Weekly Flylady Thread 10th January 2022

Natty68

Welcome to the weekly Flylady Thread.  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 Valli 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
OOD - out of date
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

Manic Monday - Kitchen and Dining Room

Level One
Clean floors
Level Two
Clear and wipe kitchen surfaces
Clean cupboard door fronts and the kick boards
Sort fridge bringing what needs using soon to the front
Wipe dining table (clean table cloth if necessary)
Check your car is topped up with anti-freeze, radiator water, oil,petrol. Check your tyre pressure too, if your car is being used during upcoming freezing weather.
Level Three
Sort the utensils.. half melted spatulas are not necessary!
HHI.. then wash the ironing board cover!
Dust any extra furniture in dining room, checking for cobwebs on way round
Wash the washer drawer out if it's gunky
Clean oven - because I know it wasn't on the list last week
Check you have essentials in the car, if you are driving, i.e. chocolate, flask, torch, warm blanket and charged up mobile phone. We don't want you to get stuck in any snow.

Extra Mission
Choose one or more of:

• Wipe out the fridge, make sure the drain is clear
• Wipe over little appliances, wipe under them before putting them back
• Clean dishwasher, cooker hood (if washable) and tumble drier filters
• Wipe window sills, clean any marks off windows if required
• Wipe the front of large appliances

Tuesday Living Room, Hall and Stairs

Level One
Vacuum floors and sofas
Level Two
Dusting, even if around everything
Remove clutter making sure stairs especially are safe
Clean TV, other electricals and cabinets
Level Three
Wipe light switches and banister
Clean any other glass like mirrors etc
Tidy shoes, coats and bags
Vacuum under furniture (only if you won't hurt yourself doing it, don't want any injuries)
Get a winter emergency box for your car.. it's still not too late SEE HERE for ideas!
Extra Mission:
Pick one or more of the following tasks –

• Clear one hotspot or spend at least 15 minutes clearing it a bit
• HHI
• Give the inside of the front door a wipe (if it's not raining you could do the outside too)
• Wipe the leaves of your plants
• Sort through any magazines or paperwork lying around
• Clean windows and sills in these areas

Wonderful Wednesdays - Master Bedroom & Landing
Level One
Check fire alarms are working
Remove and wash bed linen.
Level Two
Dust surfaces & make sure no cobwebs..
Vacuum mattress before replacing with fresh linen, air the bed if possible
15 minutes floordrobe clearance
Level Three
Vacuum floors in bedroom and on landing
Sort one area of clothes or linen storage making sure only what should be in there is, anything that's had it's day or doesn't belong there is removed

Extra tasks list, as usual choose one or more

• Ebay/Amazon/Car boot search, anything that can be sold which is no longer used?
• 27 fling boogie time, time for that midweek fling, go on grab a bag and clear that clutter
• Clean windows in these rooms
• Check the airing cupboard, anything that is way past it's use by (maybe recycle for rags if possible, you could donate old sheets or towels to a local animal rescue for bedding)
• Clean the bed frame where you can, vacuum if cloth covered, wipe with a cloth if wood/metal etc

Thursday Bathroom and Study/Pc Area
Level One
Clean floors in these rooms (even if it is around the clutter)
Level Two
Clean baths, toilets and sinks
Clear any clutter from desk
Dust PC and desk, wipe with damp cloth if grimey
Wipe keyboard, house phone, sockets, switches and mouse etc
Level Three
Clear clutter from floor
Wipe down tiles in bathroom
Delete 10 links in your favourites which you no longer use or are dead!
Clean shower screen/curtain if you have one/if required

Extra mission:
Pick whichever you want to attempt:

• Wipe the skirtings, door and window frames in these rooms
• Wash your bathroom mats, nets, clean blind/curtains etc
• Clean/wash the brushes/dust box/filters on the vacuum cleaner (ensure these are dry before using again)
• Clean the radiators in these rooms (and behind them if you can)
• Defragment PC, or at least do a disc clean up
• Towels & Flannels- wash any grimey ones, make ones which are ''beyond repair'' into something else (flannels, cloths etc) or get rid!

