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Weekly Flylady Thread 17th February 2020
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Valli
Posts: 25,462 Forumite
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.
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 content! (i.e. it should be on-topic)
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'
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- that’s 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 former Flylady 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 stopping, 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!
Frog (or other amphibian) ~ google 'eat that frog'
Spoons ~ google 'but you don't look sick' and/or 'The Spoon Theory'.
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.
Manic Monday Kitchen/Dining Room
Level 1
Clear sides and wipe down - wipe small appliances
Replace what lives there, wiping as you go
Empty bin and clean it out too
Empty out caddies/storage jars or tins and wash them out.
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 or sponge and replace with a new one!
Level 2
Wipe down all cupboard and drawer fronts, not forgetting handles and tops and bottom as well as fronts!
Clean hob
Clean microwave
Sort fridge and wipe seals; weave stuff that needs using up into your meal plan
Wash out shelves and baskets.
Dust dining area/room
Descale kettle if needed
Clean WM , TD and DW filters; remove WM detergent drawer and wash it out.
Level 3
Pick a cupboard or a drawer; empty it, clean it out and put back its contents tidily
Sweep/mop/vacuum floor
Clean chairs (and highchairs) - don't forget under the seat where sticky fingers linger.
Clean windows in both rooms.
Go rounf the whole house wiping door handles, light switches and banisters - we WILL be germ-free!
EXTRAS
HHI
S&S bathroom
Meal plan for the week.
Terrific Tuesday - Living room, hall, stairs and porch
Level One
Declutter ALL the floors!!
Clear the mantle of junk
Fling any rubbbish
Straighten cushions, curtains and throws
Tidy coffee/side tables
Empty bin
Level Two
Vacuum/sweep all the floors.. stairs too!
Vacuum/sweep under furniture you can safely move!
Vacuum sofas
Clean mirrors
Level Three
Wash the windows
Dust and polish furniture and ornaments
Water/wipe plants. Deal with any flowers.
Extras
Dust all the electricals.. carefully.. don't want any frazzled flybodies
Binbag dance around the house
HHI
S&S kitchen
S&S bathroom
Wednesday Thrills - Brighten that bathroom
Level 1
Fling open the windows
Clear the bins, remove empties
Flush the loo and squirt something down it to start the cleaning process
Fling the towels in the WM
Vacuum extractor cover and/or wipe
Clean windows and mirrors
Level 2
Clear lotions and potions from around bath and scrub inside and out.
Prod a brush down the plughole to remove the ratty tails
Polish the taps
Slug of bleach down the drain
Scrub the loo inside and out - and bleach it
Thoroughly clean bath taps and plugs - especially hair traps
Wipe shower head
Wash shower curtain/wipe screens
Level 3
Scrub the sink
Polish the taps
Dust sills and shelves
Wipe anywhere fingers linger with a clean cloth or an anti-bac wipe
Mop the floor
Polish mirrors
Extras
HHI
S&S kitchen
Thursday Thrills - Master Bedroom/Boudoir
Level 1
Open windows
Clear the floordrobe/chairdrobe
Strip the bed and leave to air
Take out the rubbish
Level 2 (after breakfast/a period of time)
Remake the bed with clean, fresh linen
Dust/clear bedside tables
Clean windows
Vacuum/sweep/mop floors
Level 3
Vacuum any soft furnishings - don't forget the headboard if it's fabric!
Dust everywhere else; as you remove lotions and potions from dressing tables wipe them over with a damp cloth. Make sure perfumes are stored in their boxes or in dark drawers. Minimise clutter/organise essentials.
Vacuum filters on hairdryers. Wipe them, too.
Wipe tongs/GHDs with whatever is recommended to removes traces of product.
Remove hair from hair brushes and combs.
Extras
S&S kitchen
S&S bathrooms
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 - Toots list reduction? addition?
make sure you've got your preferred tipple chilling
HHI
If kids are back at school prep uniform, clean shoes, locate PE kit/homework/bookbag/pay dinner money - lets aim for a calm start to the new term!
Have a lovely weekend.
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.
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 content! (i.e. it should be on-topic)
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'
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- that’s 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 former Flylady 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 stopping, 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!
Frog (or other amphibian) ~ google 'eat that frog'
Spoons ~ google 'but you don't look sick' and/or 'The Spoon Theory'.
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.
