31 steps of the «Mom Fly» system

We would like to bring to your attention the 31 Steps of the Fly-Style Mom system, the world-famous Fly-lady housekeeping system adapted for young mothers. Follow one Step every day and in a month you will feel that your life has changed. You will see that it is possible to succeed in all areas of life even with a child in your arms!

Remember the main rule of Fly-mom: Move towards the goal in small steps! Down with perfectionism! You can do anything, just take the first Step…

Step №1.

Tonight you will find the simplest, and at the same time, the most important task of all. You need to clean your kitchen sink to a shine! This task must be started right from today and performed daily. Every day, going to bed and getting up in the morning, we will see a well-polished, shining kitchen sink. And during the day, after each use (whether you cooked a full meal for the whole family or just washed your hands), just wipe the sink dry with a clean towel! It’s hard to believe it’s so easy, but it works! Just try. And to get started, put a towel next to the sink so that you always have it at hand.

For the first time, it is better to use your proven cleaning products (I’m sure there are suitable jars in your arsenal of household products). Try to keep your family safe by sending the kids to bed, as strong cleaners can be toxic. In the future, we will maintain cleanliness with harmless organic cleaners that are easily found in the refrigerator: baking soda, mustard powder, toothpaste, lemon, because it is not at all necessary to spend a lot of money to get a wonderful result in the form of a shining shell. And also in the future we will involve our little helpers. Children will be happy to help their mother if they are presented with this activity in the form of a game! After all, the sink can not only be rubbed with a boring sponge, but also clean hard-to-reach places with old toothbrushes.

When the first step is taken, it’s time to praise yourself! Smile heartily at your reflection in the shining shell, because now it will smile back at you every day.

Step №2.

We select home clothes for flights. From now on, every morning, getting out of bed, the first thing we do is put on beautiful and comfortable home clothes and shoes, and put ourselves in order. Even if you are not going to go out, this is no reason to walk around the house in worn T-shirts with stains or sweatpants with stretched knees or in a bathrobe that has long been boring! You do not want your children to perceive the image of their mother in this way, not to mention their beloved husband. Imagine that at work he is surrounded by well-groomed girls. And you are no worse, so down with the robe! So, every morning we start with the obligatory procedures: we wash our face, brush our teeth, apply a suitable cream (at the same time we massage the face and neck), apply light makeup, comb our hair and put on beautiful clothes and suitable shoes. It is very important to always look great — it gives self-confidence and improves mood, which positively affects the atmosphere in the family. A neat appearance even in home clothes will allow you to open the doors at any moment and receive an unexpected guest.

The same applies to our children: teach them to change into home clothes in the morning. And for this, prepare clothes for yourself and other family members in the evening — this will save you a lot of time in the morning!

Task for today: choose a few home sets, immediately putting off things that are boring, shedding and out of shape. It’s time for them to go to the trash, because you deserve to always look beautiful. And do not forget to prepare in the evening what we will wear tomorrow.

P/S And remember step #1! At the end of the day, your kitchen sink should be sparkling!

Step #3. Mom’s Checklist Fly Style

Today’s step is to consider what our Audit Log will be. What it is? This is the place where all important information will be recorded: plans for the day, plans for the week, morning and evening routines, shopping lists, menus for the week, important addresses and phone numbers, and much more. Of course, the creation of QOL is not a matter of one day at all and you should not rush. In general, any notebook or notepad is suitable for the Journal, but a folder with A5 format rings is more convenient to use, where you can insert individual files and color separators, as well as replace written pages.

We will call the first section of the QOL “Routines”. There are two daily routines: morning and evening. Morning routine is a list of things that we have to do right after waking up. On the other page there will be an Evening Routine — a list of things to do before going to bed. It is clear that each fly lady will have her own, unique list, but I will give an example of a common routine:

1. Clean up in the house «on top».
2. Plan your day for tomorrow.
3. Make time for your loved one.

While it’s not necessary to write down your entire family’s routines, just think about them.

And don’t forget about the previous steps:

1. Get dressed, put on shoes and put yourself in order in the morning without postponing yourself and your children for later.

2. In the evening, clean the sink so that it “smiles”. And prepare clothes for tomorrow.

Step number 4. Hot Spot or «Hot Spot»

Today we will analyze a new concept — Hot Spot or «Hot Spot». These are places in our home where heaps of things, necessary and unnecessary, small and not so, constantly gather and form chaos. It is worth leaving at least one sheet of paper in such a place, as he immediately begins to collect his own kind with incredible speed! 🙂 Hot Spot can be any horizontal surface: a bedside table in your hallway, a washing machine, a chest of drawers in the bedroom, a bedside table, a sofa in the nursery or a chair in the hallway. In general, all those places where there is a temptation to put a used thing without putting it away.

There is no need for us right now to sort out all the hot spots in our house, because we are only learning to put the house in order playfully, as if in between times, but constantly. Then it will not be an exhausting task that takes away strength and discourages the desire to keep the housing clean, and the result will be simply incredible! And this is sure to be noticed not only by you, but also by all households. So, today we will turn on the timer (it is probably in any mobile phone) for 2 minutes. Just two minutes for each Hotspot. At the call of the timer, we finish the job! Over time, we will need no more than two minutes to remove (or, as the fly-lady say, to pay off) all hot spots, and we will make this process a part of our obligatory evening routine.

I’m sure the kids will take part in a fun game you started with great pleasure, because most likely their rooms also have a mess and «Hot Spots»! We start our assistant — a timer, and then, together with the kids, we are heartily amazed at how much we managed to do together in 2 minutes of time and how much cleaner and more comfortable it became at home!

