Anyone up for a new FLYLADY thread 01/01/11?

[ASecretLemonadeDrinker]

I did it yonks ago (origional threads ) , have drunk alot of tea slipped since then and really want to start it again as it really seemed to work for me :) I am going to blitz as much as I can before the 1st (tree/decs away tonight etc.) so I am starting as much as I can with a clean sheet :) Anyone a lapsed flyer (or whatever we call ourselves) or wants to be a domestic goddess () as of the 1st?

Happy Birthday Silvery!

alemci - what was the "the washing in bags" idea?

noeyedear glad your strategies with DH are working!

I guess the benefit of having your CJ in a folder rather than a notepad is that you can put your lists in a plastic wallet & tick them off as you do them?
I'm going to stick with my iPhone app for now, but am thinking it might be good to have stuff written down so DH/my mum can help out when #2 arrives!

Cointreau - the clutter baskets sound like a fab idea! DD doesn't have many toys in her bedroom atm, but will definately be committing that one to memory for the future!

I haven't told DH about the FYL lady or this thread yet (because he will take the piss), but he did ask the other day why I now have an obsession with keeping the kitchen sink clean! I explained that it made life much easier in the morning if the sink area was clear, and last night he cleared the sink himself! - he might not be shining the sink, but it's close enough for me!

Happy Birthday Silvery

oh, and I'm a bit confused about babystep 9 - why is there a link telling us how to declutter, when she's telling us to add a 5 minute room rescue to our routines? - Is the declutter stuff just for info? (am I being dim? )

I hadn't spotted the 5 min room rescue - I was struggling enough to fathom the declutter.

I am not doing that at this time of night I am afraid. I will do 10 mins tomorrow instead - promise

Hello All and welcome to those who've joined. Have been offline for a few days as have sinusitis but surprisingly still been keeping up with routines, sink is shining and have been dressed with hair washed and dried even though off work - spent yesterday watching Downton Abbey on sky+ and today pootling round in my craft room while DSs watched a film.

Contreauversial you have my sympathy re house renovation, we have spent the last year decorating a house which hasn't been touched for 40 years. DH finished hall, dining room and most importantly the kitchen the weekend before Christmas and am really enjoying being able to keep it all clean and shiny now. We've only the lounge left to do now but need to do some fund replenishment before that happens as we want to fit a new fire place.

Hi I feel really guilty reading all this as I'm struggling. I've got 2 DC at home aged 3 & 1 and just can't get the time away from them to get on with things they constantly want me to read, play hide & seek, run away from the monsters!!!! And I've just started my own business this month, so went to a training day today and was totally shattered when I got in.
I'll try much harder from Monday.

Any advice or tips on how to do better greatly received and appreciated!

Oh abgirl, it was a slum here for the first six months - I managed to kill two hoovers with all the plaster dust. A new kitchen is lovely, though, isn't it? Somehow easier to keep clean.

Well, DH cooked tapas this evening (he cooks once a month as he's trying to learn, bless him). Food was delish, but I swear there wasn't one pan or dish in the kitchen that he didn't use, so the clean-up took quite some time!

I have also completed my four laundry loads and lobbed plenty of random stuff into the dc's baskets for them to put away. I also did a quick de-clutter of the utility room, which tends to be a staging post for stuff on its way to the shed. I'm guessing a 5-Minute Room Rescue is just a brief Declutter?

Fleebee flylady always says 'you are not behind, just jump in' - just do what you can and it will feel better - even just shining your sink and doing nothing else will make you feel a bit more in control - you need to give yourself a bit more of a break as you've got a lot on already, does your DC1 go to pre-school you?

Love love love my new kitchen - had one cupboard and a separate pantry with the old one, now have LOTS of cupboards and a dishwasher for the first time ever - do my flylady stuff in the evening when the dishwasher's going...

'yet' not 'you' - sorry!

evening all. I have soent the morning ferrying children around, the afternoon shopping- nearly came home with the most adorable rabbit (but bank balance says a very firm no ).
then the evening I have spent doing uni work. The good news is I have now caught up to where I should be, with the exception of 2 readings I need to do for monday as I am not driving the 80 mile round trip tomorrow for a couple of books. I will see I have anything remotely similar on the book shelf tomorrow.

I have also menu planned for the next week and done a thorough clean and hoover of the living room.
Off now to tidy the living room hotspot (the chair where I am sitting) as it is covered in books and paperwork. before bed with a book

I have been reading the links you guys have all put up and am understanding the room rescue to be 5 minutes to run in and grab as much as you can put away in 5 mins? I will do this tomorrow, think the room to start is my bedroom, I have a few boxes of crap old toys piled up in there so could sort them out finally.

fleebee could you try and involve dc, give them a duster or get them to carry a pair of socks to wherever you put the laundry type jobs? race to see who can tidy the most if putting toys etc away, possibly work more with the three year old but younger one may follow suit as well

Happy birthday silvery

Cointreau - I thought I had killed my dyson after we had building work done, but after speaking to their nice helpdesk people I bought new filters & it was like new again!

