Falling into September with Flylady

[HazelNotHungryLC]

Getting back into routines can be hard, with DC going back to school, this is the perfect time to start getting back into the swing of things.

Are you feeling overwhelmed and don't know where to start to get your house back under control from the summer holidays? Or just wanting to try something new?
Join us and try out Flylady! It just may work 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 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: 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.

Launch Pad: www.flylady.net/d/new-links/

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

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

I have a long to do list today, I know I'm not going to be able to do all of it though, especially how it feels like I'm getting another cold, or just reacting to the weather as it's cooler this week.
We're having a potluck at work on Thursday, so I have rolls to bake and soup to make. Someone else is doing the cake this time (it's usually me!).

Ta das:
🫖 unsuccessfully went to the bank (queues were long & not moving, ATM was being serviced as well)
🍯 took dogs to groomer
🫖 bleached bathrooms (including the base and behind the toilets)
🍯 cleaned glass doors (front & back of the house)
🫖 LOLs x4, including our sheets so remade the bed also
🍯 put clean clothes away
🫖 took DS around to sell more chocolates for a fundraiser
🍯 baked rolls for DS & DH (not having potluck this week now)
🫖 made soup for dinner tonight, the perfect evening for it as it was a little chilly all day today
🍯 re-potted my orchid. I'm really, really hoping I didn't just kill it and that it does well 🤞 I do have to get more of the orchid soil for it though, as well as for others I need to tend to

I didn't really have much motivation today to get much done.
I'm sipping on chamomile tea and honey this evening, feeling a little under the weather still. I'll see how I feel in the morning, especially since one of the girls at work is going through chemo, so she has no immune system right now!
Oh, I also booked a hotel stay (2 nights) for our anniversary in November, scheduled the massages & reservation for dinner one of the nights as well while I was on the phone.

I guess I did get quite a bit done after all, just not as much as I wanted.

Wednesday is anti-procrastination day.

Wednesday's mission in the bathroom is to check the medicine cabinet (mine is actually in the kitchen!). Throw away empty bottles & boxes. Check expiration dates as well. Wipe down the shelf. She says not to take everything off the shelf, but honestly I find it easier. Do whatever works best for you.
In the other room/ stash & dash space, spend 5 minutes putting things away that got stashed when you had guests.

Baby Step 18: https://www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/31-beginner-babysteps/day-18/
Read the 11 commandments/ rules: https://www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/flying-lessons/flyladys-11-commandments/

Thursday is errand day.

Thursday's missions:
Bathroom: scrub the sink, then shine it, just like the kitchen sink
Stash & Dash spot: check to see if you have uncovered any more rubbish or recycling. Do this again, just in case some was buried!

Baby Step 19: https://www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/31-beginner-babysteps/day-19/
Read today's testimonial & make sure to do your morning routine.

Thanks @HazelNotHungryLC hope you are feeling better now. I need to drag myself into the bathroom and have a good declutter, we only have one and four adults, three of whom have long hair so the empty conditioner bottles seem to appear with alarming regularity. I've got too many different cleaning sprays etc too, need to rationalise those.

At least I am on top of the laundry, the weather has been perfect for line drying this week so I've pegged out a load before work every day. Out tonight for an evening meeting so probably not much will get done but its my day off tomorrow, I must make a plan.

Still trying to find my feet. Motivation? Nope, energy? Nope, Stress? lower but still high, to do list? Its a fucking bully.

So far i have unloaded and reloaded the DW, did a test swatch for a new project and learnt that you do not ever ever what to have to rip it back. And 4mm is too small.

At the moment i am trying to figure out whether to do the house to do list or the allotment to do list. I think getting out might be a plan. But waiting for my head phones to charge because i work better with an audio book in my ears. I am in the process of prepping to winter veg and installing a hot bed composting system to help extend the growing season. Water butt, worm composting etc are on the to do list. Trying to figure out how to get a less than ideal plot to be as productive as possible.

House is the usual trendmill of laundry, washing up/kitchen cleaning. Plus the continued hunt for the box that has vanished with the curtain rail fittings and plodding on with returning stuff to where they live, prepping for getting the final coat of paint on the bathroom ceiling done, and getting the work finished in the attic so eveything can go home to where it lives. In one respect it has been useful as there has been a really good look at everything that is in storage, and opportunity to clear it out. On the other hand I am sick and tired of tripping over stuff. I have mostly learnt that my wish to make my clothes has been hindered by the building work state of the house, but my purchasing of fabric to make them was not. It will be good to get the house straight so that i can work my way through the things that need to be done. i will enjoy that.

