Product Review and Giveaway: 100 Days of Summertime 2015 eBook from ListPlanIt

I'm a list maker. I constantly make lists of things to do, things to pack, things to buy, things to remember, etc. I can't remember anything unless I write it on paper or in the notes app on my phone. If you are like me, you will love Jennifer Tankersley and her website, ListPlanIt.

One of her best products is her 100 Days of Summertime eBook.

The 100 Days of Summertime 2015 is available as a PDF that can immediately be downloaded to your computer. You can print out all 37 pages our just the totally awesome worksheets that are included in the eBook.  Those worksheet printables are worth the $8 this fabulous eBook costs. The printables can be used over and over again and are critical to planning out a fun, well-organized, and productive summer.

Some of my favorite sections of the 100 Day of Summertime 2015 eBook include:

• End of school/Beginning of summer party
• Planning for your summer vacation
• National Strawberry Shortcake Day
• Not every day can be sunny and warm, so a list of rainy day activities
• Quench Your Thirst with lots of fun summertime drink recipes

This book fits the needs for families of all sizes and ages. There is truly advice and planning ideas for everyone with ideas that I had never thought about. Some of the planning pages available to print off include:

• Cookout Planner
• Summer Chore Charts
• Monthly Planning Calendars
• Travel Itinerary
• Budgets sheets
• So much more

The 100 Days of Summertime 2015 eBook is designed for daily inspiration and guidance, taking you from Memorial Day to Labor day. Each page lists the date and a motivational task, activity, or event. Most days also include links to a Pinterest board, website, or other resources to help you fulfill the activity.

Whether you have a family reunion, a wedding, a vacation or summer camps to get ready for ListPlanIt can help you organize all of it.  Even if you have no summer plans, Jennifer has loads of ideas to help you find the fun in every day this summer.  If you didn't know, June 13 is National Strawberry Shortcake Day, so she has a recipe to make sure you celebrate that day in the best way possible.

This giveaway is no longer available.
 Thanks to all who entered!

I am offering a giveaway for two, yes TWO copies of the 100 Days of Summertime 2015 eBook, but you must enter quickly as the giveaway will end Thursday, May 21, 2015 at 11:59 PM. That way the winner will have time to download it and start with Day 1 of the 100 Days of Summertime.





I can't recommend Jennifer's website enough. She has planners and lists for EVERY. SINGLE. NEED. She has done all the work, you just need to print them off and follow the plan! To see all her planners and lists, click HERE.





Thanks to Jennifer for sending a copy of her eBook to me for the purpose of this review as well as offering copies for a giveaway. I was not compensated in any way for this review, but if you choose to purchase through the above links, I may receive a small commission without you having to pay a cent more for your purchase. Thanks for supporting SincerelyStacie.com reviews. 

Product Review: The Confident Mom Summer Survival Calendar

It's time for THE CONFIDENT MOM'S SUMMER SURVIVAL CALENDAR! This is your one-stop guide to keep boredom at bay and make time for fun with your kids. Susan at THE CONFIDENT MOM has done all the leg work for you. All you have to do is get the supplies and get ready to have a fun summer!

If you have young children, this is your ticket to a happy, memorable summer.  Can't afford a family vacation this year, do a stay-cation full of fun activities right in your own community. Susan has given you four months worth of recipes, games, and activities to do with your kids along with the list of supplies you need to carry out all the fun! It really doesn't get any easier folks!

The Summer Survival Calendar is a calendar like no other—it includes over 120 fun-filled activities and supply list in a PDF document for only $7! This is such a great deal, I felt compelled to share it with you! The 10 Strategies for Your Best Summer Ever action guide bundle includes the 2015 calendar and supply list for only $9. Or for $12, you can get all this plus the previous 2010-2014 Summer Survival Calendars for endless activity ideas!

To learn more about The Confident Mom’s 2015 Summer Survival Calendar, click HERE. Then choose the category eBooks and Printables. With everything from making rainbow ice box cookies, crayon canvas art, knot tying, and homemade quicksand to spaghetti slime, blooming dirt cups, magic milk, and making a terrarium, you won’t be disappointed! Even though I have tweens and teens, there are still plenty of ideas that we can use to make our summer memorable.

