September Flylady: Fledglings inspired to make a fresh start at the beginning of a brand new term!

[mixedpeel]

Whether you're starting to build a new routine, stuck in a rut, or been around for years, join us on the monthly Flylady thread! Flylady has created a series of daily and weekly prompts to help anyone who finds it tricky to get or keep their house clean and tidy. She totally gets it if you feel overwhelmed or don't even know where to start - as do we! The best thing about Flylady is that you are never behind - just jump in at whatever point you are at, and do what you can.

This is a long running thread, but as a newbie myself I can confirm everyone is very friendly and all are welcome to join in. We spur each other on, but also commiserate when life gets in the way and we don't get as much done as we might have wanted to.

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
We usually link to the daily missions (jobs to do in whichever zone we're in) every day, but the new website doesn't seem to be working for me right now. I will keep trying, but they should update every day so you can click the link yourself to check. We will post the missions in the thread too so don't worry about missing anything. Most importantly, don't worry about finishing it all this month, it'll come around again next month! Flylady is NOT about perfectionism!

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

Flylady also tries to help us get into habits so that eventually we do things without even having to think about them. She has 31 baby steps to gradually pick up (on the previous website, since the link isn't working on the new site yet): https://mymerrymessylife.com/flylady-31-baby-steps/

Daily focus: each day of the week has a different focus. It's not all jobs jobs jobs by the way.
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

If you can, it's worth downloading the app (link on the flylady website), you can even have it send you notifications. You can also modify the tick lists to suit your home & lifestyle. There is a paid version and a free version, though the missions haven't been updating on the free app.

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

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 probably more, feel free to ask us to explain something!

@Frumpyunicorn all the best with the job application process. So time consuming. Hopefully it will work out in your favour having two deadlines in the same week, as you’ll be in the swing of it by the second application. Crossing fingers that you get to interview for at least one of them.

I had my interview! It was so fast and I didnt feel I had much opportunity to say why I would be good for the role at all. I don't think I gave brilliant answers and they probably weren't in the bloody STAR format properly either but I am just happy I got out of my car and went in. I was so brave. Now it's done, I am going to concentrate on viva prep. It will be either this week or next and I haven't really prepped at all. I am so glad that interview is over.

@Frumpyunicorn Good luck with your applications!

Adding an image of what my sewing room looks like now.. and that's after I cleared some stuff out! No, I definitely want to whip up a few quilts and projects while I still have it.

I will carry on tidying and flyladying and listing things on vinted today. Landing is in this zone for me and I think I can get that completed today. I also need to clean up the kitchen as I didn't bother doing much for the past few days before my partner left. It's so quiet here without him. :(

I didn't get the job. I am ok about it. It was a lot of responsibility and also dealing with angry public. I think it was worth going for the interview experience though. I will feel less nervous next time. And I've learned that I really don't want a job where angry public are involved.

Cleaned my kitchen and did some washing. Next up, vinted and maybe I'll get up to the landing.

Ah, well at least they let you know quickly @KitsyWitsy and as you say, it's a learning experience. What do you do with your Vinted stuff once you've listed it and before it sells, I have half a dozen things on at the moment and they are all piled over the back of an armchair, not sure how long I'll give them before giving up and charity shopping them.

I have a large lounge/dining room. Stuff to list is on one half, and listed is on the other. mostly in tubs. It doesn't look nice but I don't sit in there much anyway. My bedroom is downstairs and I prefer to stay in here as it's cosier. I leave everything listed for now but at some point, I will charity shop stuff that hasn't sold.

I am literally listing anything in this house that I don't use.

Glad you are taking the positives from the interview experience, @KitsyWitsy. Another one is that you can definitely go over for the planned length of visit to Chicago in November. Hope a job that is a better fit for you comes along soon.

Just realised that we are nearly at the end of September, so is anyone up for running the October thread?

@KitsyWitsyI’m sorry you didn’t get the job. They often give their permanent roles to internal staff so getting a temporary role is likely to move you eventually to a permanent role you like that comes up. Just keep applying for different roles. Your sewing room looks like it should do if you’re working on stuff.

@CherryogDog @ExpertlyDecluttering
My bread knife as it turned out was rubbish after all these years. DS bought a bread knife from Lidl which is the best one now. I need to buy a new one but buying one online is a pfaff as it never likes my over 18 proof for some reason. Was a palaver trying to get razor blades for my sourdough. The bread crust was a bit too soft to cut so I baked it on the dark crust setting and it’s much better all round.

