Weekly Flylady Thread 27th May 2019

Valli

Welcome to the Weekly Flylady Thread

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!


Please do remember we have to abide by MSE rules; each post should, ideally, include some mention of flying.

Thank you Natty 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!

The idea is that even if you are really busy you don't need to fall off the wagon!

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.

Fling Boogie - stick on some loud music, grab a bin bag and whiz around the house finding items that can go out with the rubbish, recycling, for charity shop, basically anything that will stop it cluttering your home.

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!
WM ~ Washing machine
TD ~ Tumble dryer
SC ~ Slowcooker
BM ~ Breadmaker
DW ~ Dishwasher
SOAADFA ~ Sit on 'bottom' and do 'nothing'
WUDUPA ~ Washed up, dried up, put away
WUALTD ~ Washed up and left to dry
KH/XH/FW ~ Ex-husband and other not so polite versions
DH/DD/DS/DW/DP ~ Dear husband/daughter/son/wife/partner/whatever
OH/SO ~ Other half/significant other
NN ~ Nice neighbour
Toxic (friend/mother/sister/whoever) ~ Person in your life that seems to exist to make your life miserable
AF ~ Aunt Flo 'time of the month'.. nothing to do with flying but it comes up often.
ETA ~ Edited to add
Gibble ~ Miscellaneous crap that appears forever homeless
Dot-to-dot ~ pick a small area (not a whole room) like a chair/coffee/table/shelf/worktop or wherever- thats your first 'dot' - totally clear it - clean it - and only put back what should be there - deal with what you have removed (not just move it somewhere else) then if you have time move on and do the same to another 'dot' -the idea is just like a dot to dot puzzle, you aim to join up all the dots and have a tidy room. The trick is to keep each dot tidy until you get them all joined up! All credit to AnW's Mum for this one
RoD ~ Room of Doom, the one room that feels like it is a permanent pit and cannot be used to its potential!
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!

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!

Click here to read Toots wonderful welcome guide

OK - here goes this week...

Bank Holiday Monday

S&S kitchen
S&S bathroom
Have a lovely day


Tuesday Trial by scrubbing - - Kitchen/Dining Room

Level 1

Clear sides and wipe down
Replace what lives there, wiping as you go
Wipe sill, sockets, door handles and switches
Clear and clean sink and accessories - don't forget those out-of-sight places - under plugs and under draining racks
Clean/polish table - wipe mats/change cloth
Check fruit and wash bowl
Throw away your manky dish cloth and replace wth a new one!

Level 2

Wipe down all cupboard and drawer fronts, not forgetting handles and tops and bottom as well as fronts!
Empty out one cupboard or drawer and clean. Put everything back tidily. Fling anything OOD or useless.
Clean hob - thoroughly. Wash all detachable parts too.
Sort fridge and wipe seals; weave stuff that needs using up into your meal plan
Dust dining area/room

Level 3
Clean oven
Sweep/mop/vacuum floor
Wipe out or wash out whiffy bins
Clean windows and frames - use a soapy cloth and open the windows and wipe frames and de-grot


extras

MAD half hour call one or join one
HHI
S&S bathroom
Meal plan and include something you cook two of - cottage pie/fish pie/casserole and freeze for a lter lazy day
Spend half-an-hour in the garden - weeding and tidying

Hump Day - Wipy Wednesday
(Bathrooms and en suites)

Level 1

Remove shower curtains and towels - wash that shower curtain - get it on the line!
Wipe down shower screens and cubicles
Scrub bath
Give shower heads a bath in lemon juice
Polish all brightwork (chrome bits - taps & hoses)
Clean shower tray
Slosh a good glug of bleach down drains/overflows

Level 2

Flush loo and spray bowl with cream cleaner and SCRUB - under the rim, below the waterline and all over the bowl.
Flush loo again
Wipe seat, lid and outside of loo - including where you can't see...
Slop some bleach all over the inside of the loo
With a clean cloth wipe switches, pull cord, door handles and loo roll holder
Wash loo brush and holder and dry them outside in the sun - death to all germies!

