💕Longer days, shorter month: February Flylady thread 💕

[HazelNotHungryLC]

Love is in the air! But do you love your housework/cleaning routine?

Whether you're starting to build a new routine, stuck in a rut, or been around for years, join us on the Flylady thread. I'll try to keep us on track for the month, with baby steps, daily missions and weekly zones.

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:
🩷Entryway, porch and dining room
🩷Bathroom & one other room
🩷Kitchen
🩷Master bedroom & master bathroom
🩷Living room

Don't worry about finishing it all this month, it'll come around again next month! Flylady is NOT about perfectionism!

Daily focus: each day of the week has a different 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 😆
• S&S: Swish & Swipe (wipe the bathroom sink & toilet)
• 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, if I can get them to work, she's updated the website! Although if you can, it's worth downloading the newly updated 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 👇

Daily missions (for the zone we are in): https://beta.flylady.net/daily-mission

Baby steps (on a different website, since the link isn't working on the new site yet): https://mymerrymessylife.com/flylady-31-baby-steps/

Feel free to ask any questions you may have, some of us have been doing Flylady for a very long time, as well as others just starting out. We may have other things to add that we have found works for us that could help you too!

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/housekeeping/5497280-jump-in-where-we-are-march-flylady-thread

Here you go @CherryogDog 😊

@WinterFrogs can you link it please?

Thank you @HazelNotHungryLC I have just started tomorrow's thread 😊

I have a lot to get done today. My back is feeling a lot better today, thankfully.
We are celebrating SILs birthday tonight at our house.

Ta das so far:
🥳 sorted out laundry into loads
🥳 1st lol in washer (there's lots to catch up on!)
🥳 put SILs birthday present in a gift bag
🥳 got out the birthday banner to put up later

To dos:
☕️ get hair ready & makeup on for the day
☕️ go grocery shopping (just for dinner tonight)
☕️ empty DW
☕️ make cheesecake
☕️ prep veggies & salad
☕️ prep fruit
☕️ put away Valentine's decor (I took it down Tuesday)
☕️ set up dining room, set table etc
☕️ put up birthday banner
☕️ switch out fairy lights (I have to throw away a strand as half has blown)
☕️ bleach bathrooms (including shower curtain)
☕️ wash lots more laundry
☕️ bathe dogs

I need to get the majority of the list done today. It's just gone 9am here, and dinner needs to be ready for 6-6:30pm tonight, so I have some time! Most of the list should only take a few minutes each, so that's helpful. I just need to finish my cup of coffee, then I can get moving!

WinterFrogs we don't mind at all!
In fact I recommend it as it actually helps me focus on what needs to be done etc and my house seems to be in better shape when I'm a thread leader!
It's nice to have someone new run the thread as everyone does it a little differently.

Thank you so much for volunteering!

I can give it a go if you don't mind a newbie to the threads doing it?

Since it's a short month, it's snuck up on me!
Is there anybody who can run the March thread?

February was crazy enough (I'm sorry for missing a few days here and there), but March is crazy busy for us in this family. So many birthdays! We have 7! And of course I'm the family baker/dessert maker.
I'll also be working on my treats for Easter. I just really don't think I'll be a good thread leader in March!

Saturday is family fun day.

There are no missions on the weekend.

Baby Step 28: https://mymerrymessylife.com/flylady-31-baby-steps/28/
Take some time for yourself. Set your timer for 15 minutes and do something for you!
There are some great examples in the link above.

Always don't feel bad for resting. I feel like it affects the whole household when someone is sick (especially a child!).
Fingers crossed for your interview 🤞

Hi, my little boy is poorly again, I've not really kept up with household stuff. Hot washed his bedding....I've got an interview in a couple of weeks. I should have done some cleaning but am resting instead.

ED I'm sorry to hear about DF. It must be so stressful!
I have been using Finch as well, thank you all for mentioning it! I had to turn the sound off though! I'm stretching more because of it, and remembering to take my vitamins in the morning.

Sorry,, been AWOL again, DF has been back in hospital and although he’s out again (in a care home) he is frailer than ever. However I have been sticking to my routines as best I can and definitely benefitting from my total declutter of the bathroom and my dressing table a few weeks ago, plus been doing other bits of decluttering as and when.

Flylady talks about launchpads, places where you put things ready for the next day or next time you go upstairs or whatever and this is something I have been using more in the last year or so. I have a space on the hall table as my launchpad for next time I need to leave the house and one on my dressing table where I put out things like earrings or perfume for the next morning and it really helps with remembering things and them being to hand when needed. OTOH my hall table always looks a bit cluttered.

I have also been updating my Finch app, I’m glad we talked about it on here as I hadnt realised you could add your own categories, I was only using the pre-set self care ones, now I have a house one as well. It only has Empty DW on it at the moment but I am going to add more routine things and it is motivating me to do the self care things (skincare, exercise snacks, deep breathing etc)

Friday is clean your car and handbag day.
It is also date night.

Friday's mission: https://www.flylady.net/daily-mission/20260227-zone-5-mission-3-your-living-room
Put some fresh flowers in your living room. Something pretty to look at.

Baby Step 27: https://mymerrymessylife.com/flylady-31-baby-steps/27/
Have tonight's dinner figured out by noon. Eventually we'll be meal planning, but for today just plan tonight's meal earlier.

The mission is now up for Thursday: https://www.flylady.net/daily-mission/20260226-zone-5-mission-4-thursday-your-living-room
Do a detailed vacuuming session in the living room. Vacuum around the skirting boards, under furniture, moving furniture if you can (don't do this if you'll hurt yourself!).

