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Weekly Flylady Thread 25th September 2023

Valli
Posts: 25,280 Forumite


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 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
Sweep/mop/vacuum floor
Clean chairs (and highchairs) - don't forget under the seats where sticky fingers linger.
Clean windows in both rooms.
EXTRAS
HHI
S&S bathroom
A new month begins this week - this is a long list for Monday but you can do this any day…
Are your financial spreadsheets/notes up-to-date?
If you need to log accounts make sure they're up-to-date with receipts logged and filed etc
Do you need any cards for October, November and/or December? Buy them now as they get harder to find in the shops as Xmas takes over!
Check smoke alarms, CO monitors and outside lighting
Christmas meal planning… start planning and add stuff to shopping lists to spread the load. Regular meal planning should be focussing on using stuff from the freezer to free up space and lighten the demand on your purse, too
Read meters and report
Terrific Tuesday
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.
Dust anywhere that needs dusting - wipe any 'on display' bottles down
Level 2
Clean out baths and/or showers
Clean shower heads and hoses
Clean handbasins including taps - don't forget the out of sight bits!
Level 3
sweep and mop or vacuum floor as appropriate
clean windows
polish mirrors
dust and polish where necessary
Chuck any lurking potions that are not being used/are old
Clean light pull
Extras
Wash showercurtains (if any) and put outside to blow dry - possibly!
HHI
S&S
refer to yesterday’s extensive extras list
Wednesday - hump day
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!
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.
Dust radiators - use a towel or a radiator brush
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
Make sure Agnes can’t blow trampolines etc away
Thursday Thrills - Master bedroom
Level 1
Strip bed - and leave to air for as long as you can
Open windows
Clear floordrobe/chairdrobe
Empty Bin
Level 2
Dust/vacuum headboard and/or bedframe
Flip mattress if you are able to and if necessary
Remake bed
Level 3
Dust and wipe - all flat surfaces and sticky pots (lotions and potions)
Polish mirrors - while you're at it you may as well clean the windows
Vacuum/sweep/mop floor
Extras
S&S kitchen
S&S bathroom
Thank goodness it's Friday
kids room/spare room whatever
level 1
open window - if not to windy/rainy
strip bed
remove rubbish
level 2
remake bed
clean window and sill
Level 3
dust everywhere
clean floor as appropriate
extras
hhi
s&s kitchen
s&s bathroom
If you're wanting to buy 1st class stamps before the price goes up you've not long left
Don't put it DOWN; put it AWAY
"I would like more sisters, that the taking out of one, might not leave such stillness" Emily Dickinson
Janice 1964-2016
Thank you Honey Bear


