Day 27 - Dinner anyone?

Day 27

Have you ever looked at the clock and realized that dinner time is coming FAST and you didn't lay anything out, your hubby will be home soon, and what in the world am I going to feed the children!? Let's make that a thing of the past.

You decide if this is part of your morning routine or your evening routine, decide what is for dinner tonight or tomorrow, take the meat out of the freezer and put it in the fridge. It will be so nice to know what is for dinner before it is time to make dinner so you don't waste that time...or spend the money on take out because of poor planning!

If you are already making a meal plan for the week you are way ahead of me these days! If this is you then make sure you lay out the meat for dinner, and that you have all the ingredients that you need.

Follow your routines and keep up the good work!

Day 26 - Don't let perfectionism take over

Day 26

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...)

Keep up the good work!

Day 25 - Keep up the Routines!

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!

http://flylady.net/pages/WhyFly_PersonalTest.asp

Day 24 - Swish and Swipe

Day 24

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!

Do you realize that you can have your bathrooms company ready in 2 minutes or less if you add it to your routine! Every day, run the toilet brush around the bowl real quick, with or without cleaner (you can even just throw in some shampoo...you know that bottle that you really don't like and has been sitting in your shower for a while), wipe down the counters, and put away everything you got out while getting ready. If you have more than one bathroom, split up your morning routine so that you get ready in both bathrooms.

Every morning I take a shower and get dressed in one bathroom and then I give my son a bath in the other. I usually do my hair and make up while he is in the bathtub splashing around. Now I will just take a couple extra moments, and swish out the toilet and swipe the counters. Super quick. So right after I get dressed, swish and swipe master bath, right before I get my son out of the tub, swish and swipe the guest bath....then my bathroom will be ready for company! How awesome is that!

Where is YOUR laundry?

I have to laugh, because I KNOW I am not the only one that well....knows where there laundry is. My CLEAN laundry is sitting on the chair in the living room....and I am pretty sure someone elses is too... not to name names...

At least some of it is clean though...right?

How are YOUR hotspots coming along? Well I finally finished cleaning off the bar in my kitchen yesterday and have started on yet another hot spot in my bedroom. One of these days I will get to that BIG pile of papers/mail, etc that seems to get bigger and bigger every day, but a litle at a time!

Day 23 (or so) - Routine, Routine, Routine

Day 23

Routines, that is what this is all about. Setting your morning routine, your evening routine, and today your afternoon routine. Your afternoon routine really needs to fit YOUR life, YOUR family. Whether you are coming home from work, school, or maybe this is what you are doing while the kids are napping. Today set down a routine for the afternoon, maybe work on that Hot Spot every afternoon, work on dinner, making lunches for tomorrow, or even better yet....some "me" time.

Continue to follow your morning and evening routine in your control journal and keep up the good work!

Desktop Calendars

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

Day 22 - Control Journal

Day 22

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!

Day 21 - Ask Flylady

Day 21

Keep checking that control journal! Keep up with your routine! How's the laundry going?

Take a minute and read something from today's edition of Ask Flylady...

http://flylady.net/pages/askflylady1.asp

Day 20 - LAUNDRY!!!

Day 20

This is the day I have been waiting for!!! I need this so bad!

Include your laundry in your routine. Don't procrastinate. It's easy, sort your laundry when immediately rather than letting it stack up (I am SOOO GUILTY of that!). Do at least one load a day. Fold it and put it away in the same day...... sounds easy enough.....right????

You can do it!

Keep up the good work!!

Control Journals & Calendars

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

Day 19 - Read a Testimonial

Day 19

http://flylady.net/pages/TimeFLYs.asp#thing1

Check your control Journal

Follow Your Routine

Take a minute and read some of Fly Lady Testimonials....either one from the links above or one in your email that you got today

Day 18 - Fly Lady's Rules

Day 18

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.

Take a look at them and either print them out or right them down and stick them in your control journal.



http://flylady.net/pages/FLYingLessons_11commandments.asp

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!

Day 17 - Go to Bed

Day 17

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.

Keep up the good work!

Let's be honest....

Okay I am guilty, I totally missed posting our new daily baby step. But to be honest....know one seemed to be knocking down my door reminding me....sooo..... where are you all in the baby steps?

I must say that I don't follow them all to the T. For me the Flylady is about getting into a good routine. Her routine may not be perfect for me just as it is, but it is helping me get back in gear. I have been going to bed with my sink cleaned out, which does feel SO good. I have been getting up and getting dressed, but I will be honest, I don't always wear shoes, I understand the theory, but I LOVE to be barefoot and my house is so hot in the summer. I have been getting a little better about deleting my emails, but I do still have over 5000 that need to be deleted. I have been working on it a little at a time. My bed has been made, which makes me smile everytime I walk in the room. I have also been working on my Hot Spots, even though sometimes I feel like they are taking over! But I must admit, I don't have a control journal. What I do have is a Google Desktop as my home page on my computer. It has my email, my google reader for my blogs, the weather forecast, and it has a sticky note widget. On the sticky note I have my routine typed out. So I know this is NOT what the Fly Lady had in mind and it is on my to do list to make a real one, but for me, I look at my computer a hundred times a day so everytime I check that addicting google reader, I look at my routine and see what needs done, so for now, that works for me.