Even if you have a baby-sitter for your kids during the summer, you can use this calendar. What better gift for her than to pass on this Summer Survival Calendar full of ideas for her/him to do with your kids. She doesn't want to hear "I'm bored" any more than you do. Keep your kids busy, happy and engaged with this awesome calendar full of ideas!

By downloading this PDF, you will have everything you need to print off for your summer. Calendars also have clickable links directly to recipes and videos needed to carry out the activity. I plan to let our daughter go through and select things that she would like to do. With a summer full of baseball games, she tends to get left out. So by letting her choose the activities, she gets to be part of the planning as well. Don't miss this opportunity to make time for fun with your kids! 

Thanks to Susan at The Confident Mom for sending a copy of this calendar. This is my honest opinion and I was not compensated for this review. If you choose to purchase the calendar through these links, I may receive a small commission without you paying anymore for your purchase. Thanks for supporting SincerelyStacie.com reviews.

My One Word for 2015

During the Fall of 2014, I had a wake-up call. I went to my annual physical and had a long conversation with my doctor about how I'd been having periods of anxiety. Waking up in a panic, lack of sleep, chest pains, and inability to concentrate. We discussed my stress level and overall lifestyle.  Without holding back, my doctor gave it to me straight (which is why I love her). She said I had to get a hold of my life, get rid of some of the things on my plate, and find time for myself or I would be in big trouble. She suggested prescription meds, but felt that I could manage some of my symptoms if I changed my habits.  Since medication isn't my first choice, I decided it was time to make some changes.

I'm one of those people who have a hard time saying "No". I like helping others and doing good things, sometimes at my own expense (physically and financially). I realized my plate was overflowing and if I didn't make some serious changes, I would be risking not only my health, but my sanity.

I've been reading The Best Yes: Making Wise Decisions in the Midst of Endless Demands
 by Lysa TerKeurst and in it she talks about saying "Yes" to yourself, to your family and to God. I am still reading, praying about it, and reading passages again. This book has been such a life-saver to me. I realized while reading her book that my family was getting my leftovers. My husband and kids were getting whatever I had left after working, laundry, writing, volunteering, etc. Basically, they were getting nothing or a cranky, crazy, and tired mom and wife. I knew something had to change.

For seven years I ran an after-school program at our church with my friend, April. We started with 12 kids and saw up to 54 kids at one time. It was wonderful and stressful, time-consuming and exhilarating, exhausting and exciting. But, it was getting harder and harder for me to find time to plan out lessons and activities for each of the approximately 21 times we met during the school year. Plus, finding volunteers to commit was getting more difficult as well. In December, after much prayer and discussion, we ended this program. I just added hours to my week.

I have been leading story-time at our library for several years. It is just once a month, but also takes time planning out the story, craft, and songs. Lately, only one child has been coming. Since I have also been subbing at the school more, it has been harder for me to attend. I am giving this up. I just added hours to my month.

For ten years I have been writing the newsletter for our local Senior Dining site. It gives them publicity for their program and promotes all the good things they are doing. Even though I could do this during my own time, at any hour, I was finding it hard to keep up and was falling behind, which added to my stress. I gave this up in December. I just added hours to my week.

As you can see, I am finding ways to balance my life.  Finding things I can give up, so I can enjoy what is right in front of me...mainly my husband and children.

Our life has changed now that we have a high school student in the house....a very active high school student. Most weeks include sporting and music events to attend. We also have two other active children in music and sporting events. Add in all their activities, my own commitments, our jobs, and my husband's schedule and we have a pretty packed calendar.  I found I was falling extremely behind on my household duties and my commitments to others.  I needed to find a way to balance it all out.

If you haven't guessed yet, my ONE WORD for 2015 is..................................................

I need to find a way to balance it all.  Life isn't going to get less hectic. I'll have all three kids playing basketball every week now.  Show Choir season has begun for two of our kids. Subbing dates are filling up my calendar. There is always going to be something going on.

