Flying through August & the summer holidays with Flylady!

[BloomingHazel]

Welcome to this long running thread, we may seem clicky, but all are welcome to join in!

Do NOT sign up for the Flylady emails - it's an excessive amount sent every day.

There are Baby Steps for starting out, add one thing at a time to start good habits and routines.

There are 5 zones that we will rotate through, don't worry about finishing it all this month, it'll come around again next month! Flylady is NOT about perfectionism!

Habit of the month of August is Laundry

Daily missions: each day of the week has a different mission.

• Monday: Home Blessing (or as we call it, home bleugh)
• Tuesday: plan & play
• Wednesday: anti-procrastination
• Thursday: errand day
• Friday: clean car & purse out and date night (what's that again?? 🤔)
• Saturday: family fun day
• Sunday: renew your spirit

Common acronyms we use:

• LOL: load of laundry (washing is certainly NOT funny!)
• DW: dishwasher, we are not rotating wives by any means, although an extra pair of hands could come in handy sometimes 😆
• LMS: lose/lost my shit
• DNLMS: did not lose my shit

I'm sure there's more I haven't mentioned, feel free to ask us to explain something. I'll try to update links every day, although if you can, it's worth downloading the app, you can even have it send you notifications (although I only have it for when the zones change).

As a side note, this is my first time leading this thread, please be patient with me if I miss something. We really are a friendly bunch!
Links are below 👇 if I happen to not add links in time, they do update at midnight for you.

Launch Pad: www.flylady.net/d/new-links/

Zones: www.flylady.net/d/zones/

Baby Steps: www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/31-beginner-babysteps/

balloon thank you, we are actually going to meet with the restoration company next Tuesday, so should come up with a plan then. Once they start, it's full steam ahead, apparently. Not having the electric car charged and ready would have been so embarrassing for the sales person, although frustrating for you, I'm sure. You had a productive day too, by the looks of things.

pompoms we are going to try another no spend month, only sticking to groceries, gas and of course the masses of money we have to throw at the house 😱(money provided by insurance of course). Doing a whole day trip without having to spend any money is an achievement!

thistle crabbing sounds fun! You had a great start with shining your sink.

Elf camping was fun, we got rained and hailed on, so grateful for our camper!

I worked all day, decided to actually get on my spin bike (I haven't been on it for months 😳), then had dinner. DH put a screen cover on my phone before sitting down to relax.
I do still need to clean DSs watch straps and finish loading the DW, before taking a shower and going to bed. Must get moving.
I'll be back with links later 🍒👋

Tuesday is plan & play day.
The mission is to put out the hotspots in your living room. Put away things that don't belong, but only spend 10 minutes on it. You may be surprised what you can accomplish in 10 minutes!

The baby step is to take care of you! There is a pamper section, with ideas of how to pamper yourself, relax, have fun, etc.
https://www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/31-beginner-babysteps/day-29/
The pamper section:
https://www.flylady.net/d/br/author/pamper/
There are previous articles as well for different ideas and ways to pamper yourself.

@partypompoms why don't we stick with you doing September and I'll volunteer for October in that case.

Welcome @thistlescot do ask if there's anything you don't understand (that goes for thr chat as well as the routines)

Welcome back
@InAndOutOfTheRedBalloon - I'm a long term resident of these threads but under many different names so we may have crossed paths before.

Same as Ed, been here a while with a gap cos i accidentally locked myself out of mn for a bit.

Survive? yeah that is what i am trying to do. Sunday the house broke me, and i spent the day with the rages at the situation. Thankfully, it had worked its way out of my system by yesterday morning.

Alarm was too early this morning. So tired still. But a long to do list to do today.

to do
empty /prep car for work
car to mechanic for service and repairs
take a whole heap of measurements
walk down to the diy shop for some wood for the fly/wasp screen
pick up fabric for making curtains for the shelf that needs protection from direct sunlight
pick up curtain wire, hook and eyes
dw - unload reload run
wash up the big pots
finish batch 2 of stock

That is the important stuff, anything else is a bonus. I have a feeling a nap is going to be needed

Morning 🌄 everyone 👋
Hi and welcome @thistlescot
I think I need a spreadsheet to keep up with everyone's names now, I step away for a couple of days and when I return you've all accomplished so much!
I'm still in a not very productive mood, not sleeping well which is half the problem.
One of the dogs was sick on the doormat yesterday, it's supposed to be washable but the rubber back disintegrated in the machine and clogged the filter. Luckily DP sorted it, as it was full of water.
After it span I did a drum clean and cleaned the filter. Then the dog was sick on the new piece of vet bed, which of course shed half of its fluff in the WM and I had to clean the filter again.
Apart from that the only other thing I did yesterday was go for a long dog walk, all part of fly lady'ing my lardy body 😆
I'm not making ToDo lists, but I'm going to focus on my TaDa's while I'm in this funk.
TTFN 👋

I'm up at a reasonable time , trying to get my body clock reset ready for work next week - the summer holidays have gone so fast !!

