Flying into February. Flylady support and chat thread

[TheMainCharacter]

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 in the UK

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/
New/Most Popular Links | FlyLady.net
https://www.flylady.net/d/new-links

The last few days I haven't got much done around the house. DS did the home bleugh on Friday. I took DS out yesterday to pick up a couple of gifts for a friend of his, her birthday is at the end of this month, but he also got her chocolates & a card for Valentine's Day. I hope things go well for him on that front as he says she has no idea he's got feelings for her.

Things aren't going too well for DD. She had to go through testing last week to see what's wrong with her (very anaemic - including needing blood transfusions). Turns out she has celiac disease, which isn't surprising. 2 of my brothers have been diagnosed, I avoid gluten as I feel better without it. Hopefully at her next appt with the doctor she'll get a treatment plan.

Other things in her life aren't great either. She's on a break with her BF (hopefully they'll get back together properly when things settle down), and she's going through getting evicted from her apartment as she can't afford to keep paying the whole rent as her roommate isn't contributing. We can't afford to pay it either so she's got to go through this herself, and it's killing me inside!
She does have somewhere to go though, she says.

I don't have many ta das from the last few days, just the very basics got done.
I do need to meal plan for the week & either go grocery shopping or place a pickup order today. The day is still young (9:30am), not sure what else we'll be doing!

<edited for typo> 🤦‍♀️

Thanks for the kind words hazel

The man child has issues. I have tried to support it but i cant, its too much and i just resent him more and more. We are currently in the zone of him not speaking to me. Which is preferable to being nasty tbf.

I feel bad asking the DC to do any more than their standard chores as they already do more than him. So im just trying to keep plodding along.

Motivation welcome

I understand about chores, would it help to set a timer (5, 10 or 15 minutes) for yourself and then take a break?
The manchild situation sounds really tough to deal with, but silent treatment is better than nastiness imo, although not ideal either. How are the DC doing with the drama he's created?

Monday is home bleurgh

Today we move into the Zone 3. This is the bathroom and laundry room as well as office/ extra bedroom/ children’s bedroom/children’s bathroom… Don’t panic you can pick one and don’t have to do them all!

Today’s mission is to declutter any empty bottles and containers from the bathroom and laundry room. I don’t have any empties but there are various nearly empty ones I need to finish off as my family are all allergic to finishing off anything and open a new one whenever it starts to get difficult to get out!

Today’s baby step is to delete any emails from flylady. I don’t have any as I haven’t subscribed but I have various others to delete and unsubscribe from so will aim to do that.
https://www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/31-beginner-babysteps/day-12/

Sorry the post was so late today!

@THATissoooFETCH I really feel for you with the manchild. Such a horrible situation to be in.

@Searchingforsnow have a great time in London. I’ve been lacking mojo too!

@HazelNotHungryLC good luck to your ds and sorry to hear about your dd. I hope things look up for her soon. At least you all already have some experience of coeliac disease so have an idea what you’re doing. Ds’ girlfriend is coeliac and I have struggled at times to adapt my meals (not helped by ds only asking if she can eat with us last minute 🙄)

@brightpompoms @Upsadiddles my car is booked in this week too and now I feel like I should clean it out! Although last year I apologised for the state of it and they laughed and said it wasn’t being tested on the cleanliness 😆

tadas
😎out for breakfast
😎7 board games with dd (other family members joined in with some of them)
😎lol
😎lol x 2 folded and put away
😎dust bedrooms x 3
😎vacuum bedrooms x3
😎quick tidy up
😎vacuum stairs
😎vacuum downstairs
😎clean bathroom

Ah young love Hazel 😍 good luck to DS for valentine's day. What a lousy roommate DD has, hope the next ones are nicer

7 board games Character 🤪 I'd be hearing the rattle of dice haunting me in my sleep 🎲

Sharing a home with an annoying person is so draining That. Hope it won't be a long drawn out process for you to separate

@HazelNotHungryLC it's tough watching dc going through something that you can't really help them with 💐 her roommate is lousy though ! They should be paying their way , it's unfair that dd has to put up with that ! Regarding celiac disease , sorry she has to go through that , the positive thing is you all have experience with it and you have some knowledge of how to help ease the symptoms for now ❤️

@THATissoooFETCH your situation sounds very awkward! Sorry that man child is acting up , is he thinking of moving out? I'm not sure if you had mentioned something along those lines on a previous thread ?

