Living Intentionally: My Start to Getting a Planner

I have no idea how these last few months have flown by. Halloween, birthdays, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years... It's all come and gone in a blink of an eye and it takes everything from me just to keep my eyes open and not fall asleep on the rocking chair in my living room. But with everything going on, the constant theme is that I am flying by the seat of my pants and end up stressed because of it. I described in my Goals and Resolution post, I needed to be more intentional with my day, with my kids, with my husband. Just intentional about living...

This last year had every intention and possibility of being great. But, my lack of organization and intentionally getting things done prevented a lot of the greatness. It was still great, don't get me wrong. This last year has been fantastic! But, there is always room for improvement. Always room to make it better! 

I decided to take the Best Year Ever mini course that was offered by Living Well Spending Less and the first day was what got me realizing that I really needed to plan: Intentionally planning for intentional living.  

Do you know how many planners, planner inserts, pages, printables, etc are out there? Tons! A little overwhelming. I am still overwhelmed. And, it probably doesn't help that I really have no idea what I need in a planner! I dug out my old FranklinCovey compact (I had discarded an old classic, shouldn't have) and am working on looking up different ways to organize the pages. I think I am going to start saving for a classic and try to get the hang with what I have now.

These so far are my favorite binders:
FranklinCovey Striped Binder

FranklinCovey Gold Dots Binder

FranklinCovey Confetti Binder

Are you like me, do you need some help too?
So far I have found these sites that seem really helpful ... From basic type to scrappy... In organizing your planner...

A Bowl Full of Lemons: My Planner Set Up

My Life as a Teacup: 2015 Filofax Setup

Creative Homekeeper: Setting Your Planner Up

Cocoa Daisy: Setting Up Your Planner

I like this printable, but I am not sure how to get it to work with my compact planner... 

I really like Polka Dot Posie's Undated Printable Planner, but she has a tutorial here The Polka Dot Posie: Printable Planner Pages
I think I might be waiting to see if A Bowl Full of Lemons comes out with a new one
I heart Planners has a huge selection and I really like the Goals printable.

There is so much to put in a planner. 

Once I get it more figured out I'll write it down to share with you what I end up doing. :)
*update* I've been working on the set up for a week now. I'll have it figured out eventually...

I want to hear from you:
How do keep your day to day intentional? 

If You use a planner, what type and what setup do you use? What resources do you use/have you used to help you set it up?

Measurement Tracker: Sewing for Kids

*This post contains affiliate links. I make a small commission only if you make a purchase at no extra cost to you. All views expressed are my own*

The Black Friday sales that have lasted the weekend has been something super incredible! I have so many things I want to get and so many things I want to sew! But, I'm constantly loosing my kiddo's measurements and I don't like having to retake them over and over and over again!

Click Here to Download Measurement Tracker

I decided to make this simple measurement tracker! Each page has room for up to 3 measurements. I decided to use this to update as they grow. Each sections has:

Date and age, height and torso, chest and sleeve, waist and hip, inseam and outseam

I keep my printed out patterns in a hanging file folder with each pattern in a manila envelope and categorized by designer. I just keep these sheets in the front (printed on cardstock for durability). You can also color coordinate the measurement and mark them on the little man using colored pencils. I think when I next update the measurements I will do that!

Perfect for all those new patterns purchased during the black friday sales this weekend!

-And-

Some of my affiliates are having sales too! Check them out as they soon end!

Peek-A-Boo Pattern Shop

Their sale ends today! So better hurry and grab those patterns! I know I have a bunch in my wishlists, such an awesome feature too! Share your wishlist with a family member, or use it to keep track of patterns you want! 

GYCT Designs

Their sale ends tomorrow! No codes are necessary ad the discount gets applied when you go to check out! I really want the happily ever after dress! I know little lady would love playing dress up with that dress!

Building a Capsule Wardrobe: Kids Part 2 {Girls Printable Wardrobe Planner}

*This post contains affiliate links. I receive a small commission when you make a purchase at no extra cost to you. All views expressed are my own.*

Let's face it. I am not that great when it comes to figuring out the little girl's clothes. Planning her wardrobe? I seem at a complete loss. But I have a printable version like my little boy's printable planner, but for girls. 

Missed some of my other capsule wardrobe posts? You can read up on them here!

