saving, giving, LIVING abundantly
My girls are home today from school (it's -7 degrees out here ~ crazy!) so I thought I'd share a peek at what we've been up to today!
1. I tidied up this space on Facebook Live underneath my bathroom sink (yikes.)
Before . . .
After (success!)
After I finished up Facebook Live the girls help me go through all of my extra supplies, and here's what headed out to be donated or went to the trash today . . .
I worked for a few hours, then we headed to our favorite new local soup and sandwich shop (we've decided it's going to be our favorite “day-off-of-school-why-not-go place”), and stopped on the way back home for some fun desserts too.
(In case you're wondering ~ that is a BANANA CREAM CHEESE CINNAMON ROLL ON THE BOTTOM. I can't even.)
I of course was wearing my fun new Valentine Day tee underneath exactly 12 coats ~ and you can snag one too if you'd like (see more HERE.) If you're interested, use the code PPP30 to save 30% off EVERYthing at Peach Marketplace ~ I love that shop and their shirts fit so well and are super cozy too!
I hope you've done something fun today too ~ praying a beautiful day for you!
I'm a wee bit excited about 30 minutes well spent this week! It may not look all that awesome, but it’s a tiny miracle around here.
** UPDATE: The NEW 2020 Home Management Planner (Checklists) are almost here!! If you'd like more information on those, hop over HERE **
With all the fun we've had talking about the 2019 Home Checklists, I've been super motivated to keep up with our home and I'm loving feeling more organized. I also watched some of the KonMari show on Netflix after hearing a few friend's mention it (I've read parts of the book before), and decided to try her magic folding method out too. (So far so good ~ I'll let you know how it goes!)
My daughter Reagan’s drawers are always a MESS. My other kids are pretty great little organizers and minimalists by nature… this girl is NOT.
So when I realized school was cancelled due to frozen roads on Wednesday (and I didn’t want to see her watching TV or on her iPod all day), I grabbed her before I sat down to work to get this marked off our list.
BEFORE . . .
DURING . . .
AFTER . . .
It’s not perfect, but OH MY GOODNESS ~ it is BETTER.
(Even she said “wow. My drawers are so much easier to open now!”)
I've been putting off this job for months, but I’m so glad I decided to re-arrange my schedule since we could both work on it together for a bit!
(She now has ROOM IN TWO DRAWERS which is craziness to me!) 
🙂
We even pulled together a donation box and got rid of everything that didn't fit.
If you have an overwhelming corner of your home, see if you can carve out just 30 minutes today. Set your timer, get to work, and see what you can get done in just a short amount of time.
It feels AMAZING and was the best thing I’ve done for myself this year (besides cleaning out our pantry, eek!).
Note from Laurie: I shared this over in the 2019 Ultimate Home Challenge Group (remember, that group closes down tomorrow night!) but thought it might be a blessing here too. If you'd like to join us, print your 2019 Home Checklists right over HERE before the pricing goes up tomorrow too. I *promise* this will be the best $12.95 you will spend in 2019 (the folks who've join us have just loved it so far ~ and I know this home organzing/cleaning/budgeting system will work for you too!)
IN CASE YOU FEEL LIKE EVERYONE ELSE'S HOME LOOKS FANCIER THAN YOURS HERE…
Do you see what's missing in almost all of these pictures?
****Furniture.****
I wanted to share this, because this is our first little home starting way back in 1997 when I was just 21 and James was 25.
We had a *ton* of student loan debt and were trying to live on one income (I never made more than minimum wage), and I remember being the happiest girl ever sitting on the back stoop the first day we drove up ~ brown paneled walls, brown carpet, brown linoleum and everything.
WE PAINTED EVERYTHING (EVERYTHING) WE COULD POSSIBLY SLAP PAINT ON WHITE. 🙂 Our next house was worse than this one, so for the first 7 years of our marriage we pretty much lived covered in white paint.
We lived without any furniture for 3 years, and it really wasn't until our current house that we've spent money on furniture at all. (See the ladder in the Christmas tree pic? That's because someone gave us Christmas decorations but we didn't have anything to put it on! The following year for Christmas when I opened my ski coat we had wallpapered the dining room but still couldn't afford furniture ~ until we got the dining room set James's grandparents had. We just sold that a month ago after waiting 23 years to buy our own!)
