By combining the powers of FlyLady & Twitter I am conquering CHAOS!
Before the arrival of my daughter, it was easy to just not invite people over. However, once our little bundle of joy arrived it was no longer feasible to pretend we weren't at home. I had known about the FlyLady and her techniques for getting the clutter under control, but hadn't really stuck to it.
One fateful day, I learned about Squidoo and before I knew it, I was adding "Writer" to my list of things to do. It quickly became apparent that I REALLY needed a way to keep my home organized so I could be a more productive writer. It was time to start taking the FlyLady's advice seriously!
This is an account of how the home management techniques of The FlyLady finally began working for me when I started using Twitter.
Contents at a Glance
This lens is for you, fellow Flybabies!
Without your support, encouragement, and the willingness to tolerate my bad jokes, I wouldn't be where I am today! And a thank you to the FlyLady for bringing us all together.
First there was the FlyLady
I have two rooms that are usually under control : the living room (LR) and my dear daughter's (DD) bedroom. Both are rooms that she has complete access to at all times. I worked my Montessori magic on them to ensure that they are safe yet stimulating environments for her to explore independently. Even though they both suffer the ravages of a toddler, it takes five minutes at the most to restore order in each room. The rest of my tiny home? Let's just say that they aren't quite at the same level yet.
The FlyLady (aka Marla Cilley) presents household management advice using the principle of "you can do anything for 15 minutes". So, one is to set a timer then clean one room for precisely fifteen minutes: no more, no less. When done, one moves the timer to the next room and repeats the process. So what if it isn't done perfectly - according to the FlyLady, housework done imperfectly still blesses our homes.
Housekeeping then becomes a matter of developing good habits. The FlyLady helps us start good habits with her Beginning Babysteps program. I have started (and failed) to complete the babysteps several times before, but this time I knew I HAD to make it work, otherwise I just wouldn't have anytime to devote to writing. I signed up for email reminders of what I should be doing each day, but that didn't do much to prod me in the right direction.
Then one day I noticed on the FlyLady's webpage was a Twitter button. I had just joined Twitter, but wasn't really comfortable with it yet. So I followed the link and landed in #flylady zone.
Here's my favorite link:
Sink Reflections
Amazon Price: $10.20 (as of 01/05/2010)
This is the book that led me to The FlyLady!
#flylady
What I found was a group of people in various stages of Fly-ness. We post our goals and our successes here and basically cheer each other on. Cleaning house is more fun when you have someone to do it with, and Twitter allows me to do just that. There is a FlyLady Forum as well which I keep my eye on. But Twitter allows me nearly instant feedback on what I'm doing. If I need motivation, I can find it there as well.Once I started using Twitter in conjunction with my flying I finally began to see results in my home. I have now been Flying longer than I ever have before and I'm sure that by the end of the summer I will have a home I would comfortably invite people into on a moment's notice. I'm also finally getting the hang of Twitter and my writing empire is slowly spreading!
'Fess up!
Your secret is safe with me: are you a Sidetracked Home Executive or are you a member of the tribe that was Born Organized? Don't worry, if you are BO, I won't hate you. Much.
Are you a SHE or were you BO?
Fetching blurbs now... please stand byBO of course! Everything is in its place, just as it should be.
Heather426 says:
Moving a lot keeps you from having too many things and they are easier to control.
Posted May 02, 2009
SHE and proud of it!
CCGAL says:
I have no excuse - I read the original SideTracked Home Executive book way back in 1979 when it was first published. I also have a flylady duster ... which I can't find. LOL
Posted June 18, 2009
ElizabethJeanAllen says:
My house is a mess. I usually manage to clean it up on Christmas and Summer breaks. The rest of the time...
Posted May 14, 2009
Poetry Corner
Inpired by "How Do I Love Thee" by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
How do I clean thee? Let me count the ways.
I clean thee to the depth and breadth and height
My duster can reach. To the ends of cobwebs
and ideal sight.
I clean thee to the level of everyday's
Most decluttereing need, by sun and candle-light.
I clean thee freely, as we strive for Right
I clean thee purely, as we turn from CHAOS.
I clean thee with a passion put to use
In my new habits, and with my Dear Family's faith.
I clean thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost socks, ---I clean thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life! ----and, if God choose,
I shall but clean thee better after BabySteps.
