Flying on our broomsticks into October

[HauntingHazel]

Witches, vampires & zombies - whoever/whatever you are, all are welcome on this spooky flylady thread.

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.

October's monthly focus is paper clutter.

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/

I'm sorry, I'm just dropping links tonight as I'm super tired! I'll catch up tomorrow, hopefully!

Thursday is errand day.

Thursday's mission is to surface wipe your big appliances: fridge, oven, hob etc. But only spend 15 minutes on this, it's not a detailed clean, just a quick wipe down (only on the outside it sounds like too).

Baby Step 10: https://www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/31-beginner-babysteps/day-10/
Set your timer for 15 minutes and grab a bin bag, walk around your house picking up whatever rubbish you come across. Stop after 15 minutes. Then set your timer for another 15 minutes and put your feet up with a drink and book/ magazine etc.

Morning all...
@SleepingIceDragons loving the division of to do's into quests and side quests! I hope you can manage a holiday from the people at some point soon....?

Yesterday's tadas:

• emptied dishwasher
• ordered waterbottles and thermos flasks for kids
• did last LOL
• walked dog
• 5 min declutter in zone (baby steps?!)
• decided against buying a cordless vacuum. - not really needed when we have a robot one, the floor was just too cluttered to get it out! Have rectified that and decided it goes on every night after dinner.

Today's tada's

• emptied dishwasher
• dusted sink windowsill - its got so many orchids / little herb pots on it that I need to move to dust it, Won't get rid of them though as they bring me so much joy.
• called chimney sweep.

Today's to do's

• LOL x1
• back physio exercises
• 15 min clear off bedroom surfaces - our bedroom is currently the room of doom in our house, and I hate it.
• Call bathroom companies to see if they can come and quote for redoing bathrooms.
• (optional extra for bonus points!) pay in cheque at post office.

I have decided on 3 categories of quest: Main quest, side quest, got completely lost in the woods.

I am yet again playing try to find the box of bits and pulling the house apart. tempers are short, progress is none. And i am done with this shit. The sodding safe place worm hole NEEDS to return the important stuff so that we can move forwards and ply it with things it can look after for longer.

sleeping I put my house keys in a safe place when we went on holiday in August and only just found then yesterday. It's so frustrating! Wish you luck.

Lol done, dishwasher empty. Yesterday as anti procrastination I replied to 3 personal emails I've been putting off, one since August.

Need to do the meal plan. Still haven't cleaned out my kitchen bin, but I know it'll be fab once I have done it.

Dragons I first read your post about getting rid of the bed frame as getting rid of your bedtime and thought that might be a bad idea to just wing it! Then I reread it and it made more sense!

LaMarschallin it's surprising how much it can throw your day off if routine doesn't happen, isn't it?! I hope the rest of your day went well.

Pumpkins I remember now! I'm glad you're not allowed to do any of the physical work involved. How is the pregnancy going now?

Captain I hope you're able to enjoy your sister while she is staying nearby. Having company for however long is such a motivation to me!

Dilly & Dragons the dreaded safe place! Happens to me a lot.

Friday is clean out your car & purse day.
It is also date night (with anyone, including by yourself, if you wish!).

Friday's mission is to sweep and mop your kitchen floor. It is the last day in the kitchen, so let's make it count! There is no one right way to do this, so do whatever works best for you.

Baby Step 11: https://www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/31-beginner-babysteps/day-11/
Continue with all the baby steps so far. Today add in another page to your control journal. This page will be your inspirational page.

I don't really have any ta das to add for Thursday, other than worked all day, heated leftovers up for dinner, rotated DW and got my lunch & clothes ready for the morning.

I'm not the best at setting a good example, especially as the thread leader! 🤦‍♀️Oops!

@HauntingHazel i think those should all count as Tada's because you did them 🎉
thank you for leading the thread - it's so helpful to me even when I don't post, it helps me to stay in a more helpful mindset of "I can just do a little" and to see those small steps as big positive changes.
yesterday was the first day in weeks that I've felt more able to move freely - docs think I herniated a disk a couple of weeks ago. This morning I woke up (after a terrible nights sleep) and after getting up dropped something.... bent to pick it up and back has gone again. I feel like I've gone back massively in my recovery 😖 trying not to get head of myself but was hoping to go back to work on Monday..... not sure now.
so there won't be much (any!) housework done by me today. I do have an admin task to do so I'll count that as a success when I've done it!
have a lovely day all!

Ouch @Captainladder , hope it gets better soon. I have had sciatica sometimes and it’s awful. We are opposite with the vacuums, we have had a cordless one for years (Dyson), it’s great, but sometimes I get the urge to get a robot one, however we have cats and are all out most days of the week and that’s probably not a good combination.

