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

Ah no there is 24 butter knives @freezingpompoms , people keep sodding losing them and then complaining there is none clean. They'd be more clean if they were returned to the kitchen. 24 butter knives is more than enough for a house of 4, especially as we are only 12 to eat occasionally

Ta Das so far:
🧚‍♀️ took suitcase back downstairs (in the basement, under the stairs where they all belong)
🧚‍♀️ emptied a plastic drawer and took it downstairs for some candy making supplies
🧚‍♀️ took down other boxes and bags that belong in the basement
🧚‍♀️ put away tins of food that have been sitting on the pantry floor for months! and put them in the cupboard where they belong
🧚‍♀️ threw away a box of old stale beer
🧚‍♀️ aired out the house
🧚‍♀️ 3 LOLs, including washing clothes to donate, they've been sitting in the drawer I emptied and smelt musty
🧚‍♀️ one LOL included sheets from DS'S bed, it got remade
🧚‍♀️ got a new blanket set up on DS'S bed (he got it for Christmas but was still in the packaging 🙄)
🧚‍♀️ cooked lunch for DH and I (I ate too much)
🧚‍♀️ vacuumed main floor and the stairs
🧚‍♀️ had DS pick up the poop, rotten apples and sticks (Dobby disappeared for a few minutes - had gone outside and was feasting on rotten apples, later had to clean up his throw up 🤢)
🧚‍♀️ replaced screen protector on my watch

I did get dressed and video chatted with my Mum today as well.

Weegie how is your back?
Hazel ah no, not the doggy vomit. Lovely 😬 Sorry to read about fungal infection, very annoying for you.
Hills judging by amount off laundry I do in this house, there must be at least 24 people living here.

Speaking of laundry, I finally FINALLY put away all dry and clean laundry. I don't know how many LOLs accumulated there, but it was safe to say that most of our clothes were in that pile. Now suddenly I ran out of drawer/closet space 🙄

I have been good with No Spend today. I stopped myself from buying more maternity pants. I don't even need them yet! I will lament the day I won't be able to close my faux leather leggings things. Not because I am fashion conscious, but because they can be WIPED clean, and that has to count for something with a rampaging toddler around.

💪Oven cleaned
💪Microwave cleaned
💪Laundry folded
💪Floors quickly hoovered
💪Usual dinner/DW/kitchen sort out

Now time to collapse into bed. 🍒👋

Oh dear Hills that is annoying.

Hazel that is some list.

Too much procrastinating here today. Was up to the loo about 5.55am then went back to bed. Read then slept till 9:30am Got up and 😳what a shock. The sky had dumped a huge amount of snow within that time.I wish I had seen it falling as it must have come down really thick and fast. Our garden has about 2 " White as far as I can see.Like fairy land and when the birds flew out of the beech tree a whole lot of snowflakes tumbled down. Gave the hens some extra worms this afternoon.

Some decluttering of BRC.
Bed made but not changed will do tomorrow.
Rearranged some crockery.
Took large turkey plate and cake plate and packed away until Christmas.
Wiped sink. Was going to do shower but had a phone call, tea and then a meeting to go to.
1xLOL

Need to do more tomorrow.I sat for ages in my dressing gown with a big mug of tea, then another, then another.

Hope everyone ok.Take care.

ta da
🦚cleaned bunny hutch and tray
🦚cleared top of hutch
🦚showered and dressed for meetings
🦚first meeting online with colleague visiting
🦚went to school for big meeting
🦚lunch and chat with colleague
🦚read a chapter of uni book
🦚maths revision with DD1
🦚wrote animation script first draft with DD1 (for work, nice to be able to involve DD1 who wants to work in film)
🦚finished watching An Inspector Calls with DD1 (verdict “that was better than I thought it would be”)

Peachice

I bought a magazine on Saturday...because I was in it. £4.95

I bought 2x half of beer £4:40 meeting tonight.

Otherwise just bought some food over the weekend.

