Weekly Flylady Thread 16th 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 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 pluholes 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 (see extras); 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 then run empty on a hot cycle to clean out the pipes!

Level 3

Pick a cupboard or a drawer; empty it, clean it out and put back its contents tidily
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!

EXTRAS

HHI
peg out some washing
S&S bathroom
Paperwork/admin up to date
Check your freezer - does anything need using up? - if so weave it in to your...
Meal plan for the week. - and plan to cook a double sized meal and freeze one for a CBA day - or (if you live alone or there are just two of you) freeze some leftovers.  Things like chilli or bolognese can be frozen as individual portions but you can add them together to make a bigger meal if you need to.  

Terrific Tuesday

Bathrooms, cloak rooms and en suites

Level 1
Open window
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.
Dust anywhere that needs dusting - wipe any 'on display' bottles down 

Level 2
Clean out baths and/or showers
Clean shower heads and hoses
Clean handbasins including taps - don't forget the out of sight bits!

Level 3
sweep and mop or vacuum floor as appropriate
clean windows
polish mirrors
dust and polish where necessary
Clean light pull
Check your lotion & potion stash and deploy one thing - eg foot cream - and ets see if wee can get into the habit of using it daily

Extras
Wash showercurtains (if any) and put outside to blow dry - possibly!  or thoroughly clean your shower screen - where it pivots *blush*
HHI
S&S kitchen
If you drive a vehicle regularly check oil/tyre pressure/screenwash etc are all ok and that all the lights are working

Wednesday - hump day
Living room, hall, stairs and landing

Level 1
Open lots of windows and let that fresh air in while beds are airing
Deal with cut flowers and pot plants - top up water/wipe leaves/remove drooping or dead blooms
Wash out vases
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
Sort newspapers/magazines

Level 2
Clean windows and mirrors 
Vacuum floors - and use an edging tool to get into all the nooks and crannies - and stairs!
Move furniture to vacuum under it if you can.
Clean doormats

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 open/close it.
Check for cobwebs and eliminate!
Clean lightshades and lampshades; check all lighting is functioning as it should - vacuum fabric shades; wash glass shades 
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
get the kiddies involved even if it's just making their own beds

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 - dust/wipe as appropriate and clear gibble from them
vacuum/sweep/mop floor
shine your mirror

level 3
clean windows
dust all round
Use a damp cloth to wipe lotions and potions - fling anything you are not using and look at your stash and make sure you start using stuff up - eg body moisturiser
Anything BNIB you won't use would be appreciated by your local refuge/foodbank
Book a self care appointment - nails - manicure - pedicure-eyebrows - hairdresser

extras
S&S bathroom
S&S kitchen
check you have spare bulbs - I have had to replace 2 this week - the nights are drawing in (grrr) and light is needed!
and - since my first aid box lives near my bulb basket - check your first aid box is appropriately stocked

Thank goodness it's Friday
kids room/spare room/guest room or wherever needs that special Flylady touch
Please feel free to involve children in cleaning their own rooms!

level 1
open window
strip bed
remove rubbish 

level 2
remake bed
clear floor
Sweep/mop/vacuum floor

Level 3
dust everywhere
Clean window(s)

extras
hhi
s&s kitchen
s&s bathroom

pigpen

TY for Fred.

I am loitering but with children off it is like shovelling snow in a blizzard!

Jazee

Thanks for the thread.  We have visitors this week so I'll be doing essential flying around them.
Have a great day everyone.

Fayolle

Good morning,
Thank you for the thread. Day off swapped to today as DD wants us to go out together. Anxiety levels are soaring.

Hot wash running with towels and dishcloth in. Fruit bowl checked and sorted. Meal plan done but no doubt will need tweaking.

Have a lovely day all. Hugs, sticks and spoons as needed x

[Deleted User]

Morning All

Thank you for the lists, I am in. So far this morning I have wrestled the BD off my chest, got dressed, made the bed, fed children and chickens, and put some laundry away. I have also put another small load running, 

I am going to treat myself to a bacon and egg sandwich, one of the girls has just laid so it will be as fresh as they come. I then need to do some batch cooking, deliver some eggs, keep feeding the children (bottomless pits ATM) and walk the dog. 

YL - I am glad you had a wonderful time away, you really deserve it.xx
Fayolle - deep breaths for today lovely xx

Take care all x

BadCat18

Morning all

thanks for the lists, I’m trying my best to be in around the paid stuff x

I was at my desk at 6am but I have just had 30mins break during which I…

showered and washed hair
cleaned shower while I was in there
breakfast eaten
wm set to swish
DW emptied them started filling again with breakfast dishes
cats fed
litter trays refreshed

Back to the coal face now, have good days all and hugs to those in need x

kazwookie

I'm in of sorts, thank you for the lists xx

Blood test for OH at local hospital at silly early time this morning, done.

Hoovered whole house

Cleaned toilets

Rubbish out, inc empty baglesss thingy

Remade bed

WM x 2 out of line

Bed changed

All towels gathered up

Picked up prescription

Chicken out of freezer to make curry.

Took plates and bowls back next door, to be greeted by NN hubby in a dressing gown that was not well done up!!

Wild flower garden has poppies out, plus a load more caterpillars happily munching other stems and leaves.

Hugs all round

Valli

I have ironed and then I pegged out the washing as the rain had stopped and it had brightened up.  I'm now busily trying to knit the two fronts of the cardigan, if I can get them done today there's a good chance I might get it finished by tomorrow.
Handles and other hardware reattached to door.  Foil removed from under door and masking tape from around sills.

Honey_Bear

Welcome back, YL.  It sounds like you had a wonderful time.

Lodger No 2 left this morning, his room has been turned around and I even did the windows in both letting rooms, vacuumed and dusted around down there and moved most of Lodger No 3's stuff down there.  I don't move suitcases the size of trunks, she can do that when she gets back.  He also left quite a bit of food including spagetti and a homemade spag bol sauce so that's supper sorted for us and both lodgers if they want to join us because I can stretch it with some of our veggies.  WM x 3 and all of it blowing in the wind.

My office is back to normal and I've done a fair amount of work at my desk, too. 

Valli

aaargh....despite careful row counting the front of the knitting is shorter than the back.  I give up.

Washing in.  

All my tests results are in and all is well

ionafan

I have survived, DH has survived, and Rosie has survived the visits of all six grandchildren
We took the two youngest home this afternoon, stayed for a meal with the family, drove home and are now relishing the peace and quiet.  DGS4 managed to wind us all up at different times - it's a miracle that he survived too!

I put the junior slaves to work this morning.  They were surprisingly compliant, packed their own bags, and then together we
- stripped the two single beds and started the WM
- pushed the trundle bed under the other and fitted the board which prevents Rosie depositing hair all along the mattress
- sorted the Lego from the zoo animals and put away all the boxes and zoo buildings
- carried the metre-square zoo base board upstairs and replaced it in the only space where it fits and is still easily accessible, i.e. under my bed
- put on gardening gloves (fortunately DS2 gave me a pack of 3 pairs for Christmas and I only take a small size) and pulled up the biggest weeds all the way down the drive.

We then took them out to a N T property for lunch, a walk in the woods which involved damming a stream and climbing trees, as well as (sign of the times) playing takeaway deliveries; then eating ice cream and buying a book each from the second-hand shop.

Over tea, DS2 asked the boys, "What did you enjoy most about staying with Granny?"  Without any hesitation, DGS4 said, "Pulling up the enormous weeds!!! "  Maybe we'll let him come again, after all