Dear FlyLady,

To say you have changed my life would be an understatement. My husband is afraid to say anything lest everything go back to the way it has always been – clutter, clean, more clutter, give up.

One thing though – although my house was always CHAOS – six kids will do that  – it never did stop me from having people over – I was a master at saying “whatever” and moving clutter to my bedroom. I realized at some point that while I am actually fairly competent in other areas I have no idea how to keep house.

My daughter was FLYING for a couple months before she hesitantly told me about you.  I checked out your site and the rest is history.

I do have to tell you that about six weeks into following your suggestions I had an epiphany when I saw the day’s task was to wash the bathroom rugs and I thought ,” I already did that” ….a month ago and then went (insert forehead slap here ) OH!  You have to do that more than once in your life! I could go on and on but that is not why I am here today.

As Swish and Swipe is the habit for July let me tell you how this one simple task has been life changing.  Obviously it has changed how lovely my 3 bathrooms are, and I do not begrudge anyone not cleaning a bathroom besides me because I delight in three company ready bathrooms daily.

However the simple statement – you deserve a clean toilet – has become my mantra for everything else in my life.  I deserve to get to bed at a decent hour, I deserve to wear a nice outfit, to take time to primp a tad, to use a pretty plate for morning toast, to not save everything for “good” .

One of my daughters pointed out that a cute skirt and top outfit actually cost me less than a pair of jeans and expensive running shoes so why not wear a “good” outfit and feel pretty – dare I say it? on a Tuesday! I have explained to a friend going through a terrible divorce that “you deserve a clean toilet ” as a metaphor for she deserves to be treated well and be happy.

If we, who spend our days doing for everyone else, remember that we too deserve a clean toilet, we will learn that nobody will suffer if we neglect ourselves more than we will. And that everyone will benefit if we treat ourselves as well as we treat everyone else in our lives.

My teenage son has made more comments about the house looking good and me looking good in the past four months than he did his entire 17 years before I started FLYING. Re-read that – teenage son: noticing and complimenting!  Proof enough of how life changing things have been around here?

I know you get testimonials daily but do know that you are changing lives!  Or rather you are changing attitudes and we, out here in the trenches, are changing lives – one clean toilet at a time!

Thank you,
Flybaby in Boise, Idaho

FlyLady Rebecca here: Do you have a Testimonial about Swishing and Swiping your bathroom? Let us know, and send an email with MY BATHROOM LOOKS GREAT in the subject line.