Checking in and Two Helpful Concepts for kids at home

I just wanted to pop in and say hi.

So, as I’m sure you know, times are interesting these days with the coronavirus shelter in place. There’s a lot to process for everyone, each setting/person/family being affected in its own way, even as we go through it together, we experience it uniquely.

I’ve come to enjoy the personal processing of life quietly, so I don’t often want to blog much based on that.

But I did think it a good idea to pop in and say we are ok. 

Our family is very lucky, in that we have a lot of normal still. Blake’s job has been transitioned to him teaching the college courses online. (He goes into his empty office and labs, to record content to put online, Monday- Friday.) And of course, we had already been homeschooling our kids. So our day to days look very much the same as before.

Additionally, on some level, we have tasted some components of social distancing before, because of food allergies. (Things like we have spent holidays with just our immediate family at home many times already. So our Easter didn’t feel jarring this year.)

Of course, there are so many things that have changed. And we miss what we miss. Some of this is hard for the kids to process, its emotional. It’s strange and different overall. But we are lucky in that our day to day wasn’t turned upside.

We are still healthy. We are still growing. And on the whole we are happy— still allowing for sad as it comes. And we work towards solutions for what we need.

Two things I feel are currently worth sharing in case it helps anyone else with kids at home now.

They have have helped us in our house as far as how life is affected by having kids at home ALL THE TIME. This works for us, your mileage will vary.

First: Having Official snack time.

Kids love snacks (don’t we all, actually.) And they will literally ask all day long. (I know because I’ve lived it, and now I keep reading about others living it currently and losing their minds.) Years ago I made us an official snack time. (Because I was losing my mind.) I set it at 3:00. (Later I moved it to 2:00. Because we eat early meals and that puts about 3 hours between everything for us.)

Suddenly I told the kids they could only have snacks then. For the first day or two they were furious— so many fits, so much whining and begging and acting as through they would starve to death. But they accepted it. And then for the next bunch of weeks I had to answer the question “What time is it?” an unimaginable amount of times. But my four year old learned how to tell time surprisingly fast. 😆 And after the initial phase, snacks have not been an issue —even for the younger kids because this was already in place before they were born. 

As far as the process— we have special plates we use. (Glass Vintage Snack Trays.) Because I wanted it to feel like a special tradition they can look back on. I’m very lenient with what they eat. We have a cabinet full of snacks, and they can pick what they have.

 I’ve always been very verbal about how they need to pay attention to how they feel after they eat and make choices that help them feel good. And I’m also very clear about how if they eat through the snacks before our next grocery trip there will be none until we shop again. So they are excellent at not over doing it. Sometimes a visitor seems surprised by our level of snacking —the kids usually get themselves a handful of potato chips, a 1/2 tablespoon measuring spoon scoop of (dairy free) chocolate chips (the spoon is the way we ration it fairly over the week), a fruit snack or fruit roll up, and one little Aldi (allergy free) cookie. (Or if we have left over cake/ fancy desserts they choose a slice of cake or normal snack.) So while this seems like a lot of snack food— it keeps them from even seeming to crave any extras during the day. And the rest of the day they eat so healthy— totally unprompted. I let them get their own lunches together and it’s truly mind blowing to me how healthy they are—  I wasn’t for sure at their age. I think we have found our good equilibrium. I also think it may aid in their future eating habits— balancing coming easier perhaps.

(Side note: I also have a snack at snack time too. However, mine is less extravagant.)

Second: Fun (Cleaning) Friday 

This is only about a month old at our house, I benefited from another mom sharing the cleaning component as part of her normal homeschooling routine. And then made it our own. 

So on Fridays now, we basically unschool in the morning — I told the kids to think of anything they want to know more about and I will do my best to find a documentary about. So far we have watched about dinosaurs going extinct, panda bears, parts of an orchestra, dolphins, sea turtles, and deep ocean creatures. 

Before we start the movie we clean up the family room really well, spread out a blanket, for the popcorn I make. 

(Side note: if anyone is looking for a diary free version of cheesy popcorn— look into nutritional yeast. (It’s yellow flaky stuff we buy in the bulk area of fancier/more natural/crunchy grocery stores.) You just sprinkle it over the fresh hot popcorn with some salt and stir it around. It was not immediately yummy to me— because it’s not dairy— but I acquired the taste and now I love it and crave it. And they kids are obsessed.) (Nutritional yeast also goes into many cheesy recipes well.)

After the movie they are assigned chores which earn them one show on Netflix, after the chore is done. And we try to do a least two, or three time chunks of chores and Netflix. But it depends on what we need to do.

I’ve mainly used this to accomplish stuff that nags me but I can’t get to on my own.

So far in our month of Friday efforts, we have super cleaned the kitchen cabinet faces and appliances  —scrubbing off kitchen grease built up and little splatters that accumulate. Deep cleaned the three bathrooms. Super scrubbed down our painted stairs. And gone around and dusted everything and cleaned the windows.

This works well because it’s usually during nap time for my toddler, or if not one of us can keep her out of the mix. (And I don’t have to dedicate nap time to formal school lessons.)

I have loved Friday’s since starting this. We love the morning. (I love documentaries myself. And they like they popcorn and group time and predictable routine mix up and.) And they are ok with the chores, love the Netflix rewards. And I am thrilled with the overall uptick in cleanliness. Plus I have a goal of them knowing the ropes of keeping up a dwelling by the time they are adults.

This concept has been so great because I have been struggling for a while figuring out how to balance these elements. And this just clicked for us this way.

Right now the chores have to be pretty much narrated by me through the whole thing. But I have faith that after a while this will be stuff I can set them to do alone because they know how.

(They have been cleaning the family room so often they can do that unguided— so I have the proof there.) I’m willing to spend the time upfront for the payoff later.

My oldest two do most the chores, but my 4.5 year old helps as much as he can.

This stuff does take a small amount of forethought for all of us. I let the kids know on Monday to be thinking about their documentary ideas. I spend some time thinking what chores really would be best. And if they tell me soon enough I spend some time looking for the best documentary on the subject. But overall it’s pretty easy to just do.

I hope that as my kids get a little older (and I’m out of that must-always-have-eyes-on-the-toddler phase) I can add a bit more into our Fridays. Something like art or baking lessons. But for now this is all we are ready for.

(As a reference point my kids are currently 9.5, 7.5, 4.5 and 1.5)

Anyway. Those are a few things I’ve been happy about. (And FYI, We aren't this together on every level. And even though we clean like crazy on Friday, by Tuesday our house still looks like a tornado hit it. Zero perfection over here.)  But I’m mentioning it because maybe they can bring you some kind of happiness or help too. Or just prompt something unrelated but somehow related. 

