Dearest FlyLady,

How do I love thee? The list is exhausting, but I have a couple highlights to share now.

I had a family wall calendar last year posted to the inside of our pantry door (no wall space in my kitchen, fridge doesn’t do magnets). I thought my DH and DD10 would check the calendar every time they looked for a snack. With the glossy pages and small boxes, I really procrastinated on updating it. Eventually we all got immune to it and it just became clutter.

Well, I ordered my FlyLady calendar early and was so excited to start using it in August. Like other Flybabies, I bought colored pens for each family member. The FlyLady calendar and Cozi calendar colors are the same for each family member. It stayed on the back of the pantry door, but after a few weeks, immune.

I thought long and hard about the best place for the family to see the calendar. I remembered that Dear FlyLady keeps hers in her bathroom, and all of us start and end our day in my bathroom. I’m lacking a good patch of wall in the bathroom, though. I wanted to hang it on the outside of my glass shower door, so that when each person is shampooing his/her hair, they would look at and READ the calendar. I went searching for a suction cup with a small hook but couldn’t find one in the stores.

Lucky me! About a week later, I found just the suction cup I needed. It was hanging around in the trunk of the car; a remnant from one of our decluttering sessions! I have no idea what it used to belong to, but now it is the proud owner of a FlyLady calendar that EVERYONE is reading daily. DD10 informed me that Autumn starts on the 23rd! DH reminded me that our friend’s birthday is on the 19th! And I’m updating it with all kinds of stuff; meal plans, weight measurements, weekly home blessing tasks. I’m so proud of me!

I also LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my new Extreme Duster! It is so pretty and luxurious, just like my purple rags. It almost feels like a treat to use it. Dusting used to be the task I dreaded and procrastinated above all others. I was so excited when it arrived. I put Dear Son-8months in the baby carrier and danced through the house. My only complaint was that I felt incomplete without the “So Long Dust Samba“! So I bought the song, too. Did you know that if you play it three times in a row, it is just about 10 minutes and becomes its own timer? I love it! I love thinking of the little boy who shouted “Bless the World!” with his duster while I am blessing the world with mine!

Also, as a RP (recovering perfectionist), I often remind myself that I can be “perfect in my imperfection”. Thank you for helping me fling the guilt and stress that goes along with perfectionism! Sometimes I will purposely do a weekly home blessing item at dusk under low light just to beat my perfectionism! I thought this might help other RPs too.

Most importantly, thank you for teaching me to be kind to myself and my family. The martyr was decluttered a long time ago. I used to pout and throw tantrums while cleaning because “I deserved to have a maid”. What I actually wanted was a home that hugs me. Now while I am blessing my home, I delight in the idea that I am doing it because I deserve to have a home that hugs me and blesses my family. What a beautiful and joyous thing!

Much love to you and the Crew!
Tahmineh

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FlyLady here: I love hanging my calendar in the bathroom. It is the first place I go in the morning and the last place am before bed.

Have you been procrastinating about getting your calendar? Don’t wait another week! We are just about out of them!