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! 💐

Happy Easter everyone! 🐣 🐥🐰🐇🥚🍫

hills I hope your finger gets better soon & that you can get your walk. Back pain is no fun, ever.

Easter in our house usually consists of giving the DC an Easter basket (plastic eggs filled with candy like jelly beans and mini eggs, a toy of some kind etc.), eating ham, deviled eggs, vegetables, chocolate, something including lemons 🍋 as well.
We usually then hide a bunch of plastic Easter eggs throughout the back garden (unless it's raining or snowing, then it's inside), as well as decorated hard boiled eggs.

This year DD is working all day, baskets and hunt will wait until after she gets home. We haven't decorated the white eggs yet, although I did cook them yesterday. We were supposed to decorate them last night at ILs, but it never happened.

Today is also the 4th anniversary of my dad's death, so there's that too in the back of my mind 😥 it does seem to get easier as the years go on though.

My plan for today is to redo my nails since I haven't done them yet. I might go with something bright, but I also might end up with pastel colours. I'll decide when I get doing them.

🍒👋 to everyone, hopefully I'll get back on here later

Sorry for your loss Hazel I hope you manage to have a fun day with the Easter celebrations

Ta-da's:

🐰 Got up and got cracking this morning with all house stuff that needed doing, then ran out of energy so had a good long rest.
🐰 Trying to finish another novel before I see my friend so I can pass onto her.
🐰 Went to collect a parcel but forgot depot shut because Easter - d'oh.
🐰 I've been browsing the FlyLady website again picking up more tips. Feel less alone in my disorganized chaos state. Starting to get a better understanding of the Basic Weekly Plan now.
🐰 Mountain of laundry washed, dried and put away. Beautiful and sunny today, birds twittering and blossoms on the tree.
🐰 Found some new shoes to replace the worn out ones I binned.

To-do:

🍰 Eyeing up a cardigan, vest and jeans that I don't need at all, but they're different to my others and I totally want them, hmm... decision needed, must check bank balance.
🍰 Eat my Easter egg. It's Lindt and comes with the chocolate balls.
🍰 Manicure my neglected hands.
🍰 Tidy up all the mess created since this morning.

Hope you feel better soon Hills

Enjoy the wedding tomorrow Sing

Red your friend sounds a blooming nightmare. I used to know someone the same, never said no to anyone, then delegated anything she didn't have time for to her friends! It creeps up on you without you noticing so easily when people are demanding in a nice-as-pie way

Sorry your dad got taken in by dodgy driveway people Dancing hope he can get it sorted out

Ewww at the DS black toenails Bean.

Sat ta da
slept badly because I knew I wanted to get up and do stuff
made crackers (but didn't roll them thin enough so they didn't cook properly)
load of washing
made simnel cake
started mending jeans S2 fell over in
boiled some eggs trying to get them dyed - think I may have missed out a crucial step in the tea-marbling attempt, but the peeled eggs picked up the (last of the very old) saffron quite nicely

taday
slept badly because I knew I needed to get up and do stuff
ate prettily-dyed eggs
ringing
came out of tower vestry door intending to slip away quietly after ringing to discover the clergy a few feet away and the congregation staring in our direction... smiled sweetly and edged around the side...
sang for service. Only one minor blot when organist came in too early (he has no sense of rhythm and has a habit of missing out beats on long chords) and none of us could decide whether to go with him or with his long-suffering wife who gets roped into supposedly conducting . Joined by an occasional member who hasn't sung since first lockdown. Eight notes before the end of Holy City I suddenly realised she wouldn't know that we'd agreed to sing an E rather than a G as the penultimate one... managed to convey this in time. We also sang the Ukrainian National Anthem (don't listen too closely to the pronunciation)
Established that the Child Protection Policy is incorporated within the Safeguarding Policy
Ate pate and crackers, improper as they are, for lunch. Swapped Easter Eggs. I have managed not to be given any dark chocolate!
Sang for a wedding, originally scheduled for two years ago. Bride was bang on time, everyone was very happy, round of applause at the "husband and wife" proclamation. Several people thanked us for our lovely singing. Holy City sounded Even More Authentic to me because one of the notes on the piano had a bit of a honky-tonk sound
Ate simnel cake
Dozed off on settee
Finished page numbering on Annual Meeting booklet, combined it all into one pdf and sent it to churchwarden with some notes on the agenda
Started the weekend prize crossword, a complicated Maskerade one. I have only got a few answers so far but have a niggling feeling in the back of my brain about the theme (which is probably entirely wrong)
Watched the new Dr Who episode, bit ambivalent
Washed up (mostly)
Ate too much chocolate

ToMorrow
lack of Lots To Do plans may mean I sleep properly for the first time in five days, here's hoping
discuss annual meeting with churchwarden (chairing it for the first time)
finish mending jeans
ironing
send message to S1 asking if he has H's black trousers (discovered five minutes before leaving on Friday that they were missing. Borrowed S2's and had a good look later - definitely nowhere to be found)
find out S2's plans for mealtimes
decide what to eat for dinner
make that
eat a small amount of chocolate

Blue you described it perfectly though to be fair she does push herself a lot too. Her kids are losing out at present.