But if not, that’s totally fine. Do what works for you! Best is different for everyone. 

Getting deep, with socks...

So the kitchen is still on it’s way. The tile has been grouted. But sometimes we find a spot that needs adjusting on the fill, and have to go back. Then we need to seal the grout and caulk around all the edges of things. I posted a teaser photo on Instagram. I’d like to wait until at least the caulk is in before I blog it. Just for that wow factor caulk provides. (The stuff is magical.) And the room still needs more touches after that, but I figure I don’t want to keep you waiting forever.

Anyway, in the mean time, I thought I’d write up this random post on socks.

The thing I find really interesting, is that it took me a really long time to do this silly little change. This sock arrangement is something I have wanted to do for at least four years, maybe longer. But so much inner dialogue stopped me from doing it. And it’s JUST socks.

And that’s a big part of why I’ve been so quiet on the blog... stuff like this. I’m a work in progress right now, and it’s a very delicate place I’m in. So delicate it messes with socks. (ha!) And well, everything.

    It’s just been a time for reprieve from eye balls for me. The last few years have been a lot to manage, and managing them in front of people was even more to manage. The back to back sequence of my difficult pregnancy, followed by my brother’s death created a situation that made me feel simultaneously alone, yet entirely too checked-in on. It started creating this situation where I was depending on the blog for an outlet of my real self, and I wasn’t finding people in person to be that real with. And then when I would be that open and real on the blog, it would cause a whole lot of chain of reactions from relatives who started to worry about me. It was hard to convey that I was fine, I just was processing. And the processing’s value was over powered by the energy it took to constantly deal with everyone’s feelings but my own. I finally had to take stock of this and realize that in order to value myself I needed to shift this dynamic.

     I have. Quite a bit actually. I’ve found people to be real with in person. I’ve started valuing myself. And I’ve been quiet in the places where I’ve needed that space to heal. 

     A lot (but not all) of that space has been online. Its been really good for me. And honestly if I could go back in time, I would have NEVER signed up for Facebook. Oh the complications I could have kept out of my life! I signed up as soon as I got married. And soon after that I was a mom. I hadn’t figured out social media yet. It was WAY too much pressure on this girl in those new situations. I wish I could have lived my life without knowing who could get their pre-maternity pants on before me, and who was getting whole nights of sleep before me, and all the ways I was “doing it wrong” in mommy-war-world. I could have just been myself, quietly in my own house, in my own world, minding my own business, totally unaware of how I measured against anyone but myself. Wouldn’t that have been nice?

    That’s not to say, this kinda stuff stresses everyone out. It doesn’t. But it stressed me out. And due to a lot of my own stuff I brought to the table. 

     I was carrying around a lot of things. But the biggest heaviest thing I was carrying was the idea that I had a say in how other people feel. Not just that I had a say in it, but that I was often a major impactor of other people’s feelings. And not just that. But that I had an all encompassing job in life, to do everything I could to not negatively impact anyone, in any way, by anything I did.

   (Now there is a bit of truth in this large concept. Like walking up to people and saying awful things about them would not be a good way to live. Or constantly talking poorly about people when they aren’t there, also not a good way to live. And, yes, I do impact the people I live with, with the way I treat them.)

   But my deal was not that stuff. I thought this responsibility was SO MUCH MORE than that. I thought if any action I took brushed against anyone at all, in any small "wrong way", I had committed an atrocious sin. 

    The easiest example was my weight loss. I couldn’t see myself losing weight, as possibly inspiring anyone else to make healthy choices. I could only see how I “caused” jealousy. (Lesson -- I didn’t cause that feeling.  I have no control over how anyone reacts to anything. They are the ones who decide how to react to things.)

    But this same thing was down DEEP in my bones. So deep that I couldn’t agree to be myself in many areas. Because... what if myself, was the most hurtful thing in the universe? What if my very being was unbearable?

    It’s the strangest thing, really. Because in tons of areas, I’ve been totally ok with not being “the norm.” (Like a lot of people think my house purchase and subsequent years of making it over, is crazy. And that didn’t EVER phase me. This is my choice and I love it.) But in other, sometimes unexplainable, random things, I’ve been paralyzed.

     It’s actually less strange than it initially seemed to me. Things like my house, which caused people to think I was crazy, were easy for me -- because thinking someone is crazy is not jealousy. Most things I’ve been afraid to do or be are things I was afraid that people could be jealous of. And my concept of what might make a person jealous was fairly enormous. And if it wasn’t jealousy I was afraid of, it was irritation. If I was afraid my choice could irritate someone, I was afraid to take hold of it, or at least say that I did. And my concept of what might irritate person jealous was fairly enormous. So I’ve boxed so much of myself in. All while thinking I wasn’t because “Look at me, I can makeover a house, and DIY thrift store shorts…. I do weird stuff other people don’t  -- so clearly I’m, me.” 

     (Now I will say, on big things I’ve over-rode this protocol. Like when I chose to do a home birth or home school. Even if that brushed many people the wrong way. For big things I can power through because I can look at the big picture and say it’s worth it. But for little things I didn’t see myself as valuable enough to do it then. If it’s not changing the course of my life, well let’s not bother rocking the boat. But enough small things add up to start impacting a life.)

     It’s taken me some time to examine my way of looking at life, hold it up to the light and start to see it more realistically.

   And it’s been really relieving.

    I’ve been able to set a lot of false guilt down. I’ve been able to start letting go of what’s not mine to control. (Guys, it’s been SO good, finding out I’m not supposed to be responsible for stuff, that I’m not responsible for! Do any of you know how exhausting that is, carrying stuff that’s not in your control? It’s physically heavy. I came home from counseling one day, honestly floating -- like when you take roller skates off, after a day at the roller rink -- because I was given permission to let a HUGE weight go.)

   It’s not always easy to leave these things set down. After I set each idea down, initially everything inside of myself says “You know, that actually IS yours to carry. PICK IT BACK UP!” I can’t even begin to tell you how hard that battle is. Panic attacks and withdrawal symptoms hard. Some of the heaviest lifting I’ve ever done. (All so I could NOT carry something. So ironic.)

     And that’s part of my quietness online too. Just battling myself over here.

     But I’m starting to win.

     And I’m starting to change. 

     And I’m starting to breathe.

     And I’m starting to figure out who I am, when I don’t need to be this undefinable entity that’s impossible to be. An entity who’s main goal was to basically be unseen because I thought being seen was hurtful. I’m starting to see my general being isn’t a weapon of mass destruction, just on the verge of decimating all in it’s path. (Honestly, that what I thought I was doing when I lost the weight. Or made a big purchase. Or walked out of the house looking nice.) And so I’m starting to accept my general being enough to ask myself: what do I really like, what do I really want, who do I really want to be? I don’t even know the answers to those questions yet. But I’m starting to. 