Tada! (yesterday).

1xLOL partly line dried, finished in tumble
Emptied car
Took car to valeting place (that’s me off the hook for today’s task)
Had a coffee and diary session while waiting
Weekly food shop and put away
Swept and mopped kitchen floor
Washed filter from cordless vac
Put all the stuff back in the car that actually lives there (chargers, coin tin, handgel, sunglasses etc). Took several water bottles into the house for washing and binned the random crap.
Unpacked several amazon parcels - including some photo storage boxes which I intend to use for stationery bits and bobs, saw it on an insta page
Took car to audio place to get a quote for a repair to the hands-free
Picked DD up
Mowed lawn
Moved some plants to greenhouse because of frost warning
Strimmered the edges of the allotment and picked more raspberries
Paid a couple of bills
Took photos of the aurora from an upstairs window
Watched Bake-off
Did some crochet

Today is another day off, I am getting my nails done and meeting a friend for coffee, hopefully some more Flying, it is a beautiful day here though so might be tempted with a walk to see the tree colours.

Captain - one of the people herieated a disk, it has been a long slow recovering and they had to go back after physio had helped them and work had done an OT assessment.(returned on shortened hours to build up to full hours sat at desk) I will cavet that they had previously (like nearly 40 yrs ago) broken their neck from whiplash and there was problems from that complicating everything. But please take it easy and understand that as much as you want to go back fast it will heal with steps backwards in the mix and that this is not uncommon in the healing process. You have my full sympthathy because I know how miserably painful this can be. I hope you continue with forwards progress in your recovery.

It felt like i was in perpetual motion yesterday but i have no idea what i did other than i need to go up to the allotment asap and open a green house to prevent condensation triggered mold.

Today's plan?
bath with a book
paint a ceiling
continue the game of tidy, sort and clean the house.
get plants into bath tub
pot up monstera

I would have no idea what day it was this morning if it was not for the fact i have just heard the bins being collected. Apparently i am now too old for accidental fuck i drunk too much coffee just to get through the day woke up before 5am 20hr days. Getting old sucks.

This morning DH did a really good job of fitting a shelf over the new washing-machine for the tumble-dryer. The whole space is neater and looks much larger than before.

This weekend is laundry and garden tidy. Life admin is piling up again and must be tackled.

Captain I hope your bank gets better soon, but just like Dragons did, you can't rush the recovery, you need to rest. Put your delegating skills to the test instead! I'm glad the links help keep you on track.

ED my ILs have a robot vacuum and cats, they don't bother it at all, other than sometimes they sit in it's way and it gets confused 😂 I do highly recommend them. We have one too, but it doesn't like our new carpet and gets stuck 🙄 so they are great if you have hard floors or thinner carpets

Thanks for the encouragement to take it easy and rest 💕 I'm due to go back in on Monday but we will play it by ear and work out what is possible / not possible. It's much better if I am
moving (and I'm a teaching assistant in a primary school so there is lots of moving!). But if it doesn't go well I will go home (which lucky for me is only a few moments walk away!)
we also have a cat and a dog who just avoid the robot hoover. And also the robot lawn mower - though the dog REALLY wanted to make friends with the lawn mower - brought it toys to play with 🤣.
managed to sort out my admin task for today! That's my ta da 🎉 Wishing you all a wonderful weekend

Scourgify you really are making progress in your laundry room! The shelf in there sounds really practical.

Dragons I love that you had a book the the bath as one of your to dos! 😍

ED did you have a good lunch with your friend?

Saturday is family fun day!

There are no missions on Saturday.

What will you be doing? There is another marching band competition, but this time we are hosting it. I will be there most of the day, helping, then watching!

Baby Step 12: https://www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/31-beginner-babysteps/day-12/

Just continue to do your routines for now. There is nothing to add to it!

Thanks re robot hoovers and cats @Captainladder and @HauntingHazel . We mostly have hard floors downstairs but also have rugs, not sure how one would cope with those. Where we do have carpet it is short pile. But our house is on 3 levels so we'd have to move it around a bit and not sure where we'd put a docking station (we are tight for space everywhere). More research needed.

Meeting friend was nice yesterday, also getting my nails done, I only go about twice a year for that usually when my cuticles have got to the stage where I can't seem to get them tidy.

I need to get up but its all cosy in bed and I have a cat on my lap purring away.

Not been at my best this week, but, just because I've not posted, doesn't mean your work keeping the thread up-to-date has been wasted, HauntingHazel.
In fact, it's been even more useful because it's stopped me slacking, so you have my grateful thanks 😊
In zone 2, over the week, I've deep cleaned the oven, the microwave, the toaster and the deep fat frier. There are still a few gadgets that need a good wipe over and I did have thoughts about using the steam cleaner on the kitcgen cupboard handles but...sufficient unto the day and all that!
It'll be zone 2 again soon, after all.

