Dear FlyLady,

As one of your haphazard followers, I’m good with many of your habits but neglectful or resistant to others… but the Before Bed Routine habit is definitely one that makes life so much easier.

I’ve flunked the get-to-bed-at-a-decent-hour advice, so the Before Bed Routine is that much more important.

I am a Habitat for Humanity volunteer and we start at an early hour, so I need my clothes, cap, tools, wallet, and car keys ready to launch. I once forgot my tool belt because it wasn’t right where I could see it before heading out the door ­ talk about embarrassment on the job site!

It feels good to be able to walk out the door knowing the kitchen is clean, the coffee pot is ready for my DH when he gets up, I have everything I need, and I’ll be on time.

What a great way to start the day!

Flybaby in Durham

Passing on the Habit

Dear FlyLady,

I have been FLYing with you for at least 10 years now, but while some habits are firm, Swishing and Swiping always seems to get left behind.

I really appreciated the e-mail from you that said to link it with another habit. I did that with bed making and getting dressed in my first year with you and it made sense. My bed is so seldom unmade now, you can bet that if it is unmade it was because I left the house before my husband got up. I also remembered as story from my seemingly BO DMIL (Born Organized Dear Mother-in-Law) who I found out long ago is really a SHE (Sidetracked Home Executive) who discovered routines to survive living in parsonages before Pam and Peggy ever published their first book!

When I was a newly wed she told me that she did her weekly bathroom cleaning on Sunday morning after her husband left for church. She was all ready doing a daily cleaning that she called “vacuuming the middles,” so it was never really that bad even with a family of 6. According to her, she would strip down, do the weekly scrubbing in the buff, and then be the very first person to enjoy her shiny clean bathroom. It was her way of blessing herself!

So, I applied this linking idea twice.

First, I linked the Swish and Swipe of our master bath to my morning tooth brushing session. For all of July, I have managed to do it everyday. I had to ask my DH (Dear Husband) if he noticed, and he did say he was wondering why our bathroom was not getting dirty, LOL!

Second, realizing my DD (Dear Daughter) will be leaving home next fall and I had yet to introduce her to Swish and Swipe like I had other FLY routines. So, I delegated her primary bathroom to her. You are right. It does take longer to explain than it does to do it, but I explained that when you do it as part of getting ready in the morning, like putting on your make up or your brushing teeth it really is blessing yourself. And I did tell her about her DGM (Dear GrandMother) who she admires doing it in the buff on Sunday morning.

DD is now really enjoying having a shiny bathroom sink for her morning prepping. I hope she carries it with her to dorm life, and it was great to bless her future by sharing this important routine. Thanks again for all you do to keep inspiring us.

A decade old FlyBaby–or am I a FlyKid now?