Getting Ready for a New Year - Choosing a Planner

photo source: top - Plum Paper bottom - nikkisnacs

I am looking forward to starting a new year. One of the things that I have worked on this year is to bring more order to our life/home/day. It didn't take long for me to realize that I needed a really good planner to be able to do this well.

This year I used a cheap planner from Target, and tried out a bunch of free printables. (I have a pretty large collection of printable (free and to purchase) pinned on Pinterest if you are interested in checking them out.) The one from Target was okay, but I really needed more room to write, it wasn't pretty, and the size wasn't just right. There were a lot of really great free printables, but I do not like using a 3 ring binder as planner. It is just way too big and bulky for me. If you like using a 3 ring binder, I really like this free printable planner. I really wanted one that was a spiral notebook. I like to leave it on the kitchen counter throughout the day, and then stick in my purse when I head out the door to run errands. I did look into the arc system from Staples, but decided that by the time I bought the system and then used a bunch of ink to print everything out, I would have spent a pretty significant amount of money. Yes, I could reuse the punch and binder system, but I wasn't completely sold.

I spent of lot of time researching planners. I used Pinterest to look for reviews, and searched the hashtags #planner and #planneraddicts on instagram. I never knew there were so many options, but it didn't take long for me to narrow my search down to the Erin Condren Life Planner and The Plum Paper Planner found on etsy.

The Erin Condren Life Planner looks like a great planner. (I have seen it in person.) The things I liked are that you can customize the color of the cover, and that it had a zipper pouch for little things like receipts and such. I couldn't decide if I liked the way the way that the days were broken down into morning, day, and night, and the weekly pages didn't have lines. I could have worked around the morning, day, and night set up, but I wasn't sure I could get over not having lines to write on. The Erin Condren Life Planner is also $20 more than the one from Plum Paper. I do think it is worth the money if it fits your needs.

The Plum Paper Planner was very similar to the Erin Condren, but there are 4 different layouts you can choose from. There is also a Family Planner where you can choose 7 different categories. I knew that choosing 7 specific categories would feel too confining for me. I mean, what if I chose blog, exercise, or thirty-one as one of my categories and then suddenly stopped one of those? Not likely, but that wouldn't work for me. I also really liked that the inside of the planner was colorful, but didn't have a lot of pattern. You can't customize the colors on this planner, but that wasn't a big deal to me. There were several patterns and color combinations that I really liked. There were 3 that I was torn between. I wanted them all.

I chose the Plum Paper Planner with spread option #3. It is a list form that I felt would work the best for the way I like to write things. I also found a coupon code for 10% off, so I got a great deal.

My planner should be here in a few weeks, so I went to Target to get a few little things to go with it. They always have cute post-its and flags and stuff in their Dollar Spot.

I plan to do a full review when I get the planner and start using it.

What kind of planner do you use? Are you ready for the new year?



P.S. - As soon as I receive my planner and do a review, I will have a coupon code for you.

The Wife and Mama Heart Change

I started writing the series "31 Days of Choosing to Become a Less Selfish Wife and Mommy" during the Nester's 31 day challenge, and still haven't finished writing it. I still plan to finish it at some point, but the whole writing for 31 days in a row was a bigger task than I was ready for.

I started writing the series as a wife and mom that loves God, her husband, and her kids, but knew that I was missing it big time in some areas, and really needed/wanted to make some changes.

For months I have been drawn to Proverbs 31 and Titus 2, knowing that what I needed would come from these passages. I continued to read the passages and the Lord continued to show me things, good things, but I knew that there was still more that He wanted to show me.

Last week a friend posted about the Thanksgiving Study by Good Morning Girls on Facebook. I went to the website and started looking through their Bible Studies and was reintroduced to the blog, Women Living Well by Courtney Joseph. I have come across her blog several times over the years and read some of her things here and there, but had never subscribed to it.(I am now a subscriber.)

Courtney has a new book call Women Living Well: Finding Joy in You Man, Your Kids, and Your Home. As soon as I saw it, I knew that I needed to read it. I downloaded the Kindle version and finished most of the book in one sitting. It was exactly what I needed to be reading at this time.

There were several things in the book that really ministered to me, but the one part that ministered and STUNG at the same time was in Chapter 20 when she listed out what a wife of noble character does NOT look like in very plain modern day terminology.