I'm on the floor with the dog bc the only couch we had was pretty awful, and I refused to let James put it in the family room because I knew then we'd get content and never fight for a decent couch 🙂 (I was seriously the worst wife. Bless that poor boy. We eventually got the plaid couch for $300 and I remember feeling like the richest girl on earth just staring at my beautiful stuff!)
Here's the thing. We LOVED what God had blessed us with. We cared for it. We didn't spend oodles on anything. (Most of the paint was even from the mismatched paint section, and those paneled walls took exactly 7 coats to cover. YIKES!)
And do you know what? That girl back then was no more or less valuable than the girl who sits on real furniture in a little bit nicer home today.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE – take pride in the home you've been given *exactly* the way it is.
Clear off the countertops.
Go to Goodwill and find a new to you piece of decor to fill up a space (you'll be amazed at what you can find if you happen in on the right day!)
Grab some paint in the mismatched bin and fluff up a cabinet with some fresh paint. (Hint: use KILZ PRIMER first – or chalk paint is AWESOME and super cheap at Walmart!)
DO NOT FEEL LIKE ANYONE ELSE IS EVEN ONE SINGLE OUNCE BETTER THAN YOU if their kitchen is cuter than yours. James and I were just as awesome back then as we are now, 🙂 no matter what our home looked like (and honestly, those were the sweetest days!)
And the truth? You (and your exactly-perfect-for-you-right-now home) are crazy awesome today too.
I pray this weekend gives you some time to love on your space a wee bit ~ I'm cheering for you!
Day 2: Dinner, sinks, laundry & vacuuming
Day 3: Struggling today? This is just for you
Day 4: Bathrooms, TP stock up & dinner done too
Day 5 & 6: Electronic screens, cleaning up the paperwork, fluffing and more!
(Don't have a printer but really want the list? Go HERE to learn how to print these lists at home without spending too much.)
The paperwork (this is the “junk area” of our kitchen where stuff winds up all week . . . and apparently longer because I found this coupon for free Skittles that I requested back in November and totally sadly forgot to redeem!) 🙁
Getting a few items mailed that have been waiting for weeks (I am the worst at mailing things ~ for whatever reason it makes me crazy!)
(All tidied up!)
Dinner . . .
Cleaning all the electronic screens . . .
And checking the daily things off my list!
I also fluffed up my office a bit (my sweet husband sent me flowers. Not gonna lie ~ it's been a bit of an exhausting weekend at our house so these totally made my day ~ my favorite flower has always been tulips!)
I also really really love the private PPP Home Checklist Facebook group ~ if you've been on the fence about joining us and printing your own 2019 Home Checklist, I promise these sweet ladies will make it worth every penny. (Truly, it will be the best $12.95 you spend in all of 2019!)
If you missed my FB Live you can watch it HERE.
And, if you missed it, in the craziness of this week I didn't get to add in Day 5, but here's a peek at me tackling my favorite chore of the week yesterday!
If you missed yesterday's FB Live you can watch it HERE.
Here's a peek at what we tackled today in the Ultimate Home Checklist Challenge today ~ I seriously am loving this list! (Don't have a printer but really want the list? Go HERE to learn how to print these lists at home without spending too much.)
I also really really love the private PPP Home Checklist Facebook group ~ if you've been on the fence about joining us and printing your own 2019 Home Checklist, I promise these sweet ladies will make it worth every penny. (Truly, it will be the best $12.95 you spend in all of 2019!)
Here's what I finished up today . . .
Go HERE to print your checklists and join our 2019 Home Checklist Private Facebook Group too ~ I promise you will love this!
(Also, this is just a random pick of a new pillow and some of my other decor I shared over on my Instagram story today – if you're on Instagram, I'd sure love for you to follow me there)!
If you missed my FB Live you can watch it HERE.
Hello homemakers!!! If you're here – that means you just snagged the Ultimate Home Checklist PDF and you're ready for ACTION!
But first, you need to print out all 78 glorious, organized, checklisty pages 🙂 If you have a printer, it's easy peasy. Just print out your pages, stick them in a binder, add some pretty stickers or tabs to fluff it up – and you're ready to roll!