Thank you Honey Bear
10
Comments
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TY for Fred..I have yet another busy week.. and a bunch of parcels to get flung.. I have been waiting over a week for some collecting.. apparently the postie in on his holibobs so they are not delivering/collecting mail and only delivering parcels.. most annoying!
I have o sort clothes for The Hee's wedding on Saturday.. Twinkle and Squeak have dance class/MT it 10:30.. I have a nail appt at 10:15.. the wedding is at 1pm and Pixie and Twinkle have swimming at 2:30... all good fun! We MIGHT have Sunday off!!
It's not a new month until Sunday... don't scare me like that!
I need to dig out DS1's birthdy present.. and purchase the ones for the 3 large pinks.. I have sorted Miss Squizz.. Then I can crack on with Christmas.. I am knitting DD1 a blanket which may take FOREVER..
Are we having a card swap this year and SS?? (I still have my cards up from last year!!!) and my lights have been up 2 years!
Marvellous Monday - Kitchen and Dining Room
Level 1
Empty bin
Clear and clean sink
Level 2
Clean microwave
Clean WM and DW filters;
Wipe inside of washer drawer 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
Sweep/mop/vacuum floor
SATURDAYNail 10:15amdance class/musical theatre 10:30 - 12:45
Wedding 1pmSwimming 2:30pmRead meters and report.. don't need to do this until Saturday.. I have a reminder on my phone.
LB moment 10/06 Debt Free date 6/6/14Hope to be debt free until the day I dieMortgage-free Wannabee (05/08/30)6/6/14 £72,454.65 (5.65% int.)08/12/2023 £33602.00 (4.81% int.)10 -
Morning all
Workout done, shower next, washing to go out then off to the paid stuff.
Have a good Monday everyone, love and hugs to you all x10 -
Morning all. Thanks for the list.
We have also had fairy lights up for two years as the babies were fascinated by them. However, they've now lost interest so they'll be coming down after Xmas this year.
Today I will be at an under tens theme park but have an hour before we leave, so must walk Poppet and make my packed lunch.
Have a great day everyone.Spend less now, work less later.9 -
Morning All and Happy Monday!I'm back from my year out, and have walked most of Hadrian's Wall. Aren't Cumbria and Northumberland beautiful? Actually I skipped a bit, so I need a dry couple of weeks up north in the right months to flit back and do the final 25 miles, but in my defence I did walk 96 miles in 12 days and 11.2 days of that were on blistered feet. Hurrah for Compeed and despite the blisters I absolutely loved every step of it, much to my surprise.Since I got back last Monday (via Glasgow totally unexpectedly, so thank you Logan Air for the bonus night in a lovely hotel) I have:- found homes for all my unpacked stuff (the absolute worst part of a holiday is unpacking and putting away, imho);- given my 65kg exercise bike via Gumtree to a smashing bloke who is one of the most cheerful people I have ever met, who came and dismantled it and trotted off very happily;- degrotted several spots in the house that had been annoying me for months;- amassed a large pile to be donated, but I'm nowhere near done with that little project;- booked flights and train tickets for a trip to Glasgow in November (we'd love to go by train but at six times the cost of flying that's not happening);- emptied the year old garden waste bin detritus into the neighbour's because we share the cost of it and she's been filling hers up all summer so it's my turn now - a revolting job that somehow managed to end up needing to wash a bit of carpet by the back door, truly yuk;- weighed myself (where's that old blue eek emoji when you need it?) and have a Slinky Plan;- realised the dog has another urine infection;- written a long list of people I'd like to thank for all the kindness and hospitality I received while on holibobs, but wanted to say here that random acts of kindness by total strangers made my day more than once, a lesson I will never forget. Thank you to Mark and Patrick in particular, wherever you both are.Today:- I will do five things off the Listie because the house needs attention but I can't manage the whole list;- Set up Automatic Forwarding on Belovéd's email account because we can't go through another two days without him being able to access his emails;- enjoy writing those thank you notes and remembering how much those small acts of kindness meant at the time.The financials are up to date already, thank goodness, otherwise that would be the major priority.Better is good enough.9
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Morning all, struggling to stay awake here..lol
Thank you for the new thread Valli
Piggers yep we are still having a Christmas card swap this year. It'll give me something else to focus on rather than unpacking another bl00ming box...lol Hopefully they'll be no postal strikes this year 😆😆
Funnily enough I found all the unused previous mailing bags from previous years while emptying a box 😉 Must've been a sign 😆
I'll send out the message about the Christmas card swap the first week of October, or sooner if you want 😉
XxxMortgage Free as of 20.9.17Declutter challenge 2023, 2024 🏅 🏅⭐️⭐️
Declutter Challenge 2025
DH declutter challenge award 🏅⭐️10 -
Radiator fixed.. one less thing for OH to complain about this winter.. he moaned for the entire winter he was cold.. We are doing a bedroom shuffle so his desk can go in another place and hopefully uncover the radiator a bit so the heat can circulate.. basically everything is being moved a wall in a clockwise motion, apart from the bed.. and the wardrobe in the alcove is coming to his side.
I have a streaming cold today, it was a little sniffly yesterday..today my face orifices are leaking.. waiting for drugs to kick in..
Washing to go out, it is lovely out there today, I have 3 loads to get dry and 5 loads to wash.. and all the bedding to work through.
Parcel packaged ready to go
Parkin biscuit decluttered.. just 1.. I needed something to sit on the medication to hold it down.
editing because it took so long to post..
HB.. welcome home sweetie.. you have been very very missed.
Natty.. excellent.. I shall retrieve said cards while shuffling the bedroom.
right.. laundry to go out... and kettle on..
LB moment 10/06 Debt Free date 6/6/14Hope to be debt free until the day I dieMortgage-free Wannabee (05/08/30)6/6/14 £72,454.65 (5.65% int.)08/12/2023 £33602.00 (4.81% int.)9 -
if you were sticky tape.. where would you be????
LB moment 10/06 Debt Free date 6/6/14Hope to be debt free until the day I dieMortgage-free Wannabee (05/08/30)6/6/14 £72,454.65 (5.65% int.)08/12/2023 £33602.00 (4.81% int.)9 -
piggers - first drawer on the right in the kitchen.
XxIT ONLY TAKES SMALL DAILY ACTIONSFOR MAGIC TO HAPPENRosemary Ikpeme9 -
Morning all xx
I'm up, showered, washed my hair, dressed, all worn clothes are in the laundry hamper, made my bed, put fresh towels in bathroom, WM is swishing towels and tea towels, supped a brew and eaten breakfast.
Next I'll feed the birds, put out the recycling and visit Mr Al.
My anxiety is high this morning and I have no idea why. 🙃
Back later
RxxIT ONLY TAKES SMALL DAILY ACTIONSFOR MAGIC TO HAPPENRosemary Ikpeme8 -
Morning Flyers!Kitchen week is it??? I’ll take that as a sign to focus my special half hour on that room then. ( our kitchen is a kitchen/diner)
On todays flying menu is
Bedrooms…. All surfaces dusted, any windows or mirrors cleaned of fingerprints and all upstairs hoovered.
A quick S&S of upstairs bathroom. ( not used much)
Morning Dailies almost done just shower room needs a quick S&S and breakfast dishes need washing.
1 load of laundry pegged out and 1 more on
listening to builders on my roof, hopefully they will finish the wall rendering today…. 30years in the making 😳 just the back wall and 🤞the chimney stack to come but we need to have our neighbour in agreement first 🤦♀️😒🙄.
I think a quick jaunt to Mr T to pick up some items I couldn’t get on Saturday and then early dinner/tea as hopefully I’ll make yoga tonight 🤞
No cooking for me as a I did a double cook yesterday and we have roast pork 😁
Have a marvellous Monday flyersGrocery spends £193.44/ £70 per week or £303 per month10
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