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

We had a snow day on Friday! My school and the kids school was closed - it was a much needed fun day and brightened my spirit before mums birthday yesterday. We baked cakes , went sledging , visited our local cafe for hot chocolate and teacakes, built snowmen, played uno and jenga, snuggled up and watched films. It was brilliant!! Not much flying done but classed it as a self care day .

Yesterday was a bit of a rollercoaster day but still managed some flying :

💐oh de-moulded the bathroom , the stuff was really strong and we can still smell it through the house this morning but cleared it all so worth it !
💐I took dd2 to gymnastics and caught up with all of my marking !
💐 cleaned the living room
💐 made melted snowmen biscuits to comfort dd2 who is sad the snow is melting !
💐 folded the clothes mountain and put into rooms.
💐 oh did the uniform washing and cooked us a yummy fry up !

I am a bit gutted that I didn’t get much kitchen decluttering done last week because it is much needed , however I know that time will come around again so I won’t dwell on it too much and keep moving forward.

Lots to do today, I’m off to make another coffee and take it upstairs with me whilst I put some of the mountain of washing away!

Sounds like a fabulous snow day @Searchingforsunnydays . We had snow on Weds, DD and DH had a snow day (DH because he still had covid, DD because she only had one college lecture and got a message saying the lecturer couldn't get in. So they stayed home and made snowmen while I went to work 🙄.

We had a snow day on friday too! First snow for littlestTHAT to play in so that was nice!

Ta da
❄️ more LOL
❄️ smalls fed changed and dressed
❄️ cat fed

How old is littlestthatnow?

Tada
Yesterday- all fed no one dead,plus church event prepping and serving food for murder mystery night and washing up(oh the irony at state of my kitchen)

Today
Cats fed
Three lol done(so far)
Food shopping part 1
Food shop part 2,plus drama as lil zoo almost pass out in nisa(greyest I've ever seen anyone go without puke or pass out)she seems ok now home and had some salty rice cakes...
Quick tidy front room floorso I could see it
Clean out fridge(before I went shop)
S+s

To do
More laundry
Bins and littertrays later as it's black bin day tom

Yay for the snow days ! Sorry that you had to work in it ED! I have to say I do love a snow day , however I am glad it was only a day or 2 this time because once I’ve got the sled out , built the snowman and had a snowball fight , I am ready for it to go 😂

It seems that we are all having a laundry day that & zoo!

tadas
💐 clothes put away in bedrooms
💐 2 LOL
💐 tomorrow’s clothes out and mostly ironed ( got to re wash dd1’s skirt )
💐 dd2 swimming lesson
💐 showered, hair washed and took the time to moisturise which doesn’t always happen !
💐all lingering dirty clothes put into baskets
💐 roast dinner in the oven 😋

Still go some to dos but it’s mostly just trying to be organised for the week ahead . I would like to try and fit in a 15 min tidy upstairs but we’ll see how the rest of the day goes . First though I’m taking a coffee break and reading my book 📖

Lovely to read all about everybody's snow days. I don't miss much from childhood but sledging is top of that list

I woke up feeling fine Sunny must have been one of those 24hr things

Glad LittlestZoo is ok Zoo

Ta-da's:

🎶 Morning routine
🎶 Home blessings
🎶 Extra LOL
🎶 Decluttering
🎶 Cleaned out bottom section of corner cupboard in kitchen
🎶 Took a walk

To-do:

💞 Planning for next week
💞 Paint nails
💞 Evening routine

🏈 lol x 2
🏈 ordered to actual LOL dolls from Vinted for middle poms birthday
🏈 ordered two white cardigans for a wedding from Vinted and a top for me for the wedding.
🏈 made a roast
🏈 made a huge pan of vegan gravy to freeze
🏈embroidery with middle poms. It's only simple but she's doing it alone and she's only 4 so I'm very proud.
🏈 renewed spirit with a lie in and anew book and hot hot shower.

Hope everyone has had a good day.

MONDAY: www.flylady.net/c/fp.php?tzm=0&d=1
🏈 home bleurgh
🏈 missions: This week we are in Zone 3. This is the main bathroom and another room of your choice. Our "other" room is going to be taking 5 minutes at those stash and dash spots in your home. Maybe it is the basement, a corner in your bedroom, the guest room or garage. Just 5 minutes each day to put a dent in the stash and dash piles we have built.
Your mission for today in the bathroom is to wipe down around the base and the back of the toilet. This is an area that we all seem to forget about until we notice it on day and it seems too far gone to do anything about it! Grab a rag and some general purpose cleaner and wipe down the toilet from the bowl downward, the floor around the base and behind base. This is a quick and easy mission to do!
Your mission for the Stash and Dash space is to take a trash bag and just toss anything you can see that needs to be thrown away or recycled.
Reminder: what's for dinner. Plan ahead of time even if you pull something from the freezer.

🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈

I forgot to add on my own update that I was heating a coffee up in the microwave (don't judge me). It was 60 seconds and I thought I'll see what I can do in a minute. I cleared almost the whole draining board which was stacked high. I was amazed.

Glad you’re feeling better daffodils. When chatting to my older 2 , one of their best memories is of a snow day , being outside on the sled and building a snowman, coming inside , getting changed into onesies and having a picnic with hot chocolate and watching a film under blankets to keep warm - just goes to show, all the money we feel we have to spend on days out or holidays and it’s the simplest of things that sometimes make the treasured memories!

What book have you started pompoms ? I am still reading ‘the hidden beach’ as I couldn’t really concentrate on it last week. I am looking forward to 930 so I can go and read another chapter!! Next in line is ‘where the crawdads sing’ . Its amazing how much you can get done in so little time , I usually try to do things while the kettles boiling! Also how amazing is your 4 year old !! What a brilliant skill to have ❤️

tada
💐 read some of my book while dd2 watched bluey
💐 dd2 bathed , hair washed , pjs and nit checked - they are doing the rounds again at school!
💐 cleared out bathroom under the sink cupboard whilst dd2 was in the bath (getting a head start on next weeks decluttering!)
💐 ate yummy dinner
💐played uno again with all 3 dc - which is a rarity!!
💐 washed and in pjs
💐 dd2 bedtime routine

Currently watching buffy with ds then off to bed soon .

waving night to everyone 👋

Good morning everyone, sending strong coffees to those that need it ☕️☕️

Back to work today and I saw every hour last night 😴 dd2 has got a cold so I think she has kindly shared it with me, luckily I don’t feel bad, it just broke my sleep so today might be a long day !

tada
😴 up, washed, dressed hair done and mascara on
😴 LOL
😴 my bed stripped and in the washer
😴 most importantly, 2 x coffees ! Currently eating breakfast .

I’m hoping to get the bathroom task ticked off before work and tea plated up ready (leftovers from yesterday) we’ll see how it goes .

I hope everyone has a good Monday !

@Searchingforsunnydays the Crawdads book is amazing and is what got me back into reading after years of nothing.

Sounds like you need coffee!!!! ☕️x10 for you.

My book is written by a prison dr. I've read it quickly as I'm hooked. I've attached the picture for you.

@icypompoms brilliant ! I have about 100ish pages of this one left but I’m looking forward to where the crawdads sing! Thank you for the recommendation, I’ve put it on my goodreads list !

tada
😴 toilet cleaned
😴 LOL no 3
😴work
😴 all washing dry
😴 beds remade and bedrooms cleaned
😴 tea (easy leftovers warmed up in microwave!)
😴 clothes out for tomorrow but still need to iron them 😩
😴dishes in dishwasher
😴 showered & hair washes & dried ready for tomorrow

Currently waiting for dd2 to finish her supper then I’ll be starting the bedtime routine but should have finished all chores by about 830, including 5 mins in the playroom ! Which is half an hour earlier than usual . I am not adding anything else on my to do list though , I’ll be putting my feet up and relaxing watching buffy with ds then into bed with my book 😊

I hope everyone has had a good day ☕️

Absolutely no house flying but I did plan the food for the week and go food shopping and to a messy play baby thing.

Home bleurgh tomorrow...dreading it but I know it's worth it. Well done everyone who has nailed Monday!

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

✅ plan and play day: pretty self explanatory title really.

✅ mission: We are back in the bathroom and your mission for today is to clean our your bathroom trash can. Use the tub to fill the can with hot water and add some general purpose cleaner or dish soap. Let it soak and then scrub the bottom, the sides and the outside. Turn it over and let it dry in the tub and then put it back before someone needs to bathe and ends up taking a shower with the trash can! This is so simple and makes a difference.
Your mission for the Stash and Dash space is to spend 5 minutes gathering up anything that you can donate or give away that you no longer love, use or need.
✅ pamper mission: spend 15 minutes really having a good hair wash. Flylady makes it sound better than I do... www.flylady.net/c/pampering.php?tzm=0
But honestly this will never happen in my house. My whole shower routine is less than 15 minutes 😂

Good morning everyone, sending strong coffees to those that need it ☕️☕️

I didn’t do my ironing or 5 minutes on the playroom last night 🤦‍♀️ Once I sat down, that was it I was done so I have been on the back foot this morning but caught up a little now !

tada
🌟up , washed , dressed, hair and makeup
🌟clothes for today ironed
🌟dry clothes folded
🌟LOL

Currently eating breakfast, I’m going to try and get the bathroom task completed before work but we’ll see how the morning goes !

ponpoms sounds like you had a super busy day yesterday !