Step number 5. littering

Today we will set a timer for 15 minutes and do a very exciting activity — littering! Littering is another key concept of the fly-lady system and of course you guessed it! Look around, carefully look around the room you are in! I am sure that in your cabinets and lockers, drawers and drawers a huge amount of various things have accumulated, and you can no longer remember the origin of some of them. And others remind you of moments of weakness in the store, when you could not get past another well-needed little thing … And every time we stumble upon such inhabitants of our house, we convince ourselves that the time will come, and all these blockages will definitely come in handy. Maybe not this month, but in a year or two. But time passes, and you not only do not use this thing, but you can’t even remember exactly where it lies, waiting in the wings. That means it’s time to litter! To do this, we take our willpower and a garbage bag, set a timer for 15 minutes (we won’t need more!), Choose the most cluttered corner in our home, and without pity and doubts throw out all unnecessary, unloved and useless things. Remember the fly-lady rule: “Junk cannot be ordered! It can only be destroyed.»

Step №6.

We reinforce habits. As you remember, our step-by-step plan for transforming your home and your life is designed for 30 days. Gradually, completing his tasks step by step, in just one month you will be able to become a real fly lady and notice significant changes for the better in your life! Every day take a small step towards achieving the goal that the Fly-lady system offers you. Believe in yourself, everything will definitely work out for you, as happened with millions of women who have already become real fly!

Today we will dedicate to fixing our habits!

1. In the morning, immediately after waking up, we do a simple morning routine: we make the bed, put on beautiful clothes and shoes, put our face and hair in order, do light makeup. Now you are fully prepared for a new day. After the birth of a child, many mothers complain about how little time they can devote to themselves. Sometimes even the simplest routines, such as brushing your teeth, have no time to do! Don’t worry, you are not the first to face this problem. And in such a situation, it is more important than ever to improve the life of the family so that, having received the proud title of Mom, to remain, first of all, a Woman. After all, grooming is not only a characteristic of appearance, it is also your inner feeling!

2. We teach children to carry out their own routines — to put themselves in order and dress as soon as they wake up (including by personal example).

3. Dedicate 15 minutes a day to decluttering the house. Only by completely getting rid of the trash in our home, we can spend much less time cleaning, greatly simplifying our lives.

1. We add to the evening routine the preparation of clothes for the next day.
2. Before going to bed, we check if our kitchen sink is smiling, wipe it dry with a towel.
3. During the day, we find a few minutes to remove hot spots.
4. In the Control Journal, we gradually form the Morning and Evening routines, entering items that are unique to you and your family.

And let it not seem to you that the proposed tasks are slowly bringing you closer to your cherished goal — order. Don’t give in to perfectionism! Only baby steps — small steps will allow us to go all the way.

Step number 7. Daily educational activities for children

Let’s start one more section in our Control Log from today. This section will be called «Daily developmental activities with children.» Of course, you might think that you spend enough time with your children, trying to give them every free minute. And this is certainly true, but here we will talk a little about something else. Quite often, “having time with the kids” just means being in the same territory as them, because the modern mom always has a lot of urgent things to do!

Therefore, today’s task will be as follows: divide a blank sheet of paper into 7 parts (each part corresponds to one day of the week). And every day we dedicate to certain developmental activities. For example, (if your children still go to kindergarten) we distribute the days from Monday to Friday as follows: Monday — learning the alphabet, Tuesday — development of speech, Wednesday — development of fine motor skills, Thursday — drawing, Friday — physical education. And then you find 15 minutes in your daily workflow to sit next to your baby and mold a kitten from plasticine or dough, without being distracted by anything else. Just the two of you: you and him. After all, it is not the quantity that matters, but the quality of the time spent with the child. Let it be only a quarter of an hour, but be sure to do it every day! It will bring enormous benefits, believe me! And the results will not be long in coming.

Having noticed somewhere new ideas for activities with children, be sure to take note of them and write them down in the appropriate section of the Control Journal in order to bring them to life in the very near future. Today, even for infants, there are many educational activities: these are finger games, and looking at things of different shapes, colors and textures with detailed mother’s comments, and much more.

PS And remember the previous steps! Let’s go to order! 😉

Step number 8. Cleaning up the fridge!

Let’s take a thorough inventory of the contents of our refrigerators today. We will ruthlessly get rid of expired products, withered vegetables and half-eaten portions from the day before yesterday’s lunch. And the remaining products will be placed in the proper order. And of course we will pay close attention to the cleanliness of shelves and containers. Here we will have to devote a little more time, because most likely it will take a little more than the usual 15 minutes. But the result will please, besides, it will have to be done only once!

Now it’s time to start another section in the Control Journal called «Weekly Plan». And immediately we determine any convenient day for you and your family to audit the refrigerator. I assure you, once a week will be enough to keep it clean all the time. Just regularly check the freshness of the available products and wipe the shelves with a sponge or cloth. Then your refrigerator will always be in excellent condition (after all, it will not have time to get dirty in a few days!))). And it will take a minimum of your time!

Step number 9. We arrange a romantic date with … our own husband!

I think you yourself notice that after you became parents, your relationship with your beloved husband has changed. There are fewer heart-to-heart conversations, you do not go out together as often as before, you are less often alone. Now most of the cases are devoted to children, you adjust your life to them. But still it is worth remembering that you are not only loving Mom and Dad, but, as before, beloved Husband and Wife!