Level 3

Scrub the sink = don't forget the underneath the plug!
Bleach the drain
Wipe the pedestal/cupboard over
Polish and mirrors, glass and your heated towel rail
Clean the floor - vacuum or mop
Put out fresh towels

Extras


HHI
S&S kitchen
Book out some me time...or some couple time...or both
MAD half hour


Thursday Thrills - the boudoir. You deserve a clean, tidy, restful bedroom - and you NEED it too, to re-energise

Level 1

Open windows w-i-d-e
Strip bed
Allow to air
Remake bed

level 2
Clear floordrobe and chairdrobe
Clean windows
Vacuum, sweep or mop floor

Level 3
Dust all sides and shelves
With a just damp cloth wipe all your lotion and potion bottles, hairdryers (especially if you use product while blow drying) etc. and put all perfumes away in a drawer. Take it from a former lab. tech.
Polish mirrors

Extras
S&S kitchen
S&S bathroom
HHI

Friday Frenzy - pick a room - any room
Conservatory, dining room, kids room, spare room,...

Level 1
Open the windows
If there's a bed in here strip it and wash the bedding
If it's other soft furnishings vacuum
Throw out any obvious rubbish
Clear the floor

level 2
Wipe the windows/frames/sills
Remake the bed (if there is one)
plump cushions

Level 3
dust and vacuum

Extras
Buy fresh flowers and put them somewhere you will see them, often
Wipe and water houseplants
S&S kitchen
S&S bathroom
MAD half hour

If the chillies are back at school Monday -
find the bookbags (and check for notes!)
get the uniform/school clothes ready for Monday
make sure PE kits are ready - sports day looms!
locate water bottles, lunchbags etc
make sure all school event dates are in your diary!

make sure you've got your preferred tipple chilling
Have a lovely weekend.

kazwookie

I'm in thank you for all the lists xx

Weeding done
Yet more rubbish out

BadCat18

I’m in, thank you for the lists. Pretty sure I can manage that tomorrow.

Have a lovely day all

Jazee

I'm in too and liking tomorrow's list.

froddington

I'm here - thanks Valli :A

I might manage tomorrow's list - makes a change for me!!

Have read through last week's thread but haven't retained much so hugs and congrats where needed xx

Had a bit of good news last week - I have a permanent contract for 3 days a week teaching in my old school. It's what I'd wanted when I was still there full time but it didn't happen for various reasons. The other teacher of the class will be someone who also worked there previously and wants part time work - we are both very excited!:D

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

[Drifts back]

Brother's funeral done. Only mildly uncomfortable --mostly due to irritation about somebody choosing music he'd have hated and Somebody already having flogged thousands of pounds worth of rare vinyl to a mate of a mate for two hundred quid--

Told work that their offer of 20-odd hours a week wasn't Suitable Alternative Employment. They have suggested that I get a union rep to tell them that [strike]which probably means they're trying to get out of paying me redundancy[/strike]. I don't care anymore. It scares the wotsits out of me to have effectively put myself out of work with nothing to go to once they get their act together and tell me a finish date, but I'm done. Suspect that they are now frantically trying to work out how to do incredibly important stuff in the pipeline this half term that I shouldn't be around for but they would find rather difficult without me.

Himself has jacked in the band thanks to the Lead Singer becoming aggressive towards him on a gig. --I am glad because the %*£)%* whined at him about Not Letting the Band Down until he left me on my own every weekend including right up until the day of the funeral because the $*")("&% lied about the day they were coming back--


Himself has had a few short days of work, with one this week (it's given him a DBS and a reference, so is hopefully going to be worth it). I've been invited to apply for a job by somebody I know that I could do standing on my head - and they know edited highlights of what the Badly Paid Stuff has been like for me.

And I came home on Thursday to find some scrote had tried to break in, as the door lock/handle was hanging off and they'd tried to jemmy the window open before giving up, presumably as somebody came along and disturbed them. So had to get somebody out and the lock still doesn't feel right, so will need to get a replacement sorted. Obviously, the Police CBA to come and look at the jet black set of fingerprints on the windowframe that would have been perfect to lift as the windowcleaner had only been here the day before.