     I’m starting to see that being who God made me, is the point of him making me that way. It’s not selfishness or hurfulness. It’s not a determent to other’s. It’s a gift to them.

     (Guys, my Meyer’s Briggs profile is starting to shift. Like this is major change.)

ALL this major change….

leads me to socks.

I’m letting myself, be me.

And well, me hates trying to match up socks. ESPECIALLY, and mostly, because the mysteries of the laundry cycle mean about 60% of our socks don’t have a match most the time.

I have wanted to, for years, switch to all white socks. No matching up required. If one get’s lost, it’s not going to impede the finishing of the laundry.

What was keeping me tied to these socks?

The idea that I’d disappoint anyone. Such as:

• Anyone whoever gave us socks, at anytime. Or who’d like to give us socks in the future.
• My kids. Who might miss some of these socks.

Issue #1: Anyone who ever gave us socks.

          Reasons why it’s still ok to be done with these socks:

• Having a different set of standards doesn’t equal ungratefulness.
• People’s joy comes from giving, what the Receiver does after that isn’t in the Giver’s hands.
• True gifts have no strings attracted. 
• You are not obligated to receive gifts with strings attached. 
• Not all these socks were gifts. We bought many of these ourselves, due to (on my end) fear of accepting and saying what I really want. (And it’s ok to own that, release that, forgive that, and move on.) 
• It’s ok to let go of belongings that are no longer needed and wanted/ working their intended purpose.

Issue #2: My kids might miss the socks.

          Reasons why it’s still ok to be done with these socks:

• Initially I was afraid of limiting my kids things in general. I have brought up at many points in counseling different categories, and subcategories, of things I’ve been afraid that if I limit, or eliminate, because I’m afraid that I will somehow negatively impact my kids childhoods. And each time we talk through how I’m not actually depriving my kids of any legitimate needs. That it’s ok to help kids learn stuff by initially doing it for them -- because that’s the role of a parent, to be the role model.  Part of my job as a parent is helping them learn to manage their things. And we’ve discussed how that gives them a solid base for adulthood perceptions of things and money. (I actually never brought up the socks in counseling. I’ve gone through enough other random goofy things questions that I was able to process the socks on my own this time. lol)
• My kids’ natural instinct is to be hoarders. (Are all kids? I don’t know. Probably not because certain of my kids are much more prone to hoarding than others.) I’d literally be on that show if I saved everything they wanted to save. One of them, as a two year old, had a "special collection" of empty granola bar wrappers. (And that tuned crazier by the day as we had to start opening the granola bars with scissors as to not “hurt” the pictures when tearing it open) Before I even knew it was happening, a whole drawer had been filled up with wrappers. Actual garbage is painful for them to get rid of. She would weep over these things. (And I know the difference between two year old tantrum, and actual mourning. Highly Sensitive Toddlers are something.) It’s been a learning curb for me figuring how, and when, to rip the band aid off in every “thing” area of our lives -- so as to not worry they will actually be on that show themselves as adults, while not breaking their spirits in the process. But I can safely say, that now we have a good working relationship with each other -- she trusts me not to remove more than she can handle, and she’s starting to feel safe to remove things herself as well. It’s been a good journey. I saw the socks as an extension of this journey.
• I was worried I’d stifle their self expression. After thinking about it -- I had to accept that it’s ok to not express yourself in EVERY way. They don’t NEED to express themselves with socks. And if that’s a deep seated desire in them, they can have that as something to look forward to later in life. (Either as adults, or perhaps when they do all their own laundry at home, well see.)
• I’m actually giving my kids the gift of more independence in this laundry maneuver. I want to get them involved in more self care and home care now, so that later in life it’s second nature and easy. This simplification of socks makes them more capable of doing more of the laundry on their own. And they actually do appreciate that.
• I actually left a very limited few “other” socks in their drawers for special occasions. So they don’t have to wear white socks if it will look terrible.

So yeah, after I weighed all that out (Which is again comical. Because LOTS of moms are already on this limited sock train, without the raging internal debate.) I got out ALL the socks and did all the dirty laundry, and matched everything I could up. Pulled my select few special socks out. And bagged up the rest.

Went to Target and bought some white Cat & Jack socks in two varieties. 

These ankle socks for the girls. They pass their sensory inspection -- which is saying something! And the ankle has a sweet detail for a little cuteness. I bought them in medium, which can fit both girls (It’s a little big on my five year old, but it works.) I bought 3 packs for both kids. I figured that’d make sure I’m not cutting it close on laundry slow moments.

And these fold over socks in 2T for my two year old. For now I just bought one pack. For some reason his sock consumption is slower. But might add, if necessary.

Then I figured, while I’m at it, lets try something new. 

We only need socks when we are headed out the door. 

And then it always turns into wasted minutes going back upstairs to get them. 

So I decided to try keeping them in the coat (and shoe) closet.

So far (one week in) it’s been pretty great, and very easy.

I just put a mason jar in the laundry room to hold any single sock, until another shows up. (It will be SO EASY when one does!)

I’m really happy I finally did this. 

My brain has one less sound in it.

As soon as I did this, I felt a deep peace.

These little things bring me so much joy because it clears up so much space inside me, and so much of my time, for what matters. 

The kids did complain for a minute about their only being white. But it was over pretty fast. I let them know we’d keep a limited few other socks upstairs. 

They really do like that it’s so simple to get outside now.

 And they are excited to help with laundry so they liked this easy set up.

(I may get a second bin if it gets tricky having the girl and boy socks mixed together. So far it’s been fine.)

And if ever we are deal with more sizes at once...
I’ve seen the idea of adding color coded thread to the toes. That’s a good idea, I may incorporate if need be.

My five year old (the one who’s most sock-sensory-picky) acted very stressed about the size being generous (but it’s probably only a couple months before she’d need this size and the small would be too small.) But after two days she’s not said anything.

I haven’t given away our other socks yet. Just packed them up and hid them. JUST IN CASE. I don’t know what would make us need them. But I just feel like I need to try this system out a bit before giving the other socks away.

But yeah. That’s my SUPER in depth thoughts on socks. (And my brain.)

Ha.

Hope you enjoyed the random vulnerability, while waiting on my kitchen. :)

Halloween came early at our house this year.

I've noticed something about myself. Holidays can get me in a panick. And one of my responses to  stress is completely blocking out the issue. Which in the case of holidays, back fires pretty badly. Since I need to get it together and do them for the kids, but I would block it out until crunch time, and then the stress was even higher.

This year I'm going a different route. Early planning and early arranging.
And guys...this is a game changer. Holiday stress is  at an all time low. Because there is no ticking clock yelling at me, everything  feels chill.


