Happy Homemaker Monday {3/14/2022}

Good evening everyone and welcome back to my blog. 

I hope every everyone had a wonderful weekend and are ready for the week ahead. 

It's almost 10:00pm and I am just now sitting down to write this post. Today, I have finished 3 loads of laundry ( the last load is in the dryer), cleaned the kitchen for the last time tonight (who loves a clean kitchen at night?), and I have finally picked up the living from a hard day of homeschooling and relaxing. I just hope my week will be as productive as this day has been.

Happy Monday and have a wonderful and productive week!

Happy Homemaker Monday 

The weather outside is:

Nice and seasonably warm with even warmer weather on the way

What we had for dinner tonight (instead of the breakfast plate):

Pasta bake

As I look out my window:

It's dark with a few clouds and  twinkling stars in the sky.

As I look around the house:

The living room needs to be picked up and then kitchen needs to be straightened and the last load of laundry needs to be folded and put away.

Currently reading:

The Locked Door by Freida McFadden

On the TV this week:

Right now I am watching Cobra Kai (season 4) Yellowstone (season 1) and rewatching 1883.

On the Menu this week: (I'm still figuring out the meal plan for this week)

Monday- Pasta bake

Tuesday- Taco Tuesday

Wednesday-

Thursday-

Friday- Pizza and breadsticks

Saturday- Potato soup with homemade bread

Sunday- Meatloaf mashed potatoes and veggies

Inspirational quotes: 

 

 

 

10 Daily Sanity Saving Habits For Moms

Hi Friends and welcome back to the blog. Today's post is all about daily sanity saving habits for moms. Now, some of these I took directly from my mom and some I figured out on my own. Either way all these habits are helpful in saving a mom's sanity.

So, let me share,

10 Daily Sanity Saving Habits for Moms

1. Have quiet time. For me, this is about an hour before my kids wake up. I sit and work on my bible study, answer emails, or just sit and enjoy the quiet.

2. Prepare the night before. What part of the morning is the most stressful for you? Take that one thing you dread and do a little prep for it the night before. Lay out the kids clothes, shower, prepare breakfast, do baths, or just preset the coffee pot. 

3. Do one load of laundry every day. This really helps in keeping "Mount Washmore" at bay. Just remember to fold and put away. Let's be honest, sometimes I forget that step. Don't we all?

4. Clean as you go. Giving yourself plenty of grace, clean up as you go. If you make dinner, wash those dishes right then. If you see a million crumbs under the high chair, grab a broom and do a two-second sweep.

5. Play with your kids. Slow down and enjoy your little people. Offer to play a game or build blocks. Do something that you know will bring a smile to their face.

6. Do one large chore. Knock out one of the bigger chores everyday. Clean a bathroom, vacuum the floors, organize a drawer,..etc.

7. Have kid clean up time. Instead of the house being a tornado throughout the entire day, choose a couple times a day for them to clean up their messes. A good schedule might be everyday before lunch and then again before bedtime.

8. Meal plan. Save yourself the stress of picking meals every few hours and plan them out. Not only will this be a time saver but a money saver as well.

9. Be thankful. There is always something to be thankful for. Let gratitude drive your attitude and actions throughout your day.

10. Have a regular bedtime for your kids. Kids love routine, even if they fight it sometimes. Make your routine as lengthy and as fun as you want, but get the munchkins to bed so you can recoup and have some quality time to yourself or with your spouse in the evenings.

What is an essential daily habit for you?

 

How To Make Time For Each Other (when life gets crazy)

It can be hard to make time for each other as life gets busier. You get married, have kids, buy a house, and things just add up. When you do have free time there are a million things to get done. But relationships have to come first. They have to be the foundation for everything else. 

I want to share how to make time for each other when the rest of life can get crazy.

How to Make Time for Each Other (when life gets crazy)

• Schedule it in: Some people need to schedule their workouts in so there is nothing wrong with scheduling in date nights or time together. We make it a point to put date nights or potential date nights on the calendar. We are far less likely to skip them or cancel them.
• Unplug: When you are spending time together, put the phones away. This is something we are constantly working on being better at. The social media will always be there.
• Do a project: Maybe you need to organize a closet, or paint a bedroom or something else around the house. Doing a project together is a great way to spend time as a couple.
• Take advantage of days off: My husband teaches psychology part time at a local University so hours a very flexible and I work for myself so I can take a day off whenever. 
• At home date nights: When you have kids, an at home date night is sometimes the best you can do. While we make going out on dates a priority it just doesn’t always work. We’ve had to cancel dates because the kids have been sick. So cooking a meal together, or even picking up take out is fun. We have done puzzles, watched movies, played games, or just talked.

These are just a few examples of how to make time for each other. I would love to know if you have anything you’d add?

