May the Fledglings Fly with you

[EspeciallyDistracted]

Hello everyone, and welcome to the May Flylady thread! I have shamelessly copied the OP from the April thread, thank you Sing

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!

Wednesday

flylady.net/c/fp.php?tzm=-60

Flight Plan is here. Weds is Anti-procrastination Day, but as Hills says, you don’t have to do things on the day that Flylady does, Ihave never managed a home bleugh on a Monday because it’s a work day. I can often slip in an anti-procrastinate on a Weds though, I need to make a phone call today as I keep forgetting.

The mission today is to sort out your nightstand, chuck out the clutter and give it a dust/wipe.

<emerges from under blankets> I'll take a cuppa, ED!

Hills that's a huge amount to achieve! Glad you're back and in one piece.

That what a great achievement! Time for a rest?

Hazel I am in awe of how much you manage to do with two jobs and DD needing support as she sets up on her own.

Dancing sorry you have poorly people 💐💊. Hope you can keep things running.

🍒👋 to everyone - Bean, zoo, Sing, up, foxes, Blue, Fly, Mc, Red, SC, Chic, anyone I've forgotten, newbies, lurkers etc.

It has been a hectic few days here as DH went to Amsterdam for work at 4am on Monday 😫. I have been running things single-handed, which I've not done since pre-Pandemic, and DS2 has also needed assistance while his car was being fixed (he had a run-in with a deer on the way home from the pub. The deer was fine, the car less so). Some TaDa highlights!
❤️ Went to the dentist. Still have teeth.
🧡 Finally finished and printed client report!
💛 Helped DD refine Uni applications - definitely applying for Classics everywhere
💚 Spent a total of four and a half hours tootling round the countryside for 50 miles, delivering DS2 to the various places he was teaching and picking him up again.
💙 Finalised client family trees, just need to get them printed at EnormoSize™️.
💜 Had very first, original client from 15 years ago come back and ask for more work!
❤️ Finally tidied up in my study (mostly)
🧡 Ordered fabric to make dresses for DD and DS2's GF.
💛 Online seminar about Letting Go Of Perfectionism. Useful if you have NT children, I think, but pretty basic if you ar experienced with ND kids.
💚 Fixed curtain linings where DH had pulled them down 🤦

Supposedly a quiet day today, but I'll believe that when I see it. DH is back at about 11pm.

Nap that nap! And well done!

Bean, willlow,Ed, that, hazel, hills, ditzy thank you. Trying to bloody well get on with things until i feel too ill.

Lovely to see more are back on the thread. Hope zoo, red, foxes and sc are ok.
Has anyone heard from Half? I hope she is ok?

Tada-
One fraggle deposited to school- he didnt want to go.
Played dodge the dustbin man van on the way while driving.

Todo-
-clear breakfast stuff
-get fraggle 2 to eat
-put on slow cooker for jacket potatoes
-sit amidst my chaos house and try read things on the laptop.
-wonder what happened to my immune system having kids and why it takes so long to get over things.
-possibly start to find homes for all the clothes, paperwork and 'stuff' that has taken over the sitting room.

Sorry i am reading along but its not staying in my head.

Sorry the top of my msg was supposed to say-
*Thank you-

Hope you’re feeling better today Dancing, make sure you get some rest!

Definitely include some napping in your first few days of no more uni That 🥳🥳🍾

Hope the day remains quiet Willow. I’ve realised after having DH back for over 24 hours that he is absolutely the messy one. He has had a ranty text this morning about how it’s not the 1950s and I am not on maternity leave so that I can pick up his manky socks and clear up his rubbish. His suitcase is still in the hall and it will be getting rammed somewhere where I can no longer see it if he doesn’t shift it soon. It’s lucky he brought home airport treats or he’d be under the fledgling patio. Hope you have better luck with the return of Mr Willow.

Hills you are on fire at the minute. Totally agree about planning day. Tuesday seems an odd choice. Monday morning works best for me at the minute, but it’ll be back to Sunday evening once I go back to work (which is coming round far too quickly <sobs>). Home bleurgh on a Monday is a big nope in work time too. I want the house nice for when I’m in it at the weekend, not at the start of the week when we are rushing round and all out.

Excellent list Hazel. Well done again to your DD. Hope you enjoy your long weekend.

