Weekly Flylady Thread 9th December 2024

Natty68

Thank you, Valli, for last week's 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.

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!
Please do remember we have to abide by MSE rules; each post should, ideally, include some mention of flying.

It is your responsibility to read the forum rules, please follow them on this thread as Flylady has been here a LONG time and is a fabulous support and resource for lots of us.

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’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 asier.
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 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

Ok here goes this week!

Monday ~ Grotty Kitchen and Gloomy Dining Room
Level One...
Declutter and mop/vacuum the floors
Find and wipe the worksurfaces
Level Two...
Wipe the big appliances and units.. don't forget kickboards!
Wipe small appliances and replace.. do one thoroughly.. descale or decrumb or degunge!Clear and wipe a shelf or window sill
Level Three...
Wipe the table and replace the cloth if necessary.
Sort through and clean out one cupboard
Clean the oven and hob..

Extras

• Don't forget any cards and presents to be posted!
• Check through Christmas ornaments, do any need throwing away or replacing. Last thing you want when you decorate your tree is to find broken ornaments!!!
• Clean out the fridge.. make use of anything almost past its best
• Wash the windows
• Clean the top of the kitchen wall units.. if you can reach.. no accidents please!!
• Dust and Deweb

Christmas Extras

• Finalise those last minute presents you have to buy..

Tuesday ~ Luscious Living Room, hallway, stairs
Level One...
Clear the floor of clutter
Tidy the baubles and lights on the tree.. OR PUT UP YOUR TREE
Level Two...
Vacuum the stairs and hallway and living room
Wipe and water plants
Wash the windows
Level Three...
Wipe the sofas and wash any skanky soft furnishings
Sort coats, shoes and bags
Wipe the paintwork in the hallway and up the stairs.

Extras

• Check the smoke alarms
• Fill a binbag for charity shop
• Finalise your christmas menu and shopping list
• Defluff and deweb these rooms
  
  Christmas Extras
• Stick all your cards up
• Christmas wrapping, try and get at least a few done
• Replace the batteries in your annoying singing things
• Make a receipts envelope for all the receipts from Christmas presents, just incase anything needs to go back

Wednesday ~ Brilliant Bathroom, Sociable Study and other grotty places!
Level One...
Clean the loo and the bath and the shower and the basins!
Defragment PC and run spyware scans while scrubbing
Level Two..
Wash windows and any chairs/sofas
Clean curtains/blinds etc
Declutter floors
Level Three...
Wash bathmats/shower curtain and furry bog hats
Replace any sponges/flannels/toothbrushes etc that need it, throw out any empty bottles.. decant dribbles into fuller bottles

Extras -

• Clear a hotspot, if it's bad at least spend 10 minutes on it
• Clean windows in these rooms
• HHI
• Spend 30 minutes just having time for yourself, whatever it is doing.
• Fling boogies are here again, aim for 27 items to leave the house!

Christmas Extras

• Bake pies and buns!
• Make a note of when the binmen are coming!!!

Thursday ~ Master messroom! and landing
Level One...
Strip the bedding and get it washed!
Level Two...
30 minutes floordrobe/junk clearing!
Vacuum and turn the mattress, vacuum the landing and floor
Remake the bed
Clean the windows
Level Three...
Wash any curtains/etc that are in need
Wipe down all the furry paintwork
Fill a binbag for charity shop or the bin!

Extras

• HHI
• Update remaining present lists
• Collect all the dirty laundry from upstairs
• Clean out any pets/wash pet bedding
• Wash some light shades

Christmas Extras..

• Chase up any deliveries you are waiting for that have not arrived
• Update remaining present lists

Friday - Let's play catchy-up
Level One...
S&S the kitchen and bathroom
Spend 30 minute pampering yourself!!
Level Two...
Catch up the the window washing
Catch up on the floor mopping/vacuuming
Catch up on the dewebbing and dusting!
Level Three...
Collect ALL the dirty laundry from about the house inc and bedding that needs changing..
Spend 15 minutes on your filing
Clean ALL the filters and drawers etc on the kitchen appliances

Extras

• Wipe down ALL the paintwork you keep putting off
• Choose a manky kitchen cupboard and make it shine.. the inside.. NOT the outside!
• Clean out any pets/wash pet bedding
• Clean the pantry or airing cupboard or understairs cupboard or shed..

Christmas Extras

• Post all the cards you need to post. Last posting dates are drawing very close.
• Wipe out the freezer.. defrost if needed!!
• Straighten the baubles and lights on the christmas tree.. and if you haven't done it.. get it up stop being such a humbug!
• Write and send the remaining christmas cards!!
• Stick all your cards up!!
• Update remaining present lists!!!

ionafan

Thanks Natty.  I will be doing what I can this week, although I'm still playing catch-up on my own list from about 4 weeks back!

roundtuit

Morning all xx 

Thank you Natty and Valli as always. 😘

I'm up, made my bed, got weighed*, taken my meds, turned over the calendars, and made a brew. 

* I lost a pound this week. Another 0.4 lbs and I'll be 50 lbs lighter than I was at the start of the year. 

Brew 2, puzzles, and a couple of messages to send then I'll be back with a plan.

Christmas tree 🎄 is up and decorated. 

