Spring into action: Flying into April, a flylady April thread

[Positivepositron]

Welcome to the April thread. This is my first time starting a flylady thread. And I've been doing flylady about a month but very are many on the thread who are years in.

I'm cutting and pasting Hazel's great intro which explains everything:

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!

Tada
🥳 DW on
🥳 quick tidy of dining and kitchen
🥳 30 mins on playroom

TaDas!
✅️ Made celery soup
✅️ Made kale soup
✅️ Mucked out fridge
✅️ Wiped fridge shelves.
LMS because I had to take out one of the drawers to clean out the leaky beetroot stain and can't get the drawer back in.
✅️ Washed pots
✅️ Cleaned worktops and shone my sink.
✅️ Rotated dishwasher.
✅️ Dog walk
✅️ Weights workout.
✅️ Rotated DW.
👎 Migraine 😪

Great work everyone.

Again I'm not done much just general doing most of the daily tasks but nothing extra.
DH put up the new shoe rack we got so they match. Looks good.

Today's mission is sweep and mop the kitchen.

And babysteps for today, Saturday and Sunday:

Day 10: Start Decluttering (15 Minutes)
The focus of Day 10 is to start removing clutter without becoming overwhelmed.
The Task: Set a timer for 15 minutes and go through your home with a rubbish bag to collect obvious rubbish, broken items, or things to donate.

Day 11: Check Your Calendar
Day 11 brings focus to managing your time and commitments.
The Task: Look at your calendar or planner. Note upcoming appointments, birthdays, or school events. If you don’t have a calendar, now is the time to start one (digital or paper).

Day 12: Set Up a Control Journal
Day 12 introduces the "Control Journal," which is the heart of the FlyLady system.
The Task: Start a notebook, binder, or digital document to act as your Control Journal. Initially, this is used to write down your morning and evening routines so you do not have to rely on memory.
The app is my control journal I dont see the need for anything extra.

Hi all, hope you have a good weekend ahead. But of a lazy day here but getting a bit done.
🎉 Laundry on
🎉Dishwasher rebooted
🎉 S+S in bathroom
🎉 2 minutes dusting upstairs
🎉 Oven partially cleaned (it's a massive state so it will take forever!)

I cleaned my oven last month and this month. It's definitely getting there but still more cleaning to be done!!

Pretty productive day as we were having our new sofa delivered so we took out old one and swept/ hoovered and steam cleaned the bits we don't normally get to. Also dusted all the nooks and crannies. So a lovely arm chair off marketplace and a new sofa. Need to source an occasional chair that will work in the room. Found an art deco side table on marketplace that will go really well so having that delivered tomorrow. On the less positive side all the lovely new furniture has really showed up how much we need to paint the room.
I'm now cleaning out a drawer and cupboard in the kitchen. Except I'm on here posting about it instead.
Need to sort out some stuff for a bulky waste collection as you pay for 5 items from the council so am sure we can find 3 things we need rid of to go with the two sofas.

I did the drawer, cupboard and an extra cupboard. So this week I've done three double width drawers and two cupboards in the kitchen, a few bits for bin and few bits to give away or bin. I think the reorganisation will make it easier to use and keep tidy.
Only 17 more cupboards/ drawers to go!!

No flying today , busy day out with dc , pjs are on. I’m going to do a couple of 5 minute blasts just to keep general areas tidy and hotspots 🙂

No flying from me, took little Cherry dog to the vets for his dental, went shopping, picked dog up and I've done nothing else.
I had a decent sleep last night but I'm struggling to stay awake.

