Weekly Flylady Thread 10th October 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) 
Clear sides and wipe down - wipe small appliances and caddies etc.  Don't forget the splashbacks or tiles!
Replace what lives there, wiping as you go
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 - and don't forget legs and rails!
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
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 hole 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 - herbs and spices all in date?  
Sweep/mop/vacuum floor
Clean chairs (and highchairs) - don't forget under the seats where sticky fingers linger.
Clean windows and sills in both rooms.

EXTRAS

HHI
S&S bathroom
Wipe all the handles/sockets switches especially if people are leaving the house
Do something organised - go through your instruction manual file - or start a file.  Recycle any for appliances/equipment you no longer have.  Staple receipts to those of newly-bought appliances in case you need them later and/or write the year of purchase on the manual.  
Get SOMETHING out of the house - I shall be bagging up some bras (including the ones I used for a short while post surgery - they've all been washed )\ and sending them to Smalls For All.  Used pogo sticks could go to the charity shop or be left out for a scrap metal collection.

Terrific Tuesday - 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 ready 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 - bash them against a wall (outdoors) to loosen all that grit and grime
Dust/wipe electricals - use a just-damp cloth.  Don't forget the remote controllers!  Include light switches

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!  let's get those feather dusters earning their keep
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
Powercut prep - make sure you have a strong torch and some spare batteries 

Hump day - 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 3
Clean out baths and/or showers
Clean shower heads and hoses
Clean handbasins

Level 3
sweep and mop or vacuum floor as appropriate
clean windows
polish mirrors
dust and polish where necessary
clean sink plugs/stoppers including underneath

Extras
Clean out cabinets/storage
HHI
S&S kitchen

CALL TO ARMS -
Are there a couple of Flyladies willing to organise The Christmas Card Swap and Flylady Secret Santa?
with further postal strikes planned we might want to get this sorted sooner rather than later.  

I’m happy to run Secret Santa but don’t want to commit to the card swap in case I’m stuck in the house/hospital

Thursday Thrills - Kids room, spare room or wherever need your attention

level 1

open window
strip bed
remove bins etc
le
vel 2 

remake bed
clean window and sill
mop/sweep and/or vacuum floor as appropriate

level 3

dust and wipe
.  
Extras

S&S kitchen
S&S bathroom
HHI
Half term imminent - so let's make two and freeze one for a lazy/busy day - lasagne, casserole, bolognaise, chilli, fish pie - something you can freeze and thaw  Even if you don’t have littlies do this!

Power cut prep … make sure you can lay your hands on candles/matches

Friday on my mind - your sanctuary - the boudoir

Level 1

Open windows
Clear the floordrobe/chairdrobe
Strip the bed and leave to air
Take out the rubbish
Bedding in WM

Level 2 (after breakfast/a period of time)

Remake the bed with clean, fresh linen
Dust/clear bedside tables
Clean windows, frames and sills (and wipe the open frames to clear dust and debris)

Level 3

Vacuum any soft furnishings - don't forget the headboard if it's fabric!
Dust everywhere else; as you remove lotions and potions from dressing tables wipe them over with a damp cloth. Make sure perfumes are stored in their boxes or in dark drawers. Minimise clutter/organise essentials.
Vacuum/mop 

Extras
S&S kitchen and bathroom
HHI
Make sure whatever your tipple is there is some ready (chilling?)

roundtuit

Good morning all xx 

You made me laugh Valli. Thank you. Anyone who didn't read my post will be totally bemused by the random used pogo stick appearing on the list  🤣

And that's kicked the overwhelm in the .....small of the back. Of course the shed, and everywhere else 🙄,  can be tackled one item at a time. Or QH at a time...I typed HH and immediately felt the overwhelm kicking back. One box/ bag at a time. 

I'm sure I spotted my long handled duster thing in the shed. It will be retrieved.  Getting rid of all the cobwebs will be a good start ....that's in the house. They can stay in the shed for now.

Have a good week my lovelies
Rxx

roundtuit

My inner flylady is awake. And she is defrosting the freezer. Remaining contents have been binned. Not very mse but infinitely preferable to food poisoning. The drawers are defrosting outside the back door. And the freezer is switched off with the door open. And two tea towels laid in the bottom to catch drips. I'll bring some old towels down when I've had a brew.

Where's Jazee? 

