Weekly Flylady Thread 19th December 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
OOD - out of date
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

Manic 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 
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 - we don't want upset tummies
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
Check Christmas tableware is clean and accessible 

Level 3

Wipe tiles/splashbacks
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 
Check all hand delivered cards are ready if they've not yet gone
is your wrapping done?
Have you an Emergency gift - stick it in a bag under tree - bottle of wine/box of chocs or biscuits - something you can use yourself 

Terrific Tuesday kids room/spare room/guest room (hollow laughter)
level 1
Strip bed (unless is guest room - in which case just shake bedcover to remove dust)
open window
leave bed to air
remove rubbish

Level 2
Clear and clean floor
Clean windows

Level 3
Dust all round
Extras
S&S kitchen
S&S bathroom
top up flower water (assuming you have cut flowers)
HHI


Wonderful Wednesday 

 The Boudoir do level 1 at least - everyone deserves a comfy bed

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
Use a damp cloth to wipe lotions and potions - and fling anyting OOD/past it's best

extras
S&S bathroom
S&S kitchen
Bin bag dance...fling that gibble


Thursday 

Living room, hall, stairs and landing

Level 1
Open lots of windows and let that fresh air in while beds are airing
Deal with cut flowers and pot plants - top up water/wipe leaves/remove drooping or dead blooms
Wash out vases
Empty bins/ashtrays
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
Sort newspapers/magazines

Level 2
Clean windows and mirrors 
Vacuum floors - and use an edging tool to get into all the nooks and crannies - and stairs!
Move furniture to vacuum under it if you can.
Clean doormats

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 open/close it.
Check for cobwebs and eliminate!
Clean lightshades and lampshades; check all lighting is functioning as it should - vacuum fabric shades; wash glass shades 
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?

Extras
S&s kitchen
s&s bathroom
HHI
and some self care...crafting, reading, a bubbly 

Friday Flourish Bathrooms, cloakrooms en suites

Level 1

The washbasin
open window
remove all gubbins around it
scrub out
ckean and polish taps
clean plug, chain etc
wipe mirrors
clean pedestal/cupboard

level 2 
The loo
scrub inside and out
wipe cistern
wipe loo roll holder
dust sill and clean window

level 3
clean Bath/shower
wash curtain or wipe and shine screen
clean taps or showerhead
clean and clear drain
wipe towel rail
replace towels
clean floor

extras HHI

Fayolle

Oh dear, first in, peaking early. 

Thank you for all the lists, so much appreciated even if I rarely make them fully done these days.

Odd jobs from all of tomorrow’s levels have somehow been done today, so I seem to be starting the week on the up.
Have a good week all x

ionafan

Thank you Valli for the new thread.

I have got through the worst of the pain, I trust, and my aspiration for this week is to do at least one job (or part of one) off the list every day.
Today I did a small WMx1.
Tomorrow I plan to wrap about 6 gifts for DS2 and family.  I should like to use the ironing board to save my back, but it's downstairs and most of the gifts are on the spare bed upstairs - and anyway it's much colder in the utility than in the main part of the house -  so I'll wrap them up here before asking DH to carry them down in shopping bags.  It will probably take me all morning, but that's OK.

(((Hugs))) spoons and sticks to all in need xxx

Jazee

Morning all.  Thanks for the list.
First job today is grooming the dog.  A proper groom.  I'm getting better at this each time and saving myself £40 each time too.
Have a great day everyone.

roundtuit

Morning all xx 

Thank you for the lists 💜  I've opened the bathroom window to let in some fresh air....now that it's not Baltic outside!

Plans today include meeting L at posh farm shop cafe at 10 to exchange Christmas presents. I'll also take L's birthday present- which she can then open on 8th Jan. And I'm picking up Pops and Babs from the bus stop in town at some time this afternoon. 

To Do Today List 
Shower & wash hair 
Get dressed 
Feed the birds 
Put out the recycling
WUDUPA 
Laundry shuffle x ? 

Find 2 appropriate gift bags to transport L's presents
Put cards in with presents 

Put cash in D"s card 
Deliver D's card + Christmas card

Buy replacement box of chocolates for niece's husband (ooops 🤭 )

Ooo look at the time. Better get a move on.
Love to all
Rxx

pigpen

TY for Fred..

I have the front room to tidy a lot.. and the kitchen to tidy a bit.. and lots of laundry.. I don't do any from 24-27 so you can imagine!!!

OH is collecting Squeaks prescription from the hospital today and we are trying to get that filled somewhere.. should be fun..

DW, WM, TD are be besties today and I need to clean the carpet washer for my sister to borrow.. and that may entail cleaning the hallway carpet.

Starving hairy crew fed

I will wrap OH's presents while he is out.. shouldn't take long really.

Having Fabian overnight.. I just hope they are all as well behaved as they were last time.

pigpen

Tesco delivery 7-8pm
Prescription collected and the first pharmacy I went to had it inn stock.. one less thing to worry about.

Mattresses for the grandboys should be delivered tomorrow.. but was supposed to be here 3 weeks ago.

Meem is 22 today!! So old!

Cuppa and carpet washing.. then carpet washer washing.. lol

kazwookie

Thank you for the lists x

All is positively tropicalhere plus 12 degrees!

WM x 3 done

Bed stripped and remade

Bins done

Fire cleaned out, then hoovered out, then had to clean the hoover filter!

Logs in

Cats fed

Small shop done

Loads of other minor small stuff done, but it is done.

Just seen 2 foxes.

Happy Birthday to Meem.

Jazee

Dog groomed, bit patchy to say the least. Dailies done, hoovered through, recycling out and third lot of washing in machine.  I now can't speak, which pleases DH so I am resting for rest of day.  Xmas events this week - I have now sent my apologies.

x_raphael_xx

Evening all.
Kitchen and bathroom cleaned.
Breeding hamoriis round 2 attempted...noone moved for an hour. Will try again tomorrow.
Banana bread baked (First trial in the air fryer - cooling on the rack, not convinced its a success yet)
Breakfast made up ready for the morn (Overnight oats)
Tomorrow's tea taken out the freezer

pigpen

Hallway and back room carpet all washed. Kitchen floor washed with the carpet washer.. and mopped.. it took about 10% of the usual mopping time and looks so much cleaner!!

I emptied and cleaned the carpet washer apart from the brushes, it is too heavy for me to lift into the sink to clean them.

Baby spider plants brought inside.. I sadly lost a few in the frost.. I forgot they were out there if I am honest.. I have a place to put them where the cats will hopefully leave them alone.

I cooked 2 meals tonight so everyone is fed.

Shopping delivered and put away.. mostly.. I need a few bits so we will have to go shopping anyway. My mother wants me to put some meat in my freezer which will limit what space I have.. (ham, bacon, box of biscuits, eggs.. or maybe not.. beetroot, table salt, DW tablets, juice, ) I need to finish my mothers christmas shopping.. tomorrow...

Tomorrow I have Fabian and DD1 is bringing her 4 too.. I do need to clear the front room in the morning, I just cannot do it now..
My sister is still wanting me to wash her duvets the dog widdled on and she wants to borrow the carpet washer.

I have 5 parcels to post now since another sold this morning. I will sort those now I think.. It is easy and one less thing to do tomorrow.

Oh.. and mattress deliveries.. assuming they even turn up!

I have wrapped nothing.

Blue bins tomorrow.. they are all 4 rammed full..

Not much going on here then

summary (not wintery)

• parcels
• shopping list
• mothers christmas shopping
• laundry x1000
• Tidy front room.
• Delegate bathroom to Moomin/EC since the mess is theirs