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alicegunther
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| Posted: Oct 17 2005 at 2:58pm | IP Logged
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Bookswithtea wrote:
Alice, how often do you check your mail?  |
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Every few hours. You need to be on the computer every day so the mail doesn't flood your inbox. One way to keep it from taking over your day would be to set the timer for five minutes and walk away from the computer once your time is up. Five minutes can easily turn into 45 without a timer!
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Love, Alice
mother of seven!
      
Cottage Blessings
Brew yourself a cup of tea, and come for a visit!
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Karen E.
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| Posted: Oct 17 2005 at 3:52pm | IP Logged
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alicegunther wrote:
Becky Parker wrote:
| I can spend a whole day cleaning... the house can be absolutely spotless... and then, two days later it looks like I haven't cleaned all week . |
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Becky, this problem is typical for all of us. At my most frustrated, I have complained about the kids to my husband, calling them the Six Man Wrecking Crew! |
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A long time ago, I heard someone say that doing housework, when you have children, is like stringing beads without a knot.
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God bless,
Karen E.
mom to three on earth, and several souls in God's care
Visit my blog, with its shockingly clever title, "Karen Edmisten."
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alicegunther
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| Posted: Oct 17 2005 at 4:15pm | IP Logged
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Karen E. wrote:
| A long time ago, I heard someone say that doing housework, when you have children, is like stringing beads without a knot. |
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Now that is something to stitch on a sampler and hang over the mantel! Hilarious!
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Love, Alice
mother of seven!
Cottage Blessings
Brew yourself a cup of tea, and come for a visit!
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MEBarrett
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| Posted: Oct 17 2005 at 5:21pm | IP Logged
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"Housework is a treadmill from futility to oblivion with stop offs at tedium and counter productivity."
~Erma Bombeck~
I always that was funny.
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Blessings,
Mary Ellen
Mom to seven beautiful kids
Tales from the Bonny Blue House
O Night Divine
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Elizabeth
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| Posted: Oct 17 2005 at 6:22pm | IP Logged
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Someone please tell me that those 31 steps are all on one page somewhere so that I can print them out and try to do them all tomorrow .
Seriously, I  the Flylady. Like Willa, I do credit her with seeing me through Post Traumatic Stress. I do combine her with Large Family Logistics because I like to get emails from someone who knows what a big family is like. Mixed in with my hotspot reminder and my zone reminder is the reminder to "Do the Next Thing: Phonics with your non-reader" or "Do the Next Thing: Gather the troops and go garden." Still, the Flylady is more comprehensive--I just have to choke back my urge to retort "You only have one child and he doesn't even live at home!"
Somebody please ask me tomorrow if I called the dentist...I too, am a pediatric dental procrastinator. And since we're truth-telling, I'm also a well-visit no show...There's that Post Traumatic Stress again--just the smell of latex gloves makes me gag. 
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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alicegunther
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| Posted: Oct 17 2005 at 7:37pm | IP Logged
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Elizabeth wrote:
| Someone please tell me that those 31 steps are all on one page somewhere so that I can print them out and try to do them all tomorrow . |
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As a matter of fact, they are purposely set up so you can only look at one at a time!
Elizabeth wrote:
| Somebody please ask me tomorrow if I called the dentist...I too, am a pediatric dental procrastinator. And since we're truth-telling, I'm also a well-visit no show...There's that Post Traumatic Stress again--just the smell of latex gloves makes me gag. |
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Oh, those well visits. I think I've missed a few myself!
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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 17 2005 at 7:48pm | IP Logged
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I thought some of you might be interested in viewing a Flylady Video Clip.
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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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| Posted: Oct 17 2005 at 8:35pm | IP Logged
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I've been using Large Family Logistics too. For the same reasons Elizabeth mentioned and also because LFL has "themes" for days like Laundry, Deep Cleaning, Office and the way she organizes it works well for me -- I like blasting through things and making lots of progress and so for those things, baby steps don't work as well for me, anymore, now that my routines are a BIT more set.
