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,

You know it does no good to plan a week's worth of menus if you don't follow through with your plan. We have looked at our procrastination. Today I want to think about other reasons for not cooking.

When I first got organized; it was because I made a new year's resolution to get organized. At the same time I realized how harsh I was to myself. The second resolution I made was to be kind to myself. I believe with all my heart that the 2nd resolution is what made the difference in my life.

We have been beaten up by bullies most of our lives. The negative voices you hear in your head came from someplace. Recognizing those voices and eliminating the negativity can change your life too.

We want to be a good mom and wife. We see all the amazing meals on Facebook and Pinterest. Then we decide we want to make that for our family. You put all the ingredients on your grocery list and you buy them. The recipe seems so easy on the video. So what happens when you get home from work.

Those negative voices start eat away at your confidence. You hear things like; You don't know how to cook. Your meal will never be as good as what your mother cooks. You hear that negative voice say that you don't have time. Let me tell you a little secret. Don't make a new recipe on a day when you are rushed.

We should never cook something brand new under time pressure. This is why I tell you not to make a new recipe for Thanksgiving or Easter Dinner. Stay with your tried and true recipes that you don't even need to look at to make.

Think of it this way. You don't need a GPS to get home, to the grocery store, to church, or to your mother's house. You know your way around your home town. You have confidence in yourself. This is how I want you to feel in your own kitchen.

Keeping your meal planning simple will give you confidence. Then when you have more time you can try a new recipe to add to your cookbook. I rarely use a recipe because I have been cooking since I was ten years old. Over the years I have learned the basics of cooking.

I knew a lot about cooking when I first married. Someone gave me a Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook. It helped me to learn the things that made me a good confident cook. I'll bet you already have one in your cookbook collection. If you don't have one there are a bunch of used one on Amazon. I love buying used books.

Please be kind to yourself and don't pile on more than is humanly possible.

You can cook if you take babysteps to learn! Are you ready to Fly?

Dear Friends,

If you have learned anything from FlyLady, I hope you get this one part. A little planning NOW, saves a lot of time LATER! AND ENERGY!

Have you started planning your Easter Holiday Dinner? Do you know the menu? Have you bought the needed groceries? Have you made out a to do list? If you sit down for 30 minutes and seriously think about the process, you life will have less stress. I am going to walk you through the planning process.

1. What are your plans?

2. Am I cooking or going out?

3. Do we do Easter baskets and dye eggs?

4. Do I have goodies for the baskets?

5. If you have to cook, what on the menu?

6. Don't forget dessert!

If you are like me, cooking a holiday dinner really zapps your energy.

There is a way to cook this meal and still enjoy the family and I am going to tell you how in step by step instruction. This plan worked for my Thanksgiving celebration. This was the first time I ever tried this method. I well never do another holiday meal without this plan.

Here is what I did first!

1. Made sure the house was clean ready for company and kept it that way while I cooked.

2. Got my dishes ready for the table several days ahead of time. Tuesday before Thursday. A couple of days is enough. Get out your table cloths and center piece. Have you thought about a center piece yet? Silverware and serving dishes too. Make sure they are all clean ready for the table. Either set the table, (if you do not have to use it or put the dishes aside for the time being on a clean counter and cover with a dish towel. I have a cat. I also cover the whole table if set with a clean sheet. The table is set and I don't have to worry about it anymore. I even have time to fold napkins and do cutesy stuff to the table. Because I am not rushed. It's a Martha S. Moment.

3. Make out your menu for the dinner. Examine your recipes and pick your your family favorites. Also try one new thing. Surprises are always nice. Could become a new family tradition. Pick out some things that can be made ahead of time and put into the refrigerator until time to cook or serve. Some salads need to be made a day or two ahead of time, so that the flavors meld.

4. Make out a grocery list. Check the recipes for items you have on hand and list the ones you need to buy. Think of everything you will need. from egg dye to candy. Beverages and desserts. What is the main dish?

5. Clean out your refrigerator, really well to make room for covered dishes.

6. Go shopping early in the day or the day before you start to cook.

7. TODAY! Make an appointment calendar for your cooking. especially the day you are serving the dinner. You can't have everything in the oven at once. So plan on what needs to go in the oven and stagger it according to how long they need to cook or can they cook together if you have room. This is when I would love to have 2 ovens.

8. On this appointment calendar. at the top Write: Only prepare one DISH at a time. Set a time for each particular item on the menu. Follow this schedule, allow plenty of time to clean up after preparing each item. Don't forget to thaw the turkey or ham. Write it on your list.

9. Cook or prepare something each day for 3 days. If you divide the work out over 3 days, you will have time to plan something fun with the kids and you will have the energy to do it. You can do dessert early, a salad. Throw together casseroles. Pick items for your menus that allow you to make ahead. This way you are only popping in the oven and setting it on the table.

10. When you start to cook anytime. Make sure the dishwasher and sinks are empty. Run Hot soapy water in the sink, so you can clean up as you go. Remember to only prepare one item at a time and clean up after yourself as you go. DO NOT START A NEW PREPARATION UNTIL THE MESS IS CLEANED UP FROM THE PREVIOUS DISH. I MEAN THIS. I can hear you know."Oh I can do two things at once." Do you remember how overwhelmed you get and the feeling from turning around in circles in your kitchen floor because you don't know what to do next. Focus on one item at a time. This relieves all the stress. I promise. Your kitchen will be clean too. That is the biggest stress reliever.

