Flyladies keeping on top of the household in August, it’s going to be a hot one.

[ExtremeDecluttering]

Well, at the start of July it was hot, at the end of July it was still hot (for most of us anyway) and here we are in August with no change in sight, but hopefully we are acclimatising a bit. And now we have holidays, children at home, all the changes of 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. I have taken one for the team but use a junk email address I will check them periodically and report anything interesting / useful
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 day. 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, it's a new website! 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. There is a paid version and a free version. I use the free version. The missions haven't been updating on the app.
Links are below 👇
Daily missions (for the zone we are in):
https://www.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!

Most of this is copied and pasted from previous months but is all correct, I do get the emails and do use the free version of the app, plus the new look but somewhat sparse website. There may be odd days I don’t post but the links do update overnight so click back to the previous ones.

I have managed more ta das:
🥳 LOLs x3
🥳 handwashed dishes
🥳 put away clean handwashed dishes (sometimes it takes me a few days to manage that!)

ED really trying hard to be careful of my back. Easy to do though as it hurts still!

@HazelNotHungryLC my sympathies as I've woken with a sore back this morning. A had a sore back about 4 weeks but recovered with rest and stretching. I have 3 months left of pregnancy but my bump is massive. It's mild back strain I think. My hoover is light, an upright shark but after using that yesterday I felt it in my back. The sneak peak is great thanks.

I keep overdoing my sore foot too, it felt better on Saturday so I went and walked PArkrun and did more walking round town afterwards, 20k steps, silly me. I am now doing an intensive stretching, massage, ibuleve and wearing sensible shoes policy again.

Anyway, so far today I have shined my sink and draining board, put my doormats on to wash (forecast rain later in the week so want to get EVERYTHING washed and dry now), emptied the dishwasher. Whilst wearing sensible shoes.
Babysteps - we have missed a few again.

22 is more work on your control journal/app/whiteboard, wherever you keep your routines. I tend to just have mine in my head but probably should commit to it in writing.

23 is after work/school routine - put away shoes and bags, take anything out of bags that needs dealing with/putting away, put out anything you need for later etc if you are going out again

24 is Swish and Swipe - an important one, each day, after using the toilet, give it a quick skirt of cleaner and once round with the brush, then wipe the seats etc (I use spray cleaner and a bit of loo roll for this), Give your basin and taps a quick wipe with a microfibre cloth and it is ready for the day or any unexpected visitors.

Zone 4 Mission #1 Monday
Dusting! Do the flat surfaces then get a feather duster and do the walls, ceiling, door frames etc.

Monday is also Home Blessing Day - an hour of emptying bins, running the vac round, quick dust, etc.

For later in the week

Zone 4: Mission #2 Tuesday
Decluttering accessories, costume jewellery, hair accessories, scarves, belts, etc. Charity shops would love most of these, even odd earrings etc for scrap or crafting.
Tuesday is Plan and Play Day
Zone 4: Mission #3 Wednesday
Declutter 27 things from your wardrobe/drawers. Tee shirts, ballgowns, whatever you don’t wear, get rid, charity shops take rags or maybe try Vinted for the better things, I have started using it recently and it is quite addictive.
Wednesday is anti-procrastination day - things you have been putting off
Zone 4: Mission #4 Thursday
Toss your underwear! Odd socks, tatty knickers, bras that have seen better days. We have a bra bank in a shop in our town for the better ones.
Thursday is Errand Day
Zone 4: Mission #5 Friday
Take 15 minutes to declutter your dressing table Put things away, get rid of empty containers.
Friday - clean out your car and handbag and then date night or however you prefer to relax on a Friday night.

Morning! Woke up very late - but at least I did get up, instead of doomscrolling. I'm a bit out of synch with the zones and house blessings, but that's ok. My zone for this week is the living room, so while Mr Bosch got on with two lols, I cleared out all manner of crap from under the piano (prime real estate for storing craft stuff), decluttered some stuff (recycling and charity bag) and now the only stuff under there is a neat box of machine knitting yarns. Would like to get it knitted up this year, but we'll see. Can't do everything. I'd love to see the whole space cleared though.

