Fledglings January 2023: the one without an interesting title

[CurseYouPerryThePlatypus]

Hello everyone, it’s that lovely time of year when we all aim at a fresh start! Welcome back to our regulars, and if you are new or returning, a huge welcome to you as well! Please feel free to post or lurk, whatever helps you most.

So, Flylady. That mysterious system that promises a lovely clean house! This link is a good place to read about the basic principles, but we strongly recommend ignoring the first bit - do not sign up for emails as you’ll be inundated!

www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/

If you’re new to the system, or are wanting a refresher course, the baby steps may be a good idea. Some are more useful than others, we’ve found, and stuff like affirmations may not work for you, so pick and choose what you want to try. You don’t have to do it all! Perfectionism can be left at the door, we celebrate any achievement here no matter how small it seems (this is why you’ll see our Ta Da lists as well as To Do lists!).

www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/31-beginner-babysteps/

There are parts of the house called zones, each taking a different part of the month, and missions in those zones to do little tasks we may have neglected. If you don’t feel ready for those though, a good way to start is doing 15 minutes decluttering in that zone! Remember it didn’t get messy in a day so it won’t be fixed in a day either. Slow and steady.

Then there’s the daily focus - each day of the week has a theme, although many of us switch them around to suit our own lives.

Each day I’ll provide the link to the launch pad, which is where you can see what is meant to be done that day (but again don’t feel you have to do all of it! That way lies burnout!).

A couple of principles we talk about on here are:
Future Friend - the idea of doing something today that benefits you later, such as choosing your clothes or making your lunch the night before.
Power of Three (po3) - if you’re overwhelmed, just pick three easy tasks - no matter how small - and forget about the rest until they’re done. Then reassess and decide another three.

Finally a few acronyms:
DW - dishwasher, not dear wife!
LOL - load of laundry, we aren’t finding washing hilarious
WM - washing machine
TD - tumble dryer

🏵🏵🏵🏵🏵

Saturday 14th January

No missions as it’s the weekend - daily focus is to have some family fun. Last day in zone 2 so you could declutter in the kitchen.

Baby step #14 is to read about using a calendar 🤔

www.flylady.net/d/flylady-guide-on-how-to-use-a-calendar/

Here’s the launch pad:

www.flylady.net/c/lp.php

🏵🏵🏵🏵🏵

YesTaDa
🚎up and showered
🚎worked several hours at the children’s centre - got so much more done without the distractions of home, but probably stayed a bit too long as I hit the wall, focus wise!
🚎read a chapter of a novel in my lunch break
🚎put Cagletini to bed

Happy Saturday fledglings. I’ve had a crazily busy week at work but DH has got himself in my good books this week as he’s done well keeping the house vaguely in order and us all fed.

My January decluttering has stalled somewhat although I’ve got a bit of motivation from reading the last few day’s posts from you all. Just relaxing for a bit now though while DD1 is playing and MiniUp is asleep.

TaDas:
🌍 got passport photos done for the girls (DH has made by day by saying he’ll sort the online forms 🙌🏻)
🌍 swapped a duplicate christmas gift
🌍 stuck an LOL in
🌍 tidied living room

that’s about all I’ve achieved today but I needed a rest. I think I’ll make a move and maybe reclaim the kitchen (did not do much zone work this week) and the bathroom, and stick the LOL in the dryer.

Best wishes to your person Hills and your DD Willow

Hope Dobby is ok after the jabs Hazel and you are feeling less grumpy.

love the party ideas Pompoms

Ooh I love tiffin Peach<glances hopefully in the direction of the naughty corner for leftovers> <remembers operation holiday bod is underway and looks away>

I like Friday 14th too ED and Hills. I think yesterday was my most productive and smoothest work day all week.

