Spirit-Guide Sunday; Orangutan

I recently got a new deck of Oracle cards; "Animal Messages" by Susie Green.  It's a beautiful and fun deck with many different animals and the spiritual messages of each.  Today I was part of an online conversation with some friends about Spirit-Animals, Animal Totems, and spirit guides, so I thought it would be a perfect day to pull a card from this deck and share it on my blog.  Also, if you follow FlyLady, you know that Sundays are "Renew Your Spirit Day" when you are encouraged to take some time for yourself.  This is similar to pampering day; pampering can be a way to renew your spirit; but also a day to focus on doing something that rewards, relaxes, and renews you on the inside as well as the outside.  With all that in mind, I decided to draw a card from the Animal Messages oracle deck.  I asked for an animal Spirit-Guide to present itself, not only to me but to my friends who read my blog.  I asked for this animal to bring us all a message that will help us through this coming week.

ORANGUTAN

"Working to live joyously, not living to work."

"Orangutan, utterly content in his lush rain forest, sees no pressing need to swing on agile limbs from his soft arboreal bed at dawn.  He rises when refreshed, stretching great arms before breakfasting unhurriedly on ripe fruits, and only then carrying on with the business of his day.  For Orangutan understands the true value of time and counsels that you use it wisely.  Are you working to live, or living merely to work?  Adjust your priorities lest time slips silently away, taking pleasure with it."

For me, the sentence on the card really hit home.  How often am I living to work, rather than working to live?  I tend to base my entire day's schedule on whether I am working or not, often choosing to put off doing things I enjoy because "I have to work later", or "I just got off work."  That's not right!  Yes, work is a necessity, but I can't continue to put off what I enjoy just because I work, the whole point of working should be so to support the life and the joys that come before & after I clock out!

Another thought I am having here; Orangutan is telling me that I should take more joy and pleasure in the work that I do at home.  Yep, the housework.  Because it should be a joy to take care of my home and family... because I love them!  And when I get the basic and necessary things done, I will have more time for leisure!  Not that I need to rush around to get things done... (I don't think I have ever seen or heard of an orangutan being in a hurry for anything)... but more to simply enjoy each moment and live fully in the moment for each task that I undertake.  It's not about being lazy or slow, it's about being in the moment and really living each moment with joy and pleasure.  Even when we have an unpleasant task to do, we can take joy in it by remembering that; 1) it won't take forever, and 2) we will feel better and have time to relax once it is done.

Here are some tasks for you to undertake this week to embrace the message of Orangutan.

• Go to bed earlier!  You need your sleep!  Don't deprive yourself of this!
• If you need to, sleep in late!
• Eat more fresh fruits.  Take time to really be in the moment when you eat.  Let yourself be aware of the sensations and tastes of eating and nurturing your body.  Try not to be thinking about what you need to do next while you are eating; be aware.
• Turn on some fun and happy music while you are working or doing housework.  Just like with eating, try to live in the moment and be aware of the task at hand rather than thinking or worrying too much about what you have to do next.  Allow yourself to feel joy and pride at the completion of each of your tasks.
• Take pleasure in some simple pampering and self-care.  Nurture your body and spirit so that you can nurture others in your life.  When you reward yourself with relaxation and leisure, really enjoy it!

I hope you all have a wonderful week and allow yourself to Work To Live Joyously!  In the words of the Discworld's most famous Orangutan; The Librarian, "Oook."

Morning Rituals and Routines

Magick of the Mornings
Most people think of Magick as something that happens at night, preferably under a starry night sky or a glowing full moon.  While the night does hold certain power, all times of day have a different type of energy and a different type of Magick to them!  The Air Element is associated with Mornings and Dawn, perhaps because this is the time of day when the air feels the freshest, and the morning light of the sun is the most life-giving and least damaging (for plants and animals alike).  Whenever you first wake up, you are still strongly connected to the Astral Realm from your time of dreams and sleep.  Upon first waking up it is a great time to pray, meditate, say your daily affirmations, and set your intention for the type of day you want to have - because part of you is still connected to Spirit, the Astral Realm, and the Divine.  It is easy for you to communicate with your Spirit Guides, Angels, Deities, and Faeries in the mornings when you first wake up.  Mornings are the perfect time to practice yoga, do some meditation, say prayers, and just set your intentions for the day, asking The Air Element to bring you focus and help you manifest the kind of day you want to have.  Every morning is a fresh start and an opportunity for a new beginning!

Morning Devotions & Meditation
It might be a good idea to come up with your own Morning Devotion, prayer, or meditation.  Write or find a simple prayer you can say every morning, and spend a few moments breathing deeply and feeling gratitude.  Focus on what you want for the day and visualize your day going just the way you want it to.  Smile.  Even if your day doesn't go exactly as you wanted, keep up this positive thinking and prayer every morning... it takes time to get used to meditating and manifesting your desires.  Mornings would also be a good time to say daily affirmations.  You can choose an affirmation the night before, or use an affirmation from our Tarot Card or Air Element studies here... that way you could have a different focus for your meditations and affirmations every week!  Maybe write down the affirmation you want to use for the week and tape it somewhere next to your bed or in your bathroom where you will see it first thing in the morning!

Morning Routines & Housework
I have gone over some basic FlyLady stuff here before, such as the baby steps.  FlyLady suggests having a morning routine of things you do every morning in your home to keep your household running smoothly.  You can infuse your morning routine with Air Energy Magick by asking the Element of Air, the Fairies, or your Angels to help you with your routine.  You can also look at it in a way that reminds you that today is a new day, time for a fresh start - and what you do around your house in the morning is a blessing to your home and family for a wonderful day!

FlyLady's Basic Morning Routine from www.flylady.net

* -Get Dressed to Shoes including Hair/Face, Brush Teeth
* - Make Bed
* -Swish & Swipe
* -Empty Dishwasher
* -Reboot Laundry (a Load a Day Keeps CHAOS Away) 

* -Check Your Calendar

* -Check Your Control Journal

* What's For Dinner?

* Drink Your Water

* Declutter for 15 Minutes

* 15 Minutes of Loving Movement (exercise)

I have my morning Routine Broken down into rooms (zones) and 15 minutes at a time.  Here's my current Morning Routine (Which I have not been doing lately, but I plan on changing that very soon! 

MORNING HOUSEWORK CHECKLIST

Getting Started

• Deep Breathing / Positive Thoughts / Daily Affirmation
• Make sure kids are doing their morning routines.  Start coffee or make tea.
• Get Dressed To Shoes / Veil
• Morning Prayer or Invocation.  Meditation.
• Take My Vitamins.  Drink Water.  
• Start a Load of Laundry

Bathroom & Self Care (15 to 25 minutes)

• Gather dirty laundry
• self-care (Hair, face, teeth, make-up)
• Put away self-care products
• Swish & Swipe

Bedroom (10 minutes or less)

• Make Bed
• Gather Laundry
• Hot Spots - Tops of Dressers & Bookshelf

Kitchen (15 minutes)

• Put away clean dishes
• Wash Breakfast Dishes
• Wipe Table & Counter top
• What's For Dinner?

