Springing into April - Flylady style

[BloomingHazel]

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. you have been warned! 😁
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 a week. 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: do/did not lose my shit

There are more, but I can't think of them all. 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.

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

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

A great list @BloomingHazel , looks like you balanced things well with some relaxation thrown into the day ❤️

Waving to you @CherryogDog, I understand the mental block . Your plan of doing something daily sounds positive though , let us know how you get on 💐

@Hemax1 the clothes decluttering is never ending isn't it ! I find I have to do the kids clothes every couple of months - especially shoes ! Great organising prepping the 'grow into' clothes ! How was the play cafe ?

@McMumster sunshine makes all the difference doesn't it !

@CabbageBearGoat a win is a win no matter who completes the task 🙂 my oh tends to do the tea pots , take the rubbish out and puts a wash on most days depending on who's at home the longest .

It's nice to be back here!
Yesterday's task was putting away my laundry mountain, I had 6 bags for life full of clean clothes.
Very satisfying TaDa, although my drawers aren't very tidy I can find what I want.
I did two more LOLs, which I'll put away today.
I put a few bits in the charity bag, and also took out all my clothes that I've "grown out of" 🥵 that I'm not ready to get rid off, stuff that I couldn't afford to replace, my weight is on a very slow downward trend but going in the right direction.
Today's ToDo is tidy and clean the downstairs hallway, and continue running the vacuum round until the battery dies.
Happy Flying everyone!

Today's wins:
🎉 Quick vacuum of dining room and lounge
🎉 Posted yesterday's "return to sender" post stack
🥳 (DW) Put out bins for collection day
🥳 1x washing up

@Searchingforsunnydays yes decluttering the kids clothes is definitely never ending! I also have a couple of friends that kindly hand clothes to us ( but they then need to be sorted and those we wouldn’t use then passed on … )

The science session at the play cafe was good ! Highlight was standing on a carton of eggs … without breaking any of the eggs !

Not got a lot of tada’s for the house over the past couple of days but here goes :
⭐️ family time ( science session and play at the play cafe - met up with friends and their children, storytelling session at local children’s theatre, free session at local family hub with bubbleman, painting, magician etc etc etc. ) so done quite a lot of family time things.

⭐️ sorted out littlest’s sock drawer as the increase in shoe size also needed new socks too
⭐️tidied tight drawer and found a better way of stashing the tights
⭐️ picked up and dropped off parcels
⭐️ meal planned
⭐️weeks food shop ( although that still needs putting away ! )

Thursday is errand day.

Thursday's mission is to spend 15 minutes getting rid of things that don't belong in your entryway. Put things away that got dumped there, throw things out or donate things you don't need anymore. Only spend 15 minutes on this.

Baby Step: https://www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/31-beginner-babysteps/day-4/
Day 4: continue shining your sink, get ready for the day & read the website (daily message, also on the app). She wants you to write these things on sticky notes and stick around the house (mirror in bathroom, on the fridge etc.).

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

sunny I've heard Wonka is good, so I'm excited to watch it when it's available streaming.

Cherry well done for getting your weight going on the right direction.

Cabbage those are some good wins. I how you're not overdoing it though.

Hemax the egg carton experiment would have terrified me! It looks like you had a fun family day.

Ta das:
😴 worked all day
😴 small grocery shop in the way home
😴 vacuumed the mess from when my Easter lily fell off the sideboard 😭 it needs a bigger, heavier pot
😴 cooked dinner
😴 got my lunch ready for tomorrow
😴 got my clothes out for tomorrow
😴 DS rotated DW
😴 finished loading DW after dinner

I'm so tired. 🍒👋 to everyone!

I know I'm repeating myself but I'm often in awe at what you lot are achieving!
I'm keeping my ToDo lists very small and anything else is a bonus.
TaDas
Put away most of the shoe mountain that was cluttering up my hallway.
Hoovered all of downstairs.
Put away the last lot of laundry.
Late night job that was on today's ToDo, mopped the utility room and back hallway because one of the dogs ate something that didn't agree with them.
Today's ToDo is to clear the dining table which is just a dumping ground for everything we're too lazy to put away.
DP has had a massive clear out of clothes, he's got a really annoying habit of cramming things into bags (like shopping, why pack things into two bags when you can cram it into one, who cares if the bread gets squashed, or a frozen item makes the sugar bag soggy).
We've got a stack of charity bags, but he's used just three for a huge amount of clothes.
They've been sat in the dining room for weeks and I tried to move one and it was so heavy I couldn't, and the bag split when I tried.
The stupid thing is there's a Sally Army clothes bin at the co-op 100 yards away, but he insists he wants it to go to the dog charity in town.
I think I'll leave it for a few days, repack it into smaller loads that will fit into the SA bin and just tell him I took it into town 😄

Another high energy day today, so capitalised on getting through the weekend's laundry leftovers.

