Weekly Flylady Thread 18th January 2021

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 (and warm too, apparently)
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.
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

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 door and DW door

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.
Check freezer inventory.  
Put out new hand and tea towels.
Wash, bleach or replace dishcloth

EXTRAS

HHI
S&S bathroom
Go round the whole house wiping switches, banister rails and door handles.

Triffic Tuesday Bathrooms, cloakrooms and en suites

level  1

flush loo and squirt cleaner of choice round bowl. 
Clear shower and bath of lotions and potions and satay with cleaner of choice
open window
Scrub and rinse shower tray

level 2
dust sills and shelves
clear shower screen
scrub toilet bowl
wipe over outside of toilet, lid and seat

level 3
ckean handbasin
put outnew towels
clean floor

exras
s&s kitchen
binbag dance

Wonderful Wednesday - your bedroom aka your sanctuary

Your bedroom should be a clear, calm restful retreat from the hurly burly of life - NOT a dumping ground for ironing, CS bags, piles of dusty books,  and ideally it should not be doing double service as your office!  It's where you recharge...you - not your tech!  

level 1

open window
strip bed
dust/vacuum headboard and any other bed parts you can easily access
remove rubbish
clear floordrobe and/or chairdrobe

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

level 3
dust everywhere including curtain tracks and skirting boards
wipe lotions and potions with a damp clocth to remove icky drips


extras
S&s kitchen and bathrooms
hhi
How's that Toots list going?  Anything you can chip away at?
(says she who has been planning to paint the bathroom window sill for 10 years and had finally crossed it off the list!)

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
Lift seat covers and vacuum underneath

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

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?

extras
S&s kitchen
s&s bathroom
HHI
Wipe all door handles and switches


Friday Flourish
 - Kid's room, spare room, guest room
Level 1
IF the bed is in use, strip
open window
clear floor/chairs
remove rubbish *fer-LING*
Level 2
Wipe handles etc and window frame
once its dry, clean widow
remake bed (if necessary)
Dust/wipe all surfaces
level 3
clean floor - sweep/mop/vac as approprate
check lighting fully functional throughout the house and outside
TEST SMOKE ALARMS

Extras
HHI
S&S kitchen
S&S bathroom



 

Jazee

Thanks Valli, I'm in.  Work, docs for DH and dentist for me tomorrow but I'll see what flying I can fit in.

Goodintentions

Thanks for the lists Valli and thanks Natty for last week. I am hoping to actually achieve something this  week!
I managed to do some stuff in the garden today. I emptied Lottie the Hottie,  and emptied the food bin. I also poo picked, and then took the compost to the allotment. I didn't do much there except tip the compost into the compost bin & bring back my seed tin. It is still under water, so I had to paddle to the bin! I need to take stock of what seeds I have and order some more, if there are any in stock!
The car is going in for a service tomorrow  - I can't believe I have had it for a year already! 
I hope everyone has a good week. Hugs to anyone that is struggling.

pigpen

Fank shoo for de Fred. I doubt I will have the sanity to do anything.. I did 2 loads of washing today and put some bits in the bins.. and did 3 tesco deliveries because you're only allowed 95 'essentials'.. my whole shop is essential ignorant twits... how does me taking 3 slots make items available for anyone else? surely it is better for people to do one big shop rather than 3 small ones? That helps no one! ANd no, I can not go shopping.. I can't take the girls shopping and Dot doesn't sleep.. EVER!!!!!

I found the owner of stinky house so that will hopefully be dealt with tomorrow.. they need whatever place of work they work at to reopen so that aren't in the house or have to go to bed at a sensible time and stop bothering me. It didn't stink when I went to bed at 2:30am... but by hecky it was cold having had the bedroom window open! It's open now too so I may need thermals!

My chest is off wheezing again..

I still need several GP appointments.. Dot, Me, Moomin & Boog. .. and a nurse one for me and Moomin for bloods, mine was due in October.. supposed to be 6-8 weeks.. Unlikely to happen for a good while.

Girls all got scrubbed and brushed today so they all look lovely.. and Squeak flooded the bathroom so I had water coming through the kitchen ceiling.. NOT impressed!

Nest time... nn xx

Mademoiselle

Morning everyone.  A new week already, here's to a good one for you all.

House feels dusty this morning, well the floors feel dusty, we have tiles throughout downstairs and parquet upstairs so no escaping feeling the dust under foot.  I would hoover (and maybe even mop) but OH is working from home today and DD2 has an interview (by visio) late morning.  

Bed made, clothes picked up, windows have been open
OH unloaded DW

Off to have breakfast and check banking and update spreadsheets whilst I eat.

Best SMILE is on ready for the day

YORKSHIRELASS

Good luck for DD for her interview Mademoiselle.

Bring on Monday, how bad can it be eh?  Exercise class done, DS1 off to work, shower next then breakfast and washing to take off the airer and finish off in tumbler, then on with paid stuff.  I made myself a mealplan and Flying list last night and I WILL stick to it this week.

Thank you for the lists and encouragement, as always x

Mademoiselle

Thanks YL

Kitchen table, dining table and most worksurfaces wiped down
Kettle cleaned
DW & last bits WUALTD

Need to get a load in WM soon as OH is running out of masks for work and is in the office tomorrow.  
The snow has nearly all gone here but the roads are very icy, our snowman is still standing but has lost his nose, glasses & hat.
Dreaming of warmer times!
This is him in all his glory on Saturday.  
There are now ski gloves, socks, snow boots etc to go away, including skis as DD2 decided to trying skiing on the slope opposite the house, great fun and the photos made family & friends smile.

Off upstairs to fill the washing basket.

roundtuit

Morning lovely ladies xx

My last day of freedom from the tyranny of the clock so I stayed in bed until 8.30am. Just because I could plus it was warm and cosy 😊

I'd forgotten that GF had asked if she could have a parcel delivered here today - but the driver didn't seem to mind me answering the door in my nightie 😳 . DS is calling to pick up the parcel after work and will take the two bags of shoes too. Woot woot.

I'm up,  my bed is made and I've had a brew. It's definitely NOT warm here  Valli - bedroom and bathroom windows are open a smidgen, but the blast of frigid air from the recently opened front door will have to suffice down here! Brrrr.

Round 1
breakfast 
shower & wash hair
get dressed 
feed the birds 
put out the recycling 
WUDUPA 
WM x 2
coffee 

Take care xx Stay safe xx
Rxx

Goodintentions

Good morning
I am up, dressed and breakfasted. I have taken my car to the dealership for its annual service (part of a service plan, so I won't need to pay). I have a very long to do list - mainly consisting of admin tasks. I don't like sitting still for hours, so it doesn't get done!!
Round 1
Check bank accounts & emails
Deal with emails from LA
Deal with the pile of paper sat next to me!! (this could take a while)

Have a good day everyone!

Valli

Morning all
Good luck for DD Mademoiselle.
i have a todo list for today.  Must be important it's in block capitals

ionafan

Thank you for the new list, Valli.

My aim today (now that I've cleaned the kitchen, watered all the houseplants and FUPA clean washing) is to hoover and dust all through.  I noticed last night that my computer screen is very dusty   Then it's back to sorting family history papers.

I managed to sort out what was wrong with my webcam - I had somehow instructed the Internet Security program to block Z00m from using the webcam.  Doh!!!!!  All working now, in time for my course tomorrow

The horses in the fields opposite are looking a lot happier today, with warmer air temperatures and a bit of sunshine

(((Hugs))) spoons and sticks all round, and good luck to dancemum and Mademoiselle's DD with your applications xx