Rxx

Valli

Oops…made the new thread post at the end of last week’s thread but forgot to ‘post comment’.  It was still there, waiting, so I have posted it now.

Bright and sunny so the WM load I’ve done will go out.  I’ve also run the DW.

pigpen

Valli.. we will let you off.. I regularly get half a post done and forget to click 'post'. TY for Fred. Our pogo stick is still very much current.. Dot's alter-ego is Zebedee!

OH has loaded the DW and shall be sent n cuppa and poop duty shortly.

Turnips dumped at school.. Dot is not happy.

My house is utterly trashed and I have changed my top 3 times to find one which is comfy.. everything is irritating today.

BadCat18

Morning all

thank you for the thread, I shall try to be in this week. I’m feeling a little ragged after a week with 5 hospital visits, 40+ hours of paid stuff, lots of flying in someone else’s house and 400+ miles of driving! We are not out of the woods yet so I will just do what I can to keep things from descending in to chaos

DH did quite a lot while I was away over the weekend, probably not quite to standard but it will do! For me so far today…

dw emptied
bag from weekend emptied, left some items in there as likely to need it again before the end of the week
wm x 2 run, 1 pegged out and the other will go in the dryer
quick vac of ground floor
bit of admin including booking car for a service
bed made and windows opened for a bit

2nd cuppa just made, back to the paid stuff for a while now

hugs to all; I have to hold on to my spoons today x

ionafan

Thank you Valli for the list. 

I got off to a good start by getting a better night's sleep, then flinging the bedroom windows open at 7.15 to let out the condensation.  Since then I have WUDUPA, cleaned the kitchen, scrubbed a patch of burnt potato off my soup maker (which I think has died on me after only a few months), hung out 3 loads of washing in the sunshine, hoovered all through downstairs, and sorted out an awkward bit of admin.

Thinking of you, Badcat - hospital visiting is such hard work, not to mention the extra driving and flying.

Hope you have a less painful day today, pigpen.

Go, round - you're doing great!  Eat those elephants!

My aspirations for the rest of today:
- more admin, including lots of emails
- finish weeding alongside the drive while the sun is shining
- maybe clear out some of the patio pots too
- take Rosie for her walk
- TV quiz night - yes, we are addicts!

(((Hugs))) spoons and sticks all round, as needed xxx

kazwookie

Thank you for the lists.

WM x 3 out on whirly, sunny and slight wind, was raining 1st thing.

Food shop done and away

Whole house hoovered, bagless thing emptied

Bathroon and shower room scrubbed inc the shower plug drain things.

Bins done

Loads of other small stuff done.

Weight loss this week   2 lbs on................gutted

Walking so far October 52.5 miles / 119729 steps. 100 miles I'm coming to get you.

Honey_Bear

Thank you for the lists Valli and Natty.  I'm in, working from my own lists which involve being able to reach things from floor level. 

Last week I swallowd the Cane Toad that is my In Tray.  It hasn't been emptied since the end of the first year of my degree 20 years ago.  I went through it carefully and realised the reason it never emptied was that it was full of things I didn't know what to do with that had been hanging around like a bad smell for years, getting me down.  Most of it ended up in the bin, I made decisions about one or two things and that disposed of them and the only things in there now are Pending.  I'm thrilled. 

I've realised I really need to just accept all of this 'stuff' is all, every bit of it, about delaying decisions and procrastination.  If seeing something makes me happy it can stay, but if it just makes me feel depressed or anxious I need to get rid of it.  There has been a bit of clearing out happening.  It all helps but decision fatigue stops me from carrying on - once I take a break going back to it never works as well.  Dusty Kitten said that we make our best decisions in the first 20 minutes of decluttering so I'm limiting myself to 20 minutes a day which seems to be working rather well for me at the moment.

pigpen

1 item returned and 2 posted.. fling!

cuppa in hand..

so few spoons!!

laundry to dangle

airers to shuffle

I would like to list 5 things to sell but my brain is mush

roundtuit

The freezer is just about defrosted.

I'm going to
put towels and tea towels in the WM and swish.
Wipe out freezer with bicarb and hot water
Dry freezer
Switch freezer back on
Wash freezer drawers x 4 and replace


Then I'll call at Mr L on my way home from work tomorrow and refill the freezer. And use my receipt to start a freezer inventory. 

I will be organised if it kills me as we say in these parts!

Rxx