Weekly Flylady Thread 9th May 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!  
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 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
Deal with any plants or flowers in this area (showing off cos I have some )

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 

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.

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
Chuck any lurking potions that are not being used/are old
Clean light pull

Extras
Get a bucket of hot, soapy water and wipe down window frames - open them and clean all the grime that gets on the frames, sills and in the gutters too.
HHI
S&S kitchen

Hump day- Living room, hall, stairs and porch

Level One
With warm (hot if you can bear it)soapy water on a clean cloth - rinsed frequently - wipe EVERY door handle, light switch in the house - including entrance doors.  Don't forget the letterbox
Declutter ALL the floors!!
Clear the mantle of junk
Fling any rubbish
Straighten cushions, curtains and throws
Tidy coffee/side tables
Empty bin
Empty ashtrays
Attend to plants and flowers

Level Two

Vacuum/sweep all the floors.. stairs too!
Vacuum/sweep under furniture you can safely move!
Vacuum sofas
Clean mirrors

Level Three

Clean the window and door frames 
Dust and polish furniture and ornaments
Clean doormats

Extras

Dust all the electricals.. carefully.. don't want any frazzled flybodies
Binbag dance around the house
HHI
S&S kitchen
S&S bathroom
Give your handbag a tidy.

Thursday's Flight is taking off in the boudoir

level 1

Strip bed and leave to air 
Open windows
Empty bins
Remove cups or any other pots to wash up
Stick a washload on 
clear floordrobes

level 2

dust/vacuum bedframe
remake bed
ckean Windows (if the sun is not shining directly on them)
Wipe sills and window frame
Vacuum, sweep or mop floor

Level 3

Dust everywhere and everything inc tops of wardrobes
And Skirting boards 
wipe handles

Extras
S&S kitchen
S&S bathroom
HHI

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

ionafan

Thank you Valli.  I will join in when I can.  There is still a pile of admin cluttering up my study.  However, I got ahead of myself this evening when I emptied the kitchen bins and started the DW.  I also FUPA the clean washing so the bathroom is ready for its turn. 

I have an incentive to fly properly because a friend is coming round on Tuesday afternoon for tea, scones and Michaelmas daisy "rootlings" [I think I made up that word, but it's based on "seedlings" being small plants that have grown from seed].

I must remember that I've booked to join a webinar at 12.30 tomorrow.

Hope everyone has a good - or at least better - week xx

Narc0lepsy

Thanks for lists and thread.
After a nasty black dog shadowed me for much of the week for absolutely no reason, I have escaped it and had a lovely swim among baby moorhens in the lake (my first non-wetsuit swim of the year) followed by a nice overnight stay for a friend's big birthday, caught up with 2 couples we hadn't seen since before lockdown which was lovely.

Determined to do at least level 1 this week as the house is seriously dirty. Not especially untidy, just layers of dust etc.
Got back from the w/e and did a load of gardening. Established that my tap in the greenhouse doesn't work. It is run off the outdoor tap from the kitchen 150foot away (i.e. a hose buried in the garden). Tried unsuccessfully to sort it so watered greenhouse, pots and some veg using a million watering cans so now all 3 water butts are empty.  Mr N did some investigating - the bit that appears to be damaged/leaking/not letting water through is.........the 10ft stretch underneath the new patio aaagh.   So he has attached a new bit of hose to the tap, joined it to the 1st junction (there are several junction points down the garden so we can clip on hose to water other areas) and will dig a trench and bury it next to the patio. 

Filled bird feeders.
Checked a load of stuff to go to charity shop tomorrow.
Did some admin and report writing.

Hope everyone's week goes well.

pigpen

Thank you for Fred..

Still have plants to plant.. laundry to dangle and a million other things to do ..

Dizzy_Imp

Thanks for Fred...I'm following this week and will try to actually fly...you never know!

Jazee

Morning, thanks for the list.
I have so much I aspire to do today.
Have a great day everyone.

Valli

Off to the paid stuff shortly.

DW x 1, WM x 1

the Valligirl https://fundraise.cancerresearchuk.org/team/stephanie-and-friends-84

Mademoiselle

Morning, thanks Valli, you must have looked at my kitchen, as yes the dishwashing sponge needs changing, and the long haired cat slept on the hand towel yesterday so that needs a wash too.

Bed made, clothes picked up, windows open
WM on
Dining table tidied and wiped down ready for lesson this morning
Banking & spending checked

Weekend was nice and calm, OH and I managed to look at the calendar and decide some dates etc.  for visitors, trip back to UK, moving etc.  

Today I have a lesson this morning, estate agent and buyer visiting late morning to mark out how the garden will be split..  After lunch I will have to go into town to pick OH up as all being well he's giving his computer, phone & car back to the work then that's him done!  There will be another visit in the next couple of weeks for admin reasons.  Also waiting to hear from someone who is interested in having my DDs beds so that will be something out of the house ready for moving.  And most importantly OH MUST strim the nettles next to the BBQ, we BBQd yesterday but I walked into the nettles and my foot is still tingling this morning.  

Have a lovely day, Big hugs and SMILES

roundtuit

Morning my lovelies xx 

The brain dump hasn't happened yet so I'm still in overwhelm mode. Playing endless games of 10x10 is really not helping. I think it's addictive!

So I'm resisting that urge because 'just one game'  never is. I'm up,  made my bed, had a brew.

Round 1
Breakfast 
Shower and wash hair 
Get dressed 
Feed the birds 
Put out the recycling 
WUDUPA 
Wash coffee caddy, and refill

P&S are calling for coffee this morning - write cheque for S

Book table for lunch with L on Thursday 

Later / this week sometime 
Pay rent

That's a mini brain dump - a proper dump on paper will follow. I seem to have a head full of projects/ ideas but no focus or starting points. 😕.  This must change!

Have a good week. Much love to you all 
Rxx

pigpen

Round.. I tend to dump on here too.. If it is writing it is a thing!

Must hang out laundry today.. couldn't yesterday due to spraying shed paint.. everything would have been green.

Reported neighbours to agents, landlord and police yesterday.. then slept on the sofa.. if 'slept' is the right word.

Cuppa made..

OH can sort the cat trays this morning and then decide what is happening with this huge box of books in the middle of the front room floor where it has been for 2 weeks maybe..

I may knit some more birds this week but I have a lovely striped shawl to finish.. I hate it, but it WILL be lovely. the girls asked my to knit them kittens so that may happen too.

DW
Watch charging, I have an infection under where the watch lives so that will be fun.. probably just eczema being stupid again.

Phone bill paid today so I have no beans left..

OOh.. we need to sort out a money shuffle too.. OH doesn't get paid until the 27th and has £100 in bank.. and all the car DD's to come out.. I hate having to shuffle money about.. it is so faffy.

and pot up the plants... feed the spidey..

kazwookie

Morning

Thank you for the lists x

1 lbs lost this week, so 20 lbs in total

47.6 miles walked so far in May.

WM x 2 done out on whirly

Whole house hoovered, bagless thing emptied

Seedlings that were potted on yesterday, looked at, they seem to be ok.

Dusted around.

My neck got a bit sunburnt yesterday so I must be careful today.