August FlyLady Thread: No rain Au-Gust of wind will stop us from getting our shit together!

[CabbageBearGoat]

Welcome to the August FlyLady thread! What the heck is FlyLady, I hear you ask. Well, FlyLady is a reliable and flexible system for keeping on top of housework, one thing at a time. It splits the house into zones which we work through week by week, and there are daily tasks designed to tackle everything in sequence. This is a long running thread, but we are a friendly bunch and all are welcome to join in at any time.

We’re trying something new this month as August is a busy one. So, instead of daily updates from thread leader we’re going to stick with just this front post with all your links and information in, and general chatter and updates from here on out.

For people completely new to the system, there are Baby Steps, which add one thing at a time to start off good habits and routines. If you are not ready to start these at the beginning of the month you can set your own Day 1 as today and keep track by following the Baby Steps linked below. After Baby Steps you can graduate to Zones. There are 5 Zones that we rotate through in the same order every month, week by week. Don't worry about finishing it all this month, it'll come around again next month. Time is inevitable. There's no escape. Flylady is NOT about perfectionism! The system is designed to compensate for those days which don't go to plan, as it all repeats. As FlyLady says herself, "You are never behind. Jump in where you are".

This month in particular I would really recommend you download the app and get to using that as you can modify the app's tick lists to suit your home and lifestyle. FlyLady is flexible.

Do NOT sign up for the Flylady emails - it's an excessive amount sent every day.

Common thread acronyms/phrases:
LOL: load of laundry (washing is certainly NOT funny!)
DW: dishwasher (we are not rotating wives!)
LMS: lose/lost my shit
DNLMS: did not lose my shit
BRC: box/basket of random crap
Mount Washmore: self explanatory

So here we go. Here are your links, which update when needed:

Flight Plan (Today at a glance): http://flylady.net/c/fp.php?tzm=-60
Weekly Zones (With this month's dates): https://www.flylady.net/d/zones/
Baby Steps: www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/31-beginner-babysteps/
Launch Pad (Quick links): http://flylady.net/c/lp.php
Weekly Sneak Peek (This week's tasks at a glance): http://flylady.net/c/sp.php

Daily missions: (each week is the same - hyperlink for more info).
Monday: Home Blessing (or as we call it, home bleugh - a quick whizz over basic cleaning)
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 (something to recharge your batteries)

Ha, no I haven't. That's just my own term for my mornings when I go down for breakfast in my dressing gown and get ready later, often delaying on weekends. Dressed straight away definitely more productive.
Bathroom cabinet ✔️
Upstairs hoovered ✔️
To do: downstairs book shelves for 15 mins tomorrow.

Oh I see @mikado1 😂 I usually take my time getting ready on my days off too!
Getting dressed straight away is a lot more productive for sure, but not always what I want to do when I don't have to be out of the house by 6:30am (when I have to head to work). I like to enjoy my coffee in the morning, lounging with my dogs!

Todays tada's
🎉 up, washed & dressed
🎉 all kids fed and ready
🎉 trip to the dentist 🦷 for all kids appointments
🎉helped dd1 declutter clothes - 3 black bin liners full!! Just got to refill the new drawers with the organised clothes and help with shoes and accessories
🎉MIL came for a drink of coffee - I'm a little embarrassed that we still had piles of clothes everywhere and the house is still tipsy turvy from the holidays but can't be helped !
🎉 made bagel pizzas with dd1
🎉 cleaned the sink and toilet in the bathroom , threw any rubbish in the bin and washing in the baskets
🎉quick hoover of the kitchen

Still got a few bits that I want to get done today but as long as everyone has tea and the tea pots are cleaned and cleared away I'll be happy with that . I am into the pms week so I didn't get to sleep until after 3am and I was up at 630 , the lack of sleep is catching up with me !

Welcome @mikado1 ! I still have a pj morning and quite enjoy getting my jobs done in my pjs then get a shower afterwards.