I think the dental procrastinating is related to my or rather Aidan's medical history, as well.... or at least complicated by that factor, thanks Elizabeth for the insight -- I get knots in my stomach thinking about it, but I have resolved to make that call on my Office Day (Wednesday!).
My name is Willa, and I'm a pediatric appointment procrastinator.... ... nice to be able to admit it in such good company.
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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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teachingmom
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Virginia Bluebells
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| Posted: Oct 17 2005 at 10:58pm | IP Logged
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This is a great thread for me. Thanks for starting it, Alice. Flylady should really hire you as her PR person! I've heard of Flylady for years but never joined. I tend to get overwhelmed just reading about what everyone does based on the Flylady's methods. I think I'll at least check that and Large Family Logistics out.
But I am organizing the closet of my two older girls. They share a small room and are having a really hard time finding a place for everything. We splurged on a closet-organizer-shelves-thingy that is now halfway set up. It does feel good to actually start a project that will help at least one area of the house stay clean. My oldest is thrilled because she is a naturally neat person. She is so excited to have better spaces for their clothes and other things. Now the question is how to get her roommate (2nd dd and a natural "messie") to keep things in their place after the entire closet is organized.
By the way, although I fall short in almost every area of housekeeping and organizing, I must admit that I have never been a member of the Pediatric Dental Procrastinators Club. I just took two of the girls to the dentist last week, and the rest of us are scheduled for early Nov. My one trick is that I never leave the dentist's office without making the appointments for our next visits 6 months from now. It can be very inconvenient to take the time to do this. The other day the new receptionist spent about 10 minutes finding back to back appointments for my girls on the day and time I requested. When she handed me the appointment card, I realized that she had scheduled them on a date that was not a full six months from then. I had to explain to her that my insurance will not cover appointments made less than six months apart, and she had to begin again. But I know that if I leave that office without making the next appointments, I will not remember to call them about it later.
Now the other trick-which I clearly do not practice very well-is to write that appointment down on the calendar immediately upon returning home. I was completely surprised by a reminder call on the day before our appointments and had to reschedule horseback riding lessons due to the unexpected dental appointments. Did I mention that my organizational skills need a little work?
And you know, the sad thing is that I think most people would have considered me an organized person back before I became a mom!
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~Irene (Mom to 6 girls, ages 7-19)
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Elizabeth
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Irene,
I think you're absoltely right about doing it before you leave. The orthodontist kind of insists on it and I never miss him. I'm GOING to call the dentis today.
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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lilac hill
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| Posted: Oct 18 2005 at 7:37am | IP Logged
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Elizabeth wrote:
Someone please tell me that those 31 steps are all on one page somewhere so that I can print them out and try to do them all tomorrow .
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Unfortunately that was my initial thought, seriously. 
That all or nothing mentality keeps me in disorder.
Onto reality, maybe if I take it step by step I will get the habit of order.
Maybe I can quench the "hotspots" that clutter my mind as well as my sewing room and desk--and that desk is a real disaster!
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Viv
Wife to Rick (7/83), Mom to dd#1(6/87), dd#2(1/90), and dd#3(6/94) in central PA.
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Cheryl
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| Posted: Oct 18 2005 at 10:54am | IP Logged
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I guess I'm fortunate that my husband always makes the dental appointments for the whole family. I didn't like that he wants us all to go on the same day, but at least it gets done.
I'm now on day 3 of being a Flybaby. My ds 6 thinks it's great. He's doing Kelly's mission for the day (cleaning the shower) I tried to talk him into picking up instead because the cleaning people are coming Friday, but he's "on a mission." I printed out the No Whining sign and hung it on a kitchen cabinet. My ds 4 says it bothers him. My ds 6 has been shining the sink. I'm wearing sneakers around my carpeted house. My kids keep telling me to take them off, because that's our house rule. I'm breaking it for awhile to see if it makes a difference in my production. Yesterday I did my 1st 27 fling boogie around the house (with my son.) I did also spend 5 min. on the paper clutter.
Thanks Alice for the motivation. I'm having fun so far.
