Weekly Flylady Thread 1st January 2018

Natty68

FIRST FULL THREAD OF 2018

May I wish each and everyone of you, regulars, oldies, newbies, returners and lurkers a very Happy 2018 may it be filled with happiness and not too much dust.

This week will see a LOT of newcomers which happens every year, sadly many of these ladies and gents do not stay long. This influx usually means the thread is very very busy, please do not lose heart if you cannot keep up with everyone else or reading the thread, don't try to reply to everyone and please remember to include something about flying in your posts, chat is for the weekend when your home is looking beautiful!!! Things will settle again in a couple of weeks so don't worry it will return to normal and we will hopefully have some new fledglings.

What is FLYLADY? Well, it's our version of the US flylady idea - but we work on the principle that housework is not fun, it's boring, can be time-consuming, is often thankless but, unfortunately, necessary. It's here on Old Style to provide the support we all need and to make the whole task easier and quicker. We also accept that, sometimes, life just gets on top of us and we can't keep up, maybe because we're time-poor, not in the best of health and/or we have littlies who need us. We are definitely NOT control freaks aiming for perfection and utterly spotless show-homes.

Welcome to the weekly Flylady Thread. You're more than welcome to join us in the everlasting battle against dust, grime and gibble. The aim of our thread is to make those onerous tasks less daunting, and to support each other - and to make time for the finer things in life!

Thank you Valli for last week's thread

Please follow the forum rules on this thread as Flylady has been here a LONG time and is a fabulous support and resource for lots of us. All posts should have some Flylady-related (ooh a compound adjective) content!

There are 3 levels per day deepening on how much time you have. Feel free to mix and match to suit your own personal circumstances.

Every room comes back around next week so please don’t stress about catching up.

These lists are only suggestions and not a must do list; you are more than welcome to post and follow your own lists.

Also adding a declutter mission each day will help to gradually clear the clutter and make flying easier.

A few of the basics before we start the week

Hotspots are areas where if one thing gets put there, loads of other things follow!

Daily routines are anything you need to do on a daily basis like washing, swish and swipe kitchen and bathroom, ironing, making beds, vacuuming high traffic areas, making meals etc.

Night-time routines are all things which make getting ready in the morning easier, preparing clothes for the next day, making lunches, swish & swipes of the kitchen and tidying the living room before you go to bed plus personals like shower/brush teeth etc.

Swish and swipe/S&S means have a quick wipe over an area such as a sink or toilet to prevent the build up of dirt. This is usually done on a daily basis

HHE/HHC/HHI Half Hour exercise/challenge/ironing ... run around for 30 minutes to the Benny Hill music frantically cleaning exercising or ironing.. other music may be used if you prefer![/color]

Some of our abbreviations: DH- dear husband, OH- other half, KH/CF- affectionate term for ex husband or partner DS/DD- dear son/daughter, DGC- dear grandchild, WM- washing machine, DW- dishwasher, LR/DR- living/dining room, RoD- room of doom, Mr S/A/T/M/L/Al- supermarkets Sainsburys, Asda, Tesco, Morrisons, Lidl, Aldi. You get the picture!

MAD half hour- Mad is the abbreviation for Make A Difference.
The idea is that you have a Forth bridge (ie never-ending - or just huge) task but that you work on it in half-hour bursts. This way you know you ARE stooping, and that you won't get it finished but you will make a difference - so it might be clearing out - the garage or shed, or clothes sorting, or weeding - you get the picture - but rather than keep going until you've lost the will to live you do half an hour...but, eventually those half hours will get the job done!

Click here to read Toots wonderful welcome guide


Mondayday - New Year's Day
Just some bits and pieces for those in the mood, if not have the day off ready to start tomorrow. Remember to spend sometime with family/friends if you like that sort of thing.

Hoover out smoke alarms and test
Put up those calenders for the new year
Update calendar/diary with all those important dates
Delete some emails/favourites
Back up photos from phone/laptop etc, enjoy looking over some
Put away any glasses used last night
Hoover any areas in dire need
S&S toilets and sinks if required
Sort out that drawer/cupboard/shelf which has been on your list forever.

No Laundry – you don’t want to wash away any good luck.

Write a list of 5 things you do that make you happy and 5 that make you sad. Ponder on how to do more of the first list and less of the latter.


Tuesday ~ Kitchen and Living Room
Level One
S&S Kitchen
Empty out bins
Wipe/scrub sink
Level Two
Straighten up cushions/covers/displaced toys etc..
Move clutter so you can vacuum under it
Vacuum and wipe (if needed) sofas
Dust any areas below eye level
Find homes for new appliances/books that you may have received for Christmas
Level Three
Dust anything above eye level (if safe to do so)
Clear anything that shouldn't be where it is..maybe the Christmas tree if don’t want to wait till 12th night
Look for the good in others and notice their strengths..

Extra Mission Tasks - as usual if you fancy tackling something else you could try one or more of these

• Check the useby dates on stuff in fridge, double check your fruit bowl – do you need to get rid of anything furry or a funny colour?
• Wipe the bits next to the steps on the stairs, yours might be skirting board, edging of some sort, grab a cloth and give it a wipe
  

Wednesday ~ Master Bedroom & Landing
Level 1
Check fire alarms are working
Remove and wash bed linen.
Level 2
Dust surfaces & make sure no cobwebs..
Vacuum mattress before replacing with fresh linen, air the bed if possible
15 minutes floordrobe clearance
Level 3
Vacuum floors in bedroom and on landing
Sort one area of clothes or linen storage making sure only what should be in there is, anything that's had it's day or doesn't belong there is removed
Clear a hotspot., or spend 15 minutes clearing one.
Do three extra acts of kindess fpr other people.