@HazelNotHungryLC the sound of the sea is the most relaxing sound isn't it !!

Do most of you stick to the zones each week? I see people are managing to do lots of different jobs.

mikado I try to for my weekly focus. There are certain things I like to do on those weeks. So for example: bedroom week I wash my mattress protector as well as my sheets. I also spend more time in there dusting, cleaning my ceiling fan etc. Bathroom week I'll get my limescale remover out and vacuum my fans vents, things like that. I don't always do what flylady says to do though. I'm a rebel like that! I also do most of this on Tuesdays as I'm home. The weekends we tend to have plans so not as much gets done. DS helps around the house a lot though too.

I've not been able to do a much this summer as we seem to go camping a lot!

Ok that's great. I'm not a natural cleaner so I suppose she has sheets to suggest things like that as I get into it more. I wouldn't even have thought of the vents for example. My husband is the tidier and cleaner here. He can't believe the difference after just today with the bit of time I spent. Thanks again.

Hi and welcome! So I try my best to stick to the zones as it keeps everything running smoothly, but I allow myself wriggle room for when things are well overdue if I haven't followed for a while. So for instance I'm about to go and descale the coffee machine which is very much usually a kitchen task and normally skipping a month wouldn't be a problem so I'd leave it, except I know I missed it out in July too! And that really does need doing asap or it affects the lifespan of the machine itself.

I also have more rooms/zones at home than the basic FlyLady covers, so I've mostly now added these in to the different weeks (we have three full flights of stairs, so two big landings and a lot of hallway!) so you'll see a lot of "tidied hallway" or "Vacuumed stairs" in my posts but its usually a different set each time!

I like the FlyLady zones as otherwise it feels like whackamole, but if I follow the zones I can just focus on one place and get it spiffy, and that feels good.

Ok thanks so much. It's a little overwhelming to try to understand all at once and maybe I shouldn't be reading so much and jumping around on the links. Do you all write things down as suggested? I think that might get me on track. Thanks again and sorry for all the questions. Thanks also for the links as I will depend on those once my baby steps are done.

@mikado1 happy to answer questions! Working through the baby steps is a great way to have a slow intro to the FlyLady system. It can definitely be overwhelming to go from nothing to everything all at once! This month is also the least "guided" thread we've run, so you may find once you're ready to fully fly next month that a guided thread will help keep you on track.

Have you downloaded the app? That's a great way to know which zone you're in and what we might be focusing on.

I do not write things down at all. I fully rebelled against that aspect of FlyLady 😳

Oooh I forgot the app. I'll get on that.

@CabbageBearGoat yesterday sounds like a day of bliss !!

@mikado1 I try to stick with the zones , however, once it's school holiday (I work in a school) I try to tackle the bigger tasks that niggle my brain , such as the big clear out of the girls room , furniture building etc because term time is just a crazy rush ! I have a bullet journal , write each zone down and highlight a square to represent a 15 minute block for each month and tick a highlighted box as I complete it , this way I can stick to the zones but allows a catch up in an area over the weekends if the week has became too busy . Try not to get overwhelmed with doing it all at once , it takes a long time to build a routine , I still fall off the flylady routine then come back in here and shout for help 😂 although my morning routine is pretty solid whether I'm on or off the flylady method and it keeps the house ticking over . Just shout up with any questions .

Tada
🎉 a friend came to visit
🎉 tea made for everyone plus visitors !
🎉 dishwasher on

Dd2 is currently upstairs putting clothes that we've sorted away . Ds is at football training with OH, dd2 is relaxing in her tablet after having visitors so I'm off to tidy the kitchen & sort out a load of washing to turn on in the morning , possibly clear the dining table . I'm setting a timer for 30 mins and whatever isn't complete can wait until tomorrow because I'm getting my pjs on and curling up with a book !!

