Weekly Flylady Thread 25th April 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 
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!
Glug some bleach down the plugholes.
Clean/polish table - wipe mats/change cloth - don't forget the legs and places where sticky fingers can reach.
Clean chairs/stools - and don't forget legs and rails!
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
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 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
Pick an appliance to deep clean

Level 3

Choose a drawer, shelf or cupboard for special 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
A new month has begun - do you need any cards?  
Update finances/budgets
Next Monday is a Bank Holiday!  Don't forget!
Post any postal votes


Terrific Tuesday - The Lounge, Hallway, stairs and landing

Level 1
Deal with cut flowers and pot plants - top up water/wipe leaves/remove drooping or dead blooms
Open windows
Empty bins/ashtrays - wipe out or wash
If you have a woodburner/real fire attend to that first - and lay fire for lighting
Clear gibble
Plump and straighten cushions
Wipe sofas with leather wipes or vacuum - look for all those dust-catching crevices.  Lift seat cushions if you can and vacuum underneath
Wipe/dust coffee tables and leave tidy
Wipe coasters

Level 2
Clean windows and mirrors 
Vacuum floors - and use an edging tool to get into all the nooks and crannies - and stairs!
Clean doormats
Dust/wipe electricals - use a just-damp cloth.  Don't forget the remote controllers!  Include lightswitches

Level 3
Dust all round - don't forget sills, skirting boards, tops of curtain rails and/or battens and top and frame of door.
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 
Wipe lightbulbs (if cold)
Dust pictures/paintings on walls - and dust behind them too!
Stand in the doorway and look back into the room - is it clean?
Open front door and vacuum then wipe doorframe

Extras
Don't forget the dailies - beds need making, pots need washing
S&s kitchen
s&s bathroom
HHI

Wednesday HUMP Day
Bathroom, wet room, cloakroom, en suite

Level 1
open window
scrub loo inside and out - and give the grim rim special attention - and don't forget those unseen places like under the cistern or behind the pipes!
top up loo roll, soap dispenser
towels replaced - get the dirty ones in the WM - if there's room fling in dusters and/or oven gloves

level 2
clean shower and or bath
clean showerhead
clean plug holes and plugs removing any rat tails (ugh)
bleach drains and overflows

level 3
clean handbasin
scrub and polish taps
dust sills and shelves
clean switches and pull handles
Polish windows and mirrors
clean floor - vacuum, sweep or mop

extras
S&S kitchen
wipe door handles, banisters, hand rails/grab handles sockets and switches throughout the house

Thursday Thrills  - 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/sweep/mop floor

level 3
clean windows
dust all round
Use a damp cloth to wipe lotions and potions 

extras
S&S bathroom
S&S kitchen
Time to get those make up brushes washed - use soapy water, rinse them well and leave to dry in an airy place

FRIDAY FLOURISH - Kids room/spare room/guest room 
Level 1
Open window
strip bed
clear detritus from floor
occupant of room to assist if available
Empty bin

level 2
anything that needs to be homed -put away occupants of room to help
vacuum floor
If spare/guest room check all lighting fully functional

level 3
clean window
wipe sockets and switches
dust all around

extras
S&S bathroom
S&S kitchen
HHI

[Deleted User]

I’m in. Bonkers busy day here so I’ll post properly tomorrow xx

Valli

Huge thanks to the lurker who messaged me about the date of the thread.  You're more than welcome to delurk...but sending you coping vibes anyway and I will be thinking of you.  Hope you have the strength to help you on the journey.

DW primed.  Goodnight all

ionafan

Thank you Valli.  Thanks also to Natty for last week's lists.  I'm in.  The study is still the worst room in the house, closely followed by the utility.  Which reminds me [clicks on "scan"] - as soon as I've saved this scan, I can put a box of bits away out of the utility   And Rosie keeps leaving little piles of fluff everywhere to keep me on my toes.  Various extra jobs need to be done this week, so I might not get a lot of flying done.

Scan done, box put away!

I've often thought about LW too and wondered how she is coping.  Pigpen, please can I send a photo of Rosie to you by post, for you to add to what you send?  I'll post it tomorrow.

