My *Tool* Box

I have a few things that I take with me in the house...if I am upstairs....it goes with me. If I am downstairs...it goes with me. Inside I keep things I use throughout the day....such as:

~ My Filofax Planner

~ Our Family Devotions/Catechism book 

~ Pens/Stickers

~ My Bible

~ Books I am currently reading

~ My weekly menu planner

~ Lotion

Previously, I carried all these things in a market tote like THIS one. That worked just fine but wasn't "ideal". Things weren't neatly separated and were just *in* there. It was okay...but when I saw this Neatnix Toolbox on sale at Zulily, I was super excited (it's a bit on the pricey side at amazon...but if you are interested, you may find it cheaper on ebay....or Zulily may still have some for sale!)! 

It is sturdy and easy to carry by the handle! I just love all the space it has!

There are all kinds of organizational pockets on the front...

...With two larger pockets on the back...

There are even pockets on the sides that (to my delight) fit my lotion perfectly!

How do you organize things you use constantly throughout the day? I used to keep things in different baskets over the years...but the weight of the items would wear on the basket over time and damage it. I am so glad to have found something that is perfect for the use I am giving it! 

My Favorite Pens

I have found the *best* pens to use with my planner! They are the FriXion erasable pens! They are absolutely fantastic...

They come in all these great colors...

 So I wrote this on a sticky note...

And with the other side of the pen, I erased it!!! Isn't that fantastic? The awesome colors and flow of a pen...and the ability to erase like a pencil!

These are definitely my favorite pens to use! I highly recommend them! You can find them HERE! What are your favorite pens to use with your planners?

Product Spotlight ~ Kiddy Qualia

If you love staying organized using planners, you will want to check out Kiddy Qualia on etsy! She has some super cute rainbow colored pages! I ordered some things from her for my Filofax Domino (personal size) and just loved how she had it packaged up and sent to me. She even included some fun little stickers and things!

I just love things in rainbow....aren't they so pretty? She has lined rainbow paper as well as graph, calendar and plain paper too!

Etsy has a lot of *great* planner items. If you do a search on there, you will come up with a ton of great accessories and organizational tools for your planner! Another place I have ordered from is KieleyCameron Designs. She has dividers and really cute planner charms (I have the bubblegum machine charm...I don't think she has any of those left though). Do you have some favorite planner-oriented Etsy sites? Please do share them! I also love to support small businesses, don't you?

This is *not* a sponsored or affiliate post.

 All opinions are my own.

 I genuinely just wanted to share this great shop with you all!

 Have a great rest of the week! 

Keeping Organized

Once you have systems in place for keeping yourself organized you must follow them! Having and using different products can make it fun and easy!

Previously, I was using the uncalendar system to do my planning. While I liked it, I had the large one and really wanted something that I could take with me. I purchased a spiral bound planner (day per page...my favorite way to plan).

I found the cover for my spiral bound planner HERE. I also have planners that have the loose-leaf papers in the binders. I love those...but I like to save my planners each year (I have a whole pile from years back) and I find the spiral bound ones to be compact and a lot nicer to save. I love planners/organizers/binders so I honestly use whatever I am in the mood for from year to year! 

Another product I find to be really useful and helpful in my homemaking is this Do.Delegate binder from Buttoned Up. You can find them HERE (They also have a ton of other great products there at fantastic prices!). 

On the inside I have begun listing some project goals/to-dos...

In the next section, it has perforated pages where you can ask for help with certain projects from your family and have it all written out so it is done correctly...

They even have carbon copies so you can remember who you delegated what task to!

And then there is my filofax (personal size) where I keep all my bill paying info. I am the one who takes care of that in my family and I like to have a system to make sure everything gets paid in a timely manner.

And, although this isn't *all* of the fun things I have to make planning fun, it is *some* of it....

Sticky notes, labels, decorative tapes and more....

Having the right tools to fit your organizing needs is very important...*but* it can come slowly. Don't spend money you don't really have to gather everything you want all at once. Getting well-organized with a system that works for you takes time...it's a continual process. I am always tweaking my systems...often you will see that in my posts! :)

How do you keep yourself organized?

*Note: None of the links in this post are affiliate or sponsored. All opinions are my own!

Planning our Homeschooling Days

I have been homeschooling my children for six years. I have tried various methods of keeping track of our days (as Pennsylvania law requires us to keep a running log of our accomplishments). I am a planner and always love a great organizer to keep our info in. I have tried the computer-run planning sites before but I prefer to write each day out (as tedious as it is for three children). I also prefer something pre-made, as printables don't work well for me (I end up spending a fortune on paper and ink with my less-than-awesome printer). 