@TheMainCharacter 7 board games !! That's got to be some record ! 😂 we manage maybe 2 before one of us is too distracted to play !

Tada
🎉 sorted bookcase so that a box of books that I've been given could fit on
🎉 dry clothes folded and put into rooms
🎉 2 x lol
🎉 a lovely walk in the sunshine

To do
😴 pack for London
😴tea
😴 everyone showered
😴 rotate washing

To be fair most of them were short games but it was about 3 hours of board games! We’re about to play game of life with everyone too. Well except dd1 as she’s out.

@brightpompoms i was meaning to say I cook some Chinese food from scratch. Not all of it is authentic but years ago my Cantonese friend told me to keep it simple so chow mein for example is just noodles, onion, carrot and bean sprouts with garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil and white pepper. I kind of follow that formula for most stuff, last week we had mushroom and cashew nuts in a ginger and spring onion sauce which was very simple to make but tasted good. We’ve always made a big thing of Chinese new year in the past but this year everyone was feeling ill so it kind of passed us by.

@TheMainCharacter ginger and spring onion sauce sounds lovely!

Hello to everyone else. I wrote Ann absolute essay earlier and responded to everyone then lost the post 🥴

Tuesday is plan and play

Today’s mission is to go through your towels and linens and get rid of any that are worn out. Also to check behind the washer and dryer and retrieve any odd socks and get rid of the dust that has accumulated behind there.

Today’s baby step is to do one of the missions
https://www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/31-beginner-babysteps/day-13/

Ugh @brightpompoms i hate it when that happens. Seems to happen quite a lot on here with mn deciding to refresh the pages for no reason!

Hello everyone - it has been far too long since I posted on this thread 😊. Sadly, not a good sign that I have managed to get on with it independently!

Ugh-how annoying @brightpompoms !

PO3.0 Clear kitchen; clean washing machine/dryer; clean three doors

Not much flying here, I have my 2nd LOL in the washer, sheets are in the dryer.
SIL came over today so we could practice her makeup for her wedding. I didn't have time to try her hair again, unfortunately, so hopefully it goes well on Thursday!
We did go to a seamstress today, she was going to have her original dress altered to fit better (this is her 2nd marriage), but in the store she saw a dress that caught her eye & decided to order a custom made dress instead I'm actually really glad she's not going to wear the same dress again
I do need to do a quick clean though, as well as shower, scrub and apply self tanner.
I'm just trying to find motivation to get up off the couch..

Ta Das:
👰‍♀️ 4 LOLs total
👰‍♀️ put clean clothes away
👰‍♀️ showered, scrubbed, shaved & self tanner applied
👰‍♀️ had a heart to heart with DS today, he's worried his valentine will reject him and he doesn't want to lose her as his friend. He's asking her to be his GF as well as his valentine 💝
👰‍♀️ got lunch ready for tomorrow
👰‍♀️ got my clothes out ready for the morning

It's now bedtime 😴
🍒👋 to everyone

Wednesday is anti procrastination day

Today’s mission is is to toss out any old cosmetics and any odd socks

Today’s baby step is to read the essay on how to use a calendar

https://www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/31-beginner-babysteps/day-14/

Hi @HouseHome how did your power of 3 go yesterday?

@HazelNotHungryLC it’s commendable she was planning to wear the same dress (for waste reasons) but I’d be glad she decided not to as well.
I need to take inspiration from you and add more self care into my routine, I’ve got back into wearing make up but my eyebrows etc are neglected!
I’m rooting for your ds today, hope it goes well for him!

