Monday Fly - Christmas home blessings one and all

[TheGarishlyTwinkleyMadHouse]

mission

Zone is the master bedroom

My detailed zone clean for the week

Zone4 - My Bedroom

Ensuite
Clear any cobwebs
Clean all tiles
Wash mat
Polish taps
Clean blinds
Wash windows
Clean all mirrors
Clean outside of toilet
Soak inside of toilet
Tidy drawers
Hot wash all towels
Throw away empty bottles
Clean sink inc pedestal
Wash Floor
Wash hairbrush
Empty and wash out bin
Clear and wash any shelves
descale shower head

Bedroom

Clear cobwebs
Polish Furniture
Clean inside of window
Empty and clean bin
Wipe woodwork, inc skirting
Clean Mirror warbrobe doors
Flip Mattress
Wash Bedding
Sort Makeup
Tidy wardrobe
Tidy Drawers
Sort under bed
Hoover
Beat Mat

Thanks for that, TMH

My list is not quite so extensive, but I will do my best, honest!

Does cooking gingerbread tree decrations count ?

Bright and early for me - now there's no nursery to get to. Actually nearly ready to go out into town to get DS's hair cut and buy DH's present from the children, last few minute things and yet more butter from Lidl (seem to be getting through it lately with all the baking I'm doing )
Have put on 3 lbs in a fortnight with all these mince pies and Christmas baking!

To do
Wash up
Tidy kitchen
Hotspots everywhere!
Tidy playroom - desperate!
Go to town
Craft activities this afternoon
more wrapping
make nut roast and other baking
where's the washing
what's for lunch and dinner?
Change beds

Hope you all have a good day today

Yes Bella I'd say gingerbread tree decorations definitely count!

Oh, thanks, Wendy!

Merry Christmas all!

Hi all
Have slight hangover and have made tea and eaten breakfast thats it ....

Am off to town mid morning for last min christmas shopping and then have promised dc's pizza express lunch and then panto ...

Have never gone before (have tickets ... if it starts at 2pm should we get there for 1.30pm in order to get seated and settled or do you turn up with minites to spare???)

Off to shower away the cobwebs and drink more tea...

Go for 1.30 definitely, soak up the atmosphere! hope you enjoy it

Morning all

Sorry have fallen off Flywagon again!!! Anyway now back on track so want to say Merry Christmas.

Mostly festive Flying today, wrapping presents depositing dd at friend's Xmas shin-dig etc.

Also promised the littlies we'd bake Xmas biscuits for Santa, anyone got a good recipe for some that we can decorate etc?

Be back later

Morning

Morning all.

Wrapped all presents last night

Morning routine done. Good zone for me this week as other than the spare room our bedroom is the worst.

Nigella's Butter Cut out biscuits
My favourite biscuit recipe
I made these into stars and trees last week, plain iced with silver balls

To make ~50-60 biscuits:

~175g soft unsalted butter
~200g caster sugar
~2 large eggs
~1 teaspoon vanilla extract
~400g plain flour
~1 teaspoon baking powder
~1 teaspoon salt

1. Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and moving towards moussiness, then beat in the eggs and vanilla. In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.

1. Add the dry ingredients to the butter and eggs, and mix gently but surely. If you think the finished mixture is too sticky to be rolled out, add more flour, but do so sparingly as too much will make the dough tough.

1. Halve the dough, form into fat discs, wrap each half in clingfilm and rest in the fridge for at least 1 hour. Sprinkle a suitable surface with flour, place a disc of dough on it (not taking out the other half until you're finished with the first) and sprinkle a little more flour on top of that.

1. Then roll it out to a thickness of about 1/2cm. Cut into shapes, dipping the cutter in flour as you go to prevent the shapes from breaking, and place the biscuits a little apart on the baking sheets.

1. Bake for 8-12 minutes, by which time they will be lightly golden around the edges. Cool on a rack and continue with the rest of the dough. When they're all fully cooled, you can get on with the icing!

Morning

Thansk for the thread TMH

Enjoy the panto Saga

The cookies sound good Wendy, I may do some baking later today..

We put our tree up on Saturday which was fun And the kids took part in the church nativity play yesterday, both were v good and made me proud
Feels liek we've had a bad weekend otherwise though with one thing and another...
Ds came down with a bug yesterday - high temp in the night and sickness this morning.
Dd had full blown tantrum last night, bloody awful - I smacked her and feel completely ashamed of myself
Dh and I have been bickering; been OK for months but somethings not right atm
Dh has soooo much work on he's v tired and stressed and now will have to work late on Christmas eve
No work (my sanctury when things are going wrong at home) today as ds poorly so I'll get on with some cleaning ready for the week ahead. LOADS of washing to do anyway after the night we've had....

