Search Results for: organized home

Keep an Organized Home in 2015 – YES – REALLY!

8
Dec
2014
by 5 Comments

blog-2015-planner-household

Drum Roll…….. the 2015 Confident Mom Weekly Household Planner is ready to go and you can download it for FREE!!  If you are  a subscriber to my newsletter, you’ve already gotten the notice and hopefully grabbed your copy

This is my second year using your planner and I love it! I also am currently reading The Christian Homemakers Handbook, after you had posted on it this past summer, and I love it!   Thank you!!!

LOVE the planner!! I’ve been looking forward to doing my planned “chores” each day and no longer feel like I need to do EVERYTHING EVERY DAY! I suddenly have so much more time in my day and my house is still getting taken care of Thank you so much for offering this to us for free!!

“Thank you soooo much!!! For the first time in my married life, I can open the door and invite someone into my home at any moment without being afraid of what pile of clothes I have on the bed that needed to be folded or dishes still in the sink. My 11-year-old daughter has even become a “neat freak” and will say often, “Mommy, I just can’t stand having a mess anywhere now – I just can’t function that way!” And those words from the child I used to have to beg to clean up her room – It’s proof that children really do learn what they live! Thanks again for what you do – it is truly a ministry.   

I am so incredibly thrilled to offer this planner to you all for FREE!  It does take a sizable amount of work to update it each year and also create some new pages for the Supplemental Pack to get your life even more organized.  But GOD is good and He provides what is needed to get the task done.

So how can this planner help you?

Get a Plan

Whether you print one page of the planner out a week, or print the entire contents out and put it in a binder, find a method that will work for you.  No one likes to get re-organized each week – so pick a method and go with it.  

My method is to print the year out, take it to Staples and spiral bind it for $4.  I can then write all over it and I actually  keep my previous year planner because of all the notes I’ve written on the pages.  I am also a big fan of the “just tell me what to do version” – that is my kinda gig!

 Weekly-Household-Planner-Spiral-Bound

Maybe you are a ‘print each week as you go’ so you can type in the editable fields kids gal – then do that.  Post it on the refrigerator or place it in a notebook.  I have also heard from moms that have been able to use the planner pages on their tablets – 

  • If you have a tablet, like an iPad you can use the Weekly Household planner “paperless” with any app that allows you to “write” on a PDF – for example Notability.
  • On the Kindle, you can download “Note Everything” for free and use it too!

I have not done this myself, and will likely experiment with this, but if you have had success please share in the comments so you might be able to help another mom out.  In addition, many have downsized the planner pages, but changing the printer settings on their printers, for example – printing two of the pages on one 8 X 11 page….if you have done that please share here too!

Give Yourself Grace

If all the tasks do not get crossed off each day – the world won’t end!  You need to be real with yourself and have realistic expectations each day {I shared a post on this last year that was very helpful} – your home is not like your friends’ home or the mom who is sharing on Facebook about how she managed to get all ten of her kids to complete the entire task list for the week in one day – you are you.

You need to realize each day is different and if you do not get it crossed off – oh well!  This is a guide – not a mandate!  I have placed tasks on the planner in a reasonable order and frequency to allow your home to stay picked up, tidy and in order, but if you miss a few things here and there – things will not fall apart.  Just pick up the next day and move on.

Delegate

You will need to gain help – in one form or another.  I shared a post about delegating more tasks in your Weekly Household Planner – this is key.  You are doing a big favor for yourself, but also one for your children if you bring the entire family into play when helping to keep your home in order.  They will earn life skills that will anchor them to be responsible adults when they leave home.

You can use color coded highlighters to delegate tasks for each child – this is one way to share in the process.  Allow your children to pick one task out of each day that they can help with and then when all the tasks are done, do something fun together – like a game, make a snack or get outside to ride bikes.  

Working together for the better good of the whole is a great family lesson to teach at home.

Quick Tips

I posted a Weekly Household Quick Tip each Monday as we ventured through the planner several years ago.  If you need some inspiration, just type Weekly Household Quick Tip in the search bar in the upper right corner and get some encouragement or find a tip for a certain task listed in the planner.  Need a natural Laundry Rinse that is  inexpensive and easy to use, how about some ideas on how to begin your quiet time routine, or cleaning the garage?  There is a lot of great information buried in these pages – just type a search word and phrase and hit go! 

