Simplified organization for the new year
Does your new year need more organization? What about simplified organization? Now, notice I didn’t capitalize it – I don’t even necessarily mean my course. I’d like to explain what I mean when I say simplified organization, because I’ve received some comments and emails that make it clear there are many opinions about organization – and what “counts” as organization – out there. When I poke fun at labeled containers in closets, it’s not because it’s wrong or bad to … Read More
#074: Organize your attitude: a conversation with Virginia Lee
Welcome to a new year and a new plan for the Simply Convivial Audio blog – also known as the Simplified Organization and the Convivial Homeschool audio blogs. Last year I merged my two blogs into one and so it seems fitting that this year I merge the two podcasts into one. Every week a new audio blog post will publish on Mondays – no seasons, no themes, just another 10ish minute short but meaty focus session to help you … Read More
Three Surprising Reasons to Organize Your Life
How many attempts at organization have you attempted and abandoned? How many times have you failed at meeting your plans and expectations for getting organized? It’s easy to look back at what hasn’t worked and how many times our hopes and dreams and visions of organization have crashed and burned – how many times we’ve boomed, only to bust – and decide that it’s just not worth it. But it is worth it, and that’s why you keep getting drawn … Read More
Escapist Planning, and how to make plans that aren’t
You have done it. I know I have – and too often still do. Life is not going as planned, so we break out the notepad and start a new plan. The new plan is not a way to faithfully respond to our current reality, but rather a way to escape into a pretend future reality where our plans will work out. Turns out we ate all the fudge scraps while making a dessert plate. Clearly time to make a … Read More
For moms, SMART goals aren’t. Let’s make REAL goals.
SMART goals is a common thing you’ll see, especially this time of year, in business and productivity circles. SMART is an acronym describing the characteristics of goals that will, supposedly, work: specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, time-bound. The problem with SMART goals for moms is that we have less control over our situations and circumstances than we’d like to think. SMART goals assume that level of control we wish we had, so when we set goals like that, we end up … Read More
Navigating the Holidays with Love
by Abby Wahl Holidays can be joyous, a time of year we look forward to celebrating. They can also be difficult to navigate, filled with anxiety and certain people we come to dread. Over the years I have had to learn to deal with difficult people and situations. I have found that some people we love the most can love us the worst. Learning to navigate the holiday season takes a special measure of grace. Today I am sharing some … Read More
The Surprising Truth about Successful Homeschooling
What do you need to homeschool successfully? Do you need Ticonderoga pencils and an iPad? Do you need lesson plans and activity guides? Do you need Morning Time binders and baskets of books? Well, ok, sure – you definitely need piles of books. But what’s at the heart of a “successful” homeschool? A peaceful and happy mother. Sarah Mackenzie has said it already, and that’s why we keep returning to Teaching from Rest as our homeschool-pep-talk book: Let’s break this … Read More