Tip for anyone else having building work done - hire an industrial vacuum cleaner! I got one for a weekend & was amazed at what it dragged out of the carpets!

I was supposed to have a soak in the bath & an early night tonight, but have been sidetracked by MN again! - think I need to start setting a timer for my internet usage!

babystep 10 This page makes more sense than yesterday's. From what I understand we should have done a 5 min room rescue yesterday and today do a 5 min room rescue and a 15 min declutter. Is that right?
Sink and bathrooms look great but there are still many many hotspots in my house to put out - it does feel like progress though.

How come everyones bathrooms are looking great? Have I missed something? ?

noeyedear my bathroom looks okish, but only because I did my 5 min room rescue in there today! (still need to clean the shower screen properly!)

My bathrooms are OK at the moment, but only because my Home Blessing on Friday developed into a full house-clean.

But I was wondering about when bathrooms would appear in the routine. I know we start to "swish & swipe" soon, but tbh my bathroom needs more than that!

I think the bathroom gets a thorough clean when we get into Zones, but we're not there yet! After that, the swish and swipe should help us keep on top of it.

I don't think we have officially done anything with a bathroom yet - I have just picked up some tips from others and found they have helped me keep on top of things.
I have just cleaned out both guinea pig cages so the whole house smells A LOT better. I have hot spotted the kitchen table although I think, like Silvery I am guilty of just moving some of the bits to another hot spot, which is why I still have loads of hot spots.

My sink is shiny now! I am having trouble keeping up with you all so I will have to make it up as I go along.

My DH is a neat freak but not a clean freak iyswim. So the house is superficially tidy with a few hot spots tucked away in drawers and cupboards! And it needs a really good clean but I like the idea of just doing 15 mins here and there rather than feeling overwhelmed with it all.

Has anyone else signed up for emails? Are they annoying or useful?

Greedygirl - we are only on babysteps. Some people on here have been flyers before and are refreshing. Others like myself have never done this before so am just doing my best to keep up too!

My DH sounds like yours. Neat but not clean. Bloody annoying to live with!

I have done my hotspot (well one of them tonight) and a 15 minute room rescue in DS bedroom. This was after he had had a friend to play and it looked like a bombsite. DS did help me but they were playing with Playmobil and I have a bit of OCD where it is concerned and it all has to go back in the right boxes.

Kitchen is clean and sink just awaiting its shine. School bags done. Just got to put bedding back on our bed and iron school uniform then am done for the night

phew evening all am feeling a bit tired tonight. feel like I have done loads this evening, didn't do too much today as dd had a birthday party this morning then dc decided they would like to go for a walk in the woods this afternoon so thats what we did.
this evening have done loads, polished all the shoes for tomorrow, made tomorrows lunches and tomorrows dinner and dd's snack to take to after school club. ironing, re-hemmed ds's school trousers and mended one of my tops. tidied through downstairs and shined the sink. packed school/uni bags for tomorrow.
Just sitting to watch dancing on ice now before i go to bed

Has anyone found it harder this weekend than it has been through the week?
I realise we all have different schedules and some are at home during the day while others work long hours.
I feel I need a slightly different schedule for the weekend than I do for a weekday but maybe I am just being lazy a wimp.

Phew! The bathroom is the bane of my life. I was hoping I would get some tips forgetting on top of it! Do you think tidying up toys at the end of the day counts as a room rescue? I seem to have done things that don't look like they have made a lot of difference today, like filing away post in the post rack, but I know they need to be done. Going to work tomorrow so will lay out clothes. Have done sink too! Need to start my room rescue in the back room asap!

carrots I was thinking things had ramped up a bit the last couple of days too - I'm not being very good at sticking to the time limits for the hotspots though...

I've started different morning routines for the days I am/am not at work. I figured it was ok to make my life a bit easier if it made it more likely that I'd continue with it!

noeyedear I got wipes, spray and kitchen roll for both bathrooms and keep them in there now. Whenever I am in there I just do a quick wipe round or tidy up if needed as the stuff is all right there. It seems to be working. Dh seems to be adopting the habit too so we are managing to keep on top of it.
Our study is the room of doom as my dd (9) calls it. It is the dumping ground for everything we don't know what to do with or don't have time to deal with.
It will need several room rescues and declutters but it is a revelation to me that I don't have to do the whole room in one go. I can do 15 mins here and 20 mins there or even a 2 min slot and eventually we will be able to get in it!
Sink shined, clothes laid out, dh helping with packed lunches...we are making progress!