Re: Flylady

[Guest guest]

Well, forget flylady.

Gracelady has better ideas.

There are only a few things you have to remember to keeping house.

1. Clean as you go. Put it back. When going from the living area to the

sleeping area - never go empty handed. Vice versa. You don't have to make

1000 trips to clean up. No, just when you are on your way from one end

<upstairs or not> to the other end <assumably downstairs> - - take something

with you. Laundry basket - - all the way down to a pencil that belongs in

the kitchen drawer, not the master bathroom. Going upstairs, take an extra

roll of tissue paper. Going up - - take a plastic bag. Coming down - -

fill it up by emptying wastebins upstairs and bring it down. And so forth.

Moms are moving from one end of the house to the other a million times a

day. If you'd just pick ONE thing up on the way, each way - - - - clean, I

tell you. Also - - cooking tip: slice - clean up the chopping board and

knife. Saute? Place food onto a plate, clean up frypan and utensils before

starting on the pasta ,or wahtever. Clean as you go. Put it back. (ALWAYS

EMPTY THE DISHWASHER FIRST THING IN THE MORNING!!!! Try it!) When moving

within the same area - like from family room to kitchen - - pick up anything

on the table. An extra glass or if not that - pick up dust off the floor as

you go. Throw away. Nothing is more tiring and boring than doing a major

overhaul as a cleaning. Maintaing clean is fun!

2. When in doubt - throw it away. OK.... this creates a massive explosion

between spouses if you happen to throw away something that the husband

needed. BUT - - - the trick is that if it keeps on happening, even old dogs

learn new tricks. Motto: " If it was that important to you, it should have

been kept safely - not in my line of sight. " Mail? The minute is

arrives - go through it. Sort the bills, and throw out the rest Coupons?

Blech. You'll never find them to use them. Throw it out. Newspaper

delivery? If you don't read it - - call and cancel delivery. If you do

read it - read it in the morning and throw it away. ly, NONE of you

should have time for that LOL. The one thing I know in life is that a house

that dilligently throws trash out, cannot be messy. If your house is a

mess - you're a collector. And most of it's junk. I don't believe in

having too many " storage units " like hutches with 12 drawers, etc. It

provokes you to STORE things. No, no, no. If you have no place to put

them - - you throw it out. Store it in the garage, at best, but NOT in my

house.

3. Clear the countertops. Appliances do not belong on the countertops. If

you don't have storage, make some out in the garage. Build a shed for all I

care, but don't place them all over the countertop! Nothing kills your urge

to clean as much as a " clean mess " does. You cleaned and it's STILL

essy - - - so why bother? Clear, clean and shine the countertops. Once -

just once, if you have tiled countertops - - bleach the grout. CLEAN. Then

from that point on - - just clear it off. This, I believe, is why you guys

keep on mentioning the shiny sink? Same theory. If it's clean, you will

want to keep it clean. But a shiny sink doesn't do SQUAT if the countertops

are a mess. If the countertops are sparkling clean and CLEARED of

junk - - - trust me - the shiny sink will follow.

4. One big task a day. Now this is where I fail. Set one schedule and

stick to it. <easier said than done because I do e-mail in that time LOL.>

For example, here is my schedule:

Monday - vaccuum . If you've been cleaning as you go - - this is easy. The

floors are all visible with nothing alive, dead, or plastic in the way of

the vaccuum suction. <good to do Monday after everyone was lounging around

all weekend, AND motivation to keep it clean through the week>

Tuesday - mop floors <same theory - and I hate this part.>

Wednesday - Change all the sheets in the house - new covers, pillows, etc.

Make beds. In other words, organize bedrooms.

Thursday - laundry. Realistically, those of you with many kids will have to

fit laundry in several more times. Me? I have enough clothing, outerwear,

underwear, shirts, bottoms ,etc - to ENSURE I will never have to do it more

than once a week.

Friday - clean the bathrooms. Friday morning is the best time to blast the

music, and clean the bathrooms. QUICKLY. If you swipe your toilet down

once a day - cleaning is a brisk in the bathroom. Swipe.

