FlyLady Ezines 2019

[SAR01]

Dear Friends,

March is our month to practice getting dressed to lace up shoes each morning. This habit can make a huge difference in how you feel. Give yourself a star.

Several years ago one of our members started her new habit of getting dressed. She began posting her picture on our Facebook page. We are all so proud of Marilyn for inspiring us each day with her smiling face. We have watched as she has transformed before our very eyes. You can do this too! I had the pleasure of meeting Marilyn when we were in South Dakota last fall.

Click here to watch her transformation video!

Some of our members are having a hard time dealing with depression. Many of us have suffered from this debilitating disease. There are medications that can help lift our spirits and if your doctor thinks this is an option, then by all means take his advice. Do not feel guilty or think that there is a stigma attached to taking a medication. I have done it and it worked for me many years ago.

With the help of medication, you can start to dig yourself out of the hole that you have been living in. You see, the chaos in our homes and our depression have a direct relationship. The worse we feel about ourselves, the more cluttered our homes become. There has to be a stopping place. There are a few things we can do for ourselves. These don't cost money and can be fun.

There are many "Get Organized" groups and systems out there. We have tried many of them, but they have not helped us. Have they? The reason is they were directed toward the symptom of the disease and not the disease itself.

Our messy homes are just that, a symptom of something much deeper. A disease of the Spirit. You do not love yourself. Some of you may not be ready to hear this, but don't stop reading just because it touches a nerve. Until you treat the illness, you are going to continue to have the chaos.

I want to help you find peace. This comes from learning a few new techniques and implementing some routines. When we take care of our minds, body, and spirit, the rest will gradually fall right into place, but we have to find that starting place.

One of things we stress is that you get up and get dressed, fix your face and hair and take care of yourself. This is also why, we want you to be proud of your shiny sink. These simple actions can turn the downward spiral into an upward trend. We are not asking you to jump through hoops, just accomplish a couple of simple things first. It will take time, but if you will begin to feel good about what you are doing. Before you know it, the shiny sink will evolve into a clean kitchen and the kitchen will be contagious to the living room. This is the effect of you feeling better about yourself. The change in your home is not going to happen unless you change yourself first. Your well being is the key. That is why our system touches all parts of your life.

Several years ago, we were taught to fake it till you make it. Well this term works well for us. We can fake a smile and you know what, we will begin to feel happier. It is a proven fact. So put a smile on your face, and go look at yourself in the mirror. Try this with your children. One Mom, did smile therapy with her day care children, they laughed all day and they were not faking it after a while. So When you get up in the morning, wipe that frown off your face and smile that big toothy grin just for me. You are taking your first steps to a happier life. They may be baby steps, but they will get you there. I promise. I have been where you are now. Don't give up.

Are you ready to FLY with a smile on your face,

FlyLady

[SAR01]

Dear Friends,

This morning everything I hear, say, do, or sing has had the word SHINE in it. I got in the my bathtub this morning I found myself singing a childhood Sunday School song; Rise and Shine and Give God the Glory! As the water filled my tub I sang at the top of my lungs. Don't you just love to sing in the shower.

You probably have noticed that I tell you to go shine your sink. I don't say wash the dishes or scrub the sink; I motivate you to get up and SHINE it. What happens is this shiny sink reflects what is really inside of you! When you walk into your kitchen in the morning and you are greeted with a sink that is gleaming; a smile comes across your face and your starts to sing! That joy spreads around your home because you are SHINING!!
When you start shining then you feel happy! I know that it seems too simple to be true, but if you have not shined your sink then don't question me about this. Go shine your sink and prove me wrong.

This is your first babystep toward peace. So Rise and Shine and you will find your purpose for living. Get dressed to lace up shoes and before you know it; your joy will be lighting up your home and you will be blessing the world with you!

Are you ready to Rise and Shine?

FlyLady

[SAR01]

Dear Friends,

Most of the time we are in a dash to get dinner from the car to the table; we just bypass the sink all together. We don't even have dirty dishes because the paper plates we are using just go into the trash can along with our pride.