Back later x

Morning all I am back

Bianca I feel your pain - I too felt the need to smack, but managed to stop myself. DS2 has taken to hitting and hair pulling if he doesnt get his own way. It has been like world war three this morning.

DS1 is not well with his chest and me and him were up most of the night, I got him to sleep at 5.30 only for DS2 to wake him 30 mins later.

I have resported to soft play this morning and then dropping DS2 (who my mother thinks can do not wrong) with mum and leaving him - well I am doing her shopping tomorrow.

Me and DS1 have done a tidy round upstairs
TD is on
Slow cooker is on - need to add the meat before I leave

Wendy, that's a lovely word 'moussiness' I must use it more often. I have actually spotted a large pack of lurpak spreadable in freezer, which I must have put there in a prepare for Xmas moment many weeks ago, so I can actually make some of those biscuits...

Bianca, DH is being quite grumpy too. Yesterday he told me I'd missed Lark Rise to Candleford, after I'd missed it, in a particularily snarky manner. Feel like shutting myself in kitchen and singing beautiful descants very angrily when he is annoying, also manically cleaning. I think he feels pressure of Xmas wanting it to be as boy in Germany candles snow etc lebkucken missing elderly parents, and try as I might these things can not be reproduced and we have to make our own family Xmas which will be inevitably something different and lovely in its own way.

DS is ill with sore throat, so thank goodness we went for our long walk yesterday.

TMH, lol at mini-boilermen yesterday.
My little ones are snuffling this morning, but expecting loco moments later...

Done
Children dressed first thing except for ds1 who is dressed in a sleeping bag.
Breakfast given
Kitchen seems moderately tidy due to lack of baking efforts.

TO DO
Some biscuits to decorate
Hoover Zone
ration telly and intersperse with improving activities. Go into garden with twins and clearup?
write some more xmas cards (4 people)
Enormous Xmas collage with old Xmas cards
post cds (have cardboard postpacks)
LISTEN TO RADIO have not listened to lovely Radio 4 for weeks.
Try some acting with kids to do a show for grandma on Xmas day!!? Pogues might be a good soundtrack for cossackdancing ds2 ifswim.

Enjoy panto sagacious.

''housekeepie question'', do you use e-cloths

and what temp do you wash them at to make

them hygienic?

Hi all

Well I am absolutely shattered! DH and I were up past mid-night last night finishing DD1's room. We put the high-sleeper up and moved her wardrobe in there. This morning we dismantled DD2's bed and she is now on the bottom bunk where DD1 was.

The whole house was a complete write off. Mess EVERYWHERE!
I've managed now to tidy the kids rooms and the kitchen and I've literally just finished the living room.
Just our room and the bathroom and downstairs loo to do and then a good vac throughout the whole house.

I think it is all worth it though, DD1 is SUPER happy and is being as good as gold today!
The other two seem just as chuffed with their new spacious room and they are all playing nicely
DD1 has her boyfriend over as well....he is a lovely little boy (I really wouldn't mind if miraculously they ever married! )

Right well on with it I guess!

Bianca Sorry to hear all is a bit tense at home. I am sure it is all to do with the secret excitement of xmas. My three have been very irritating this last week. Its only been today that I can honestly say they have been good!

Redwood I use e-cloths. TBH I think I wash mine on a general 40 degree wash, but I watched a programme not long ago and it recommended you wash cloths and t-towels at no less than 60 degrees to be sure of killing bacteria.
I am sure a 60 degree wash would be a better plan...really not sure if they shrink or not though.

morning all.
have done quick clean before my friend and her little one came round this morning.
am now getting ready for the panto.
we are off to see cinderella with the luvvverly Joe Swash. i'm all excited.
ours starts at 2 as well saga i'm getting there for 1.30 so we can get settled also always long queues to get in and i would like to see as much of mr swash as poss!!

mad i luv your little boilermen bless- it shows they are clever thinking of the sfaety aspects

hello all

I hope you are all having a merry pre-christmas! I'm having a little trouble getting online - it may take a while to replace my laptop and dp's computer practically needs a handcrank to get the thing working

done

vaccumed - several times - all of downstairs and the staircase
vacced up all the muckwebs from the ceiling corners and the ones hiding behind the curtain pole
took radiator apart to get glass out
fed ds
wm loaded and on
dw unloaded, reloaded and on
rubbish out
recycling out
phoned police for update
phoned police/security partnership for home assessment - can't come until the end of january
went to currys to look for a prezzie for dp - no joy
went to lidl for loo roll
went to tesco for diesel
battled with dps computer - i swear i will throw this thing out of the office window

morning all

sounds like you have all been very busy already today.

we have had our first ever family cinema trip to see madagascar2 - the boys were really well behaved.

