Babysteps, Day 23--3/23/09 WORKING ON

FlyLady:
Check Your Control Journal Every Morning and Evening

Today we are going to add another routine to our day. I like to call this our get home from work routine or get home from school. Whatever you name it; it is your afternoon routine.

Make a new page in your Control Journal for your Afternoon Routine. As with any of your routines; you will have to adapt to fit your family. Your Control Journal is your guide for BabyStepping your way through you day.


Cherylann:
Make Afternoon Routine:
AM:
Make couch: DONE
dressed to shoes: DONE
Check CJ: DONE
2 minutes reminders: DONE
posted reminders: DONE
negative voices: NONE
hotspots:
5 minute room rescue:
Decluttering 15 mins:
Kelly's mission:
Zone 4: Mission # 1 Monday
Dear Friends:
Your mission for today is to grab
a trash bag, set the timer and start tossing anything that is trash.
Just toss toss toss. Sometimes we have hidden trash in our bedrooms,
things that are disguising themselves as necessary items but really
they are trash. Toss those magazines, the junk mail that has been
tossed in a pile, the old perfumes that are never worn but still have
a place on your dresser, the old clothes that are on the chair that
need to be donated or tossed but are still there, empty tissue boxes
etc. Toss toss toss!
Look around your bedroom and ask yourself if there is anything laying
around that you would consider trash if it was in a hotel room. Your
bedroom should be your very favorite retreat!
Kelly
Laundry:
PM:
Check CJ:
shiny sink:
pick out clothes:
Hot spots:
Bed by 11pm:

Babysteps, Day 22--3/22/09 DONE

FlyLady:
Check Your Control Journal Every Morning and Evening

Have you been procrastinating about building your Control Journal? I know that perfectionism can rear its ugly head and keep us stuck. If you just can’t seem to get yours together; I have made one for you. It is in our FLY Shop

All the BabyStep directions are on the website too. Just click on the link underneath FlyLadys feet.

Control Journal

Cherylann:
AM:
Make couch: DONE
dressed to shoes: DONE
Check CJ: DONE
2 minutes reminders: DONE
posted reminders: DONE
negative voices: NONE
hotspots: DONE
5 minute room rescue: DONE
Decluttering 15 mins: DONE
Kelly's mission: NONE
Laundry: DONE
PM:
Check CJ: DONE
shiny sink: DONE
pick out clothes: DONE
Hot spots: DONE
Bed by 11pm: DONE....my new meds knocked my butt out

Babysteps, Day 21--3/21/09 DONE

FlyLady:
Check Your Control Journal Every Morning and Evening

Today I am going to show you something else on our website. Each day(Monday-Friday) our WebDude Lee puts up an Ask FlyLady Question and I answer it.

Ask FlyLady:

Cherylann:
Check out Ask FlyLady: DONE
AM:
Make couch: DONE
dressed to shoes: DONE
Check CJ: DONE
2 minutes reminders: DONE
posted reminders: DONE
negative voices: NONE
hotspots: DONE
5 minute room rescue: DONE
Decluttering 15 mins: DONE
Kelly's mission: NONE
Laundry: DONE
PM:
Check CJ: DONE
shiny sink: DONE
pick out clothes: DONE
Hot spots: DONE
Bed by 11pm: DONE....my new meds knocked my butt out

Babysteps, Day 20--3/20/09 DONE

FlyLady:
Check Your Control Journal Every Morning and Evening

One of the many reminders that we send out has to do with our laundry; when you include laundry in your morning and evening routine this makes getting up and getting dressed much easier. Laundry doesn’t take long to do when we don’t procrastinate about one of the five steps: Sort, wash, dry, fold and put away. It only takes a few short minutes. When you include laundry in your routines everyone is blessed. Nothing says I love you more than clean underwear!

