May flowers & spring cleaning - flylady style

[BloomingHazel]

With spring in the air and nicer weather here/on its way, there's no better time to start a new housekeeping routine!
I will give you a heads up, I've not been on mn daily just lately, so hopefully I'll remember to post the links!

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. you have been warned! 😂

There are Baby Steps for starting out, add one thing at a time to start good habits and routines. Try not to do too much at once, you don't want to get overwhelmed.
There are 5 zones that we will rotate through each month, 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. I will explain these further as we come across them.

• Monday: Home Blessing (or as we call it, home bleugh)
• Tuesday: plan & play
• Wednesday: anti-procrastination
• Thursday: errand day
• Friday: clean car & purse (handbag) out. It's also date night (with your significant other, or friends, or yourself!)
• Saturday: family fun day - no missions
• Sunday: renew your spirit - no missions

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.

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

Baby steps: https://mymerrymessylife.com/flylady-31-baby-steps/ it's not technically flylady, but they're still working on the new site.

Ta das:
🌷 LOLs x5 (sheets, towels etc.)
🌷 roots and haircut (I went shorter!)
🌷 took Coco to get her monthly injection for arthritis
🌷 grocery shopping
🌷 cleaned both bathrooms
🌷 bought more soil & a squirrel repellant (the buggers keep digging in my flower beds)

Doesn't look like much written down, and I didn't get to vacuum & mop like I wanted 🙄
I also still have to make our bed (I remade DSs bed) as well as put away all the clean clothes.

More ta das:
🌷 remade our bed
🌷 rotated DW with DS
🌷 wiped down countertops
🌷 wiped top of stove
🌷 booked an appt online that I've been putting off (if I didn't procrastinate I probably would have had the appt today - it's a video call)
🌷 emptied bins in the house and put empty liners in each one

Wednesday is anti-procrastination day.

Wednesday's mission is to toss out any expired or old cosmetics. If you don't wear it anymore, toss it. If you don't remember when you used it last or first opened it - toss it. You don't want to be sporting an eye infection because you found that 3 year old mascara..

In the laundry room, match socks. Toss any you don't have a pair for, also toss any that have holes or are way too stretched out to use.

https://www.flylady.net/daily-mission/20260513-zone-3-mission-3-wednesday-your-bathroom

Baby Step 13: https://mymerrymessylife.com/flylady-31-baby-steps/13/
Accomplish one cleaning mission. Just jump on in where we are!

Hello! I will try @BloomingHazel 💐

I've got the week off work and I will be going back for a rest next week.

My morning routine on the app is getting quite long as it's got eye drops, brush the cat and green tea (just the one because it's foul) It is keeping me accountable. Oh sunscreen too. It's quite good for a feeling of ta-da before I've even had breakfast! Which is also on the app morning routine

After doing this thing for nearly twenty years, I have finally almost got to grips with the house. This week I have ruthlessly decluttered the kind of stuff that isn't recyclable and isn't worth donating, but also isn't rubbish, but that I don't want. I find that sort of thing hard to bin, but bin it I did. I feel reasonably ok about it because I genuinely don't buy much. I think it's that sort of clutter that is so hard to get rid of. I console myself by remembering that the momemt something is created, it's destined for landfill anyway. Turns out that quite a lot of charity shop donations end up going to landfill or is just dumped abroad, but most of us feel a bit better using a middle man. Including me, until this week.

So now it's time for the garden and I am going about it in exactly the same way: babysteps. Not that easy this time of year as it's growing about as fast as I can cut it back. It's a rewarding process though. I'm hoping for a wild garden but not jungle vibe. Found a lot of old grot in the shed so that went into the bin as well this morning. Fortunately it's landfill bin day here today and I was able to fill it to the top ( unusual for this household as we're just two adults)

I have found The Minimalists really inspiring these last few years and I particularly appreciated this blog post this week. I hope someone else might also find it helpful. It's the post entitled 'Necessary Jewelry' (because they are American not because I can't spell!)

https://www.theminimalists.com/

WinterFrogs can I ask you why you drink the green tea if you think it's foul?! (& have you tried other brands/flavours, as some are better than others?).
I will have to set aside a few minutes and check out the blog post you shared.
A big well done to <just about> getting the house sorted 👏🥳

Ta das:
🌷worked all day
🌷watered my outside plants - they looked droopy from the heat and wind
🌷cooked dinner
🌷baked a coffee cake for a birthday potluck tomorrow (Thursday)
🌷cleaned up the kitchen

Thursday is errand day.

Thursday's mission: https://www.flylady.net/daily-mission/20260514-zone-3-mission-4-thursday-your-main-bathroom
Check your supplies in your main bathroom & laundry room

Baby Step 14: https://mymerrymessylife.com/flylady-31-baby-steps/14/
Start using a calendar.

