Flip, flap, the Fledglings are back! April 2022 Flylady thread, all welcome!

[SingToTheSky]

Hello everyone, and welcome to the April Flylady thread!
We welcome newbies and returnees - if you are curious about the system feel free to ask questions or lurk! We do follow it, erm, loosely to say the least. So there is a lot of chat about random life stuff as well as housework, decluttering and organising.

A key element of flylady is not being a perfectionist!
I don’t think the regulars would mind me saying that most of us here are not naturals at housekeeping etc, so please don’t feel we are some intimidating group who demand perfectly shined sinks. We are human. We fall off the wagon. We commiserate and help each other climb back on, and we stock the virtual naughty corner with snacks and blankets for the days when adulting is just too hard.

So, the system:
🔹Some baby steps which are designed to help you build up a routine.
🔹Daily missions to help with sprucing up particular areas in the zones, for example the first zone of the month is the entry/porch and dining room if you have one.
🔹Try and do 15 minutes decluttering a day. It didn’t get cluttered in a week so it will take a lot longer to clear it!
🔹Daily focuses to help shape the week.
🔹Here on the thread many of us post to do lists, but also “ta da” lists of things we’ve achieved that day.
🔹We also recommend the Power of Three technique - if you’re overwhelmed with too much to do, just pick three things and don’t think about the rest.

Anyway, I will post some links each day (hopefully) but whether you follow the system or not - many of us just take the bits we like or build our own flylady style system to suit our own lives - do join in if you want a place to chat about keeping a house and family running!

Finally, thank you hugely to the lovely willow for steering us beautifully through March! 💐

willow before I forget, I wanted to say I love that colour of blue, it's gorgeous! It's what I have envisioned using in my house 😍

Must dash, but didn't want to forget to say that before I catch up fully with the thread.

Sorted out spare room wardrobe. To plenty of breaks as really tired due to Covid. A book cull did happen. Sorted out stationary!

Very quiet here today!

Well done bean glad you had rests.

ta da
🥸sorted lots of activities for Cagletini… lots of laminating involved!
🥸dried bedding I washed yesterday
🥸washed new wire shelves that arrived as they smelled a bit plastic-coating-ish

Bit of a nothing day really. Have absolutely no responsibilities tomorrow, nowhere for any of us to be. Would be nice to get out and do something but instead I’m dwelling on all the house stuff and studying I should be doing.

🤣😂🤣 clear your car out. I have about eight, large,black bags and a couple of large supermarket shoppers full of clothing, boots and baby stuff.

Back struggling to keep up with packing again. However we had had an offer of help today and might take this lady up one morning a week. Only took £20 today given by a lovely Irish lady who has been before.

Went to church( long service) then spent time going to four supermarkets to get flowers for church for Easter Sunday. Friend is making special flowers and ribbons.
We sat in the car park eating sushi. Lidl delishious.

No flying unless you count DH efforts clean shower tray, wash bathroom floor and kitchen floor. He is not religious.

I’ll have to go to sleep shattered.

Morning all
Willow HCB sound fab!
Hills hope you got thru what sounds like a very trying day without killing anyone

Kids dad's here and he's not being an easy houseguest..told D's "very depressed" complained to dd2 about having no money repeatedly on shop trip to spend birthday money and her purchases were boring(bought herself a weighted blankie and a duvet cover to put it in)
I suggested a all after lunch as weather stunning.it was a long slow one that half killed me.saw loads bunnies and dd2 loved that.lil zoo clearly finding it stressful plug in music to headphones walked and said nothing.ds and him rabbited about gaming entire time.on return I was exhausted to point tears and was told was too hot and he was too tired to do walking really,and walk was boring same old place.i responded where should we have gone.he ranted about walking near. Reservoir which we go to as often as can afford petrol,so hardly somewhere new/different.tjis upset dd2 as the atmosphere was awful.he went to bed early

Today we are ment to be shopping which he hates- a wholefood co operative which also has a great chazza,a row chazzas near a big co op on other side town(near this place) and into said co op.we still need organise trip to get the books DD wanted from the works as they're not online
I've been delaying getting up to avoid having to deal with him(i sleep on sofa)
Sad he's not even trying,mostly wishing he's bugger off home(but I can't say anything as will upset D's)and just not feeling well enough in my self still for all this level of effort/crap

As didn't do any washing yesterday,and DD has bought new things for her birthday I must crack on with laundry.at least some will benefit blowing in the breeze/saving costs of tumble drier today❤️

Sorry for the whine!have a lovely Easter Saturday whatever you are doing everyone

☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️

Afternoon folks. No links. It’s Easter Saturday. Go have fun!!! :o

☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️

Does stomping about the house an garden muttering about the fuckers count as fun?

Only if you'll really enjoy it hills 🤣
zoo he sounds really tiring and hard work 💐🫖for you, as well as 🍷for later!