 

Happy Homemaker Monday {3/7/2022}

Good evening everyone and welcome back to my blog. 

I hope every everyone had a wonderful weekend and are ready for the week ahead. 

It's 8:00pm and I am just now sitting down to write this post. Today, I have finished 3 loads of laundry ( the last is hanging to dry), cleaned the kitchen for the last time tonight (who loves a clean kitchen at night?), and I have finally picked up the living from a hard day of homeschooling and relaxing. I just hope my week will be as productive as this day has been.

Happy Monday and have a wonderful and productive week!

Happy Homemaker Monday 

The weather outside is:

Cold but more seasonable weather this week.

What we had for dinner tonight (instead of the breakfast plate):

Chicken, mac and cheese, and corn

As I look out my window:

It's dark with twinkling stars in the sky.

As I look around the house:

The living room needs to be picked up and then kitchen needs to be straightened and the last load of laundry needs to be folded and put away.

Currently reading:

If She Only Knew by Lisa Jackson

On the TV this week:

Right now I am watching Cobra Kai (season 4) Yellowstone (season 1) and rewatching 1883.

On the Menu this week: (I'm still figuring out the meal plan for this week)

Monday- Chicken, mac and cheese and corn

Tuesday- Taco Tuesday

Wednesday- Hamburger Stew with cornbread

Thursday-

Friday- Spaghetti and meatballs with salad and garlic bread

Saturday- Potato soup with homemade bread

Sunday- Meatloaf mashed potatoes and veggies

Inspirational quotes: 

 

 

 

 

March 2022 Goals

 Happy March everyone!! It's hard to believe that it's March already (where did the time go!) and that Spring is around the corner. Since I didn't share my February goals I wanted to make sure that I shared my goals for March.

March Goals

 

1. Read two books book (finish reading If You Knew Me by Lisa Jackson and start Animal Husbandry by Laura Zingman).

2. Drink 100oz of water daily.

3. Start using my habit tracker in my bullet journal every day.

4. Eat more fruits and veggies (I have been lagging on this and I really need to fix it).

5. Walk 6 days a week and strength train 3x per week.

6. Have at least two at home date nights with the Husband. 

7. Organize the girls' bedrooms (purge old toys and outgrown clothes).

 

8. Complete one bible study this month. 

9. Launch my printable shop on Etsy at the end of the month.

 

What are some of your March goals? Share them below!

 

Currently {2/5/2022}

  

 

Time and place: 10:06pm  and I am in the dining room, typing up this post.

  
Eating: Nothing at the moment, but I am thinking about my to do list for next week.

Drinking: A big glass of water (always)

Watching:  Pam and Tommy

 

 

Reading: If She Only Knew by Lisa Jackson. This was recommended on Prime Reading. So far, it's pretty good, but it's getting kind of creepy.

Loving: Being able to sit down after a long day of housework and taking care of my family and read my book for a little while.

Working: I just started designing a meal planner. I cannot wait to see how it turns out! I'm so excited for this new project. I am also working on a weekly planner insert that I am excited about and a note pad that I have been wanting to design for a while now. I am also working on a monthly/weekly planner. I can't wait to see how these turn out. We have also launched a weekly planner on Amazon. This is something that I have always wanted to do and it's always been my dream to have my own planner and now it has finally come true. 

 

 Here is the link in case anyone is interested:

 

Build Your Dreams Weekly Planner 

Listening to: the TV.

Buying: Groceries for the rest of the month and stocking up on certain items that are needed. I'm also looking at clothes and other household items that are needed.

Planning: I have most of my posts planned for the rest of February. I just have to write and schedule them. I am working on setting up some deadlines for my meal planner and other planners that I am working on. I am also working on some planner inserts. This should keep me busy for a while!

 

I'm trying to plan out a work schedule for the rest of the month. It's hard when we are homeschooling both girls this year. Hopefully I will figure one out soon.

I'm also working on next week's lesson plans for my 1st grader. 

I'm planning for my birthday, our Superbowl party and the girls' Valentines Day Party (at home).

Wondering: can I pull it off? How will I pull it off?

Feeling: tired, but happy, always.

 

 

 

My Winter Stay At Home Mom Morning Routine

 Hello Friends! Are you a morning person or a night person? Personally I'm more of a night owl, but I would love to be a morning person. One of my kids likes to wake up early which makes it difficult to wake up early. So I find I do my best at night. Today's post is all about my winter stay at home mom routine.

My Winter Stay At Home Mom Morning Routine 

 

My morning routine varies from day to day, but I try to stick with it as much as I can, and keep up with our usual tasks. There are plenty of times when our morning routine is chaotic and stressful, because life happens. I do what I can to keep everything running smoothly.

