Why I'm Crazy Enough to Camp with My Large Family

Frogs. Tents. Bugs. Oh my!

All my friends say that if they ever found out I went camping in a tent, they would have to see it to believe it. And they’re right. I am not an “outdoor girl”. I don’t like to sweat, and bugs give me the creeps! I definitely do not like the idea of outhouses, and public showers offend me. However, I am married to a man who loves the outdoors. He would have the time of his life with just his tent, water, and wild berries. He has been trying to get me to go camping for years. Until finally, one summer day, he talked me into it. I mean after all, change is good. I can learn to love the outdoors and appreciate that nature has a lot to offer our un-schooling, family.

The preparation to go on this trip was a huge undertaking. My husband was busy spit shining his canteen from his Boy Scout days, and the kids and I packed, well, everything else. There was packing food and planning the meals we would eat, clothes, and toiletries. I was so busy helping all my children pack that I was afraid that I might forget something for myself. Something forgotten as simple as my curling iron or my make-up would, without a doubt, ruin the trip for me! I had my planner laid out on the counter with everything I needed to do to make this camping trip a fun, learning experience for our children. It turned out to be something very different.

It was hot that day and we found the perfect camping spot. It was one of my husband’s favorite places and was excited to share it with us. I would have to say; it was beautiful. There were big trees to shade our abode for next few days, and a nice breeze, thanks to the beautiful lake that glistened in the hot sun. We also were camped right next to the marina, which obliged me in electricity, showers, and decent restrooms. My husband, whom is seasoned in tent camping, wasted no time and got started teaching our children how to pitch a tent. Meanwhile, I started rummaging through my designer, luggage bag to see if I had remembered to bring my sweat resistant make-up. Finally, after everything was unpacked, and the tent pitched, I looked around and my husband was no longer in my view. 

“Great.” I express aloud with my hands on my hips.  “I’m hot and he decides to look for berries?” 

In a distance, I see him dragging back, what looks like, half a tree!

“I have found our firewood!” He exclaims excitedly.

I shook my head, not sharing the same excitement, and immediately got to work on neatly, putting on my Ralph Lauren sheet for my air mattress, and rolling out my Eddie Bauer sleeping bag. Soon after, my daughter, Belle, just 3 years old, ran screeching with delight, holding a frog. Her grip was so tight his poor eyes were bulging. My husband ran to the scene and he explained to all our children who wanted to listen, everything there was to know about bullfrogs; from what they eat, to how they carry their eggs, why a bullfrog’s skin is smoother than a toads, and most importantly, what we should name him. 

I poked my head out of my tent to get a closer look. 

I noticed the fun they were having together; learning with their dad. Outdoors. He was sharing what he loved with them and they were enjoying every minute. That frog was just the beginning of our adventures. We spent our days fishing, riding bikes, swimming, finding fossils, and identifying strange bugs and wild berries. By nightfall, my husband taught us how to start a fire (using branches from his half a tree he'd discovered), got a lesson in astrology, and taught us how to roast the marshmallow just right to build the best s’more, ever. 

That camping trip was not only a wonderful learning experience, it made memories. This was just the beginning of our camping adventures. Soon we upgraded to a camper (yes!), and we travel all over, from South Dakota, to Colorado, to many places in between. And we camp probably every other week all summer long. 

Crazy? Yes. Yes it is. But you know what? It's been 100% worth it every single time. 

Un-schooling is like our camping trip where learning is all the time; it is a very natural way to learn. And camping provided a great way for us to learn as a family, which compliments our un-schooling. Don't get the wrong impression. I have not ditched the curling iron and sweat resistant make-up while camping. But, I have fully embraced camping, being in the outdoors and taking in the beautiful world God made; with the sweet, sweet, comforts of my camper. 

It’s a way of life for us now and have learned that anything worth pursuing takes a little bit of crazy, a lot of prep, a large dose of patience, and of course it all happens and made simpler with a plan.

In the end, it was I, who truly learned the most. I was learning about nature through my husband’s eyes, and I liked what I saw…frogs, tents, bugs, and all!


Click here for all my tips on camping with kids.

Have you had successful or not-so-successful camping trips with your family? Do tell...

How to Bottle Your Good Days

When I have those good mama days, I just want to bottle it. They are so wonderful, so amazing, I want to repeat it. Desperately. So why not learn from these good days? Take notes, find out what we're doing right and repeat that? I found the love of this idea from my favorite site, Core Parenting, and I like what the author said: instead of trying to figure out how to make better our plethora of bad days, why not take notes on the good? 

