Happy New Year! Giveaway Time!

I hope you have all had a wonderful Christmas and your visions of sugar plums are now turning to visions of goals and fresh beginnings.  I know mine sure are!

Last year, I skipped making goals and I don't think that was a wise choice for me.  I am much more intentional when I have a list of goals and habits to work towards so my planner is being filled with a few bullet points even as I type this.  After a 2015 self evaluation, there are several areas that I really want to put my focus back on again and one of those areas is better housekeeping!

I have used the Motivated Moms planner for years and love the simplicity of it so much yet it also helps me stay on top of the chores I want to get done when I am diligent about looking over the chores for the day. 

I really have a hard time choosing if I want the app or the ebook sometimes because I am a paper planner at heart yet I really love the simplicity of the app as well! See my posts here on how we have used it in the past.

Motivated Moms has graciously offered to give one of my readers there very own ebook or app add on! If you do choose the app add on, you will already need to have the actual app or purchase it. The giveaway is for the current 2016 calendar of chores for the app. This giveaway will end on January 2, 2016 so hurry to enter. Then you will have plenty of time to add Motivated Moms to your New Year's goals as well!  Enter the giveaway below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you don't want to wait, there is currently a New Year's sale going on now too until January 4, 2016. Let's get these houses in order for 2016 - baby steps all the way!

Let's Get Organized! Review of Simplified Organization

I've recently been going through Mystie Winckler's Simplified Organization Course. I paid for this course myself because I had seen some of Mystie's YouTube Videos and liked what she had to offer there. I am an affiliate now because I love the course so much! I only become an affiliate of products that I use myself and put into place in my home. So, the links here are my affiliate links.

Simplified Organization is a wonderful ecourse available to you at any time of the day or night. I would highly recommend that you decide on a time that you will complete the course each day. However, I don't think this is a course you will ever actually complete because I find myself going back through the different modules all the time! It's more of a resource course that you can continually reach for on your computer shelf. That's another beauty of the course is that it's a one time purchase and always there for you. You will also receive any updates that may be added. There are forms, mp3's, videos, and many more resources available for you.

The course is set up in 6 modules that each contain a lesson, action step, habit plan, blueprint project, and tool guide:

Module 1: DECIDE
Lesson: Live a Story
Action Steps: Attitude
Habit Plan: Gratitude
Blueprint Project: Brain Dump
Tool Guide: Calendar

Module 2: DECLUTTER

Lesson: Grow in Focus
Action Steps: Health
Habit Plan: EHAP
Blueprint Project: Basic Routines
Tool Guide: Command Center

Module 3: DEFINE
Lesson: See Your Vocation
Action Steps: Paradigm
Habit Plan: Ubiquitous Capture
Blueprint Project: Vocation Statements
Tool Guide: Management System

Module 4: DESIGN
Lesson: Plan in Intervals
Action Steps: Energy
Habit Plan: Weekly Review
Blueprint Project: Intervals
Tool Guide: Weekly Time Budget
Tool Guide: Binder

Module 5: DO
Lesson: Wobble in Balance
Action Steps: Iterations
Habit Plan: Morning Review
Blueprint Project: Process
Tool Guide: Daily Index Card

Module 6: DEVELOP

Lesson: Practice Serving
Action Steps: Serving
Habit Plan: Smile
Blueprint Project: Someday/Maybe List
Tool Guide: Timers and Alarms

I love this course and would highly recommend it to all who are looking for practical steps, encouragement, and inspiration to put plans in place to help your organizational efforts. This program will change the way you think of organizing or at least it did for me! If you are looking for a quick fix, this is not the course for you and really quick fixes don't last for the long haul.

Mystie has also created a sort of bonus course called Work The Plan that will only be available for a short time as well. Again, I purchased this one too and will let you know what I think but so far it's been worth every penny.