Saturday - REALISTICALLY, it's makeup day, because you screwed up and

slacked at least one of these days... but that's okay.

Sunday - g - in prep for vaccuuming tomorrow morning.

SERIOUSLY - - none of these " big tasks " should take you more than 30 minutes

to an hour, IF you keep up with them! And good cleaning tools is a must.

Good wipes, good cleaning sprays are excellent motivational items. Blast

the music and move for an hour or so. It's fun!!!!

Oh, and the number one rule: NEVER EVER GO TO SLEEP WITHOUT CLEANING THE

KITCHEN. NEVER.

Well, my theory is that it's a bad start to the new morning. I always wake

up to a clean kitchen, but frankly, that hasn't helped my mornings at all.

They probably won't help Penny's mornings either LOL!! Oh well, at least

it's CLEAN. And even if you do end up crying in it, you do so with style.

Grace

Re: Flylady

> In a message dated 1/22/2002 9:31:28 PM Eastern Standard Time,

> gracekeh@... writes:

>

>

> > I have heard her being mentioned by you guys - - and some others, but I

have

> > no idea what it's about....

> >

> > Grace

>

> She's like the guilt mother... you can't check your email until you get

> dressed and shine your sink. To shine your sink you have to do the

dishes.

> If you're having a bad day you delete everything LOL. Honestly though

she's

> really helped me to pare down to the important things and get rid of all

the

> crap. Every afternoon after lunch (naptime) before I check my email I

spend

> 15 minutes sorting threw something a closet, a drawer, a box in the garage

> and throw stuff out or box it up. My house does look pretty good if you

> don't count all s crap all over the floor. but the floor is clean

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

> There are only a few things you have to remember to keeping house.

> 1. Clean as you go. Put it back. When going from the living area to the

> sleeping area - never go empty handed. Vice versa. You don't have to

make

> 1000 trips to clean up. No, just when you are on your way from one end

> <upstairs or not> to the other end <assumably downstairs> - - take

something

> with you. Laundry basket - - all the way down to a pencil that belongs in

> the kitchen drawer, not the master bathroom. Going upstairs, take an

extra

> roll of tissue paper. Going up - - take a plastic bag. Coming down - -

> fill it up by emptying wastebins upstairs and bring it down. And so

forth.

> Moms are moving from one end of the house to the other a million times a

> day. If you'd just pick ONE thing up on the way, each way - - - - clean,

I

> tell you. Also - - cooking tip: slice - clean up the chopping board and

> knife. Saute? Place food onto a plate, clean up frypan and utensils

before

> starting on the pasta ,or wahtever. Clean as you go. Put it back.

(ALWAYS

> EMPTY THE DISHWASHER FIRST THING IN THE MORNING!!!! Try it!) When

moving

> within the same area - like from family room to kitchen - - pick up

anything

> on the table. An extra glass or if not that - pick up dust off the floor

as

> you go. Throw away. Nothing is more tiring and boring than doing a major

> overhaul as a cleaning. Maintaing clean is fun!

Grace:

I do ALL of this, but five people in the house do the absolute reverse.

>

> 2. When in doubt - throw it away. OK.... this creates a massive

explosion

> between spouses if you happen to throw away something that the husband

> needed. BUT - - - the trick is that if it keeps on happening, even old

dogs

> learn new tricks. Motto: " If it was that important to you, it should

have

> been kept safely - not in my line of sight. " Mail? The minute is

> arrives - go through it. Sort the bills, and throw out the

Could be faster with this one. I tend to throw my mail on my desk to go

through later and go through it once a week. But most of it does get thrown

out, sometimes too much gets thrown out. However I have piles of paperwork

that I am supposed to deal with that I do not deal with.

>

> 3. Clear the countertops. Appliances do not belong on the countertops.

Oops. I have appliances on the countertops and I could put them away. Do

you even count microwaves as going in the cupboards?

> 4. One big task a day. Now this is where I fail. Set one schedule and

> stick to it. <easier said than done because I do e-mail in that time

LOL.>

> For example, here is my schedule:

> Monday - vaccuum . If you've been cleaning as you go - - this is easy.

