A FlyLady Rally

FlyLady just annouced her new motto for 2011, had to share.  And a big thanks to FlyLady Katie for a quick response with their OK to share this in full with you!  For those of my friends unfamiliar with flylady.net, take 7 minutes (set a timer, I mean it) and nose around their site - or just jump in and sign up for a daily digest of their emails like I get.  Their reminders help keep our home, our family (and yes, my office) on track.

Dear Friends,

Every year we debut a new motto the last week in December. Usually by December I know what that motto will be. I have asked everyone for suggestions because finding words to rhyme with eleven is not easy. 99.9% of the responses wanted to rhyme eleven with heaven. Last night I still had no clue what our motto was going to be for 2011. When I went to bed I handed it off to my Midnight Editor! This morning I woke up with it! I love it when my Midnight Editor works overtime to keep me from stressing out! Thank you God.

I felt that rhyming eleven with heaven would be putting a level of perfectionism in our motto that would not help us to get moving toward our goal of a peaceful home. You all know how I feel about the word perfect; that adjective is left for heaven alone. That perfectionism is what causes us to procrastinate.

When you look at my cartoon character; you will see that she has on a cheerleading uniform. She is your biggest cheerleader! This is the reason I have turned our annual motto into a rally cry!

Let's Go for Seven in 2011!

For eleven years we have motivated you to do 15 minutes. I have said you can do anything for 15 minutes. Many of you have become immune to 15 minutes; you were overwhelmed by just 15 minutes. I felt that it was time to make up a new game! With our new rally cry; Let's Go for Seven in 2011! I thought you could do lots of things.

1. Set your timer for seven minutes and focus on one thing.
2. Go pick up 7 items to put away.
3. Go pick up 7 items to throw away.
4. Go pick up 7 pieces of clutter to give away
5. Make a list of 7 things that need to be done and set your timer for the first 7 minutes.
6. Make up 7 menus for the next week.
7. Sit down and rest for 7 minutes or read 7 pages in your favorite book.

There are countless ways to use our rally cry; Let's Go for Seven in 2011! Seven is a doable number. Every week we already bless our homes with seven things that need to be done.

1. Vacuum
2. Dust
3. Quick Mop
4. Polish Mirrors and Doors
5. Purge magazines/catalogs
6. Change Sheets
7. Empty all trash cans

We already have seven days in a week, seven dishtowels and 27 Fling Boogie! Let's make it a 7 Fling Boogie! Our FlyBabies on Facebook are having fun with a 7 x 7. Check out what FlyBaby Emma has done with our new motto! 7 x 7 is complete! I must say it is a lot less painless then the 15 minute bingo and the rewards are still great. I think I'll make the 7 x 7 my every day routine after the kids have gone to bed.

7 minutes tidying loungeroom
7 minutes tidying kitchen and dining table
7 minutes washing dishes/shining sink
...7 minute rest
7 minutes rebooting laundry and folding a load
7 minutes laying out clothes/packing bags/making lunches for tomorrow
7 minutes writing a todo list for tomorrow

It will take a mere 49 minutes, then I can focus on me.

I love how creative you all are! Now it's your turn to take "Let's Go for Seven in 2011!" and make it work for you! We can use our sidetracked nature to our advantage. We only have to stay focused for seven.

Are you ready to FLY with Let's Go for Seven in 2011?

FlyLady

P.S. If you don't like our new motto; please don't whine.

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You are not behind! I don't want you to try to catch up; I just want you to jump in where we are. O.K.?

Let's Go for Seven in 2011!

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Blessing my Family

So, I've learned something that I want to share with all my friends:

HOUSEWORK DONE INCORRECTLY, STILL BLESSES YOUR FAMILY!

And on that note, some confessions:
I have removed my makeup with a cotton pad and then used it to wipe down my vanity.
I have quickly swiped a dusty baseboard with a clean piece of toilet paper (dust flushes)!
I have used my son's worn-but-not-actually-dirty sock to mop up drips from bathtime.
I have scrubbed the toilet bowl without any bowl cleaner.
I have used a piece of dirty laundry to wipe down the top-inside of my washing machine before tossing it in the load.
I have used a baby wipe to clean the inside of my car (not the windows) while at a stop light.
I have used waterless hand sanitizer to get ink off hard surfaces.
I have scrubbed only the bad spots on my floor with the sink sponge before tossing it and getting a new one.
I have used the spent hand towl from the half-bath to wipe down the entire bathroom with just water before laundering it.

And you know what - it's working.  I do what I can in the moment and there's some level of forward movement.  I throw more away.  I keep less.  I give more.  I sell more.  I clean less.  Because, as it turns out, you really can't clean clutter - you can only move it.  So.  I'm chosing to move it right out of my house!

While these specific tips haven't come from flylady.net, the concept has.  You're not behind, jump in where you are.  Fling Boogie.  Fire Drill.  Weekly Home Blessing.  Zone Cleaning.  It has taken time, but I have built some core routines and am proud to say that my sink is shiny, my dishes caught-up, the laundry managed, and the house is closer to being on auto-pilot each week.  I don't feel guilty about the "hot-spots" that still exist, I don't feel the weight of mountains of clutter or laundry, and I don't have CHAOS (can't have anyone over syndrome).  I'm rather quite enjoying coming downstairs for work each morning and seeing my lovely entry table clear except for the lovely vase and flowers on it!

And my sweet hubby and son are joining in, whether they realize it or not.  My behavior (improved attitude about cleaning in general) and routines have rubbed off on them.  Hooray for teamwork and a happy, mostly clean, home.
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