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/

Hello everyone, good to see more of you back posting.

@SingToTheSky must be hard living in limbo, and mentally very draining. hope it all gets sorted out soon for you

@cosypompoms hope your dc had a happy birthday, my youngest’s is next week and I feel really unprepared!

@ItsieDitzyBitsOfOnionInTheSoup any recommendations of who to watch? I find a lot of the ones on YouTube a bit samey so if you found a good one let me know! Like @HazelNotHungryLC I would like to be more minimalist but in reality I like having all the things 😆

@Seren2023hope you get over your cold quickly

@Searchingforsnow good luck with getting back on it, we’re here cheering you on. (Or handing you virtual cups of tea if that’s what you need)

Today’s ta das
⭐️morning routine
⭐️lol x 3
⭐️lol x 2 folded and put away
⭐️lol x 2 hung up
⭐️strip and remake our bed
⭐️dust and vacuum bedrooms x 3
⭐️pick dp up from 2 different garages 🙄. The joys of owning multiple work vehicles. I hate driving and avoid it wherever possible so doing this annoys me 😳
⭐️teams call (I have social anxiety so this was a biggie for me)
⭐️stick long handled duster behind my headboard to try to dust behind there, think it just moves it around tbh.
⭐️rearrange ds’ bedroom slightly. He has a mid sleeper which had a large toy under it. He hardly played with it but wanted to keep it so have moved it out in the hope it being more accessible would make him play with it more. Have put his bookshelf (kallax so can go either way up) under there and his beanbag and teddies so it’s like a reading den now. Will see if that works better.

Now to prep dinner.

Alright. Back to it this week. Very ready for Zone 3 being main bathroom +1. I've decided that's the utility. And "main bathroom" is both the upstairs bathrooms for me. Neither need decluttering at all so that's handy. Utility definitely needs it so wish me luck. We are getting some quotes to replace a few things in the en-suite, so it's a very plumbing-heavy week already. DW got through all our usual clothes laundry at the weekend so I'm catching up getting it all put away.

Today's tadahs:
-Cleared and wiped down the top of the Kallax (aka Dumping Zone #1) of everything so it's back to its beautiful clear self
-Wiped down the bay windowsill, got in a quick "luften" while the blind was up
-Vacuumed dining room
-Cleared utility of all hanging laundry and put it away
-Cleared hallway of hanging laundry and put it away (!)
-Summer duvet currently in the washing machine. It's been waiting for us to replace the washing machine. Finally here. Didn't think ahead about drying it. Bit worried.
-Wiped down sink and bath in family bathroom
-Fixed WC loo roll holder so it's actually attached
-Cleared 90% of dresser top in bedroom (Dumping Zone #2)

Honestly struggling with all the "baby steps" and I'm not doing the routine at all, deciding on clothes, control journal, etc. Cannot stand little notes everywhere. But having tidying zones is helpful so I'm half-complying! Posting the things I have done here for accountability is also very helpful.

To-do:
-Clean shower screen in en-suite. Hasn't been done in months (looks fine......)
-Clean all 3x toilets
-15 mins of decluttering in utility

professor honestly, I don't do all the routine stuff either! DH is the last to get out of bed and he always makes it. I don't do sticky notes either. I don't start a LoL before I leave for work or it will sit in there all day (which the thought of it grosses me out). DS does a LoL when he gets home from school. I do wipe the sink and countertops every night though, get my lunch ready for the next day (if I'm working) and get my clothes out, as I leave so early in the morning it just works out best for me.
Whatever works for you! I may not have mentioned we loosely follow flylady on this thread 😂

character I'm sorry to hear you don't enjoy driving, I like it myself, but I do hate it when I have to leave the house when I don't want to though. Hopefully your rearranging plan works for DS's room, you've been busy today

Never done FlyLady before, but I have ADHD, have two ADHD kids and a DP who's either injured (dodgy joints) or working abroad so am struggling desperately. I've had some major clear outs which have helped, but think I need a bit more of a system. I'm find the weight loss threads super helpful for bragging and accountability, so hopeful that this will do similar. Off to download some apps!

Ugh! School got canceled today and they keep sending texts and calling about various things. Of course we get it all in English, then again in Spanish 🤦‍♀️! I had to post the last thing quickly so I wouldn't lose what I'd typed, sorry if any of it didn't make sense!
DS has online learning though. He'll end up having all his classes done within an hour (at least that's how it usually goes), which makes me wonder what the hell they do all day at school!
Snow days. Gotta love 'em!

To Dos:
❄️ LOLs
❄️ wipe down the fronts of washer & dryer
❄️ rearrange the laundry room a little (I don't have any empty bottles of anything down there)
❄️ empty bins around the house

I'll reassess in a little bit, I'm still working on my coffee and have to get dressed etc. It's almost 9am here.