The

> floors are all visible with nothing alive, dead, or plastic in the way of

> the vaccuum suction. <good to do Monday after everyone was lounging

around

> all weekend, AND motivation to keep it clean through the week>

I have to vacuum every day. Too much is thrown around. Of course, I don't

vacuum every day but I DO need to.

> Tuesday - mop floors <same theory - and I hate this part.>

Some of my floors need to be done more often, like every day for the

children's bathroom, and the kitchen needs to be done about every other day

(actually with Enrique spilling drinks everywhere, every day would be best).

> Wednesday - Change all the sheets in the house - new covers, pillows,

etc.

Can I just wash them?

> Make beds. In other words, organize bedrooms.

> Thursday - laundry. Realistically, those of you with many kids will have

to

> fit laundry in several more times. Me? I have enough clothing,

outerwear,

> underwear, shirts, bottoms ,etc - to ENSURE I will never have to do it

more

> than once a week.

Every day, and if we had more clothes, it gets much much worse. Mountains

of clothes to sort through; I know cuz I have that.

> Friday - clean the bathrooms. Friday morning is the best time to blast

the

> music, and clean the bathrooms. QUICKLY. If you swipe your toilet down

> once a day - cleaning is a brisk in the bathroom. Swipe.

I am a swiper. But the bathroom ought to be an every day job; it was in the

past. BOYS PEE ON THE FLOOR.

> Saturday - REALISTICALLY, it's makeup day, because you screwed up and

> slacked at least one of these days... but that's okay.

> Sunday - g - in prep for vaccuuming tomorrow morning.

>

> SERIOUSLY - - none of these " big tasks " should take you more than 30

minutes

> to an hour, IF you keep up with them! And good cleaning tools is a must.

> Good wipes, good cleaning sprays are excellent motivational items. Blast

> the music and move for an hour or so. It's fun!!!!

> Oh, and the number one rule: NEVER EVER GO TO SLEEP WITHOUT CLEANING THE

> KITCHEN. NEVER.

Good rule. I agree. I have made this mistake so that is how I know.

And I think you also have a smaller more compact house than mine. Mine is

long and thin and curves around; it takes time to get from my bedroom to the

garage and I am frequently interrupted by crises.

Plus Robbie clings to my legs and cries.

Salli

[Guest guest]

Every afternoon after lunch (naptime) before I check my email I spend

> 15 minutes sorting threw something a closet, a drawer, a box in the garage

> and throw stuff out or box it up

My garbage collectors hate me because I have too much trash. I have to let

it out in bits or they spill it all over and make a mess. I have been

planning to write and complain but I don't do snail mail well, alas.

I have a million boxes piled up in my garage because I did all my Christmas

shopping online. I must either break the boxes down into 4 X 4 squares, or

carry them myself to some empty dumpster (in about 45 trips) or wait for the

city's Spring Clean up Day when I can (and do!) put a vast amount of junk

out for pick up.

Salli

[Guest guest]

> OK here's my 2 cents... while I wait for the computer to boot up I go

threw a

> handful of mail. I have an in box and once stuff is paid it gets filed (I

> have a lock to prevent s compulsive emptying behavior).

Sounds like a good system. My mail is kept half a house away from the

computer. If I moved it in here someone would be monkeying with it.

>

> PEE - I do not clean pee he can pee in his bathroom the master bath is

mine

> and I clean that. He pees on the floor he can clean the bath. When he

sees

> how nice and clean my bath is it usually guilts him into doing so. Why do

> they teach men to stand if they can't aim LOL.

Alas, people who are afraid of trash cans do not clean near toilets of which

they are even more afraid. And has picked up some of Enrique's

OCD stuff. I am not sure if I should worry about that, but it is hard to

live with someone who acts as if the trash will kill him without starting to

wonder if perhaps he doesn't have a point. I could just leave it but I

suppose if it got too bad he would begin using my bathroom except that he is

convinced there are spiders in there.

>

> When I want a major project like something in the attic I say hun can you

> just help me for 10 minutes this is just too heavy. He will always help

me.

