Make every day count with Motivated Moms

Now that I've settled into my own place again, I'm looking forward to using my 2013 Motivated Moms planner.

The last year of living with my mother was tough, and keeping up with the daily housekeeping activities was doubly difficult.  I didn't have time to sit down, write lists, or organize my time.  What I needed was a way to address each task in a simple, comprehensive, and effective way.  Motivated Moms does all that work for me.

This planner is a systematic method for tackling household chores one task at a time.

To be truthful, my working hours now are so random throughout the day, and with homeschool planning and activities, I simply don't have time or the energy to keep track of everything needing to get done.

I'm thrilled to leave it all up to Motivated Moms, and I'm positive every part of my home will get clean.

Here's just a sample of the 2013 planner.  (Click the image to enlarge.)

 As you can see, once a task is tackled I just check it off and move on.  And, did you notice the Weekly Bible Reading?  I love that!!

This is such a great planner for those who don't want to think about To-Do lists, chore or cleaning schedules, and/or housekeeping notebooks.  Trust me, I used to love my household binder, but it collected more dust than it was useful in my efforts of cleaning.

Here's some really great news, Motivated Moms offers the planner as a printable ebook or an iOS app that works on an Android, iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch. (Requires iOS 4.1 or higher.)

Below is an example of Motivated Moms half-sized printable planner for on the go moms who prefer it in writing.  It easily fits in your purse, and has an additional bonus section for keeping track of important appointments.

Go on over to Motivated Moms and get your planner.  Spend your time enjoying your home instead of planning the care of it.

Offering a helping hand in the decluttering process

We've made it almost a week decluttering our home 50 items at a time.  The struggle to let go of things boxed up for years, moved from one home to another, has been rewarding.

To be completely truthful, it's been easy to find more than 50 items each day, but my goal is to stick with a manageable amount so as not to overwhelm myself.  Being emotionally attached to all this clutter was my biggest fear in this process.  Thankfully the Lord has helped me persevere, and prayer has been a huge part of why I'm able to continue each day.

I'm also thankful to have found some items to bless others with.  Getting rid of things I don't need or want is a great way to fill a need for someone else.  Yes, there are a few treasures in all this chaos.

It's wonderful to have those who have stopped by my blog to share their own experiences with clutter.  I believe hoarding is a common issue that many of us have been too embarrassed or afraid to talk about.  This has been a humbling experience.  And to finally say I'm a hoarder, and not feel judged for it is emboldening.

No matter how small, or severe, a hoarding issue the first step is to admit it.  Here is another link for help in decluttering:  What if you had to move?  (Tee hee hee, I've been there done that.)

photo credit: h.koppdelaney

Hip Homeschool Moms Declutter

Setting a good example for our children is a required parental skill whether you homeschool or not.  I heard last week that hoarding habits are passed down to the next generation.  Of course some think there is a genetic correlation, but I'm not so sure I agree with that.  Two of my sisters have no issue with hoarding.  Unfortunately I do.  Is it because of my genes or just from habit?

Anyway, today 50 more items are making their way out of our home again, and I have asked my son to work with me to accomplish this goal.  I have seen how attached he becomes to broken toys, clothes he's outgrown, and movies he no longer watches.  It's frustrating and heart-breaking to hear him whine about letting something go.  Working with my son is a wonderful way to pass on good habits.

Going through this process together is not only making us feel more responsible for our surroundings, but is strengthening my son's skills in organizing.  It's imperative he learns the valuable lesson of not making attachments to physical belongings.  I don't want my son to struggle with a hoarding issue when he is older.

Homeschooling can take place in everything we do.  Even daily chores and home upkeep.

I'm linking up today:

Stop comparing!!!

Could it have been written any better than this?

I am a perfectionist.  Proof of that is all my "stuff" packed in boxes stacked nice and neatly in my living room.  I realize that my recent move could explain the boxes, but I have lived the majority of my life with boxes stacked in one room or another.

This is day three of removing 50 or more items of clutter from my home.  Now I want to make my home sing.  How am I doing?  Hmmm, pretty good, but I will admit it's been difficult.  The best tip I've heard this week is touch something only once, make a decision, and stick with it.  This is making the process go slower for me because making the decision to get rid of something is like pulling teeth.

I'm forced to make the hard choices now.  Then as soon as I've filled a box for Goodwill or a bag for the dumpster, removing it from my home immediately is the key.  The sooner I have it out of sight and mind the better off I am.

I have made excuses for some time about my hoarding like:  "My mess isn't like those on the popular television program." or "You should see my friend or neighbors home." or  "Many others have the same problem, so what's the big deal?"

The bottom line is we may see similarities in each other or feel our problem is not as bad as others, but we're ignoring the real issue.  Comparing our messes and/or lives is not God's best.  He wants more for us and from us.

Here are some more great tips on eliminating and organizing that I have found helpful.


Today I'm linking up at:

My trash is nobody's treasure!

Sometimes the hard decisions just need to be made.  Now that I've admitted to having a problem of letting things go, it is much easier to see them for what they are ~ TRASH.