At the beginning of the week I told the kids that by the weekend they need to decide what they want to be for Halloween. And then we would go shopping for it.
I had it in my head that I would be sewing their costumes again. But Yesterday, I decided to check Goodwill before we hit the fabric store. I really had very little faith we'd find what we needed there, but actually we scored big time.

Guys, now is a PERFECT time to get costumes st Goodwill! The racks are stuffed full of options.(Kids and adult sizes.)

We went into the store looking for a witch costume for Jasmine. A Queen Doom (the evil queen from the non-hit kids movie "Princess Twins of Legendale") for Ruby. And a general idea that Bronny might like to be a dinosaur or something.

I was most concerned with getting Queen Doom right. I had no idea how to sew her stuff. Here the best screen capture I could get from the film.

Shockingly we found something perfect at Goodwill. It's way too long, but an easy hem will do it. Maybe a bit of sleeve magic too.

Jasmine tried on lots of witch things and chose the middle outfit. She decided that her witch should have  fairy wings...not sure how the cape will work with that, but whatever. She's thrilled.

And we even found Bronny a dinosaur outfit! (The wings are there for Ruby. Just for dress up in general.) So far he enjoys holding the costume and saying "Rrrraaaarrrr." But won't put it on yet. But we have 51 days to get used to it!

Oh yeah I forgot Jasmine's adorable witch hat headband we found. It's SO cute on her!

We came home and washed it all (besides the hat (which was actually brand new)) on delicate and air dried, and they came out great!

So yeah. I got all that and the Halloween buckets (not pictured) for $29.

I feel very thrilled with both the price (the first costume I googled for a "Doom" like idea was $30) and the convenience--  I'm  pretty pumped about not having to construct the outfits myself! 

Plus it was fun to let the girls try on all the fun options and come to their own decisions.

Plus, I don't always think this way, but I think it's good to consider, the actual benefits of all the Halloween costumes that won't go into a landfill when kids reuse them.

Save money, help the planet, have fun. Good stuff.

I also cannot convey how nice it is to know everything is done and ready WAY ahead of time. Holiday Stress free for 51 days is currently on my calendar. I could get used to this.

I figured I'd let you all in on this level of magic, in case you want to take advantage yourself.

My Experience with The Cleaning Routine & A Couple Tips

In my last post I shared my new cleaning routine. It’s pretty detailed, so I let it be it’s very own post.

Today I’m going to share why I like it.

 

So as I shared, before I was very inexperienced with cleaning. I always felt somewhat like an impostor when cleaning -- I didn’t think I was “a cleaner” and I didn’t ever really feel like a grown up (based on many things, but really strongly routed in just the fact that I didn’t know how to clean.)

It’s weird how deep some stuff can be. So just excuse me for a moment here… if you just want more practical stuff, that comes later.

Since I started using Fly Lady’s routines I’m personally overcoming some complex heart stuff. The more I apply myself to this, the more I’m thinking to myself differently -- I don’t hear so many “You’ll never be able to keep your house clean” thoughts and I’m starting to hear myself say to me: “Good job, look how well you’ve done/you are doing!” through out the day. (That’s an ENORMOUS mental shift. Because I’m used to pretty much only negative self talk.) 

(And this is about way more than cleaning -- Once again, counseling is a good thing. That’s been helping me to learn that negative self talk isn’t healthy. And in a round about way, I think counseling propelled me to want to search out a cleaning system because I could hear so much negative self talk surrounding that specific issue for me. And so in a confidence building way, conquering something (cleaning) that has been so daunting for me --- the confidence is really helping me to quite down my critical voice in this area. I actually haven’t really talked about cleaning at all in counseling, I’m just being more free inside myself to push for this because of other breakthroughs.)

But back to Fly Lady. She’s rooting for me/you/us. And that always means something to me, if someone will say “I believe you can do this." She’s empowering us to use our own power -- and that’s really key in any change.

So my metal shift isn’t specifically from her, but because with her help, and the way she set this up, I’ve been able to make sense of things and feel good about my power and strength.

Her back story is that she was essentially a hoarder, with a very filthy house. 

That’s why her focus is so hard on decluttering to start with and why she says it can take so long -- she’s helping anyone start anywhere, because she started DOWN LOW.

Now I will say, for me -- I did not do my decluttering with fly lady and her 15 minutes a day system. I had already started my minimalism mission before I recently picked up with Fly Lady. By the time I found Fly Lady I had deeply decluttered about 80% of my inside home (I’m not counting the garage in that.) 

I’m not sure I could have stood to declutter my whole home 15 mins at a time. Because I kinda of like to immerse myself into it. (And I will talk about that more with you in different posts.)

When I was deeply decluttering, I wasn’t really cleaning (mopping, vacuuming, dusting) much I was focused on my first task -- removing things from the house.

     But when I picked up with Fly Lady, I did take her up on the concept of taking small bits of my day to tackle more of what I had left to declutter. I’m still not fully decluttered -- but I’m to a really lovely stage, where I feel much more at peace with my space.

So my advice to you is do what works. 15 minutes a day might be perfect for you. A mix of everything worked for me. And like I said, I’ll share more later.

Anyway, another reason I think I like using this, is because since getting done with school myself (a long while ago now), I’ve always had a bit of discomfort from the missing routines and classroom and classmates dynamics. There is a lot of comfort in being part of a group accomplishing something. So having Fly Lady’s app, or just her website, provide some of that helps me feel grounded to something and accountable to it. Instead of floating around without goals for cleaning.

What I did with fly lady was kinda jump in and flop around a bit  (I didn’t even grasp her whole system right away)-- I would just take what time I had, and do as much of each day’s goals that I could. 

I’m not on top of the routines, in depth. But I do as much as I can each day (and it’s not always the same amount.)

The weekly "home blessings” -- I spread those through out the week. I tend to be able to get one done a a day. Sometimes a few if the day’s going smoothly.

And I also don’t stress if I can’t get every room vacuumed every week. Two of my rooms downstairs really do not get very dirty, so they can go longer. (My upstairs rooms are all hardwood floors, that I usually just run a wet dust mop over quickly.) And honestly I’ve yet to wipe my doors down -- that one seems kinda less important in my house. 

In the zone cleaning I just do the same “what I can” thing. I just take the time I have that day, and put it towards the goals in that space. But give myself TOTAL grace to only get a tiny bit of it done.  Some days I could get TONS done, and some days just barely the basics.

But that’s what’s great about her system. Once I started using it, I can feel the confidence that comes from knowing everything cycles back around -- if I don’t get it now, I will get it later. And that with each cleaning cycle it WILL be easier. So that gave me the ability to stop the “all or nothing” train. I could finally rest easy in knowing the wheels are always going the right direction now. I can see how to let go of getting things perfect all at once, and how to just keep adding good to good, to get great (but not perfect.) (But consistent-great, feels way better than on-again-off-again-perfect, mixed with huge-mess!)  