Cherylann:
AM:
Make couch: DONE
dressed to shoes: DONE
Check CJ: DONE
2 minutes reminders: DONE
posted reminders: DONE
negative voices: NONE
hotspots: DONE
5 minute room rescue: DONE
Decluttering 15 mins: DONE
Kelly's mission: DONE
Zone 3: Mission #5 Friday
Dear Friends:
You have scrubbed, shined, swished, swiped and washed this week, now
it is time to enjoy the fruits of your labor! Your mission for
today is to take time out for you. Take a bath or shower and enjoy
it! Take your time when washing your hair, scrubbing your body,
shaving the forest off your legs and just enjoy the moment of being
alone in your fresh, sparkly bathroom.
Your laundry room mission for today is to place a picture of your
family or favorite pet or a picture of something that is special to
you in your laundry room. This allows you to see something pleasant
when you are blessing the laundry.
Love to you all!
Kelly
Laundry: DONE
PM:
Check CJ: DONE
shiny sink: DONE
pick out clothes: DONE
Hot spots: DONE
Bed by 11pm: NOT DONE....stayed up late with Jenny

Babysteps, Day 19---3/19/09 DONE

FlyLady:
Check Your Control Journal Every Morning and Evening

Here is another inspirational testimonial that is the first page of my book, Sink Reflections. Your home can be this too. You are taking the BabySteps to get you there.

Testimonial

Cherylann:
read testimonial: DONE
AM:
Make couch: DONE
dressed to shoes: DONE
Check CJ: DONE
2 minutes reminders: DONE
posted reminders: DONE
negative voices: NONE
hotspots: DONE
5 minute room rescue: DONE
Decluttering 15 mins: DONE
Kelly's mission: DONE
Zone 3: Mission #4 Thursday
Dear Friends,
Your next mission is to clean out your bathtub. If you don't do it
everyday, the bathtub ring takes on a life of its own. Let's wipe
down our tubs and get rid of that ring. If you haven't done it
in a while you may need to use a little cleanser. Most of the time a
little soap on a rag will take care of it.
Your Laundry Room mission for today is to empty the trash can
that always seems to get forgotten! You will get bonus points if
you remember to replace the bag once you take out the used one!
Kelly
PM:
Check CJ: DONE
shiny sink: DONE
pick out clothes: DONE
Hot spots: DONE
Bed by 11pm: DONE

Babysteps, Day 18--3/18/09 DONE

Check Your Control Journal Every Morning and Evening

Did you know that we have Eleven Commandments? You may want to print these out or write them in your Control Journal.

11 commandments

Cherylann:
read 11 commandments: DONE
AM:
Make couch: DONE
dressed to shoes: DONE
Check CJ: DONE
2 minutes reminders: DONE
posted reminders: DONE
negative voices: NONE
hotspots: DONE
5 minute room rescue: DONE
Decluttering 15 mins: DONE
Kelly's mission: DONE
Zone 3: Mission #3 Wednesday
Dear Friends,
When you go in your bathroom each morning do you have trouble seeing
yourself in the mirror. Is your beautiful image blurred from the
toothpaste splatters and water marks?
Grab your favorite window cleaner and let's bring a shine to the
glass. This will only take a few short minutes and while you are at
it, shine that sink too.
Your Laundry Room Mission is to clean out your lint filter and double
check your vent hose. Lint build up in the filter and in the vent
hose is a leading cause of house fires. Something so easy for us to
check but something that we just don't remember to do. Also look
underneath your dryer as well, lint has a tendency to fly around and
then get caught up under the dryer.
Kelly
PM:
Check CJ: DONE
shiny sink: DONE
pick out clothes: DONE
Hot spots: DONE
Bed by 11pm: DONE

Babysteps, Day 17 (3/17/09) DONE

FlyLady:
Check Your Control Journal Every Morning and Evening

Today I want you to think about what time you are going to bed each night. Set a specific bed time and stick to it. You need your rest. Put this on your Before Bed Routine.

