Questions for you FLYLADIES...

[newmomm]

My house and I need help! I need to get into a routine and came across the flylady.net website. I know there are some ladies on here that use her system, and I'm wondering if you have stuck with it and if it works. How long did it take before you were not living in CHAOS! Did you really do the baby steps on step at a time? How did you get your family involved? If this didn't work for you, but something else did, what was it that worked? I would love to hear your experience with this and hopefully it will give me the kick I need!!

Clare

[egoldber]

I hated Flylady. I could never get into it or make it work. I recently got this and it seems to be working for me. I've been doing it for about a month now.

www.motivatedmoms.com

[Octobermommy]

I must admit I don't follow flylady that closely but I did shine my sink ( it looked so much better!) and use her 15 min in one area, 15 min in another, 15 min in another and rest for 15 minutes. It is amazing how much you can get done in 15 minutes. Also the hit the "Hot spot" for 5 minutes that clutter gathers works well.

[hillaryb]

there are other sites, realsimple.com, better homes and gardens web site, that offer cleaning schedules.

I tried the "weekly area" idea and the daily/weekly/monthly chore lists, but I've finally come to the decision that *I* know best when needs to be done and when. I'd rather do it all at one time, less often, and wipe down the kitchen and bath additionally as needed.

So I've adapted the lists to my family's needs. As DD gets older, or if there's another DC in the house, I'll have to change the list, but it works for now.

The hardest part for me is finding the best time to clean. DD doesn't like the vacuum and I like to clean when no one's home (and in my way!) so I'm looking forward to warmer weather when DH can take DD out to play for a while.

MIL cleans houses for a living, but lucky for me, DH doesn't expect a spotless house. He knows that if it bothers him, he can clean it!

[KrisM]

Back when I only had 1 child and he napped, I used The Sidetracked Home Executive book to get a schedule. Very similar to Fly Lady, I think, but with index cards instead of emails.

[npace19147]

I use the site rememberthemilk.com for lists of things to be done. I've created daily, weekly and monthly lists of things to do and it sends me one email in the morning about what's to be done that day. I like that it's customizable and I can control how many emails are sent when. Flylady completely overwhelmed me.

[newmomm]

Thanks for all your replies. I'm glad the majority of people felt overwhelmed by flylady...that is exactly how I felt when I was looking at it! It seems like the motivatedmoms.com planner is more what I was looking for. Thanks Beth! Did you print out the whole year and put it in a binder? I like the 5.5x8.5 size, with one day on each page.

I think maybe with some of the ideas from flylady, like setting the timer for 15 minutes a day, (and getting the once a day email instead of the 10-20 daily ones) as well as a planner that gives me daily chores, my house might become the place I'm happy to call home...

Clare

[egoldber]

I have the planner that has a week on one page. I use it as a weekly to do list rather than a daily one. I scan the list for things to do and by the end of the week I find that I accomplish almost everything on the list. That seems to work best for us. :)

You get a pdf file, and I print out a month at a time.

[niccig]

I have the planner that has a week on one page. I use it as a weekly to do list rather than a daily one. I scan the list for things to do and by the end of the week I find that I accomplish almost everything on the list. That seems to work best for us. :)

You get a pdf file, and I print out a month at a time.

I'll have to look at this.

To the OP, I was part of clean sweepers over on the old Organized Home message board. The idea was that you would post you daily to do list and log back in to check things off as you did them. I've found that if I write a list of what has to happen that day, and then check it off as I go, it keeps me on track. I might look at the weekly lists that Beth posted about, and then I could do whatever works for me on each day.

[newmomm]

I want to say thank you so much to Beth for telling me about motivatedmoms.com! I have been working with this system for a couple of weeks now and I'm so much calmer, organized and happy!!! I did a really deep clean the weekend after I started the system and have not only kept up with it, but have taken on (and finished!) some extra projects around the house. This was exactly what I was looking for. I need to have a list and to be able to go to bed and night and see everything checked off is so rewarding for me!!!

Clare

[niccig]

I want to say thank you so much to Beth for telling me about motivatedmoms.com! I have been working with this system for a couple of weeks now and I'm so much calmer, organized and happy!!! I did a really deep clean the weekend after I started the system and have not only kept up with it, but have taken on (and finished!) some extra projects around the house. This was exactly what I was looking for. I need to have a list and to be able to go to bed and night and see everything checked off is so rewarding for me!!!

Clare

Thanks for posting this. I looked at it when Beth posted about it, but went no further. Now, you have motivated me to print it out and start working on something. I too do better with a list that is checked off.


ETA. Which ones did you and Beth print off???

[egoldber]

I have the one that has the whole week on one 8.5x11 page. I use it as a weekly to do list. I don't always get to everything every week, but I do get to most things at some point during the week.

