BellyBelly Flyers - Flylady Chat #2

[LimeSlice]

good job Lucy!

My mum is coming on the 13th June (yes, she is flying on Friday the 13th) so I am trying to fly higher at the moment! lol Definately want to house to be presentable when she gets here...last time DD was only 3 weeks old and I couldnt do anything due to c/s - but this time I dont have any such excuses! lol

Sink is shiny though, ad de-cluttering is well and truly on the way!

...Just got to get enough motivation to clean out my pantry...

[Lolli]

God bless FlyLady. Been flyinf for two weeks and the house *feels* cleaner. The power of positive thinking!!
Have a question though- does anyone actually have a control journal?

[Lucy]

does anyone actually have a control journal

I have tried it, and it didn't work for me.

Instead I use Outlook as my diary and use an A5 hardbacked notebook in my bag as my "list central" LOL!

[tiggerandpooh]

When I first came across the thread talking about FLYLADY I wandered if I had fallen into some cult following

I checked out the website the first day, and thought OH MY GOD, someone is looking into my very sould...joined the next day, and consequently started receiving emails. I have skimmed though them, read some in there entirety... but the biggest thing that happened to begin with was the sould searching I started doing. Initially, for the life of me, I so didn't get why I needed to shine my sink... so I didn't. Until this morning.

As a scrubbed away soap scum, and tarnish, and started seeing myself reflected back, I felt like I was metphorically scrubbing away at my soul... some of noise in my head eased, and my heart felt uplifted, and I felt inspired to be able to do more... baby steps at the moment. but god its a good feeling to be climbing out of the chaos...

So thanks to all my other flyladies, for giving me a litle push.

[LimeSlice]

So glad you shinned your sink Vicky!!

Well done...and you so do feel better for doing it too...and making the bed. Even if I do nothing else allday, my bed is always made and my sink is always shiney cause it just makes me feel so breezy all day!

Baby steps GL

[MantaRay]

I really need to get FLYing properly too. I am very lucky to have a bit of a house fairy - PIL look after the boys 3 days a week and MIL also cooks for us those nights and does washing and ironing (bless her). And I have a cleaner once a fortnight. But with working ft, it is easy to get out of control and I haven't been able to get any routines going properly yet.

I was going to ask about the control journal too. My problem is that I forget what needs to be done - I am usually so tired by the time I get home, then have to rush to get T fed and to bed as he is always starving and tired. Then if J isn't too tired I'll play with him for a while before he goes to bed. And then I collapse. And the mornings - well - let's just say rush, rush, rush. Maybe I need to try it and see.

Also, I was wondering if anyone had tried the Office in a Bag concept? I think that would help me to not forget to pay bills etc, and would make it easier to make use of my "downtime" at work. But then, maybe I'd just forget to take it with me and the bills would sit in it unpaid. I don't know, maybe I should try that and see too.

My first thing is I have listed 8 jobs I want to do over the long weekend. But by Friday I am sure it will be longer. I'm going to try doing each in 15min chunks and see how I go. Wish me luck!!

[Lolli]

Good luck MantaRay!!!! Got my long weekend list going too... going try to rope dh in to help (might promise him home cooked dessert food as payment... that normally works)

[MantaRay]

My DH is away for the long weekend, so I am going to see how well I can get the boys involved! I think J will love helping but T could be a challenge. He loves picking things up and putting them away. Then tipping them all out again.

[Kazbah]

what's the aussie flylady yahoogroup name?

i need to fly. but when I do my 15mins, and have piles of washing sorted, DH comes into the room and undoes my piles

[mumstheword]

What can I say? I keep trying to FLY to no avail. It goes well for awhile but I don't seem to be able to keep my routines going and as for the shiny sink .

I need motivation big time ladies as I do my chores but the house still seems messy

I have however, washed the dishes, put them away

I am also trying to find ways to clean without chemicals. knw of bicarb soda, vinegar ad water anyone know any others? Also can anyone tell me ho long it took the men in their life to help you keep the sink shining?

You ladies who iron, no offense but, why bother I dont iron and dont see the point, cnvnce me wh need to iron

I shake-shake-shake and hang. That way it eliminates 1. ironing 2. hanging them up 3. having that 'clothes chair' in the bedroom for things intended to go back on hangers.

Great idea, but does that mean you hant the clothes on the line on the hangers? What about winy days

And I haven't been able to get the hang of the babysteps what do you expect from someone who didn't learn to crawl until after she walked

[MantaRay]

I would love not to iron. But sadly most of my work shirts need at least a quick iron. And as for DH's shirts - they need more than a quick iron! Of course sometimes he does his and sometimes I do. I don't iron anything else though.

