Did you know that on the fly lady website there is a weekly pamper mission? You can check it out here:
Now we are perfectionists at heart. It is so important to remember that if we miss a day, it is not all over! Jump back in there and work on your routine. Remember it will take time, but you are making progress! It is better to do a little at a time than get overwhelmed by all that needs done and not do anything! (been there...) 
While we are on Day 25, we have not been doing every step for 25 days yet, so remember you still need to be consistent, your routines take a while to become a habit. So keep checking your routine in your control journal, look at those sticky notes and hang in there! You are doing a great job!
This is the day you have been waiting for! The day that you no longer have to think twice about letting a guest use your bathroom, or wondering how long it has been since you cleaned the toilet after your son drops your hair brush in. Today we add the "swish and swipe" to our routine!
If you are anything like me and your computer is your main source of storage of your family's information then you will love this program. Active Desktop Calendar allows you to have your "To Do's, Calendar, and Notes" right on the desktop of your PC.
I use it as my control Journal as well. It's much easier for me to see and I don't have to worry about my little munchkins running off with my calendar since it's on my computer. They can't scribble in it or tear the pages. And I don't have to lug a big calendar in my purse or one that is so little there's not room on it for everything.
This program has an alarm system in it that you can set to remind you about a particular task or appointment. It also can synch up to Outlook so you can share your calendar with your other half.
Not everyone has one or wants a Palm Pilot but I can synch up my schedule to this as well so when I'm on the go i have my calendar right in my purse. I'm not sure if you can synch up with your cell phone though. I could ask my husband about that.
I bought the full version but you can use the free version as well. The free version doesn't have all the bells and whistles but it has enough for a control journal and calendar. And it does work on Windows Vista!! For more information on this software visit the company's site and take a look for yourself.
Hope it helps!!
Tiffanie
So today, Fly Lady is basically telling me I have to actually put my Control Journal together.... I know I should have done it a LONG time ago, but.... excuses, excuses.
Keep looking at your journal, keep doing your daily routine, and if you have procrastinated...like me get that control journal put together today!
This is the day I have been waiting for!!! I need this so bad!So, how's that control journal coming???? Got it done??? Do you at least have the pages printed out? Mine's done. Of course I have had mine done for about two years. Do I use it?? WEEEELLLLL, not like I should. You should know you've been in my house.
I know you are busy beyond belief but try printing out the front page tonight. That's all. Nothing else. And of course don't forget your bedtime routine and shining your sink.
My routine? Well, my sink is shiny, my bed it made, my FlyLady emails deleted. I'm still having a hard time remembering to lay out my clothes for the next day. I finally have my room back and it's such a pleasure to see no clutter and it so clean that I hate laying out my clothes. I just seems to make the room look undone somehow.
Are you keeping a Calendar??? I have several. One is my email program where I write everything down. But I also have one in my purse for when I'm out and someone gives me a date or I make an appointment I write it down. But I have a problem of not remembering to enter it into my calendar on my computer.
Things here are not busy per se but I have a houseful of kids! So things don't always get done like they should. I'm forever tying knots in water balloons, emptying kiddie pools and refilling them, getting splinters out of feet, applying Band-Aids, and taking the houseful of kids to the pool.
I tend to get a little frustrated when I can't get my routine done when I want it done. Going with the flow has been a learning experience for me this week. But that being said, my husband has mentioned to me that I seem more in control of the house now. Funny, I don't feel that way but I'll take the compliment. I'm happy he had noticed a difference.
Hope you are plugging along on your baby steps. You can do it. I know you can!!!
Tiffanie
I know Fly Lady calls them Commandments but I prefer to call them rules or guidelines. I would prefer to think of the only Commandments that I live by are the Ten Commandments.What's your favorite one? What one do you need to work on the most?
*Don't get sidetracked by the computer..... I need a sticky note for that!
* One job at a time..... that is a good one! I need to work on that!
Now this is one that I need! GO TO BED! I know that by going to bed at a decent hour consistently it will make the whole routine so much easier! So I guess tonight is the night. Pick a time and go to bed. No more staying up until the wee hours of the night working.
