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



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

We only have Digital Calendars!



Dear Friends,

This morning I woke up at 4:00 am with Jeff Foxworthy on my mind. I must have been dreaming about his "You might be a Redneck if ..." but he had changed it up to "You might be a Perfectionist if ....!" Some of you are still in denial that you are a perfectionist. We see your blogs and emails saying, "How can I be a perfectionist if my house is so messy!" It is that perfectionism that causes it. Let me explain.

Born Organized people and Sidetracked people are both perfectionist. The Born Organized person actually creates the environment that everything has to be in place. They cannot mentally or physically leave anything out of order. For Sidetracked people like us; we get overwhelmed by it. We want it in order but we don't think we have enough time to do it right. This is when we do nothing. Getting overwhelmed is caused by our perfectionism.

You come to us looking for help to get rid of your clutter and CHAOS. You just want to get your house clean. Deep down inside you realized that this clutter and CHAOS has infested every area of your life. Even if you are not ready to admit it; your finances show that evidence, your schedule is crazy and your relationships are falling apart. Here goes your perfectionism again. You are looking for the perfect answer to your problem. There is no such thing as perfect.

I hear people use that term "perfect" all the time as an adjective. It saddens me that so many people use that word without even thinking of the burden it puts on their family to live up to that unrealistic view of life.

Our perfectionism causes us to be critical of others. We see something they are doing wrong and it is our duty to correct them. We do this to our children, our husbands and sometimes even total strangers. We think it is our duty because after all we can do it better than they can. All this does is show the world that you are a rude person. What example are you setting for your children when you correct their father all the time? Your children just want to be loved. The message you are giving them is that if they are not perfect they are not worthy to be loved. Isn't that the message you heard growing up. We have been saddled with this from the day we were born, "If you can't do it right, don't do it at all!" Guess what! That is exactly what we did! NOTHING. Perfectionism once again!

Let's have some fun with this topic so you can see the perfectionist in you!

You might be a perfectionist if ..

You might be a perfectionist if ..You spend hours cleaning the grout with a toothbrush when there is a sink full of dishes.

You might be a perfectionist if ..You put the salt shakers in the center of the table when they become out of place after someone uses them during the meal.

You might be a perfectionist if ..You go to put the groceries away you pull out every single shelf in the refrigerator to clean them while the groceries are getting warm on the counter.

You might be a perfectionist if ..You go to replace a light bulb and end up tearing the whole light fixture apart cleaning it.

You might be a perfectionist if ..While doing laundry you spend hours trying to get a stain out of a $2 shirt when there are 10 piles that need to be washed and put away.

You might be a perfectionist if ..You spend six hours balancing your checkbook looking for a penny mistake.

You might be a perfectionist if ..You put the children's toys away while they are still playing with them because it looks too messy.

You might be a perfectionist if ..You go to put away a book and end up spending hours rearranging the books in your bookshelf by height, color or alphabetical order when you were only clearing out a hot spot on your table.

You might be a perfectionist if ..You spend good money and valuable time searching the aisles of the grocery store for the latest greatest cleaning product to get your home in order when all it takes is a little soap and elbow grease.

You might be a perfectionist if ..You get an email, card or letter from someone and all you see is the mistakes that were made in their penmanship, spelling or grammar instead of the message of love. (You know who your are)

You might be a perfectionist if ..You put off doing the things you love because you don't think you have enough time. How many memories are you not making because you think there is not enough time to do it right.

You might be a perfectionist if .. You fall off your diet wagon and give up; then start eating everything in sight.

You might be a perfectionist if .. You make a mess on your stove and go running down the hallway wanting to buy a new one.

You might be a perfectionist if .. Your baby spills milk and you explode in anger over a little mess.

You might be a perfectionist if .. You don't have eight hours to clean your house; so you do nothing.

You might be a perfectionist if .. You automatically assume that everyone else is wrong and you have all the answers.

You might be a perfectionist if .. You make sure that everything goes exactly how you planned it.

You might be a perfectionist if.. You get upset in traffic because everyone else is a bad driver.

You might be a perfectionist if .. You shut down when things don't go your way!

You might be a perfectionist if .. You read one of my essays and only see the mistakes and miss the message. Then shoot off an email complaining about how I need a proofreader.

You might be a perfectionist if .. You get a few emails in your inbox and automatically unsubscribe because you don't have time to read them all.

Have you caught perfectionism in yourself? Do you have another one for us to add to this list? Send it to FlyLady@flylady.net with LAUGH in the subject line.

Each of us has an opportunity to turn off our perfectionism switch if we really what to! I have done it. We can replace perfectionism with an open heart and loving gestures.

Are you ready to FLY!

FlyLady

Please fight the urge to send a rude email complaining about grammar, spelling, or punctuation. You would not correct someone in person; what makes you think it is O.K to do it from behind a computer or phone screen. We do not edit testimonials.

Perfectionism is not an asset. It is a wedge that you insert into your relationships. When you feel the urge to correct or complain; that is your red flag that perfectionism is rearing its ugly head.

Your perfectionism is the reason you won't write on your calendar.

Your perfectionism is the reason your home is in CHAOS! Release it and FLY!

Dear FlyLady,

Help me to understand what a Hot Spot is? I don't know where to start! My whole house is a mess!

