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Planner Decorating for Beginners: Do it the Right Way

Mar 14, 2020 by Lynelle Leave a Comment

If you are not intentionally decorating your planner, you are doing it wrong. Planner decorating has become very popular during the last years, and its popularity keeps increasing over time.

But with so many beautiful stickers, washi tapes, and printables available, you have to be intentional when decorating your planner. After all, you want your planner to be cute, organized, and functional.

Here are the topics that I will cover:

  • Choose the right planner for you
  • The best layout for planner decorating
  • Why would you decorate the planner?
  • Be intentional with the decoration
  • The materials needed to decorate your planner
  • Get $10 off your purchase of your new planner (discount for you!)
  • Where to get pretty printables for planners
  • Planner Ideas: How to decorate your planner
  • It’s time to decorate your planner (+5 ideas)
  • Pin it for later

This post contains affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info. 

Use planner decorating the right way to be more organized and productive. It is more than just adding planner stickers. You need to be intentional. Learn how to decorate your planner to make it cute and functional. Create productivity sections, know what materials to use, and learn about the best planner I have used. #planner #moms #momlife

Choose the right planner for you: InkWell Press Planner

First, you need a good a planner that works for you.

I am a firm believer of planners because they are like your personal assistant that keeps everything from falling apart. I have tried many planners in the past with different sizes, layout, and styles. They were okay, but I have never been happier than with my current planner.

I chose the InkWell Press planner because it is more than a planner.  It not only keeps your to-do lists, but it also helps you create your monthly goal, plan, and focus, in addition of tracking your habits, planning your week, and having plenty of space for notes. On top of that, you have access to helpful videos, free downloads, and podcast episodes that I absolutely enjoy and learn a ton.

Now, let’s talk about the ideal layout. 

 

The best layout for planner decorating

Use planner decorating the right way to be more organized and productive. It is more than just adding planner stickers. You need to be intentional. Learn how to decorate your planner to make it cute and functional. Create productivity sections, know what materials to use, and learn about the best planner I have used. #planner #moms #momlife

No layer is better than another when it comes to planner decorating. You can create gorgeous pages with either one. What is important is to focus on a layout that works for you first. Then, decorate based on that layout.

Most of the planners that I used had a horizontal layout. But this time, I purposely chose the classic edition because of its vertical layout, since it matched better with my personality. And I am so glad I changed!

This vertical planner layout is:

  • easier to look at and picture your whole week at once
  • better to see repetitive tasks throughout the week
  • more organized, and as a result: better to plan and schedule additional tasks or activities

Another thing that I love about my planner, is the great amount of blank space on the weekly pages. All that space helps me to easily track different areas of my life on a regular basis. It also makes planner decorating easier since the planner can be customized in a way where I can be even more productive.

Quick Tip: if the vertical layout is sold out at the InkWell store, then try this store instead. I absolutely love this planner! Plus, I get to decorate it in a way that I can be more organized and productive. #planners #moms #momlife

Why would you decorate the planner?

In my case, the purpose of decorating the planner is to be more productive, take a break, and regain energy.

Planner decorating gives me the opportunity to customize the planner in a way that works even better for me. I can create specific areas for different types of tasks. Having a plan, knowing what to do, and being organized, increases the productivity level.

Not sure if it’s just me, but planner decorating relaxes me. It could be the creativity part involved or the fact that I rarely take a break, but that’s something I enjoy doing. When I see the end results.

Getting my weeks all decorated and customized helps me regain energy.  Because when I open the planner every Monday it is like tricking my brain to a fresh start with the new decoration.

One additional tip before moving on to the next section. It might get too overwhelming to decorate your planner every week. It’s better to set aside some time when you can decorate several weeks or even months at a time.

If you need to add an event to a week that has not been decorated yet, just add a post-it note to that week with all the information about the event. That way, you won’t forget to add it to your schedule later. 

 

Be intentional with the decoration

Use planner decorating the right way to be more organized and productive. It is more than just adding planner stickers. You need to be intentional. Learn how to decorate your planner to make it cute and functional. Create productivity sections, know what materials to use, and learn about the best planner I have used. #planner #moms #momlife

You probably bought your planner to stay on top of things, increase productivity, or be more organized.

But, why decorate your planner?

It’s okay to make your planner look pretty and to make it your own. But, don’t forget to keep your planner functional. There are so many beautiful stickers for planners out there, that it wouldn’t be hard to find yourself adding extra stickers to the pages.

The classic InkWell Press planner is already great in the way it comes. Each day gives enough space to create a long to-do list for all the tasks to complete. It also has three boxes at the bottom which are perfect for key information such as the daily top three goals, daily meal planning, and a bills reminder.

The problem is that I needed more than that and it had to be organized in a different way. That’s why you must be intentional when decorating your planner.

First, think of what you want to achieve with your planner. In my case, I decorate my planner not only to make it prettier but to make myself more productive too. Then, identify what you want to track on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. Don’t worry, I will give you some ideas in a moment. 

Related post: How to Set Short Term Goals to Achieve More

 

The materials needed to decorate your planner

Use planner decorating the right way to be more organized and productive. It is more than just adding planner stickers. You need to be intentional. Learn how to decorate your planner to make it cute and functional. Create productivity sections, know what materials to use, and learn about the best planner I have used. #planner #moms #momlife

You don’t really need to spend a lot of money or use too many materials to make your planner look cute. I pretty much use the same type of materials every time I decorate the planner.

Here is the list of materials I used:

  • Plastic stencil or you can get over 1200 patterns here
  • Mint washi tapes and salmon washi tape {most of the time, I use thin washi tapes}
  • Glue sticks – I use the purple glue stick but there’s one for crafts
  • Black pen 
  • Colored Pencils
  • Glue runner

Those are also the most common materials used for planner decorating.

Check out the best productivity planner that I use. Plus, get $10 off through my link

Where to get pretty printables for planners

The beauty of planner decorating is that it gives you different options.

My top resources are:

  • Value pack stickers – Even though I am using an InkWell planner, I normally use the Happy planner value pack stickers, especially the mom life and the productivity stickers. There are different value packs to choose from including stickers for fitness, faith, menu, and even checklists. There are so many value packs available that I don’t blame you if you can’t decide which one to choose. But if it helps, there’s a value pack with basic stickers to get you started.
  • Free Printables – By conducting a quick search on Pinterest, you will be able to find a lot of planner stickers that are gorgeous and free, which is exactly what I did for this blog post. To get the same printable that I used, head over Free Pretty Things for You to download it. There, you have the choice to download the printable created for the Erin Condren (EC) planner or for the Happy Planner. This time, I used the one for the Happy Planner because their rectangles are bigger and this time, I wanted to cover most of the boxes at the bottom of my planner.

Related post: 130 Free Printable Stickers for Planners (Free PDF version)

 

Use planner decorating the right way to be more organized and productive. It is more than just adding planner stickers. You need to be intentional. Learn how to decorate your planner to make it cute and functional. Create productivity sections, know what materials to use, and learn about the best planner I have used. #planner #moms #momlife

How to print those printables for planners at home:

  • Sticker Paper – You can print your printables on a sticker paper. In this case, you just have to cut the shapes and tape them to the planner.
  • Cardstock paper – This is the method I use. After printing it on cardstock paper, cut the desired shapes, and glue them to your planner using a glue stick or glue runner. Some people also use the Xyron sticker maker even though, I haven’t used it myself.
  • Printer – You don’t need a specific printer. I use an inkjet printer and adjust its print quality settings to normal or best. 

 

Planner Ideas: How to decorate your planner

The InkWell Press planner is already pretty and neat but we can still make it prettier, and more functional.

So, let’s go over each planner section…

Use planner decorating the right way to be more organized and productive. It is more than just adding planner stickers. You need to be intentional. Learn how to decorate your planner to make it cute and functional. Create productivity sections, know what materials to use, and learn about the best planner I have used. #planner #moms #momlife

Planner decorating makes it easy to create sections that tackle different areas of your life:

  • Daily Appointments – That’s where the magic happens. Most of my activities occur between 7 am to 5 pm. But, whenever I have something outside those hours, I adjust the schedule for that day. I prefer to modify only a few days per year, rather than “permanently” adding those hours to the schedule and having them empty 80% of the time. Writing the schedule doesn’t take too long but if you still want a faster way, I am pretty sure there’s a sticker for that! 😊
  • To-do Lists – A space to write home-related tasks such as laundry, cleaning, buy groceries, make a doctor appointment, buy a birthday gift, or get something for the kids.
  • Business Tasks – Here is where all the business related tasks go. Tasks such as writing a new blog post, scheduling on social media, or even creating new products for the shop.
  • Weekly Goals – Those important goals that I need to complete that week. I normally use it as is.
  • Notes Column – It’s the space for any note that I need to keep handy.
  • Weekly Gratitude – A way to not forget the wonderful things that happened during that week.
  • Notes for next week – Any activity, event, or appointment that comes up and needs to be added for the following week.
  • Saturday and Sunday appointments – InkWell provides you with the same amount of space for each day of the week. Since that’s too much space for my weekend activities, I prefer to combine both days in one column and use the extra column as a Notes column.

