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alicegunther
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| Posted: Oct 15 2005 at 10:23pm | IP Logged
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Just before this school year started, I was online looking up personal organizers. It's not that my house was a total mess, but we'd been here two years, and I just couldn't make things work as I wished. The basement was constantly falling into disarray, the front hall closet was jammed, and our spare room, known all too accurately as the "mud room," was looking like a bomb hit it. Though the main living areas looked OK, the beauty was only skin deep and things tended to get messed up fairly easily. There was just too much clutter lurking in dark corners, patiently waiting for an opportunity to land on the floor, not to mention the countless toys and books, ready to bubble up from the basement at any moment.
As I browsed the sites of several professional organizers, I wondered what methods they would use--more importantly, I wondered about cost. Still, my husband knew how much I wanted to clear out our trouble spots, so he gave me his blessing to go ahead to hire someone. I chose the woman whose site was most impressive and began looking it over for ideas. In one section, she provided a large list of charities ready to accept excess stuff. The charities were of every religion and description, yet not one was Catholic. In a region with as many Catholic charities as ours, I thought this seemed a bit odd, and perhaps suggested some sort of bias on her part. Who knows if I was right, but it gave me a bad feeling--bad enough that I exited the site and put hiring a personal organizer out of my mind for a while. (Read: I procrastinated.)
Well, now I know this was a good turn of events, because, a few days later, something reminded me to check out the website of the Flylady, that quirky mentor with the curious name so many of you have raved about. I'd browsed her site before, but had been hesitant to join another online group. In my heart of hearts, I always thought I would get organized on my own--sort of like a smoker planning to quit tomorrow. After all, I kept telling myself, we hadn't been in this house all that long . . . . Anyway, this time, I finally was ready for action! I signed up for the list and began to read snippets from the site. Flylady's optimistic, let's-all-give-ourselves-a-great-big-hug style appealed to me, and her suggestions seemed workable.
To my surprise, a torrent of reminder emails flooded my inbox. At first, I simply deleted them (which, incidentally, is what Marla Cilley, aka the Flylady, recommends for beginners, to keep you from feeling overwhelmed by the influx of mail), but soon I began to enjoy and even attempt to comply with the gently nudging emails, with offbeat titles like "Where are Your Shoes?" and "Do a Five Minute Room Rescue," or perhaps my personal favorite: "Go to bed. You need your rest." I kept half expecting Flylady to show up with a warm milk and offer to tuck me in.
Little by little, using the "baby steps" suggested at the site, and following about half the email reminders, I began to notice a gradual, but definite change in my home, like a garden coming alive in the spring. In painless fifteen minute sessions here and there, I managed to empty the dreaded mudroom, begin a new and improved filing system, and create menus from "Saving Dinner" that have improved our quality of life ten-fold. I began a Control Journal with all my necessary schedules, papers and phone numbers in one convenient place. I taught my children how to do a "Five Minute Room Rescue" and even added two such rescues to their morning and evening routines. After receiving a reminder email saying "Today is anti-procrastination day," I took care of about a dozen things I'd been putting off for months, including getting five kids to the dentist and setting a date for some lovely religious sisters to come for lunch (we had an incredible visit by the way).
Flylady's email reminders may seem like a bit much, but as I joked with my friend Kari, these reminders are meant to replace thoughts that naturally organized people have in their heads! It would not occur to me to spend five minutes "clearing out my hotspots" (that is, places that tend to become cluttered). I would let my computer table become a wreck and then finally take an hour to clear it off several months from now. Thanks to Flylady's virtual "thoughts" I'm reminded to do this at least once a day, and after six weeks, it's become something that actually does occur to my feeble little brain once in a while!
Now let's talk about Flylady's zones. Her system is great, and I realize it's been done before in countless books about organizing, but it's so helpful to have the reminder emails and supporting website to keep on track. Every week, Flylady's site announces a "zone" to work in. At first I ignored these because they didn't seem to suit my needs. The week I joined, for example, they were doing the Master Bedroom, and this was not a place I thought needed work. (When are they going to do the basement? I grumbled to myself.) Then, about ten days ago, I decided it might be fun to go along with the zones. The website suggested the Entrance, Front Hall, and Dining Room. That front hall closet I'd been avoiding for months turned out to be a piece of cake. In little sessions here and there that did not at all take me away from my kids, I cleared it out, tossed or donated all the junk, and put away things that did not belong there. Now I have a lovely, empty, and presentable front hall closet just in time for guests donning autumn jackets.