If you don't have a printer – there are a few options available that we recommend to order:
1 . Head over to the Office Depot Printing Center
2 . Click to upload your file, and locate the PDF file on your device (Most likely it will be in your downloads folder!) Once you've chosen the PDF file, click the UPLOAD button to begin.
3 . Adjust the settings to make it as cheap as possible! (See the image above) You'll want to pick Black & White, Single-Sided, Landscape, and Collated. If you want it to be ready to load into your binder at home – you can click the Finishing tab and choose 3-Hole punch for an extra $3.99.
4 . Add to cart and choose store pickup if possible – your price should be only $7.02 + Tax!
TIP: Keep an eye out for a popup while you're on the Office Depot site offering a 20% OFF code for new email subscribers. That will drop your price to as low as $5.62 🙂 The popup looks like this:
If you decide to treat yourself to color copies that are spiral bound – you can get 30% OFF your order with code 56785486, dropping the price to about $23 🙂
1 . Head over to Staples Copy/Print Center
2 . At the top left corner of the box, click ADD FILES. Next click Upload Files and find the Ultimate Home Checklist PDF on your device (Will most likely be located in your downloads folder) After it shows that the upload has completed, click DONE.
3 . Choose the settings to keep the price down, as in the screenshot above. Black & White, Single-Sided, Landscape, Collated.
4 . Choose FREE Store Pickup to avoid shipping costs. Total cost should be $10.92 + Tax.
Trouble Shooting:
It's possible you'll be asked for a photo release – since this is a copyrighted work. We are working on that! In the meantime, we recommend showing the cashier your email receipt proving you purchased this planner 🙂
As a last resort – you can go to your local library to print out this pdf as well. My library charges 10¢ per sheet.
Growing up my mom worked full time as a single mom, in addition to caring for myself, my three brothers, and our aging grandmother.
On Saturday mornings she often worked, and at a very young age I started making Saturday morning chore charts (way before Pinterest-ed chore charts even existed), for myself and my brothers to tackle each Saturday.
(You can bet they thought I was super awesome as I handed them their lists.)
(*Ahem.*)
I don't remember the lists perfectly, but here's what I do remember always made the list:
It would be easy to be super impressed with this 9, 10, 11 and 12+ year old girl who hopped up pretty eagerly on Saturday mornings to start tidying up the house, but the truth is, I simply have always loved a list.
I was also pretty overweight from a very young age (more on that here), didn't have oodles of friends or family connections, and was just a pretty awkward-lonely-not-at-all-confident kid.
So for me, cleaning on Saturday mornings and checking off a tidy list let me at least feel accomplished that day.
(Because of family I won't share too much, but they were just difficult years.)
However I'm thinking God used that season of so many sad days to secretly prepare me for exactly today.
And I believe He does that for each one of us, every step of the way.
I don't care if you join me for a little home organization in 2019.
I don't care if you ever load your dishwasher, ever wipe down your kitchen sink, or if you leave that kitchen sink filled to the brim with 82 plates of scraped-on-soaked-in-crud.
I truly don't care if you hop up to exercise, prep one single meal, or run one load of laundry today.
I want you to know that right-now-in-this-moment-today, whatever mess you're in, whatever sadness or hardship or just-not-so-awesome stuff you're walking through right now, God has a perfect exact purpose in what you're surviving today.
I promise.
And if He was watching out for me way back then (and could mold even this mess of a momma!), I have absolutely no doubt that He's right there hanging out with you too.
(And by the way . . . if you are looking for some motivation this year to tidy up those hidden spaces, get dinner made, work out a bit and enjoy a sparkly clean kitchen, I truly believe this list might just what you need today. Go HERE to print your checklists and join our 2019 Home Checklist Private Facebook Group too.)
If you missed my FB Live you can watch it HERE.
I have one sick kiddo home + had some kind of sad news this morning, and realized I can't control so many things in my life each day, but at least for the most part, I can control my home.
And feeling like it is under control just makes life on the tough days a wee bit easier to take.
This morning we cleaned the countertops (I'm leaving our “travel tree” up in the corner . . . I'm never quite ready to let Christmas go and it's all that's left of our Christmas decor!) . . .
Started dinner . . . (thanks to my Eat at Home Plans ~ I'm making the Stir Fry Broccoli Pork from our November Freezer Challenge ~ use the code NEW if you'd like to save 30% on Eat at Home menu plans right now! )
Did a little dusting and vacuuming . . .
