Dear FlyLady,

I’ve only been at it for a couple of weeks, but my what a difference a shiny sink has made! I’m already going through the morning and evening routines as a habit, and during the day I’ve been decluttering 5-15 minutes at a time. I keep up with dishes as they come and I’ve only had to run the dishwasher twice in two weeks. The house has come together so nicely that I invited friends over for a play date yesterday.

I didn’t cringe when they brought lunch – my dining room table was clean and uncluttered, I had clean forks and knives for them to borrow, and my kitchen looked great. Even the microwave was nice and shiny. I wiped it down when I decided to wipe down my cabinet fronts since we’re on the Kitchen Detail Cleaning this week.

All the kids’ toys were put away neatly and ready to be played with. My kids’ rooms were neat and tidy so I didn’t worry when the older kids wanted to go play in my daughter’s room. I’d done my first Weekly Home Blessing Hour (which turned out to be less than an hour) well before play time so the carpets were fresh. We have one little friend with a mild allergy to our cats and I would hesitate to invite them over knowing I hadn’t vacuumed, and that always resulted in a mad dash to pick up all the toys and clutter so I could vacuum first. Vacuuming was short and sweet, though. All the middles throughout the house were done with time to spare. In fact, I was treating myself to a second cup of coffee and a snack for the kids and working on a crocheting project by the time our little friends arrived, because after my little cleaning session I looked around and there was nothing left to be done!

For once, it was relaxing and enjoyable to have everyone over. So much so that everyone is invited again next week, because I know my house will be welcoming for everyone! All I have to do is have a look at my little lists on the bathroom mirrors or the kitchen counter next to the sink, and I know my next step for keeping everything tidy. By the end of the day, the house is welcoming, the kitchen is nice and shiny, and I’ve been able to spend time with my family. (It’s amazing how much time I seem to have on my hands now, even when I clean off and on with little jobs throughout the day.)

I started a little before the New Year, so my resolution is to just maintain this routine. You’ve set me up for success and it’s up to me to follow through. 🙂

Nicky

FlyLady Rebecca here: Do you have a Shiny Sink Story? Let us know, and send an email with MY SHINY SINK STORY in the subject line to flylady@flylady.net!