Good morning everyone! @BloomingHazel I have discovered that I thrive best when I have missions so as well as flylady ( and zenhabits and the minimalists) I try to do some of the late, much missed, Michael Moseley's 'Just One Thing' things. And he did a whole podcast on the health benefits of green tea. I sometimes stick a peppermint tea bag in to make it taste better, and I don't sit around savouring it, just let it cool and knock it back. I see it as medicinal 🤣 The habit wasn't really sticking until I added it to the flylady routines though. Good old flylady!

Ta das from yesterday:

Cleaned out junk drawer x2
Car through car wash and hoovered out.
After the endless nagging from flylady I intend to look at some kind of system to secure the clobber that I carry about in the car. I does make sense.

Thank you for the babysteps. Need to clear some digital clutter too. And yesterday I discovered that I have been paying £4 a month in insurance for a phone I no longer have for over a year. That'll teach me to keep a closer eye on things.

Hope every has a lovely day ❤️

I'm so sorry I didn't post links for today!

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

Friday's mission: https://www.flylady.net/daily-mission/20260515-zone-3-mission-5-friday-your-main-bathroom
Bathroom: shine your bath & sink
Laundry room: wipe down your washer & dryer

Baby Step 15: https://mymerrymessylife.com/flylady-31-baby-steps/15/
Make your bed in the morning when you get out of it. Or air it out, if you prefer. Either way, make it look neat & tidy, not a crumpled mess!
Continue with your other routines. They are listed on the link, for reference.

Thank you for the links @BloomingHazel 💐

Saturday is family fun day.
There are no zone missions on the weekend.

What are you up to today?

Currently colouring in flags with the kids ahead of our eurovision party tonight. Have friends coming over in a bit. DH has been blitzing the laundry which is nice.

Last night, after work, DH & I sat around our firepit with a drink or two. It was such a nice evening! The dogs enjoyed it too, although not impressed they had to share their chairs with us!

Today I'm going out with MIL.
We are going to the next big town to do some bulk shopping at Costco. Then we are going to get a few more flowers from the greenhouse we didn't make last week (as we had ran out of room in the vehicle!).

I still haven't taken pictures of my flowers yet, but did take some around the fire last night.

kat that sounds like a great day!
Have fun tonight!
I remember watching Eurovision song contest as a teenager. Some of the songs were unusual to say the least. Are they still like that? I don't get to watch it here 😪

That sounds like fun!

I love those pictures @BloomingHazel! What a lovely way to spend the evening 😊
You've got me all inspired to continue with my gardening so I can sit and enjoy it like that.

We did Saturday very properly with a slow start. Tea and toast in bed then out to lunch with some friends.

Shock, horror, I did not shine the sink last night. Nor did I lay out my clothes 🤫

WinterFrogs I'm glad I've inspired you, although I do have to admit that the weeds are starting to take over in the firepit area 🫣 I started pulling some before sitting down & DH told me I'm defeating the purpose of going out there to relax! They will get sprayed with weed killer, but there can be no wind - we keep having wind advisories!
Your start to Saturday sounds divine!

Yesterday I was out of the house for most of it, with MIL. It was a nice day!
When I got home DH & I cleared out the fridge, everything got put away and I got some handwash dishes done. I also spent a few minutes scrubbing my sink, it still needs a scrub in a couple spots, but that won't take much to do. I wipe it down every day, but do not scrub it as often as I should.
We spent the evening at ILs, it was nice.

This morning I woke up with a sore throat, I hope it's just allergy related & that I'm not getting sick again 😫

Sunday is renew your spirit day.
Do something for you, to prepare yourself for the week ahead. Go to church, go out for a walk, take a bath etc. Whatever you would like to do.

I'm planning on doing a spin bike workout, meal planning and going grocery shopping.
We also need to do a quick home bleugh (DH & DS included).
Later on I'm planning on having a nice shower, body scrub, shave etc, so I can apply my self tanner.

Baby Step 16 (apparently I skipped yesterday!): https://mymerrymessylife.com/flylady-31-baby-steps/16/
Read testimonials for inspiration, although I haven't found them on the new website, just her daily musings:
https://www.flylady.net/morning-musing

Baby Step 17: https://mymerrymessylife.com/flylady-31-baby-steps/17/
Set a bedtime. This is one I've been working on for a while, and failing at.

I need to try to get to bed by 9:15am to get 8 hours of sleep. Ha! On a good night I'll be asleep shortly after 10:30pm! Although it can be after 11pm that I'm getting to sleep. I really do want to go to bed earlier to get more sleep, but it's hard to do.
I get home at 6:20pm (from work), then have to feed the dogs, sometimes DH does this. Then cook dinner, clean up, rotate DW. That could be 8:30pm by this time. If I want to sit on the couch (dangerous as I might fall asleep..), I only have a few minutes. Then I need to shower, get my clothes out etc. It's hard to do. We also haven't been able to get into the hot tub every night either, and that really helped with sleep. Ugh!

Monday is home bleugh day.

It's a new week, so a new zone. The master bedroom & bathroom (if you have an en-suite).
Monday's mission: https://www.flylady.net/daily-mission/20260518-zone-4-mission-1-monday-your-master-bedroom
Clean off the top of your dresser. Dust it, only put back what belongs. Set your timer for 15 minutes and just get it done!