Living Room & Front Entrance - (15 minutes)

• Living Room Hot Spots (side tables)
• 5 Minute Room Rescue Living Room (Floor & couches)
• Front Room Hot Spots (coffee table, bar, Launch Pad)
• Sweep Front Room

Office - 10 minutes

• Hot Spots - Homework Desk, Computer Desk
• 5 minute room rescue

Finishing up (10 to 30 minutes)

• 5 minutes of folding laundry
• Dinner Prep if possible (crockpot, etc)
• Calendar / Budget work.  Check today's schedule, pay bills if needed.
• Prayers of Gratitude, Affirmations

--------------------------------------------------------

Morning Routines For Kids

FlyLady - Pagan Style; Baby Steps Day 31

As you may have noticed, I have been posting the FlyLady 31 Baby Steps and my thoughts on them. I have been adding my thoughts on how cleaning your house, even the simple stuff, can be part of a spiritual devotion, and how the babysteps and the FlyLady program encourage you to think positive about yourself, your home, your habits - all to make life a little easier and better for you!

Today is Day 31 of the BabySteps! So far we have developed a few simple habits of things to do on a daily basis; in the form of simple morning & evening routines. Our goal is to make these routines a habit... if we do them consistently enough then they just become second nature!

Morning Routine

• Make Your Bed!
• Get up and get dressed to lace-up shoes; fixing your hair and face
• Swish and Swipe
• What's For Dinner?
• Drink Water, take your vitamins
• Look at your posted reminders in the kitchen and bathroom.
• Recognize the negative voices and change them. Remember, you are FLYing now!
• Put out your Hot Spots for two minutes
• Check Your Laundry
• Five-minute Room Rescue (pick any room in the house). Set your timer and go!
• Spend 15 Minutes decluttering each day. You can’t organize clutter!

Afternoon Routine

• Check Kid's Backpacks for Flyers, News, Homework, etc.
• Homework Time
• Guide kids to do their daily chores
• Drink more water
• Check Hot Spots again
• See more ideas for building your Afternoon Routine Here!

Before-Bed Routine

• Keep your sink shining
• Check Your Laundry
• Drink More Water
• What's for Dinner?
• Lay out your clothes for tomorrow
• Put out your Hot Spot. It will make you happy in the morning!
• Go to bed at a decent hour! Set a bedtime and stick with it!

Continue to work on your routines!  Keep your reminders posted where you can see them, and be proud of yourself for the small steps you take every day!  Soon you will be ready to add in the "Daily Focus", the Habit of the Month, and the Daily Zone Missions that the FlyLady site teaches us about.  For now, congratulate yourself for taking 30 DAYS to work on developing new habits, thinking positively, and Finally Loving Yourself!

FlyLady, Pagan Style - Babysteps Day 30

As you may have noticed, I have been posting the FlyLady 31 Baby Steps and my thoughts on them. I have been adding my thoughts on how cleaning your house, even the simple stuff, can be part of a spiritual devotion, and how the babysteps and the FlyLady program encourage you to think positive about yourself, your home, your habits - all to make life a little easier and better for you!

Today is Day 30 of the BabySteps! So far we have developed a few simple habits of things to do on a daily basis; in the form of simple morning & evening routines. Our goal is to make these routines a habit... if we do them consistently enough then they just become second nature!

Morning Routine

• Make Your Bed!
• Get up and get dressed to lace-up shoes; fixing your hair and face
• Swish and Swipe
• What's For Dinner?
• Drink your Water, take your Vitamins
• Look at your posted reminders in the kitchen and bathroom.
• Recognize the negative voices and change them. Remember, you are FLYing now!
• Put out your Hot Spots for two minutes
• Check Your Laundry
• Five-minute Room Rescue (pick any room in the house). Set your timer and go!
• Spend 15 Minutes decluttering each day. You can’t organize clutter!

Afternoon Routine

• Check Kid's Backpacks for Flyers, News, Homework, etc.
• Homework Time
• Guide kids to do their daily chores
• Drink more water!
• Check Hot Spots again
• See more ideas for building your Afternoon Routine Here!

Before-Bed Routine

• Keep your sink shining
• Check Your Laundry
• What's For Dinner?
• Drink More water!
• Lay out your clothes for tomorrow
• Put out your Hot Spot. It will make you happy in the morning!
• Go to bed at a decent hour! Set a bedtime and stick with it!

Check our calanders and reminders for any upcoming birthdays and holidays.  If there is anything coming up, write it down on your errand list or to-do list.  FlyLady sets aside on day a week for "Errand Day" .  Read her website flying lesson about routines to see the Daily Focus and more about Errand Day.  You don't have to start doing these yet.  If you need more time with your basic daily routines first, that is fine.  But this gives you an idea of the other stuff in you can get done with your routines!

FlyLady - Pagan Style, BabySteps Day 29

As you may have noticed, I have been posting the FlyLady 31 Baby Steps and my thoughts on them. I have been adding my thoughts on how cleaning your house, even the simple stuff, can be part of a spiritual devotion, and how the babysteps and the FlyLady program encourage you to think positive about yourself, your home, your habits - all to make life a little easier and better for you!

Today is Day 29 of the BabySteps! So far we have developed a few simple habits of things to do on a daily basis; in the form of simple morning & evening routines. Our goal is to make these routines a habit... if we do them consistently enough then they just become second nature!

Morning Routine

• Make Your Bed!
• Get up and get dressed to lace-up shoes; fixing your hair and face
• Swish and Swipe
• What's For Dinner?
• Drink Water, take your Vitamins
• Look at your posted reminders in the kitchen and bathroom.
• Recognize the negative voices and change them. Remember, you are FLYing now!
• Put out your Hot Spots for two minutes
• Check Your Laundry
• Five-minute Room Rescue (pick any room in the house). Set your timer and go!
• Spend 15 Minutes decluttering each day. You can’t organize clutter!

Afternoon Routine

• Check Kid's Backpacks for Flyers, News, Homework, etc.
• Homework Time
• Guide kids to do their daily chores
• Drink more water
• Check Hot Spots again
• See more ideas for building your Afternoon Routine Here!

Before-Bed Routine

• Keep your sink shining
• Check Your Laundry
• Drink more water
• What's For Dinner?
• Lay out your clothes for tomorrow
• Put out your Hot Spot. It will make you happy in the morning!
• Go to bed at a decent hour! Set a bedtime and stick with it!

Keep doing what you have been doing!  Remember to reward yourself and take time to Pamper yourself!  Check out this message from FlyLady about Pampering and taking care of yourself!  Did you know that the FlyLady website even offers a weekly Pampering Mission... a different idea for Pampering yourself is posted every week! 

FlyLady - Pagan Style; Take Care of YOU! Day 28

As you may have noticed, I have been posting the FlyLady 31 Baby Steps and my thoughts on them. I have been adding my thoughts on how cleaning your house, even the simple stuff, can be part of a spiritual devotion, and how the babysteps and the FlyLady program encourage you to think positive about yourself, your home, your habits - all to make life a little easier and better for you!

Today is Day 28 of the BabySteps! So far we have developed a few simple habits of things to do on a daily basis; in the form of simple morning & evening routines. Our goal is to make these routines a habit... if we do them consistently enough then they just become second nature!