Manic Monday Kitchen/Dining Room
Level 1
Clear sides and wipe down - wipe small appliances
Replace what lives there, wiping as you go
Empty bin and clean it out too
Empty out caddies/storage jars or tins and wash them out.
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 or sponge and replace with a new one!
Level 2
Wipe down all cupboard and drawer fronts, not forgetting handles and tops and bottom as well as fronts!
Clean hob
Clean microwave
Sort fridge and wipe seals; weave stuff that needs using up into your meal plan
Wash out shelves and baskets.
Dust dining area/room
Descale kettle if needed
Clean WM , TD and DW filters; remove WM detergent drawer and wash it out.
Level 3
Pick a cupboard or a drawer; empty it, clean it out and put back its contents tidily
Sweep/mop/vacuum floor
Clean chairs (and highchairs) - don't forget under the seat where sticky fingers linger.
Clean windows in both rooms.
Go rounf the whole house wiping door handles, light switches and banisters - we WILL be germ-free!
EXTRAS
HHI
S&S bathroom
Meal plan for the week.
Terrific Tuesday - Living room, hall, stairs and porch
Level One
Declutter ALL the floors!!
Clear the mantle of junk
Fling any rubbbish
Straighten cushions, curtains and throws
Tidy coffee/side tables
Empty bin
Level Two
Vacuum/sweep all the floors.. stairs too!
Vacuum/sweep under furniture you can safely move!
Vacuum sofas
Clean mirrors
Level Three
Wash the windows
Dust and polish furniture and ornaments
Water/wipe plants. Deal with any flowers.
Extras
Dust all the electricals.. carefully.. don't want any frazzled flybodies
Binbag dance around the house
HHI
S&S kitchen
S&S bathroom
Wednesday Thrills - Brighten that bathroom
Level 1
Fling open the windows
Clear the bins, remove empties
Flush the loo and squirt something down it to start the cleaning process
Fling the towels in the WM
Vacuum extractor cover and/or wipe
Clean windows and mirrors
Level 2
Clear lotions and potions from around bath and scrub inside and out.
Prod a brush down the plughole to remove the ratty tails
Polish the taps
Slug of bleach down the drain
Scrub the loo inside and out - and bleach it
Thoroughly clean bath taps and plugs - especially hair traps
Wipe shower head
Wash shower curtain/wipe screens
Level 3
Scrub the sink
Polish the taps
Dust sills and shelves
Wipe anywhere fingers linger with a clean cloth or an anti-bac wipe
Mop the floor
Polish mirrors
Extras
HHI
S&S kitchen
Thursday Thrills - Master Bedroom/Boudoir
Level 1
Open windows
Clear the floordrobe/chairdrobe
Strip the bed and leave to air
Take out the rubbish
Level 2 (after breakfast/a period of time)
Remake the bed with clean, fresh linen
Dust/clear bedside tables
Clean windows
Vacuum/sweep/mop floors
Level 3
Vacuum any soft furnishings - don't forget the headboard if it's fabric!
Dust everywhere else; as you remove lotions and potions from dressing tables wipe them over with a damp cloth. Make sure perfumes are stored in their boxes or in dark drawers. Minimise clutter/organise essentials.
Vacuum filters on hairdryers. Wipe them, too.
Wipe tongs/GHDs with whatever is recommended to removes traces of product.
Remove hair from hair brushes and combs.
Extras
S&S kitchen
S&S bathrooms
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 - Toots list reduction? addition?
make sure you've got your preferred tipple chilling
HHI
If kids are back at school prep uniform, clean shoes, locate PE kit/homework/bookbag/pay dinner money - lets aim for a calm start to the new term!
Have a lovely weekend.
Don't put it DOWN; put it AWAY
"I would like more sisters, that the taking out of one, might not leave such stillness" Emily Dickinson
Janice 1964-2016
Thank you Honey Bear
Janice 1964-2016Thank you Honey Bear
10
Comments
-
I'm in this week. We didn't drown - flood defences did their job but we are surrounded by deep water and cut off in all directions
All time record high water in lots of places nearby and now Storm Ellen is on her way...FML 11 -
Well done Valli for dealing with the list writing with the new format.
I've felt very inadequate today as Mr N announced that I had reports to write after church so he was going to blitz the lounge and bedroom. He's far more efficient than me I must admit.
Glad flood defences held Dizzy , it is very wet and wild here so certainly not a day for running apart from water. Oh golly is there really another storm due?