Top end of living room is where I sew, machine knit and craft, (not all at the same time as there isn't much space) so the floor is now clean, bottom of furniture dusted (instead of skirtings which I can't get to) and I've sorted through some of my stash and projects while I was about it. Swiffered the floor with fig essential oil, smells lovely. Also wiped window sill which I did before we went away, but some dead flies had gathered. Yuk.

Also put away some fleece blankets from the landing bannister. I love having a cleaner, tidier home, it's really uplifting.

Have a lovely week all :)

Full deep clean scrub of every nook and cranny back and sides etc of bathroom loo, bathroom floor, deep scrub of tiles on wall around bath area. Swept kitchen floor in preparation for when I mop.

Hi everyone

I am back from holiday and had a lovely break. It was really nice to come back to a clean house and in a change from usual I unpacked my case etc. before I made myself a cup of tea! I am looking forward to the bedroom challenge as it's become a bit of a dumping ground and tends to get left.

@PamelaColmansMustard I sew too, haven't even tried to tackle my sewing room yet as I'm focusing on the areas of the house where we have guests. I do need to sort it though.

@Frumpyunicorn It's such a great feeling knowing you're coming back to a clean house! I got loads done after we got back - we had a shortened journey on the return and I was actually looking forward to getting everything unpacked and tidy. I had planned to change the bed anyway, but the cat had been sick on it so I had to strip the whole lot down to the mattress. Bed remade. Cat then sicked up again earlier today. Bed stripped again down to mattress....hoping she isn't going to make it a daily habit :)

Our bedroom needs decorating, but as a temporary measure I'm making quilted wall hangings to cover up where our old cat (RIP) decided she didn't like the wallpaper. Need to get sewing, and hoping that being on top of the cleaning will help; at least I won't be spending all morning doing the housework. I really enjoy sewing although I'm not all that good at it - but I reason, if it's done it's good enough.

Oh dear, I blinked and the weekend went by. I was hardly at home in my defence.

Hung some clothes up, washed the child, kitchen clearing up and tidying and DW last night.

Half emptied the DW today, DH did the rest and cooked, I’ve washed up and loaded the DW and a little bit of tidying. Grumbles from DH about how much tidying he does and wanting the house to stay tidier for longer. Laundry is weighing on my mind, and the floor under our dining table. Can’t manage any dusting or blessing today but I’ll shine the sink.

Well that’s good, purely thanks to this thread I’ve swept the hallway, dining room and kitchen, polished the sink, and put a wash on timer for the morning. I would not have done those otherwise.

And I have dusted my bedroom. Not all of it, I didn’t want to stand on the bed to dust the top of the wardrobe with my hurt foot (I’m having to be careful not to twist it). We made the mistake many years ago of using a slightly rough textured paint to give it a sort of seaside effect (light blue) and the surface really attracts dust and cobwebs, I use one of the pledge dusters on a handle to go over it but it does get grubby looking in places.

I dusted the top of my large bedroom mirror using an extended fly swat with a maxi towel stuck onto it because it was in an area I couldn’t put a chair.
I really should buy a long feather duster.

I also scrubbed out the dusty box with my bathroom cleaning supplies in it and binned a few items in there in the process.

I did this whilst on the phone to family members having issues with other family members to distract myself.

I also dusted the top of all the door frames

@ExtremeDecluttering whoever "bodged" my house in the past made swirls all over the downstairs wall. Some of the ridges are 2" deep and dusting them is awful. The area above the radiator is always filthy.
Does anyone else have specific radiators that get that dusty bit above?
It's only two rads in my house that get it.

No flying from me except for shining my sink and waahing the big pots.
I was woken up (again) by a delivery driver yesterday at 4am. He's got a noisy van, leaves the door open with his radio blaring and it wakes me up three times a week.
I phoned the company and they're going to speak to him.
Today I was woken up by a bang (it featured in my dream) and then another bang when I was awake, sounded like someone closing a sticky door.
Between my lack of sleep, my bad back and my bad foot I'm not in the best of moods and certainly not up to flying.

I like the sound of these sewing and knitting corners, one day if my DCs ever leave home properly I would like to make a craft corner in one of their rooms. I have my potting shed as a bolthole and love spending time up there in spring with seedlings growing, but don’t use it much for anything except storage the rest of the year. Sometimes take my morning cuppa up there if it’s too cold/wet to sit outside.