If you haven’t gotten your copy yet, go HERE, go to the bottom of the page and give your email address and name to get your free copy.  If you are interested in grabbing other planning pages to create a home management notebook, you’ll want to grab the planner + supplemental pack for $6 total.  What a bargain – a year calendar and over a dozen planning pages to keep you organized – that’s less than $.50 a month.

Here is a sneak at what the Supplemental Pack contains!!  I love the new additions this year of the new menu planner, Blessings for your Home printable, Household Maintenance Log and Gifts List!

SUPPLEMENT-GRAPHIC-2015 

What is your best tip for keeping your home tidy and organized?

Filed Under: Family Manager, Household Management Tagged With: , ,

Simple Strategies for a Clean and Organized Home

7
Jan
2014
by 13 Comments

Simple Strategies for a Clean and Organized Home

Hopefully, you’ve managed to grab yourself a copy of the Confident Mom Weekly Household Planner for FREE (and perhaps even grabbed the Supplemental Kit) and are ready to tackle the New Year. I am thrilled with what you all are sharing with me on how your first week went:

This is my second year using your planner and I love it! I also am currently reading The Christian Homemakers Handbook, after you had posted on it this past summer, and I love it! Thank you!!!

LOVE the planner!! I’ve been looking forward to doing my planned “chores” each day and no longer feel like I need to do EVERYTHING EVERY DAY! I suddenly have so much more time in my day and my house is still getting taken care of Thank you so much for offering this to us for free!!

So excited! My first week of the new year with The Confident Mom Household planner was a success. Along with help from my boys, we crossed everything off the list.

Love my Confident Mom planner. I went with the free one and it’s perfect for keeping me organized. Not everything gets crossed off…but that’s okay.  The world won’t end.

So, how can you find happiness and success among your to-do list in the planner?

Get a Plan

Whether you print one page of the planner out a week, or print the entire contents out and put it in a binder, find a method that will work for you. No one likes to get re-organized each week – so pick a method and go with it. My method is to print the year out, take it to Staples, and spiral bind it for $4. I can then write all over it and I actually will keep my previous years planners because of all the notes I’ve written on the pages. I am also a big fan of the “just tell me what to do” version – that is my kinda gig!

 The "Just Tell Me What to Do" Version

Maybe you are a “print each week as you go so you can type in the editable fields” kind of gal – then do that. Post it on the refrigerator or place it in a notebook. I have also heard from moms that have been able to use the planner pages on their tablets:

  • If you have a tablet like an iPad, you can use the Weekly Household planner “paperless” with any app that allows you to “write” on a PDF – for example Notability.
  • On the Kindle, you can download “Note Everything” for free and use it too!

I have not done this myself, and will likely experiment with this, but if you have had success please share in the comments so you might be able to help another mom out. In addition, many have downsized the planner pages by changing the printer settings on their printers, for example – printing two of the pages on one 8 X 11 page. If you have done that, please share here too!

Give Yourself Grace

I especially love the last comment. She is right. If all the tasks do not get crossed off each day, the world won’t end! You need to be real with yourself and have realistic expectations each day. I shared a post on this last year that was very helpful. Your home is not like your friends’ homes or the mom who is sharing on Facebook about how she managed to get all ten of her kids to complete the entire task list for the week in one day – you are you.

You need to realize each day is different and if you do not get it crossed off – oh well! This is a guide – not a mandate! I have placed tasks on the planner in a reasonable order and frequency to allow your home to stay picked up, tidy, and in order, but if you miss a few things here and there – things will not fall apart. Just pick up the next day and move on.

Delegate

You will need to gain help – in one form or another. I shared a post last year about delegating more tasks in your Weekly Household Planner – this is key. You are doing a big favor for yourself, but also one for your children if you bring the entire family into play when helping to keep your home in order. They will earn life skills that will anchor them to be responsible adults when they leave home.

You can use color coded highlighters to delegate tasks for each child – this is one way to share in the process. Allow your children to pick one task out of each day that they can help with and then when all the tasks are done, do something fun together – like a game, make a snack, or get outside to ride bikes. Working together for the better good of the whole is a great family lesson to teach at home.