Hope everyone has a good week xx

Narc0lepsy

I've only lurked a bit this week as inexplicably I've had a black dog following me around. No idea why.
Tomorrow Mr N and I are meeting a London friend at Wisley gardens for a picnic, then going on down south to spend a couple of nights with my Mum. She had a negative test yesterday, I had one on Wed, Mr N had his second jab yesterday and my brother (Mum's bubble) hasn't visited her for a while so we all feel it would do us more good than harm. She's nearly 90 and lives alone so I hope we can brighten up a few days for her.    So of course today involved making flower arrangements.....one for Mum and one for the friend.....
Will catch up later in the week, but flying highlight has been taking everything out of my office and now Mr N has painted the woodwork so it is all ready for the new carpet on Thursday.
have a good week all  and send my love to LW 

pigpen

Ty for Fred..

A note for those who missed it.. I am collecting PM's for LW so she knows we love her and miss her.. I am printing them off and forwarding them to her at home. Obviously she is a very private Wolfie and I will not breach the trust she had in giving me her home address when I made her a shawl many moons ago but I am more than happy to forward letters and notes.

So much to get done this week!! I have just stress eaten 2 fingers which are now bleeding and incredibly sore! Yes I know it's a stupid thing to do.. but I can't help it, I'm so delicious!

Monday

I have lots to post.. £80 in sales today.. and 4 more items with bids..

Collected a Moomin, fed some cats (they are mine!) Made pack ups, found school bits and packaged an ebeasty thing. they other bits are upstairs.

Polly Pusscat is being VERY demanding.

Iona.. yes of course you can, I'm sure it will brighten LW's day. I suspect you may have my address already

ionafan

Pigpsn, is Hazel back home?

[Deleted User]

Morning all

Up early to get a head start on the week. I slept poorly; this week is going to be so busy with our upper sixth assessments (which mean I am working 8-5 all week), juggling childcare, extra football training for DS, managing the pennies (£21 until payday), and generally keeping everyone fed and alive. Oh and staying sane myself. That’s not too much to ask is it?!

I’ve already set the WM going (this is forecast to be the best day of the week), let the chickens out and fed them some strawberries and carrots, collected two eggs and wiped the sides in the kitchen.

I have a posh Make up bag that I really don’t need so I’m going to list that tonight. It’s eggs in some form for tea 😂

Iona - thank you for asking, they are settling well but in quite a bad way health wise so lots of daylight, fruit and veg and cuddles. They are almost featherless and have very very sore bums, almost at pro lapse stage 😢😢😢I would post photos but don’t want to upset anyone. PLEASE ONLY BUY FREE RANGE EGGS GUYS, LOCALLY LAID IF YOU CAN X

Have good days all xx

Jazee

Morning all.  Thanks for the list.

 I want to be a slinky fly lady so intend to fit some dancing in today, maybe I can dance and fly at the same time.  I need to report that I've given up on crochet.

Have a great day everyone.

kazwookie

Morning

Thankyou for the lists xx

I cleaned the WAC rest room this morning, all nice in there, flowers, chocolates, fruit, books, magazines, calming music.

OH left at sparrow o'clock to go on a bike course for 2 days, so I have by 8.30am!

2 x wm done on whirly

Stripped bed remade

Gather up all towels, washing, bedding to wash

Bleached / clean the toilet

Hoovered whole house, then emptied the bagless thingy

Clean the removable shower plug hole and cleaned that

Washed out all bins

Rubbish into the main outside bin

Dusted around

Filled up the cat biscuit box from the ex large bag

Eaten toast

Now looking at the large ebay heap to list!

pigpen

ionafan said:

Pigpsn, is Hazel back home?

Yes, She is a sucker for a sunny spot in the garden and will not come in if she thinks she won't, but she doesn't seem 100% but there is nothing I could take her to the vet and say 'this' looks wrong.. I don't need to spend £40 to be told she is old! (nearly 15). She just doesn't do anything she doesn't want to do and never has done! Little madam! She has even decided she will not poop on the mats next to the front door where she has been toiletting for weeks.. she has decided to use the litter trays! Honestly, she is such a nightmare! I just worry about them as they get older. We do need a vet trip though she has a tooth hanging out, they usually just pop them out themselves but she can't be bothered.