Using planner decorating in the right way, let’s you be more organized and productive.

Use planner decorating the right way to be more organized and productive. It is more than just adding planner stickers. You need to be intentional. Learn how to decorate your planner to make it cute and functional. Create productivity sections, know what materials to use, and learn about the best planner I have used. #planner #moms #momlife

Daily top three goals section

The top three goals are those that must be completed each day without excuse.

This planner has already created several sections for you including the three boxes at the bottom. Even though I gave you the idea of using them for your top three goals, meal planning, and bill reminders, you can also use them for all kind of combinations such as home, meal, and fitness or home, kids, and church.

Other useful ideas are evening events, kid’s activities, after-school activities, family events, date nights, movie nights, or self-development. The best part is that you can add tiny stickers to each area to quickly identify them.

The planning ideas are endless!

 

It’s time to decorate your planner

You are now officially ready to jump into planner decorating with a better idea (or ideas) on how to decorate your planner, in an easy but functional way. Have more ideas? Share them with us in the comments section.

Before you go…

 

5 planner decoration printable ideas to help you get started:

  • Bundle #1 – includes a full year of weekly view stickers
  • Bundle #2 – an editable twelve-month bundle of half-box checklists
  • Bundle #3 – twelve colorful sheets of stickers
  • Bundle #4 – plan your days with these weather icon stickers
  • Bundle #5 – 70+ sheets full of stickers for many occasions

Have fun! 😀 

 

Pin these planner decorating tips for later!

I absolutely love this planner! Plus, I get to decorate it in a way that I can be more organized and productive. #planners #moms #momlife

 

Filed Under: Blog, Moms, Organization, Productivity, Time Management

130 Free Printable Stickers for Planners (Free PDF)

Jan 15, 2020 by Lynelle Leave a Comment

It’s fun to find pretty and free printable stickers for planners. The problem is that it’s very time-consuming! But, that’s why I have put together this huge list of free printable stickers. And, let me tell you. You have enough printable stickers for two entire years of planning!

Now, you can spend less time searching for free printables and more time, decorating your planner.

pinterest logo and reminder to not forget to pin it for later.

Highlighters on top of a planner

Note: This page contains affiliate links. Read my full disclosure for more info.

 

Materials needed for the printables stickers

Most of the links included on this list of free printable stickers were designed for the Erin Condren or Happy Planner. But, you can use them with other brands of planners too.

For example, the planner I use and LOVE is the Classic InkWell Press Planner. Its layout is similar to the planner from Erin Condren and the Happy Planner. But, the InkWell’s daily vertical design doesn’t have the three standard boxes like the other two planners have. That difference gives me more flexibility to plan and decorate in a way I prefer.

If this is your first time decorating your planner, here is a quick list of the materials I use:

* InkWell Press Planner – the Classic edition because of its vertical design.

* Cardstock paper – I print most of the printable stickers using the cardstock paper. Then, I cut the shapes I need, put glue on the back of the shapes, and glue them to the planner.

* Printable Sticker Paper – With the sticker paper, you don’t have to put glue on the back of the shape. Just cut the desired shape and tape it directly to the planner. I bought the Staples brand but if you prefer, there’s Avery’s sticker paper available.

Related post: Planner decorating for beginners: Cute and Functional

 

Complete List of Free Printable Stickers for Planners

This is a complete list of free printable stickers for all occasions. But, please keep in mind that these free printable stickers are for personal use only unless otherwise stated on the creator’s website.

Since this list includes more than 100 printable stickers, it is divided into sections. You can either scroll down through the entire list or click one of the following links to go straight to that printable section:

  • Popular Celebrations
  • Holiday
  • Seasons
  • Back to School
  • Boss, Sassy, and Pink
  • Motivational
  • Floral
  • Colorful, Gold, Black and White
  • Travel and Vacation
  • Coffee and Donuts
  • Dogs and Cats
  • Extras

Ok. Turn on the printer and get your planner ready!

Quick note: You can also scroll down to download this Free Printable Planner Stickers pdf which includes the same links listed in this post. You can save a copy to your computer and refer to it over time. 

 


Printables for Popular Celebrations


 

Valentine Printables

Molang Valentine from Organized Potato

Valentine’s Day from Pink Bows & Twinkle Toes

Valentine Stickers from Fab Frugal Mama

February print from Kelly Lollar Designs

Black and Gold Valentine from The Wonderful Life of the Crazy Mom

Heart Attack from Traci Reed (scroll down to find the printables)

 

St Patrick Printables

Lucky Day from Traci Reed Design

St Patrick’s Day from Minivan Dreams and Dirty Dishes

St. Patrick’s Day from SNS Treasures

The St Patrick’s Day Kit from Return to Sender

St Patrick’s Day from Lucki Charms.

 

Easter Printables

Easter Bunnies from Victoria Thatcher

Happy Easter Kit from Return to Sender

Easter from MintFox Stationery

Easter Egg from Papier Kreation

 

Halloween Printables

Halloween Stickers from Violet Paper Designs

October Monthly Planner Stickers from Vintage Glam Studio

Halloween from DIY Candy

October Planner Stickers from Munchkins and Military

Fall Halloween from Roxy James

 

Birthday Printables

The Birthday Stickers from Semigloss Design

Birthday from Liz on Call

Cupcake Digital Ribbons from The Cottage Marketitsly

Girly Pink Birthday from Organized Potato

 


Holiday Printables


New Year’s Day

New Year’s Theme from Everybody Wants to Plan

The New Year’s Eve Planner Stickers from Ninja Mom Designs

 

Patriot

(great for President’s Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day, and Independence Day)

Patriot Full Kit from Planner Problem

Red, White & Blue from My Planner Life

Patriotic Planner Stickers from Amber Downs

Memorial Day from Victoria Thatcher

American Pride from Minivan Dreams

 

4th of July

Celebrate July via Counting Sheepy

Stars and Stripes from Organized Potato

4th of July from Planner Onelove

Fourth of July from SNS Treasures

Patriotic 4th of July from Sabrina Davidson

Independence Day from Pink Bows & Twinkle Toes

 

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving and Black Friday from DIY Candy

November Planner Stickers from Kelly Lollar Designs

Give Thanks from Live.Learn.Kreate

Thanksgiving from Casually Unexpected (look for the words “Download the free printable here!!)

Printable stickers for Thanksgiving from Tacie J

Thanksgiving from Ninja Mom Designs

 

Christmas

Ugly Christmas from Ninja Mom Designs

Holiday Season from DIY Candy

Several Christmas stickers from Three Little Ferns

Christmas Planners Stickers Printables from Laughing and Losing it

More cute Christmas stickers from Free Pretty Things For You

 


Season Printables


Spring

Hello Spring from Lucki Charms

Spring in Bloom Kit from Diary of a Nostalgic Dreamer

Spring from True Couponing

 

Summer

Summer Beach from My Planner Life

Cactus Stickers from Lovely Lauren

Paradise Kiss from Counting Sheepy

Tropical Summer from Diary of a Nostalgic Dreamer

Summer at the Beach from Planner PURRfection

Tropical Summer from Cheap Planning (scroll down to find it)

 

Fall (there’s more under the Thanksgiving section)

Black and white fall stickers from PA Country Crafts

Pumpkin Spice from Andrea Nicole Blogs

Autumn kit from Bible Journal Love

 

Winter

Winter Kit from Planner Problem

Lumber Jack from Andrea Nicole Blogs

 


Back to School Printables


School from Kelly Lollar Designs

School Planner Stickers from Sweet T Makes Three

Stickers for School from Britney Dearest

Library Book Planner Set from This Plug Life

Stickers for School from Lovely Planner

Back to School from Plan with Samia

School Days from Pink Bows & Twinkle Toes

Book Planner Stickers from Sunny Day Family

 

preview of the free printable stickers for planners

 


Boss, Sassy, and Pink Printables


Chic from Andrea Nicole Blogs

Dream Catcher from Design Lovely Studio

Sweet Glam from Cozy Planner

Girl Boss and Coffee Stickers from Malena Haas

Pink and Blue from Whitney Donohue

Grace from BEaYOUtiful

Blue and Pink from Keturah Design

Mother’s Day from Malena Haas

You’re My Cup of Tea, Mom from twee haus

 


Motivational Printables


Motivational from Fabulously

Motivational Quotes from SNS Treasures

Inspirational Quote Stickers from Jen Hampton

Motivational Printable Planner Stickers from Love Paper Crafts

 