Ta da
✅ LOL in the washer

I'm happy to start back with the living room - aiming to do a full 30 mins decluttering to catch up for missing yesterdays. It's sprouted clutter piles in every nook and cranny ! I also have an 8 box Kallax unit (everyone uses a box each for their shoes , then 3 boxes for things like hats , gloves, things we need regularly during the week like gymnastics bag, library books etc and a box for things to go to charity ) .

For plan and prep - the dreaded meal planning and shopping list ! I have a new calendar so I'll enjoy filling that out , I can't decide whether to just fill out normally or to use a different colour for each person (either pen or highlighter) it might make it easier with 5 of us busy most of the time - what does everyone else do ?

@DomesticElf we've been away for most of the summer , I took the younger 2 to a butlins weekend at the beginning of the holidays , a week or so later Cornwall for 10 nights , then we've just come home from a 4 night stay in Hunstanton - a lovely site and place , we will definitely be revisiting. We don't usually go away as much but dd1 did her GCSEs this year, oh took her and her friends to Santa Pod for a weekend celebrating leaving school (which is why I took the younger 2 away the same weekend) then we went to Hunstanton to celebrate her results ! Next year we wont be away as much !

@BloomingHazel I agree with the camper - we have a tourer and absolutely love it ! I find sitting in there listening to the rain quite therapeutic!! Glad you enjoy your trip .

Waving to everyone else 👋 I better get moving if I want to get a few bits done today otherwise I'll still be sat here at lunchtime 😂😂

Not sleeping well makes everything so much harder @CherryogDog , take it easy on yourself 💐 doing a tada list is better than a todo list - sometimes you forget how much you actually do without realising it !

@BloomingHazel full disclosure we let the kids do hook a duck £4 EACH and they each had a an old fashioned lolly £3 EACH! We wouldn't do that again but I put it down as a summer holiday treat.

The lollies were a pain in the bum due to wasps and we still them. It's like they are never ending lollies! I said at the end of the holidays they are going regardless.

Morning all. Welcome thistle too!💐

Yesterday was really productive, DH and DD1 did loads of the decorating while I continued with sorting stuff. Going to have to get something done this morning, then DH and I are taking Cagletini to an event across town.

I think we’ve reached peak “stuff everywhere” TBH, it’s amazing how much was crammed into the Caglets’ bedrooms. Our own room is now a major trip hazard!

Lots of admin that I’ve been avoiding too. Not cool.

Have a good day everyone 💐

sunny we would go to Hunstanton a lot growing up, as it was only an hour away from where we lived!
I can't help re planner, we all have the same meals. Although, if there are lots of different activities and dietary needs, it may help keep track to have different coloured pens.

Thank you ED & pompoms for volunteering the next 2 months. I honestly don't think I could do it with everything going on at the house!

hills that's a big to do list!
Cherry that sounds stressful re wm. Is CherryDog okay?
pompoms that is not bad at all! Not much money spent, and sounds like it was worth it anyway.
Sing it is shocking how much stuff we all accumulate over the years. Hopefully it won't take long to sort it out, but remember, you can get a lot done in 15 minutes!

Ta Das (8:15am here):
☕️ took DS to school
☕️ one cup of coffee consumed

To Dos:
✂️ put our sheets in the WM
✂️ make my 2nd cup of coffee (even if it's "to go")
✂️ get ready to leave the house - I have a hair appt
✂️ bleach both bathrooms
✂️ vacuum

I'm not sure after that. I know I have LOLs to do, presents for DS to wrap and a stop at the grocery store. I really need to redo my nails as well, I just don't know if it's possible! Hmmmm, I'll be back later, hopefully with more ta das.

