Sink Reflections by Marla Cilley

Living Mind
Home Improvement

Cleaning, Caretaking & Relocating

Sink Reflections by Marla Cilley

Sink Reflections
by Marla Cilley

Paperback: 256 pages ; Dimensions (in inches): 0.82 x 8.96 x 6.02
Publisher: Bantam Doubleday Dell Pub (Trd Pap); (October 1, 2002)
ISBN: 0553382179

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From Publishers Weekly: In her debut book, Cilley, a.k.a. "The FlyLady" to the thousands who log onto her FlyLady.net Web site, reaches into the everywoman's home to help make her housecleaning more fun and her life more organized. Beginning with "Shiny Sink 101," Cilley explains how a spotless kitchen sink can direct even the most discouraged housekeeper onto the path of well-ordered domesticity. Through several straightforward routines, including the 27 Fling Boogie (the cut-throat practice of quick junk disposal), the Five-Minute Room Rescue ("another step on the road to clutter recovery") and the Hot Spot Fire Drill (for an area that, like a forest fire, takes over your home), Cilley advises her "FlyBabies" on how to overcome clutter and CHAOS (Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome). Filled with testimonials from online followers, the book aims to help readers establish manageable daily and weekly habits by incorporating spirituality and family into the program. Detailed and direct, this is a guidebook for the stay-at-home or working woman who wants to have it all, including her sanity.

Book Description: Fly Out of CHAOS
(Can’t Have Anyone Over Syndrome)
Into Order--One BabyStep at a Time

With her special blend of housecleaning tips, humor, and musings about daily life, Marla Cilley, a.k.a. The FlyLady, shows you how to manage clutter and chaos and get your home--and your life--in order. Drawn from the lessons and tools used in her popular mentoring program, FlyLady helps you create doable housekeeping routines and break down overwhelming chores into manageable missions that will restore peace to your home--and your psyche. Soon you’ll be able to greet guests without fear, find your keys, locate your kids, and most of all, learn how to FLY: Finally Loving Yourself.

From the Back Cover: “Take off with FlyLady! Her down-to-earth writing will help anyone who desires to be lifted free from the chaos and confusion disorder causes.”
--Pam Young and Peggy Jones, co-authors, Sidetracked Home Executives: From Pigpen to Paradise

“FlyLady is the fairy godmother who turned my dungeon into a castle, my Royal Pain into Prince Charming, and my grief into grins. And it all started with shining my sink!”
--Melanie Wilson, Ph.D., media psychologist, author, speaker

About the Author: FlyLady is able to help you with your homes, because she knows what is hiding in your closets, stuffed under your beds and growing in your refrigerators. She has struggled with her home and finally found peace through routines. Sink Reflections is her way of helping you overcome CHAOS.

Customer Reviews
Motivational but compulsive, March 3, 2003
Reviewer: A reader from Mt Pleasant, MI United States
I like the idea behind "Sink Reflections" and the Flylady and I'm sure this book/method works for the absolute beginner but for those of us who already have a grasp on clutter, I didn't find much new inside.

I think the Flylady is more of a motivational writer than a "how to" wizard -- I didn't find much value -- some good common sense tips -- but nothing really earth shaking new. Also, her little "isms" drove me nuts. Too cutesy for my taste. As for the e-mail list ... good lord, how can anyone get organized when they receive 1000 e-mails w/in 24 hrs? LOL Final analysis of this book/method -- if you need a kick in the pants, get it. If you're already established in routine but want more in-depth knowledge and original ideas -- skip it! Beware though if you sign up for the e-mail list. I'm not joking about the e-mail reminders. They come all day long!

Sink Reflections, February 23, 2003
Reviewer: Sara Gottlieb from Oak Park, MI United States
For the past few years I have read many books on getting organized, decluttering, and the like. This is the ONLY book that has given me the information I needed to get my house in order. After reading this book, my house is literally 100% more organized than ever before, and I have taken all my other decluttering books and thrown them out! They were only making clutter, and clutter was what I was trying to get rid of.

A must read for anyone who wants once and for all to get the CHAOS (can't have anyone over syndrome) out of their lives and really start to live!

You're Not Alone!, February 22, 2003
Reviewer: A reader from CA United States
For years I thought I was the only person who was easily overwhelmed at the thought of keep my house nice. In fact, I thought this was an impossible dream! Not anymore. FlyLady shows you how to use very simple routines and "baby steps" to bring order into chaos. You'll be amazed at what you can do in just 15 minutes. I managed de-clutter and clean my house (and keep it de-cluttered and cleaned!) just 15 minutes at a time.

The testimonials kept me very encouraged and reminded me that I wasn't the only one who had a difficult time with housework. Overall, this is a fabulous book. Thank you FlyLady!!!