The guilt we feel when we feed our families our stash and dash meal planning results, not only wreaks havoc with the health of our children but that guilt causes us to feel like we are not good mothers. We want to be the perfect mother but then that perfectionism gets in the way because we don't think we have time.

We have time we just don't know it yet! It all starts with that sink! This sink greets us first thing in the morning with that guilt of dirty dishes and mystery water. We can change that by going to bed with your sink shining. When you walk into your kitchen the next morning you are going to smile. That smile is just the beginning.

So how do you stop the bomb from going off in your kitchen when you do decide to cook? That bomb and the time it takes to clear the collateral damage is one of the reasons that you don't think you have time to cook! Having a plan is half the battle. Implementing that plan as part of your basic weekly plan, before bed routine, morning routine and afternoon routine.

Here is how you stop the damage before it starts.

5 minute on a Wednesday write down your menus for next week.
10 minutes make out a grocery list from your menus
5 minutes clean out the refrigerator making groceries put away easy
30 minutes to grocery shop when you have a list
5 minute to put groceries away
1 minute each evening move frozen food from freezer to refrigerator

Start the day with an empty dishwasher and an empty trash can.

5 minutes to check your menu plan or start a slow cooker
Pick a time to start cooking; Don't wait till meal time to start.
Pizza is not on the menu!

Walk into the kitchen, fill your sink full of hot soapy water
15 minutes in the afternoon to start cooking
Clean up after yourself as you go
Don't multitask. This is when we burn food. FlyBabies don't cook on high!
Do not get in a hurry!
Stay in the kitchen. Children's homework is done at the table.
Delegate the table being set, salad being made, and ice in glasses

You can do this! As you dirty up a dish, spoon or pan; place it in the hot soapy water. As food starts cooking, clean as you go. When you reach into the hot water the utensils will practically be clean. Clean up is a breeze because food residue has not dried and caked on. Before you sit down to eat make sure all prep tools are washed up and drying, ingredients are put back in refrigerator and trash is in the garbage can. Do not put sharp knives into the hot soapy water till you are ready to wash it.

After dinner all you will have to do is put away washed dishes, clear the table and put dishes in dishwater or dishwasher and do them. Make it a habit to go to bed each evening with your sink shining.

Nothing says "I love you" like that sink full of hot soapy water, your clean kitchen, and that shiny sink!

Are you ready to FLY with a sink full of hot soapy water?

FlyLady

[SAR01]

Dear Friends,

In 1999, when I began my journey to get organized, I made two new year's resolutions. The first one was "To Get Organized"! How in the world could I possible do that when I was such a mess. I began to ponder on why I had always had issues with organization.

What I realized was I had never established a habit. At that point I started to berate myself. You know the ugly things we can say to ourselves. That barrage of hateful words almost put an end to my journey before it had even begun. We have all allowed those negative words to stop us in our tracks.

I am thankful for that session of negativity. It made me understand the importance of being kind to myself. That was the first time I ever put together why my procrastination was fed by my hatefulness toward me. This is when I started to FLY!

Now what does this have to do with our kitchens and cooking. Well we beat ourselves up over spilled milk, burnt food, dinner not being ready on time. We get in a hurry and dinner ruined. I want you to be kind to yourself.

This kindness starts with your planning process. We don't have to be superwoman to get a dinner on the table. When we get in that hurry our kitchen looks like a bomb when off. The time it takes to clean up the kitchen expands in reverse proportion to the speed at which you are trying to cook. If we think ahead just a little we can practically eliminate the mountain of dishes we need to wash.

Start with an empty dishwasher
Fill your sink with hot soapy water
Think about one pot meals, one oven, one grill, or one skillet.
Prepare one dish at a time
Clean up after yourself.


Sunday is a day to relax around our home. I have plenty of time. This is why decided to cook roasted chicken in the oven. I don't have a whole chicken but I do have a supply of my standby chicken thighs. One pack was only $4.00. This is the basis of our meal. I can douse them BBQ sauce or anything I chose at this point. Since there are 6 huge thighs. I am marinating them for about an hour before I cook them.

