Flying into Spring with icicles on it

[icypompoms]

Hello everyone, iWelcome 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.

This is an incredibly helpful thread and the system can be confusing but someone on here will be able to answer your questions and get you on track.

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

⭐️ 3 lol
⭐️ cleaned house top to bottom
⭐️ had toddler group meeting to plan the next term.
⭐️ planned meals for the week
⭐️ sent H food shopping
⭐️ decluttered a few tights
⭐️ cleaned kitchen appliances
⭐️ cleaned kitchen windows
⭐️ washed bird feeders and refilled.
⭐️ rotated toys
⭐️ cleaned cupboard fronts.
⭐️ changed cot bedding

Now to crash.

TUESDAY:

www.flylady.net/c/fp.php?tzm=0&d=1

🥶 mission: is a bit weird in my mind but we have to wash our dirty dishes. Get them all out from where we hide them?! I don't hide any dirty dishes but if you do then this is your day!
🥶15 mins declutter
🥶 shine sink
🥶 get dressed to shoes
🥶 reminder: drink your water
🥶 take some time for you: maybe a bath or book or a walk.
Explanation for this....
Do you know how important taking care of yourself is? What does the flight attendant tell you every time you fly somewhere? Put your air mask on before helping someone else! This is because you can't help someone else if you haven't first helped yourself!

Maybe as it's u.s based it's all paper plates?
I haven't done much but I can boast a clean toast crumb tray as we toast almost a loaf a day it's done frequently to prevent smell cremated bread waft thru house🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Zoo cremated bread 😂 that made me giggle
Hazel I don't think there are any removable cushions on that chair. It's still on my to do list, and I am not giving up on it until I've tried everything.
Ditsy job application is a hefty promotion if I get it. A bit scary, but too late to back out now.
Sunny go you on weight loss! That's excellent achievement. tiger and sunny sending supportive vibes your way 🤗

Ta das:
💥Submitted job application! Eek. Scary.
💥All remaining crap that was supposed to be left at the old house brought back to the old house
💥Nursery bag sorted

Otherwise house is a mess. I am about 70% unpacked. I am so fed up of the boxes, I want some magic fairies come and unpack the rest for me.

Evening all,

@Shannaratiger I’m so sorry to hear about DS’s diagnosis, you are dealing with a lot, I’m not surprised you are struggling with anxiety

@Searchingforsunnydays I’m also sorry that this is a hard month for you with memories of your mum

@CurseYouPerryThePlatypus dance show sounds lovely

@Redsquirrel5 I finally put our toaster away at the weekend, it is a lovely steel Dualit one and looks beautiful on the counter but like you we just don’t use it any more. Might get it back out in the summer when the hotplate is off.

@Stilllivinginazoo I get you with the tripping hazard shoe piles <nods>

@icypompoms thank you for the links, I did do some decluttering in the hall last week, we have lots of hooks but they were all piled deep with coats and bags so I put a load of less worn ones in the cupboard under the stairs or under our bed. Small appliances definitely need a clean-up here.

Unfortunately DH has gone down with covid again, he felt coldy over the weekend, tested negative yesterday, but positive this morning, so I am moving to DS’s room. He’s supposed to be coming home from uni this weekend but if DD or I go down he probably won’,t which would be a shame.

I'm rooting for you Elf!

Pompoms it's teenagers that hides all the plates. Teenage rooms are like the Bermuda triangle - stuff goes in but it never comes back out cue spooky music 🎶👻🎶

Shanara I agree with whoever said to push your GP for more help. Therapy waiting lists can be long. You need some help in the meantime. Sending positive vibes to DS 🧡

ED I hope you continue to avoid the germs 🦠 and get well soon to your DH 🤒

Sending positive vibes to your sister Red 💚

Ta-da's:

❤️Morning routine
🧡Watching minimalism videos on YouTube. Very lazy day today
💛Took a walk
💚Decluttered
💙Movie night
💜Evening routine

Morning all.
At least I think it is...dd2 started Prozac yesterday and it seems not wanting to sleep is an new exciting thing to add to our lists of stuff to manage every day.hope that wears of very quickly as night time worries ment for a very long night and I still have to get up and make sure D's up and ready before 720 ahead of his taxi<yawns>
Tada-
*Cats fed
*Wash in
*Wash up last night's dinner things
*Wake ds
*Make sure he's fed and watered,lunch made
*Lil zoo fed and watered
*Leave the beast sleeping I pop to Asda and heron foods
*Shop away
*Wash to dryer,more in
*wake dd2
*Breakfast-(crumpets😋)

need to tackle the home bleurgh,and go out in search allan keys in a bit...

I just got caught up with the thread, there's been lots happening over the past few days!

ED sending well wishes to your DH to make a quick recovery. 🤞 you and DD don't get it too.
Elf good luck with your new job application, hopefully you'll hear from them soon!

pompoms we have a rule in our house that food is eaten in the dining room, at the table. DS sometimes decides to break that rule when we're not home 🤬 but always brings up any dirty dishes and rinses them. so it's a teenager thing in our house!