Last week, from October 10th to 14th, Flylady and crew were in the kitchen. Again, this was not an area I saw as a huge priority, but still, I thought it might be worth tweaking things here and there. In three days, using small snippets of time (ten minutes while pasta boiled, five minutes while the toast was down), I emptied, cleaned out, and rearranged every single cabinet and drawer in the whole room, donated dozens of excess utensils, pans and dishes (why did I have two pizza cutters?), and gave the room an organizational face lift that has improved its functionality one hundred percent. No longer do I pick up five or six cookie sheets and a high chair tray to get to my crock pot--no longer do I go to more than one cabinet when I need to make coffee--no longer is my scotch tape perpetually missing!!! Well, you get the picture.
One of the first things I did weeks ago when I discovered Flylady was to clean out and reorganize the pantry and refrigerator. Thanks to "Saving Dinner," our groceries all get eaten. I save money by buying exactly what I need and plan--nothing more. By the time I'm ready for a new grocery delivery, the fridge has beautiful empty spaces, waiting like wide open arms for the new things. I used to hate putting away groceries because there never seemed to be enough room for anything. Now there is always room, and I no longer hold onto things we won't need. In fact, for the past few weeks, I have been filling a small weekly bag of things to donate to the church. (Husband accidentally bought whole bean coffee and we don't have a grinder? Out with it. Delivery company sent tuna packed in oil instead of water? Out with it. It used to be that I would hold on to these things, just in case.)
I still have a ways to go, but now I see an end in sight, and I finally know *how* organized people keep on top of things. Luckily, I'm finding Flylady's habits easy to master, and many of her reminder emails arrive when I've already completed the suggested task. Two days ago, the unrelenting rain flooded our basement. Normally this would have been an unmitigated disaster, but I remembered Flylady's sage advice, "You can't organized clutter. You can only get rid of it," and looked at our flood as a golden opportunity to toss a number of things that meant practically nothing to me (junky toys, so-so books, curriculum I'll never use). I gleefully filled four large black garbage bags and took less than an hour doing it.
If you are wondering how Flylady works with little ones, the short answer is "like a charm." Because everything is always done in small segments, it does not take me away from them at all. (I remember days years ago when my mother would have to babysit for a week just so I could tackle a few closets! Some of you have been exposed to my raving accounts of this in the CCM email "A Closet Carol." Apologies to all!) The kitchen was particularly fun, because I did most of the tasks during otherwise dead time while waiting for things to boil or broil. My older kids now have control journals of their own, with morning, school time, afternoon, and evening routines spelled out clearly, along with suggested times to complete (for example, they have 25 minutes to complete their morning routines and seat themselves down for breakfast). That is not to say there haven't been one or two grumbles, but it has all been in good fun. Like the day my ten year old noted the four persistent autumn flies in the house and accused Flylady of sending her minions through the email to check if we were following her commands. : )
Giving each child a timer has helped too. You wouldn't believe how much more piano practice takes place when there is a fifteen minute timer involved. They are also so much less likely to dawdle on tasks if five minutes are ticking away. Oh, and here's a fun new custom we've implemented: every night, as my elder daughter and I clean up after dinner, we challenge the others to a race to see if they can get into pajamas, brush teeth, and lay out suitable clothes for morning before we are finished. The kids look forward to this nightly race and run up the stairs like gangbusters, always managing to beat us, I might add!!!
Best of all though, these new methods have given me more, not less, time with my children. Thanks to Saving Dinner, for example, we eat at 5:30 every night. Thanks to my new functioning and completely clutter free kitchen, clean up is a snap. Thanks to our nightly races, the children are all in pajamas with clothes laid out and teeth brushed between 6:15 and 6:30 (a time, I used to sometimes *start* getting dinner ready). This leaves about two hours before bedtime for games and reading with the children. I am truly present to them during this time, because I feel relaxed and do not have any cleanup or pajama battles facing me.