Floral Printables


Floral from Design Lovely Studio

Roses & Stripes from Planner Onelove

Floral Stickers from Chic Chic Prints

Floral Planner Stickers from Dawn Nicole

Cool Breeze from Tawana Simone

Floral Quote Printables from Hello Life CL

 


Colorful, Gold, Black and White Printables


Colorful

Fairytale from Planner Addiction

Love a Rainbow from Stick to Your Plan

Life in Color Weekly Kit from Plan 4 Happy

Tropical Dreams from Planning PURRfection

Unicorn Dreams Kit from Diary of a Nostalgic Dreamer

 

Gold

Kate Spade Inspired Green and Gold from Fit Life Creative

BOHO Blocks from My Planner Life

Gold and Black from Hello Life CL

Me and You from Free Pretty Things For You

Create vol. 2 from BEaYOUtiful Planning

 

Black and White

Black and White Stickers from CuteDaisy

Get Inspired Quote Black and White Planner Sticker Sheets from Jen Hampton

Black and White Stickers from Happy Crafty Jackie

 


Travel Printables (Vacation)


Travel from Fit Life Creative

Getting Vacay Ready from Munchkins and the Military

Disney Planner Stickers from DIY Candy

Disney Frozen from Organized Potato

 


Coffee and Donuts Printables


Wake Up and Smell the Coffee from Sticker Addict Anonymous (scroll down)

Coffee Themed Printable Planner Stickers from DIY Candy

Coffee & Donuts from My Planner Life

The Coffee and Donuts from Some of This and That

Donuts Kit from Planner Problem 101

 


Dogs and Cats Printables


Dogs

Cute Girly Dog from Live with Mayra

Little Puppies from Just Soom!

 

Cats

Cats and Fishes from Free Cats Images

Cat Planner Stickers from MeinLilaPark

Pink Bows, Florals and Cats from UK Planner Addicts

 

Bonus

Flamingo from Everybody Wants to Plan

Sloth Printable from twee haus

 


Extra Printable Stickers


Hydrate Planner Stickers from Sweet T Makes Three

Washing Machine Stickers from CuteDaisy

Chores Stickers from Stingy, Thrifty, Broke

Daily Steps from Sweet T Makes Three

Fitness Stickers from Fit Life Creative

Health & Fitness Sidebar from My Planner Life

Habits Planner Printable from Amber Downs

Trash Day from Victoria Thatcher

Pay Day from CuteDaisy

 


Put those beautiful printables stickers to good use

Now that you have printed those beautiful printable stickers for your planner, it’s time to take action. With that many printables, you can decorate your planner for an entire year so you can focus on setting your short-term goals.

Don’t forget to download the pdf version of this post, if you haven’t done it yet.

Is there any other printable category that you would include on the list? Let me know in the comments.

 

Liked it? Share it with your friends!

Wow! With this list, I have enough free printable stickers for more than a year! #printables #planner #pinterest #momsucceeds

 

Filed Under: Blog, Organization, Time Management

3 Quick Ways to Increase Productivity (get daily results)

Oct 8, 2018 by Lynelle 4 Comments

If you normally start your day with a huge to-do list just to end up with most of the tasks unchecked, you are not alone. The good news is that you can learn and apply these quick strategies to help you increase productivity.

I don’t want to waste your time so, let’s go over each of these three productivity strategies. Don’t have time to read it right now? Don’t worry, pin it for later!

Note: This post contains affiliate links. Read my full disclosure for information.

I like these quick ways to increase productivity! They're very helpful for busy moms who are trying to achieve more every day. #momlife #productivity #moms #lifegoals

Increase Productivity: 3 Strategies to Get Results

Productivity Strategy 1 – Create an organized task list

To increase productivity, we need to start with the basics: create a task list.

The reality is that there will always be many tasks added to our calendars for our kids, family, friends, and even the community. The key is not to do everything that comes up but to take care only of the tasks that we really need to take care of and in the correct order.

Start by creating a list of tasks or projects that you need to tackle for the day, week, or month. Arrange those tasks in order of importance and urgency because it helps you stay on top of important tasks that require your immediate attention.

You are the only one who can determine the importance and urgency of the tasks. Once you finish grouping similar tasks together, you will be able to see what exactly needs to be done and when.

There are different ways to create a task list, so let me go over that with you.

 

These tools help you create a task list:

– Use a task list template

Creating an organized task list should only take a few minutes and can save you more time down the road.

The easiest way is to grab any piece of paper and write down all of your tasks. Just make sure to put those tasks in order from the most important and urgent to the least important and least urgent. You can easily do that by assigning a number or a letter next to each task.

I find it easier to use this type of master task list for different reasons:

  • easier to group the tasks based on importance and urgency
  • better to visualize all the tasks
  • a faster way to add new tasks that you overlooked without having to re-do your list
  • keeps all the tasks more organized!

 

– Download these task list apps

If you prefer to use your phone, here are a few task list apps:

  • Todoist – In addition to adding your tasks, it has a feature called shared projects where you can delegate tasks. Plus, you can track your daily progress and access this app from different devices.
  • Tasks – Not only can you add your tasks, but you can also add details to those tasks, organize them, prioritize them, and even sort them into lists.

Download this free productivity guide for busy moms and achieve more every day! #momlife #moms #schedule #productivity #lifegoals

Productivity Strategy 2 – Use the time blocking technique

In case that you haven’t heard of this productivity strategy before, let’s start from the beginning…

 

What is time blocking?

Time blocking is a technique where you block a period of time on your calendar to take care of a task or group of tasks. You have to treat all your tasks as doctor appointments, company meetings, or vacation and schedule them on your calendar too. In other words, every day you assign a time to each of your tasks or projects.

Although I am focusing more on tasks and projects, make sure to schedule some time to eat, sleep, take a break, and even have fun too.

It’s something that I used a lot while working in Human Resources. I scheduled a time to review resumes, process payroll, conduct regular meetings, prepare the material for orientations, create training modules, and more.

Sometimes as moms, we keep doing what’s on the to-do list and we don’t realize that blocking different times would help us manage our lives better.

 

Time blocking simplifies your days in different ways:

  • It reduces the time spent shifting from one task to another

You already have a schedule of what needs to be done which means that once you complete the task, you know exactly what comes next.

  • Time blocking puts limits to complete your tasks

It can help you reduce distractions, too. Since your time for each task is limited, you would not be wasting your time on other tasks that are not related to the task that you are working on. When you start working on a task, you should know exactly how much time you have planned for that task. This should help you reduce, or better yet eliminate, the amount of time wasted on non-related tasks.

  • Helps you focus better

Your focus should increase due to several reasons. As I mentioned before, the limited time assigned to each task helps you reduce distractions and as a result, you should focus better on what you are supposed to do. Also, having a planned schedule stops your mind from wondering about what needs to be done and helps you focus more on your actions.

 

There are different ways to do time blocking

Some people set a few hours aside to take care of a group of tasks. In that case, your time blocking will look something like this:

Check out this example of time blocking

Another option is to block time for each task which is the method that I use. In this case, you estimate the time needed to complete the task and then you block the time based on what you estimated.

Start adding your important and urgent tasks on your calendar. Then, continue adding those other tasks that are not as important or as urgent as the previous ones. That’s why having an organized task list makes time blocking a lot easier and faster.

Here is an example of a more detailed plan:

Want to increase your productivity? Learn how time blocking can help you!

This is something that I do every night and it helps me have a clear picture of what I need to do the next day. Using time blocking gives me some sense of control and makes my day go smoother. Especially because I know that If I get behind on a task, it would make it more difficult to follow the rest of my schedule and complete my daily goals.

But, don’t get frustrated when something unexpected happens. If it happens, adjust your schedule as soon as everything goes back to normal.

Time blocking is great for overachievers who normally create a long to-do list to complete in a few hours. It helps you be more realistic when planning your days because you can see how much you can really accomplish based on your other responsibilities.

As with anything else, while performing time blocking, choose the option that works best for you.

 

Check out these helpful time blocking tools:

– Time blocking planner

Even though there are many planners out there, it’s important to use a productivity planner that can help you achieve your daily goals while also using the time blocking technique.

The planner that I have been using works great for me. It doesn’t have times printed on its pages but it allows me to customize the weekly pages based on my needs. Right now, I add a daily schedule from 7 am to 10 pm and I still have room for additional notes.

Examples of time blocking planners:

  • inkWell Planner – I use (and love) the Classic weekly planner. Now, they launched their new 360 disc-system which allows you to customize it in the way you want it.
  • Day Designer – it has different designs to choose from
  • Panda Planner – It’s a popular planner and since it’s undated so you can start using it at any time.

