Housework & Flying

As this blog has been set up as a lifestyle blog, I thought it was time I posted about something very few of us can get away with - housework.

I know. It sucks.

But when it's done, how great do you feel? There's something lovely about sitting down in your living room when the sofa cushions have been 'plumped', when the floor is hoovered, there's no cob web in the corner, no dust on the tele, everything has been put away & that smell of polish is in the air.... go on, admit it - you like it too! :)

I am rubbish at it. I do it because I have to, plus I will confess hubby is actually pretty good at it too, so it's not left entirely up to me, and I don't have kids to contend with either.

I found it really difficult to get into any sort of routine, as I really didn't want to spend my weekends cleaning, rather than going out, especially as I know often have cakes to make too. Plus working full time there are some evenings I just really can't be bothered!

So I did a bit of searching online and came across FLYLady: "Your personal online coach to help you gain control of your house and home." The essence of FLYing is to divide your home into zones and concentrate on one each week, while carrying out tasks such as a Weekly Home Blessing Hour and the 5 minute room rescue.

While the premise is great - getting & keeping your home tidy with a series of daily tasks, I did find it difficult to keep up with it while having a full time job, and spending time with friends. I don't want to go into any detail about the FLYLady techniques beacuse she has so much valuable information on her website but here are a few lessons that I learned.

1. 15 minutes is a long time - especially if you can manage 15 minutes a day sorting out a room or dedictaed to a project.
2. A timer is indispensible - if you want to get something done quickly set your timer and once it beeps (or makes whatever noise has been set) stop.
3. You don't need to be perfect all the time - don't put off a job because you can't do it perfectly right then, even a quick tidy up/clean/wipe down will make you feel better & make the job easier next time.
4. Work as fast as you can - as well as helping get your jobs done quicker, I found I put more effort it and you burn more calories.
5. Keeping your sink shiny does make you smile in the morning. :)