Weekly Flylady Thread 5th September 2022

Natty68

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 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
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- thats 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 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 stooping, 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!

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

Ok here goes this week!

Monday Mop ~ Kitchen and Dining Room
Level One...
Check little ones and bigger ones have got everything they need for start of new school term.
Take photo of little ones/bigger ones in their new uniforms looking all proud and shiny.😃
NO crying when dropping off at school.😉
Clear and wipe kitchen surfaces
Level Two...
Sweep and mop floors
Clean the fridge and work anything that needs using soon into your meal plan
Wipe dining table.. (clean table cloth if necessary)
Level Three...
Dust any extra furniture in dining area, checking for cobwebs on way round
Wipe and replace all those small appliances.. kettle, toaster etc
Wipe all the windows in these areas!!
Clean cupboard door fronts and fronts of appliances .. don't forget those kick boards..
Wipe out a dirty cupboard... get rid of everything you no longer need and make it all pretty and tidy!
Extra Mission : help yourself

• S&S over the hob and oven
• Wipe down any tiles and shine those taps.. a toothbrush is great for cleaning away the gunk!
• 34 fling boogie..
• Empty the bin.. wash it out.. and make it smell heavenly
• Sort through storage containers in kitchen, fling any tubless lids or lidless tubs if they can't be used for anything, anything broken or past it's use by!

Twinkling Tuesday ~ Bouncing Bedroom
Level One..
Clear the floor of anything that doesn't belong there..
Hoover the floor
Empty any bins
Level Two...
Strip the bed and remake with fresh clean bedding
Dust surfaces
Polish mirrors and any other shiny surfaces...
Level Three...
Turn and vacuum mattress - do NOT do it if you are unable to or pregnant..get a nice partner/hubby/child to do it for you.
Sort through the wardrobe - is there anything that you don't need or can be rehomed.
Clean the light switches
Extra challenge:

• Clear one drawer in the dressing table/chest of drawers
• Clean the window - make it sparkle in the sunshine
• Clear and clean the windowsill
• HHI

Whimsical Wednesday ~ Barnacled Bathroom

Level One...
Empty bins
Clear all empty bottles/toothpaste tubes etc.. Do we really need to keep that empty box of q-tips.
Change flannels/sponges
Level Two..
Clean sink and bath
Shine the taps, don't forget to get underneath the taps with a toothbrush.
Clear floor of any stuff that shouldn't be there - towels if they are dirty should be in the laundry bin.
Level Three...
Hoover/mop floor
Clear out the medicine cabinet - if you have any out of date medicine make sure it's bagged up properly and either bin it securely or take to the nearest chemist for disposal.
Replace those manky towels for lovely fresh towels.
Clean windowsill
Extra challenge:

• Clean windows
• Wash curtains
• HHI

Tantalizing Thursday ~ Luxurious Living Room, hall and stairs

Level One....
Pick things up off the floor, make sure those stairs are safe.
Take "first day of school" photo - if your little darlings are back at school today!
Vacuum through the living room, hall and stairs
Level Two..
Dust standing objects including electrical items - no electrocutions please!
Turn over and plump sofa and chair cushions.
Water plants
Level Three...
27 fling boogie
Sort out one cupboard/drawer, even that cupboard under the stairs if you want...
Wash windows and nets
Sort the junk on the landing
Extras...

• Sort out any mending that needs doing and have a go at it..
• Replace any dead light bulbs
• Wash smelly pet beds
• Wash any cushions, throws or curtains that need it..
• Deflea pets

Final Friday ~ Frightening Kids rooms and Spare rooms
Level One...
Clear away anything that isn't in it's place, clothes, toys, books etc
Make an appointment for some ME-time.. hairdressers? manicure? night out with friends? .. whatever just do it!
Level Two..
Vacuum the floor
Dusting.. all those shelves and flat fluffy surfaces!! Don’t forget the light shade and curtain pole!!!
Strip beds, turn and vacuum mattresses!! and replace with fresh linen .. check if duvets need freshening up too!!
Level Three...
Clean 2 windows
Sort through a cupboard/chest of drawers and get the clothes out which are no longer wearable, too small or out of season!
Wipe any sticky marks off walls and doors
Extras...

