New Year, Fresh Start for your home - January Flylady thread

[HazelNotHungryLC]

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 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: 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/

Dishes done yesterday after a long day in work and am really pleased with that tada! Also ran around with the cordless hoover for 2 minutes and tied off rubbish to take out this morning.

Getting ready for the morning before bed is one of my 2025 habits I'm working on so ahead of the game there. I pour water on one of my fancy teabags I had from father Christmas and pack up my lunch, find some clothes to wear for work in the morning, while it stews.

My cupboard doors are filthy...but I will scrub one each evening when I do my dishes as the soapy water will be there and ready
I keep telling myself that it doesn't have to be perfect, something is better than nothing and it will all add up x x

Thanks for the self-tan info, Hazel. Perhaps I should give that brand a whirl. My DD recommended Bondi Sands, which looks great on her, but - even with a mitt - my legs still came out like an Impressionist sunset 😱
I've had successful salon tans but, once, even a salon spray tan went weird on me. The beautician kept saying she'd never come across the like before.
However, never say die!

RockingBroccoli
You're doing amazingly! Very glad baby B is okay.

Today is a food shop, off once coffee is finished.
The baking cupboard in the kitchen needs sorting and cleaning. DH is turning his hand to baking and is producing some lovely things, but hasn't quite worked out where everything should go in the cupboard. He'll be educated today!
Might do downstairs home bleurgh too - be nice to get that done well before Friday when I'll do the church.
Happy Flying, all 🙂

PS NearlyNewHip, I've been using Elbow Grease on my cupboard drawers (do each one once I've cleaned out the drawer/cupboard) and that seems to work a treat.

I'm a fan of Elbow Grease too @LaMarschallin especially on the cooker hood. I am another who has never mastered fake tan.

However I have started a few self-care habits this NY, cuticle oil before bedtime, body lotion in the morning (I've never done that regularly) and flossing every night instead of occasionally, I went to the hygienist last week so that was a good start.

I also do the clothes out the night before thing, not at weekends unless we are going out early but it really helps on week nights, I have my breakfast and lunch in the fridge the night before and anything I need to take to work goes on the hall table.

I’m very behind on the thread!

YesTaDa
🦠LOL
🦠hung up LOL
🦠ordered Tesco
🦠emptied bin and rinsed it
🦠DW

I had a nice evening at another games event.

Got Cagletini back today 🥰 so we are just going to hang out on the sofa I think.

Hip you are right, even doing a little every night will make a difference. That's a great start on your morning routine, over time it'll become automatic.

LaMarschallin you're very welcome on the tan info. I had to look up instructions online as when I followed the can my tan didn't do anything! I would say shower, scrub etc, apply some lotion on elbows etc as normal, but let it develop between 1-8 hours (wear loose clothing/shorts etc), then rinse in lukewarm water for 45 seconds only, to rinse the guide colour off. It will then continue to develop for the next few hours, but you will see a difference. It lasts about a week for me, maybe a little more.
Some people sleep with it on, but it will transfer to sheets, I've even had it go through my mattress protector 😒 (but it didn't go through my old one, so I think this one isn't that great tbh), so I don't do that anymore!

I need to organise my pantry! After all the baking and truffle making my baking cupboard is a bit of a mess. I just know it's going to take a long time! I should do some today though.

ED well done on starting self care! I really do think it makes a big difference, just a few minutes each day.

Sing I love the sound of just hanging out on the sofa with cagletini!

I took DS to drivers ed already this morning and have finished both cups of coffee (unfortunately!).

To dos:
☕️ morning skincare routine
☕️ LOLs (including sheets & towels)
☕️ vacuum
☕️ mop
☕️ brush ILs dog (he sheds like crazy!)
☕️ take dogs out for a walk when/if it warms up
☕️ clean both bathrooms
☕️ wipe kitchen cupboards
☕️ tidy & sort out pantry
☕️ cook hardboiled eggs, since I didn't do that over the weekend
☕️ go to the high school basketball game (DS is playing in the band tonight).

My stomach isn't feeling the greatest today, not sure why, so my ta da list might not be that long today 😫

I am as pale as the moon so never dare self tan! Even the extra light makes me look all funny. Very pleased for those of you it works for.

Also I can never lay out my clothes in advance. I tried that for a while but I never wanted to wear what I'd picked and just ended up with an extra set to put away each day . . .

Scrubbed my taps (yesterday's task), there was some satisfying gunk in there.
Reviewed my wardrobe and found some stuff that can go.
Wiped the cupboard doors, but I think someone else must do it occasionally (DH? or more likely the cleaners) as they look no different!