EerilyDecorated

I need to get up but its all cosy in bed and I have a cat on my lap purring away.

That sounds lovely!

I have a tight turnaround deadline on prep work and building work (2 weeks). I have sent the people out so they are not under foot and driving me mad. But i am sick (sinusy and low level fever probably from sinus infection which i almost always end up with after a massive dust allergy reaction) and my give a damn has wandered off somewhere not giving a damn.

Today's task is to deep clean the kitchen including pulling the oven out and cleaning underneath, preping the utility so we can replace the flooring before the new fridge arrives (going be a 24hr turn around on that between taking the old one out and leaving in kitchen laying the flooring and new one arriving).

Thankfully tomo morning is lie in and rest before taking the electrics off to replace electrical stuffs into bathroom and bedroom (lights/bathroom fans/power sockets etc), hanging doors, returning hanging cupboards, screws for holding up mirror etc etc... Also dissmantling the bedframe. Apparently a bed frame in another has decided that it is done with life so my frame will go in there once the room owner has tidied their bedroom up enough for that to happen.

Just finishing my thyme tea which helps with the sinus conjestion (teaspoon thyme, steep for 10 mins, touch of honey to taste). It is an acquired taste but i find really helps prevent sinus associated earache that is the bane of my existence. Before hitting the loud not everyone's taste music and blitzing the house...

Hope you all have good days!

Thanks for the sinus tea tip Dragons

That's the cutest thing I've ever heard re dog and lawnmower Captain

🎃Cleared out my closet again and taken a couple of bags clothes to the charity shop.
🎃Repainted the airing cupboard.
🎃Taken car for service.
🎃Kept up with routines.

Drove Teens to holiday - wind, rain, and a quick blast of hail.

Hoovered the utility room. Moved the shoe cupboard. Sorted through all the stuff that can be binned or put in garage tomorrow.

Just dropping links again tonight. It's late and it's been a long day!

Sunday is renew your spirit day.
There are no missions on Sunday.

Baby Step 13: https://www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/31-beginner-babysteps/day-13/
Continue with the baby steps you have been doing so far. She says to pick a mission and do it, although being it's a Sunday, I would not blame you for not doing anything!

Big garden day today, planting out a zillion spring bulbs in the new border we dug before. Mostly DW doing the bulb planting, joint decision making and hellebore planting - for some end of year enjoyment. Now we wait and see how many come up! It was lovely to mooch around a garden centre this morning and actually be able to pick things up and have somewhere to put them rather than "yes, it's lovely, but where??"

Elsewise:

• deep cleaned breadmaker
• deep cleaned microwave
• wiped down utility counters
• 5min utility tidy
• restocked loo rolls throughout
• cleaned family bathroom minus bath
• clean ensuite minus shower
• restocked automatic cat feeder
• emptied bins
• thought about laundry then thought better of it 🤣

ED I know someone who has a robot vacuum on each level of their house, which works well for them. But that is expensive! I honestly don't use it, since it doesn't like this carpet. DH has the app on his phone and he used to start it every Monday before work, but now it wouldn't do much of the house, so rarely gets used, unfortunately. We just got the wrong pile carpet installed in the house 🤦‍♀️
I love the feeling of freshly manicured nails!

LaMarschallin I'm glad my daily posting helps. You accomplished a lot in the kitchen this week, you're right, the kitchen will come around again next month and you can tackle the handles then!

Dragons that is a lot going on at once in the house! How are you feeling today?

Ditzy that reminds me, I still have a box in the back of my Jeep to go to the charity shop, but think I need to add to it beforehand (from my closet).

Scourgify I hope the teens enjoy their holiday, despite the weather 🤞

Pumpkins planting bulbs together sounds lovely 😍 I hope they all come up in the spring! thought about laundry then thought better of it 🤣 that made me chuckle!

So yesterday the high school DS goes to were hosting the competition for marching band. They got 1st place again and their highest score so far! Next week will be more of a challenge as they'll be moved up into the next size bracket, but they were close to one of their competing schools (not far behind on points). I'm excited but nervous for them!

Yesterday I was at the school helping out. In the morning I was directing traffic for parking, I got sunburnt again! After my shift was over I was able to watch the performances. I helped clean up rubbish once it was all over, before heading home. DH was working on plumbing when I arrived home, unplugging the bathroom sink. So of course, after we got done eating dinner (went out since no time to cook), I then had to clean under the sink before everything went back in.
It only took a few minutes, thankfully, so I was able to put my feet up after being on them all day.