Dear FlyLady,

I am currently a full time grad student and work part time. I finished my BA in only three years and when people ask how I do it I always exclaim “FlyLady!”

However, my testimonial isn’t really about me this time around.Three months ago, my boyfriend finally got stationed near where we’re both from. We decided to move into an sprat meant together when he got back. My boyfriend hasn’t been home since he joined the military and most of his things were still in storage, not to mention he had been stationed overseas for three years so all his household goods were in extraneous boxes as packed by the army movers.

All of these items ended up on the floor of our living room and I couldn’t even see the floor because of all the stuff!  After about a month of not being able to walk to the back door without tripping on stuff, I threw a mini fit which, as fits usually do, did nothing and I didn’t do anything with the stuff because I figured it was “his stuff”. Finally this Sunday I was feeling icky because I missed my straight A’s streak in school this term (sadly I still am a perfectionist in some ways) and we were just under $200 short on our rent this month because we had had to buy new tires. So I decided to do something about the living room to make me feel better and because I got it through my head that it was actually “our stuff” and I needed to quite being a martyr.

I got dressed to shoes (and earrings!) and armed with put away, throw away and give away boxes, I set a timer for only 15 minutes, told him your famous line “you can do anything for 15 minutes” and we set to work. About 5 minutes into throwing stuff around, my boyfriend throws two hundred dollar bills at me and an un-deposited check.He’d found it in the backpack he’d taken when we went to Ireland together a year ago. I couldn’t believe it. We could pay rent in full!! No late fee! First thing out of his mouth “you gotta tell Flylady about this!!” And so I am.

Thank you FlyLady. I can now see my living room floor, and pay our rent on time. And I didn’t have to yell and say nasty things to the man I love to get either of those things.Thank you for all the blessings you give your FlyBabies. We love you.

With love and thanks,
Jamie, a proud Cascadian (Washington) FlyBaby

****************************

FlyLady here: I am so proud of Jamie for taking care of herself. Sometimes the messes right in front of us make us feel bad.