What I'm working on...

Last week I was babysitting Niki's kidlets while she was still in school.  So while the kiddos were playing away I was hard at work!

First on the list is finishing up a customized life planner for Courtney, a winner of a giveaway that we recently sponsored on another blog. It's adorable! And while making Courtney's planner I decided that our life planner could use a little update for the next year too. So I made up a list of ideas that I'm toying around with.

We are also thinking about updating a few of the "sets" in the shop. We are thinking the budget documents first. So we are doing a little planning and figuring out what has worked best for us and adjusting them accordingly. And maybe some fun new colors and layouts too??

What changes or updates would you like to see? Any new documents we should create? Something we should add or change on our life planner??

Getting April in order

The beginning of a new month means getting all of our lives in order. Shannon showed you how she gets a new month started in March, so now I am showing you our craziness. She has 3 jobs, I have 3 kids, so our planning looks a bit different.
I have my AMAZING life planner that Shannon designed for me. We took a ton of inspiration from the web and she made it fit my life! I love it and use it daily. I always say, steal my purse, leave my planner.

I start every day checking out my planner. I double triple check it on Sunday nights so I know what is going on for the week.

My planner has our meal planner built in. It is the boxes at the bottom of each of the days. I just could not maintain two different planner for meal planning, and I do ours by the week. So on Sunday night when we are planning for the week, Tim and I meal plan. Easy meals for days he works late, the kids have practice, that kind of thing, bigger meals on weekends so we can have leftovers for lunches. We also get input from the kids. What have they been craving? If they help create the meal plan and the meal, they are more likely to eat it!

I also make a monthly calendar for Tim. He has no need for daily plans. He does want to know what all we have planned, dance, ball practice, concerts, fun stuff like that. So I started making him a beautiful monthly calendar. He doesn't care that it is beautiful, but I sure do. :)

I also have a work-out calendar. This has not been working well. I am "training" for a 5K but I haven't ran in weeks. Boo. This month Shannon created a Bikini Body Challenge for us. So I printed that bad boy out. I am going to do my best, but I make no promises. I need to focus on my running, but I'm going to try to fit this guy in too! The best thing is it can all be done at home, with no equipment. She also snuck in a shower challenge, which I already forgot to do. So, I will get it in before bed.

Finally I have a blog planner. It really deserves a whole post, but for now you get a snap shot. I usually post Tuesday and Thursday, Shannon usually posts Monday and Wednesday and Friday is always High Five for Friday! I also have tons of fun planning pages. I use them to plan out things I want to blog about, then I decide when I can get them done, photographed and blogged about. Right now, I have little idea about when things are going, but lots of ideas.

Just for fun, I thought I would throw out the Bikini Body Challenge and an Awesome April Arms challenge as freebies. There is still plenty of time for you to catch up!

What does your beginning of the month or week planning look like? Are you more like Shannon balancing work schedules, or like me balancing kids schedules?

chemo brain

If you have been following our little blog for a while now, you already know that my sister-Niki (I'm Shannon) was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma on December 21, 2011. ((a little over a year ago!)) We then had the craziest year! Niki started {and finished} radiation and chemo therapy- yep, both in under a year. wow. She currently has good blood work and scans, but has not been given the "cancer free" all clear yet, but we are thankful for her current good health and keep our fingers crossed everyday.
 Anyway the moral of the post....one of the things that a lot of people talked about was "chemo brain". We are now serious believers. And I think I caught it too...maybe it rubbed off from her or the cancer center? Basically they say that you are just super forgetful and well for lack of a more intelligent word, spaztastic. okay, maybe that was a made up word. Either way, chemo brain is totally a real thing.

And so because of our collective chemo brain, we require a lot of to do lists and notes, and more lists, and checklists, and planners, and reminders....you get the idea. We're quite the situation. Presently I am carrying two planners around with me, and have been for a few weeks now. I know, real cool.

To demonstrate the severity of the situation, please enjoy these photos:

It is totally okay to obsessively plan your menu based on what is in the sale ads :) And then come home only to realize that you need an advanced degree to be crafty enough to fit everything into your tiny apartment freezer.

I have a weekly cleaning checklist- (like this one)

 And an overall cleaning checklist like this:

They are both stored in the home maintenance section of my home management binder but are referenced daily to keep me on track!

I also have a full page running to do list that I don't actually use that often now that I made these little cuties to keep with my planner.

It matches the theme of our new home management binder documents, but the bright theme works well with my bright yellow planner. I am in to lots of bright colors lately.

We have also been known to keep an arsenal of different sizes, shapes, and colors of post it notes.

Since Niki has little kidlets, she also gets to have special kid to do lists- I made these little cuties for her. They are just stuck to her fridge with magnets. easy peasy.

You may also notice that they match the new home management binder theme. That was not an accident. I planned that beauty. They will match the home management binder that Niki WILL be making. She is forced, but I know she will love it, so it's okay.

And since it also happens to be the beginning of the month, that means it's time to fill out all your calendars, planners, lists, etc. It makes me almost giddy. And because of the new year, it means a new wall calendar! woo-hoo! I made wall calendars for myself, my sister, and our mom this year. I think I did okay for my first time.