I like it. 

Being our own guide on what's best for our own family takes conscious effort and who best on knowing what's best for own children and family than us mamas? 

I know for me, when I am my most patient, in my best mood, my most loving, my most attentive (in other words...at my best), is when I feel my best. Ya know what I mean? I've had a full nights rest, I'm dressed for the day at a decent hour, I'm utilizing my talents, my routine is flowing so the house is in good working order, and *ahem* my scripted plans for my life are flowing like a beautiful, flowing stream. These, are the makings for a wonderful day. I also take note of what works for my children so that we avoid unnecessary meltdowns, such as: slower mornings and planned, somewhat structured days; a wonderful day in the making!

Now I realize that having a wonderful day everyday is not an easy task, there are just so many variables when raising children. But, there is a way to make most days wonderful days and that is to take care of you! To make sure we are living consciously: regularly replenishing ourselves before it's too late, getting enough rest, having our quiet time with God, daily, to dream, to plan, to be the authors of our own lives, and to use our talents on an everyday basis. The rest of the formula for good days are going to be unique to you and your family. This, my friends, is a wonderful formula for bottling the good days. 

So when the bad days do strike, which they will, ditch the plans and rest with your babes, taking it extra slow. Joy comes in the morning again and God gives us a whole new day to live life to the fullest. 

You are an amazing mom, allow flexibility in your days, take care of yourself, see joy in the everyday, and understand that you are the best person for this job! Even when you're in a bad mood...

See, you can bottle the good days!

How do you set yourself up for good days? How do you handle the bad?

What You Should Know Before Asking Advice

I truly believe that seeking guidance from older women in our lives is important. They have a lot of wisdom and guidance to offer us younger moms and can save us from a lot of struggle. I remember receiving some great advice from my mom and my aunt as a new mother and wife when I needed it the most.

Titus 2:4 says: So that they may encourage younger women to love their husbands, to love their children.

But... I also do believe that it should never, take the place of your own mama instinct, listening to your husband, or your relationship with God. 

When I was a new mom, there was a time I absolutely could not function in my parenting, womanhood, or even my own family issues unless I sought out advice. This source of wisdom I had at my fingertips quickly became more like a dependency. I was depending on others and this didn't allow me to depend on God, respect my husband as leader of our home, or listen to my own motherly instinct that was very much trying to tell me something for years as a new mom. This can be crippling and devastating unless proper balance is restored. The mistake I made in my early marriage by not allowing my husband to be our spiritual leader in our home also hurt my marriage. 

Finding our own way in our motherhood is crucial for personal growth, depending on God for our main source of wisdom and strength absolutely necessary, and praying for our husbands daily and allowing him to lead the home creates a godly marriage of love and mutual respect.

James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

Ephesians 5:22-33 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, ...

Gleaning from older women and seeking advice when we are living with God as our main source of wisdom, our motherly instinct intact, and allowing our husband to be leaders of our home, creates a wonderful resource for us moms. Don't make the   mistake of seeking advice outside of this order or it can have the opposite effect and be destructive to your family, you, your marriage, and your home.

Have you ever created a dependency on advice?

I'm linked up to, Joy Comes in the Morning's, Rubie Tuesdays. Click the image for more encouragement and inspiration.

one of the biggest lessons I learned as a young mother

I remember being that young mom in my early twenties with only a couple little ones under toe. I stayed at home, I baked, I cooked, I went to bible study, homeschooled, and had, 3-days a week, playdates with my best friend who had kids the same age. It was fun and hard at the same time and just the beginning of my mommy journey and I was loving it.

But I also remember the time when I felt something was missing. I remember calling my mom trying to figure out what that could possibly be. I was surrounded by motherhood bliss, what else could I possibly need? My mom thought I needed to get out, to take more breaks from my babies so I could replenish. Yes, it was nice to get-out once and awhile to refuel, but that wasn't my hearts need. 

God led me to what my heart needed and you know what that was?

To dream again. 

To pick up my paintbrush and charcoal pencils I had put away in exchange for diapers, to seek and find all my God-given talents and to use them for me, to use them to share with my family, my children, God's glory, and the world!

God revealed this need to me in a dream one night and it woke me up suddenly. I was startled, renewed, excited, motivated! I remember waking up my husband telling him what God told me I needed to do and he was my biggest supporter and fan. The idea of being a wife and mother and being Jenny, gave me such excitement!

God told me I didn't need to neglect me in order to be a good wife and mother. 

