Weekly Flylady Thread 12 August 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

Marvellous Monday Feeling Hot Hot Hot

Keep blinds down and curtains drawn to keep the house cool
Pop a jug of water in the fridge ready for cool drinks and ensure everybody drinks plenty.
S&S kitchen
S&S bathroom
Meal plan for the week. - and plan to cook a double sized meal and freeze one for a CBA day- or a day when it's too hot to cook - fish pie, cottage pie...something complete!
Read an instruction manual for a barely-used appliance - are you missing a trick?  (Vallitip - staple receipts to instruction manuals then if you have an issue you know exactly how long you've had the appliance - and where the receipt is when it's needed!  If you have receipts sent by email make a folder in your email program for them.
Get your Toots list out and do something 'adminny' and cross it off!
Water plants indoors and out.

Twinkly Tuesday Bathrooms, cloak rooms and en suites

Level 1
Open window
Remove towels and facecloths and fling in WM
Scrub Loo inside and out, slop  bleach or descaler down afterwards
if you've a shower curtain stick it in the WM too

Level 2
Clean out baths and/or showers
De-fuzz plugholes - you'll need a fine brush and possibly a strong stomach
Clean shower heads and hoses
Clean handbasins
Wipe plugs and chains - don’t forget underneath!
put out fresh towels etc

Level 3
sweep and mop or vacuum floor as appropriate
clean windows
polish mirrors
dust and polish where necessary and shine those taps

Extras
check stocks - soap, loo rolls etc - 
HHI - it's slightly cooler - you have no excuse!
S&S kitchen

Wonderful Wednesday  - The Boudoir

level 1

open windows
strip bed
clear floordrobe and chairdrobe
empty bin

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

level 3
clean windows
dust all round
Use a damp cloth to wipe lotions and potions 

extras
S&S bathroom
S&S kitchen
Bin bag dance...fling that gibble

Thursday -  The Lounge, Hallway, stairs and landing

Level 1
Deal with cut flowers and pot plants - top up water/wipe leaves/remove drooping or dead blooms.  Why not treat your pot plants to a shower?
Empty bins/ashtrays
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
Wipe sticky coasters

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
Dust/wipe electricals - use a just-damp cloth.  Don't forget the remote controllers!

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 
Wipe lightbulbs (if cold)
Dust pictures/paintings on walls - and dust behind them too!

Extras

HHI
S&Kitchen

TFI Friday - 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!
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!  Put out a new hand towel and a new tea towel too
Good slug of bleach down plugholes and in overflows
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 (see extras); update shopping list as appropriate
Wash and wipe fridge shelves and baskets.
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

Level 3

Pick a cupboard or a drawer; empty it, clean it out and put back its contents tidily
Sweep/mop/vacuum floor - and wipe any fascia boards!
Clean chairs (and highchairs) - don't forget under the seats where sticky fingers linger.
Clean windows and sills in both rooms.

EXTRAS

HHI
S&S bathroom

pigpen

TY for Fred... I am absolutely not in this week.

We've just spent 2 hours in hospital with a grandbeast who has broken his arm.. all good fun.. we go on holiday tomorrow!!

ionafan

Thank you for the new thread, Valli.  I will fly tomorrow, before DGS1+2 arrive on Tuesday x  

Happy holidays, pigpen!  The thought of sand inside a plaster cast makes me shudder... GWS to the grandbeast xx

Yes round, I did get back to sleep from 6.00 to 8.30am, but I also had a siesta this afternoon as it was twot to do anything else.

Lots to do tomorrow so I had best get to bed now. G'night all xxx

roundtuit

Good morning my lovelies xx 

Big smiles here as my Monday morning weigh in revealed that I've lost 3 more pounds.... it's heading your way Fayolle 😉 Just half a pound to cast off and that's me 3 stones lighter. Woot woot. Halfway. 

I got up at 6.15, stripped my bed, changed the towels in the bathroom, changed tea towels in the kitchen, set first load swishing,  got weighed, and I've supped my first brew. 

