This week’s Flylady Zone/declutter (2 zones)

Another quick check-in from our staycation with an update on this week’s Flylady zone cleaning and decluttering! Hope you are all enjoying some sunshine wherever you are in the world. Beautiful sunshine this morning when I had my breakfast swim down at the sea but, this afternoon, as I type this, the rain is pouring down outside!

Picnic breakfast swim – best start to the day!

But on to our zone cleaning – working in zones 5 and 1 this week! (Last week we were working in zone 4, the bedroom.) If you’re new to Flylady, remember that the key to your success is being consistent with each part of the system, before adding in new elements. First comes your daily routines (Morning and Evening). Then you add in the Weekly Home Blessing Hour (the upkeep clean of the “high traffic” areas of your house). And once you feel comfortable with those (= being consistent!) can begin to add in some Zone cleaning. (I have Zone lists in my Hygge Home folder (Flylady Control Journal), including ideas for pampering and gardening by zone (you can see them here.)

My “Hygge Home” Flylady Control Journal – zones 5 and 1 this week

This is a split week with two zones, because we are crossing from one month to the next. When I did my Weekly Home Blessing Hour (see Monday’s post), I spent a few extra minutes when I was dusting and vacuuming in the living room (zone 5), getting right into the corners and underneath the furniture. That eliminates the need for me do those tasks in my detailed clean of the area. I also took a few minutes to take a look at the room and see if there was anything which could be decluttered or put away, or moved to a different area in the house (sometimes we get used to things being there…). I also checked through our DVDs and games, and found a few to declutter. Plus some candlesticks which we won’t ever use. Woo hoo, it all adds up!

Cleaning and decluttering!

This week’s second zone is Zone 1 (the entry, hall, dining room). Last time when we were in this zone, I did quite a lot in the hall/entryway, so today I wanted to concentrate on the dining room. My husband has been using it as his makeshift office during Lockdown (since the beginning of March). Today I gave the windows a quick “skoosh skoosh” clean/removed the insects from the windowsills, dusted the corners and ceilings, then wiped down the baseboards. A short but thorough vacuuming session (there were quite a few spiders’ webs) so now the basics are done. I’m not exactly sure how long I spent because I was engrossed in an audiobook (a great way to forget the time!) but it was probably just 20 minutes in total. It really doesn’t take long to get that clean feeling!

Zone 1 – entry, hall and dining room

And to finish, I replaced the felt pads on the bottom of some of the chairs and the footstool (made by my Dearly-Departed-Danish-Father-in-Law). Done – feeling accomplished!

All done. Next up? A cup of tea!

If you want me to “clean along with you”, you can find my YouTube cleaning and decluttering videos here.

Don’t forget that one of the essential parts of the Flylady system is looking after yourself. Which is just as important as taking care of your family and your home. Take time for yourself, every single day – it doesn’t have to cost money or take a lot of time and energy. I enjoyed putting on a few drops of Eau Dynamisante by Clarins (a scent I’ve been using every summer for the past 30 years) after my morning swim. It never fails to put me in a summer mood, whatever the Danish weather! And I’ll enjoy a “virtual escape” to a Seaside Hotel tonight (another episode of the Danish TV series Badehotellet – watching the entire series is one of my summer goals).

Eau Dynamisante and Badehotellet = summer!

LLAP! May the Danish (summer) hygge be with you! Hugs!

Diane

PS: Need help with cleaning and decluttering? I’m here to hold your hand! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxIYCyTLBED8Wax351mgTMw2dcA8XvrqQ

💡PRINTABLES! ZONE 1 IDEAS: ERRAND DAY, SELF-CARE, GARDEN

Woo hoo, thanks again for all the brilliant ideas you have sent in for FLYLADY ZONE 1 (entry, hall, dining room ) Errand Day, self-care and gardening! I will add to the list as more ideas come in. Keep scrolling down, there is a lot of inspiration here!

ERRAND DAY OR THINGS TO REPLACE/BUY

  • fresh plants or flowers for the hall, porch or dining room
  • candles
  • lightbulbs
  • cleaning suppies
  • entry mat

And here’s a nice idea for Errand Day! “Errand day pampering for me usually includes a coffee and my favorite podcast or audiobook playing in the car as I go place to place. Simple but special.”

