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Housekeeping

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Festive Flying with the Fledglings

221 replies

ExpensiveDecorations · 30/11/2023 21:46

🎄Welcome to the December Flylady thread, this is a long running thread with many regulars but newcomers and returners are all very welcome. We love to chat as well as looking after our homes.

Do NOT sign up for the Flylady emails - your inbox will end up very cluttered!

There is an app that you can customise to suit your schedule and home but I haven’t tried it, others on here have, you can customise it and use it for notifications.

There are Baby Steps for starting out, add one thing at a time to start good habits and routines.
There are 5 zones that we will rotate through, don't worry about finishing it all this month, it'll come around again next month! Flylady is NOT about perfectionism!

Daily missions: each day of the week has a different mission.

  • Monday: Home Blessing (or as we call it, home bleugh)
  • Tuesday: plan & play
  • Wednesday: anti-procrastination
  • Thursday: errand day
  • Friday: clean car & purse out a week. It's also date night (with your significant other, or friends, or yourself!)
  • Saturday: family fun day
  • Sunday: renew your spirit

Common acronyms we use:

  • LOL: load of laundry (we aim to have lots of laughter too)
  • Mount Washmore - multiple LOLs
  • DW: dishwasher, not wife
  • LMS: lose/lost my shit
  • DNLMS: did not lose my shit
  • BRC/DRC: box/basket/drawer of random crap

I'll try to update links every day, although it could get a bit hectic as we proceed through the month.

Links are below 👇 if I happen to not add links in time, they do update at midnight for you. Ask if there us anything you understand - our motto is No Fledgling Left Behind.

Launch Pad (the heart of the system): https://www.flylady.net/d/new-links/
Zones (different weekly focus areas of the house): https://www.flylady.net/d/zones/
Baby Steps (these build up into daily habits): https://www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/31-beginner-babysteps/
31 Beginner BabySteps | FlyLady.net
https://www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/31-beginner-babysteps
Flight Plan (daily summary of the relevant parts of the system) http://www.flylady.net/c/fp.php?tzm=0
Festive Flying http://www.flylady.net/d/cruising-through-the-holidays/

OP posts:
Thread gallery
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SingSongVerilyTheSky · 30/11/2023 23:19

Hello! I fell off the last thread big time 🙈

Signing in and hoping I can magically feel more festive… but I’m starting December with a tooth extraction so it may take me a few days 🤣

DitzyDaffodils · 01/12/2023 01:23

Thanks for the new thread ED I hope you have more success getting back into flying

Thanks for last month's thread Hazel I'm not surprised you aren't fully functional on so little sleep, I'd be dropping too

Sorry about your tooth Sing

Hope the migraine goes away Hills. Thanks for the reminder to check my emails, I'm sure they're building up while I'm not looking

I failed on the errand run yesterday but had a productive day anyway

Ta-da's:

❄️Morning routine
❄️Walk in the woods, saw a blackbird up close
❄️Shredded a pile of documents
❄️Deleted half the accounts I followed on Instagram
❄️Fed the ducks in the park
❄️Finished reading a novel that can now be given away
❄️Reorganised storage in the main bedroom
❄️Evening routine

HazelNuttyElf · 01/12/2023 05:36

Thank you ED for the shiny new thread. I love your name change!

I hope you make a speedy recovery Sing that sounds painful! I love your festive name change too!
Ditzy I'm actually in bed earlier than I have been. Hopefully I'll wake up feeling refreshed 🤞
Your day looked so balanced and lovely! (I'm not sure if balanced would be the right word, but hopefully you know what I mean).

The carpets are all installed in the house! 😍 just finishing touches and they will all be done 🥳 a few more things need to happen (one more bedroom painted) and a few little things and then everything inside the house will be complete!
I'm ready to get my house back.

ExpensiveDecorations · 01/12/2023 07:41

Morning! Sorry I'm late, it has been a hectic week and Friday is my day off so I have a little lie-in.

It's Friday so it's tidy your handbag and car day, also date night. I will be going out but in a big group with DH and DD.

