Weekly Flylady Thread 25th April 2022

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?
Put AWAY as much as you can - do ALL those small appliances NEED to be on show?
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 hob
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 you have one 
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 or chipped and cracked
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 

Twinkly Tuesday

bathrooms, cloakroom, en suites

level 1

flush toilet, glugvsome cleaner down it
empty rubbish, clear detritis
scrub toilet bowl
wipe handle and all outside of loo, seat lid etc

level 2
scrub shower tray/bath
clean screen or remove shower curtain to wash
wipe down tiles, shelves, ledges etc
ckean hoses and heads

,even 3
ckean basin inside and out
shine taps
ckean sill and windiw
clean floor

Xtras 
Wash loo brush and bin and allow to dry in the sun
s&s kitchen

Wednesday - 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

thursday thrills

the boudoir

level 1 
Strip the bed and leave to air
clear floordrobe chairdrobe etc
make bed

level 2
clean windows and morrors
sweep, vacuum or mop floor

level 3 
poke that duster into every nook and cranny

extras
hhi
s&s bathroom 
s&s kitchen
15 minutes in the garden...get some weeds pulled
hand in pension form after inserting retirement date (just me then?)

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

Narc0lepsy

Thanks for lists.
My week is going to be fairly atypical (when are my weeks typical?) as I'm off down to Dorset on Wed eve, finally going to help Mum redeem her 2020 pre-Covid Mother's Day present of another Strictly show, already twice postponed and now happening on Thursday.
So, Wed and Thurs assessments are now Tues and Wed. Tomorrow's list is therefore:
- 10.15 dentist
- check one report and send it off
- get a jolly good way through another
- read a 96 page document of new/revised regulations for assessment. Yawn. but need to read carefully to see how it impacts on me. Due to discuss it via Zoom with a colleague on Tues eve
- prepare paperwork for Tues and Wed
- sow 2nd batch of broad beans, currently soaking in water. 1st batch are still very small, thought few had come up until I dug up a 'space' and found one had germinated but not yet reached the surface. We desperately need rain.
- do some drumming practice.
- probably my best flying bet would be the '10-15mins improving each room' method.
- in theory I should go for a run, but although I walked to church and back today, my back is really aching probably through buying a load of compost etc on Friday (after zumba and before Saturday's swimming!). 
Hope everyone's week goes well.

pigpen

TY for Fred.

Pack ups and uniforms ready for tomorrow.. and I need to sort Pixies swimming bag just in case she is supposed to be going tomorrow.

I need the loo so will be back tomorrow when we are back to loathesome school runs and home education.

Mademoiselle

Morning, 

Back late last night after weekend away but OH wfh today so got a bit of a lie in.  

DW sorted, kitchen tidy
WM on
Bed made, clothes picked up, windows open
Bags unpacked and put away
Banking & spending checked

Finally to the solicitors this afternoon to sign the sale agreement for the house, if all goes to plan should complete in 3 months but will know more this afternoon.

OH has just gone out to see if he can charge his electric car at the local car charging point, so far it has only been charged at home but we need to know how it works on public charging points as will soon be using it for longer trips.  We've identified where we can charge but not yet tested the card and app yet.  

Off to fold the washing that dried over the weekend and do the few bits of ironing, then hopefully OH will be back for coffee.  

Objectives for this week are to keep the place tidy, what with signing for the house, OH coming to the end of his career here (and hoping they stick to what they unofficially agreed to last July) and DD1 changing hospitals and where she's living, there are plenty of plates to keep spinning so going to go easy of the sorting and getting rid of more stuff ready for the move.  OH and I have agreed that we are just keeping of top of stuff until mid May, then will actively start working on our move.

Hugs to all, keep SMILING, hope all goes well for those going back to school/work

ionafan

Thank you Valli. I'm in as much as possible.

Just the dailies today, as I'm going out for coffee with a friend this morning, then have a "business" meeting this afternoon.
I have made my list of "must-do" jobs this week, which is quite long but very necessary.  Now that the AGM is over, I am depositing a lot of admin paperwork in the church RoD!!!

(((Hugs))) spoons and sticks all round, as needed.  Hope everyone has a good week xxx 

roundtuit

Morning my lovelies xx

I'm up, washed, dressed, made my bed, glugged bleach down the loo, supped my first brew and done an LFT. Negative so I'll be meeting L for coffee this afternoon at the posh farm shop café. 

To Do Today List 
Feed the birds 
Put out the recycling 
WUDUPA a bowl of pots 
Pay C Tax
Pay rent

1.45 meet L

Have a lovely day 
Rxx

Jazee

Morning all.  Thanks for the list.
Its a day off today for me too so I had a lie in.  So far, I've dusted in living room and bedroom, changed bedding so WM is whirring and washed up nearly everything.
Next is dog walk.

kazwookie

Thank you for the lists.

OH is suffering, he has taken as per instructions from the hospital, the 'stuff' they sent  him, sadly there is nothing I can do to help him, hopefully it will be over in about an hour or so, then we go to the hospital, according to the paperwork for 2 to 4 hours, I will drop him at the door, I've found a book to read, and I'll do my walking somewhere, there is a wood / lake near by.

Bed stripped and remade

Whole house hoovered, bagless thing emptied

WM x 2 out of line, but it is overcast, so might take a time to dry.

Dug out the mole hill and down about a foot, the cats love the hole and keep watch over it

Kitchen cleaned

Loads of other small type stuff done

110 miles walked so far this month

1 lbs lost last week (15 lbs so far)

Have a safe day

Jazee

Hope all goes well Kaz.
Short dog walk done and I've cut the grass back and front.

pigpen

Watered plants..

Ate lunch

brushed Squeak

replied to 97 emails and chased a few other things

Stuffed some maths in her hands

Not hung out washing yet.. I really wish my tum was not so hysterical..

pigpen

Washing out.

Chimps collected..

My Living room is TRASHED!!!!

Dinner to cook, pack ups to make and goggles to be given to Spam for his swimming lessons on Thursday.