Soooo pleased I did my Mr Al shop on Saturday. Yesterday I visited DB, DSil, and my great niece, aged 6, was there too. Then on to see Pops and Babs for an hour. DS came over in the afternoon to pick up his DF's birthday presents. Lots of peopling. Then last night I decompressed watching Jurassic World. Again.

Round 1
Brew 2 and breakfast 
Get dressed 
Feed the birds 
Top up birdbath and hedgehog's dish 
Water hanging basket 
Put out the recycling 
Clear the airer 
FUPA clean, dry clothes 
HH Admin
WUDUPA 

P & S are calling for coffee at some point this morning as usual. 

Hope you have a lovely holiday piggers xx

Hope everyone else has a good week too. Stay cool. Stay hydrated. 

Much love 
Rxx

Jazee

Morning.  Thanks for the list which is spot on for today.

What a hot night.  Both DGD2 and I got up early.  We will be mostly playing today.

Have a great day everyone.

roundtuit

roundtuit said:

Round 1
Brew 2 and breakfast ✅
Get dressed ✅
Feed the birds ✅
Top up birdbath and hedgehog's dish ✅
Water hanging basket ✅
Put out the recycling ✅
Clear the airer ✅
FUPA clean, dry clothes ✅
HH Admin
WUDUPA 

First load is draped on the airer. Second load is swishing. The forecast was hot and sunny. At the moment it's hot and raining. 

Rxx

Honey_Bear

Thank you Natty for last week's list and Valli for this week's. 

I will be reading the secondhand Panasonic Microwave and Oven manual to work out how to use it as an oven.  We've had it for years and it's an excellent machine but I don't know how to use the grill or oven facility and that's mad.

I'm also going to be putting the sitting room to rights, the covers back on the third sofa, and finishing off a number of other areas in the dining room.  A mountain of laundry needs putting away and there's a clothes drawer that needs attention.

It's going to be a busy one.

Crazycatlady2

Hope your grandchild is ok and you enjoy your holiday @pigpen

This week I'll be mostly plodding on trying to make progress every day with 2 houses, legal stuff, future plans etc....we now have 3 more cars too 🫣 

roundtuit

Towels and bedding pegged out on the washing line. Tea towels pegged on the airer, which is stood outside.  All the rain did was increase the humidity here. Now the sun is out it's uncomfortably sticky weather 🥵

I've done the Admin. Probably only took 15 minutes. Bank statement checked, receipts filed. Small pile of shredding to do.

Currently sat in front of a fan trying to deheat a little. Twot. I'm officially in 'Roll on Autumn' mode now. I can usually smell autumn at the end of August so not long to wait. 

Take care
Rxx

Goodintentions

Good morning 😁 
Thank you for the lists! 

I caught up on the thread yesterday, but forgot to post 🤦‍♀️ I went to the allotment for a couple of hours yesterday - the first time since I last posted nearly 2 weeks ago! It has been mad busy, with family, theatre trip to London, baby shower, wedding, sorting/repairing summerhouse, yellow store visit, etc. Then paid stuff last week. I am so behind indoors!! I still need to sort out the 2nd half of the summerhouse & put up the desk that has been returned there. 
I bought myself a new mop & some stain remover from t'internet (a site of ideas, that I have used before). I had a magenta lipstick stain on my expensive (although I only paid £30) white jacket that I wore to the wedding. The stain is out 👍 I am going to try out the mop this morning! 

Does anyone else find it hard to get stuff done when there are others around (laying on the sofa, mainly - or faffing with podcast stuff!)? I will have had a 5 day weekend, but I have achieved very little. DD2 is now not working, and she will be around today & probably tomorrow, so I will have to work round her 😕
So far today I have weighed in (😕 - thanks Round!), had breakfast, put on WM, part-emptied the DW & pulled out all the furniture/stuff from the bay in the LR.
Next on the list:
Vac floor in bay
Wash carpet in bay (HB thanks for the nudge!)
Hang out washing
Empty DW 

I will probably need a rest then.....

Have a good day everyone!

Valli

I am now at the paid stuff, having done a little WUALTD which included recycling.  Pegged out washing, too.