If you have a super tidy and organized home as we head into the holidays, GREAT! If not, have you heard of the Flylady and her “Holiday Cruising Missions”? This is for you if, like me, you have a few piles of mail and “paper clutter” that need to be dealt with. It’s for you if, like me, you have loads of laundry in your bedroom that need to be put away. This could, possibly, be a sanity-saver and game-changer for you as we continue the 101 Days till Christmas Countdown!
Who & what are Flylady Holiday Cruising Missions?
The Flylady is Marla Cilley, the woman who created an AMAZING system to help SHE’s (Sidetracked Home Executives) to FLY (finally love themselves!) In short, there are some of us who are “born organized” and some of us who are NOT (like me!) We are successful, creative, amazing people who need a bit of help in the home organization department.
The Flylady has changed my life for the better!
When my husband and I got married, he came from a “museum home” with systems and NO clutter. I attack dust bunnies on the defense (only after they start attacking, never before.) Life is too short to spend it cleaning! I would rather go out on a Saturday than vacuum or mop. And I would rather eat out than have to (shudder) cook and then have to (shudder) do the dishes!
(insert all the judgey people’s comments here.) HA!
Seriously, though, early in our marriage, some of our biggest arguments were over our home. Cleaning it, decoratng it, spending time in it (or away from it.) I WISH I had known of The Flylady then (in 2004). Fast forward a few years, we moved to California and I heard a radio friend share about this “Flylady” that could help you deal with the CHAOS in your home. (CHAOS as in “Can’t Have Anyone Over Syndrome!) lol!
Marla (I mean, the Flylady) started coaching me thru her emails. She said I didn’t have to feel bad that I didn’t know where to start. The Flylady said, through her kind, firm and simple guidance, that I could start with “Flylady Baby Steps.” If I got sidetracked, I could start again anytime. I didn’t have to catch up or feel like I was “behind.” She famously reminds us “flybabies” to jump in where you are any day or every day. No stress!
My favorite Flylady tip
“Be kind to yourself.”
That is my favorite tip from the Flylady. Maybe this is old news to you, but I have been learning (in large part thanks to the Flylady), that a lot of the CHAOS in our lives comes down to us not loving ourselves. If you’re kind to yourself, it’ll start to trickle. You’ll be kinder to your body by nourishing it, hydrating it and moving it. You’ll be kinder to your family by yelling and stressing less. And you know why you are less stressed? Because you’ve been “blessing your home!”
If you follow the flylady’s tips, you have a clean home one baby step at a time. You don’t have to yell over clutter and messes because you have systems in place that even your kids can follow and have fun with!
Flylady Holiday Cruising Missions & 101 Days till Christmas Countdown
We are getting closer to the MOST wonderful time of the year! Here on my blog, I’m doing this 101 Days till Christmas Countdown because I want us to have enough time to budget, plan and get ready to fully enJOY the season!
I hope you’ll find the Flylady’s Holiday Cruising Missions helpful with this! The Flylady will guide us each day, helping us declutter, clean & maintain our homes. She’ll help us think ahead and fill up our calendar with ONLY the things that will bless our family (including self care Sundays for YOU!) And before you know it, you’ll be celebrating the most amazing, least stressed holiday season of your life!
I can’t wait!
Laughing thru life,
Coppelia
