Festive Fledglings are Flying into December

[EspeciallyD]

Welcome, everyone!

Here is the December 2022 Flylady thread. We use her system to get on top of our housekeeping and our lives and families and, mostly, it works. By all means have a look at her website - www.flylady.net/ but don't sign up for the emails if you value your sanity, she sends hundreds!

The system is very straightforward. Starting one thing at at time, you build up morning and evening routines to keep things on an even keel daily. Then you add a weekly structure to get various jobs done:
Monday - quick whizz round the house cleaning
Tuesday - planning day
Wednesday - anti-procrastination day
Thursday - errand day
Friday - clean out your car and handbag / date night
Saturday - family fun day
Sunday - renew your spirit
Then, through the month you have a weekly cleaning focus Zone so the whole house is mostly cleaned every month.

It can look overwhelming if you've never tried ot before (and even if you are 19 years in like me have), so go slowly, do what you can.

Two important things to remember are:

you are never behind. Just jump in where you are and do something
you can't clean clutter, so if you need to run round with a binnag once a day for the first week / month / year then it's ok to do that.

I'll be posting links to the Launch Pad every day, which you can click on to find basic tasks, Zone cleaning, daily focus etc.

There's also a Flylady app if you like ticking things off on your phone.

Although this is a long running thread with many regular posters, all are welcome, if you are curious about the Flylady system or just fancy joining in the chit chat while you go about your daily life please join in, also ask if you don’t understand anything.

We have so many boxes everywhere!
I drank a little too much yesterday, but so far I've drank quite a bit of water, as well as my 2 coffees and I'm feeling a lot better.
Ta Das:
🎄 taken clothes out of the washer (had been left in there for a few days 🤢
🎄 put the washer on a clean cycle
🎄 resorted those clothes to be rewashed
🎄 got dressed, wearing my comfy clothes today
🎄 taken the rubbish out (food related rubbish)
🎄 gathered empty boxes (DH & DS will take them to throw them away soon)

To Dos:
🎁 wash handwash dishes
🎁 rotate DW
🎁 vacuum
🎁 S&S both bathrooms
🎁 lots & lots of LOLs

Happy boxing day everyone! I got the Christmas chronicles (Nigel Slater) for Christmas so I've been enjoying reading that. I've been reading just the day we're on, but not sure if I should start from the beginning to catch up 🤔
Time to message my mum, we never did chat yesterday 😪

I'd be inclined to start it from today rather than try and catch up now @HazelNuttyElf but also flick through and look at the recipes and pictures. Maybe read the intro (which is pretty long).

Glad the eye is improving @CurseYouPerryThePlatypus

Glad too that you survived the open house @HillsBesideTheSea

We had a nice day yesterday, a civilised start at 8am with stockings, then breakfast and tree presents. I went to an outdoor church service with a friend then back to cook lunch. Afterwards we went over to see my parents and today we are visiting FIL.

ED thank you, I will do back and read the introduction.

Ta Das:
🤶 handwashed dishes
🤶 rotated DW
🤶 vacuumed
🤶 dusted
🤶 3 LOLs (1st 2 LOLs are even put away!)
🤶 wrapped the last few gifts
🤶 put wrapping paper, ribbons and tags away

ILs came over today for lunch, had leftovers. It seems we all ate too much and there's still a lot of food leftover.
Currently sitting down on the couch, falling asleep. Nap time for me!

Morning all. Just about (except for Hazel, who if I remember the time difference correctly is hopefully still asleep!) 😁

I have only just woken up at 11 😳. I have certainly enjoyed the lie ins this holiday! I did wake up around 6.40-8ish but clearly needed more sleep after, and the electric blanket really helps with that.

We only have today and tomorrow morning to make sure the house is nice for visitors. The living room is still a mess and although it’s much bigger than our old living room it will still feel the squeeze! The buffet food is all ordered to arrive tonight and there won’t be much prep for that tomorrow as it’s all simple stuff. But the house. The house!!!