I have yet to clean my purse though. ;)

[newmomm]

I printed out the half size page per day planner. I love that I can use this for my daily organizer, as it has an "appointments" section. I bought a cute mini 3 hole binder from etsy to put it in and carry it with me where ever I go!

I cleaned out my purse yesterday!!

Clare

[niccig]

Thanks. I've off to buy this now. It's $8 and worth it, if it helps gets some order into my days. DS is at preschool 3 days a week, and now that I have my time, I get even less done than when he was home everyday. I like the look of the sample sheets, so it's worth a try....

[KrisM]

I'm such a dork. I went to this site when Beth mentioned it and didn't see much and didn't really understand what it is. I just now went again and noticed that at the bottom of the products page are sample pdfs. It sure wasn't an obvious place for me to find them!

Looks pretty cool, now that I understand it.

[niccig]

I bought it and printed out the next 4 weeks. I can see some things that I won't do as often as they list, or things that I will do more often, eg. vacuum because of our long-haired dog.

Like Beth, I won't do things on they days that they suggest. Eg. Tuesday is clean out file cabinet, but DS isn't at school and doesn't nap. He has quiet time, but I still get interrupted, so I'll move the filing cabinet to Wed. when he's at school or do it one night that DH is working late.

I like that it gives me a basic list to try and do, and then I'll sub in extra things when I need them and I won't do something on their list. I need something that isn't too long, as if I do my own list, well, it's about 5 pages of a to-do list...and many things have been there for a LONG time...I just need some guidance, so I'm not scratching my head and looking at the mess and not knowing where to start.

[egoldber]

I really like knowing how things repeat. So if I don't get to something this week (like cleaning my purse ;) ) I know it will pop back up again. :)

[niccig]

I really like knowing how things repeat. So if I don't get to something this week (like cleaning my purse ;) ) I know it will pop back up again. :)

I looked ahead and in next 4 weeks they have a few items like clean out attic/storage area/garage. Our garage is a bomb...it'll take me days to get it straightened out...But if I can do some of it in the weeks that they suggest, I know they'll be another opportunity later in the month to finish it off. And if I do get it cleaned out, then they'll be a recurring "work in garage" task...

[KrisM]

I looked ahead and in next 4 weeks they have a few items like clean out attic/storage area/garage. Our garage is a bomb...it'll take me days to get it straightened out...But if I can do some of it in the weeks that they suggest, I know they'll be another opportunity later in the month to finish it off. And if I do get it cleaned out, then they'll be a recurring "work in garage" task...

Ha! My garage is fairly clean...go figure! We have a 2 car garage and always park 2 cars in it! I never would have guessed I'm further along than you on something.

[niccig]

Ha! My garage is fairly clean...go figure! We have a 2 car garage and always park 2 cars in it! I never would have guessed I'm further along than you on something.

LOL. I can talk a good talk and about 2 years ago I did walk the talk - things were pretty straightened out, but then it all fall apart when I got sick and DS was mobile. I'm climbing back on the wagon. I've always been better at paperwork stuff, probably because of my work.

We're in SoCal, so our garage is our basement/attic. I literally walk in there and just add whatever is in my hands to the pile in the middle, where a car should be. But because of the built-in cupboards, I'm not even sure the car would fit in there...it would be nice though. Actually, I want to have a big clear area for DS's art easel etc, and maybe the electric trains he inherited from his Dad...maybe with the Motivated Moms List, I can get there.

[KrisM]

LOL. I can talk a good talk and about 2 years ago I did walk the talk - things were pretty straightened out, but then it all fall apart when I got sick and DS was mobile. I'm climbing back on the wagon. I've always been better at paperwork stuff, probably because of my work.

We're in SoCal, so our garage is our basement/attic. I literally walk in there and just add whatever is in my hands to the pile in the middle, where a car should be. But because of the built-in cupboards, I'm not even sure the car would fit in there...it would be nice though. Actually, I want to have a big clear area for DS's art easel etc, and maybe the electric trains he inherited from his Dad...maybe with the Motivated Moms List, I can get there.

It is nice haing a basement. It's actually fairly organized, too. Well, my areas are. The tool storage is DH's job and is a huge mess. I don't really know how I'd manage without the basement.

[Beckylove]

Thanks so much to all the posters for the motivated moms suggestion. I looked at flylady.net this week too and was overwhelmed. But I need to do something. I look around the house and just wonder what I do all day because it always seems like a mess. Thanks for this thread and the posts.

[KrisM]

re: motivatedmoms.com
use the code GROUP for $1 off. Also apparently it will be discounted to $4 in July. ($3 with code).

Thanks. Procrastination just saved me a buck!

[KrisM]

Okay, just so you know it'll start at January this year. I'm guessing that's why it'll go down to $4 in July - half the year is over.