What would it feel like to have 2 more hours in each 24-hour day? I know that's technically impossible, but if you could have it, how would you use it? Take a moment to think about what you'd do with extra time.

This month, we've been talking about mom time. How to make the most of it. How to create more of it so that you get to do what means the most to you, like spending more time with your family.

But we've also explored what challenges us about finding and managing time. I've shared some difficulties I have that I hope to overcome in terms of what throws me off track, time-wise, and what I wish were better.

Well, finally, I can tell you that help has arrived. You know that Christmas-is-coming feeling, when you can't wait to see the expressions on the faces of your loved ones, because you know what you are giving them will be perfect, but you can't say anything yet? That is how I have been feeling all month!

But it's finally here and I can tell all the secrets! :)

There's a great, giant bundle of resources (that is available now) that's designed to get you more time in your day for the things that matter. And if you struggle to find enough time for those things, I invite you to take a look....

In this post, I'm going to tell you about the whole productivity bundle and you can decide if it feels right for you. It's a huge bundle of resources!!

When you buy the Ultimate Productivity Bundle you’ll get access to:

• 5 eBooks
• 14 eCourses & videos
• 26 printables & workbooks

The value is over $1500, if you bought everything separately! That's one thing I love about the bundles - you get so many resources in just one bundle.

You also can buy cheat sheets for every eBook and eCourse in the bundle. Review all the bundle’s material in less than half the time, and then dive deeper into the topics that interest you the most.

But I wouldn't bother with that, to be honest. I'd buy the other upsell offer - the ultimate homemaking bundle - and I'll tell you why, later in the post.

Am I saying you should buy the bundle?

Not necessarily. I know that just because this ultimate productivity bundle offers tons of great information, that doesn't mean it's the perfect bundle for you. And as someone who has to consider every single purchase, I don't want you to spend any money you don't need to spend.

So let's examine exactly what's in it, and then you can decide whether or not it's for you.

I am an affiliate for it, and I have to confess that before I took a look at it, I was sure I wouldn't promote it.

It sounded boring. How to check more things off your to-do list. Exciting.

But when I checked it out, I realized it was A LOT more than that, and most of it interested me. So, I want to tell you about it, in case it's right for you, too...

Saving Your Time & Organizing it

As a family, we practice slow living, but we often have days that combine homeschooling, errands, appointments, getting dinner on the table and trying to find time to hang out as a family before bedtime.

And that doesn't even include the time I spend blogging or working on my business, quiet time alone, or getting enough sleep to get up another day and get it all done. So you can imagine that I was very interested in this bundle's offerings for time management.

Time Management Video: How to Finish Your To-Do List Every Day by Marcia Ramsland ($47.00) - the video will teach you how to use smart planning to go from chaos to calm with your to-do list.

It's about Time by Aby Garvey ($49.00) - this eBook helps you create a time management system based on your values and priorities. Using it will help you feel more in control of your time.

Organize Your Life with Trello by Cara Harvey and Elisa Giorgio ($47.00) - a digital course designed to help moms who feel overwhelmed to finally get organized so that they can get control of their busy lives.

Take Back Your Time: How to Become a Motivated Time-Saving Mama by Emily Bendler ($4.99) - use this eBook to manage your time more efficiently so you can get more done and free up time to spend with those you love most.

Does this ever happen to you? ...

You read an article about how to manage your time and it's obvious that the specific solutions they suggest won't work for you? Maybe you even feel a little guilty because you know you won't even try them?

I believe that the right strategies, and techniques, for you are out there. You just have to find the ones that are a match to your personality.

The Ultimate Productivity bundle has both an eBook and an eCourse that will help you create a personalized plan for managing your time...

Driven Women Grace Based Productivity for Christians by Phylicia Masonheimer ($98.00) - (eCourse) The Driven Women Productivity Course is a grace-based, biblical approach to time management that teaches you how to develop routines and habits that fit YOUR personality and lifestyle.

Personality Based Time Management by Susie Glennan ($4.99) - (eBook) Susie Glennan acknowledges that one size fits all is a myth! With this eBook, you can learn about personality based time management and customize your own time management plan.

What do you think are your biggest challenges with time management? Are there eBooks and eCourses you think might help?

I am planning to dive into the Driven Women eCourse, myself. Though the other offerings look good, too, that's the one that I am most interested in using.