He had marvelous plans for me! And being and using all of me, made me a better mother and a better wife. It also taught my children to always seek and use what God has given them to do too. Once I picked up art pencils and paintbrush again, my children with interest picked them up and some of them are big-time artists and spend hours mastering their love! Watching me gave them curiosity, gave them motivation to try something new; they began to pursue things they loved and it was such a blessing to be the one to help them pursue it. 

Being continually conscious of the fact that we as mothers need to be all we can be for our children is important, as our children are always watching us and learn from us. 

This is how my love for cooking, baking, blogging, writing, speaking, unschooling, Planner Perfect Meals, and Planner Perfect came to unfold for me. It began by listening to my heart and by hearing what God pressed on to me to do. He wants you to do the same, mamas. 

It is never too late to explore your God-given talents and strengths. Seek them, find them, and use them! And if you're a young mama just starting out, don't delay! Being a mother using her strengths and talents and using them for her joy and to share with the world is what God wants for you. Enjoy it!

Have you ever felt this way in your motherhood? Maybe instead of feeling something was missing it came in the guise of feeling unmotivated and a lack of excitement to greet each day. Please share...

How to Plan Your Mother's Day

Me with my Brock who has a funny look on his face.. On Mother's Day.

It may sound silly to plan your own Mother's day, but I'm telling you from experience...it works!  

Why? 

Well, I have had some Mother's days, unplanned, that have been, well how do I say this... disappointing. 

Not that my family doesn't  shower me with love, it's just sometimes the love just fizzles out fast in the day.

You moms know what I'm talking about; one minute you're basking in your Mother's day glory and next minute someone is fighting over the cereal box, and your next 10-minutes is with a broom and dustpan and the day keeps going with that same momentum. 

Good feeling gone.


To be honest, I look forward to this day as though it were my birthday. After all, I'm a mom and proud of it! I have 7 babes ranging from eighteen to three and a handsome husband. I would love to wake up to the aroma of bacon and eggs being prepared for me, I don't want to do any housework all day, yet still have a clean home, do something fun like shop for flowers, and I want everyone to be in great moods and that means, no fighting children and everyone showers me with love and kisses! 

Is that too much to ask? 

The truth is--and this is from experience of course, it is. And that is why having your special day planned is just plain smart. It's taking care of ourselves, and that in turn makes us better mothers. All the wonderful surprises and love that we receive on this special day, are going to be icing on the cake! 

Here is some tips to ensure an amazing Mother's day. You deserve it!

Get out those Planner Perfect planners {Ideally, you'll want to be dreaming this up in April; once you get your groove-on with life planning, this will come natural and easy to do. }

In your Planner Perfect, put these ideas in your May goal pages, this is so you can be dreaming up ideas for your own mother, and get a lot of ideas and details down. Transferring this to your daily pages will then be easy. Script your Mother's day header at the top and if you've got a cute flower sticker to adorn your page...stick that on there, too!  

(PP tip: I love to keep stickers of different seasons in my planner for just these occasions. It creates beauty on my pages.)

 

Begin thinking of what you'd like to do for your own mom. My mom is in town and I like to celebrate her on the day before so I can devote attention to her fully and then Sunday is with my own family. If yours is not near, thinking about this earlier is important so you can get your gift sent on time and you've had time to put thought into her and what she'd like on this day, too.

What would you like to do for breakfast? I would love to have a big breakfast with everyone, so I make sure my kitchen is spotless before I go to bed and that I've got my pancake batter ready or whatever I'd love to prepare in the morning; easy for anyone or even I to prepare in the morning. Afterward, having everyone pitch in to pick-up to keep the kitchen tidy or if not already on it, have them pick-it up for you while you read a book or do something for yourself, like getting ready for the day.

Write down how you'd like to have your home look. I love to wake-up to a clean house. So on Saturday, I get my house in order and chores complete by everyone in the family to ensure this. Your Mother's day will feel fantastic with a clean home; even quarreling children are not that problematic if your not staring down messes in every room you look. 

What do you want to do in your day? I know this year where I live, the day is going to be sunny without a cloud in the sky...I want to pick out my flowers and hanging baskets. Then come home and children can get on their gardening gloves with me and we can plant all afternoon and follow it up with a lemonade.

In the afternoon, go for a walk, and make sure you have your favorite coffee or tea on hand so you can prepare it for a relaxing time in your day...