Today’s babystep is Progress Not Perfection, another version of jump back in, it is good to appreciate the change your routines are making but don’t beat yourself up if you miss a day etc. https://mymerrymessylife.com/flylady-31-baby-steps/25/

Zone 4: Mission #2 Tuesday
Decluttering accessories, costume jewellery, hair accessories, scarves, belts, etc. Charity shops would love most of these, even odd earrings etc for scrap or crafting.

Tuesday is Plan and Play Day - do something for fun and maybe catch up with your emails, diary etc. I usually do this on a Friday, but you can use the days as you like, I also tend to do errands on Friday as it’s my day off work.

For the rest of the week

Zone 4: Mission #3 Wednesday
Declutter 27 things from your wardrobe/drawers. Tee shirts, ballgowns, whatever you don’t wear, get rid, charity shops take rags or maybe try Vinted for the better things, I have started using it recently and it is quite addictive.
Wednesday is anti-procrastination day - things you have been putting off
Zone 4: Mission #4 Thursday
Toss your underwear! Odd socks, tatty knickers, bras that have seen better days. We have a bra bank in a shop in our town for the better ones.
Thursday is Errand Day
Zone 4: Mission #5 Friday
Take 15 minutes to declutter your dressing table Put things away, get rid of empty containers.
Friday - clean out your car and handbag and then date night or however you prefer to relax on a Friday night.

@ExtremeDecluttering I used to have a whole room for sewing - until my now-husband moved in and needed somewhere for his guitars. Now I have the window bay in the living room, but because it's on show it has to stay tidy...which is something my former sewing room certainly wasn't!

I finally went to urgent care today, currently getting a breathing treatment, it's already helping. I have an upper respiratory infection, so steroids, antibiotics and a renewal of my rescue inhaler.
I tried to get in to the asthma and allergy clinic, but the next available appt was in October! It doesn't help that they are only open 2 days a week.

Anyway on the Flylady front, I've stripped my bed, including mattress & pillow protectors, got them in the washer.
I've also ordered a fridge magnet whiteboard for meal planning and shopping list. I have got to be better at planning again.
DS went back to school today, after 3 months off.

Today's plan:
😳 pick up prescriptions
😳 meal plan for the week
😳 grocery shopping
😳 vacuum
😳 mop
😳 bleach bathrooms
😳 bathed dogs (?) My back is still hurting so not sure on that
😳 bake zucchini bread
😳 paint my nails

^I dusted the top of my large bedroom mirror using an extended fly swat with a maxi towel stuck onto it because it was in an area I couldn’t put a chair.
I really should buy a long feather duster.^
Peony I had to chuckle at this image, it sounds like it works, but I'm sure it's a sight to be seen! 😂😂😂

Cherry it sounds like you need a rest day! Hopefully the company can talk to the worker, as that's not okay. Some people just really can't think of anyone but themselves!

Pamela is your cat feeling any better today? 💐

unicorn well done on emptying your suitcase as soon as you got home. I know that if I don't empty it right away it'll sit for weeks!

hollyhocks this thread is motivating to get things done!

ED I really love the sneak peek for the week!

@HazelNotHungryLC Yes, thank you for asking! She's fine, but very old and has always been a bit of a puker, bless her. I hope you get your infection sorted quickly - I'm also impressed how much you have planned despite it! Remember Flylady's self-care instructions - very necessary :) xx

@HazelNotHungryLCI actually read about it somewhere so thought I’d give it a try

@HazelNotHungryLC I have started meal planning again in the last week, it has always been a bit of a fail here (we all have very different tastes and all go out a lot in the evenings). I have a bit of a conundrum, DH is still completely unable to do any housework with his broken arm so I have picked up all the kitchen stuff (normally I cook, shop and chip in with clearing up but DH does the bulk of it). But when he does it it is all very ad-hoc and sometimes he does it properly, wipes counters etc other times he just leaves it all till the next morning, then gets up late and so it gets left again till I am ready to scream when I get home from work. I have started clearing up straight after dinner, putting on the DW, doing any handwashing, then in the morning emptying the DW, putting away draining board stuff, wiping draining board, putting anything dirty that has landed in the sink overnight in the DW or washing it and shining the sink. Miraculously everyone is putting all their stuff in the DW straight away because they always know it is empty and it is no longer piling up so the evening clear up is much easier. But how to get him to keep this up once his arm is better? It looks as though it will be a few weeks so I need to really embed this routine on the household as it is a big improvement.