ED I mostly feel better, but it comes and goes. I think I've figured out that it's either the weather changing or the harvesting going on around here (the dust etc).
Being on top of the laundry really helps with everything else, I feel.

Dragons did you find the box you were looking for? It sounds like you're at the end of the road with building work! Am I right?!

After work I was able to get my clothes out for the morning, do yoga and get ready for bed!
So no zone work, but that's okay, for now.

Friday is clean out your car and purse day.

Friday's mission in the bathroom is to clean the floor. It doesn't have to be perfect, there's no right way, necessarily, so do what you need to do to get the floor clean. Personally I like to get down on my hands & knees, but I'm not opposed to using my spray mop, if a quick mop is all that's needed anyway.
The mission for your stash & dash space is to do the 27 fling boogie. This is where you get rid of 27 items.

Baby Step 20: https://www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/31-beginner-babysteps/day-20/
Learn how to incorporate laundry into your morning & evening routines

I'm not fully flying yet but one of the things I'm learning from thus challenge is to keep on top of my handbag and car. Just been through both and removed . . . one parking ticket. (The paid for sort not the fine sort!)

Two months ago this would have yielded armfuls and taken ages!

That's brilliant @DillyDeclutter . My bags are Ok simce I switched to those small Uniqlo cross body ones as there isn't room for much clutter but my car is a bit of a mess after a summer of taxiing teenagers and my own allotment stuff. I completely cleared the boot a few weeks ago (it is a holding zone for charity shop intended things) but the rest of it definitely needs a good vacuum.

Shocked to scroll back and find that I haven’t posted since the 8th. I was keeping my head above water (just), but now it’s more not waving but drowning.

Local holiday here today and Monday. TeenBoy is away for a couple of days, TeenGirl has promised to run around for me in return for a McD lunch with hot chocolate. I think she’s also hoping for some new lego later today.

I hope to report back some degree of success, and that TG has cooperated and is happy with her lego.

It sounds like you're at the end of the road with building work! <hollow laugh>
Shower needs new door, which requires new door frame and tiling modifications,
Ceiling that didn't come down in a flooded bathroom situation needs serious repair, flooring needs repairing in that room
Ds' gaming dungeon needs new ceiling from a previous leaking roof/draining issues on the gutter.
Windows that were replaced was done by a company with shoddy fitters so there is a whole heap of remedial work required to fix the damaged brick work, rendering and resolve the new leak that has cause a mold issue
there is still a doorway to block off and a wall to knock down plus associated bedroom/bathroom restoration.
there is another 2 bedrooms that has not been dealt with yet besides that
And then there is the issue that there is still no heating in my room because the radiator has not been installed and probably won't be until November earliest...

Yeah there is at least another 2 years of work there. Hire a renno company you say? well that would be sensible but Nooooo we need to do a lot of the work ourselves to save money. Doesn't save the fucking sanity though And lets be honest by the time we are done it will be time to freshen the paint so we get to start at the beginning to do that.

However, if we can get the boxes out of the lounge and dining room so that we can have somewhere to sit for christmas this year that would be nice. And yes, i have said many many times it would have been cheaper and quicker to have knocked the house down and rebuilt it from scratch.

Dragons 😂 as I was reading your post I was starting to think it would be less work to knock it down and rebuild.. then I got to your last sentence! 😂🤣😂
The situation isn't funny though, it sounds super stressful, especially doing the work yourselves.

Scourgify 🤞 TG helps you out like she said she would.

ED you must reminded me I have stuff in my Jeep I need to drop off at the charity shop it's been in there 2 weeks already I don't remember if they take things on a Friday though. I'll try to remember to drive by there on my lunch today and look..

Dilly little and often really does help!

TG was not overly impressed with the thirty-year-old lego set I unearthed and asked her to complete and check for missing pieces. But she did it with good grace and we’ll look at the online catalogue today or tomorrow. Also ebay.

We had fun together going through my wardrobe and setting aside things no-one will ever wear. She laid claim to a couple of items then tried on my wedding dress.

Tidied motorhome bedding etc into attic room. Boxed up the unused summer duvets (weather was never warm enough this summer), labelled boxes and put them on to top of cupboard.

Emptied contents of a storage box to where they take up much less space and might actually be used.

Avoided dishes by going to McD.

I chopped some overgrown branches.