#6 - She does not spend her days doing leisurely shopping, texting, emailing, Web browsing, watching late-night movies, and sleeping in.

Ouch! It is embarrassing the number of times that I have let myself stay up late watching tv just to enjoy the peace and quiet, and would then sleep in. And then because I was exhausted, I never really got everything done in a day that I could have had I been well rested. I knew that this was really not okay, but I kept allowing myself to do this. Not anymore.

I had a mom that loved the Lord, her husband, and children, but she didn't teach me about being a wife and mom of noble character. I believe that she would have taught me if she had know for herself, but just because she didn't teach me doesn't mean that I can't learn. Or that I don't need to learn. I have been a wife for 16 wonderful years and a mama for almost 8, and I have so much to learn.

This Wife and Mama has had a heart change. I am so thankful for the leading of the Holy Spirit.
My desire is to be the Wife and Mama that the Lord as called me to be. I want to be the Wife and Mama that my husband and boys need.

Let me know what your think about the book if you have read it. Did it produce a heart change in you?


*This is NOT a sponsored post.  I just enjoyed the book and wanted to share it with you.

The worst part about not having an iPhone for 12 days.

Oh, hi!

It looks like I have abandoned my 31 day series on Choosing to Become a Less Selfish Wife and Mommy, but I do intend to finish it. It just won't be done in 31 consecutive days. We ended up taking a week long Fall break from school, which meant I was being fun mom, and then we spent last week sick with the Flu.

I had mentioned that I would be without my iPhone for 11 days while I waited on my new one to get here, and wanted to do a follow up post to tell you how it went.

It turned into 12 days, but who was counting?

The worst part was that we forgot to feed our dog almost EVERY. Single. Day! She got fed every morning, but we rely on my alarms to remember to feed her lunch and dinner! Poor girl. She had a late lunch and late dinner every night. Am the only one that uses my alarms for everything?

Other than the alarm thing, it really wasn't that bad. I had a loaner Blackberry that I hated, so I basically left it on the counter and didn't touch it much. I did spend a little more time on my laptop during the day, but not too much. I also missed having quick access to my calendar, but mostly it was a nice break.

A Calling

Source

What is Next?

I have to admit that when I started this series, I really wasn't sure what direction it go. I'm still not an expert on being a Less Selfish Wife and Mommy, but I can say that there have been some heart changes in me that needed to take place.

I have decided that next week I want to talk about some of the practical things that I have to choose to do everyday. The things that I'm not always good at, and don't always enjoying doing, but are necessary for things in our home to run smoothly.

Have you had to change your heart and thinking about certain things when it comes to being a wife and mommy?

The Phone Challenge

Long story short - I will have no iPhone for 11 days. What?

Yeah, I wasn't sure that I would be able to do it, but then I thought that it might be exactly what I needed. When my 7 year old's face lit up when I told him I wouldn't have my iPhone for 11 days, I knew that it was much needed.

Failure is Not an Option

If I hurry, I will get this posted and not miss a day posting.

I'm not one that likes to complain, but it has been one of those days. I'm pretty sure it was yesterday that I was talking about making sure that I get my rear in the bed at a decent time so that I have a much better chance of starting the next day rested.

Yeah, it didn't happen. I ended up being up late and getting up early.I didn't get nearly enough rest. It made the crazies from today feel crazier than necessary.

The good news is that tomorrow is a new day, and I get another shot. I am going to set my timer for 20 mins and get as much done as I can. Then I am going to bed.

Sleep

This series is all about choosing to become a  Less Selfish Wife and Mommy. Some of the things that I have decided are selfish for me, may or may not be selfish for you. We are all unique families, with unique goals and priorities. This is really me taking a look at my life, and choosing to make things better for my family.

One of the areas that needs some major revamping are my sleeping patterns. I am a night owl, and I don't like getting up in the morning. I have developed a very bad habit of going to be really late and getting up late.

I enjoy the quite while everyone else is sleeping. My boys are loud.  All the time. I just enjoy the quite. The problem, is that it sets me up for a very unproductive day. Not good. I know that I am the only one that can fix this, and that this will help me be a less selfish wife and mommy, but I have to admit that I'm not excited about it. I want to hang on to the late quite nights, but deep down I know that it is a change I need to make.