So yeah, so can see I haven’t follow her advice exactly to the T. I still don’t have my routines down pat. I haven’t started laying my clothes out at night (because we stay home most days) but I love the idea, and I plan to work up to it. I don’t always get dressed or if I do, I don’t always wear my shoes. (But I will say, I do feel way more apt to work with them on -- which is something I noticed a long time ago.) (And if you don’t wear shoes in your house, Fly Lady is so committed to this concept she suggests you buy a pair of tennis shoes that you ONLY wear in your house -- because it’s that effective. And her readers are often writing in to say their feet are less dry and in better condition because of it.)

But I love the rest of the before bed routine. 

     I always try to clean up the kitchen. But some nights I just can’t (and I make up for it in the morning. Or sometimes Blake will get the dishes done.)

      Before bed I don’t always have the stamina for the family room -- land of toys. I hope to get a kids-pick-up time implemented, but that’s ahead of me still.

     And I espeically love all the ideas for relaxing before bed. I’m really working on all those things, they make a huge difference. (So much more health-inducing than Neflix binging till the clock yells at me.)

     In the morning, Blake and I have gotten pretty good at making the bed. I’d say it’s made about 90% of the time now. One or the other usually quickly makes it before we run downstairs. We have no set rules or agreements on who does it when, we just try to do it when we can. I think we both like the results, so we both just try and see that it happens. (Check out this Navy Seal talk about how wise this simple act is.)

Anyway -- I’m not perfect with any of this. (And more that likely I will relapse into a messy stage again after I share these posts -- because I usually do after sharing anything about my personal changes. It throws me off a bit, being so vulnerable, and I have to regain my composure to feel authentic in my choices.) But even with all the imperfections of how I follow along, I have found a sense of stability from her system (which I like to implement with her app) --- and I (and my family) have seen big, clear improvement in the house! My house is not perfectly spotless these days. But honestly it’s been quite nice, enjoyable, and pretty close to “friend-company ready” at all times, and just a short stint to “got-to-look-good-good company ready” most times. 

I cannot deny it’s virtues.

General thoughts on different parts:

The Laundry:

I love the change in this area.

I used to try and have an official laundry day once a week. The thinking being I’d rather get it done all at once and have some time off from laundry. But putting away all that laundry all at once, always overwhelmed me. And because of that overwhelm -- I had wrongly assumed that if I did laundry every day I’d have that overwhelmed feeling every day. I wanted to avoid that like the plague.

But once I started doing a load a day, with Fly Lady’s morning routine, laundry has felt SO manageable. It’s SO MUCH LESS overwhelming to me, it’s crazy. It takes just a few minutes to fold, and just a few minutes to put away one small load. Sometimes I still put the task of putting clothes away off, but even when I let it pile up -- for even a week -- it’s not super bad because it’s just one mild weeks worth. (Before lessing our clothes amounts, and with doing large batches of laundry…it used to be able to REALLY pile up. ) But I usually don’t let it pile up that long anymore, because it’s turning into a regular habit. I very often get it put away that day. 

I think it kinda like a rolling stone gathers no moss. If I don’t take days off, I don’t feel like stopping. I usually want to keep the ball rolling and get it put away.

I also tend to do a small load every evening. I have switched to cloth napkins. So I gather up the day’s worth, as well as bibs, kitchen towel and sponges, and our baby splat mat from under the high chair and do a quick load. If I have any random lights laying around I’ll toss them in too. (My kids shed clothes an oddly large amount? I need to address this over time…oh well. So I can find clothes in the family room most days.) 

So sometimes I will fold the kitchen stuff at breakfast the next day and then just quickly put it away. (This is SO MUCH easier than digging the napkins out of all the family’s clothes once a week to fold and sort.)

Dishes:

Like I said yesterday, shining that sink really does something for getting the dishes done. I’ve taken so much more ownership of the dishes, and keeping up with them.

And then --the kitchen in general stays cleaner with the dishes not piling up. If  I can see the counters (clear of dishes) I notice them and wipe them. If those are clean, I wipe the stove. And If that’s clean, then I notice the floors and those just happen to stay cleaner (I pick up big crumbs right away, I spot clean more...) 

Keeping up on the parts of the zone work that I can in the kitchen has gotten my microwave to a lovely level. Every time I open it lately I’m like “WOW!” 

The Bathrooms:

One thing I’ve learned (which isn’t something Fly Lady taught me, I saw it online somewhere else -- good general bathroom tips here -- but it’s right up Fly Lady’s alley) is that if I wipe down my enclosed shower with a towel every time we use it, that it will not get dirty! Mold can’t grow without moisture. And hard water can’t stain if it’s not hanging around.

So I’ve been squeegeeing off the walls, doors and floor to get the big drops off, and then running a towel (that I have designated just for this) over the whole thing.

It feels mildly cumbersome the first few times. But it probably only takes a minute, maybe two, to do. And so seven (even 14) minutes a week, is SOOOO much better than having to soak the shower in bleach and iron-out for a full day, then do heavy scrubbing, regularly. 

     Actually when I started doing this, my shower floor was looking a bit rust-colored again (I was just gearing myself up to do the iron-out treatment) and in just a couple of days of drying it off after every shower, the floor looks almost perfect all on it’s own, no scrubbing. It’s crazy! I did NOT expect that.

     I’ve always had such a hard time keeping shower enclosures nice because all their crevasses get so nasty…not anymore. It’s amazing. And there is some kind of weird joy I get out of looking at a shower that’s totally dry, even though I know I just showered. This is a MAJOR game changer.

I do the “swish and swipe”  (cleaning the countertop and toilet) part of the morning routine differently. 

We have three bathrooms. (And I only have so much time available at a time before I need to check on the kids) So...

I do a cursory glance at my master bathroom and assess if I need to address it. More than likely I do at least a counter swipe. 

 

 And I swish the toilet, maybe closer to three times a week? But if I don’t need to do anything, I skip it. And if I skip it, I try to hit the other upstairs bathroom. (Or sometimes I pop back up there during an afternoon and hit one or both real quick then. It’s kinda free form -- but it’s still happening -- that’s the key.)

And for the downstairs bathroom….

That thing is pretty much a nonstop battle ground.

Three little kids… it’s crazy.

So I have begun to embrace the concept of "clean up as you go", wholeheartedly in there.

The sink is white, and I had no idea kids could get so much general stuff on a sink. (No regrets on the white sink, by the way.) 

