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! 💐

MrsT I am SO glad to hear you are getting a little respite 💕

Hazel glad you got back safely! DD did well driving against scary weather like that.

Dancing you are doing brilliantly! You sound so much brighter at the moment. It really does make a huge difference when the kids get a little more independent. Having little ones clinging to you - physically and emotionally - is incredibly tiring and relentless. Life is better here since Cagletini finally got into a bedtime routine and now sleeps pretty well, even if not quite as early as I’d like.

Our second Sunday morning clean went pretty well! It’s not as sparkly as the other week when we were prepping for real visitors, but still, an improvement. And the great thing is, nobody complained! Other than a small whinge from DD1 as I made her do one more short task before going out, but she still did it. So I think it’s going to work going forward :)

I was about to get up again but Cagletini has just brought her duvet down to cuddle up while watching Bolt. So I’ll still write myself a power of three, but won’t start it just yet!

po3.1
❗️Write on weekly planner board
❗️Clean fridge/freezer door/side, and finally put the magnetic whiteboard on it… it’s been in my desk drawer for months
❗️Give bathroom laundry bin a clean and take it down to the kitchen. It’s really not worked having it in the bathroom for towels, but bits of laundry always gather in the kitchen, so makes sense to change things. Also saves me buying a new small laundry bin just for kitchen towels/cloths!

Morning all. I'm still bloody procrastinating and moving at a snails pace! Getting ridiculous now.

Afternoon! Yesterday was a very busy day putting the study back together and my knees are now protesting about the amount of up and down stairs and ladders that was involved. However, have the living room back and all but one pile of books out of the music room. More to do today, though.

Dancing I agree with Hills seven can be a tricky age for boys. For us, it coincided with going to junior school and not being Top Of The Infants anymore, and being with much bigger boys of 11. The attitude was something else, while the DSs remembered that home and the playground were different places. It does pass.

Sing well done to both DD1 and DS for helping DH with donations.

Mc good luck keeping McToddler out of the plants. I remember fighting a similar losing battle with DS1 over the coal scuttle. And the bookshelves. And the laundry basket...

Hazel I'm glad you got to catch up with Dd, sometimes it feels like we pass family members on the stairs and that's all.

Ta da:
❤️ Dog walked
🧡 Dog bathed. The paint has not come off and he is giving me dirty looks from by the backdoor, so he can escape if I show any signs of trying it again 🤣
💛 LOL 1 done and on the line
💚 Our bed stripped and in as LOL 2
💙 Healthful lunch of cottage cheese and tuna salad
💜 When to put the chicken in to roast calculated

To do:
🌼 Get second wash on line when finished
🌼 Hoover the study and get plants and rug back in
🌼 Get last books in
🌼 Get sewing stuff down from attic
🌼 Set up desk properly
🌼 Order Ikea storage boxes for the bookshelves, for material
🌼 Menu plan
🌼 Shopping list
🌼 Tesco order
🌼 Remake our bed
🌼 Help DH dust the Beloved Stereo
🌼 Make roast chicken etc for 6.30
🌼 Get last of stuff from under stairs and clean hall / entryway per last week.
🌼 Make a plan for next week
🌼 Do some jigsaw puzzle for me.

I feel tired just reading that.

Thanks willow and sing

I've been AWOL for a while, still drowning in kidmin and my volunteering is bashing my 'free time' and our schools are off for Easter now too so send help in the form of alcohol my way please 🙏 we've got a medley of activities planned so hopefully we will be out a lot to help with minimising house grot 🤪 and also to minimise the savage electric and gas smart meter that gives me palpitations now!!

Youngest has requested to do a charity clean out later so that's on our agenda after classes today! So far I've managed to baseline and everybody fed, nobody dead, also DP batch cooking my favourite dish, so life is sweet so far 🥰

🍒👋 to all, I will go back to dipping in when I can

I'm currently watching The Split which starts up tonight with season 3. DH and I have been enjoying it but at the moment I'm isolating so I can't watch it tonight. I love the clothes and the kitchen in the main character's house. It's about Divorce solicitors and Barristers. I don't think I'd manage Medicine as a profession but the Law would be attractive ( if I could manage robust debate and confrontation that is - I can't. Perhaps being an Academic lawyer would be for me)

Willow 😳 at the thoughts of a toddler and a coal scuttle. Ds used the blue disposable loo cleaning brush to paint the hall walls. He dipped it in the toilet bowl to get the blue 'paint' flowing and was applying to the wall when I found him.

I am excited for the new series bean I adore Nicola Walker generally. First watched early in lockdown!

Host confession time: I have not even moved from the sofa yet. I spent the time while the others were out watching telly, hoping that a horrible headache would shift, but it still hasn’t with paracetamol. Might add some ibuprofen shortly. 🤬

Hey frankie good to see you!

