Weekly Flylady Thread 18 December 2023

Valli

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.

Thank you to 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 (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- 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 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...

FLYLADY THREAD PICK'N'MIX Pre Christmas Special


I'm not going to list the rooms by day, just by room but you are free to either do a whole room (all three levels) or mix up the levels across the week - so, for example, you might pick level 1 to do for all rooms. Just post what you HAVE achieved! Sharp-eyed flyladies will notice there are six lists...because YOU are picking and mixing. You might choose the worst room to really make a difference (and because you have the time) or the least minging because you're short of time.  One thing is for sure - it will be a busy week for all of us and for different reasons.



Bathroom, Cloakroom, En suites

Level 1

Remove all rubbish (bin bag dance)
Clean windows and wipe frames
Dust all furnishings
Polish mirror, shower screen
Wipe shower cubicle out
Change towels

Level 2

Clean loo - and bleach it
Clean basin - don't forget to clean the underside of the plug
Wash toothbrush holders/toothmugs
Wipe loo roll holder

Level 3

Clean bath
Clean floor
Wipe door(s) down paying special attention to handles
Wipe pull switches
Check cabinets - wipe sticky shelves

Hall, Stairs and Landing

Level 1

Clear rubbish/binbag dance
Clean windows
Wipe all handles and stair rails/banisters
Wipe sockets and switches

Level 2

Dust skirtings
Attend to plants
Dust everywhere

Level 3

Sweep, mop, vacuum floors
Clean mats
Check outdoor/security lighting is fully functional
Check smoke alarms and CO monitors

Kitchen/dining room

Level 1

Clear sides and wipe down - wipe small appliances
Replace what lives there, wiping as you go
Empty bin and clean it out too
Wipe sill, sockets, door handles and switches
Clear and clean sink and accessories - don't forget those out-of-sight places - under plugs and under draining racks
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!

Level 2

Wipe down all cupboard and drawer fronts, 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 and make sure the fridge is ready to safely store Christmas goodies
Dust dining area/room
Descale kettle if needed
Clear WM , TD and DW filters

Level 3

Pick a cupboard or a drawer; empty it, clean it out and put back its contents tidily
Sweep/mop/vacuum floor
Clean windows

Master Bedroom

Level 1

Open windows w-i-d-e unless it's persisting it down/freezing
Strip bed
Allow to air
Remake bed

Level 2

Clear floordrobe and chairdrobe
Clean windows
Vacuum, sweep or mop floor
Empty bin
Put as much stuff as you can away - clear the clutter

Level 3

Dust all sides and shelves
With a just damp cloth wipe all your lotion and potion bottles, hairdryers (especially if you use product while blow drying) etc. and put all perfumes away in a drawer. The sun/heat will damage the contents.
Rinse the cloth and wipe sockets and switches
Polish mirrors
Vacuum/dust light fittings and lamps

Living room

Level 1

Open windows
Empty out any rubbish
Clear and clean coffee table/side tables
Recycle old newspapers and magazines
Rehome anything which is out of place
Wipe coasters
Deal with any flowers/water & wipe plants

Level 2

Dust and polish any wooden furniture or just dust
Check corners for cobwebs/spiders and remove
Dust skirting boards
Wipe handles/sockets/switches
Dust electricals

Level 3

Lift chair/sofa cushions and vacuum under them
Wipe leather furniture/vacuum sofas
Dust lightfittings - and bulbs!
Dust skirting boards/dado rails etc
Sweep/mop/vacuum floor

Kids room/spare room/guest room

Level one

Open widows
Strip bed (if needed)
Remove rubbish
Deal with flowers
Remake aired bed

Level 2

Clean window
Dust level surfaces
Check lighting functional

Level 3

Dust skirtings
Wipe mirrors
Vacuum floor

Daily little tasks that keep the whole house running smoothly

S&S kitchen (unless it's kitchen day)
S&S bathroom(s) (unless.. you get the idea)
HHI - 

Other key tasks

Pick and choose if/as necessary 

When you're meal planning/prepping double up and freeze for busy days 
Lots of lurgies are lurking - wipe switches and handles with antiseptic wipes/disinfectant.
Make sure you won't run out of meds/inhalers over the holiday season.  Check you have your favourite OTC meds to hand
Check Christmas shopping/to do lists (which you wrote last week didn't you?)
Buy batteries!
Plan in some me-time - visit to a salon, long bubbly bath, snuggle down with a good book 
Check your bin emptying times over the holiday 
If you're planning on travelling check oil, tyres, fuel, screenwash etc  
If you have a charity bag/box to donate get it gone asap - come January the chazzers will be overwhelmed

Jazee

Thanks Valli.  I'm in as much as possible.  Will report often.

Narc0lepsy

Thanks for lists.
Since last post I've been to a lovely carol service, cooked dinner and put some oasis in to soak for more flower arrangements.  About to spend a short time on the report. 

ionafan

Thanks Valli.  I will do what I can.  K is coming to help me clean on Wednesday, but I need to finish the holly-and-lights decorating and tidy round before she comes.  Tomorrow morning I have my long-term condition review with the GP practice nurse, and I also ought to go to Action Heart, but L will take Rosie out for her walk.

The baking session with W and M (aided by M's godmother) went well this afternoon.  I drove them home at 3.00 and was back here by 3.30, just in time to take Rosie out before it got dark.  Then I SOFA'd and had quite a lot more than 40 much-needed winks.

I am running out of space in my freezers to store anything else until the turkey comes out for defrosting, but I reckon I need to buy the food for our family day (29th) this side of Christmas - can't risk not being able to get what the grandchildren have asked for: Yorkshire puds and brussels sprouts   I need some of Fayolle's expertise in freezer tetris.