I am the same as you Rachael - lots of fits and starts. But the concept of baby steps has finally gelled. Just pick up ONE change at a time, even if it takes a month or two, just do ONE thing different. This then becomes a habit. The sink shining seems to work for most people, but for me the load a day has worked better. Then I added swish and swipe. Just do that one extra thing each day until it's habit, you no longer need to "remember", you just do. Then you add the next thing. It is slow, but eventually you get there (in theory - I'm not there yet either LOL!).

GL, I hope you get there.

[Netix]

Does FLY actually stand for anything?

I don't have a Control Journal, but have seen a diary I like for next year. Its called 'mum's diary' from debden I think. I was going to use my old a5 organiser, but that is at my Mum's house, and given that I don't go there much (and since she isn;t really talking to me atm), I don't see myself getting it in a hurry. Unless I can psychically figure it out and ask my brother to get it out for me. But if I do happen to get it by the end of the year, I will use that instead. I have this thing for writing notes and lists. Sometimes I think I'm obsessed by it. Honestly, I do!

I am reading this whole thread in between typing my post, and also looking at FlyLady's site. I don't get the whole shine your sink thing, but I am sure I will when I start. Sounds to me almost like a spiritual revelation. But I do make the bed everyday, so it is very tidy, and always clean the stove when I do the dishes (which I try to do every night). When I get up in the morning (which is often around 9 or 10! ) I put on a load of washing before breakfast so that its dry by the arvo.

Ha, I just thought of something. Not really related to FLy Lady, but the Man said to me a little while ago (when I was in the groove of my daily list, including make up) that I don't have to do all that (especially the make up), as its not the 1930's, I don't have to have the house perfect for him, and be all made up awaiting his arrival home. Awww, isn't he sweet? But at least he noticed.... And I was trying to have a roast every Sunday. That works fine, when we are home. But for the last two weeks, and the next Sunday coming, we won't be home. Maybe I'll have to SC a chook? Hmmm, new browser window please! Okay, Sunday's roast dinner sorted, SC chicken with french onion soup cooked on onions. Microwave and fry some veges when we get home. Then for other times, I think I will try to cook in an oven bag (saw it on Better Homes the other week) to try and keep my oven clean, which means less cleaning, even though the Man has volunteered to clean the oven for me when needed. Sorry, bit of a deviation there...

Just thought of something good my Mum has done. Got me out of ironing. The only thing that gets ironed now are jeans. Mine (if I can be bothered) and the Man's. That's it. I don't even iron the Boy's jeans (well, he dumps his clothes in the bottom of his wardrobe, so I don't see the point. Actually, I'm tempted to dump his clean clothes in a pile on his floor, as that's where it all usually ends up because he won't put them away!). The Man wears flouro shirts for work, which I hang up asap (along with most of the washing, which helps keep it wrinkle free). Ironed jeans and flouro shirts for work, I know, an odd combo, but he teaches trucks for a living, so likes to look good.

I had better go, finish reading flylady later. Have to do something about dinner....

[MissWingBat]

OMG I just looked up that diary you were saying and I WANT ONE NOW!!
How exciting! They finally have put something together to please us!
YAY!
I am getting one RIGHT NOW....

[Netix]

You know.... I was thinking of you when I saw the Mum diaries... Who's stalking who now!?!
I am going to restrain myself and wait. Actually I'm going to tell the Man that is what I want for Christmas. I'm going to get a pink one!

[Astrid]

Ok, I keep on looking at Flylady and taking some ideas from the site. Does anyone actually follow it fully or do they adapt it to themselves.

Well I kind of have an office in a bad organised. Recycled an old uni lecture folder/binder. I have reused the cardboard note pockets for "bills to pay" "filing" "general to do" "info". Info is for those flyer's, brochures etc that I need access to for the moment. There are some loose leaf page for notes etc, business card plastic inserts (have been meaning to get these for years). The front of the folder has a pencil case and small pockets, good for stamps etc. So I am getting more organised and have told DH what it is for in case he is looking for anything.

Having trouble doing much around the kids. Whilst I understand the concept of only doing it for 15 minutes, it is hard with interruptions. Just trying to vacuum today was a nightmare. Every 30 sec DD1 demanded something (bum wiping cannot wait) or screamed about the noise, then bubs woke up and virtually no vacuuming got done. If I am dragging out the vacuum I like to get as much done despite the time. So how do others cope?

I think I have a real problem keeping motivated with interruptions, in the end I just give up and I just feel depressed about not getting anything done. So I am not sure any routine is going to help me until the girls at school.

Does anyone else think the Flylady site needs a makeover? It is very dated in look and a pain to navigate.

[~*familyof3*~]

Please excuse my ignorance.......but what is flylady?

[Rowellen]

Google to flylady and check it out. It is basically a routine for cleaning/decluttering with motivational emails & stories, how to get started when you feel overwhelmed. Lots of tips and helpful info. Love it. I especially love her "you can do anything for 15 minutes" and "you don't have to do it perfectly, just do it" and "let go of your perfectionism" type statements.