So interesting hearing everyone’s Easter celebrations. Loved hearing about the bell ringing Merry

The charity egg hunt was better than I expected. I went to Mass (lovely)
Then coffee but ended up helping there as not enough helping so I was roped in. Again same ones always having to do it, all 65-75yrs. Someone has made a date and walnut cake, hot cross buns, chocolate bought roll, Christmas biscuits😳...spec***cant spell it. I got some crumbs of the cake, nice but very crumbly.
Left at 1:15pm and I went straight to event as didn’t feel like going to friend’s and get roped in there. Set up table as best I could because friend turned up late then left to get her kids. I told charity guy I would only be able to stay for an hour likewise told friend. She hadn’t come back, it was a nightmare trying to stop stuff blowing away. The hundreds of expected kids weren’t there.One came and went then a few more littles it was lovely watching them enjoying themselves on their hunt for clues. It was all free. I sold one flower ribbon £1. I showed his daughter how to sew the other ribbons together. Lovely girl about 10. I enjoyed teaching her. She was so interested and I did step by step. She told me she is making a bag when they go back to school. So the instructions will come in handy. Ended up staying 2 hours to man stall ( I didn’t know we were having) texted friend, no reply. Phoned briefly 15 minutes later and told her I would be leaving. Still not arrived. I left. I think that is what I need to do. Meant lamb was in the oven an hour later than planned. It is Rick Steins recipe Lamb Kleftiko, very easy tasted amazing. Now awake with heartburn because I ate too late 8:30pm I cooked it for 4 1/2 hours as Everhot is different. ED it was yummy, falling off bone. It was on Everhot discussion page.
As it looked after itself I did Easter tree and window and made quick wreath with some birthday flowers and pre drawn eggs. Felt better. Weeded front of house. Then went with DH to pub. Don’t know why he talked football to a lad I don’t care for. I was hoping for some couple time. Drama in the pub staff. Lovely girl has handed her notice in. Others are following suit. Shame.

Plan for today- home bleugh
Two loads of washing.
Hoping for a nice day as greenhouse needs attention as I haven’t planted seeds yet due to never being home.so DH can help clean it out then I will set up seed trays.

What are all your plans for today?

Oh and the Easter bunny left me an egg.Lindt peppermint with balls. Ate two balls last night. Yummy!

Red- good you left the stall and got on with things. I love hearing about everyones Easter.

Yesterday-
🐣Pack up all Easter decorations and take to dads.
🐣Dress lil fraggle in her Easter bunny dress and tie her hair so she looked like a bunny. I wore my Easter bunny dress for fun.
🐣Lil fraggle and myself decorated the dining table. It looked beautiful.
🐣Collect take away food.
🐣Set up Easter egg hunt in the garden- fraggles absolutely loved it x repeated x4.

🐣Lil fraggle set up a Easter egg hunt in the house.
🐣Exchange Easter eggs- mountain of chocolate. (Told myself to stop eating chocolate after Monday.)
🐣Didnt get home until 11pm but had the best day in the whole year- I love Easter.

Kitchen much easier to keep ontop of since I shined my sink. Floor looks beautiful too.
5 separate bags of swimming stuff have a place to live so less clutter on the floor.

To do-
🐰Sitting room sort and deep clean or a family bike ride.
🐰Reseach whether to do this course- Htla level 3 course- £2000 or teaching assistant level 2 course which is free?
🐰Get lol on
🐰maintain the clean and tidy parts of the house.

Morning
I had decided not to do a hunt with zoolets as older now dd2(18) was disappointed,so after a lovely walk around reservoir I had a nap then stuck clues across local nature reserve and stole rest Easter treats..sent urgent snap message Easter bunny had o.d on cadburys,gone rogue and tkidnspped the cute bunny/lamb toys D's/lil zoo had asked for plus rest treats and had solve clues to save them!
Was fun,and I was reminded whilst older traditions and being silly shouldn't be discounted!!

Back to the grind today."d"p went home yesterday,so just usual rabble here.place tip,no veg for lunch boxes,low on fruit,no milk etc.so need pop shop!