 I wash the baby’s hands in there after every meal -- so his pre-washed, grabby, hands leave food globs everywhere. And the bigger kids somehow are always leaving dirt from outside or random what-not. So now I’ve started just keeping a washcloth in there at all times and I wipe it down pretty much everytime I’m in there. It takes like 10 seconds. I’m going to install a hook on the back of the door to hang my wash cloth on to dry.

And as for the “swish” (the toliet) --- TMI alert -- with a kid potty seat, placing a hinny up closer to the front of the bowl, things don’t always flush away like you wish they would. So I’m wishing that toilet nearly as much as I’m washing the sink. It’s just par for the course.

If I just don’t get the time to swish, as much as the toilet would like me to, I make sure to swish it once before bed to give it a fresh start for the next day.

So yes, there is a bowl brush in every bathroom. (And a tip I like, that I can’t really do this in any bathroom but mine, because... kids  ---  after you swish, to let the brush dry by tucking it under the toilet seat for a while. And then it won’t get gross in the brush holder.)

Also my favorite cleaning tip is using Mrs. Meyers (Not sponsored. Just a personal joy. I’m way more likely to clean if it adds a pretty scent to the house.) 

(Via Mrs. Meyer’s Instagram)

As soon as I got into the swish and swipe phase -- I went and got an “Every day cleaner” for every bathroom. Because that stuff smells GREAT.  And I wanted cleaning to feel happy -- good smells feel happy to me. I use it on both the counters the toilets -- I just a couple sprays on/in either and wipe or swish away. 

(Just FYI: My personal favorite scents are ranked in this order: 

(Via Mrs. Meyer’s Instagram)

Basil, Lemon Verbena, Honeysuckle, Radish. I like all of these a lot. And would rank them in that order, but they are nearly tied. 

I also like Bluebell, but something about to seems kid-ish to me, maybe sorta like candy or something. I’ve used it in the kids bathroom and like it in there. And I also like Rosemary. I LOVE it’s first note, but it ends very “hippie store” to me, so I’m on the fence about it. I want to like Lavender, because I love real lavender, but I can’t get into this one, it doesn’t smell real to me. And I can’t stand Geranium (But I don’t like those in real life with) it gives me an instant headache. And I’ve not tried any seasonal ones, but I’m always tempted.)

I also use Mrs. Meyers (you can get the concentrate or just spray a bit of every day cleaner onto the floor) for mopping the tile floors. I find the scent a major reward for my trouble.

So yeah, as I get into routines...

I notice that when it’s time to deep clean the room (when we get to the zone cleaning) I’m so much less over whelmed, because I’m in touch with the space. Before I was really disconnected from the spaces as I get them get dirty, and when I would look at it I would think “Oh my gosh, what do I do first? How do I clean this?” Now I just naturally know, because I’ve been “communing” with the room (if that doesn’t sound totally crazy.)

So this is probably not news to many people. (Clean up after yourself.) Some might be furrowing their brow in wonderment of why I’m even a bit surprised by any of this. 

But this is my real --- I didn’t understand any of this until now.

I think the huge take away is: Just keep the ball rolling, even if you don’t get it “right” that day, keep moving (just keep swimming) do a little. 

But it really helped me to see it laid out the way Fly Lady does it -- that lay out gives me the ability to know where to move in the house to be effective -- it keeps me realistic, focused, motivated and always moving forward.

Since I started this cleaning thing, we’ve been having guests over more than before, and it’s been so much less stressful preparing, because I can do a quick once-over, and be clean and ready very quickly. (I’m also “in practice” with doing the stuff, so I accomplish the different cleaning tasks much quicker than I could before.)

But a big note is (and I will continue to share more soon) all of this is SO MUCH EASIER for me after minimizing our things. (Less things = less to clean, less to take care of, less to distract us from what we need to do.) So look forward to those posts coming up.

So what do you think? Have I sold you on Fly Lady? Did you get inspired to wipe down your shower? Do you have any cleaning/routine tips for me that you love? Let me know!

My New Cleaning Routine

I’ve been at square one with cleaning for years. I’d do it -- I’d clean -- but I just never really had a gear I ever got in, and so I’d constantly be going "all or nothing" back and forth. It evened out…sorta...our house stayed sanitary, but sometimes it looked awesome and other times it looked horrible -- and I never felt at ease inside it, because I was penduluming back and forth chaotically and emotionally.

The thing was, I really didn’t know the basics, and that kept me in this bad cycle, that I didn’t understand how to escape. I knew people used cleaning Routines and those seemed key. I made one a while ago, but it just fell flat, because I didn’t know how to set it up, so it just didn’t function right. I would get defeated and go back into my “all or nothing” thing.

But recently I’ve discovered Fly Lady.

I’m not sure if you have heard of her or not.

I heard of her a LONG time ago, maybe even before I had my own house (which would make sense as  to why I didn’t really latch onto her back when I learned of her.)

But it wasn’t until this year when I really dove into her ways.

And her ways are working SO well for me. It’s the first time where I feel settled inside a functional routine. It’s the first time I feel like I understand what is required to keep the wheels of housework rolling. It’s great.

Now, I’ll just be straight with you here -- her website is dated and pretty crazy, in terms of follow-ablity. 

(Also, I gotta be real -- I go back and forth on if I find her personality {that comes through in writing} endearing OR condensing and/or a little too old-school for me. But I am willing to lay any of that aside because she’s REALLY helped me a lot.)

I felt like I went down the rabbit hole for a couple days, maybe even a week, just trying to figure out her website and grasp this stuff in the order she intended it to work. (It was worth it, because it’s a good system hiding behind bad web design.)

But so what I’m going to do for you is summarize her system in this post. 

Prepare yourself, because it takes a lot of words to spell this out. It’s not because it’s hard, it’s because it’s very detailed in stating what might seem obvious, but things that were never obvious to me. She’s really spelling out the small stuff  (but that small stuff adds up to the big stuff in keeping a house in order.) 

But since I’m trying to give you overall view of it….this is going to be a long post. So pull this up when you have some time.

After I lay out her system for you, I’ll share a bit about my take on it, and just my random thoughts and a couple tips, in a follow up post. 

And there is good news on the website front: she has a free app that is much more clear to understand and modern looking. It helped me really grasp what was going on in her system.  And using it every day really helps me stick to the routines and zones. 

So I HIGHLY recommend it.

Inside it you can even sign up for a free video course, where you can listen to motivation/lessons on the different aspects of the routine system.

Ok so here’s a summary of her concepts:

The very first thing Fly Lady says to do is shine your sink.