Hannah Stern's kitchen in The Split. I also covet her clothes. The complicated love life she can keep.

I've never seen The Split but I liked Nicola Walker in Last Tango in Halifax.

Oh great sing - another fan! I really like Stephen Mangan as her husband too. The character is so funny. Her life is a world away from mine (I wouldn't want the stress or drama but I do like looking in)

The husband's character is funny I meant. Poor Hannah Stern is juggling a lot.

Sing if you have a headache stay where you are.

I have absolutely no idea what you are all on about.
Schools here don't break up til Good Friday I think but i have lost track tbh since ds left 6th form.

ta da
deal with peopley people
LMS about constantly having my plans changed by other people
in the name of having a clean shower took a shower.
Decided the orange tile dust is not going to shift from the sealant so it will need redoing - but suspected that and tbh the dust showed up how badly it was done in the first place
plan studies for now until August. 4 exams in May so that is a more realistic schedule and I can get that locked in and booked next week (assuming the exam centre is not on easter hols)
drop laptop on head whilst transfering it up the stairs into my office
swear at my knitting and put it in the naughty corner. I have made a mistake and it is going to take some thinking about how to fix it.
Have a conversation with ds about being independant and sorting the job stuff out for him - we have a plan, and a point when help is appropriate.
start the list of places to look for jobs for him
mutter dark dark dark words about the person who left the washing up sponge in a sink full of water.
mutter some other dark words about people who have rearranged the furniture into the WRONG places
had a tiny line in, but not be impressed about automatic texts that get sent to come through at 9am.
drink more coffee than is recommended
drink more water than is recommended
get person to peel all the potatoes and leave in lemon water until later
delegate posting of letters
Hit play on the next lessons' worth of videos. There are about 7hrs worth on this collection and i would like them pretty much all done by this evening/bedtime.

Head is slightly less bad. I’ve had some fairly quiet but productive time watching more tv on my phone while slowly sorting a bit of random stuff. Made myself get a bit more ruthless about some craft stuff and game pieces that I was clinging onto, so got rid of a lot although all small bits and bobs so the visual difference is minimal!

I like to spend some time reading the FlyLady website when I can. I'm reading around the subject of FlyLady with the Ask Questions section and things like that, to give me a better insight into it and pick up tips from others on how to adapt the system to suit myself.

Today I went into the Archive section an read about Camp Week. With Easter school holidays coming up I wondered if any of you with children had read this page? If not I recommend it, there's lots of ideas how people have made it work for them. It's a sort of holiday-at-home thing with everyone cleaning and doing fun stuff intermittently too. I'm sorry I'm useless with things like doing links or I'd have linked the page.

I’ll look for that, thanks Wild. Just been thinking about the plan for the Easter hols (a week to go here).

Yes nearly the same age sj. I’m sure you’re in the same boat having to get everything in done in little bursts before baby wants fed or snuggled or changed again. I’m enjoying succumbing to the cuddles this time round knowing how quickly it all passes!

Have a fantastic holiday fly and well done on finally sorting The Chair.

Glad you’re feeling a bit better Sing

I had so many more personals but I’ve been catching up throughout the day so please accept a 🍒 👋

YesTaDas:
Can’t remember. Not a lot. Meal plan checked, grocery shop, and put the shopping away, then survived a kid’s party and watched some Bridgerton.

Tadas:
✅ swept kitchen floor
✅ had minor rant at DH about his messiness. He tidied up and made a nice roast so something went in
✅ got DD1 to make guest list for her birthday party
✅ cleaned up after roast
✅ LOL washed, line dried, and immediately ironed on being brought in, and put away too
✅ sorted a couple of returns - the quest to improve my wardrobe is not going great
✅ read some of my book
✅ bathed both DDs, DLMS at the epic bath time/bedtime tantrum from an overtired DD1 - I AM NOT KIND AND RUINED THE DAY AND SHE WANTS A NEW MUMMY apparently. I mean, I refused to make the bath deep enough (or indeed big enough) for her to swim in so I see exactly where she is coming from.

Sing I haven’t seen any of The Split. I don’t know how you can watch it on your phone. iPad is small enough I prefer the TV but we don’t have Sky etc just normal tv. I can remember a time of having just 3 channels.
Showing my age!

Frankie good to see you back.

Bean there is both a divorce solicitor and a barrister in our village. The former said he would never represent anyone from the village though when we first came here he was recommended that if you needed one he was your man! His wife is lovely and was very kind to me when we first came here. His children spent a lot of time with ours and they were lively and full of fun.GBG.climbing trees, building dens and days on sledging down the field behind our houses.
The barrister is relatively new and represents some hard cases. I think she would be great and I am helping her with a charity event in the summer.
DDs DP has a law degree and did very well. His uncle is a barrister.
Will have a look at that series ...thanks.