I am very achy but should really get up. I can’t even think of a power of three as I’m not sure what needs doing as a priority or what I will feel able to do until painkillers kick in. Will see how the ground floor is getting along, I can hear sweeping! 🤣

Perry you were right! I was still asleep, I'm 7 hours behind you lot.
Delegate as much as you can, try to see as much floor as possible and clear hot spots, 15 minutes at a time. That's what I do before people come over. If I don't have time to sort through anything I create a BRC to go through it when I do have time. I also do S&S to make sure the bathrooms are clean for when people need to use them.
I'm sure you already know this and are probably already working on it!

Anyway, it's early. It's the last day of my 4 day weekend (this weekend, I'll have another one next week!) I'll do the usual bedding, once DH gets up. I should get started on some laundry though, there's still so much! I'll try to wash the blankets from the couches, as well as towels today too.
Yesterday DH told me that they would do some laundry since they are off all week (they being DH & DS) yet they didn't do anything yesterday 😒 I had to remind him that I still need clean clothes since I have to work this week!
Anyway, we had ILs over yesterday for Boxing Day and ate some leftovers. I'm avoiding alcohol until New Years Eve, and even then I don't want much!
Hopefully I'll get back on here with some ta das!

Ta Das so far:
☕️ sheets washed and currently in the dryer
☕️ 2nd LOL in the washer
☕️ DS taken to his hair appointment
☕️ read the introduction of Christmas Chronicles
☕️ read today's section

I'm starting to get hungry now, I don't usually get hungry until noon (it's 10:30am) but this is what happens when I eat too many carbs 🤦‍♀️ I best go find something to eat!

I have been away for a couple of days, I will get started with the links again tomorrow.

Don't worry ED you can't be everywhere at once and real life is more important than the internet. Hope you enjoyed your few days away.

🍒👋 To everyone. I hope you all have had a lovely festive period. I'm glad Christmas is over and I can start to recover 😐

Glad everyone has had a good few days we have too. The three boys arrived about 1pm complete with left over chest infection and flu and DS3 sneezing and coughing so we are hoping we avoid it. Dinner went smoothly thankfully. Due to a misunderstanding by the young butcher we ended up with a smaller turkey 5kg rather than a 5kg crown. I prefer it to thinking of how many dishes I can make with leftover turkey. There was enough for the boys to take a plate home and enough for us for the last two days. We always have a gammon too.
We spoke to DD and partner later which was lovely except she has covid. So this year all our kids were ill on Christmas Day!

I collapsed in a heap on Boxing Day and watched films and ate chocolate.
My foot seems a bit better from having it up.

Yesterday I started back by making my bed with fresh sheets and putting some clothes away. I went to see BF. She gave me a lovely vase which matches my crockery and a small pot for either a plant or a candle. Some gin chocolate and some Christmas socks which was great as I wasn’t wearing any so put a pair on.

Ed it is fine I don’t thinking any of us are bothered about what she was saying. I am going to try and pull around the boudoir today though and do some washing. If it is warm enough I will try to get out to the greenhouse to repot the house plants as one looks very sick indeed. However I might have to clear a space indoors as we are forecast snow. It never arrived yesterday and it was too dark to see half an hour ago when I got up to the loo. It is just getting light now. I can see a chink in the curtains. So sorting, dusting and half watching tv or listening to Radio 4 is the order of the day here.

The food.
I decorated DS2 cake yesterday but forgot to take any photos. His had three snowmen and some holly, ivy and pine cones. They looked rather cute with different coloured hats and scarves. So that is all the cakes away bar one tiny one to deliver to a lady at church, who is away.
Delia’s Chutney is delicious.I opened it yesterday though it should have another week. I made Jamie’s stuffing and ‘What’s that! ‘ was the comment. Rather rude. He made it one of the bundt tins and I had a small one. I was quite proud of it but the comments were favourable. I ignored and cut myself a slice it was delicious. Then one they all wanted some. The apricot and ginger stuffing was declared the best in traditional balls.
I didn’t get the Yule Log or the Stollen made but might make them tomorrow if I fancy a baking day. We have a brace of pheasant to do something with courtesy of our neighbours.

I have a new great nephew born just before Christmas. No name yet as still deciding. He looks lovely.