I know that many women can relate to my life, the commitments that find their way into our schedules, that overwhelming feeling, and the anxiety. I haven't given up every volunteer obligation, but I feel like I have a better balance of things on my plate. Each of us need to take stock of our life, our schedule, and our family obligations and decide what is best. Giving up something may not be what's right for you, but it was for me.

Balance: a state in which different things occur in equal or proper amounts or have an equal or proper amount of importance (i.word.com)

Finding ways to balance what I NEED to do with what I WANT to do. You have to work fun and enjoyment into your day.  A life full of work, chores and deadlines is no fun. A life of solid fun means important things don't get done. Life is all about balance, finding happiness between too much and not enough, and when to hold on or let go.

I found some Bible passages that also talk about a balanced life.

My life constantly hangs in the balance, 

but I will not stop obeying your instructions.  Psalm 119:109 NLT 

There are constantly going to be distractions, things that will push me off track, set my life off-kilter. But, God is there, if I am willing to listen, to keep me on track and in balance.

For the spirit God gave us does not make us timid, 

but gives us power, love and self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7 NIV

Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, 

but let God transform you 

into a new person by changing the way you think. 

Then you will learn to know God's will for you, 

which is good and pleasing and perfect.  Romans 12:2 NLT

I love the same verse from Romans 12:1-2 in The Message version:

So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: 

Take your everyday, ordinary life - 

your sleeping, eating, going-to-work and walking-around life -

 and place it before God as an offering. 

Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. 

Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. 

Instead, fix your attention on God. 

You'll be changed from the inside out. 

Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. 

Unlike the culture around you, 

always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, 

God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. 

We have the power to make the choices in our life. God doesn't want us to be timid, taking on too much to please others, not having self-discipline to maintain balance in our own lives. He expects us to handle our lives with love and care and keep everything in balance.

Some of the areas I plan to create Balance in my life:

Reading only books for a review requirement makes reading more tedious and less for enjoyment. Working in books that I have been wanting to read helps me get books off my shelf and allows more relaxation while reading.

Balance

Making time to plan and making a plan for time. I am a planner and list-maker. I can't keep everything straight just by remembering to do it, so I find making lists help me stay on track as well as gives me the enjoyment of crossing items off my list. It doesn't do any good to make lists if you aren't going to do the things on the list. Balancing my lists so they aren't so overwhelming and leaving room for fun and accomplishment is important.

Balance

Finding time to plan and cook meals that are healthy and filling for my kids versus finding the quickest and unfulfilling meals because they take less work. Yes, there are going to be frozen pizza or chicken nugget nights, but I hope that meals made with love, those that simmered in the crock pot or baked in the oven will fill our bellies more often.

Balance

Social media is fun and a great way to stay in touch with family and friends, interact with other readers and bloggers, and stay connected to the world. But, it can be all-consuming and can easily eat up an afternoon or evening. I want to balance my down time with less online activities and more family interaction.

Balance

In order for me to feel my best psychologically, I have to also feel my best physically. I tend to go in streaks when it comes to taking care of my physical fitness needs. I need to make this a regular habit, but find a way that it doesn't become overwhelming and is still enjoyable and attainable.

source - quotesfrenzy.com 

I love this photo and quote above. I can't think of a better word to focus on this year. My life certainly needs some balance and I am hoping that balancing my life, will hopefully reflect on others.  No one can balance the scales of life perfectly, but there is a way to stay in control without falling off the beams and I hope to find it.

Get Organized in 2015 with The Confident Mom Weekly Household Planner

I have been of a huge fan of Susan Heid, THE CONFIDENT MOM, her blog, her planners, her faith, and her support for several years. I can honestly say she has improved my life as well as several of my friends' lives through her Weekly Household Planner.  Her 2015 Weekly Household Planner is now available and I highly recommend you click HERE now and get yours!



You didn't click yet, well let me tell you something even better, the Weekly Household Planner is FREE!!!  Now you can click HERE to get yours!



Still haven't clicked over? Better yet, this Weekly Household Planner is customizable so you can create your own tasks or edit out what you don't need, making this planner fit YOUR lifestyle and schedule.  No pets? Take those tasks out. No household plants to water? Remove them from the list of tasks. I'm telling you....click HERE to get yours now!

