I need a House and Home "mentor"!! Anybody interested??

I made a control journal like a FlyLady one. I have a section of monthly menus, a section with "zones", etc. It is helpful--unless I slack off! : )

 

I have a binder

similar to what SoonerMama has. Mine has the section for the lists from the site I mentioned, one for menu planning, one for house projects (we are currently planning a kitchen reno), one for my fitness schedule and one for all the kids' activities.
I am a very visual person and find I get off track without having everything printed on paper to look at each day.
Michelle

 

I use a control journal that I made with FlyLady's guidance. When I actually use it, it works wonders.

I am also in a local FlyLady yahoo group. We encourage each other all day long and that helps a lot. It's nice to have accountability. And we've become great friends. We use a free chat service and even do races throughout the day. It's not competition, but we all set our timers for 30 or 60 and meet back in the room to report what we've gotten accomplished. It's definitely the best group I've ever joined.

 

Thanks for the song Ohio G'Ma!! It truly is a day by day thing and I see that I have to take it one step at a time.

I never liked to cook before but I am kind of enjoying it now. I also find that I have so much more time for everything when I get up earlier. Gee who woulda thunk it?

I got some really cool books at the library yesterday. They are: Prairie Home Cooking, 1001 Most Asked Texas Gardening Questions, The Consumer Bible, and my favorite so far The Herb Guide To Herb Gardening. I love the herb book. The only problem is the author talks about the magical powers of the herbs listed. To me that is like witchcraft talk. I do however believe that herbs have healing powers and are good for many different uses. This book lists 10 herbs and what there various usses are. Very helpful. I will be starting an herb garden - after I read some more.

 

This is awesome!
I stopped smoking the day before I was married. It was a great decision. Three months later I ended up pregnant with Ems. It was all perfect timing.
I am proud of you, Tiffany!
Patty

 

I am very visual too and love my binder to keep things in order. I have the same type of things in mine.

 

Okay I just checked out the fly lady website for the first time and oh my gosh it is fabulous!!! I';; probably spend all day looking it over!

 

I think she has a specific homeschool section, too, if I remember right. I think I was looking at it before we decided to homeschool.

 

Okay I most of the day either cleaning or reading the flylady site!! I love it! I don't know if I will get the emails but i will take the advice for a rountine and cleanign schedule.

 

I get about 15 emails a day from FlyLady. Some people hate getting all the emails, but I like the reminders. I'm sometimes not in the mood to read the testimonials, so I just delete them. But it's nice to be able to read about other people's "aha" moments, you know.
I would at least check out the local groups to see if there is one in your area. Not all of them are active, but if yours is, it would so be worth joining.

 

Homeschoolinmum, I just used your idea about freezing lemon juice in ice-cube trays. I bought some lemons and limes on sale, peeled them lightly to save some of the white, vitamin-laden fiber, and then blended them-- pulp, seeds, and all--and sweetened the thick juice with maple syrup. The "ice-cubes" are in the freezer right now. Thanks! (I'm editing this a couple days later to advise you not to include the pulp and seeds if you want to remain friends with your family! For those of us unstoppable health addicts who will eat anything we think is extra good for us, the white pulp is great, but it won't sell your family on healthful living, if my experience is any indication!)

Michelle, I hopped right over to Amazon and found several Motivated Moms Planners for 1 penny plus $4 shipping fee. I snapped one right up! Thanks for telling us about it. Fly Lady sounds motivating, too!

In fact, talking about organization with you all has been a great motivation for me. I'm visual, also, so reading about what I need to do helps program me to actually do it. Don Aslett's series on cleaning are good. So is the book, The Messie's Manual.

 

Prairie, what is the link to the Motivated Moms Planner? I looked and couldn't find it.

 

I just typed in "Amazon" on google and then typed "Motivated Moms Planner" in their search box and listed "books" as the catagory. I'm counting on this to be a tool to help me, so I can train our dear daughter to be more organized than I am at the present. I hope you find it as easily as I did. If not, let me know, and I'll go copy their heading and transfer it here.

 

I went to Amazon, typed in "Motivated Moms Planner" and books for category, and it said, "Your 'Motivated Moms Planner' did not match any products." Not sure why! ???

Oh my, Tiffany, now I'm envying you and all your energy and all you're getting accomplished! Sounds like you're doing a GREAT job! I don't smoke, so that's not my problem. I am so needing all this stuff too! Thanks for starting the thread!

 

I can't believe this! I checked my order at Amazon, and they are sending me a very sleazy-looking novel instead of the Motivated Moms Planner which I ordered! Now I can't find the page that listed the planners, either. 'Sorry I sent some of you on a wild goose chase. Now I don't know what to do.

 

OK, I e-mailed the sender of that strangely mixed-up order, which has apparently already been shipped, and I also spoke by phone with an Amazon rep--not that it's a big financial loss. It's just so strange that before I placed my order, there was a whole page listing that book for practically nothing, and right after I placed my order the page disappeared. This may be a never-resolved mystery, and I don't like it. I'm very sorry for this unwanted interruption to this very helpful thread; so now, on with cleaning and organizing my house!

 

If you still want the Motivated Moms Planner

You could just buy the one download and adjust it for each year. The weekly dates wouldn't line up but I could work around that. All in all though, I'm pretty happy for the $8 that I paid. I'm pretty sure there was a coupon to bring the price down a bit further from that as well but can't confirm that.
What I like most about it, is that my kids have a visual, with nice tidy boxes to check, every day. It works great for me too but with us all working from the same list, we have a better sense of teamwork in completing everything.
Oh! I just looked at the website and the 2007 planners are now marked down to $4 for the download. The email address starts with www. and is followed by movtivatedmoms and ends in .com
I hope it's not too cheeky to post a link that way, but I don't think I'm able to provide links yet.
Sorry you had so much trouble on Amazon.
Michelle

 

Just got back in from hosting a baby shower this afternoon. I just wanted to give a big THANK YOU to all of you. You girls all totally rock!!

Stopping smoking gave me energy but you girls all gave me motivation to do more! Seriously if it was not for my friendships and interactions here I would not have this drive right now. I even did the swish and swipe today from flylady today. It really does only take a minute. I used a chlorox wipe and my bathroom smelled soooooo good!

 

Good for you! I thought of you this afternoon when I was reading "Homeschooling at the Speed of Life"--I'm only part way through it, but it is about getting everything organized. I need it!