Today's wins:
🎉 2x LOL on, dried, folded, put away
🎉 Restocked loo roll after WGAC delivery
🎉 Wiped down automatic cat feeder and mats, changed bowl
🎉 Updated time on automatic feeder post-clock change!
🎉 5 mins tidy of Kallax hot spot (small dent made)
🥳 Brought wheelie bins back in

@CherryogDog my sympathies for the charity bags. I'm in favour of getting things out the house by any means possible so I support the SA bin plan. Halting progress (getting the clothes out the house) for the sake of perfection (the "best" charity donation target) is by definition not perfection!

Cherry that sounds like a plan re charity bags. Whatever gets the job done and those out of the house. Would DH fit into SA donation bin?

Hazel sending energy.

TaDas:
🫥All errands done.
🫥Hallway cleared and all the shoes tidied up. 🫥Little cupboard unit properly wiped down and antibac-ed.
🫥Hoovered upstairs and downstairs 🥵 Including all dark corners of the hallway.
🫥Mopped all the floors.
🫥Dry and clean laundry put away.
🫥Endless cooking and cleaning kitchen - at least X3. Degreased the extractor fan in the process.
🫥Half way through meal planning.

Thursday has been a no go on the housework front . Dd1 had her driving test , the morning was taken up by keeping her calm , when she went to her lesson , I took ds to a friends house for a sleepover then went to a cafe nearby the test centre . Dd1 failed her driving test with only 3 minors but as she was overtaking a bus , the bus started to pull out , she panicked , slammed on the brakes, stalled the car 3 times before setting off again so was classed as a major , poor kid . So this afternoon and evening was spent with her processing it all and working out her next steps .

Wednesday was a really productive day though ! Couple of jobs ticked off the weekly list and off the monthly list - I even chucked out all of the odd socks that I had in a basket longingly waiting for its partner to show up ! Life's too short to have that many odd socks ! And I went through dd2's hair stuff with her and got rid of lots that she didn't like anymore - sadly it was mostly the Disney princess bobbles and clips 🥲

I am currently up with pms pain and insomnia so hopefully the rest of the week won't be a washout and I'll get a few more things ticked off .

Well done on the clothes sorting @CherryogDog , I think it affects my day to day life when I'm searching through piles of laundry to find the right football socks or T-shirt! Although I still fall behind on this task often, it's usually the first thing I tackle when Im feeling productive! I hope that it makes your life a little easier now that it's all where it's meant to be 🙂 also regarding charity shop , maybe give him a time limit to take it , then if he doesn't , take it to the clothing bin . It can be a frustrating part of decluttering, most of the charity shops are closed when I've finished work but my ds is great and will often take a bag after school if I ask him to . Otherwise I get into the mindset of what is the point in taking all this time to sort things for it to still be hanging around in the house .

@Hemax1 the egg box experiment sounds amazing ! Well done for the meal plan , I must make more effort in that area ...

@BloomingHazel, sounds like you're very organised prepping for the next day !

@CabbageBearGoat yay for your high energy day 🎉

@McMumster thats a great list , it's made me tired just reading it !!

Friday is clean out your purse & car day & date night.

Friday's mission is to spend time in the dining room getting rid of the dust bunnies & cobwebs. Dust the skirting boards, corners by the ceiling and dust your light fixtures. Be careful around the light bulb though (if it's not covered).

Baby Step: https://www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/31-beginner-babysteps/day-5/
Continue doing the steps we've already done: shine your sink, get ready for the day, read the daily message on the website & keep reading your sticky notes.
Today she wants you to write down any negative thoughts and turn them into a positive.

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

sunny that must have been terrifying for your DD! It sounds like she's a good driver though, so I'm sure she'll pass next time. Just make sure she gets back on the road.

cherry I agree with sunny give DH a deadline to take his clothes where he would prefer, if he doesn't, you take them to the most convenient for you. My DH needs to do a massive clear out too, but refuses! 🤦‍♀️

Mc I had a good night's sleep last night.
I'll soon be getting ready for bed (almost 9:30pm here).
I have my lunch ready, but need to get my clothes ready still. I have to do this or I'll be stressed and running late in the morning. I have to be my future friend and plan ahead.

🍒👋 to everyone

I'm sorry I didn't mention everyone in my personals, I'm now needing to get ready for bed!

Sunny what a shame re DD1 driving test! The bus driver could have been nicer and let the learner pass 😠
She will ace it next time.