You can print your planner and place it in a binder. You can print it and have it spiral bound at a place like Staples for less than $5. You can print it week by week and hang it next to your calendar. You can also download it to your iPad or Kindle if you prefer a paperless version. It couldn't be any simpler. Get yours HERE.

If you want more, for just $6 you can purchase the Supplement to the Weekly Household Planner. With this you get:

• Master Family Planner
• Special Occasion Calendar/Gift Planner
• Holiday Gift Planner
• Babysitter Information Sheet
• Quick Contacts
• Family Emergency/Medical Information Form
• Website/App List
• Account Keeper
• Household Maintenance Log (NEW this year)
• Special Occasion Reminder Chart (NEW this year)
• Gifts Received List (NEW this year)
• Let's Plan a Party Form (Updated)
• Blessings for Your Home (NEW this year)
• Weekly Menu Planner/Shopping List (Updated)
• Bible Bookmarks

This is a HUGE value for just $6 along with the FREE Weekly Household Planner. You won't find any other planner with all these resources for this price! Click HERE to get your planner, NOW! Don't delay! Get started on organizing your home and your life right away!

You deserve the feeling of accomplishment at the end of each day. With this planner, you will see results. Being organized helps you feel better, gives you confidence, and accomplishing tasks gives you the sense that in the crazy days of mommyland, even if you didn't get to take a shower, you still accomplished something!



I really love this planner. I am affiliate, but even if I wasn't, I'd still tell you about it. 

Review: Every Day Matters Planner By Dani DiPirro

EVERY DAY MATTERS
2015 DIARY

By: Dani Dipirro - Positively Present

Published: August 19, 2014

Publisher: Watkins Publishing

Calendar/Planner

I have been a fan of Dani's for awhile and when she first started telling her readers that she had created a planner, I knew I was going to love it....and I do! This calendar offers plenty of space to add appointments, to do lists, and goals with a jolt of positivity on each page.

Each week offers a two-page spread with plenty of space for the day's appointments or lists.  I use mine as a daily planner. So I have our daily schedule on there including my appointments and the kids' activities. But I also use it as my blog planner.  I struggled last year having a separate blog planner and life planner because I was constantly checking back and forth to see what I had coming due and what was going on in our life. This way, everything is together in one place. 

Each week shares a positive quote as well as a action item that relates to that month's theme.  For example January's theme is Organize. Each week's quote relates to being organized and each week's task relates to accomplishing a goal towards organization. 

At the end of each month you will see a monthly calendar as well as spaces for reflection. Here you can write down how your thoughts on accomplishing the monthly theme tasks, those things you are grateful for, and plans for next month.

The calendar pages start on Monday (both weekly and monthly) which messed me up a couple times. But, now that I have been using it for a week, I think I am used to it. I love the bright cover and each week makes me happy with her quotes and positive nudges to accomplish the tasks at hand.

Dani also offers a pocket diary size for those that like to have one that fits in a purse. I am quite happy with the size of my calendar. I love that it is spiral bound and easily folds back or lays flat while open.  The one I am using is 9.8 x 6.7 inches.

If you are looking for a daily planner, I highly recommend EVERY DAY MATTERS and I also recommend you check out Dani on her blog, HERE, for daily positive affirmation.


To purchase EVERY DAY MATTERS 2015 DIARY, click the photo below:

To purchase the EVERY DAY MATTERS 2015 POCKET DIARY, click the photo below:

I purchased this planner on my own. This review contains affiliate links. 

How to Have a Fun Summer with Your Kids

Summer will officially begin for our family in just 22 days.  Unfortunately, it won't be a very relaxing summer for our family as the kids have baseball, camps, and even our oldest has a job. But, we will certainly make the most of every day we have.  This summer is a short one for us as we just have 76 days of summer to enjoy before the kids go back to school.  There are also only two weeks where our family has nothing going on, so we plan to take our vacation then and really enjoy our free time.

