Discover the Benefits of Fly Lady: User Reviews and Experiences

[AJPratt]

I just signed up for the site (www.flylady.net) and was wondering if anyone else was doing this. I know there have been threads about this in the past, but when I did a search, nothing really popped out. So, what do you think, has it helped?

 

[pamperedbecky]

I used to subscribe, but got too overwhelmed with all the emails I got. I barely had time to read through the emails, much less do all the things that were suggested. My main issue is piles and clutter seem to accumulate and getting those emails just added to it. Maybe someday I'll try again! My husband wanted birthday and Christmas gift ideas for me and I suggested a consultation with a professional organizer to help me with my office and all my piles. That would be awesome! Once I feel like I have that under control, maybe I'll try flylady again. Good luck! Hopefully it'll be more successful for you.

 

[jentapp]

I'm subscribed to the emails from flylady, but never read them. I find far more support (not that Marla's not supportive, she is, but she can't be everywhere all the time) on the state chat board (Becky, look up ILFlyPals on yahoogroups). It can be quite chatty, but we get together pretty regularly and everyone is there for each other since we all have the same basic issue (being a "SHE").

 

[ChefBeckyD]

I used to subscribe, but got too overwhelmed with all the emails I got. I barely had time to read through the emails, much less do all the things that were suggested. My main issue is piles and clutter seem to accumulate and getting those emails just added to it. Maybe someday I'll try again! My husband wanted birthday and Christmas gift ideas for me and I suggested a consultation with a professional organizer to help me with my office and all my piles. That would be awesome! Once I feel like I have that under control, maybe I'll try flylady again. Good luck! Hopefully it'll be more successful for you.

Becky - that was my experience too! Soooo many emails - and not in a very reader friendly format! The only thing I still do from Fly-Lady advice is polish my sink every night before going to bed.....I do get dressed every morning - but find my slippers to be much more comfortable than my shoes! (besides, I'm trying to teach my 2 yr old not to wear his play shoes in the house!)

 

[VeronicaW]

I Do!I try to stay with it.
It does help some.
If I can only get my kids to help out more, that would be GREAT!
However, I agree about the overwhelming e-mails.
I delete the daily reminders, and move the others to subfolders (thinking I'll get to them later! Ha!).

 

[pamperedbecky]

The only thing I still do from Fly-Lady advice is polish my sink every night before going to bed

That's SO funny because that's the only thing I ever did do. I think I made it a week of doing that every night. It was a great feeling to have it done and see a nice clean sink in the morning. I guess it wasn't enough of a motivator to have me keep doing it though.

Jennifer - I will look up that ILFlyPals group on yahoo. Thanks!!

 

[mrssyvo]

I agree with the e-mails. I canceled the subscription for that reason.

 

[nikked]

Ditto HereHave the book it's based on, and love it. But as a perfectionist, I couldn't stand not being to do all the suggestions in the emails. It drove me crazy!

Technically, the thing is do what we can and ignore the rest, but I wasn't able to do that. I'm an all or nothing kind of gal, which why I struggle with housework in the first place!

If you can use it like it's designed to be, it's awesome. I know many people who have had great success with it. I would definitely recommend the book it's based on, though.

HTH!

 

[gilliandanielle]

I have been doing the FLylady system for over 4 years!! Since I married so young she kinda taught me how to take care of my home. If you choose daily digest instead of individual e-mails you only get one a day that covers the whole day's activities. I just do the missions and zones from yesterday today because you get the digest at night or early the next morning. I love her system and after 4 years I don't even really need the e-mails to hold up the system. I have adapted it to my needs and schedule while still applying her principles and she has been a savior to my marriage and life!! I LOVE FLYLADY!!!

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Have the book it's based on, and love it. But as a perfectionist, I couldn't stand not being to do all the suggestions in the emails. It drove me crazy!

Technically, the thing is do what we can and ignore the rest, but I wasn't able to do that. I'm an all or nothing kind of gal, which why I struggle with housework in the first place!

If you can use it like it's designed to be, it's awesome. I know many people who have had great success with it. I would definitely recommend the book it's based on, though.

HTH!

What is the name of the book? Maybe that would be better for me - I sound an awful lot like you! I tell people I am a frustrated perfectionist! If I clean something - I want to do it top to bottom, inside and out and I have a hard time doing just surface cleaning. I feel better if the house is totally a mess, but I KNOW that the closets and drawers are organized, than if the house was very neat and everything was stuffed into closets and drawers! - isn't that crazy?