@BloomingHazel I'm not sure which dog it was, they both like eating grass, but they both seem well within themselves.
I managed to fall down a step in my back yard, landed on my knees and elbow and hit my head on a plant pot ffs 😅
I've taken it slow today, cleaned the fridge, chucked an embarrassing amount of old food away, put the recycling outside and bleached the dustbins. I sat down for a rest and I've seized up and can feel everything hurting.
I need to sort out meal planning with DP, I'm a pescatarian, he's almost 100% carnivore lol, so it can be tricky. He hates routines, timetables, anything he sees as a "rule ", and doesn't want to have a meal plan, but after today I need to put my foot down.
And we both tend to say f* it, let's get a takeaway when we're both tired.
He's out tonight, and I've got two tired looking aubergines to use up so I'm off to Google recipes 👋

Oh no Cherry 😢 I hope you are okay!
Hopefully you can get DP on board for meal planning. Even if you don't have set days for the meals, it would help to know what you can have for the week.

@CherryogDog meal planning is the bane of my life. I don't mind cooking but it's all the thinking that tips me over the edge.

✅ lol
✅ decluttered 5 items
✅ sold one thing on Vinted
✅ cleaned living room and fought the fires there so thanks for the links that got me going first thing
✅ made a chilli enough for a few days
✅ had friends child over all day which gave me the day off really as everyone entertained themselves
✅ duolingo

pompoms you've had a productive day! I'm glad the links helped ☺️

Ta Das (12:45pm):
🌻 dressed & makeup on
🌻 washed sheets
🌻 haircut & roots touched up
🌻 watered outside plants
🌻 sheets dried & put back on our bed
🌻 towels washed and currently in dryer
🌻 3rd LOL in washer

I'm currently waiting for DH to show up so we can have lunch. We have kind of been planning the party for DS. We are late in getting it sorted though (it's this weekend!) 🤦‍♀️

We will definitely visit again @BloomingHazel , it's a lovely place - had fish and chips in Fishers restaurant and can see why it was voted in the uk top 10 , it was delicious! It's a good 2.5 hours from us so isn't overly close for a day out but will hopefully do a weekend again next year.

Oh I hope you're ok @CherryogDog. Maybe the meal plan can be attempted as a 'let's make a list of meals that are quick and easy to sort when we're busy' so it's a plan in disguise 🥸 I'm with you though @partypompoms, meal planning is the task I dislike rather than the cooking ! I've just done mine up until Sunday and I just end up cooking the same stuff because I'm so stuff in a rut with ideas !

Todays tadas
✅ LOL x 4
✅ 1 LOL that I hung outside , then I listened to the rain in the afternoon and thought 'hmmm , no rain has been forecast today' it was only after the rain had stopped that I remembered I had washing on the line 🤦‍♀️😂 rest of the washing on the maidens and in the dryer !
✅ quick clean of the shower and toilet
✅ quick hoover main areas of home
✅ 30 mins decluttering/tidying of the living room
✅ 15 mins folding dry washing and taken to rooms
✅ friend and their dd came round for the afternoon - playroom is now a sh*t tip but she did bring cake so it's worth the mess that I'll have to clear up later on !
✅lunch cooked
✅ tea cooked and mostly tidied away
✅ meal plan
✅ dropped dd1 at friends
✅ dd2 ready for gymnastics and dropped off
✅ food shop
✅ food shop packed away (every single item!!)
✅ back at gymnastics now , having a little time reading my book until she finishes at 830 (it's my only bit of peace in the week, although I could've stayed home and finished my jobs , I protect my quiet time strictly ! Plus they always make me a coffee whilst I sit in the waiting room with my book or crochet , whichever I choose to do 😊)

To do once home:

*Check on the washing / dryer
*Have a quick 10 minute tidy of the playroom
*Finish the kitchen which should only take 10 mins at the most

Hopefully I'll be sat in front of the tv for 915 - I want to watch the new drama on bbc1 the woman in the wall. I haven't watched any yet but it is supposed to be good 😊

@CherryogDog we do meal plan bingo - so we have a list of the meals that might be eaten in that month (although weekly works to). No set meal plan just pull from the list where we have picked up the stuff for the meals on the list. Then i have the alternatives list. So is people have cottage pie or lasagna which i can't eat then I can pick from either individual prepped meals i can eat or grab something else. I know that if i make pizza what my mods are for each person so it is a meal we can all eat it (same meal 4 versions). Each month is slightly different and will include birthday tea/ meals out planned/ need to use up ingredient meals/ christmas etc as it falls in the month.