Mr N and I had a lovely surprise, 2 short videos from a young man, now 19, we sponsored since he was about 10 and orphaned in India. He has now reached degree level and has a full time job for a big company, we are really proud as his background and upbringing were poor, at one stage he left school to go and work back in the fields but eventually returned.
Have a good week everyone.Remember...a layer of dust protects the wood beneath it.13 -
Hi all
I'm in
Thanks to Valli for this week's thread and Natty for last week.
Did a bit of flying today. Washed the shower curtain, mats, sponges and puffs. Couple of loads of washing and drying too.
DD just home from her first comp of the season. I wasn't allowed to go as she doesn't want me to see the routines till we go to Florida for world's but I've had the run down while she was removing her make up. She's away to bed now but I think she'll be shattered in the morning for school the comp started at 7am so it's been a long day.
Paid stuff in the morning so I'll fly when I get in. Scullery could do with a Scrub and I'll need to try to do the bedding too.
Sweet dreams everyoneI'm not a muggle...I'm just magically challenged12 -
Thank you, Valli. I will make an effort to clean the house this week, now that my migraine is on its way out.
Glad to know that you are at least safe for now, Dizzy - fingers and everything else crossed for you !10 -
Dizzy, glad you are safe xxI'm in thank you for the listsVolunteering and shopping for food today.Breast Cancer Now 100 miles October 2022 100 / 100miles
D- Day 80km June 2024 80/80km (10.06.24 all done)
Diabetic UK 1 million steps July 2024 to complete by end Sept 2024. 1,001,066/ 1,000,000 (20.09.24 all done)
Breast Cancer Now 100 miles 1st May 2025 (18.05.2025 all done)
Diabetic UK 1 million steps July 2025 to complete by end Sept 2025. 291,815/1,000,000Sun, Sea12 -
Morning Ladies xx
Dizzy - sooo glad to hear that your are safe and dry. Hope it stays that way xx
Is anyone in touch with HoneyBear or Jojo? If you are reading - Hi! You are missed xx
Flylady progress is now visible in the kitchen AND the living room.:) A loooooong way to go but I can definitely identify the dots and where they have joined up. Couldn't have done / be doing it without you guys. Thank you xx
I'm going to another Level today - I'm going to descale the kettle! Level 2 woot woot. I just re-read the listie for today - I am in a position to follow the list for the kitchen end, ladies (faint) - but not the dining room end yet. One day
Plan today is to recycle my primary school books! I'm 60 this year and left primary school in 1971. Me, a hoarder? Nooooo. The fact that I'm planning on doing this without palpitations says a lot I think. I'll let you know when they actually leave the house! My doll needs to go too - she is approx. 52 years old and her body is so brittle that she's falling apart.
Breakfast first - then dailies
Take Care
Rxx
IT ONLY TAKES SMALL DAILY ACTIONSFOR MAGIC TO HAPPENRosemary Ikpeme
11 -
Morning all.
Round, you are magnificent getting rid of stuff.
Ionafan, glad you're feeling better, amazingly I feel almost normal today too.
Dizzy, glad you stayed dry. Disappointed that the next storm is not called Ethel.
Thanks for the list. I an in, although I have lots,lots,lots of council paperwork to wade through today. Going to finish this first cuppa then get dressed.
Have a great day everyone.Spend less now, work less later.12 -
I ma finding this forum design/set up clunky
(which explains last night's mess up - I thought the thread hadn't posted)
anyway off this week so no excuse. See you post coffee/shower/breakfast.Don't put it DOWN; put it AWAY"I would like more sisters, that the taking out of one, might not leave such stillness" Emily DickinsonJanice 1964-2016
Thank you Honey Bear12 -
I'm dressed, bedding is changed and in washer, flat surfaces dusted in bedroom and I've just has breakfast.Spend less now, work less later.12
-
Morning all
Thanks for the thread, I’m in again. Second week of bathroom fitting so I will be off list most of the week but will follow where I can.
Paid stuff today
dailies done
WM x1 run and on airer
weather is much calmer here and quite bright at the moment, not sure I want to chance putting the wash on the line though!
Pleased to hear people are safe after the storm. Not pleased to hear there’s another on the way. DH mentioned storm Enid this morning, I assumed he was joking!
Chap doing our bathroom also does general maintenance so is kindly going to have a look at our fence for us, it is up but post is a bit unstable, he’s going to see if he can shore it up a bit until a better repair can be done.
Round, you are doing really well 😉 well done x
Hugs, sticks and spoons to all in need.
bye for now11
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