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Housekeeping

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Flying into Spring - The Fledglings are no Fools

237 replies

ExtremelyDetermined · 31/03/2023 23:09

Time for the April Fledgling Flylady thread - regulars, returners and newbies are all very welcome, post as little or as often as you like, or just lurk, whatever suits you, but please feel free to ask if there is anything you don’t understand. Also feel free to chat!

Flylady is a system for running a household, it is a system which covers housework, a bit of self-care and quite a lot of just general organisation. It runs on a monthly cycle, hence a new thread at the start of each month. Links will be posted here daily, but do go and have a good browse of the website, just don’t sign up for the emails unless you want to add to the clutter in your inbox.

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
BRC - box of random crap

A big thanks to @icypompoms for running the previous thread Flowers. The system starts properly on Monday, but the weekend is a good time to have a look at the website and start planning.

Getting Started | FlyLady.net

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

OP posts:
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CurseYouPerryThePlatypus · 30/04/2023 10:46

Morning all. Welcome pork I also wouldn’t manage having a cleaner, I like the idea in some ways, as I’m rubbish at cleaning and it would be a good use of PIP (both DH and I have disabilities), but I’d be far too anxious, and also TBH the house is far too messy/cluttered for a cleaner to be able to do much! 😳🙈

I am looking forward to some time alone later today, DH is taking the younger two into town as DS has had another growth spurt and needs new trousers that cover his ankles 🤣 (bless him he’s really freaked out by the fact he’s now taller than his older sister! They are 13 and 15). I’ll get them to see if my meds are in Boots too.

I don’t have my usual Sunday dread feeling as there’s no school or work tomorrow, bank holiday will be boring though as DH is volunteering all day. But today I can try and get some bits and pieces done. I had the last tutorial of my current uni module yesterday and feel like my final assignment is totally achievable in the next three weeks 💪 time for a Power of Three!

po3.1
❗️Take crockery downstairs and make sure DD1 does the same
❗️Put a non-tumble-dry wash on and check towels in dryer are, well, dry!
❗️Discuss plan for the day with everyone as DD1 needs to fit in some revision

ExtremelyDetermined · 30/04/2023 11:29

Morning all,

Tada!
🍎Walk in the bluebell woods
🍎First lot of washing on line
🍎Lawn partially cut (we are leaving about half of it long for No Mow May but the cats don’t like it long and I don’t like getting wet ankles walking up the garden path
🍎Got the patio parasol out of winter storage in the shed so I could get to the lawnmower, hopefully it will get some use soon
🍎Stripped our bed and put the sheets on to wash.
🍎Discussed with family plans for starting to take stuff out of the rooms that are to be renovated. DH is going to take a car load to his work (self-employed and has storage) then bring some empty crates back, I am going to empty the landing bookcases to under our bed.

To do.

🍏bookcase clearance
🍏sheets on the line,
🍏bed re-made
🍏order new radiators
🍏pop to allotment to plant potatoes that I forgot to take yesterday

I was going to go to the gym but that might have to wait till tomorrow.

Welcome back @Scourgify , sorry you’ve been feeling a bit down, that happened to me around my 50th.

@CurseYouPerryThePlatypus nice to have some alone time

@HungryHazelEyes yay for DD coming back

@HillsBesideTheSea hope you got the walk in

@Redsquirrel5 I’m sorry things are so tricky with DD and DH at the moment <hugs>

I have realised that the end of the month has crept up on me. While I don’t mind carrying on with next month, there may be some disruption when our renovations start in 2 weeks, so if anyone else would like to take it on that might be better.

OP posts:
HillsBesideTheSea · 30/04/2023 11:59

Sorry i can't volunteer for next month. it is all rather bat shit here.

Did get my walk, did not get as much sleep as i would have liked. Everything hurts and the to do list is still Huuuuuge. <sigh> I just need to tell myself that it will be worth it.

ta da
dw is running
fry up for breakfast happened

to do
clean up kitchen that was too tired to do last night
3 lots of bread if i can find enough bowls (def have 2)
batch cooking
laundry
Want to get out walking today too. I just do better when i walk
figure out tea
be available for the building work currently happening in house
collapse into a heap and remind myself that after tomo it is back to work and normality and will be a little easier until next bank hol

CurseYouPerryThePlatypus · 30/04/2023 15:02

Second wash is on, and I’ve cleared up a bit in our room.

po3.2
❗️See if I can order some clothes online for DS
❗️Book a Tesco delivery
❗️Look through 3 specified textbook chapters and make some notes for assignment question

HungryHazelEyes · 30/04/2023 16:20

YesTaDas:
🪻 went flower/ plant shopping with MIL & SIL, bought quite a bit 🥰
🪻 quick grocery shopping trip (will have to go again, I've not been good at planning meals lately, putting it off)
🪻 easy dinner for ILs
🪻 rotated DW

Ta Das so far:
🪷 sorted laundry in loads to wash
🪷 first LOL of the day in the washer
🪷 brought our very full basket of clean clothes upstairs to put away once DS is done in the shower
🪷 finished my first cup of coffee, need to make my 2nd!