Welcome @Backinthedress! 👋 it sounds like you're already halfway there with your clear outs. Flylady says you can't clean clutter! Just jump right in where we're at, nobody gets left behind and it'll all come around again next month.

OK. Take it back. App only seem to be for apple users? Bah.

@Backinthedress I also have ADHD and am starting this this year! So hi there. I'm finding it quite useful having one room a week to focus on... keeps me from getting overwhelmed and/or carried away

@HazelNotHungryLC Great 😂I think a loose approach will suit me! Although I do think doing the dishes/wipe the counters every day would be a great routine for me to get into. Might try that again this week.

Cleaned the shower screen. Worse than I thought it was (glass, low limescale srea) but it's done now so I don't have to keep thinking "ah yes I was going to do that" every single time I shower!

@Backinthedress I have the app and have android. Screenshot attached.
Professor it's amazing how much of a difference it makes in the morning to walk into the kitchen with clear, clean countertops & sink!

Oops, forgot to attach the screenshot 🤦‍♀️

@TheMainCharacter happy birthday to your little one. Do you have a theme? I love a theme and helps me focus. Ours was mermaids this year. Also wow on your giant list

@ProfessorplumBilliardroomCandlestick my Kallax is the dumping zone too but I've cleared mine today of birthday stuff.

Welcome @Backinthedress

✅ taken down the birthday decorations inside and out.
✅ put two lols away
✅ ran a baby group
✅ made chilli for three nights
✅ frozen some soup and given some to neighbour

pompoms I'm still in awe that you run a baby group, and think you must be crazy! I couldn't do it, but kudos for you doing it, you brave soul, you!

Ta Das:
🖼 got dressed, hair pulled out of my face and morning skincare done (no makeup today 😱)
🖼 wiped fronts & tops of washer & dryer, made them shiny ✨️
🖼 wiped stored picture frames
🖼 picked some most pictures to put out on display
🖼 figured out where I want them, mostly
🖼 1 LoL done & hung to dry (delicate wash) I have washing line inside that DH put up for me a long time ago, otherwise they would just freeze solid outside!
🖼 emptied bins and took outside to wheelie bin
🖼 swept kitchen & dining room
🖼 pulled out meat from freezer

To do:
🥶 figure something out for lunch
🥶 another LoL
🥶 put nails in walls to hang pictures where I've decided
🥶 sort/ rearrange laundry room a little
🥶 relax/ watch Netflix

Thanks @HazelNotHungryLC and @TheMainCharacter , I've been feeling a bit more myself today , I think I'll be on a bit of a rollercoaster until January is finished 💔

Tada
✅ up,washed & dressed
✅ made bed
✅make up & hair
✅kids up
✅breakfast
✅lunches made
✅breakfast pots
✅school run
✅work (extra hours today so back late)
✅tea
✅tea pots
✅reassuring chat with dd1 who is very bright but doesn't have much self belief
✅15 mins clearing out & cleaning bottom shelf of bathroom cupboard (I got rid of a bag full of stuff - I'm sure I decluttered this a few months back , maybe I'm being more ruthless with things now I've got used to decluttering ! )

To do
❄️dd2 bedtime routine
❄️wash & pjs
❄️maybe 15 mins on playroom but I've done something today which is an achievement

@HazelNotHungryLC I regretted agreeing to the baby group the minute I'd said yes but I've actually enjoyed it. I can work my brain and ideas just enough to keep me going without being too taxing!

@Searchingforsnow that's a very long list! Well done

Exciting that you have snow @HazelNotHungryLC ☃️ it is disruptive isn't it but I do love a snow day! What are you watching on Netflix ? I watched fool me once recently which was ok .

I'm with you on with driving @TheMainCharacter - it took me 20 years to get onto a motorway! I love the sounds of a reading den !!

We all take different things from the routines @ProfessorplumBilliardroomCandlestick, I agree with the post it notes everywhere - it would drive me crazy !!

Welcome @Backinthedress!

Amazing meal prepping @cosypompoms - I too, am in awe of you running a baby group !!!

For those of you that enjoy reading - I'm currently reading the seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo - I started it yesterday and I can't wait to go to bed early to read some more 🙂 what have you all been reading ?

Is the app like the website? I’ve been doing the basics and I got rid of some old invoices and old letters today. It’s still going to be hard because I’ve not touched the surface but I’m trying when I can

Cat I think the app is better than the website. You can customize it to suit your space and schedule. Plus you can tick off what you've done (you can add and delete as necessary). I haven't found the baby steps on there though, just the routines. You can turn on notifications as well. Every little bit helps and it gets easier making decisions the more you do.

searching I don't know what I'll watch yet, don't have a series or anything I've been watching, but I'll see what catches my fancy. That is an impressive ta da list!

We've eaten lunch, now I'm ready for a nap!

Some screenshots of the app..
I still need to customize it for me and my household, but it gives me ideas for what to work on.