Morning Routine

• Make Your Bed!
• Get up and get dressed to lace-up shoes; fixing your hair and face
• Look at your posted reminders in the kitchen and bathroom.
• Swish and Swipe
• What's For Dinner?
• Drink Water, Take your Vitamins *
• Recognize the negative voices and change them. Remember, you are FLYing now!
• Put out your Hot Spots for two minutes
• Check Your Laundry
• Five-minute Room Rescue (pick any room in the house). Set your timer and go!
• Spend 15 Minutes decluttering each day. You can’t organize clutter!

Afternoon Routine

• Check Kid's Backpacks for Flyers, News, Homework, etc.
• Homework Time
• Guide kids to do their daily chores
• Drink more water! *
• Check Hot Spots again
• See more ideas for building your Afternoon Routine Here!

Before-Bed Routine

• Keep your sink shining
• Check Your Laundry
• Drink more water! *
• What's For Dinner?
• Lay out your clothes for tomorrow
• Put out your Hot Spot. It will make you happy in the morning!
• Go to bed at a decent hour! Set a bedtime and stick with it!

*If we aren't taking care of ourselves, it's so much harder to take care of our homes and our families!  Add reminders to your Morning, Afternoon, and Evening Routines that will help you remember to drink plenty of water, take vitamins, eat healthy, and get enough rest!  Taking care of ourselves is fundamental!  Remember, F.L.Y. means Finally Loving Yourself... so remember to take care of yourself... YOU ARE WORTH IT!

FlyLady- Pagan Style; What's For Dinner (Day 27)

As you may have noticed, I have been posting the FlyLady 31 Baby Steps and my thoughts on them. I have been adding my thoughts on how cleaning your house, even the simple stuff, can be part of a spiritual devotion, and how the babysteps and the FlyLady program encourage you to think positive about yourself, your home, your habits - all to make life a little easier and better for you!

Today is Day 27 of the BabySteps! So far we have developed a few simple habits of things to do on a daily basis; in the form of simple morning & evening routines. Our goal is to make these routines a habit... if we do them consistently enough then they just become second nature!

Morning Routine

• Make Your Bed!
• Get up and get dressed to lace-up shoes; fixing your hair and face
• Swish and Swipe
• Look at your posted reminders in the kitchen and bathroom.
• Recognize the negative voices and change them. Remember, you are FLYing now!
• Put out your Hot Spots for two minutes
• Check Your Laundry
• What's For Dinner Tonite?*
• Five-minute Room Rescue (pick any room in the house). Set your timer and go!
• Spend 15 Minutes decluttering each day. You can’t organize clutter!

Afternoon Routine

• Check Kid's Backpacks for Flyers, News, Homework, etc.
• Homework Time
• Guide kids to do their daily chores
• Check Hot Spots again
• See more ideas for building your Afternoon Routine Here!

Before-Bed Routine

• Keep your sink shining
• Check Your Laundry
• What's For Dinner Tomorrow? *
• Lay out your clothes for tomorrow
• Put out your Hot Spot. It will make you happy in the morning!
• Go to bed at a decent hour! Set a bedtime and stick with it!

*What's For Dinner?  This babystep can be a Life Saver for those of us with busy lives!  If you have kids, work outside the home, or even if you are a Stay at home parent, knowing what you will cook for dinner well before 4 pm is a huge stress reducer!

Before you go to bed at night, ask yourself, what is for dinner tomorrow night?  Do you need to take anything out of the freezer to defrost? Take it out before you go to bed.  Will you need anything from the store?  Write it down where you will be able to see your reminder in the morning.

When you get up in the morning, ask yourself "What's For Dinner tonite?".  Did you take it out of the freezer to thaw?  Do you need to put it in the crockpot?  Is there anything you need from the store? Is there any other prep work for dinner you can do during the day that will save you time and stress later in the evening?

FlyLady - Pagan Style; Babysteps Day 26

As you may have noticed, I have been posting the FlyLady 31 Baby Steps and my thoughts on them. I have been adding my thoughts on how cleaning your house, even the simple stuff, can be part of a spiritual devotion, and how the babysteps and the FlyLady program encourage you to think positive about yourself, your home, your habits - all to make life a little easier and better for you!

Today is Day 26 of the BabySteps! So far we have developed a few simple habits of things to do on a daily basis; in the form of simple morning & evening routines. Our goal is to make these routines a habit... if we do them consistently enough then they just become second nature!

Morning Routine

• Make Your Bed!
• Get up and get dressed to lace-up shoes; fixing your hair and face
• Swish and Swipe
• Look at your posted reminders in the kitchen and bathroom.
• Recognize the negative voices and change them. Remember, you are FLYing now!
• Put out your Hot Spots for two minutes
• Check Your Laundry
• Five-minute Room Rescue (pick any room in the house). Set your timer and go!
• Spend 15 Minutes decluttering each day. You can’t organize clutter!

Afternoon Routine

• Check Kid's Backpacks for Flyers, News, Homework, etc.
• Homework Time
• Guide kids to do their daily chores
• Check Hot Spots again
• See more ideas for building your Afternoon Routine Here!

Before-Bed Routine

• Keep your sink shining
• Check Your Laundry
• Lay out your clothes for tomorrow
• Put out your Hot Spot. It will make you happy in the morning!
• Go to bed at a decent hour! Set a bedtime and stick with it!

Keep Doing what you have been doing!  It takes between 28 to 30 days of CONSISTENTLY doing something for it to become a habit.  So keep it up with your daily routines!  Your house didn't get messy in one day, you can't fix it in one day!  But you CAN change how you do things, and that's why we have the baby steps!  Even if you have missed some days over the past 26 days, that's okay, just pick up where you left off and keep going.  In yesterday's testimonial from FlyLady we read how it took her 7 months to develop her new routines into habits!  Don't give up!  The routines give you a great place to start and end each day and the little things you do each morning and night WILL add up and make a difference for you! 

FlyLady - Pagan Style. Babysteps Day 25

As you may have noticed, I have been posting the FlyLady 31 Baby Steps and my thoughts on them. I have been adding my thoughts on how cleaning your house, even the simple stuff, can be part of a spiritual devotion, and how the babysteps and the FlyLady program encourage you to think positive about yourself, your home, your habits - all to make life a little easier and better for you!

Today is Day 25 of the BabySteps! So far we have developed a few simple habits of things to do on a daily basis; in the form of simple morning & evening routines. Our goal is to make these routines a habit... if we do them consistently enough then they just become second nature!

Morning Routine

• Make Your Bed!
• Get up and get dressed to lace-up shoes; fixing your hair and face
• Swish and Swipe
• Look at your posted reminders in the kitchen and bathroom.
• Recognize the negative voices and change them. Remember, you are FLYing now!
• Put out your Hot Spots for two minutes
• Check Your Laundry
• Five-minute Room Rescue (pick any room in the house). Set your timer and go!
• Spend 15 Minutes decluttering each day. You can’t organize clutter!

Afternoon Routine

• Check Kid's Backpacks for Flyers, News, Homework, etc.
• Homework Time
• Guide kids to do their daily chores
• Check Hot Spots again
• See more ideas for building your Afternoon Routine Here!

Before-Bed Routine

• Keep your sink shining
• Check Your Laundry
• Lay out your clothes for tomorrow
• Put out your Hot Spot. It will make you happy in the morning!
• Go to bed at a decent hour! Set a bedtime and stick with it!

