You Can Fly, You Can Fly, You Can Fly!

For about four years now, I've been drowning. Since the birth of my second child, I've not been able to keep a handle on domestic endeavors. Who am I kidding? It's never been a strong point of mine. In other words, I'm a slob. I try. I really do. I want to be Suzy Homemaker and have it all together, but either it's not in my nature or I've developed a lifetime of bad habits. Probably both.

About three years ago I made a new friend. Right away I knew we were kindred spirits. Her house was not perfect and I was immediately at ease with her. Not long after I met her she told me about FlyLady and about the 27 Fling Boogie. "Fling Boogie?" I said. "Sounds like something my toddler does after picking their nose." She explained to me FlyLady's system for keeping your house clean and clutter-free and suggested I check out the website. Even though I didn't think flinging boogies sounded like a clean thing to do, I did check it out, but opted to not sign up for the daily e-reminders. After a while I forgot about the website and went back to pulling my hair out over everything I had to do and my inability to get it done and keep it that way. After all, what's life without your daily dose of stress and drama?

A couple of weeks ago another friend sent me an email saying she had just found the greatest thing ever and told me to check out this FlyLady website. Wow. There's that name again. So, in a moment of desperation I revisited FlyLady and her kooky way of naming things. Turns out, the lady is a genius. I went ahead and signed up for the daily reminders and I have to say, it has changed my life. See, I have a mindset that sees clutter and chaos and says, "I don't have time to do all this. It will have to wait." And since I never have large chunks of time to work on projects, it never gets done. But FlyLady helps me with the baby steps. Spend 15 minutes a day working on a hot spot. Eventually, it will get done. She reminds me to think about what we're having for dinner first thing in the morning, so I don't have to run to the store in a panic at 5 p.m. because I forgot to thaw something out. She reminds me to get my kitchen sink empty and clean in the evening so I don't have to wake up, see a full sink of dirty dishes and feel overwhelmed right off the bat. She tells me it's better to wash, dry, fold and put away two loads of laundry a day instead of trying to do all 20 loads in one day, which is, of course, impossible. She reminds me to go to bed before it gets to late. This may sound like common sense to some of you, but my mind doesn't think about things this way. But now I am understanding her logic. My house has been neater, more organized, less stressful and happier since I have put her ideas in motion. I look forward to getting up in the morning and getting to the list she has for me. My kids are right there, too...flying along with me. It's helping us all form better habits. And I can take my kids out to play without hearing a nagging voice about everything there is to do because I actually accomplish things on a daily basis. I really feel like Supermom.

Drowning? Here's a lifeline. Check out FlyLady and get on the list. You won't believe the results. Boogie-Flinging and all.