Every marinade needs oil, vinegar or lemon juice, a little soy sauce, salt and pepper. I added cayenne pepper. We like a little kick to our chicken. Our dinner time is 6pm. I have been thinking about how long it takes to cook the chicken. At 300 degrees it takes about an 90 minutes. I don't want the stewing in their own juices so I will put them on a roasting rack. Roasters can be a pain to clean; that is why I am going to cover the bottom of the pan with aluminum foil and add a cup of water to the pan. The water will keep the pan from smoking.

Our whole meal is going to be cooked in the oven. Here is the menu: Roasted Chicken, Baked Sweet Potatoes, Roasted brussel sprouts, and apple crisp.
I am enjoying my Sunday afternoon and writing this essays as I put together our simple dinner. Everything on our menu comes from my well stocked pantry and freezer. I have been traveling for two weeks and when I got home I needed a few days to recover. Going to the grocery store was the last thing on my agenda. I am so thankful for our stocked pantry.

Here is another great tip to be kind to you and help you with your memory. When you use something from your pantry or freezer put it on your grocery list right then. It is fresh on your mind. I have been doing this for a long time. In our control journal we have a grocery list for everything you may need from the supermarket. Make several copies of it and put it on your refrigerator. Use a highlighter to mark the things you use.

Let me tell you another thing I did to be kind to myself. I put everything in the oven to cook at 4:00 pm except the Brussel Sprouts; they don't take long. This way I will not be rushed and everything will be done on time; even if I have to keep the meal warm till we are ready to eat.

I only needed one recipe for this meal. It was easy to Google a recipe for Apple Crisp made with dried diced apples. The oven temperature is at 300 degrees so nothing is going to burn and I am setting my timer to check things out every 15 minutes.

Are your ready to FLY with a new way of looking at cooking?
FlyLady

[SAR01]

Dear Friends,

My goal is to address procrastination in all forms. Today is going to be no different. Procrastination is the death of us, our relationships and our peace! This idea that we don't have time invades all areas of our life and steals from us. Allowing this stinking thinking to take over has got to stop.

Every Friday is our date night. Sometimes I spend the whole day with my sweetie! I don't make appointments on Fridays so we can have a long weekend. We make a conscious effort to spend the evening together doing something fun. We go to a movie, or dinner with friends.

Relationships have to be nurtured. If not, you are going to wake up one day when the children are grown and not know the person you chose to spend your life with. You would have spent your life growing, but not on the same path! It is up to us to make sure we grow together! Now, don't start whining that it is his responsibility to nurture the relationship, too! You know what I am going to say: If you will set the example, then you will see him follow your lead.

Letting go of your anger and resentment is the beginning to nurturing your relationship! Our procrastination has been used as a tool of revenge. It is called passive aggressive behavior. We have all used it and some of us may even be experts at it. You know what I always say: Nothing says I LOVE YOU LIKE CLEAN UNDERWEAR! Well, what does no clean underwear say to the people you love??? Not to mention being habitually late and dragging your feet when it is time to leave!

Our master bedrooms have been dumping grounds for years. Many of us have been working on our bedrooms. I have gotten lots of testimonials about how comforting and inviting your bedrooms have become! I am so proud of you! This is a great start to taking care of yourself. The results are going to be amazing when it comes to your relationships.

Now don't think I am going to leave out you single people! We all have relationships! Some are marital and others are friendship. We also have relationships with our ex-husbands even if we don't want to think about them, especially if you have children together or you still get along with their families. The best thing we can do for our children is not beat down their father in front of them. Children have enough self-imposed guilt and they don't need more. They love their father. My granny used to say, "If you can't say anything good, don't say anything at all!" I have had to let go of my anger and pain; now it is just pity. My son loves his father and I wouldn't have it any other way!

As for those friendships that you have let fall by the wayside because your home was too messy for people to come over, it is time to pick up the phone and just say hi! You don't have to figure out why the friendship dwindled; it just happened and someone needs to light a match under it and get the friendship rekindled. It is up to you. We tend to alienate ourselves because of our clutter. We refuse dinner engagements because we are afraid of having to return the favor! This is such a loss. We need friends. They support us and lift us up. Not many of us have ever had a friend who was messy, too or who understood, and this is why we have hidden behind our doors of shame. We don't have to be alone any more. We can reach out and revive an old friendship.

