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! 💐

Been struggling with motivation again.

I found a home for a pile of stuff that didn't have a home, so I'm happy with that.

Two more books have gone into my donation pile too.

I had a very busy day in work and ended up working over hours. I was scuttling home when I fell in my new shoes - totally scuffing the front of one of them (destroying it) and cutting both knees. And I'm clearly getting old because a lovely student asked if I was okay and was very concerned and I thought 'Oh what lovely YOUNG person' 👵

😁 I've parked my Zimmer and am having a cuppa.

Motivation lacking a bit here, too. I got caught up in a thread that I should have given a wide berth. Lesson learned. And my thumbs are aching from using MN on my phone.

The tub of roses has survived so far. I thought the wind might dry them out, but we've been lucky so far. Some white Japanese cherry has seeded itself in a corner of the garden. Keeping fingers crossed for the peonies that have lived here longer than the thirty years we've been here.

Off to bed now. Everyone's been a bit grumpy this evening. Hope your knees are okay now bean.

I mean Everyone in my house has been a bit grumpy, not this thread!

I understood mrstidyhouse!

bean sorry about the shoes,grazed knees HURT☹️.I regularly having old moments now..back in my day is a regular escaping from my mouth🤣🤣🤣🤣

Singhopefully DD gets on ok at new school.fingers and everything else X for Tuesday.
Willow argh at paying membership but if coach is good I'd probably follow.at least that's one thing know what to expect.

Lots yesterday spend chasing up support for dd2.tired ,stressed,depressed and feel like giving up

Chocolate and blankets all round I think! 💐

I have been up ages, couldn’t get back to sleep. Had a chat with DSD before she left for work then managed to get a bit of studying done as well as having a chat with mum before Cagletini woke up. DH has gone off to a hospital appt so we are playing with a robot mouse coding thingy. I’ll have to get DS to do some of his own work soon, and at some point rely on Netflix for Cagletini so I can get some more essay planning done.

🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺

it is Friday so clear out your bag or car! This is also our last day in zone 5, the living room.

Work was crazy, crazy. Zonked! DH and Ds have just found ds's travel/lunch card which he has lost for the second time - on a path in our estate!

I have to be honest about things. I'm struggling with everything. When I wake in the morning I think it's not that hard. Just put one foot in front of the other and get through the day. Then I go downstairs and the relentless grind flattens me.

Tomorrow I'll gut out the utility area and kitchen, sort laundry mountain. Menu plan, particularly with regard to keeping costs down.

Getting up now, and with any luck the LOs will stay asleep long enough for me to make a start.

🤞 for you Tidy the struggle is real.

Bean that's good the card was found

Sing it sounds like you're really enjoying having DSD there again

No flying here, from me anyway. DS did his chores (short version of weekly bleugh) but there's still more to do.
I have to work tomorrow. I'll try and get a little bit of flying done in the morning, we'll see
🍒👋 to everyone

Creeping in shamefaced for the last day of the month! Sorry I have somewhat flunked with the links since the update.

Anyone want to take the plunge for a May thread? I’m wondering if we’d be better off doing more of a chat thread next month.

Also I see I have PMs from a couple of people presumably re the messenger group idea - haven’t managed to open inbox yet! But if anyone else is interested do message and I’ll set something up soon.

I don’t mind taking over for May if no one else has already volunteered. Might get me back on track a bit better. We have had a good blitz of the garden this month but the inside of the house has slipped a bit again.

Another month gone already. My progress has been slow. Mainly reading then donating novels. A little bit of organising and a little it of decluttering. I've kept on top of the cleaning and routines though. Despite that I feel as though I haven't really got anything useful done. I'm probably being too hard on myself. Today we're off to the woods.

Sing don't worry you missed links, it's been weird adjusting to the new forum and running a thread must be hard anyway. Anybody doing it deserves a medal just for showing up every day 🏅

ED gardens are growing like crazy aren't they, blossoms everywhere here and the park has turned from twiggy looking to lush and green.

Tidy I know what you mean. I've sort of had a month off this month just reading because I needed a break from it all. I don't know if it's the same for you but I agree with FlyLady I do think a lot of it is the amount of stuff we all have. It's so much easier to clean a room that's not cluttered and less stuff means less to tidy away or organise a place for, that's why I keep plugging away at the decluttering. Same as you though I find it's not as simple as using willpower to get through what feels like the never ending day, that works for most of the time but sometimes it's just not enough and we falter. Be kind to yourself, take it easy for a bit and you'll pick yourself back up soon when you can.

That's lucky they found the card Bean

I’ve just caught up and got a shock when I realised it wasn’t just yesterday I last posted, it was in fact Monday 😮. No idea where the week has gone.

You are indeed being too hard on yourself Wild. Keeping up with the routines and a little bit of decluttering is great.

Good luck with the application Fly

Hope you managed to crack on in peace this morning Tidy. I get you with the relentless
drudge. Some mornings I leap out of bed and others the thought of getting everyone ready and doing the same old things makes me want to just bury my head under the blanket. I get the impression you have a lot more to deal with than me too

You’ve been a great thread leader sing. All sounds positive on the school front.

Thanks for volunteering ED.