A few days ago, I was waiting outside my children's art lessons with a very dear friend. As we spoke, she happened to mention that she recently began working as an assistant to a local personal organizer. She told me about the job, the work it involved, the rates. I listened with great interest, but here's the funny part: I had absolutely no desire to look into hiring her boss. A few short weeks ago, I would have looked at this as an answer to prayer and called for an appointment that very afternoon. Now, thanks to Flylady and her practical methods and upbeat approach, *I* know how to do this and don't need to spend $$$ getting someone else to do it for me. 
__________________
Love, Alice
mother of seven!
      
Cottage Blessings
Brew yourself a cup of tea, and come for a visit!
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Courtney
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| Posted: Oct 15 2005 at 11:45pm | IP Logged
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Wow, Alice, your new system sounds great! I've heard of Flylady for a few years, but kept deluding myself that I didn't need it b/c I'm organized. Ha! I, too, have those closets that I hate to go into b/c who knows what's lurking in them. I have found that I can do alot in 15 minutes. I like the idea of passing these things on to my kids. My dd (8 as of the 13th!) was in tears tonight cleaning her room b/c it had gotten out of control. I'm realizing I do need the discipline of something like Flylady. Maybe it's those encouraging little nudges I need instead of the guilt I can heap on myself!
Isn't it great to have that sense of order about your home? Thanks for sharing this and helping motivate me!
__________________
Courtney in Texas
Wife to Mike since 3/94 
Mom to Candace 10/97,Christopher 4/00 and Connor 11/11
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kristina
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| Posted: Oct 16 2005 at 12:45am | IP Logged
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Alice,
Did you send this off to Flylady? What an outstanding testimonial!
Blessings,
kristina
mom to 4 boys 8,6,5,3 and a baby girl 19m & 1 ^i^ (6-15-98)
thankfully~happily married to their daddy
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Lissa
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alicegunther wrote:
| I emptied, cleaned out, and rearranged every single cabinet and drawer in the whole room, donated dozens of excess utensils, pans and dishes (why did I have two pizza cutters?), and gave the room an organizational face lift that has improved its functionality one hundred percent. No longer do I pick up five or six cookie sheets and a high chair tray to get to my crock pot--no longer do I go to more than one cabinet when I need to make coffee--no longer is my scotch tape perpetually missing!!! Well, you get the picture. |
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Oh, but tell me you didn't make any changes to your "knife, fork, and spoon" drawer! How will I know where to look for a pen the next time I come to visit????
Hurrah to your Flying success, my dear! I've been an off-again/on-again Flylady enthusiast for years and have been trying to get back up in the air after a summer of surgeries (Stevie's) and nausea (mine). This time around, I've been adapting Flylady's "31 Baby Steps" for my kids, and it's working beautifully. Scott always appreciates my Flylady kicks. Now if I could only learn to keep up the routines when life gets nuts! Seems like every time we hit a bumpy stretch with someone's health, all my good Flylady habits fly right out the window--just when we need them most.
I am loving the October "get rid of your paper clutter" habit, though! Paper clutter is my Achilles' heel. I can't bear it on the counters and tables so I whisk it off to our spare room (aka Mom's Room of Shame) where the piles of papers-to-be-filed and kids' artwork loom above our heads like like so many Leaning Towers of Pisa....
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Lissa
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alicegunther
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| Posted: Oct 16 2005 at 8:08am | IP Logged
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Lissa wrote:
| I am loving the October "get rid of your paper clutter" habit, though! Paper clutter is my Achilles' heel. I can't bear it on the counters and tables so I whisk it off to our spare room (aka Mom's Room of Shame) where the piles of papers-to-be-filed and kids' artwork loom above our heads like like so many Leaning Towers of Pisa.... |
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You see, now this was our "mud room" (supposedly a main floor bedroom, but it doesn't look much like one). During the first half of October, I tackled all the papers (kids drawings, hastily scribbled narrations, miscellaneous documents needing to be filed) and finally filed them, and in some cases, even threw them away. I realized it would be better to have a representative sample of the kids' drawings than *all* of them. I even took two photos of an enormous felt Communion banner I'd made four years ago with A (now 11) and *tossed* it. This was difficult, and would have been impossible for me in the past, but with six kids, it's the type of thing that has to be done. I was an only child, so it was practical for my mother to save almost everything. In our family, it is not!