 

[chefann]

Any of you perfectionists want to come to my house and help get me organized and clean? It's not really dirty, just very cluttered.... (as in, I can't see the dining room table under all the PC paperwork and products)

 

[quiverfull7]

Fly Lady helped me understand myself... if that makes sense. I had a hard time with wearing my shoes... so I didn't but I do accomplish more when I wear shoes... I know.. .I'm weird... I think she has a great deal to teach our types ... and getting the emails in the digest form helps alot! It amazes me that I find it much harder now to stuff something into the closet... or if I do... I can't stand it anymore... and it used to not bother me at all. I found her help in releasing things I had saved to be invaluable. She is like a drill sargeant tho!

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Any of you perfectionists want to come to my house and help get me organized and clean? It's not really dirty, just very cluttered.... (as in, I can't see the dining room table under all the PC paperwork and products)

Ann - my term was "frustrated perfectionist" Right now, my dining room table is full of : My laptop, with orders and other PC paperwork, the gingerbread house we made last night, two days of mail, 3 sippy cups, 4 magazines for companies with whom I want to place online orders, my recipe box, and the leftovers from lunch - oh and my son's train! I can clean - I just can't conquer the clutter!

 

[VeronicaW]

Me too!I would LOVE to have someone "HELP" me work through my clutter, scratch that, the clutter in my home!

I try to get the kids take responsibility: see something -take care of it, etc.
They just don't get it!

I grew up with getting an allowance, but I had to do my chores which consisted on whatever my mom had on a chart on the fridge. We never had the same chores (it would have been nice to pick and choose)everyday.

Our kids don't have very many chores (which they complain about what they do have to do), they receive $ from my DH's father, we support their extra "fun" activities that require spending $, they are offered 'paying jobs' for PC work (stickers, stamping, packets, etc.) -sometimes they don't take advantage of either!

Sorry, I guess I'm venting!

I've thought about setting aside some of my PC $ for hiring a housecleaner. But I know what I really need is an organizer!

I've gotten more organized since starting PC 5 years ago, but I'm not there yet.

We plan to start building a new home, I'd like to have the clutter management in place by that time.

If any of you are able to help, GREAT!
Otherwise, I will try to keep going with Fly Lady.

 

[priscilla]

I love it!I am a FlyBaby, and I love it. I find it helpful to get me into the mindset of decluttering and cleaning, and keeping up with it.

DO NOT try to do it all at once, you will burn out. JUST shine your sink the first day, do not do the daily reminders or zone missions or anything else, or you will feel overwhelmed and quit.

She reminds us that our houses did not get this way in one day or one week or even one year, and to expect it to get better that quickly is setting yourself up for failure.

She is NOT an organizer, she is a de-clutter. Organized clutter is still clutter, and Marla does not believe in that. She does believe in Bless and Release, if something does not make you happy to have around why do you still have it? Get RID of the clutter and you will feel better. She does discuss the emotional reasons for hanging onto things as well, and this can help release you from your stuff.

As for the emails, well, read what you can and get rid of the rest. No one will know you did not read all the testimonials or reminders. I scan the reminder email titles only, they cover what I need to know, read the mission emails, and IF I HAVE TIME I read the rest. Otherwise, into the trash it goes.

I started it a while ago (sometime this year, I think) and did my best. I got to where the kitchen was cleaned up every night, bathroom was always passable (Swish and Swipe every morning, takes about 1 minute and it is then guest ready), and even my desk is doing better (not perfect, never will be, but it is now only a smoldering hot spot and not an inferno ). My 3 y/o son has been helping keep his room picked up, toys picked up for 1/2 his life, it takes some humor and making it a games some days, but also I just expect him to. It is part of living in the house and belonging to the family.

Whew! I guess I like FlyLady a lot, and have found her very helpful for me.

Robin

 

[pamperedbecky]

Right now, my dining room table is full of : My laptop, with orders and other PC paperwork, the gingerbread house we made last night, two days of mail, 3 sippy cups, 4 magazines for companies with whom I want to place online orders, my recipe box, and the leftovers from lunch - oh and my son's train!