Everyone, please take care not to overdo things this week - particularly if you've been at all unwell recently.  My own to-do list is getting longer by the hour, but if I can't do it all by the 25th, what's left will just have to wait until the following week - or I'll simply cross some items off the list and pretend they were never on there.  It won't be the end of the world, and nobody will starve! xxx

Valli

DW and WM locked and loaded.

Washing which I pegged out today did well…the jeans are almost dry.  Socks paired and on radiator to air.

Done some knitting…first time for ages.  This is supposed to be a Christmas gift.  Dinner was successful, DD has a cold but is improving, so no-one got invited.  Four tubs of hm roast tomato sauce moved to other freezer and inventory checked.  

Cloth_of_Gold

@Asparklierblonde I'm so sorry to hear about your alpaca. They are lovely creatures. I hope your other one is doing ok on his own. Will you get another do you think?

Got going rather late today. Had a shower and then made a coffee for us after which I went out to get the paper. Made lunch washed and dried some towels, wrote a Christmas card I'd forgotten about. Ordered a new frying pan which I had been meaning to do for a while but was glad I hadn't as they now have 1/3 off. I also ordered some slippers that A is giving me for Christmas (along with the frying pan!) and helped him order a garden centre gift card for his brother for Christmas. 

I then rang an elderly friend whose online grocery orders I do. She has Christmas slots booked for both Ocado and Waitrose but when I booked them, weeks go, I just put an expensive bottle of champagne, to meet the minimum order, in the basket for both as a place holder, to be removed when she knew what she really wanted. I needed two for Ocado as their Christmas minimum is £90!  

We sorted the Ocado one out (the Waitrose one can wait a few days more) and then she wanted a Waitrose order for tomorrow. Their website was going sooooooo slowly, it was like I was back on dial-up!  After finally checking out I realised that I had accidentally done it for my address not hers (doh!) so had to get another slot at the same time but for her address and move everything over to that order and cancel the other one. Again, it took ages because the site was so slow. I was terified it was going to crash and lose what was in the basket and we wold have to start again but fortunately it didn't. Nevertheless, I spent about an hour and 20 minutes on all this. By then it was time to make tea and then time to go to church as I hadn't been this morning. My plans for present wrapping went out of the window.

After church I made supper, washed up did eye medication and am now ready to brush my teeth and go to bed.

pigpen

TY for Fred... I am lurking.. but my head is shot.. I have no idea whether I'm coming or going. I am so tired physically, all my spoons melted.

Asparklierblonde

Thank you for the thread. WAC here. Will pop in properly in the real morning, not this silly o’clock morning! X

Asparklierblonde

I have given in and got up. Too many thoughts whirring around my brain - I can always have a nap later if needs be. 

Thanks again for the well wishes. We are not getting another - I simply cannot afford one (they are pricey), plus the remaining one seems happy enough in with the sheep, so hopefully won't be lonely. If he goes, I won't get them again - they are such lovely creatures, I couldn't endure the heartache this has caused again. 

DD is staying off school today, she is in the throes of this hacking cough and needs a rest. 

This is my list for the week - feel free to skim over, this is so it's all in one place not on random pieces of paper! 

• 5 days paid stuff
• Review budget spreadsheet - had set it at £9k for next year, need to make sure this is still correct and no wriggle room to reduce further
• Attend DS christingle
• Collect second hand gift for DS from lady in village
• Collect laptop from repair chap
• Text friend re. Boxing Day
• Text builder re. fire
• Pay electricity bill
• Pay LPG bill
• Take daily meter reads for electricity - really, really need to try and reduce somehow
• Tax car
• Take puppy for his little operation
• Put £20 of petrol in car
• Decorate DS room - it has been bare plaster for far too long. I am a complete decorating novice - any tips greatly appreciated. This HAS to happen this week, it is getting me down now. 
• Gather together decorating materials, I think we have all we need.
• Change my bedding - again, should have been done ages ago.
• Deep clean bathroom
• Dust my bedroom
• Clean out both fires
• Wrap the handful of gifts I need to wrap
• Source new school tights and knickers for DD
• Chop some lengths of wood that have been laying around the garage for too long
• Tip run
• Collect Christmas veg from friend on Saturday 

There is no doubt more, but this is just about manageable. Not much I can do from it now, far too early to text people, but I will pay the electricity bill and update my spreadsheet accordingly. Also have a look for knickers and tights.

Take care all xx

Ten mins later - Edited because I can cross one thing off hurrah!! 

Three hours later - more done and I need a nap

YORKSHIRELASS

Morning all

Throwing spoons in Pigpens direction.  That's quite a list ASB, and I am useless at decorating so no help there!

Important meeting at the paid stuff today, and I really can't be bothered.  Need to get myself moving.  20 minutes yoga done and sofa throws chucked in WM on a quick wash. 

CofG I spent a ridiculous amount of time amending the Tesco order I have coming on Wednesday last night and it logged me out twice.  Very stressful. 

Right, time for coffee.  Flying will happen at some point this week but I need to get today over with first.

Hope Monday is kind to you all x

roundtuit

Good morning all xx 

I'm up, after a night of weird dreams, made my bed, decanted bird seed into container (while the kettle was boiling),  and supped my first brew.

To Do Today List 
Brew 2 and breakfast 
Get dressed 
Feed the birds 
Put out the recycling 
Laundry shuffle 
Put away the airer
Write shopping list 
Visit Mr Al. 
2pm Visit H for coffee- take card & wine 
Wrap presents for DB and family 
Text DSil 

So glad I booked Friday off. 

Get well soon to all the poorlies xx
Love to all
Rxx