ta da
dw unloaded, loaded and run, unloaded and currently in the middle of loading again
Rant about people who eat butter knives after someone made the mistake of complaining about the lack of them there is 24 people, can't wash what you don't return to the kitchen
get a person to help "staging" of house with their pretty things
other person a&e person swung a tea towel and helped with a few bits
other person has also placed boxes and other tip stuff in car so can be dealt with tomo
words have been had about cleaning routine expectations. Yikes was the response <evil hills emoji>
come up with cunning plans to make sure that people can understand cleaning routine benefits it involves visitors they are not expecting but will enjoy plus coffee and cake
clean top of unit and completely reorganise
go through another draw with both people and agree drawer switching will be practical having cleaned out some junk
discuss baking tray under unit drawer construction
get to last round of blanket, and discuss plans for a "summer" (aka not winter coloured blanket) as it will be thrown over the exercise ball to make it prettier to look at
get teen to donate laundry and rescue washing up from his computer den.
plough through all the pots that needed doing that haven't felt up to this week
discuss plans to use up the potato flour and repurpose the tub for the tapioca flour
wash up all the new tubs
label the tubs that were dry and just missing labels
reorganised the tub storage cupboard
delegate banister cleaning - person can manage that so that is their job
clear clean and stage side board
burn breakfast and lunch i need a responsible grown up
google where the heck i am picking teen up from later
decide doughnut making will have to wait til tomo as definitely too tired to do that safely today.
discover chocolates on cleaning adventures that need eating and discover i am only one that like that kind of chocolate
find stuff that should have gone away at christmas and didn't temporary locations where they won't be lost between now and december.
come up with cunning plan for next week when ds is in college... it involves ultimately a trip to the garden centre for plants

About to take some pain killers and get on with sorting and doing laundry.

Mostly I've been in the naughty corner the past couple of days. Managed to keep the morning and evening routines going but that's it.

Did a pedicure today to cheer me up.

Last week I thought I'd get loads of stuff done now that I'm over the worst of the lurgy, then I ricked my back. So I'm lying in bed wondering whether I can put some, or even any, of the house to rights today.

I think a list would be overwhelming right now. I'll put on a podcast and go from room to room putting stuff where it belongs.

YesTaDa
🔬LOL1
🔬listened to audiobook
🔬put a few bits away
🔬LOL1 in dryer/hung out, LOL2 on
🔬LOL2 in dryer, LOL3 on (towels)
🔬helped DD1 check and add to college application
🔬went through the last of DD1’s clothes with her to declutter
🔬studying
🔬LOL3 into dryer along with LOL2 since I had forgotten to switch it on 🙄 luckily it has a large drum!

🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲

Sunday 15th January

No missions as it’s the weekend - daily focus is to renew your spirit. Do something nice for yourself!

We move into zone 3 - the bathroom - so declutter in there if you want to.

Baby step #15 is about making your bed every morning.

Here’s the launch pad:

www.flylady.net/c/lp.php

🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲

curse , how annoying to forget to turn the washing on... I forgot to turn my slow cooker on last month before work , had to throw out a whole pork shoulder with bbq sauce 😱
I like the idea of doing something nice for yourselves.. I think il do a face mask later and a warm eye mask .

Tadas so far
🍊3 lol so far
🍊washed bedding
🍊 made gf banana bread and chocolate cherry tiffin

🍊labelled Dcs revision guides

Feeling tired so will slow down the pace for the rest of the day

Oh no peach that’s so frustrating about the slow cooker.

I have mostly been studying today - I really need to get into better habits. Catching up isn’t too difficult at the moment but that’s mainly because this course has pretty familiar content. That won’t be the case in the next few years!

I need to tidy up more though, as my Work Wife colleague is popping in tomorrow morning so we can attend an online meeting together before we dash off to a school visit. She is so lovely and I’m sure she wouldn’t judge but I’d like the living room and hallway to look better than they do now! DS and I did a bit of tidying earlier but definitely need some motivation to continue. I’m not doing great physically at the moment so it’s small bursts followed by resting (or studying as at least I’m sitting down) all the way today.

po3.1
❗️Clear bottom of stairs including rehoming bits I collected from living room earlier
❗️Put video game stuff in basket
❗️Tidy windowsills

curse, I have been the same over the weekend , burst if energy then rest .
willow, ooh what colour nails, mine need doing but not motivated at the mo.