Here is a favorite quote that I think sums up Mystie's teaching philosophy regarding organizing our chaos:

"If we truly want to be effective, our planning needs to be about being prepared and ready not about being in control because of course we aren't in control - God is! ...and that's what matters, following the path of faithfulness wherever that path winds and twists."

Here is my current weekly plan list.  You can download it by clicking on the image to tweak for your own needs.  I am still tweaking it constantly!  I know I want to add a section for writing out a memory verse each week as well but for now here is what I have.

Check out Simplified Organization for more details!

Motivated Moms Yearly Sale Time!

** This post contains affiliate links

Are you looking for a simple way to bring order to your home?  Do you love chores already planned out for you so you don't have to think what needs to be done but just do it? Then, I would highly recommend Motivated Moms chore planners for you!

You might need to sit down before you read this next part from me.  If you've been a reader here for any length of time, you probably know that I am a paper planner girl.  I normally go with the Motivated Moms Ebooks to help tackle our house cleaning each year.  It does a wonderful job of breaking the chore of housekeeping down into bite size chunks.  

This year though, I'm going for the Android app instead.  I'll still write MOMO (short for Motivated Moms) on my paper calender probably but all the household tasks will be checked off and maintained using the app.  I'll let you know how that works out for me.

On each of the planners, chores are broken down for you on a daily basis. You don't need to keep track of what needs to be done or when to do it.  The planner does all of that for you!   The printable version is available in many different varieties. 

You know what I think I love the most about this planner? The simplicity. It simply has what needs to be done. Household chores can be done quickly and efficiently.  It also has lots of different versions available suiting the needs of every household -even people like me who want to try them all.  

Right now all planners are on sale until January 2, 2015. Perfect timing to help with those goals or resolutions of staying on top of chores for the New Year.

All Ebooks are now $6 (regular price of $8)

All Apps are $5.99 for the year (regular price of $7.99) - a note about the app version is you will need to purchase the app itself and then add the year 2015 calendar on through this link.  If you have previously purchased the app in the past, you will need to purchase the new one that doesn't have a year or the words lite attached for the 2015 calendar to work! 

The Lite versions let you give Motivated Moms a try before purchasing!  

Weekly Wrap Up 26 & 27

Sometimes, it's a bi-weekly wrap up.  This would be one of those.  :)

In my life this week…

Spring has sprung!!  YAY!!

Update on Jonathan:  This was week 3 in the cast so he was able to remove it (so stinky!!) and stretch his hand.  He said it feels a little stiff and tingly but overall well.  We go Monday for the official x-ray and hopefully the release for back to normal!

On our way home from our Costco trip, we heard a loud sound that sounded like a tire busting.  Hubby got out and saw nothing. We made it home safe and sound.  The next morning, we see this.  God is so good - glad that didn't happen on the side of the busy highway!

I'm still reading Smart Money Smart Kids.  This week, we have the opportunity to ask Rachel and Dave questions and right now I'm drawing a blank!!

In our homeschool this week…

Stephen and Sarah only have about 7 weeks of school left before summer break!  Jonathan will be going through the summer.  We are planning to take a spring break week at the end of April. We have our anniversary and a 16th birthday to celebrate so that's a perfect week to do it!  

We are in full swing with reviews as well!  So, you should see some fun reviews coming up.  As always, several of them came at the perfect time and were items I would have never even knew that I needed until they were in our hands.

Here is a video of math in our homeschool.

Weigh In

For the first time in 15 years at least, I am in Onederland!!! Onederland is a Biggest Loser phrase that I loved.  Now, to stay there!!

As happy as I am to achieve that goal, I hold this truth in my heart from Made To Crave.

I’m cooking…

Linking up with The Homeschool Mother's Journal,  Collage Friday, and Weekly Wrap-Up!.

FREE Household Planner

I've used my Motivated Moms Planner for several years now and really like it but I thought I'd go a different route this year since I came across The Confident Mom Household Planner for FREE!

I'll let you know how it works out for me but it looks awesome!