Today we are going to celebrate 25 days of learning new habits that can help transform our life.  Our routines aren't perfect yet, and we still need to check our reminders!  But it's not about Perfection!  Here's what FlyLady says today;

"You have only been doing your routines for 25 days now, and we are so proud of you. Keep in mind that you are not ever going to be perfect, and we don’t expect you to be. In fact we don’t even like that “P” word.
Right now you have your routines written down in your Control Journal. It will help you to practice them each day. These habits are not automatic yet, so you are still going to have to use your Control Journal, sticky notes, and our reminders to help you establish your habits. Another tool you have is your calendar and stickers. We love giving ourselves a sticker when we are establishing a habit!
A lot has been thrown at you in the last 25 days, but don’t give up now. Every time you do your routine, you are one step closer to developing your habit and running on automatic pilot. Today, read FlyLady’s personal testimonial on how she started developing her routines one habit at a time. Just so you know, it took her several months to do this; nobody expects you to have your routines accomplished in just one month of BabySteps! Be nice to yourself and don’t beat yourself up. Your consistent BabySteps will get you there.
Now go give yourself a gold star for doing your Morning Routine!"

Read FlyLady's Personal Testimonial!

FlyLady - Pagan Style; Swish & Swipe (day 24)

As you may have noticed, I have been posting the FlyLady 31 Baby Steps and my thoughts on them. I have been adding my thoughts on how cleaning your house, even the simple stuff, can be part of a spiritual devotion, and how the babysteps and the FlyLady program encourage you to think positive about yourself, your home, your habits - all to make life a little easier and better for you!

Today is Day 24 of the BabySteps! So far we have developed a few simple habits of things to do on a daily basis; in the form of simple morning & evening routines. Our goal is to make these routines a habit... if we do them consistently enough then they just become second nature!

Morning Routine

• Make Your Bed!
• Get up and get dressed to lace-up shoes; fixing your hair and face
• Look at your posted reminders in the kitchen and bathroom.
• Swish and Swipe*
• Recognize the negative voices and change them. Remember, you are FLYing now!
• Put out your Hot Spots for two minutes
• Check Your Laundry
• Five-minute Room Rescue (pick any room in the house). Set your timer and go!
• Spend 15 Minutes decluttering each day. You can’t organize clutter!

Afternoon Routine

• Check Kid's Backpacks for Flyers, News, Homework, etc.
• Homework Time
• Guide kids to do their daily chores
• Check Hot Spots again
• See more ideas for building your Afternoon Routine Here!

Before-Bed Routine

• Keep your sink shining
• Check Your Laundry
• Lay out your clothes for tomorrow
• Put out your Hot Spot. It will make you happy in the morning!
• Go to bed at a decent hour! Set a bedtime and stick with it!

*For our 24th BabyStep, we add a "Swish and Swipe" to our Morning Routine.  This is what FlyLady calls it when we wipe down the bathroom counter and sink, and so a quick "swish" of the toilet with the toilet wand.  When we do this every morning it's easy to keep our bathrooms clean!  It just takes a minute or two, and instead of spending 10 minutes or more scrubbing when the sink/countertop/toilet get really nasty... this one or two minutes a day keeps our bathrooms fresh & ready for company!

In Feng-Shui, the bathrooms are an important room to keep clean.  A dirty bathroom blocks positive chi (energy flow) from flowing throughout the home, while a clean bathroom brings positive Chi and also attracts wealth and financial flow.  According to Feng-Shui, if we keep our bathrooms clean, tidy, and in good working order, our entire home can have a more positive energy flow and better financial health!    Adding this simple "Swish and Swipe" to our Daily Routine can help us easily maintain the positive feng-shui of our bathrooms!  And we won't have to apologize if we have unexpected guests!

(Sorry I missed a couple days of posting babysteps! Instead of skipping the days I missed I am going to take FlyLady's advice to heart... she says "You're not behind!  Just keep going!"  So I will continue from where I left off and we'll get back to it!)

FlyLady - Pagan Style - Babysteps Day 23

As you may have noticed, I have been posting the FlyLady 31 Baby Steps and my thoughts on them. I have been adding my thoughts on how cleaning your house, even the simple stuff, can be part of a spiritual devotion, and how the babysteps and the FlyLady program encourage you to think positive about yourself, your home, your habits - all to make life a little easier and better for you!

Today is Day 23 of the BabySteps! So far we have developed a few simple habits of things to do on a daily basis; in the form of simple morning & evening routines. Our goal is to make these routines a habit... if we do them consistently enough then they just become second nature!

Morning Routine

• Make Your Bed!
• Get up and get dressed to lace-up shoes; fixing your hair and face
• Look at your posted reminders in the kitchen and bathroom.
• Recognize the negative voices and change them. Remember, you are FLYing now!
• Put out your Hot Spots for two minutes
• Check Your Laundry
• Five-minute Room Rescue (pick any room in the house). Set your timer and go!
• Spend 15 Minutes decluttering each day. You can’t organize clutter!

Afternoon Routine

• Check Kid's Backpacks for Flyers, News, Homework, etc.
• Homework Time
• Guide kids to do their daily chores
• Check Hot Spots again
• See more ideas for building your Afternoon Routine Here!

Before-Bed Routine

• Keep your sink shining
• Check Your Laundry
• Lay out your clothes for tomorrow
• Put out your Hot Spot. It will make you happy in the morning!
• Go to bed at a decent hour! Set a bedtime and stick with it!

Today's BabyStep is to add another page to your Control Journal!  This is a page for your Afternoon / After Work / After School routine.  I suggest writing it in pencil at first as you will probably revise it several times to find what works for you.  Above I have included a few things that I do, but you can make yours quite different!  Whatever works for you, your home, your family, your schedule!  Make a page in your Control Journal to write down reminders of what needs to be done in the afternoon (or evening, depending on your personal schedule!)

Once again, don't let your Perfectionism drag you down!  Don't add too much to your Afternoon Routine at first, you don't want to overwhelm yourself with these grand ideas of how things will go on the perfect day! Most days aren't going to be perfect!  It's nice to have a list, but don't let yourself get caught up in feeling like you HAVE to do it exactly like this every day!  The reminders in your Control Journal are there to help you know where to start, to keep you on track... NOT to imprison you or make you feel bad!

Keep on thinking positive, using affirmations to reverse those negative thoughts, and doing your best!

FlyLady - Pagan Style - Babysteps Day 22

As you may have noticed, I have been posting the FlyLady 31 Baby Steps and my thoughts on them. I have been adding my thoughts on how cleaning your house, even the simple stuff, can be part of a spiritual devotion, and how the babysteps and the FlyLady program encourage you to think positive about yourself, your home, your habits - all to make life a little easier and better for you!

Today is Day 22 of the BabySteps! So far we have developed a few simple habits of things to do on a daily basis; in the form of simple morning & evening routines. Our goal is to make these routines a habit... if we do them consistently enough then they just become second nature!

Morning Routine

• Make Your Bed!
• Get up and get dressed to lace-up shoes; fixing your hair and face
• Look at your posted reminders in the kitchen and bathroom.
• Recognize the negative voices and change them. Remember, you are FLYing now!
• Put out your Hot Spots for two minutes
• Check Your Laundry
• Five-minute Room Rescue (pick any room in the house). Set your timer and go!
• Spend 15 Minutes decluttering each day. You can’t organize clutter!