The good news is that knowing that I have to report to you/this blog helps me keep up with my routine. Also late night phone calls (when we should be in bed... ahem... you know who you are...) from friends who also follow this blog are great peer pressure to shine that sink and get to bed! :-)

The other great thing that has been happening is that I have been working with my son on cleaning up after himself more and teaching him organization. He is learning where things go and is getting a better routine of his own.

I do apologize for being behind, but let me tell you what I have been doing with my timer the last couple days....potty training. Yep, that's where I have been. That good ole Fly Lady trick with the timer has been working like a charm for my son. I have been setting it for 20 minutes and he has been stopping everything every 20 minutes and running to the potty. It has been working great! He has only had a couple of small accidents and we are just hoping that by the end of the summer we will know longer need pull ups at all!

Do they make a timer in the shape of a potty? Someone should!

Day 16 - Read an Email

Day 16

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.

.....and don't forget your Control Journal....don't just read it....do it!

Day 15 - Make Your Bed

Day 15

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!

So keep up with your morning and evening routines. Keep reading your control journal. Add Make your bed to your morning routine.

Keep up the GOOD WORK!!

No more Stink'n Think'n

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

Day 14 - Essay Time

Day 14

Let's not get overwhelmed today.

* Read your control journal

* Follow your morning routine

* Follow your evening routine

Take a few minutes and read an essay by the Fly Lady's friend, Kelly. Try this one:

http://flylady.net/pages/FLYingLessons_UsingCalendar.asp

Keep up the Good Work!!

Day 13 - Today's Mission...

Day 13

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!

http://flylady.net/pages/FlightPlan_Missions.asp/

This could be as simple as setting your timer for 15 minutes and attacking your pantry, or your fridge, or cleaning the fronts of your cabinets.

Set your timer and GO!

(don't forget to look at your control journal)

Day 12 - Delete those emails

Day 12

Keep up the good work! Baby Steps are getting us there!

Keep looking at your Morning and Evening Routines in your Control Journal

Keep Reading your Sticky note reminders

If you get the FlyLady emails, take a few minutes and delete all of them. YES, ALL of them. They go in a cycle and you will see them all again. If you need to reference something you can check here or on her website. You do not need to keep them, they are simply daily reminders.

If you don't get the Fly Lady emails or if you do and you have been deleting them daily then, set your timer for 5 minutes and delete emails that you no longer need.

Keep up the good work! Can you believe it is Day 12 already!?!

Day 11 - A little Inspiration

Day 11

Sorry for the late post, it's been one of those days! Since it is so crazy, this is straight from Fly Lady http://flylady.net/pages/bbd11.asp (These are her words not mine)

Morning Routine
- Get up and get dressed to lace up shoes; fixing your hair and face

- Looking at your posted reminders in the kitchen and bathroom- Reading 2 minutes of reminders

- Recognizing the negative voices and changing them; YOU ARE FLYing NOW!

- Put out your Hot Spots for 2 minutes- 5 Minute Room Rescue (pick any room in the house) set your timer and go!

-15 Minutes Decluttering each day. You can’t Organize Clutter!

Before Bed Routine
- Keep your sink shining

- Lay out your clothes for tomorrow

- Put out your Hot Spot (I have to do this twice a day) It makes me smile in the morning!

Today we are going to add another page to our Control Journals. We are going to call this our Inspirational Page. On this page I want you to spend 15 minutes writing down some of your favorite inspirational phrases. Some of mine are; You can do anything for 15 minutes, Housework done incorrectly still blesses your family and You can’t organize clutter; you can only get rid of it. I know you have others that you love. Use this page as a place to write them down when you see something that touches your heart.

Day 10 - 15 Minutes

Day 10

Today we are going to put that timer to use 15 minutes at a time. Sometimes it is hard to find the time to do something, mainly because we think we have to finish what we started and we think it has to be perfect....not so. Set your timer to 15 minutes. Gather all the trash up from the house and take it outside. See how easy it was to do that in under 15 minutes! Next, set the timer for another 15 minutes. Sit down, take some time to yourself. Read a magazine or your book for just 15 minutes. Stop when the timer goes off. The thing to understand about the timer is that it is not a race. You don't have to finish before it goes off, you just have to work while it is on and then give yourself permission to stop. Don't set it again right away for the same job. This is how you get burnt out.

Don't forget to look at your control journal and remember it is a work in progress. Take a look at our schedule and see what you need to add.

Morning Routine:

* Get Dressed to the Shoes

* Read email reminders for 2 minutes

* Look at your sticky note reminders

* Recognize the negative thoughts and turn them into positive ones

* Put out a Hot Spot for 2 minutes

* 5 minute Room Rescue (pick any room, set the timer, and GO)

Before Bed Routine:

* Shine your sink

* Lay out tomorrow's clothes

* Put out a Hot Spot for 2 minutes

Keep up the Good Work!!!

