is Learning to FLY....

So, as some of you may know, I'm not your typical "housewife". I don't like to clean. I think I may be allergic to it, actually, but there comes a time when it's inevitable that SOMEthing MUST be done. So, I've tried many, many times to get a cleaning routine, but it just isn't "me". I'm the kind of person that would rather read, play with the kids, lounge in my jammies all day, ANYthing but clean!! But seriously, it's my job to clean and I want to be better at it. That's my main New Year's Resolution this year, because I truly believe that, if my home is clean and I have a routine in which to keep it that way, I can be a better wife and a better mom....and an all around better person. I'll have more time to devote to my kids' schooling, my personal businesses, and my life in general. Can the secret to my happiness lie within the walls of a clean house and a daily routine?? I think it just might.

Let me introduce you to the FlyLady. Some of you may already know her, some of you may already follow her....I have tried several times to do so myself, but I really don't think it was the right time for me, and as you know, timing is everything. So here I go, I'm going to learn to FLY (which is an acronym for Finally Loving Yourself, and isn't that the TRUE key to happiness??!!).....and I'm going to blog about it, because that's another one of my resolutions, to build this blog up a bit and share more of my life and all that it entails (won't always be fascinating, but I promise you, it will ALWAYS be REAL!!!).

So, here we go ~ the first thing that the FlyLady suggests is to join her mailing list. I suggest you do this as well, if you care to join me in the New Year, New You crusade.... you can do that my going to her website at www.flylady.net and clicking "Getting Started" ~ then your first "BabyStep" is to Shine Your Sink. Sounds kind of silly, when I'm swimming in a house that is taken over with clutter and dust.....but it's her way of easing into a routine and setting small, obtainable goals. This works for me, because I NEED a sense of accomplishment in order to stay motivated, and when it comes to cleaning, I'm VERY easily overwhelmed. So, instead of making the HUGE mistake I've done in the past with FlyLady (which is trying to do too much at once, get frustrated and giving up), I did what she told me. I signed up for the emails, I shined my sink (I also cleaned the countertop behind my sink because, well, it was gross ~ I figured this little bit more of a cleaning task wouldn't overwhelm me too much) and then I took a picture. I felt a great sense of accomplishment when I was done. It looks so pretty!!

And THAT, my friends, is the end of BabyStep 1. Shine Your Sink. Check. I must admit, it was nice to see a clean sink when I went to bed. And even nicer to see a clean sink when I woke up! Amazing.....

So, now it's day two for me and BabyStep 2 is to get dressed to lace up shoes, including hair and makeup. Now, hold up a minute, I'm not going anywhere, and normally I wouldn't get dressed until much later (if at all!) and I certainly wouldn't put makeup on to hang out at home. But here's the thing, and I really should know this, when we dress for success, we feel better about ourselves and get more accomplished. So, FlyLady has us get dressed every day and get ready to meet the day and it's goals. Pretty simple, right? It works. I got up, got dressed, got my kids dressed (they looked at me like, where are we going??) and we began our day.....

Since I've already accomplished today's goals, I decided to tackle a daunting task, cleaning my stovetop. It's just horrifying, and I cringe every time I look at it. I figured, I felt so good after shining my sink yesterday, why not give it a whirl with the old stove? It was in desperate need of attention, and no one else is tackling it...so here goes nothing. I gave myself 15 minutes to clean, then, I took a break, which is what FlyLady suggests in times of "crisis cleaning", that way, you won't get overwhelmed! I love it!! While cleaning the incredible ickiness, I took two breaks, and I'm quite pleased with the results. Now, to add a quick swipe after every time I cook, so that it will NEVER get that way again, and voila!! I've created a new, satisfying habit that will prevent future "crisis" stovetop moments.Tell me what you think!

Now that my tasks are done for the day, I'm able to blog, hang out with my kids, read more about what lies ahead in my "FLYing lessons" and have a great New Year's Eve Day (and I won't forget to shine my sink before bed!!) Please subscribe to my blog, so you can follow along with me, I'd love to hear your feedback as I "learn to FLY"....