Ditzy I love that even though you had a "lazy day" you still got your morning and evening routines in!
zoo well done on getting your DC to step up and help, even if they did fight you throughout. Hopefully things will settle down with DD2 and her meds soon (and that they work!)

Red take it easy on your foot!

No ta das yet today (it's still early, before 8am here), I've had one cup of coffee so far. I'm so sleepy though, didn't wake up the way I normally would (gradually) so don't feel as rested. It will be a busy day though, so enjoying the quiet.

🍒👋 to everyone, hopefully I'll be back on soon with some ta das

Elf I just want to sympathise with you, I'm still waiting for the fairies to come unpack the final few boxes too just ignore the fact we moved almost 2 years ago I need to just get it done, but it always seems there's something else that needs doing, or I'm tired and want to be lazy!

Didn't get home bleurgh done,get Allan keys!
The tireds and aching joints hit so I've had two short naps today and I've just washed and deep condition my hair as act of self care.

Zoolets asked for lamb grills tonight,as try empty freezer a bit ready to be able to move it as required out of what was a pantry<very sad as I'd have loved a pantry but nowhere else it could've gone>so the men can do the windows.dreading moving it as heavy even half empty,and pretty sure go be a LOT crap fell behind it(use couple shelves at the side of it)and likely some mould☹️

Almost forgot the links

WEDNESDAY

www.flylady.net/c/fp.php?tzm=0&d=1

✅anti procrastination day
✅ Let's have a Fire Drill on the flat surfaces of the kitchen!
Do you have a hotspot in there that is burning? Get out the trash bag and an empty laundry basket. Toss the trash and put the things that need to be put away in other rooms in the laundry basket. Once you have cleared the hotspots, deliver the other items to the proper rooms.
This might take a little longer than 15 minutes, if so, then work for 15 minutes, take a break for 15 and go do another 15. Let's put out those fires!
FlyLady Rebecca
✅declutter 15 mins
✅ get dressed to shoes
✅shine sink
✅Reminder: drink water

Zoo that sounds like a big undertaking. Can you ask anyone to help so you are not trying to move it by yourself?
ED I hope lurgy is over soon for your DH and that you don't catch it.

Ta das:
💥Living room tidied up
💥Kitchen cleaned, DW rotated. I don't like the dishwasher in this new house. It leaves funky residue on dishes. I put it through a cleaning cycle, and we are still pretty much in the same area, so I don't think water hardness is that different. I am sure I will crack it at some point.
💥LOLX2. Didn't get around to putting it away yet though..
💥More unpacking... 80% unpacked now. I can see the light. Sort of.

Ta-da's:

🚶Morning routine (ish, skipped some bits as in a hurry)
🏃Popped to the shops
🧗Decluttering
🪂Evening routine (ish, I have a serious case of CBA)

🍒👋 all. Think I need a reset tomorrow.

put out those hot spots with a fire drill be quicker just accept kitchens ablaze and call in fit firemen.....🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Monday
🧚‍♂️reading practice and story time with Cagletini
🧚‍♂️meeting
🧚‍♂️maths and tricky word practice with Cagletini
🧚‍♂️LOL
🧚‍♂️more meetings

Tuesday
🍄informed tuition centre DS was too unwell for lessons (sore throat etc)
🍄staff meeting/catch up about funding
🍄made all slides for presentation
🍄quickly rewashed yesterday’s LOL… FFS
🍄LOL in dryer/hung to dry

Zoo fit firemen you say struts over to help

No ta das yet, but aiming to do more unpacking this evening.
I've realised I look so scruffy these days. I caught a reflection of myself today, wearing comfy roomy hooded top, reasonable trousers, and hiking boots with snow grips on them. No make up, and usual mild disarray bob.

I need to start putting more effort into my appearance.

This name change business is annoying. I feel like I have a split personality.

I went to have late breakfast/brunch, and ordered what in effect counts as 2 breakfasts to the normal person. Waitress was confused when bringing it over and then commented 'you must be hungry!'. Eek. This pregnancy making me ravenous. Feeling slightly embarrassed

user🤣👍
Elf that's not acceptable language from staff.i work in a community cafe and never comment on what people order(unless it's off menu and not possible).that's both rude and unprofessional.i wouldn't be embarrassed I'd be VERY annoyed they felt it was ok to say such a thing!

Dd2 being Very Hard Work today.not much done.
Tada-
*Lol
*S+s
*Went church attempted tightened children's pen area with Allan keys-wouldnt go any tighter but still loose.
*Took phone call about support dd2.waste of time.
*Made lunch
*Had nap.woke up hemmed in by both heat seeking cats
*Had snack.chocolate was horrid(Asda own brand dark which was nothing like the packet promised),burnt the toast. These are the things that bring sadness<without dd2 all encompassing misery today>
I am resigning to naughty corner

Snow day off school so whilst I fought a few fires we made a whole lot more mess elsewhere. Mittens and coats drying everywhere round the house.

