Hi, Marla and Crew!!

I first signed up for FlyLady in 2006 (not even sure how I heard about you)! I was a new stay-at-home pastor’s wife and needed to keep a presentable home because church members could stop in at the parsonage at any time (oh the horror)! Now that I “had the time” I thought I should have been able to keep my home perfectly and it just wasn’t happening. Mom was “born organized” type A personality. Our chores as kids were the detail cleaning on Saturday, but she did the “day-to-day” maintenance, so we just didn’t know how.

Older sister was “born organized” like mom, and Baby sister spent the time with mom to learn. I was the “Boy Dad never had” spending most of my free time outside with him.

I know about car maintenance and how to run a construction site, NOT how to keep a house! To make the longest story short, I have followed FlyLady 11 years, sometimes more intensely than others. My home isn’t perfect, but can be company acceptable in 15-30 minutes. I use the term “company acceptable” because I’ve also let go of a lot of perfectionism. My house is clean enough. This past year has been a disaster.

I lost my husband suddenly and our life totally changed. We moved back into a small home that we had previously rented out and we are still working on making it a home, 15 minutes at a time. My most important thing that I wanted to share comes from this month’s habit. Even when I let other routines go by the wayside, our evening routines have been maintained.

Getting lunches ready to just throw in the lunch boxes, getting the coffee pot ready, laying out clothes and going to bed at a decent time are habits that we’ve have followed religiously! EVEN when we get home late, we do all those things before laying down. My 18 year old grew up most of her life hearing “FlyLady-isms” and watching me. I’m still working on helping her work out her perfectionism (she’s one of those that must marathon clean ALL day JUST in her room). But I noticed one thing as she has started her college career. She immediately got her a planner to keep her assignments in AND created us a joint COZI account. She always goes to bed at a decent time AND lays out her clothes the night before. EVERY night.

They do notice and they DO learn from you when you don’t realize their listening!

Thanks Marla for all you do!

We have everything you need to keep your home shining! Sometimes we need a little motivation. Our efficient tools give us a jump start! They make a tough job fun. If you make it fun; it will get done!