For the first time in well over a month, I have

Swished over countertops
Cleaned the hob
Swept the floor
Cleaned both bathrooms including scrubbing the floor tiles by hand
Cleaned all glass and mirrors
Hacked some five foot high Fat Hen down so I can see the [strike]weed infested[/strike] wildflower filled back garden properly.
Watered the windowboxes.
Watered the Ginger plant and cacti
Rescued and released two Bumblebees that spent the night indoors.

Himself has been dealing with everything else, including handwashing all clothes in the bath, and the kitchen wasn't actually that bad. Just not up to standard.


So there will probably be quite a few changes coming up - but hopefully ones of our choice, rather than being forced upon us.

In the meantime, I have the week off and I'm thinking about wasting some money on some houseplants. Because I want them.

Narc0lepsy

I'm in and thanks.
Had a cracking day yesterday (oops that was Saturday) : did a park run, loads of flying, loads of gardening, cooked for 4 guests and we cleared most of the washing up etc by 1.30 in the morning. Needless to say, I had hardly any energy or inclination to do much today. Finished clearing up, did a lot of internet searching for possible July break in Yorkshire, bit of my online course and wandered round the garden.

Well done Froddington
Glad to see you back JoJo hope life picks up for you.

ionafan

Good to have you back with us, Jojo. Hope something good comes of the new jobs for both you and your OH. Enjoy your houseplants. (((Hugs))).

(((Hugs))) also to dancemum. Glad DS2 was good for you on Friday. I thought of you yesterday when I met 2 young lads catching Pokemon in the churchyard - I asked one to show me how the game worked on his phone. The creatures looked more terrifying than our churchwarden :rotfl:

Yaaaay Froddy, well done! :J:J:J

I have had a crazy week[STRIKE]end[/STRIKE] on little sleep because I appear to have some sort of pollen allergy and have been coughing my guts up whenever I lie down. Went to see DS2 and family yesterday, which was lovely. Rosie enjoyed a sausage for her tea.

DS1 is coming today with DGD1+2 to put up the two timber rose arches which were my 70th birthday present. There will also be an extra pair of hands in the shape of a young man from church, who has no experience in such things but will work hard and do a good job with tuition from DS1. And a friend from church is coming later to get some plants from my garden (if I can find them among the weeds!), probably bringing her husband too. Food today depends on whether DS1 and family are staying for tea as well as lunch.

Since 6.15 I have
- drunk tea
- filled and iced 2 coffee and pecan cakes
- done the washing up and left the kitchen tidy for DH to make breakfast
- cleaned the ensuite
- dusted all through downstairs

Still to do:
- water the veg patch (I was too tired to do it last night, but it will be another hour before the sun gets round to it - and the rain clouds might beat me to it)
- hoover all through downstairs
- S&S bathroom
- write a couple of urgent emails
- bank transfer
- nip down to the shops to buy oven chips (too [STRIKE]lazy[/STRIKE] busy to make my own today )
- sort out which bedding plants are to go into which patio pots, for DGD1+2 to put in once they've emptied out the spring bulbs and pansies (and re-planted the latter in one big pot)

and this evening:
- phone DSiL
- clear more papers in my study

Hope everyone has a good start to the week x

Fayolle

Good morning
Thank you so much for the lists. I’m in and even I should be able to manage today’s list. Famous last words and all that....

Mademoiselle

Bonjour, I'm in briefly this week as not a bank holiday today but on Thursday so we have Friday off too, hooray. Off for the long weekend and working all day Wednesday so have today and Tuesday morning to get things done.

Weekend was very productive, tax return done and loads of travel arrangements booked for the next few months. House reasonably tidy and this morning I cleared the ironing basket.

I'm going to sort a little shelf unit this morning before I go off to my appointment.

Hope you're all enjoying a sunny bank holiday

[Deleted User]

I am determined to get properly back on track with things, I have two nights to myself this week so no excuse with having everyone at home and getting in the way!

- DW on this morning (as I thought I woke up to the sound of OH washing up but he was just moving things around so whacked it all in before work)
- Light wash to go on when I get home
- Will wipe down kitchen, bathroom got deep cleaned over the weekend
- Meal plan from what we have in the freezer

Starting with a pretty clean slate, I will give OH the job of going through the fridge and checking for OOD food, it's normally things I buy for him, anyway.