Check out the girls version here: Wardrobe Planner for Girls - Fall/Winter

This one has been a greater work in progress. Maybe because she is still little, potty training with regular accidents, and has to change her clothes 3-4 times daily. Really?!? What is up with that? She is so darn picky when it comes to her clothes! The child will pick something out and screech bloody murder to get it off with no idea why. This, of course, is when I can manage to get her into clothes in the first place.

But, aside from her strange wardrobe aversions (which I have yet to discover the specifics), I have created this bare bones idea of what a little girl needs in her closet. 

I may need to change the numbers to double just to account for her accidents, carrying extra clothes and daily wardrobe changes.

After going through her clothes (so far, I'm not even close to being done!), taking away what she refuses to wear, and boxing up what doesn't fit...

What I still need to create:

2 pairs of pants: Skinny Jeans by PAB (affiliate links), she loves her bootcut jeans from Old Navy - Looking for a pdf!
1 mid-heavy weight sweater: (haven't decided yet, suggestions?)
1 fancy dress: Holly and Ivy by GYCT Designs (affiliate links)
2 long sleeve: Tinley Tee and Rival Raglan by GYCT Designs (affiliate links)
(maybe) Blazer/dress jacket: Winter Wear Designs Phresh Blazer

Really, that's it. I could hold off on the dress and the sweater. I would like to do the blazer because it's nice to have, and she loved her old one (which she outgrew so fast!)

Honestly thought. I have 4 drawers of clothes filled (mostly shirts) with sizes 12 months to 3T, a closet filled with dresses 24 months to 5T, and a drawer that is for pajamas alone sizes 12 months to 3T. Granted some of the clothes don't fit yet and some of the 12 month stuff no longer does fit! I just need to be more diligent with taking things out that she doesn't wear and doesn't fit. So far I have removed a small diaper box of clothes... Just need to keep chipping away! :)

Share your thoughts:

Do you just shop/sew for your kids clothes? Or do you put together a plan before you start sewing/take a trip to the store?

Establish a Budget: Free Budget Printable

One of my New Year's Resolutions, you can read about them here, was to start continue working on getting out of debt. 

I've been working on the budget, more making it habit, for the last year and a half. It hasn't really gotten really nitty-gritty until these last several months where I really buckled down and started following the zero-balanced budget as suggested by Dave Ramsey. I really suggest that you read his book Total Money Makeover; and, if you have kids, read Smart Money Smart Kids which he co-authored with his daughter. Really great reads. I borrow them from the library every now and then to refresh my brain and discover something I missed. They also have sheets that you can copy and use for your own budgeting in the back of the book.

I will say, before my introduction to Dave Ramsey, I had no idea how to build a budget and (key) make it work. I had ideas and kind of categorized what I already spend, but had major difficulty going that next step into using that to plan out how I was going to spend my money. Since starting the envelope system I literally carry standard paper envelopes in my purse when I leave the house and only for the intent for something specific. But, it took a while to figure out how to document my plan

So I came with these printable pdf sheets to use for my Budget Binder. They are not very pretty but solely focus on function. Beside, the kids usually color all over them anyway.. :)

The Budget Binder Printable pdf sheets has 12 printable pages with fill in blanks for writing down info. I have columns that divide the months down by weekly and bi-monthly. You can pick. 

Included and brief:

1. Record of Accounts - a place to write account log in info. For those times you forget your password.

2. Income Tracker - this works best for weekly or bi-monthly incomes. I write down net and gross

3. Debt Tracker - Write down your debt balance after each month statement. Watch your balance drop

4. annual expenses - for those expenses that are easy to loose track of. Break down by month, or by paycheck to see how much to stash away to cover those yearly doozies

5. Annual expense account - have you bought a home and had an escrow account? This is what I use for a savings account solely devoted to paying those annual bills. I keep track of how much goes in each month and when bills are due to make sure I am on track. I basically treat it like an escrow account. write down the total amount the month it is due and go from there with the monthly amount to set aside.

6. Monthly Due Dates schedule. I don't use this anymore, but it's great for starting so you can see what bills are due when

7 Monthly Expenses Worksheet - Write down the total amount of the bill due, divide it amongst the regular number of pay days and deduct that from your pay. When the bill is due, you have the money to pay the bill.

8. Monthly Expenses Envelope. I write down the envelopes that I have, use the number of money left over after bills are paid and disperse into the envelopes until all money is in a category

I am sharing these budget printables with you for free to share the knowledge and basis to begin living within your means and Establish a Budget. 