And wiped up the bathroom sinks + finished the rest of my checklist too.
(Honestly? My favorite part was reading Ruth 2. I am loving having one chapter of the Bible to check through each day to manage and think I may actually stick with this one because there's just something about a checklist!) 🙂
If you missed my FB Live you can watch it HERE.
If you need some encouragement to tackle your home too, I'd sure love for you to join me!
Right now, get access to ALL THE ROTATING HOME CHECKLISTS FOR 2019 FOR JUST $12.95 (regularly $19.95) and join me.
YOU'LL ALSO GET ALL MY BUDGETING SPREADSHEETS + DAILY SCRIPTURE READING THROWN IN FOR FREE TOO.
And?
Craziness.
HERE ARE THE TWO OPTIONS YOU CAN GET TODAY ONLY AT THESE PRICES:
—->>> PDF PRINTABLE VERSION $12.95 TODAY ONLY (FOR YOU TO PRINT ONLY – WILL *NOT* BE SHIPPED ~ REGULARLY $19.95)
—->>> SPIRAL BOUND PRINTED VERSION $29.95 TODAY ONLY(SHIPPED TO YOU ~ REGULARLY $34.95 but we don't have many of these at all so order soon if you're interested in this one!) SOLD OUT
UPDATE: JANUARY 13th ~ the price goes up on the planner and the 2019 Home Checklist Private Facebook Group closes TONIGHT ~ order NOW IF YOU WANT TO JOIN ME!
Ahem.
Hint: Each week in the challenge is one BIG task (the pantry this week!) along with simpler daily tasks to manage each day. You can do that task any time in the week, I just wanted to get this one out of the way!
I have a mountain of excuses as to why it looks this way (um, three kids home from school, running a deal blog during the Christmas season, having a husband who kind of refuses to pare things down …. not to mention being a frugal girl who hates throwing things away.
But.
For. Real.
This is ridiculous.
Let me give you a closer peek.
But, my sweet Caroline and I set to work, and in a few hours (yes, hours) we completed the task
Whew.
Here's a peek.
2019 Ultimate Home Checklist Challenge
ALL OF THAT WAS SOMEHOW IN OUR PANTRY.
I. can't. even.
We'd picked up a few containers at Home Goods (which were pretty reasonable – between $5-$10 each . . . ), looked up “Pinterest Perfect Pantries”, and de-clutttered a ton.
Success.
While I'm pretty good at keeping up my home (the daily tasks are easy for me!) the BIG projects that just need to get tackled often get thrown aside because I'm just too busy.
I have a busy job, busy kids, and a busy life. The pantry simply isn't a priority. (Until we need dinner and can't find it. Yikes.)
Especially as a frugal girl (who's been pinching pennies her entire life!) I hate throwing things away out of fear that one day we won't be able to afford them. (Which is something I think all frugal folks struggle with!)
But keeping expired 2003 Jell-o (um, not kidding . . . ) clearly isn't a win for anyone.Which is why I decided I needed a doable strategy for both you and me, and we'll be tackling it all together in 2019.
(And in all honesty, most of the things on this list are things I've done in our own family for years. The pantry is just one I've always struggled with, partly because I can't keep my family on board. But remember, THIS IS THE YEAR OF THE PANTRY. 🙂 So I'm going to win this time.) 🙂 🙂 🙂
Are you ready to join me? Do you need some motivation too?
Today is the day.
Right now, get access to ALL THE ROTATING HOME CHECKLISTS FOR 2019 FOR JUST $23.95 (regularly $19.95) and join me.
—–>>>> Which makes each checklist just 19¢ per list. <<<<<—–
YOU'LL ALSO GET ALL MY BUDGETING SPREADSHEETS + DAILY SCRIPTURE READING THROWN IN FOR FREE TOO.
And?
Craziness.
And, if you'd prefer a real “printed” version of these lists mailed out to you in a perfect spiral binder, I have just a few of those available to ship. (OH MY GOODNESS. I just got mine and it is GORGEOUS if you don't want to fool with printing it. YOU WILL LOVE THIS and the quality is AMAZING!!!) We don't have many of these AT ALL because I wasn't sure if people would really want them, so if you'd like one, HURRY TO ORDER because they won't last!