That is totally the island in my kitchen. It's become my desk and it drives my husband NUTS. I have a great whole office set up in the basement, but I can get so much done here in between when I'm doing dishes, getting the kids their meals, talking on the phone, etc. And this all started when I got my laptop a year ago and we have wireless internet, so I can pretty much be anywhere and do stuff on the computer. That's why it's so easy for me to(and easy to procrastinate by) come onto this website and waste some time. I've thought about limiting how many times I check email and go on the internet, but to be honest, I'm a bit addicted to it and I know I'll just drive myself nuts thinking about it if I can't just get online and do it. It's textbook Behavioral Psychology--I get MAJOR positive reinforcement when I come online and check email or CC and see that an online order has been placed or someone has emailed me with an order or one of my hosts has gotten an order. Some addictions start that way too!

I'm already lining up some resolutions for the new year!! Be more organized, do more customer care calls, lessen the clutter, LOSE WEIGHT and who knows what else I haven't thought of yet. Yikes!

 

[pamperedgirl3]

Ok, I feel out of the loop! What is flylady, exactly? Do you have to pay for the emails?

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Me too Becky!

That is totally the island in my kitchen. It's become my desk and it drives my husband NUTS. I have a great whole office set up in the basement, but I can get so much done here in between when I'm doing dishes, getting the kids their meals, talking on the phone, etc. And this all started when I got my laptop a year ago and we have wireless internet, so I can pretty much be anywhere and do stuff on the computer. That's why it's so easy for me to(and easy to procrastinate by) come onto this website and waste some time. I've thought about limiting how many times I check email and go on the internet, but to be honest, I'm a bit addicted to it and I know I'll just drive myself nuts thinking about it if I can't just get online and do it. It's textbook Behavioral Psychology--I get MAJOR positive reinforcement when I come online and check email or CC and see that an online order has been placed or someone has emailed me with an order or one of my hosts has gotten an order. Some addictions start that way too!

I'm already lining up some resolutions for the new year!! Be more organized, do more customer care calls, lessen the clutter, LOSE WEIGHT and who knows what else I haven't thought of yet. Yikes!

My husband made the most wonderful office for me - IN THE BASEMENT - and I spend so little time down there! Only when I need to print something! The rest of my life is up here on the main floor - and this is where I end up almost all of the time.....I know it frustrates him......but I have that same need to always be checking in w/email etc.....I would just hate to be 5 minutes later knowing something that I could know right now! Maybe we should set up an online support group for that - but of course that sorta defeats the purpose doesn't it?
Oh - and I have the same New Year's resolutions

 

[Sooner PC]

I have to agree - the flylady emails are over whelming. My sister is coming to help me clean out and organize my office while I am off at Christmas. Do you guys watch "Clean Sweep"? I have a room that even they wouldn't tackle. Somehow EVERYTHING in the house has become mine. No one ever has anything out of place except me. Go figure.

 

[chefjeanine]

Ok, I feel out of the loop! What is flylady, exactly? Do you have to pay for the emails?

You'll find her at www.flylady.net

You don't have to get the emails. Go to her website and checkout her system for putting your house and life in order. Great stuff!

 

[Chefgirl2]

I was overwelmed after my mom died. One of my sisters told me how she was coping and it was the Fly Lady book. I usually am pretty good about following it, but right now in my bedroom I have clean laundry piled on a chair and dust bunnies starting to grow under my bed! At least my sink is clean!

The good thing about flying is you can always jump right back into the system.

I don't get the emails because I heard that you get so many that you can't read them all. I do keep the book on my coffee table.

The thing that helped me the most is "Blessing and releasing." It not only helps with the clutter in my house but it can help with all of those other situtions in life, too. If I am holding onto an item that I don't display or use just because I know how much it cost or someones gave it to me then I need to let it go. She says "It has blessed my life so I need to release it so it can bless someone elses life." I bet I took 10 car loads to the Goodwill the first week I read the book!

 

[pamperedbecky]

Oh - and I have the same New Year's resolutions

HOw funny that we have all those similarities. Must be in the name!

 

[pamperedgirl3]

You'll find her at www.flylady.net

You don't have to get the emails. Go to her website and checkout her system for putting your house and life in order. Great stuff!

Thank you! Just checked out her site!

 

[gilliandanielle]

Answering some questions:

Her book is call Sink Reflections and gives some history about Flylady (Marla Cilley) and her principles. I checked it out of the library to reduce my books-I-already-read-and-don't-know-what-to-do-with clutter.

