Dear Friends,

February is Declutter for 15 minutes, and we are going to take full advantage of our time. Monday through Friday this month you will get a new Declutter Mission that follows the Zone we are in. If you have a declutter story or an idea that you have found to be useful please send us an email with MY DECLUTTER STORY in the subject line!

FlyLady Rebecca

February Declutter Mission:

No mission today, take this time to spend with your family and friends!

Hi FlyLady

I think I am more of a FlyFetus because I just started this about 2 weeks ago and have not yet incorporated all of your ideas.  Right now I am decluttering for the 15 minutes a day AND have purchased a feather duster.  My house usually LOOKS clean, as I have had a cleaning girl for almost 20 years.  She did a pretty good job but just increased her rates by 25%.  I don’t know about anyone else, but I have never received a 25% raise!  So I am trying to go without her (YIKES)

My messes are in closets, drawers and anywhere else I can put stuff I don’t want to bother going through and always have good intentions to do so in some mysterious time that never arrives.

I do not want to become my mother.  When  I was growing up she went from a home perfectionist to a total slob, I was told, after I was born.  So I never did see the house immaculate, ever.  I was always embarrassed to have a friend over and would only invite people who had a home as messy or worse than ours.  My clothes always had to be pulled out of laundry baskets because she never folded them.  To be fair to her, she was treated for bi-polar disorder so when she was depressed, literally nothing got done.  She never really taught me how to do much because, I am guessing, she was a stay at home mom and I was an only child.  Too bad for me when I got married.  I didn’t know how to do anything, let alone keep a house.  Enter the cleaning girl because I did not want to have an embarrassing home again.  That’s the story.

So, I found you somehow and am trying to learn some new ways. All I can say is that I have been looking forward to my 15 minute de-clutter this month Monday – Friday.  To date I have gone through 1 whole closet and about 8 drawers.

I went through drawers I hadn’t seen the inside of for 20 years.  Embarrassing, right? It just is where it is and I love your slogan of start where you are, you are not behind.  Takes away so much shame.

I will check in with you in a few months.

Sincerely, Diane ( the Fly-Fetus)