Neat and clean in 2017 - it's the January Flylady thread

[CotswoldStrife]

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Welcome to the January Flylady thread, where we try and maintain our nests in good order by following the Flylady method. We'll post links each day to the Flylady website for the babysteps, daily focus and extra missions in the current zone. The habit of the month is shining your sink (or whatever other place in your home motivates you).

If you are just starting, Flylady recommends decluttering the weekly zone before doing the detailed cleaning and not to do too much at once!

All are welcome, so feel free to join us anytime.

Hi all, a tedious toilet training day here. Only one bit of Pooh on floor though so things improving!

Ta da's:
Dishwasher loaded, kitchen shiney, loads more laundry done, dried and it away
Ironing done FINALLY hurray!
School uniform/ clothes out for tomorrow
Kids asleep (well, in bed)

To do:
Relax in front of fire with dh, possibly wine!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Cag thanks so much for Hotmail 'sweeping' tip, it is genuinely a gamechanger for me!!!!

Ta das today (back to basics)
Shined sink
Swept kitchen floor
5 mins hot spots
Tidied and hoovered dining room before lunch (latter cooked by DH)
Took car full of shed junk to tip
Painted second coat on DS's bedroom ceiling

When I write it down it feels like I got more done than I realised!

I'm back to work properly tomorrow so had a busy day trying to get organised for the week ahead.

Ta das:
Living room deep cleaned
Decorations finally made it into the attic
One washload
Dry clothes put away
Dinner made for tomorrow
Clothes laid out for tomorrow
Kitchen cleaned and tidied.

Hope I can keep the house as clean and organised this week!

Not as much progress as expected this weekend as DS has been sick over many rooms and DD poohed in the bath!

Ta das:
Cleaned up all the above
2 wash loads done and one ready for tomorrow
15 mins bedroom decluttering
Put away half of DCs outgrown clothes
Sorted out old toys / broken etc

The washing basket now closes!

Good point about the cards and memories Cag, and I know what you mean about the word count in essays Stressy . Always over the word count!

I think Muppets and paxillin were up early rather than late I'm a night owl myself so no censure from me!

At one point, I had a 'lost list' of small toys items that were MIA fresh, they always turn up eventually ... hope work goes OK Emeralda. I'll gloss over the toilet training tips ...

We could claim that married allowance but haven't yet. Really should get round to it

Waves at all other fledglings not mentioned above, Grey, Fool, foxes, zoo, Honu, purple, whoknows, cheeky, Newchick, Elenor, Abbey! Hope I didn't miss anyone, it's fab to have you all here.

Wine, I mean links next

The daily summary for Monday (also available on the Flylady website at flight plan which should update automatically each day.

**

Baby-step no 9 - learn how to declutter by reading the decluttering lesson

We are in Zone 2 this week: the kitchen

Spend 15 mins decluttering in Zone 2.

When you have finished decluttering, the detailed cleaning list (if you are at that stage) for Zone 2 is here

Mission for Monday scrub the kitchen sink taps

The daily focus for Monday is: weekly home blessing hour

The monthly habit for January is shine your sink

daily reminders

Thank you for the links Cotswold

I'm reading the thread in hope of it motivating me. DP made the bed this morning but other than that not much has happened. DS has had a fever on and off since Friday and slept terribly last night. I just want to go back to bed. Thankfully we did the before bed routine pretty well last night so there's not a huge amount to do this morning.

To do
Wash breakfast pots
Get dressed
Get DS dressed
Make DS bed
WM on
15 minute declutter in the kitchen. This is one of my worst clutter areas so I'm looking forward to the improvement I'll hopefully see by Friday.

Yesterday was a write off as out at dd's swimming gala 06.45-19.30 and could only summon up the energy to eat.

However, new week and all that

Ta da's
Dishwasher emptied and loaded
Load of washing and on radiators
Me and DD up, fed and out

To do's
Second load of washing
Tidy living room
Start kitchen de clutter
Trip to Aldi
Swimming run

Morning all.
Slept dreadfully, up ridiculous o'clock so here's tadas.
Fees cats
Clean fridge
Tidy freezer
Sort baking cupboard,noting stuff needs using up soon(must make something nice with coconut shards in next week or two)
Recycling out
Empty all bins into big one outside
Feed zoolets
Wipe bath
Wipe sink
Clean bathroom windows
Wash bathroom floor
Bleach lav
D's room-
Wipe windows
Polish
Quick tidy
Wash floor
Made his bed
Girls room
Wash floor
Polish
(They not do too bad keeping it tidy)
School run
Hoover hall,stair n landing
Clean Bannister
Wash hall floor
Clean inside front door and door into liv room
Liv room-
Clean windows
Polish
Sweep floor(to wash later,as ment rain pick up pointless til all zoolets are in)
Hot spot coffee table and wipe
Hot spot dining table
Wash breakfast things

Time for a break!!

