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Weekly Flylady Thread 13th April 2020
Valli
Posts: 25,487 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.
Bank Holiday Monday
mmm....
S&S bathroom
S&S kitchen
Wipe handles, switches - don't forget outside fron & back doors
Read a book; watch a film; garden; stoke a pet; phone a loved one.
Do something that's good for your soul.
Terrific Tuesday - Kitchen and Bathroom
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 and anywhere fingers linger.
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 round 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.
Involve your small people according to their age/abilities/skill level
Wipy Wednesday -- 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 - don't forget face cloths, hand towels from cloakroom and kitchen - and if there's still room - dusters can be washed to - and oven mitts
Vacuum extractor cover and/or wipe
Clean windows and mirrors
Spray mould killer on grout and leave to take effect
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 and overflow
Scrub the loo inside and out - and bleach it
Thoroughly clean bath taps and plugs - especially hair traps - and don't forget under the plug
Wipe shower head or soak in lemon juice to clear scum/scale
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 - don't forget the loo roll holder!
Mop the floor
Polish mirrors
Extras
HHI
S&S kitchen
Make sure all switches and handles and any places fingers linger are wiped.
Get that Toots list out - can you tick anything off? Can your start nibbling at a big job?
Thursday Thrills
Today (after much pondering) I want you to do something that makes you feel positive and well. Whether its reading in the garden/conservatory/bed, tidying out a cupboard, catching up on a boxset, baking, meal planning, garden planning, crafting, a bubble bath/pamper session - whatever. Also send messages of love and support to family and friends. It looks like today they're going to announce an extension so we need to make sure we come out of the other side as well as we can, mentally.
S&S kitchen
S&S bathroom
Friday Flourish
- 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
Clean the window and door frames
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
Allocate children a task - collecting laundry, filling/emptying DW for instance?
Wipe handles, switches, banister rails.
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.
Bank Holiday Monday
mmm....
S&S bathroom
S&S kitchen
Wipe handles, switches - don't forget outside fron & back doors
Read a book; watch a film; garden; stoke a pet; phone a loved one.
Do something that's good for your soul.
Terrific Tuesday - Kitchen and Bathroom
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 and anywhere fingers linger.
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 round 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.
Involve your small people according to their age/abilities/skill level
Wipy Wednesday -- 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 - don't forget face cloths, hand towels from cloakroom and kitchen - and if there's still room - dusters can be washed to - and oven mitts
Vacuum extractor cover and/or wipe
Clean windows and mirrors
Spray mould killer on grout and leave to take effect
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 and overflow
Scrub the loo inside and out - and bleach it
Thoroughly clean bath taps and plugs - especially hair traps - and don't forget under the plug
Wipe shower head or soak in lemon juice to clear scum/scale
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 - don't forget the loo roll holder!
Mop the floor
Polish mirrors
Extras
HHI
S&S kitchen
Make sure all switches and handles and any places fingers linger are wiped.
Get that Toots list out - can you tick anything off? Can your start nibbling at a big job?
Thursday Thrills
Today (after much pondering) I want you to do something that makes you feel positive and well. Whether its reading in the garden/conservatory/bed, tidying out a cupboard, catching up on a boxset, baking, meal planning, garden planning, crafting, a bubble bath/pamper session - whatever. Also send messages of love and support to family and friends. It looks like today they're going to announce an extension so we need to make sure we come out of the other side as well as we can, mentally.
S&S kitchen
S&S bathroom
Friday Flourish
- 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
Clean the window and door frames
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
Allocate children a task - collecting laundry, filling/emptying DW for instance?
Wipe handles, switches, banister rails.
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
14
Comments
-
I'm in xx
Thank you for the list Valli xx Hope you are ok Natty xx
piggers - I wrote on the box 'take a book to read while you're on lockdown' 'free'. I went for a walk this afternoon - there's a first time for everything!! And there's a house up the road with a box of children's books at the gate. And next door has a sign saying that they have eggs for sale.