• Find 5 things to ebay/freecycle
• Wipe the radiators, skirtings and window & door frames!
• HHI
• Binbag dance!!! grab a binbag and fill it with stuff to leave the house.. rubbish or charity shop or to donate to a friend!

kazwookie

Thank you for the thread.

I'm in

roundtuit

Thank you for the thread.

I'm in too 🙂

pigpen

TY for Fred..

Girls back at school Tuesday. I have dr's Tuesday and squeak has physio thursday.. and I haven't got their new school clothes yet and nothing has names in it.. and I need to complain about this new washing machine and OH has litter trays to clean and 2 of the beasties need scrubbing.

Keeping an eye on Pixie who had an allergic reaction to a baby wipe.. we think.. not as severe as last time she had a reaction to something but it came up quick enough to make me panic.

[Deleted User]

Evening all,

I am in, thank you. Children back on Tuesday - we all cried today, we’re so fed up with each other. We’ve spent far too much time all under one roof these past six weeks.

I have gotten loads done on the field this weekend which is good. I ache and have hormones all over the place, so I’ll pop back in tomorrow morning when I’ve perked up!

Narc0lepsy

Thanks for thread.
Thanks Kaz, really appreciate it. 
A day off swimming today but walked to church, so steps will make target. Yesterday's made it with the help of 2 Roxy Music programmes on TV which I danced to until just before midnight!!
This week I need to:
- finalise report
- more swimming
- lots of steps
- tackle the bedroom dust
- keep up with everything in general as the week is going to go fast; on Sat we're going down to my Mum's/BIL/friends on IOW/friends in Somerset so I need to be not panicking.

I hope everyone has a good week, not too stressful with school returners, minimal anxiety, healing sickies.  Remember that everything we do is worth while, however little it may seem. One sock at a time. 

buggalugs1

Thanks for the thread I am going to try again this week. My own bits tomorrow are walk to the drs to pick up test kit ( get some steps in at least lol ) Set about the list !! Wish me luck roflol, Sending positive thoughts and prayers to those who need them. 

Valli

Inspired by someone on the lat thread I went blackberry picking.  They are, even as I type, in a jelly bag, draining. They’ll have to wait until evening.

DD and I went to the food waste meal, I have my second portion for lunch.

weve had a terrific storm.

I washed my car.

ionafan

Good morning everyone, and thank you Natty for the new thread.  I will do what I can this week - the house is beginning to fray a little round the edges, just like me!

Up at 4.30 this morning, so I have already done the Treasurer's report for the next church council meeting.  I need to phone the Horribly Silly bank as soon as their lines open at 8.00, to (hopefully) sort out another horrible mess that they've left us in.  Customer service agents are telling me one thing, the bank's website is telling me another. Grrrrr...  The sooner I get these bits of unfinished business out of the way, the better.

I have a list as long as both arms to get through today, but top of it is coffee at a GC with a friend this afternoon.

It looks as if we've had a bit of rain overnight, but not enough to make a great deal of difference to my poor flowers.  The sun is shining again now.

(((Hugs))) to all in need, especially those having to return to work or school this week.
xxx

Jazee

Morning all.  Hope you're all ok today.
DH is back to work today.  So far I have fed me and the dog, watered in the greenhouse, checked banking and got things ready for looking after DGD2 later today.
Have a great day everyone.

roundtuit

Good morning all xx 

7.30 am wake up this morning...just getting the hang of sleeping in a little and it's back to work tomorrow.  Better set my alarm ⏰ 

Curiously I don't have the back-to-work blues / dreads.....yet. 

I'm up, made my bed and had a brew. I'm going to go back up for a shower  wash my hair and get dressed ready to face the day. Taking up two gift bags (to be reused) and the book I've just finished.

One sock at a time 😊

Hope everyone has a good week.

Rxx

Cor! I'm hot. Is it hot? 🤔