She walks you step by step through a personalized process for figuring out where the problems are and what to do about it. It's not lecture-y or abstract and I found it easy to do.

What about you?

Simple Low-Budget Ways for Keeping Track of Your Schedule

Though I have seen some beautiful planners in my time, buying fancy, new ones is not in my budget, no matter how lovely they are.

But the ones in this bundle are printables, so you can use them with the planner you already have or hole punch them and put them in one of those 79-cent folders. I've done that before, when my budget was low & I plan to do it this time, too.

What I love about many of these offerings is that you can choose a theme that will offer inspiration or space for you to add it yourself.

(1) For Christian women, there is the Beyond Blessed Life Planner. Christ-centered. And also, undated, which for me, works well so I don't end up using it as quickly.

(2) The I Heart Productivity Planner by Laura Smith. She offers a printable productivity pack that will help you walk through the goal-setting process. but also help you track your progress as you begin to pursue the goals.

(3) Planner ePlanner: Calendars, Schedules and To-Do Lists by ListPlanIt. Get it out of your mind and onto the to-do list, and use this system to prioritize your schedules so that you can make the best of your time.

(4) Simply Scheduled Workbook by Julianna Poplin. This elegant set of planners, checklists, calendars and worksheets will help you with planning your life more effectively and efficiently.

(5) The Planner Obsessed Planner (The Silver Edition) by Carlie & Hannah Kercheval. This planner will help you organize your life & create the new habits that empower to make your life the very best it can be.

(6) The S.O.S Planner by Kayse Pratt. Because it will help you get organized, this planner will give you back your time freedom, your schedule and your sanity.

(7) The Wannabe Bullet Journal: A Loosely-Structured Weekly Planner for Those Who Need Both Freedom and Organization by Ronni Peck. If you love the idea of bullet journaling, but you know you need a little structure, this half-page bullet journal design might work for you.

(8) Time Management Sheets by Jennifer Roskamp. Tracking sheets, but also a time management system that will help you to get more done in less time.

(9) The Thrive with Chronic Illness Planner & Journal by Tanya at Mom's Small Victories. I have a chronic illness, so this one means a lot to me.

It's designed to help moms who have chronic illness manage both their energy and their time, break down goals into smaller chunks and work toward improvement in their health. It really honors the struggle that moms like me experience who can't get everything done because our illnesses get in the way.

So it is my favorite of the planners. And I love that it is does double duty as a journal.

Setting Actionable Goals & Creating Routines that Work

(1) Brilliant Baby Steps: Make the Most of Your Messy Middle for a Beautiful, Balanced Life by Beth Anne Schwamberger (an eCourse)...

I love Beth Anne! Were you able to listen to her workshop earlier this month? In this eCourse, she's going to teach you a system that will help you get more done, but without the stress, so it will be easier for you to be there for the people in your life. She'll teach you her system & you'll start using it during the course.

(2) Goal-Setting 101: How to Set Goals as an Absolute Beginner by Natalie Bardo (an eCourse).

Natalie Bardo will share her share wisdom in this 8-lesson course, that will help you set goals you can achieve and it will work for you, even if you're just getting started with setting goals.

(3) Start Finishing Your Projects: Boost Your Productivity, Effectiveness and Creative Momentum by Learning How to Finish the Products that Matter Most by Charlie Gilkey (an eCourse).

So, you get this great idea! And you feel full of enthusiasm as you start the process of bringing it to life. But months later, there it is, unfinished. I can't be the only one, right?

Well, this eCourse shows you how to stay the course so the projects actually get finished. I remember the first time I was able to do that - when I was writing a book I was afraid I wouldn't complete - and how powerful it was when I did get to the finish line.

(4) The 90-Day Personal Productivity Power Plan by Lise Cartwright (an eCourse)...

In this eCourse, you'll set big goals and learn how Lise conquers her to-do list and get to use the exact system she does. From start to finish, the process will take 3 months, and you'll have her guidance as you go.

(5) 90-Day Personal Growth & Life-Planning System by Cassandra Massey (a video mini-course & planning system)...

With this eCourse, you actually get 280 pages of printables and it's a planning system that comes with an 8-video mini course that will guide you, step by step, in creating your personalized plan of action.

Put it down on paper. There’s no better or faster way to achieve a goal then to put it down on paper. Have you ever noticed how the items on your to-do list get done when you write them down and refer back to them?
 