DS2 is about to go for a nap
DS1 is going to play on the puter

I am going to make mince pies & other goodies.

dylesmum hope you have a fabulous time at the panto
luda sounds like you have been busy making a beautiful room for DD1 - may it bring you many more days of peace and happiness
swan I feel for you - trying to live up to childhood memories of Christmas is nearly impossible.. I am sure you will have a wonderfull time.
TMH hope you and DS1 enjoy your 1to1 time.
Bianca I have smacked DS1 before now.. it has never been necessary and each time I have felt thoroughly cross with myself because it was done out of frustration. once your DH gets home albeit late on Christmas eve I hope you will have a lovely family christmas.

to Anne Wendy Jas Bella
saggy hope you have a fab time at the panto

Greyskull how was the film? My two want to see it over the holidays.
Luda glad dd is so pleased with her room

Ds is having a nap upstairs - no more vomit, thank goodness!

Dd went to a friends for lunch but I'll need to collect her soon (why do younger siblings always fall asleep at the time you need to wake them up to go and collect older siblings!)

I have tidied the kitchen and pottered round therest of the house. Nothing great achieved.

I'd like to do something nice with dd this afternoon but am not sure what...maybe some cooking if we have ingredients (a big food shop is urgently needed!) The Cat in The Hat film is on later, I know both dcs would like to watch that so maybe we'll just snuggle up and have some movie time....

Afternoon all

DSq is watching the backyardigans - he is shattered, so I am hoping he will fall asleep.

Bianca Madagascar 2 is OK, not as good as the first, but very watchable. We all went a couple of weeks back.

Oh I have a large todo list, but a sore head, so things can wait

Afternoon all

Wendy Thanks for the recipe will be doing that tomorrow with the little ones, just got to buy some cutters now.

Mad Aw that is so cute about your boys, I can imagine mine getting up to the same things too

Luda Sounds good about the bedroom I know what you mean about the chaos though as I'm still trying to sort the mess out that re-doing the lounge last month created

Waves to everyone else

Well I have...

Done
Taken delivery of dh's Xmas gift
Had friends over for coffee and play with the littlies
Cleaned bathroom to within an inch of it's life (due to expected guests)
Vac stairs
General tidy up

To do

Re-clean everything due to mess made by dcs and friends
Post office to collect parcel and return an online order
Buy new laundry basket (current one only held together by dirty clothes )
Collect dd from friend's party
Collapse into glass of wine and tin of chocs

Me and DS1 have been playing Mario Kart wii - he he he

I have some potatoes on and when they are done, will be collecting DS2 and the carpet cleaner, as DS1 spilt a bottle of lucozade all over the bedroom carpet (cream)

Hello everyone. The house is now catastrophically messy. However we have had a rather nice day.

Done
Ginger biscuits frugal version with dd who was very soothing when reindeers' heads all fell off. One batch burnt but tbex.
Children played shops am with some cardboard boxes, but refused to dance to Pogues.
Sick DS revived at mention of CAT IN HAT film.
No-one's eaten any lunch we don't feeel well, but now demanding cereal.
Managed to get to letterbox with kids to post 3 thin parcels and a Xmas card. HURRAH finished all the godchildren.
2 loads of washing done
trash mission in zone accomplished.

TO DO
Clean kitchen
Put away clean saucepans which are piled high on draining board.
Locate foxy smell, is a fox coming in thro catflap and joining enemy cats every night?
hoover zone

What's for dinner
Plain pasta
Dh cod with parma ham and courgettes

TMH in later years, the stains on the carpet tell stories. I have a carpet from my mother's house with indelible ink on it which I remember spilling aged 9 years. Still annoying tho...

Hi All.

Have done nothing beyond normal routine. Plan to deal with main bedroom when DDs are in the bath tonight.