I understand that you are always busy and your day is already busy. But despite this, find time for each other. Set aside 1 evening a week in your Weekly Plan for a romantic date with your own husband. There is always an opportunity to leave the children with a visiting nanny or grandmother for a couple of hours. And if there is no way to leave the kids alone right now, put them to bed early and arrange a date right at home! It doesn’t have to be anything out of the ordinary. Spend time the way you like: choose and watch a movie together, dine by candlelight, or just sit cuddled and talk about something that interests both of you.

Step №10.

Almost a third of the tasks on the way to order have already been completed, and if you did not skip the previous steps, the changes in your life have become noticeable not only to you, but to everyone around you. Your home is subtly changing, transforming. You have become calmer, satisfied with your appearance and how much you have time for a day! Do not skip routines at the beginning and end of the day, sort out hot spots on time and be sure to litter for 15 minutes during the day — systematically, shelf by shelf, cabinet by cabinet. Do not forget to look into the most remote and frightening corners of your house — on the mezzanine and balcony. Then we will soon move on to the next important stage of the Fly-lady system — cleaning in the Zones. But more on that later, be patient!

Starting today, I suggest you add one more small but important item to your routine — Laundry! Without it, you can not do even a few days. So let it be included in your plan for the week. Of course, the choice of the right time for washing is up to you. You can include this item at your discretion in the morning or evening routine, or even both at once. For example, some fly ladies load the washing machine with dirty laundry in the morning, and in the evening they start the wash cycle and hang up the washed clothes. At the same time, it is important for me how you build this routine in your family. The main thing is to avoid the piles of dirty linen and clothes that accumulate with amazing speed in the bathroom and on the chairs. It is important that you can easily shift the laundry to your household, including children. If you wash by hand, put a separate basin of soapy water nearby for your young assistant, let him rinse his handkerchiefs next to you. When you fold dry laundry, the child can also help as much as possible: for example, look for pairs for socks or lay clothes in piles. Try to do homework during the day while the kids are awake, actively connecting them to everything. Then the child’s sleep will become a time that you can rightfully devote only to yourself.

Step number 11. We speak words of approval to ourselves and loved ones.

At this Step, we introduce a new rule: from now on, every day before going to bed, remember five (or better, more!) Things you did during the day, for which you can praise yourself from the bottom of your heart. This can be household chores (for example, you managed to wash all the windows in a day), and success in educational activities with children (you were able to devote 15 minutes to the children to an hour), and culinary successes (friends were delighted with your new pie recipe). Yes, whatever! If only you experienced a sense of satisfaction by doing it. The best thing is not just to memorize, but to write down your achievements. The Fly-lady system advises to have a separate notebook for such praises and call it the «Success Journal».

If you don’t want to waste time writing down, you can remember and approve the actions committed during the day verbally, but always regularly. At first, it may be difficult for you to find 5 reasons for a kind word, because we are used to more often thinking about what we did not have time or could not do, and we fall asleep with dissatisfaction with ourselves or loved ones. Now there is no place for such thoughts! You must be sure to praise yourself! Even for what seems like a small and insignificant accomplishment. This will give strength and fill you with self-confidence.

In addition, be sure to praise your family. Do not ignore your husband and children. But your praise must come from the heart. If your kid has drawn a kitten and proudly shows you his creation, then it is not enough just to say “Well done!” in between times. Stop for a minute, take a break from pressing matters, pay attention to how long the kitten has a tail and what fluffy antennae. Such words of approval are especially precious and cause a desire to do something even better.

Do the same with your beloved spouse! Mark any of his help with praise and gratitude, do not take his actions for granted. Words of encouragement work wonders. Be sure that by learning to praise your loved ones from the bottom of your heart, you will receive much more help from your husband and children.

Step number 12. Menu planning for the week.

I’m sure not many of us like to spend time in daily painful thoughts about what to cook for dinner or what to pamper our family on the weekend. The Fly-lady system offers a way to make your life much easier: menu planning! What it gives: and tangible time savings, and eliminates the daily pangs of choice, and optimizes spending on the purchase of products. But do not rush and plan immediately for a significant period. As usual, we are moving towards the goal baby steps — in small steps: we will start planning a home menu from three days, and then gradually increase the period to one week.

And at this step — in menu planning — we again need an Audit Log. We enter in it the dishes that are often on your table and which home-made people do not refuse. Do not rush to list everything at once, write down gradually, as you remember. When the list is ready, next to each name of the dish, indicate the ingredients that are needed to prepare it. List the listed products. And already with this list, feel free to go to the store, where it will be enough just to look at the list and collect only the products you need for cooking in the cart. This will save you a lot of time for the whole week ahead. After all, during this period you will no longer have to go to stores — all the necessary products will already be at your fingertips!

There is another significant benefit to menu planning, which is saving money! By compiling a menu and a list of the right products, you will no longer be tempted to buy too much. If you are not going to make cottage cheese pancakes this week, then do not buy cottage cheese. And you don’t have to throw it away after a few days. This means there will be no wasted money.

Step number 13. Personal care.

Finding at least a little time for self-care is another fly rule. Remember when was the last time you signed up for a beauty salon or devoted an evening to spa treatments at home? With the advent of children, finding time only for yourself becomes even more of a problem: there would be time to brush your teeth, let alone soak in the bathroom … You constantly have to strain your ears: suddenly the kids woke up, did something happen. If this is not the case for you, then congratulations, you are lucky!)

