Weekly Flylady Thread 10th July 2023

Natty68

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.

Welcome to the weekly Flylady Thread. 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.

Thanks to Valli for last week’s thread.

Every room comes back around next week so please don’t stress about catching up

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 (ooh a compound adjective) content!

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!

Magical Monday ~ Kookin Kitchen
Level One..
Clean floors
Shine the sink and taps making them sparkle..
Level Two..
Clear and wipe kitchen surfaces
Clean cupboard door fronts and the front of appliances
Sort fridge bringing what needs using soon to the front
Level Three...
Wipe window sills, clean any marks off windows if required
Wash the washer drawer out if it's gunky
Clean OVEN yes I know you all hate that one, wonder how many choose it!
Extras

• Clean inside of fridge
• Clear one hotspot
• Water the pots/newly planted stuff in your garden. Don't forget those house plants either..
• Take a duster and wipe around the tops of your door frames ,  as many as you can manage in 5 minutes..

Twinkling Tuesday ~ Luscious Living Room and Delectable Dining Room
Level One 
Vacuum floors and sofas
Level Two..
Clear the table and put a clean cloth or a nice vase of fresh flowers on it.
Dusting, even if around everything
Remove clutter making sure stairs especially are safe
Clean TV, other electricals and cabinets
Level Three...
Clean any other glass like mirrors etc
Tidy shoes, coats and bags
Vacuum under furniture (only if you won't hurt yourself doing it, and yes that does includes all you pregnant ones too, don't want any injuries)
Extras:

• Pick one or more of the following tasks
• Clear one hotspot
• Clear one shelf, dust and replace items after giving them a wipe over
• Clean any other glass in these rooms, mirrors, picture frames etc
• Clean windows in these rooms

Wishful Wednesday ~ Mystical Master Bedroom & Limpid Landing
Level One..
Remove bed linen and wash, replace with fresh linen
Level Two..
Check fire alarms are working
Vacuum floor in bedroom and on landing
Sort out your makeup and toiletries if you didn't do this last week..
Level Three....
Dust surfaces & make sure no cobwebs about
Vacuum mattress before replacing with fresh linen
Eat a frog!
Extras

• 27 fling boogie time, time for that midweek fling, go on grab a bag and clear that clutter
• Clean windows in these rooms
• Sort one drawer, making sure only what should be in there is, anything that's had it's day or doesn't belong there is removed
• Wipe tops of door frames, even if just what you can do in 5 minutes

Thrifty Thursday ~ Barnacled Bathroom and Studious Study/Pc Area
Level One..
Clean floors in these rooms (even if it is around the clutter)
Level Two..
Clean bath, toilet and sink ~ let's have twinkling taps.
Clear any clutter from desk
Dust PC and desk
Wipe keyboard and mouse (these usually have more germs on than your toilet so important)
Change bath mat and towels.
Level Three..
Clear clutter from floor
Wipe down tiles in bathroom
Clean shower screen/curtain if you have one/if required
Extra:

• Clean tops of wardrobes
• Delete 50 emails
• Sort out computer bookmarks and delete any that you don't need/require/haven't looked at in 5 months.
• Sort a wardrobe or part of, a drawer or set of drawers making sure it has what needs to be in it and any 'extras' are put where they should be.
• Clean window
• HHI
• Clean pet toys/children toys

It's Finally Friday ~ Those terrible kids rooms and spare rooms
Level One..
Clear away anything that isn't in it's place, clothes, toys, books etc
Spend at least half an hour doing something for yourself!!!!! paint your nails, make an appointment to have your hair done, a lovely soak in the bath.. whatever you feel like!!
Level Two..
Put anything back in it's place that isn't where it should be
Dusting.. all those shelves and flat fluffy surfaces!! Don’t forget the light shade and curtain pole!!!
Level Three...
Vacuum Floor (even if it's just where you can see)
Strip beds, turn and vacuum mattresses!! and replace with fresh linen .. check if duvets need freshening up too!! Wash the curtains!
Extras

• Time for the Friday Flylady Fling, aim for 27, if you can't find that many, well done, you are obviously making a difference
• Clean windows in these rooms
• Declutter one hotspot anywhere
• Clean any mucky marks off kids doors and walls, oh and those lightswitches and door frames.
• HHI

ionafan

Thank you Natty x  I will join in as much as I can this week, but there's lots going on hereabouts.