If you have goals, dreams and aspirations or you simply want to enjoy more of life’s simple pleasures, put it down on paper. If you want to spend more time in nature, put it down on paper. If you want to walk down by the beach, write it down.

Believe it or not, it becomes more tangible and real if you put it down on paper. You can now look at it as a goal or an item, which is incomplete, if you don’t follow through. Putting things in writing makes them more effective.

And these goal-setting planners will help you do just that, making your goals & you, more empowered to make them happen...

(1) Goal-Setting Life Planner by Sareeta Lopez (goal-setting planner)...

You start with a video guide that shows you how to use the planner, but you also learn Sareeta's 3-month system for integrating your goals into your daily plan of action, so you're always working towards them.

(2) Goals and Planning System by Abby Lawson (planner)...

This planner system helps you make sure your goals are actionable, and helps you be more productive.

(3) Quarterly Target & Goals Tracking by Kimi Kinsey (planner)...

This is a quarterly printable planner and guide that will help you set goals, track them  and achieve them. Now, there are only 8 pages in this planner, because it's designed for 90-day goals, but it includes both 2019 and 2020.

(4) The 2019 Success Designer Planner by Khaye Mydette Macalineo (planner)...

This is a goals-focused productivity planner that helps make your whole life more manageable.

(5) The Goal-Getter Workbook: The Plan for Busy Women to Go from Dreams to Plan to DONE by Laura S. Shaw (workbook)...

You start with dreams, but then you use her workbook to create the goals that will make them come true.

(6) The Ultimate Goal-Setting Planner (Couples Edition) by Mike and Carlie Kercheval (planner)...

Though I am single, I love this goal-setting planner most. Because it's designed to help couples nurture their marriage by setting goals for their time together.

In general, I like this idea for families, too. Using a planner to make family time a priority and putting those times first on the calendar.

(7) The Ultimate Goal Setting Planner 2019 by MaryEllen Bream (planner)...

This planner comes with over 150 pages of worksheets and will help you take your big goals and break them down into smaller pieces.

With this bundle, you get all of these planners and can take what you like from each one. Which ones appeal to you most?

Get Housekeeping Done & Still Be There for Your Family

Planners for your home and for managing life at home. I love the idea of a planning system for family chores and for cleaning the house. That way, everyone is clear about what's going to happen and when.

In addition to the planners pictured above, there are 3 eCourses and system offered to help you get things in order, learn decluttering tips and maintain your home.

The one I am most interested in is Mastering the MomLife Jungle: A Realistic Action Plan for Getting it All Done as a Busy Mom, an eCourse by Brianna Berner. The course will help you get more done in less time so you can spend more time with your family.

Here are the planners...

(1) Family Chore System and Planner by Mandi Ehman...

With this one, your family will work as a team to stay on top of all the daily, weekly and monthly chores.

(2) Get Your House Clean and Organized: A Cleaning Planner by Laura Rizer...

This planner will help you streamline your tasks and create the routines that work best for you.

(3) Home Cleaning Planner by Corinne Schmitt...

This one has checklists and planning sheets that will help you organize your cleaning schedule and make sure it all gets done.

(4) Housekeeping Chore Box for Kids and Families by Kemi Quinn...

This is a system that can grow as your kids do.

(5) Life Management Binder by Heather Moritz...

Great way to keep everything in one place. I've seen things like this in stores and they are always so expensive. With this one, you can print put what you need & add it to a binder you already have, or buy an inexpensive one to keep it in.

(6) Organized 31 Tickler File System: The Easy Way to Manage Paperwork, Bills, Tasks and Appointments by Susan Santoro...

I need this one, myself. For bills and follow-up appointment paperwork, for notes. They end up everywhere, so this will really come in handy.

(7) Year of Intent by Leslie Lambert...

Build a custom planner with this huge collection of organizable printables.

Once you've got the binder, you can customize everything in this category and add what you want to it. So helpful for getting organized, in my opinion.

Will you need every one? Probably not. But you might need something from each one.

Break through Barriers & Stay Calm, Motivated & Positive

As moms,we put so much pressure on ourselves to do everything we think we should. To be everything our families need. And I think sometimes we just get lost in the shuffle.

And one thing I don't want to happen for you is that this productivity bundle becomes another should. Another thing in your life that feels like pressure.