Relationships are not just inanimate objects; they are made of people with feelings. When we open up our hearts and let someone else in, we become better people! We can't just ignore the relationship and expect it to stay the same. People need attention! You need attention! If you give it, it will come back to you! I promise.

It is Friday Night Date Night. Let's commit to our relationships and give them the special attention they deserve.

Are you ready FLY with your best friends by your side?

FlyLady

[SAR01]

Dear Friends,

Are you having trouble getting rid of your clutter? This is just a symptom of a much greater problem.

Your identity is manifested in your belongings. As a result of this, you feel that getting rid of even one book is in some why giving part of yourself away. Now hear me out. I know this is very hard for you. I have been right where you are just four short years ago. I am not as heartless as you make me out to be. I want for you, what I have Peace. This peace came from letting go of the things that had hidden the true me. This process helped me to become MARLA, the MARLA I had never known.

You see, I have always been searching for her, but she was hiding behind the books of a “Wanna Be” Lifestyle: Martha Stewart, Cooking magazines, Decorating Magazines and many other books. None of the things I wanted in my life ever happened until I got rid of my clutter.

My clutter included not only these books and magazines, but numerous collections of family memorabilia that I had clung to. This STUFF was holding me back. I can hear you now. “How could this keep you from being MARLA?” This was part of your heritage. Here’s How!

I was stuck in my Past and wishing for the Future and was not living in the present. OH! Poor me!!! for having a tough childhood or having lived through a bad marriage. I hoped that one day, I could have a good marriage and a wonderfully, lovely organized home. Do you see how I had planted my seeds in, “What had been soil” and “What could be soil” and I was not sowing those seeds in the “HERE AND NOW SOIL” that I was living…. My clutter was my camouflage. With it surrounding me, I did not have to deal with the NOW! I could sit and feel sorry for myself or dream of a fairy tale life.

This is when I began to take inventory of what thoughts I had when I looked at the things around me. If something did not bring a smile to my face, I got rid of it. If I had sad feelings when I saw an item, I gave it new home, by giving it away. A new memory of giving instead of stealing my spirit.

Guess what happened? My life began to change! I got rid of all the items that were holding me in the past and only surrounded myself with things that gave me JOY and filled my with Love! This constant influx of Love and Joy peeled back the layers of self-doubt. I emerged from my cocoon of clutter to find my wings and now I am FLYing high. So high that even in my wildest dreams, I never thought of the blessings that I have now. What is keeping your locked in your cocoon of Clutter? Are your ready to find your wings and soar with me. Peace is the journey, not the destination. Each bit of clutter you release allows you to FLY higher.

COME FLY WITH ME! Let go of your cocoon! Spread your wings! Lift off to heights you never dreamed!

FlyLady

[SAR01]

Dear Friends,

This week we are in Zone 3. It is the main bathroom in our home. I had not really changed to look of this room in the last 17 years since we remodeled. I started by decluttering my baskets.

These baskets were worn out and ugly. I was able to eliminate one big basket and and rearrange the shelving. My everyday clothes were decluttered by half. Robert made me some simple dividers in the bins. I had the small basket and bought the bins. They were only $35 for four of them. I only used three. Then I cleared my bathroom counter. I love the fresh new feeling of my bathroom. Just a few simple changes made all the difference.

Now I am in purple puddles. This is the feeling I want you to have every single day. I want peace to open up its arms and hug you when you walk in the door. It all starts with that shiny sink. This feeling is contagious.

I know you can't see the importance of shining your sink when the rest of the house is overwhelming you! But you have to start someplace and this is where I started.

Go shine your sink and practice keeping shining. When you do this, the dishwasher will get emptied because you need a place to put your dirty dishes. You can't put them in that clean and shiny sink after all. Then your counter tops get clear because the sink is beautiful. Then the stove says clean me too and before you know it your whole kitchen is gleaming and all you really did was shine your sink. This doesn't happen all at once.

If we did it all at once we would crash and burn. You know how you used to clean your bathroom. We have all done this. Wait till we just could not stand it another day and then spend 4 hours trying to get rid of the crusted on gunk. After we had pushed ourselves past our limit; we don't ever want to clean another bathroom and guess what? We don't! Crash and burn at it worst. All because we didn't take babysteps.