Take care
Rxx
IT ONLY TAKES SMALL DAILY ACTIONSFOR MAGIC TO HAPPENRosemary Ikpeme
14 -
TY for Fred!
Round.. that actually sounds like a lovely street to live down!
LB moment 10/06 Debt Free date 6/6/14Hope to be debt free until the day I dieMortgage-free Wannabee (05/08/30)6/6/14 £72,454.65 (5.65% int.)08/12/2023 £33602.00 (4.81% int.)14 -
Thank you for the thread and for sanity. I’m in, just struggling, like others...
Take care all, hoping to be up ‘em and at ‘em by tomorrow. Xx13 -
Thank you for the thread xx
Bathroom s&s
ironing done
dancegran sorted
conservatory deep clean session 2 done by DH
I have hurt the back of my knee, it hurts to straighten it.
Half Easter egg eaten. DS2 only had a very small one as nut free ones were scarce here this year then lockdown happened. He is happy with it so far.
14 -
Thank you for the thread.
This week I must try & post & not just read them! 😁'Money and good health is coming easily to Flypeople'14 -
Hi all x
I'm in again. Thanks to Valli and Natty for the thread. Natty I hope you're feeling better x
Been busy today. OH and I put the blinds back up in the bedrooms and the kitchen. DD and I made crispy cakes and rice pudding. OH did the hoovering and a ton of washing up. WM has been going most of the day. Off for a cuppa then I'm going to bed.
Sweet dreams everyone xI'm not a muggle...I'm just magically challenged13 -
Evening all.
Thank you for the new thread, Valli.
I hope you are feeling better Natty xx
I have had a busy and productive day - online church this morning, lots of phone and video calls throughout the day, some more family history, cooking, walking Rosie, weeding, planting seeds, keeping an eye on dragons as well as DH, and decluttering chocolate and hot X buns. Well, someone has to do it
More jobs lined up for this week, some more pressing than others. I think my study is destined to become even more untidy before I begin to see any improvement - and that's before I tackle my bedroom chair, the DR table and the kitchen cupboards, and I've still only got through the first 5 minutes of my online course
I was hoping I might be able to start a cross stitch cushion cover next week, just for a change. But generally I'm not planning anything that far ahead. One day at a time will suffice.
The wind is howling down the chimney tonight and Rosie is not happy! I am off to bed with my hot wheat bag and my K!nd1e.
Sweet dreams, everyone xx13 -
SGT said:Thank you for the thread.
This week I must try & post & not just read them! 😁Me too! I also ought to try and actually do some housework!!!
So, I'm in - thanks Valli
Natty - I hope you're feeling better x
Another one struggling this weekend. I was also up at 3 a.m. - ended up listening to a Kenny Rogers tribute hour on R2.
Virtual hugs from a safe distance for all, especially those dealing with anxiety and BDs nipping at heels xx
BTW - can we not multi-quote anymore ?"There's only one way of life and that's your own" - Levellers
"I'm feeling like a Monday but someday I'll be Saturday night" - Bon Jovi14 -
froddington said:BTW - can we not multi-quote anymore ?
yes.. just keep clicking the quote button and it stacks the in the comment box so you can go edit in there!BTW - can we not multi-quote anymore ?
LB moment 10/06 Debt Free date 6/6/14Hope to be debt free until the day I dieMortgage-free Wannabee (05/08/30)6/6/14 £72,454.65 (5.65% int.)08/12/2023 £33602.00 (4.81% int.)13 -
Thanks for thread. Pretend I wrote this before midnight. When I wake up I'll be older.
Managed an early (for me) run, one I've aspired to since I started 2yrs ago. Was a lovely morning and I managed to keep going with just a couple of very brief stops to photograph the views. Plus one at the end going through the village when I encountered Minnie Mouse carrying a basket of chocolate to put in the gardens of children!
Did some gardening.
Watched village online church service, and the BBC one.
Lots of phone calls.
Bit of a lazy day really!Remember...a layer of dust protects the wood beneath it.14
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