TaDas:
✅ cleared up DH’s crap while muttering about it, and made a mental note of everything I’d picked up to throw at him tell him about later
✅anti-procrastinated over some paperwork. It’s now in an addressed envelope ready to post
✅usual beds made, LOL, emptying of DW
✅ tidied and dusted dressing table and top of bedroom drawers

Dancing - hope you feel better soon
That that is a massive achievement. I hope that you can find time to enjoy it!

<waves to all the fledgelings>

pain k'od me last night to the point where sleep was hard and strong pain killers were needed. As a result i slept through the alarm and now need to rush around as i have to be out of the house by 2pm for an appointment a couple of towns over, which will take most of the afternoon. I have no idea what to do for tea for the people either so that is going to be a case of winging it.

As usual the to do list is long, the wish to do things is short and the time to do things is never enough.

Hills that last paragraph pretty much sums up adulthood I think! Hope your appointment goes ok

Messy people are a PITA Up, sympathies

I think in down immune system is stress Dancing, children are stressful plus all the rest life throws at us

That list made me feel tired Willow. At least you won't have to be taxi when the other car is fixed

ED I don't always do things on the day FlyLady says either, depends how the week goes.

So today I forgot it was Wednesday and thought it was Tuesday. Can't decide whether to be happy it's one day closer to the weekend or disappointed it's one less day to get things done. Today was all about DIY, which I hate, so the less said about that the better. It isn't especially pretty but it is done

I did it! I submitted both final pieces of work!

Yay!

Woohoo! Well done That.

Congratulations That !!!!!

Physio broke me

also ta da
food shop
walk
meeting

forgive me whilst i melt into a puddle of ouch. New physio routines are always mean, so it is normal but yeah.

Woohoo that well done!
Thank you Up I'm proud of what DD has accomplished, yet still worried she's throwing her life away 😳
Ditzy at least you can say you've got the job done and can move onto something you like better
willow I am lucky that DD is pretty self sufficient and that DS is a really big help around the house. Most of the jobs I put on here overlap each other and only take a few minutes each. I'm actually toying with the idea of quitting my 2nd job, even though I enjoy it, because I really enjoy having my weekends free
ED I'm ahead for once and did our bedside tables yesterday (my phone defaults to YesTaDas now 😅)

🌟🌟🥳🥳🥳🌟🌟🍷🍷🍷🥂🥂🥂 That congratulations!!!

hills I hope the pain subsides soon
Up your DH is very lucky he's still alive!

That- weldone for handing in your last assignment!

Hazel- you do so much! Do you think you think you will let your 2nd job go?

Yestadas-
-bath fraggle 2 and washed her in, skin friendly shampoo and body wash. She hasnt scratched her skin to make it bleed - so win! If anyone is wondering if the Childs Farm products are worth it -yes it is. (First time I used it as it was on offer I bought it.)

-nipped out for a cooked breakfast with sister and exchange information.
-tried to use laptop to fill in IT - tried to use goggle docs- (end up missing the simple word document- shows my age.)

Kept half eye on fraggle 2 who was enjoying watching Octonuts so much she forgot she was ill.

• put duvet cover onto duvet

-more IT stuff -pick up fraggle1 -quick snack -take fraggle to club and volunteer- love it. -home, eat and tell kids it bedtime so they wake up on time for school.

I am feeling better thank you. The painful body aches are gone now. Just cold symptoms.

🍒👋everyone
Hot coffees and teas in the naughty area.

dancing I'm really thinking about it, I do enjoy working there and time goes by really quickly, I just really don't like that I can't plan ahead a week, it has to be 2 or more to request it off, and I can't do spur of the moment things if I'm scheduled to go in. BUT I also love the discount I get to shop there 🤷‍♀️ so much to decide!
I'm glad the body aches are gone, they can be so draining. Just don't overdo it as you start to feel better so you don't end up more sick again.

I put the swing cushions back on the swing this evening, Watered the outside plants and pulled a few weeds. DD stopped by for a couple of hours as well and ate dinner with us. This wasn't planned so she just had to make do with some leftover potato salad from DH & DS, while we tucked into chicken (she's vegetarian). She brought over the tickets for her graduation ceremony which is tomorrow night, so we can get in.
I actually leave off work 3 hours early tomorrow, I don't really need to, but I am anyway!
🍒👋 for everyone

UP 😱 (rummages for thread shovel). Partners disappearing on trips when the other is looking after small kids owe an enormous debt. It's really stressful when you are the sole source of order and safety and the other person is away. I used to find it hard when DH was away when ds was little. He was away in Australia or the US for work but I have absolutely no one in this country and I always felt so alone. I was usually exhausted when he came back.

