I know, it almost makes you sick, doesn't it? [Photo from Faithful Homemaking].
I used to be that organized. Really. Ok, maybe not that organized, but I had one closet of my house that looked even better than this, with everything in matching containers, with lids and neat little labels. And before I had kids, my car was always clean. My policy was that it doesn't get messy if you don't leave junk in there, so I always carried out my stuff when I got out of the car. Now my hands (and arms, and pinky fingers) are always full, carrying a baby, diaper bag, and groceries, so my car gets pretty bad. But if I were doing FlyLady, she'd have me cleaning out the car every Friday!
If you've never heard of FlyLady, you might want to check her out! She helps you establish great routines that are built into your day so that your home is well-maintained. She breaks down the house into different zones and you spend a week focusing on simply that zone. She e-mails you with assignments specific to that zone like spending 15 minutes cleaning out under your bed. In addition to working on one zone per week, you're still maintaining your house. It sounds like more work than what you already do, but somehow I felt like I spent less time cleaning, maybe because all of my cleaning was very focused. There was never that feeling of "oh no, where do I start?!?"
Lately I've felt like I'm not making any headway in my home. Don't get me wrong, my house is clean. And no, I'm not being defensive--seriously, walk into my house, and you'll see a clean, pleasant home. But don't come into my bedroom, which is always the last thing I clean. And whatever you do, don't open my closet door. Ever. So while the house is usually pretty clean, I feel like I'm just maintaining it. Back when I did Flylady, I not only had a clean house, but every day, it was more organized than the day before. Her routines helped me organize the laundry room, the bathroom cabinets, etc., on top of maintaining an overall clean home. A friend and I and followed FlyLady's babysteps together, even texting each other pictures of our shiny sinks.
It's not like I just ditched FlyLady altogether. Many of her routines are ones that I continue to keep. She says to always go to bed with a clean, shiny (and empty!) kitchen sink. I do make sure all the dishes are done when I go to bed because it simply makes life easier. If I go to bed with dirty dishes, I feel like I start the day behind.
I started doing FlyLady last summer, before I switched to cloth diapers, and because of her routines, I felt like I could definitely handle the added laundry that comes with cloth diapering. One of her many quips is "a load a day keeps the stress away!" Through her website, I also realized that sometimes, my own perfectionism is what kept me from getting things done. If, for example, I didn't have time to clean the entire bathroom, then I wasn't going to mess with it. Instead, now I'll use a free five minutes to clean the toilet, sink, and mirrors, but I'll get to the shower and floors later.
I have to admit, many of the suggestions she makes are some of the same tips I learned from my mom. Example: When you're not sure where to start cleaning, pick a corner of the room and simply work clockwise around the room until you're done. But the truth is, many of us either weren't taught well or we ignore what we've been taught. It's great to have someone to tell me what to clean today, even if she does send about 5 (or more!) e-mails per day. I've got enough decisions to make on a daily basis.
I'm going to start up again on Monday. No, this isn't a Scarlett O'Hara "I'll think about it tomorrow" thing to do. We're leaving town tomorrow evening for my brother's wedding, and we won't be back until Sunday. If you want to join me, keep in mind that you don't have to do everything. Just use what works and toss what doesn't.
I tried FlyLady once, but that was when Autumn was a toddler, so I gave up. Maybe I will start back up once we move to England and we have less 'junk' to organize. hahaha!
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