A Few FLYing Tools
Up Kind of Day
Amazon Price: $8.99 (as of 01/05/2010)
Why Not Today
Amazon Price: $12.95 (as of 01/05/2010)
Body Clutter
Amazon Price: (as of 01/05/2010)
Flying Made Simple / FlyLady Speaks from The Heart
Amazon Price: (as of 01/05/2010)
West Bend Timer, White
Amazon Price: $17.99 (as of 01/05/2010)
Deciphering Flybaby Tweets
FlyLady Lexicon
- 27Fling Boogie: Quick declutter by getting rid of 27 items
- BBR: Before Bed Routine
- BO: Born Organized. The creature of myths that seems to be able to do everything effortlessly and who is often puzzled by the efforts of the rest of us mere mortals.
- BTF: Boot to Franny, aka kick in the pants
- CJ: Control Journal - a collection of all routines and other information necessary for managing your household
- DD: Dear Daughter
- DH: DearHusband
- DS: Dear Son
- Flutter: One who is inconsistent with Flying
- Flybaby: one who is following the FlyLady methods
- FLY: Finally Loving Yourself
- Hot Spot: Those places in your home that consistently collect clutter
- MR: Morning Routine
- PODA: Parade of Daily Adventures (also known as a to do list)
- SHE: Sidetrack Home Executive - think opposite of BO
- S&S: Swish & Swipe: quick daily cleaning of toilet & sink
- WHB: Weekly b>ome Blessing: time spent doing deeper cleaning
See What Flybabies Tweet About!
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- j1nx82
- Morning nap underway. Started my day with coffee and yoga. Gym after bebo wakes up. #mamavation #bodyafterbaby #flylady
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Flylady News
- Time flies when you're having fun
- It just seems like yesterday that FlyLady started. For me time flies when you are having fun. I guess that is the message that I want to end this year with ...
- The Fly Lady: A spoon for thought
- For more help getting rid of your CHAOS, check out FlyLady's Web site and join her free life coaching at FlyLady.net, listen to her channel ...
- Conquering Household Clutter
- She shared her success in an Internet forum, and the group's members nicknamed her "the FlyLady," because Cilley is an avid fly-fisher. ...
The FlyLady on Wiki
FlyLady is a support and self-help group that offers advice, tips and humor to assist people in keeping their homes tidier, especially for those suffering from "CHAOS" (Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome). The group is centralized around the motivational website FlyLady.net in combination with a BigTent group for Email delivery system The BigTent Transition!. Many members of FlyLady have stated that the group has helped them and has changed their lives.
Subjects covered by FlyLady include clutter, routines, weekly cleaning with focus on the zone of the week (five in total), self-esteem, and letting go of perfectionism. The information is provided for free, however there is a small store at the website where tools are sold for organization, decluttering and cleaning.
My Dear Readers,
Are you FLYing? Even if you are not, I'd still like to hear from you!
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- Susan52 Susan52 Jun 19, 2009 @ 8:21 am
- Flybabies and Twitter - sounds like a combination that was meant to be! I need to dust off my timer and my feather duster and start paying attention again, just as soon as I finish this next lens . . .
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- CCGAL CCGAL Jun 18, 2009 @ 5:24 pm
- You've inspired me to rejoin FlyLady. I used to fly ... or at least I fluttered a bit. Even bought the beautiful purple and black feather duster. Now if I could only find it. Nice lens, this!
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- DrRichard DrRichard Jun 16, 2009 @ 1:58 pm
- Very interesting lens. Thanks for sharing!
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- alteredkat alteredkat Jun 6, 2009 @ 4:02 pm
- I'm following her...I've been trying to fly for a few years now...I go in spurts ;o)
5* ...thanks for popping into my Hallmark Keepsake Family Tree lens...I appreciate it!
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- annetteghallowell annetteghallowell Jun 2, 2009 @ 9:36 am
- As much as I like to organize other things, my "stuff" seems never to get to that state! Great lens.
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- MsSnow4a MsSnow4a May 30, 2009 @ 12:09 am
- I like the flylady Nice lens
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- ElizabethJeanAllen ElizabethJeanAllen May 14, 2009 @ 5:28 pm
- Great lens!
Lizzy
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- hlkljgk hlkljgk May 14, 2009 @ 12:50 pm
- thanks for sharing!
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- Wysiwigs Wysiwigs May 10, 2009 @ 4:11 am
- P.S. I am lensrolling this one to my HandyHints lens :o)
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I'm a Rocket Mom!
This lens was inspired by a Rocket Moms discussion. Rocket Moms is a Squidoo Group that gathers the smartest women on the web together and is being led by the wonderful bdkz. Keep your eyes peeled for other Rocket Moms productions!
by C-Joy
As an educator (licensed K-6, Montessori Primary certification: AMS, MACTE) and a parent, I am devoted to helping chidren learning how to become inde... (more)
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