To the person who mentioned FLY Lady...

[rickatheslicka]

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!

About three months ago, someone mentioned that they had decluttered their house with the help of FLY Lady, and they included the link to her website (www.flylady.net). This got my attention and I checked it out, immediately subscribed, and have been fluttering ever since.

I cannot believe the difference in my house and my whole life. She has had such a positive impact on me, I truly think (hope!) that I will never be the same clutter hoarding, unhappy, disorganized martyr again.

So THANK YOU so very much for introducing her to me.

[Kris10Leigh]

It wasn't me, but I understand. I love her too! I fall off the FlyLady bandwagon every now and then, but most of the principles I learned from her apply to my life every single day. When I "fly" routinely, my life is peaceful and more meaningful. It's wonderful! I especially love FlyLady during the holidays! She has gotten me through a couple Thanksgivings and Christmases.

Did you read her financial advice?

[boefixepa]

This site looks interesting...very interesting....I am going to have to look over it in more detail.

[Kris10Leigh]

I just wanted to add that even though my routines slip frequently, my house has remained decluttered since I first joined four years ago. I now HATE clutter- I really do. I have learned that if I don't love it, out it goes. It makes cleaning so much easier! It also helps curb the urge to shop becuase it makes you realize that you do not want to bring anything else into your home to clutter it up.

I highly recommend FlyLady's site as a way to clean up the home and the finances!

[rickatheslicka]

Kris - I have only begun to look at her financial stuff, I focused on decluttering first because it made a lot of sense to me that I would never be able to clean my house, pay my bills, etc in a simplified way until I got the clutter out. Now, I sound just like you, "Do I love this?" I hate clutter, too. I am ruthless (sometimes to my fiancee's dismay), and the house is looking so much better. I love her saying "You can't organize clutter". At first I thought she meant that you can't organize stuff period, but now I see that if I can picture a way to organize something, it probably isn't clutter. For instance, I decluttered the coat closet and didn't have a place for the hats and gloves and such. I decided to buy a hanging shoe organizer for them, works like a charm cuz we really do need hats and such, they aren't clutter.

And, yes, I am already saving money because like you said, I don't want to buy as much stuff now. Even new presents have to pass the clutter tests (Do I love it, do I use it, do I have room for it) and if not, out it goes, as heartless as that may sound. But it is so liberating to not have to look at the gift and feel guilty that I haven't used it or whatever, I just appreciate the thought, then move on. For the first time, I feel free.

[Kris10Leigh]

Yes, and guilt is so big! I can't tell you how wise her words are to throw away things that make you feel guilty! I had wedding pictures sitting in disposable cameras undeveloped for seven years! Every time I came across them, I felt tremendous guilt because I knew they were probably ruined and we didn't have the money to develop them. So yep, I threw them away and haven't looked back! So many other things like that too. Every time I look at a gift I didn't like to begin with, I feel guilty for not displaying it. Now those gifts are gone and so is the guilt.

[PrincessPerky]

I am lousy at following her, but insptite of that, my house is cleaner overall each month than it was preflylady..I don't just have my clutter to deal with, I have my husbands (and he is uite the pack rat!) but slowly and surly I get rid off lots of stuff, more out tahn in most months...

Between that and my morning routine, life is getting better....not perfect, but better. (course the fact that I delelte all her emails might explain why I don't stick with aall the rules!)

[Kris10Leigh]

Princess, if anyone else DOES decide to check her out, I HIGHLY recommend signing up for the "digest" version of the emails. It is one email per day vs. 25!! Definitely go with the digest.

[Ima saver]

She gives financial advice??

[PrincessPerky]

actually on finances I couldn't get it form her, which is why I came here, once I could find my checkbook on a regular basis I didscovered all was not well.... but like I said I couldn't get anywhere with her advice so I searched for a better place (here)

[rickatheslicka]

Yes, if you go to her Table of Contents, there is a whole section on FACE -ing your Finances (Financial Awareness Continually Empowers). Credit card balance fling boogies, paying it off $15 at at time, and other adaptations of her main principles. Check it out!

[Ima saver]

Ok, I will stick with "here" too.

[rickatheslicka]

I think it may have been one of you, PrincessPerky or Ima Saver, who mentioned her once - so thanks, FLY lady was just what I needed.

Yeah, I think overall, FLY lady is most helpful with getting your house in order, and like Princess Perky said, then you can begin to get your finances in order. FLY lady's financial advice starts with finding your checkbook and balancing it. I think most of the people of this site have done that.

On the other hand, in my case at least, I did not have my house "balanced." But now it is on the way. And more importantly, FLY lady helps me stay positive and not have a bad attitude about doing the housework, cooking, etc. She makes it fun and also gives it a higher meaning, the good you are doing for your home and family. Her message really clicked for me, and I am happier for it, so thanks again!

[jodi]

I liked the principles of the flylady, but opted out due to the tremendous amount of e-mails I receieved. Maybe I'll take another look and subscribe to the "digest" version.

[LuxLiving]

Hi Jodi - I understand about the volume of email - however that is PART of why it works. She calls it flywashing -- just reading the titles as you toss them into the trash slowly ingrains the habits into your thinking...and soon you find yourself doing things around the house that you hadn't been getting to before.

-LuxLivingFrugalis
"Sell not your liberty to gratify your luxury." -??

[Great to be Debt Free]

Before our move to MD I was kinda following FlyLady. I made nice binders for me and my mom, too, and boy would it have been smart to stick withit through the move. Maybe I won't make that mistake withthe pending move! And as I remember, it was more fun when I remember to put on my cleaning house CD. I also vamped that idea up a bit and now I wear a vintage apron and my wedding tiara! When else will I get to wear the tiara?? LOL

I just have to remember to take it off before I run the trash out to the curb or else expect funny looks! :P

[rickatheslicka]

I love the idea of wearing a tiara while cleaning!

And just in case you aren't aware, FLY lady has a whole section on moving.

http://www.flylady.net/pages/Flying_MovingTips.asp

Good luck!

[Great to be Debt Free]

Thanks! Don't know why I didn't think about that -- havent' been to the site for a while, so thanks for the tip!

I now have my husband's aunt wearing a tiara while she cleans, too! Her hubby thinks she's crazy (and she is, in a really great way), but who says you have to look all grungy to clean house? Although I would never clean house in high heels! Ouch!

[Kris10Leigh]

Ughhhhh! I need a little FlyWashing right now! Phew! My house is in total CHAOS! I'm not kidding. With me home all summer with no routines, getting back into the swing of things for school is tough! What I need to do is step away from the computer and go spend 15 minutes in my kitchen! First, I think I will spend 15 minutes catching up on my other favorite site.

[rickatheslicka]

Good luck, Kris! And like FLY Lady says, you can do ANYTHING for 15 mins! Are you getting the emails? This week has been all about smiling, for the sake of smiling, because the muscles that are used when you smile trigger happy feelings. I should try to apply this more, since this has been a cranky week for me so far!

Smiling even though I don't feel like it...