I also want to thank you for a response to a post I sent earlier in the school year about ditching my plans. You suggested sticking with the math and phonics for short lessons each day. I thought maybe I was leaning toward unschooling. I took about 2 weeks off, without requiring anything of my first grader. That's not right for me (right now anyway.) So we're back to religion, math, phonics, read-alouds and some relaxed FIAR. I've found that a good night's sleep and not as many plans is helping me to carry them out. (It also helps that I'm in my 19th week and my morning sickness is gone.) Anyway, I appreciated you giving me your honest opinion.
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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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Sarah
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I'm flybaby day #2. However, I feel a little ahead of the game because I was already doing some of the things. Went to bed with a clean sink. I hate wearing shoes, so I'm wearing great walking sandals that I can't take off easily. Last night I set my timer (I already wore a timex watch with a timer on it because I'm a timer/stopwatch person anyway)and in 10 minutes I cleaned our master bathroom while I got ready for bed It probably would have been even quicker but I had a 2 yr. old "helping" by putting lots of TP in the toilet and pulling out miles of dental floss. Which reminds me, my ds 9 has a cavity that the dentist wanted to fill this fall-maybe I should call for an appt. Do we have enoough members for a club?-PDP anonymous
I like the baby step thing. Although, I can see some people's point in wanting to do an overhaul all at once. With a small baby in arms-I'm liking the baby step thing. Most of all, I'm not on my usual crabby housework kick that everyone around here hates. I'm more positive and I'm determined to make it last (the positive attitude), because negativity is so counterproductive and sad for the kids. I like flylady!
Okay, if this is bathroom week, what if you have three? It makes it sound as though you have one bathroom to clean. Would you just spread it out for the three through the whole week? All of mine are gross. I don't think bathrooms and more specifically toilets were designed for males. I'm all for outhouses .
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Six boys ages 16, 14, 11, 7, 5, 2 and one girl age 9
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alicegunther
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| Posted: Oct 18 2005 at 1:00pm | IP Logged
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Flylady Holiday Control Journal
This little gem from Flylady.net is well worth printing out and using!
It's always great to hear from you Cheryl and congratulations on that little angel you're expecting!!!
Sarah, I have the same problem with more than one bathroom, so instead of doing "the bathroom and one extra room" as the zone is called, I'm just sticking to bathrooms.
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Love, Alice
mother of seven!
Cottage Blessings
Brew yourself a cup of tea, and come for a visit!
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JennGM
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| Posted: Oct 18 2005 at 2:45pm | IP Logged
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Thanks for getting this started, Alice. It's so neat to see the change of seasons reflected on the boards. Fall: cleaning and organizing -- the bug seems to hit us all. I'm trying to take on FlyLady, or some of it. I'm a bit rebellious, because I refuse to do the shoes. I don't care if she swears by it!
I bought the book a few months ago, and was reading through it yesterday. I find her 30 minute morning routine a little short in time. Does she shower and wash and dry her hair? And then cleans up the bathroom and then cleans the kitchen (unloads dw) all in 30 minutes? Impossible. Morning shower and dressing is MY personal time. I can't think of trying to beat the clock every morning to keep it under time. I want to be able to relax a little. I don't take hours...but ALL THAT in just 1/2 hour? Someone maybe can clue me in!
I don't have a large family, but I do like the ideas in LFL, also. Directed from her site, I've bought a few tools from the Don Aslett catalog...and followed his recommendations for cleaning. They are amazing! And fast...so it goes hand-in-hand with FlyLady in my mind. I found LFL because of her entry on Preschoolers and the Montessori approach in helping in the kitchen. It's been a lot of fun with my ds!
And bathrooms...I use those Clorox wipes frequently. If you keep wiping down the counters and toilets and areas on the floor, there isn't too much to do for the "deep cleaning."
But another question...what if you're not home all the time? don't your emails get backed up? Are the emails dependent on being home all day? I know the philosophy, just pick up where you are, but it makes me go crazy seeing what I DIDN'T do in the emails.