Cherylann:
New Bedtime: 11pm....I usually don't go to bed until between 12-2am, and I get up at 4am most days.
AM:
Make couch: DONE
dressed to shoes: DONE
Check CJ: DONE
2 minutes reminders: DONE
posted reminders: DONE
negative voices: NONE
hotspots: DONE
5 minute room rescue: DONE
Decluttering 15 mins: DONE
Kelly's mission: DONE
Zone 3: Mission #2 Tuesday
Dear Friends,
This week we are in the main bathroom and the laundry room. Your
mission for today combines both of those rooms!
Have you noticed that your bathroom begins to smell bad and you
can't find the stinky culprit. We are going after these yucky odors.
Take your rugs, all the fuzzy stuff on your toilet, and the towels
that are just for show and we are going to wash them. While you
are in the laundry room grab an old rag or washcloth and wipe down
the lid of the washing machine and dryer. I am always shocked at the
dust and stuff that seems to just accumulate here. Shine those
babies up!
With the rugs in the washer: Sweep the bathroom floor and take a
dirty towel and wet it and just mop the floor. When the Rugs are
finished put them back in your wonderful smelling bathroom!
Kelly
PM:
Check CJ: DONE
shiny sink: DONE
pick out clothes: DONE
hot spots: DONE

Babysteps, Day 16-3/16/09 DONE

FlyLady:
Check Your Control Journal Every Morning and Evening

Today I want you to look in your inbox for an email from me. It can be a Morning Musing, a testimonial or an essay. Just take a few minutes and read over it. You never know what I am going to discuss.

Cherylann:
Sorry, I got behind on my blogging, so I didn't have time to post pics. I will try to start that again today.
Read FL email: DONE (read the If Mama Ain't Happy Essay)
AM:
Make couch: DONE
dressed to shoes: DONE
Check CJ: DONE
2 minutes reminders: DONE
posted reminders: DONE
negative voices: NONE
hotspots: DONE
5 minute room rescue: DONE
Decluttering 15 mins: DONE
Kelly's mission: DONE
Zone 3: Mission #1 Monday
Dear Friends,
We are in the Zone 3 which is the main bathroom and another room
in the house. This week that other room will be the Laundry Room.
The bathroom: Clean around the backside and
the sides of our toilets. The wipe down all the surfaces.
The Laundry Room: Today we are going to declutter all of the
laundry supplies that we have hanging around. This means to
toss whatever you have that you do not use or do not like. This
also means to toss all of those empty boxes and bottles that seem
to pile up. Those soap boxes, dryer sheet boxes, fabric softener
bottles - you all know just what I am talking about! LOL!
I think I have a few of these myself that need to be tossed!
Have Fun!
Kelly
PM:
Check CJ: DONE
shiny sink: DONE
pick out clothes: DONE
hot spots: DONE

Babysteps, Day 15-3/15/09 DONE

FlyLady:
Check Your Control Journal Every Morning and Evening

You are starting on our third week of FLYing. Each day you are going to your Control Journal and using your sticky notes to remind you along with the reminders that you are getting in our inbox. Our habits are coming along nicely and we are seeing changes in our attitudes and our homes.

On our new week of FLYing you are going to add Making your bed to your morning routine. If you will do this as soon as your feet hit the floor you are less likely to forget it.

Cherylann:
AM:
Make couch: DONE (I sleep on the couch for my back...I fold the blankets & put away blanket/pillow daily anyways)
dressed to shoes: DONE
2 minutes reminders: DONE
posted reminders: DONE
negative voices: NONE
hotspots: DONE
5 minute room rescue: DONE
Decluttering 15 mins:
Kelly's mission: DONE
Zone 2: Mission #3 Wednesday
Dear Friends:
What a fun and exciting mission that I have for you today? LOL!
Let's take a close look at the gadgets and small appliances. The
toaster, can opener, coffee maker, microwave etc. The small
appliances that you use on a regular basis. When was the last time
you cleaned out your toaster; opened up the bottom and dumped the
crumbs? How dingy or dusty is your coffee maker? Do we even want to
talk about the blades on the electric can openers? How about the
outside of the microwave?
Wipe them down and make them shine. I am not telling you to drag out
every small kitchen appliance you own and to scrub them. Just wipe
down the fingerprints, dust, drips, dried food particles on the most
used items. Make sure you unplug these items before you clean them!
Don't obsess, set your timer for 15 minutes and have fun!
Kelly
PM:
shiny sink: DONE
pick out clothes: DONE
hot spots: DONE