At the same time, I want to see in the mirror and feel like a beautiful woman, and not a mother tortured by everyday life, do you agree? Yes, and it will be more pleasant for your loved ones to see a well-groomed Mother and Wife in front of them. To make dreams come true, pick up the Control Journal and draw up a weekly self-care plan! As in any big business, we will eat the elephant in parts! 😉 For example, on Monday we do a manicure (one look of well-groomed hands cheers up), on Tuesday we devote facial procedures (apply a mask or peeling), on Wednesday we take care of our hair (make masks, rinse with a decoction of herbs), on Thursday we will pay attention to a pedicure (legs also need care), on Friday — we correct the shape of the eyebrows (if necessary — we do coloring), Saturday — the time of body procedures (scrub, bath, moisturizing lotion), Sunday — epilation (all the extra hairs — down!).

As a result, with daily procedures, you will spend no more than 15 minutes of your time, and your appearance will change! And be sure to write down new recipes, recommendations and self-care tips in the Control Journal. Try it, mark the best means, and everyone around will notice your transformation!

Step №14.

Perhaps, when it comes to unloved household chores, mopping the floor is most often mentioned. Indeed, this activity is tiring in itself, and even when you also need to deal with children … It takes a lot of work to distract the baby for a while, while the mother diligently wields a mop or rag, because the child seeks to help and diligently gets underfoot. Therefore, most often housewives try to manage to cope with mopping during the daytime sleep of children.

This leads to the fact that you have a clean floor, but there is absolutely no time for yourself. We have already discussed that we do household chores while the children are awake, actively involving them in any work. In every case there is something that will be within the power of your baby. And children’s sleep is our personal time! What is the way out? Everything is easy! Fly recommend cleaning the floor in only one room every day! That is, today you washed the floor in the kitchen while the baby is playing, tomorrow we will wash the bedroom while the baby is looking at pictures in a book or dusting the shelves, etc. round! This method saves your energy, and you keep the house constantly clean in all rooms.

Step number 15. Accounting for personal finances.

Let’s take another small but very important step towards order in our lives! Let’s start keeping track of personal money! This is important for many reasons, one of them is to learn how to plan a family budget, but more on that later.

To successfully master this task, decide where it will be convenient for you to keep daily records — in the Audit trail, in an Excel spreadsheet, on your smartphone or in a special program, such as CashFly. It doesn’t matter which method you choose, the main thing in accounting for finances is not to deviate from the intended goal and fix your expenses every day without missing a single detail.

Your task at this stage is to tell your household about the new rule: bring home receipts for all purchases made during the day. It is very important to enlist the support of loved ones and involve them in accounting for family finances. Otherwise, you are unlikely to be able to assess the true amount of income, and most importantly, expenses. Record all purchases, payments and transfers, including via the Internet.

I advise you to immediately single out separate items of expenditure: utility bills, the purchase of food and medicine, the purchase of clothes and shoes, entertainment, etc. For each family, these articles will be different, and there is no one size fits all approach. The main task now is to find out your daily expenses, to determine your spending habits. And then soon we will be able to competently manage our finances!

Step number 16. We make a shopping list.

We have already overcome many important steps on the way to order in the house. In Step #8, we inspected the refrigerator, freeing it of spoiled food and carefully putting the rest in place. Then we made a menu for a few days. So, it’s time for a new challenge — set aside a shopping day in your weekly plan! Just choose a day when it will be convenient for you to go to the store. Now it is on this day that we plan to purchase a week ahead (except that we will buy some products, such as bread and milk, on occasion near the house).

Of course, we will not go to the store empty-handed, but with a list of the goods we need! We already know how dangerous it is to enter malls without clear guidance. So they strive to get into our basket, along with the planned vegetables, also a package of yogurt, and cheese slices.

In the list we will include everything that the family needs for the next week:

1. products (of course, according to the menu that you have planned!);

2. goods for children;

3. cosmetics and hygiene products.

4. household chemicals and household goods;

5. miscellaneous.

With a detailed shopping list in hand, you will spend significantly less time looking for the right product and resist the temptation to buy unnecessary goods, which means you will save money for more important purposes!

Step number 17. We go to bed on time.

It would seem that difficult: go to bed. After all, every day we sooner or later go to bed … But from today we will complicate the task: we will go to bed at a decent time. And which one is up to you to decide. Of course, it depends on many factors, and for each of us they are individual. But you should heed the advice of experienced fly ladies: for good health and a blooming look, try to sleep at least 8 hours. Do not sit up in the evening at the computer or in front of the TV. All interesting sites and programs will wait for you until tomorrow. Better take care of a good sleep. He, like nothing else, energizes us, gives strength and gives a good mood. Make an invaluable gift to yourself — get enough sleep every day.

And of course you should take care of the mode for your children. Decide what time you put the little ones to bed or check how older children go to bed on their own. Falling asleep in the evening at the same well-established time is an important step in shaping the daily routine of any child. And of course, pediatricians do not get tired of talking about the benefits of the regimen. But this is also an invaluable advantage for parents! Knowing for sure what time your child goes to bed, you can make your plans much more accurately and execute them.

So in this Step, not only will we set our own decent time for falling asleep, but we will also put the children to bed at a certain time in the evening, which does not change from day to day. Before this, it is best to start a special ritual so that the child’s body gradually tunes in to sleep: arrange bathing in the bathroom, do a relaxing massage, read your favorite story, caress. It doesn’t matter which action you choose. It is important that it be repeated systematically. And very soon your child himself will remind you that it’s time to get ready for bed, the process of laying down will be noticeably reduced, and you will have more free time.

Step number 18. Create a family calendar.