Ah, the knife, fork and spoon drawer! Yes, it's still there, but alas there are no pens in it anymore!!! Still, if it would encourage you to make a trip up here, I'll toss a whole box of pens in there!
Many thanks Courtney and Kristina for your kind words!
__________________
Love, Alice
mother of seven!
Cottage Blessings
Brew yourself a cup of tea, and come for a visit!
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Willa
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Alice, great post! Flylady helped me out of depression about 4 years ago. I think I was feeling the post-traumatic stress of our medical ordeal with Aidan, felt like a ghost drifting through life, couldn't seem to focus or engage with life's little difficulties, was just barely maintaining. Having those specific things to do, not having to THINK about them, and being able to feel good about my baby-step progress was a real mental remedy for me.
When I got pregnant with Patrick and had to spend two days a week in the hospital with pre-natal interventions, I used to bring my Control Journal so I could work on it and know exactly what I needed to do when I got back home, and what to tell my kids to do when I was away.
Anyway, thanks for taking the time to write all that out! it helps to hear the specifics of how those things work for one person. And so thrilled to read that I'm not the only one who procrastinates making pediatric dentist appointments
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AMDG
Willa
hsing boys ages 11, 14, almost 18 (+ 4 homeschool grads ages 20 to 27)
Take Up and Read
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alicegunther
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| Posted: Oct 16 2005 at 8:23am | IP Logged
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WJFR wrote:
| And so thrilled to read that I'm not the only one who procrastinates making pediatric dentist appointments |
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LOL! Glad to hear I am in good company, Willa!
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Love, Alice
mother of seven!
Cottage Blessings
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Cheryl
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| Posted: Oct 16 2005 at 8:55am | IP Logged
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Alice,
I just joined. I checked it out before but didn't think I needed it because I'm pretty organized. It sounds like fun though. I have to get ready for Mass so I can't read too much now, but after reading day 1 & day 2 I am wondering if you actually shine your sink and wear shoes in your house. I'm wondering because usually everyone takes off their shoes in our house and also, we have a cleaning company come every too weeks so I usually just rinse my sink and let them actually clean it. I'd like to hear your thoughts on those too things. Gotta go. Thanks.
__________________
Cheryl
Wife to Bob ('97)
Mom to Matthew 13, Joseph 11, Sarah 10, Rachel 6, Hannah almost 4 and Mary 1
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alicegunther
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Cheryl wrote:
I am wondering if you actually shine your sink and wear shoes in your house. I'm wondering because usually everyone takes off their shoes in our house and also, we have a cleaning company come every too weeks so I usually just rinse my sink and let them actually clean it. I'd like to hear your thoughts on those too things. Gotta go. Thanks.
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Yes to both questions! I have always liked wearing shoes, even in the house, because it makes me feel a bit more ready to get up and go at a moment's notice. I usually get the kids to wear shoes as well. We have many afternoon lessons (music, art, French, etc.), and I find that having them in shoes saves time and energy when I am ready to get up and go. Our only carpets are in the two more formal rooms in the house, so it's easy to get the kids to avoid those rooms while their shoes are on. I think if we had carpet throughout the house, I might change this practice.
As for the sink, I have been a bit more careful to keep it empty, and, while I do not go crazy scrubbing it, I enjoy running a dishtowel over it to clear out the drips. It makes the place look like a cleaning woman just left! I have also extended the "shiny sink" principal to the entire kitchen banishing every single bit of clutter that used to gather on my counter and drive me mad. Admittedly, some of this is winding up on the dining room table as it waits to be put away or tossed, but I'm still learning and perfecting these methods.
__________________
Love, Alice
mother of seven!
Cottage Blessings
Brew yourself a cup of tea, and come for a visit!
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Marybeth
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Alice,
Thank you for the beautiful story. I am going on almost 5 years with Flylady as my support system. If anyone saw my house today they would think I was ready for Extreme Home Makeover.