11. Don't forget the rolls. This is a family tradition in our home. Someone always forgets the bread. So from now on, I buy the frozen roll dough at the grocery store. It is wonderful. All you do is read the directions. They are on the back and put them in the pan to rise 3 hours before your meal. Put this on your schedule; 3 to 4 hours ahead of meal time. They have to rise and then be cooked. Read the directions. They are great. Everyone thinks they were made from scratch. A new family tradition.

12. Give everything a time on the calendar. But if you don't look at it, you won't follow your plan. Take your calendar or notebook with the schedule written on it and put it on the refrigerator or on the counter.Look at it every hour. It has your next few days planned out. Guess what you don't even have to think now, you just have to read, the thinking has already been done. Keep your recipes with this notebook too.

One word of warning. Do not let your sink become a catch all. Put everything away as you use it and wash up all your dishes. Then you can start the next preparation.

If you want to have a wonderful family celebration, the hostess does not need to be exhausted and at her witt's end. You can do this. If I can anyone can.

One other thing. Get dressed in good clothes and put on an apron while you cook. I don't know why, but I always feel so festive when I cook with an apron on. Have your hair fixed and your face looking good too. No sense scaring the guests.

Holiday celebrations are special memories for your children and family. Make them memorable, in a way that only you can do. You are blessing your family with your efforts. Don't be a Martyr. Enjoy and love every moment of the preparation.

Wishing you all the joy and happiness that this Easter Season brings.

FlyLady

P.S. Here is a wonderful way to remember Christ Resurrection. It was sent to me by a Dear Friend.

These cookies can create a really neat family Easter tradition if you don't already have one.

EASTER STORY COOKIES

You need:

1 c. shelled whole pecans

1 tsp. vinegar

3 egg whites

pinch salt

1 c. sugar

zipper baggie

wooden spoon

tape

Bible

Preheat oven to 300 F.

Place pecans in zipper baggie. Let children beat them with the wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested he was beaten by the Roman soldiers.  Read John 19:1-3.

Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 tsp. vinegar into mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross he was given vinegar to drink. Read John 19:28-30.

Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life. Read John 10:10-11.

Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand. Let them taste it and brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers, and the bitterness of our own sin. Read Luke23:27.

So far the ingredients are not very appetizing.

Add 1 c. sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to Him. Read Psalms 34:8 and John 3:16.

Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed. Explain that the color white represents the purity in God's eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus. Read Isa.1:18 and John 3:1-3.

Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper covered cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid. Read Matt. 27:57-60.

Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF.

Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door. Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed. Read Matt. 27:65-66.

GO TO BED! Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven over night. Jesus' followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed. Read John 16:20 and 22.

On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! On the first Easter Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty. 

Read Matt. 28:1-9.

HE HAS RISEN!----------

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

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

Dear FlyLady,

Making the bed has been a habit since I discovered you many, many years ago.

At first it seemed trivial because when my feet hit the floor, I was off chasing toddlers around the house. But all that changed when I took your advice to "shine my bedroom sink"......a.k.a. our bed!

My husband and I refer to our bed as 'the nest'. It is our sacred space that no one else shares (except for bouncing children!).

I tend to our nest every Weekly Home Blessing by hanging the comforter on the clothesline to air and fluff; filling with sunshine. The other blanket gets shook out and the sheets are changed.

What a blessing to snuggle into our fresh fluffy nest with my devoted husband every night! The bed is made every morning.

Over the years my children have learned this habit. They now make their beds as soon as their feet hit the floor in the morning.

We have a small home with shiny sinks all over!



~A Happy Oregon Flybaby in her Nest~

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

"You can make all the plans in the world, but if you never lift a finger to implement them; you have done nothing!" ~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.

Tuesday is our day to Plan and Play!

On Tuesdays, We take some time out to Plan our week. Planning means taking time to look at next week and see what we can do to make things easier for us during the next week. Here are some things we can do to plan:

• Menu planning
• Activities planning
• Date Night and Family Fun Time planning
• Wardrobe planning
• Checking prescriptions to see what needs to be refilled
• And anything else you might need to plan. There are tons of things we can do to save ourselves time later!

We also get to have lots of fun on Tuesdays. This is where the play part comes from. When our planning is finished, we get to go play! Spend the rest of the day doing something fun just for you. See that movie you've been wanting to see, take a long bath with a good book, or get out and have some fun at the gym. Whatever makes you happy! This is all about you.

"See what you can do this week to make next week easier!" ~FlyLady

Zone 2 Mission #2 Tuesday

Dear Friends:

Back to the kitchen we go! Your mission for today is to wipe down the doors of your cabinets. Use a damp rag and wipe down the fronts and the edges of your cabinets. This is really a simple thing to do but we have a tendency to ignore the cabinets because there is always so much more going on in the kitchen. Finger prints and grease attach themselves to the cabinets and make them a little sticky. A good wipe down will make a big difference.

Remember we are taking babysteps! Small little missions that add up to a shiny kitchen.

FlyKid Mission #2 Tuesday



Hi Kids,

Today you are going to open up your sock drawer and look for all of the socks that don't fit or have holes in them. If you have socks that are in that drawer that you just don't wear let's toss those out along with the ones that don't fit or have holes in them!!

Ready, Set....GO.

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