Loving the app. Haven't found a way to just copy a room though, for bedrooms. Seems you have to do a new list from scratch

I feel I’m still on the babysteps and basics but the app does look good

Dress (ace username, it's trousers I need to squeeze back into) if you can't get an app you can always go old school and create your own control journal. I've done it and found it useful for the early days years when I kept needing to check a list to make sure I'd completed the routines and remind myself what day it is and what we're doing, because I'd forgotten by lunchtime. I used a plain paper book, nothing fancy. Lots of us on this thread are struggling with health issues of some form or another, you're in good company ☺️

Professor I was totally overwhelmed when I first looked at the website too. I ended up reading through all the babysteps over a month and using them to draw up mini routines for myself, wrote them in my control journal and spent the next year trying to cement them into my life. I didn't even think about anything else until I'd done that. One of the things I like about FlyLady is its adaptability. Change things round or tweek them a bit to suit yourself, don't beat yourself up if you don't follow the instructions to the letter. Totally agree about posting for accountability, I love this thread for that (and the chat!😁) it really helps

Character I totally relate to wanting all the things. I don't think I'll ever be a minimalist but I'd rather have curated collections on display than massive chaotic piles shoved in corners. I need to own less. Or buy a bigger house! 😆 That seems a little drastic though. And where do you stop? When you're living halfway up a mountain in the middle of nowhere and all the turrets in your castle are filled to the top with all the tatt you couldn't be bothered to declutter? 😜

I ended up watching Caitlin Pawlowski on YouTube, she's a reformed shopaholic. The other day I was reading a thread where someone recommended Hannah Louise Poston and I watched a couple of videos which were interesting. She's a beauty vlogger who went from spending a significant amount of income on skincare, hair care and makeup to doing a no-buy year

Snow I'm reading a children's book about fairies called Phillipa Fisher And The Dream Makers Daughter by Liz Kessler. I'm halfway through and it's kinda boring in a quiet, relaxing way probably because I'm not it's target market. Nothing has really happened yet. I'd normally abandon a boring book at this point but others like listening to the story and it has a fancy cover, so I shall continue

Well done on the decluttering progress Cat. That's my focus this year too and it's taking forever

I'm not really one for apps Hazel but it does look interesting. I go into the FlyLady archives and read those if I need inspiration. The app looks like a useful tick list, I'm sure I'd just ignore it though. Skilled in the art of procrastinating, that's me

Ta-da's

🐦Morning routine
omg I can't remember what I did today [scrambles around inside head] umm...
🐦Post office (banking and a letter)
🐦Walked along the river, saw a Teal and a few Mallards, a few Crows, three Magpies, a Robin, a Sparrow, a handful of Coal Tits and two Greenfinches and a partridge in a pear tree
🐦Tidied living room
🐦Went to the lake to feed the ducks
🐦Had a candle lit bath which could have been more peaceful - I had to read the fairy book while I was in it - but was nice anyway
🐦Evening routine

I think that's everything 🤔

Ditzy you've had a productive day! I love having a candle lit bath. I was in the routine of having one once a week, but got out of that routine. I'm going to work on that!

searching I ended up watching Your Place or Mine followed by Hoarders. There's new episodes on Netflix that I hadn't noticed before.

Ta Das:
😴 cooked dinner
😴 rotated DW
😴 wiped countertops

Tomorrow I plan on having more steps than today, it's shocking how lazy I've been in the afternoons 😱. I also have a dentist appt, along with DS once he's out of school.

Tuesday is plan & play day.
Tuesday's mission is to check your towels and linen in your bathroom. If anything is really worn toss it. These can be donated to your local animal shelter. Neaten the remaining towels, hopefully they all fit nicely. I tend to roll my towels as they seem to fit better and look better too.
In the laundry room, check behind the washer and dryer for odd socks and clear out the dust bunnies.

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

Baby step #16: https://www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/31-beginner-babysteps/day-16/
Check out their website, the testimonials etc.

Yesterday was productive - fingers crossed today will be to!
ta da’s for yesterday
Cleared out 4 baskets of shoes/boots/trainers and rehoused them in the hallway wardrobe.
Sorted through my outerwear wardrobe and hung up my lovely cedar wood fresheners everywhere.
LOL x 3
LOL x 1 put away
Made raisin muffins as had DD1 off school feeling poorly.
Dishwasher emptied and restocked x 2
Cleared out utility room cupboard and rehoused items - big theme in our house as DH has a tendency to put shed items in the utility room - WD40
next to my fabric conditioner!!!!
visited my dad and ran some errands for him.
Dropped and collected DD2 to/from school.
Made roasted parsnip soup and potato and bacon boxty - really yum.
Swish and swipe x 2

Need coffee before working out plan for today but need to attack DD2’s room as she hasn’t sorted out homes for her Xmas presents yet and her room looks like it may implode!!
I also need to clean mould from the inside of a bathroom cupboard - but that will be a big job as will need to remove everything and it’s a built in floor to ceiling cupboard 😱