Weekly Flylady Thread 12th February 2024

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

Manic Monday -  The Lounge, Hallway, stairs and landing

Level 1
If it's not too grim open some windows for some fresh air
Deal with cut flowers and pot plants - top up water/wipe leaves/remove drooping or dead blooms
Empty bins/ashtrays
If you have a woodburner/real fire attend to that first - and lay fire 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

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.
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!
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
Allocate jobs to any children off school according to age and ability - pegging out washing, binbag dancing, washing up, collecting laundry inc giving you their PE kits for cleaning now.  Check footwear fits!  
Check if the little darlings have any homework/holiday tasks
if your little darlings are still at school save this for next week

Twinkly Tuesday - 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.  Scrub doorseal.
Wipe 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
Make sure PE kit and school uniform has made its way into the laundry basket.

Wednesday HUMP day  - The Boudoir

level 1

open windows
strip bed
clear floordrobe and chairdrobe
empty bin
dust/wipe/vacuum bedframe/headboard

level 2
make bed with fresh bedding
clean bedside tables
vacuum/sweep/mop floor

level 3
clean windows
dust all round
polish mirrors

extras
S&S bathroom
S&S kitchen

Thursday - 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 2
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

Friday Finale

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

Extras

HHI
S&S kitchen
S&S bathroom
Plan a me time treat…perhaps a relaxing treatment or a meet up with a friend

pigpen

TY for fred.

I'm not sure I will be up for much this week.. the man-flu is still in decline and I am running n meds and as much use as a chocolate teapot.

I am just going to drug myself silly and going to bed..

Rainbow cookies in the tin and raspberry cheesecake in the fridge.. and cocoa in the thermos xx

roundtuit

Good morning my lovelies xx 

I'm up, made my bed, got weighed and supped a brew. I've lost another two pounds, that's eleven in total. Still a looong way to go but it's amazing how motivating the wedding is. I've chosen the dress I want to wear (I picked it out as soon as DS and his DF got engaged last July,) but not bought it as I don't want to buy it and it be too big or too small in November. It's already increased in price by £10. Me in a dress! Whoda thunk it? 🤣

I'm meeting L at the posh farm shop cafe at 9.45. Then calling to see P & S for a catchup. I don't need a big Mr Al shop this week so I'll nip into Mr C00p as I pass and pick up bananas and wafers. 

Also To Do Today List
Get dressed 
Feed the birds 
Put out the recycling 
WUDUPA 
Laundry shuffle 
HH Admin 
QH mending (sewing)

Get well soon to all the poorlies xx
Wishing you all a good week 😘
Rxx

Valli

morning all

WM x 3 DW x 1

Sunny day here so I shall be pegging out before work.  I also want to get a coat of paint on the doors.

Hopa you all have a good day

YORKSHIRELASS

Bet you will look amazing in that dress Round x

Slept like a log, wish I could sleep like that every night, will have to go out dancing more often.  Morning run done (beautiful morning) followed by 25 minutes yoga stretch.  Positive affirmations practised. 

I have put some dog blankets in on a quick wash, might actually hang them outside.  Shower next then breakfast and ready for whatever the paid stuff is going to throw at me.

Have a good Monday everyone.  Try and take it easy Piggers x

Crazycatlady2

First load of washing in, emptied dishwasher and filled mine and DS2 tablets up. Aswell as usual feeding and dressing and toileting etc 🤣

Write DD a to do list as she off school 🤣

MinnieMousesMummy

Morning all,

My list for today
Get dressed
Feed the animals
Open windows and let some air in
Do paid stuff
Attend uni classes
HHI
Check and water the plants
Finish decorating the bedroom
Get something for DH for Wednesday
Sort bags/clothes/lunches for tomorrow

Think that is everything that I need to get done today, hope everyone has a good Monday.

mumtoomany

In again, but aching! Took 20 ewes for scanning yesterday, along with around 250 of neighbours ewes. NDN, and dadtoomany, were rounding them up and sending them into a smallish pen, for me to manhandle/womanhandle them up the ramp into the scanner. At 63 i was the youngest, both the men over retirement age. The problem is when the weather is cold over winter, there is little physical work. So come spring my muscles are out of practice. We are, (without counting our chickens before they are hatched), Sue to have 29 lambs from April 20th onwards. Watch this space! Also had the DGC for most of yesterday too. When the scanning was going on they were with NDN's son and his grandma. 

Today, washing is in the machine, lots of muddy, sheepy clothing. Coffee drunk. Need to get some more seeds in. Put some lettuce and beetroot in the tunnel on saturday, also put some peppers and early peas in trays. Lots of weeds to pull up too! Washing to go on the line. Tea to make. Need to Hoover the stairs, and sweep the LR. I'll get cracking, hugs to all, mumtoomany.xxx

Valli

gosh mumtoomany - you and I are awesome 63 year olds, clearly.  You must have way more energy than me though.

My backache (from bending over while sanding and painting) has eased.  All doors now primed on both sides, so glossing will commence soon.  I'm going to have to have a short day at work today as I need to be here on Friday afternoon to facilitate a booking, so I'll probably not come back in after swimming...oh!  I can have a longer swim then... 30 lengths here I come!  And then I could actually clean the living room as per today's list...

Waiting to hear if DD wants pancakes today; she has an appointment after work tomorrow so I'm doing a SC meal then as it can keep warm.

Round - we are going to want pictures...

Got the washing pegged out - as I've hit the bottom of the basket there were lots and lots of socks - filled up my sock holder and still needed line space for them.


There's a pillar box outside my work.  Last week I found a stamp booklet dropped by it - 1 unused 1st class stamp there.  This morning there was a book of 12 stamps 2nd class - this one had 6 unused stamps in!  

kazwookie

Thank you for the lists xx

Round well done on weight loss, it all counts, you can do this.

Sunny here, so

3 x WM done, pegged out.

Bed stripped and remade

All bins done, large council one brought back it and it seemed to move down the road again.

Whole house hoovered, inc 2 cat trees, and under the log burner.

Kitchen and bathroom floors done.

 Toast eaten

Loads of other small stuff done.

Off out walking in a bit with NDN's dog, as the puppy is still too young to go out, other dog only gets round the block, if her hubby is at work. I think we will go to the beach as tide is on way out.

Have a good week

Jazee

Afternoon all.  Thanks for the thread.

DGD2 is having a nap so I'm having a sit down and a catch up.  Will put bins out shortly.