One morning I did an interview with a magazine. Sondra had done a story about us for her little magazine a few years ago. She told me that she had to clean her bathroom before she called me. She asked me how long it took me to scrub my tub. I told her 30 seconds and she could not believe me.

I went on to explain our Bathroom zone and Swish and Swipe. Every day when I was letting the water drain from the tub I would take my little bathtub scrubby ball and put some of my bath gel on it and wipe down one side. The next day I would do the other side. Then the third day I did the bottom of the tub at the front then on the fourth day I did the bottom at the back. On the fifth day I did the edge of the tub where I set my bath stuff.

Thirty seconds once a month when we are in this zone and while I am already in the tub is not much to ask of yourself. You don't have to put on rubber gloves and wear a mask to clean your tub. It doesn't take harsh chemicals either. It is the same soap you put on your body that makes the ring anyway. Soap is Soap!

Soap cleans Soap! All you have to do is focus on doing just a little every day and your bathroom will never look and feel yucky! If you are not going into your bathroom several times a day; it could mean that you are not drinking enough water. That is another essay!

Each time you are in your bathroom put one thing away or throw something in the trash! While you are sitting on your throne, survey the landscape to see what you could put away after you have finished. Don't jump up right then. Oh and if you running out of toilet paper then let your "Do It Now" principle kick in! Get out another roll when you finish. Nothing says I love you like a fresh roll of toilet paper when you really need it. Who knows you may be blessing yourself by this action.

Cleaning your bathroom doesn't have to be recipe for Crash and Burn. Take the babysteps each day and your bathroom will never seem that dirty again. Practice a "Swish and Swipe" each morning and you are going to smile every time you walk in there!

This smile says you are FLYing!

FlyLady

[SAR01]

Dear Friends,

Have you been making more withdrawals from your emotion bank than deposits? Let's examine a definition of depression: Emotional Bankruptcy!
Our brains are the physical building that holds the chemicals that are the currency that make our world go round. We have good days and we have bad days. On a day when we feel well we make deposits of those endorphins, but on a bad day we write a check to cover our withdrawals.

As with anything in our lives, balance is the key. We have to keep our emotion checkbook balanced or we will become overdrawn and eventually have to file for bankruptcy. When we continually have those bad days we are unable to make the deposits that help keep our heads above water. As we spend ourselves emotionally into debt that is over our heads we are like the person that is drowning: Going down once, twice and a third time. Before long we are know something is wrong, but we don't really know what to do about.

So how do we get out of this kind of debt? Sometimes we need to borrow money; not real money, but medication to help balance our emotion checkbook for a time being until we can start making deposits on our own.

Please see your emotional financial adviser (Your DOCTOR)! These deposits relieve the stress that keeps pulling you back under. It is not a bad thing to borrow in order to get your feet back on solid ground. When we are sinking and can't find the help we need this is one way to be rescued.

Another way is to start making little deposits all on your own by doing things that make you feel good for just a little while. I know it sounds strange, but go shine your kitchen sink. This simple little act will put a smile on your face and guess what that smile is a great big deposit in your account. The next thing to do is start getting dressed each day. Put on some clothes that you feel good in (another deposit) and then go fix your face and hair! If you look good on the outside your insides will feel good. Just look at the deposits you are making in your bank. Then lay out your clothes for tomorrow and get into bed at a decent hour. These are all daily deposits that will help you to get out of your emotional bankruptcy. Daily routines help to keep this checkbook balanced each day!

When your good days start out numbering your bad ones, you are on the road to emotional financial balance. Each day we deserve to give ourselves a hug! Find some time for you!

Please start making those deposits in your emotional bank. We can't keep spending ourselves into emotional bankruptcy!

{{{Hugs}}}

FlyLady

[SAR01]

Dear Friends,

Growing up with a mother who was a public school teacher was tough. There were five women in one small home. The one thing I remember most about growing up was always rushing around trying to get to school on time.