 

– Time blocking template (printable)

If you don’t have a planner, the time blocking templates are a great solution. For example, this daily planner has several sections on the left side to help you decide what needs to be done on that day. Once you are done, follow the time blocking technique by scheduling those tasks on the right side of the printable. It’s that simple! Click here to see it.

 

– Time blocking app

  • Time Tune

This time blocking app works as an electronic planner and helps you create routines, add daily activities, and set up notifications. You can also add your events very similar to the way you do it in google calendar. I like its features such as the daily timeline, tags, notifications, and reminders.

 

– Time blocking calendar

  • Google calendar

This electronic calendar is a great option to stay organized and, in this case, to block your time. You can also set alerts and even color code your tasks by family members, importance, or task type. To stay on track, I use the Google calendar in addition to my planner.

  • Trello

This tool is pretty much a combination of a time blocking app and a calendar. Even though it’s a tool intended for collaborations or people working together, you can still use it to organize different projects in your life. Its popularity keeps increasing due to its convenience, easy use, and modern features. Plus, you can access it from your phone or computer.

As a busy mom, I'm always looking for ways to increase my daily productivity. That's why I love these printables because they help me with that! #printables #productivity #organized #ColorfulBows

Productivity Strategy 3 – Keep a habit tracker

Forming a habit is another way to increase productivity. But sometimes, bad habits are hard to break, and new habits are hard to create too. Even popular habits such as drinking more water or doing exercises are hard (not impossible!) to commit to for a while.

To increase your productivity, you may also want to create habits such as using your planner daily, planning your day or week in advance, writing 500 words every day, completing your top three daily goals, or even creating products for your store on a regular basis.

Keep in mind that it’s easier to start with small or mini habits. This will keep you motivated during the process and increases the chance of forming a new habit.

In addition to starting small, make sure to track your habit. Tracking your habits is the best way to see your real progress and lets you evaluate how successful you have been. As human beings, it’s normal to overestimate our actions and think that our performance is a lot better than what it really is.

To successfully achieve goals or complete projects, we need to know how we are truly doing. A habit tracker can show us that information. And, of course, here are some tools for you.

 

These tools help you track your habits:

– Habit Tracker Printable

You can use a habit tracker printable to track your progress. To keep you motivated, choose a format that fits your needs. It could be weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, etc.

 

– Habit Tracker Apps

There are different habit tracker apps available too:

  • Habits

The Habits app is very easy to use and allows you to set reminders. You can also see the history, strength, best streaks, and frequency.

  • Habit Streak

This is another easy app that you can use to mark the number of days that you completed the habit. It has a free version as well as a paid option which includes extra features such as getting an analysis, exporting and importing history, sharing your progress, and setting reminders.

  • Habit Bull

This habit tracker app is more colorful. You can set reminders and notes too. Unlike other apps, it sends you notifications that are more informal and even funny at times.

 

It’s your turn to increase your productivity

As you noticed, those three productivity strategies are not complicated or lengthy. Instead, they are quite simple and easy to follow too.

Applying those strategies in your life should not only help you increase productivity, but you should also see a difference in your “to-do list” at the end of the day. You should be spending less time between tasks and focusing more on the tasks that really matter to you and your family.

By the way, make sure to download the productivity guide that has more productivity tips for you.

Which strategy do you need to implement? Or, which other strategy are you using right now? I would love to hear about it. Let me know in the comments below!

 

Additional Productivity Resources

  • Free Resources Library for Busy Moms
  • 5 Common Productivity Killers for Busy Moms (and how to eliminate them!)
  • Free 7-Day Goal Setting Challenge
  • Top 35 Productivity Tips for Busy Moms (achieve more every day!)

 

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and help them increase their productivity too!

 

I like these quick ways to increase productivity! They're very helpful for busy moms who are trying to achieve more every day. #momlife #productivity #moms #lifegoals

Filed Under: Blog, Moms, Organization, Productivity, Time Management

Disney Cruise Tips: 5 Ways to Maximize Your Time

Sep 17, 2018 by Lynelle Leave a Comment

If this is your first time going on a Disney Cruise, get ready to have a lot of fun. However, before you sail away, make sure to go over these Disney Cruise tips to help you maximize your time.

Even though there’s a misconception that Disney Cruises are only for kids, your entire family can have a great time on the cruise.

I bet that the person who said, “time flies when you are having fun”, took a Disney Cruise. No matter if it’s a short or long cruise, by the time it’s over, you will probably be sad. It happens so often that it’s even called the Post-Cruise Depression.

However, since I’m always looking for ways to save time and be more productive, vacationing on the Disney Cruise would not be the exception. After all, I wanted to enjoy up to the very last cent paid.

And, I bet that you want that too, so let’s get started…

A happy mom having fun in the beach with her kids after following these Disney Cruise tips

Note: This post contains affiliate links. Read my full disclosure for information.

Contents
  1. 5 Disney Cruise Tips to Maximize Your Time
    • Disney Cruise Tip #1 – Keep your documents organized
    • Disney Cruise Tip #2 – Use the cruise rotational dining
    • Disney Cruise Tip #3 – Packing Tips: Simplify and minimize
    • Disney Cruise Tip #4 – Use the personal navigator
    • Disney Cruise Tip #5 – Wake up early
  2. Final Thoughts on Disney Cruise Tips

5 Disney Cruise Tips to Maximize Your Time

Disney Cruise Tip #1 – Keep your documents organized

Keeping all documents organized is important even when you are vacationing.

To make it easier, I classified my documents into one of two categories: essential documents or other important documents.

Essential Documents

The essential documents are important documents that you will need to use or show in order to access an area.

While traveling on the Disney Cruise, there are essential documents that you may need frequently. Because of that, keep the documents handy and in one place.

Imagine waiting in a long line to get off the cruise and start exploring the new port of call, just to realize that you left the passports in your stateroom and can’t go anywhere ☹.

That’s why I bought a functional bag like this one. It’s easier to carry and keep with me at all times. For the most part, here is what I carried inside that bag:

  • stateroom cards
  • passports for my family
  • tickets for the tours
  • money
  • credit card
  • blank paper (to take notes if needed)
  • pen
  • an extra pacifier (only a mom knows how important it is if it gets lost!)

Other important documents

You will probably have more important documents than the ones mentioned in the previous section. The difference is that these documents don’t always need to be carried. In my case, they were mostly documents needed before the cruise, after the cruise, or “just in case”.

I found a mini file to be perfect in keeping this type of documents organized. I used a mini file similar to this one and added some labels for extra organization.

My mini file included the following:

  • Disney Cruise planning book – this is the one you receive in the mail that has important details of your trip
  • Online parking payment receipt – on our second cruise, we drove to Galveston and left the car in a parking lot next to the port.
  • Airplane reservation
  • Cruise insurance document
  • Any hotel reservation – in our case, we drove for several hours and then stayed in the hotel the night before leaving in the cruise.

In Summary

Your documents may be different from the ones I had for our cruises, but the key is to keep your documents organized and handy, so you can have more time to enjoy your cruise.

Disney Cruise Tip #2 – Use the cruise rotational dining

Rotational dining is something that I really like about Disney Cruises especially when you are traveling with little ones.

Here is a quick summary of how it works.

Every day, the Disney Cruise reserves a table for you to eat dinner at one of its three main restaurants. It’s rotational dining because Disney reserves a table at one of those restaurants every night. It’s a simple concept with several benefits:

  • The reservation is already made for you: Therefore, there’s no need to waste time looking for a table because everything is ready for you and your family. I even had a high chair ready at the table. And to make things easier, your table number is the same every day.
  • Scheduled time – Since it’s a reservation, you (and the servers) know exactly when to go. That’s a huge benefit because you can decide what activities to plan before and after your dinner time.
  • Assigned servers rotate with you: Kids feel more comfortable when they know what to expect. In this case, your kids can interact with the same servers they already met.

In addition to saving time and reducing stress, those main dining restaurants are a magical experience for kids (and parents 😉).

However, rotational dining is completely optional and there are more places available to eat including ordering room service from your stateroom.

preview of the FREE printables for the Disney Cruise tips

Disney Cruise Tip #3 – Packing Tips: Simplify and minimize

If you want to take advantage of many activities during your trip, you will probably be running from one side to another trying to be on time for breakfast, character appearance, tour, dinner time, pirate night, show, musical, and much more.

Getting your family ready for the next activity or part of the day will take time. Follow these packing tips to make it better:

Packing tips for clothes

For the first Disney cruise, I grouped the clothes without knowing how much it would help me down the road. After seeing how easy it was, I immediately did the same for the second cruise.