Babysteps, Day 14-3/14/09 DONE

FlyLady:
Check your Morning Routine in your Control Journal

Check your Before Bed Routine in your Control Journal

There is tons of information on our website. I do not want you to get confused. Today I want you to go read an essay that Kelly wrote. Most of us are calendar challenged. Kelly has a way of making it so easy for us to understand.

Kelly's Calendar Essay

Cherylann:
Read Kelly's Essay: DONE
AM:
dressed to shoes: DONE
2 minutes reminders: DONE
posted reminders: DONE
negative voices: NONE
hotspots: DONE
5 minute room rescue: DONE
Decluttering 15 mins:
Kelly's mission: DONE
Zone 2: Mission #4 Thursday
Dear Friends:
We are still tackling the kitchen this week!!! What do you think I
have in store for you today? LOL!
This involves old toothbrushes and elbow grease! Yes you guessed
it! Grab those toothbrushes and some general purpose cleaner and
scrub those faucets on your kitchen sink. It is amazing how much
gunk can build up around the seals and edges.
Have fun, this is a quick mission that shows instant results!
Kelly
PM:
shiny sink: DONE
pick out clothes: DONE
hot spots: DONE

Babysteps, Day 13-3/13/09 DONE

FlyLady:
Check your Morning Routine in your Control Journal

Check your Before Bed Routine in your Control Journal

Today I want you to find one of Kelly’s Missions and go and do it. They are fast and easy! This is going to introduce you to how we break our home into zones so that we never have to spring clean again.

http://flylady.net/pages/FlightPlan_Missions.asp

Here is what we are doing so far. We are practicing our Morning Routines, decluttering for 15 minutes a day and doing our Before Bed Routines.

Cherylann:
AM:
dressed to shoes: DONE
2 minutes reminders: DONE
posted reminders: DONE
negative voices: NONE
hotspots: DONE
5 minute room rescue: DONE
Decluttering 15 mins:
Kelly's mission: DONE
Zone 2: Mission #5 Friday
Dear Friends:
We are in the last day of the kitchen zone!
Let's take a look at the cabinets! Take a few minutes to check them
out, I bet you will see that they need a little sprucing up! Just
wipe down the outside surfaces. You will be so surprised at what a
difference shining those cabinets will make!
There is no "right" way to do this. Depending on what your cabinets
are made out of is what you will use to wipe the cabinets down. A
wood soap, a general purpose cleaner, or just soap and water. A
slightly damp cloth will work as well.
Don't obsess and have fun with this! Look around and see how your
kitchen shines!!!
Kelly
PM:
shiny sink: DONE
pick out clothes: DONE
hot spots: DONE

Babysteps, Day 11-3/11/09 DONE

FlyLady:
Check your Morning Routine in your Control Journal

Check your Before Bed Routine in your Control Journal

Keep the sticky notes up to help remind you to look at your Control Journal. Can you believe that you have been FLYing for 12 days? I am so proud of you! BabySteps will get you there.

You have your basic routine started and these are what you do for now. Do not try to do too much too fast; you will just crash and burn. Continue to take BabySteps to build your Control Journals. Do not allow your perfectionism to take over. We are building our routines and our Control Journals one habit at a time.

Today I want you to delete from your inbox all the emails from FlyLady. Now don’t cringe. They will all come back around and I write something new every day.