Extra tasks list, as usual choose one or more

• 27 fling boogie time, time for that midweek fling, go on grab a bag and clear that clutter
• Clean windows in these rooms
• Check the airing cupboard, anything that is way past it's use by (maybe recycle for rags if possible, you could donate old sheets oor towels to a local animal rescue for bedding)
• Clean tops of wardrobes and drawers (if safe to do so, no pregnant flyladies on ladders please delegate the job instead)
• Check through undies drawers, anything more holy than the church which needs to go/be repaired? Anyone need anything replacing?
• Give everyone at home a bag to collect the things which belong to them that are not where they should be, give them 15 minutes to find them all and put them away You could threaten to bin whatever is left if they don't seeing as everyones being quite ruthless this week

Thursday ~ Childrens/spare rooms
Level One...
The most important task first.. make time for yourself.. a haircut, manicure, or just a relaxing bath in peace!
Strip, wash and replace bedding
Level Two...
Sort through a box of toys/shelf/cupboard see if you can fit in some of the christmas stash
Tidy a chest of drawers
Vacuum, even if it means kicking all the mess into a corner heap!
Level Three..
Binbag Dance.. fling those broken things and empty packaging!
Wash windows and sills, and curtains and blinds!
Make sure games are in boxes and books are straight on shelves
Extras

• Wash stinky pet beds/houses
• Dust all the light fittings
• Chase appointments/put off call and emails/catch up with a friend you have been putting off
• Check when appointments are due for dentist, opticians, smears etc.. Make notes in diaries/calendars

Friday ~ Bathroom and study/pc area
Level One
Declutter floors and chairs and pile all the paperwork in one heap
Clear desk of papers and junk.. give it a good wipe
Level Two...
Wipe mouse, keyboard and polish screens while pc runs defrag.
Declutter 50 emails, 5 dead links and any unused programs.. make backup disc of pics etc.. just in case!
Scrub bath, loo, sinks, showers
Level Three...
Wash shower curtains/mat etc that are grotty
Clean paintwork and shine mirrors
Empty and wash out bins
Extras

• Sort through that pile of hotspots!
• Make room in the bathroom for your new christmas smellies! and get them installed
• Clean radiators.. don't forget the back (sock on a stick/coat hanger!)
• Get those christmas 'Thank you's' sent out!

kazwookie

Cooeee

We are going in to 2018 Natty xxx

Thank you for the threads ladies over the year, I know how much work / times goes in to them.

Natty68

Thanks Kaz, I must be trying to hang onto 2017 a bit longer..lol

Changed it now hon... At least someone is on the ball tonight, and I haven't even been drinking..lol

Mumof2_2

Hi all, I'm still here and as much as I am able to WILL be doing what I can as I can. Hope you all had a lovely Christmas and here's to a fabulous 2018. DH been offered a job subject to security checks but not got a date yet; I'm still working with my typing job but have cut back a lot due to RSI. Also still part loaning 'Huck' - lovely horse and I've started competing too which is nerve racking!! Kids and Whiz all fine.

[Deleted User]

Hello Fly Ladies. Happy Hogmanay. :beer:

I've been away over Christmas and now I'm back ready to start flying in 2018.

froddington

Thanks Natty :A - I'm in.

Couldn't have managed 2017 as well without the wonderful support of all you fabulous flypeeps so thank you all :T

Here's to fantastic flylady fun and frolics in 2018

atypicalblonde

I'm IN

Thanks for the lists ladies, it is much appreciated. Here's to a fab 2018 all round :beer::beer:

roundtuit

I'm in

Happy New Year everyone _party_

Rxx

Narc0lepsy

Mumof2 wrote: »

Hi all, I'm still here and as much as I am able to WILL be doing what I can as I can. Hope you all had a lovely Christmas and here's to a fabulous 2018. DH been offered a job subject to security checks but not got a date yet; I'm still working with my typing job but have cut back a lot due to RSI. Also still part loaning 'Huck' - lovely horse and I've started competing too which is nerve racking!! Kids and Whiz all fine.

Great to see you again and that DH has some work. Have you tried voice-activated software, I use it for the bulk of my reports now as my shoulder injury doesn't improve and is very painful if I type for long.

Good luck competing, what do you do, I used to do dressage.
fbo hugs

I managed a lot on my list today and hope for better tomorrow.
2stone off would be lovely but probably unrealistic. Aim to get in better shape for Feb's holiday, pick up my running now my cold is going.
Wishing you all a Happy New year x

lynnejk

Evening everyone

I'm in and thank you for the lists.

I would just like to say a big thanks to all of you for the friendship and support over the last year - it's really been amazing

I'm wishing you all a very Happy, Healthy and Prosperous 2018

Hugs
Lx

pigpen

Happy New Year .. my favourite bunch of humans I'm not related to!

I have lost my voice.. feel like crap and starting as I mean to go on!

and fireworks should be banned!!!