Quick Tips

For many weeks on end I posted a Weekly Household Quick Tip each Monday as we ventured through the planner the past two years. If you need some inspiration, just type Weekly Household Quick Tip in the search bar in the upper right corner and get some encouragement or find a tip for a certain task listed in the planner. Need a natural Laundry Rinse that is inexpensive and easy to use? How about some ideas on how to begin your quiet time routine, or cleaning the garage? There is a lot of great information buried in these pages – just type a search word and phrase and hit go! 

Filed Under: Family Manager, Household Management Tagged With: , ,

Love the Home You Have

2
Apr
2015
by 1 Comment

Love the Home You Have book by Melissa Michaels

Do you struggle with finding Joy in your home?  Looking around at the mess and being thankful or even inspired with the mishmash of furniture you’ve collected?

I can tell you for years after my husband and I got married I looked around at the “stuff” and it was overwhelming and I had no inspiration.  Being a blended family has many challenges, but combining two homes into one is a challenge many do not talk about. 

I was challenged.  So for over 7 years we just “made-do” and lived in a transition stage, which felt very much far from the home I dreamt of.  Recently I have made some changes and been inspired and I feel so much better about my home.  So when I began reading the first few pages of Melissa Michaels (The Inspired Room) new book, “Love the Home You Have,” I almost burst.  She was speaking to my heart, the one which was clogged up, uninspired and discouraged with the state of my home.

I know there are others moms who feel the same as I do, who are not combining two homes, but rather are feeling guilt from the Pinterest Perfect pictures we see of immaculate homes, kitchen counters with white marble counters void of clutter and beds made perfectly with matching pillows, sheets and dust ruffles.  It is discouraging and creates anxiety in me.  It can be too much.

This book is for you – and for me and the timing could not be better!

I have read Melissa’s blog for years and I love her style.  If you haven’t taken a peek at her blog before you are in for a delightful surprise.  Not only do I love her style, her love of Doodles and coffee, but she is a local Puget Sound gal too – kindred spirits!!

If you are not sure if this book might be for you  – take a minute to watch this short trailer for her book = HERE.    Wasn’t it great???

I have only began reading the first few chapters, but I am hooked.  I love that she asks engaging questions in the book to really get your heart involved – and space to fill them in – right there in the book.  Her writing style is completely real, authentic and motivational.  I feel like I have a new outlook.

I need to shed some things in my life so I can add the things that matter, remember my word for 2015 – MARGIN?  Yes, I am still working for that, and this quote from the book spoke to my heart on a deep level.

Pruning-the-Excess

I want to be more creative in my home, in my friendships and with my family.  I know it is often stifled because of my obligations and commitments – which can be all good, but lately it has become too much.

We have already picked our next book study, but I think this one – especially with it’s 31 day Challenge at the end of the book would make an excellent one in the future!

Grab a copy today and join me.  I am on a little vacation at the beach this week and I have my copy ready for some cozy reading.

IMG_0927

Filed Under: Family Manager, Household Management Tagged With: , , ,

Chapter Eight – Learning to Love Your Real Home

18
Mar
2014
by Leave a Comment

Changing-Hearts-Towards-Homes

I just came back from being out of town for 4 days – which for me is full of anxiety.  You see, I hate to admit I am rather a neat-nik, or one that likes to have things put away.  My stress level goes up ten fold if people are leaving stuff all over the house, not cleaning up after themselves and just plain being lazy.

Usually when I return from being gone I am met with incredible anxiety because, well……I have left 4 guys all on their own, and to be honest…..guys are guys!  They just aren’t that concerned with putting things away or cleaning up stuff they “just might use again real soon.”

So I was surprised when I came in and things were not a disaster.  My hubby had taken great care to have things picked up and he knew if he took that extra step, my stress level would be lowered, and I would be a happier mama.

I know, you might be saying, “I wish I had that”.  We all have our struggles for sure and we all live with a variety of people, but the one thing that I think changed for me, was that I changed my expectations.  I cannot expect the house to look like when I left, that is completely unrealistic.