Regretting not doing the 15 minutes , I haven’t been able to get to sleep so I’m up and wondering whether I’ll disturb the house if I go and get a bit done now . I know I’m anxious because being the fool that I am, I have let dd2 invite her friends round tomorrow evening for a play date and a sleepover. I genuinely thought that it would have been completed. Tomorrow morning ( or this morning as it’s 1am) was going to be the home bleurgh before I go to work but I think the playroom is going to take at least another hour 🙈 I think I’m going to make a herbal tea , listen to a podcast and just have a little bit of time in there . Will be back with an update soon 🙂

Tada
🥳 30 mins in the playroom
🥳 twinnings sleep herbal tea (really liked this flavour)

Playroom is still going to take an hour or so , I am wide awake but going to go back up to bed soon to try and get some rest, DS has got to be up early for a football match so hopefully I will get a couple of hours before the house wakes up .

Congratulations Always! I know you had said you were thinking about having a 3rd 👶💐

kat to answer your question, we vacuum the main floor every week, usually twice a week, but we have dogs that shed. If I had the time and energy I would vacuum every day. We vacuum the basement about once a month, unless it looks like it needs it before then.
It sounds like your plan would work.

Searching did you manage to get some sleep? I can assure you that DDs friends aren't even going to notice any kind of mess, they'll be having far too much fun! It's amazing what a quick vacuum can do to make the house look better (if you feel like you need to do anything that is).

A lot of you have been busy!
Cherry did your migraine clear up? Is there something in particular that triggers them? You seem to have had a lot of them lately.

Positive 17 more to go! Phew, that's a lot!
I know when I painted our kitchen cabinets this year I reorganised them too, and they're a lot better now than they were.

Things here have been really busy, not much flying though!
Work all week (other than Tuesday, my day off). We had a fundraiser dinner for jazz band, which was a lot of fun! We had to bring a basket for others to bid on to raise money, I ended up putting 2 together and they raised quite a bit!

It's really just been general upkeep here. DW rotated daily, 1 lol washed every day (thanks to DH & DS!). I did run the vacuum around really quick on Thursday before the dinner, as well as S&S.
I've been so tired all week, so I'm glad it's the weekend!

Morning ☕️

Thanks @BloomingHazel, I get so anxious when people come to my home , I really don’t like it . Managed nearly 4 hours sleep so at least I’ve had a little bit. Sounds like you had a great week ! Hood you have a more relaxed weekend to recover 🙂

I am about to enter the playroom of doom accompanied with a podcast, going to keep switching between playroom and home bleurgh until about 10ish then get ready for work . I’m absolutely shattered but will hopefully be back with some tadas later 🙂

Try not to do too much, you'll wear yourself out.

I get how stressful it can be when the house isn't how you want it but the kids won't mind. And tbh if it is too bad in there, I'd have just told my DS to choose a few toys for the sleepover and take them to the room and tell them not to go in the playroom.

We attempted a playroom for a bit but it didn't work for us, we were too messy. And now we gave a junk room instead but the door stays firmly shut!!

No zone mission today and it's the last day in the kitchen before moving on to the bathroom plus extra room or rooms, children's bedrooms/ spare room/ utility/ office etc.

My bathroom has held up well but I will try and add in going through the two cupboards this time round. My youngest bedroom needs a decent room rescue. And I would like to fit in pulling things out of junk room for charity. Will see how far I get.

What are everyone else's plans for next week?

Next week I've got a cupboard in the bathroom to clear out. Junk gets hidden in it. De limescaling is also on the list. I'm going to do some of the utility room aswell, it needs general deep cleaning and there is a medication cupboard of doom that is overflowing. I will get a bit done in the kids rooms and try to encourage them into some decluttering.

A very early good morning ☕️ I just think 4 hours of sleep is my new normal 😩 I bought some peri menopause vitamins yesterday, I’m hoping they’ll help.
Yesterdays tada
🥳 finished the playroom, it isn’t fully decluttered, but clean and tidy for the kids to relax and have a good time
🥳 home bleurgh downstairs
🥳 couple of LOLs that just go in the dryer so we didn’t need the heated airer out

One of the kids slept over, they are currently in the living room so I can’t go and get a coffee, I’m desperate for the toilet but don’t want to go in case I disturb them haha they went to sleep about 11 so wasn’t too late a night. I guess I’ll be hiding in my bedroom on my phone for the next few hours 😂

Morning all

Lazy day yesterday - only achieved cleaning out cat and ordering tesco

Today i must be my future friend ....