The beauty of Flylady (to me) is eventhough I have not been home at all this week b/c of huge commitments to various family members my house can be set in order in no time with my Weekly Blessing tomorrow.
Thanks for inspiring us all to get organized and eat well before the cold and flu season hits us and sickness makes it impossible to get out and be able organize our homes!!!
Marybeth
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ladybugs
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HI Ladies,
I am feeling overwhelmed here in my little home.
We have 1000 square feet and the 6 of us here. Clutter abounds.
I think I'll give flylady a try.
Thanks, Alice,
__________________
Love and God Bless,
Maria P
My etsy store - all proceeds go to help my fencing daughters!
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Meredith
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Well, Alice, you've done it again, so inspiring, I'm joining RIGHT NOW!! Forget the pens in the silverware drawers, how about walkie-talkies in the tupperware cabinet I did try Flylady about three years ago and it drove me crazy, but now with more children and a new perspective on life after starting up with Saving Dinner I'm going for it again! We may have an impending move upon us in the near future so the timing is outstanding for decluttering!!
I second the recommendation to send your testimony to the Flylady herself it's awesome!!
__________________
Meredith
Mom of 4 Sweeties
Sweetness and Light
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alicegunther
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ladybugs wrote:
HI Ladies,
I am feeling overwhelmed here in my little home.
We have 1000 square feet and the 6 of us here. Clutter abounds.
I think I'll give flylady a try.
Thanks, Alice, |
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Up until two years ago, we had eight people in 1500 square feet (and before that, five of us in the smallest urban apartment you've ever seen), so I understand. Homeschooling makes things especially crowded with all the materials, projects and papers. Flylady's de-cluttering missions should be a huge help. I wish I'd started doing this years ago.
Many thanks, Meredith and Marybeth!
__________________
Love, Alice
mother of seven!
Cottage Blessings
Brew yourself a cup of tea, and come for a visit!
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Sarah
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Alice-
I have a newborn and my house is always a pit. In little spurts I can get it picked up, but cleaning is the problem. Floors need mopping, toilets need serious scrubbing-we have lots of boys, and the frig is dangerous (rule-don't eat it unless you ask mommy first)! I was just sitting here, jostling my baby, and looked around and felt like crying knowing tomorrow is Monday and I'll wake up in the morning feeling so behind. Do you think flylady helps that feeling? The house blessing thing-how do you find time? I feel like if I take an hour to do nothing but clean, I'll get behind in schoolwork or cooking, or laundry. I can't seem to get beyond the basics of mere survival. Plus I have a lot more than an hour of cleaning. My house is 2800 square feet. Any advice? (ditch it all and go out for coffee?)
__________________
Six boys ages 16, 14, 11, 7, 5, 2 and one girl age 9
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Marybeth
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Flylady is for everyone! You may not like it and choose not to do it, but she can help anyone!! When you start to read the testimonals it makes you realize how much people have lived their whole lives with clutter, chaos and despair until they found Flylady. I have met with a Flylady group several times in my area. The older woman in the group always say how they wish Flylady was around when they were young mothers...they struggled all the while raising their families.
I believe Flylady allows you to relax and teach yourself new methods of juggling all the things you need to do. As she always says..it didn't get dirty in a day and it won't get clean in a day. You will see small improvements which make it worthwhile. I know how it is to feel so overwhelemed and just depressed over how I couldn't seem to handle a home, a child, a husband, outside commitments, plan a party, cook healthy meals, etc.
Check out Flylady. I didn't even shine my sink the first day. It was too full of dishes which I was too exhausted to deal with so I just laid out my clothes for the next day.
I first read about Flylady on another Catholic moms email loop in which a mother who just had her ninth baby said her life was so peaceful and happy with Flylady. I signed up 10 minutes later!
Marybeth
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Lissa
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alicegunther wrote:
| Up until two years ago, we had eight people in 1500 square feet (and before that, five of us in the smallest urban apartment you've ever seen) |
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With no air conditioning, I might add! And your kitchen was only about twice the size of your double stroller, as I recall... But oh what a cozy, happy nest you made it. Remember our tiny girls playing Kitty in the Corner in your itty bitty living room?