Here is what I did to save time getting the clothes:

  • Got the cruise itinerary and identified the activities or events for each day. It will be something like this: a day at sea, tour at the Bahamas, Castaway, etc. Also, add the three main dining restaurants if you plan to use their rotational dining.
  • Wrote the identified activities on index cards (the contrast makes it easier and faster to see the information).
  • Separated my daughters’ and my clothes based on the activities or events. You can add the dates but keep in mind that you won’t know your assigned rotational dining restaurant until that same day in the cruise.
  • Grouped the activity clothes together, put them (nicely) inside in a storage bag like this one, and taped the index card to the bag. I did the same for every single activity or event. For example, if I had a bag labeled “Enchanted Garden”, it included all the clothes for that restaurant: my outfit, my two daughter’s dresses, and even her hair bows.

Again, my purpose is to save as much time as I can.

Whenever it’s time to get ready, all you do is grab your already prepared outfit bag corresponding to that activity. You won’t waste time thinking about what to wear or trying to find the clothes that you left with the other things.

Since the bags that I used had a vacuum valve, it was easier to fit things inside the luggage too. There are different sizes available depending on your needs. I mostly used large and x-large to fit all the outfits together.

And speaking about the bags, here I found similar storage bags that seem to work even better based on the reviews received.

When you choose your clothes, it’s normal to take into consideration the weather of your destination. However, it’s also important to check on how the weather will be when you return from your cruise.

For example, when we went on the Very Merrytime Disney Cruise, the temperature in Texas was in the fifties. While Cozumel had beautiful sunny weather with a temperature in the mid-eighties.

A packing hack is also included in these Disney Cruise tips

Packing tips for shoes

Don’t go overboard with your shoes. Here is where I suggest you minimize.

To save time, I chose shoes that I could use for different occasions AND I only packed one pair of each:

  • Tennis shoes for tour days and days at sea
  • Casual shoes for casual main dining and musicals
  • Dressy shoes that can be used for both casual and fancy activities such as eating Royal Palace or attending an event with the Captain.
  • Flip flops for the pool or beach at the port of call

Disney Cruise Tip #4 – Use the personal navigator

Every day, the Disney cruise prints a personal navigator which they distribute directly to your stateroom. It’s a newsletter that includes all the details for a specific day such as special instructions, reminders, character appearances, movies, important numbers, highlights, shows, games, and much more.

You normally get the navigator on the previous day. Therefore, don’t just put it aside or in your luggage. Instead, use it to plan the next day ahead of time.

My strategy was simple.

Every night, I was going over every single detail included on that navigator since I didn’t want to miss anything. Especially, because some of the activities are only offered once or twice during the trip.

After circling all the activities that my family would enjoy, I made a list of those activities with their location, which was based on their time. I kept that list handy in my purse to refer to it when needed.

Download the app

After having the list of activities for the next day, I was adding them to the Disney Cruise app.

What I liked the most is that it lets you create reminders to help you stay on top of the cruise events. It also has the time and location for each event, and even the map of the ship so you know exactly where to go.

Make sure to download the app during embarkation because it has other helpful features available too.

The food at the Disney Cruises is delicious

Disney Cruise Tip #5 – Wake up early

If you like to sleep until late, this tip is definitely one that you won’t like to hear. I understand that being on vacation should be part of a relaxing experience.

However, getting up early helps you maximize your time on the cruise as well as in your daily life.

You want to get up early in the day for a few reasons:

  • Cabanas – It’s a delicious buffet place to have breakfast. Even though there’s a variety of food available, it gets crowded (at least during non-school days).
  • Castaway Cay (or any other destination) – Castaway Cay has is a pretty island to explore, play, and take beautiful pictures. Make sure you have enough time to enjoy the island.
  • Exercises – It gives you time to do some exercises before starting the activities planned for the day.
  • Nature – For some reason, the sky, sea, and the sun look prettier when you are cruising. This is the perfect time to enjoy nature and to take more pictures too!

By the way, if you want to learn more about their shows, dining, activities, and more, request the Free Disney Cruise planning DVD.

Final Thoughts on Disney Cruise Tips

You are ready to sail away! Make sure to follow the tips discussed above to maximize your time and enjoy every minute of your magical Disney Cruise!

If this is your first time, don’t forget to download the 9 Extra Tips You Want to Know Before Your First Disney Cruise.

Do you have another Disney Cruise tip to help maximize the time? Or, if this is your first time, which tip did you like the most?

Either way, leave me a comment to let me know.

Before sailing away in a Disney Cruise ship, check these quick ways to maximize your vacation time (Free printables with more Disney Cruise tips!) #cruise #tips #disneycruise #freeprintables #vacation #momlife

Filed Under: Blog, Moms, New Moms, Organization, Parenting, Productivity, Time Management

Best 30-Day Challenge Ideas to Improve Your Mom Life

Aug 13, 2018 by Lynelle 10 Comments

If you are here, you probably like challenges as much as most people do. And I am not surprised because challenges have become more popular during the last years. That’s why I have put together a list of the best 30-day challenge ideas to improve your life.

Here, I am giving you twelve monthly challenges to keep you covered for an entire year!

But first, let’s learn more about challenges…

Here you have free self-improvement challenges for an entire year! Plus, they help you take care of your home, money, and health! #challenges #lifegoals #momlife #stress

Note: This post contains affiliate links. Read my full disclosure for information.

 

What’s a challenge?

For the purpose of this blog post, a challenge is something that you need or want to do that may be somewhat difficult to achieve.

The difficulty of the challenge depends on the:

  • Nature of the challenge: this is what the challenge wants you to do or what the challenge is about.
  • Length of the challenge: in this case, each challenge should last for a month but in general, challenges can take minutes, days, weeks, or even a year.
  • Skills you have: depending on your skills, background, and personality some challenges may be easier for you than others.
  • Expected outcome: this is what you should achieve once a challenge is completed (the results or transformation).
  • Requirements: some challenges require more time, effort, and involvement than others.

 

Types of challenges

Challenges have become so popular that you can pretty much find a challenge for everything.

As with anything else, there are negative challenges (and even dangerous ones) such as the Tide Pod challenge, the Snorting challenge, or exiting a moving car to do the In My Feelings (Kiki) Challenge.

Fortunately, there are positive challenges that you can follow. These challenges include funny ones, such as the lip sync challenge…and the ones that help you improve something in your life.

And that’s exactly what this post is all about.

 

Why challenges may be good for you

The increase in popularity of the challenges is in part because of the benefits that people find behind those challenges.

Let’s talk about different reasons as to why challenges may be good for you:

  • Being part of a group

We all like the feeling of being part of something which can be a team, group, or community. Challenges give people just that. The sense of being part of a group with like-minded people.

  • Feeling of excitement

Trying a new challenge produces the same feelings as trying things that you like for the first time. You are excited about the challenge itself and the expected results.

  • Keeps you motivated

When you like the challenge, it keeps motivating you to achieve the expected results.

  • Produces satisfaction

No matter how big or small the challenge is, completing challenges usually gives people a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.

  • Helps you build confidence

Completing challenges usually gives people a sense of strength, confidence, and motivation to achieve even more things. If that’s your case, take advantage of these feelings and go for it!

 

Helpful Tips to Keep in Mind Before Starting These 30-Day Challenge Ideas

Focus on the challenges, not in the order – These challenges are scheduled based on what made sense to me, the seasons, and the nature of the challenge. However, feel free to complete them in a way that works best for you.

Keep doing the challenge longer if needed – Even though I am providing you a list of 30-day challenge ideas, the challenge doesn’t have to end once the month is over. For example, you may want to continue the Savings Challenge to start an emergency account, save for the holidays, or birthday gifts.

Any improvement counts – I am a firm believer that there’s always room for improvement and a small improvement is still an improvement. Just don’t feel the pressure to complete all the challenges. You may not be interested in all the challenges or you may not need to improve that particular area in your life. Either way, skip that challenge and move onto the next one or continue working on a challenge that you already completed.

Focus on the results – As you know, the purpose of these challenges is to improve your life. Because of that, I don’t want you to be frustrated. Instead, do the best you can and focus on your progress.

A preview of printables included in the home management binder.

12 Best 30-Day Challenge Ideas to Improve Your Life

This list of 30-day challenge ideas gives you a challenge for every single month. I organized it by month just to make it easier for you, but you don’t have to do it in that specific order.

Are you ready?

Let the challenge begin!

 

1. Goal Setting Challenge in January

This is a free 7-day email challenge that I have created. It’s listed as the first challenge because January is normally when people think about setting goals (or New Year’s resolutions).

But, you don’t have to wait until the New Year to start. It’s actually better, and recommended, to start now. Plus, in this challenge, I’ll help you identify, plan, and set your short-term goals. Join the free goal setting challenge.

 

2. Savings Challenge in February

It’s time to save money! For the purpose of this savings challenge, set $5 aside every single day so at the end of the month you can have a total of $150. In twelve months, you can have a total of $1,800 saved.

You can save more with this challenge if you want to. One option is to increase the daily contribution. Instead of saving $5 per day, what about saving $10 or maybe $20?