Today’s task will be important for the whole family: you need to create a family calendar. It is needed for several reasons at once: both as a reminder of important and memorable events, and as an assistant in completing all cases by the appointed date, and as an incentive not to be late for significant events. And besides, such a calendar is sure to unite the whole family! And it doesn’t matter how your calendar will look like: whether it will be a large wall format or, on the contrary, a pocket format with small fields for entries. It is important that it be in a conspicuous place in your home and every member of the family can use it at any time.

To make the calendar useful daily, mark the following dates on it:

1. mark the birthdays and significant dates of all household members, relatives, friends and work colleagues. For decoration, you can use additional colored stickers. For example, use green stickers to mark the birthdays of family members, prepare blue ones for friends, etc.

2. Highlight the days and times of regularly attended classes, circles, sections and training courses — yours, your husband and children.

3. Add all upcoming events to the calendar: business lunches at work, parent meetings in kindergarten and school, going out, making an appointment with a doctor, spa, fitness, etc.

4. Do not forget to bring in significant household chores that require the help of other family members: moving, repairs, choosing equipment, in general, everything that affects the life of your loved ones.

A family calendar is an important step towards harmony in your home. It will help you and your loved ones remember upcoming events in time and prepare for them in advance.

Step number 19. Things in between.

They say: if you chase two hares, you won’t catch one. But this saying does not fit the fly system at all. On the contrary, fly ladies know how to do several things at the same time!

After all, if you think carefully, then a lot of things can be combined! Do you brush your teeth? This is a great opportunity for at least two minutes in the morning and evening to strengthen the muscles of the legs: just rise on your toes while washing. That’s 2 things at once! Does your little one like to splash around in the tub? Find something to your liking: apply a five-minute mask, correct the shape of your eyebrows, wipe the mirror from splashes or touch up a manicure. Do you iron clothes? Turn on an audiobook that you have been planning to listen to for a long time, but never found enough time. Patiently waiting for the baby to cope with all the fasteners before a walk, sort out the hot spot in the hallway, put things in their places. Yes, you never know there are applications for a few minutes of time! Lots of options, choose any.

Try to combine several things at the same time in this way. And you will not even notice how an hour or two of time has been added to the day, which you can devote to your beloved with a calm soul.

Step #20. Get on the charger!

If, looking in the mirror, you are upset by the appearance of your figure after childbirth, it’s time to put yourself in order! And for this it is not at all necessary to spend time and money on going to the gym. You can choose the right exercise for you. And you should not put them off until better times (when the baby goes to kindergarten or a permanent nanny appears). Start right now! To do this, you need, firstly, to identify your particularly problematic areas: back or stomach, hips or buttocks. Secondly, having decided on the places that require attention, choose effective exercises and add them to your weekly plan. How to create a training program? Use advice from the Internet or special magazines, and you will select an individual training program that is right for you.

Alternate two problem areas every day (eg, ab and arm work on Monday, hamstring and calf work on Tuesday…). Do 15 minutes a day, 2 sets for each zone. Choose music that energizes you, turn it up loud and go to the gym! Involve children in the classes, your example will only benefit them!

Is it difficult to carve out a quarter of an hour a day for classes from your schedule? Then the tips from the previous Step will come in handy! Do two things at the same time: while wiping the dishes, draw in the stomach, and this will strengthen the abdominal wall. When laying out the toys, bend over each one individually, and this will tighten the hips and buttocks.

Remember, if you can’t spend a few hours a week on fitness or going to the gym, that’s no reason to be inactive! Your figure is only in your hands! With just 15 minutes of exercise a day, you’ll be a mom your kids are proud of. And the reflection in the mirror will compliment you. And flying with the Fly system will become even easier and more enjoyable.

Step number 21. Zones in the house and cleaning.

I think you and your family have already noticed the transformation of your home: 15-minute decluttering rids your home of accumulated rubbish, formed morning and evening routines allow you not to leave a bunch of things for the weekend, and timely cleaned hot spots do not allow things to accumulate in random places. In general, we are already on the verge of a permanent order in the house. And finally, we are waiting for the main principle of the Fly Lady — cleaning by zone. But before this step, let’s remember the rule once again: trash cannot be put in order, you can only get rid of it! Therefore, if your house is not completely littered, do not rush to move on to dividing into zones. Continue your daily “anti-junk boogie” of throwing out 27 items until the junk gives up.

Cleaning by Zones is a new concept, which means that from now on your house is divided into 5 independent sections. And every week we turn our attention to only one of them. First, we thoroughly declutter, then we do a thorough cleaning in each Zone. I suggest the following order of Zones (of course, you can change it depending on individual preferences and the features of your home):

Zone 1: entrance, hallway, corridor;

Zone 2: kitchen, dining room, pantry;

Zone 3: children’s, bathroom;

Zone 4: bedroom, toilet;

Zone 5: living room, balcony.

It may seem that cleaning in the Zone is the same as general cleaning, only with fewer negative emotions. But it’s not. As usual, we use the 15-minute rule: set a timer for the allotted time and, without being distracted by other things, continuously and systematically do as much as we can. Don’t try to do everything in one go. Remember baby steps — only small steps will bring us to order. Cleaning by Zone is a process in which you need to do a little, but every day.

But when you start cleaning in the Zone, do not forget about routines: clean up the tops in other parts of the house, just put things in their rightful places. By the way, we do cleaning in the Zones only on weekdays, on weekends it is enough to perform routines.

Select areas that are convenient for you and clean at a convenient time for you. You can change not only the order of the zones, but also the number of days allotted for putting them in order. So, for example, on Monday you clean the hallway, and from Tuesday to Friday — in the kitchen. The choice is yours. The main thing is that you and your family are comfortable!