Two lol done
Cats fed
Kitchen blitzed over

Bit tired but need crack on,plus want find time play a game/watch dvd as back to school tom and I will miss them dreadfully

Ooh exciting re the course dancing! How long does the level two take? Maybe that would be a good first step so you can decide if the level three is worth the investment?

Hazel 💐 hope you could take some time to think about the good memories with your dad xx

How are you today hills?

Bean Vicar of Dibley is on iPlayer at the moment! I grew up watching it, we also have to watch The Christmas Lunch Incident every Christmas of course :o

Merry I don’t usually watch doctor who (lost track towards the end of the Matt Smith ones) but my parents watch it, that sea monster :o :o :o

Love hearing about everyone’s Easter!

I am trying to decide what to do with my morning. It’s nice to only have myself to worry about though frankly, to use the words of a lovely fellow fledgling I just have my daughter hat on and not mum, colleague etc.

Sing- think its a year course...i really need to read up on it.
Hope you get to spend a lovely morning or day to yourself.

Zoo- brilliant you sorted a Easter egg hunt at such short notice.
One day i will be organised a write out clues! I understand you missing them.

Blue/bean or wild- (sorry I cant scroll back to see who posted)-
I also loved watching the vicar of Dibley! I just sent to the charity shop, my dvd box set! I am going onto iplayer and seeing if I can find the Easter episode on there -thank you for reminding me!🐰

Dancing Do NOT do the HLTA course it is a con and NOT recognised in Education. I am a HLTA retired. You have to do it through Education and it is meant for TAs that have been Teaching Assistants for a long time there was a guidance on it, I think it might have been 5 years. The Headteacher has to approve it and it is a University course. I did mine with Edgehill and also my Nurture Practitioner.The one you are being offered is not. I read up on them and warned people before. They shouldn’t be allowed. You end up teaching whole class on the one I did and above other TAs.

Do the Level 2 Cache is the best one then you may get offered Level 3. The Level 2 wont take you long and it’s ‘free’. NN E B was Level 3 and took two years fulltime.

The Proper HLTA is Level 4 not Level 3 and there is no way a school will pay you on that Level if you haven’t worked as a Teaching Assistant before. That is another reason it is at the discretion of the Headteacher. I was on top pay three years ago which was about £12.58an hour I think.

Sorry if I am ranting but it makes me mad that some people go and pay this. It also isn’t the same we had five tasks. These were 1-3 expected to be several pages long and four could be shorter with Five a mop up and had to be five short concise pieces of any Standards you missed. Then you had a portfolio of 32 Standards where you had to evidence pupils work or government standards like the school’s Health &Safety policy we’re you highlighted sections and wrote about it.
Each Standard needed two pieces of evidence. Some of these would come from your tasks but you had to evidence it with pupils work or photographs or recordings. Then after you did all that neatly labelled and sections/ STDs highlighted ( so it was easy for the Assessor to see) you had to cross reference it all and then put it on a grid which was a right🤬 because it wasn’t working properly the drop down section wasn’t dropping and it was🤐😫getting everyone stressed out. You had a time limit to do this work and your boss was supposed to give you some time off but we were short staffed and he didn’t. I think I had 21 days before the Assessor was coming. The joy was when he arrived from Yorkshire ( we were told to prep a tray by our tutor) and consumed my offerings and looked through my file “ I wish they were all so well set out and easy to mark.” My boss wasn’t allowed to tell me this until I had my results. The results were delayed by a month longer than usual which was so nerve racking and “ Why are you doubting yourself, of course you will have passed.” Then told me what the Assessor said. I was always crap at exams so always doubt myself. I didn’t get my distinction in my NNEB Dip because I didn’t get it in the multiple choice( guess).There were 12/60 questions the tutors disputed for being ambiguous or actually incorrect answers. Can you believe it? 12. One was about a chalice and there was more than one answer as out of four answers there was Jewish and Catholic amongst them. Being Catholic I chose Catholic but I knew it was chalice in Judaism too. M and I had to argue our case and I got a priest to verify for the tutor so they took it back to the board and we got the mark! Yeah! I got distinction in the essay exam ( where it counted) and the live action demonstration where you had to do a talk, demonstration and story. Someone has the cringed video...yes video those days 🤣1992

Sorry for the long post( rant) but it makes me so so mad that people are being conned out of thousands expecting to be able to enter at that level and it isn’t the correct way of doing it. Glad they have been made to drop it to Level 3.

Dancing your Easter sounds lovely.

Zoo what great fun and being able to do it in a large space. I just did ours in our garden. Always did rhyming clues which got difficult towards 10-12 clues. Always a basket of small eggs some chocolate and some painted wooden ones or something for the tree. I enjoyed putting it up yesterday.