Cutting through the clutter, January 27, 2003
Reviewer: Karen Chung from Taipei, Taiwan
Different people will take away different things from this book, depending on what point you're starting out from. If you're not quite *that* bad, or if you have anything other than a typical American lifestyle, you can selectively cull ideas from the book rather than adopting the program wholesale. In our case here in Taiwan, for example, you just *don't* wear shoes in the house, even clean tennis shoes. The main value of this book for me was how it addresses the perfectionist 'all-or-nothing' attitude that so often leads to 'crash and burn', and to feeling overwhelmed and procrastination on most other occasions. The idea of small but steady steps is an excellent one, as is that of setting a timer for 15 minutes per task, and then stopping. The to-do lists are also useful. I don't like to shop and am not really a thing collector, but cultivating a routine of throwing out 27 useless items a day promises to be a good way in my case to deal with *paper*. As some other reviewers mentioned, this book is easy and fun to read. Even - make that 'especially' - very, very busy working moms stand to gain a lot from FlyLady's experience, guidance and mind gymnastics. Centering the whole system around 'love' is another of the book's many strengths. If you ever make excuses about what you just can't get around to doing in the house, give this a try.

This book changed my life!, January 24, 2003
Reviewer: A reader from Cockeysville, MD USA
I had tried everything and read every book on organizing and this book "changed my life". The first day I started to apply the flylady's principles I started to see a difference and now three months later I am still on the program and my home and life are in order. I highly reccomend this book to anyone who is having trouble with organizing books - they are usually written by organized people!

Try this book. You will never go back to another "system".

Flylady is excellent!, January 20, 2003
Reviewer: Laurel Whitney from Upstate New York, United States
Flylady is wonderful. In simple, easy steps, she guides us to getting our houses (or apatments, in my case) clean and organized and de-cluttered. A little at a time, start small and slowly add to your routine. It's great. None of this 'all at once' stuff we all feel we need to do. As I've followed her, I've found that my apartment stays neat and clean, and I hardly feel like I'm doing anything at all. I'm a lifetime messy, so my apartment being clean for more than a few days is a record. Thank you, Flylady!

With Mono and 2 boys under 2, it still works for me!, January 16, 2003
Reviewer: tinkgumby from Fort Worth, Texas United States
I didn't think there was ANY hope for me. I've been chronically sloppy all my life - I love to buy, and hate to get rid of things - but it's been even worse lately since I've been so tired with mono, and am still trying to keep up with my two little boys. But I signed up on flylady.net and started getting the e-mails, and they inspired me enough to get this book as well. Amazingly, my home is cleaner and more orderly than it was before I got sick!

One of Flylady's mantras is that "You can't organize clutter." So I took that to heart, and am slowly (babysteps!) getting rid of everything in my home that doesn't bring a smile to my face. So far I've gotten rid of hundreds of books, boxes of toys, and all kinds of impulse buys that I had to have but never got around to using. With the gentle and understanding encouragement from Flylady, I'm beginning to understand my REASONS for doing these things in the first place, and thus am more able to let go of them.

I would, without hesitation, recommend this book to anyone - but especially anyone who has a hard time getting on top of things and has to sort through piles of paper or STUFF to find what they need. This book will change your life!

What a lifesaver!, January 12, 2003
Reviewer: A reader from Arizona
I am an executive assistant for a very busy (and previously very unorganized) CEO. As such, my work life is impeccably "together" and full of systems and lists. For some reason, though, I never thought to apply the same theories to my home. The FlyLady's ideas are not necessarily anything new, but they have revolutionized my home -- I've been using her system for a week, and am much less stressed and much more clean and organized for it!!! Best of all, my husband helps more around the house, because he doesn't need to ask what needs to be done -- he just goes to the "control binder" to check the list for that week's zone!!!!!

Best Housecleaning/Organizing Book Out There!, January 8, 2003
Reviewer: A reader from San Jose, CA USA
I recommend this book to EVERYONE, whether you're just getting started managing a home or you're doing things the way you've always done them... there is a better way!! The system works. This is not a manual telling you what each type of household cleaner is for or what kinds of gadgets can organize your closet space... it's a new way of life!

I used to write for a local newspaper as a home care advice columnist, and I have 136 books on home organization and housecleaning that I just GAVE AWAY because they were cluttering up my bookshelves, and THIS is the only one I needed to keep! Plus, the author has a whole support network waiting for you [online]! Believe me, this is not a complicated system, it's common sense and a wonderful mentor. One of my favorite sayings in the book basically says "your house didn't get like this overnight, and it's not going to get clean overnight." Please give this one a try (and if you don't like it, give it to a friend who's having trouble with organization... maybe they will be able to use it!)

This book has changed my life, December 17, 2002
Reviewer: A flybaby in Rhode Island from Rhode Island, USA
This book has changed my life in 15 minute segments. I must have 12-15 "get your life and home organized books" on my bookcase shelves. This one is the last one I will ever have to buy. You too. This is the one that will do it. It makes total sense. It isn't about making lists and organizing drawers, it is about getting up and actually doing something, anything for 15 minutes. So put on some sneakers, go clean your sink and get started, as soon as you read the book, that is....

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