trap a but string inside the plastic part of a kinder egg and drag it along!laser lights are entertaining but important not let DC shine each others eyes!
I could go on all night😁

Tada
All shop done
Lunch
Washing sorted into piles at the ready
Load 2in progress
Bag up bins
Chivvy lil zoo into sweep hall carpet
DS to tidy hall after,followed by dd2 put bins into big bins outside,stack up extra recycling along wall ready for collection tomorrow

Then it a long hot shower,hair mask and time out for me to help ready me for week ahead.zoolets break Friday for half term so I want house in some sense order by then!

I fear looking at potential bunny accessories will become a new habit, you may find the same for your kitten that 🤣 I am thinking of a little ramp/bridge thing that she can use to climb on and get down from her hutch.

Lunch eaten, doh played, carrier jet washed with fast shower setting. DS has put his laundry on and rotated DW.

po3.3
❗️Take lurking cutlery/mugs etc to add to DW
❗️What’s for dinner? Looking like the others won’t be back before 10ish so I need to decide (DH does most of the cooking)
❗️Find a trofast tray to keep playdoh type stuff in and add other accessories lurking in big messy craft box

After doing loads of personals I lost my post 😭 so 🍒👋 to everyone!

Just catching up from Friday date night when MrFrankie stayed at my house 😅 and it was wonderful. Housework was all tip top in preparation for him staying so Friday school hours seen me doing some hardcore-housework-out!

Sing lovely to hear about your new bunny, who's gorgeous! I found stroking furries gently with rubber gloves on really helps get rid of a lot of the hair easily (brushes don't work as effectively imo). Also, if she's a house bunny you can toilet train them so no need for wood shavings etc, could just use bath mats or fleece blankets maybe? I use a pet wash bag to keep fluff out of the machine.

Mum https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/185178028265?chn=ps&var=692933745204&trkparms=ispr%3D1&amdata=enc%3A1KWdZ57FwRzG-rPDnDnLciQ76&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=710-134428-41853-0&mkcid=2&itemid=6929337452044185178028265&targetid=1596500855469&device=m&mktype=&googleloc=1006605&poi=&campaignid=15278604175&mkgroupid=135429446288&rlsatarget=pla-1596500855469&abcId=9300698&merchantid=109866757&gclid=Cj0KCQiAgP6PBhDmARIsAPWMq6nXEzolQTzp7TDzsFQhsJjNtCVw9SGyOccs1K4OmVulLvACshAXirEaAnr1EALwwcB
This product was the most useful in terms of keeping things clean with my cat, however, we used the downstairs loo for her leaving the door ajar constantly. Maybe won't work for every home. Also mine loved a full length climbing frame. I wish I could have another cat, but she was the best ever so I know none will compare.

Unfortunately the dog isn't doing well here. Bad match as our home is exasperating his health issues. I have told the rescue immediately I didn't think it was a good match but held on to him while hoping someone more suitable would come along. I need some time before looking again for a (hopefully better!!) match. I feel so guilty and disappointed but I've learned some valuable (and expensive!) lessons.

Aw frankie that’s such a shame, but you did your best for him. 💕

Thank you for the tips re toilet training and rubber gloves! I’m hoping to get stuff sorted gradually rather than try and figure it all out at once (storage/accessories wise I mean).

Previous list done, the DCs can have melted cheesy wraps with veggies etc and I’ll have a Thai curry courtesy of the microwave :o

po3.4
❗️Gather random crap from edges of living room floor/Kallax shelves
❗️Research rubber brooms/brushes
❗️Read for a bit and drink some water

How is it Sunday afternoon already? It was only 5 minutes ago I was last posting and it was Friday

Gorgeous bunny Sing, hope she’s settling in well.

I second Zoo with the foil That. Our two cats love it. They both race downstairs if they hear a foil sweet wrapper being opened and sit at your feet until you throw it for them to bat about the floor. Unfortunately it means there’s always a mountain of them under the sofa. Ditto hair bobbles

Such a shame about the dog Frankie. You’ve tried.

I second Sing’s idea Hills. Contact someone/group/location from the hobby and palm them off hand them over as spares/for newbies.

Re: keeping the house warm I’ve bought draft excluders for several doors and also a couple of door curtains, although we haven’t managed to get the curtains up yet. We always have blankets in the living room. We also have a log burner which is lovely, but unfortunately it’s far easier to hit the switch on the heating than light it . We were lucky as our fixed rate was up for renewal just before it all went nuts. It still went up about £30 a month but that’s fixed until 2023 when I’m hoping things will have calmed down or we’ll have won the lottery.

I have achieved some things:

Fri/YesTaDas:
✅ tidied and decluttered cupboard that houses gift bags/wrapping paper as bags from Christmas, 2 x birthdays and a new baby being launched in Willy nilly had resulted in chaos.
✅ dug out MiniUps next size clothes ready for when they are needed (very soon, sob)
✅ tidied bathroom with new storage baskets in use plus cupboard decluttered
✅ cleaned bath, tiles, shower screen, mirror, window and did a more thorough s&s
✅ cleared landing of random crap that has hovered around for weeks.

Today:
✅ sorted out another boudoir drawer with fancy drawer dividers
✅ sorted a birthday present
✅ attacked bathroom ceiling with feather duster
✅ sent DH and DD1 to the supermarket with a list
✅ helped DD1 put her paints away - she’s been quite good at tidying up after herself today and I’ve been good at ensuring she puts one thing away before getting the next out
✅ decluttered make up/toiletries and organised them nicely. I thought I’d done it recently but I was nowhere near ruthless enough.
✅ ironed enough to keep us going for a few days, until baby needed fed.
✅ finally got round to selecting and ordering photos from a DC photo shoot from weeks ago. Exactly the sort of stupidly simple thing that I procrastinate over and allow to weigh on my mind instead of just doing. Took 10 mins

I’ve had lots of baby cuddles today but not spent much quality time with DD1 so going to play with her for a bit and encourage her to help me tidy her room for 10 minutes or so. We also need to do her reading. Renewing my spirit will consist of my very first bath since my c section (I’ve showered I promise ) with the door locked, a hot chocolate and my book. I can’t wait

I have been working on sorting enough of my office that i can move furniture and remove the last of the carpet. Currently at the treated half the space with moth/insecticide waiting to air out/dry before returning furniture to that space and repeating the process for the 2nd half of the space. Which i really want to get sorted by the end of the day.