Day 9 - 5 Minute Room Rescue

Day 9

It is time to add a 5 minute Room Rescue to our morning routine!

Declutter just a little bit at a time. It can be addicting but don't get burnt out! I always get started and think that if I do just a little more.... but then I don't want to do anything for days! So let's take it slow!

Set your timer for just 5 minutes and declutter! If you don't have a timer, then put that on your list! You need a timer! Use the one on your stove or microwave until you get a portable one. In another month you won't know what you ever did without your timer!

See what the flylady says about decluttering here:
http://flylady.net/pages/FLYingLessons_Declutter.asp

And don't forget to keep checking your control journal and following your routine!

Day 8 - Let's get that Journal Started!

Day 8

If you have read much about FLY lady you have probably read about the Control Journal. Well today is the day! As with everything else we are taking this with baby steps. Today find an old 3 ring binder laying around. If you don't have one put it on your shopping list and get out a piece of paper to go in it, I know you have some paper lying around! (no excuses!)

At the top of the first page, write "Morning Routine"

Then write your new morning routine underneath:
* Get up and Get Dressed to the Shoes

* Look at your Sticky Note Reminders in the bathroom and the kitchen

* Read your email reminders for 2 minutes (then delete)

At the top of the second page, write "Before Bed Routine"

Then write your new before bedtime routine underneath:

* Shine your sink

* Layout your clothes for tomorrow

* Put out your hot spot for 2 minutes

Now I know you want it to be perfect, but just take a breath and do it!

(this is a pep talk for me!) :-)

Then after you write this all down, then get up and DO IT! We are making progress!

Keep up the good work!!

What a difference a week makes!

Can you believe we have been FLYing for one week already!

I have tried the system before, and thought it was so great, but just couldn't stick with it. Part of it was that I just couldn't stick to the baby steps. It just seemed like you weren't accomplishing much in the beginning. So this time around, I thought maybe if I had a buddy. Someone to push me and hold me accountable. Someone that could just pop in to see if my sink was shiny. I have gotten to know Tiffanie this year, since our kiddos go to school together. I knew she was an active blogger and thought a blog was the perfect way to do this. ....but would she think I was totally nuts? does she keep a spotless house and be offended by me asking her to do this? would she say flylady who? NO, she thought it was a great idea! She even had the book! (phew!)

So thank you Tiffanie for helping me out this week! Hopefully by the end of the summer our CHAOS will be under control!

Even my husband has noticed the small changes in the house and in me. At first he told me that he gave it a week and a half and yesterday he told me how proud he was of me. I have even seen him wiping the water drops out of the sink after he runs water in the sink. He is starting to see how I have kept up the Baby Steps this weeks and is starting to think that there might just be something to this Fly Lady thing!

I can't wait to see what Fly Lady has in store for us next week!

....and remember anyone can join in! You are welcome to just read about our journey, cheer us on, or start it yourself! We love company, unlike our homes, our blog has no CHAOS! (can't have anyone over syndrome)

Day 7 - Pick out your clothes

Day 7

Keep up the good work! I don't know about you but I am beginning to like my new routine and even my hubby is noticing a difference in me and my house! It takes 3-4 weeks to establish a habit and guess what....we are already one week in!

Do you know what FLY stands for? Finally Loving Yourself. That is what the FLY Lady is all about. Hang in there, don't get overwhelmed, follow the baby steps, and we will get there!

Remember:

* Get Dressed to the Shoes

* SHINE THAT SINK

* Read reminders for 2 minutes

* Look at your post it reminders

* Turn those negative thoughts into Happy Ones! (FLY)

* Clean just one of your Hot Spots for 2 minutes

* Lay out your clothes for tomorrow

I did 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

Day 6 - Hot Spots

Day 6

Today we learn about Hot Spots. Where is your Hot Spot? The guest bed? Kitchen Table? Coffee table? Dresser? A hot spot is a place that attracts clutter. Where you sit that one thing down and everything else just gets piled and if left alone it will take over the room and eventually the house. You can read about Hot Spots on the Fly Lady website here.

What we are going to learn is to work on these hot spots just a little at a time. Today we are just going to pick one of our hot spots. We are just going to set a timer for 2 minutes and work on this spot for 2 minutes. That's it. Now you can handle that, right?! Keep up the good work!

Your assignment:
* Get Dressed to the Shoes (part of this is laying your clothes out!)
* Keep Your Sink nice and shiny (you too Tiffanie!)
* Read reminders for just 2 minutes, then delete
* Look at your sticky note reminders
* Think Happy Thoughts - turn those negative thoughts into happy ones! *FLY*
* Spend 2 minutes on a Hot Spot

Keep up the good work!!

A Work In Progress

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

Day 5 - Think happy thoughts

Day 5

So far we are:

* Getting Dressed to the Shoes

* Reading our sticky note reminders

* Shining our sink before bed

* Laying out our clothes for tomorrow

* Reading our email reminders for only 2 minutes and then deleting

Today the Fly Lady wants us to take those negative nagging thoughts that are bouncing around in our heads and get them out. Write them down. Then turn them around into something positive. Say something nice to yourself, keep yourself motivated. You CAN do this!