Rather, I can appreciate what has been done with my heart in mind to create an environment that is less cluttered and messy.  Because honestly, I could have continued on a rant at what “had not” been done to my satisfaction, but I chose to appreciate what had been done.  {BIG learning curve for me, and still something I need to work on!}

We talked about clutter and organization in our last book study, “I Used to Be So Organized” and you might be able to get some tips if you did not read that book with us, as well as a post I did when my 2014 Weekly Household Planner was released.  I share some ideas on how to keep an organized kitchen as well as a post about creating a place your family loves to come home to.  All great additional resources.

The kitchen is the heartbeat of the home. 

I love the idea of using a kitchen timer to help you maintain some order in your home.  I was just talking with a mom I was coaching last week about using this item that is already in most of our kitchens, yet in a way that will keep us focused and on track.  How can you use it to help you stay on track of different tasks you need to do?

Determine which is the hardest room for you to manage and pick one thing to work on or focus on this week.

There are no perfect homes, so you have to determine what level of organization and cleanliness works for your family. 

Changing your Expectations

I’ve already shared how this is a critical place to start.  What does this look like for you?  What ‘ideas’ do you need to give up or let go?  How will doing so create a different level of peace in your heart or decrease stress?

Replace Fear

Can you find a level of comfort in allowing your home to be ‘guest ready’, so you can enjoy having others in your home rather than always coming up with excuses?  I love some of Jill’s suggestions.

Replacing Insecurity with Confidence

We are our worst critics – right?  I can almost guarantee that others are NOT thinking the same things that we tend to think of ourselves.  So why not try to change your thinking just a bit.  I know, it takes practice, a lot, but the sooner you start the better!

Replace Judgment with Grace

This has been a constant theme in this book – allowing for grace to flood our hearts.  Remember that you need to give yourself grace and learn to be okay with where you are and the path you have been given.

Embrace your beautiful, imperfect home – yes!  It is a place your family can gather in and feel safe.

What is one thing you highlighted/noted as you read this chapter?  Why did it strike you as important?

Have you changed your expectations about your house in anyway?  How has it helped you to love your real house?

Filed Under: Optimum Mom Tagged With: , ,

I Used to Be So Organized Book Study – Week 7

2
Dec
2013
by Leave a Comment

 

I-Used-To-Be-So-Organized-Study-Main

  

Week Seven Reading Assignment:

Read Chapters 20, 21

I will be posting my thoughts on Chapter 20 on Tuesday and Chapter 21 on Wednesday.   Oh, and for those who have been so patiently waiting –  I will be sharing my miracle story about our dog Riley on Thursday.  You won’t want to miss it, even if you are not a dog lover – grab some tissues because it is an amazing story – really!  (If you are new here you can read this post I wrote 3 years ago about our dog and our heartbreaking battle).

We will be talking about one more area in the home for staying on top of organizing as well as truly grasping the reality of what it means to be organized and have grace with ourselves.  I do not want anyone to leave this study feeling even more discourage then when they came.

This study and the 7 weeks we’ve shared together are a journey….a path to get you back on track with a few strategies to impact some change.  I hope you’ve taken a few ideas and started to implement them and as you grow those into habits, then take a hold of a few more and venture forward.  Growing is a process ladies.

Here is the bible verse for this week.  

Week-Seven-Bible-Verse 

Also, for those who signed up for the “Getting Real – Conversations that Spark Change” Conference Calls, we have a call tonight!  

Myra-Hope-call-1

What a fun and relaxing call we will have tonight – you will love wrapping up our study with a conversation to inspire you to make your home a place of peace and refreshment.  Myra is who I want to be when I grow up – seriously!  She is crafty, an adorable decorator, cooks wonderful down-home recipes and loves to share it all.

If you didn’t purchase it before now – don’t worry, you can run over and get it now  and the rest of the series too.

Also, a quick note – if you are doing any online shopping I would greatly appreciate you using my amazon affiliate link, which is always shown below in my posts.  I do not accept paid advertising on my site and will only ever share products or resources that I would pay for myself.  Each time you order an item and use my amazon link, I earn a small percentage of the purchase price, but it doesn’t not cost you anymore.  It is one way I can keep my site going and offer free products, resources and especially this online study.  My biggest FREE resource will be released shortly and you will love it!

Cyber Monday!!! If you have procrastinated getting eMeals – don’t miss the 30% off sale – use CYBER to get your discount!

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Filed Under: Family Manager Tagged With: , , , ,
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