Cherylann:
Delete FL emails: DONE...I've been doing this daily :)
AM:
dressed to shoes: DONE
2 minutes reminders: DONE
posted reminders: DONE
negative voices: NONE
hotspots: DONE
5 minute room rescue: DONE
Decluttering 15 mins: DONE (been doing this since 1/1/09...whoo!!!)
PM:
shiny sink: DONE
pick out clothes: DONE
hot spots: DONE

Babysteps, Day 10-3/10/09

FlyLady:
Morning Routine

- Get up and get dressed to lace up shoes; fixing your hair and face
- Looking at your posted reminders in the kitchen and bathroom
- Reading 2 minutes of reminders
- Recognizing the negative voices and changing them; YOU ARE FLYing NOW!
- Put out your Hot Spots for 2 minutes
- 5 Minute Room Rescue (pick any room in the house) set your timer and go!

Before Bed Routine

- Keep your sink shining
- Lay out your clothes for tomorrow
- Put out your Hot Spot (I have to do this twice a day) It makes me smile in the morning!

We have already been using our timers for 2 minutes and now 5 minutes. Today we are going to learn the power of just 15 minutes. You can do anything for 15 minutes. This is all about getting started and giving ourselves permission to stop when the timer goes off. You cannot restart the timer either. This is not a race to finish in 15 minutes either! The timer helps to keep us focused on what we are doing.

Now set your timer for 15 minutes and go gather up all the trash you can find to throw away and put it in the garbage can outside. Then set your timer for another 15 minutes and sit down and put your feet up and read a favorite magazine till the timer goes off.

Cherylann:
AM:
dressed to shoes: DONE
2 minutes reminders: DONE
posted reminders: DONE
negative voices: NONE
hotspots: DONE
5 minute room rescue: DONE
Decluttering 15 mins: DONE (been doing this since 1/1/09...whoo!!!)
PM:
shiny sink: DONE
pick out clothes: DONE
hot spots: DONE

Babysteps, Day 9-3/9/09 DONE

Here is what we are already doing; Look in your Control Journal; leave the sticky notes up to help remind you. It takes us 28 days to develop a new habit. These are just BabySteps on our way to a new way of living.

Morning Routine

- Get up and get dressed to lace up shoes; fixing your hair and face
- Looking at your posted reminders in the kitchen and bathroom
- Reading 2 minutes of reminders
- Recognizing the negative voices and changing them; YOU ARE FLYing NOW!
- Put out your Hot Spots for 2 minutes

Before Bed Routine

- Keep your sink shining
- Lay out your clothes for tomorrow
- Put out your Hot Spot (I have to do this twice a day) It makes me smile in the morning!

Today we are going to learn how to declutter our homes a few minutes at a time with some fun tools that I know you have been wondering about from the reminders you have been reading in our emails. Making it fun will get the job done!

FlyLady Declutter

Add a 5 minute room rescue to your Morning Routine.

Cherylann:
AM:
dressed to shoes: DONE
2 minutes reminders: DONE
posted reminders: DONE
negative voices: NONE
hotspots: DONE
5 minute room rescue: DONE
PM:
shiny sink: DONE
pick out clothes: DONE
hot spots: DONE

Babysteps, Day 8-3/8/09 DONE

FlyLady:
Here you are; you have been FLYing for a whole week. I am so proud of you. Lets review your new habits. I am going to break them down into what you do each morning and what you do each evening.

Morning Routine

- Get up and get dressed to lace up shoes; fixing your hair and face
- Looking at your posted reminders in the kitchen and bathroom
- Reading 2 minutes of reminders
- Recognizing the negative voices and changing them; YOU ARE FLYing NOW!
- Put out your Hot Spots for 2 minutes

Before Bed Routine

- Keep your sink shining
- Lay out your clothes for tomorrow
- Put out your Hot Spot (I have to do this twice a day) It makes me smile in the morning!

Over the last week we have introduced you to our reminders and the basis of our routines. As you establish these habits it will become easy to add another habit for you to practice.

Today I want you to find an old three ring binder and just put some paper in it. Then at the top of one page write Morning Routine and on the top of another page write Before Bed Routine all in pencil. This is a working document; do not allow your perfectionism to interfere with the process. Now you can write your simple routines on each page.