I remember one time he phoned - he was relaxing with a beer after a work event in Melbourne in the sunshine. Ten minutes later I phoned him back because ds had gone from normal to raging temperature - I couldn't believe it.

Morning all,

Only an hour or so WFH for me today, so it is effectively a day off. I will be tackling the laundry mountain and then going to Costco to help a friend who is buying for an event and needs some extra hands and car space. LOADS of admin stuff to catch up on too, plus some tidying badly needed. DD has a day off exams so she’ll be at home too. DS has his first A level exam today.

Up - sympathies re DH. We went away as a family for one night at the end of April. DD, DS and I all took small overnight bags and unpacked when we got back, DH took a suitcase, they live in the loft and I gave up and put it back myself earlier this week having spent three weeks tripping over it on the landing.

Dancing - glad you are on the mend, definitely don’t overdo it, I think I did a bit after I had Covid a few weeks ago.

Hazel - hope the graduation goes well.

That - so pleased for you finally finishing your degree, what an achievement!

Hills - hope you are a bit less ouchy today, physios can be brutal. No pain no gain etc.

Ditzy - so annoying when that wrong day thing happens, unsettles me completely. Well done on the DIY.

Today is Thursday (in case anyone else is confused ). So that’s Errand Day, which quite often does work well for me. Predictably, after decluttering nightstands it’s the turn of dressers today

flylady.net/c/fp.php?tzm=-60

Good luck to Ed's ds 🍀🍀🍀🍀

Ed- first Alevel exam for your ds- sending goodluck. Hope you are going to get a rest somewhere.

Hazel- is it the Christmas tree theme place?

Tadas-
Despatched fraggles to school.
Fraggle 2 woke too late to have breakfast but sent her in anyway. (Worrying about her but trying to push it out of my mind.)

-found all my old paperwork and getting lost reading it.
-laptop open and sorted abit more of document.

To do-
-cook tonights dinner- try do it this morning.
-try and tidy house- (believe in magic anyone?)
-check course tutor has recieved the email i am leaving the course!
-try hard to be soft and gentle mummy rather than the distracted and snappy mummy (making big decisions is hindering my thoughts.)
-try to have something nice for the fraggles to eat when they get home from school.

🍒👋everyone.

I thought i would share a chuckle.
Ds has just come and said "mum, i have cleaned the bench but it does not look as hygienic as when you do it. Can you come show me what I am missing?"
I have left him making tortillas after also showing him how to kneed dough.

But i am highly amused because he has finally understood that his level of clean is not my level and actually he kinda likes my level of clean. Kid is growing up.

ta da
> plan the next month worth of studies
> eat ice cream for breakfast because i am a grown up
> put a few items in the dryer to text the cold cycle as line dried stuff is not currently drying and i have a bunch of stuff that needs to be done.
> a little bit of crafting on christmas present
> go through emails
> a load of washing on
> help ds with another college application
> find all the bits needed for studying
> consider the best plan of action for tomo, and also for today where there is no function
> appreciate ds' help with sorting tea for tonight - he has helped figure out who is having what because 1 down due to dental stuff so we are cooking 4 meals tonight and my brain doesn't want to brain right now
> look at the disaster that is the kitchen and sob because no fucker know how to take out the bin/stack washing up/ not leave tea bags on the side etc - ds has promised to help when i have the energy to tackle it.
> beat the owl
> deal with the drama that broke out as it want to here.

Good training there Hills! Bench cleaning and tortilla making = excellent life skills.

We threw in budgeting as well.
"mum, you know how expensive it is to buy tortillas, don't bother i will just make them because all it is is plain flour, water and a bit of oil. And i have enough for lunch tomo"

Didn't have the heart to break it to him about the cost of electric of running the cooker. We'll get to that another time.

We make tortillas sometimes but they dry out very quickly. Really tasty though.

dancing the graduation is at her school this year, in the gym. It's unfortunate because they used to have them outside, until one year when a nasty storm rolled in. The weather is too unpredictable here this time of year and could have hot sunny days, like today, or freezing cold and snowing! I'm not looking forward to sitting in the hot, stuffy, BO smelling gym for a couple of hours tonight 🤮

hills your DS sounds very grown up, it sounds like he will be successful at adulting
A previous manager of mine used to wake up at 4am every morning to make homemade, fresh tortillas every day for her husband to take to work for lunch. That was actually a sad situation, he was very controlling of her and it ended up as a murder-suicide a few years ago 😢

4 more hours of work, including my 1 hour lunch!