Flying into 2026: January Flylady Thread

[DillyDeclutter]

Welcome to all Flylady regulars and visitors, if you have been reading along on previous threads why not join us again this month? It's January and a new year! Traditionally (in my house anyway) a time to resolve to sort our lives and houses out top to bottom all at once, before forgetting it all in February . . .

This thread is our little corner of calm amongst the January gloom — a place to cheer each other on, share small wins, and occasionally moan about the state of the laundry mountain. Whether you’re shining your sink for the first time or just trying to keep the kitchen table visible for more than an hour, you’re in good company.

The Flylady system is all about baby steps — 15 minutes at a time, routines that mostly stick, and being kind to ourselves when life happens (because it always does). Pop in, post your list, or just lurk with a cuppa — everyone’s welcome.

Kettle’s on. Who’s flying today? ☕🕯️🧺

This is a long running thread, but we are a friendly bunch and all are welcome to join in. Please ask if you don’t understand anything.
Do NOT sign up for the Flylady emails - there are too many. The Flylady website is not working very well any more so I will cobble together something each morning and we will get through together.

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!

Zones:
Entryway, porch and dining room
Kitchen
Bathroom and one other room
Master bedroom
Living room

Daily missions: each day of the week has a different mission. Then there’s:
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, there is an app, but I don’t think it’s working very well either.

Given the broken-ness of the app and website I would advise you not to spend any money on Flylady apps or purchases just now (we are mostly UK and she’s US based in any case). Sorry Flylady.

Links are below 👇
You can also check out the Facebook page Zones:https://www.flylady.net/d/zones/ Baby Steps: https://www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/31-beginner-babysteps/

Huge thanks to ED for the December thread! (Not tagging you ED as Im assuming you'll want a seasonal name change!)

Thanks @Ed for December's thread, and thanks @DillyDeclutter for the new thread.
I'm in bed with my hot water bottle, got an early start tomorrow but don't want to sleep until the fireworks finish in case the dogs get upset.
They're louder than Guy Fawkes night (season, lol)!
Going away tomorrow to see my family, won't be flying until next Wednesday.
Hope you've all had a lovely Christmas, and have a lovely New Year.

Good morning and happy January!

The links I posted aren't working, apologies!

If you are joining us for the first time and working through the baby steps, today's baby step is to shine your sink. Here is a Flylady video on the topic, or just make it up as you go along which is my strategy (excuse the horrible link format)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7EpwktaktjU&fbclid=IwVERDUAPC_gpleHRuA2FlbQIxMABzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAwzNTA2ODU1MzE3MjgAAR56yJsujv8rLqF-QcthpRutX89WY1xJCESe9wa6zS4U9e-83BXMdcDNiYK8HQ_aem_yz9e68NyWGk7DXBx5yjG6Q

Thursday is errand day, to get things done that need to be done outside the house, but everything here is shut so tricky . . .

Today's mission is to spend 15 minutes decluttering or tidying in your entrance hall or porch. This is a real problem area for me and definitely needs tackling.

The "holiday mission" is to spend 15 minutes taking down decorations - but I will do this on the 5th (would be 6th if I wasn't at work that day).

Morning all, thank you @DillyDeclutter I have indeed changed my name again, I like to keep tweaking it. Stayed in last night watching films with the family, I've got a cold and this morning I have fed the cats and gone back to bed.

We will be keeping the decorations up till Sunday too, but will stop putting the outside fairylights on now I think.

Thank you Dilly for volunteering for January. I should be able to contribute to the thread more this month!

Thank you for running the December thread ED. I did manage to read the thread periodically, but couldn't always comment. I fell behind with reading the Christmas Chronicles too, I think I'm still on December 13th or 15th!
I love your name change BTW!

Cherry enjoy your time away visiting family. My dogs really hate fireworks too, they are so scared of them!

I plan on taking my tree down on the 6th. I'm actually really enjoying it being up this year. I don't remember having it up into the new year for a very long time! Usually it's down on or before new years eve.

We had a fairly mellow new years eve. It's become tradition in our house to have fondue, so that's what we did. We just had PILs over, along with DHs best friend. It was so nice and calm!

I'm looking forward to sleeping in - it's just gone 2am here, and I'm so tired. I've been awake since 5:40am! 😴

Morning & happy new year all

I will be flying today

My brain is convinced its Friday

Quiet new year here too, games with DC. My tree is still up too but Ive really enjoyed having it this year, I think I need more fairy lights in my life

The holiday period has been really lovely and chill largely I suspect due to loosing the man child

Happy days

Thank you ED for December, and to @DillyDeclutter for starting the new year’s thread.

We’ve had a quiet nye here. Most decorations are coming down today apart from a few fairy lights. Teens are away for a couple of days of fun with young relatives and friends.

Today I’ll phone or text some family members, have a quiet putter, probably put on a load of laundry, and tidy the hallway. The quiet helps me think more clearly, and is very soothing.

Thanks for the threads ED & Dilly!

Ta Da!

🧹 dw empty, reloaded and on
🧽 lol rotated
🪣 air fryer cleaned
🧹 recycling out
🧽 kitchen bin out
🪣 breakfast things cleared away

Yes I do do LOL on NYD, because there are so many of us (7) having a day off has a knock on affect! I probably do on average 2 loads a day. I want to strip my bed today however 9 year old DS is currently in it watching Power Rangers

Ha, I do washing too because we are all at home and it's too good an opportunity to miss.