The mouse reappeared. I’m beyond caring now and it doesn’t freak me out like it should do. I’ve put down more precautions. I just feel deflated it / they are still here.

Ta DAs
S&S
LOL white wash today
Sweeping floors
Hoovering

Flylady today has some hard-hitting stuff to say about perfectionism. Whether we recognise some of her examples or not, the overall message that ‘good enough is good enough’ really is a powerful one: https://flylady.net/morning-musing/good-enough-is-good-enough

This month has flown by!
I'm still under the weather with a gyppy tummy, but I've moved/cancelled all my commitments for this week, and because I'm home I'm plodding through the housework.
4 LOLs.
Took the cushions off the sofa, gave everything a hoover.
Vacuumed carpet, complete with fancy shark fins (I've been watching too many cleaning reels 😁).
Cleaned the window sill (dead fly graveyard 😳).

I don't think it's the bread knives I've had over the years, as everyone else I've lived with can cut nice slices, since I've had my surgeries on my hand I don't have much dexterity. I just tell people I'm posh and break my bread 😁

I feel like I’ve just been constantly washing up today. Kitchen counter is always so tidy atm which makes me happy. I’m getting through my book which is giving me joy too

@KitsyWitsy sorry about the job but think your right that it sounds more trouble than it was worth. And huge well done for getting to interview and going for it.

@PeonyBulb being nosy, what book are you reading?

@mixedpeel Can't believe it's end of September! Thank you for leading the thread. I've found it such a help and encouragement in keeping on top of the house. I'm sorry though, I can't take on running the thread.

Yesterday was a bit none stop so no cleaning took place except washing the dishes. But I did pick up a new pack of cloths to live in the bathroom so that I can start the swish and swipe habit. So I'll call that progress

So here we are at the end of September with Babystep 30: look ahead to next month
https://mymerrymessylife.com/flylady-31-baby-steps/30/

Getting in the habit of regularly looking over the coming month for important dates and events, and making a note of things that need to happen prior to those dates, will be a time and sanity saver.

Wednesday is anti-procrastination day. As I’ve said before, I think this is my favourite daily focus. It’s such a useful prompt to just crack on and get that thing done. It’s so satisfying to become a person who gets stuff done!

Zone 5: Living Room: Mission 3
To the living room for the final time this month. Flylady says this is one her favourite missions in this space: the sofa and chair dive! What delights will you find down the back or under the cushions? If it’s anything like our house you’ll need to arm yourself with the hoover to suck up a mountain of goodness knows what, but before you switch it on definitely use your magpie eyes to spot any lost treasure.

I had some energy this morning, but it's wavering ds wet the bed so his bedding is being washed. To do:

Rotate dw, clean sink
School run
Hang up washing
Put on another load (optional)
Read some flylady, revisit/update control journal

Did a longer cleaning sesh yesterday, came down to a cat-related accident that seemed to have spread over the utility and hall floors - OH had done one half, so I finished off then mopped all through for good measure. Did the Friday bed strip yesterday, but not the mattress flip. Five lols including the duvet.

Bathroom S&S as usual, and wiped the living room lamps frames and ornaments, and surfaces while I was at it.

Bathroom today as usual, one woolly wash done, two more normal loads to go. Will shine the sink as it needs doing, and soaking the food waste caddy in sodium percarbonate. Loathsome addition to the kitchen, I sometimes wonder what happens to the food waste (yuk).

Happy flying!

Flylady giving some tips on how to start menu planning: https://flylady.net/morning-musing/tip-to-save-time-and-money

I'm happy to run the thread again next month if there are no other takers as I will be at home for the whole month, which I won't in Nov and Dec.

@PamelaColmansMustard we've never had food waste collection, but it starts next week, I have always composted all the fruit and veg stuff but don't want two caddies in the kitchen so I am pondering the best way. Might stop composting over winter, I usually do anyway as it slows right down. But we use bio bags for compost and those aren't allowed in the food waste collection <sighs> why is life so complicated.

@mixedpeel you've done a brilliant job with the thread this month, thank you so much

Will you be given the compostable food waste bags in addition to your caddy?