HERE ARE THE TWO OPTIONS YOU CAN GET TODAY ONLY AT THESE PRICES:
—->>> PDF PRINTABLE VERSION $12.95 TODAY ONLY (FOR YOU TO PRINT ONLY – WILL *NOT* BE SHIPPED ~ REGULARLY $19.95)
—->>> SPIRAL BOUND PRINTED VERSION $29.95 TODAY ONLY(SHIPPED TO YOU ~ REGULARLY $34.95 but we don't have many of these at all so order soon if you're interested in this one!)
I'm so excited to start our 2019 Ultimate Home Challenge next week (January 7-11, 2019) to kick off our 2019 Ultimate Home Checklist!
In case you missed it, right now you can get our 2019 Ultimate Home Checklist for as little as $12.95, AND get access to the 2019 PPP Ultimate Home Private Facebook Group too.
I would so love for you to join me.
I'll be real honest and tell you I am BLOWN AWAY by how many folks have joined me and are excited about this little project too.
I've had the concept in the back of my head for a few years but never took time to figure out how to put it into a true workable plan until now.
So when I launched this product (PPP's first ever real product!) on Tuesday (a day earlier than scheduled because I just couldn't even wait to share it with you!), I never-ever-never dreamed we would sell out of the physical binders in under 18 hours.
(That's a mere 500 of the 1800 planners we ordered. I clearly had no idea what i was getting into.) 🙂
WHEW.
We've ordered one more batch to ship out next week (go HERE to order yours), and I will not be ordering another set after these sell out. (Because I just don't know that my hubby has it in him to ship them all past the ones we've already ordered!) However the PDF version will still be available even if the printed ones sell out ~ but will only be available at this discounted price for a for a few more days.
And while I can't even wait for you to get this in your hands (or print it at home!) I am even more ready to get my house back together after the Christmas craziness right along with you. (Having this checklist tool is just going to make everything a wee bit more fun!)
Honestly, by going through and checking off our Ultimate Home Checklist each day with you, my home just feels so much more in control.
I just love that and know you will too.
Here's how how our schedule should look next week:
I'd sure love for you to join me ~ head on over HERE to get your 2019 Ultimate Home Checklist and leave a comment to let me know if you're joining me ~ I love hearing from you!
TODAY ONLY, get access to ALL THE ROTATING HOME CHECKLISTS FOR 2019 FOR JUST $9.95 (regularly $19.95 ~ THE PRICE GOES UP IN LESS THAN 24 HOURS).
—–>>>> Which makes each checklist just 19¢ per list. <<<<<—–
PLUS YOU'LL GET ALL MY BUDGETING SPREADSHEETS + DAILY SCRIPTURE READING THROWN IN FOR FREE TOO.
And?
YOU'LL BE INCLUDED IN OUR PRIVATE FACEBOOK GROUP FOR 2019!
Craziness.
THE BEST PART?
THE FIRST 25 PEOPLE TO ORDER RIGHT NOW WILL RECEIVE A $10 AMAZON GIFT CARD FROM ME (I'll send you an email if you're one of the first 25, so HURRY because I've got a stack here all ready to send out and I'd sure love to send you one!)
You guys, I'm soooooo stinkin' excited to finally share this with you!!
As a work-from-home wife and mom to three busy kids, I’ve juggled family, business, housework, homework, menu planning, and working out for longer than I care to admit. And while I certainly haven’t perfected my schedule, I have found several strategies that have helped keep order in our home as well as made our space a (slightly?) more peaceful place to hang out.
Introducing: The Ultimate Home Checklist Planner
Do you dream of keeping a tidy home, creating order in your space getting dinner on the table and making time to exercise too?
Each day includes a short scripture reading, a few suggestions of daily home chores to make a priority, and weekly home tasks so that those daily projects get worked on throughout the year.
There are 2 different options if you are interested in the full-year of checklists, with budgeting worksheets. The printed spiral bound version which I will personally mail out to you! Or, you can get a PDF download and have it printed at your local Staples.
Either way, the information in both is the same. But, I do LOOOOOVE how the spiral bound planners came out (they're perfect!)
Head on over HERE to get yours ~ for a few days only you'll get the best prices on these and I know they'll help you care for your family and finances in 2019. I can't wait to get started ~ I'm cheering for you!
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