Before-Bed Routine

• Keep your sink shining
• Check Your Laundry
• Lay out your clothes for tomorrow
• Put out your Hot Spot. It will make you happy in the morning!
• Go to bed at a decent hour! Set a bedtime and stick with it!

Day 22 - Keep doing what you have been doing!  Again!  We're still working on making these routines into habits!  Eventually we should be able to wake up and just do these things automatically!  How great will that be!  FlyLady also encourages us to have a Control Journal... this is a binder where we keep our routines, important household information, and much more!  For now in the BabySteps, our Control Journal is just starting to get built!  So far we just have our simple Morning Routine, our Before Bed Routine, and a page or two of motivational things... affirmations, blessings, or a copy of a FlyLady essay that inspired us!  If you have procrastinated on putting together your control journal, do it today!  Get a cheap binder and some paper... it doesn't need to be fancy you can add to it later!  Put one page for your Morning Routine, another page for your Before Bed Routine, and whatever else you want!  We will work more on our Control Journal later but today stop procrastinating and just put one together!  It's a great to have our routines written down where we can easily look at them for a reminder, especially in the beginning stages of developing our habits!

FlyLady - Pagan Style - BabySteps Day 21

In continuing with FlyLady's Babysteps, here is today's babystep!

Morning Routine

• Make Your Bed!
• Get up and get dressed to lace-up shoes; fixing your hair and face
• Look at your posted reminders in the kitchen and bathroom.
• Recognize the negative voices and change them. Remember, you are FLYing now!
• Put out your Hot Spots for two minutes
• Check Your Laundry
• Five-minute Room Rescue (pick any room in the house). Set your timer and go!
• Spend 15 Minutes decluttering each day. You can’t organize clutter!

Before-Bed Routine

• Keep your sink shining
• Check Your Laundry
• Lay out your clothes for tomorrow
• Put out your Hot Spot. It will make you happy in the morning!
• Go to bed at a decent hour! Set a bedtime and stick with it!

For Day 21, we just keep doing what we have been doing!  Our new habits have been broken down into simple Morning & Evening Routines.  These simple things, when done every day, help our day run much more smoothly, and help keep us from feeling overwhelmed.  Instead of waking up to chaos, we know exactly how to start and end our day!  Most importantly, keep a positive attitude and don't worry if everything isn't done, or if something isn't done perfectly!  FlyLady says "Housework done incorrectly still blesses your family!"  So the laundry isn't ALL washed... but you did some of it... that's better than nothing!  The dishes aren't ALL washed... but you did some of them, stacked the rest neatly, and shined your sink.... that's better than nothing!  You still have clutter... but you spent 5 or 15 minutes dealing with it today... that's better than nothing!  You get the idea!

Today FlyLady introduces us to her "Ask FlyLady" section of her website.  Followers can send FlyLady an e-mail and she answers them.  It's great to hear from others, many who might experience the same troubles that you do!  FlyLady offers some perspective, encouragement, advice, and motivation... these are great to read when you are feeling a little overwhelmed or have lost your positive vibe!  Check it out!

Keep up the good work! Here is a lovely meditation for releasing the past and embracing new healthy habits!

FlyLady - Pagan Style -Babysteps Day 20

As you may have noticed, I have been posting the FlyLady 31 Baby Steps and my thoughts on them. I have been adding my thoughts on how cleaning your house, even the simple stuff, can be part of a spiritual devotion, and how the babysteps and the FlyLady program encourage you to think positive about yourself, your home, your habits - all to make life a little easier and better for you!

Today is Day 20 of the BabySteps! So far we have developed a few simple habits of things to do on a daily basis; in the form of simple morning & evening routines. Our goal is to make these routines a habit... if we do them consistently enough then they just become second nature!

Morning Routine

• Make Your Bed!
• Get up and get dressed to lace-up shoes; fixing your hair and face
• Look at your posted reminders in the kitchen and bathroom.
• Recognize the negative voices and change them. Remember, you are FLYing now!
• Put out your Hot Spots for two minutes
• Check Your Laundry
• Five-minute Room Rescue (pick any room in the house). Set your timer and go!
• Spend 15 Minutes decluttering each day. You can’t organize clutter!

Before-Bed Routine

• Keep your sink shining
• Check Your Laundry
• Lay out your clothes for tomorrow
• Put out your Hot Spot. It will make you happy in the morning!
• Go to bed at a decent hour! Set a bedtime and stick with it!

FlyLady's babystep for day 20 is to check your laundry situation each morning and night!  Add  laundry to your Morning & Evening routines!  When you get up, throw a load in the washer if needed!  Before you go to bed check your dryer or fold that last load you procrastinated on!

Keep working on building those habits and making better routines for yourself and your home!  Keep up the good work!


Oh... yes... Day 18 and Day 19 are missing.  You noticed that, did you?  Good job!  I was busy, sorry I missed them!  But you can click the links above and find them on the FlyLady website!

FlyLady - Pagan Style; Get Enough Sleep!

As you may have noticed, I have been posting the FlyLady 31 Baby Steps and my thoughts on them. I have been adding my thoughts on how cleaning your house, even the simple stuff, can be part of a spiritual devotion, and how the babysteps and the FlyLady program encourage you to think positive about yourself, your home, your habits - all to make life a little easier and better for you!

Today is Day 17 of the BabySteps! So far we have developed a few simple habits of things to do on a daily basis; in the form of simple morning & evening routines. Our goal is to make these routines a habit... if we do them consistently enough then they just become second nature!

Morning Routine

• Make Your Bed!
• Get up and get dressed to lace-up shoes; fixing your hair and face
• Look at your posted reminders in the kitchen and bathroom.
• Recognize the negative voices and change them. Remember, you are FLYing now!
• Put out your Hot Spots for two minutes
• Five-minute Room Rescue (pick any room in the house). Set your timer and go!
• Spend 15 Minutes decluttering each day. You can’t organize clutter!

Before-Bed Routine

• Keep your sink shining
• Lay out your clothes for tomorrow
• Put out your Hot Spot. It will make you happy in the morning!
• Go to bed at a decent hour!  Set a bedtime and stick with it!

For day 17, FlyLady wants us to think about how much sleep we are getting.  If we stay up too late and don't get enough sleep, we aren't doing ourselves any favors!  I know this is something a lot of adults struggle with.  For me, I tend to stay up late because after the kids go to bed is the only time I really get to myself!  Yet as much as I resist the idea, I know that getting a better night's sleep would be beneficial for my health!  I thought it was ironic that the "Motivational Essay" I just posted for yesterday's babystep was also about getting enough sleep!  Wait, not ironic... but obvious now that the Universe is sending me a message that I need to get more sleep!

From a Pagan/Witchy perspective, I think our time spent sleeping, in itself is a magickal thing.  It is a time for our bodies to heal and rejuvenate.  It is a time for our mind to rest.  It is a time for our spirit to be free!  Many magickal things can happen to our spirit while we sleep!  We can receive special dreams, we can have visits from loved ones or astrally travel to different places (even if we don't remember those, they happen!)  We sometimes receive spiritual lessons from our angels and spirit guides in our sleep!  Again, we might not remember these... it's like a file was downloaded to our system and then once we are awake, we have to be open enough to receiving the message before we can find the file!  Otherwise the "file" is stored for when we are ready!
If we aren't giving our self enough time asleep, what might we be missing?!
Last year I read this amazing book, called The Tibetan Yogas of Dream and Sleep.  It deals with some more complex aspects of Buddhism and Yoga, but it's written in a way that is easy to understand and gives some great insights as to how important our sleep cycles are and how to make our sleep cycles a part of our spiritual practice.

