Dear Friends,

We don't like change but sometimes we have no choice! As a result of the last 5 years of the downturn in the economy starting with the shutdown; we have made the tough decision to stop selling product on our website. This has been a hard decision. Please Check out our live on Youtube.

We will be getting a brand new website too. We thank you for all your love, support, and prayers! I am excited about a new birth! We have a Clearance Sale on all of our tools!

I love You All!

FlyLady

P. S. All sales are final and no returns.

Thank you for your love and support over the years. 

We are Clearing Out Our Warehouse!

The FlyShop is Closing

FlyLady’s Sales are ending soon! Purple Rags and Mops!

We found another Case of Kitchen Towels! Yippee

Dear Friends,

This morning I have been lifted up by a God Breeze Hurricane. To start with the first two emails I opened were about butterflies. As I was posting them in an email; I was listening to the radio. The next song they played was about butterflies and girls. Tears started to roll down my cheeks and I had to call Paddi. The only words that came out of her mouth were WRITE!!! So I am.

In the third grade we are all taught about insects and the metamorphosis that they go through to become adults. As a fly fisherman and an avid fly tier; I have studied these stages in detail to be able to replicate the cocoons, nymphs, caterpillars and adult stages of a trout's favorite food. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think that this part of my life could help me to help you.

As humans we are born, raised by our parents to adulthood and then set free to sink, swim or FLY! We all hope and pray that what we teach our babies will help them live their lives. We cannot live our children's lives for them any more than our parents could live our lives for us. I mean protect our children from the mistakes that we have made.

Let's throw our clutter into this for a minute. When we are born; we start the process of consuming. Just like the little caterpillar that is hatched from the egg: It starts eating right away and growing. Our little head start taking in all the influence from our parents and the world around us: Commercials!!! As a result we begin collecting our clutter. This clutter slowly begins to isolate us. We are building our own cocoon. A cocoon that does not protect us, but it imprisons us behind walls and doors of CHAOS!

Now tears are flowing down my face. I guess we all have to go through this process. It is not fun but it makes us who we are.

The next stage is our isolation. This is our cocoon. We have surround ourselves with all this stuff that we think identifies us as who we are. We are not our stuff any more than we are our jobs. Who we are is inside of each of us waiting to be set free and until we get rid of our clutter/cocoons, that person is going to stay in that pupa stage. Now here is the hard part; we all have to go through this stage to realize just who we are and what our purpose for living really is. Inside this cocoon we are practically dormant. Our creativity has been locked away and our bodies are just going through the paces. We are walking zombies that look normal on the outside but the inside is going nuts. Our minds want to do everything at once and as a result nothing gets done. Here we are suffocating in our little or shall I say big cocoons. Clutter is all around us. We feel closed in and have no clue where to start to work our way out of our cocoon.

This is where we start searching for help to get us out of our cocoon/mess/CHAOS. We hire housekeepers and buy countless self-help books: Looking for that instant cure that is going to free us. We buy everything we can get our hands on; all this really does is make us sink deeper into our despair because it doesn't fix the problem. Our heads are still spinning. It is only until we realize that we are the only ones who can get ourselves out of this cocoon. You cannot forcibly declutter anyone. It is a process of taking one bite at a time to open up the cocoon so that you can see a little ray of hope shining through.

That first bite is shining your sink! I know it sounds stupid but if you have not done it then you have no clue how this is going to open up your heart and begin the process of struggling out of your cocoon. And I mean struggle! Decluttering your home is a piece of cake compared to the decluttering process that you have to go through in your own brain. For me I had to purge 40 years of stinking thinking. And no I didn't have to be knocked in the head and have amnesia to get rid of it. This was the main part of my struggle and yours: One bite at a time to release myself from my cocoon. Slowly and I mean slowly I replaced each negative self-destructive thought with kind gentle empowering messages to build up my strength to help me free myself from my cocoon.

It is that overriding instinct of our spirit to be free that keeps us eating away at our cocoon. We know there is something more to living than just getting up and going to bed each day. We have all asked is that all there is? Well I am here to tell you that there is more to living than taking up space in the world. I never knew what my purpose for being here was until I opened up my cocoon and spread my wings. It was like giving birth to a new me, in fact that is exactly what happened and it didn't occur overnight. The process of eating my way out of my cocoon took about nine months. Imagine that nine months of struggling my way out of my cocoon to find me!

Cocoons are not safe places, but I am beginning to see that we have to go through the darkness in order to find that desire to be free and find the peace we deserve. Now I am crying again. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think that I could mentor 1 person. Listen to me very closely now, here is the most amazing part of freeing yourself from your cocoon. In science there is a Chaos theory. I promise I am not making this stuff up. It uses an example that one little butterfly flapping its wings in New Mexico can set in motion the air currents that will create a hurricane on the other side of the world in China.