Ta Das:
💐 grocery shopping done, hoping I don't have to go back this week
💐 groceries all put away
💐 flowers bought and arranged in a vase (to brighten it up in here!)
💐 rubbish bin emptied
💐 bin cleaned inside and out before new bag put back in
💐 countertop wiped down where I arranged flowers
💐 sitting, relaxing with a glass of water. I should really get myself an electrolyte drink out of the fridge

Username the fungal infection sucks! Mostly because I need to let my nails breathe. This means over Christmas my nails were bare and ugly, my favourite time of year to do my nails 😭

Red oooh, you're in a magazine you say?! We're supposed to get snow, we haven't had much at all this year yet. Please send some our way!

Here are the flowers I got:
I ended up with blue hands! It's come off eventually, but had to wash them like 5 times!

Last lot of ta das:
💤 drank electrolyte drink
💤 cooked sides for dinner, DH grilled steaks on the smoker
💤 had DS empty DW
💤 handwash dishes washed
💤 DW loaded
💤 discussed an idea for a shelf with DH. We have the shelf, but I thought of a good place to put it
💤 nail fungus treatment done

It's gone 11:30pm here, I'm so tired!
🍒👋 to everyone

@UsernameNotPresent don't be tempted to wear clothes and stretch the hell out of them never to be able to wear them on the other side. I've ruined a few nice things like that.

@Redsquirrel5 how were you in a magazine. How fabulous

I'm having a quick sit down, cuppa, mn, read my book whilst baby naps. I've been food shopping and need to put it all away but I'm being 'good' and giving myself a short break.

Here's the birthday photos:

Also I'm going to put my name out there to run the February thread. Gulp

Oh the birthday looks amazing! Well done.
Ha you've said it now!

It was our choir.An old photo where lots of the people in the photo have left and you can only see the top and side of my head on a bad hair day, by the looks as if it might have been raining.Annoying and lazy of the magazine as we had a concert in the summer and early December so they could have easily got shots from there as we have a photographer and he was there in the summer at least and we all looked our best. I was on a the front page of a national horse magazine when I was 17. Always wanted to be in the other wide circulation one as several people I knew had been but I never made it.I still have the copy. I don't want fame but I was pleased about that photo, my horse looked very good.

Ta Da
Out in the snow to feed hens and apologised to them for my tardiness.They were chortling a telling off and complaints I think. Water was frozen solid.
Bed made.
Cleaned and dusted three bathroom shelves and everything on them.
Sorted some Liz Earl and gave my face a good wash with polisher.
Wiped top of loo and tiles above and basin.
Wiped sink.

Later clean pedestal bit and loo.

Going out to craft club. Hoping it is on. Need to take care on the roads.

pompoms the party looks so good! That's hard work, doing what you did. Did you bake and decorate the cake too?

Red that's very disappointing on the magazine's laziness! I hope you're hens forgave you for being late tending to them.

Just sitting down with my 1st cup of coffee while I catch up with mn.
Lots of running around today. I have just decided I'm going to wait until next week to register the dogs, I have until the end of the month and I have a feeling they'll be busy today from being closed yesterday.
I only have to leave the house to take the dogs to the groomer, I won't have to leave the house to get my windshield replaced 🥳 good thing really, we did get a bit of snow last night, it's still dark outside so I can't tell how bad the roads are yet.

Hopefully I'll be back later with some ta das 🍒 👋

Words have been spoken here. There are some big feelings floating about. And another level of hoarding has been tackled. People are not fighting me on it though. So fingers crossed things happen as discussed. But first i need to break all the chores down into what has to be done, what can be done by whom, and then a 2 week (plus the monthly stuff so actually 4 week) rota can be constructed. Aka more work for me. BUT, hopefully long term delegation.

