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!

My plans for getting back on track have been thwarted by having a poorly (and incredibly grumpy) DD1 off school as well as DH working downstairs. So I’ve decided to accept this week there’ll be little progress made and just concentrate on basic routines and not allowing the place to descend into chaos. Today I’m going to try and do 10 mins of activity out of every hour, tidying up and any cleaning tasks that pop into my head.

I haven’t really been following the case closely Duet but in my (totally non-expert) opinion she seems like a nasty piece of work but I’d be surprised if he has always acted impeccably. I don’t think he’ll win as regardless of how awful she’s been or not been to him, my understanding is he has to prove that he’s never done anything wrong to justify the original article that he’s suing her over.

Glad the ECG was ok Dancing.

I’ve never seen Dinotrux Tidy, am I missing out?

Hope the week improves Bean. I’m sure the work thing will be forgotten about in no time.

Ooh hope we get a mini heatwave too ED!

Fingers crossed for that second baby Mc

Thanks for the link ED I love allotments, what are you growing this year?

Dinotrux sounds fun Tidy, that's a shame about the trashed hallway though but at least they had fun

Bean I hope the work thing blows over. It's disheartening when you've done your best but still got it wrong. Hopefully it'll told news by next week

Duet I hope your new job works out well

Glad the ECG results for your dad were fine Dancing, fingers crossed for the rest of the tests and hope you manage to fit the course in somehow. Sending you patience to get through the day. I suggest earphones so you can't hear the whinging.

Sometimes avoiding chaos is the best we can do Up. Sorry DD1 is unwell

That should read "be old news" Bean damn autocorrect

Thank you ditzy, up and dancing. Hug gratefully accepted. Things were better today.

Home wise I defrosted the freezer - only sweetcorn is left. We need to do a big shop to get us going again.

Tonight I an going to do the big Tesco shop online, tidy up more generally. Then Gardener's world.

@StillUp good point, I don't even know what they're trying to get to. He's saying he isn't a wife beater but looks like they both beat each other. I watched a bit more today as I was getting my hair done and she's admitted to be being quite awful too.

@DitzyBluebells new was probably a bit of incorrect terminology. I've been there since the new year. Still no idea what I'm doing.

Started the kitchen again. Didn't finish. Sitting watching golden girls with DD. I was so tired this morning after being up half the night with a dodgy stomach (sorry TMI) that one of my eyes was welded shut.

@SingToTheSky is the new school still going well?

Shit. Have a job interview.

I mean, good obviously. but still... shit. Eleven days to panic and three hours to prepare. (Might as well be realistic from the off)

Have just re-read my cover letter and actually I'm quite impressed...

Is there any way I can practise using Outlook? (there's a half-hour skills test and if I can't even do that they won't be too chuffed)

Merry- weldonee for getting an interview!

@merryhouse well done! Are you confident in interviews? Do you have examples of generic situations? Can we help?

What do you need to practice in outlook? What are you using currently? It's likely very similar.

Hahaha not at all. I tend to say things like no actually I genuinely can't give you an example of that

The thing about Outlook is that I no nuffin. When I last worked properly it didn't exist and it's not the kind of thing you use in a non-work situation. I'm very good at figuring stuff out from drop-down menus but if asked to use it in a test I'd have a problem.

...and I'm just demonstrating another problem I have which is that I focus on the negatives All The Bloody Time

Morning all! Chaos here two days running, so I never got to post.

Merry good luck! I found outlook very easy to use - quite intuitive, unlike bloody Gmail - but you probably need to find a way of actually working with it for half an hour.

Mc cross fingers for DC2! My periods only ever came back once I'd completely stopped breastfeeding.

Bean sorry work was horrid and you felt you'd overstepped. We've all been there, it will pass 💐.

MrsTidy sorry your tidy hallway got eaten by children playing. At least they were happily occupied? (Clutches at straws).

Up I think that's the best approach with grumpy poorly people at home - do the best you can and don't worry about it. Hope MiniUp is not too snuffly and cross.

Duet a job is definitely "new" until you feel comfortable doing it!

ED glad you got to chat to DD - sometimes that is the most important thing even if nothing js decided, and with exam stress in your house too, all the more valuable.