I did no flying yesterday but while I was out DH cleared another kitchen cupboard which is now shockingly empty, everything either went in the bin or actually belonged in the shed 🫨
We will im sure be able to relocate things from overcrowded cupboards but really shows how easy it is to take up space with junk.
We are busy today I'm in our junk room collecting things up for charity and DH is redoing DS2s room, unfortunately he has broken his bed again so DH now needs to repair it. One step forward...

@Searchingforsparkleperimenopause insomnia is awful, I've had quite a bit of it but I started on the patch recently and it seems to be helping.

Yesterday DD and I cleared out DSs wardrobe while he is at scout camp. Also finished the bottom part of the oven. The grill section will have to wait till next time.

Not planning on doing much today. Might do a five minute task in the bathroom if I feel motivated later.

Between DPs snoring (whole bottle of wine related) and my neighbour's partying, I've had very little sleep. Tbf to him, when I knocked on his door at 2am, my neighbour turned the music down. Shame snoring can only be controlled by smothering someone with a pillow...
I've totally LMS with him, he did this a few weeks ago, and said he wouldn't do it again, but selective amnesia...
Just trying to get the energy to salvage some of the day but I expect a migraine is on the way due to lack of sleep.
I've been doing little 5 minute jobs here and there, nothing major.
Have lovely Sundays everyone, 💐 and ☕️ to everyone in need.

Hope everyone sleeps better and no migraines today/ tonight.
Two bags for life full for the charity shop, will put in my car.
Two bin bags for bin/ paper recycling.
Carrier bag of craft bits that the school said they'd take.
A suitcase unpacked from a holiday many, many months ago, eek!
Probably given up now on junk room until next month but may possibly ferret out some of the kids books to offer to a friend.
DH cleaned/ tidied and mended bed in DS2s room and just doing a quick run around in DS1s room while I make lunch.
That may possibly be it for today but would love it if DH did the calking and polyfillaing that needs doing in bathroom so I can paint it. It isn't really the room most in need of painting but I think it might be the easiest and then we could completely finish the room which would be nice.

Cherry I hope you don't end up with a migraine. Could you take a nap to help avoid it developing?

Positive well done on emptying your suitcase!
I'm the painter in this house too, but that means I have to do everything: picking the colour, filling holes, sanding, washing walls and then painting! It's exhausting! But I do enjoy painting, so overall I don't mind.

kat I really need to clean my oven, but keep putting it off. It even has a self-clean setting 🫣

THAT sometimes we need a day of doing nothing (or the bare minimum). Don't forget your timer if you find that can help.

Searching 4 hours of sleep is definitely not enough! Hopefully those vitamins do work for you 🤞

Yesterday all 3 of us mucked in and did a quick home bleugh. Vacuuming, mopping, dusting, bathrooms cleaned, mirrors cleaned, and dishes rotated in the DW.

This morning I rotated the DW while my coffee was brewing, washed handwash dishes from last night (ILs came over for family night dinner) and I've already put away the clean handwashed dishes, other than what goes in the pantry, in the basement.
I just need a shower now!
We are going to the next big town with ILs, to help them pick up some fence panels. We will be helping to replace them next weekend as the last wind storm we had broke it.

It's just after 9am here, they should be here about 10am, best get moving!

Good effort @BloomingHazel I am not very good at detail work. Surprising I can manage painting really but I have more time than DH with working fewer hours.

Do diffusers just stop working? I bought one at the start of the year, I've rotated the sticks, used new sticks etc but I'm not getting a scent when I walk in the room anymore. The pot still has loads of liquid so I feel bad throwing it out, seems pretty terrible environmentally then. What's a good alternative? I liked there being a nice scent when I went in the bathroom, I dislike the strong artifical scents of air fresheners. Do nice scented candles retain their scent?