Marching on, FLYlady 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
31 Beginner BabySteps | FlyLady.net
https://www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/31-beginner-babysteps

Hemax that sounds like a fun day planned! Well done on getting things out of the house too.

Today is my day off, my home bleugh day. I have quite a few things I would like to do, but I'm also going to see how the day goes.

I should be back later with some ta das, but right now I'm enjoying my coffee in peace and quiet.

Welcome @Springingintolife. I think everyone else has explained it all to you pretty well and I agree it’s a good idea to focus on one room/area at a time to stop the overwhelm.

So far today I have
⭐️morning routine
⭐️school run
⭐️bought a couple of Easter bits, some toiletries, some medicines and some glue
⭐️visited dad
⭐️first lol hung up
⭐️second lol into machine (still catching up from the weekend)
⭐️one lol folded and put away
⭐️ one lol put into dryer to finish off
⭐️cleaned bathrooms x 2
⭐️cleaned sink in third bathroom
⭐️fixed ds’ toy (with the glue I bought earlier)
⭐️prepped dinner

still to do
fold and put away lol that’s in dryer
hang up lol
get lol in from outside
school run
gymnastics run
finish cooking dinner
eat dinner
clean up from dinner
clean floors

Ta das so far:
🐣 2nd lol in washer
🐥 dressed, makeup on, hair done
🐣 ordered a brisket from the butcher for Saturday night dinner
🐥 bought a couple of things from the grocery store that I forgot to get
🐣 put clean clothes away
🐥 called MIL to discuss this weekend

Time to do more laundry, cook some hard boiled eggs, bathe the dogs, vacuum, mop and clean the bathrooms. Hmmm, let's see what I can get done 🤔 especially as I want to fit a workout in today as well!
I have an hour until I need to figure out lunch..

More ta das:
🐰 3rd lol in dryer
🐇 4th lol in washer
🐰 bathed dogs
🐇 cooked hard boiled eggs
🐰 ate lunch with DH & DS

Hey lovelies!
It's Domestic Elf in disguise. I took a wee break from MN, partly because my DH started reading it 😱 I don't think he knows my username (nor he has any interest in housekeeping...), but still, I took a break and now rebranding. Now let's hope he won't find this post 😬

I've been flying in the meantime, house is all set up and running, even managing to keep on top of things.

How has everyone been??
🍒👋

Well done everyone! 👏 ohhh I feel so good for once 😄 today's tadas 🌟

🌟 gave my daughter so much time today
🌟 went for a walk with husband and daughter
🌟 put all the groceries away (we get them delivered)
🌟 LOL x2 and put away 2 baskets
🌟 homeschooled daughter
🌟 cleaned under sofa cushions and found a few toys and hair bobbles 😅
🌟 made dinner and night routine done 👍
🌟 also had time for self reflection and prayer, I think that helped my mood a lot!

Onwards and upwards! Sending my positive vibes to everyone reading this 😅👍

Welcome back Mc 👋 glad to hear you've been able to keep on top of things.

Plep you had a very productive day and feeling the positive vibes from your post!

Ta das:
🧚‍♀️ 6 LOLs total for the day
🧚‍♀️ bleached bathrooms
🧚‍♀️ removed limescale from bathrooms
🧚‍♀️ 15 minute hip workout, followed by hip stretches
🧚‍♀️ showered, scrubbed, shaved
🧚‍♀️ self tanner applied
🧚‍♀️ had DS take bins out & rotate DW for me

I didn't vacuum or mop in the end, and I didn't get to wash the blankets from the couch as I was intending, but I feel like I accomplished a lot today.

Wednesday is anti procrastination

Today’s mission is to have a fire drill and get the hotspots in the living room cleared. Set a timer for ten minutes and get those surfaces cleared!

Todays baby step is to think about what’s for dinner before it is dinner time
https://www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/31-beginner-babysteps/day-27/

Morning! Living room is looking ok, no fires burning. I do need to do a bit of home bleugh though. Writing out to do list to keep things organised in my head:

• fold clean clothes: I've accumulated 4 loads 😳 We came back from holiday hence laundry galore.
• more lols: one in already, two more waiting to be done
• clean sheets on beds
• tidy up bedroom and kids bedroom
• tidy up playroom. No point in doing that until the evening, otherwise it's like sweeping in a hurricane

What does everyone do during bathroom swish and swipe?

We got 3 bathrooms, but I only end up S&S the ensuite one daily. By S&S I mean squidgy the shower and bathroom mirror, and clean the sink from toothpaste. Everything else gets cleaned once a week as part of home bleugh.

Mc I wipe the sinks with just some toilet paper to get rid of toothpaste and water marks, but I honestly haven't got into a good routine of it, just if I'm thinking of it or notice that it's got bad. Tuesday's I bleach the bathrooms, Friday's DS wipes then clean using method cleaning spray. Sometimes I'll bleach the bathrooms on the weekends too, if I feel it's needed. That is something I do need to work on though.

@McMumster I wipe over the loo seat and rim with a bit of loo roll to get rid of any drips (thank you darling sons), give the sink a very quick wipe over and then I squeegy the shower after I use it. Maybe wipe the counter or windowsill etc if I notice it looks bad. Give the bathrooms a more thorough clean every Tuesday.

Tadas so far
🐣 morning routine
🐣school run
🐣shop for bits to make Easter cake (forgot icing sugar)
🐣prep dinner
🐣take dp to pick up van
🐣dust one living room
🐣dust hall and stairs etc
🐣clean glass door in hall (one of my most hated tasks)
🐣vacuum hall and stairs
🐣vacuum ground floor
🐣sofa dive
🐣hot spots
🐣package parcel

think that’s it

@Plep sounds like you had a really good day yesterday, hope today is great too!

