Heat Waves & Holidays with Flylady - August thread

[HazelNotHungryLC]

Summer holidays can be crazy! 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 has a different mission for the zone we are in.

Daily focus:

• 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. Although there are some issues with the website and app right now, so bear with me!

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

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

Almost forgot links! 🤦‍♀️

Sunday is renew your spirit day. This could be anything: church, walking in nature, bath, reading a book, watching a movie, painting your nails etc.

There are no missions on the weekend.

Baby Step 10: https://www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/31-beginner-babysteps/day-10/
Today we are learning the power of 15 minutes. Set your timer for 15 minutes, pick up rubbish, take it out to the bin.
Also continue on with your morning and before bed routines. They are all listed on the link ☝️

Yes, most things go out automatically, but we haven't always had it like that and some, mostly smaller bills, such as ad hoc childcare doesn't. I think because I set lots of these things up, and they're connected to my email I do them forever now. But DH is the one who does school purchases. But I find it irritating that he only has it set up on the PC and id have it on my phone.

Monday is home blessing bleugh day. Quick vacuum, empty bins, change sheets. Only spend an hour in total on this. It can be spread out over a few days as well, so it doesn't all need to get done in one day.

We are moving into zone 3, the bathroom and one other room. The other room could be your guest room or extra room. If to don't have a guest bedroom, it could be your laundry room/area, or an office, wherever else in the house you need to focus.

Monday's mission for the bathroom is to clear off the hotspots around the bath and sink. I need to do this in both my bathrooms, desperately!
The mission in the other room is to do a 27 fling boogie of things to throw away. We are not doing anything other than gathering 27 things to chuck out. Set your timer for 15 minutes and go! You may even be able to do more than 27 things, just keep going until the 15 minutes is up.

Baby Step 11: https://www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/31-beginner-babysteps/day-11/
Add another page to your control journal titled inspirational quotes. Jot down anything that might help motivate you.
Don't forget your morning and before bed routines!

Right. I'm going to have a proper go at actually following flylady this week....

Wish me luck!

Bathroom week for me. Find it so much easier to them all which I have tools in hand. Plus using the odd 5mins here and there with general picking up. This morning's wins:

• 1x LOL done and put away
• emptied DW
• 2x washing up
• cleaned 2x toilets
• changed over towels throughout
• vacuumed lounge, kitchen, conservatory
• deep cleaned small cat tower
• dusted TV unit
• rotated toys in kallax
• organised baby cabbage's clothes storage ahead of hotter weather
• changes sheets on 2x beds
• sorted new window cleaners (hurrah)

Plus usual clearing up of breakfast and lunch chaos with a small baby! Bit less on the floor lately though which is nice.

To do list includes:

• order more soap/dispensers
• send 2x parcels

Afternoon:

• decluttered under stairs
• reorganised winter accessories basket (hats, gloves etc)
• baby clothing size check on all coats and accessories
• tidied and wiped down coat rack
• vacuumed and mopped under stairs
• work admin

You can do it THIS! I believe in you! 💪

Holy crap you've been busy Cabbage!

At work all day today, and out at the county fair tonight, so not looking like flying will happen. But, I did take my Jeep through the carwash on my lunch today and I just called the chiropractor and made an appt for tomorrow afternoon. So that's something, I suppose.

Thanks Hazel! Baby cabbage is mostly focused on refining her crawling technique at the moment instead of playing with toys, so as long as I'm somewhere in the same room she's happy. And actually if I'm not right in front of her she keeps going for longer so I'm making myself low-key busy for tactical reasons! Thankfully the lounge where she plays connects to most of the other rooms downstairs so I have quite a broad range.

Thanks hazel your right i can 💪

However, yesterday I didn't 😅

Today's Ta Das
☀️ me and the littles up fed and out of the house for 1030
☀️ parcels returned via post office
☀️ garden stuff ordered via amazon
☀️ tesco order started
☀️ few bits picked up for lunch

Who is gonna motivate my arse?

The mornings wins:

• emptied dishwasher
• put away drying up
• emptied kitchen bins
• vacuumed conservatory and lounge again
• decluttered problem corner in conservatory
• rearranged and supported plants
• puts some early baby bits into storage
• decluttered dining table

Less industrious today! But still nice to have some progress getting back on top of everything

Today's links late again

Tuesday is plan & play day.

Tuesday's mission in the bathroom is to check your bathroom supplies. Make sure there's plenty of toothpaste, toilet paper etc for everyone.
In the other room: do another 27 fling boogie, but this time with things that belong in other areas of the house. Grab a box, bag or laundry basket to put things in, then put everything away where they belong.

Baby Step 12: https://www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/31-beginner-babysteps/day-12/
Today, tackle digital clutter. Delete the Flylady emails if you even signed up for them or just go through and delete other ones. I would set a timer and do what you can in that time or it might take all day. Maybe that's just me though! 😳
Keep doing your morning and before bed routines. They are listed on the link, if you haven't written them down yet.

Cabbage you are doing great! Especially with a little one who's becoming active!

THIS I think you've had a successful day already! If you want to motivate yourself (since I'm usually late to the thread), try a PO3 (Power Of 3 for newbies). Give yourself 3 tasks to complete and come back with those as ta das!