I know that we eat pasta once a week, there is baked potato night cos timings for 2 people, fish night each week. I don't cook the baked potato/fish meals so they are fixed days but everything else can fit in around what energy i have to cook, activities to do. If it is not on the list for the month then there may be a negotiated tweak or it just gets added to the next month.

batch cooking in the freezer is for the really can't be arsed days, because sometimes open freezer, shove in hot oven, take out and dish up is more energy than i have.

Did not get everything done, fabric shop is shut tuesday, and i have felt rough all day. So hoping for an early night.

sunny phew, that's an impressive ta da list! I'm glad you were able to fit in some time for yourself.
hills I really need to have some handy frozen meals. I used to do slow cooker meals that you prep in a bag, can store in the freezer until you are ready to cook, thaw out the night before, then dump in the slow cooker in the morning. I need to get back to that, although my diet is very different now!

Ta Das:
🌻 handwashed dishes
🌻 towels dry & back in bathroom
🌻 3 more LOLs washed & dried, including sheets from DSs bed
🌻 bleached both bathrooms
🌻 decluttered a few things from the bathroom that I don't use anymore
🌻 vacuumed main floor
🌻 mopped
🌻 cleaned mirrors in bathrooms
🌻 cleaned inside of doors (glass - the dogs like to look out the window and they make a nasty mess)
🌻 cleared the hotspot in the living room

It's almost dinnertime and I'm already sleepy 😴!
I still need to get my lunch ready for tomorrow, as well as my clothes out for the morning.
DH still needs to look at my window in the Jeep, I put it down this morning, now it won't go up 🤦‍♀️🤬 it's the back window.
I'll be back with links 🍒👋

Wednesday is anti-procrastination day.
Today's mission is to spend 15 minutes putting things away that do not belong in the living room, no need to spend 3 hours on it, just set aside 15 minutes.
The baby step is to check your calendar for next month. Are there any birthdays? Plan ahead, but the card/ presents/ make plans.
https://www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/31-beginner-babysteps/day-30/
Here's today's pamper mission: turn the shower on hot, do not get in the water, be naked though. Let your body soak up the steam to purify your pores for 15-30 minutes. Apply lotion or body cream afterwards.
I don't know about you, but I'm not so sure about this one, that would be a lot of water wasted, unless the water isn't running the whole time, but then I'm not sure it would work! I would rather relax in the bath with bubbles, candles and wine! And get clean at the same time. THEN apply the lotion or body cream (I always do this anyway, as my skin dries out if I don't).
https://www.flylady.net/d/br/2023/07/30/pamper-mission-08-30-2023/

I agree @BloomingHazel , I certainly wouldn't be able to justify the waste of water or the cost of that - maybe I'll take a bit of time to pop a face mask on or a good body exfoliation, much more economical. I used to dry body brush but haven't done for years , very good for exfoliation and increases blood flow , I don't think it's an overly popular self care routine now . I hope your DH managed to fix the window of your jeep and you managed a rest a little in the afternoon 💐

You're very organised with meals @HillsBesideTheSea! It's an area I fall down on regularly! I must try to do better ! My hours have changed slightly this academic year so I should have around an hour at home before the school run (although it all may change when I walk into school on Monday) perhaps it should be my task to use that hour to be better organised with some batch cooking . Did you get your early night ? Are you feeling any better ?

I slept awfully last night , it was about 1230am when I went to bed and have been waking up from 5ish on and off so I've given up and started the day ! I think possibly I didn't eat enough yesterday and I was a bit mean to ds which played on my mind all night - I'm going to set aside some time for him today and maybe do some Lego or play monopoly with him to have a chat . He is 12 now , follows the 'popular' crowd and I really want to work on keeping our relationship as positive as possible whilst he goes through the trials of secondary school ! Parenting is harder the older they get !

Unfortunately i did not get either an early night or a good night's sleep. Feeling poorly. Ds cooked and i need to find out what recipe he used as it gave me terrible digestive issues

I am only organised with meals because:

1. meal plan bingo means i only have think about what meals to cook/ eat once that month = saves brain space
2. frozen meals can be delegated for others to cook =freedom of timing/delegation
3. frozen meals mean low effort to cook = good for chronic illness issues
4. reduces waste = we know what we need, what we use. We rarely have fresh veg as we don't use it. we use frozen and honestly it is probably better for you if you understand the storage timings from field to store
5. Allergies =honestly i am serving 3-4different meals for dinner some days, batch cooking makes this way less of a pita
6. Batch cooking saves washing up pots time. I can get 6 cottage pies out of 2 pots or make cottage pie as i go and wash up the pot 6 times.
7. I am lazy, anything to save time, brain space and energy is beneficial. Organised allows lazy

It is also a systems based approach. Anything that gives me a system to make it easier takes the thinking out of it. And i am training others to make some of their batch meals.