Our Flight Plan for the day is here
http://www.flylady.net/c/fp.php?tzm=0

The mission for the day is to clean and clear your dining table. Ours is a bit of a dumping ground as we mainly eat in the kitchen. Oops.

OP posts:
SleepingIceDragons · 01/12/2023 13:01

Well I forgot my festive name change but i got my basic name change... Where the hills meet the sea you will find the sleeping ice dragons.

Massive thanks to hazel for taking on last months thread*
Thanks to ED for stepping up and taking on December's thread.

Woke up feeling better but did sleep til lunch. Need to get moving as have a load of errands to run. Preferrably before the ice settles back in for the night.

TheMainChristmasCharacter · 01/12/2023 13:54

Hello just joining on.
Excuse the rubbish name change, not feeling very creative!

DitzyDaffodils · 01/12/2023 16:10

Don't worry Character. I forgot a name change altogether, it was late when I posted. I'll do a new one for the new year

I love the idea of sleeping ice dragons. I don't know who invented it but they should be crowned. Glad you're feeling better Dragons

I get you Hazel and for once it did feel calm, not the usual rush rush rush. I seem to switch between that and unproductive procrastinating

I'm planning a productive evening instead of sitting on my backside, so here's an interim ta-da's list before I forget what I've done

🌬️Morning routine
🌬️Extra LOL, one on the line and one in the dryer
🌬️Found all the winter pyjamas and put them somewhere accessible
🌬️Put some other things not needed at the moment in the space where the winter pyjamas used to be
🌬️Finished reading another novel (does anyone else have several books on the go at once?)
🌬️Booked car in for MOT

SingSongVerilyTheSky · 01/12/2023 21:08

Evenin’ all.

ta da
✅bit of work
✅walked to dentist, had appt including getting tooth out, came home
✅watched a lot of telly
✅finished reading a book (yep ditzy I never only have one book! I now have two non fictions and an audiobook to finish preferably by new year, I like to start afresh each January)

Actually don’t feel too bad, my face hurts 🤣 but it’s bearable. Must remember to do a salt bathing thing before sleep 🤢 but otherwise I’m taking the opportunity to do as little as possible.

HazelNuttyElf · 02/12/2023 05:08

Love the new name dragon 😍 I'm happy to read that your are starting to feel better

Ditzy I'm looking forward to being able to access all of my pajamas! I can't wait to get things put back where they belong.

Sing I hope you make a quick recovery

Ta Das:
🍷 worked all day
🍷 helped DH put the new Dyson together
🍷 went out for dinner (we're all getting sick of Thanksgiving leftovers) 🤣
🍷 made caramels

No one showed up at the house today, surprise surprise 🙄

My plans for the weekend:
🎄 finish Mum's package & mail it off
🎄 wrap caramels individually
🎄 make at least 2-4 truffle flavours
🎄 make another batch of caramel
🎄 put the Christmas tree up
🎄 meal plan for the week
🎄 grocery shopping

SleepingIceDragons · 02/12/2023 11:37

Slow to get going this morning. But huge lists of things to be done.

Ta da so far
bedding on to wash
Fish out a cardigan which just needs pockets sewn on - make sure all bits are present and accounted for.
laundry sorted
find a recipe for cream of mushroom soup.
find the missing pattern for a gift that needs to be cast on

To do
Pots
grill pans
sew the pockets
finish writing christmas cards
finish sorting document post
start the process of wrapping christmas presents - and figuring out which safe place they have been put in
black wash
white wash
hoodie wash
towel wash
bug the hell out of ds for laundry
make the mushroom soup -might postpone til tomo
make potatoe and leek soup - might postpone til tomo
make stew for tea
make bread rolls to go with soup -might postpone til tomo
make chelsea buns because both ds and i are needing something with substance that is on the sweet side.
try to get to making the bulk muffin mix
make a batch of muffins
Set a batch of splits peas to soak ready for making split pea and ham soup.

Scourgify · 02/12/2023 12:23

Thank you to Hazel and ED.

placemarking so I don’t forget my name. Catching up today.

ExpensiveDecorations · 02/12/2023 18:19

Ooops, failing as thread leader early this month. Today was Family Fun Day, I've been out all day and off out again now, hope you have all had an enjoyable day, catch up in the morning.

