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Michelle, 5 Minutes for Mom contributor, is here to share her insights into The Homemaker’s Friend 2014 Planner through this sponsored post and giveaway. While we were compensated to write this post, our writer’s views and opinions remain her own.
It’s only the beginning of August, but I’m already starting to panic about the coming school year. We’ll be going from days with few activities that I can loosely structure to fit our desires for the day to what will feel like one nonstop activity.
We’ll be going from school to tae kwon do to gymnastics to Girl Scouts to Spanish class and more. I know it can all be done, but there are so many moving parts that it’s easy to get lost. That’s a big reason why I love planners like The Homemaker’s Friend 2014 Planner.
With your purchase of the 2014 calendar for $13.99, you also get a bonus 2013 calendar for free that contains the same information so you can start off on your organization immediately.
Every day is different, but I can’t forget or miss anything. This planner recognizes that and makes it easy for me to get and stay organized, not just with my children’s activities, but with the rest of my life, as well. It includes a monthly calendar so that I can put the big items in there that I need to remember. Then there are pages for each week that allow me to organize the daily minutiae that can so easily be forgotten.
I love that is also includes room at the top of the weekly view for tasks lists. My organization isn’t just about getting people to the right place at the right time; it’s also about ensuring that I get done what I need to do.
Having that task list on the same page as my calendar helps me prioritize where I can fit in those tasks I need to accomplish, from the simple ones like making a dentist appointment to the more complex ones like scheduling car repairs.
The Homemaker’s Friend Planner is a one stop shop for my organization – no pun intended. There are pages dedicated to creating my to do lists, so that when I’m out and about (sitting in a tae kwon do lesson, for example), I can pull out my planner and start writing down the things I need to do rather than making a mental list and forgetting by the time I’m near a pen and paper or – worse yet – writing my to do list on a scrap of paper in my purse that disappears, never to be seen again.
Given all the volunteering I do, I inevitably have meetings in various places. Today, I texted our carnival chair to remind me of her address as I’d run out of the house and forgotten to grab it.
If I could instead keep that planner with me and simply write down things like who at the high school is the contact to arrange for student volunteers to addresses of my typical meetings to phone numbers of new friends, it would be simpler. Not surprisingly, this planner includes pages for writing down the names, numbers and addresses that you need for now but may not want to put permanently into your address book.
Along the same lines, the planner includes tear out shopping lists (smart) that are narrow so they don’t waste paper, as three fit on a single sheet within the planner and all are perforated to make it easy to remove them.
That’s another task I can accomplish while sitting in the car waiting for school to let out or in gymnastics. The list stays in my planner until I’m ready to hit the store, then it’s easy to remove so I don’t stare at outdated shopping lists months later.
This planner runs from January to December of 2014. It is 6 by 8 1/2 inches, perfect to fit into my purse. It’s spiral bound, making it easy to flip pages without damaging a spine, and laminated so it doesn’t fall apart easily. With your purchase of the 2014 calendar for $13.99, you also get a bonus 2013 calendar for free that contains the same information so you can start off on your organization immediately.
Enter to Win
One lucky reader is going to get their chance to win The Homemaker’s Friend Planner for 2014. Use the Rafflecopter form to enter this giveaway. New to Rafflecopter? Watch this 45-second video on how to enter!
Be sure to visit the main Back to School post to find all of our Back to School related giveaways. You don’t want to miss out on the amazing prizes.
Michelle may never stop running around Chicagoland, but she always makes time for the important things in her life – her wee ones, cooking, reading, and spending time with friends – and of course, writing. You can see what she’s up to on her blog Honest & Truly! or on Twitter where she tweets as @HonestAndTruly.
Try to get everything together, as much as possible, the night before!
Know where everything is BEFORE you need it!
Set a routine and stick with it.
I get everything set out for my daughter and have her lunch packed the night before. It allows me to fully concentrate on the things that have to be done that morning.
Set-up the coffee pot the night before on it’s timer, then get up 20 minutes BEFORE the kids! Thanks for the chance…,..,
I have to make a breakfast menu on the weekend for the kids during the morning
Get up 30mins earlier to allow for any unforseen problems.
Plan the night before
Do as much as possible the night befor always worked for me!
Try to have as much as possible prepared the night before.
start in the evening
I have my daughter set out school clothes the night before and pack her backpack.
Best tip is that the big kids take turns (by the week) making school lunches the night before, while the others are clearing the table and doing night time dishes. I created a “cheat sheet” for what a school lunch should (and should not!) look like and then I am OUT of the conversation 🙂 Love it!
I’ve learned to do as much as possible the night before, thus making the mornings easier.
Prepare as much as possible the night before-pack lunches, etc.
my tip is to get as much ready at night as possible
Do as much as you can the night before. I’m only on day 2 of our school career but that seems to be the best thing!!
Get everything prepared the night before and have a set plan for breakfast.
Prep the night before
I prepare as much as i can the night before
Make sure I get up and eat breakfast before the kids need to be up
Develop a routine and stick to it!
I love having a planner…it keeps me organized!
