Weekly Flylady Thread 04th March 2024

Natty68

I thought I’d do the lists a little different this week to enable more of us to feel we had achieved something and with spring approaching; each day will give you some basic flying, some deep cleaning choices and some decluttering choices. As ever feel free to pick and mix what needs doing for you according to your ability and time.

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 Valli 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- 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

Monday - Kitchen and Dining Room 

Basic Flying
Sweep and mop the floor 
Clear and wipe table
Wipe the work tops, remove all things which don't belong here.
Clean the sink, drainer and taps
Deep Cleaning
Clean the extractor hood and splashback
Clean the hob, under all the dials, if your hob has these, too
Decluttering
Sort out a hotspot - I've got a major one on the living room table that needs sorting out..
Sort out all your vases - are there any to rehome
Do you have any pet pest control you may need for when the bugs awaken? i.e. flea spray, ant spray etc...
Charge that epilady or warm your wax, it's time to declutter your winter fur.

Tuesday - Hall, Stairs, Landing and study/Family Room or similar
Basic Flying
Clear the floors and hoover them
15 minutes tidying this area
Dust any fluffy surfaces
Clean the downstairs loo and basin
Deep Cleaning
Remove any marks from the walls/paintwork - the magic erasers work well
Give keyboard and mouse a good clean - photograph your keyboard on your phone, remove all the keys and wash in warm soappy water - when dry put back (glad you took that picture!)
Go on a cobweb hunt, is it dusty behind your desk
Decluttering
Sort out that pile of papers/magazines/catalogues and recylce what you can
Delete some emails, favourites, blurry photos you choose
Sort out a stationery or desk drawer - do you need all those rubber bands and envelopes

Wednesday - Bathroom and airing cupboard
Basic Flying
Clean toilet, sink, shower/bath
Hoover and wash bathroom floor
Clean mirrors
Wipe any dusty surfaces/window ledges
Deep Cleaning
Give the tiles a good wash and shine
Hoover out inside your airing cupboard and wipe anything that is dusty
Clean your grouting
Deal with any mould
Decluttering
Is that pile still on your landing?
Sort out the airing cupboard rehoming anything you had forgotten was in there
Declutter one of your 'products' onto your body/face/hands as appropriate and have HH me time
Another HH on paperwork, lots of people don't have council tax or water bills to pay this month (usually 10/12 payments). Can you save any of this extra cash, pay off a bill etc.

Thursday - Bedrooms - you choose which one
Basic Flying
Change the bedding
Clear and clean the floor
Remove anything which belongs in another room
HHI (if you iron)
Deep Cleaning
Wipe the window ledges and clean a window or two
Hoover your curtains and blinds
Dust lightshades and bulbs
Decluttering
Sort tights, socks, and PJs rag-bagging any which have shrunk or are thread bear
Check for signs of moths and declutter any you find
Sort your stash of wrapping, presents, cards to remind you what you have got/need or do not need.

Friday - End of week roundup
Basic Flying
Hoover anywhere not done or that needs redoing
Change any bedding left to do
Empty all the bins
Dust tv screens and anywhere you've missed
Deep Cleaning
Wipe some paintwork
Spot clean a carpet rug
Wash throws or cusions
Decluttering
The weather is set to be sorted of dry for most of us for the weekend so outside declutter
Empty any pots of dead stuff from last summer
Sweep up any leaves loitering in corners
Give sheds and garage a tidy up so you can get to the sunloungers and kids toys when that lovely spring days arrives (real soon I hope)

Jazee

Thanks for the list.  I'm in although DGD2 is here tomorrow.

York fly meet - 24th March and 7th April both good for me and Valli so need a decision from Piggers and ASB.  Anyone else?

pigpen

ty for Fred.

24th is MIL's birthday.. I don't think OH will be use nor ornament that day. I'm not offended if that is the best day for everyone else.. I don't want anyone living their life around my insane life!

I am hoping to make some more progress in the kitchen and the backroom this week. I have the grandboys tomorrow so nothing will get done.

Asparklierblonde

7th April is absolutely fine for me. Piggers I’ll be bringing my kids too please come! 

So so tired 8 hour shift done in the pub. Need to sort kitchen, laundry etc before bed. 

Back in tomorrow thanks for the list xxx

Jazee

7th April it is then! Very exciting.

Cloth_of_Gold

Evening all (I sound like Dixon of Dock Green, for those old enough to remember lol).

Not much flying done today. I woke with a bad headache so I didn't make it to the 8 o'clock as planned. I'd booked a 09.30 - 10.00 arrival at the recycling centre as no one was interested in the casserole dish (unsurprisingly) and as I really wanted rid and I was feeling a bit better I drove down there with it. A 10 mile, 50 minute round trip to declutter a casserole dish seems a but ridiculous but the new me is trying not to keep putting off dealing with clutter and if that's what it takes.....