Freaky Friday - Frightening Kids Rooms and Spare Rooms
Level One
15 minutes clearing clutter!
Spend at least 15 minutes doing something for yourself, whatever that might be
Level Two
Vacuum floors (even if it's around the rest of the junk)
Strip beds and replace with fresh linen
Level Three
15 more minutes clearing clutter!
Dusting - all those flat surfaces which have become fuzzy!
Clean window, sill and frame

Extra tasks, if you have extra time and want to do more, you could try one of these

• Clean skirting boards in one room
• Wipe down a childrens bed frame/cot
• 15 minutes ironing
• Paperwork sorting, spend 10 minutes on it, little and often! Anything need dealing with urgently?
• 27 fling boogie, time for the Friday Fling! Grab a bag and clear that clutter.

pigpen

Ty for Fred. 

Not sure how much I am getting done this week.. I am focusing on not dying right now .. no one has time for that right?! 

House is a bear pit 

Dizzy_Imp

I'm in, but will be flapping weakly...been scheduled another 40+ hours of nights as Covid has struck...

Valli

Ooh Dizzy...that sounds tough.  Take care of yourself, you cannot pour from an empty cup.

bag packed ready for work.  What I would really like is to be made redundant, I have decided.  Nothing on the cards but I can hope...

thanks for the list

Honey_Bear

Thank you for the lists Valli and Natty.  I'm in, but doing as little as possible as usual.

YORKSHIRELASS

Morning

Thanks for lists.  Awful night's sleep, lots of worries, and a long day at the paid stuff today including an evening meeting.  Going to try to focus on being kind to myself.  

I gave the kitchen a good clean on Saturday morning but the floor needs doing.  Some washing to take off the airer and sort later.

Have a good Monday all x

BadCat18

Morning all

Thanks for the lists. I’m in around the paid stuff… early meeting today so need to get moving, dailies etc will be done once first meeting is done.

GWS wishes to the poorlies x back later…

Mademoiselle

Morning everyone.  I'm in again this week.  Feeling motivated so we'll see how long that lasts.

Pellet stoves cleaned and refilled and on (it's freezing and foggy)
Bed made, clothes picked up, windows been open
Banking checked and spreadsheets updated
Rubbish and recycling done

This morning's tasks include laundry, tidying kitchen and dining room.  Then once it's straight I'll see what else inspires me.  I half filled my give away box yesterday evening (a bit frustrating as we had been to the tip and drop off centre on Sunday morning) and discussed a few other bits we can let go with OH.  

Coffee and breakfast NOW!

Jazee

Morning all.
I have only just got up so am supping first cuppa. Plans today include engineer coming to repair cooker, vet visits resume and sewing buttons on first baby cardigan.  Anything else will be a bonus.
Have a great day everyone.

mumtoomany

Morning everyone, thank you for the thread. Thanks to @Deleted_User for your welcome. Hope this virus doesn't hit you too badly @pigpen, hugs to all those who need them.
Plans for today. Sort the kitchen, looks like it's been hit by a tornado. Then sew up some baby knits for DD3's friend. Then cook tea for eight people only to have several moan! Sounds like enough to be going on with. Finish this cuppa then I'll get started. Mumtoomany.xx

roundtuit

Morning all xx 

I hope all the poorlies are feeling much better this morning xx

Thank you for the lists. 

I'm up, made my bed, opened the windows upstairs, supped my first brew and lost my post ....grrr.

To Do Today List:

Brew 2 and breakfast 
Shower and wash hair 
Get dressed 
Feed the birds 
Put out the recycling 
WUDUPA 
Laundry shuffle 
Fill in online form for dentist- check up tomorrow with new dentist as mine retired during lockdown....and breathe. 

That'll do for starters. 
Love to all 
Rxx