Well this morning that God Breeze of a Hurricane has me flapping my wings as hard and fast as I can. The ripple of change starts someplace; we are all connected and the world better watch out for our flock of butterflies that are emerging from their cocoons because they are going to change this planet. The power is in us all; we just need to bite through that cocoon and release that beautiful butterfly!

Are your ready to FLY?

FlyLady

Dear FlyLady,

I've been flying for a few years now. We just moved a couple of months ago (what great moving advice you gave, thanks so much for that section on your website) and my youngest of four children is now six months.

I am swimming in piles of laundry! With the move came loads of laundry and with my husbands new job, came even more laundry.

And to make things even more difficult, our water is so hard that even with a water softener I have to add softener to the wash and let it soak for 30 minutes or things will not get clean.

Help me please!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Drowning in Clothes

Dear Drowning in Clothes,

There is hope, I promise! We have hard water too! We had our plumber to install a canister water filter on our cold water line. The filter inside has to be changed once a year. There are other big systems that cost much more that use salt. Here is another type of system I found in a Google search.

You are overwhelmed with all the piles of dirty laundry. I have a solution; go to the laundromat. I know that this idea may not be to your liking but hear me out.

Much of the laundry you have is linens and towels from the move. You can do more at one time in a bigger washing machine. Here is a list of the things to do.

1. Get the whole family involved in a laundry scavenger hunt. Strip all the beds too.

2. Clean out a drawer for every person in the family.

3. Sort all the laundry at home. (no need to air dirty laundry in public)

4. Bag up the piles of sorted laundry into one load portions.

5. Use white or clear trash bags so it does not get mixed up with trash.

6. Count your loads to figure out how much money you will need. $1.50 average for washer and dryer. Rob you change jar or go by the bank.

7. Gather up every laundry basket that you own. You can use the declutter kit too.

8. Gather up hanger for your good clothes.

9. Take a garbage bag for the clothes that are beyond saving.

10. Take a Bag for give away clothes that don't fit.

11. Take plenty of laundry detergent, bleach, softener, or dryer sheets.

12. Don't get in a hurry; stagger the start on the washers. This will help with folding.

13. Dry good clothes on delicate low heat to keep from setting wrinkles.

14. Some clothes don't need to be dried. Just pull on them a little and put on a hanger to dry at home.

15. Fold while you are at the Laundromat. Sort clean clothes as you fold per person.

16. Fill up the laundry baskets and head home!

17. Do not stop here! Put all the clothes away and make your bed with fresh sheets immediately when you get home.

Now here is my tip for your hard water once all your laundry is done at the laundromat.

Our focus for August is to do one load of laundry a day. So until you get a plumbing fix for your hard water; fill your washing machine up with water and put the softener in and just let is set all night. Then first thing in the morning put your load in and wash it. If your washing machine has an extra rinse then set it.

My feeling is that the 30 minute wait is what has been your stumbling block. By filling up the washer in the evening and getting the water softened is the key to keeping you on track.

Nothing says "I love you" like clean underwear! You can do this. Now go put the clean sheets on all your beds. What a great feeling!

FlyLady

We love your testimonials; Just Click this Link to send it to

FlyLady@flylady.net with TESTIMONIAL in the subject line.

Dear FlyLady,

I've been flying for about 7 years now.

In the beginning, I was just looking for some peace amongst the chaos! What I never anticipated was the joy we experience in the habits that we share.

Back then, our bed MIGHT get made maybe 3 or 4 times a month! We didn't spend any time in our room-it was uninviting and actually depressing. We'd fall into bed at night & struggle to not get tangled up in the mess of sheets & blankets. After getting other habits down & in place, I started making the bed at least a couple times a week.

It was much more comfortable to climb into and it looked nice, so soon I was making it every day. Now a days, my husband & I make the bed together. It's one of my favorite moments in the morning. What a nice way to start the day!

If I'm having a busy morning, he'll make it for us AND put all the pretty pillows on it. Our clothes are in the hamper, the night stands are neat and tidy. The carpet gets vacuumed & the room is dusted every week. Our room is our special place, which is inviting and comfortable.

This habit shows each other how much we care about each other. Of all the habits we've learned, this one truly is my favorite.



Sleeping peacefully in WA!

Do you have a Testimonial about Getting Dressed to Shoes?

We love to hear your testimonials.

You can motivate others with your success stories!

If you have a success story please send it to

flylady@flylady.net with I HAVE MY SHOES ON in the subject line.

Welcome to April! It’s a brand new month and that means it’s time for a brand new habit.

This month, we are concentrating on Making Your Bed. This one small step makes a huge difference in the look and feel of your room. Here’s some great information from FlyLady to get you started.