Our lives were total CHAOS. Each day the house would get messier. By the time Saturday rolled around, we could not find anything. We had no one to teach us how to clean or even how to pick up after ourselves. There were piles of dishes and clothes. The bathroom was terrible and you could not even walk through our living room.

When we got up on Saturday, we had to clean house. Not that we wanted to; it was demanded of us. It was held over our heads. We wanted to be with our friends on Saturday night but if the house was not cleaned to Mother's perfectionist standards we had to stay home.

My job was the kitchen. After a week of making food. I won't call it meals because I do not remember sitting down at a table to eat. I would make something that I knew how to cook; mac and cheese or spaghetti. Can you tell I only knew how to make carbs? The only problem was I cooked but I never learned to clean up after myself as I cooked. So by the end of the week the sink will filled with dishes and there was no place on the counters. Food was dried on the dishes and the pots and pans. It seemed like it took hours to get the kitchen cleaned. Well it did because everything needed to soak.

As I look back on our hectic teenage years; I realize that we did not get up in time to get ready for school. It makes me nauseated by the thought of that now. Every day started out with rush, rush, rush! I am so happy that I don't live like that any longer.

It wasn't until 1999 when I started getting organized that I finally figured out why I was always playing catch up! Well I didn't figure it out on my own. I asked a born organized friend how to keep my house clean after I got it ready for Thanksgiving guests. She looked at me like I had 4 eyes and said, "Marla all you have to do is clean up and pick up after yourself. If you get it out; put it away."

That would have been a great solution to our problem as teenagers.

Pick up and put away our stuff in our rooms.
Clean up the dishes as I cooked and after dinner.
Pick up dirty clothes and towels


That would have made a huge difference in the CHAOS that we lived in as kids with a working mom who did not get enough sleep.

Are you ready to change the way you live; just by doing this!
FlyLady

[SAR01]

Dear Friends,

We are all so busy doing for others that we don't take the time to do for ourselves. This is why we have a "Renew Our Spirit" day in our basic weekly plan. This is a day that we take a few moments out of our busy schedules to replenish our batteries on a spiritual level. Each night we want you to recharge your batteries by getting enough sleep. This is a little different. Yes you could take a nap if that is what you need to do.

We lose ourselves in doing for others. You can't fill up their cups if your pitcher is empty! With your routines in place you will have the basic stuff done. Utilize your crock pot or oven to get dinner started and set back and enjoy some time to yourself.

This is all part of putting your oxygen mask on first before helping someone next to you! We have pushed ourselves to the point of total exhaustion many times. This is the martyr in us doing this. We have to stop and recognize that we need to take care of ourselves so that we can take care of everyone else.
If momma ain't happy; ain't nobody happy! You set the tone for your home!

Today is the day to slow things down a bit and enjoy yourself. This is not illegal for you to do! Plan for your "Renew Your Spirit" Day! Or just grab a few moments when you can. What ever you do remember to take the time for you!

When we give so much of ourselves away every day it is not selfish to take a few minutes to fill your with joy! As Rita Davenport taught me; you have to save a little sliver of your pie so you will know what kind of pie you like when the children grow up; you can't give it all away. Taking time each week for yourself will keep that pie alive in you!

FlyLady

[SAR01]

Dear Friends,

I know how every one of you think, because I am one of you. I have been there and done that. When you do your stash and dash, all the bags of stuff you gather, end up camping out in your room. Under your bed, stashed in the closet, piled on the dresser and chest of drawers, and piled on your bed. Now listen to me.

YOUR BEDROOM IS NOT A GRAVEYARD FOR STUFF THAT HAS NO HOME! If you don't stop this it is going to be your grave.

This is the room that is the of your family and your marriage. It should give you joy when you walk in there and fill your with peace. It is where your babies were conceived and you love your husband. If you are single, it is where you snuggle in for the evening with a good book to fall asleep. This is the room that you wake up in and go to sleep in. It is imperative that this room be the cleanest in the house. From this moment on, you are not allowed to pile stuff in this room. Do not fold clothes in this room. (we all know what happens there. We fold them but never put them away)

I have counseled many women about this room. I have found over the years that when this room gets clean the rest of the house falls right into place. It becomes a haven from the chaos in the home; Your hiding place. I have also found, that when this room is clean. I mean no clutter piled up, that most women rest better and have more energy.