I should add the DCs have stepped up too, they are vacuuming, helping with laundry, doing litter trays etc, it hasn’t all ended up on me.

Anyway I didn’t declutter my accessories today, but I keep pretty well on top of them anyway, I only have two belts, 0 scarves apart from woolly ones, limited costume jewellery and it’s not that long since I decluttered there. I have found a new refill for my pledge duster on a stick so going to do a bit more dustimng before bed, it had got quite bad up there.

I couldn't sleep so I've done the worst thing and gone on screens. My DH woke me up just after midnight something to do with ds. I am pissed off with him for not just dealing with it. Then he went back to sleep. I lay in bed for over an hour then gave up and have done the worst thing and gone on my phone for nearly an hour, downstairs though. A good thing would be some housework until I feel tired then straight to bed. To do:

Rotate dishwasher.
Tidy living room table
Tidy craft table.
Put on lol.
Dust

I only did the first 3 things on my list today 🫣 as well as laundry:
Ta das:
😳 meal planning
😳 grocery shopping
😳 picked up prescriptions
😳 LOLs x5; mattress protector with the whites, sheets x2, towels x2

I did, however, make a decent dinner tonight. I made homemade chicken Alfredo, served with angel hair pasta for the boys (DH, DS & a friend of DS), sautéed cabbage for me (& whoever else wanted some), homemade garlic rolls for the boys, and gf garlic roll for me (half of one). It turned out pretty good! I've made it before lots of times, but it really hit the spot tonight.

The kitchen was a disaster though!
I got it all cleaned up, DH rinsed the dishes, I rotated the DW, and wiped down the countertops & stovetop. I also washed, dried, and put away handwash dishes! I do usually try to clean up as I go, but didn't tonight for whatever reason.

ED I wonder if you continue to empty the DW in the morning if it'll help everyone continue to put their dirty dishes in it 🤔

If there is one less step after dinner (emptying the DW), maybe DH will do more cleaning up each night 🤷‍♀️
You may end up having a conversation with them all, or one on one. But you might not have to!

Always did you manage to get back to sleep okay?

Peony it's pretty genius! Does it work?

Morning! Just got back from the lido, normally I go then go straight to work but I’m off this week, it is the last week it is open so I thought I’d get up and go, it has really made my summer. Didn’t empty the DW before I went but going to do it now then walk down the road for a coffee, we have a new coffee van here and I tried it for the first time yesterday and it was very nice. Friendly owner too.

Our babystep today is https://mymerrymessylife.com/flylady-31-baby-steps/26/ is another philosophical one, Each Day is a New Beginning. Flylady is as much a psychological system as a practical one, getting your head round what motivates you.

Zone 4: Mission #3 Wednesday
Declutter 27 things from your wardrobe/drawers. Tee shirts, ballgowns, whatever you don’t wear, get rid, charity shops take rags or maybe try Vinted for the better things, I have started using it recently and it is quite addictive.

Wednesday is anti-procrastination day - things you have been putting off. I have got some old toys from my childhood I have been meaning to put on Ebay, going to get those photographed today and a bit of research into what they might be worth (probably not much but who knows).

For the rest of the week:

Zone 4: Mission #4 Thursday
Toss your underwear! Odd socks, tatty knickers, bras that have seen better days.
Thursday is Errand Day
Zone 4: Mission #5 Friday
Take 15 minutes to declutter your dressing table Put things away, get rid of empty containers.
Friday - clean out your car and handbag and then date night or however you prefer to relax on a Friday night.

@Alwaysgrowing hope you managed to get some sleep in the end.
I had another rubbish night on Monday, there's a really weird man that appears to be living in a car parked near my house. At about 3am he was getting in and out of the car and the noise of the door woke me up.
Once I'm awake I really struggle to get back to sleep.
I crashed out last night and feel much better today.
I'm going to my hydro therapy today then got errands to do but I've got a clear day tomorrow for flying.