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! 💐

Wild I'm NE Scotland so a very long way from Rye but sounds idyllic 😁

Hills that's stealth decluttering book style! Don't work too hard tonight.

Quick ta da list because the ads on MN are getting in the way of typing and reading 🤬

ta da
🍫financial check up with the bank, set up better savings account etc
🍫Cagbunny care
🍫walked to local with friend with her 2yo and Cagletini, had nice catch up over lunch
🍫put Cagletini to bed
🍫maths with DD1

Really not a lot! Was a lovely lunchtime despite feeling rubbish. Also handed over some outgrown clothes/toys for 2yo so a bit more out of the house. Spent the rest of the day curled up. Unfortunately I have a morning school visit with work tomorrow, hopefully I will feel better by then.

Finally caught up, doing tiny instalments while dc playing nicely.

Anyone else sick of paying double energy costs for feeling twice as cold?! I've been trawling through the saving money threads slowly but hard to find anything I'm not already doing! Smart meter has doubled since 1st April but luckily and miraculously I'm in credit so they've allowed me to reduce the criminal increase they applied to my account until the credit starts waning.

I've struggled so much to keep up with the thread and abandoned the last one due to extreme tiredness and crashing out at 9pm most nights...now here I am, freezing and unable to sleep 😓

My volunteering has been put on pause for the holidays (nearing the end of the first week of two and a half) so had a chance to catch up with flying, though standards are low - I can still see the floor and table surfaces for now at least . Weather has been so cold and windy so far and won't be long til we have to resort to baking and flour explosions throughout the kitchen.

🍒👋 to all

I hope you do Sing maybe an early night and some paracetamol first thing.

Hills the late nighters are a problem. No doubt your mind is still whirring for a while.

I rang surgery and due to shortages my GP was on call so I couldn’t speak to him. Another doctor I have never heard of phoned me, she was really lovely and apologised for the little person singing and getting louder. I said it was fine and I had rather enjoyed hearing such a happy little soul. She wasn’t supposed to have been working but due to staff shortages... She couldn’t find the information about tetanus and said because of the position and the nastiness of the bite she was prescribing antibiotics then we had to have a chat about that. She was so patient and lovely and kept apologising for having difficulty finding the information. Then I had a nurse phone me and decision was no tetanus but I can change my mind. This is partly because I have had two reactions and if you have had 5 in your lifetime then that should be enough. It is painful but the redness is less than last night. Have two lots of tablets and not allowed to drink as it will make me very ill. Great! It’s my rather big half way birthday on Sunday. Get rid of the Covid and start on antibiotics. Ho hum!

Bloody cat. He lulled me into a false sense of security by pretending he was nice and wanted his ear tickled. Later it looked like he was going to knock a lamp over( expensive, maybe for us) by preening himself around it. I swiftly lifted him down on first lift he swiftly grabbed my hand with his claws and equally swiftly plunged his teeth into my left hand. He was very large too. Not fat but large. Half lion cub🤣

Blue Rye sounds lovely if I am ever near there I shall make time to visit. North England almost 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 DS1 is there tonight checking out his ‘summerjob’ They are desperate for staff. Not why he got the job🤣 he worked in a constantly busy place whereas the other is in a village beautiful scenery, canals, lochs, mountains( Munro’s, Ben’s) hoping for four days working and three days walking. Not terribly far from my grandmother’s birth place. He should enjoy it.

Hope you feeling better soon Bean and Willow
Dancing🤗

I can’t remember now as I have been watching Bradley Walsh in Law and Order. He does play the part well and due to watching The Chase and the travel one with his son seems a very nice man.

Despite interruptions three phone calls and a visit from an old friend whose is the same age bar 1 day younger( we used to work and live together) and she brought my card and arranged a meet for next week. That is something to look forward to.😂 I managed to take everything off the worktop and later after going to drop something at DS2 and a long wait in the chemist I carried on and
✅cleaned, polished the worktop,
✅wiped all the canisters and tidied up the mess.
✅Made some yoghurt for DH as it needs using and then I can put it all away.
✅Put tea towels and stinky kitchen cloth in the WM.
✅tidied some of the stuff on the table
✅ cleaned the spice rack.