Sing enjoy your daughter hat.

Bean ? I had forgotten about that will try and watch it today.

Hazel thinking of you. I lit a candle for mum, Aunty M at Mass.Also DD and partner to keep them safe.

Well I better get up. I am normally setting up tables at market stall at this time of day but I am still in bed. Alas no tea has been delivered by DH. He probably thought I was still asleep. Might make pancakes bacon and maple syrup since it is a holiday.
Need to put two loads of my washing then I have Ukraine washing and sorting to do. Four bags but should take long. Friend said she might not send but could get cash for rags. I haven’t seen those bags but why do people think people in war torn countries want dirty, tat. I wonder if people do that to charity shops too. Anyone worked in charity shops? I was going to do the book shop. I think I will fill formin for one afternoon.

Hope everyone has a great day. Sons are all working. Hope no one here is doing that as well as usual chores.

🍒👋🍒👋🍒👋🍒👋🍒👋🍒👋🍒👋🍒👋🍒👋🍒👋🍒👋❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Oh wow don’t apologise red it’s always good to have info shared, one of the many things I love about this thread is that we all bring so much knowledge and experience from a huge range of lives!

I am sitting in mum’s bed, we have been chatting and watching decluttering/home organisation shows :o should probably get ready to go out soon, we will have a wander in town before I go to the registry office at 2ish.

Breathing is still an issue but i went for another walk and the levels of pollen were visible. Tbf it was was more of a hike. Left the house about 9pm, got back about 1am. Twas a lovely night though. Moon out, warm breeze, not too many people about, not a complete and utter mud fest. Even though i was almost falling asleep standing up, i did not really want to stop walking it was so nice.

needles to say i slept through the arbitary alarm i set for this morning. But that is ok. I still have plenty of time for getting everything done today.

Hills- hope your breathing is ok? Your walk sounds lovely. How did you see that late- did the low full moon help?

Red- Thank you sooo much for telling me this!
Will be back in abit - just want to thank you for warning me! 💗

The full moon provides a lot of light, plus one of us generally grabs a torch so we have options of route. Tonight it is more likely to be needed as it will be a hill walk. Last night was mostly street light, but not all. And we did avoid the main roads so it was patchy.

Hayfever, asthma and normal chronic illness is kicking my butt breathing wise. It is just at that annoying level rather than at needs medical attention. No way i could walk if it was needs medical attention level.

Red- weldone for getting your distinction. You have worked very hard to achieve it. There is alot to do.
Aww, thats lovely you lit a candle for your mum and auntie.

Hills- Hope your breathing gets better soon. Your walks sound lovely, they really do.

Sing- hope you are having a lovely time at your mums.

Tadas-
🐰organised abit more of utility stuff away.
🐰pack all dried swimwear away.
🐰took kids to very large park- dd did not want to learn to cycle without stabilisers- they had to be attached back onto the bike.🤦‍♀️

🐰dh took kids on bike ride. I sat in the beer garden with dsis and gently told her I think i will be going for the level 2 course. She was dismayed as she told the tutor I might be interested but £2000 for a course is a huge amount for me and I may struggle with the assignments.

🐰visited auntie
🐰visited my dad, glad I did as I missed him.
🐰got kids to bed.

Well, I didn't sleep well. Didn't do several of the things on the list as I woke with a headache - quite possibly because of the Far Too Much chocolate last night (it was identified as one of my migraine triggers very early and obviously I mostly ignore that).

Did walk to the shop and make pies for dinner, as well as doing the rest of the washing up. Solved a few more clues on the crossword and realised I was completely wrong about the theme.

Watched yesterday's service on Facebook. Reasonably pleased with the singing but realised that my vowel sounds are incredibly prissy and possibly slightly childish. Also, my trousers were half-tucked into my boots at the back

Well you don’t sound ‘prissy’ on here. Merry

Dancing glad you hadn’t signed up for the £2,000. That is a lot more than similar courses I have seen a few years ago. I will try and find where it tells you about it being a false course. It is being allowed as a preparation course but the real preparation courses are a free one day talk. I did the three day intensive course for very experienced TAs. Everyone on my course (7) had done at least 10 years in Education. It was intended as a next level and can be a management role managing other TAs.
No I didn’t get my distinction because I didn’t get it in the multi choice exam.
We were the first year of the upgraded to Diploma. So we did the old exams, the presentation and the 24 projects some were 100 A4 pages long. I got distinction levels in all that was achievable except one the other member didn’t pull her weight on that. We were partnered up.

