Any mamas who use flylady....?

[laurabfig]

What do you like? Not like? Did it help you get organized or totally annoy you?

[chalupamom]

Well, I just started a couple weeks ago and am finding parts of it bizarre beyond measure. If you sign up for the e-mail support/reminder list, you get like two dozen e-mails a day...Do this! Do that! Don't forget this!

On the other hand, when we came back from library story time today we came in the front door and I was shocked at how nice, clean and peaceful the house looked. Truly not a disappointment to be home (which I've felt many a time, unfortunately!).

I got the flylady book (Sink Reflections) and had to read through it several times - it's not well edited but the information is all there to reference as you need it.

[SharonAnne]

Love Flylady. I dont' subscribe to the email list. I simply go to the site every day, check what zone we're working in, check on Kelly's mission, and then look forward all day to going home and working in my zone. I also have the book. Not sure what you mean by "not well edited" but I find it easy to follow. Although, I'd been following the plan for quite some time before I bought the book, so that could have something to do with it.

I printed out her guide to moving just yesterday, since I"ll be moving in a few weeks and could use all the help I can get :LOL

[journeymom]

Is it too late to add to the discussion? I'm trying flylady (again). I find the web site very cluttered and difficult to get around in. The front page especially is overwhelming. Waaay too much information on one page for this dim bulb.

I'm jealous of those fly-ers who have actually succeeded in making a routine and are keeping their homes clean and uncluttered.

1)Has anyone actually made a "control journal"?

2)Anyone dealing with a compulsive collecting husband? Or child?

Dh is far from obsessive compulsive. But he seems to have a real problem getting rid of t-shirts. He has probaby 30 crammed in one drawer. And little broken things: key chains, lanyards, watch links, pens, mechanical pencils. And receipts!! Oh, don't even start on receipts. He thinks that because maybe 5% of them are necessary for tax purposes, he should just dump his pockets at the end of the day, and maybe he'll get to sorting them later. So it all piles up on top of the dresser.

Sorry! Didn't mean to get so far off topic!

3) So, you (if you want to) print off the pages about Zone 1-5 and put it in your own three-ring binder, right? And add the detailed cleaning list, too. This is so you don't have to rely on the emails?

4) And regarding the emails: does this work best for people who check their email throughout the day? It's kinda goofy, being on the West coast, getting a prompt to start my bed time routine in the early evening. Or reading the reminder to put my shoes on when I finally get a chance to check email at 1:00pm. I'm being kind of literal here, I think.

I guess if it's going to work I'm going to have to adjust the routine to fit my personality/needs. Which is what Julie Morgenstern points out in "Organizing from the Inside Out".

[Meli65]

I like FlyLady. It's the only organizing/cleaning routine that has ever really worked for me. I have fallen out of the habit lately, but when I really need to get things done I put on my silly white house shoes and even though I don't set a timer, I am very conscious about cleaning in "zones."

The best habit I got into was not leaving dishes in the sink overnight. I want to get back on the stick since I just found out I am pregnant

[TwinMom]

I am easing back into Flylady mode. I've been reading the reminders and zone missions and testimonials (I love those!) for several weeks and am just about ready to get off my butt and actually DO it now. Right after I had Alec I was into Flylady and it made such a difference, but then I started to let things slack and they went back to "normal." I don't want to live like this! I can't do a lot in my kitchen right now; everything in there makes me nauseous (not 'cause it's that gross, from pregnancy), but I'm going to start doing some of the other stuff. I've mainly got to get out from under the constant clutter. I wish someone would come do my 27-Fling Boogies for me!

[mamameg]

Okay, this thread has inspired me to do two things.

1) Unsub from the flylady email list. :LOL I get so many emails a day, it's ludicrous. They get filed into a folder, but that folder is so out of control now, I don't even look at it.

2) Get flylady to work for me in another way. What's the binder you mention??? Did I simply not read the site well enough to stumble upon this binder concept? Or am I just not swift enough to think of it myself? Either way, I like the idea! Especially with the babe, it's way easier for me to have a binder I can take anywhere in the house than having to deal with accessing the computer in the office.