I also feel that when we are sick, this room can promote healing or keep us sick. When all that clutter is everywhere, it is so hard to feel peace. Clutter puts guilt on our heads, we beat ourselves up about it, and we make ourselves sick with the stress it puts on our system. Get rid of the clutter and you will see the veil of stress and I believe sickness will leave your body. Guilt is a terrible shadow to live under.

I have a challenge for you. If you have a desk in your bedroom, I want you to find a new home for it. We know what our desks look like, stuff piled to the ceiling, stuff that needs to be done and is calling to us. I am not telling you to do this right this instant. I want you to think about this for a while and come up with a plan.

This week we are going to focus on making your bedroom a haven. Are you ready to FLY with a beautiful room to rest your precious head each night?

FlyLady

[SAR01]

Dear Friends,

Hurrying never got us anywhere on time. What does hurry do to us? When we hurry we would forget our heads if they weren't attached. So why do we hurry anyway? We hurry because we have PROCRASTINATED!

Hurrying is kicking our bodies into overdrive. It is using our adrenaline reserves when there is not an emergency. Since I have been living a peaceful non-hurried life my body does not function well when I get in a hurry. It is very rare that I am called upon to rush around.

When adrenaline starts pumping through our veins for some reason our brains quit functioning. This is why we forget so many things when we get in a hurry. In fact just writing about being in a tizzy is making my stomach feel a little queasy. I like going about my day in a slow and steady, one foot in front of the other, consistent way!

My routines help me to do this. I get the things out of the way that need to be done every day. This frees me to be spontaneous without being in a hurry.

Let's look at what happens when we hurry.
1. We forget something!
2. We drop things and break them.
3. We have accidents.
4. We say things we wish we had not said.
5. We make careless mistakes.
6. We beat ourselves up again.
7. We skip steps to make up time.
8. We start flinging things because we don't think we have time.
9. Our surroundings become a chaotic mess!
10. Then we get overwhelmed and give up.
11. To top it all off we are still late!

What good does it do us to get in a hurry! Being in a hurry doesn't get us there any faster it just makes our lives miserable, the people around us miserable and sets us up to fail once again. Just taking a simple babystep to stop this vicious cycle will help you to slow down and quit hurrying!

When you catch yourself feeling rushed; take a few seconds to breathe and stop yourself from feeding that urge to hurry. As your look hard at what propelled you into this hurried way of living; I want you to see that it was all because of procrastination on your part. When you stop hurrying you may actually get somewhere on time!

Stop revolving by trying to put out fires of procrastination. Quit allowing yourself the option of doing it later. We all know that those "laters" build up to "hurrying to try to catch up"! You can do this! One babystep at a time. Starting with going to bed at a decent hour so you can get up in plenty of time to get ready!

Are you ready to FLY though your day without feeling hurried?

FlyLady

[SAR01]

Dear Friends,

Thursday is my errand day. I have plenty things to do in town, people to see, maybe have lunch with my husband. I better get a "move on" as we say in the south. Today may not be your errand day but I know you have one.

Do you have your list made before you go shopping? A list is so freeing, except when you forget and leave it at home. I have had to turn around to go back home many times because when I commit the items we need to my list; I dismiss it from my mind.

We are all so good at making to do list and never even looking at them again. This is why I love my routines. I don't have to think any more about what needs to be done. My Control Journal and establishing one habit at a time is what keeps me from running around like a chicken with its head cut off.

Believe it or not one of the main things on my list today is to buy cleaning supplies. I don't recommend many. I love my Windex and Dawn Dishwashing liquid. When you run out of the things your routines tend to fall by the wayside.

Have you started your list for this week's shopping trip? If not get it out and get a "move on"! "Times a wastin'!" I keep my notepad on the end of the kitchen counter. Everyone uses it.

Be sure an put your FlyLady Grocery Bags in your car before you leave!

Are you ready to FLY Through your Errand Day?

FlyLady

[SAR01]

Dear Friends,

Every day we are surrounded by noise. It can be a pleasant sound or an annoying sound; you get to choose. Have you ever tried watching a movie without the sound? The background music is almost invisible until you turn down the volume.