Hope you feel better soon Hazel and it's nothing grim. My dc had a tummy bug yesterday which has generated a lot of washing.

Baby steps done, bird feeders replenished, I swear the fat bastards can't fly and just walk from bird table to bird table. I wiped the cupboards yesterday as part of the home bleugh, so that was already done. Meal planned for the week, and ordered prescriptions for the month.

Bunged a chicken casserole in the slow cooker and had a nice rest of the day sewing, I am working through the unfinished projects, I have three quilts in various stages of completion. 😳 My aim is to finish them all before I start anything else.

Oh and also to not buy any more fabric unless it has a definite use.

Edited to add that my taps were ok from last time, so I am descaling the inside of the kettle instead. Its got vinegar in it, which I hope will eat the limescale on the inside. Tomorrow I will shine the outside.

Dreaming not too sure what it was, but the stomach ache went as quickly as it came on! Is your DC feeling better today?
I have only changed out what I pulled out a couple of times. Mainly because the jeans were too tight for that day, or the weather changed!

Nellie I should probably fill my feeder up, I forget about it when it's cold outside as I'm not out there! I'm sure this is when they would appreciate the food the most though!
Finishing the projects you have started before starting any others is a great idea!

@Nellieinthebarn my bird feeders have been taken over by magpies and jackdaws, with pigeons lurking to pick up the crumbs, it scares all the small birds we used to get away. Oh and a squirrel recently got into my shed and stole about 30 fat balls. Not to mention getting on the seed feeder. So I need to get some of those ones with big cages round I think.

Ta das so far:
🧚‍♀️ brushed ILs dog
🧚‍♀️ vacuumed main floor
🧚‍♀️ mopped main floor
🧚‍♀️ vacuumed the stairs & pantry (downstairs)
🧚‍♀️ mopped in the pantry
🧚‍♀️ tidied up a couple of cupboards in the pantry
🧚‍♀️ rearranged & cleaned a couple cupboards in the kitchen
🧚‍♀️ 1st lol in the dryer (sheets)
🧚‍♀️ 2nd lol in the washer (towels)

I just paused for some food. Omelette consumed, now ready to finish up cleaning!

Our bins went out this morning (usually we;re a Monday collection) so it was a relief to get rid of 5 recycling bags !

On Friday I will sort out the rest of the recycling to go .( My NWD)

Drawer of Doom proved harder work as there's photos in there .
There's a pair of sunglasses ( that don't make me a dead ring for Victoria Beckham unfortunately ) but I have Transitions glasses which darken so don;t wear sunglasses . They can go .

No resolution to the dodgy electrics, just something to deal with until we can get the floor up in the lounge and investigate a possibly troublesome junction box or similar. Annoying but not dangerous (the circuit trips when we've had heavy rain). Another day of good food too - oven breakfast, leftovers lunch and fresh cooked dinner. I feel like we're getting into the swing of things... just in time for DW to return to work on Thursday 😔 we'll see how we go. Until then...

Today's wins:
Washing up x2
Descaled coffee maker
Rearranged lounge for electrical investigations
Electrical investigations
Reset lounge after electrical investigations!
Vacuumed lounge
Lounge lüften
Took down Xmas and baby cards from wall
Put away Xmas lights
Put away outgrown baby clothes (already!)
Reset baby's change bag
Vinted admin
Wallpapered box room
Baby research meeting

January to do progress:
List unused maternity things on eBay/Vinted
Return rented breast pump
Get Christmas things away and lofted (in progress)
Soak the kitchen sink in Vanish again
Rearrange my study
Finish decluttering DW's study/craft room
Setup Roomba schedule again
Sort out cloth nappy system (trial and hire through local nappy library)
Return rented baby sling

ta da
💻walked to business park
💻had 2h meeting/appt
💻walked home
💻rinsed out bin
💻brought in tesco delivery
💻ran DW
💻made dinner
💻Cagletini bedtime

Probably lots of stuff I should do now but I’m going to write in my journal for a bit and then sleep!

70 re photos, could you just put all of them together to go through later and get the rest of the drawer done?

Broccoli that's a long ta da list! Sorry to hear there's no resolution for the electrical issue, hopefully that can get figured out sooner rather than later 🤞

Sing that looks like it was a productive day! I hope the meeting went well.

Ta das:
🐾 2 more LOLs
🐾 bleached both bathrooms
🐾 remade bed
🐾 picked DS up from school, he didn't have club today after all
🐾 took all 3 dogs out for a walk, with help from DS
🐾 took DS back to school (he's playing in the band at the basketball game)
🐾 fed the dogs & myself and headed back to the school to support the kids (I'm currently listening to the band play YMCA during half time!)