That's why I was leaning towards the book and not email reminders. And, I waste enough time on the computer...I don't need any more temptation to come back to it!
Enough rambling.....
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Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to  & ds1  '03 & ds2  '07
Family in Feast and Feria
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Marybeth
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Alice,
Thanks again for getting this thread started. I need so many reminders to keep me on track.
I used portions of the Holiday Control Journal last year. 
Isn't it amazing when you get dinner going and some areas of your house picked up how much more relaxed and gentle one can be to children??? Maybe it is just me.....
Marybeth
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Elizabeth
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Jenn,
She's not trying to get dressed with a toddler unrolling toilet paper and stringing dental floss around the dog .
If you're wiping frequently in the "high traffic" areas with Clorox wipes,you're good, imho. Frankly, anyone who does anything frequently with disinfectant is doing well .
I couldn't handle the email reminders either. They would just suck me back into sitting here for way too long. I also did much better with the book than the website. So...I incorporated all the reminders into a personal weekly plan (someday maybe I'll expand it to monthly and yearly) and then I just check the website for the rotating missions. The daily stuff and the once a week stuff is all in with the rest of my "schedule" (I use the term loosely).
Now...for my latest, greatest organizing gimmick: I have hung clear vinyl shoe pockets on almost every door in the house.
Bathrooms: toothbrushes, hairbrushes, bows, scrunchies, three kinds of gel (curly hair, straight hair, and extreme--all of my kids share a bathroom, not sure which kid considers himself "extreme"), deodorant, etc.
Schoolroom: pencils, pens, tape, stapler, post it notes, etc.
storage room: tools (hammers don't fit), gardening tools
and on the other door down there: craft supplies
oh, and in the mudroom: shoes .
Over the pantry door: these are a little different but there are spices (alphabetized for the first time in my life) and teas (not alphabetized)
My kids think I'm nuts; their rooms are next. 
__________________
Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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Sarah
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Cholox wipes are my best friends. . . until you think a preschooler is washing his face with a diaper wipe and you praise him for trying to clean himself. All of a sudden you smell a strong lemony smell. "Is that a cleaning wipe? Oh honey!" Or. . .your husband thinks all "wipes" mean skin and he can't process the difference unless there is no other stimuli around. So, one day in the grocery store he sees me wiping down the grocery cart handle with those disinfectant wipes at the market's front door--you know, the ones that have that sign, "not for use on skin." He told me he thought they were for cleaning up kids and he always wipes their hand and FACES! (He's a smart guy, by the way, has run many a code blue saving people's lives!-just not when it comes to "wipes").
Sure glad for this thread.
Does anyone really have a Laundry Day? I mean, you do all 20,000 loads in one day, fold them, and put them away. If I don't do at least three loads a day I'll have a serious situation on my hands. And I mean serious!!
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Six boys ages 16, 14, 11, 7, 5, 2 and one girl age 9
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Erica Sanchez
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jenngm67 wrote:
| I'm a bit rebellious, because I refuse to do the shoes. I don't care if she swears by it! |
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I signed up last night (thanks Alice!), but thought I might not be a good candidate because I just can't fathom wearing shoes (lace up, no less) all day in the house!!! I wonder if flip-flops count? Socks now that it's getting chilly? If I just get up and wash and dress before breakfast, that will be a small miracle!!
The only progress made in the last 12 hours or so is deleting many emails, but I can definitely see the benefits in all of this. I tend to be a very organized and clean freak, but after reading the 31 steps, emails, and a little on the website, there are still many ideas that would be helpful. Now to move beyond just deleting the many emails!
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Have a beautiful and fun day!
Erica in San Diego
(dh)Cash, Emily, Grace, Nicholas, Isabella, Annie, Luke, Max, Peter, 2 little souls ++, and sweet Rose who is legally ours!
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Elizabeth
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I'm running out of doors upon which to hang these things! I put the shinguards in with the cleats and now I need another one because hats and mittens fit perfectly--no more rummaging through the Rubbermaid box!
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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4Real Forums : Our Lady's Loom, Larder, and Laundry
Topic: Flylady
