wow...

i got a lot of responses on yesterday's post... not in the comment section, of course. why would you leave a comment when you can call me or

facebook me or e-mail me?? : )

most people were asking about the Flylady program- seems we're all in the same boat on getting overwhelmed with our homes, then going on a cleaning & organizing rampage, and then burning out & starting the cycle again. (if i was a really good blogger, i would have created a cute graphic to represent this cycle. i am not that blogger). we need a little help- a little routine to get us on a good cycle!

that (for me) begins with Flylady.net.

no, she doesn't pay me to blog about her.

no, she's not my neighbor, but if she was i would stalk her.

no, her website is not easy to navigate or initially attractive to those

of us starving for order in our lives.

(i'm not dissing flylady- like i said, i would stalk her in a heartbeat)!

YES- she has very simple, appealing solutions to getting our lives in order!

since so many of you have questions (i say that like millions of people follow this blog...)

let me start over- since all 12 of my friends have questions about the Flylady system, i will try to explain how i decided to use her website. i hope this helps- i love the bit of peace & order i have found through following her guidance, and i'd love for you to have it, too!

this is all directly linked to flylady.net- please don't sue me for copyright infringement or whatever the legal term would be! i would be so sad if flylady was mad at me... this is her information & i'm just putting it into practice!

1. SHINE YOUR SINK

this appeals to the perfectionist in me... hot water, soap, scrubbing, wiping, shining. it's all good stuff!

i began doing this when we put our old house on the market- keeping my kitchen sink & counters clean were a matter of survival during countless surprise house showings, as well as matt's chemotherapy rounds. i just kept doing it because it felt SO great to have my kitchen in order & the dishwasher open for dirty dishes!

YES, i run my dishwasher EVERY night.

i always fill it up completely- even if i have to get the pets' dishes & search our cars for sippy cups & coffee mugs.

think i'm crazy?

do it for 7 days- run your dishwasher every night, empty it 1st thing in the morning, and keep your sink & counters free of dirty dishes. it's incredible- so much peace from such a little thing!

this is all i did for months & months- from june 2009 until january 2010. i never returned to flylady.net until january because i wanted MORE!

2. MORNING & EVENING ROUTINE

this is the next step i took. i had started the habit of shining my sink & keeping my counters cleared & emptying the dishwasher, but i wanted something to help with the rest of my house.

so i read flylady's flying lessons.

here is what i learned:

i can do anything for 15 minutes. i set a timer & do what i can until it beeps, and then i stop. okay, sometimes i go a few extra minutes.

the point is not to work until i'm exhausted & never want to clean or organize or cook again!

i began doing this with my evening routines. here is what mine looks like:

Clean up the house before you go to bed. (20 minutes - tops)

Family room: Pick up and put away things:

· toys, mail, dishes, clothes, shoes.

Kitchen: Make coffee & locate breakfast items.

· Clean up, shine sink, lay out clean dishcloths, and run the dishwasher.

Dining room/Foyer: Clear the hot spots.

Mudroom/Desk: cleared of excess paperwork & ‘stuff.’

Think about tomorrow before you go to bed.

• Check your calendar and/or planner for appointments.
• Start "To Do" list for tomorrow.
• What can I do tonight that will make tomorrow morning easier? (Make lunches? Layout kids clothes?)
• Get purse/diaper bag/backpacks prepped for tomorrow
• Make sure children have their things gathered up and put away.
• Start Breakfast: Set table and prep what you are cooking
• Lay out your clothes for tomorrow

Now, if you are unable to do the entire three part Before Bedtime Routine, that is fine. Start small - just these three items:

Clean kitchen sink.

Lay out clothes/put clothes away.

Brush teeth.

this made the morning routine SO easy! the house was done, so all i had to do was jump into my day- Bible study, run, shower, breakfast, time with family, off to school, etc.

no stack of dishes from dinner that wouldn't fit into the dishwasher...

no mountain of laundry to wash, dry & fold...

no searching for coats, hats, backpacks, keys...

no piles of junkmail on the counter...

you get my point.

by attacking it 15 minutes each evening, the battle in the morning was already won.

so here's my morning routine- yes, i'm training for the half-marathon. normal people don't run at 5:30 when it's 3 degrees out.

5:00- Rise and Shine

· Get dressed for Running

· Feed dog & cat

· Coffee & BSF: 30 minutes

· 5:45- Run

· 7:15- Shower and clean the bathroom while there.

· Make your bed (unless matt is still there).

· Wipe sinks & swish the toilet

· Fix hair and face, get dressed to shoes.

· Leave 2^nd floor with a load of laundry in hand and go straight to the washer.

Kitchen

· Empty the dishwasher.

· Start breakfast.

· Feed the family.

Think About Your Day

· Check your calendar.

· Check weekly plan

· Check menu for lunch & dinner.

· Reboot the laundry (put in dryer).

· Hit the hotspots.

If you did your Before Bed Routine there will not be any.

what are hotspots? places where you leave your crap, pardon my language.

our family hotspots:

Foyer

Dining Room Table

Kitchen Sink & Counter

Breakfast Bar

Family Room/Coffee Table

My Desk

Mudroom

those are the 3 big things i began with from Flylady:

Shine Your Sink

Evening Routine

Morning Routine

yes, i've started doing other things- once i had those things in place, i wanted to do more. i wanted to create what she calls a "Control Journal."

i can't call mine a control journal- i desperately need God to be in control of my life, not ME! i grasp for the reins every chance i get, so i needed my home to be under His control as well.

i created a Home Journal instead.

i have written about it before, but it contains the following:

monthly menu

evening routine

morning routine

daily routine

zone cleaning list

i honestly don't refer to it that often, but you could- you could make it a checklist for your day if you're into that! it's just a reference point for me, and it makes me feel peaceful to know that i have a time & a place set aside for everything.

i also do the 'missions' that come in the e-mails, but i didn't start doing those until a few weeks ago.

have i confused you more than before?

begin here: babysteps

then go here: begin the babysteps

and do one each day until you feel like you want more.

you may not like it- maybe i'm codependent & need flylady to survive! but don't give up before you try... check out her personal testimonial and see if you think her system can help your home.

yes- it's purple.

yes- it's cheesy.

yes- there are acronyms for everything.

yes- she'll call you a 'flybaby.'

get over it.

it's helpful information, and once you get it tweaked to fit your own household, you can decide if you want to return to the website.

i do recommend signing up for the e-mails, at least for a few weeks. you'll get about 15 a day, which is a lot. choose the ones that sound interesting to you- i promise they'll motivate you to do something!

call me or write me if you want more information- i can e-mail you my 'home journal' if you think it would help.

love you, friends... have a great day!