Not only do changes take time, but they require moving things around and making sacrifices, which isn't easy. I urge you to begin this process by making compassion for yourself your top priority. Gentleness and self-care must be next.

And then, you'll be well-equipped to handle this process of becoming more organized & more productive, and finding more time for family.

I love that the ultimate productivity bundle actually has mindset and self-care built in, and there's plenty here to help you shift into self-nurturing and supportive ways of thinking. Let's take a look at what you'll get...

(1) 10 Steps to Feel Motivated and Get Stuff Done by Heather LeGilleaux (a workbook)...

This system will help you be more intentional with your time, and keep you on track to bring your passion to life.

(2) Ignite Your Life by Jess Stuart (an eCourse)...

Never give up on the life you dream of living. This eCourse will help you set the goals that will make that dream come true.

(3) Positivity Planner by Chris Moody (a planner)...

With this colorful planner, not only will you get more organized, but you'll also be encouraged and inspired each day.

(4) Replenish: Experience Radiant Calm and True Vitality in Your Everyday Life by Lisa Grace Byrne (an eBook)...

This book will help you nurture the 7 core essentials of well-being that will help you live and parent with greater calm, clarity and vitality.

(5) The Breaking Barriers Challenge by Lindsay Preston (an eCourse)...

With this 5-day program, you'll finally be able to break through the barriers that have been holding you back and keeping you from living your own best life.

To be honest, these last two are my favorites. And of course I want both for you (for me, too) and the impact using them will have on your family.

I have taken years to hear the message that kept appearing over and over again in my life about honoring my need to rest and refuel. I still need the reminders, occasionally, so I am looking forward to diving into Lisa's book. And I love the idea of a 5-day challenge because it's not forever and powerful breakthroughs can happen in just 5 days if you're open to them.

For Bloggers and Other Entrepreneurs

When you're a mom who works from home, so many things clamor for your attention, and often at the same time, it's a wonder we ever have the time, energy and motivation to get things done. If you add homeschooling into the mix, it must sometimes seem utterly impossible.

I know it does for me, at times.

So how do we find ways to stay motivated and productive in spite of the daily busyness that threatens to keep us from it? Well, that is what this part of the bundle is designed to address.

It's got you covered!

(1) The Balanced Life Guide by Lauren Cecora (an eCourse) ...

This eCourse is a six week video and worksheet breakdown of how to organize your life so you can focus on the things that really matter.

(2) The Motivation Kit by Julia Bickerstaff (a workbook)...

This workbook is printable and it contains science-backed strategies and tools that will help you stay motivated. Just what we work-at-home moms often need, as I was saying above.

(3) The Perfect Project Planner for Bloggers, Small Business Owners & Entrepreneurs by Eve Tokens (a planner)...

I wish I had had this planner when I was creating this mom time blog series for this month. It's perfect for bloggers and other entrepreneurs to use to craft and plan their projects while also managing their time more effectively.

(4) The Personal Productivity Toolkit by Paul Minors (an eCourse) ...

Use this eCourse to finally beat overwhelm. It will also show you how to get more done in less time, gain control of email and other time stealers, and become more efficient and organized.

(5) The Work by Design Summit by Claire Diaz Ortiz (a summit)...

For this summit, you get an all-access pass. Interviews with more than 50 productivity experts who will help you create more & better productivity in your own life.

Before spending money on something, I always wan to make sure I will get my money's worth out of it. Because I can't afford to waste it. So if you're wondering about the quality of the products in this bundle, I totally understand. That's always my concern, too.

But I found out that these bundles aren't just thrown together, and there are no fillers. :)

The Ultimate Bundles team spends months reviewing potential contributors, approaches only the best for inclusion, and then only accepts the top products that they think will have the most appeal out of those.

Many of these are even full-length eCourses with video tutorials or even access to a private Facebook group! They are highly selective and it shows in the final curated collection.

Plus, they offer a guarantee!

Although Ultimate Bundles has an extremely low return rate at less than 1/4 of the industry standard, there are some people who it doesn’t work for. That’s why they offer a 100% happiness guarantee refund policy for 30 days.

I've told you all about the eCourses and eBooks that will come to you as soon as you purchase the Ultimate Productivity bundle, but should you buy it? Here are my thoughts about whether or not it could be worth it to buy the bundle...

You never seem to have enough time to get things done, and you're open to getting help with it. You might be juggling a lot of different time commitments, but if you aren't ready for things to change, you won't get out of this what you need to, and I'd hate to see that happen.

