avatar by on June 15, 2011   •   45 Comments Organizing Your Home

Getting Organized for an Intentional Summer

Last year at this time, I was gearing up for a low-key, relaxing summer with my family, and my summer post here on Simple Mom was all about making summer memories at home.

This year, however, our summer is busier — with activities, trips, and plenty to do. I’ve been inspired by the summer bucket lists popping up all over the blogosphere as families are sharing their must-do activities for the season, so I’m looking forward to a fun and good-busy summer for our family.

Only you know which type of summer is better for your family. If you’re in the middle of a big transition (a new baby, new job, or moving), then low-key may be best. But maybe you’re feeling energized and adventurous, and you want to explore, go, and do this summer.

Neither approach is right or wrong, better or worse — the key is to be intentional with your plans.

Here are some ideas to help you organize and prepare for an intentional summer, so that you don’t look back and regret missed opportunities to make memories.

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avatar by on March 23, 2011   •   61 Comments Organizing Your Home

7 principles to simplify your family life

In Organized Simplicity, Tsh describes simple living as “living your life with a purpose that aligns with your values…being who you were made to be.”

I love this definition because it leaves room for each of us to make those decisions for our own family without feeling like we have to limit ourselves to 100 personal possessions or spend so many hours per week doing x, y or z.

That said, there are some principles that ring true for almost every family. How each of these looks for you may vary, but they all help simplify busy family life.
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avatar by on December 29, 2010   •   22 Comments Personal Growth You

The Value of Accountability for Achieving Your Goals

Written by organizing columnist Mandi Ehman of Organizing Your Way.

It’s that time of year, when most of us are reviewing the past year and anticipating what’s to come — full of goals and resolutions and hopes and dreams for the new year.

When I was in high school, I was involved in the youth group at our church, and one of the buzz phrases that was thrown around a lot was “accountability partner.” For everything from spiritual growth and purity to healthy eating and studying, the key to any change was having an accountability partner.

Looking back, that idea might have been a bit overplayed, but there are some very real benefits in choosing to be accountable to another person when setting and working toward a goal.

Benefits of Accountability

1. A Little Friendly Competition

If your “accountability partner” has set the same goal as you, a little bit of friendly competition can go a long way. Last year, some friends of ours both decided they wanted to lose weight. They created their own Biggest Loser competition, and the one who lost the highest percentage of weight at the end of 8 weeks was declared the winner. Knowing they were competing for a prize (even just the prize of being able to say “I won!”) helped them both stay on track and achieve their individual goals.

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avatar by on November 19, 2010   •   28 Comments Love Where You Live Your Home

Plan Your Peaceful Christmas: Maintaining Your Home During the Holidays

On Wednesday, Tsh talked about “guest-ifying” your home now, before the holidays are in full swing. Cleaning, decluttering and preparing for guests ahead of time is an important step, but once you clean and declutter, then what?

If you have young children, things probably won’t stay neat and tidy for very long on their own, and none of us want to spend the holiday season cleaning and organizing rather than baking, visiting friends and family and enjoying all that it has to offer!

I often get asked how we keep our home neat with four little ones. The key is that we literally clean up every single night before bed. We put things back where they belong, wipe down the counters and vacuum/mop any areas that need it. Because we do this as a family, it’s relatively painless and means that we wake up with a clean slate every day.

Here are some more tips to help you maintain your home and keep up with the household chores without sacrificing time with the people you love.

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avatar by on October 6, 2010   •   39 Comments Going Outside Your Family

Fall Projects for Your Home, Yard, Body & Mind

Fall is a season of celebration and goodness, full of apple picking, baking and enjoying the crisp autumn air.  Sometimes I forget that I should also be “storing up for winter” during all of the fun.

But the days are coming when it gets dark early and we spend most of our time cooped up indoors.  There are things we can do to prepare our homes, yards, bodies and minds for the winter season. Make your list now so that you can do a little bit at a time and still enjoy the changing leaves and seasonal fun.

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