Please assume I have faithfully completed all my routines over the last few days (ahem )

Weds Ta da
❤️ Counselling appointment. Seemed very light touch, but slept for two hours afterwards!
🧡 Unexpected lunch with Mum, as HS2 roadworks meant it took her an hour and a half to get to the dentist instead of 35 minutes. She was frazzled by the end of it and has to come past us to get home.
💛 My Lakeland order arrived and I am far too excited by my new onion and lemon storage for the fridge, which definitely look like boobs.

YesTaDa
💚 Cleaned the woodwork (bannisters, back of front door etc) in the hall
💙 Took DS3 and DD swimming at the new Lifestyle Gulag Centre. It was absolutely rubbish and we are all very disappointed. No opportunities other than ploughing up and down in lanes (despite booking Family Fun Open Swimming) and the whole experience came with a free dirty look from the retirees doing lengths and DS was questioned in the changing rooms as to why he wasn't in school. (DS3 is educated online for newbies, due to various minor but specific learning differences that his previous school wouldn't support because he "doing ok").
💜 Took the dog for nail clipping and grooming. Honestly, that animal gets more personal care than I do!
❤️ Telephone appointment with the GP about my cough - steroids again, so the whole family can look forward to ten days of my being loopily manic. Yippee. Might get some cleaning done, I suppose!

To do:
👨‍🔧 Printing, as new paper has finally arrived
👨‍🔧 Wash the lampshades in the hall and landing
👨‍🔧 Go through boxes in the study - bits in there have been packed up for weeks and I've not needed any of them, which should tell me something
👨‍🔧 Hoover, to see if dog hair is also making me cough.

But first, breakfast. 🍒👋 everyone!

Willow- that honestly looks like a crystal boob ornament. 🤣
Great list!

Up- hope mini up and big up are feeling lots better today.

Feel lots better today- I spoke to my tutor yesterday and she was superb. She understood and would do whatever it takes to support me. Genuinely a wonderful tutor.

So much to do I dont know where to start. Arghh

1. Declutter house

2.return kids wrong sized clothes. 3.couse admin 4.write assignment. 5.ring dad. 6.shower and dress in summer clothes. Not the 3 layer tops like yesterday that overheated in.

Try not to think of dd morning strop because I said No, she was not allowed to take her unicorn sunglasses to wear at school. 🦄 🕶🤦‍♀️

🍒 friday 👋everyone

Morning all! MN is still driving me batshit so I haven’t caught up.

I have had my monthly one to one with the boss today, which was good. Just getting ready to head out to an adult autism roadshow. I’d booked on before covid but it got cancelled. Now I’m going both for myself and for work as I can bring back useful info (I work for a parent carer charity).

School is going well so far thank goodness. Barely seen DD1 in the evenings as she’s been with her friend, but from next week she will have more work to do in the evenings so she’s making the most of the freedom!

Right, must get myself sorted!

Duet doing some of the kitchen and not finishing is much better than doing none. Housework is never really ‘finished’ anyway.

I don’t know whether to introduce DD to Dinotrux or avoid Tidy. Must be better than the Barbie programme which is her current fave 🙄

Ooh well done on getting an interview Merry! I have a free outlook app on my iPhone. It’s different to the desktop version but might be worth a look if you have no other way of having a go. Good luck!

Thanks for the well wishes for the DC Willow, Ditzy and Dancing. They are both right as rain today so hoping to get more done.

Sorry the swimming was such a let down Willow.

Glad the chat with the tutor was positive Dancing.

Waves to Red and Hills if they are around but not posting. Hope everything is ok.

I don’t think I achieved the amount of 10-minute productive bursts I planned yesterday, but chaos was at least prevented. I really recommend regular 2 minute tidies. I did 3 downstairs at various points in the day, getting DD1 to help, and I think it made all the difference (normally it gets to mid afternoon and I think ah fuck it and ignore the day’s mess until bedtime. Morning me would never use such profanity but afternoon me is a different kettle of fish).

YesTaDas:
✅ boudoir tidied
✅ landing tidied
✅ dining room mostly tidied
✅ washing was done and, crucially, hung up to dry
✅ cleaned sticky finger prints from glass in door between hall and kitchen, and also the patio doors in the dining room
✅ sorted DD’s hats, blankets and cardigans into a basket in the hall rather than having to run upstairs for them and having the worn ones lying on the stairs.
✅ made an online payment I kept forgetting about.
✅ did a small amount of cleaning in the bathroom while DD1 was in the bath.

