Member Questions

De-clutter like crazy - the less crap you have ~ the less there is to clean. I did a room-by-room clean out about a year ago and took things back to the basics - it is so much easier to have a pretty home now without all that junk!

I swear by doing all of the laundry on Sunday - just plow through it, lay-out the clothes for the week and move on. I used to get really into organizing toys and stuff like I was running some kind of preschool program. Then I sort of just got tired of getting stressed out over it and started dumping all the toys into baskets and rubbermaid containers. The kids seem just as happy...and I have way less picking up to do.

I'm addicted to the Swiffer Vac... I can't say enough good things about that little tool. I'm sort of a neat freak as I've noticed everyone in our home stays much happier with less mess. I'm a speed cleaner and totally advocate the liberal use of those cleaning wipes - I buy them at the wholesale club and use tons of them to swipe down countertops / bathrooms - I love them. I'm a cleaning product junkie - especially the yummy smelling stuff from Method (at Target). If something smells good, even my kids will ask to use it.

The other thing that gets me by is lowering my standards a bit. During the week, we use paper plates for breakfast, and sometimes for dinner as well. Getting that extra bit of time with the kids (they go to bed so early now that they are in school!) makes me happier than wasting time loading and unloading the dishwasher.

About every other Saturday I put on some music and go room to room "deep cleaning" dusting, sweeping and really making it perfect. I delegate a ton to the kids (even if I have to re-do it later) as I think it helps them learn the value of taking care of home.

Household chores are a huge stress to me because I feel like I can never get everything done to my liking. I'm one of those mother's that is having a hard time letting go of my "pristine" home in exchange for down time. So I constantly make myself feel guilty when I do give in to the mess. But, I'm learning to balance this out a little more by focusing on the positives that I get in return. Sure, my house isn't spotless but I surely have more fun on the floor with my kid than I do cleaning my tub!

I follow the wisdom of the FlyLady to minimize time and effort, and to change my attitude about how the household functions.

Not so much. My advice -- delegate and hire out!!!