Tada
🎉 washer is switched on ( popping the wash in the washer at night ready to be switched on first thing is definitely a habit I want to build into my evening routine)
🎉 morning coffee

I have to wait in for a phonecall for a medication review - I was given a day but no time 🤦‍♀️ so frustrating! So I'm up early and I'm going to spend an hour on filling out the calendar and attempting to make a meal plan for term time . I bought 5kg of chicken breast from the butchers at the weekend which I've sliced or diced , separated into portions and froze to cut down on midweek food prep time . I'll be making burgers this weekend and maybe some lasagna to freeze aswell. Has anyone got any other hints and tips for food prep? There are 3 days in the week where I have 25 minutes to get something on the table before the kids go to their clubs , it's such a rush if I haven't meal planned !

I also have some more of the girls room declutter , a trip to the library with dd2 she has gymnastics tonight and ds has football , so it'll be a busy but steady day hopefully!

sunny there are meals you can prep to put in a bag to keep on the freezer (lay them flat in there so they thaw out quickly). You then dump the bag in a slow cooker in the morning and it's ready 4 or 8 hours later. If course this is if you have a slow cooker, but if you don't, I would recommend the investment! I love mine and use it a lot in the cooler months.
I used to do sweet & sour meatballs and southwest chicken chili. If you have more time in the morning you can just prep it in the morning and turn it on. Cook rice in the evening for the meatballs. Shred the chicken in the chili.

I also make a lot of casseroles. These can be cooked in advance and just warmed through when needed and served with veg/pasta etc. I use frozen veggies as well sometimes as there's no prep before cooking!
I usually plan all my meals to last a couple of days too, on the days we have no time, it's leftovers!

Well, DS is officially back at school today! He took the bus so he would know what bus number he has, so I didn't even get to take him. He is starting High School! My baby is growing up.

To dos:
☕️ makeup & hair
☕️ laundry, including sheets & towels
☕️ go to the bank
☕️ take dogs to groomer
☕️ bathe dogs
☕️ call MIL about camping food this weekend
☕️ go grocery shopping for the week & for camping
☕️ make sure camper is stocked up with everything
☕️ vacuum
☕️ mop
☕️ bleach bathrooms
☕️ stain some brick

We had a crazy storm yesterday evening, included hail as well as heavy rain. It stopped as quickly as it began. It had damaged our trees in the front, a bunch of leaves have been knocked off. I may have to spend some time cleaning that up too.
I'm ready to put some of my autumn decorations up! I know it's still summer, but with DS back at school it feels like it's over now 😪

My first Ta-das:
Up, washed, dressed, moisturised
Wash hung out, wash on
Took ds and 2 friends swimming and home for lunch
Decluttered bottom of my wardrobe, sorted stacks into clear piles (I've run out of hanging and chest of drawer space, no shelves in wardrobe)
Threw out old pj's and other items for donation
Moved more winterish pj's and sweatshirts to spare room wardrobe
Took in both washes and put away
Lying down now 😆

Aww @HazelNotHungryLC I hope your ds has had a great day ! Secondary is such a big leap ! I have got a slow cooker, but I have to admit I haven't used it much - I was never sure whether I was meant to leave it on whilst out of the house because I'm hardly at home during the day . I will get it out of the cupboard and give it another go ! I am about to start a Halloween cross stitch so you aren't the only one thinking of autumn 🍂

You've earnt that lie down @mikado1!! Sounds like a very productive day !!

Tada
🎉 wash hung out
🎉 2 more loads done
🎉 everyone breakfasts
🎉 calendar updated for the term 😫😫
🎉 last few bits of girls clothes decluttered and put away (5 bin liners full ready for the charity!! )
🎉 lunch
🎉 tea
🎉 dishwasher on
🎉 dry clothes folded
🎉 taxi service for dd2 gymnastics
🎉pjs on g&t poured

Super tired today 😴

School’s back tomorrow. Yesterday the Teens tried on their uniforms, and today I ordered a couple of things next size up from asda.