Here is a great video by the author of the above mentioned book!

I know as a Pagan, it's hard to set a regular bedtime also because so much of our ritual work is done at night time!  We wait until the moon has risen high in the sky to get the full energy effect of some of our rituals!  For Pagans, our spiritual time isn't at 10 am on Sunday mornings!  It's anytime.... but preferably at night for many reasons!!  So sticking to a regular bedtime just isn't part of our spiritual path... and that's okay!  The key here is to forgive yourself on the nights you DO stay up late, but on the nights you don't have to stay up, don't!  Don't just stay up late for no reason!  Recognize that sleep can be a magickal time as well as the times you are awake, invoking the moon!
Getting yourself on a regular sleep schedule can be hard!  But if you are consistent, you can reset your inner clock.  Part of what's great about the FlyLady routines is that you develop a routine of things you do before bed.  Once those routines are done consistently, your body knows that when these things are done, it's time for sleep!  Even if you don't do your before bed routine, just consistently going to bed and getting up at the same times will help you retrain your body, mind, and spirit!  I found this excellent article with some very practical tips on how to get enough sleep, it is worth looking at to see if you can make some changes that will help you fall asleep easier!
http://healthylifejournal.org/healthy-living/how-to-get-enough-sleep-at-night/

FlyLady - Pagan Style - BabySteps Day 16

As you may have noticed, I have been posting the FlyLady 31 Baby Steps and my thoughts on them. I have been adding my thoughts on how cleaning your house, even the simple stuff, can be part of a spiritual devotion, and how the babysteps and the FlyLady program encourage you to think positive about yourself, your home, your habits - all to make life a little easier and better for you!

Today is Day 15 of the BabySteps! So far we have developed a few simple habits of things to do on a daily basis; in the form of simple morning & evening routines. Our goal is to make these routines a habit... if we do them consistently enough then they just become second nature!

Morning Routine

• Make Your Bed!
• Get up and get dressed to lace-up shoes; fixing your hair and face
• Look at your posted reminders in the kitchen and bathroom.
• Recognize the negative voices and change them. Remember, you are FLYing now!
• Put out your Hot Spots for two minutes
• Five-minute Room Rescue (pick any room in the house). Set your timer and go!
• Spend 15 Minutes decluttering each day. You can’t organize clutter!

Before-Bed Routine

• Keep your sink shining
• Lay out your clothes for tomorrow
• Put out your Hot Spot. It will make you happy in the morning!

For Day 16, FlyLady says to simply keep doing what we have been doing!  Work on developing patterns in our life, repeating them, making them into habits!  This involves not only the physical things we do, but our mental attitudes as well.  It takes time, effort, and yes, PRACTICE to change our thoughts and behaviors!  That's what we're doing with babysteps - we're Practicing!  We are training ourselves to think positive, let go of perfection, and just do a little at a time!  For Day 16 FlyLady wants us to read an inspirational letter or essay from her website.  There are lots of inspirational letters and essays she posts!

I thought I would share this one.  This is her most recent essay, I found it right on the front page of her website.  It's about our attitudes and how our words effect others... but it's also about the importance of getting enough sleep!  I read this as I am sitting here at my computer at 10:35 pm... it's a good reminder for me and I needed to hear it!  I am making healthy changes in my life but I still resist going to bed at a decent hour!  This is something I need to work on!  So here is the inspirational essay for you to read... enjoy it and have a look at her website for some more great motivational and inspirational posts!  Sometimes we just need a little encouragement, or some outside perspective to get us thinking!

Angry Words

January 14, 2013 , by FlyLady

Dear Friends,
What is it about out busy lives that cause us to spout angry words like a geyser? At the drop of a hat we can spew nastiness all over our loved ones, friends and even total strangers.
There are times when we receive venomous replies to one of my essays or about a member of my trusted FLY Crew. I have learned to delete these without a reply. I don’t choose to argue with the FlyBaby because it will not accomplish the lesson I feel really needs to be addressed. That lesson is why we can lash out that those we love with a vicious tongue and not realize the damage we are doing to our babies and our relationships. I also want to look at the so-called reasons we feel that it is acceptable to do this.
I have heard every excuse in the world for the angry words that come from our mouths. They start with, I had a bad day, I didn’t get much sleep and the worst is you made me do it. This excuse is no different from the abusive husband who blames his wife because he hit her.
I will never forget a testimonial we received from a mother who sent her child out into the world with angry words ringing in his ears. Those angry words were the last words he ever heard from his mother because he was killed when a car ran over him. There is no excuse for ever letting abusive language to hurt anyone.
Think back to when you were a child. Can you remember some hurtful words that were yelled at you in anger? When a room full of people of all ages was asked this question they could recount the event as if it were yesterday. Angry words linger and fester! They cannot be taken back. They leave your lips and scare people for life!
I want to get to the bottom of this ILL behavior. This is just what it is! I think it is because you are not getting your nap out. We all know how our babies act when they have not had their naps. Well sisters your sleep patterns are becoming more and more in the news lately. Lack of sleep makes us cranky, angry, fat, sick, sidetracked, and unable to concentrate. These are some of the symptoms we experience from our inability to go to bed, shut our brains off and get the rest that our bodies need.
Just last night on the news I heard a report on sleep apnea in children and adults. It said that many people who are diagnosed with ADD have sleep problems and when these problems are address the ADD symptoms go away in 75% of the people tested.
I have a dear friend who has not had a good night sleep in 25 years. As a result she was not a morning person. So much so that she is not allowed to get up till the babies go to school. She decided that she needed to be more efficient in her work day and went to the doctor to get some help. She had tried almost every thing known to help her sleep. Nothing had worked. With her doctor recommendation he put her on a medication to help her get a continuous night’s sleep. This means good REM (rapid eye movement) sleep or dream sleep.
I have another friend who did a sleep study. They found that he had sleep apnea and was recommend to sleep with a cpap machine. This is a machine that blows air to keep airways open. He gets a good nights sleep now with the help of this machine. My next example is of myself. I am a very light sleeper. For over ten year with my husband’s recommendation, I have been wearing ear plugs each night. These earplugs keep me from hearing every little noise in the house from our animals to Robert getting up in the morning. I have started to dream again and feel refreshed when I get up in the morning. Not everyone can do this because of being alone in the house or having babies. Another thing that works to disguise the household noises is a white noise machine.
Now let’s look at what happens around you when you have this ILL attitude: Your children run for cover, your husband has learned to ignore you and your co-workers give you a wide berth. Then you compound the lack of good sleep with the stress that we place on ourselves with perfectionism. It’s a wonder we can stand ourselves. You know that may be real problem.
When we don’t like ourselves, we don’t do what we need to do to stop this vicious cycle of NO SLEEP, STRESS and SOUR Attitudes. I think the answer to this major problem is love. When you love yourself enough to find the answers, go to bed at a decent hour and figure out why we can’t sleep when we do go to bed; this is when we are FLYing (Finally Loving Yourself).
I want you to find peace. We can’t have this peace if we are lashing out at our family in anger. The whole time I have been writing this essay, I have had a song running though my head. It was a song we sang in Sunday School. Please check your tongue and your fingertips to stop angry words from hurting others.
Words can me KIND or MEAN; the CHOICE is yours in 2013!
FlyLady


“Angry Words” by H.R Palmer

Angry words! O let them never
From the tongue unbridled slip;
May the heart’s best impulse ever
Check them ere they soil the lip.