Enjoy what is left of the holidays. Lovely to read all your news and it looks like I might get this posted if I am quick.🎄🍒🎄👋🍒🎄👋🍒🎄👋🍒🎄👋🍒🎄👋🍒🎄👋🍒👋🎄

Aww lovely news about the new baby red 😍

Ditzy sorry you have to recover from the festive season 💐 was it very busy? <adds more cake to naughty corner>

Today is the family Christmas we have every year, two newbies as well because DSD1 and DD1 both have boyfriends! So 11 of us in total. It’s always fun with lots of games and a quiz (we take turns to write it and DH buys a prize) but from experience we will all be peopled out tomorrow 😅

Not actually sure what time everyone is arriving but need to continue tidying up! The hallway, stairs, landing and bathroom are done but the living room not so much 😬 kitchen needs fixing too as guests will likely be in there a little.

Hope you have a lovely time away ED and that all the fledglings managed to enjoy/survive delete as appropriate Christmas.

as was inevitable I hit Christmas eve afternoon and came to a crashing halt. Basically spent 3 days doing very very little except vegetating on a sofa in front of the tv enjoying the great british tradition of all the war films yep no idea how that tradition came about either Appreciating the simpleness of the effects and how the plot dominates. Do get fed up with the oh look special effects will distraction from the fact there is no plot nonsense that is common in a lot of current films.

Hitting the ground running today.

ta da
retrieve laundry that was abandoned on the 24th - rewashed and set to dry in appropriate manner
retrieve laundry baskets from ds' bed
sort contents of said baskets and tackle sock pile of doom
retrieve laundry off ds' floor-drobe
collect my laundry
sort laundry ready for going through the machine
unload dw and reload
hoover lounge floor
deal with over sugared people who are suffering sugar crash issues
cook a fry up for breakfast because energy is needed
deal with fact that med alarm has not been going off
start the discussion about when decorations come down. I want new years day ish, i have one that wants 12th night and one who comes from different traditions where decorations go up 24th Dec and come down on candlemas. So it is always a discussion.
start the process of watering the plants - i have 2 in plant hospital, one or 2 dead to take out and a whole heap of others that need basic tlc.
discuss appropriate plant replacement for the one in lounge that was killed - not enough light, got forgotten wrt watering so need a more shade tollerant, drought tollerant species for that spot.
try to figure out how to store the fragile things that i was given for Christmas but wont need to use until i escape to my own home.
ditch socks that are worn out, and put tops with holes into the mending pile for the new year - sewing machine is set up on the dining table atm so this can be done.
sort out plans for the rest of the week - various appointments and an emergency trip to opticians for broken glasses.

Right i should probably get moving again. I need to get the laundry/ironing and kitchen completely tamed so that the milk free biscuits that never got made before christmas can be made for before tomo when ds comes back. Need to remember i need to do an early morning pharmacy run to pick up his meds tomo. <sigh> reality kinda hit with a bump.

Thanks Willow I'm feeling better now after a few days of doing nothing.

It was difficult rather than busy Perry. I made a few changes from previous years which helped, but have decided I need to make even more.

I might not achieve it all but I want to try to make big progress this coming year, the last few have felt like such a grind. I made a good start last year with more conscious purchasing leading to less decluttering needed and getting involved with FlyLady has definitely helped with the home chaos. I'm going to get started today by getting back to the evening routine and getting to bed at a sensible time.

@red congratulations on the new family member

@GreenWillowAndFairyLights I cannot wait to get outside tomorrow and think I'll walk the kids to the library for a change of scene.

Sounds like a good plan ditzy well done for the changes you’ve made so far!

The evening was really lovely. Not a very late night as some have to work tomorrow (today!) but we fit in a few really funny games as well as the annual quiz. Presents all a hit with everyone too 🎁😍

I am feeling quite positive about the fact the house was a lot tidier than usual, and because of that it didn’t feel crowded in the living room with everyone there. Organisation really paid off - fridge was tidier, I ordered food in advance (did the bulk of it before Christmas in a tesco slot to arrive yesterday) which meant the buffet was much better than when DH has had to shop in the morning. Served up things in a more measured way so much less wasted and it was easy to pack up in the original packaging/Tupperware/food bags. I’m going to make a note of a few bits that nobody really ate so I don’t bother next year but most was well eaten!

We also didn’t even use some of the stuff in the freezer so that’s New Year’s Eve sorted too (DS has a friend round to sleep over).