Another option is to gradually increase your daily contribution. For example, during the first week of the month, you may save $5 per day. Then, in the second week, increase your contribution to $7.

The key for this savings challenge is to first, determine the purpose of the money saved and then, establish the amount of money needed to achieve that goal.

As I mentioned before, you may want to save that money to start an emergency account, get birthday gifts, or to cover for your kids’ school-related activities.

 

3. Declutter Challenge in March

March is immediately associated with nice weather, spring cleaning, and school’s spring break. Therefore, this is the perfect time for a declutter challenge.

Since clutter can cause allergies, stress, and even put you in a bad mood, this challenge is perfect for this series of 30-day challenges to improve your life.

Commit to decluttering one area for a month. The closets and drawers are two popular areas to declutter but don’t forget to include other areas too such as bookshelves, car, and garage. Plus, don’t forget that toy box which magically grows over time!

Once you are done with this 30-day challenge, you may want to re-schedule it every quarter or at least twice a year to avoid accumulating too much clutter.

 

4. 10,000 Steps Challenge in April

It’s time to be more active with a fitness challenge! In this case, you need to reach 10,000 steps every day.

Why 10,000 steps?

Because that’s the recommended number of steps to keep you active and healthy. But, of course, there are additional actions that you should also take to stay healthy.

If this is your first time doing this 30-day challenge, don’t let the number of steps stop you! It may sound impossible but it’s absolutely doable. Plus, it gets easier over time.

Just keep in mind that for this challenge you will need to track your daily steps. Another option is to download an app but that will only work if you carry your phone at all times.

Either way, it’s time to move and track your steps!

 

5. Water Drinking Challenge in May

Drinking enough water is always difficult for many people including me. That’s the reason why I included this water drinking challenge. However, before starting this challenge, you need to calculate the amount of water that you need to drink every day.

It’s okay if you don’t like math because it’s a very easy and simple calculation.  Just get your weight and divide it by two. That total is the number of ounces that you need to drink daily.

After calculating how much water you need, make sure to work on this habit daily!

This busy mom is reading a book for the reading challenge while relaxing in the beach.

6. Reading Challenge in June

Summertime is the perfect time for a reading challenge. Even though, sometimes it’s hard to find time aside from the responsibilities, let’s make the point to read this month.

The goal of this 30-day challenge is to read two books this month. Make sure to schedule a minimum of 30 minutes every day to avoid falling behind. By the way, check out this list of books to get you started.

Want to read more? Instead of reading every day for 30 minutes, schedule an hour and finish one book per week!

Related: Encourage your kids to read too with these reading logs

 

7. Fun Activities Challenge in July

Take advantage that your kids are out of school and enjoy this Fun Activities Challenge. After all, I am pretty sure that your kids will like it too!

During the entire month, have indoor and outdoor family activities. Choose a different activity every day such as crafts, sports, board games, etc. Make sure to choose a variety of activities to keep all family members happy.

 

8. Journal Challenge in August

Journaling has become pretty popular. You can find many videos on YouTube that teach you how to journal. You can start a journal on anything that you want: frequent ideas, a summary of your day, or anything else that you prefer.

As UJ Ramdas said in an interview, journaling is like a toothbrush for your brain. You are pretty much dumping the information from your brain to your journal. It may sound basic or even silly, but journaling helps you in different areas including your mindset and well-being.

The best part is that you don’t have to spend too much time doing it. Ten or fifteen minutes is more than enough.

For this 30-day challenge, get ready to write!

 

9. Zero-Spending Challenge in September

September is the perfect month for a zero-spending challenge.

That will give your pocket a relief after back to school shopping done last month. Plus, it gives you a break before Thanksgiving and Christmas.

The purpose of a zero-spending challenge is, well… that. Not to spend any money this month which should help you save money too.

It’s normally used to reduce your spending on groceries but, for this 30-day challenge, pick an expense category where you are currently overspending or one that you would like to reduce or improve. For example, you may be spending too much on groceries, cosmetics, eating out, or buying clothes.

Pick a category and apply this zero-spending month to that category. Just keep in mind that after choosing a category, you may need to adjust other areas. If we use the example of not eating out for a month, you may have to cook more and plan your meals better.

But, here is something that I want you to keep in mind: Even if you can’t go the whole month without spending on that category you chose, cutting the spending amount in half is already an improvement!

A mom is finally relaxing in the spa.

10. Self-care Challenge in October

As a mom, you are probably taking care of everything and everyone, except for yourself. Therefore, this month is dedicated to you!

Many of us take our health for granted and don’t realize the importance of taking care of ourselves. But self-care has several benefits including reducing stress. That alone is a huge benefit!

This time you have 30 days to focus on yourself with this self-care challenge. No excuses allowed! 😊

In this case, think of indoor and outdoor activities that you like, make you relax, or entertain you. Don’t forget to add things that you have never done but have always wanted to do.

This would be a perfect challenge to continue even after the month is over.

 

11. Gratitude Challenge in November

With the month of November comes Thanksgiving and the gratitude challenge.

Even though many stores are fully decorated for Christmas right after back to school, it’s still important to stop for a moment and be grateful for what we have. Especially because gratitude helps us in different ways including an increase in happiness and better health.

To complete this 30-day challenge, spend a few minutes every day to write down a list of things that you are grateful for and positive things that happened that day. Write a minimum of five things (even though ten would be better) and avoid repeating the same reasons.

The best part is that at the end of the month, you should have at least 150 positive reasons to be grateful for.

 

12. Say Something Nice Challenge in December

There’s something about the holidays that make most people happy. That’s why this is the perfect time to add the Say Something Nice Challenge to the holiday festivities.

It shouldn’t be that hard, right?

Well, there’s a twist. Go the entire month without repeating a person AND stay outside of your comfort zone.

In other words, even though you may feel more comfortable saying something nice to your friends and family members, make sure that you also include strangers and those with who the relationships are not at its best.

Now, get ready to make this December extra special.

The Complete Home Management Binder for busy moms is finally here!

Bonus: Minimalism Challenge

If you skipped one of the challenges mentioned above, here is a minimalism challenge to complete in its place.

Some people take the word minimalism as a synonym for sacrifice, while others focus on the state of mind. And, that’s the direction that I prefer to take.

One of the reasons is because I am pretty sure that you already have a lot on your plate. Plus, as I said before, my goal is for you to improve your life and not to get frustrated.

Use this minimalism challenge to help you simplify different areas of your life throughout the month. There are different activities that help improve the state of mind. Some of these activities include meditation, yoga, and even reducing the use of technology.

Choose a combination of your favorite minimalism activities and enjoy your month!

 

Get ready to complete your first 30-day challenge

Now, you have a list of the best 30-day challenge ideas to improve your life for an entire year!

Keep in mind that to achieve better and long-lasting results, you need to keep working on the challenges longer than 30 days. But, these challenges should get you started in the right direction.

Now, it’s your turn. Which one of the challenges will you work on first? Let us know in the comments below…

Take care!

MomSucceeds.com helps busy moms achieve their personal and professional goals through better productivity, money management, and self-improvement.

 

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A mom is happy playing with her baby after completing the challenges.

Filed Under: Blog, Moms, Organization, Self Improvement

5 Common Productivity Killers for Busy Moms

Mar 12, 2018 by Lynelle Leave a Comment

You can’t add more hours to your day, but you can be more productive just by eliminating one productivity killer at a time. Remember that your time is something that will never come back.

Once it’s gone, it’s gone. Forever!

That’s why this post not only discusses five common productivity killers for busy moms, but it also provides you with solutions and resources to help you maximize your time and days.

As moms, we already have too many things on our plates. We help our kids with their homework, take them to extracurricular activities, attend games, and watch concerts, among many other things.

That’s why it’s so important to improve our productivity. That way, we can still achieve our tasks and goals.

Quick Note: This post contains affiliate links. Read my disclosure for more info.productivity killer

Quick note before moving forward, as a Mom Succeeds reader you can:

Save 97% on this productivity bundle for busy moms!

 

Productivity Killers & How to Eliminate Them

Productivity Killer #1 – Believing the myth of multitasking

For years, we have been told to multitask but studies have shown that multi-tasking is not the best approach towards productivity. There are two main factors involved, focusing and switching tasks.

When you multitask, you are not giving your full attention to any of the tasks you are working on. That means that it takes longer to complete each task since your brain continues switching from one task to another.

A study shows that switching tasks can decrease your productivity time by up to 40%. In other words, if you are multitasking to be productive, you must realize that you are achieving the opposite.

Switching between simple and familiar tasks may not seem like a big deal. For example, you probably won’t notice it much if you are making your bed while on the phone having an informal conversation with a family member.

But, the story may be completely different with more complex tasks.