Get ready the night before. Breakfast cereal out to be cooked, etc…
planning ahead is definitely key! 🙂
Pick out clothes and pack backpacks the night before. Sure saves all of that last minute running around. Thanks for a great giveaway!
Plan and set everything out the night before – no “searching” for things in the morning when rushed for time. And, I ask my kiddos to get their clothes ready for each weekday on Sunday (doesn’t always fly – but when it does – it’s nice).
Getting things ready the night before. Less likely to forget something and timesaving.
Get everything ready the night before so you’re not in a hurry later on.
I try to get everything ready the night before and I make sure I am up and ready before the kids so I can help with last minute details.
I try to get as much ready before bed as possible. Im not much of a morning person and it helps me get through the morning if I am prepared.
Prepare lunches and set out clothes the night before!
set everything out the night before and premake lunches
Planning ahead is the best tip ever
Get backpack and lunches ready night before, have clothes picked out.
Have everything ready the night before! Backpacks by front door, lunches made or ready to be made depending on the item, school clothes laid out… Makes those crazy mornings easier!
the kids shower/bathe the night before, we lay out all our clothes and get our bags ready and by the door before going to bed and simple, quick breakfasts
Get plenty of sleep and send the kids to school with breakfast. Do alot of stuff the night before.
Lay everything out the night before.
lay out outfits the night before.
Plan ahead, the night before just in case of a power outage, you slept through your alarm clock or anything else.
We try to prep as much as we can the night before!
Have a plan and create a daily routine!
I have learned the putting out the clothes the night before saves us so much time in the mornings. I also put the lunches together and keep them in the fridge overnight.
make lunch the night before ( I acutally make several days at a time!
i lay out clothes the night before
We prep lunch the night before.
Get up 15 minute before you think you need to!
I get things ready for breakfast the night before and I have outfits laid out too. Thanks for the chance.
Get things ready the night before
we prepare the night before
get up at least 15 minutes early or make sure you finish everything the previous night!
If I do not write everything down nothing would ever get done.
I try to get everything ready the night before.
lay out night b4- even breakfast
a routine is key – but you have to keep to it!
try to prep as much as you can the night before
have everything in bags the night before
nannypanpan@gmail.com
Have a set routine. Have all necessities out and ready to go.
Plan ahead. Do as much the night before whenever possible I am not a morning person so this is critical for me.
Use a hanging closet organizer with five shelves. Each shelf is for one school day. Set up each day’s outfit, complete with socks and undergarments, on the appropriate shelf during the weekend.
I like to lay out the kids’ clothes ahead of time, and make breakfast (as much as you can) the night before. That gets us out of the front door on time (usually!).
My kiddo starts school for the first time this fall so I dont have tips yet sadly. I actually need them instead
Get everything ready the night before…backpacks packed, lunches made, clothes ready!
I don’t have much of a tip. Coffee? 🙂
It seems like we all have the same idea. Prepare as much as you can the night before.
Prepare as much as possible the night before and make sure any papers that have to go back to school are already in their backpacks.
Prepare as much as possible the night before. Makes mornings go much smoother!
I always give myself 15-20 more minutes than I think I will need.
Set an alarm clock a few minutes earlier to have enough time to get ready for school
I do everything THE NIGHT BEFORE
I’m not a morning person, so I need to have everything organized and ready to go the night before.
I try to stick to a routine in the mornings.
I use my kitchen calendar to try and keep my life straight around here. But I know my daughter-in-law would like this, so I’d give it to her.
love a good planner
Set out everything the night beforehand so you dont have to think about it in the morning.
prepare the night before
my best tip is to get everything ready the night before,an then the mornings aren’t so bad
Prepping everything over the weekend is a big help; then just pulling out the next day’s work the night before.
I can’t enter to win this giveaway, but I just wanted to say that I’m buying one right now! My favorite planner went out of business last year, so I had to try another one. It’s okay, but this one sounds perfect for 2014!
always get clothes and lunches done and plan breakfast the night prior
We homeschool so we take our morning a little slower and start school a little later in the day so we are able to start into school awake & alert.
I am all over the place with everything and it is very stressful. I know my life needs to be more organized and a planner can do just that.
Wake the kiddos early enough so they don’t feel rushed in the morning.
Start the night before.
Choose clothes and prepare backpacks the night before.
Do as much as you can the night before. Setting out clothes, bowls for breakfast cereal, bags packed, etc.
invest in a shoe basket, seriously reduces the amount of time looking for shoes. 🙂
Get everything possible ready the night before!
Trying to get everything together the evening before and would just grab and run in the morning.
we make sure everything is in the backpack the night before, shower in the evenings, and sometimes pick outfits and do lunches in the evenings as well
Stick to your schedule and be flexible about it. Get everything ready the night before.
I will take all the organizing help I can get!
We pack lunch at night and talk about the plans for the next day.
Ive never used a planner but I bet it would sure come in handy. I usually put my to do list on a piece of scratch paper. So I will have like five random pieces of paper laying around.
Count me in…I live by my planner. If it is not there, chances are it won’t happen!
I prepare everything early or the night before for easy exit.