Weekly Flylady Thread 5th August 2024

Natty68

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!

Right now the thread is looking very quiet...but 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 (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!!!8217;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

IF ANYONE WANTS ANYTHING ADDED TO THE LISTS, WHEN EACH DAY IS DUE TO BE ADDED, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO LET ME KNOW

Right here goes:

Monday Minging & Flinging - Kitchen and Dining Room
Level One...
Clear and wipe kitchen surfaces
Level Two..
Sweep and mop floors
Sort & clean oven and hob
Wipe dining table.. (clean table cloth if necessary)
Level Three...
Dust any extra furniture in dining area, checking for cobwebs on way round
Wipe and replace all those small appliances.. kettle, toaster etc
Wipe & declutter all the windows sills in these areas!!
Clean cupboard door fronts and fronts of appliances .. don't forget those kick boards..
Check those washing machine filters and drawers for ickiness!! Tumble dryer, cooker hood and dishwasher filters need to be done too!!

Extras

• Clean the fridge.. it is smelly!!
• Wipe down any tiles and shine those taps.. a toothbrush is great for cleaning away the gunk!
• 31 fling boogie..
• GO! buy yourself some flowers from the shop.. your reward for making the kitchen shine!
• Empty the bin.. wash it out.. and make it smell SWEET

Tuesday Triumphs - Bathroom and Study/Pc Area
Level One...
Clear floors of guff and stuff
Level Two...
Clean baths, toilets, don't forget the outside! and sinks. Make them sparkle, sparkle!!!!
Clear any clutter from desk
Dust PC and desk and wipe off those cup rings!!
Wipe keyboard, house phone, sockets, switches and mouse etc
Level Three...
Wash your bathroom mats, nets, clean blind/curtains, shower curtains etc
Wipe down tiles in bathroom.. defragment your pc while doing this.
Empty and clean out all the upstairs bins!
Hoover/Sweep and mop and deslop the floors in these rooms.
Collect all the dirty laundry

Extras!

• 
  MAD half hour
• Wipe the skirtings, door and window frames in these rooms
• Empty the cupboard and clean it out.. colour ordered bottles inside!
• Fling all those empty bottles and tubes, do you really need that empty shower gel bottle?
• If you have a shelf.. empty and clean it
• Grab yourself a toothbrush and scrub the manky bits
• Get in a manky cupboard. Give it all GOOD scrub out before placing the things you need to use soon at the front, throw out everything you don’t want/need. If no messy cupboard do a food inventory!! Feel free to get carried away and do more cupboards!!!

Wet Wednesday - those frightening kids rooms and spare rooms
Level One...
Vacuum the floor, even if it's just where you can see
Spend at least half an hour doing something for yourself!!!!! Paint your nails, make an appointment to have your hair done, a lovely soak in the bath. Whatever you feel like!!
Level Two...
Clear away anything that isn't in it's place, clothes, toys, books etc
Dusting.. all those shelves and flat fluffy surfaces!! Don’t forget the light shade and curtain pole!!!
Level Three...
Strip beds, turn and vacuum mattresses!! And replace with fresh linen .. check if duvets need freshening up too!!
Wipe any sticky marks off walls and doors

Extra Task List

• Wash a set of curtains, nets, duvet or throw
• Wipe the radiators, skirtings and window & door frames!
• 30 minutes ironing.. you love me & you know it!
• Grab a binbag and fill it with stuff to leave the house.. rubbish or charity shop or to donate to a friend!
• Sort the book shelves.. and toy boxes.. what can be flung?

Thrilling Thursday - Master Bedroom & Landing
Level One...
Check fire alarms are working
Remove and wash bed linen.
Level Two...
Dust surfaces & make sure no cobwebs..
Vacuum mattress before replacing with fresh linen.. do you need that winter duvet yet?
15 minutes floordrobe clearance
Level Three...
Vacuum floors in bedroom and on landing
Sort one area of clothes or linen storage making sure only what should be in there is, anything that's had it's day or doesn't belong there is removed
Clear a hotspot., or spend 15 minutes clearing one.

Extra tasks list

• 27 fling boogie time, time for that midweek fling, go on grab a bag and clear that clutter
• Clean windows in these rooms
• Check house for places where draughts are getting in.. doors, windows etc and see if there are ways to stop it!
• Clean out that airing cupboard!!!!!! get rid of those things you don't need.. use dead towels as cleaning cloths etc.. be ruthless!!!! you REALLY don't need that 'thing' you've saved for 10 years.. 'just in case' If you did this last week.. you can do the under the stairs cupboard!!