It sounds like the weirdest place to start. (And honestly I resisted it for a couple days, trying just the other stuff.) But once you do it, you feel it’s magic power. It has so much momentum behind it, it’s kinda crazy. Once I got my sink that great, I just kept doing the dishes. And that meant I was keeping my table clean. And keeping my table clean just kept adding more and more to my cleaning snowball. It really is a good place to start. Here are her detailed instructions on what she means and how to shine your sink.

After your sink---

She wants you to focus only on the morning and before bed routines, and do just 15 minutes a day of decluttering. Clear out the things you don’t love or use. (Do not get over excited and pull out more than you can put back in 15 minutes. Keep yourself realistic.)

Depending on your clutter level (if it’s intense, just do whatever works until it’s more mild --- if it takes months that’s OK -- you are making progress and that’s what counts.) But once you are ready, Fly Lady gives a little assignment each day called a “Daily Mission", to give you a helpful idea on how to declutter/tidy up in this week’s zone. These feel fun because they give me a sense of accomplishment and they are unpredictable so the keep things interesting. You can add those in addition to your 15 minutes, or you can spend your 15 minutes on them. 

A big key here is to get your routines established one habit at a time. Then add in new habits as your old ones become second nature.

What are these routines? Well let’s take a look. Keep in mind Fly Lady wants you to make this your own, it won’t work if it doesn’t work for you. But this is an excellent starting place, I’d try and emulate this pretty closely initially, and then and you can tweak it as you go.

FlyLady’s Before-Bed Routine

The Before-Bed Routine is the most important routine of the whole day. Set a regular time to do your Before-Bed Routine, then do it — starting tonight. I start mine as soon as dinner is complete. Others start theirs in the afternoon while they are getting supper ready. It is up to you. – FlyLady

There are three parts to FlyLady’s Before-Bed Routine:

1. Clean up the house before you go to bed (Approx. 20 minutes)

• Living room – pick up and put away things, magazines, dishes, clothes, shoes, etc.
• Kitchen – clean it up, shine sink, lay out clean dishcloths, run the dishwasher
• Dining room/entrance – clear the hot spots (Hot Spots are places that just seem to collect clutter)
• Review check list to be sure nothing has been forgotten

2. Think about tomorrow before you go to bed

• Check your calendar and/or planner for appointments
• Start a to-do list for tomorrow
• Think: “What can I do tonight that will make tomorrow morning easier?”
• Gather up items you don’t want to forget and place them in a spot by the door that you’ll see before you walk out
• Make sure the children have their things put away
• Start breakfast – set the table and plan what’s for breakfast (just make a mental note)
• If you plan to use the slow cooker for dinner tomorrow, get some of the ingredients ready so they can just be thrown together in the morning
• Lay out your clothes for tomorrow. It’s a simple thing that saves time by being decisive. If something needs to be ironed or has a spot, you can deal with it calmly or choose something else. Take it to the cleaners, launder it, or fix that missing button according to your schedule – no pressure! All the stress has been relieved.

3. Focus on yourself before going to bed

• Get yourself ready for bed
• Brush your teeth, wash your face, and comb your hair
• Take vitamins and other meds
• Bath time! Take a bubble bath or a warm shower
• Put on your bedclothes (if you wear them!)
• Now you’re ready for bed!
• Write in a journal, make a “ta-da” (accomplishments) list, or write in a gratitude journal
• Read for fun
• Read to your children or spouse
• Listen to music. It doesn’t matter what kind; just relax!
• Pray or meditate
• Snuggle in for the night and turn out the lights. Go to bed at a decent time, preferably the same time every night!
• Fall asleep with a smile on your face and in your heart

Does that seem like a lot to you? Don’t fret! Just start small. Do these three things, then build upon that to create your full-blown Before-Bed Routine:

1. Shine your kitchen sink
2. Lay out clothes and put away other clothes
3. Brush teeth

FlyLady’s Morning Routine

This is my full “morning routine.” It took me several months to work up to a full-blown morning routine. I did most of the things, but they were not automatic. Now they are. Look at the way I move through the house, starting with getting dressed. As I move from room to room, I am finished with most of it. Then I check to see if I have missed anything on my list.
I realize this may seem like a lot, but if you do your “Before-Bed Routine,” this part is a piece of cake. All you are really doing is getting dressed, sprucing up the bathroom, going into the kitchen, and taking care of yourself! – FlyLady

The morning routine is broken down into four parts:

1. Rise and shine

• Make your bed as soon as you get out of it (unless someone is still in it!)
• Go into the bathroom; shower and clean it while you’re there
• Get dressed down to your shoes. (You feel more alert and ready to work dressed and wearing shoes.)
• Fix your hair and face
• Swipe your bathroom countertop clean. And Swish the toilet and leave the room, never to return until later. It is clean, and you can forget about it now!
• Leave your bedroom with a load of laundry in hand and go straight to the washer

2. The kitchen

• If you did the Before-Bed routine, the kitchen is clean and all you need to do is empty the dishwasher!
• Make coffee or tea and start breakfast
• Feed any animals
• Feed the family – including yourself!

3. Think about your day

• Check your calendar
• Make your to-do list
• Plan something for dinner
• Review your checkbook and bring down the balance
• Reboot the laundry (put it in the dryer!)
• Hit the hotspots. If you did the Before-Bed Routine, there won’t be any!

4. Now think about yourself

• Take vitamins and medications
• Sit down and relax for a moment
• Eat breakfast, if you haven’t already
• Morning meditation
• Reward yourself with some computer time; check your e-mail and favorite websites!

Again, really focus on getting routines established, one habit at a time. Don’t get overwhelmed -- take baby steps, and do what you can to start with, and build up.


FlyLady’s Basic Weekly Plan

Your basic weekly plan is an outline for what you plan to do every day of the week. FlyLady says the following about the basic weekly plan:

I want you to think about the things you need to do every week. Select which days you want to do these things, put it on your calendar for next week, and stick to it. Make an appointment with yourself! Try it for one week. It may surprise you that your week can revolve around these appointments. This is what I do. With the Basic Weekly Plan, we decide on a day to do things and stick to it. I never knew how much this would help my lack of organization. Knowing that I do my shopping on Thursday, my cleaning on Monday, and my desk day on Friday allows me the freedom to schedule things according to the day. When you know what the day is, you know what has to be done. It is another way to be on autopilot. – FlyLady

Monday: Weekly Home Blessing* (8–9 a.m.)
*More shared on this concept below

• Get up and get dressed to shoes
• Laundry
• Weekly Home Blessing Hour
• Cull/toss old magazines
• Change sheets
• Empty all the trash
• Vacuum all rooms
• Mop kitchen and bath
• Clean mirrors and doors
• Dust

Tuesday: Free Day

• Water and fertilize plants
• Spend 15 minutes in current zone

Wednesday: Zone Cleaning and Partial Desk Time

• Finish Zone Cleaning Chores.
• Remainder Weekly Cleaning.
• Make sure refrigerator is clean.
• Write thank-you notes.
• Work on menus and grocery list for next week.
• Balance check book before going shopping.