OP posts:
Scourgify · 03/12/2023 00:10

Tweaked LoL routine this week, and my Saturday was both productive and relaxing. Arthritis has eased up a little, and I managed some knitting in the evening while watching “Die Hard”. Also tidied bits of the kitchen during adverts. Soaked some green lentils ready for sprouting.

Tomorrow is hauling Christmas tree and decorations down from a very high shelf, and getting the stand and low table out the garage. Maybe the snow will be gone by then and the central heating will get into double figures.

DitzyDaffodils · 03/12/2023 02:45

Fri Eve Ta-da's:

🌫️ Life admin
🌫️ Exercise
🌫️ Put tree up and decorate it
🌫️ Finished reading another novel
🌫️ Evening routine

Sat Ta-da's:

🥶 Morning routine
🥶 Drove to the cheap petrol garage on the other side of town
🥶 Went through the cleaning supplies cupboard, the condiments and spice rack. Tidied it all up. The kitchen is looking better now
🥶 Wrote Christmas cards
🥶 Made sponge cake
🥶 Exercise
🥶 Evening routine

Froggiehop23 · 03/12/2023 04:26

Thanks for the new thread @ExpensiveDecorations

Feel like I had just started a routine after joining here in November and then out of sorts this week with DH away with work and family staying.

Ta-da's for yesterday:
❄️ Food shop and meal plan complete.
❄️Kitchen re-set/clean and floor mopped.
❄️ Bathroom re-set/clean and floor mopped.
❄️ X2 lol and hung to dry...tumble dry gave up this week 😒... Any good dehumidifier recommendations appreciated 👍🏻

Today's to-do's:
❄️Morning routine
❄️ Put away/iron any dry laundry.
❄️X2 vinted parcels to sort and label.
❄️Bedroom reset.

Searchingforsanta · 03/12/2023 08:55

Morning everyone, I dropped off the thread again ! I really struggle to keep up during term time, working extra hours and studying ! My home is in a state so I really need to dig deep and keep those routines going.

We have snow ! ⛄️ dd2 is currently poorly with scarlet fever so may not want to go out in it - her skin is so sore 😔. We have the Christmas tree up with lights on but dd2 wants us to wait until she's better so she can help decorate ❤️

First job is to get a list going of the priority jobs then try and get some checked off whilst oh is home.

DomesticElf · 03/12/2023 09:46

Morning all!
Thank you for leading last thread Hazel, and thank you for picking up this month ED.

It is all upside down here at the moment as we are getting ready for the house move in next two weeks. I'm dusting, hoovering, and bleaching left right and centre. I have an irrational worry that packers would judge if they find dust while packing up the house 😬

I have a question re washing machine and tumble dryer: which one is better AEG or Bosch? If you have either of those brands, do you like it?

SingSongVerilyTheSky · 03/12/2023 10:10

YesTaDa
✅lots of reading
✅LOL
✅hung up LOL

My face hurts 😑🤣

Got to go out later and I don’t want to!

CherryogDog · 03/12/2023 10:20

Morning 🌄 everyone 👋
Thanks to @HazelNuttyElf and @ExpensiveDecorations for being thread leaders!
Every month I say this is the month I'm going to stay in step with the fly routines, and every month I don't 😆
I dragged myself out of my fugue yesterday and gave my bathroom a thorough scrub and de limescale.
Also caught up with all my LOLs. Including a basket of clean washing that I'd completely forgotten to hang up a week ago which was rather pungent 😚
I walked to the field this morning and my thighs have had a good workout crunching through the snow.
I'm about to put away all my clean washing, and have a tidy up of the dining room.
Happy flying everyone!

ExpensiveDecorations · 03/12/2023 13:09

Afternoon,
Well, a bit of a lazy start (we have had a couple of late nights out). Also it has been a very hectic week, my DF is in hospital and I have been driving 50 mile round trips after work to go and see him, he should be going home tomorrow though. So Flying has been a bit minimal this week but today I am tackling Mount Washmore, we got a new tumble dryer during the week which helps!