The e-mails are free, but I HIGHLY suggest the "daily digest" instead of individual e-mails or you will be really overwhelmed

New members start on a 30 day schedule that eases you into routines. DO NOT DO ANYTHING IN THE MEMBER E-MAILS EXCEPT WHAT YOU WERE "ASSIGNED" TO DO THAT CERTAIN DAY! I know you are going to ignore that advise anyway because it is so fun in the beginning. Take it from someone who has stopped and started more times than I can count, DO IT A LITTLE AT A TIME!! You WILL get burnt out if you do the e-mails and your 30 day stuff together, no matter how sure you are that you won't.

You don't have to use Flylady's cleaning stuff, you can just buy something at Walmart. You WILL however use your Flylady duster everyday if you buy one though because it is more expensive and therefore you need to justify buying it. I think it was worth it, but only because I dust more often!!

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Thanks for the info Gillian! I think I'll check it out of the library tomorrow!

 

[gilliandanielle]

Just had to share my experiences of flying and falling, flying and falling!!

 

[chefjeanine]

I I do keep the book on my coffee table.

The thing that helped me the most is "Blessing and releasing." She says "It has blessed my life so I need to release it so it can bless someone elses life." I bet I took 10 car loads to the Goodwill the first week I read the book!

I've got the book on my nightstand.

Although I have not gotten into the routines, I have found it SO much easier to get rid of the clutter (stuff we don't use or don't love) in our lives.

Gillian, that's why we're "flybabies". Still learning to fly.

 

[Koolotus]

I love Flylady!
I have mentioned her in a few of my posts.
I Do the system as much as I can and have found that Marla and her motivation is good for my laziness.
I love to start things and when I see it won't get done soon, I quit, yep I am a quitter
But, now when I am stuck and KNOW I have to do something I hear my flylady voice in my head, "you can do anything for 15 minutes and then you can stop" I find I get more acomplished that way.
So do the kids, so try a timer.
15 of work, 15 of play.
I get the regular emails and think it's fine, but I am good friends with my delete key
I did go through a small patch where I would get the emails and actually get made at flylady for telling me what to do!
I am a stubborn brat.
which is okay, I freely admit it and life will go on.
Don't jump ahead, that's not the point. The point is for you to love yourself enough to be nice to yourself and realize that you CANNOT accomplish what you have in your head in every aspect of your life, there are only so many hours in a day!
Oh, and I learned not to beat myself up so much.
That is nice.
Good luck with it

 

[PoseyMom]

ugh.... i refer to her as flynag. I get her emails, and i very rarely read them. i dont really do any of the missions or zones. I really dont "get" the system. I declutter fairly often and work diligently to organize and reorganize. I just need someone to remind me of things like "clean out the fridge" and "scrub the tile grout". I am a perfectionist and cannot possibly not clean everything to perfection, which causes things to sometimes not get done. But I do try to remind myself of her little mantra about everything being a blessing... or whatever it is. Personally i just hate the whole flynag thing. Forty emails telling how great her system is do nothing for me.

 

[melindag]

I try to Fly too......but I fall off the fly wagon often! I have a hard time adapting the things around my full time job. Till I get home, take care of dinner, homework needs with my kids, shuffle them to their sports activities, and oh yeah.....try to have a Pampered Chef business too (!), I feel like its bed time before I even get started!

Melinda

 

[nikked]

Organizing, de-cluttering and cleaning optionsThe original book that the Fly Lady system is based on is called Sidetracked Home Executives, by Pam Young and Peggy Jones. A friend of mine gave it to me years ago, and it got me on the right track at the time. You can usually find it on www.half.com (a division of Ebay which sells only books, dvds, music, etc., with set prices and shipping, no bidding).

I found a website by the authors at www.shesintouch.com. I haven't checked it out yet, but looks promising.

The book on this topic I would highly recommend is Messies Annonoymous, by Sandra Felton. She really explains the different types of "Messies" and why we function the way we do. The "systems" in it were more friendly to my "perfectionist" issues. I really struggle with a mentality of "I know I'll never do it right, so why bother". That sounds crazy unless you struggle with the issue as well. Again, I would look at www.half.com for books before I bought new.

My mom got me a "three in one" book by Felton, and I don't know which three books were in it because of [see last paragraph]. I know The Messies Manual was the main one, but I can't remember the other two. When I find them, I will post.

The website for "Messies" is www.messies.com. It seems like they have a daily program as well. I think I will check them out, knowing I like their system better.

All of my "organizing books" seem to be buried on the bookcase behind the mountain of stuff that fills my garage instead of our car...maybe it's time to dig them again?