New Year, Fresh Start with Flylady

[HazelNotHungryLC]

Are you looking to finally getting into a new routine with housework? Something simple to start that can be easy to add to over time? Flylady may be the answer for you!

This is a long running thread, but we are a friendly bunch and 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!

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. It's also date night (with your significant other, or friends, or yourself!)
• 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

There are more, 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). You can also modify the tick lists to suit your home & lifestyle.

Links are below 👇 if I happen to not add links in time, they do update at midnight for you. I am in the US, 7 hours behind the UK, so I'll do my best.

Launch Pad: https://www.flylady.net/d/new-links/
Zones: https://www.flylady.net/d/zones/
Baby Steps: https://www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/31-beginner-babysteps/

@Chouxpastryishard just follow along with the thread, I will update every day, or download the flylady app. You seriously will get inundated with emails every day if you sign up for them!

I used to follow Flylady years ago. She saved my house, I concur about the emails though. I did download and link the zones and missions to my calendar via ical link, I don't know if that is still possible? Her wall calendar and feather duster were amazing. (I've since switched to Boxclever calendars, cheaper but similar size) I've only just thrown the duster out after 20yrs as the feathers were falling out and not found a replacement.

We took the Xmas Decs down on the 30th and have been cleaning and decluttering since. It has taken a few days to get on top on mount washmore.

Welcome @Ambi 👋 I haven't tried downloading the calender & zones to my phone, I didn't even know that could be a thing!
I still have a few Christmas decorations up, but not much. The lights are the main thing and I may take them down tomorrow, or just change the way they're up. I haven't decided yet 🤷‍♀️

@HazelNotHungryLC
We’ve got this no drinking - I actually didn’t struggle at all yesterday with no wine either - usually I would have said “but it’s New Year’s Day” but I think my body has just said “enough”. I love the sound of your infused water.

Nails and decor looking fabulous.

I’m off to work today so not sure how productive I will be - would love to have energy to clean out porch when I get home but there will probably be a gale blowing and it will be pitch black! We’ll see.

Zones and Missions
We now have the Zone Calendar ready for you to download to your FlyLady Online Organizer! When you download the calendar, it will place the Zones and missions on your calendar as an all-day event. You will be able to see what zone you are in every day throughout the year.
Here is how you add the Zones and missions to your FlyLady Online Organizer powered by Cozi:

1. Go to the “Add an Internet Calendar to your Family’s Calendar” page
2. On the “Add an Internet Calendar to your Family’s Calendar” page, scroll down to the section “Add an Internet Calendar of your Own”
3. Copy this URL: Just Right Click and copy link then paste into your browser.
4. *www.google.com/calendar/ical/cfgnq0bevmjr4su2fjdrejg5sc%40group.calendar.google.com/public/basic.ics** *
5. DO NOT CLICK THIS LINK – ONLY COPY! DO NOT PUT ANY BREAK BETWEEN ANY LETTERS OR PUNCTUATION.
6. Paste the copied link into the “Calendar URL” box.
7. Click “Add”
8. Next you will be asked “Whose calendar should events from FlyLady Zones for 2016 appear on?” Make your selection and click “Subscribe to Calendar”

That’s it! You have now added the zones to your calendar! You will always know what zone we are in! (This is a calendar only for the Zones) We also have a link to add the Holiday Missions to your Cozi Calendar or your Google Calendar. https://www.google.com/calendar/ical/aqiimnsu5ijb3ku4leu89otk0k%40group.calendar.google.com/public/basic.ics DO NOT CLICK THIS LINK – ONLY COPY! DO NOT PUT ANY BREAK BETWEEN ANY LETTERS OR PUNCTUATION. Paste the copied link into the “Calendar URL” box. Click “Add”

Hope that helps 🙂

Hi! I haven't heard of this at all and would love to start. My house is quite big and I often find the cleaning and decluttering overwhelming. The website seems quite confusing to me though so I think I'll just keep following this thread and hopefully the process will become clearer to me!

Good morning everyone ☕️ I was meant to be me and dd2 up early to try and get back into some sort of routine before Thursday - I didn't wake up until 9 🙈 ooopppps!

Welcome @ettiespaghetti , @Makingtheextradaycount , @MistyWitch , @Chouxpastryishard , @Ambi and @pharmachameleon , this is such a supportive group , ask any questions, post your tadas no matter how big or small they are !