Over the years I have found many ways to plan fun activities for our summer.
THIS POST, THIS POST and THIS POST share ideas from a couple years ago including themed days, family money jar, summer reading ideas, and a summer bucket list.

Our kids are older now and our days are better if they are spontaneous rather than planned out. But, when they were younger I relied on planning out something for each day. This summer I am looking forward to creating some artwork with our daughter who is so talented.  I hope to hang some of her creations on our walls.  We can hopefully spend some lazy afternoons at the pool and take some long bike rides.  Each day will be a new adventure and I can't wait for summer to get here!

If you have younger children and are wondering how you can possibly fill your summer days to keep the kids from crying, "I'm Bored", then I have just the idea for you!

The Confident Mom has all you need to have a summer full of fun! Susan Heid has spent countless hours planning out budget-friendly and fun ideas for you to do with your kids this summer.  If you have gotten her Summer Calendar before, be aware than these are NEW ideas. With 90% of the activities and recipes being new this year, you can be assured that your summer of fun will never be boring!

This Summer Survival Calendar offers at least one suggested activity each day from May 1-August 31.  So you can start right now! Some of the activities include making marshmallow sculptures, tie-dye t-shirts, dinosaur eggs, ice cream in a bag, water balloon games, ice bowling, and making watermelon pie.  There are over 120 engaging activities the whole family can enjoy. The downloadable PDF includes clickable links for instructions and photos. 

This year's calendar includes a supply list for all the activities on the calendar. The activities are organized by the week, so you can easily plan and gather what you need when you will need it. If you are new to The Confident Mom's Summer Survival Calendar, you can purchase the mega package which includes 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014 Summer Survival Calendars all for $11. You will receive a whole bunch of activities and can pick and choose what works best for your family! 

Susan has also created an Action Guide. This includes worksheets, checklists, and forms including Summer Goals, Quiet Time Activities, Meal Planning, and many more.  Susan has really done all the work for us and all we have left to do is have a great summer with our kids.  

To purchase 

THE CONFIDENT MOM 2014 SUMMER SURVIVAL CALENDAR, 

click HERE. 

Your options include:

2014 Calendar and Action Guide for $8, enter coupon code SAVEBUNDLE for $1 off $8 price.

2014 Calendar only for $6

Mega Bundle of Calendars and Action Guide for $11, enter coupon code SAVEMEGA for $2 off the $11 price. 

Coupon codes are valid through May 31, 2014. 

There is no excuse for you to have a boring summer.  Surprise your kids with a summer full of fun activities and one where you will never hear, "Mom, I'm bored!"

For more great summer ideas, check out this great Link Party!

Check Out the Awesome New Planner from THE CONFIDENT MOM

I'm sorry it has taken me so long to tell you about THE CONFIDENT MOM'S new 2014 Planner and Supplement package.  Ugh! I know it is January 16, and you could have been using this for several days already.  Needless to say, you need to go get this NOW!.

Did you see the important words in the above picture???  Yes, this planner is now FREE!!!

Don't need to hear any more, just click HERE and get it now!  But, if you want to hear about the great new features and supplemental products, keep reading!

This year's layout is redesigned, maximizing space, and keeping everything organized and easy to read.  This year you can also get a planner that is....editable!  Yes, I know.  You can add in your own daily items to the list.  Do you have a child who takes daily medications?  Add that to your daily task list.  Do you need to be reminded to buy food for your pet?  Add that in to the list.  You can make this so it works best for YOU!

To access the the planner, click  ----> THE CONFIDENT MOM WEEKLY HOUSEHOLD PLANNER AND SUPPLEMENT PACKAGE.  Then click on the eBooks and Printables tab. Then scroll down until you find the 2014 Weekly Household Planner.  If you use this planner, you will have no excuse for not getting things done.  She has done the planning work for you, now you just need to get the jobs done! Each day has manageable tasks that will make your day run smoothly!

If you are looking for a bit more....then guess what?  She has that for you too!