If you're excited about the idea of finally getting a handle on your time, then this bundle could be life-changing. Will you love every single eBook or eCourse? I doubt it. In fact, I would start small and slowly, and go for what seems most important right now.

But even if you started with one planner, one eBook and one eCourse, it could change your daily experience for the better.

Though I can't honestly say that every single part of this bundle excites me, many different pieces of it do, and I am looking forward to seeing what happens as I use more and more of it.

You're already working with a planner you're in love with and you feel good about the way your days go. If people come to you for help in getting organized, and I have a friend who is just like that, then you may not need this bundle.

On the other hand, my friend loves organization so much, she would probably totally geek out about this bundle, just to see if she could get even more organized, planned and productive.

But if you already have a productivity plan in place, and you regularly make time for the things that are important to you, without feeling overwhelmed, then I'd say this isn't for you. And your money might be better spent on something you love.

Because this system could be life-changing for someone who needs it. But if you don't need it, it may just sit on your hard drive where unused things go to die. :)

Yes. There are two this time, and one of them might be just as valuable as this bundle, in my opinion. Have you ever bought something just to get the upsell offer?

One upsell offer is the cheat sheets I mentioned above. They help you take a quick look at everything in the bundle & are designed to reduce overwhelm and give you a starting point for using the bundle. But I am offering a getting started guide for free (see below) that will help you do the same thing, although not in the same way.

I'd get the other upsell, though, if I were you. It's the Ultimate Homemaking Bundle!! SO awesome, in my opinion, especially if you like faith-based resources (there are 17.)

Plus, so many of the offerings in that bundle add something special to what you're getting in this one.

As I mentioned, this bundle, first offered in 2018, is offered as an upsell for the productivity bundle and alone is worth over $3000 (if you bought everything separately.)

So you have an opportunity to get both bundles at the same time, without having to wait for the homemaking bundle to be offered later this year. The homemaking bundle offers...

• 62 eBooks
• 30 eCourses, videos & audio files
• 34 printable & workbooks
• and 3 membership sites

Here are the ten products that I am most excited about in the homemaking bundle...

(1) The LWSL Ultimate Cleaning Guide by Ruth Soukup - in this resource, she will tell you how to clean every surface your home has. I, personally, am not a cleaning maven, so this is just the kind of thing that seems made for me. You, too?

(2) The Big Book of Outfit Formulas by Alison Lumbatis - she offers over 300 mix-and-match outfit ideas for easy, year-round style.

(3) Outfit Mastery - this is a hundred-dollar video eCourse by JoAnn Crohn. With this step-by-step video eCourse, you can define your own style & finally stop agonizing over what to wear.

(4) Full Year Wardrobe Plan for Moms: The Complete Guide by Corina Holden - this eBook is a capsule wardrobe guide, with outfit formulas and other guidance that walks you through creating your own best wardrobe. I love guides like this!

(5) 26 Ingredients: Make Over 100 Delicious, Frugal Recipes from a Pantry of 26 Ingredients by Kylie Travers - from gourmet breakfasts to delicious desserts. My food budget is low, so this one grabbed me when I saw the word "frugal." Think of being able to buy it once and make something delicious over 100 times.

(6) Come to the Well: How to Connect with God through Journaling by LaToya Edwards. This eBook will help you use journaling to transform your relationship with God in powerful ways.

(7) Choose Rest: Biblical Self-Care Practices by Gina Poirier - as moms, it's so easy to put yourself last. But you know how they say you can't give from an empty well? It's so true. With videos and worksheets, you'll see that rest is biblical, and be able to plan for deeper and better self-care physically, emotionally & spiritually.

(8) Home in Progress: The Ultimate Home Decorator's Guide by Jenna Shaughnessy - this is the decorating guide you can use to create the home you have always wanted.

(9) Social Side Hustle: 21 Days to Becoming a Social Media Manager by Heather Montgomery. I like this for building my own business using social media, but you also could use it to get paid to help others build theirs.

(10) Family Culture: How to Build a Strong Family Identity by Rachel Norman - use ti to build a tight knit family.

Okay, I have to tell you how hard it was to pick only ten favorites!! There are SO many good resources you must check out when you get to that page.