Easy enough... Today before you erase those emails like you do everyday....ughumm...Read one of them from FlyLady. She often has testimonials from other peoples or an essay, just pick one and read! Easy Peasy.
Today we are going to add one simple thing to our morning routine. If you don't already, today is the day to start making your bed! So when you roll out of bed, just pull that bedding up right behind you! You will be amazed how it good it feels to walk into your room and see your bed made. Not to mention walking into your kitchen and seeing that shiny sink!Today was the last day of school and already there are toys, laundry, and "stuff" everywhere! I'm so over whelmed with the big picture. It's so hard to stay focused on my baby steps. It's the perfectionist in me that says "Oh my Lord! I will never get this stuff cleaned up!"
But the FlyLady is right, It didn't get this way overnight! How can I F.L.Y. when all I hear in my head is negative thoughts? "Your a slob", You will never be like so and so who has it together", "I'm too tired", "No one ever helps me."
No one is perfect so why should we stress ourselves out trying to be that perfect someone who is organized, has it all together, and can keep the house clean with three kids in tow. It won't happen. We strive to be this person we are not. Why??? Because other people will see what great person I am? Your friends care about you no matter what. You don't have to have a perfectly spotless house ALL of the time. It's ok.
Finally Loving Yourself! Is a hard thing to comprehend sometimes. That little voice is beating us down with negative thoughts all the time. You have admitted you are a S.H.E and that's great! Now let's get rid of those negative thoughts that bring us down and makes us want to quit.
I have sticky notes all over my office and bathrooms that encourage me throughout the day. It really does help with the negative thoughts. One of my sticky notes says, "My worth is not based on a clean house". That is one of my favorites. My husband and children love me no matter what. They don't expect me to change overnight. It's a gradual thing.
So try placing sticky notes everywhere. And when you are feeling overwhelmed by all the new tasks that lay ahead with the FlyLady system, read them. Close your eyes and think of all those times your kids or husband have said something to you to make you feel wonderful! Then start your task with positive thinking!
Tiffanie
Let's not get overwhelmed today.
If you are receiving the Fly Lady emails you have probably seen emails from her friend Kelly. She also has little missions that break our homes into "zones" that we will focus on. Up until now we have been ignoring pretty much everything but the Baby Steps, but today we are going to pick one of Kelly's missions and go for it!
Like I said yesterday, I have this habit of leaving the dishes in the sink after dinner. I'm too tired after that to shine my sink. I got off my butt and shined that sucker!!! It didn't take long at all. I didn't bother with putting the dishes in the dishwasher. I just took them out and cleaned my sink. That's it! So easy! 
So pretty and shiny!!!! Yay me!!!! Don't worry about putting doing the dishes yet. Just get your sink shiny. You can do anything in 15 minutes! (it didn't really take that long just in case you were wondering)
Tiffanie
That's me! I can shine my sink . . sometimes. I can get dressed to my shoes everyday. That's not hard since I have to get up and dressed to take my kids to school. But laying my clothes out and shining my sink are hard to remember. Unless of course I have just done the laundry and My clothes are folded up on the dining room table.
So I have done my baby steps. And even wrote post it notes on my desk to remind me of what I need to get done. It's only three things. I can do that! Sort of. Why am I having such a hard time shining my sink??? I can do the others with no problem. But the shiny sink is an issue for me! I'm tired by the time dinner is over and the boys are in bed. I don't want to have to do the dishes and clean up the mess. So my bad habit is to leave everything there. I do clean up the food and put it in the fridge . But the dirty dishes . . I ignore those. They stay in the sink till morning.
And then when I get up and the kids are off to school I spend my morning cleaning up the mess from the night before while my youngest eats his breakfast. I should be sitting at the table and eating with him. Not cleaning up the dishes. I don't like being left at the table eating alone. So why should I do that to my son??? It's a bad habit that I need to work on!!! Are you having trouble with the baby steps??? Please tell me I'm not the only one!
Tiffanie
Fly Lady is about establishing a routine and so far so good! Easy Peasy, right?
I did my homework last night!!!! Yay for me. Wanna see how I accomplished this task??? I'm such a lazy bum sometimes! LOL.