Hope your ds feels better soon Muppet
Zoo your lists are getting longer! Well done!

Well I rang tax office as soon as I got back from nursery drop off and they were really unhelpful and now my dh has to ring them instead to check all his details. Which he can't do at the moment as he is busy at work. So I'm no further with it and there is nothing I can do now which is very frustrating! Ds is asleep on my lap and all my motivation for the day has gone out the window.

Must stop moping and get on with something else!

Thank you Foxes.

Wow Zoo! That's an impressive list.

Does anyone have shelves like this in your kitchen? What do you store on them that doesn't look/attract clutter? (This isn't my kitchen but I have these style shelves). Currently I use one for cookbooks, one for tea/coffee/sugar and one for spices but that still leaves 7.

Hellooooo! Good morning all and a very Happy New Year to regular fledglings, all newcomers, lurkers and intermittent returnees! I hope your Christmas holidays went as well as possible and, if nothing else, you managed a bit of relaxation (well as much as possible with small people afoot!)! Lovely to see lots of old returnees as well as newcomers on here!

(Double take, was that Einstein popping back in? [Big waves])

I was tagged felt my ears burning so just thought I would drop in to say "eh up " to one and all! Hope everyone is OK and that return to work/school/study/proper Flying not proving too onerous! (So sorry, haven't had time to catch up with thread yet!)

Cotswold it's downright amazing and v kind of you to run the (always hectic) January thread, having just run the (also v busy) Christmas one! Bloody good of you

So sorry to have been awol. Combination of Christmas travel, guests and the fact that from now on, my "new" life has begun (the one we have been working towards for 15 years) - gulp - and I am now living between two locations which are both total total wrecks (one of which doesn't have wi-fi atm - or even a table for that matter!). Without boring on, the idea is that, after years of frustration and feeling pretty useless and unmotivated and unsettled (and being possibly the worst "femme de foyer" in the universe), I will finally, finally be able to have a job/earn a wage of my own via one of the properties without encountering prohibitive expat tax ishoos. But its going to take an enormous amount of work, energy, and some serious scrimping and saving, before we can get to that stage. And on the Flying front, it will also hopefully allow me more physical and head space to allow me to beat this house in to shape finally (well, without mahoosive renovation, it is never going to be in shape, but I want to follow Knitting's good example and at least declutter it room by floor).

Honu thank you very much indeed for your very pm about dd and educational ishoos (still ongoing). I am so sorry not to have replied yet! Christmas/movingwas hectic ! But just wanted to say your advice was much appreciated and will get back to you shortly [big waves] xx

So far, Flying-wise: house not too bad post-Christmas downstairs (well it has been worse in previous years). Hall cleared. Christmas boxes and packing recycled. All decorations neatly packed away and sitting room de-festive-fied (apart from tree which communal recycling services will take away for shredding Tues/Wed). Sort of on top of washing but loads of ironing to do. Have also managed to scrub down kitchen thoroughly and sort and clean fridge thoroughly too.

Upstairs not looking so good. Christmas packing station in home office still a terrible jumble of cards and ribbon and rolls of sellotape in home office (still need to send out some NY cards to those I didn't sent Christmas cards to ). Hideous dumping ground aka boudoir was sorted and cleared before Christmas guests arrived but is now sinking back in to disarray so need to nip that in the bud before it spirals out of control again. Bathroom needs extra intense s & s.

Also spent part of weekend helping dd to declutter and sort out her homework corner/school desk and get everything in order for new term ahead.

Ta da list - a bit too long and daunting to type out! But had better get on with it!

Huge big cheery wing flaps to one and all!

Muppets it's difficult - personally I dislike open storage in a kitchen - as things tend to get so dusty/greasy. We have so little storage space that we have to use top of fridge/top of cupboard to put things on and I hate it!! So personally I would either store things that you use every day and get washed daily (mugs?) or things that are already in packets (tin foil or some such? ) but that does look cluttery, or could you buy some wipeable storage paniers from Lakeland or somewhere to put things in which would at least keep them partially clean? I suppoose it depends if you actually need the space those shelves provide? If not, you could keep them very minimally empty (perhaps with one objet on each) so at least they are easy to clean down? Sorry, not much help!

Crikey Zoo you have got off to a cracking start! Amazing list!

Muppets just another thought - maybe you could use the open shelves (well the lower ones anyway) to store kitchen appliance you use intermittently - ie food processor, coffee machine, Kenwood, spiraliser???? That way you keep your surfaces clear. Particularly good if they come with covers.