I have been up all day 10-9pm. Made my bed. Tidied some dishes away. Loaded dishwasher tonight. Feel shattered. Spoke to friend. Forgot I was supposed to go to meeting half an hour too late and hadn’t taken a LFT. So stayed home. I don’t think I could have managed to be honest. It is taking me all my time to be up and climb up the stairs. Another during the week so hope to go to that.

So kitchen is next. I hope to clean the dresser as I noticed the dresser is dusty. Will aim for that this week. I could take the Christmas swag off too and maybe venture out to buy something Eastery.

Not sure if it is holidays or not here. Really out of touch since leaving school.
Coughing again.

Enjoy your holiday Fly

Hope those ill and recovering feel better this week.

Up so mean of you. Tell her you will go shopping for a new one tomorrow then pick out all the horrible mummies you can find.

The respite is much needed after the term we've just had. If all goes well, LB will get back to after-school care next term. There'll be more after-school activities opening up for LG, fingers crossed, and my afternoons will be a bit more relaxing. She has a couple of evening activities, but the hassle of getting her there and back can be a bit much.

Anyway, laundry is back under control, chicken is defrosting for making stew, and I'm enjoying not having to pay attention to anything except tv/radio. Even better, I don't have to talk. The day is so wonderfully long when it's not punctuated by pre-teen dramas, or crap from the school app. There have been a couple of school surveys, which I've completed, but it might be better to ignore them in future as they seem to make my mental state worse.

Going to try to get back to sleep now.

Red take it easy, you too Bean and everyone else who has Covid/ unwell.

Up is totally unacceptable to not have a big enough bath to swim in, this must be resolved immediately! 😂 well done for not LYS.

Welcome back Frankie

Ta Das:
🍹 meal planning done
🍹 grocery pickup order placed & picked up
🍹 Skyped mum x2
🍹 finally had nice enough weather (and motivation) to take down the outside Christmas lights and put away in a tote that I purchased this morning
🍹 thought about putting cushions on outside swing, then decided I should wash them first, but not today 🤦‍♀️
🍹 LOLs x3
🍹 cupcakes baked & frosted, per request for tomorrow (Monday)
🍹 DH smoked dinner (carne asada) for carne asada tacos, I prepped the other toppings, consumed with Margaritas of course!
🍹 cleaned up kitchen
🍹 rotated DW
🍹 took a relaxing bath, involving a face mask and everything!

DH & DS put the trampoline up & finished getting the garden looking neat and tidy. We are having a garage delivered tomorrow 🥳 it's one that isn't a permanent structure, so no permits needed.

Sorry I posted that without finishing, I was getting nervous that I would lose the post!
Today was a productive day for sure. Oh, I forgot, I bought some shelf things to go in the kitchen cupboards to create more storage. I'm not so sure they'll work where I have them, but I'll give them a go. I put them in today, so we'll see.

🍒👋 to everyone

uptotally unreasonable making her have a bath too small to swim in.hang your head in shame
Bean blue wall painting reminded me of dd1 .aged 2 I went for a wee was very very suspiciously quiet and I returned to find had climbed on sofa,onto sideboard and was spreading vaseline over the walls with her hands..I learnt talc helps soak some up and ironing clothes with kitchen paper on them to absorb grease is a good thing.grateful it was just painted,nor papered🤣

Quiet toddlers is never a good sign 😂
Up I am dreading the tantrum phase. I know it's coming 😭

This morning has started with a dishwasher drain fault so I was up to my elbows in greasy water before I'd even made tea 🤬. Meeting with DD's school in 20 mins.

Everything else ABSOLUTELY OFF until after that.

So i have started the day with some interesting listening on how to make social media work for you. Interestingly enough everything that was said was common sense if you stop and take a moment. But i guess that is why i have pretty curated social media feeds that basically result in me learning stuffs, and my cull rate is pretty high.

Trying to get into the habbit of a new earlier start time for the day too. That didn't go to plan but did mean that the few hours it takes me to get going, that i am going in the morning not lunch. Hopefully a couple of weeks and i will be productive before morning (from 6am on)

To do
study
hang out dust sheets to dry over doors - its raining
washing up
batch up cottage pie and get into freezer
rearrange freezer and write shopping list
see if a person is capable of making pastry mix - this is questionable but worth a shot.
water plants
feed fish and watch them for a bit - really enjoying the tank now it has been partially restocked
figure out what veg there is to go with tea

Hope Fly has got away on holiday ok this morning