Today I’ve had a leisurely breakfast, quick walk
round the block with MiniUp, and I’ve swapped out my various savings pots (Christmas, holidays etc) to ones with better interest. Beds are made, DW is empty and there’s washing on the line.

Cross post Sing. Pleased both the one-to-one and school are positive. Enjoy today.

Glad you're feeling better Bean

Duet it's not even been 6 months yet, you'll get there, it takes time to find your feet.

Congratulations on the job interview Merry! I've got outlook in an Android phone, I use the web but there's a free app too, it's easy enough to use for email.

Shame about the swimming Willow sounds like they messed up somehow.

That's great your tutor is being so supportive Dancing.

Glad work and school are going well Sing, you seem to have flourished in this job. Hope the roadshow was useful.

Up I have morning and afternoon me as well. Morning me needs the pointy stick at regular intervals.

🍒👋 To anyone lurking but not posting.

Ta-da's:

🔥 Mended doorknob that keeps falling off.
🔥 A little decluttering.
🔥 Collected prescription.
🔥 Filled empty cupboard with two big bags of stuff.
🔥 Boxed up two piles of stuff hanging around in the bedroom.
🔥 Visited grave.
🔥 Moved furniture around.

Sorry to have abandoned you today, my Fridays are somewhat manic at the moment, was out of the house by 6am and only been in and out briefly since.

Merry - I use Outlook for work (and the app on my phone and Ipad). Unfortunately the app versions are very simplified compared to the desktop version but you can only get that as a paid for software. Microsoft do have lots of useful tutorials which might give you an idea. You can use it for meetings, tasks etc as well as email and set up separate calenders for different things etc. I find it fairly self-explanatory when I have to do something out of the usual.

Sorry, brain has run out of energy (just used the last bit to do Wordle). Catch you all in the morning.

But I can report that I took another car load of clutter to the tip today

Well done on the interview Merry ❤️❤️

Ditzy I've all sorts of niggly jobs like the door knob on my list. I've to paint the hall and living room doors where they were shaved to fit the frame. On my list for 6 months now 😭

Impressive ta-da lists! Congratulations on the job interview @merryhouse - and good luck!

I've realised I haven't been on here (or flying) since bank holiday Monday. My [poor] excuse it has been a birthday week...bathroom scales this morning revealed a lot of body clutter added, so that's firmly put a line under it. Hoping I can come on and post a ta-da list by the end of the day...

Morning all. Tired and achy this morning, yesterday’s roadshow was really interesting though. There was a big gap between the two workshops I’d booked onto, so I went into the nearest town for a bit - nice to have some relaxed time alone (charity shop browsing and lunch with a book!).

I also spoke to someone about a potential higher qualification I may be able to switch to sooner. But I need to look into it properly - it’s exciting and could save several years but it would mean changing the plan I’d finally settled on. She gave me her email address which either way will be useful (possibly for work too) - she’s a psychotherapist as well as a researcher.

I was tempted to cancel a meet up with a friend today - it’s going to be a long day as DH is working all day and then he, DS and DSD are out to a Marvel quiz night. But if I don’t go, we will be indoors all day, and I really need to stop avoiding doing stuff. I keep feeling sad about how boring life is at the moment (even before covid TBH) - basically I need to say yes more.

<emerges from pile of clutter, dishes and laundry>

Ooh, hello @THATissooFETCH how are you doing? Nice to see you.

Take time to think about the qualification Sing. I hope it's the right thing to do - saving 5 years can only be good - but be sure before you jump. Enjoy time with your friend!

Courante good luck with your ta da list. You are never behind...!

Still you're doing loads, with poorly DC too

Bean, Ditzy I have a to do list like that too. "Paint the finial at the bottom of the stairs" has been on there years.

Dancing perhaps I should display my Crystal Onion Boob on the sideboard? 🤣🤣

Yesterday was a bit of a weird one in the end. I got some of my printing done, then found I'd not written the executive summary 🤦. Then I dropped the tuna sweetcorn mayo down my leg, walked into the table and spilled my tea and completed the evening by grabbing the frying pan with my bare hand because I forgot it would be hot. We things it's the steroids for my cough masking tiredness, so I do silly things. Taking today VERY SLOWLY and with a safety net!

Willow- 🤣😳🤣