What do you do. Do you have a strict budget? Or just enough to get by? Or are you like how I was a few years ago and new where the money was going but need that extra step to make a plan for where it will go in the future? Do you use a certain printable, or create your own?

Welcome Fall: Decorate a Mantle {Free Printable}

I am not great at decorating. I have a hard time with it and I feel it doesn't usually look good when I'm done. But this time it's different! I love my simple, fall-ish mantle! I shared my Glass Jar Decor (etched baby food tea lights!!) with GYCT Designs for their 31 Days of Halloween. It is still going on, you should check it out! :)

Today, here I am sharing with you my made over fall mantle! :) It's just now starting to feel like fall here, so I'm now just starting to welcome it in, a month later! Here is the messy before...

Ever since reading Clutterfree with Kids, I've been trying to get more simple. Here is my simpler after...

Well, I found a quote by John Donne from his poem The Autumnal ... "no spring nor summer beauty hath such grace as I have seen in one autumnal face." Granted the poem is about the stage of life and more with the beauty that comes with maturity. And, we may not be at that stage of life just yet... but I liked it.

So I printed it out on Inkjet Translucent Vellum (affiliate link) and put it in the picture frame we used for our announcement pictures for when we were going to have baby girl (you can see them here). It is just a simple 12"x14" picture frame. Sort of like this one here 12x14 Satin Black Picture Frame (affiliate link), but a couple inches smaller on the longer side. I backed it with scrapbook paper.

I think it adds a little bit to the mantle, and I like it. Even hubby said that he likes it! Win!

I decided to make them available for you too. That way it can save you some time if you want to use the quote. I have two versions, one with background and one without.

The Autumnal Quote - Without Background

The Autumnal Quote - With Background

What do you think?

Halloween Costumes: Planning the Outfits {Free Printable}

I am so excited to share with you a printable for planning out kids Halloween costumes! I need lists to get things done. You should have seen my hair-brained attempts last year at creating the halloween costumes. I felt I was all over the place! After having created and {finally} shared my party planning printables with you through GYCT Sizzlin Summer Series and Baby Girl's 1st Birthday, I figured I could make one for Halloween costumes! Maybe then I might be a bit organized with it?

Download the Printable here: Halloween Costume Planning Printable. I use one for each member of the family.

I know this is a bit early too, but if you are like me and need as much time as you can get then this is even pushing it! 

So on the sheet, I have a spot for the patterns to use and a place to paste the inspiration picture for reference! I wish my printer was printing in color. So don't mind the black and white.

I am using a combo of the Peek-A-Boo Pattern Shop's Aloha Burn Blocker and Classic Footed Pajamas  for baby girl's costume and a combo of the Peek-A-Boo Pattern Shop's Lullaby Line Bodysuit and Lap Tee and the Classic Ringer Tee (affiliate links). They are still a work in progress, we'll see. I don't even have a clue about what to do for my costume yet.

I thought this would be handy for taking with when shopping. I cannot shop for a ton of fabric at one time, and need to have a list handy and ready to just grab, cut, then go. The kids get super fussy super fast. So I have a section for the notions and fabric amounts needed.

The "to do" section is a checklist you can use to write down what needs to be done in order to finish the costume. Complete with a finished check box at the bottom of the sheet. Yeah, because it is always fantastic to say, "hey, I have finished something!" :)

As you can see, I actually added a background to this printable and I cannot handle not having it printed in color. I already started coloring in one as I was filling it out! LOL

Download the Printable here: Halloween Costume Planning Printable

What are you going to be this Halloween?

Our Costume inspiration images used: Batman here; Cat Woman here, Baby Harley Quinn here, Scarecrow here

Font on Printable: KG I need a font family; For the Boys: Boys Chevron in Orange by Riley Blake Designs

Potty Time!

It feels like it has been forever since we started trying to get Nikolai to use the potty. We tried naked, only to have him demand a diaper. We tried underwear, only to have him demand a diaper and accidents galore. (don't mind the yellow on the walls in the bathroom, we haven't decided what color to paint yet)

 

Then I started to tell him, as soon as the diapers are gone, you have to start using the potty. So then, after every diaper change we counted the number of diapers left and talked about when you wear underwear you have to tell mommy and daddy when you have to go potty...