Your bed in the bedroom is what the sink is to your kitchen. – FlyLady

"It is Friday! Your day to clean out your car and purse!" ~FlyLady

Reading the Bible Everyday

Saving Money Cooking "How to Cook" PlayList!"

I can help you get a jumpstart with my book,

The CHAOS Cure! ~FlyLady

This Week we are in Zone 3; our Main Bathroom!

This week we are focusing on the main bathroom and one extra room.

The extra room may be a second, or third bathroom, a guest bedroom, a child's bedroom, the office, or maybe the laundry room. Just pick one extra room and focus on it this week.

The bathroom: Do you live in fear that someone will actually see your bathroom? It is too easy to close our eyes to the mess that is hiding right behind the bathroom door. This week, we are going to open that door to the bathroom, and BabyStep, by BabyStep, we are going to conquer the CHAOS that is the main bathroom!

Your bathroom should give you sense of relaxation and joy when you enter. This is a place for you to pamper and take care of yourself. Treat the room with love and respect and it will bless you with comfort and peace.

Remove the obvious clutter, take out the dirty laundry, and empty the garbage can.

If your bathroom is clean but still cluttered: Start decluttering (makeup, old towels, old medicine, hair supplies, shampoos, etc.). Check out our daily missions. FlyLady usually sends out one during the week which concentrates on decluttering one small area of your bathroom.

Friday is our day to clean out our cars and purses; then plan something for date night!

We use each Friday as our Declutter your Purse and Car day. This only takes a few minutes and saves us lots of time later. Without the candy wrappers, old receipts, and other trash in your purse, finding your car keys becomes a breeze! Removing all the clutter and trash from your car ensures that you won't be hit by any UFOs (Unidentified Flying Objects) in the event of a crash. Set aside a few minutes just for these two tasks each Friday. Here's a list of things to toss:

• Old gum and candy wrappers
• Soda bottles
• Scraps of paper/old receipts
• Drive thru bags and cups
• Jackets/coats/shoes

Set your timer and get to it.

"Decluttering is contagious!" ~ FlyLady

Friday is also Date Night. 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. It is up to us to make sure we grow together! Now don’t think I am going to leave out you single people! We all have relationships! Some are marital and others are friendship. 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!

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.

Do you have Date Night ideas? Send them to FlyLady@flylady.net with Date Night in the subject line. We would love to hear and share them with other FlyBabies.

"Are you ready FLY with your best friend by your side?" FlyLady

Zone 3 Mission #5 Friday

Dear Friends,

Today let's grab some general purpose cleaner and shine those counter tops and bathroom sinks! Clear everything off the counter top and wipe them from side to side and top to bottom. Then use a little elbow grease and scrub your sink, then spritz the counter top and sink with a little windex to make it shine.

This is the last day we have in the guest bedroom. We have worked hard this week, and I am proud of you! Today set your timer and relax. For 15 minutes sit down and have a cup of tea or coffee (don't forget to drink your water). Take time to be still and take care of you.



FlyKid Mission #5 Friday



Hi Kids,

Today is really easy - check your bedroom floor for any paper clutter that you do not need and toss it in the recycle bin or the trash can.

Check your floor for things that you do not need, love, or use!

We have a Student Control Journal for you, it's FREE.

I used to cringe in agony when I would see people pull up in the driveway now I don’t. Just like Marla says the husband has started organizing and getting rid of his stuff too. The teenage boys are a work in progress. I loved the tips on , the delicate cycle, storing sheets under the bed( I’ll Have more room in my linen closet and that’s major when you are limited on closet space like us) .

The FlyLady is such a good motivator! I have found my self quoting her and singing the songs. Earlier I was cleaning and was upset about something having water spots and Marla popped in my head and said “that’s your protectionism “ and I moved on.! I so wish I would have stuck with The Flylady years ago when the kids where younger but, so glad to have her now.



1. Getting Dressed to Lace Up Shoes, Fixing your Hair and Face
2. Swishing and Swiping Your Bathroom Blesses You Most
3. Is Your Bed Made? Every Room has a Shiny Sink
4. Checking Your Calendar; relieves stress
5. Reboot Your Laundry; A load a day keep Mount Washmore Away
6. Think about what's for dinner this relieves lots of guilt
7. Drink your water, take your supplements, and meds
8. Empty Your Dirty Dish Disposal Unit
9. Check Your Morning Routine to see if you missed anything
10. Have you had any lunch
11. Reboot Your Laundry
12. Declutter for 15 minutes
13. Did you drink your water?
14. Have you exercised today?
15. Start Your Before Bed Routine after dinner
16. Check Your Calendar for Tomorrow
17. Lay Out Your Clothes for Tomorrow
18. Place things needed for Tomorrow on your launch pad.
19. Spend Two Minutes Clearing off a Hot Spot
20. Shine Your Sink
21. Wash face/Brush Teeth
22. Go to Bed at a Decent Hour