Today marks the end of Christmas really, all gatherings gathered, gifts gifted etc. I am a bit sad rather than relieved this year as we have managed some decent family time. And I don’t really want to get back to reality especially with uni deadline looming (so much for getting the assignment done early and then catching up on content). I suspect the routine of work from 3rd Jan will really help though as maybe it’s the lack of structure that’s increased my anxiety lately. I’ve become used to seeing a lot of people in daily life now and having outside stuff to focus on which seems to help me!

Nothing planned for the rest of the week, so really must get on with assignment and sorting my schedule for January… not to mention somehow avoiding the house descending back into chaos 😬😫

Enough waffle from me, goodnight all!

Red congratulations on your new nephew! How wonderful!
I am glad your foot is better.
Willow sounds like a lovely Christmas you had. Good luck with reclaiming the house.
Hills you really hit the ground running. Impressed with your effort!
Hazel I hope you are doing ok with the weather misbehaving and are not too frozen.
Perry good luck with planning for Jan. I quite like this part of the year, feels like a fresh start.
Bluebells I hear you with conscious purchasing. It's one of my goals too, and I am vaguely succeeding in it.

We are still at my mother's, but McToddler is recovering from a nasty viral thing and is still so clingy to me. Just once I have this opportunity of family childcare and my offspring is having none of it. So not fair!
I am feeling very touched out and grumpy, feeling like DH is not understanding me at all, and so irritated by everything he does. Well, his insistence that toddler needs less cartoons whilst he himself is sitting all day on the sofa and scrolling his phone is infuriating. This is my holiday too! And the breastfeeding, he doesn't understand why I want to stop when McToddler would feed all day and all night if I let him 🙄 I feel like we are on different planets right now.

At least no masses of housework to do until we are back home.

Fnrgh. Thanks to the combination of drinking Pepsi/Dr Pepper from the buffet stash, and the peopled-out/overthinking etc that is pretty much inevitable for me after a busy evening hosting, I am Not Asleep.

Best make a plan for tomorrow:

🎯Phone eye clinic to ask if they need to see me again. Pain is mostly gone.
🎯At least one LOL.
🎯Bit of a room rescue in boudoir - too much stuff shoved in here!
🎯Lots of reading to relax!
🎯Post a card and collect a parcel I missed when at the hospital last week, or possibly get DH to if he’s going anywhere.
🎯Work on essay. We now have an extra resource to use, so that will make it easier, but I’ve been procrastinating.
🎯One other thing to keep the house in good shape. Not sure what but I want to build on what we’ve managed this week so far!
🎯Eat/cook with leftover party/Christmas food.
🎯Sort new toothbrushes as they need replacing.

FFS it’s gone 3. Hopefully I am now sleepy enough but I will still need to drown out the anxiety (and the earworms 🎵 oh god the earworms when I’m stressed are SO LOUD!!!) with something on Netflix I think.

Goodnight again!

Aaah cross post UNP am assuming you’re up for a feed! Hope you get back to sleep soon, I found the clinginess of an ill toddler incredibly wearing and somehow it feels even worse when you’re not at home?! 😑💐

Morning all, we got home yesterday afternoon, spent a couple of hours unpacking and tidying, popped to Sainsburys for a few bits half price mince pies and watched a film, did some crochet and watched more darts.

More tidying has been done this morning, there are a lot of edible presents lying around but I am gradually finding homes for the non-edible stuff. The weather is nicer today so I will want to get out of the house at some point, might just walk into town.

I haven’t been Flying as such, glad to hear you have felt more on top of the hosue stuff this year @CurseYouPerryThePlatypus

Lovely news about Christmas baby @Redsquirrel5

How old is McToddler now @UsernameNotPresent ? I BF DD till she was 2 years 9 months and then realised it was more just habit then proper nourishment and decided to stop offering, she stopped bothering pretty soon and that was that. Don’t offer, don’t refuse was the strategy.

@HillsBesideTheSea I have lost a couple of plants recently too, they were in the bathroom and TBH both were just too small and delicate (cheap small ones from Aldi). So I need to find some more suitable replacements.

@HazelNuttyElf I’ve been over-carbing too, I did a low carb diet for a few weeks in the run-up till Christmas and lost a stone, but still need to lose some more so I will be getting back to that when I’ve finished the half price mince pies.