I didn’t get many tadas yesterday
✅lol x2
✅big grocery shop
✅constant tidying after dc
✅read book for an hour
✅made 32 pancakes

Today’s To Do list
Morning routine
Quick tidy and vacuum downstairs
Wipe round kitchen (dp did the post dinner clear up last night but our standards are not the same)
Meet friends at soft play
Hang up Lol
Fold and put away lol
Drop car at garage
dinner
drop dd at beavers event
yoga if car back in time

Thursday is errand day

Today’s mission is to check supplies in bathroom and laundry room and to add any you’re low on to your shopping list.

Today’s baby step is to add making your bed to your morning routine
https://www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/31-beginner-babysteps/day-15/

Today’s To Do list
•morning routine
•prep dinner
• meet friend and kids
•pop to supermarket
•lunch
•hang up lol
•put away lol x2
• pick up parcel
• firefight hotspots
•vacuum downstairs
•kids swimming lessons
•dinner
•evening routine

It's half term so not keeping to any flying really but I have made two pots of sauerkraut and made two batches of soup today to stick in the freezer.
I've also hulahooped so feeling productive even though I'm in my pyjamas.

Hi all, well I did get on with some decluttering at the weekend, took a heap of random bits of junk to the tip and sorted a big pile of usable but low value things to give away on local FB, which has been going well. Got a few more to list tonight but waiting for the first ones to be picked up otherwise it gets confusing as to what's being picked up when and by who.

@HazelNotHungryLC I'm sorry that your DD has so much going on, that is a lot to be dealing with all at once. Is your SIL's wedding today? If so I hope it goes well (I agree about the dress, that would be a bit weird).

@brightpompoms for Chinese takeaway style cooking I recommend this book https://www.amazon.co.uk/Chinese-Takeaway-Cookbook-re-create-favourites/dp/1787133672/ref=sr_1_4?adgrpid=1176478341101604&hvadid=73530096455661&hvbmt=bb&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=131770&hvnetw=s&hvqmt=b&hvtargid=kwd-73530036677434%3Aloc-188&hydadcr=12389_1888485&keywords=chinese+takeaway+cookbook+by+kwoklyn+wan&qid=1708001756&sr=8-4 he's got another one out too which has more recipes, if I didn't have the first one I might go for the second one. I've also got a book by Ching He-Huang which is really good.

@THATissoooFETCH welcome back, I'm sorry things are so difficult with the man child, I don't really have any practical advice but we are always here to listen and lend out blunt instruments

@brightpompoms I’m always impressed by your lists, mainly because you do things that I am far too lazy to do (like make sauerkraut). You also sound like you live a very healthy lifestyle.

@EndlesslyDistracted sounds like good progress is being made. I have a big to go pile again, now to actually get it out of the house!

Today’s To Do list
🧚‍♀️morning routine
🧚‍♀️prep dinner
🧚‍♀️meet friend and kids
🧚‍♀️pop to supermarket
🧚‍♀️lunch
🧚‍♀️hang up lol
🧚‍♀️put away lol x2
• pick up parcel
🧚‍♀️firefight hotspots
🧚‍♀️vacuum downstairs
•kids swimming lessons
•dinner
•evening routine

@TheMainCharacter thanks I do aim for us all to be healthy but I'm sure we are dropping the ball somewhere in pit life that I haven't even thought of.

@EndlesslyDistracted well done for the decluttering. I was reading another thread about preparing for old age and a lot people were saying they were decluttering whilst young. I wish my MIL and M would get rid of all their crap. Their houses are rammed

@EndlesslyDistracted thanks for the book tip. It looks great

character I'm trying to keep up on self care, I don't always manage it though! It looks like you had a pretty impressive ta da list, you were busy!

pompoms it sounds like a pretty productive day to me, and I'm impressed that you managed to stay in your pajamas for it all too

ED it feels good to be able to actually get things out of the house when decluttering, it can be a little demotivating when there's lots of stuff sitting waiting to go. Hopefully everyone picks up their stuff pretty quick from you.

So DS did get told she only wants to be friends, which he seems to have taken pretty well.
DD's BF didn't actually want to be on a break from her, he just didn't know how to say what he was meaning!
SIL is now married! 👰‍♀️🤵‍♂️🥳 I'm super excited for her