For just $6, you can get access to even more great planning pages.  Need help keeping all the birthdays in your family straight? Yep, she's got that covered.  Need some direction in planning out your meals?  There is a supplement for that.  Need to keep all those Christmas gifts you bought and ideas you come across in one place?  Got it! There is so much more included in this supplement, you are spending about $.50/form.  A SUPER BARGAIN!  There are also forms for budgeting, family medical information, party planning, and even a Bible reading plan.  You can't go wrong adding this GREAT DEAL to your already FREE Weekly Planner! 

Now, that you have heard all about it.  Click right HERE and head over to get your year off to a great start. Get organized, finish those daily tasks, plan ahead and then relax with a book because you got all your chores done in plenty of time!

Some Aha Moments

Over the last couple weeks I watched a video series called "Calm, Productive Upbeat Days for Busy Moms" by Lisa Byrne.  It was a 3-Part video that I was able to watch on my own time and it was FREE.  Check it out HERE if you are interested.  Visit http://www.wellgroundedsite.com/  for more information on Lisa's resources.

Last week, I also took a class called "Habits of Mind" at our local AEA Agency for some relicensure credits.  The class was based on the book NAPOLEON HILL'S KEYS TO SUCCESS: THE 17 PRINCIPLES OF PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENT by Napleon Hill.  In this class I had to create my own success model.  I decided to do my success model on having a more organized routine to my day.  I plan to kick that off once school starts in a few weeks.  I am really looking forward to being more structured in my day and getting some things accomplished instead of running around all day, starting lots of projects and not really completing any of them.

Some key AHA moments for me from these two opportunities were:

You would never consider taking away play and rest time from your children, so why would you take it away from yourself?  I am embarrassed to say I had NEVER thought of it that way.  Of course I know how important play time is for the kids and obviously rest time.  I wouldn't allow them to get 6 hours of sleep or spend their entire day working.  Why do I do that to myself?  Thanks Lisa!  I need to plan for free time in my day just like I plan out my other tasks.

A recent study found that people who multitask really do not accomplish as much as others who focus on one task at a time.  That was a slap across the face....I have ALWAYS been a multi-tasker.  What mom isn't?  But, after listening to the instructor explain the findings, I think my jaw dropped.  I do run around the house all day...starting dishes, then the dryer buzzes so I grab them quick, then on the way I see trash needs to be taken out so I take it out so I push it down farther, then the phone rings and as I am on the phone I walk around and pick up things off the floor, etc, etc.  You know what I mean!  So, if I focus on one task at a time, I am more likely to get those items completed and move on to the next one.  This may be an obvious thing to you, but coming from a multi-tasker this was a light-bulb moment for me. I am going to try to structure my tasks more and see if I feel like I have actually accomplished something at the end of the day.

An essential component to feeling that you belong in life, you need to have a WO'MANCE. A Wo'mance is a relationship with another woman in your life who is someone who guides, supports, loves, understands and believes in you.  This person can be a sister, mom, friend, aunt, cousin, daughter, etc.  But, it is someone who you can be completely "real" with.  Someone besides your spouse who is one of your biggest cheerleaders.  I am lucky to have one of these people in my life and without her I know my life would crumble.  We "talk" almost daily and support each other, laugh with each other, and guide each other through the tough moments in life.  Thanks, Mel for being in a Wo'mance with me and thanks to Lisa for giving me a reason to cherish that relationship even more!

Having a Positive Mental Attitude is a key to a happy life.  Ok, duh, I know that should be obvious.  But, I know you know someone who is always complaining, creating drama, finding the negative in every situation and just spending time with that person can bring you down.  I have cut a few of those people out of my life and others, I have learned to tune them out or not play into their downward spiral.  One day last week, after leaving class I saw this truck that had seen better days.  In the back end of the truck, piled high was what looked to me like "junk".  I know one person's junk is another's treasure, but this looked clearly like junk.  Then across the back of this truck was this statement..."Same Nightmare Different Day".  I thought to myself, yep I bet it is. If that is how you think about your day, then that is how your day/life is going to be carried out.  Yeah, I may think doing laundry, dishes, sweeping, etc can be a monotonous "nightmare" some days....but if that is the perspective I give it, then I am certainly going to feel like it is a nightmare.  If I look at it as providing clean, fresh smelling clothes for my family, so they can look and feel their best, then I am going to feel better about it.  Having a PMA every day about whatever it is you may be doing will help you create success.  If you feel positively about getting the dishes and laundry done, you are more likely to get them done.  If you are dreading doing the dishes and laundry, you are going to find ways to avoid them and feel grouchy about doing them.  So, turn on your favorite Pandora station and get those chores done! Also, in general, having a PMA on a daily basis about your life will cause others around you to be happy and positive as well.  You know the saying, "If Momma ain't happy, then nobody's happy."  I am the first to admit that when I am in a grouchy mood, it radiates throughout the house.  I really am going to be working on my PMA in the next few weeks.