FlyBaby P in Tennessee

Dear Friends,

This week we have been getting Back to Basics! It is time you learned how to find and eliminate your hot spots!

Is your home more than 15 minutes worth of messy? If you have lots of hot spots then I will answer this question for you; YES!

Our hot spots make our home feel and look cluttered. Why is it that we feel the need to fill up every flat surface in our homes? It is because there is an empty place to put something down. We walk in the door with our arms loaded and are desperate to unload; that is when we drop things in the first clear spot we find. It can be a chair, the counter top or even the floor.

Let's look at why we are trying to carry so much in the first place. We don't want to make a second trip to the car. Isn't that funny; we weigh ourselves down because we don't want to waste a few extra steps. I want to change your attitude about trying to carry too much and just make one trip.

We could all use a few more steps in our day. I have to walk up one level to get to our front door. If I come in through the basement, I would have to climb a flight of steps. It only takes a short amount of time to get up to the house and back down to the car. Here is what I do when I get out of my car. I gather up all the trash and my purse or computer and head to the door. Then I go back to anything else that is left in the car.

I do this with groceries too. I take the refrigerated stuff first and put it all away and go back down for another load. Every time I come in the house I put everything away. This keeps me from being overwhelmed. I don't like to see my counter tops covered up with bags of groceries. I love coming into our home and seeing clear counters.

When our flat surfaces are covered up with stuff; we get overwhelmed too. If my coffee table is piled high with clutter, I can't write. A messy desk is not an example of a productive mind. It is symptom of a cluttered mind. We have to stop and clear off the hot spot to get the clutter out of our minds so we can think.

Our poor babies deal with this problem too. They have so much stuff in their bedrooms that they don't know what to play with. Get rid of the clutter and find peace and help them to enjoy their rooms. With less stuff they will be able to better concentrate.

With fewer things we will be able to better focus on what we need to do.

Are you ready to FLY?

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 have been fluttering for about 18 months. I am a teacher with a hubby and 3 sons.

For a long time, our bed never got made because I worked days and my DH worked nights. He now works evening shift, but he is still in bed when the kids and I head to school.

Last summer while the kids and I were on break from school, I started making the bed. When the end of August rolled around, I got a big surprise... my hubby made the bed when school started again!

This was huge for us.

Quite frankly, he was the reason I had stopped making the bed years before, but he saw how happy I was when I walked into our tidy bedroom that he decided to pitch in. He now makes our bed every weekday morning! And, he has gotten pretty good at it! When he first started, it was a bit on the messy side, but I kept my mouth shut and said only complimentary things. Now, it looks pretty darn good!

Thanks so much for giving me the tools to get started!

Flybaby Ann in Pennsylvania

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

"Monday is our day to Bless our homes!" ~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 2; our Kitchens!

The kitchen is the heart of our home.

Focus on one little part — reclaim your kitchen sink. Empty everything out of your sink, shine it up, fill it with hot soapy water, and start washing dishes, one at a time.

• Do a 27-Fling "Trash" Boogie. Trash is clutter. When the bag is full, take it outside, right away, to the trash bin.
• Clear out your mail hotspot. Get rid of the old magazines, catalogs, and advertisements.
• Clear the clutter off your counters one at a time.
• Clear the clutter off your kitchen table.
• Take a peek at your pantry. Don't pull everything out and start reorganizing; just take a look, see what you need, and start a grocery list.

If your kitchen is clean but still cluttered: start decluttering. Check out our daily missions. FlyLady usually sends out one during the week which concentrates on decluttering one small area of your kitchen.

Monday is our day to Bless our Homes!

On Mondays, The Weekly Home Blessing hour is the time FlyLady spends blessing her home. No detailed cleaning required; vacuum the middle of the floors only! Set your timers and have fun - you are blessing your home and family!

FlyLady sets her timer for 10 minutes to work on each of 7 ways to bless your home: If you don't have 10 minutes then use our 2 Minute WHB Challenge.

• Vacuum
• Dust
• Quick Mop
• Polish Mirrors and Doors
• Purge magazines/catalogs
• Change Sheets
• Empty all trash cans

You can have FlyLady coach you through the Weekly Home Blessing hour by listening to her.

This takes approximately one hour; some tasks take less than 10 minutes.

"Don't obsess, set your timer for 10 minutes for each task, then QUIT!" ~ FlyLady

Zone 2 Mission #1 Monday

Dear Friends:

We are in the Kitchen this week and we are going to work our way through from top to bottom!Your mission for today is to look UP!

Today we are going to look up, set your timer for 10 minutes and take a broom or a Multi-wand and get those dust bunnies and cobwebs that are hanging on the upper walls that are taller than you, the corners of the ceilings and the ceiling.

If you are feeling adventurous ask someone in the house to help you and take a damp rag to the light fixture and/or ceiling fan. Please be careful! Don't get obsessed and take your light fixture apart or repaint the ceiling.

Babysteps!



FlyKid Mission #1 Monday



Hi Kids,

We are taking a walk! Let's walk through our houses looking for 10 things that belong in our rooms and put them away. If you have left any shoes, jackets, school things, toys or books around the house,now is the time to return them to their home.

When you leave your things around the house, it makes the house look messy. Let's grab up the things that belong in our rooms and take them there.

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