Yesterday ta-da's:

🌻 Morning routine
🌻 Decluttered
🌻 Took a walk
🌻 Meal planning
🌻 Shopping list
🌻 Evening routine

Today's ta-da's:

✳️ Morning routine
✳️ Food shop
✳️ Decluttered

To-do:

🔸 Evening routine

Think I need an early night I'm dead tired today

Sunny that sounds such lovely fun on your snow day.It snowed here this afternoon came down thick and fast while I was out. Glad I took the car.

That you have 6 kids! Nuff said!

Zoo cute cat photos. Little kids are easier that teens. Sorry little kids mums you have it all to come. Teens are sometimes like Aliens!

Well I seem to have done bugger all!

The kitchen luckily is always fairly good. Bathroom is good just need to dust the shelves and stuff and wash the floor. I have to redo the baking drawer.The lovely man who designed our kitchen GAVE me a new insert last week because I admired it. I did take cake over but owed them that about 3 years ago.

Flylady morning stuff.
Hmm well I did some of it this morning but usually I get up dressed to dressing gown and Uggs (well they are shoes aren't they?) and go down and make tea unless dH is up first. Have two big mugs on the sofa snuggled in my dressing gown and eventually go up and get ready.
In comparison to four years ago
6 am wake up
6.05 check emails
6.07 get up, air bed and jump in shower, wash hair.
6.20 dry self.S&S basin and loo and rinse shower out.
Chck bath mat over shower to dry, open window.
6.30 get dressed.
6.45 make bed open window unless winter.
6.55 collect washing and Ipad.
7am Kettle on, LOL in and on. Unload dishwasher and put away.
7.10 Tea made, milk heated and breakfast made. Take with Ipad and answer any I need to do.
7.25/30 wash dishes, load fire and vacuum sitting room. Feed chickens.
8am Sort all stuff needed for school, might need to research earlier and print off so sometimes ate breakfast at same time.
8.15 load car. Sometimes remember to make self lunch if time.Loo.
8.20 Drive 9 miles to work and hope traffic not manic.

That was a lot busier and I felt like I had a couple hours work before work sometimes. I was bright eyed and bushy tailed and now I am not! I take loads longer to do stuff.

Tuesdays I like. I have self care day on Tuesday now. I am at church just now as Lent. Then Lent lunch soup and bread. We take turns one reads, one brings bread and one makes soup for 15. Left overs get dropped off to older parishioners. afternoons I have Craft &cards on two Tuesdays, WI on one(just joined) and I have been invited to do the Hospice Garden now too.

Sundays is Mass, Coffee & cake and home for snack then choir in the pm.

I been to help my friend this week and change her bed and wash up and tidy around kitchen as she broke her arm again. Her eyesight isn't great since. We go to Flower Club and Gardening Club once a month onWed/Thurs evenings.

I need to do more this week starting tomorrow. I think I am a bit fed up. DD has arrived and will be here next weekend hopefully.I didn't get my trip to NZ probably never will now :(

Ditsy I think it was.thanks but I am on Ipad not phone.The phone is Nokia and not great reception here unless you have an Iphone and I am too stingy to pay out that much money for a phone. If you have any idea on the Ipad I would be grateful.It is just Mumsnet.I have been on Gransnet yesterday and it is not kicking me off. Do you think if I changed name/ email it might help ? I haven't really been chucked off for naughtiness though they didn't like a post once on LIFE charity where I suggested someone had counselling.If they had bothered to look into it they might have realised this charity gives lots of counselling post abortion despite it's name. I went to some speakers once and our local Secondary uses them for Sex Ed. Two young girls and they were amazing gave lots of facts and had props.
I had to change name.It was unfair as some people were being horrible to the poster and I wasn't but I thought she didn't really know what to do and needed support.Boyfriend had dumped her which I think had been a shock. Want their fun but not the responsibility. She was waivering but I think she had an abortion and sounded like she regretted it poor lass.

Hazel that sounds a lot of hard work but worth it in the end.

Pom poms you are doing a great job.

I picked out all the bits that applied to me and put them in a journal, which I never kept up. They are still there and I look at it from time to time on a good day.
15 minutes washing my hair dH would be ranting.He starts if I have been 15minutes washing all of me. I told him last time I have a lot more hair than him! 😂

Will try and pop in tomorrow.I can't even read a two sentence post unless I get on here. Not easy.He is watching a film. Right need to go do some stuff.
Made Chicken Biryarni last night no idea what we are having tonight.It should be fish but we only have tinned tuna.MMM baked tatties?