Fayolle

Early in! DH goes part time from tomorrow and wants a list…..oh yes, level 3 clean the oven, here he comes…
Thank you for the lists, I am under no illusion that I won’t be just playing catch up on my day off, so I am unlikely to be in until Tuesday. Meal plan still waiting to be done. Washing all done and dried outside today. Mount Ironmore has built up.

Valli

i too got washing dried outside and cleaned the rabbit hutch - though the hutch itself never gets dirty because they have free rein in the garden and they use the understory as their loo when they are put away at night.  I had to go back to bed though as i felt unwell, i’ve also taken anti nausea meds which i was trying to do without - clearly I need them.  Sorted kitchen out this morning.  I’ve been offered raspberries to go and pick so might not fly enough on Tuesday.  
And I am VERY pleased to announce pink cardi is finished and sewn up all bar the buttons.  Band in white as I ran out of the pink wool but the button will be pink.  The yellow cardi is also sewn up, i’m now knitting the bands - this one has 8 stitches on pins for the band so I’m halfway up the non- buttonhole side.  I’ll soon be down to 3 live projects.  Yellow cardi will be retained, pink cardi is going to Baby Basics.  
Bit of admin done too.  so not a shabby weekend.

Thanks for the new thread, Natty.  Ido need to fly as we have visitors Saturdaywho will be subjected to fish pie (own recipe and method, having watched Delia make one years ago and me thinking it’s a simple make) and dessert.  Which might be stuffed baked peaches or, it has just occurred to me, Tarte Tatin, which is also a bodged Valli recipe, (see fish pie, above).  Both with cream.  Decisions decisions but thank goodness for ready rolled puff pastry.  Baked peaches is an actual recipe from a book.

Mumto5

Long time no see. I’ve been very poorly and am trying to get back on top of things. 

I have an empty ironing basket! I’ve done 30-45 mins every day and can now keep on top of it. 

I’ve done the kitchen tonight after the roast. List is looking quite manageable for tomorrow. 

Have a great week everyone!

Narc0lepsy

Waves to all and slinks in after hol with Mum then party/overnighter with friends.
Need to really follow flyplan this week a) cos the house needs it and b) cos Mr N was mumbling about a cleaner as 'neither of us like housework' - always makes me feel guilty when he says that although he isn't saying it to get at me. 
Sorry if I've missed anything dramatic; I've vaguely read threads occasionally while away but can't remember anything now. 

Did loads of deadheading in garden today and pulled down a load of ivy.

pigpen

TY for Fred.. I will update when my brain is in gear.

Magical Monday ~ Kookin Kitchen
Level One..
Level Two..
Level Three...
Clean OVEN yes I know you all hate that one, wonder how many choose it!
Extras

Twinkling Tuesday ~ Luscious Living Room and Delectable Dining Room
Level One 
Vacuum floors and sofas
Level Two..
Remove clutter
Clean TV, other electricals and cabinets
Level Three...
Clean any other glass like mirrors etc
Vacuum under furniture
Extras:

Wishful Wednesday ~ Mystical Master Bedroom & Limpid Landing
Level One..
Level Two..
Vacuum floor in bedroom and on landing
Level Three....
Extras

mumtoomany

Good morning all, hope everyone is well. I'm hoping to be in again this week. Had DD3 here for the weekend, she leaves today and then DD2, her OH and DGS2 will be arriving. My, Australian, sister and her OH will be here in a couple of weeks. DGC break up from school on 21st. So if I don't get a bit tidier this week, nothing will get done till September!!! 
Jobs today:- DW times at least two, made two sorts of jam and cakes yesterday, before going to a baby shower. Lots of pots!
Water in the tunnel and probably pull out some weeds.
Hoover the stair, so I can see what colour the carpet is.
Put away/sort all the knitting on the sofa.

If I get time I'll clean the cooker top.

Hugs to all, mumtoomany.xxx

Valli

Good start to the day/week - two lots of washing on the line and I have cleared the ironing basket on cheap rate leccy during my vertical half hour.

To my shame I have run out of one lot of tablets, though I did put an order in so they should be available today or tomorrow.

And I arrived at work before 9am!

roundtuit

Morning all xx 

I'm up, dressed,  made my bed, sploshed bleach down the loo,  fed the birds, put out the rubbish and recycling, WULTD, and there's a load swishing in WM - including a hoodie and small hivis waistcoat destined for cs.

I've also supped a brew. The most important bit 🤣.

P&S will be calling for coffee soon. Then the day is mine. 

Love to all
Rxx

Valli

aargh

got new debit card.  have cut up new one instead of old one