Dear FlyLady,

As a mom of a 9-year-old DS and a 5-year-old DD, I created a poster-sized timeline of how their days are scheduled, complete with times and hand-drawn clocks for my DD, showing the specific times things will be done. It. Is. Working!!

As for myself and my DH, I save time and agony in the mornings by picking out 2 outfits from my just-organized closet to choose from the next morning. Sometimes I include matching jewelry, sometimes I don’t. I carry a small purse, so I don’t succumb to dragging a heavy load on my shoulders. I also, at a minimum, glance in the fridge to see what I could take for lunch the next day.

If I’m in a hurry in the morning, I grab a can of soup that has a peel-back lid and my microwaveable soup cup. I always, always, always fill my stainless steel, double-walled water bottle with ice cubes and a splash of water from the tap to enjoy throughout the day.

My childrens’ clothes are picked out the night before, after I have watched the forecast. So, after all that is taken care, and believe me it doesn’t take long at all, I can focus on doing my hair and makeup and my DD’s hair in the morning, which makes me feel good!

I hope this helps other FlyBabies as it has helped me.

FlyBaby in Milwaukee

My Neighbor “Broke” Into My House

Dear FlyLady,

We rarely lock our door. A potential thief would have to find a way into our condo building and then decide that our condo was the one they wanted to rob despite our large, growly-to-strangers dog. Honestly, I’ve always figured that if those first two things haven’t stopped them, a locked front door won’t either.

Anyway, I had mentioned this to one of my neighbors at one point and this week she locked herself out of her condo. She couldn’t find anyone home that she knew so came over to our house to see if she could find something to pick her lock with. She texted me that she “broke in” and “stole” some bobby pins that were in my daughter’s hair basket.

Dearest FlyLady – when I got that text I realized how far I’ve come thanks to you. A few months ago I would have been mortified beyond belief, sick to my stomach, embarrassed… I could go on but you get the picture. I’ve never been able to have anyone “stop by” before. We would occasionally entertain, preceded by a marathon cleaning session, combined with shoving things in closets and behind closed bedroom doors. A few days later it would be back to a complete mess everywhere. We had far too many things and no routines.

I have been fluttering for about six months. I’ve slowly been decluttering and working on my routines. My house is not “perfect” and there’s still progress to be made – but someone can stop by or even “break in” and it’s fine. I even started a job a month ago after being out of work for almost a year and yet my house looks consistently better than it ever has. Do you know what a blessing and weight off my shoulders this is? Actually, yes, I know you do. Thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing your journey, tools and routines with us FlyBabies.

Grateful “Crime Victim” in IL

PS – My daughter and I fight over who gets to dust with your feather duster! It’s definitely become our favorite part of the weekly home blessing.