Love is much too pure and holy,
Friendship is too sacred far,
For a moments reckless folly
Thus to desolate and mar.

Angry words are lightly spoken,
Bitt’rest tho’ts are rashly stirred,
Brightest links of life are broken
By a single angry word.

FlyLady - Pagan Style - Make Your Bed!

As you may have noticed, I have been posting the FlyLady 31 Baby Steps and my thoughts on them.  I have been adding my thoughts on how cleaning your house, even the simple stuff, can be part of a spiritual devotion, and how the babysteps and the FlyLady program encourage you to think positive about yourself, your home, your habits - all to make life a little easier and better for you!

Today is Day 15 of the BabySteps!  So far we have developed a few simple habits of things to do on a daily basis; in the form of simple morning & evening routines.  Our goal is to make these routines a habit... if we do them consistently enough then they just become second nature!

Morning Routine

• Make Your Bed!
• Get up and get dressed to lace-up shoes; fixing your hair and face
• Look at your posted reminders in the kitchen and bathroom.
• Recognize the negative voices and change them. Remember, you are FLYing now!
• Put out your Hot Spots for two minutes
• Five-minute Room Rescue (pick any room in the house). Set your timer and go!
• Spend 15 Minutes decluttering each day. You can’t organize clutter!

Before-Bed Routine

• Keep your sink shining
• Lay out your clothes for tomorrow
• Put out your Hot Spot. It will make you happy in the morning!

Today's New BabyStep is to add "Make Your Bed" to your morning Routine.  When our bed is made, we feel like our day is officially beginning!  It reduces the temptation to just crawl back under the covers, and it makes the bed that much more welcoming at bedtime when we are done with our day and ready to go to sleep!

When I make my bed, I like to say a little blessing prayer for the day.  I feel like when I make my bed, I am turning the page to a brand new day.  I am saying "yesterday is over." and preparing to start a new day.  Each day is a blank page, a fresh start in writing our story!  Making the bed doesn't take long, but I love to take those few moments to take a deep breath, turn the page from yesterday to today, and say a blessing for the day ahead of me!

In ancient yogic traditions, as well as Buddhist teachings, we find a practice called "Mindfulness".  It's about being fully aware of what you are doing in the present moment.  Being aware of your actions, your feelings, and your intentions.  Making your bed is a good place to start with practicing a few minutes a day of Mindful Awareness, and of Devoting some time to your Spiritual Practice.

FlyLady - Pagan Style; BabySteps Day 12, 13, 14

For those of you who don't know what FlyLady is, it's an inspirational website designed to help you clean and de-clutter your home and your life. It helps you create routines that work for you, your lifestyle & your family to help housekeeping become stress-free and something you just do naturally and daily rather than something you put off until the last minute and then stress about when you have company coming over.

I have felt for awhile now that many aspects of the FlyLady program can be applied in spiritual ways to those who consider themselves, Neo-Pagans, Kitchen Witches, Hearth Witches, Green Witches, etc. I will be going over some FlyLady basics here in my blog and writing about how they can be seen as a spiritual thing; not just a house-cleaning and organizing thing! If you missed it, check out my post called "FlyLady - Pagan Style; Welcome Letter"

When you start with FlyLady, there are 31 days of "Baby Steps" to help you slowly start to integrate small changes into your daily routines. It's about developing habits and changing your mind-set to a positive one!

BabySteps Day 12, 13, 14
Keep Doing what you have been doing! Our Babysteps are now broken down into Morning & Evening Routines!

Morning Routine;
Get dressed To Shoes!
Look at your posted reminders for the day.
Think Positive Thoughts! Check the FlyLady website for reminders, zone mission, motivation, etc.

Put out your Hot Spots for 2 minutes.
5 Minute Room Rescue.

Declutter any room for 15 minutes.

Evening Routine;
Make sure your sink is shining!

Lay out your clothes for tomorrow!

2 minutes putting out your Hot Spots.

(read FlyLady's Day 11 message here)

 

Day 12's Baby Step - keep doing the routines already established!  Don't let your perfectionism get in the way, it's about developing habits!

 

BabySteps Day 13 - Find The section of FlyLady that is called "Missions", or Find Kelly's Missions in the Daily Flightplan.  These simple 15 minute missions give you a focus for the day, a task that is simple to do, and introduce you to FlyLady's "Zones"

 

Day 14's Baby Step - Keep doing the basic morning & evening routines.  Check the FlyLady site or e-mails for Kelly's Zone Missions.  FlyLady suggests that today you read Kelly's essay about using a calender.  If you want, you can print it out and add it to your Control Journal.

 

Sorry I missed a couple days of posting the baby-steps here on my blog!  I had a couple of busy days, and the 12th was my birthday- worked hard, partied hard! Yeah, I kinda fell off the babystep bandwagon myself for a couple days!  But you know what?  That's another great thing about FlyLady - we don't punish ourselves when we slip up, or fall behind.  We just pick up wherever we were and keep moving.  Sure if I miss a couple days of my routines it might take a few extra minutes to clear my hot spots and get my sink shining again!  But that's okay!  We do what we can!  And the routines help us know exactly where to start and how to get back into the groove!

FlyLady - Pagan Syle - Babysteps Day 11

For those of you who don't know what FlyLady is, it's an inspirational website designed to help you clean and de-clutter your home and your life. It helps you create routines that work for you, your lifestyle & your family to help housekeeping become stress-free and something you just do naturally and daily rather than something you put off until the last minute and then stress about when you have company coming over.

I have felt for awhile now that many aspects of the FlyLady program can be applied in spiritual ways to those who consider themselves, Neo-Pagans, Kitchen Witches, Hearth Witches, Green Witches, etc. I will be going over some FlyLady basics here in my blog and writing about how they can be seen as a spiritual thing; not just a house-cleaning and organizing thing! If you missed it, check out my post called "FlyLady - Pagan Style; Welcome Letter"

When you start with FlyLady, there are 31 days of "Baby Steps" to help you slowly start to integrate small changes into your daily routines. It's about developing habits and changing your mind-set to a positive one!

BabySteps Day 11
Keep Doing what you have been doing! Our Babysteps are now broken down into Morning & Evening Routines!

Morning Routine;
Get dressed To Shoes!
Look at your posted reminders for the day.
Think Positive Thoughts! Check the FlyLady website for reminders, zone mission, motivation, etc.

Put out your Hot Spots for 2 minutes.
5 Minute Room Rescue.

Declutter any room for 15 minutes.

Evening Routine;
Make sure your sink is shining!

Lay out your clothes for tomorrow!

2 minutes putting out your Hot Spots.

(read FlyLady's Day 11 message here)

 

Today we add an inspirational page to our Control Journal.  If you are just getting started with making a Control Journal with Baby Steps, you just have 2 simple pages so far - the Morning Routine and the Evening Routine as posted above.  These should be written in pencil at first so you can go back and adjust the routines as you go along. 