However, due to the argument last night - people with degenerative conditions sometimes allow the frustration of their lost of ability to come out in detrimental to others ways so it needs challenging so we can deal with the actual problems; I didn't sleep, and the stress load has increase so i am feeling super grumpy right now. As ds said I am done done. Honestly i am so many levels of done right now. But I did NOT loose my shit dealing with the follow up fall out today, apparently every thing i have said has been fair, and I have even managed to express my displeasure at the situation last night in a manner that didn't trigger another argument. I am proud of myself. But fucking hell do i need a holiday. <sigh>

hills that sounds like progress! I agree, you need a holiday!

I cooked DH his eggs this morning, the sausage meat smelt a little "off" but thought it may have just been me. I tried a little, not so sure. I had DH try some, he had to spit it out, yep, meat had gone off 🤦‍♀️ so I'll have to go to the store to buy more eggs and sausage today and try it again! I'll have to throw away 9 eggs, as that's how many I cook for him for the week, they aren't cheap and can be hard to come by! So mad at myself!

Currently lazing on the couch with both dogs curled up by me, enjoying my 2nd cup of coffee, while I contemplate my plan for the day (the order I want to do things)

9 eggs? Is that hard boiled for snacks?

❄️ food shopping
❄️ cooked food for two days
❄️ quality play time with baby poms indoors and outdoors with frozen bubbles 🥶
❄️evening po3
❄️ started back at an old crochet project
❄️ zero spend on non essentials although I did buy two lunchboxes from aldi at £4.99 each but they were on my list. They are bloody brilliant and I love them too much really. Our shopping is £100 every week now and it used to be around £45, about 7 years ago. Can't believe it.

pompoms no, it's an egg scramble that I make for him, he warms a little bit up every day. I make that much to last a week, plan is that I cook that every Tuesday morning

Ta Das (so far):
🐶 took dogs to groomer (nails trimmed etc)
🐶 went to the store to pick up sausage meat, eggs and grout cleaner
🐶 bathed dogs
🐶 deep cleaned shower
🐶 used grout cleaner on both bathroom floors
🐶 got my windshield replaced on my Jeep
🐶 4th LOL currently in the washer, sheets are waiting to go back on the bed

I just need to finish cleaning the bathrooms (sinks and toilets) then they are done. Both LOLs going right now are towels.
DS is working on his chores, so he's currently rotating the DW. He's already taken the wheelie bin out ready for the morning.

ta da
💸(in the small hours after I’d posted last night but technically today I suppose 🤣) shopped online for work clothes
💸listened to audiobook
💸phonics books x2 with Cagletini
💸shower
💸emailed DS’ chemistry teacher about geology (anti procrastination)
💸staff meeting
💸meeting to discuss animation script we wrote last night (me? Last minute? Never) - it was met with approval yay
💸quick walk to get some lunch
💸more work
💸studying
💸put Cagletini to bed
💸maths with DD1
💸long chat with DD1 about self care and sixth form options

Apologies I keep missing days with links - I seem to be needed by someone or something every minute of the day lately 😬

Love the flowers Hazel

Awesome cake Pompoms the rest of the party stuff looked good too

You did well managing all that without losing your shit Hills

Geology was my favourite bit in school Perry. Glad you got some new clothes too.

Shame about the magazine pic Red very lazy of them

Well done on finally conquering the laundry mountain UNP

I did nothing much today only the basic routines.

Thank you Ditzy we've been having some gloomy days, they are perfect for brightening the place up. The basic routines are still important though, at least you did something and when you can keep on top of the basics, it's not so bad if things fall behind iyswim

Perry the animation script sounds awesome! I'm also glad you went shopping for work clothes online, did you find anything?

More ta das (just after 6pm here):
🧚‍♀️ finished deep cleaning the bathrooms
🧚‍♀️ cleaned mirrors in both bathrooms
🧚‍♀️ clean LOLs all put away (final 2 LOLs are in the washer and dryer)
🧚‍♀️ bed remade
🧚‍♀️ had DS vacuum main living area
🧚‍♀️ I mopped kitchen, dining room and entryway

I'm currently sitting down with some water and my electrolyte drink before I work on dinner. I'll also cook DHs eggs while the potatoes are cooking, I will need to handwash a couple of things first though (I'd forgotten about that!)