I really need to clean my car, inside & out. I want to get it done today, but with the list of other things to do, I'm not so sure I can get to it 🤷‍♀️

Wednesday night didn't take me long to cook dinner, so once we were done I took some time to be my future friend! I prepped the vegetables for the next day, cutting everything up so there was less for me to do.
Thursday all I had to do was cook them and make the sauce and melt the cheese on top in the oven (I made a casserole). It made it so nice and easy! I do know that it may not be a regular thing, but I will try to do that more often.

I spoke to DD last night. She worked during the day instead of night and we got to play a game together. It was really nice. I asked about the engagement, she told me they are planning on it being in a couple of years, if not longer.
The person she is with was born a female, has been going through hormone therapy for the past 1 1/2 years or so to become a male. That doesn't bother me, as I know DD doesn't have a preference. What does bother me is that this person has treated DD like shit in the past and seemed to have narcissistic ways. Although since the transition he does seem to be a better person, although we have limited contact with said person.

I haven't yet asked DD about DC yet. She had said multiple times that she desperate for a baby, but I'm not so sure she knows what they'll have to go through in order to have that 🤷‍♀️
So those are the things I have been concerned with, although DD does seem to be happy, she does seem to change the person she is the more time she spends with her DF.

Sorry for rambling. I really best be getting on with my to do list. I'll post it here for accountability (on a separate post though, so I don't lose it all)

To Dos:
🐰 grocery shopping for things I need for dinner tonight
🐰 try a recipe for keto lemon cupcakes (Maybe)
🐰 cook/ warm up ham in slow cooker
🐰 bake rolls with DS
🐰 cook hard boiled eggs so DD can make deviled eggs for dinner tonight
🐰 get stuff for Easter baskets & put them together for the DC

Somewhere in there I need to Skype my mum, take a shower, do gel on my nails (that'll probably have to wait until tomorrow)

Stompin is fun Hills. Yum Hazel. Enjoy your Easter Skype.

Checked freezer - made list of frozen unidentifiable food - i.e. everything. Will label everything in future.
Sorted under my desk - yay!

Having a bottle of sparkling wine 🥂

hazel glad you had a chance to sit and talk with DD.at least she's not jumping in quickly with anything
Maybe now transitions this person's more stable.i agree a baby would be a huge amount added stress with donors/IVF needed etc

Today was hit and miss,DD got a few more bits and we did some food shopping

I took her local nature reserve before sunset for a walk as she was very overwhelmed.barefoit in the grass ,birds singing,wild bunnies nibbling away and bouncing across the Tufts to hide when they saw us was very calming fir her❤️

Still having daytime naps

I've washed 6loads today,half dried outside

Tea tonight I was tired and wanted fix them a quick easy tea-did mixed bean and pesto pasta salad.a suprise hit with lil zoo,so taking that as a win!

Oh Hazel sorry I missed that about DD. I hope her intended wises up and treats her better.

Did a little decluttering and went to the park. Fell down a FlyLady website hole for a few hours.

Thank you Bean & zoo now I know they're not rushing into anything I don't have to rush the question about them having DC.

Bean I'm ready for some wine too! Will have some later.
zoo I'm glad to hear that DD is doing much better & yay for dinner being a hit!

Ta Das:
🐥 grocery shopping - for almost everything needed for tonight
🐥 Showered and did body scrub
🐥 applied self tanner
🐥 got plastic Easter eggs filled
🐥 got Easter baskets mostly done
🐥 prepped veggies for veggie tray
🐥 made ranch dip
🐥 got ham in slow cooker
🐥 cooked hard boiled 2 lots of eggs (18 each)
🐥 Skyped mum

Currently sitting down to eat a small lunch since it's so late. I still need to get the rolls done and try to make a lemon cheesecake for me, since the store didn't have an ingredient needed for the cupcakes

Bean- hello
Zoo- big hug
Red- if I was near you I would come and help pack.
Hazel- you are lovely and supportive.
Hills- 🤣

I have spent 2 days trying to help my dad. He let door step scammers rip up his lovely driveway and install block paving. I just supported him in any decisions that needed to be made.

The left my house in housework limbo.
So I as I was so annoyed at the driveway cowboys bodged job - i cleaned the house.

Tadas - (miracle list.)
Bathroom cleaned
Lol x4
Kitchen clean
Sink shined
Put away clothes.

Must make sure I take all Easter decorations and Easter egg hunt stuff to my dads house for Easter lunch.