Overall, I think flylday is an awesome tool... one I haven't fully utilized. But the house is driving me nuts lately and I need to do *something*. Flylady is it.

[Poetmama]

I use the Flylady. Her routines have helped me so much. I hadn't even thougth about cleaning the front entryway of my house since I never come in the front door. But that was a mission one day and I was shocked at the webs surrounding my door! I need some structure since I go to school full time, have two kids and a husband that works 50+ hours a week. If I have just one thing done (ie: a clean sink) I feel like I did something with my time!

1)Has anyone actually made a "control journal"?
Yes, I have the skeleton of a control journal. In it is my rough schedule, things like "Wednesday: take out all trash cans" I was always forgetting to dump out the office trash...
I also buy a months worth of birthday cards and keep them in there. I made a phone book that includes birthdays.
2)Anyone dealing with a compulsive collecting husband? Or child?


3) So, you (if you want to) print off the pages about Zone 1-5 and put it in your own three-ring binder, right? And add the detailed cleaning list, too. This is so you don't have to rely on the emails?
No, I don't print the pages. I just check my email to see what the day's mission is. See your next question.

4) And regarding the emails: does this work best for people who check their email throughout the day? It's kinda goofy, being on the West coast, getting a prompt to start my bed time routine in the early evening. Or reading the reminder to put my shoes on when I finally get a chance to check email at 1:00pm. I'm being kind of literal here, I think.

I get the emails in a digest and read it right before bed. I do the mission the next day. I think I end up a day behind, but this works for me. I too am on the West Coast and hated getting reminders to go to bed at 8:00, like I could even if I wanted too!

I have really found that taking what I need from the FlyLady and leaving the rest (like the testamonials) works best for me! Hope it works for you!

[natesmommy126]

[MamaMonica]

I was intimidated by the massive amt. of info. on her site, but do the basics- clean my sink- I never left dirty dishes since I grew up that way it's horrible to wake up to dishes.

I actually haven't gotten beyond cleaning my sink, now that you mention it. I have a friend who does flylady and her house looks FABULOUS.

Mine looks good when I'm motivated, but can go downhill because it's a huge space and there's one of me to clean and three of them to mess it up.

[calmom]

I Flylady. It is the only thing that has every worked for me! I was never taught to clean anytihng growing up so I really needed some help.

I just tossed my old control journal and need to get a new one. Since having my dd, I've been lagging behind. My only problem with it is a binder is too big for my purse and those nice medium sized organizers are just way too expensive when you buy the sheets that go in them.

I don't want to completely hijack your thread but could someone tell me what exactly they use for their journal that is not a lot of $$$?

[journeymom]

What's the binder you mention??? Did I simply not read the site well enough to stumble upon this binder concept?

See, this is what I'm talking about. I can understand why you didn't catch this idea, because it's buried under so much other stuff. I believe she mentions it in the portion where she describes making your own control journal.

On the left side of the front page there's an index. Go to "Table of Contents". It's a site map, and it's the only way I can get around that site without losing my patience.

[journeymom]

However! I was inspired by FlyLady enough yesterday to clean up the family room and dust the piano for the first time in many months. I rearranged a bunch of photos sitting on top of the piano, and the whole thing looks better. Dh even noticed.

Though that had nothing to do with the current zone (cleaning a bathroom, I think?).


Edited to add, I nearly had a cow last night when dh left the dessert dishes on the counter.

"Did you even think to see if there's room in the dishwasher?! Can you not see the sink and counters are clear?"

Dh says, "If there are dishes in there why didn't you run the dishwasher?"

Me, "Look how many dishes are in there. That is not a full dishwasher. I don't run it unless it's full and neither should you. Besides, you're changing the subject. (dh is smiling) You're trying to cover up for yourself. Just for future referance, pleeeease look in the dishwash to see if there's room for the dishes. Pleeeease don't leave them on the counter."

[MidnightCafe]

Here's the link on making a binder:

http://flylady.com/pages/FLYingLessons_Journal.asp

I don't do flylady, but I've picked up some ideas from the site.

[natesmommy126]

I just joined the yahoo group. Wish me luck!