Just imagine calling your insurance company regarding an expensive procedure not covered by your plan while cooking a broiled double-thick lamb rib chops with slicked-up store-bought mint jelly sauce, for the first time! You would probably have to call the insurance company back or stop working on the recipe until you are done with the call. By the way, that’s a real recipe that you can find here.

After all, multitasking is a huge productivity killer. It takes you longer to complete tasks, your focus decreases, and the probability of making mistakes increases, affecting the quality of the results.

Before going to the solution, check out this short video about what happens to your brain while multitasking.

Solution:

Start by focusing on one task at a time. Once you complete the task that you are working on, then move on to the next one. Then, start the next task, complete and repeat. Plan your day (discussed under productivity killer #2) and keep a master task list to help you keep track of what needs to be done. A great resource is a book called The One Thing which covers the disadvantages of multitasking and the benefits of focusing on one thing at a time.

Learn more about The One Thing Book>

 

Productivity Killer #2 – Not planning your day

Not planning your day has several disadvantages. When you start your day without knowing what to do, it’s easy to get caught up on everything and any little thing that comes your way.

Life is not perfect and last-minute things will occur often. But, when I plan my day the night before, I achieve more. That’s because planning your day gives you purpose and direction so you can focus on what’s really important to you.

You may choose to plan your days in the morning, but doing it the night before gives you the advantage of knowing exactly what to do as soon as you wake up. There is no room for excuses. But, the times that I have tried to plan my day in the mornings, I got distracted by other things and ended up not planning at all (and wasting my time ☹).

I am a huge fan of productivity planners to plan your day. Plus, they are like your personal assistant keeping everything organized and in one place.

There are many cute paper planners out there such as the Happy Planner and Erin Condren. However, my favorite is the Classic InkWell Press Planner. I find its layout easier to customize, neater, and more organized. Especially now with their new 360 disc planner. You can take a look at it here.

But, the planner itself can’t do the trick. You must use your planner for it to work.

Motivate yourself, otherwise, you will end up not using it. Start by making it easy for yourself. Get a planner that matches your personality. For example, my brain pictures the tasks better when the week is arranged vertically. It looks more organized and it’s easier for me to quickly understand what needs to be done during that week. If you prefer a daily or horizontal layout, then choose that one instead.

Also, decorating your planner will probably motivate you to use it even more. Add family pictures to make it more personal and decorate the pages based on the season, holiday, and upcoming events. To make it easier for you, I have created a list of 130 free printable stickers to get you started.

Solution:

Get a planner and make it a habit to use it on a daily basis. It doesn’t matter if you choose the Happy Planner, Erin Condren, or the InkWell Press. What really matters is to plan your days.

This productivity planner is perfect for moms

Learn more about the InkWell Press Planner>

 

Productivity Killer #3 – Not tracking your time

When you are not tracking your time, you don’t know if you are on track to complete your tasks or meet your deadlines. Even worse, at the end of the day, you won’t know where your time went.

Tracking your time gives you a better idea of the tasks that are consuming your time. Knowing that allows you to make quick changes to be more productive the next day.

Once you start tracking your time, you might find out that you are spending a lot of time on things that will not help you reach what you want in life. For example, you might realize that you are spending too much time watching tv or playing on social media, instead of starting a blog as you wanted for the last two years.

Track your time with productivity apps

RescueTime can help you track your time and it’s available as an app and chrome extension. There’s also Brain Focus Productivity Timer. It’s a popular app that follows the Pomodoro technique.

If you are not familiar with the Pomodoro technique, it was created by Francesco Cirillo in the late ‘80s. The purpose is for you to focus on working on a project without distractions. After choosing a project, set the timer for a 25-minute session.

Once the session is over, you take a short break of 5 minutes. After the break, you start a new 25-minute session until it is time for another quick break, and so on. You have a total of four sessions before taking a longer break of 20 minutes.

Before starting a project, plan how many 25-minute sessions that project will require. By doing so, you are tracking your time and pushing yourself to meet a deadline. If you don’t set a deadline, you will find yourself moving from session to session without being productive.

In my case, I have noticed the difference from when I am tracking my time and when I am just looking at the time itself. I tend to focus better since I am on the clock. When I only check the time, I tend to be more relaxed and as a result, I take longer to complete the tasks.

Solution:

Start tracking your time. You can download one of the apps already mentioned, or you can do it yourself by using a regular timer. But, if you haven’t been tracking your time, I wouldn’t suggest the latter. If you want to learn more about the Pomodoro Technique, his creator just published a book. Click here to learn more.

Learn more about the Pomodoro Technique book>

 

Productivity Killer #4 – Lack of organization

This year, I am focusing on this productivity killer because there are so many things to learn and it is easy to start collecting articles, books, and magazines.

Disorganization has negative consequences.

That’s why recently, I got tired of a very disorganized area in my house and ended up transforming it into a simple command center for kids. Not only does that area look pretty and clean, but now my kids can easily keep all of their school materials in one place.

Disorganization highly affects your productivity time. Spending time looking for things won’t help you complete your projects on time. And it will get worse if you have to do the work all over again.

Not finding the required tools or materials can delay the completion of the tasks. And that may cause stress, frustration, irritability, and a decrease in motivation to complete the project.

Solution:

There are different solutions depending on your situation. First, go digital or paperless. If you are keeping many newspapers or magazines, try switching to a digital subscription. Make the point to only print what is absolutely necessary.

Second, transfer your documents to your computer. If you are keeping documents such as invoices, think about investing in a scanner where you can transfer those papers to your computer.

Another solution is to designate an area for every item which is something that I am working on right now. If something doesn’t have a “home”, then make a quick decision to sell it, trash it, or to donate it.

 

productivity guide for busy moms

Productivity Killer # 5 – Not taking care of yourself

I am pretty sure you saw this one was coming. As moms, we take care of our kids, work, home, and anything else except for ourselves. Just remember, to be able to take care of others, we should take care of ourselves first. Not doing so may result in higher levels of stress, tiredness, and other health issues.

When I do yoga and meditation first thing in the morning, my attitude towards the day changes. I see myself more focused, patient and handling unexpected challenges in a better way.

Every day, set aside some time where you can get involved in activities that energize you. You could have a combination of reading, running, and meditation. Just make sure to include at least one activity that keeps you active.

Make it a habit to take care of yourself and follow through. Quitting after few days will just put you back where you started. It’s not enough to choose activities and schedule times, you should track them too.

A habit tracker allows you to see your progress. It motivates you to keep moving forward or shows you that you need to work harder. You can track your habits on your cell phone with apps like Habit Streak, Habit Bull, or Loop.

If not, check your planner for a more traditional pen and paper method. Some planners like the InkWell Press, have dedicated sections to track your habits regularly.

If you don’t have those type of planners, don’t worry because there are other options such as these printables.

Solution:

Decide how you want to start taking care of yourself. Specify the activities and the amount of time you will dedicate to each activity. For example, you could plan meditation for 15 minutes, reading for 10 minutes, and running for 20 minutes.

To make it work, try setting up a specific schedule (for example: from 7 to 8 am). Block that time on your calendar and start a daily morning routine.

As discussed in the book titled The Miracle Morning, having an early morning routine gives you time to take care of yourself and other important projects in your life. That allows you to be more productive before life gets in your way.

Learn more about The Miracle Morning book>

 

Get rid of your productivity killers

After understanding the five common productivity killers, it’s time to take action. Make sure to choose one productivity killer that you need and want to work on first.

Download the productivity guide and don’t forget to create a plan of what you want to achieve, along with the action items and deadlines.

Remember, not all your days will go as planned but they can be better if you have eliminated those productivity killers.

In the meantime, which productivity killer are you struggling with right now? Leave me a comment!

Additional resources to be more productive

  • Awesome resources for moms who are serious about increasing productivity
  • 3 Quick Ways to Increase Productivity (get daily results!)
  • 35 Productivity Tips for Busy Moms
  • Best 30-Day Challenge Ideas to Improve Your Life
  • Free 7-Day Goal Setting Challenge

image to pin it for later

productivity killer

Filed Under: Blog, Moms, Organization, Productivity, Time Management

How to Create a Simple Command Center for Kids

Oct 30, 2017 by Lynelle 2 Comments

I had enough of this cluttered area! A very dysfunctional area in my house is now an organized and really simple command center for kids.

When I moved into this house a few years ago, I had plans for a wall space between the dining room and family room. The idea was to put the mail, magazines, school paperwork, and work documents there until I could process them. I didn’t want all that daily paperwork to end up on top of the dining table or worse to get lost.

I had enough! I transformed a messy and dysfunctional area in the house, to an organized, functional, and real simple command center for kids. Learn six important tips to create your own! Plus, FREE PRINTABLES!

This post contains affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more information.