That's nice. My husband never helped me with such projects considering it

was all my fault that any mess had accumulated in the first place. Enrique

won't help because he believes there are spiders everywhere that has not

recently been cleaned so he won't go into the basement utility room or the

basement storage room because there might be spiders but he would go those

places if I could thoroughly clean them but I don't because I have no help

and I am too busy taking care of the basics (laundry, cooking, etc.) and

thus he does not go in them, well, you get the idea.

> We do ten minutes in the garage every weekend.

I kept telling myself that if I got rid of ONE or two boxes a week, then

eventually they would be gone, but it seems as if we add at least one box a

week so it really doesn't happen.

I am hopeful that we will

> finish putting things away just in time to take them down and sell them at

> our annual garage sale in June.

I would shoot myself if I had to have a garage sale. I put it all out for

the Spring Clean up and trucks roll around the neighborhood looking for good

stuff, for this is a nice neighborhood and some people throw away some good

stuff. Not me though; what I get rid of is JUNK! I have trash piled up

probably forty feet along my yard (I have an extremely wide front yard) and

I can do this every year. I think the house is slightly emptier every year

though.

>

> I vacumn every single day. My husband is suppose to change clothes after

> work but something always prevents that and he only changes shoes. So I

> vacumn to prevent any metal chips from escaping my notice. We have a self

> propelled vacumn so helps. Instead of a toybox I have a couple $4

bins

> from WalMart. s toys go in there and the two get rotated so that she

> will start with new toys every couple weeks. I am hoping she will play

with

> blocks someday. the magna doodle is a keeper though.

But I have five kids worth of toys. Fifteen years of birthdays and

Christmases, and I always bought nice quality stuff so a great deal of it is

in excellent condition and being used. Do you get rid of expensiver toys

that are used? I would be delighted to throw some of them away, but many of

them are used well and often.

Also I have books. Probably around 10,000. They should be dusted but

generally they are not.

>

> I totally agree about the kitchen though, waking up to a messy kitchen is

a

> crappy way to start the day!

Yup and I went to bed before Enrique and last night (I fell asleep

early, bored by their use of the computer) and so I woke up to a messy

kitchen: crumbs on the floor, Enrique's paper plates and cups and his

inevitable juice spill.

Salli

[Guest guest]

FlyLady's easier than GraceLady. :-)

[Guest guest]

Salli

I only keep the books that I have read three or more times... my little house

series the lion the witch and the wardrode, the black stallion the hobbit

series and educational books. Everything else either goes to the library

(why I don't buy books anyone #1 frugel tip) or gets thrown in the yard sale

box.

Toys that she doesn't play with that cost over $20 are saved in the attic for

my brother in case he has kids... everything under $20 is sold for $5 at

previously mentioned annual yard sale.

Guess you couldn't have Enrique walk around with a vacumn? Wish I had some

advice but I figure none is better than bad. best of luck with everything.

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 1/23/2002 10:57:50 AM Eastern Standard Time,

rgr4us@... writes:

> What if you can't safely leave bleach water standing in any

> sink that is in a room that can't be locked up?

>

>

I use comet and stand there with a sponge. LOVES the sink and can get

up there by climbing on the couch. Were aren't striving for perfection -

just enough to be happy. You could also just use baking powder with a little

water and it will work just as well.

[Guest guest]

I signed on to Fly lady a while back but I cant seem to get into it. I keep the

emails coming to another account because I do want to give it another shot. I

hate disorder yet I have no clue how to make order.

Make any sense?

CHRIS

Re: Flylady

FlyLady's easier than GraceLady. :-)

[Guest guest]

> Make any sense?

> CHRIS

Yes, it does. I got her emails for 6 months before I even TRIED to do it. It

all looked so overwhelming. But that sink -- if you start with the sink, it all

comes together. Bizarre. And that's one easy thing to start with.

Jacquie

-who still doesn't get dressed to shoes

[Guest guest]

>> But that sink -- if you start with the sink, it all comes

together. Bizarre. And that's one easy thing to start with.>>

Okay, so I joined, and looked at the " shine your sink " section...'

Problem: What if you can't safely leave bleach water standing in any

sink that is in a room that can't be locked up?