Step #22. Personal time.

Following the advice of the fly lady, you and those around you notice that cleaning has become much less time than before, and there is more time for yourself, so you are always well-groomed and satisfied with your appearance. And conscience no longer reminds of itself, because you have time to give your husband and children enough of your attention. But you didn’t stop there either: now you manage to do all the household chores while the children are awake, actively involving them in participation. I think it’s time to talk about the Personal Time that has appeared for you)

Perhaps the idea that even your Personal Time needs to be planned in advance will surprise you. Of course, you can just pass the time in a way that is pleasant for you: watch a new movie with a cup of your favorite tea and soak up the peace while your little fidget sleeps. But each person is characterized by a craving for development, a desire to learn new things and a desire to realize oneself. It is no longer enough for a woman to be only a good housewife and mother. I’m sure you have a desire to achieve something. Of course, keeping the family and giving it priority!

But in caring for loved ones, it is so easy to forget about yourself, your interests and hobbies. From now on, you have a task: think about what you would like to do in your Personal time. Do you already have a hobby that you never have enough time for? Or maybe you have been planning to learn a foreign language for a long time. Or maybe you have plans to change your profession or open your own business that generates income and leaves time to communicate with your family. Now, on maternity leave, you have a wonderful chance for self-development and making your dreams come true. Do not miss this opportunity, spend this time wisely.

Step number 23. Hour of Blessing of the House.

House Blessing Hour is the name of the weekly Fly Lady Cleaning Hour. And this particular hour is the longest cleaning period for the whole week!

Choose a day for the Hour of the Blessing of the House yourself. It can be any day convenient for you. Many fly hostesses schedule the first half of Monday for this, or break the Cleaning Hour into two halves: at the beginning of the week and before the weekend. But you yourself determine the time that is suitable for you and your family. Perhaps it will be problematic to allocate an entire hour without a break. There is a way out: make a list of household chores and gradually complete it throughout the day. And remember: do not rush to do all the things that have been accumulating for years. We allocate only one hour a week, because we will not need more! By following the recommendations of the system: by following daily routines, getting rid of junk and systematically dismantling hot spots, maintaining order «on top» — you will be able to keep the whole house clean without depressing and exhausting general cleaning.

What things should be included in the list of obligatory things when blessing your home? Of course, each hostess will have her own list, but as an example I will write the cases offered by Fly-lady:

1. Vacuum or sweep the floors in the center of the rooms; there is no need to move along the walls, rearranging heavy furniture or moving carpets.

2. Wipe dust where you can reach without assistance.

3. Refresh the floor with a damp cloth in the kitchen and bathroom.

4. Wipe glass doors and mirrors throughout the house.

5. Review existing magazines and newspapers; all unnecessary — in the trash can!

6. Immediately take out the garbage accumulated during cleaning.

7. Change bed linen, hang fresh towels in the kitchen and bathroom.

And it’s all! Have you noticed that the Cleaning Hour is mainly about the part of the house that is visible? We will put all other corners of our housing in order while working in the zones. And down with perfectionism! We do not have a goal to create perfect order in the whole house at one time. The list says “wipe the dust” — so walk with a damp cloth, do not try to remove every single speck of dust. Our secret is persistence! And we do not refuse the help of children. Are you sweeping? Let the child at this time hold a scoop or master the vacuum cleaner. Wiping the dust? Great, the second wet cloth can be given to the child. And what a scope for children in littering! You can come up with a game: who will collect more old newspapers or who will fold the used towels faster. In general, this will bring good help and accustom the baby to regular cleaning. Children want to imitate their parents and will gladly take part in all your affairs.

Step #24. Reference section of the Audit Log.

Today we will again take out our assistant — the Control Journal and start another important section in it — reference information. From now on, we keep all the useful information in one place so that other family members can look there, and so that you don’t rummage through a bunch of papers every time looking for the right number.

So, let’s allocate enough space for records and write down all the phone numbers, addresses and dates that are important to you and your household. For example, in the category «Health» we will include:

— phone numbers of hospitals, polyclinics, doctors;

– emergency care (trauma center, ambulance, insurance medical service)

— pharmacies (including reference and round-the-clock), veterinary clinics, etc. etc.

In the category «Apartment — life» the following phone numbers will settle:

— repair shops

— phone numbers of the management company and all specialists: plumber, electrician, plumber, home master, elevator operator, carpenter, etc.

— Everything related to utilities, their maintenance and payment (Internet and cable TV provider)

In the section «Education» it is worth including numbers:

— schools, kindergartens,

— studios, circles, sections, courses where your children or you are engaged

— individual teachers, tutors and educators of your children.

Also write down all the contact information (phone, address, date of birth and other important events) of relatives and friends. Now up-to-date information will always be at your fingertips!

Step #25 A day of errands and paperwork.

Today’s task is to determine one day in the month, which we will dedicate to routine, but constantly postponed tasks. On this day, we will plan to pay utility bills for housing, Internet and telephone, and also include sending correspondence and business meetings (consultations in banks, trips to repair shops, etc.) in the list of tasks for the Day of Orders — that is, those cases that cannot be resolved over the phone. In addition, on the selected day, we will begin to carry out paperwork — everything related to information on any media: paper and electronic.

Here is an approximate list of cases that can be classified as «paper».