Today they’re all out for the day, and I’m shopping.

Scourgify going through your wardrobe with DD sounds fun!

No flying done by me yesterday, although DS did the home bleugh (his version of it anyway!).

Today DS has his first marching band competition and I volunteered to chaperone 🙄 why I did that to myself, I don't know! It might be fun, it might not, who knows 🤷‍♀️

Sorry I'm late with the links, we watched a couple of movies last night and I just didn't get them on here.

Saturday is family fun day! No missions, just have some fun! What are you doing today?

Baby Step 21: https://www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/31-beginner-babysteps/day-21/
Spend 5 minutes reading her "ask flylady" questions and answers on her website.

Sunday is renew your spirit day.
Go do something for you! Go out for a walk, take a relaxing bath, read a book, go to church, whatever works for you!

I'm planning to do my nails and keep reapplying aftersun on my sunburn that I got today. I didn't realise the sun was going to be a strong as it was all day and got sunburnt while at the marching band competition!

DSs school marching band won 1st place in their division in the 1st comp of the season. They have 4 more to play at, the last one being the biggest comp. I'm super proud of him and the whole band. They are doing amazing!

Baby Step 22: https://www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/31-beginner-babysteps/day-22/

Ouch Hazel hope the sunburn isn't too bad. Its rained here for the last week!

I finished bathroom week by tidying out all of the cupboards - we have very pretty cream cupboards with a woven front that let all the dust inside, and white shelves. Bad combo. Anyway they are all scrubbed out now and look lovely. I keep opening them to look inside.

Renewing my spirit by hosting afternoon tea for DH's prayer meeting folk. Not really sure how I get talked into these things!

Dilly your cupboards sound beautiful 😍
I hope you enjoy the company and don't give yourself too much to do!

I slept well last night, feel rested. I do need to figure out meals and go grocery shopping at one point today.

22 Days late - but can i jump in and join you for the rest of Sept and then the upcoming months. I've kinda done FlyLady before - not to the T, but its nice to have a checklist of things to work against.

I'm going to check out what is expected of me this week and make sure that I am prepped. A low bar being set here - but even that will be better than where I am now.

Welcome @MangoLove it's never too late to join! Just jump right in where we are.
We will be moving to the master bedroom this week, zone wise. You can start with baby step #1, shining your sink through the rest of the month and add to it each day. On this thread, expectations don't exist! Do what you can, you will never be behind. Sometimes a successful day is everyone fed, nobody dead!

Welcome @MangoLove

Well done to DS and his band @HazelNotHungryLC and thank you for all the links. I never did clear my car out as I ended up borrowing DH’s bigger one on Friday then we were out all day yesterday and today I forgot. Sot it might have to wair for next week. I am going to go and tackle the bathroom in a minute, I have been decluttering it a bit this week but it sill needs a clean and re-organise. We use a lot of conditioner and I tend to stock up when it’s on offer so there are bottles everywhere.

Monday is home bleugh (home blessing). Quick vacuum, empty bins, change sheets etc, whatever you can do in an hour.

This week we are moving into zone 4, the master bedroom.
Monday's mission is to set your timer for 15 minutes and get rid of anything that doesn't belong in your bedroom. Don't spend 3 hours on it, just 15 minutes. Remember, we are not aiming for perfect, just "better"

Baby Step 23: https://www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/31-beginner-babysteps/day-23/
Today we are adding in another step to your routines. Afternoon routine/ after work routine: https://www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/flying-lessons/control-journal/step-4/

Ta das:
🧚‍♀️ meal planning for the week
🧚‍♀️ grocery shopping
🧚‍♀️ LOLs x2
🧚‍♀️ put clean clothes away
🧚‍♀️ painted nails
🧚‍♀️ watched 2 movies
🧚‍♀️ watered plants
🧚‍♀️ handwashed dishes
🧚‍♀️ DS rotated DW
🧚‍♀️ got my lunch ready for tomorrow
🧚‍♀️ drank my bedtime tea

To dos:
😴 yoga
😴 shower
😴 get clothes out for tomorrow
😴 take meds & get to bed at a decent hour

🍒👋 to everyone

DD surprised us this evening with a visit! She didn't stay long as she has to work tomorrow, but it was nice to actually see her and give her a hug!

I worked all day, so no ta das. Even DS rotated the DW for me so I didn't even have to do that!

I'm off tomorrow, but have a couple things I need to do so not sure what will get done at home.
I hope everyone is well, it's very quiet on here!