We were given a larger outdoors caddy and an indoors one - it was huge, grey, crap and I binned it and bought a smaller (nicer) one from Aldi. The council do supply the bags, which tend to be better than the ones in Aldi, they shrivel before you empty the caddy.

I used to compost stuff - we don't have a lot of food waste and I generally still compost peelings, but not tea bags now as they don't really degrade, and no one's got time to open the buggers and tip the contents out! I can't remember when we first started with food waste collection but it's got to be at least a couple of decades? I've got used to it but I still hate having the caddy in the kitchen. I keep it clean and empty it regularly, but it still stinks.

No bags supplied but if you use them they have to be proper plastic not biodegradable. We use biodegradable ones for the compost, keeps the caddy cleaner. We will stick with our existing compost caddy inside the kitchen as it is neater and more attractive than the council one, also it is smaller which encourages us to empty it more often. We are very late to the party with this, we've been having to do it at work for over a year.

@ExpertlyDecluttering how odd that you have to use plastic bags, would have thought that defeated the object?

I've just googled, apparently it all gets made into a soup and is used to produce methane and fertiliser. I can't imagine what the smell must be like!

Rough day for me. I've been up since 4:30 and haven't managed to snooze due to son being difficult about his day centre and also someone else rang from the council to offer me an interview tomorrow. I asked for the questions and he said yes but then he emailed to say he couldn't because I hadn't ticked disabled on the form. I just thought it was reasonable as I have GAD and it was short notice. I;m not sure GAD count's as a disability.

Viva scheduled for 10am Monday! Going to Amsterdam Tuesday so it will be nice to have it done.

Finished sorting the washing. Need to put it all away.

Suspended from Vinted as they suspect I'm reselling. I'm not, I just have bought a lot of stuff in the past. Only for a few days though.

@KitsyWitsy that is a rough day, crikey. You obviously impressed someone yesterday at the interview though, if they’re offering you another interview. Are you going to go anyway even though you haven’t had the questions? Sorry to hear about how much your anxiety impacts you at times like this.

Good to know you finally have a date and time for your viva. The ‘not knowing’ would raise my anxiety levels without everything else that’s been going on for you.

Hope your son is back on more of an even keel tomorrow, and you get a better night’s sleep.

I don't know what I'll do about the job tomorrow. It's another one that I'm not sure that I want as it's taking calls and in person stuff about safeguarding and kids in horrible situations. I'm not sure if's for me. I will see how I feel in the morning and if he's sent me the questions. It is a lower grade than the other job so more my level really... and more interview practice would be good. But I have lost today from being tired and still havent worked on my viva. I am just going to be winging it on the day!

Anyway, not sure if I said, but some friends pursuaded me to change to octopus energy and I subsequently found out I'm 2300 in credit with scottish power! I can't believe it. I had no idea. So I'm looking forward to getting that back and I will pay more attention from now on.

@PamelaColmansMustard the website says they use a big rake machine to burst open all the little bags and it claws out the plastic ones, but the bio ones get partially decomposed and can't be removed / clog it up (something like that). Anyway, we have started filling it tonight.

@KitsyWitsy you have got a lot going on. Re declaring disability, my DS is jobhunting and always declares his for adjustments (ASD/dyspraxia) and has never been asked for proof, so I would tick those boxes. Good luck tomorrow if you go ahead with it and hope you get some decent sleep.

I'll start a new thread in a bit.

@HedgehogNotes it’s ’All The Light We Cannot See’ by Anthony Doerr. Apparently there’s a Netflix adaptation of it so I’ll watch that afterwards.

We all got food recycling boxes but I stopped using it over the summer. Might start using it again once weather gets colder. I hate using it because the biodegradable bags sort of melt away and I don’t want to encourage rodents. Although they seem to be persistent little buggers atm

Ta Das

DW
LOL
S&S
made chicken ciaccatore
Sorted out part of the living room

Tada!

Empty DW
Clear drainer
Work - got stuck in traffic both ways, pain in the backside.
Home
Takeaway dinner
Governor admin
2 hours helping DS complete his PIP review form (oh how I hate those)

Just watched the news, unusually for me. Esther Rantzen, what a sad loss, That’s Life was a highlight of our family TV viewing every week and she achieved so much. Even just the fact that she was the host of a mainstream, peak time TV show with male assistants 40 years ago was quite something. And then there’s Childline. RIP Esther.