Sorry for the bbok but it is about a weeks worth!😘

Hi, I'm new so starting this half way through the month. Currently just reading through the baby steps. Its nice to see a decluttering method that will cater to my attention span which has been described as akin to that of a gnat 😂

Hi everyone I'm absolutely frazzled today mentally and physically .
☀️ cleaned upstairs thoroughly
☀️ thorough cleaning of bathroom
☀️home bleurgh of ten downstairs.
☀️ planted some hyacinths
☀️ cleaned two tuff trays in garden
☀️showered 3 minutes 😆
☀️ finished book in sunshine.
☀️tutored for an hour
☀️made falafel for two nights worth
☀️decluttered some socks
☀️lovely quality playtime with baby poms
☀️lol

Also made a new rule....I can eat anything I want anytime...snacking is becoming an issue but I'm so sleep deprived from baby poms (up at 4:30 today) that I don't really want to take away the little joy that snacking gives me. Anyway my rule is always have a glass of water before I eat anything. I feel amazing and I've snacked less even though I'm'allowed' to eat anything.

WEDNESDAY

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

☀️anti-procrastination day
☀️ get dressed to shoes
☀️Reminder: Go Re-boot your laundry. There are five steps: Sort, wash, dry,
☀️mission: It is Anti-procrastination Day! It is time to take a look into the medicine cabinets and toss the empty bottles and boxes that are taking up space. While you are doing this also take a look at the expiration dates on the medicines that are there. If you have some that need to be gotten rid of take care of that as well. Grab a damp rag and wipe down the shelves. Don't take everything out, just lift, wipe and put back.
Your Mission for the Stash and Dash space is to spend 5 minutes putting away the things that have a home, you know where they go but you tossed the in a pile while stashing and dashing because someone was coming over. The Stash and Dash spaces are just piles of procrastination.

Welcome @Haddie321 , anything you don’t understand just ask.

@icypompoms well done on the water idea

@Searchingforsunnydays will be interested to hear what you think about Crawdads (it seems to be a love it or hate it book, I hated it but more seem to love it). I am mainly listening to audio books at the moment rather than reading properly.

@Redsquirrel5 what a difference from your working life. Sounds like mornings are a lot easier now.

Tada!
Check emails etc
Up, dressed
Cats fed, milk put away, swish and swipe, put away clean dishes from drying
Work.
Home, made packed lunch for tomorrow and green smoothy (health kick)
Stuck dinner in the oven
Made some homemade mayo
Zoom call
Ate dinner
Walked to Sainsburys for fruit (about 2/3 mile away, nice to have a leg stretch)
Bought fruit, ham, avocados, pate, mother’s day card
Put it all away
Made seed crackers (low-carbing)
Ate seed crackers with pate
Send a couple of emails
Text DS
Dishwasher on

Bathroom not too bad apart from a little rack where we keep spare bottles of shampoo, cleaning stuff etc, will tackle that this week. Off to bed shortly.

Welcome Haddie feel free to ask us if you have any questions about flylady

Red your mornings sound a lot more relaxing now you're not working

I'm tired 😴 it seems I can't get to bed on time for over a week now. Something comes up every night. Hopefully tonight will be different 🤞

Ta Das:
🌬 LOLs x6, including sheets and towels
🌬 spin bike workout 💪
🌬 shower, including body scrub and shaved
🌬 applied self-tanner
🌬 cooked lunch and ate with DH
🌬 cleared countertops in kitchen, put things away that don't belong
🌬 video chat with Mum
🌬 ordered dog food (so expensive!)
🌬 ordered flowers to be courier delivered on Sunday to my Mum
🌬 checked balances on gift cards that were in my wallet
🌬 sat on the couch for a few hours watching my show
🌬 rinsed off self-tanner guide colour and moisturised
🌬 cooked dinner
🌬 for my clothes out for tomorrow

Ugh, the last thing should say got my clothes out for tomorrow! Maybe my phone is tired too 🤷‍♀️

I also got mine and DH's lunches ready for tomorrow (just leftovers from tonight)

This week is pretty busy with birthdays (the whole of March really).
Coco's (dog) birthday was yesterday, DDs birthday is Thursday, FIL is Saturday, mine is Sunday (and I don't ever remember Mothering Sunday landing on my birthday before, it's bizarre).

🍒👋 to everyone, I know I missed a lot of personals!

Hello. I need to get back to my routines. I got hit with some kind of flu-type cold, and have spent most days wafting about about on the settee and trying not to fall over in the kitchen.

I want this place reasonable by the end of the month. It's looking sad and grimy.