@Froggiehop23 after the week I’ve had I know exactly how you feel, I am thinking of taking a day off next week just to catch up with life.

@DomesticElf it is neither of those makes, but we had a Bosch WM for 10 years which was very good (replaced three years ago).

@CherryogDog well done on the bathroom

@Searchingforsanta poor DD, hope she is better soon

Sunday is Renew Your Spirit Day, I am going out this afternoon with my bookclub friends, so that will be nice, we meet on zoom normally and this is only our 3rd ever in person meet-up (club started around the time of the first lockdown).

Tomorrow we weill be moving into Zone 2 The Kitchen. I am posting today’s flight plan here, it always has links to yesterday/tomorrow if you want to check ahead or catch up. http://www.flylady.net/c/fp.php?tzm=0 @DitzyDaffodils sounds as though you are ahead already!

@Scourgify glad you had a nice Saturday.

Lovely to hear that Christmas decorations are going up, pretty photos always welcome! We will be doing ours next weekend.

OP posts:
CherryogDog · 03/12/2023 17:48

@DomesticElf I had an AEG washing machine, it was really good but the heating element died. It was replaced under warranty, worked fine but then one day it vibrated itself across the kitchen, it had a slight leak from a seal not being replaced properly by the engineer and the casing had rotted away. I've got an Ebac now.
Still got an AEG condenser dryer, don't use it much, but I find it's best to over ride the programmes as the sensor says things are dry when they're still damp.
I prefer the old fashioned two dials, one for time and one for heat setting.

Searchingforsanta · 03/12/2023 19:15

@DomesticElf I'm sure the packers won't judge - even the cleanest of houses will have dust ❤️ I can't help with the washing machine decision , I have a Samsung bubble and it's been great .

What are you reading @SingSongVerilyTheSky?

I'm the same @CherryogDog, start the month of strong then drop off - will this be our month to stay on top of it all ? 🥂 sounds like you had a productive day yesterday!

I hope your DF is doing ok @ExpensiveDecorations ? Sounds like you had a super tough week !

Tada
🎄Cleaned my mattress (oh slept downstairs last night because dd2 was little velcro, unfortunately she wet the bed 🥲 isn't like her at all and has been having accidents all day - her little body must be trying to fight the infection)
🎄 Finished putting the decorations on the tree
🎄Cleared all kitchen sides ready for this weeks tasks
🎄 A lovely roast dinner

I will have to call in sick tomorrow which I really don't like doing and I'm already overthinking it. dd2 needs me at home . If she seems better, she may be able to go to grandmas on Tuesday. A few things still to do and may start the wrapping this evening!

SingSongVerilyTheSky · 03/12/2023 21:35

Currently reading Women don’t owe you pretty by Florence Given, also have Unfair Play by Sharron Davies to finish after. And I’m listening to an audiobook about minimalism called Everything That Remains (I think)

Sorry about poorly little one. 💐

ExpensiveDecorations · 04/12/2023 07:33

Morning, today we are in the kitchen and our mission is to wipe down the fronts of our cabinets. Mine are probably well overdue, it’s been a while, but I did clean the splashback above the hob last night. Happy Monday everyone.

http://www.flylady.net/c/fp.php?tzm=0

OP posts:
SleepingIceDragons · 04/12/2023 10:55

I think mine are going to require tackling with sugar soap and a scrubbing brush. My lot are mess blind and oblivious to spills. Unfortunately i fear if i did that I would remove the paint off the doors (it is already starting to peel)

I need to do a bulk shop run. Do this about once a month. Hoping that because it has been left til lunch that the road conditions have improved as I have a 45min drive to the "big" shop.

ta da
re-evaluate christmas traditions - what goes, what stays, what is added
ds dropped at college
laundry rotated on radiators
list for shop made
remaining soup put into freezer

Not sure what else is happening today, because I had my brain melt out of my ears as ds felt the need to throw a whole heap of complex music theory at me on the drive this morning. Was nice that he was feeling so well and chatty. But OMG do i need warning and more coffee before that.
I should find my to do list... hmmm which safe place is that in... <wanders off mumbling to self about chaos and clutter and bastarding building work>