Tadas
🍊6 lols
🍊put lols away
🍊uniforms out for tomorrow and my outfit
🍊helped Dc with revision for an hour , will do some more later
🍊changed bedding
🍊checked school equipment
🍊made banana bread, tiffin and homemade lasagne
🍊day 13 , no spend day , running total of £8 for non essentials

YesTaDas:
🍹 shopping in the next big town - used a gift card from Christmas
🍹 bulk shopping, mostly meat
🍹 ate out for lunch, ILs bought
🍹 put all shopping away, with help from DH & DS
🍹 took ILs out to dinner, used cash DH got given (by them!) I drank way too much alcohol!

Ta Das so far today:
☕️ showered, dressed and moisturised
☕️ lots of water consumed (as well as an electrolyte drink)
☕️ 3rd LOL in washer
☕️ clean LOLs put away

To Dos:
🌳 get a little bit of makeup on
🌳 do my hair
🌳 move LOLs over as they get done
🌳 eat some lunch
🌳 watch 1st Avatar movie
🌳 watch 2nd Avatar movie in the theatre

willow I'm jealous of you doing gel manicure! My fungal infection is getting cleared up, but don't think I'll be able to do mine for at least a couple of months! I'm doing the treatments twice a day and it is working. One is cleared up all the way, 3 more fingers are almost cleared up (maybe a week of treatments left), but the last 4 are still needing more time. I will give them 2 weeks to a month after treatments to make sure it is gone (so I can still see them) before I put gel on them again.
I now know the importance of making sure there's no moisture on my nail, and that I need to let them breathe a bit (by removing the gel builder each time as well).
Sorry, that was really long!

So I'm really not liking one of the most recent changes on mn, I use Chrome and the videos/ ads that show up while scrolling are draining my battery on my phone like crazy! I swear in the last week my phone has almost died 3 times, and I'm not on here constantly! There are no settings to shut off auto play of videos either 🤬

Two loads of laundry now hanging on pulleys.

My bed made up.

Baled out the ancient washing machine that suddenly stopped draining last week. Fingers crossed it lasts just a little while longer.

Was quite looking forward to listening to my book and puttering from room to room then discovered that my arthritis prevents this now, particularly with stairs. So I did short bursts with lots of rests, and things are looking less overwhelming.

It's quite hard work having to remember to change the things that have worked for decades.

ta da
🍕read a chapter of uni book
🍕dryer back on from yesterday
🍕bit of tidying in living room with DS’ help
🍕a lot of online study through the day
🍕phoned family friend (anti procrastinating)
🍕wrote the week on the board
🍕sent an email (anti procrastinating)
🍕lots more random tidying/stash n dashing
🍕put clean laundry away (except some tops that need hanging up)
🍕bit of revision with DD1
🍕future friend - set out clothes for tomorrow morning as have an early start. I REALLY need new work tops, I barely have anything that qualifies even as smart casual 😬

Hazel whenever I'm just reading threads on here I shut off the internet after the page is loaded using the drop down menu at the top of the phone. Seems to help the battery life and prevent the videos playing.

All the sales are on at the moment Perry treat yourself to some nice things for work, you deserve it.

Ouch your poor back Weegie.

I'm impressed at the 6 LOL Peach. I do one as part of my morning routine. Currently eyeing the other three piles with displeasure.

Willow you've reminded me I need to paint my nails before I go to bed. I've been chewing one all day and it's looking raggedy. I don't chew them if they're painted.

I brushed off my lazy streak and got busy today.

Ta-da's:

👽 Morning routine
👽 Made a hood for a jacket that doesn't have one. Trying to be environmental and not buy a new jacket. Also used up some spare fabric from the stash.
👽 Answered FB marketplace messages.
👽 Went to the shop for forgotten bits.
👽 Did the home blessings a day early.
👽 A little decluttering.
👽 Evening routine.
👽 Watched a film, The Martian, about a guy who gets left for dead on Mars but survives.

