HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY!

This is my third attempt to finish and publish this blog. I've set the trusty "FlyLady" timer to 15 minutes and am now determined to finish my post in this new era of my life: managing my time with good stewardship.

Ding, Dong, the Trojan is GONE! We scrubbed the hard drive of all effects of the virus, right after we loaded all of our pics and docs onto a 4G flash drive, and voilah! I have a computer again. I've spent the past day or so downloading all of the Windows Updates and doo-hickhuses that we need to keep our computer in tip-top shape and Trojan-free! I can't tell you how great it was to save all of our pics in about 15 minutes at the click of a button onto a flash drive and know that they won't be lost due to this mishap. Technology is so wonderful.

So, let's talk about FLYLady! I said it in the previous blog, but I really, REALLY mean it: FLYLady has changed my life. From the time I was capable of cleaning and organizing (6, 7, or 8 years old maybe?) I have never been able to do it. I remember going to my best friend's house in 5th grade and being in awe of how tidy her room was. My childhood bedroom was NEVER picked up and clean, despite my mom's best efforts of locking me in my room for days on end and not allowing me to come out until it was clean. To put it in even more perspective, when I was a 9th grader my room was so bad that you had to throw all of your weight against the door to get it open due to the junk that was all over the floor (and the same level as my bed, mind you.) I am not kidding. I just do not inherently know how to keep my personal living/working space clean and orderly. I am a slob.

Fast forward and I married Josh, a man whom I love and want to be a helpmate to, and I have a two-year-old and an infant. I've embarked on this new career called "Stay-At-Home Mom". Kind of a recipe for disaster considering my inability to keep a space clean and orderly. I had been EXTREMELY nervous and apprehensive about being a stay-at-home mom and having no imposed structure to my day. I do just okay in environments with imposed structure. When it's up to me to make myself do something, I usually fail at doing what needs to get done 9 times out of 10.

The first two months after Nathanael was born I was just surviving. I went through a couple of hormone spurts where I was cleaning ALL day and had both the boys on this awesome schedule and it lasted about three days and then my house (and parenting) was back to disaster/survival mode. My preggo cuz, Tracy, is the epitome of organization and cleanliness and told me about FLYLady's emails, cleaning schedule, and daily challenges and motivators. I didn't think I had time to check it out, and I certainly lacked the motivation.

I finally got around to looking into it when Lori Kantner (a good friend of mine that I want to be just like when I grow up) told me that FLYLady really worked for her when she was a SAHM while I was whining to her about how I'm failing at my new career. Lori is amazing. She's a fabulous teacher, parents 4 GODLY children, disciples friends in an amazing way, is a devoted wife, AND ALWAYS has a clean kitchen when I go over to her house. I'm in awe of her. So, while at my first visit to the FLYLady website I didn't quite understand how it would all work, I signed up to get the emails anyway.

There is just WAY too much to go into as far as all of the little ways that she gets you to clean and organize and I have just 7 minutes left on my timer, so I'll bullet a couple of the things that have helped me the most.

-She talks about living in "CHAOS" or Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome and how this puts a strain on your marriage and your ability to minister to friends and family. I have lived in CHAOS for my entire life.

-The system starts with 31 days of baby steps, each step taking only 15 minutes and builds you into a couple of routines that keep your house looking presentable for company every day. The very first day all you have to do is shine your sink. Not do the dishes! Just shine your sink.

-She has a new habit that you practice every month. July was, "Swish and Swipe" in which you take 2 minutes after your shower every day to quick spray and clean your bathroom counter, mirror, and swish your toilet clean. August is "Where is Your Laundry?" As part of your morning routine you throw 1 load of laundry in the wash every day and be sure to finish it to completion. 5 Steps: Sort, Wash, Dry, Fold, and PUT AWAY! She encourages you to not even leave the laundry room with a hamper of clean clothes. Fold and hang them right out of the dryer.

-She talks about perfectionism and how we have the mindset that unless we have time to "do the job right" we don't do it at all. She banishes the thought of perfectionism and tells you that you can do any job in just 15 minutes.

-You can do ANYTHING for just 15 minutes. Set a timer. When the timer goes off, you leave it until the next day. Case closed. This helps with jobs that you dread doing, as well as jobs that you take entirely too long at (like posting a blog) because you're trying to be perfect about it.

There goes my timer! Love to all!