This weeks ta Das:
✅ almost managed a full home bleurgh over the week 😮
✅ DD’s birthday enjoyed and associated present/celebration mess dealt with in a timely
fashion
✅ made a phonecall I’ve been putting off. It did not go well - almost an hour on hold and got
cut off once I’d explained the issue 😭
✅ sorted some BRCs in DD1’s room
✅ sorted some clothes for selling/donating
✅ ordered myself some t shirts and MiniUp some bits she needed
✅ made various online payments - school etc
✅ washed seat part of DD1’s old activity centre for MiniUp. Rest of it still needs a scrub

this morning (all while DH and Dd1 have been on the beach)
✅washing in
✅ DW emptied
✅ swept downstairs floors
✅bit more sorting in DD1’s room
✅ walk with DD2
✅ peaceful cuppa and sandwich and thread catch up while DD2 is asleep

this afternoon’s plans are to get the garden under control, spend some time with DD1, and to test out our pizza oven

Hope everyone has a lovely bank holiday weekend!

Afternoon all. Thanks for the offer of taking May ED :)

I have had a very lazy morning which was frankly much needed. I watched the first episode of Nick Knowles’ Big House Clearout on channel 5 which was good, very much like SYLO.

Have to admit I’m feeling really unmotivated though. Really must get on with my essay because it’s due on Thursday and next week is full of work stuff.

po3.1
❗️LOL (DH did the first one)
❗️Have lunch and probably painkillers
❗️Reread assignment specs/advice and use them to add to planning notes

Uggggh. Need pointy stick. 😭

I'll be working today in a couple of hours so not much will be done today (including family fun 😥).
I did a bit of self care last night; in the shower I defrosted, used a body & face scrub. I then took my time applying a self tanner, which I rinsed off this morning. I have moisturised, used face serum, and for now, I have brushed my hair.
Before I did anything this morning I weighed myself & took measurements as I'm getting ready to start the low carb bootcamp on Monday (& I measure myself at the end of the month).

Tomorrow I will be planning my week for meals, doing meal prep as well so I really do stick to it 100% this time.

Anyway, I have enjoyed 1 cup of coffee this morning, time for a 2nd! I'll try to do personals whilst enjoying that cup 😍☕️

I am actually away overnight tonight and only have my phone, so I will set up a new thread tomorrow afternoon when we get back. I don't trust myself not to mess up with this new glitchy Mumsnet 🙄

I just realised it IS the last day of the month 😱
Where did April go?!

Maybe try setting a timer for 15 minutes Sing see what you can get done in that time for your essay. It may motivate you to keep going, or you can take a break and revisit later, without feeling guilty.
Up that's so frustrating about the phone call, hopefully next time it doesn't take as long and gets resolved
Wild you definitely are being too hard on yourself. Even slow progress is still progress and the fact you are doing that and keeping on top of housework is a great achievement
ED thank you for volunteering for May. I feel bad that I can never offer, and admire everyone that does (and can keep up with the thread/ post every day!)
🍒👋 to everyone

Pleased to report I have written about two thirds of my essay including referencing etc. So that’s more progress than I expected to make today. Took a break to have a quick walk as needed to drop something off and now we are watching a film with Cagletini. Will read it with fresh eyes later and hopefully add more as it’s all higgledy piggledy.

Weldone Sing for doing your essay.
Sing- you have been a brilliant thread leader to the new mumnet glitches! 💗 dont worry.

Tadas-
Washed dried all uniform and put away.
Dw loaded
Repacked Easter decorations into a new organised box.

Feed the fraggles. Enjoy watching cbeebies with them- they cheer me up.

Lost motivation on sitting room. I need help- i hv to get it clear by monday. ( or a massive bloe torch to just clear it!)

Worrying as I went to sign up for level 2 course but then they changed me to level 3 when they realised I had already have a pgce. I will need to take a loan out.
Worrying about writing assignments and telling 'd'h that i need to take out a student loan.
I really would like to get a job soon so i can earn enough to get the shopping in.
Red I know you kindly advised against it but....i feel like it might make me closer to getting a job - just few hours while kids are at school.

(I did post 2 days ago but its gone missing from the thread- Bean hope your knees are ok? )

Cherry waves everyone.

Worrying as I went to sign up for level 2 course but then they changed me to level 3 when they realised I had already have a pgce. I will need to take a loan out.

No no no. You absolutely do not have to pay for a useless course which isn't recognised by your industry and which you didn't choose to sign up for. Tell them to cancel their "upgrade" and put you down for the free level 2 course which you wanted. They are taking the piss.

Wild- thanks I will ask to speak to the tutor.

Mumnet feels very clunky now, just writing a post is slow to type...it was ok until this week. Its putting me off writing things.

Cant believe its the 1st of May already - eeek! My sitting room of doom is still there. (So is my sofa of doom - but we dont talk about it! 🤦‍♀️.)

Did tidy up dfraggles unicorn room so she could get in and dfraggles paw patrol room needs tidying up.

Has anyone eaten sea moss for health benefits?

🍒👋everyone

Dancing I agree, speak to the tutor and point out that unless THEY are prepared to fund you and guarantee the course is recognised nationally, you'll be doing Level 2. Good luck with the living room. I've never eaten sea moss, or even heard of it, but I do love samphire drowned in melted butter, if that's any use? 😁

Hazel we don't mind you can't thread lead; you have plenty going on (2 jobs, for a start!). Sorry boring stuff ate family fun yesterday.

StillUp I know what you mean about time passing too quickly. I've been reading but not posting for what seems like days and is probably weeks! I resolve to do better in May.

Wild you are being too hard on yourself. Decluttering and building routines can't be something that is full-on, maximum effort all the time. Some time just ticking over is allowed.

ED thanks for volunteering to take on May, even with exams in your house. Always here to backstop if you get stuck. I definitely agree about not starting a thread on the new platform via your phone.

Sing thank you for April. Now you can step back and focus on your essay! Glad it is going well.

🍒👋 to Red, Mc, Bean, Hills, zoo, foxes, MrsTidy, merry and anyone else lurking or being quiet.