Dinner? Write down what you'd like to have happen. I know I'm bored sick of crowds and Mother's day is always busy. I prefer to eat at home with the comfort of my own family. I don't mind cooking, I love it...so preparing a wonderful meal for us will be fun. Having your husband man the grill is one way to keep the kitchen clean and less cooking for you. Enjoy your favorite coffee out on patio while your man grills and you and your children set the   table.

Dessert is a must! If you like baking...make your favorite cake the day before and keep it in your fridge for your special day. If your family already does this for you, then you've got this step covered. But if this is something you'd like to help celebrate, make sure you get it done, by baking it or buying your favorite at a local bakery. 

Write down how you would like to finish your night. Is it with a bath, painted  nails and a good book, once the young kids are in bed? Why not? Get it planned and make it happen. 




Ahh...what a great day! And these are just some example that I've done. Your day will be unique to you.


I hope that you see how planning your day and days leading up to your Mother's day is important. Being a life planner is vital for your mental health, personal growth, being completely organized, and ensuring a Mother's day of you deserve..


Have a wonderful Mother's day, friends! I would love to hear all about your Mother's day...leave a comment sharing how you celebrated and how planning it first, sealed the deal!

Be sure to check out my Planner Perfect Meals site for more Mother's day meal ideas!

Hugs,

A Fresh Idea On Getting Clean For Spring

Spring is here and this is when you get out your planners and start writing down in your April monthly pages all you need to clean to get ready for spring. Go through each floor of the house, each room that are alike can be grouped, and don't forget all the details! If you leave out the details, you less likely to follow through. The action part is in the details; in creates an ownership as though you can feel yourself already in the cleaning process.  It pumps you up!

Here is how you can get ready for spring, now, in your Planner Perfect, planner:

You'll need at least 2 pages of your reinforced loose-leaf for your spring cleaning details. Create a header for your spring cleaning month, such as *Spring Cleaning and the current year* and find yourself a flower sticker and throw it up there, too!

Start at the top floor of your house and work your way down. 
Group like rooms together such as bedrooms. Write bedrooms as your subtitle and underneath it write all you like to get done in the bedrooms. Some ideas might include: washing drapes, changing sheets out from flannel to crisp cotton, polishing all wood furniture, vacuuming, etc... do this when writing all the details you'd like done in each room.

 
Bathrooms deserve their own group. Write down that they need to be cleaned, and any new cleaning supplies you might need to get the job done. My mom used to always buy a couple new cleaning items on her deep clean days, it just seems to help get the jobs done when you have fresh gloves and a new sponge. If you have seasonal decor in your bathrooms, jot down what you might want to get new, such as new hand towels, soaps, or maybe even a little vase of some sprigs of fresh flowers. 


Vacuuming your way down the stairs means you've accomplished the top floor. This is also a good time to take a damp rag, children are a good candidate for this job, and have them take their rags and swipe along baseboards and in the crease of the stairs to get all the dirt that collects there, leaving it pushed out into easy reach areas so you can vacuum it all up. 

 The kitchen, remove winter seasonal items, wash down back splash, wash the floor on your hands and knees. Get a bucket and a couple of rags, this is the only way to really get in there and get it clean. In-between times is fine for the Swiffer, but when it comes to the deep cleaning...this is a must. Deep clean your ovens and stove-top. I have a gas stove and I use my oven cleaner for my stove top to get the burners clean from all the grime. Wash down cabinets and wash your rugs.

Family living areas. I love putting some spring pillows on my couches, put out new spring candles, vacuum out the fireplace of loose soot, polish all the wood furniture and vacuum under couch cushions. Wash the blinds and drapes, and wipe down entertainment systems.

Dining areas need attention, too, and get all that wood furniture polished and floor vacuumed or washed down if a hard wood floor. 




If you have a basement the same applies as the other floors of the house, get the details down such as cleaning mirrors, and glass doors, vacuuming under cushions, and behind sofas and chairs, and vacuuming your way out to show you're done.

Entry ways. Get winter gear out and spring gear back in. Wash down the back entries of all dirt, salt and grime that the winter pulls in and get fresh for spring. This isn't a Swiffer job, here. Light a candle on an entry table if you have one and put a vase of fresh flowers. This is when I decorate for Easter, too, and start placing cute Easter pieces throughout the house.




 

Your laundry room. Wash it out, get it clean. I have some tips on organizing the laundry room and for almost every room of the house and you can check that out here.