Right, need to go and get dressed.

Just in case anyone wants it, here is today’s Flight Plan www.flylady.net/c/fp.php?tzm=0

We are in the living room and the mission is to hoover right up to the edges. Always a bit tricky for us as its a small room and we have heavy furniture all the way round the edges

Morning all. It was almost 4.30 by the time I got to sleep 🙄😑 and then I woke at 9 thanks to Cagletini having no volume control! But I’ve had a relaxing morning anyway, listening to lots of an audiobook. Must get on with some stuff now though.

po3.1
❗️Eat something, take paracetamol and caffeinate self
❗️Gather laundry and put a LOL on (and check towels in dryer are actually dry, as it keeps randomly stopping)
❗️Potter round a bit downstairs to tidy

Just noticed it wasn’t even morning by the time I posted 🙈

Ah well. I had a nice lunch of buffet leftovers, washing has finished and I gathered a bit of rubbish and a load of recycling (mainly Cagletini scribbles/worksheets that had been shoved haphazardly into the Kallax! Were I sentimental enough to keep them all the house would be a major fire hazard!) - except the bin is full so it’s in a bag.

Apologies for banging on about this, but I am absolutely chuffed with how much easier it’s been food wise since we got the new fridge. Having it just before Christmas turned out to be excellent timing! I feel like if we can manage over Christmas then surely we can manage at any time?? Being organised with food is one of those things that a lot of adults seem to be able to do, but as an ADHDer of ADHD parents it doesn’t come naturally at all, so it is a big achievement for me to not be wasting food etc. Today I’ve used up the crudités (except pepper as the sticks could be cooked for dinner) with one of the dips and I baked the leftover pitta strips to make them crunchy. DH did a bit of a top up shop as I reckon we don’t need a tesco delivery until after new year and I’ve planned dinner around what needs using up first (again I realise to most people this is just bloody obvious but when you have almost non existent impaired executive function it really is a big deal to actually put it into practice). We also have loads of open packets of dry stuff and I have gathered anything unopened (including drinks) into a box not to be touched until NYE when we will put out a smaller buffet (only 5 or 7 people depending on DD1’s plans with her BF).

Enough waffle from me sorry 🙈 should really get on with something else now.

po3.2
❗️Move washing into dryer and hang up the bits that can’t go in
❗️Read resource from uni and make notes/highlight etc
❗️Start room rescue in boudoir (I know I should be more specific but I don’t really know what to do until I get in there!)

@UsernameNotPresent how you doing? Breastfeeding can be relentless can't it. How old is the child?
We don't have a lot of tv time ordinarily but over Christmas it's daily and the kids behaviour really suffers so I'd love to knock it on the head but we are all so knackered and it's tipping down each day so harder to get out and about.

Thank you for kind words, ladies. Perry to top things off, I have pregnancy insomnia, so I am up and dancing around 3am every night 😫 ED and Pompoms toddler is 2 years and 2 months. I am hoping he will self wean during pregnancy, I hear the magic number is 20 weeks when the milk taste changes. Hoping don't offer, don't refuse will work! I am feeling a bit better today, less like an ogre mum. Usually I really try to limit the screens, but this holiday his routine is out the window and I just want an hour to sit on a sofa and vegetate. I will fix the fixables when we get back home.

Ta das:

• quick kitchen clean
• cleaned the oven
• quick clean of the hallway
• LOL

sneaks in...

I've done the Flylady system before - when the DC were very young and I couldn't see how to keep track of everything. I was quite good at it. But then lapsed.

I've got to do something, so am going to try again. Not starting in the New Year. Starting now. My hands smell of bleach and my sink is shiny-shiny - enough for today as it's midnight (I know sleep health is in there somewhere).

I've read through the babysteps. I still do laundry daily,and swish and swipe - time - those habits stuck for years. I need to add the hot spots clearing, 15 min declutter and 5 min room rescues, one a day over the weekend, then onto the flight plan stuff over the next week.

Hi Elf! I love how flylady principles stick. I also do 5 min room rescues and hotspot clearings daily without even thinking about it. It doesn't even register as housework unless I actively think about it. I need to get better at following the flight plan and stick to zones better, that's where the wheels tend to fall off a bit.