Been researching some availability and prices for the Jubilee.
Had garlic chicken, mash fried with spring onion( DH suggested shallots but he didn’t mean shallots🤷🏼‍♀️) and mushrooms. DF plant raspberry ice and fresh raspberries.

I have gripes stomach pains now. Great. I had to take two tablets and they are very strong. Taken with food because they can cause stomach problems hmm. Bloody cat!

Fell asleep on the sofa watching Vera so came to bed at 9. Lovely cosy place and is so much better as it is almost tidy. One basket and a box I am putting stuff for decluttering.🙂

🍒👋🍒👋🍒👋🍒👋🍒👋🍒🍒👋🍒👋🍒👋🍒👋🍒👋🍒 to everyone.

Oh Frankie sorry. It is awful. We are lucky as our heating is our wood burner/ multi fuel so the house is warm. We light it about 5pm. We stay in the green most of the time with our normal day. The Everhot is on all the time so we get some heat from that.
Hot drinks, thick socks, bed socks, hot water bottle, one of those wheat bags you put in the micro wave around your neck and shoulders helps cold and muscles.
Radio instead of tv.
Cooking two meals together so the second day it just needing heating up quickly. Batch cook mince then divide into cottage pie, spaghetti Bol etc
A mix of beef and pork mince( much cheaper) can be used to batch cook meatballs. Jamie Oliver’s recipe is great. Meat loaf is delicious I add veg in and again beef pork mix. It will last a couple of days.
I can think of anything else.

So wonderful to wake up to sun! Forecast says twelve hours of sun today. I'm flinging on two loads of washing then going out to garden/garage/shed. I was going over it in my mind yesterday, thinking outside was awful, then in a small weather window went to retrieve something from garage and realised all I need to do in garage is put things where they belong, because it's otherwise all sorted out and bagged up. I'll have a go at that first of all.

Will be turning over in my mind what to do with greenhouse. It has been neglected for years and all sorts of garden rubbish has ended up in there.

red it is hit and miss, sometimes i can barely stay awake thro the meeting, other times i am up hours after.

I need to get up and moving. motivation is from the kettle.

Thank you red

Frankie me too.ive got smart meters and so far this WEEK I've fed damn electric £45.its now text me there's £1 left...
I've done 4 loads washing and using mini oven so no preheating,a toaster multiple times a day and we can't afford use gas heating so electric fire in front rooms on couple hours a day I'm ready to cry as I feel poorly still and want to be warm and comfy..

Frankie I realise you might be doing those things but sometimes just one thing can jump out and make a small difference. I would also think that looking for opportunities to spend some time in other places that are warm ...library, church/ charity tea / coffee set ups( usually much cheaper than a shop) sometimes just a small donation. Some food banks set up free tea and coffee area. Playgroups. Clubs like WI, gardening, craft, art etc maybe only once a month but warm hall with a low set price for tea, coffee, biscuits, cake. Our gardening club is in the evening but some are afternoon and it is only £1 for tea/ coffee/ cake as much as you want. The club yearly subscriptions are either £7 or £15 I go to flower club too and not sure which is which.

Spring is on its way. 12 C the other day 6C yesterday🤨

Zoo 🤗 sorry to hear you are still unwell. Could you afford a dimples radiator?We have them for in between weather. They are cheaper to run than a bar fire. Realise you might not have a bar fire.sorry. Back to bed? My bed is probably the warmest place and I am still in it. Feel a bit rubbish this morning, I think this Covid is going to take a bit of getting over. Feel very tired this morning but going to jump up and do 15 in boudoir then start on the kitchen. Need to check in on her Ladyship first.

🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕

Afternoon all. No links today as MN is being a pain. So I’ll just mention that Friday is the day we are meant to clean out our cars and handbags etc. Enjoy.

🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕

I have sorted out my wardrobe, toiletries and makeup bag over the last week. Bought a lovely new swimsuit and sports bra in a sale. Last three days of isolation then 3 day break on holidays - yay!. I am tired with Covid so resting up.

Hope everyone's Friday was good.

Brilliant use of time Bean maybe being in our bedrooms for so long has made us really look at them and motivate us to sort, Declutter and clean it. Glad you are feeling better. I was positive for 21 days😳 the GP was surprised and made note of it. I still have a cough and tire easily. Went to see my friend tonight and ended up staying and helping her. We must have checked and packed about 30 boxes. It felt like it anyway. Some lovely baby clothes. It is going tomorrow so just as well I went tonight. I also spoke to her mum in Ukraine. It was nice for us both to see each other and be able to put a face to the person we have heard so much about.

✅Cleaned all the front of the cupboards.
✅wiped and polished the rest of the worktop.
✅ cleared and cleaned the table.
✅shined my sink.

Shattered now..

Not many folk about here must be lovely clean houses.

Enjoyed a couple of hours in the garden and garage yesterday. Rather frustrated at my ever-decreasing stamina and strength at times, but a little effort every day is making a difference.

Going out now to do some more.

YesTaDa
🏏bit of work
🏏shower
🏏school meeting for work
🏏bit of shopping in charity shop and wilko

Think that’s about it. Felt like crap still and mostly lived on the sofa!

I now have the house to myself for a bit but I have to go out later and meet DH to bring the younger two back home while he goes to a charity event. So I think I’ll just make the most of the quiet now, I haven’t achieved anything so far today (just enjoying watching the bunny munching hay!). But I can’t even decide what to watch!

🪃🪃🪃🪃🪃

It’s Saturday! That means no missions. But it’s the last day in zone 2, the kitchen.

Babystep 9 is about decluttering

It’s also Family Fun Day.

🪃🪃🪃🪃🪃

"Not many folk about here must be lovely clean houses."

1. Easter holidays for schools
2. Many have much delayed holidays to take
3. Cleaning house when kids are off school is like shovelling snow when it is still snowing.
4. Exam prep season for those studying
5. Mn glitchy as hell

And i can think of at least another 20 reasons before i would put "nice clean houses"

Days off studying are rare around here right now. Trying to balance study with house stuff. Some days are more successful than others. People are peopley. And i suck at being a grown up and having clean clothes to wear.

To do:
All the things
study
sleep

That about covers it

Yep no nice clean house here! :o

Def no nice clean house here! DH went to Actual London for Actual Work all day yesterday, so I was parenting solo for the first time in ages. I was in bed by 8pm 😁.

Yes Ta da:
❤️ Dog walked
🧡 Dog taken to vets - not seriously hurt, but bruised, given Dog Ibuprofen
💛 Drove DD to school cos she missed the bus as she forgot her lanyard and had to come back for it 🤦
💚 More local newspaper research
💙 Congratulated our newly-invested Latin Prefect when she returned at the end of term, at 1pm 🥰
💜 Fed DS3, and DS2 who turned up randomly looking half-starved as ever
❤️ Went to Tesco for all the things that forgotten in the week
🧡 Walked WillowHound again to meet the Lord and Master from the station
💛 Cooked chicken curry etc
💚 Fell asleep in a heap

I can't get going this morning, I am still in pyjamas making a bagel for lunch and keep falling asleep. Need to test-paint one shelf from the study bookshelf to see if I prefer emulsion or satinwood as the finish.

Aww zoo that's so depressing! I'm spending as much time out of the house as possible so I don't use anything, but still paying double 🤯 doesn't help that there's a cruel cold snap after the lush weather a couple of weeks ago! Hope you feel better soon.

