Weekly Flylady Thread 2 August 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 (not just in the kitchen!) for some fresh air 
Check fruit bowl - add to washing up if necessary!
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!  Is it time the tea/coffee/sugar caddies were washed out?
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/high chairs - and don't forget legs and rails!
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 the oven
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 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.  You could also wipe frames & sills inside and out!

EXTRAS

HHI
S&S bathroom 
Wipe all the handles/sockets/switches/banisters/grab rails especially if people are leaving the house
Check your summer jobs list.
If you have children with new uniform items start labelling now!
make a me-time appointment/arrangement.  Coffee with a friend, nails, hair, pedicure ...something for YOU

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.  Why not treat your pot plants to a shower?
Empty bins/ashtrays
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 sticky 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!

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?

Extras
S&s kitchen
s&s bathroom
HHI
Check smoke alarm batteries...beginning of the month!

Wipy Wednesday
Bathrooms, cloak rooms and en suites

Level 1
Open window
Remove towels and bathmats and fling in WM
Scrub loo inside and out, glug some bleach round bowl

Level 2
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
shine mirrors and shower screens
dust and polish where necessary

Extras
Allocate any children at home a task (shoe polishing perhaps - see below)
HHI
S&S kitchen
Check shoes - throw, resole.reheel; polish; donate

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 - and fling anyting OOD/past it's best

extras
S&S bathroom
S&S kitchen
Bin bag dance...fling that gibble
Children's job - sock sorting/pairing/throwing

Friday Finish - Kids Room(s)/Spare Room/Guest room

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

extras
S&S bathroom
S&S kitchen

Narc0lepsy

Ooh am I the first?  This week's plan is fairly marked by pre-planned stuff, so flying will have to fit:
Mon: go swimming, do a bit of shopping for top-up food (visitors) and birthday somethings for Mr N.   Finish putting furniture back in lounge/diner. Fly in kitchen.
Tues: Mr N's big birthday, hence changing my swim from Tues to Mon as it seemed a bit mean to abandon him. May or may not do him a cooked breakfast as we're going out for a meal with friends in the evening.  Final pre-visitor flying.
Wed: gym in the morning, bake a cake for when friends arrive (mid afternoon) and biscuits to take on Thursday.....
Thurs: visit to Buck Palace Gardens. Taking biscuits and maybe picnic as refuse to buy Buck P cakes at £5.50 each.... eve our friends want to treat us to a meal.
Fri: go for a walk and coffee with friends, just after they leave I have my teaching session at 2.30.
So that's my week.  Have a good one everyone.

ionafan

Thank you Valli.

We've got a week of medical appointments for all three of us - two for DH by phone/video, one each for me and Rosie in person/dog - plus four birthdays, one church meeting, war games club and coffee at a NT place with a friend.  Just a normal week, then....  

It's a good thing I cleaned yesterday and will only have to do a quick S&S each day!

Hope you *all* have a good holiday despite everything, pigpen x
Lovely to see you, round - and glad that Boris isn't playing up so much x 
Hope the flood hasn't damaged anything irreplaceable, dancemum x
Buck House, Narc0???  Be a good Flylady and take your duster-onna-stick to deal with any greenfly on the roses! (not that they would dare to show their faces if HM were there!)

Hope everyone else has a peaceful week xx

pigpen

TY for Fred..

Washing machine on.. again...
TD on .. again...

DW needs to be on.. but I need a gallon of liquid..

My head still hurts.. and my throat hurts..

In morning I need to..

find cables
sort backpacks

pack up cold food

find blankets
find remaining shoes and wellies

• Squeak wellies
• Dot wellies
• Pixie trainers and welllies
• Twinkle sandals

BadCat18

Hi all

I’m here, thanks to those asking after me, just been having a difficult few weeks but have been flying where I can and following the thread xx

Activities this weekend have included tidying the garage, one car load gone to the tip, ferlinnnnng…. Another boot load ready for the charity shop tomorrow (provided they are accepting donations) I have some curtains to donate too but they need to be washed first as they smell a bit stale, hoping for a nice day so I can peg them out tomorrow.