We also have systems for laundry, chore division, prep for christmas etc. Things that have to be done rountinely are things that can get a system. Honestly that is all flylady is, a systems based approach to cleaning the house.

I need to move as my car needs collecting from the mechanic. Hopefully it is ready, it wasn't last night. Which means whatever was the fault was probably expensive.

Hazel the trick is to use the steamy shower water to fill up the bath, then get in it after you e steamed yourself. I guess that only works if your shower is over your bath though and not a separate thing

Ditzy I think you're into something there! When we get the shower installed over our bath I'll have to try that 😊

hills I hope your car is ready for you! You have inspired me to start meal prepping again. The planning is something I already do, but the meal prep is a different story. This weekend coming is a long weekend for me, I'm going to start listing food to prep and get some done!

Sounds like a great system @HillsBesideTheSea !

That makes more sense @DitzyDaffodils !

Tada
✅Everyone up and ready
✅washing hung out and then fetched back in when it started raining then back out again when it stopped 😂
✅ bed stripped, washed and dried
✅ called to the bank with all the kiddies to help sort dd1 internet banking
✅ stationery shopping for dd1
✅ a few bits picked up for our 'school box' (I have a box with pens, pencils , rulers, rubbers , glue sticks, pocket tissues, lip balms, them Vicks sniffers etc so they can just grab what they need and I refresh every half term )
✅ 15 mins on laundry putting away
✅ made sausage , mash and veg for tea and baked some chocolate cakes with dd2 for pudding
✅ quick 5 minute tidy of the kitchen but it is still a mess !
✅ dd2 ready and taken gymnastics

Currently sat at gymnastics until around 630 , its a 20 minute drive home so isn't worth the trip or petrol money back and forth when it's a shorter session! I havemt done any of my daily stuff or 15 mins on the living room yet . I'm hoping I have enough energy to have a power hour when I get home to remake my bed , fetch the washing in , finish the kitchen and have 15 mins on the living room - we'll see what happens !

I’ve been trying to post since Monday night but keep getting interrupted 🙄.

Welcome Thistle, and welcome back Balloon.

Hope you’re not too sore after your fall Cherry.

Love your food prep system Hills. I also have a DH who does not like too much routine so your method would work better for us, but as he does most of the cooking I’ll gently suggest and then leave him to it.

I got quite a bit of tidying up done on Monday. I also did some cleaning in the boudoir - sorted the giant hotspot of a dressing table, dusted, cleaned the mirror and window, and also tidied the wardrobe up a bit with a bit of decluttering. I dug out DD1’s old clothes in the right size/season for DD2 ready for when the weather changes, and decanted them into the laundry basket which was empty for all of 5 minutes beforehand.

I was at work yesterday so no flying other than the most basic of my basic routines.

Today has been productive though:
✔️ big grocery shop completed without LMS, despite being accompanied by both DC
✔️fridge cleaned (an embarrassing amount binned here too Cherry) and shopping all put away
✔️piles of shite extracted from the living room and decanted back into the correct DC’s room
✔️window and mirror cleaned in living room
✔️one side table, tv and the mantelpiece dusted
✔️coffee table washed
✔️unit on landing dusted and the hotspot removed
✔️window cleaned in DD’s room
✔️the clothes that I sorted out on Monday washed, line dried and ironed
✔️s&s, bathroom dusted and mirror cleaned
✔️DW set off
✔️food/bags/clothes sorted for work/nursery/holiday club tomorrow

The whole house needs hoovered and there are still grubby areas but I definitely feel a difference after today and like I’m getting back on track. Most of the cleaning above was done during DD2’s epic nap while DD1 was with my DSis, so I’ve also had a bit of playtime with both girls. Can’t believe the holidays are almost over!

We added a new recipe to the meal list tonight. It is one that only ds can eat, but he can cook it if i keep the ingrediants in and the only fresh ingredients are garlic and tomatoes which we generally have in so that is totally doable.

ta da
collected car
did big shop
a whole heap of life admin

Still not feeling great but waiting for big bowls to cool enough to go into the fridge so i can more easily skim the fat before storing the bone broth. Tomo is an odd kinda day. Lots of stupid little things that are not hard, or difficult but are just going to take forever to do. And i should probably tame the kitchen as i have ignored it for 24hrs and yikes.