This is my “self-preservation” bingo card. I pick a couple of ideas from the lists below and it makes me more deliberate about “taking care of me” during the week! You can click the photo, save and print or copy paste into your own document. Or if you’d like to customise, here’s a link to Canva (though you need a paid subscription to edit)
https://www.canva.com/design/DAD8DjpSh0U/8vcD9PcTJpbAad46yREGmw/view?utm_content=DAD8DjpSh0U&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=sharebutton&mode=preview

SELF-CARE/PAMPER/SELF-PRESERVATION

  • cut a bloom from the garden/buy a single flower for the hallway
  • add a flower pot to your entryway/postbox area
  • “redecorate” the area with items borrowed from other places in the house (vase, candlestick, lamp)
  • add a blanket for the cooler evenings outside on the porch/veranda
  • use your “best” china and glasses from the dining room – every day is a special occasion!
  • use one of your “best” glasses (wine, crystal) and enjoy a glass of chilled water, add some fresh mint or a slice of lemon
  • set the dining table with flowers/candles, turn on some background music and enjoy lunch or dinner – alone/with family/online with friends
  • hang a crystal in the dining room window or entryway
  • make paper flowers to display on the dining room table
  • make a wreath or welcome sign for your front door
  • make a small “tableau” in the hall/entryway or dining room (some candles, a flower, a photoframe, something which makes you smile)
  • diffuse your favourite scent or light a candle while doing your zone work
  • listen to your favourite music/podcast while doing your zone work
  • once you’ve completed some zone work (decluttering or cleaning), sit outside/in your favourite chair and read for fifteen minutes
  • sit outside on your porch/veranda and read or enjoy a cup of chilled water or hot coffee
  • sit outside on your porch/veranda and admire your efforts!

GARDEN/BALCONY/PATIO/PORCH

  • take a “step back” and look at your porch/entryway – what would a visitor notice?
  • clean and organize your deck/patio/porch
  • declutter dead plants, remove weeds from plant pots, etc
  • sweep the paths
  • sweep the pavement
  • prune any overhanging branches
  • sweep the garage
  • create a garden basket to live by the front door
  • create a herb pot to live by the front door
  • wash the front steps
  • wipe down the front door (repair/paint any scratches, etc)
  • remove weeds from the garden paths
  • dust off porch/veranda furniture
  • change the wreath/flower decoration/welcome sign

LLAP! May the Danish hygge be with you! Hugs!

Diane

And if you’d like help with cleaning and decluttering in the Flylady Zones, I am here to guide you through!

VIDEO Your Monday motivation! Weekly Home Blessing, self-care, Flylady Zones 5 and 1!

Here’s your Monday motivation! What a crazy, fun week it’s been! I’m starting out with a full blown Weekly Home Blessing and then will add in a few zone tasks. We are working in Flylady Zones 5 and 1 this week (split week). Remember to be consistent with your Morning and Evening Routines and the rest will fall into place. I’m shaking my pom poms for you! Rah, rah, rah!

LLAP! May the Danish hygge be with you! Hugs!

Diane

💡 PRINTABLES – ZONE 1 CLEANING/DECLUTTER LIST

Woo hoo, I’m ready with my cleaning/declutter list for Flylady zone 1, the hall, porch/entryway to your home and dining room! This time, in order to save on printing ink (said the canny Scot…), I’ve printed out my lists in black ink and put coloured paper in the printer. If you don’t have a printer/don’t want to print, save/take a screenshot of the list and keep it on your phone. I’ve based my lists on my own home (we don’t have a porch but we do have steps leading up to the house) and things to declutter in the zone. Remember to adapt – make these lists work for you!

I printed my cleaning list and declutter list and put them back to back in a plastic sheet. Ready to cross off the tasks as I go! During the week I keep the list in my cleaning caddy. That way I can use any spare minutes I have to do one of the tasks. No more marathon cleaning sessions…do you hear me?! LOL! The aim is not to cross everything off the list this week but to keep moving forward in this zone and get something (anything!) done.





And here are some ideas to get you started! Simply copy/paste on to your own blank document.

CLEAN
Scan the room/porch, put things away
Dust ceiling/corners
Dust or wipe skirting boards
Dust flat surfaces/window sills
Dust dining table, chairs
Wipe door handles/light switches/
fingerprints or marks on walls
Shine windows, glass doors, mirrors
Shine or dust lamps
Detailed vacuum session
Check wood burning stove/fireplace
Vacuum or shake rugs outside
Dust tops/underneath bookcases
Dust main light fittings
Straighten the hall cupboard
Water/dust plants
Wipe down the front door
Sweep the porch/entrance to house
Change over the decorations/floral decorations

DECLUTTER
Hall cupboard
(shoes, coats, gloves,
seasonal items, shopping bags)
China, Glassware
Cutlery
Table accessories
Table linens
Wines/spirits
Books
Reference books
Music/piano
Candlesticks/bits n’ bobs
Cushion covers/rugs

Have fun!
LLAP! May the Danish hygge be with you!
Diane