Write on a new page a couple phrases you have read from FlyLady that inspire you.  for example;

"Progress, not Perfection!"
"You can do anything for 15 minutes!"
"You can't organize clutter."
"You're not behind, you're just getting started!"

Add anything you have read, here or from the FlyLady website that reminds you what F.L.Y.ing is all about!  You can even add a couple of your favorite spiritual affirmations.  Make this a page you can turn to when you are feeling overwhelmed... a page that will remind you that you CAN turn things around, it starts with Loving yourself, and with just getting started!

Keep going with the babysteps... use your simple routines to know exactly how to start and finish your day!  You've been doing great!  The past 10 days have been simple but you have probably already noticed a difference in how you care for your home and yourself!  I know I have!
 

 

FlyLady - Pagan Style; Power of 15 Minutes!

For those of you who don't know what FlyLady is, it's an inspirational website designed to help you clean and de-clutter your home and your life. It helps you create routines that work for you, your lifestyle & your family to help housekeeping become stress-free and something you just do naturally and daily rather than something you put off until the last minute and then stress about when you have company coming over.

I have felt for awhile now that many aspects of the FlyLady program can be applied in spiritual ways to those who consider themselves, Neo-Pagans, Kitchen Witches, Hearth Witches, Green Witches, etc. I will be going over some FlyLady basics here in my blog and writing about how they can be seen as a spiritual thing; not just a house-cleaning and organizing thing! If you missed it, check out my post called "FlyLady - Pagan Style; Welcome Letter"

When you start with FlyLady, there are 31 days of "Baby Steps" to help you slowly start to integrate small changes into your daily routines. It's about developing habits and changing your mind-set to a positive one!

BabySteps Day 9
Keep Doing what you have been doing! Our Babysteps are now broken down into Morning & Evening Routines!

Morning Routine;
Get dressed To Shoes!
Look at your posted reminders for the day.
Think Positive Thoughts! Check the FlyLady website for reminders, zone mission, motivation, etc.

Put out your Hot Spots for 2 minutes.
5 Minute Room Rescue.

Declutter any room for 15 minutes.

Evening Routine;
Make sure your sink is shining!

Lay out your clothes for tomorrow!

2 minutes putting out your Hot Spots.

(read FlyLady's Day 10 message here)

 

Today we add 15 minutes of de-cluttering to our daily routines.  We have already seen how using our timers (or just watching the clock) can help for 2 minutes (Hot Spots) and 5 minutes (Room Rescue).  Now we are learning the power of 15 minutes!  Having a timer can come in really handy!  If you don't have one, it might be a good idea to get one!  I tend to use the timer on my kitchen stove, but I have been doing 15 and 30 minute sessions for so long that I pretty much know how long it has been without using a timer now!  But a timer is a great tool, especially if you are just getting started!

 

My message with today's 15 minutes of cleaning is pretty much the same as yesterday's message about 5 minutes of cleaning.  Let go of perfectionism!  Don't be so hard on yourself!  We don't have to finish something in order to get a lot done!  15 minutes of progress is better than nothing at all! 

 

With this Babystep, FlyLady asks us to get rid of clutter in one room for just 15 minutes a day.  You can't clean around clutter, and having clutter is just bad feng-shui!  You have to love yourself enough to let go the things that no longer serve you or your household.  If it's doing nothing more than taking up space, let it go!  I know we all have areas in our home that need to be decluttered.  And you're thinking, there's no way that just 15 minutes is going to make a dent of a difference in this clutter!  That's your perfectionism talking... the part of you visualizing the "end game" and then feeling like you will never get there.  It's time to learn to ignore that nagging pessimist of a voice in your head!  Keep thinking positive, set your timer for 15 minutes, and start going thru that pile on the desk, that drawer, that cabinet, or wherever it is you decide to focus.  Stay focused on ONE area for the full 15 minutes.  When your timer goes off, stop.  You've done what you came to do.  Tomorrow you will do 15 more minutes!  You can read FlyLady's advice about Decluttering here, I highly suggest you read this!  She explains how to declutter, and some great tools and suggestions for you!  Read it!

 

Also, when you realize the power of 15 minutes, you can apply this to all the rest of your daily cleaning as well!  Sometimes I break my cleaning all day into rounds of 15 minutes at a time.  Clean for 15 minutes, take a break, then clean for 15 minutes again.  Before I know it, I have gotten my main goals for the day all done, plus spent my breaks on facebook or chatting on the phone and don't feel like I spent the whole day cleaning!  For example, here is what I got done yesterday!  Notice I didn't even start my day until 11 am!  I had a lazy morning with a late start, but then using the power of 15 minutes, look what I managed to get done!

 

Round 1 - 11:00 - 11:15; Got dressed, put my shoes on, made my bed, put up my hair. in small bathroom I picked up laundry, swiped countertop & sink, swished toilet, & emptied trash. Then I went and did the same things in master bathroom - picked up laundry, emptied trash, swished & swiped sink/counter/toilet.

 

Round 2 - 11:25 - 11:40 - turned on some music. Started a load of laundry in the washer. Hot Spot Firedrill - cleaned the following Hot Spots; Dresser next to my bed, dresser next to bedroom door, Launch Pad, side table in livingroom, next to hubby's chair, bar between kitchen & livingroom, kitchen table.

 

Round 3 - 12:00 - 12:15 - Cleared kitchen counters, stacked dishes to be washed, filled the sink, washed the cups, swept kitchen floor, put laundry in the dryer.

 

Round 4 - 12:30 - 12:45 - washed remaining dishes (plates, bowls, silverware), pulled the bratwurst out of the freezer to thaw for dinner, made myself lunch.

 

12:45 - 2:10 - took a break to eat lunch and write some blog posts!

 

Round 5 - 2:10 - 2:25 - took laundry out of dryer, sorted another load and started it in the washer, scooped out the cat litter box, took out the trash, replaced liner in trash bin, washed & peeled 5 potatoes to make potato salad for dinner.

 

Round 6 - 2:30 - 2:45 - chopped the potatoes, bell pepper, onion, and celery for the potato salad. Got the potatoes & onion boiling. switched laundry to the dryer.

 

After this I went about my day without really timing myself anymore.  I used the "15 minute tool" to get things done and stay focused on one area at a time or just keep myself going for the full 15 minutes without getting side tracked.  If you just look at my 15's... I did an hour and a half's worth of work, but it didn't feel like work because I had broken it down into 15 minutes at a time!

 

It's all about staying positive!  I could have said to myself; "There is too much to do today, I will never get it done!" and then either spent the whole day in bed, or spend the whole day cleaning and just exhausted myself!  But instead I said to myself; "I am so awesome!  Look at how much I got done in 15 minutes!  I know I can get even more done with another 15 minutes!"  The power of 15 minutes can help you on your path of spiritual growth too!  Often people feel like they just don't have time to meditate or do yoga, for example.  Try doing one of those things for just 15 minutes!  Certainly you can carve out 15 minutes to sit quietly and contemplate your altar candle softly glowing.  Or just 15 minutes to do 5 to 10 of your favorite yoga poses or favorite yoga sequence!  It doesn't have to be perfect, but keep in mind that every little bit, even 15 minutes at a time, is a blessing to your mind, spirit, and body!