I love storage cubes and they have been my BFF for years. Because they are great for decoration and organization purposes. That’s the reason why I got a storage cube. It had the right size for that space area. The goal was to keep all the paperwork in one place. And, it worked!

But not anymore…

Get these easy tips to transform a dysfunctional area in your home to a real simple command center for kids! Plus, FREE printables!
Table Of Contents
  1. Home Organization Needs
  2. A beautiful, functional, and really simple command center
  3. DIY Command Center Tips
  4. Get started with your command center
  5. Wrapping up
  6. Make sure to Pin it for later!

Home Organization Needs

Our home organization needed a change. There were some problems/challenges such as the oldest daughter keeping school supplies in different areas, no place for notes but too much space to store clutter, and having the youngest daughter about to start Pre-k. You know exactly what that means. Not just another backpack and lunchbox but more school paperwork too!

After doing some research, I was convinced that a command center would be the perfect solution to replace the dysfunctional area. There are so many options available that I stepped back and identified our new home organization needs first.

I made a list of our requirements:

  • Inexpensive
  • Simple
  • No holes in the wall
  • Kid-friendly
  • Some storage
  • Space for notes and reminders

Inexpensive

Living on one income makes our budget pretty limited. I needed to fix that dysfunctional space with the least money possible. However, there are always ways to work around it. I created a simple command center for my kids that avoided adding a lot of items I wouldn’t use.

Get these easy tips to transform a dysfunctional area in your home to a real simple command center for kids! Plus, FREE printables!

Simple

You can add so many things to a command center. Things like folders, key holders, calendars, frames, and pretty much anything else that comes to your mind. I just wanted a simple but functional area where my kids could place their backpacks, a lunchbox, a 4-inch binder, have notes or reminders, and any additional book or material required to be kept at home.

No holes in the wall

I have seen command centers with hooks to hang kids’ backpacks. Even though I liked the idea, it was not an option for us for two reasons. First, because my oldest daughter’s backpack is waaaay too heavy. It has her books, notebooks, laptop, and other required school supplies. In this case, the hook would probably get loose and fall over time. Second, because I was determined not to make holes in the wall. I wanted a simple, pretty, and clean look.

Kid-friendly

With a toddler and a tween at home, I wouldn’t expect them to be super careful putting their belongings in the command center. I didn’t want to worry about them dropping a frame, damaging a folder, or even getting scratched by sharp hooks or corners. The storage bench top round corners maintain the area safe for kids.

Limited storage

Some storage is still needed in that space but not as much as we had before. In this case, I repurposed a storage bench from my youngest daughter’s room which I was using as a window bench. I used it to comfort her as a baby when she was waking up at night. Now, she is a toddler and we haven’t used it anymore. It had the perfect size to easily hold a regular backpack, a laptop backpack, and a 4-inch binder on top. At the bottom, it also provides the amount of storage space that I was looking for

Get these easy tips to transform a dysfunctional area in your home to a real simple command center for kids! Plus, FREE printables!

It was great for our low budget and the furniture is in better use. A win-win situation. I also added a folding storage bin similar to this one. I prefer those type of storage bins than the clear ones because it looks more organized and consistent. You can leave the window bench without bins or add all three bins.

Space for notes and reminders

The old area had zero space for notes or reminders. I had to leave notes on the dining table in order to remind my oldest daughter about important things coming up. To solve this, I used this chalkboard contact paper.

kids command center extra space

I cut two 20”(W) x 35”(H) pieces and placed them side by side to give the impression that it is one whole piece. It’s tall enough for the backpacks not to cover or erase the messages. It also protects the wall from getting dirty which was a major concern. It is easy to clean too. Just use a damp cloth to remove the chalk and that’s it. You’re done! Something simple and practical.

real simple command center for back to school

Some people don’t like the idea of using contact paper on textured walls. They prefer to use contact papers on smooth surfaces to have a better look. And it does look better. Because of that, some people have only used it on a smooth surface or they have added a smooth surface under the chalk contact paper. In my case, I am happy with the results. Yes, the contact paper is not smooth but it’s not that noticeable either unless you get close to it. Plus, it doesn’t bother me when I write on it. It works like a dry erase wall decal. Do what makes you happy. 

Tip: As you can see, I even add some decorations to the command center based on the season. But, you can also add some color by using colored chalk or adding post-it notes which are easy to remove too.

A beautiful, functional, and really simple command center

I really love the way that area looks now. It’s no longer a messy, disorganized, and dysfunctional area. Now, it’s completely the opposite. It’s beautiful, functional and organized. The kids have been using it every single day. As soon as they come back from school, they know exactly where to put their school stuff. But more importantly, they know where to find them too! 🙂

Get these easy tips to transform a dysfunctional area in your home to a real simple command center for kids! Plus, FREE printables!

DIY Command Center Tips

There are so many ideas or ways to make your command center that you could easily feel overwhelmed by the process. To help you succeed in your project, follow these six tips:

1 – Identify your family home organization needs

A command center should help you and your family stay more organized. Make sure it solves your needs. Every command center layout and content are unique based on what you are trying to accomplish. There’s not a right or wrong way to make it. It’s only wrong if it doesn’t meet your needs.  

Don’t be tempted to add few more items just because they are cute. Having all those unnecessary items may overwhelm you even more or increase your clutter which creates a dysfunctional area.

Be intentional during the planning phase to achieve the desired results. Visualize your dream command center and transfer your thoughts to a piece of paper. It is easier to move things around on a piece of paper than changing the whole command center after it is set up.

2 – Determine who will use the command center

You can be creating a command center for yourself, your kids, or the whole family. The needs will vary depending on who will use it. For example, if I create a family command center, I would include bills, a weekly calendar, a monthly calendar, and a bin to keep the incoming and outgoing mail. But, my kids don’t need any of that.

3 – Focus on the purpose

The sky’s the limit when you are making a command center. And I have seen many types. Some are simple, while others have everything included. That’s why you need to focus on the purpose. What are you trying to fix? What do you want to achieve?

4 – Choose the home space for the command center

Decide how much space you need for the command center. Take into consideration the items that you want to include. Many include calendars on it but I didn’t need them there. The number of people that will use it is also important. Because a family of eight will probably require more space than a family of four. Or a kids command center may need less space than a family command center. Choose the space based on the previous steps.

5- A convenient location

Space and location go together. The location of the command center has to be easy and convenient for the person(s) using it. Some command centers are located near the entrance door while others are near the family room or even the kitchen. In my case, it is right next to the dining table where my kids normally sit to do their homework. It’s only a few steps away from the garage door which makes it easier when we are leaving or coming back from school.

6 – Keep your budget and purpose in mind

It’s easy to get lost inside an office supply store and to “unconsciously” add unnecessary {but cute 🙂 } items to the shopping cart. Save time and money by making a list of supplies needed for that command center that you visualized on Tip 1. But, before heading out of the door, look around your house for any unused item that you can repurpose. 

command center for kids

Get started with your command center

After following those important tips to create your command center, it’s time to take action. I have put a few products together to get you started…

PRACTICAL CHALKBOARD CONTACT PAPER

For this project, I have used the chalkboard contact paper 1 shown below but there are similar products that you can use too:

Get these easy tips to transform a dysfunctional area in your home to a real simple command center for kids! Plus, FREE printables!

Chalkboard contact papers:

chalkboard contact paper 1  | paper 2 | paper 3 | paper 4 | paper 5

Functional Storage Bench

Even though I used the espresso storage bench (top), you have other colors and models to choose from. Here are some that you might want to consider:

Get these easy tips to transform a dysfunctional area in your home to a real simple command center for kids! Plus, FREE printables!

espresso bench (top/used)  |  white espresso bench  |  espresso bench (bottom left)  |  storage bench (bottom)

  • Update: Unfortunately, Target is no longer selling the storage bench that I used. But, I found the same storage bench here and a  similar storage bench here.

Colorful storage bins

There are so many storage bins to choose from! For this project, I used an 11″ x 10.5″ x 10.5″ red storage bin that I bought from Target a few years ago.  They don’t seem to carry those bins anymore but I found similar bins at other places. And added a couple of bins that caught my attention 😀 :

Get these easy tips to transform a dysfunctional area in your home to a real simple command center for kids! Plus, FREE printables!

black bin | hot pink bin | ocean blue & black bin | green bins | ocean blue bin

Wrapping up

Now, you know how I made my simple command center. Make sure to follow the six tips described above to successfully make yours. Hope you get as happy as I did after seeing the difference and don’t forget to scroll up and get the quick start guide.

Download the quick start guide

What type of command center are you planning? Leave me a comment in the section below!

Make sure to Pin it for later!

I had enough! I transformed a messy and dysfunctional area in the house, to an organized, functional, and real simple command center for kids. Learn six important tips to create your own! Plus, FREE PRINTABLES!

Filed Under: Blog, Home, Organization, Productivity

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