Freaky Friday- Bathroom and Study/Pc Area
Level One...
Clean floors in these rooms
Level Two...
Clean baths, toilets and sinks
Clear any clutter from desk
Dust PC and desk and wipe off those cup rings!!
Wipe keyboard, house phone, sockets, switches and mouse etc
Level Three...
Wash your bathroom mats, nets, clean blind/curtains etc
Wipe down tiles in bathroom..
Delete 10 links in your favourites which you no longer use or are dead!
Clean shower screen/curtain if you have one/if required
Clear a mega hotspot!.. shred it.. and fling it.. or just burn it! .. Does anyone have a pulper to make logs from their old papers??

Extra mission:

• Wipe the skirtings, door and window frames in these rooms
• Check through those bottles.. what can be flung/decanted!!!
• Cean the radiators and woodwork in these rooms
• Scrub down the dirty marks on the walls in these rooms, and any dirty marks on the walls. 
• When did you last clean 'under the rim'? Get a mirror and check it out.. how gross??? 
• Wash any chair covers/throws/blinds etc. 
• When did you last replace the bath sponges & toothbrushes??

Natty68

Evening all, I've put the whole week up this week as I'm not well at the moment so rather than forget I've given it to you as a double whammy!!!!  Enjoy 😁😁

Slinky

Natty68 said:

Evening all, I've put the whole week up this week as I'm not well at the moment so rather than forget I've given it to you as a double whammy!!!!  Enjoy 😁😁

Thanks Natty. I'm going to try and get back on top of things this week.

Tuesday and Friday are the same.

YORKSHIRELASS

Hi all

Thanks Natty, and get well soon xx

I am in, starting the new week determined to carefully balance paid stuff, time for myself and some Flying, without getting overwhelmed.  That's the theory anyway. 

roundtuit

Hi all xx

I'm in. Thank you Natty. And Valli for last week.

YL - I'll join you in trying to achieve that balance.

Rxx

Valli

i need to fly…busy weeks + hot weather has defeated me.  

Sorry to hear you’re not well Natty,thanks for the thread and pleased it has its proper name x

Cloth_of_Gold

Thanks Natty and I hope you're feeling better soon.

pigpen

TY for Fred, Natty and I hope you feel better soon.. I've felt grotty all week and my chest isn't great.. so I've done nothing.

Squeak has neurology appointment tomorrow afternoon.. I have to pack.. OH hasn't got the cases out I asked him to.. and I am unlikely to get anything done all week again.. I am a fraudulent flyminion.

Crazycatlady2

I have to give myself a kick

Unfortunately we unexpectedly lost fil. It's not yet 3 years since mil passed and we hadn't processed that yet. We are thankful it appears he fell asleep watching TV and went peacefully. 

So now I have my own home to get going with aswell as all we need to do for his estate and maintain house etc while it all gets sorted....what a mess

Will try to keep updated on you all but I send hugs and well dones etc as required x

weenancyinAmerica

@Crazycatlady2 - passing away in your sleep is the way to go especially if it is peaceful. It is just hard on those left behind so I am sending hugs to all.

Wish I could send an extra pair of hands to help with the extra work involved. I know I still have work to do on my parent s' stuff - and they died in 2006 and 2008. Just take a bit at a time and it will get done someday as needed. At least that is what I keep trying to tell myself. 

roundtuit

Morning all xx 

Get well soon Natty xx

I wasn't going to get weighed this morning having eaten a three course meal on Saturday evening. But I bit the bullet. And I've STS. Yayyy. Damage limitation must have worked 😊 and will continue this week to be on the safe side!

I'm up, made my bed, completed Wordle and Connections (easy for yings today), and supped my first brew. 

I'm going to order my repeat prescription, sup brew 2, then:

Round 1
Get dressed 
Feed the birds 
Water the hanging basket 
Check birdbath and hedgehog's dish 
Put out the recycling 
FUPA dry washing 
Put away the airer 
WUDUPA*

*that will be after P & S have been for a coffee.

I've messaged DS and asked him not to say anything to his future ma in law. I'm over it. Let sleeping dogs lie and all that. Thank you for being a safe place to vent. Moving on .....

Love to all.
Rxx