If I am more rested I will be nicer.
I will be more prepared for the day.
I will have more energy to get through the day.
I will get some extra time with my husband in the morning.
Did I already say that if I am well rested I would be nicer?

I am going to make it a priority to break this bad habit. I am going to go to bed at a decent time, so that I can get up at a decent time ready to start the day.

Saying No

Do you ever look at your life, or even your day, and wonder how you became SO BUSY?

As a wife and mommy, my desire is to take care of and serve my family well. I'm also not just a wife and mommy. I have an extended family, friends, a church family, I am an Independent Consultant for Thirty-One, I have a blog, and I like to paint and decorate.

There are so many things, good things, that are competing for my time.

I am a lot of different things, but I really am a wife and mommy first. I need to make sure that the things I am choosing to spend my time on reflect my priorities.

I am learning that this means that I sometimes have to say no. Not because what others are asking me to do is bad or something that I don't want to do, but because it can make my real priorities not look like priorities any more.

Letting Go of Perfection

I know that not all moms struggle with this, but I fall in the category of the moms that do. Sometimes I don't do things, simply because I know that when I do them, I may not do them perfectly.

Guess what? My husband and my kids aren't looking at me and expecting perfection.

I can still plan our meals; they don't have to be perfect.
I can clean, even if it isn't the chore that I am "supposed" to do for the day.
I can play Legos, even though I am terrible at it.
I could go on, but you get the idea.

A Quote

Choose to Do, Again

Yesterday, I chose to do something extra special for my husband, just because. Today, I want to choose to do something special for each of my little boys. It doesn't have to be anything huge, just something that means a lot to them. It will most likely involve me playing Legos, or play dough,  or playing a game that has what seems like 100 pieces.

I love playing with my kids, but I am not always good at playing the things that make a big mess. I know, bad Mama. I'm working on it.

Choose to Do

It's Friday!

Today I am going to choose to do something extra special for my husband. Just because.

He is a great husband. He works hard for us, he seeks after God daily, he is a great father to our boys, and he takes great care of me. I do things for him everyday, but today seems like a great day to do something special that will let him know that I am thinking about him, that I love him, and that I appreciate all that he does for us.

The Trap

The trap - it's called Comparison.

If you read blogs, or have a Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest account, you are constantly being bombarded with images of women that appear to be doing it all, all of the time.

Someone is baking cakes that look like they came from a bakery.
Someone just painted their cabinets and redid their kitchen.
Someone just burned 750 calories doing kenpo X.
Someone just took 30 perfectly edited pics of their 3 kids.
Someone just made 30 freezer meals and won't have to cook much for the next month.
Someone just painted, organized, and perfectly staged a coat closet.
Someone just made organic granola bars from scratch so that her kids will have a healthy snack.
Someone just laminated picture labels for their child's spotless playroom.
Someone just had a picture perfect birthday party and spent the last 3 weeks making every detail by hand.
Someone just listed 14 perfectly sewn bags in their etsy shop.
Someone is inside building blanket forts with their happy kids.
Someone is at the beach relaxing.
Someone just planned their grocery trip and meals on a pretty printable.
Someone just lost 20 pounds by simply eating perfectly clean for 60 days.
Someone just adopted a bunch of kids from Africa.
Someone is posting pictures of her recently spray painted lamp that she got for $2 at goodwill and now her living room is complete.
Someone is hosting a girls night.
Someone just spent $35 on $250 worth of groceries.
Someone is enjoying a kid free date night.


Someone is in the corner crying, because she can't keep up with all of the these things that her 300+ friends keep shoving in her face every time she looks at her phone. She can't even keep the laundry clean. She feels like there is something wrong with her because she can't do it all. This sucks all of the happy out of her, and she is mean and short with her husband and kids. She feels like she is selfish because she can't seem to do all of these things AND be perfectly rested and happy while doing so.

Who are you comparing yourself to?  Is it causing you to act selfishly towards your family because your are trying to steal time from something that is important to do something just to keep up with everyone else?

I just chose to do a MAJOR purge on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. I am guessing my family will also benefit from the  extra time I will gain from following less people. That is a subject for another day.

Perspective

What if instead of looking at my day and seeing a list of things that need to be done, feeling overwhelmed, and choosing to just ignore it all, I changed my perspective?

What if after spending some time in the Word and seeking God for how to approach my day, I also decided to look at my list and see it as an opportunity to serve my family? What if I chose to not just serve my family, but to serve them with a happy heart?