There were tips for decluttering, for motivating yourself to care for your home when you don't feel like it. There was a date night kit and other marriage resources. Building a successful blog. Meal planning and crockpot recipes. Simplifying prayer. A gratitude journal. Helping your kids connect with God. Slashing your grocery budget. Instant Hospitality. Conquering screen time.

SO much more! I know that you have to honor your budget. And that might mean that this upsell isn't right for you right now.

It will come back later this year. So if you can't get it now, keep it in mind for later.

But if you can get this now, when you buy the productivity bundle, I highly recommend it.

I'm offering several things to anyone who purchases the bundle using my link: the Getting Started guide for using the bundle without overwhelm, the Meditation Moment you can use to support the goals you choose & how to Make Time for Hygge- a guide to adding more hygge moments to your life.

You make the purchase, and email me your receipt. I'll reply with an email linking you to the bonuses I have for you.

Thanks for letting me share this ultimate productivity bundle with you!

Love, Jeanine

This month, we are talking about mom time, and finding the resources, tools and strategies that can help you make better use of the time you have & actually free up time to do the things you love most. Like spending more time with your family.

Ever since my Day in the Life experience, I have been continuing some of the changes I made that day, and they have been working well for me. I am not a morning person, and in the past, thought of mornings as something to be survived.

But surprisingly, I love them now! When they go smoothly, I even sometimes like them better than evenings. Here's what I have been doing as part of my morning routine...

(1) Pick 3 things you want to do every day & each day, take note of 1 or 2 things that might need to be added on specifically that day.

So, for me, that might include having a quiet time, having a cup of tea each morning before my son gets up, and working on my blog/business. It also includes homeschooling, and I am working on starting sooner, but it isn't something that I struggle with doing, and we do take weekends off.

The add-ons might include having to get ready for an appt., or to run an errand that day, or something specific I am working on that day for the blog.

Over to you: before you read the rest of this post, take a few moments to think of what your 3 things would be. Be sure to include whatever you struggle to get done each day. And what are the kinds of things that get added on?

(2) Identify the priorities and order them accordingly.

I enjoy my quiet time more in the evenings, but I notice that I occasionally miss doing it altogether if I don't do it first thing. So I make it the first thing I do, but I don't insist on perfection since I am still waking up. Then, later, if I can do it again, I do.

I also often do blogging tasks right away, after my quiet time. Because, with my chronic illness, if I don't tackle it during the morning, I may run out of energy to do it later.

And if I don't, I sometimes procrastinate, which cuts down in family time. Or it used to, before I realized what was happening.

What about you? What are the things you need to get out of the way first?

(3) Schedule them - create an ideal schedule for each day.

I say ideal, because who knows if it will happen exactly that way? But I have noticed that if I take it from to-do list to planned schedule of events, I am more likely to follow it.

When I don't set any time goals at all, it's all over the place. I often just don't move, partly because of my illness. So I know it's frustrating when things push into the afternoon that I hoped would be finished in the morning, but I just regret it, rather than changing it.

So I give myself a time deadline, and am much more likely to finish close to the time I set.

I do think it's important, though, to fire perfection as an ideal. So if you plan to get to a task by 1pm and you get to it by 1:10pm, I don't think it will help anyone if you chide yourself for getting to it late. Just notice what got in the way and think of how to move it out of your way next time.

Would an ideal schedule help you? Take a moment to think through what that would look like.

And now, that we've got your morning handled, let's take a look at your evening routine...

This class, which is offered at 2 different times today, will teach you 3 ways to have a productive evening no matter how tired you are.

You’ll be learning from Beth Anne Schwamberger, uber-productive blogger, entrepreneur, and mother of two. She’ll teach you how to:

Get every evening started on the right foot
Find the energy to spend your evenings more intentionally
Plan a productive next day in only 15 minutes
and more!

Save your seat and be ready to soak in Beth Anne’s practical tips and experience when you attend this FREE class, tonight or tomorrow.

Just pick your time and register for the free webinar below.

Each one will be love, so I would love to attend all three, but probably will be there tonight.

See you tomorrow!

Love, Jeanine

Were you able to download this eBook? It's offline right now -it was only offered for a brief time - but I am hoping it will come back. If you're interested, click the link to sign up for the list & you'll be notified, I think, when it becomes available again.

The format is answers that bloggers gave to important questions about how to create schedules, routines, etc., that work. I haven't finished it yet, but have already tried suggestions that are working.