Day off the paid stuff on Monday so other than the charity drop off not sure what I will do, we’ve worked hard this weekend on the house so weather permitting I may potter a bit in the garden, will also sit, relax and read a book.

Hugs to all xx

roundtuit

Morning xx
Waves to Badcat xx
Hope you are feeling OK Valli xx
Have a lovely holiday piggers xx

I've spent all weekend relaxing to rid myself of the stress of last week  - then, just before I wake up, I have a horrible dream. I've woken up with my anxiety levels sky high. It was just a dream. It was just a dream. And breathe...

Anyhoo, I am,  showered,  dressed, breakfasted and lunch is packed. I'll feed the birds and put out the recycling before I toodle off. 

Have a good day/week everyone 
Rxx

kazwookie

Thank you for the lists.

Hope all of those who have been or are going on their holiday had / have a great time.

Bed to strip and remake

WM x (?) to do, got to gather everything up.

Bins to do

Hoovering to do

I am becoming a downpipe installer today, just got to go and collect pipe first.

Honey_Bear

New lodger in on Saturday morning to newly sparkly room after not being occupied by people for well over a year so chocca with gibble for most of the time; three loads through the WM and out on the lines yesterday, currnet lodger fed and consoled having been *pinged* and six months worth of work being trashed by someone, and not much else being done over the weekend because I was completely shattered.  Lodger due to arrive today chased because she may have been in contact with someone who may have the plague ... and so it goes on. So, I feel slightly discombobulated. 

My office is all ready for *pinged* lodger who may not need to move so therefore I may have normal access to it which was completely unexpected. For the first time in months I don't have an urgent deadline and it feels very weird.  So, the plan is five days a week to make substantial progress on unfinished tasks.  Today / this week if necessary - the Food File.  It's been hanging around for years and I used it for the film's catering but it's in a horrible mess.

And clean the shower room that *pinged* lodger said she'd do, but she was in such a state of shock about the six month's trashed work she didn't have the heart.  And change that bed, whether or not she moves rooms.

ionafan

Having said on Saturday that I don't worry about cleaning windows unless it's necessary, this morning the first job I did was to clean my bedroom window - it looked like an army of flies and wasps had been marching across it
I have also written a shopping list, hoovered through downstairs, S&S'd the kitchen and bathroom, stripped DH's bed and started WMx1 of 2, caught up with emails and finances, and tried to make a phonecall to a friend who (it turns out) has gone to Tenby for a fortnight

Rosie's vet's appointment is at 11.30 so I'd better get moving again.

i think I might be starting another migraine   Can't afford to be ill, as I've got a work session tomorrow evening.

Valli

I'm up, dressed and intend to be a good, example-setting leader this week as far as I can.  Funeral on Wednesday for former colleague - didn't know she was ill (she died in the hospice) but I used to bump into her frequently and was thinking, recently, that I hadn't seen her for a while.  
I'm out for coffee with a friend this afternoon.
Don't know if I posted put I read a 400+ page book IN A DAY.  I have now discovered, however, that I need better light to read in bed at night if I am reading an actual book.  This makes me sad, but I have got my kindle.  Thing is my 'to read' pile is so huge - and I feel I cannot get rid of a book I haven't read.  I have now started a 'get rid/pass on pile.  It is 1 book high.

Jazee

Morning all.  Hope you're all ok today.

 I also read a whole book on Saturday, even stayed up late to finish it and when DIL came round yesterday I passed it on to her, although when she'll get a chance to read with a young baby I don't know.  Kindle is all charged up ready for me to choose something to read for my upcoming holidays, and I've already started another actual book.

This morning, after sleeping for ten hours, I have hoovered through, watered the greenhouse, walked the dogs, done some admin, all the dailies, changed bedding which is now drying on the line and dusted the bedroom and living room.

DH is WFH so I am in charge of lunch which is sausage baguettes with fried onion.

Thanks to those who missed me!  I've had a full on few weeks which I won't go into but suffice to say I'm now taking three weeks off from everything.