I am guessing that my days would look different. They would most likely be spent the same way, doing the same things, but by choosing a different perspective, I am choosing to be a less selfish wife and mommy.

My Own Strength

I mentioned yesterday that being a wife and mom is really all I have ever wanted to do. I am living my dream, but most days I feel completely overwhelmed with everything that I am responsible for.

Somewhere along the way I have become a selfish wife and mommy. Instead of choosing to find joy in doing the things that I have been called to do and serving my family well; I have let other things creep in and steal my time and my joy.

I always pictured being a stay at home wife and mommy an easy job. I pictured lots of happiness all of the time. How hard could it really be to keep my husband and kids happy, while keeping them fed, in clean clothes, and the house presentable. Since all of that is super easy, just go ahead and add homeschooling to the mix. You know, because that will be easy. And fun. And of course there will be lots of time left over each day to do the things that I want to do.

I know that these are not hard things, but for someone that likes to stay up late (selfish), sleep in (selfish), not plan her day (selfish), do what she wants when she wants (selfish), eat whatever sounds good at the time (selfish), and just have fun of the time (selfish), it is hard.

I am learning that one of the reasons I have found it to be so hard is because I have been trying to do it in my own strength. I have been failing miserably. Here is the thing. I am not supposed to do this on my own. I should be starting my day with the Lord and letting Him lead and guide me through each and every day. He knows my weaknesses and strengths. He can show me how to get through the hard days with ease. He can show me ways to do things better so that they aren't so hard. He can mold me into the wife and mommy that my husband and boys need. I just have to let Him.

The Intro - 31 Days - Choosing to Become a Less Selfish Wife and Mom

I have wanted to be a wife and mom for as long as I can remember. I have been married to my wonderful husband for 15 years, and a mommy for almost 8 years. I am living my dream, but most days I feel completely overwhelmed with everything that I am responsible for.

Somewhere along the way I have become a selfish wife and mommy. Instead of choosing to find joy in doing the things that I have been called to do and serving my family well; I have let other things creep in and steal my time and my joy. You know the stuff I'm talking about. Reading blogs. Writing a blog. Comparing your real life to the highlight reel you see your friends post on Facebook and Instagram. Feeling like you have to do EVERYTHING that you see on Pinterest. Some people are really good about keeping their priorities in order and using their time wisely. I haven't been one of those people. I have let all of these things become time suckers. And time suckers turn into happy suckers.

I don't want to continue to be the mom that spends her days wasting her time on useless things. I want to be the wife and mom that God has called me to be. I want serve my family well, and make sure they know how much they are loved. I want my actions to match my words.

I have never participated in the Nester's challenge to write on one topic for 31 days, but I really wanted to do it this year. I initially planned to write "31 Days to a More Organized Life". I am sure it would have been great, and very Pin-able, but I knew that wasn't the direction I was supposed to go. The Lord kept bringing me back to this. The thing He is working on inside of me. I don't have the series all planned out and don't know the exact direction that it will go, so I am just going to let the Lord lead me.

Day 1 : The Intro
Day 2 : My Own Strength
Day 3:  Perspective
Day 4:  The Trap
Day 5:  Choose To Do
Day 6:  Choose To Do, Again
Day 7:  A Quote
Day 8:  Letting Go of Perfection
Day 9:  Saying No
Day 10:  Sleep
Day 11:  Failure is Not an Option
Day 12:  The Phone Challenge
Day 13:  What is Next?
Day 14:  A Calling
Day 15:  The Worst Part About Not Having an iPhone for 12 Days
Day 16:  The Wife and Mama Heart Change

I had good intentions, but I did not finish this series. I have tried several times to pick it back up, but I am officially moving on. I did learn that for me to successfully complete a project like this, it will need a lot more prep work a head of time.

Day 17:
Day 18:
Day 19:
Day 20:
Day 21:
Day 22:
Day 23:
Day 24:
Day 25:
Day 26:
Day 27:
Day 28:
Day 29:
Day 30:
Day 31:

31 Days

I typically post pics of my kids, the latest thing I have spray painted, or an update to a room I am currently decorating; but for the next 31 days I will be participating in the Nester's 31 day challenge to write about one topic everyday for the month of October.

It's about to get real up in here.