It's only just gone 9am here, but lots to do.

To Dos:
🍍 put clean clothes away so I can empty dryer (we fold our clothes as we take them out)
🍍 lots and lots of laundry!
🍍 take dead plants out of plant pots
🍍 pot some of my plants 🪴 it's still early here so need to wait on some of them
🍍 meal plan
🍍 submit grocery pickup order
🍍 vacuum and mop main areas of the house
🍍 clean carpet (not likely to get to this today, unfortunately 😒)

I'll see what I can get done. It's going to be hot again today, I got sunburnt yesterday!

DitzyDaffodils · 30/04/2023 17:12

I love plant shopping Hazel sorry you got sunburn though

Can just imagine your cats in the long wet grass ED they are funny creatures

Friday's ta-da's:

Morning routine
Washed car
Extra LOL
Boiler servicing
Deep cleaning in the hallway
Hospital checkup
Cleaned filthy toy
Took a walk
Stitched some little embroidered flowers onto a plain top
Evening routine

Yesterday's ta-da's:

Morning routine
At the park in the sunshine
Evening routine

Today's ta-da's:

Morning routine
Home blessings
Cleared out fridge

To-do:

Exercise
Evening routine

Scourgify · 30/04/2023 21:12

🪻 rotated DW. (Quote Hazel)

Can someone please tell me what this emoji is/means? tia.

I went out into the garden early and shovelled the soil out of the barrow and into rubble bags. The lined the bags up on the slabs and covered them in black binbags to keep the rain off. And now my garden looks like there's a body waiting to be buried under a patio.

Rain got too heavy to do anything else, so I measured a couple of areas for trellissing, and came in to tidy the house. Had a very lazy afternoon, blethered with adult ds on the phone for an hour, and generally was busy doing nothing in particular.

Of course, I'm now wide-awake and contemplating that understairs cupboard yet again.

HungryHazelEyes · 01/05/2023 03:33

I don't know how it looks for you, but it's a flower! See screenshot attached 😊

Ta Das:
🫐 a lot of plants potted, I ran out of pots and soil!
🍓 LOLs x6, including getting a stain out of a white hoodie for DD that her ex did 😡
🍍 raked front garden
🫐 showered, including body scrub, shave and then applied self tanner
🍓 vacuumed main floor
🍍 swept outside

It doesn't look like a lot, but I'm exhausted!

Flying into Spring - The Fledglings are no Fools
Flying into Spring - The Fledglings are no Fools
Flying into Spring - The Fledglings are no Fools
Flying into Spring - The Fledglings are no Fools
Flying into Spring - The Fledglings are no Fools
ExtremelyDetermined · 01/05/2023 08:40

Oh, that’s weird, on my phone (Iphone) that emoji looked like horizontal black lines on both @HungryHazelEyes and @Scourgify ’s posts, today it looks like a blue flower (on my Ipad). Screenshot from phone attached.

Mixed day here yesterday, I went for two walks (one on my own to the local bluebell wood, one with DS up a hill with rapeseed fields and a windmill), spent an hour at my allotment and started clearing the dining room. Also bed changed and sheets washed. However a few issues. Firstly I noticed someone has scratched my car (it wasn’t me) on the front corner. Then I lost an airpod (will be retracing my footsteps to the allotment shortly).

Most annoying, we put on the WM and DW - WM first, it did a load but took AGES. Then both were put on together and the DW made an error beep. Then the WM predicted 3.5 hours for a load that would normally take an hour and eventually errored after 2.5 hours luckily the washing had been rinsed so I did a manual spin on it and got it out. So it seems the water supply is failing, this has been narrowed down to the water softener as the cold tap in the kitchen (not connected to it) still works fine but the bathroom basin cold tap is also on a trickle. A bit of water getting through but not enough. Fortunately we have a cold / hot water tank system so hopefully they have filled overnight and we can have short showers till we get it fixed but no DW/WM. Will be contacting the WS supplier tomorrow.

Just off to start a new thread.

Flying into Spring - The Fledglings are no Fools
OP posts:
ExtremelyDetermined · 01/05/2023 08:58

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

New thread here

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/housekeeping/4796733-flying-into-may-fledglings-welcome-all-as-we-conquer-the-clutter

OP posts:
ExtremelyDetermined · 01/05/2023 11:26

Airpod had been found by a friend at the allotment Smile

OP posts:
HillsBesideTheSea · 01/05/2023 11:39

That's good news

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