Weekly Flylady Thread 12th September 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 for some fresh air.
Wash up, dry up and put away (or remove all pots to DW) 
Put away as much clutter from the worktop as you can - ideally only frequently-used appliances should be on show.
Clear sides and wipe down - wipe small appliances and caddies etc.  Don't forget the splashbacks or tiles! Got a 'wooden spoon' pot by the hob? Give it a wash out!
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 plugholes and in overflows
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 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

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
S&S bathroom
Check your 'prepping' stock - winter is not far away and COVID still rears its ugly head.
Meal plan for the week.

Twinkly Tuesday The Lounge, Hallway, stairs and landing

level 1

deal with flowers and pot plants
empty bins/ashtrays
clear gibble
plump cushions
wipe sofas with leather wipes or vacuum - look for all those dust-catching crevices

level 2
clean windows 
vacuum floors - and use an edging tool to get into all the nooks and crannies

level 3
dust all round - don't forget sills and skirtings
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
stand in the doorway and look back into the room - is it clean?

extras
S&s kitchen
s&s bathroom

Wednesday Hump Day

Your bedroom

Level 1

Strip bed and leave to air
open windows
chear rubbish
remove items from floors/chairs etc - put away or put in the wash
remake bed

level 2 

Clean windows 
sweep/mop or vacuum floor
polish mirrors

level 3 

dust everywhere, wiping lotions and potions with a damp cloth
wioe skirting boards and sills

exras
s&s kitchen
s&s Bathroom

Thursday’s onerous task…bathrooms, showers rooms etc

level 1
clear the deck - if it moves ship it out
flush loo and squirt chemical of choice round the bowl
towels and mats in WM - on a hot wash
srub Bach/shower and taps

level 2
wipe all shelves & ledges
ckean window
scrub basin and wipe outside of it, and pedestal if you have one

level 3
wipe sill
scrub loo inside and out
mopp floor
wash toothbrush holde4, toothmugs etc
wipe lotions and potions and put away
putvout fresh towels
clean floor using an appropriate metgod


exras
S&S kitch

pigpen

TY for Fred.

I'm.. here.. ish... millions of calls and emails to ping tomorrow

Marvellous Monday - Kitchen and Dining Room
Level 1
Level 2
Wipe down all cupboard and drawer fronts inside and out, not forgetting handles and tops and bottom as well as fronts!
Sort fridge and wipe seals;
Wash and wipe fridge shelves and baskets.
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
Clean windows in both rooms.
Go round the whole house wiping door handles, light switches and banisters - we WILL be germ-free!
EXTRAS
S&S bathroom

Also sorted

SaLT

Hospital appt.

paid 4 bills

ordered a new phone (mine overheated and died)

ionafan

Same here.  Thanks Valli x

ionafan

Morning all.  I've already drunk one cuppa and checked my emails.  The sun is coming up behind the big hill (it's moved a long way back round the Vale since midsummer) and the grey of night is breaking up.

This is the week when I shall finally conquer the last of the 9yo cane toads (I finished off one of the three yesterday) .  I  would say "This is the day" except that even after both lots of form-filling are finished and carefully checked, I still need to get various people's signatures on them, which will take a few more days.  This pre-breakfast slot is always my best working time - I have armed myself with another cuppa, so no excuse not to get going as soon as I've posted this..

Once the paperwork is ready, I shall have to quickly hoover and dust through downstairs, as two of the signatories will be coming here to make their marks

Hope everyone has a good week.  Love and hugs to all , but especially to asb, HB and anyone else feeling discombobulated, in pain or just down in the dumps because it's Monday xxx.

Jazee

Morning all.  Thanks for the list.
 I shall walk the dog and flutter a little this morning then I'm off out with DD.
Have a great day everyone.

Fayolle

Good morning all
Thank you for the lists, I’ll be in as much as possible.
Today I have taken an extra day off to ward off the inevitable, so I need to make good use of it. Towels are in the wm, I’m having my first cuppa, steeling myself to start on the mega ironing pile. I have to go to small town later to drop off a parcel for DD, which I need to get over with before anxiety about the job kicks in too much. I have a million other plans, which will end up not seeing the light of day.
Beautiful sunrise, Iona. Hugs, sticks and spoons plenty for all, especially ASB, HB and Round x

[Deleted User]

Morning ladies,

I slept in today, unusual for me and meant it was a rush to get the children up and out. Anyhoo, that's all done now. The animals have been fed, the DW is about to go on (most unusual for me, but I want to wash all of the hob bits etc), WM has just finished. I am not entirely sure why I put it on as it's pouring with rain! 

I have laundry to FUPA, I am dropping some eggs with an elderly neighbour and will no doubt stay for a cuppa, and I need to wrap some ebay parcels. Another cuppa first though. I had the fire lit last night which was lovely, the nights are drawing in. Will no doubt pop back in later, have lovely days all xx

Jazee

Dailies done, dog walked and dressing redone, individual apple crumbles made with free apples.

pigpen

SALT chased.. apparently the therapist was on sick and no one let us know so now I am back to waiting for them to get in touch
Few bits paid

Cancelled holiday payment plan so I can make more regular smaller payments.. I am not very good at large monthly payments.

Dot was difficult this morning and I took her stuff into school.. then I took her and firmly closed 2 doors behind her... Im not even sure she had breakfast.

I am off to vacuum the back room and then will bring the airers back in.. tonight or if it thinks it might rain before hand. I need to furniture shuffle in there.. and I have 2 little ikea chairs to donate elsewhere.. they are just not being used.

DW to do next.

I need to sort this freezer.. I am in a bit of a panic about losing the food in it at the moment. I have moved all the meat out and fish.. and ice cream was moved first as it is most important.

kazwookie

Morning

Thank you for the lists.

Bins out

All bins cleaned

Bed changed

WM x 1 done out on whirly, it is windy here, but over cast

Hoovered whole house

Pumped up tyre on car

Made bed

Cleaned shower

Bleached things that get bleahed

Scrubbed white sandles with cif, and rinsed now drying.

Weight loss 1 lbs this week, so I think that is 32 lbs in total

Steps so far for September 139969  62 miles apprx.  2 more days approx I will have done 1 million!! fingers crossed.

Fayolle

Kaz, that is truly amazing. Well done. I weighed in this morning. 4lbs gained in a week! Thought it was going to be a couple more than that tbh. The “fun” starts now.
Small town trip done. Parcel sent for DD’s pennies on v!nted. Being a true flylady, I went to the refill shop (I had something to get for DD, slave that I am), and lusted, no joke, at the gallons of cleaning products 🤣. Filled my containers with white vinegar and washing up liquid, then went to see what else I could buy if I wasn’t sticking carefully to my list. A few pieces of crystallised ginger just might have slipped into a paper bag nom nom.
2nd load in the wm as it is still sunny here. Ironing pile defeated temporarily. Now to the kitchen lists…