What is the soundtrack of your life? Do you have trouble getting your children to do anything around the house? If you do it could be that your children do not have routines in their lives.

I would like to give you the playlist for your daily soundtrack!

Track 1. Polite Request sung by the parent
Track 2. Ignore the Request sung by the child
Track 3. Bribing and Negotiation sung by the parent
Track 4. Nagging; that Same Old Song sung by the parent
Track 5. Met with More Deaf Ears sung by the child
Track 6. Command with a Threat of Punishment sung by the parent
Track 7. Scream and Holler Time sung by the parent
Track 8. Reluctant Child Dragging their Feet sung by the child
Track 9. I'll just Give Up and Do it Myself sung by the parent
Track 10. Eye Roll, Sigh and Slamming Door Blues by the beaten down parent
Track 11. Martyred Attitude Again sung by the parent.

Have you heard this soundtrack too many times? Are you tired of it! The same ole same ole; we have to change that tune to get a different result. This is why we came up with real music to make a big difference in the lives of your children and you!

We want to teach them routines in a way that is fun and energetic. Songs can become timers. Music gets our feet moving. We can set the tone for our day. Music inspires. Our music can become your voice. You no longer have to sing that nagging martyred song. You can join in and set the example.

Children are going to listen to music anyway; we wanted to give them something that was written for them that parents would like too. After all if you can't stand it; you won't let them play it. Every child from two years old to thirteen who has heard these songs can't stop moving. Every parent that has listened has been so excited about the variety of our music and our wonderful lyrics.

Our songs give us something to do. They help to replace our own negativity with positive messages. They are peppy and easy to sing along with. I can't wait to see all the wonderful ways that you are going to use this music to help train your children. We have clips of all the songs on our website.

Are you ready to change tiresome soundtrack of your life and fill it with an Up Kind of Day! Our title track says it all! Here are the lyrics. Just imagine your child waking up to this song each morning as their alarm. What a way to start your day!

Up Kind of Day

FlyLady

[SAR01]

Dear Friends,

Our procrastination usually only ends up biting us in the bottom. Do you remember the last time you ran out of toilet paper and you did not replenish the supply? You were the one who was left hanging.

Last night as I was getting ready for bed, I noticed that there were only a few sheets left on the roll and there was no spare on the back of the toilet. If I had gotten up during the night, I would not have had enough.

This is when the "Do It Now" Principle kicks in. The hard part of this principle is recognizing that you are about to procrastinate. There is an actual thought process that occurs when we begin ignore something that needs to be done.
We say out loud or quietly to ourselves, "I don't have time right now!" We may even be keeping score or playing the martyr. "Why am I the only one in this family who can see that the toilet paper needs to be refilled.

I actually have a good answer for why you are probably the only person in your family who will refill the toilet paper holder. Are you one of those people who has fussed about how the toilet paper was put on the roll? You know the age old question; over or under?

Well if your perfectionism caused you to fuss about how a family member did this; you are the one who made the decision that your way was the right! You lost all your help when you fussed that one time. (the same goes for folding towels)

Here are some tips to help you not have to drip dry!

Clean out under your bathroom sink to store extra rolls
Make storage of extra rolls a decorative feature (Pinterest has ideas)
Put toilet paper on subscription with Amazon to be delivered monthly
I removed holder and put a pedestal by the toilet.
Proper toilet paper hanging depends on if you have a cat.
Don't store open rolls beside toilet if you have little boys. Target practice
Put a sweater organizer in hall closet to hold extra. (my solution)
Praise your family when they refill the holder
Bite your tongue when it is not done to suit you!
Always have a backup package in storage.
Check your supplies weekly when you make a grocery list


When you get rid of the clutter, you are really blessing you. It only takes you a couple of minutes to replenish the toilet paper. So there is no excuse for not doing it.

This week we are taking the 2 Minute Challenge. Make a list of five things that need to be done. Then set your timer for 2 Minutes. Do one item for 2 minutes and then rest. Even if you don't get finished it is better than it was.

Join the rest of the world and jump in for 2 minutes. There are really no more excuses!

FlyLady