Ditzy thank you, although I'm not sure it will work well for me, it's probably just a sign that I need to be on my phone less 😂
weegie I hope your back feels better soon
Perry I love that I'm in the habit of pulling out my clothes for the next day (when I'm working), it takes a lot less time and brain space. I think there's only been once or twice that I changed my mind in the morning

We watched the 1st Avatar at home on Disney+ then went to the movies to watch the 2nd, it's really good! I'm halfway through my 4 day weekend, nothing planned for tomorrow so I'm going to see what I can get done in the house. I really need to do some sorting and reorganising.

Ditzy thanks,* *I feel like my washing pile is the magic porridge pot in my house , never seems to stay empty for long ! Impressed you made a hood , very frugal !

Have a lovely day everyone

Morning all!
Ditzy fair point about sales, may as well save some money. I’ve spent so long in casual clothes I don’t really know how to dress nicely 😳 and the nice stuff I do have is quite worn and faded now. I’ll have a little browse online later I think.

This morning I’ve been heavily reliant on the snooze button but am now sitting up in bed with a tea thanks to DH. Really need to finish it and get moving!

po3.1
❗️Clean out bunny hutch/tray
❗️Shower and dressed
❗️Set table up for meeting (I’m usually in my room with a strategically placed laptop for online meetings but there’s no way my colleague is going in there, it’s a death trap 🤣)

willow thank you, it is clearing up, it's just taking some time. The end is in sight! I understand about the colours though, they don't always turn out the way you expect them to.

I have quite a few things I want to get done today and tomorrow, I really want to take advantage of my long weekend. I'll dump them here, but not sure I'll actually achieve all of them.

To Dos: in no particular order
😱 get dressed(!)
😱 video chat with Mum
😱 deep clean bathrooms
😱 vacuum whole house
😱 mop floors
😱 check each room for things that don't belong (and put them where they do belong!)
😱 grocery shopping
😱 wash sheets (Tuesday's job)
😱 bathe dogs
😱 groomer appt for dogs
😱 get windshield on Jeep replaced
😱 license dogs
😱 meal prep
😱 finally move storage drawers down to the pantry and sort out my baking cupboard
😱 take suitcase downstairs, to the basement, from closet/ workout room
😱 set stuff aside for SIL and MIL to see if they want anything before donating

I have a feeling there's more, but I can't think of anything else right now!
I will fit in resting and workouts too 😇

@EspeciallyDetermined @PeachiceT I like the fruit bullet points. Is that for a healthy new year

@HillsBesideTheSea have misinterpreted something? Do you live with 24 people?

@WeegieGranny are you any better today?

It's been birthday week here so a bit manic. We've had a great time though but today was all about getting the house back in order after lots of cooking and baking and partying.

🥳 cleaned kitchen cupboards
🥳 cleaned all windows inside
🥳 hoovered and mopped floors
🥳 cleaned outside of cooker. Even took the knobs off
🥳 cleaned stair carpet
🥳 home bleurgh except bathroom
🥳 took down party decorations
🥳 put all party paraphernalia away in correct boxes
🥳made tea
🥳 decluttered a bag full of kids socks and tight
🥳zero spend
🥳craft after school with kids
🥳read a chapter of book

Glad you all enjoyed the party Pompoms

Good luck with that enormous list Hazel

Hope your meeting is productive Perry

Ta-da's:

👼 Morning routine
👼 Put away yesterday's laundry which wasn't dry last night
👼 Read the paper and decluttered it
👼 Filled in planner for the weak ahead
👼 Tea with friend
👼 Nap

To-do:

🌛 Evening routine

pompoms, I chose it because it looks like a peach but its probably an orange 😂🍊 yay to zero spend, me too !!
Looks like everyone has been busy bees
Tadas
🍊6.5 hrs at work
🍊lol in on timer whilst at work
🍊dried lol after work
🍊leftover lasagne with homemade roasties for dinner ( i know carbs and carbs whoops)
🍊packed Dcs food tech ingredients for tomorrow , had a genius moment of using an empty spinkles pot for oil
🍊washed and dried dishes
🍊no spend day , actually really enjoying it

Bloody feels like it @freezingpompoms 1 teenager, and 2 elderly toddler iyswim