Cherylann:
binder with paper and routines: DONE

AM:
dressed to shoes: DONE
2 minutes reminders: DONE
posted reminders: DONE
negative voices: NONE
hotspots: DONE

PM:
shiny sink: DONE
pick out clothes: DONE
hot spots: DONE

Babysteps, Day 7--3/7/09 DONE

- Getting Dressed to lace up shoes
- Keeping our sink shining
- Reading 2 minutes of Reminders
- Looking at our posted reminders in the kitchen and bathroom
- Recognizing the negative voices; change them and FLY!
- Put out your Hot Spot for 2 minutes; just pick one.

Today we are going to add a new habit to our before bed routine. Tonight before you hop in bed; I want you to pick out what clothes you are going to wear tomorrow. You can lay them on a chair, on a shelf or hook in the bathroom or on a hanger on your closet door knob.


Cherylann:
dressed to shoes: DONE
shiny sink: DONE
2 minutes reminders: DONE
posted reminders: DONE
negative voices: NONE
pick out clothes: DONE
hotspots: DONE

Babysteps, Day 6--3/6/09 DONE

FlyLady:
- Getting Dressed to lace up shoes
- Keeping our sink shining
- Reading 2 minutes of Reminders
- Looking at our posted reminders in the kitchen and bathroom
- Recognizing the negative voices when you hear them and changing the words to be nice to you. That is what FLYing (Finally Loving Yourself) is all about.

Today we are going to learn about Hot Spots. We all have them. Here is a link on our website to read the definition of a Hot Spot.

http://flylady.net/pages/FLYFaq.asp#hotspot

Now I want you to set your timer for 2 minutes and lets practice putting out your Hot Spot. You don’t have to work till you have finished; just do what you can in 2 minutes. Put your bills in one place. This will keep you from having to search for them.

Cherylann:
dressed to shoes: DONE
shiny sink: DONE
2 minutes reminders: DONE
posted reminders: DONE
negative voices: NONE
Hot spots: DONE

Babysteps, Day 5--3/5 DONE

FlyLady:
- Getting Dressed to lace up shoes
- Keeping our sink shining
- Reading 2 minutes of Reminders
- Looking at our posted reminders in the kitchen and bathroom

Are you hearing any of those nagging negative voices popping into your head? I want you to take a piece of paper and write down what you hear then I want you to turn those ugly words around and say something nice to yourself to negate the ugly words that they said.

Cherylann:
Dressed to skechers :) May even put on some makeup today.
Read 2 minutes of reminders.
I did shine my sink & wash the dishes, but dh wasn't home and it was just me against the kids....oops I mean me and the kids, so I didn't remember to take pics.

No ugly voices :)

I did do a lot of baking (see my loving home blog): brownies, strawberry cake and cherry cupcakes (recipe to be posted later)

Babysteps, Day 4--3/4 DONE

FlyLady:
So far we are:
- Getting Dressed to lace up shoes
- Keeping our sink shining
- Reading 2 minutes of Reminders

Your next thing is to write these things down on a sticky note and post them on your bathroom mirror and above your kitchen sink. This is the beginning of your Control Journal. The little notes help us to remember the habits we are trying to establish.

Cherylann:
Dressed to skechers, makeup, so far. Kids are on early dismissal, so we'll see how far I get with all 5 of them home :)

Reminders:


Shiny Sink:


Clean Dishes:

Babysteps, Day 3--3/3 DONE

FlyLady:
Today you are doing what we have already done.

-Getting up and dressing to lace up shoes
-Keeping your sink shining
-Reading your reminders for 2 minutes.

Then I want you to read something on our website. This will help you to understand more about what we are doing and how together with our reminders, essays and testimonials you are going to see changes in your home and attitude.

Fly Lifelines

Cherylann:
Dressed to shoes w/makeup on, sink shiny, dishes washed, reminders read :)