Showing posts with label planning tools. Show all posts
Showing posts with label planning tools. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

10 Goals and Reminders to Live Wisely in the Months Ahead


Wife, mother, home-keeper, educator--these positions are what I currently hold in my family.  In whatever roles are yours right now, do you ever feel like you are backtracking in your confidence or capabilities?  I have felt that way lately.  So it's time for me to look back and recall areas about which I have found wisdom and offered advice in the past.  Ideas are easy for me, but putting them into action is what I need to make sure I do!


1.  Cultivate patience at home and fight stress creatively.

2.  Be prepared and avoid travel pitfalls on our upcoming trip north.

3.  Start writing letters again.  

4.  Sketch the outdoors.

5.  Plan simpler weekly menus.

6.  Put into practice a daily list that includes caring for my body and soul.

7.  Enjoy playing outside with my kids.

8.  Find back-to-school clothes without spending a lot.

9.  Keep kid gear simple and affordable.

10.  Cut out dairy, but still enjoy dessert.


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"Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise."
                                                                   -Ephesians 5:15 (NIV)
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In what ways are you striving to live wisely?


Top Ten {Tuesday}

Saturday, August 1, 2009

Free Calendars + Motivation: Can They Make a Difference in How We Live?

After entering the blogosphere and trying to find my place, one thing I have decided is to leave deal blogging to the pros. There are plenty of helpful websites out there that post frequently about the latest offers and freebies.

Nevertheless, I wanted to mention how a free calendar could affect my life--and share how one already has.



This week I discovered a free 2010 calendar offer (with purchase) from Annie's Naturals and Kiwi Magazine that includes a coupon page! But actually, the best part of it is that it is an activity calendar offering inspiration for activities for kids. My husband and I agree that planning simple activities for our kids is important, a higher priority even than planning meals. But too often time slips away as I focus on my to-do list. This calendar will give me another tool to help me in planning enjoyable days at home with my kids.

Why do I pin my hopes on a calendar? For a few months now I've been putting my free Dinner Made Easy fridge menu/ grocery list to good use. Things posted on my fridge tend to wander, but not my trusty menu pad from Betty Crocker. When the tablet is gone, I plan to print out menu templates, though I've found it tricky to keep individual papers in place on the fridge. I'll have to find a another way eventually, but in the meantime I'm enjoying what I've got: a very useful weekly menu planner, right where I need it.

What I wonder is: how do other moms balance their tasks with home-based activities for their children? And how can I help organize our time and make our daily rhythm less random? We have plenty of options--toys, art supplies, books, etc. But deciding what to do is sometimes tricky for me and and for my kids (ages 5, 4 and 2). I'd love to get some more ideas that I could implement.