Raena---Shot down already... :-(

[Guest guest]

> Problem: What if you can't safely leave bleach water standing in any

> sink that is in a room that can't be locked up?

>

> Raena---Shot down already... :-(

I skipped the bleach and just went straight to the comet. Still worked! And

you only need to do that once. :-)

Jacquie

[Guest guest]

Jacquie, Glad to hear that. I was beginning to feel like a fly lady failure!!!

CHRIS

Re: Flylady

> Make any sense?

> CHRIS

Yes, it does. I got her emails for 6 months before I even TRIED to do it. It

all looked so overwhelming. But that sink -- if you start with the sink, it all

comes together. Bizarre. And that's one easy thing to start with.

Jacquie

-who still doesn't get dressed to shoes

[Guest guest]

>> I skipped the bleach and just went straight to the comet. Still

worked! And you only need to do that once. :-)>>

Okay...THIS I can do. And you know what? I went to the website just

now after reading my " welcome " letter and found out that this is all

hooked to the SHE books, (a fact that didn't connect when I went to

the site yesterday, because I didn't click on the link when I

read " SHE " in her narrative); anyway, I used and loved that system

for YEARS...I guess it fell apart somewhere along the way with all

the nonsense we went through. Heck, I think I even still have my

card system somewhere...

This could be fun...

Raena (Maybe I should make up new card sets for my three older

kids...and dig out mine)

[Guest guest]

> (why I don't buy books anyone #1 frugel tip) or gets thrown in

,

This only works if the late fees you pay are less than the cost of the book.

And it costs you money when you have to pay for a lost book because in

addition to th cost of the book, they charge you late fees until you pay for

it.

This also applies to renting videos.

Just FYI! =)

-Sara.

[Guest guest]

> I do ALL of this, but five people in the house do the absolute

reverse.

> >

> Oops. I have appliances on the countertops and I could put them

away. Do

> you even count microwaves as going in the cupboards? (

I have a toaster, micro, kitchenaid mixer out and no other place for

them. Besides, they are used very very often.

> I have to vacuum every day. Too much is thrown around. Of course,

I don't

> vacuum every day but I DO need to.

>

> Some of my floors need to be done more often, like every day for the

> children's bathroom, and the kitchen needs to be done about every

other day

> (actually with Enrique spilling drinks everywhere, every day would

be best).

Instert other children's names for Enrique. Result is the same.

>

> Can I just wash them?

>

> Every day, and if we had more clothes, it gets much much worse.

Mountains

> of clothes to sort through; I know cuz I have that.

>

> I am a swiper. But the bathroom ought to be an every day job; it

was in the

> past. BOYS PEE ON THE FLOOR.

>

> > Oh, and the number one rule: NEVER EVER GO TO SLEEP WITHOUT

CLEANING THE

> > KITCHEN. NEVER.

>

> Good rule. I agree. I have made this mistake so that is how I

know.

>

> And I think you also have a smaller more compact house than mine.

Mine is

> long and thin and curves around; it takes time to get from my

bedroom to the

> garage and I am frequently interrupted by crises.

>

> Plus Robbie clings to my legs and cries.

Change Robbie to and .

Other than a couple of notes I added I will say ditto to everything

that Salli said. I'm sure Salli is confused because this is my house

she was talking about. But then I have Salli's van also.

[Guest guest]

> propelled vacumn so helps. Instead of a toybox I have a couple $4

bins

> from WalMart. s toys go in there and the two get rotated so that she

> will start with new toys every couple weeks. I am hoping she will play

with

> blocks someday. the magna doodle is a keeper though.

, this is so important too. Rotating toys. I have about 3 groups of

toys. And one wooden toybox from IKEA. 2 groups of toys are always

outside - - and one is in the toybox. Unfortunately, I don't rotate for

them a lot. This is going to be a good thing now since most of the toys in

the other groups can be used as reinforcers now for their home program, but

I can't say I did it for that reason. I just got lazy. But when in a rut

and I can't calm down a kid, I run out to the garage and bring in a 'new'

toy. Or when we are going somewhere and I want to ensure she behaves <or

get obsessed with a toy LOL> - I take a " new " toy.