Happy Easter everyone 🐣

Aw bless you dancing

I’m shattered. Out from 9am -10am shopping with DH for today
10:15 went to pick friend up. Not ready and didn’t really want to come but the night before she told me she must go to the bank. So badgered her and agreed she could go home afterwards. She had church flowers to do too. She came to market about 12 and I took about 20 minutes off as I bumped into a colleague from work. She found a job closer to home and left after me.
Ended up spending the day in the market then went to F house to seal the boxes we had packed and pack others. Took her to church once she had done the flowers. There for a while ( too long) then we had to deliver some bows to a charity. He kept talking and I just wanted to go home. Went to drop her off, collecting my bag and I had to empty boot of the clothes in order to take flowers so then had to load them back in. She then talked ( ranted ) about someone who had upset her despite me saying I wanted to go home. I was in the car with the engine running, how much of a hint does a person need.She wanted to go to a late Polish Mass but because I had had no rest I declined. Went home eventually at 11. She had gone over the same thing several times. Personally I thought she was being a bit unreasonable in the time frame. I went to bed with a mug of tea and a piece of cake because I couldn’t be bothered to make a sandwich.
I ache this morning, I haven’t done my Easter window or my door wreath( wish I had bought the one I saw) and thinking I might have to stop working with her because she takes on too much and expects too much of me. We did have some fun too. Sorry for dumping this here but don’t want to say too much to DH. He has been drawn in so realises what she is like as she had HIM packing one day. I have found someone keen to help so going to ask her to help one morning a week. Kids back at school from Tuesday so I have decided to do a few mornings but if she doesn’t turn up by 12:30 I am going to close the stall. I keep being left with it all day which is way too much. It is easier now as it has quieted down a bit but I get regulars just coming for a chat which is tiring and I am trying to make lapel ribbons.

We did have a message from the soldiers who gave us a type of hip hip hooray at the end of one’s speech. I packed two boxes of food and a box of toiletries and two boxes of medical stuff - shelf painkillers, bandages and foot things.

Total amount of home flying- zilch I didn’t even make my bed yesterday.

Mass, coffee then been roped in for a charity egg hunts 🥳and games. Luckily I said I would only stay an hour. We want to go at 1:30 pm it starts at 2 pm. He said last night that he wanted us there at 1 pm. It is mostly set up already. I will be going from 1:30 -2:30 unless he wants me to leave at 2pm. He gave us some toys, boots and clothes.

Oh a lady ask if I could collect and when I got there eight bags were waiting. I packed some of it yesterday. Two bags were full of beautiful baby clothes🤗😃

Hope everyone enjoys their day. I am planning lamb kleftico sp later.

Have fun!

Morning all, happy Easter! Not religious chez Sing so we just did the egg hunt and we will watch the Easter rabbit episode of Vicar of Dibley later as usual.

🐣🐣🐣🐣🐣

So no links today as I hope everyone can relax a bit - but particularly relevant I feel is the reminder that Sunday’s daily focus is renewing your spirit! Take some time just for you, whether it’s a normal Sunday in your house or a busy celebration day.

🐣🐣🐣🐣🐣

Hazel that all sounds very complicated. 😬💐 But as you say at least a pregnancy can’t be rushed into.

I alas have a little to do list for today, I’ll just write it in one instead of power of threes.

to do - by about 1ish ideally
📌Cagbunny litter/hay change
📌gather dirty laundry and put last bits of clean stuff away
📌empty bag and coat pockets
📌pack bag to stay at mum’s for two nights (just me not the others) including stuff for friend’s wedding tomorrow
📌shower/hair/moisturise
📌sort meds for the next fortnight
📌write the week on the board

There are also some sub tasks in there… eg for packing, I need a power pack for my phone, and where the hell are the three different paperbacks I’ve been reading?!

The teen is functioning before 9am, in a responsible grown up kinda way. It is a bank holiday weekend and i am not functioning in a responsible grown up kinda way.

Yesterday's ta da
clean out the tubs
clean off the table and patio
sweep the patio
power wash the patio
deal with the bench in utility room
long walk to reduce risk of seizing
delegate tea cooking
try to rip half a finger nail off.
play with not my cat, whilst knowing full well allergic and not had anti-histamine

today's ta da
drink 2 cups of coffee
be glad muscles not as seized as they could be
survey damage to finger
rescue tea out of the freezer to defrost - it might have to be submerged in waters to finish in time

I should probably get up. i can safely say i dont want to. i do need to walk today to stop the back hating me to the point of never moving again in the next few weeks

Well I think that's a lovely Easter tradition sing - not a Dibleyite yet myself.

Red - that day reads like an episode of Home Fires - you know with troops at the front, church life and unmanageable villagers. Your lamb dish sounds delicious - don't worry about not having your Easter wreath done. I really think Easter should be relaxed so cut yourself some slack.

I spent the morning ordering new bedside lamps as both our touch lamps are not switching off properly. It's not the bulbs - they are old lamps and have broken one after another.

Ordered new school shoes and trainers for ds. He's well into adult shoe sizes now 😬🙄 - managed to get some money off the trainers. Ordered new shoes for myself as my old Mary Janes have holes in the soles. Ordered new trousers for ds because he's grown out of those too. We'll have to keep an eye on whether his football boots fit. He insisted the last pairs were fine. They weren't and he had black toe nails and was out of play for a while.

Hills - send instructions on how to get teens functioning. Am floundering here.

Oh Dancing your poor dad. We tried to get quotes for our driveway from a supposedly reputable local firm. They would only give estimates via email and would not supply a worked up formal quote. They are all cowboys as far as I can see. We gave up. Still have to do something with our drive.

Apparently nearly burning down the house and convincing him that i can't responsible grown up for myself and thus at over 17 he needs to grown up for himself. Other than that no clue because i wouldn't recommend that. It is not a safe approach nor are the injuries involved pleasent.

Ah yes, a survival instinct has kicked in 😁