Thursday: Grocery and Errand Day

• Make sure menus are planned before you go shopping.
• Check grocery list one last time before you walk out the door. Take your list with you.
• Grocery Day.
• Errand Day
• Library.
• Post office.
• Buy gifts and cards.
• Buy candles.

Friday: Paperwork and Misc.

• Be romantic today.
• Get food from the freezer for next week.
• File papers.
• Write letters and cards.
• Clean out purse.
• Mend clothes and polish shoes.
• Pet care (Flea and Heart Meds).
• Clean out car and check fluids.
• Clean laundry room.

Weekend
Yeah! It’s the weekend! Time for the weekend dance! LOL! Have some fun! – FlyLady

Friday is “Date Night” – do something special with your sweetie!

Saturday is “Family Fun Day” – enjoy the day with your family!

Sunday is “Renew Your Spirit Day” – relax and reflect on the past week, as well as what is to come.

*Weekly Home Blessing. 

This is not detailed cleaning. It is just the “middles" and a quick, easy clean up.

There are 7 things to do:

• Vacuum (Just the walkable floor space -- don’t move furniture, that’s in the zone work)
• Dust
• Mop (Just the walkable floor space)
• Clean mirrors and doors
• Purge magazine/ mail/ paper clutter
• Change sheets
• Empty all trash

When you do your Weekly Home Blessing, set a timer and spend only 10 minutes per item on the list, when the timer goes off, stop and go to the next item. Anything is better than nothing! (You also get a pretty good workout too, because you are going as fast as you can!)

Some people do them all one one day (Fly Lady designates Monday as  Home Blessing Day.) But don’t feel guilty if you can’t do them all in one day. Some people spread spread them over the whole week and do one a day. Some people people do them twice a week -- once on Monday to recover from the weekend and another one Friday to get ready for the weekend. Others put them on papers in a bowl and each family member draws one out as their chore.
Make it fun -- put on some music and fly around your house.

As your home becomes decluttered the “Weekly Home Blessings” are a piece of cake, because there will be nothing to vacuum around and so much less to dust.

As you build up to more and more the house just stays clean easier, and if you stick to the routines, the house looks good all the time. (She’s speaking as someone without small children in her home, so she doesn’t have them “uncleaning” for her -- but I will tell you, that even with small children “uncleaning” my home, it’s looks worlds apart better even after they go full force crazy-messy on it.)

Just stick to taking baby steps until this all naturally works up to a flowing system. Let go of perfection and watch your home start to shine.

Zone Cleaning:

Once you have decluttered in a zone (and this may take a few months -- that’s ok, there’s no rush) you are ready for the detailed cleaning lists. Then you won’t need to declutter for 15 minutes a day, you will follow the detailed cleaning lists in the zones for 15 minutes a day. You will be amazed at how easy it is to do detailed cleaning when the clutter is gone!

What is more amazing is how easy it is to keep it clean when your routines are in place. The Fly Lady says “The house practically cleans itself!"

There are 5 zones in the home that she focuses on, and it averages out to one a week per month. (Of course each month is a different week-set up, so sometimes you do a short couple days in one zone, and a couple days in a different zone, at the start and end of some months.)

Don’t worry if you think you have more than 5 zones in your house (we all do!) But her zones will hit on all the major living areas, in a few months you will notice the main parts of your home will be looking great. And you will be able to tackle any “other” areas. (Like basement, garage or yard, etc)

“You are never behind. Jump in where you are.” -- Fly Lady

“It did not get dirty overnight and it’s not going to get clean in a day.” -- Fly Lady

Zone 1

(This is the one that gets shortened up sometimes.)

This is the time to focus on the front porch, entrance, and dining room.

If you are just starting out, you declutter these zones for 15 minutes a day.

If you have already decluttered, then you move onto a detailed cleaning list for these areas. (It’s things like dusting, and vacuuming/mopping under furniture, cleaning finger prints off light switches….)

Zone 2

The Kitchen.

This one gets a full week every month (remember it’s just 15 mins a day)

Zone3 

The main bathroom and one other room in the house (Pick one such as: Kid room, extra room, office, craft room, utility room) But don’t do two really bad rooms at once. 15 mins a day. Take it easy consistency is key -- it will get you to your goal.

Zone 4

The master bedroom. 

During this week clean out our closets, master bathrooms, and bedroom area. But if there is serious clutter, take care of that first -- 15 mins at a time. Your master bedroom is the room at is most important in your life. This is where you rest, clutter keeps you from resting well. Get rid of this clutter and find your oasis.

Zone 5

Your Living Room, Family Room, or Den. But only focus on one this week. After a few months, you will have them all decluttered, and detailed cleaning with be a breeze.

(I have about 3 rooms that can count as this space, but they don’t get deeply dirty, so I intend to pretty much do only one a month and rotate them them when I get to zone 5.)

This zone usually only has a few days a month. Then the month ends and we start over in the next month with Zone 1 all over again.

Ok so that lays out the main point of Fly Lady’s system. 

However she has lots and lots of pages of her website with tons of ideas (like I said, I fell down the rabbit hole for a long time. And I’m sure I’ll fall back down again.)

But if you grasp this, you grasp the gears of the machine.

So download her App (It has all these routines laid out in an easy to follow set up) and start checking off the boxes that you can, every day. 

And low and behold, your house will start getting nicer and nicer.

The app has a couple glitches, like for me I can’t always see the “mission of the day” -- so if it doesn’t load right, I will go to this page of the website and see what my assignment is.

And when I downloaded it, one of the detailed cleaning lists was put in wrong, so I edited it to correct it.

And it’s very nice that the app is set up so you can edit . If your rooms don’t have the things on the list you can remove it. And if you room needs another thing added, you can add it. (For example, under the entryway detail cleaning I added "sweep the stairs” since I have stairs.) If you ever wanted to, you can also add whole zones and their accompanying details; or daily routines and their steps.

I think it’s fun because as you check off boxes you get points, and as you earn points you can earn new levels (named after gemstones.) Just a tiny extra motivator.

So I’d tell you to go check it out.

And if you don’t have a compatible smart phone (or don’t want the app) this page of the website is the most concise. You can still do all this stuff without an app, for sure. (It was all invented before app existed!)

In my next post I will share with you some of my own journey with Fly Lady, and some of my own tips and tricks to go with it.

What do you think, just reading it through? Had you heard of Fly Lady before? Does it sound like something that might help you/work for you? 

Do you already do something like this? What works for you?

Are you going to download the app? Let me know! (I love hearing from you!)