Hate to Love and Love to Hate Her - FLYlady

It's January and that time of New Years Resolutions.  I never stick to them so I'm not bothering this year.  However, I am using the opportunity to revisit a few things that I used to enjoy but have fallen by the wayside.  A couple of years ago, I started following the FLYLady (makes it sound like a cult, haha)  and I loved it. However, sometime before DeeDee arrived, I got off track and never managed to get back into the groove after she was born. Then we moved, we were in transit for two months and waiting for household goods for two more months. Now, it's time for me to get back on track.

Truthfully, I don't even know who the FLYLady really is or how she became the FLYlady, but nevertheless she is.  FLY stands for Finally Loving Yourself.  I'm not sure how to describe her other than maybe a home-life coach and motivator.  She has a system for managing your home and home-life to keep your house neat, clean and keep you happy. Because, really, who is happy when your house is trashed and your to-do list is a mile long.  One of her key principles is letting go of perfectionism.  We expect so much from ourselves that we can't even begin to start and when we do "start" we take on so much that we can't possibly finish it.  I know I am guilty of putting off household chores until I have time do them "right!" or deciding to organize my closets only to get halfway through and stuff it all back in. She has lots of catch-phrases for her system, Here are a few of my favorites:

• You are not behind! I don't want you to try to catch up; I just want you to jump in where we are. O.K?    OK!  I am definitely the type of person that would say "I can't start a home organization routine if my home is a disorganized mess."   But, jumping in works.  I recommend avoiding everything on her website except the Baby Steps page since it can be overwhelming.  Add one thing in a day, or a week and eventually you will see big improvement.
• Housework done incorrectly is still blesses your family.  True!! I may not have time to properly clean the floors, but even a quick sweep is better than nothing and keeps the disasters from piling up.

• Deal with the Hot-Spot before it becomes a Fire!   The hot spots are those places in your house where things get dumped and clutter collects.  For me, its' my kitchen counter, my dining room table and my dresser.  I toss things there and never get around to going back for them.  Stuff really piles up.  FLYLady suggests doing 2 minute "fire drills" to put out those hot spots, twice a day.  Now, you're not goign to see a clean counter after the first evening. But, seriously, set the timer, go to work in one area and put things away...the RIGHT way...for two minutes. You'll be shocked at the improvement you get in a couple of days.  

 There are tons of other catch-phrases and tricks from the FLYLady but I can't list them all here.  Some of her baby-steps are a little "controversial."  (Like getting dressed to your shoes, laying out your clothes the night before, or writing out your routine.)  They sound so simplistic that they can't possibly work.  Except they do.  I started with FLYlady as an experiment and was loaded up with skepticism.  Blast the woman...she was right, every single time.  Shining my sink, every night, did make my kitchen look cleaner and make me happier.  I really was more motivated and less likely to curl up on the couch when I had shoes on. Laying out my clothes (and diaperbag!) did make my mornings much smoother.  I hated to admit that she was right with but I LOVED the results in my home.  I could see my kitchen counters! I could see the floor! The laundry wasn't a week-long back log.  My bathrooms were ALWAYS clean!  I no longer had to Sprint of Shame before company came to hid my mess. Even Soldier has noticed the improvement during my first week "back"  and all I was doing was shining my sink and putting out my hot spots!

If you are curious about it, the main website is www.flylady.net. However, I strongly suggest you start with the Baby Steps. It's a 30 day plan to get you FLYing...one teeny, tiny, step at a time.  It's very easy to make teeny changes to your routine over a long period of time and achieve BIG results!  http://www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/31-beginner-babysteps/