Planning is not something I had ever been good at as a student. Important dates and deadlines would sneak up on me, and I would not be prepared, or I'd miss them altogether. As I became a young adult I realized, little by little, that my mother was right all along when she said I needed to keep track of my important dates. The poor thing must have spent a fortune trying to find me a planner that would work for me and that I would use consistently. Moms do know a thing or two about life, don't they?!?

I have found that with children and a husband, it is essential to have a good system for keeping all of your plates spinning, especially since I am homeschooling. Now, what has worked for me may not work for you, or may not suit your taste, but I am praying that this little blog post may inspire you or give you some insight into how to have a well-planned life.

The planner that has worked best for me is The Happy Planner. It is a disc-bound planner, which means the pages can be taken out AND put back in! It is great! I have two planners, one for life and one for school. In my life planner, you will find meal planning, prayer lists, and encouragement in the form of super cute stickers, which often have scripture on them, all doctor's appointments, all play dates, field trips, and extracurriculars.

One thing I have found to be essential to a good, productive, PEACEFUL week is having dedicated time specifically for planning. I’ll sit down with all of my cute planning supplies and really think through what needs to happen the following week for our life and for school, too.

Since we use mostly BJU Press Homeschool Distance Learning Online, I have great lesson plans done for me that I keep in another disc bound notebook for easy access. I take my homeschool planner and keep track of what day of school we are on for each subject. I keep track of tests, quizzes, special assignments, and topics being studied in that planner. I love to do this because it helps me see a birds-eye view of each week of school. I have a great idea of what to look for on our weekly library trips and what we can chat about at mealtimes.

When all is said and done, the key to having peace is a plan to be flexible. We have many routines in our home but not many set times for things. We set a framework for our day and go from there. Especially with babies and toddlers in the mix, I have found that trying to stick to a strict hourly schedule can be very frustrating and nearly impossible. Set your framework, practice your routines, and then go with the flow. Enjoy the little moments with your family. That is what really matters!

Be sure to check out the YouTube video where I show you the planners and how I make them work with my homeschooling materials!