I may get back on here, we'll see. I should really do a spin workout, but I already feel like I've worked out doing housework 😂
🍒👋

@HungryHazelEyes you two sound like a well oiled machine.

@DitzyBluebells just the basics is enough really and all add up. I'd me milking a few bullet points out of it anyway

Just popping in briefly.DH was out but now back and I am supposed to be cleaning the bathroom.Well I am I have just left toilet brush and shower drain thingy in separate hot water and disenfectant. Quized DH on holding the brush in the flush after-no he doesn't which explains the bottom of the holder yuk. Too much information sorry. It is only a little bit because I do rinse it regularly. Why do men need a bloody instruction manual about simple things. Soaking and washing the kitchen cloth is another bug bear! Rant over.

Like Hills IDLMS. Well done Hills it must be so frustrating sometimes and detrimental to your own stress and health.

Perry I think if the link is in the Opening Page then we can easily click on it and no worries about daily if busy.

Hazel that is annoying but we all have things that get missed.I just checked the fish cakes but they ok till tomorrow. Does cooked egg keep that long.Can't he whip some up himself or is it for work?

Today TA
Vacuumed mat and bit of seen floor in boudoir and upstairs hall.
Bathroom.
Toilet cleaned.
Brush soaked.
Holder soaking.
Drain bit soaking.
Vacuumed floor.

To Do
Wash drain bit.
Wipe window sill and shower gel.
Wash shower tray.
Put drain bit back.
Wash floor.
If I get that done that is all for the bathroom apart from clean towels and mat, currently in the wash.

Made Nigel Slater Pork and meatballs for Candlemass. Delicious but pork wasn't as tender as I expected.Pork Belly and I cooked it longer, as the temperature on the Everhot was dropping, no idea why except the hot plate was in use a lot.No crackling and as I had put a pudding above I couldn't put the grill on(ED). We ended up eating later than expected. I was going to invite friends but DH started another jigsaw on the table on Sunday despite knowing this. Maybe just as well in the long run but I was annoyed at the time.
I will say the meatballs were really delicious.Our lemon thyme was covered in snow so I put lemon rind and dried thyme instead. Sausage meat fro the butcher.The would be lovely on their own with pasta.
Left overs for tonight and probably several days as bought 1.5 kg. Fish cakes for me tomorrow and I have chicken carcus simmering for soup. Have cakes to make for Garden Club tomorrow if roads are ok.

Better make a move.So much better signal downstairs on computer.

❄️ toddler group
🥶lol
❄️ coffee at friends house
🥶 decluttered 3 items
❄️ thoroughly cleaned bathroom
🥶 spent £4 on warmer school uniform item from vinted £2 on toddler group.
❄️ lots of good play time with kids
🥶evening po3

ta da
🔦prepped for meeting
🔦booked free film screening for me and Cagletini in March
🔦walked to petrol station to meet colleague in her car
🔦school meeting
🔦tried on clothes that arrived, all good
🔦other meeting online and follow up work
🔦ordered DH’s birthday presents as I’d completely forgotten to 😳
🔦English revision and chips with DD1 and her BF

Oh and also did a little maths with DS (not much as he’s under the weather) but didn’t get round to phonics with Cagletini like I’d promised her. Argh. So tired but very glad of my nice snuggly blanket hoodie that also arrived today!

Red DH did cook his eggs every morning for a while, but this makes more sense, and he says mine tastes better! 😂 They do keep really well, so it works out. It only takes me 15-20 minutes to cook them so it doesn't bother me. It also saves us money, because otherwise DH would stop and pick up a breakfast burrito every day!
I will have some for lunch one day as otherwise he'll have too much 😋

pompoms I didn't have to get after DS much yesterday, he just got right on with his chores! It's not always the case just lately though 🙄

Working today, when I get home I'll need to put a charcuterie board together for a potluck tomorrow, I just have to remember it'll need to fit in the fridge!