__________________
Lissa
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alicegunther
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Sarah, I more than understand the feeling and have been there many times. Not that I am an expert by any means (far, far from it), but my advice would be to start out spending 10 to 15 minutes a day reducing clutter. Be merciless and toss as much as possible--open space will help reduce that miserable overwhelmed feeling. I would also make clearing out the refrigerator a top priority and take about fifteen minutes to toss as much as possible and do a quick wipe down of the shelves (I did this six weeks ago, and it was a turning point around here). When you really think about it, there is probably a lot you can live without. For example, wasteful as it sounds, when I first started doing this, I threw out half a mayonnaise jar, because I had another jar that would take us a month to empty (we aren't big into mayo), so I didn't need the second one. Once you've done this initial cleaning of the fridge, you should try to do a five minute clean out the day before you grocery shop each week.
Now, that being said, all bets are off when you have a newborn, and you may need to sit tight for a few months until you are physically able to get to any of this. A one hour block to do a house blessing may not be in the cards for you right now. That's OK--this phase will pass and you will get back on your feet. The house blessing is broken down into seven ten-minute tasks. It's possible that these could be spread out here and there when you have a spare moment (like when the pasta is boiling or when the older kids are occupied with school work). Flylady's main advice is that you should not try to be a perfectionist in this. The "blessing" is a quick once over, not a deep clean. There will be time to deep clean in fifteen minute intervals when you become more accustomed to the system and begin to follow Flylady's zones. As far as the house blessing, even though your house is large, you can still do it, because you are only covering the main living areas. If you have a minute, go to the website and print out the directions for the Weekly Home Blessing and put them on the refrigerator. I'll bet you can get to a lot of it tomorrow.
One thing my kids enjoy is when we both do a task at the same time. For example, we'll set one timer for fifteen minutes, and I'll clean out a drawer while one of them practices piano or completes a bit of copywork. It's amazing how much can be accomplished in 15 minutes, and I am able to look at my day and see an end in sight to the problem of clutter.
And as for ditching it all and going out for coffee, you most certainly should have that coffee. In fact, if you've been cleaning, you should always set the timer for fifteen minutes, put your feet up and have a coffee break. It is a great thing for morale, and you need it more than ever with a new little bundle. In fact, I wouldn't mind having that coffee with you!
__________________
Love, Alice
mother of seven!
Cottage Blessings
Brew yourself a cup of tea, and come for a visit!
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alicegunther
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| Posted: Oct 16 2005 at 3:04pm | IP Logged
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Lissa wrote:
| With no air conditioning, I might add! And your kitchen was only about twice the size of your double stroller, as I recall... But oh what a cozy, happy nest you made it. Remember our tiny girls playing Kitty in the Corner in your itty bitty living room? |
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I miss those days!!! What babies they were. Come to think of it, what babies WE were!
__________________
Love, Alice
mother of seven!
Cottage Blessings
Brew yourself a cup of tea, and come for a visit!
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Sarah
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Joined: Aug 17 2005
Location: N/A
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1624
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| Posted: Oct 16 2005 at 3:16pm | IP Logged
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Alice-
Thanks for the supportive words. Really. Sometimes I get overwhelmed in this motherhood adventure. Its nice to know thoer ladies have been there. I'm going to do it-try flylady! We should all keep each other posted on the progress. Sometimes, if you know someone else is out there doing it, it gives you a little mental boost to do it yourself. Also, I think you're right about what you said earlier with some of those projects that seemed huge, but ended up a breeze-like your entry closet. That's probably my fridge. Tomorrow-tackle the fridge.