@HazelNotHungryLC @Hemax1 you're both being very productive too!

@McMumster I just wipe down the sink, get rid of toothpaste and hair clippings ( from my partner trimming his beard ), and I clean down the toilet too ( we only have one and with two littles it can get fairly grim fairly quickly ). I also might quickly scrub the shower mat if it needs doing.

@TheMainCharacter i feel like I’m treading water really atm, not making significant progress in sorting the main bleurgh area out ( the living room / play room ) but the rest of the house is generally ticking over and not deteriorating too much !

Today’s tadas so far are :
⭐️ Morning routine
⭐️ taken the two little ones out to a local museum preschool group
⭐️ made lunch and tidied up
⭐️ looked after the ailing dp ( has a sickness bug and don’t we all know about it ! )
⭐️ tidied kids bedrooms up and put clothes out for family dinner this evening, for bedtime and for tomorrow
⭐️ done some letter recognition and handwriting practice with kids
⭐️ got the kids to make cards for my dad
⭐️ currently tidying and cleaning the kitchen atm

Still to do
❌ empty the dishwasher and put away ( usually dp job )
❌finish off hamper for dads birthday and wrap
❌ get everyone changed and looking tidy before meal out
❌ finish tidying / cleaning the kitchen

Quick question…

How much do your kids ( if you have them ) help out around the house?

My 19 year old appears to now use the house as a hotel when she’s back (she did help to a certain extent before she went to uni )

For my 4 year old and 2 year old I’m trying to get them to help make their beds, put laundry in the baskets and help tidy up. They also occasionally help with a duster or hoover, or will help put washing in / out of the machine or dryer - but they usually offer to help then rather than me or their dad asking. They will tidy to a certain extent when asked but I can’t get them yet to finish something, put it away and move onto the next thing !

Hemax I have a 3 year old and a 7 month old. 3 year old is on 'putting rubbish in the bin' duty. I am militant about it, for example, he finishes a banana - he has to put skin in the bin. Used baby nappies - he runs them to the bin for me. 3 year old is also in charge of putting his own dirty clothes into a laundry hamper. Everything else he is more of a hindrance than help, although he tries 😂

Thank you for all your S&S wisdom Hazel, Character, and Hemax!

Hemax my 20yo DD moved out a couple of years ago, but she would help with laundry etc. She taught DS how to use the washer when he was 10 (before I wanted him to learn), because she's good at delegating 🙄 and that was one less thing for her to do 🤦‍♀️
My 14yo DS now has daily chores: one lol, rotate DW, check the mail.
Weekly chores: vacuum downstairs (basement) one day, upstairs (main floor) another day, clean bathrooms, mop, dust (although I don't think he ever does this!), take bins out to the street, mow the grass.

@McMumster im with you with more of a hindrance than help. I’m trying to be patient / think that I’m teaching for the future and reducing expectations of the job / allowing them to help when they want. But it’s very frustrating to do a job twice and take five times as long doing it! I also need to become more hot on both the little ones tidying up after themselves and popping things in the bin - they can both do it, I just need to remind them more to do it rather than doing it myself.

I think I’m going to have to get tougher with the eldest when she’s back over the summer. She can use the washing machine / cook / tidy up etc as she’s having to at uni so she needs to see that it’s not a thing for just uni time ! It’s hard when she’s just popping back for a few days / couple of weeks at a time atm.

Feeling anxious again today but today's tadas 🌟

🌟 went for morning mother and toddler group
🌟 2x LOL and put one basket away (still need to tackle the pile of ironing)
🌟 made a very tedious dinner (had a little tiff with my husband before it but we're ok now ☹️) so annoying when you put so much effort in and mood is off when you sit down to eat, ah well that's life sometimes

Energy has been off today so taking it easy still need to do a quick tidy up and evening routine 👍

Also thank you for all the nice messages 😅 I think that's life sometimes it's always up and down but keeping a positive attitude and trying again the next day makes us stronger 👍 I'm really appreciating this thread it's keeping me going. I haven't done too much today but I feel exhausted! I hope everyone else had a good day 🤞

Thursday is errand day

Today’s mission is to check the floors in your living room, paying particular attention to the bit right around the edges. Use the vacuum tool or a small brush to get right in there and clean

Today’s babystep is to not forget to take care of yourself. Remember to take breaks
https://www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/31-beginner-babysteps/day-28/

Morning all! I've conquered the laundry yesterday (miracles happen 😂), finished my to do list, and even hoovered the floors in the kitchen/utility room/stairs.

Today will mop and do the living room floor properly. Maybe may dust as well.

Just want to say that even though I'm doing literally nothing for flylady right now, seeing all your posts are reminding me I can get back to a good rhythm once morning sickness stops, with just little bits every day. DW and I now have some time off work so might get some tidying done. The kitchen has been surprisingly okay! Hopefully back on here at full speed soon.

Friday is clean your car and purse out. Also date night.

Today’s mission is to spend 15 minutes removing anything that doesn’t belong from your living room.

(I’ve found the missions a little bit samey this week, anyone else?)

Today’s babystep is to read the pamper mission on the website and to schedule in some you time
https://www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/31-beginner-babysteps/day-29/

Character I know what you mean, it's all about putting out fires. Not that many fires burning, FlyLady!

Yesterday I managed to properly clean the living room floor, under the sofas and all. Hovered the rest of the house, dusted, mopped, laundry.. the usual.

Today did the car. How does it manage to accumulate so much crap? Bag is ok, doesn't need doing yet. The rest of the day was spent doing stuff with littles and cooking endless meals (and clearing up after them).