Your list looks very productive @TheMainCharacter ! Some tasks are time consuming!

@ItsieDitzyBitsOfOnionInTheSoup I'm in the Christmas decs up until the 6th although I've always thought the 12th night was the 5th ! 🤪😂 although I do take down bits and bobs throughout that time , like cards, duvet covers, table cloths etc but the tree stays up 🎄 oh no with the bin confusion! Have you got enough space to last the week ?

@HazelNotHungryLC what kind of infuser ? I need to up my fluid intake and this sounds ideal ! I'm also intrigued with your nail polish, your nails look lovely ! Please let me know how you get on with them , I have the lamp and it's a faff sometimes! Also laziness is relaxing during the holidays ✔️

@Scourgify you got lots done yesterday! Well done for LOL organisation! Have you got somewhere you can store the boxes ?

@DomesticElf sorry that you feel like your marriage needs work - does DH feel the same ? Well done for recognising it and deciding to work on it ! Long term relationships are a rollercoaster 💐

@JMAngel1 good luck for work today - I didn't know about the calendar! I will look into that , thanks for sharing !

Tada
☕️ woke dd2 up much later than I meant to 🙈
☕️ breakfast and coffee
☕️ bedsheet LOL no.1

I am doing the 12 books recommended by 12 friends challenge. 1 book for each month - If anyone has a book they recommend, I'll add it to my list 😊

Searching I would recommend Atomic Habits by James Clear!

I am feeling tired, groggy and grumpy today. Had a lie in. This is the kind of mood that would have me reaching for a Coke/Pepsi but I am trying to cut down.

I think this will be a power of three type day so apologies in advance for repeated messages (if indeed I manage to get anything done)

po3.1
❗️meds, water
❗️put something warm on and have breakfast
❗️decide a plan/to do list for today (may include messaging friends/colleagues)

OK so I’ve only just finished the above. And had lunch. 😳

Now it’s time to actually start doing the stuff on my list!

po3.2
❗️email uni tutor
❗️clean Cagbunny litter
❗️shower/hair wash

Hi Ambi, we were on a dec 2007 antenatal thread together I think!

@ItsieDitzyBitsOfOnionInTheSoup I’m with you on not buying stuff. I started decluttering 2 years ago but it’s just not enough. With 4 dc the incoming by far outweighs the outgoing. I barely buy them anything but we get loads of hand me downs, keep stuff from the older ones for the younger - I have a whole crate of football boots in various sizes in the basement for example!

This mornings tadas
washed up breakfast stuff
lol
finished drying, folded, put away lol x 3
took down lots of Christmas decorations (trees and cards still up)
changed tablecloth for normal one
washed up from lunch. The washing up is killing me.

I plan to read my book a bit this afternoon, otherwise I’ll have to renew it as it’s due back in 3 days

po3.3
❗️add in H’s working hours to my diary
❗️5 minute meditation
❗️tidy desk

Morning all

Not the best start. Thought I wasn't working last night, luckily my manager Whats App'd something she needed me to do at 4:15 so had time to get the dc's tea, shower and get to work on time. It was weird because no customers were in!
This morning ds had a bad morning getting anxious and forgetting stuff resulting in him having an asthma attack by the time he made it to the train station. We had to pick him up and so he missed college!

Ta Da
Christmas decs got put away yesterday
Washing done and drying
Kitchen sides cleared ready for Tesco shop at 3pm.

Hope everyone is having a good day. Will try and come back later with a better post.

Angel woohoo for day one down! I'm off today so need to spend some time on my porch. It's pretty cold here so not sure how much I can do and we have stuff from the restoration company under the carport that needs to go 🙄

Ambi thank you for that information and the links for the calendars!

@pharmachameleon welcome 👋 if I have time later today I'll post some more information about routines. She does talk about them more under baby steps. Feel free to ask any questions any time.

searching I got a "Mason Jar" infuser. It's glass with plastic inside. It's all dishwasher safe. It had the best reviews as well. I'll take a picture of it later. I would send you the link but it would be the US site. I can never click on the UK site links, so I'm assuming it wouldn't work for you 🤷‍♀️

po3.4
❗️LOL (and hang up some hangers)
❗️book next tesco delivery
❗️read some of uni textbook

Found you all!