@THATnewyearnewmebullshit I had to turf a 21yo DS out of my bed to strip it, he's watching the darts up there

Up until a couple of years ago I would do some laundry on new years day too, but in 2023 I had washed a lot of laundry, as it was a Tuesday. My mum warned me - you'll wash away your good luck for the year - I didn't listen. Then June 26th came along and we had the fire. I no longer wash any laundry on new years day!

We stayed up until after 2am, getting a prime rib on the smoker for dinner later today. We woke up to it at temperature. 6 hours early! Needless to say we are cooling it off, to put it in the fridge, so we can warm it back up in a few hours. PILs are coming over and don't want to eat it twice (lunch then dinner). I am relieved, as I have a few things to make as sides to go with it. If we would have known, we would have gone to bed just after midnight instead and put it on the smoker early this morning! It took half the time it should have!

THAT I love your username!

I need to get moving! I'm going to do some to dos to motivate myself:
😴 take a shower/ get dressed/ ready for the day
😴 tidy up living room/ attack hotspots
😴 start working on sides for dinner
😴 redo some fairy lights I added on Tuesday, it's far too busy for me now!
😴 put wrapping paper etc away/ sort out my closet room/ workout room

Hopefully I can get this all done, it might be a little optimistic. It's almost 10:30am here, I have less than 6 hours before PILs get here for dinner.

Oh well i caught up on all the laundry - even chucked the little dcs coats in! Hopefully I havent washed away my luck!

Awful about the fire hazel Fire is so scary!

Ta da continued
🧹 more LOL rotated
🧽 bit of life admin
🪣 bed stripped

I need this thread. Am hopeless at routines but want to give it (another) go.

Thanks for last months thread ED and for volunteering this month Dilly! I really appreciate the time you all give to keep the thread running 💐

Todays tada :

🎉 daily things apart from washing machine (new years day superstitions)
🎉 an hour in my bedroom decluttering clothes , 4 small bags ready for charity , 2 bags for rubbish 👏

My entrance hall and dining isn't too bad so I'm substituting it for the bedrooms , they are in need of lots of TLC !

2025 was a good year for organising even though I've still a very long way to go, looking forward to getting rid of more things and feeling more settled. Thanks for letting me hop in and out of this thread when life and mental health allows ❤️ you may be 'strangers' but some of you have helped in lots of ways, raising a glass to you to say thank you 🥂

Wishing you all good health and happiness for 2026 !

Morning, welcome JumpingPumpkin and hi Searching!

I did a timed overnight wash that started at 11.30 on NYE and then nothing on NYD so hoping my luck remains intact!

Friday is clean out your car and purse day. My car needs a hoover but I haven't been carrying a bag over Christmas so thats one job saved!

Today's mission is: Wipe down the tops, the edges, and the legs on your Dining Room Table. Give the chairs a wipe too.

Baby step for day 2 is to get dressed (some like to include shoes, I don't) and keep your sink clean and clear.

Morning all, our WM was on all day yesterday, one load each of clothes and bedding, two of towels. I don't blame you AT ALL for not wanting to risk it though @HazelNotHungryLC

My NYR is to keep the swish and swipe going every day, it does make such a difference.

Having a quiet few days now, I've got a cold and a few things to catch up with at home.

Morning all

I'm doing yesterdays errands today -
1️⃣ pick up a present and card for dc friends birthday
✌️ return unsuitable work trainers via in post locker
🥉 pick up small top up shop

I don't have a car but will go through my main bag. I wanted a new bag but I'm very particular and haven't yet found one that ticks all my boxes.

So far today I am up, dressed and made my bed. I have rearranged some dental appointments and decluttered my notice board and calendar.

Hello ,

Tada
🎉 an hours crafting this morning (finishing off some embroidery pieces)
🎉 took the kids and dd1's boyfriend bowling and then McDonald's (the new year diet will have to wait !)
🎉 picked up a different brand of shampoo , my hair has been getting really greasy, unsure whether my usual shampoo has changed their formula or my hormones
🎉 another hour on crafting when we got home ( I'm going to start selling items , I'm unsure whether it'll work out but better to give it a go rather than wondering about it )
🎉 daily things
🎉 half an hour decluttering clothes / bedroom ( only half a bag of rubbish and half a bag for charity this time , but it'll all help )

Eek, forgot to post! Saturday is family fun day, no missions at the weekend.

Today's baby step is to look at Flylady's website. It's in the middle of a redesign so you may or may not find it useful at the moment.

Tadas today
Sheets changed
Washing rotated
Books back to the library
Some batch cooking in progress

Ta da
🧹 bed made
🧽 dc taken to party
🪣 LOL rotated
🧹 dw on
🧽 asda order started
🪣 meal plan for week started

On new years day I didn't accomplish much. I did get the sides ready for dinner nice & early and in the crockpot to keep warm. I also redid my fairy lights so they're not as busy.

Today I need to get the hotspots in the living room taken care of, and take some Christmas down. I'm leaving my tree up until Tuesday.
I also need to get some grocery shopping done as dinner is at our house tonight. We're having leftovers of the prime rib (from new year's day) but I have to get a little more in to go with it.

In other news, DS passed his driving tests on Tuesday, he was added on the insurance, effective today, so he can now drive!

Here is a picture of the beast (prime rib), after DH smoked it on the pellet grill. It was 21lbs! Huge!

Well done to your DS Hazel And that meat looks amazing!

I'm wanting a way to have fairy lights in my living room all year around, any suggestions?

THAT I have hooks that have a screw on them. I have them screwed into the ceiling (the ceiling isn't smooth though so when the hooks aren't in the ceiling - when they no longer hold - you can't see the holes).
If you can't put holes in ceiling or walls, you could try command hooks.