Even though I'm more of a night owl mom, our morning routine is very important since it keeps us  accountable and able to have more structure in our day. As much as I would love to lounge around all morning, sipping my tea, playing with my kids, or work on my blog, that' snot what our mornings look like.

I know that children thrive on routine. They like to know what's happening and what's about to happen, this is especially true for my 11 year old and my 6 year old. My kids like to know what to do and when to do it, I feel like this sets them up for success and starts their day on a positive note.

One of my biggest tips for mornings, whether you are a night owl or not, is to plan as much as you can the night before.My night time planning sessions include our meal plan, my to do list for the next day, tidy the house, lesson plans for the next day (we homeschool), anything to help our morning run smoothly.

Here's what my stay at home mom morning routine looks like on a normal day with things planned the night before. Keep in mind that life does happen and that sometimes our mornings are chaotic.

 7am: I wake up, grab a glass of water, have my quite time (bible study) and walk for 20 minutes. Then, I wash my face, brush my teeth, get dressed and start breakfast.

730am: The girls wake up and I finish breakfast and then wake up my husband. We eat breakfast together. Usually we eat eggs and toast, cereal, or smoothies.

8am: I clean the kitchen after breakfast, get the girls ready for the day, make the beds. Then, I start a load of laundry, fold the laundry from the night before, and vacuum the house> I wipe the counters in the bathrooms. Review lesson plans for the day.

9am to12pm: Homeschool with the girls. I work with our youngest and my husband works with our oldest, We have breaks in between subjects and then have lunch around 12pm.

This is what a typical morning looks like for us at least for now. Just when I think I have it down something changes. I have learned to embrace the chaos

What does your morning routine look like? Please share in the comments below.

5 Things I Do At Night To Set Up My Morning For Sucess

I am a creature of habit. I could easily eat the same thing for lunch every day (a tuna salad sandwich, Doritos, and grapes) and I would be completely satisfied.  In addition to being a creature of habit, I can get completely overwhelmed at the length of my to do list. Because of these two characteristics, I tend to rely on my routines. My routines tend to make me feel safe and they give me a sense of security. They also help me know what to do next so that I do not get overwhelmed. The routines that I follow are: my morning routine, my afternoon routine, and evening routine. I also have my Sunday routine or my GYST day routine.

However, my evening routine is the most important routine that I follow every night. Without my evening routine my mornings would be chaotic. Without my evening routine I would be lost and behind all day long.

So, here are........

5 Things I Do at Night to Set Up My Morning for Success

Clean the Kitchen. There is nothing that makes me feel behind in the morning than walking into a dirty kitchen.  Just taking a few minutes in the evening to do the dishes, clean the counters, and sweep the floor can make a world of difference in my attitude and my productivity.  I try to clean up right after supper each night and empty the drainer before I go to bed (I don't have a dishwasher).

Plan your day. This is an important one for me. I plan my day the night before so I don't forget an appointment or an activity that one of the kids has to go to. I even plan the most mundane things like laundry, brushing teeth every morning and every night.


Declutter the living spaces. I cannot go to bed with a messy house, it causes too much stress for me.  It's the one habit from my childhood that I cannot break.  I take 30 minutes to declutter the living room, the kids bedrooms, and to do a quick swipe in both bathrooms. It's alot less stressful (at least for me) to wake to a clean house then to wake up to a messy one. Am I right?


Read. I try to take the last hour or so before bed to read a chapter in the book that I am currently reading. This helps me to relax and actually helps me sleep better at night.


Go to bed early. Finally, I try to go to bed early every night. There are times that this just does not happen, but most nights I am in bed by 930pm.

What things do you do at night to have a successful morning. I would live to hear in the comments below!

Currently {1/22/2022}

  

 

Time and place: 10:32  and I am in the dining room, typing up this post.

  
Eating: Nothing at the moment, but I am thinking about my to do list for next week.

Drinking: A big glass of water (always)

Watching: Cobra Kai on Netflix

 

Reading: Unspoken. This was recommended on Prime Reading. So far, it's pretty good, but it's getting kind of creepy.

Loving: Being able to sit down after a long day of housework and taking care of my family and read my book for a little while/.

Working: I just started designing a meal planner. I cannot wait to see how it turns out! I'm so excited for this new project. I am also working on a weekly planner insert that I am excited about and a note pad that I have been wanting to design for a while now. I am also working on a monthly/weekly planner. I can't wait to see how these turn out. We have also launched a weekly planner on Amazon. This is something that I have always wanted to do and it's always been my dream to have my own planner and now it has finally come true. 

 

Here is the link in case anyone is interested:

 

Build Your Dreams Weekly Planner 

Listening to: the TV.

Buying: Groceries for the rest of the month and stocking up on certain items that are needed. I'm also looking at clothes and other household items that are needed. I am also shopping for science experiments.