In previous  years, I had used an already-dated calendar planner to write in our school day plans. I ran into problems with this when I already had things planned for a week and we needed to take a day off due to sickness or unexpected field trip. I would then have to erase and change all our plans. I really wanted something that I could track number of days and then write the date in as we did the work. 

After much looking, I was excited to find something I really liked and thought would work well for us....

I found the planner I loved at URtheMom. The worst part about them is that they were a bit pricey...especially when ordering one for each child. They have everything set up just as I wanted it...plus places to keep track of grades, goals and a folder in the back of the planner.

On each day we do our schoolwork, I write the date on the side...

This way, I can plan ahead as much as I want to without worrying about having to make changes due to missing a day or something changing along the way. In the *notes* section, I write in the dates of our homeschool co-op and what the children participate in on those days. I will add those to our required 180 days at the end of the year.

As you can see here, as we accomplish something from each subject, each day, I mark it with a little X...

I hope to maybe make my own planners for next year. I will have to crunch the numbers and figure out what is most cost-effective for us! For this year though, I am happy with how these planners work for us. If you want to purchase one too...you can find them HERE.

This post was in no way sponsored by URtheMom.com. They are just my personal opinions of what works for us! :)

Staying Organized with a Planner

I have always kept a planner...at least since high school. I always had to have things written down so I didn't forget to do it. I must be a visual learner! ;)

When you are the manager of your household (as I am) or maybe a business...sometimes one planner just isn't enough!

I have my *main* planner (which can be purchased HERE). I like the room it gives to write and there are lots of boxes to record other things on the opposite page. This planner keeps track of chores I want to accomplish each day, reminders of things to do in the week, appointments, errands to run, supper plans etc. This planner is large so it mostly stays at home...

In my personal sized filofax, I keep track of bill paying and my monthly schedule. This little baby travels with me to appointments, errands and anywhere I take my pocketbook. This way I can keep track of appointments without lugging my bigger planner around with me. (Yes, this means I have to double-write down appointments and things...but I don't mind.)...

As I had written in THIS post, I keep track of my bill paying by writing when bills are due in my planner (along with their amount). Days outlined in blue are things that are taken out of our account via direct deposit. Days highlighted in yellow are paydays. Here is November dates...but I don't have all of our bills written in yet (although it would be quite lovely if we only had this many, wouldn't it?)...

Here is our schedule in a *nutshell* for October. Notice it's just vague with times...just so when I need to make appointments at the dr or for something else, I have an idea of when we are free...

The top planner holds my checkbook, insurance cards, debit card etc (the bottom one does not have a function yet...but should soon!)...

Are you a planner? Or are you more like a free spirit? I am most definitely a *planner*...however, I am learning, by the grace of God, to ease up a bit. Being rigid is *not* an endearing quality. Being punctual, reliable and organized *are* good qualities....so I am trying to hold onto those while attempting to not be rigid.

If you are a planner, I would LOVE to hear how you plan! If you blog about it...share the link!

A Place to Begin

I am a wife, mother, homeschool teacher, housekeeper/organizer and finance-keeper of our home. I find it most enjoyable, beneficial, and profitable to keep my life as organized as possible. I keep a daily planner and have since high school. I can't imagine how anyone can keep their appointments, housework and commitments straight without writing them down (maybe everyone but me has an awesome memory!). Pictured above is my newest planner...this photo was taken soon after its purchase. Now, the days and boxes are loaded with information! I plan on doing a post on how to plan one day soon!

We are debt free (except our mortgage) and believe in staying that way. I want to help *you* get there as well. You don't have to have a lot of money...you just have to know what to do with the money you *do* have. You probably have more belongings than you even realize, as well. One way to truly know what you have is to dig it out of those piles and get it organized. There are so many ways to reuse things you already own...thus saving you money from making purchases you don't truly need.

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Organizing can fit your lifestyle as well. No matter what your decorating style...there is always a way to get things organized. One way I love to use a personal touch in my organizing is by using baskets. In my home, baskets hold towels, cloth napkins, crayons, magazines, yarn, incoming mail, dog bones, garbage and so much more! 

I am also a huge fan of binders. I love binders....in all shapes, colors and sizes! You'll soon see how I use them to organize lots of different areas of life! But more about that later...I hope you will find how keeping your home can be more simple than you ever imagined!