Well, I'm glad it's bathroom week. DS threw up last night and didn't exactly make all of it into the toilet 🤢 I did a quick clean (at 1am), but will need to deep clean it today. That's my mission for the morning!
I pulled the shower curtains down, one is in the bath, waiting to soak in bleach water (plastic liner), the other one is downstairs, waiting to get put in the washer (fabric outer curtain). The bath mat is also waiting for wash.

Today is going to be a busy day, including a trip to the vet and the chiropractor! I should be back later with ta das.

I cleaned the kitchen sink last night after DH had cleaned the whole kitchen. This morning I didn't do much as ds wanted cuddles on the sofa and it's my second day back at work so priorities cuddles. Tomorrow I'll do some housework, for fairness...

Alwayslearning25 cuddles are more important than housework IMO, especially when getting back into routine with work, from being on holiday and with you all the time.

Ta das:
🌻 LOLs x5 including sheets, towels x2, shower curtain and mats
🌻 bleached both bathrooms, including walls and floors
🌻 cleaned mirrors in both bathrooms
🌻 shined both bathroom sinks
🌻 shined light fixtures in both bathrooms
🌻 took Coco to the vet to get her monthly injection
🌻 chiropractor for me!
🌻 county fair for dinner & to watch the moto rodeo (dirt bikes and ATVs)

My hip is still not feeling right. Apparently I put my pelvis out in the rare way. I'm only the 4th patient this year he's had to adjust for that. It should be a one and done deal, but I might have to go back. I'll give it a couple of days.

Wednesday is anti-procrastination day.

Wednesday's missions:
Bathroom: wash your shower curtains and rugs (I did mine today) <adjusts halo 😇>
Other room: do another 27 fling boogie, but this time it's too find things to donate. Gather the things up, put in a bag and take it out to your car (if you have one). Drop it off next time you leave the house.

Baby Step 13: https://www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/31-beginner-babysteps/day-13/
Find one of our missions, and do it.
Continue with your morning and before bedtime routines.

I'm struggling with the heat, by the time I've finished doing the horses I'm exhausted so only doing little bits.
Did a bit of a Kondo on my medication, gathered everything together, bagged up everything out of date, tidied up the rest.
Yesterday's TaDas, put away two LOLs, washed 2 more.
I've got lots of ToDos, but I find I'm better off focusing on the TaDas lol.
I've bought some nice little wham boxes for the "odds and sods" of life, just the right size for my new shelves.
Decided when I moved I wouldn't have a junk drawer, ended up with a junk house instead 😄 and now I'll have junk boxes (although I'll be having a second sort out).
Happy Flying everyone!

Well I've got up with a banging headache

Taken painkillers and waiting for them to kick in

Dc5 (who is actually 5) seems quite tired this morning and keeps shouting at everyone especially dc4 (8) and dc6 (4) - who then shouts back. This is not helping my head.

Oh no THIS I hope those painkillers kick in very soon (hopefully by now)! Drink lots of water too, that usually helps my head a lot.
How the heck is DC5 actually 5?! Didn't you just have the baby like 2 years ago?!

Cherry definitely don't overdo it in the heat. Sorting out your medications is a good thing to do that can make a big difference!
😂 at "junk house" although I'm sure it's not that bad! Having everything contained, like with like, is a good idea and will hopefully make it easier for you to find what you need, when you need it.

I'm enjoying the quiet in the house for the moment. I'll be taking DS to the school shortly as the marching band will be in the parade later this morning. I have taken the day off work, and will be working the fair booth today, for the band fundraiser.
I will have a couple of hours this morning to get some stuff done around the house, so I should be back with some ta das later.

@THISnewbeginning hope you're feeling better soon.
@HazelNotHungryLC it's not far off 😁

Once the charity stuff gets out of the house everything will get sorted and tidied away.
I've washed up the pots today, cleaned half the kitchen, sat down with lunch (I don't eat breakfast), and now trying to motivate myself into putting the WU away and finish the kitchen. My sink is shiny so it's a win!

Yay for a shiny sink Cherry! 🥳

Oh man it is TOO hot

And I need to remember to not loose my shit in the garden where people can hear me .... oops

My neighbours hear my LMS far too often. Probably think DP is a Saint for putting up with me... 😁

THIS we've all been there and done that! Hear does that to people especially. And full moons.

😂 Cherry depending on what they're hearing, they might be cheering you on!

I worked my shift on the fair booth, it was so, so hot and sticky 🥵 but, it's done now.

Ta das:
🥵 bathroom floor grout bleached white again. I think it's meant to be a different colour, but it looks better and cleaner when it's white.
🥵 worked the fair booth
🥵 bank
🥵 vacuumed
🥵 mopped
🥵 watered outside plants

My back and hip hurts so bad today, hopefully it'll feel better tomorrow 🤞

Thursday is errand day.

Thursday missions:
Bathroom - toss any old perfumes, makeup, lotions etc. If you've not used it in the last year, toss it. Cosmetics expire, so get rid of anything old (some things have an expiration date), before it starts to grow bacteria.
Other room - another 27 fling boogie! This time, put away things that do not belong.

Baby Step 14: https://www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/31-beginner-babysteps/day-14/
Read the essay about using a calendar on the website.
Continue with your other routines.