Or big casserole pans that would free up storage inside cupboards?

I like the Lakeland storage tub idea. I want them to be minimal but not an invitation for junk mail and not just a pointless ornament that I have to wash.

I'm also thinking maybe a huge glass container for rice/flour that sort of thing. I agree that this sort of storage sucks.

Hi all and any newbies, good to 'see' you SC.

Zoo that is an amazing list!!

I have realised I said I'd do the February thread. Am happy to do it as have gained so much from this thread myself. I think people (Cotswold, SC?) said there were some guides for links etc? I am a bit clueless about it all so may need a bit of a watchful eye on me along the way!

Ta da:-
Laundry on
Just eaten lunch with DD2
Sent one awkward email and a text that I had been putting off

To do:-
Have lots of little bitty things that I need to get done - online shopping, phone my parents, party invitations so trying to get them done if DD2 will let me
Preschool admin
Work on essay

And most importantly, need to book tickets for something for DD1. Of course because I have not organised it in advance it is now much more of a hassle and may have to do it tonight when DH back and hope it's not sold out. Why do I do this to myself? .

Muppets my answer to your shelves depends if anything you put on there is likely to be immediately pulled off ? If not then I agree with SC'S ideas.

Sympathies and Zoo I was wondering how things had been going with you and yours over Christmas. There was a long break between my late mother's death and the actual funeral (same with late mil's) and I remember it as a very strange time when you feel partly in shock/partly in limbo and it is all very unreal/surreal. I'm sorry things are so difficult with your sister but I hope the funeral will bring you some comfort (well, as much as these things can)

And YY to everything being a bit scary atm re properties (especially as I can barely keep on top of one atm!). Most people think we are barking and there is a very real prospect of it all ending in tears. But it was the only solution that worked on various (complicated) fronts balancing the business and other factors and dh, being generally fairly risk averse/prudent thanks to his rather chaotic upbringing, has worked out options (plans e and f) if it is all a total disaster. Although holding our breaths re: upcoming French/German electons and future of Euro/EU etc. Impossible to predict some things!

Condolences zoo but am so impressed and a little exhausted simply by reading your list!

Oh zoo, must have cross posted with you

Hi Toostressy I am happy to run March if you do Feb (should have wi-fi up and running by then whereever I am) and will dig out instructions to send to you (although be warned I am not very gifted on the technical front and you will probably find quicker/easier ways of doing things but it is a basic guide at least).

Very happy to ready down-thread that you had a well deserved spa day!!

Also great that you have a chance of some freelance work (albeit earlier than planned). Hope it is possible to run with it if at all possible (although know you have lots on your plate atm) because (speaking as ex-freelancer) it is not so easy to claw one's way back in once out of the loop. Anyway, great that you are in demand!!

Fab, thanks. Oooh that's interesting that you used to freelance! Not sure it will even come off but even if it doesn't it will look much better that I have said I am available and keen to do it than if I say no so have told the person I am interested. Just need to get this horrific portfolio submitted but I find it too hard to study with DD2 around. Trying to get other bits done today with her 'helping' in the hope of getting another couple of hours done on it tonight.

She's having a bit of time on her tablet so..
To do:-
As many party invites as possible
Load dishwasher
Laundry check
In the spirit of jumping in where I am am going to attempt one of the Xmas clear up missions with her in a bit. All the decorations are down, it's just the little things still lying around.
Persuade her out of DD1's dress before school pick up
After school: referee constantly and cook tea.

Afternoon all. Great to have you back SC

Soooooo.....

My house is all packed up into boxes, one van loaded up and taken off to depot overnight. Removal guys coming back tomorrow to load up the last of it.

To Do
Kitchen: Clean hob, sink, surfaces, microwave, fridge. Sweep floor.
Bleach all loos,
Hoover throughout

Cross your fingers for me fledglings that our completion goes through ok tomorrow!

Good luck grey hope all goes well tomorrow.

Ta das
Cleaned my kitchen tap but tbh it looks no better!! Joys of an old kitchen which really needs replacing.
Picked up a parcel
Dishwasher on
Made lunch
Rang hmrc again after dh sorted his but, they told me to submit it even if wrong and ring them in 3 days to sort it so I have submitted but don't feel relieved about it yet !
Room rescues upstairs
Laundry put away and more on
Nappy bin emptied
Decluttered one kitchen cupboard and a bit of a kitchen drawer (and managed to dispose of one random instruction leaflet and an old keyring and that's all!)

To do
Make cottage pie for dinner with very minimal ingredients as food shopping doesn't arrive until later on tonight.