Baby Step 18: https://mymerrymessylife.com/flylady-31-baby-steps/18/
Read the Flylady 11 commandments. They are all listed on the link.

Have a happy Monday everyone 👋💐

Good morning @BloomingHazel Thanks for the links. Those 11 commandments are a useful reminder.
Your days do sound very squeezed!

I have got good at maintaining the morning routines but the rest sometimes go out the window. Did clean the bath yesterday though, the flylady way with soap and a rough cloth.

I had green tea with jasmine yesterday. That was slightly odd but palatable.

Have a great day everyone 🦋

Hi,

I'd love to join you all if thats OK?

I've rediscovered FlyLady, used to do it about 10 years ago - maybe even longer. I've been using the App to check off the daily tasks which I do find very helpful, as they don't take long and the first thing I do when I get up in the mornings tick off my list.

I find the zones a little trickier as my children are all grown up - so they take care of their bedrooms, and quite a few of the other categories are not really relevant either - although I know I can change these. Some of the actions do seem a little outdated - but I guess they are relevant for the USA. I don't have a basement or a shoe bookcase, I guess this is a shoe rack?

I guess I use it mostly for the laundry and small daily tasks which do help me keep on top of everything, as I work Monday - Thursday, I so the home blessing on a Friday when I also deep clean the bathrooms, vacuum and clean my office and any other jobs that take more than a few minutes. I also really like the prompt to sort dinner - as this is easily forgotten and I scraping around trying to find something.

I like living in a clean and tidy home, I do wish everyone else that lives here felt the same. It does feel like a constant battle to get the (adult) kids to do anything. I need to drill commandment number 6 into them.

Anyway, so far today I have completed all of the AM tasks, 4/5 of the afternoon tasks and I'll sort the evening tasks after dinner.

Sorry if this has been a bit of a ramble, I'll try and check in everyday and see what's posted.

Welcome @Johaanah! 👋
I love how customisable flylady is. I do my home bleugh (blessing) on Tuesdays, as that's my day off in the week. I struggle with some of the routines due to the length of time I'm out of the house for work though. Mainly the morning routine.

YesTaDas:
🌷LOLs x5 (including a big comforter that's been sitting in my laundry room for months 😳)
🌷vacuumed half the main floor - DH finished it
🌷mopped
🌷cleaned bathrooms
🌷cleaned mirrors
🌷rotated DW - DH helped
🌷cooked dinner with help from DH
🌷got clothes out for today
🌷shower - scrubbed, shaved, then applied self tanner
I didn't get on the spin bike, but I did do a few squats & lunges.
Tomorrow I have a video appt with a nurse to go over my weightloss, or lack of it. Not sure what to expect so I'm going in with an open mind.

Quite a good day of ta das today
🥳 morning routine done, wash on
🥳 quick cursory vacuum downstairs
🥳 hob and air fryer wiped down (this is on my bleurgh list)
🥳 bathroom mirror done after s+s.
🥳 dishwasher on
🥳 surfaces in bedroom wiped down and some clutter cleaned away.

Very happy with this. Finally seeing the routine starting to pay off. I also think making my bed each day makes me less likely to stash crap in my room because I want it to look nice.

I fell asleep before posting last night, I'm so sorry!

Tuesday is plan & play day.

Tuesday's mission: https://www.flylady.net/daily-mission/20260519-zone-4-mission-2-tueday-your-master-bedroom
Set your timer for 15 minutes and tackle the top (or top shelf) of your closet. If you can't get to it, spend the 15 minutes sorting out what is in your way.

Baby Step 19: https://mymerrymessylife.com/flylady-31-baby-steps/19/
Share your progress so far.
Flylady would like you to email her or you can Facebook her your progress so far. Or you can just post here. Any successes, struggles, or just your ta das.

I am actually working on planning our BBQ for this coming weekend. It's memorial day weekend here, so we're having a BBQ on Sunday. I've already planned for a lot of it (food we'll be providing), but I still need to figure out one more dessert and the drinks.
I had asked guests to bring a side dish to share, as it helps the load, and it's the done thing here. Usually people just offer, but we have invited some that never contribute, which is frustrating.

I also have a video appt today regarding my weightloss, or lack thereof, so I'll also need to create a plan for that later on. It's time for drastic measures!

kat well done on your ta das!
I do think it's very important to make your bed every day, for the reason you have stated!

Today I really need to go through my clothes. My closet is getting stuffed full.
I need to get rid of what I don't wear anymore (which I'm scared I'll have nothing left!), see what outfits I can put together, and move some winter clothes to an empty drawer in the spare bedroom. We left it empty so guests can use it, but only DD has ever stayed overnight and she never uses it!
I also need to move the clothes I don't fit into yet to create more space.
That is going to take me more than 15 minutes as I'll need to try everything on! My plan is to really think about how I feel while I'm wearing said clothing. Ugh.