WinterFrogs I don't remember that page at all on the website, but it sounds like that's right up my alley!
I do know that sometimes a mission might be to add something pretty to a space, like flowers on the living room or a picture frame in the bedroom etc. Based on whatever room we're in that week.

I ended up taking the day off work today. I'm not sure what I'll end up getting done, probably not much as I'm not feeling the greatest.

Hello! Thanks as always @HazelNotHungryLC

I did get rid of some eyeliner yesterday. Barely wear make up anyway so probably won't replace it. Living room is pretty clear, so I pulled the sofa out and vacuumed thoroughly.
I began my regular decluttering. It mostly took the form of shredding old papers, including notebooks.
I probably have clothes to declutter too. And I need to do the cupboard under the sink.

Does anyone remember the 'Decorating on the fly' page? I think it was weekly ( Tuesdays maybe?) when she'd suggest something to make the house more homely. I found it very handy once I'd got the place decluttered. Either she's stopped doing it or I can't find it. One I clearly remember was buying chrysanthemums to put in a pot the front door. I used to look forward to those little missions.

New sheet has been washed so I'll use it when I change the bed tomorrow or Saturday.

Baby Step 25: https://mymerrymessylife.com/flylady-31-baby-steps/25/
Progress, not perfection. We can run ourselves ragged by aiming for perfection. If we settle on making things better than what they were, it's less stress on us, especially if we're aiming for something unachievable.

Wednesday's mission is split into 2 rooms: https://www.flylady.net/daily-mission/2026-zone-4-and-5-mission-3-wednesday
Master bathroom: clear out expired products. Lotions, makeup, creams, they all expire and the last thing you want is an eye infection!
Living room: spend 15 minutes putting things away that don't belong. If you're blind to it, take a picture, it can really open your eyes! Set your timer and stop at 15 minutes.

Thursday is errand day.

Thursday's mission: isn't up yet 🙄 I'll check back later (I'll try to do that before I go to sleep).

Baby Step 26: https://mymerrymessylife.com/flylady-31-baby-steps/26/
Remember you're never behind with Flylady! Just jump right back in where we're at. We revisit each area of the house every month.

Oh man, I'm sorry, I completely skipped a day!
I'm currently dealing with some digestive issues, so I'm not exactly feeling myself atm.

Anyway, I still got some things done Tuesday:
🩷 LOLs x6, including mattress protectors, sheets and our big comforter/blanket
🩷 dusted
🩷 vacuumed
🩷 mopped
🩷 cleaned bathrooms
🩷 rotated DW

I ended up taking a short nap, and didn't get everything done that I wanted.

Wednesday I worked all day, so other than rotated DW, I've not done any flying.

Tuesday is plan & play day.

Tuesday's mission: https://www.flylady.net/daily-mission/20260224-zone-4-mission-2-tuesday-your-master-bedroom
Spend 15 minutes decluttering your top shelf of your closet. Set your timer and go!

Baby Step 24: https://mymerrymessylife.com/flylady-31-baby-steps/24/
Swish & Swipe. Have your bathrooms guest ready always by doing a quick once over every morning. I've been better at this since getting the disposable wipes. They're just not great for the environment (but very handy).

🤞 for you WinterFrogs that the sheets won't shrink! I really should do more decluttering as well. I'm good at throwing things out when used up or broken, it's the "useful" things that are harder.

Dilly nothing like sunshine coming through the windows to highlight everything that needs doing in the house!

I've seen a few things that need doing in the house, I was too tired to get to them this evening, I'll plan on tackling the list tomorrow though.

Hazel I made an apple and raspberry strudel from some fruit we had hanging around in the freezer- spot the theme!

Winterfrogs we had the same issue with sheets. Our mattress is also a non-standard size which doesnt help either. I have bought deep fitting ones this time and they've been a bit better.

It's sunny today and the sunshine is showing up my dirty windows and cobwebs.

Good morning! I am still chugging along loosely following the system. I treated myself to a new bed sheet yesterday and got super king size for my king size bed in the hope that this one continues to fit after I've washed (and tumble dried 😳) it. We always end up with sheets that are just a bit too small.

Thanks as always for posting the links @HazelNotHungryLC 💐

The only thing I don't always tick off is the decluttering task. Clutter really does creep if not dealt with religiously so I will start making sure I do it from today!

Monday is home bleugh day. Vacuum, empty bins, change sheets.

We're in the next zone: master bedroom, bathroom and closet.

Monday's mission: https://www.flylady.net/daily-mission/zone-4-mission-1-monday-your-master-bedroom
Clean off the top of your dresser. Don't forget to dust when it's clear. If it's a big job, set your timer for 15 minutes and get done what you can. It'll be an improvement.

Baby Step 23: https://mymerrymessylife.com/flylady-31-baby-steps/23/
Start your afternoon routine. Think about what you'd like to get done after work/ school. Make a plan for dinners. Add this to your control journal.

What did you make with the pastry Dilly?

I only got some laundry done today. It did end up being 3 loads. And I put all the clean laundry away!
We did also meal plan and go grocery shopping.
DS cooked dinner, with a little help from me and DH.
We all cleaned up the kitchen.

Most of the day though, I was lazy and did nothing!

I have got my clothes out ready for the morning, as well as my lunch.
I did a little bit of yoga as well.

It was a relaxing day!

Our half term is this coming week, we are later than the local authorities around us. So we have two weeks of moderate traffic rather than one week of empty roads!

I am on a mission to clear out the freezer, I used up four half empty packs of filo pastry today. Trying to buy less and use up excessive cupboard stores over Lent.

I actually got two loads of washing dried outside today. It was only 11 degrees but quite breezy so it did the trick!