Despite all this I wasn’t awarded it. I was really disappointed as was my friend who also worked hard. We were very pissed off when another student got it and hadn’t worked all that hard but did well in the exam. So I was glad I did well in my Nurture Practitioners 2:1 and an offer to do teacher training at Edgehill. I couldn’t take it up as DD was still young and it was too far away. Nice to be asked though.

Hills your walk sounds lovely I might try that when I am better though it is very dark here. We only have five lights in the village and they never all work at the same time. Sometimes only two are working.

Ta didn’t
Get my bed changed.

Ta da
S&S the basin/ toilet.
Tidied a bit of the table hot spot.
Washed a load of my washing.
Sorted five bags of clothing for Ukraine and washed two loads of children’s clothes. They stunk. Not sure what of I wondered if it was those vapes. I had to take it out side as it was stinking out my kitchen. Some were a grey colour. Did 40 degree wash with 3 in 1 tabs. Came out a lot cleaner and smelt cleaner. Will put them out in fresh air and sunshine tomorrow.some not redeemable. Can’t understand why people give them and think that is ok. BF came for tea and cake before back for third time to a male client. 4 home visits a day.
DH hung a print. It has waited three years for a frame and a fortnight for hole and now it is up. Looks lovely.
Feel much better after the rest.

Morning all. Went to lovely wedding yesterday. Sadly woke up just after 4 this morning

Might make an earlier start home than planned, will go via town first though as a couple of shops to visit. CBA to get up yet.

📚📚📚📚📚

Right, so it’s Tuesday, Easter is over and I gather for many of your mini fledglings it’s back to school (not here as we are a week later).

I didn’t mention the home bleugh yesterday because bank holiday, so you may wish to do that although do remember you are never behind with flylady :o

www.flylady.net/d/zones/zone-4/ the master bedroom]]
or as we often call it here, the boodwa (boudoir)!

Here are the missions for the week.

Oops, penultimate link was meant to say we are now in zone 4, the link does work though phew!

Right, might have to scavenge some painkillers shortly, got a headache from hell (not even a wedding hangover as I didn’t drink!), might just go straight home tbh but ugh the journey is long.

Sing glad you enjoyed the wedding. Sorry about the headache.

Pleased we are in the boodwa as I managed to Declutter another box. To some it would still be clutter as I have things on the chest of drawers. They are displayed not heaped. Just need last push to get it right then keep on top of it. Spring is here so spring clean your bedroom.
DH has brought me a mug of tea😃

Not zone 4
Well I actually managed get up with an alarm today!

Tada
Cats fed
Wash on
Part bake rolls on to cook
Wipe kitchen surfaces
Wash up
Take rolls out oven
Check on lil to zoo in who messaged me in the night was awake tummyache(4am)
Get DS up
Breakfast for the troops
DS pack up made
Wash in drier
More on
Pull out sofa under window
Clean windows
Sweep behind sofa/rescue cat toys
Put sofa back
See D's off
Dash to meet dd2 halfway between here and school as forgot lanyard
Email absence in for lil zoo
Email school we have agreed is best for D's for sept and hope they will offer place to do more GCSE (they don't have capacity for a levels this year,and as he's only doing English GCSE this year there's lots other options.plus the social skills/life skill program is very very good)
Dry wash folded and put away

Just had brekkie,wash moved to drier,I need find and organise front room from the bedlam

I feel like I actually have a little get up n go today(first in 5weeks!)so going to take a run at today then at least my surroundings aren't stressing me out

Have a good day everyone!!

Hope the headache goes away Sing.

Well done with the decluttering Red. I'm feeling frustrated with mine because it's all the slow stuff now. The easy wins are done.

You've been busy Zoo fingers crossed for DS getting into the school.

Ta-da's:

🎉 Home blessings done
🎉 Boxes ordered for bedroom
🎉 New clothes ordered
🎉 Shopping list written for tomorrow

To-do:

🌞 Collect parcel
🌞 Move bookcase
🌞 Try to find something to declutter
🌞 Make dinner

Aah I hear you on the slow decluttering frustration blue it sucks doesn’t it, so demotivating compared to the big/numerous items!

I am finally on a train. Glad I stayed a bit longer in the end but tired now!

Won’t be doing any housework today I think, but I ended up helping mum declutter a bit as she wanted me to choose some Tupperware and jewellery. She’s not ready to sort the rest of the latter yet (possibly next time when I take DD1) but I did help her sort through aaaall the Tupperware. So I’ve got a few bits (much needed for batch cooking plans!) and she’s got rid of plenty that was flimsy/unmatched.

Don’t think I’m swimming tonight as friend is likely not going so maybe I’ll do the gym tomorrow instead of Thursday 🤔