I got caught up with a tricky bit of life admin, and things should flow a bit easier from now on. Apart from that, I haven’t done much this week. The weather is positively autumnal here, with the wind blowing a hoolie. I’ve even had the central heating on for a short time a couple of days this past fortnight.

Will get back into a routine by the weekend, promise!

searching I usually turn my slow cooker on before leaving for work. I've never had any issues with it. There are so many recipes on Pinterest as well if you need inspiration.
Scourgify 😱 at having to turn your heating on in August!

Ta das:
🐶 makeup & hair
🐶 LOLs x6
🐶 went to the bank
🐶 took dogs to groomer
🐶 bathed dogs
🐶 talked to MIL about camping food this weekend
🐶 went grocery shopping for the week & for camping
🐶 rotated DW
🐶 put all clean clothes away
🌻 got my autumn decorations up! 🌻🍁🍂

What I didn't do:
☕️ make sure camper is stocked up with everything - nope
☕️ vacuum - nope
☕️ mop - nope
☕️ bleach bathrooms - nope
☕️ stain some brick - nope

I wish I had just got on with some things though. I was having trouble focusing on getting cleaning today, for some reason.
Oh well, I'm back to work tomorrow for the rest of the week so not sure what I'll have for ta das 🤷‍♀️

Autumn is definitely in the air here, but it looks like it's going to be a nice day.

On today's to do list:
🌞 Give bath tub a good clean, its looking distinctly grubby
🌞 Dismantle and give Chippie's cage a good scrub - Chippie is my Cockatiel. That won't be a very easy job because he'll want to sit on my shoulder the whole time 🙄
🌞 Give my house plants their weekly check over
🌞 Hopefully find time for a walk, even if it's only 20 minutes.

Tada
🎉 up, washed , dressed
🎉 coffee
🎉 dc all up washed & dressed

That is it for this morning , I am super tired again today so I'm going to do what I can to keep the house ticking over but mainly focusing on making sure everyone eats and doing the basics. I think I mentioned the folic acid that the gp prescribed after the blood test results but my liver, kidney and thyroid are all struggling and my vitamins and minerals are also low so the gp is investigating whether there is something happening with my thyroid , I have to have a repeat blood test in a couple of weeks but it would explain why I struggle at times . I only went in with pains in my leg and arm and came out with a dodgy thyroid 😂! I thought they were going to say the usual eat well, exercise, get fresh air etc but hopefully they'll get to the bottom of it soon.

Thanks @HazelNotHungryLC I will try out some slow cooker meals - it'll be so much easier to pop something in the slow cooker and it cook whilst I'm at work . Also woohoo for getting the autumn decorations up !!

Good luck with your todo list @MissMarplesNiece !

I hope the back to school morning has gone well @Scourgify ?

That bullet journal sounds impressive, would you be able to take a pic of how you lay it out zone and task wise?
Tadas:
Up, washed, dressed, hair fixed, make up
Hung wash out
Dropped dc1 to camp
Breakfast out with dh and dc2
5 mins on sitting room
Emptied dw

To do:
Top of spare room wardrobe.. who knows what gems await
Therapy session
Walk with a friend
Committee Meeting for sports club I'm involved with

Oops, forgot other tadas:
Errands run: returned books to library, picked up reserved books for my book club and dc
Returned dress that didn't suit
Handed in top for fixing to seamstress

@Searchingforsunnydays Your GP sounds thorough and hopefully get to the bottom of what's ailing you.

I like the idea of the bullet journal.

sunny Yes, thanks, our morning routine worked smoothly, much to my delight as the kitchen is a halfway house atm ifor much of my sorting and decluttering.

I got a letter today which means an end at last to the paperwork bottleneck. It’s up to me now to keep up the momentum.

Fed up with the broken washing-machine sitting in the middle of the utility floor. It’s beyond repair, so I disconnected everything and TeenBoy and I used the sack-barrow to get it into the garden. We were both rather proud of ourselves after!

Tidied the van, binned a couple of oily rags. Found four large squidgy rubber dinosaurs in a binbag, still with labels on.