Weekly Flylady Thread 3rd June 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 

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
Water any plants/herb pots

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

Twinkly 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


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

Extras

check stocks - soap, loo rolls etc. Add necessities to shopping list
HHI
S&S kitchen

Wednesday Hump Day

Master bedroom

Level 1

Open windows
strip bed and set wm going
empty bin
water and wipe plants
clear chairdrobe etc

level 2

dust all round
wipe lotions and potions
clean hairbrushes
wipe electricals, sockets and switches

level 3

remake bed
vacuum/sweep/mop floor
clean windows

exras

clean out bedside cabinets
HHI
S&S kitchen
s&S bathroom

Thursday … make an entrance…Living Room, hall stars & landing

level 1

clear away rubbish - empty bins etc
deal with flowers and plants
bash doormats against a wall
remove any clutter

level 2

clean windows, mirrors, door glass
 sweep mop or vacuum floors
plump cushions
straighten coffee table

level 3
Open front door and clean frame, sills etc
total dusting including light fittings and skirtings
look up - if that’s a cobweb eradicate it

extras

HHI
s&s kitchen
S&S bathroom, cloaks

roundtuit

I'm in, thank you xx

Fayolle

Me too. Thank you xx

ionafan

Me three, thank you Valli x

Well done, round - you've achieved a lot today x

DH has been home since 3.30.  I didn't get to my friend's service.  I have walked Rosie, FUPA clean washing off the line, cooked tea and made coffee, rung DD, texted DS1+2, and binge watched TV.  Loved 'The Piano' tonight, already looking forward to next week's concert (I'll have to make do with seeing it on TV).

Tired now and ready for bed.  See you tomorrow xxx

pigpen

TY for Fred xx

I'm.. alive.. Not sure about flying but I've loaded the DW today.. twice.. put away a mountain of shopping, fed the cat 8,000,000 times, wiped the kitcen untis and work tops and table, cleaned the sink.. Made pack ups, cooked dinner, fed everyone lunch, bossed them to get washed and sort school stuff.

I need to wrap Twinkles birthday stuff (8 on Thursday) Fabian is 12 on Friday so I need to buy his birthday bits.

I need to pay swimming and Pixies residential this week .. dance, cello and Viledin still to pay too.

Poop trays all cleaned and recycling out.

2x WM before bed.

Packups in a coolbag in the car because they wont fit in my stuffed fridge.

I'm hoping everyone has shoes for tomorrow!

Jazee

Morning all.  Thanks for the list.  I'm in.

Just having a cuppa in peace before DGD2 wakes up.  I'm dressed and I've made the bed.

Have a great dat everyone.

roundtuit

Morning all xx 

Thank you iona 😘 - I have aching muscles today...in my arms. That'll be down to holding up the strimmer I guess. 💪

Monday morning weigh in and I've list 2.5 lbs this week. Yayyy. I recalculated my BMI, adjusted my calorie intake accordingly,  upped my water intake, and I've been more active than I've ever been. Turns out I like gardening. Well, I like weeding, not at the actual 'gardening' stage yet; but I keep having 'ideas' 😯. At the front I want the oversized pampas out, and roses in. 🌹 At the back I want an onion patch. Yep. Still fixated on growing onions for some reason. 

Anyhoo. I'm up, made my bed, got weighed,  taken my meds, and supped my first brew. 

I'm going to jump in at Level 3 and clear out my 'miscellaneous' kitchen drawer. You know the one: torch, batteries, light bulbs, matches, coasters, hooks, drawing pins, sellotape, pens, pencils, candles, magnifying glass, flag, place mat, meter cupboard keys, ear buds, wires, erasers, but not the window keys that I was looking for yesterday 😂 They could be in there  but I couldn't find them. Lots of 'oh' moments, but no window keys. 

Brew 2 and breakfast. Get dressed. Then I'll be back with a Round. 

Have a good day.
Rxx

YORKSHIRELASS

Morning all

Thanks for the list, I am also in.  I had a terrible migraine yesterday so have taken today off sick, although I am already feeling guilty.  I have come to the conclusion that I am physically and mentally exhausted.  Trying to support DH with his health issues, volunteering, training for a charity event that I have signed up to and working stupidly long and stressful days has all caught up with me.  

I will try to spend today being kind to myself.  There might be a bit of gentle flying but nothing too demanding.

Hope the week starts off well for everyone x

Valli

morning all

yesterday was our fundraiser/crowdfunder launch so, as expected, i was shattered last night.  I did load the wm and dw though,  DD came to wake me up to go to bed…at 9 pm…. I had pegged out washing which DD brought in, including towels.  They needed another spin, really, but they dried as it was so hot.

Luckily i had bought some quality factor 50 (kids actually) sunscreen so, despite being out all day i am relatively unscathed.  Though i did swap stall to get in some shade after a while.  I am never running a tombola again unless i do the labelling myself.  I owe 2 people 3 prizes, because I never found them.

Today i’ve got to cash up…

I rather suspect today’s flying will be limited…so no change there.  DW and WM x 1, so emptying and pegging will be all I do.

Goodintentions

Good morning 😁
Thank you for the lists ladies as always 😊
YL rest up and look after yourself
Iona & Narc0 I'm glad your poorlies are back home & recovering. Make sure you look after yourselves too! 
Round well done on the gardening! 👏 I find weeding quite therapeutic too 😊
I have read back on last week's thread, but promptly forgotten most of it! Hugs, sticks & spoons to those that need them.
Last week got very busy as DD1 was visiting with DGS. That meant 2 days of chaos followed by 2 evening meals for 8 people (along with the mess that just gets left!) That is on top of work! I was off Friday. I took DD2 to her MW appointment and was rewarded by hearing DGD's heartbeat 🥰 
Over the weekend I finished last year's accounts & my tax return (not yet submitted, but this is record for me!) Nothing to pay (I need to earn more!!), so the money I had saved is all mine!! 😁 I'm sure it won't take long to dispose of it!!
A few hours at the allotment yesterday - more weeding! Pigpen get OH on the waiting list - it might take a while. As Fayolle (I think) said - little & often is the way to go. I only get down there 1 or 2 days a week for a few hours. If I were on top of things that would be enough. I'm not, so it isn't! 😂 
I need to update my to do list - top of the list....get up! 😂 
I can hear DH emptying the DW so that is one job done ✔️ 

roundtuit

Brew 2 supped. Breakfast eaten. And I'm dressed. And sploshed bleach down the loo. 

I was toying with the idea of going to Mr Al now, before P&S call for coffee, but I'll stick to after their visit. No time pressure then.

Round 1
Feed the birds 
Empty drawer 
Wipe out drawer 
Replace contents or
Rehome contents as appropriate 

Do you know what? I think I'll inventory the drawer's contents while I'm at it.Inventorise? Is that the verb I'm after?

Get well soon to all poorlies. Look after yourself YL - self care isn't selfish. Waggy finger is looking over the top of her specs at you. Headmistress style. Take. It. Easy. 😘

Rxx