Any other Flylady rejects out there? - Page 7

[paula_bear]

OMG, I need help today. My house looks like it survived a major explosion - my DD decided to camp out in the family room, I haven't ventured down to the basement playroom in days, DD's room hasn't been picked up for at least a week, I didn't even make my bed today. I've been lounging about checking posts here most of today, although I managed to enter 29 addresses into a database so I could send out a small mailing today.

Flylady just didn't work for me. WAY too structured. And I spent more time checking my Inbox than I spent de-cluttering! Anyway, she also has priorities that don't mesh with my own. Forget the shoes in house - we have the no-shoes rule (except for adult visitors, it's optional) which is one reason why our house normally looks clean! Also, I scrub the kitchen sink a few times a week - if it is free of dirty dishes, I consider it clean enough for me!

I also read and used the book "Confessions of an Organized Homemaker." Some of that helped, but again, a bit too structured for my brain to handle. Although I admitt that meal planning definitely alleviates that "what the heck are we gonna eat for dinner tonight" stress.

For me, the biggest obstacle to order and cleanliness was myself. I used to fight a mental battle everytime I cleaned (and also a bit of ADD or something - I could easily get taken off task and before I knew it, I'd be house cleaning a closet, but the beds would be unmade, clothes covering the floor, etc.) I don't know why cleaning brought on a barrage of mental self-abuse for me, but I finally decided to change. I stopped beating myself up - when I felt the onslaught of negative self-talk coming on, I assured myself that I was doing a great job and that I can handle (whatever task I was working on) and then I'd go on, ignoring "the critic." Well, it's worked.

Except for some reason, today I find myself amidst a bombshell of a home, with no motivation to get it back in shape. DH will be home shortly and if he sees the place in this state, he'll flip. He's been gone since early this morning, so I really owe it to him to provide him with some order to come home to. OK, guess I better get moving...

[clane]

Flylady just got on my nerves. I finally unsubscribed after I created a folder for all the email and deleted it once a day (blush). DH was laughing his rear off at me for even attempting something so rigid with 2 kids in the house and another on the way.

[tracyhos]

Yet another drop out.
I still get the emails. I haven't read one of them in months. I should just un-subscribe.

Too structured and too "my way is the only correct way" to do everything...

[TigerTail]

it was marvelous to read cheryl mendolson's 'home comforts' (it is truly the 'joy of cooking' of housekeeping, i would like to buy a copy for every human starting their own home) & see her view of shoes in the house. THANK GOD.

[2lilsweetfoxes]

Evening Routine a la Flylady

1. Lay out your clothes for tomorrow

2. Take a few minutes for yourself

3. Check your Calendar for Tomorrow's Events

4. Spend 2 minutes clearing off your Hot Spots

5. Shine your sink

6. Wash your face, moisturize, brush your teeth and floss

7. Go to bed at a decent hour

*****

Realistic, and now, here is

My Evening Routine

1. Throw T-shirt, underwear, socks, bra, and boots into a bag. Decide BDU's I've been wearing all week look fine. Lay out PT uniform. Kids hide something necessary. Discover that in the morning.

2. Curl up on the sofa with a magazine to read an article while drinking a cocoa--for 10 minutes of "me time". Referee at least 2 sibling fights and listen to dd saying "mommy, what is that? Mommy that looks good. Mommy, I like hot chocolate (or whatever it is I'm drinking)" and begging for me to do something with her. When DH tries to distract her away from me, "I'm talking to MOMMY!" Ends with her running out of the room sobbing and me feeling lower than dirt.

3. What time and where is PT? Is there court tomorrow? That info is in the car. Oh well. It's probably the same as last week. Of course it was changed and is earlier than usual.

4. Transfer hotspots around. Then play "find the keys and wallet". And where on earth are your ID card and phone. And they will be moved before morning. Discover an overdue bill or movie. Swear you'll take care of it come tomorrow. Forget to charge the cell phone. Pick up front room. DD drags out about 10 more toys.

5. Well, the dishwasher is still going from lunch dishes and last nights dinner dishes. There was no room for tonight's dinner dishes. They'll just have to wait till tomorrow.

6. Discover you are out of face wash--and swear the bottle was over 3/4 full last night--and your toothbrush has been used to brush Barbie's hair and is still in the playroom. Take 2 Motrins. Chase with a Screwdriver. Out of orange juice. Drink the vodka that was already poured.

7. Kids fight bedtime until 11, then play jack in the box from 2 till 4. Get up for work at 5.

8. If doing a "Dungeon" on World of Warcraft--skip steps 1-6. Just do it in the morning.

[SusannahM]

I do like her tip about going ahead and putting on shoes for the day, though. I like to be able to answer the door and step outside to talk to somebody or go to the grocery store without having anything to do besides find my keys. We just got new carpet (and I don't like tracking in dirt from outside the house and having my girl crawl all over it), so we don't wear shoes in the house, but I do make sure I have my socks on or toenails painted and the shoes for the day picked out and ready in the utility room.

The easiest tip I have for keeping it clean (and, amazing, lately, it's been really clean and organized around here) is have places to store things everywhere, have a place chosen for everything, get rid of your clutter, and don't be too picky about what toys go into what storage place. We've got 2 storage ottomans, 3 storage stools, a skinny armoire, a wide armoire, and a set of really pretty boxes in our living room as part of our decor. In our bedroom (DD sleeps in there, and it's her playroom, too, we only live in 4 rooms in our huge house at the moment because we're trying to sell it and I don't want to have to clean too much of it - the living room, kitchen, master bedroom and bath), we have a really classy looking toy box (got it at Ikea), 2 big baskets as nightstands, and 4 under the bed boxes (we all sleep on platform beds). So, there's always a place really handy to put toys. Oh, and the cabinet under my sink is used for mostly stuffed animals, and a few random toys. It literally only takes me about 10 minutes to de-clutter the house. I think I got on DH's nerves a little when I insisted on finding all storage pieces when we redecorated, but he loves it now! We even thought about getting this storage couch and a chair, but since you can't sit on it before you get it, we were really nervous about it not being comfortable:

http://www.homereserve.com/

We're planning on moving into an apartment when we move, so if we find we need more storage space, I guess we'll first replace our chair with one of the storage ones.