I thought it might be fun to answer the questions, myself, based on what I am learning will work for me, and then, give you a worksheet you can use to write down your own answers as you read the book.

By the way, today is the last day to download the book for free. We're hoping it will come back but I am not sure yet if or when it will.

Get it now, here.

I get up hours earlier than my son does so that I can get some of my work-from-home tasks done while he is still sleeping. I also do my quiet time then because it's so quiet & it's easier to do it without bring disturbed.

What challenges me, though, is my tendency to do just one more thing and to work, off and on, throughout the day. My fix for this is to set an evening cut-off time & schedule things in earlier in the day, so that later time is free for family time.

One idea for this, that I got from the book, is to prioritize the tasks & place the most important ones earlier in the day, so I know they'll get done. That makes it easier to let go of the ones that are less important, in favor of having time with my son.

I bought the Ultimate Healthy Meal Planning bundle and I use it to cut down on the time and trouble involved in getting dinner in the table, planning the meals, grocery shopping, etc. It has been a big time saver.

I also use a to-do list, so I get my tasks out of my head, onto paper and can see not only the order I intend, but the priority. 

For me, it's my quiet time. I find I need two each day, but I make certain to have one, by doing it before I do anything else. I pray and get centered, read something inspirational, spend some time with the Bible and then, go forward with my day.

But I have noticed that I can create a moment between dinner and family time, while my son is doing the dishes, that I can have a second time if I want. I have to decide not to get work done, and it always calls me. But if I need another few moments of quiet time, that's where I do it.

When I don't use that half hour to an hour of time for inspiration, I use it for reading whatever novel I'm in the middle of at the time. Either way, I get to have a moment of Mom time just for myself. 

I also make time for tea every morning. It's a great big cup of tea and I use the time to read, to think my thoughts and have a moment of peace.

For smaller amounts of time, I am usually reading. It's so relaxing! And it's a good way to squeeze in more self-care in between things like spending time with my son, or getting work done.

If I know it's more like half an hour or so, I might try to find an episode of House Hunters to watch. How else can you buy a dream house in 30 minutes? :)

One idea I got from the book is to use a free half hour to play a game. I usually only think of that during family time or on weekends. But for those extra moments when we have half an hour that pops up unexpectedly, that would be fun! 

I have been there! So my heart goes out to moms or others who feel that way. Because it does or can seem like there just isn't enough time, especially when the kids are little, but often even when they are not.

And making time for myself, and for rest, has been a lesson that was hard for me to learn. I watched my mother exhaust herself when I was growing up. And I never got the impression that time could be used for anything other than helping someone else.

In fact, I often had to wait for what I thought I needed, because my mom was busy helping someone. And when I complained, as children often do, I was called selfish.

So I had to unlearn ALL OF THAT! You might, too?

The truth is, self-care is a sanity saver. And your children deserve your sanity just as much as you do.

I believe we weren't meant to run on empty, and taking time to do what you love is not only something you deserve, it's crucial.

Once you have downloaded the free ebook, you can use the worksheet both to take notes and jot down your own ideas for each question.

I am guilty, sometimes, of reading something that inspires me, and then failing to act on it in any way. But if I can get myself to interact with the information and think through how it could change things for me, I am much more likely to actually try it.

Would that help you, too? Here's the worksheet (below).

See you next time!

Love, Jeanine

Do you have a morning routine that works for you?

Until yesterday, my morning routine did not quite exist. I had an ideal one, in my head, but couldn't make it happen in real time. But yesterday, when I did Day in the Life, I got closer to it than I ever have before!

Just trying some of the tips I read about in the free ebook I mentioned yesterday changed everything.

I created a schedule, checked it frequently, made an adjustment here & there, and set goals I wanted to accomplish for the day and it all worked. I was running behind, time-wise, but I got everything done and finished early!

It was so wonderful to experience what it might be like to have a morning routine that works for me that I am going to keep trying to actualize it. That book has a gazillion tips, so I will be going back for more.

And this month, in general, I'll be blogging more about getting things done, planning well, creating routines that work and basically, honoring my commitment to manage my time each day.

But meanwhile, if you, too, are a mom who doesn't have enough time in her day, and who struggles with time, click the graphic below to sign up for the free ebook that will help you take back your time. And give you some ideas for finding & creating more time.

It promises to help you add 1-2 hours a week & that sounds good to me!

See you tomorrow!

Love, Jeanine