Ta das:
😶‍🌫️Dusted everything, including lampshades
😶‍🌫️Washed off fingerprints from the walls in the hallway and dining area
😶‍🌫️Antibac-ed bannisters
😶‍🌫️Usual routines

Sorry for not posting sooner!
Saturday is family fun day, so no missions.

Baby Step: https://www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/31-beginner-babysteps/day-6/
Continue shining your sink, getting ready for the day, reading sticky notes & the daily message on her website/ app. As well as the turning negative thoughts into positive.
Today she wants us to practise putting out those fires in our hot spots. Just spend 2 minutes today on that.
When you are doing your daily stuff like dishes/ rotating DW/ make your bed/ put 1 lol away, time yourself to see how long they actually take. It may surprise you!

Sunday is renew your spirit day. Read a book, go out for a walk or hike, go to church, soak in the bath.. whatever it is that refreshes you.

Baby Step: https://www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/31-beginner-babysteps/day-7/
Continue with everything so far:
Shining your sink, getting ready for the day, reading sticky notes & the daily message on her website/ app. As well as the turning negative thoughts into positive. Spend just 2 minutes putting out those fires in your hot spots.

Today she wants us to add to our bedtime routine. Spend a couple of minutes choosing your clothes for tomorrow, pull them out ready to put on. I do this and it is extremely helpful to me come morning. I don't have to stress about not making a decision right away if nothing is standing out.

I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend! I didn't do much yesterday other than a couple LOLs.
I did shower, scrub, shave and apply self tanner though. And relaxed. A lot.

Today we are going to the next big town to do bulk shopping, as well as look for a new rubbish bin (ours broke 2 weeks ago and it's annoying that the pedal doesn't lift the lid anymore!). We are also going to pick up some of the brick we are going to use for edging the firepit area and flowerbeds.
I do need to repaint my nails, so planning to do that this evening.
We have a wedding to go to tomorrow (yes, on a Monday 🙄) and my nails are looking a little worse for wear, but I already have my outfit ready 😇

We are moving to zone 2 this week, the kitchen.

Monday is home bleugh. Vacuum, dust, empty bins, change sheets.

Monday's mission is to look up and get the cobwebs and dust from the corners of the ceiling. This should only take a few minutes, 10 at the most. Remember, better, not perfect!

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

Baby Step: https://www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/31-beginner-babysteps/day-8/
Break down what we have done so far into morning and before bedtime routines.
Morning:

• get ready for the day
• read your sticky notes
• check the daily message on the website
• change the voices in your head from negative to positive
• put out your hot spots for 2 minutes

Before bedtime:

• shine your sink
• get your clothes out for the morning
• put out your hot spot

Ta das so far:
🧚‍♀️ took DS to school
🧚‍♀️ 1st lol in washer
🧚‍♀️ changed bedsheets on DSs bed

I'm currently drinking my 2nd cup of coffee before I get moving again.

YesTaDas:
🌷 bulk shopping in next big town
🌷 bought a new kitchen bin (DH has already disposed of the old one)
🌷 bought decking tiles for the pool area (these will work so much better than what we currently have)
🌷 repainted my nails
🌷 watched 3 movies with DH

DD is headed here for a couple of days. The wedding is today and she has an appt tomorrow. I'm looking forward to spending time with her 🥰

Ta das:
🧚‍♀️ LOLs x2
🧚‍♀️ bleached both bathrooms
🧚‍♀️ handwashed dishes
🧚‍♀️ wiped countertops & sink is now shiny
🧚‍♀️ went to a wedding
🧚‍♀️ meal planned
🧚‍♀️ went grocery shopping
🧚‍♀️ had DS rotate DW after dinner

Tuesday is plan & play day.
Tuesday's mission is to wipe the fronts and edges of your cabinets and drawers. I like to use either my all purpose cleaner or just good old soapy water after washing my dishes.

Baby Step: https://www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/31-beginner-babysteps/day-9/
Add a few minutes of decluttering to your morning routine. I'm the link there's more details on how to do this, as well as more info on a 5 minute room rescue.

I hope everyone is doing well, it's awfully quiet on here!

Thanks @BloomingHazel all OK here, just been out a lot and neglecting the Flying. Keeping on top of the daily stuff including laundry but not much more at the moment.

It's raining AGAIN this morning, every time we get a dry day my hopes of some nice weather get up and then are dashed again.

DS went back to uni at the weekend and the house feels quiet but less cluttered.

I’ve been taking advantage of any dry weather to tidy the garden for a couple of hours in the morning and for a shorter time in the afternoon. Tbh, not doing much more than minimum housework. Back to the kitchen today as it’s supposed to rain for most of the next few days.