1. Sort photos (this also applies to digital photos. I think it’s time to review your folders and albums, littering blurry and repetitive photos);
2. Arrange receipts (paid — in one folder, waiting for their turn — in another)
3. Glue the books (and return the read books, taken from the library or from friends)
4. Sort files on your computer, delete unnecessary ones, archive rarely used ones, etc.
5. Write letters and postcards.
6. Disassemble the contents of the wallet and throw out the trash from it (checks and receipts in places, unnecessary business cards and discount cards — in the trash).

Step #26. Zone 1: entrance, hallway, corridor.

Today we will analyze in detail the first Cleaning Zone, i.e. the entrance, the hallway and the corridor. We are not faced with the task of eradicating the mess in the corridor. Today we will just outline a plan of what needs to be done next month. All the points of the plan from the compiled list of tasks must be divided by the number of days in the month that you allotted for “flights” in this Zone. Adjust the proposed list to suit the life of your family. And by the way, we always clean up from top to bottom (i.e., we start from the ceiling and gradually go down to the floor):

1. Sweep away cobwebs and clouds of dust under the ceiling.
2. Wash the cover.
3. Wash switches, bells.
4. Wash the front door, pay special attention to the door handles.
5. Wipe down mirrors.
6. Brush off dust from exposed surfaces.
7. Check what is stored in cabinets and shelves: move things out of season to another place.
8. Put things in order on the shelf with hats, scarves, scarves, gloves. Also remove anything that is out of season.
9. Disassemble bags and packages, look into the pockets of clothes (often there is a whole warehouse of all kinds of garbage).
10. Wash children’s toys with which you walk, strollers and bicycles.
11. Review and, if necessary, update shoe care products (creams, brushes, etc.).
12. Wipe the baseboard with a damp cloth.
13. Vacuum or shake out entry mats.
14. Wash floors.

I remind you: cleaning in the Zone should be done only after a complete victory over trash (which, most likely, will take more than one day). Before you start working in the Zone, set a timer for 15 minutes. And do everything you can during this time. Leave all other tasks for the next cleaning day in the appropriate Zone.

Step number 27. Zone 2: kitchen, dining room, pantry.

Let’s talk about the second zone of our house at this Step: the kitchen, the dining room, the pantry. Of course, it is impossible to do everything from the list in one go, and even in one week, and, of course, we will not clean the kitchen for days and nights. To begin with, as in Zone 1, we will thoroughly litter, throw out and give away all unnecessary things, and only after that we will start cleaning. All points should be distributed over the working days of the week (because on weekends we do only morning and evening routines, and spend the rest of the time on ourselves, loved ones and family). And as always, we will put things in order for only 15 minutes a day.

Things to pay attention to when flying in Zone 2 (and again we are moving from top to bottom):

1. Remove cobwebs and dust clouds from the ceiling.
2. Wash chandeliers and shades.
3. Wash switches and sockets.
   
4. Wipe down the walls. Pay attention to wall decorations (clocks, paintings), replace or remove them if necessary.
5. Wash the windows from the inside, freshen the curtains.
6. Clean the ventilation grill.
7. Wipe the outside of the cabinets, paying attention to the top and bottom.
8. Sort out inside lockers and on shelves, organize products, check expiration dates.
9. Wash the refrigerator inside and out. Pay attention to his top. Deal with the refrigerator door — do you like all the magnets and evoke pleasant memories? Maybe it’s time to clear up some.
10. Wash the stove and oven.
11. Clean up under the sink.
12. Dispose of cleaning products that accumulate near the sink.
13. Tidy up your rags and sponges by getting rid of the ones that are too old.
14. Wipe down small appliances (microwave, bread maker, etc.) and think about optimizing the space. Maybe it’s better to rearrange these devices or attach brackets for them?
15. Wash the batteries.
16. Wipe the table, leaving only the most necessary things on it, put everything else in its place. Freshen up the tablecloth and napkins.
17. Wipe down the chairs.
18. Wash the dish dryer and drip tray.
19. Conduct an inspection in medicines, get rid of expired ones.
20. Wash stored jars and trinkets.
21. Wash your pets’ bowls.
22. Organize jars and bags of spices.
23. Finally, wash the floor in the Zone, paying due attention to the baseboard and corners.

And of course, we involve children in cleaning! Flights according to the Fly Lady system is another reason for joint activities with children!

Step #28. Zone 3: bathroom, children’s

Today we will plan work in the third Zone of our house — in the bathroom and the nursery. Do not forget, at one time we make a list of as many things that can be done in a quarter of an hour.

Sample bathroom cleaning plan:

1. Remove dust and cobwebs from the ceiling.
2. Clean the tiles and grout lines around the perimeter of the bathroom.
3. Put in order all the shelves, drawers, cabinets, paying attention to the top and bottom.
4. Wipe the inside of the window, wash the ceiling.
5. Clean the tub and sink, shower and all faucets.
6. Wash the sides of the bath, remove all unnecessary bottles from there.
7. Wash toys and baby baths.
8. Wash or replace the curtain.
9. Wash the battery.
10. Wash the door and handle.
11. Wash the mirror to a shine.
12. Put away clothes (dirty — for washing, from drying — in places in the closet or for ironing).
13. Litter: worn out towels, expired cosmetics, empty boxes, jars and containers.
14. Clean out the vent.
15. Wash glasses, soap dishes, replace toothbrushes if necessary.
16. Replace mop heads.
17. Wash the laundry basket.
18. Wipe the scales.
19. Wipe down the surface of the washing machine.
20. Wash the powder compartment.
21. Check stocks of laundry detergents and cosmetics.
22. Carefully examine the area around the washing machine to see if anything has fallen behind it.
23. If you store medicines in the bathroom, make sure that there are no expired ones.
24. Wash rugs.
25. Wash the floors with special care, paying attention to all corners.