When I get back home it'll be time for a shower and bed. I still need to get my clothes and lunch ready for tomorrow though.

Btw, for those of you who are unaware, I'm in the states and 7 hours behind the UK, so it's just gone 8pm here, not 3am!

Wednesday is anti-procrastination day.

Wednesday's mission is to clear your ovens and hobs of anything that doesn't belong, do not use your oven for storage, you don't want to forget something is in there and have it melt, or worse, start a fire!
Saying that, we used to always store our roasting pans in ours growing up, I think my mum still does, but we didn't have the storage space not to.
Once you have done that, wipe your hob and knobs (if you have any) and the door of your oven. I did mine today <adjusts halo> 😇

Baby Step 8: https://www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/31-beginner-babysteps/day-8/
Get a 3 ring binder and some paper (or a notepad of some kind) and write down your morning and before bedtime routines we have started. She has them listed on the link, let me know if the link doesn't work for you and I'll type it in here.

Woohoo ahead again!! Have a section in my filofax for my new evening routine.
Dishes and two cupboard fronts done and put all the dry washing from the weekend away. Happy with my tadas.
Today will stick to routines (dishes, one cupboard door, get ready for tomorrow) and that's about it. It's visit my Nan evening and hair wash day, so that's about all I have time for after work.

Tadas!
LOL x1
changed sheets
did an online shop
cleared the ironing pile.
DW emptied
and kitchen wiped down.

Food shop done for the next week.
Mug cupboard (we have a ridiculous amount of mugs, partly because we used to live near a Dunoon factory shop) cleaned out - it was full of some weird dusty stuff at the back. Still puzzled about that 🤔
Small electrical appliances cupboard cleaned out.
Doors of both cupboards degreased.
Paella made for tonight.
Mani/pedi done while watching Pointless (I know! ).
Anti-procrastination: restaurant booked for anniversary meal on Saturday and a couple of subscriptions cancelled before they automatically started up again for the year.
I cleaned the hob as part of my morning routine, so a quick swipe at the oven door made me feel I'd accomplished my mission.
Lazy evening watching tv coming up (still catching up on some Christmas time programmes).

Oh I inadvertently Anti-Procrastinated at work by looking up something I need to order .
Go Me Ta Da

Unfortunately @HazelNotHungryLC it is a complete rip out and replace project! We have lived here for 10 years but have had 3 dc (just under 3 years age gap in between) so there has never been a good time- either pregnant or toilet training a toddler!
Yesterday's tadas:
2 x lol
About 2' of worktop decluttered and cleaned.
Shined my sink
All clothes taken out of wardrobe (dh and I share one) and decluttered.
Wardrobe cleaned (a summer project will be to upcycle it)
Kids washing put away.

Today's tadas:
3 x lol
V!nted parcels collected (ordered last year but delays from delivery company)
Another 2' of worktop decluttered and cleaned.
Cleaned hob

Had to pick up middle dd at lunch as she had a temperature.

Managed to post this on someone else's thread about something completely unrelated so excuse me while I die of embarrassment over here until my post gets removed on that other thread.

So... a frustrating day. Only had one more partial wallpaper drop to hang in the box room in the final corner so went to do that before lunch, only to discover the last 3 drops had developed really bad bubbles overnight. So they need to come down and be rehung. Very annoying as DW is back at work tomorrow so the plan was to have it all done before then. Ah well. Hopefully we can sort it over the weekend.

Very aware I'm not having much energy to engage in chat on here, so please know I do care and hope to do more reciprocal chatting as time goes on and baby leaves me more time/energy!

Today's wins:
Vinted admin
Returned baby sling
Household admin
Removed top layer of bubbled wallpaper
Final Xmas decoration hunt before lofting

January to do progress:
List unused maternity things on eBay/Vinted
Return rented breast pump
Return rented baby sling
Get Christmas things away and lofted (in progress)
Soak the kitchen sink in Vanish again
Rearrange my study
Finish decluttering DW's study/craft room
Setup Roomba schedule again
Sort out cloth nappy system (trial and hire through local nappy library)

You're doing brilliantly @RockingBroccoli

@LaMarschallin my favourite mugs are Dunoon ones. We have far too many as well, its so easy to keep buying each other them for Christmas and birthdays. We have a whole set of Denby ones which were part of our wedding china and I keep meaning to put them on Ebay as we never use them but I do like them, just that they are the only ones worth trying to sell.