The only other flying I've done was to vac the windows, wipe the kitchen bin and cook and wash up (if that counts as flying) and type up some notes for A for his appointment with the GP tomorrow. Other than that I've had a fairly lazy day. The lamb hotpot was ok but not one of my best but the new casserole dish is fab - nothing burned on and it was so easy to clean. The lemon drizzle cake was nice - again not one of my best but baking isn't an exact science is it? I blame the eggs.

 Piggers, I haven't used any spoons today so I've sent you one.

@mumtoomany I'll dig out my sleeping bag and as soon as I've renewed my geriatrics railcard I'll be there.

I'd love to come to the York flymeet but I can only go away for the day if I can get someone to look after A and there is only one person I ask that I can trust/is willing to come/A will tolerate for a whole day, and I have to use my 'credit' with them sparingly.

ionafan

Thank you Natty for the new thread.  Loving the variety!  At the moment my diary is almost empty for this week, but that could change tomorrow.  I'm trying to fit in visits to various friends and godchildren while I can still drive.

My eldest goddaughter, who came to stay with us this weekend, complimented me on how uncluttered this house looked and how clean it was    I have worked hard to get it to its current state, and flying is so much easier now, even though I still keep finding more little bits to declutter or relocate with similar items.  This afternoon I even labelled a box so that I don't forget that I am now keeping the spare bedside light (previously stored downstairs in the utility) in the study bedroom, because this is the only place where it is ever used.

I should dearly like to come to the York Flymeet, and would try to combine it with a visit to my DSiL who lives near the city racecourse.  I've already looked up train times, but it's not an easy journey on Sundays because our local train service into the big city where I get the direct train to York doesn't start running until 10.00.  If I can find a way to join you, I will - but, in any case, it will have to be a last-minute decision because the date of my second cataract surgery is still uncertain, so don't hold your breath.  C'est la vie.

Hope everyone has a good week.  Spoons being sent for pigpen and anyone else who needs them xxx

Narc0lepsy

Thanks for lists.
If anyone wants a mini-meet in London, I'm there 22-24 March!   Hoping to have a swim at Victoria Docks on the Sunday so I'm sure plenty of you will be clamouring to join me........

I was on refreshment duty at church this morning so I guess that counts as flying? Put out some chairs, made some coffee/teas, did some washing up.....Mr N did a lot of weeding while I was at church.

Coffee with friends in the afternoon, so that's not flying.
Have done more of a report.
Checked cc bill and set up payment.
Neither zumba class is on tomorrow, but I'm 1st on the waiting list for Body Pump so I'm sure someone will have dropped out by 9.30.

And if anyone is interested in wildlife, I've put a few more of Mr N's Africa photos in https://www.flickr.com/gp/200151982@N08/f7Y73W45jS 

Valli

Jazee said:

7th April it is then! Very exciting.

I shall book my train ticket tomorrow.  Train line app has an offer on… 

Thanks for the new thread Natty

Most of todays line dried washing ironed.  Been to Fareshare meal.  General election must be imminent.  Conservative candidate rocked up to ‘help out’.  He was taking the money…

Call The Midwife was a sob fest.

pigpen

satsumas and mini rolls for the WAC and cocoa.. I hope it is not needed..

Boog is 25 today.. ancient being.. somewhat bigger than the 3lb 10 we started with!

I need to dangle laundry, sort this months budget and buy mini pancakes and bounty's .. and red pepperami's .. and blue softmints.. I need to make optician appointments for Boog and Squeak.. and collect Boogs prescription.. I am tempted to wrap it in birthday paper lol.

roundtuit

Good morning my lovelies xx 

I wonder what this week will bring? 🤔

Big smile here as my Monday morning weigh in revealed that I've lost two more pounds. Dancing a little jig 💃

And after this week I have a week off on Annual Leave. Dancing another little jig 💃

One day at a time. Let's not get ahead of ourselves 😉 I was up way before 'getting up on a not work day' time. So I'm up, made my bed, got weighed, and I'm supping my first brew. 

Feargal is going to the village garage for an MOT and service today. So I'll drop him off at 8.30am and walk home. Then walk back to pick him up when they're done....probably this afternoon some time. 

Before then
Round 1
Brew 2 and breakfast 
Laundry shuffle 
Get dressed 
Put away the airer 
Feed the birds 
Put out the recycling 
WUDUPA 

Thank you Natty and Valli for the lists. Get well soon to any poorlies. Happy Birthday Boog 🥳 

Valli - my last big decluttering session resulted in a pile of stuff for DS sitting in the LR. That pile has slowly disappeared. Most times when DS 'pops' I send him home with a 'present' 🤣. Just two boxed games consoles left of the original pile and I've warned them that I'm about to start decluttering again. 😉

Love to all
Rxx