It works!!!

As for blocks - - Syd started at about age 3 years and 3 months or so. That

was late, so perhaps will start soon. Keep showing her how. One

trick I found that SEEMS to work is I will stack 4 or 5 blocks up - and

when she's looking, knock it over and exclaim, " UH_OH!!! " And she kept on

building it back up to kick it over and get my " UH OH!! " reaction. Then she

started really building well.

Of course.... having to do " uh oh' 4500 times a day gets old, REAL QUICK,

LOL>

And hey - my kids STILL don't magnadoodle! Well, I don't think they do

anyhow.... I don't have one LOL!!

Grace

[Guest guest]

> FlyLady's easier than GraceLady. :-)

>

IS NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 1/24/2002 1:44:56 PM Eastern Standard Time,

gracekeh@... writes:

> And hey - my kids STILL don't magnadoodle! Well, I don't think they do

> anyhow.... I don't have one LOL!!

oh no she doesn't magnodoodle she scribbles and sometimes does the shapes.

We draw stuff and she says it and then erases it and says bye bye. for

example i draw a square she says bye bye square and erases it... I'm sure

someday that will come in handy for a conversation starter

[Guest guest]

> Grace, I take it back. I'm not moving to California. I like you too much

> long-distance but in the same state we would hate each other.

No, we wouldn't.

I can handle most any mess. YOU watch the kids LOL.

Except - - no drawing on the walls. That, I don't think I can handle.

Just like the countertop has to be clean for anything else to work - - you

cannot possibly get a clean house with crayon on he walls, LOL.

> -Sara.

> who thinks Grace must have OCD.

NOT! I wish.

But I don't. I can very easily let it all go. Truth be told, more often

than not, I will keep up with it for one reason only.

I know firsthand, and too well, just how impossible it gets if you let it

all go for awhile. THAT feeling, I can't stand. The hopeless " where do I

begin? " feeling......

In a life without kids, I would have LOVED that feeling though. Hmm....

maybe I am a bit bizarre?

Grace

[Guest guest]

> No, we wouldn't.

> I can handle most any mess. YOU watch the kids LOL.

> Except - - no drawing on the walls. That, I don't think I can handle.

> Just like the countertop has to be clean for anything else to work - - you

> cannot possibly get a clean house with crayon on he walls, LOL.

Grace:

Wouldn't it be fun for you and the girls to fly here once a week and have me

play with your charming girls while you scrub down my house and frighten

Enrique a bit?

Do consider it.

Salli

[Guest guest]

LOL..that is so cute, ! is 5 1/2 and he

still will just scribble..he can draw shapes..but he

won't do it for us at home!

Mimi

> oh no she doesn't magnodoodle she scribbles and

> sometimes does the shapes.

> We draw stuff and she says it and then erases it and

> says bye bye. for

> example i draw a square she says bye bye square and

> erases it... I'm sure

> someday that will come in handy for a conversation

> starter

>

>

>

>

> [Non-text portions of this message have been

> removed]

>

>

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

> > Do consider it.

> No need to.

> You pay for the three of us to fly out there weekly - - I am SO there

then.

> LOL

>

Uh, I had thought that YOU would pay. Short of cash here, you know? It

could be your weekly good deed.

Salli

[Guest guest]

Only if she stops here first, Salli.

Penny ;-)

Re: Flylady

> No, we wouldn't.

> I can handle most any mess. YOU watch the kids LOL.

> Except - - no drawing on the walls. That, I don't think I can handle.

> Just like the countertop has to be clean for anything else to work - - you

> cannot possibly get a clean house with crayon on he walls, LOL.

Grace:

Wouldn't it be fun for you and the girls to fly here once a week and have me

play with your charming girls while you scrub down my house and frighten

Enrique a bit?

Do consider it.

Salli

[Guest guest]

> Uh, I had thought that YOU would pay. Short of cash here, you know? It

> could be your weekly good deed.

>

You thought wrong.

Kitchen - still not finished, you know?

Oh well, geez, and we thought it might really happen. Shucks, shucks!

Grace ;o))))