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Six boys ages 16, 14, 11, 7, 5, 2 and one girl age 9
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Lissa
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Joined: Jan 28 2005
Location: California
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 748
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| Posted: Oct 16 2005 at 3:21pm | IP Logged
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Sarah wrote:
Alice-
I have a newborn and my house is always a pit. In little spurts I can get it picked up, but cleaning is the problem. Floors need mopping, toilets need serious scrubbing-we have lots of boys, and the frig is dangerous (rule-don't eat it unless you ask mommy first)! I was just sitting here, jostling my baby, and looked around and felt like crying knowing tomorrow is Monday and I'll wake up in the morning feeling so behind. Do you think flylady helps that feeling? The house blessing thing-how do you find time? I feel like if I take an hour to do nothing but clean, I'll get behind in schoolwork or cooking, or laundry. I can't seem to get beyond the basics of mere survival. Plus I have a lot more than an hour of cleaning. My house is 2800 square feet. Any advice? (ditch it all and go out for coffee?) |
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Sarah, Flylady's entire philosophy is that you can accomplish wonders in just "little spurts" of time--bit by bit, baby step by baby step. I love how she says over and over, "You are not behind. Jump in right where you are." Most of her housekeeping advice is to be done in 15 minute bits of time, just a little a day. When I first started--and it hits me again every time I start back up after slipping--I was amazed at how much I could accomplish in a mere 15 minutes. Example: I have a basket I throw all my downstairs paper clutter into until it is spilling out the top. Then I take it upstairs and dump the whole thing into a box in my Room of Shame. I've done this over and over during the past few years. Every now and then I'll need some paper or other which I suspect is in one of the piles upstairs, and I'll have to paw frantically through the stacks looking for the one elusive document that stands between me and utter disaster. When Flylady announced her October "new habit of the month" two weeks ago--Conquer Your Paper Clutter--I took a deep breath, set a timer for 15 minutes, and marched to my once-again overflowing downstairs paper basket. This time, instead of dumping the mess out of sight upstairs, I sorted and filed everything in it. It took 11 minutes. Huge DOH moment. I had probably spent twice that amount of time just THINKING "I really need to deal with those papers" during the week before I got around to actually DOING it.
And that's the hugest thing Flylady has done for me. She freed up my mind from stress over these mundane tasks. Instead of thinking over and over "I really need to mop the kitchen floor," I don't think about it all week because I know that's (for me) a Thursday job. She rescued me from the worry, you see? By custom-tailoring Flylady's Basic Weekly Plan to fit my family and my home (as she recommends), I was able to boil basic household chores into a very short, manageable list for each day. No one day is too overwhelming because each day has only a few tasks belonging to it. If I am able to add 15 minutes of Zone work (for whatever zone we're in that week), so much the better.
As for the Weekly Home Blessing, I divided that into two parts for my house. We do an Upstairs House Blessing on Mondays and Downstairs on Thursdays. This is not deep cleaning--that is reserved for the 15 minutes of daily Zone work, and only after you've decluttered the zone first (also done 15 minutes at a time--Flylady is emphatic about not working yourself into a lather over the decluttering, just chip away at it bit by bit). The House Blessing is a quick household pick me up--dust, tidy, vacuum (for my upstairs) or run a mop over the middles (for my downstairs, which is hardwood), and clean (but not deep clean) the bathrooms. Since I have assigned each of my girls a bathroom sink to wipe down ("shine") daily, the bathrooms don't take too much time during the House Blessing. I do the mirrors, tub, toilets, and a quick mop of the floor. But since one week a month the Zone Cleaning is dedicated to the Bathrooms, you don't have to bother with the detail work during the House Blessings. I have come to enjoy our House Blessings because in so little time our house can be restored to sparkling order! I assign one of my girls to entertain the baby, and the other two help me clean. We use the timer and loud music, and it's fast & fun!
Now listen, with a newborn, don't put too much pressure on yourself! Take it slow and easy, just 15 minutes at a time. Ignore the Zone work at first if it seems too overwhelming. For me, the Basic Weekly Plan made the biggest difference in my mental state. I love knowing that all I "have" to do on Friday, for example, is clean out my car and my purse and police one hot spot, and if I feel like spending 15 minutes on the current zone, fine but no pressure.
When it comes to decluttering (like, say, a refrigerator), Flylady urges you to do it one shelf or one drawer at a time. Set a timer for 15 minutes, quit the second it beeps, and walk away from whatever's left WITHOUT GUILT because you'll know you've accomplished something in that little spurt of time. It's like that quote I love from Father Melancholy's Daughter--"All that's required of us is to work at our appointed task for the appointed time, steadily and for the glory of God." When the appointed time is only 15 minutes long, I can handle it!
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Lissa
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4Real Forums : Our Lady's Loom, Larder, and Laundry
Topic: Flylady