Planning your monthly, spring cleaning in advance pumps you up and inspires you, gets you looking ahead, creates less stress because you've written all the details of your spring cleaning goals. This creates purpose behind your cleaning and give you the right attitude, instead of it being mundane, boring and something that has to be done--writing it all down in your beautiful planner, creates a woman who loves to be organized and looks at this cleaning as caring for her home and family.

black damask design for the planner perfect planner

To get the job done easily, look at your calendar for April, and plan some deep cleaning days in each week for the whole month to get the jobs done. 

For example in one of your days, plan to get all the bathrooms done on one of the floors or even the whole house. On another day, plan to get all the dusting and polishing done of all the bedrooms and wash all drapes and blinds. Do you see how doing it this way gets you fresh for spring with less stress? Writing it all down keeps you Planner Perfect and organized. 

Now customize your spring cleaning to your life, to what you want to fit in to your days, and how much you will do in any given day to devote to a section of deep cleaning.

Happy Spring!

For more on how you can get a Fresh Idea On Organizing Your Life, stop chasing your tasks and start focusing on being led my your own vision, goals, and dreams, my eBook can be found on pdf download here, or on Amazon Kindle.

5 big tips for homeschool moms

Homeschooling can be all encompassing. If you are feeling like a hamster in a wheel just chasing tasks, activities, and your children's studies only to leave you exhausted at the end of each day, these tips will help you find balance.

1. Plan goals for your month

Not many women know to plan out their months, but it is of vital importance! Planning your month in advance gives you a target your working toward in every area of your life. How do you see your month as a whole? What would you like to accomplish for your homeschooling? Your home? Your family? And YOU! Yes. What would you like to do for yourself? All areas in our lives deserves thought and planning. To be more, to be organized, to live at our potential, our lives need to be thought-out and planned with goals set to accomplish them. Goals give us motivation. We can't just think about our goals; goals should be written statements of intent. 

2. Don't just chase tasks 

This is the hamster in his wheel analogy, and we're chasing and our focus is on the wrong thing, leaving us exhausted and unfulfilled. When we are task chasers with a pen and notebook on hand at all times marking off tasks after completion we are literally winging the rest of our lives. You don't want this to happen. You are only living a small percentage of your potential. We can be mothers and actually have a dream! A talent we use for God's glory and our sheer joy, and we can have personal goals! Imagine being a mom that homeschools her children AND is invigorated by her goals and dreams. You can be this woman!

3. Life planning is a whole new way of life and is a skill worth learning

When you are a life planner, you are looking beyond the tasks and all you have to do as a mother. Those are noted, those are important, but when you're a life planner you are always looking at your life as a whole, only doing things in your life that make sense, create purpose, and that you are doing what you enjoy as well. If life planning is new to you, start with baby steps until you've got it mastered and it's a new habit. Say no to task chasing and yes to being a woman living on purpose continually setting dreams and goals for herself and her family.

4. Purge the life drainers

Looking at your life as a whole helps you see the day-to-day life drainers you need to eliminate to create the life you want. When we are living in the moment without future goals and aims we can't see the waste of time and energies we are doing because we are in the thick of it. Step back, look at everything you and your family are doing and make sure that it is in alignment with your goals for you and your family. Don't have time to fit in anything for you? Script your life in a way that makes the time for it. Period. Being a mother  does not mean we are to make our lives take a backseat. We will end up being unhappy and frustrated. We need to be all we can be to be the best mothers we can be. Eliminate some activities and other things that take up too much room, if even only for a season. A busy life is not a life. Life's most intimate, most wonderful learning experiences comes from a life unhurried. Be brutal when it comes to clearing-up your calendar. 

5. Children do not just learn in controlled environments

Homeschooling and its curriculum can suck you in and make you feel controlled by it, especially if you're new to homeschooling. I was one of these women until me and my first child were so frustrated and butting heads about homeschooling that I sought out other methods of learning. We are now and have been unschoolers since my first born was in kindergarten and have never looked back. But even if that learning method is not your style, understanding that you can learn anywhere and in your everyday activities will give you a learning freedom and love for living and learning together you never thought possible. Grocery stores, baking, museums, libraries, parks, camping; just living, provide amazing learning tools that give your children a fun learning experience. Learning can be anywhere! Let curriculum be a springboard for ideas allowing your child to develop at their own pace and creating your own learning goals to achieve. This will create a wonderful learning atmosphere and your homeschooling life a rewarding one.

These are my top 5 tips for homeschooling mamas. For more on the importance for setting goals I have a video below touching on more detail. and for more information on the only planner on the market set-up to harness a life planner, visit here.