Rxx

Jazee

Morning.  Thanks for the list.  DGD2 and I have just got wordle in six.  She presses the letters for me and cheers when they are all green.  We're doing dailies, playing, dancing and going to see Santa's reindeer today as well as walking Poppet and splashing in puddles.

Have a great day everyone.

Valli

Morning all

work today, out for lunch later.

Going to be a busy week… our cafe opens this week having been closed for a year!

DW x 1

Nailed connections, wordle in 5

MinnieMousesMummy

Thank you for the new thread. It's the start of a stressful couple of weeks for me but I'm going to try and keep doing some flying. 

My list for today
Go to uni for exam (first of 5)
Get festive cards whilst in town
Get sweets whilst in town to use with festive presents
Pay the garage for last week's car repair
Get a tester pot of paint to check the colour
Assist DH to put festive lights up outside
Empty the bathroom bin
Take the dog for a long walk
Deweb in the living room
Paint the ceiling in the living room
Move furniture around in the living room
Check banking and direct debits

I think that is everything that I need to get done today. Hope everyone has a lovely Monday.

sexymouse

Afternoon all,

Have been flitting in and out, but not posted for the past couple of weeks. Thank you for the lists.

Today I've been doing quite a bit of flying after no work booking again. To be honest, I'm quite relieved I didn't get work today, as DS2 wet the bed twice last night, so I'm absolutely shattered, and have been running the washing machine all night and morning trying to get on top of all of the extra bedding to wash etc. Also, once awake at 2.30am, I couldn't get back to sleep until around 4am. So far, 2 loads of bedding washed, and one dry to be put back on, I've repaired a rip in our bed sheet finally after putting it off for ages, so fingers crossed my hand stitching holds when it goes through the washing machine. I've also cleaned the upstairs toilet, sorted through a kitchen cupboard and made a couple of doctors appointments (one for me and one for DS2).

Puzzles all done this morning too with my morning coffee and breakfast.

ionafan

Brighter, drier and less windy here today.

This morning I have
- completed Wordle in 4, Strands with 5 hints, and Connections with no lives lost
- FUPA clean laundry
- showered, dressed and eaten breakfast
- sent DH into town or the next village (depending on which bus comes first) to buy, write and post a birthday card for his BiL 
- seen Rosie off for her long walk with L
- cleaned down the kitchen, including oven door and cupboard/drawer fronts, then hoovered and mopped
- put the chicken carcase on to simmer, ready to make curry and/or Greek lemon chicken soup
- deadheaded the geraniums on the DR window sill
- PUPA in the LR
- hoovered/mopped the DR, hallway and LR
- decluttered a well-deserved mug of coffee and a mini choc muffin.

After lunch I have to
- drop off a birthday card for my old neighbour
- go to the PO to drop off a returns parcel and to get cash
- buy a few grocery and pharmacy items which I can't get from MrAl
- deliver plants to friend J
- deliver another mini-cake to friend L who already bought 2 on Saturday (and maybe hopefully have a cuppa with her).

This evening it's the Old Wives' Christmas Supper, to which I'm taking a GF apple and almond cake.

I'm already worn out!  No sign of DH yet - maybe he's dropped into the CS café in town for soup with his mates...  Oh no, he's just returned.  Best get on with the curry, then!

eltee2

Afternoon all

Monday ~ Grotty Kitchen and Gloomy Dining Room
Level One...
✔️Declutter and mop/vacuum the floors
✔️Find and wipe the worksurfaces
Level Two...
✔️Wipe the big appliances and units.. don't forget kickboards!✔️
✔️Wipe small appliances and replace.. do one thoroughly.. descale or decrumb✔️ or degunge!
✔️Clear and wipe a shelf or window sill
Level Three...
✔️Wipe the table and replace the cloth if necessary.
❌️Sort through and clean out one cupboard
Clean the oven❌️ and hob✔️.

Extras

• ✔️Don't forget any cards and presents to be posted!
• ✔️Check through Christmas ornaments, do any need throwing away or replacing. Last thing you want when you decorate your tree is to find broken ornaments!!!
• ✔️Clean out the fridge.. make use of anything almost past its best
• ✔️Wash the windows
• ❌️Clean the top of the kitchen wall units.. if you can reach.. no accidents please!!
• ✔️Dust and Deweb

Christmas Extras
• ✔️Finalise those last minute presents you have to buy..


Oooh, not bad - see if I can finish it all this afternoon.

eltee's extras
✔️S&S bathroom
✔️Dust & Vacuum everywhere (like I was supposed to do at the weekend
✔️Air & remake bed 
✔️Put up Christmas tree & deccys?🤔🎄

eltee2

roundtuit said:

Morning all xx 


* I lost a pound this week. Another 0.4 lbs and I'll be 50 lbs lighter than I was at the start of the year. 
. 

Rxx

Wow!  Well done 🫡

ionafan

Oh wow!  I have just had a surprise gift arrive in the post.  Forget Christmas: it's already Spring here!  I love it!  Thank you so much to the anonymous giver: you know who you are - and I could hazard a guess, but I won't, because all of you, my Flyfriends, are wonderful people and deserve thanks for just being you xxx

Returning to the mundane, I now have a large bowl of chicken stock and a box of bits stripped from the bones, to make Greek soup tomorrow.  Once they are cold, there is room for both in the fridge, as I cleared that out yesterday.  Now I must go out to make my own deliveries and hopefully get to the PO before the after-school rush.