A sample to-do list for cleaning a nursery:

1. Brush off dust and cobwebs on the ceiling and in the corners.
2. Wash the ceiling, chandelier.
3. Wipe down all exposed surfaces.
4. Clean and flip the mattress.
5. Replace or wash the bedspread.
6. Refresh curtains.
7. Wash windows from the inside.
8. Sort out the shelves with toys and books.
9. Remove things that should be stored in other rooms.
10. Dismantle children’s clothes, separately set aside the one from which the child grew up.
11. Wipe walls and doors.
12. Wash switches and sockets.
13. Wipe skirting boards.
14. Wash the floor.
15. Remember, while we are just planning, do not rush to start doing things from the list.

Step #29. Zone 4: bedroom, toilet.

Today we will stop and make a list for flights in the fourth Zone — the bedroom and the toilet. Here is a sample cleaning plan for these areas, which you can change depending on the features of the house and your family life.

1. Remove dust and cobwebs from the ceiling.
2. Wash the chandelier.
3. Wash the window from the inside.
4. Refresh curtains.
5. Wipe dust off all exposed surfaces.
6. Sort out cabinets and chests of drawers, on shelves and tables, get rid of trash that comes to hand.
7. Disassemble books and magazines, put them in their places.
8. Wipe mirrors.
9. Wash the door and handle.
10. Wash switches and sockets.
11. Walk the vacuum cleaner on the sofa.
12. Wipe down the back of the sofa.
13. Wipe electronics.
14. Wash the cover, replace if necessary.
15. Flip the mattress.
16. Refresh bedding.
17. Wipe down flowers and pots.
18. Wash the battery.
19. Wash baseboards.
20. Wash the floor.

Toilet (of course, if you are the owner of a combined toilet and bathroom, you can only complete those items that were not completed in the previous week. Or, on the contrary, include the toilet in the third zone):

1. Remove dust and cobwebs from the ceiling.
2. Wipe the walls.
3. Tidy up the shelves.
4. Wash the ceiling.
5. Wipe exposed surfaces.
6. Wash the door and handle.
7. Clean the toilet inside and out.
8. Wash baby pots.
9. Wash or replace brush.
10. Throw away all empty boxes and containers.
11. Wash rugs.
12. Wash the floor thoroughly, paying close attention to all corners.

Let me remind you again that all of the listed cases should be distributed over 5 weekdays of the week (after all, on weekends we pay attention only to our routines), and clean up with a timer, 15 minutes at a time. Perfectionism — fight! Only small steps will not let us go astray and will lead to order in the whole house!

Step #30. Zone 5: living room, balcony.

Today we will talk about the last, fifth Zone of the house, which we have planned for the last days of the month — this is the living room and the balcony / loggia, if available. So, I offer an approximate plan for cleaning the living room:

1. Sweep cobwebs and dust from the ceiling.
2. Wash the chandelier.
3. Wash windows from the inside.
4. Wipe the cornice and window sill with a damp cloth.
5. Refresh curtains.
6. Tidy up the bookshelves (return borrowed books to their rightful owners!).
7. Tidy up closets and chests of drawers.
8. Brush off dust from all exposed surfaces.
9. Wipe the walls.
10. Wash the door and handle.
11. Wipe down switches and sockets.
12. Throw away unwanted magazines and newspapers.
13. Wipe down desks and landlines.
14. Wipe down pictures and other wall decorations.
15. Freshen the leaves of the plants and wipe the pots.
16. Wipe equipment.
17. Wipe all the shelves, litter unnecessary trinkets.
18. Remove the pet’s place, shake out the rug.
19. Vacuum the carpets.
20. Vacuum the sofa and chairs, wipe their backside.
21. Wipe battery.
22. Review discs, damaged and outdated — in the trash, some — in the car, borrowed for a while — in a bag for return to the owners.
23. Put things in order among papers and documents, as well as among computer files.
24. Wash the mirror.
25. Thoroughly clean floors and baseboards.

Balcony cleaning plan:

1. THROW OUT EXCESSIVE THINGS (it is the balcony that often becomes a haven for the trash of many generations of the family).
2. Remove dust and cobwebs in the corners.
3. Wipe glass and frames from the inside.
4. Wipe down the window sill.
5. Freshen the leaves of plants, wash the pots.
6. Wipe down the door and handle.
7. Sort out on the shelves.
8. Wash floors.
9. And throw away all unnecessary things!

Step number 31. Family traditions.

Congratulations, you have come a long way and successfully reached the last Step. I am sure that your house has already changed, you have more free time and energy. Now we will talk about the last, but very important occupation for the home and family — about family traditions.

Do you remember if there are traditions in your family? Household rituals are of great importance for family bonding. They can become a link between children and parents, preventing the separation of family members from each other. Children, even very young ones, are very fond of starting traditions (therefore, for example, they do not fall asleep well without a bedtime ritual).

In general, if there are no traditions in your family yet, or very few, it’s time to come up with them! It can be anything! Think about what you and your family love? What makes you all happy? Maybe a romantic dinner at the end of the week. Or freshly baked pancakes for breakfast on weekends. Or waving your hand out the window before leaving for school or work. It is family traditions that bring warmth and sincerity to relationships within the family, create a unique atmosphere of comfort in the house. And it is the memories of family traditions that bring relatives even closer. See about it here…

And those wise women who do not just read articles, but bring them to life, send us files in Excel, where they plan their household chores and carry them out. Look how beautiful and serious everything is!