I've tried Flylady.com, read all the organizing websites and blogs I could to get a handle on my situation, but nothing has helped me overcome the real problem.  While talking with one of my sisters I realized mentally and emotionally there is something in me that just doesn't want to let go of the "stuff".  So, how do I overcome this?

Some people don't understand why someone like me can't throw away or get rid of all the junk.  They ask questions like, "Why do you need this or that?"  It is not a matter of needing or wanting something, it is a matter of attachment.  For me, it seems to be more like, "It's mine and nothing you say will make me let it go."  I must want to let it go.

One thing I've found has worked for me in the past few days is to have a vision of how I want a room to look.  Every time my focus is pulled away from that vision it is harder to throw things away.  If you are able to find a picture from a magazine or a book of how you want the room to look, hang it in a prominent area while you are cleaning.  Here is a picture I have been using:

I tried to find photos that represented a more realistic view of my apartment.  The living room is a little unrealistic in size, but the colors and homey feel is what I was looking for.  I'm obviously not a minimalist, but that doesn't mean I want cluttered.

My son and I started today to rid our home of 50 things, and we'll continue this process every day until we reach our goal.

How do you make decisions on what stays and what goes in your home?

Hiding behind closed doors and windows

I have a confession.  I am a hoarder.  As embarrassing as it is to admit this, it is also very liberating to actually own up to a major flaw in my character.  I've made every attempt to go through boxes and get rid of as much unwanted and/or unneeded items as possible.  I've purged and purged some more.

There have been so many trips to the Goodwill they probably think I have storage sheds full of junk to bring them.  I've been filling the dumpster to the point of having my apartment manager tell me to only dump on certain days so other residents would have room for their trash.

I thank the Lord everyday this is not my house....

I could never put up with this kind of chaos.  But having everything "organized" in boxes neatly stacked almost to the ceiling in my living room has made me realize we cannot live this way either.  Something has to give.

While surfing the internet I visited Sharla at The Chaos and the Clutter.  I was moved by her honesty about a problem we have in common.  Knowing what we have, chaos and clutter, and knowing what we want, clean and organized, doesn't make getting results any easier.  But neither Sharla, nor I are going to let this deter us from what we know God also wants for us, happiness and fulfillment.

For as long as it takes I am going to purge, throw away, give away, clean, and organize until I reclaim my home.

Garden Maintenance

 You have your seeds or seedlings planted, but now those pesky weeds and bugs are making a home in your garden.  Here are a couple of videos to help you maintain your beautiful garden.  Note: The staking and dead heading tips in the first video can be used in your vegetable garden

Do you have any homemade alternatives for pest control?  Share them below.

Shopping at a Famers Market

 Here's a how-to on Farmers Markets.

If you do have a green thumb you can make some money at a Farmers Market.  Another reason to get those seeds planted this spring.

Don't have room for a large garden?

Have you heard about square foot gardening?

You can have an upside down garden.

Are you ready for spring gardening?

When to start planting

Here’s a summary of which crops to plant early, and which ones not to plant until after your last spring frost date:

Very early spring (as soon as the ground can be worked)

• Onions
• peas
• spinach

Early spring

• lettuce
• beets
• carrots
• radishes
• dill
• cilantro
• cabbage
• broccoli
• celery
• kale
• potatoes

After last frost date

• beans
• corn
• melons
• cucumbers
• squash
• tomatoes
• peppers
• pumpkins
• eggplant
• basil

Do you have any tried and true gardening tips?

Have any links that helped you achieve the ideal lawn or garden?

Have you posted about your Spring gardening?

Are you ready for Spring gardening?

I love the feel of dirt on my hands.  The smell of it, and of course the sight of all the earthworms doing there job to add nutrients back into the soil.  Buying soil and nutrients to add before you can begin planting has become so expensive.  Here is a wonderful video about how to make your own compost bin.  No buying worms or expensive equipment.

Do you have any tried and true gardening tips?

Have any links that helped you achieve the ideal lawn or garden?

Have you posted about your Spring gardening?

Project Paper! Tackling those paper piles

I adore Jen @ {iheartorganizing}.  (Ok really, who doesn't?)  Anyway, I've picked up so many wonderful ideas from her in organizing and making my home more functional in a beautiful way.  And you all know that I can't help myself when it comes to sharing a great idea.

Jen has a January Challenge that targets one of my biggest issues.  Project Paper!  Have I mentioned that I'm a paper piler?  I have piles of paper here, there, and everywhere.  It drives my son nuts because he never knows when there will be an avalanche, and if he'll be lost forever under it.

I've tried to figure out on many occasions why I do this - to no avail.  And I always plan to get to those piles to sort, shred, and declutter, but there is always something more pressing to be done.  So, when I saw Jen's post I knew the time was right to address this issue. 

This challenge is perfect for my 2011 challenge also.  It will help me achieve my goal of removing three boxes of clutter/storage from my home, and RECLAIM my space and life this year.  What better way to get started than by joining Jen in her challenge.

If you would like to join too just click Jen's button at the top of this post.  Happy paper purging!

"She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness."  Proverbs 31:27