🥶playgroup
❄️ lol
🥶 made soup
❄️ shined sink
🥶 cleared off some hot spots

THURSDAY www.flylady.net/c/fp.php?tzm=0&d=1

⛄️ get dressed to shoes
⛄️ shine sink
⛄️ declutter for 15 mins
⛄️ errand day
⛄️ mission: clean down the big appliances for 15 mins max: finger prints, dried food etc from cooker, fridge and washing machine and whatever else you have.
⛄️ reminder: 15 mins of loving movement a day. (I really want to start hula hooping again but not on snow).
⛄️ pamper mission: find some time for you to do anything that makes you happy.

Zoo I am sorry to hear DD2 is struggling and support is patchy. That's pants. I will join you in naughty corner.
I am same person as UsernameNotPresent aka MC on previous threads. My decision to update the username twice in a blue moon is biting me in the ass now 😬

McToddler is regressing with his potty training now, I am trying to be patient. It's probably the house move, and the fact that I stopped breastfeeding 2 weeks or so ago (I thought this would never happen and I will have to tandem feed when #2 arrives... <Shudders> )
Pompoms that's the way with small children, isn't it. Trying to tidy up whilst they are rampaging around is a futile exercise.

Ta das:
💥Another trip to the recycling centre
💥More unpacking. I am starting to hate it.
💥2 LOLs, one folded.
💥Future friended with nursery bag
💥Kitchen appliances wiped
💥Sink shined.

Since now we have a dining room, I thought I'd give table cloths a go, the fabric ones. Well, with a toddler, I am not sure what I was thinking, but I am going to persevere and buy few more so I can change them every other day to allow for laundry.

ta da

🤐shower and hair wash
🤐emailed a researcher about taking part in their project (about autistic mothers)
🤐filled in a survey for a parliamentary debate
🤐emailed DD1’s dance teachers to say thank you - the show was her first with this school and the increase in her confidence was amazing to see!
🤐bit of work
🤐ordered meds
🤐brief volunteer meeting
🤐edited tesco order

Had a nice hot chocolate just now, should go to bed early really

Drops by to leave luxury chocolate, that tastes like chocolate and doesn't turn to goo in your mouth, on the pillows in the naughty corner for Zoo and Elf

Did they make a snowman Pompoms? It snowed here too but not enough for snowmen

Ta-da's:

😸 Got enough sleep
😸 Morning routine
😸 Took a cold walk through the snowy lanes
😸 Decluttering
😸 Tidied the living room
😸 Evening routine

@DomesticElf I love a table cloth. When the health visitor came she told me not to use them as they can easily pull the cloth off with a hot cup of tea on it. My kids are 4 and 2 now so the risks are lower but I've got out of the habit of a nice cloth. I like a seersucker one that doesn't require ironing after being washed.

@DitzyDaffodils not enough for a snowman I'm afraid. Just enough to make every coat, hat, gloves and scarf wet.

Finally made it on to the new thread, it’s only the 9th

Half of us have been hit by a bug (I’m in the unlucky half) so I have some unexpected time off work, but starting to feel a bit more human today so hopefully will manage to use the time wisely. We are supposed to be heading off for a few days away tomorrow so hoping the other half stay well!

I’m so sorry to hear about your DS Shannara, and that you’re having such a tough time. It’s good to see you back with us though.

Pompoms thanks for the last thread and this one. Hope you aren’t feeling too poorly with the shingles. I’ve also recently sorted hand me downs into sucky bags, labelled with the right age range, and I decluttered some shabby bits and pieces that I probably shouldn’t have kept into a bag for textile recycling.

Sorry March is tough for you Sunny Well done on the weight loss! I’ve also got about a stone left to lose after slowly losing around 2 stone of baby weight in the last year.

Welcome back Flutter, and I can’t remember if I’ve already given big cherry waves to That since you reappeared, so 🍒 👋 in case.

Solidarity with the ongoing mould battle Zoo. Hopefully the new guttering helps. I’ve just about got ours under control at the moment but there’s a patch appearing behind the landing curtain that I need to tackle.

Good luck with the new job Elf! Re the dishwasher, my old one was like this. I eventually found that there was some debris blocking a couple of the holes on the spinning arm thing which seemed to sort it. Topping up the salt for the first time in years also made a difference.

Ditzy I also love a YouTube decluttering video. Facebook has been showing me lots of reels of people cleaning too, and they are rather therapeutic to watch.

I can’t believe it’s almost two years since you moved Hazel!

Hope DH is recovering and the rest of you have avoided the lurgy ED

Waves to Perry, Red, Willow, Hills and everyone else I’ve missed. Posting this before I lose it and will be back with tadas!