Weekly Flylady Thread 4th January 2021

Valli

Welcome to the weekly Flylady Thread.
Welcome to the first thread of 2021.  We often see new flyers (gents welcome!) around this time of year so please don't worry if you feel you cannot keep up.  Similarly if your house has been neglected it won't be turned around in a day - but if you stay you will get into some good habits which do help!  Happy flying.

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 shelves etc and check running temperature 
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

Choose a drawer, shelf or cupboard for speciall attention.  Empty, clean out, replace what is needed or useful and fling what is unused and/or out of date
Sweep/mop/vacuum floor
Clean chairs (and highchairs) - don't forget under the seats where sticky fingers linger.
Clean windows in both rooms.

EXTRAS

HHI
S&S bathroom
Wipe all the handles/sockets switches especially if peopel are leaving the house
As it's the first list of a new year 
1 - update diaries/calendars if you haven't already - don;t forget those boring things like MOT, insurance renewals etc - remind yourself to research prices in good time)
2 - update your Toots list - or write it.  Can any jobs on it be broken down into small steps?
(Your Toots list is all the jobs you must get around to, sometime - or what you would like to get done in a perfect world!)

Twinkly Tuesday Bathrooms, cloak rooms and en suites

Level 1
Open windows - lets some fresh ait in even if only for 10 minutes
Remove towels and fling in WM
Scrub Loo inside and out, slug some bleach or descaler down afterwards.  Pay special attention to under the rim.

Level 3
Clean out baths and/or showers
Clean shower heads and hoses
Clean handbasins

Level 3
sweep and mop or vacuum floor as appropriate
clean windows
polish mirrors
dust and polish where necessary
clean sink plugs/stoppers including underneath

Extras
Wipe door handles, sockets and switches
HHI
S&S kitchen

Wonderful Wednesday - The Boudoir

level 1

open windows
strip bed
clear floordrobe and chairdrobe
empty bin

level 2
make bed with fresh bedding
clean bedside tables
vacuum floor

level 3
ckean Windows
dust all round

extras
S&S bathroom
S&S kitchen

thrilling ThursdayThe 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
All your Christmas decs should now be down - move furniture and vacuum under it, as long as you can do this safely

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!  If you had a real tree there are bound to be some!
Clean lightshades and lampshades; check all lighting is functioning as it should - remove glass shades and wash them, dust the bulbs too - we want bright lights!
stand in the doorway and look back into the room - is it clean?

extras
S&s kitchen
s&s bathroom
HHI
Wipe all door handles and switches in the rest of the house

Friday Finale
kids room/spare room 

level 1
strip bed (if necessary) and leave to air (kids job)
open windows
clear floordrobe/chair drobe Ikids job!)


level 2
remake bed
dust sills, shelves and furniture
empty bins (kids job)

level 3
clean windows
Dust skirtings
see to floor - mop or vacuum

extras
wipe all handles, banisters, switches and other touch points
HHI
s&s bathroom
s&s kitchen
Meal plan for next week - and if your kids are home involve them - with the planning AND the cooking because it is home schooling and lifeskills
(weighing ingredients = maths; cooking ingredients = science (irreversible changes), shopping for ingredients = maths (money; weights; sharing/portioning) and geography/PHSCE (where does my food come from? Ethically produced food) Healthy eating is also science/PHSCE.

Jazee

Thanks Valli.  I'm in.

Thinking of Narco and family.

BadCat18

Thanks for the thread, I’m in.

Sincere condolences to Narco x

[Deleted User]

Thank you Valli I'm in xx

Narco please accept my sincere condolences for your loss, sending you strength and love xx

Cuppa here now then a very very early night with my book, have a feeling I won't sleep well. Hugs to all xx

Fayolle

Thank you Valli, I’m in x
Sincere condolences to Narc0 and to Mr N. You are in my thoughts x
Looking forward to lots of company in the WAC tonight, I hope I’m wrong.
Hugs to all, I think we all need one xx

roundtuit

Thank you Valli - I'm in xx

Thinking of you Narc0 - condolences to you and Mr N xx

nmm

Thank you Valli & Natty for the lists, i'm in and intend to actually fly this time    Flying today was to put away our birthday/christmas gifts and chocs.

Narc0 and Mr N, so sorry for your loss xx   

ionafan

Thinking of you, Narc0, MrN and BIL, and sending much love xx

Thank you Valli for the new list, and Natty for last week's.  I intend to do a bit of flying each day this week, particularly after I've taken down the tree and cards on Wednesday, when the accumulated dust will become more visible

MrsChaos

After trying to join in again at completely  the wrong time a few weeks ago, I'm giving it another go, if I may. I will wrestle the HOD under control this year. I'm comitting to an hour in the kitchen tomorrow. 

ionafan

Welcome back, MrsChaos [waves]

I have completed the jigsaw, so it will be put away in the morning!

pigpen

Narco.. much love and condolences.
MrsC.. so lovely to see you here again.. I hope all with your family.

My house is a bear pit and I refuse to touch it until the beasties are back at school.. someone has an appointment tomorrow.. (today?) and I can't rememeber who.. I have a nail appointment Tuesday and Squeak has a sports assessment at high school in the afternoon.

I am at least on top of the washing and the kitchen is clean and the bathroom is reasonable and i have clean bed sheets.. beyond that nothing has been done.

OH is off work for at least another 3 weeks.. I may be loving having him home but we really need that extra 20% of his wages before we go under entirely.. it is becoming a struggle.. I have more to throw at ebeast to try an make up at least a bit of it.
Squeak and Pixie need new school shoes.. Squeak said hers have been snug for a while, and they are falling apart!)  but she is so daft she's not mentioned it.. apparently I told her she is not allowed to grow so she didn't want to tell me her shoes were small.. she is so very much OH's child that one! Her feet however are 1.5 sizes smaller than mine.. and she's 10!! .. what is more horrifying is Pixies are 2 sizes smaller than mine at 7!!
I need to post parcels, buy yet another new toothbrush.. one of the small cats keeps stealing mine.. only mine!.. I need to see if there is really a prescription waiting for me.. I picked mine up a few days ago and got a text several hours later saying one was ready to pick up. I need to make an appointment for bloods.. thats not likely to happen.