None of these above items are new ideas or shocking to the average person. But, for me, it just took the right moment, the right person, and the right attitude for me to listen and take these ideas to heart.  They were AHA moments for me, and maybe they will be for you too. 

If you are interested in learning more about any of these topics you should definitely check out Lisa Byrne at http://www.wellgroundedsite.com/ or any of Napoleon Hill's books.  May you have a positively successful day!

100 Days to Christmas!

The countdown has begun.  It is only 100 days until Christmas!  This could be your year to plan ahead and get everything lined up so you aren't rushing out at the last minute to get all the gifts you need.

Today would be a great day to start saving up some money for Christmas.  Put aside all your spare change or save a certain amount of money each week.  Every little bit helps so you aren't charging your purchases or trying to come up with the money all at once.

One thing that I do each year is make a list of every person I need to buy gift/gifts for.  Then I keep that list in my purse.  When I see something while I am shopping I can pick it up and mark it down on my list.  I keep all my gifts in a closet, but since they are all written down, I don't have to worry about trying to remember what I bought for who.  This list also helps me think about who I am buying for so I can be looking for things as I am doing my regular shopping.  You never know when you might find a really good deal on something special for your aunt or nephew.  This list also helps immensely with keeping track of the gifts for our kids.  I keep a list for each child and also keep track of whether it is from Santa, for stocking stuffers, or from us.  This helps me keep it relatively even between all the kids.  Also, since our daughter's birthday is right after Christmas, I keep a list for that as well.  It is really difficult to shop after Christmas for her, so I do all her birthday shopping when I do our Christmas shopping.  I keep each years list to make sure I am not giving someone the same gift.

I know this may sound like a lot, but I make an effort to get gifts for people that I think they will appreciate.  By making these lists it helps keep me much more organized and hopefully spending less money. 

Now would also be a good time, if you have a large family, to talk about who is going to host the holiday celebrations (including Thanksgiving).  Getting all those dates figured out on your calendar and knowing who is responsibile for hosting makes the holidays go smoother when everyone knows where they are expected to be.

One of my favorite books for planning and getting into the Christmas spirit is A SCRAPBOOK OF CHRISTMAS FIRSTS.  For more on this book, you can check out my review of here.  You can also check out their blog at http://scrapbookofchristmasfirsts.blogspot.com/.

Start making your lists and checking them twice, because in just 100 days it will all be over and we'll be wishing that this time hadn't gone by so fast!

Getting Back on Track

As the Christmas vacation comes to a close and the house is "deChristmastized", I am eager to get back to a regular routine, regular food, and regular sleep. I got a new planner for the new year that is called a Busy Mom's Pad. Each day is a tear-off sheet that has a quote, a new word for the day, notable events from history on that day and famous people's birthdays. Then it has space for a To Do list for that day. So far, 3 days in, I have been LOVING it! I have everything written down that I need to accomplish tomorrow. Little things like phone calls I need to make and big things like planning the food for Reagan's birthday party on Saturday. So, as the new year begins I am hoping to stay on task and look forward to checking things off of my list every day!

One way I stay on task each and every morning is laying the kids' clothes out the night before. This is such a HUGE help. I don't have to leave what I am doing to go and pick out clothes, they can get up and have the responsibility of getting dressed on their own, and there are no clothing choice struggles. This can also work for adults. If your clothes are layed out before you go to bed, there is no struggle in the morning for you either!

May you have a productive first work week of the New Year!