✅ soaked and boiled, mashed and frozen bag of beans
✅ frozen more soup
✅ party supplies shop
✅ lol
✅ cleaned top of kitchen cupboards and fridge
✅ lunch with friend
✅ hula hooped
✅ completed a 24 hour fast

searching here is the infuser pitcher I got.
character you have been pretty productive already today!
Sing you have got a lot done today. Well done on getting meditation in too!
shannara that's awful to think you are off but actually scheduled instead. Is DS okay now? Asthma attacks are so scary 😨
pompoms that's quite a bit accomplished. And a 24 hour fast while preparing food! 😱

Ta Das so far (9:20am here):
🍓 2nd LOL in washer (sheets from our bed)
🍋 cooked DH breakfast
🥒 got my infuser prepped for today, with fresh strawberries (it seems the lemon & cucumber hold their flavour more than the strawberries)

Just finishing my 2nd cup of coffee before I get back at it!

To Dos:
☕️ book hair appt for DS
☕️ more LOLs, including towels
☕️ put clothes away
☕️ vacuum
☕️ bleach bathrooms
☕️ bleach grout on bathroom floor white again
☕️ take Christmas lights down (or rearrange, I haven't decided what yet)
☕️ shake out mats on doorsteps
☕️ sweep doorsteps
☕️ knock on neighbour's door to let them know about fence getting done tomorrow & Thursday
☕️ put note on remaining fence panels to leave them for the neighbour
☕️ empty spare bedroom, ready for painter tomorrow (DH will help me)
☕️ grocery shopping (just a few things)
☕️ wash Jeep(?)

Thankfully a lot of that stuff won't take long to do!

OMG Hazel that hand pic! 😂 It's small on my phone with barely any jumper showing. I had to look a few times, convinced I was looking at a dismembered hand in the desert somewhere and wondering why someone posted that! 🧐🥴

Choux if you're here, you've joined. Just hang around, clicking links daily and ask us about anything you're not sure about

Chameleon I thought the same when I started and yes it does become clearer. I spent a year reading the Baby Steps and forming my morning and evening routine before I tried getting to grips with the Daily Focus. Then I abandoned taking anything further because I need to work on decluttering

I'll have to wait on emptying the house bins until the main one is emptied now Snow
Try Maeve Binchy's This Year It Will Be Different for a cozy Christmas read. It's been republished, I saw it in the supermarket recently

Welcome back Ambi. I broke out in a cold sweat just reading all those calendar links 😁 I'll stick with my paper control journal.

The gale and darkness is putting me off doing anything too Angel

Ta Das:
🍓 scheduled hair appt for DS
🍓 handwashed dishes
🍓 towels in washer

Oh boy am I feeling unmotivated! Sooo tired. I’ve not done any actual work yet other than trying to write a to do list, but at least I read a full uni book chapter I suppose.

po3.5
❗️LOL in dryer
❗️new LOL
❗️work

Ta Das:
🍋 put clothes away
🍋 remade bed
🍋 4th lol in washer

I'm now headed out the door, will see if I can wash the Jeep (depends on the queue at the carwash) & grocery shopping

I had so many housework plans today , but spent a few hours at my friends house this afternoon 😊

Tada
🩱dried bedsheets
🩱LOL 2 ( which still needs hanging up)
🩱made lipglosses with dd2
🩱cleared Christmas cloths and decorations from dining table
🩱showered & dressed
🩱made lunch
🩱took dd2 to friends house
🩱dentist
🩱went to pick dd2 from friends house , stayed for a cuppa then came home without dd2 because the kids wanted to play longer
🩱decluttered bedding drawers on landing (and a wicker basket in bedroom) 3 x sets to clothing bank plus some odds and ends of blankets , 1 x set and blanket put away for a friend
🩱oh taken clothes and bedding to clothing bank
🩱dd1 spare bedding put on her bed to sort tomorrow once she's home from bf
🩱made tea (leftover from roast dinner yesterday)

Currently sat for a little while to let dinner settle, still to do

⛄️ tea pots
⛄️ hang washing up
⛄️ remake my bed (everything is dry)
⛄️evening routine

Possibly start filling out diary and calendar for the upcoming month, I'll see how much I get done in the 'power hour ' . I want to settle early-ish to carry on watching fool me once on Netflix 😂

I have been doing team tomm - have the app which is good, but having a new year slump! Hoping having a try at flylady and changing my cleaning routine a bit might invigorate me a bit !!

I keep meaning to do Flylady! Perhaps this will be the year I finally get on top of the housework...