Red all ideas are welcomed! I just wrote the above reply to zoo then went on to read your similar comment 😅 we have had the church groups that are free to keep us occupied and warm a couple of times this holiday thankfully.

Managed to baseline (I think) before escaping the house today for family day. Mission tonight is tackling the fridge that has a suspicious smell to discover and sort! 🤢

I think my chat with DD helped the other day, the last 3 days we have come home to a clean house! DW has been rotated at least, bathrooms were cleaned yesterday. Good thing. I had our contractor come over to bring the invoice for doing our French doors and steps, I was expecting it to be more than what it was. I asked him about a couple of other jobs that need doing, which meant having him go into the dreaded spare bedroom. It wasn't too bad in there, but I did feel ashamed of it. So I really do need to tackle that room.

Anyway, our niece is staying with us this weekend. I plan on getting our Easter decorations put up today as well. I work tomorrow afternoon and I have to bake cupcakes tomorrow. At some point this weekend I need to place a grocery pickup order, but not sure when yet.

I'm currently lazing about on the couch, with a headache. I'm not sure why, other than going to bed extremely late last night while DH was telling me about a job offer he has. He's calculating how much of a raise it would be, pros and cons. This was at midnight, so it was just after 1am when I went to sleep 😴

I'm going to need to do some moving things around in the kitchen, even if it's for a short time. DD got an air fryer and it takes up so much counter space! She has been using it every day this week so realistically it needs to stay upstairs.

🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🥳🥳🥳🥳 Happy Birthday this weekend Red

I'm sorry to hear about the energy costs going up for some/ all of you. It is unfair that cost of living goes up, but incomes don't see that same increase. It happens here too. It's almost twice as much to put petrol in my car now than it was last summer (was $45, now $75). There have been some great suggestions on this thread about cutting costs, but it's hard to save if you're already doing everything you possibly can. I find a hot bath with warm me to my core if I just can't seem to warm up. That and hot drinks/ soup, blankets, thick Fluffy socks & heavy robe. Ooooh, and a hot water bottle!

💐 for those of you who are still unwell.
willow that's good to hear about willowhound. I mean, it's not good that he's in pain, but it is good that it's just a bruise.
hills can you delegate certain tasks to the people, so maybe they can be kept busy and out of your hair? I know, that's probably asking a lot, but you're burning both ends of the candle!

Sing I hope you got to enjoy your alone time.
Red it sounds like you have been kept busy with getting those boxes ready, I'm sure they'll all appreciate everything you have done. I hope you don't overdo it with just getting over Covid.

🍒👋 to everyone else. I really should get moving off the couch, get Showered and ready for the day

No clean house here
Dd had body fevers again last night- i was so worried for her- i think it might be a urine infection- she is fine in the daytime. Sorry for tmi. Slightly frantic from lack of sleep- uniforn all dried and put away.
Ds bed sheets part washed.
But did declutter wardrobe and books.
Dragged new kallax downstairs and lil fraggle loved filling it with my Harry Potter books!
Watched the movie Great Expections 1946 in Bbc2- it was very good. Can see how current films have based characters on those characters.
Went to pick up fraggles from my dads house.
I can see more boudoir floor. Got to keep going.
Despair of how much house still needs decluttering. Its looking alot better.

Frankie and Zoo I am so sorry to hear you are struggling with heating and energy bills...its horrible feeling cold. (Had boiler failure 3 years ago- never believed my house could get so cold.) Hope you find a way to stay warm. Sending you huge hugs.
Red- I would love a everhot here.
Sorry my minds gone blank.

Cross words were said here from Dh to me. He has reached breaking point about the 3 mountains of doom.
I am also sick of them and have given myself 1 week to break the back of them.
I am seriously considering donating the wooden play kitchen to a charity shop.
Trying to give everything a organised home.

Gosh Mn yesterday- the ad were so big i couldnt see to write.

Today Mn is being glitchy.

🍒👋 to anyone i missed.