I happened to leave my folded laundry on the dining room table last night. BAM!!! I layed out my clothes for the next day! It worked. Trust me, I'm not the only one who did there homework this way!!
Oh by the way. I got my sink stopper. So tonight my sink will be sanitized!!!
Tiffanie
Ok have any of you ever watched the HGTV show Mission Organization??? Or how about the show on TLC, Clean Sweep. I'm always dumbfounded as to how in the heck there houses or rooms got so messy.
I think I know now. . .
Yes my friends. I am ashamed to admit it but this is my bedroom! I have an excuse though. Really I do. Our bathroom and closet were gutted to make a bigger bathroom. We also built a bigger closet. Those rooms are not finished yet and so my bedroom looks like a bomb went off or a teenager lives in there!
My closet is now in my office and so is all the laundry. I find it very very difficult to put my laundry away that belongs in the dressers. In fact I try not to go in there at all so that I won't trip over anything.
Even Kelly has not seen this scary room! And because it's such a mess i find it easier not to even try putting things back where they are supposed to go. I just throw everything on the dresser. As you can see from the second picture.
I declare this bedroom as a "State of Emergency!" Clean Sweep I need your help!!!!
And that my friends is why it will be a tad difficult (not impossible) to do my homework tonight!
Tiffanie
Ok, Mrs. Kelly Have you shined your sink today???? I know you have a lot going on. But your hubby is probably sleeping at the moment and it is more than likely bedtime for little ones. So put down the laptop, get off the couch and shine up that sink!!!
You can even just start with little baby steps and get the dishes out. It's a start anyway! Me? Mine is empty and rinsed out. Not shiny. . . . yet. My Dad just left and so did my brother and sister in law. I had to get the boys ready for bed. And I needed some sanity so I sat down at the computer to post this reminder for you.
I need the quiet right now. Shining my sink is not something I'm in the mood for. I know I should but at least it's empty and rinsed out. My boys decided that is was fun to scream at the top of their lungs while the adults were talking. Talk about stress!!! Holy Cow!!!! My ears are ringing.
After publishing this post I will probably feel really guilty and I may just get off my rear end and shine my sink. I'm sitting here thinking of all the reason why I shouldn't. That list is kind of short. It's sad really. Want to know my reason????? Huh?? Do ya?? I don't feel like it!
Ok ok you twisted my arm. . I'm leaving now to go shine my sink!!!
Tiffanie
That's my philosophy. If only that were true. . my laundry would wash itself, the dust bunnies would hop on out the door all by themselves, the toys would become animated like the movie Toy Story and put themselves away.
I, like Kelly want my house to be perfect. No dust, no laundry, no stains, no clutter, everything has a place etc. And because i have that thinking, I don't want to clean up unless I have time to do it right. And so it doesn't get done and piles start to emerge. The more I see the mess the more I don't want to deal with it. Ignoring it seems to be my M.O. .
Let's just factor in an 11 year old girl, 3 year old boy and a one year old boy. Toys don't stay in there designated areas. . . . EVER! Unless you glue them to the shelves (don't try this at home. Probably won't go over very well with your children). Your husband does not put his stuff neatly away in the appointed areas. Usually it's the trail of stuff to the fridge that clues you in to the fact that he is home. You know the trail i'm talking about. First it's the shoes by the front door, ipod on the console table behind the sofa where of course your little ones can reach, the briefcase in the hallway, the keys on the counter.
Then before you know it the house is a disaster. Usually with in the first five minutes of everyone coming home. I get so frustrated at the instant mess that I clean up day after day sometimes 4 and 5 times a day. I keep thinking why bother. It's going to get messed up anyway. I get depressed and even goes so far and not having people over because I'm embarrassed.
But this thinking will change. It's not going to go way over night. I know that. That's why I have Kelly here to cheer me on. And I'm here to cheer her on too. I know that we are not the only woman out there that has a hard time keeping the house clean or is dealing with C.H.A.O.S. (can't have anyone over syndrome). The first step in Flying is to admit you are a S.H.E (Sidetracked Home Executive).
Hi, I'm Tiffanie and my house is a mess!!!
Tiffanie
