Weekly Flylady Thread 23 November 2020

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.

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
Marvellous Monday - Kitchen and Dining Room

Level 1
Open some windows for some fresh air 
Wash up, dry up and put away (or remove all pots to DW) 
Clear sides and wipe down - wipe small appliances and caddies etc.  Don't forget the splashbacks or tiles!
Replace what lives there, wiping as you go
Empty bin and clean it out too - put it outside to dry in the sunshine, if you can.
Clear and clean sink and accessories - don't forget those out-of-sight places - under plugs and under draining racks - and shine those taps - or clean them!
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!  Put out a new hand towel and a new tea towel too
Good slug of bleach down plugholes and in overflows
Clean cruet, salt and pepper, wipe any sauce bottles that are used on the table

Level 2

Wipe down all cupboard and drawer fronts inside and out, 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; update shopping list as appropriate
Wash and wipe fridge 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.
Wipe inside of washer drawer and DW door paying particular attention to manky crevices

Level 3

Sweep/mop/vacuum floor
Clean chairs (and highchairs) - don't forget under the seats 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!  Remember external handles and letterbox flaps.

EXTRAS

HHI
S&S bathroom
Paperwork/admin up to date - month end looms
Meal plan for the week. - cook a double sized meal and freeze one for a CBA/busy day - fish pie, cottage pie...something complete!  Do you need to update your freezer inventory? (Someone - I think it's Badcat - is excused this lol)
Check your meds - will you need any over Christmas and the New Year?  If so get your prescription request in!
Check your lightbulb and/or battery stock is ok - no one wants a dark house or redundant remote!

Twinkly Tuesday Bathrooms, cloak rooms and en suites

Level 1
Open window
Remove towels and facecloths and fling in WM
Scrub Loo inside and out, slop  bleach or descaler down afterwards

Level 2
Clean out baths and/or showers
De-fuzz plugholes
Clean shower heads and hoses
Clean handbasins
Wipe plugs - especially underneath!

Level 3
sweep and mop or vacuum floor as appropriate
clean windows
polish mirrors
dust and polish where necessary

Extras
check stocks - soap, loo rolls etc - fling anything that's been lingering a while (and make some space for Christmas smellies)
HHI
S&S kitchen

Wonderful Wednesday

kids room/spare room /guest room

level 1
strip bed (if necessary) and leave to air
open windows
clear floordrobe/chair drobe
use long duster and roll round top of walls for webs and light fittings

level 2
remake bed
dust sills, shelves and furniture
empty bins

level 3
clean windows
Dust skirtings
mop or vacuum floor

extras
wipe all handles, banisters, switches and other touch points
HHI
s&s bathroom
s&s kitchen

Thursday Thrills
The Lounge, Hallway, stairs and landing

level 1

deal with flowers and pot plants
empty bins/ashtrays
clear gibble
plump cushions
wipe sofas with leather wipes or vacuum - look for all those dust-catching crevices

level 2
clean windows 
vacuum floors - and use an edging tool to get into all the nooks and crannies

level 3
dust all round - don't forget sills and skirtings
Wipe door handles, banisters, light switches and sockets - and the bits of the door where people hold to close it
Check for cobwebs and eliminate!
Clean lightshades and lampshades; check all lighting is functioning as it should
stand in the doorway and look back into the room - is it clean? tidy? perfect?

extras
S&s kitchen
s&s bathroom
Check, edit and amend your TOOTS list
Christmas menu planning needs to start now, apparently.  Thanks to the Valligirl for THAT task

Friday Flourish The Boudoir

level 1

open window
strip bed
flip mattress
remove rubbish
clear floordrobe and/or chairdrobe

level 2 
make bed
sweep, mop or vacuum floor as appropriate
clean windows and any other glass

level 3
dust everywhere
wipe lotions and potions

extras
S&s kitchen and bathrooms
hhi

Fayolle

OK I’ll bite the bullet and be first in! 🤣
Thank you so much for last week’s thread, Natty, and for this week’s, Valli. The work is very much appreciated. 

As ever, I will peak early, but attempt to be in all week.
Good night all x

Narc0lepsy

Thanks for threads.   Anyone's guess what this week will bring. Hopefully someone with electrical savvy to wire in the 'new' range then we can actually cook and heat. We're making full use of the top of our gas-fired imitation wood burning stove - this eve it cooked rice and kale plus had a kettle simmering on it most of the evening while I cooked eggs and cheese sauce on the 2-ring electric.  
Did quite a lot of pruning this morning, very wet but it looks a lot better.
Went to online church and post-church Zoom coffee.
Did a bit of knitting.
Did quite a bit of online course, only 8 days left to access it.
Finished a report. Happily the reading light I use throws out quite a lot of heat.
Read meters and input the readings on the web site.

roundtuit

I'm in xx

Thank you for the lists.

Here's to a good week for us all.
Rxx

BadCat18

I’m in too x

thanks for the lists and thanks being let off the batch cooking job! Most of those kitchen jobs were done today too so I feel like I’ve got a head start on the week.

Beef stifado was yummy btw, it’s a slimming world recipe and takes a bit of prep work as the beef needs to marinade overnight but then it’s easy as it’s just in the sc...

DH has worked most of the day and has to start early tomorrow, I will also start early as then I have to pop out for a while to hospital appointment. I’ve loaded the wm and it’s set on the timer, starting the week feeling organised, let’s hope I can continue like that!

hugs, good wishes etc to all, see you in the morning x

ionafan

Thank you Valli for the new thread and Natty for last week's.  I will be in as much as I can.  Very tired tonight, though I haven't done a lot today - perhaps the recent broken nights have caught up on me.

(((Hugs))) spoons and sticks all round for Monday morning xx

MrsChaos

Good evening.  May I join in again, please?
The house is probably the worst it's ever been, but I'm determined to pick myself up, dust myself off and start with babysteps.  Thank you for the thread, Valli.  

Fayolle

Good morning all
Towels are in the wm, clean washing folded, still damp washing re-draped so that the towels can be hung up later. My lunch sorted, dinner out of the freezer. That’s me done here until this evening.
Have a lovely day all. Hugs all round to start the week x

Jazee

Morning all.  Thanks for the list Valli and to Narco for the prompt to do meter readings.

Today there is a visit to the vet and I've booked the dog field too.  Need to be getting washed and dressed by 8.30 to make the appointment but after a very rough night (DH and Poppet) DH is now back in bed.  I'll dust the living room, have something to eat and then see what's what.

Have a great day everyone.

kazwookie

Morning

Thank you for the lists

WM to go on

Best get up first x

Mademoiselle

Morning all, 
Thank you for the lists and of course the motivation from all of you.  I'm in again this week, no excuse not to be.
Still carrying on with positive November, hence why I post what I've done rather than dwelling on what didn't get done.  Sunday, having talked about how to reorganise the study/library, we actually did it and the result was a couple of bags of rubbish out and some things to go to the CS drop off point at the tip.  It is more practical and looks a lot better.  And has left me feeling motivated to keep on going.  Just need to sort the photos in frames and put them back on the shelf unit and then the living room will be good too.  

So far today
Up, showered & dressed
Bed made & clothes picked up
WM on
HHI done & put away
Kitchen tidied, cat food bowl is still soaking 
Living room tidied, cushion plumped up, pellet stove refilled & on
OH working from home today so need to stick to quiet jobs

Hugs & spoons as required, see you all later