 A new calendar for my desk at school--

A brand new 2013 planner- I made a few changes from the one I made part way through last year, but it is essentially the same.  I have already found wonderful inspiration for next years- almost kicking myself for being so prompt and having mine done before I saw some of these other wonderful planners.

Jot down a few goals for the week--

Make plans and notes for the week---

In other completely unrelated news...this little cutie got added to my desk at school after Christmas (a gift from my mommy) I have never had a desk at work to display photos on, so why not go digital and have a ton of photos in one small space :)

And for you, in celebration of Niki's 1 year cancer anniversary: a bright shiny new to do list :)

  Just click the image to download your FREE copy from Dropbox. This download will be available for a limited time only, so grab yours today!

Have a great weekend everyone!

bills.

Paying bills.
It seems like a simple enough task right? You open the bill, read the amount, maybe shed a tear or two, and write the check. simple.  But as I was paying bills this week, some how I ended up with this disaster:

from left to right: home management binder, checkbook, bills, bills, planner, student loan folders 

checkbook register & checkbook, stack of bills

bills, planner, student loan folders

jam-packed june calendar

Does this happen to anyone else?? I mean really, I can't be the only one that spreads their crap very important bill paying  accouterments  {thats my like most favorite word ever!} all over the place, right?? Maybe some of you super cool people out there get a table or a desk to do this kind of things on? Perhaps some day in the future I will be that cool too.


Is that the life planner you ask?? Why yes it is! Here is a peak inside the trial version! I am soo loving it! Tickled Pink in fact! Here are the snapshots:

the front cover (apparently  I am a chargers fan by association?)

the back. perhaps I will think of something genius to put here?

the "if found" page

special dates (please ignore the whited out names)

year at a glance

monthly calendar- each month has a different color theme

 yep, boyfriend's little sister leaves for basic training…Missouri, who would want to go there?

weekly pages…the color theme matches the month.


So what do you think? does anyone else love it? and want one?? I think a giveaway is in order. A free life planner to one lucky reader with a custom cover of their choice. 

THE NEW LIFE PLANNER

The 2012-2013 Life Planners are {almost} ready!! 

Here are a few examples of the covers we have:

The front covers will be printed on cardstock and laminated for durability. 

We plan to add a pocket inside the front and back cover.

In the front of the planner we will have a two year at a glance calendar.

Followed by a place to list all of your special dates {birthday, anniversaries, etc}

Each month, has a full calendar with a notes page.

Each month has a different color scheme. 

In this planner I combined my goals and to do lists into my weekly calendar. This leaves me with only one place to look. much more efficient.  Each day is divided into morning, day, and night. 

Prices of our new planner have yet to be determined, but we will be offering one for free to one lucky reader soon! 

Check back soon for the giveaway!

my life planner

My sister and I have both struggled for years with finding a store bought planner that we love and that really works for us. We may even be guilty of switching planners mid year out of frustration. But finding that perfect planner that really works for you is a must! Especially when, last year we had  lives  that involves two jobs, full time college classes, and student teaching or three kids (all under 7), full time college classes, and a house in the remodel process.  This year I've just got two jobs, one full time and one part time, online coaching classes, junior class sponsor (prom coordinator), and coaching middle school softball. So I decided I was going to make my own planner, I was fed up with lame store bought ones.
I came up with this:

My 2012 life planner. 

I put it in one of those durable binders from staples. I think it was around $6.00.

I made the cover in word, with one of my favorite fonts, smiley monster.

This is what it looks like when you open it up:

On the left is a clear pocket that holds my "perpetual to-do list", courtesy of the nest effect.

And a clear pocket, also from staples. There are usually unpaid bills here when I receive them. They are filed as soon as they are paid.

I decided on my categories {time management, goals, meal planning, and notes}

First is time management.

 The first page of each month is an appointment calendar, followed by a birthday calendar

I got these off a blog last year, but I have no idea where now, sorry.

 Next is a monthly calendar. There's not much that gets written on here, I mostly use it for reference.

Next are the weekly pages:

By the end of the week, these pages are filled with scribbles, lists and checkmarks.

  The next section is goals:

I have not used this section as much as I thought I would. I've found it too hard to keep things in different places. I think I will exclude this section from my next planner.

 Next is meal planning:

 This section gets used quite a bit, but not as much as it should.

On the back side of my meal plan is a grocery list for the week. If I have things planned, which does not always happen, then I can get the extra things I need for meals for the week. 

The last section of my planner is notes:

These pages are just blank for scratching down whatever I need to.

In the back is another folder, just for extra odds and ends.

But, alas, this planner has not been as wonderful as I expected it to be. [very sad face]

So I have pulled inspiration from all of the internet and am creating another! Hopefully new and improved! It will be available in our etsy shop as soon as it is finished!

I am feverishly trying to finish up the layout and Niki is hard at work on some beautiful covers.

Stay tuned for a sneak peak at our NEW AND IMPROVED LIFE PLANNER!