I like the FlyLady's help!

17 years ago

Have you heard about the FlyLady's website and system? I kept reading about it in some internet groups that I belong to but I never tried it before. I just started two weeks ago and it has helped me so much. It is a motivational type of email/system that helps you get control of your household's cleaning and clutter. I didn't think I really need it but now that I am trying to follow it I see that it really helps and I am even trying to use it in the garden.

The main thing is to get you motivated to do little things around the house that help you stay organized. They take little time but it really makes a difference. For example, one of them is to clean quickly your bathroom after you get ready in the morning. You need just some type of spray and a paper towel to clean the mirror, sink, and faucets, a two minute cleaning maximum. I have been doing it and I haven't had to do a deep cleaning and it makes me smile everytime I go in there and see how clean it looks.

I have been trying to do the same in the garden, just go out for 5 or 10 minutes and do a quick thing like pruning one plant. I wish I had more time to do other things but since I cannot do it, it makes me feel some accomplisment to see that ONE plant looking better. I am not very good at explaining it but I wanted to see if it would help somebody else.

Carmen

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Comments (13)

mistiaggie
17 years ago
I had subscribed for awhile and I even started a notebook. But I'm horribly horrible with it all! I kinda try and do my own system, but it's not always perfect! Just staying on top of things is the best.
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acoreana
17 years ago
Carmen,

I signed up recently. I've already recommended it to my sis. My mom is so organized and sooooo neat, I think the gene skipped us! lol

I'm not up to speed yet, but I'm hanging in there :-).

Glad to get real feedback!

Nat

P.S. Where are your shoes? LOL!
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FlowerLady6
17 years ago
I also was into FlyLady for awhile, got a notebook going too, but here I am with 'stuff' piled around, dust bunnies collecting on a daily basis, etc. Like Mistiaggie, I'm trying to stay on top of things and that's enough.

FlyLady definitely is motivational and the testimonials were always inspiring. Have fun 'home caring' and garden caring. It is true that doing 15 min at a time gets things done. It's more stress free also.

FlowerLady
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katkin_gw
17 years ago
Is this a web site? I'd like to see it.
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mistiaggie
17 years ago
Here Katkin

Here is a link that might be useful: Fly Lady
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ginibee
17 years ago
Hi, I signed up last night and unsubscribed today. I couldn't take 15 emails in less than 12 hours even though I thought the site was interesting.

Ginny
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mistiaggie
17 years ago
Get the digest Ginny. You can digest it through yahoo settings.
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carmiewest
Original Author
17 years ago
Thank you for answering Mistiaggie. I get the digest so I only get one email a day.

I am also not very good at keeping up but the challenge has kept me motivated. If it would be only me I would be more organized and I would not have as much clutter but with my husband and kids things are different. They can make a mess in minutes. I try to make my kids clean up after themselves but still... I feel like I work all day and the house is still a mess most of the time. Fortunately my husband doesn't notice but "I" know all the things I still need to do, the piles of laundry, all the stuff I have in drawers, lots of unfinished projects, etc.

Sometimes I feel like my garden is also a big mess because I cannot spend a lot of time there. Hopefully little by little I will get it under control.

Carmen
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solstice98
17 years ago
For 2007 I resolve to be OK with the fact that I'm not organized!
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jeannalw
17 years ago
I love it. I work days, so I just do a quick routine in the morning, and a slightly longer one in the evening when I get home. My home is far from perfect, but picking up after myself and my family is MUCH less overwhelming. The emails make me smile and I just delete most of the reminders -- I recognize the value of having them, because sometimes I'll spot one as I'm clicking 'delete' and run and do it real quick if I haven't already. I have my yahoo email sort all the flylady stuff into a folder so it's easy to sort out; takes no more than 10 seconds if I'm deleting or longer if I want to read the testimonials, and before bed I just delete anything I haven't read yet. They all come around again eventually.

My bathroom's nearly spotless, the rest of the house is at least unembarrassing, and most of all I feel good about it. and know that I'll be able to get to the areas that are still messy, and maintain what's already clean. Yep, I'm a FlyLady advocate!

Here is a link that might be useful: FlyLady.net
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beth7happy
17 years ago
shoes????????? what are SHOES ????
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wanna_run_faster
17 years ago
Hi Carmen,

I love the philosphy! It kind of reminds me of the last time I was fat! I read a book by Covert Baily (sp?) a very thin little book where he talked about just getting started with fitness. He said all you have to do is get your heart rate up for 15 minutes 6 days a week. You can only take off or skip one day. If you feel ok, he encourages you to go longer but the thing is you have to do the 15. I don't know about you but 15 minutes is very, very reasonable and I found that I always wanted to get my 15 minutes for the day over with because you never could tell how you were going to feel tomorrow! But once I actually got started (& the endorphins kicked in!!!) I found most days I could do an hour or 90 minutes easy and was always "banking" my day off for a rainy day! It was enough to get me started and motivated enough to do a marathon!

I'm trying to find a copy of that book again just to boost my motivation to lose the weight again again but it is definitely true that mini-goals help so much with motivation & achieving the satisfaction of accomplishment (even if it's just for having the bathroom look clean or doing a 15 minute walk!)

Thanks for sharing! I definitely am going to check it out! Maybe it will work as well as Covert did last time!
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springtime_fl
17 years ago
I love FlyLady! I have been doing it for several years, on and off. It works wonderfully when I listen to her. I never had a system to keeping up with the house and was always overwhelmed. This helped me get routines set up.

Remember it is NOT about doing everything perfectly. That is what gets us in trouble in the first place she says. We try to clean perfectly and get overwhelmed and give up before we start or put it off untill we have time to do it all. That is what always kept me from getting much done.
You start with small routines and build from there when those are established.

Don't get overwhelmed with all the emails. FlyLady says when you start, just delete them. Later, skim them for reminders.

Gabriele
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I like the FlyLady's help!

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I like the FlyLady's help!

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