Planning: I have most of my posts planned for the rest of November. I just have to write and schedule them. I am working on setting up some deadlines for my meal planner and other planners that I am working on. I am also working on some planner inserts. This should keep me busy for a while!

 

I'm trying to plan out a work schedule for the rest of the year. It's hard when we are homeschooling both girls this year. Hopefully I will figure one out soon.

I'm also working on next week's lesson plans for my 1st grader.

Wondering: can I pull it off? How will I pull it off?

Feeling: tired, but happy, always.

 

 

Meal Planning Tips and Strategies

I have been meal planning for years now and it has become my flight plan for the week. Sometimes I make a very detailed meal plan that includes breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks, and other times I just plan out a week of dinners. Honestly it depends on how busy we are during the week I am meal planning for.

Today, I will be discussing some tips and strategies for successful meal planning.

Meal Planning Tips and Strategies

Every week I try to accomplish the following:

• be flexible with meals 
• try to meal plan around your schedule (this is very important)
• leave at least one leftover night (depending on what I have made during the week I might have two or three leftover nights. It just depends.
• only plan/try one new recipe per week
• move unmade meals to the next week

When you are in a rut with your meal planning try the following strategies:

• take a week off and just use what you have on hand in your pantry or fridge 
• use cookbooks, pinterest, or you can even ask friends
• use an old meal plan
• use "theme' nights (these are my favorites) Monday-slow cooker, Tuesday- taco tuesday, Wednesday- leftovers, Thursday-slow cooker, Friday- pizza night, Saturday-Leftovers, Sunday-slow cooker.

When it comes to inspiration, I utilize the following:

• ask friends and family on facebook
• watch grocery hauls or what's for dinner videos on Youtube
• pinterest
• magazines
• use hashtags (#familymealplan #weeklymealplan #mealplan

What some tips and strategies that you use when meal planning? Please share in the comments below!

 

January 2022 Goals

Here we are in the second week of January! Yesterday I shared my goals for the new year, but tonight I am sharing just my goals for January. Hopefully this will inspire you to share some of your goals as well!

In January I want to....

Read at least 2 books
Practice Yoga 2 times a week
Work on Instagram growth
Have blog posts written through the month of February
Start planning A's birthday party
Have two at home date nights with the Husband
Drink more water
Track my food daily using My Fitness Pal
Walk at least 40 minutes 7 times a week
Eat healthier (more fruits and veggies)
Cut all sweets ( I have a major sweet tooth)

Have 2 or more movie nights with the girls

Do you do monthly or yearly goals? I would love to know some of your January 2022 goals?

 

2022 Goals

First, I want start off by wishing everyone a Happy New Year (11 days late)! I hope everyone had a safe and wonderful New Years. This year we decided to stay home, had some dinner, and played a few games. I cannot believe that it's 2022 and that it's also time to share my yearly goals. I plan to share my January 2022 goals this week.

 

 In 2022 I want to.....

• read at least 50 books
• have a successful year blogging
• set up a fitness plan  and stick to it
• eat healthier
• have at least 2 at home date nights with the Hubby
• have more family movie nights
• celebrate special and wacky holidays with the girls
  
• work on my meal plan
• launch my meal planner on Amazon
  
• launch my daily planner on Amazon
  

What are some of your goals for 2022?

 

Happy Homemaker Monday {1/10/2021}

Good evening everyone and welcome back to my blog. 

I hope every everyone had a wonderful weekend and are ready for the week ahead. 

It's 10:00pm and I am just now sitting down to write this post. Today, I have finished 3 loads of laundry ( the last is hanging to dry), cleaned the kitchen for the last time tonight (who loves a clean kitchen at night?), and I have finally picked up the living from a hard day of homeschooling and relaxing. I just hope my week will be as productive as this day has been.

Happy Monday and have a wonderful and productive week!

Happy Homemaker Monday 

The weather outside is:

Cold but more seasonable weather this week.

What we had for dinner tonight (instead of the breakfast plate):

Chicken with rice and veggies

As I look out my window:

It's dark with twinkling stars in the sky.

As I look around the house:

The living room needs to be picked up and then kitchen needs to be straightened and the last load of laundry needs to be folded and put away.

Currently reading:

If She Only Knew by Lisa Jackson

On the TV this week:

Right now I am watching Cobra Kai (season 4) Yellowstone (season 1) and 1883 (season 1 episode 4, and Ordinary Joe (season 1 episode 11)

On the Menu this week: (I'm still figuring out the meal plan for this week)

Monday- Chicken and rice with veggies

Tuesday- Taco Tuesday

Wednesday-

Thursday-

Friday- Pizza with cheesy breadsticks

Saturday- Potato soup with homemade bread

Sunday- Meatloaf mashed potatoes and veggies

Inspirational quotes: