Planner Peace

Happy Saturday Everyone! Today's post is all about finding ways to keep your life and schedule more organized in order to prevent unnecessary stress. I have found in my life, when I am ill prepared or rushed, is when I run into anxiety. The best way I have found to keep my sanity, and keep my household as peaceful as possible, is to stay organized. Whether that is organizing our rooms, closets, drawers, etc... so things are easier to find or organizing our schedules so we know where we need to be and when. Now that I am a mom and wife, I not only have my schedule to keep track of ,but I have two others as well. I have always loved the aesthetic of planners and the idea of  being someone who uses their planner daily, but in reality I am good for two weeks and then it collects dust somewhere in a corner. So this year one of my resolutions was to utilize my planner more and help all of you who may be struggling with the same task as well.  

So the system I have found that works best for me is two have two planners. One smaller planner to keep with me on the go and one larger planner that stays at home. I found both of these planners at T.J. Maxx and fell in love. In my mind the cuter a planner is and the happier it makes me when I see it, the more likely I will use it. I have used the Erin Condren planners as well in the past and they are wonderful as well.

The smaller planner I use for everyday task, like what I am making for dinner,staying on top of my bible study, workouts, where I have to be that day etc. The layout of this planner is a week on one page and a full page of notes on the other. I like this because if I need a place to jot down ideas or notes this works perfectly. It also has a bible verse at he top of each page, so it acts as a mini daily devotional as well, which I really love. I also have been using the note page as a check book balance and I have been writing down my purchases here. This is something I have never been very good at, but my mom swears by it, so I am going to give it a try. I told you all in my vision board post, that Aaron and I will be paying off a car this year and are trying to really save, so this has been so helpful. I like having a running tally of what I spent and a written reminder of what my budget is. I also like to use my smaller planner to keep track of my meal planning for the week. On Sundays I go the grocery and plan out what I will be cooking for the week. I then write down on each day what dinner I am making this way we are less likely to eat out and I feel more prepared.

My larger planner stays at home by my bed side table and I utilize it for keeping track of vacation days, days I am off work, birthdays, events and planning blog post. I like to use this planer either first thing in the morning or last thing I do before bed. This planner is laid out with a week on two pages,so I have more room to spread out and write. It also has a month at a glance at the beginning of each month which is a nice snapshot of the month. The back of the planner is a full size note pad, which is awesome to have on hand. I like to look at this planner at the beginning of each week and see what we have going on. Whether that is someone's birthday that I need to get a gift for, a girls night,a family dinner or date night. I also jot down all of our appointments on this planner so I can keep track of who needs to be where. Aaron's chiropractor appointments, hair appointments, dental appointments, Knox's pediatrician appointments. etc.. you get the picture. I like to use the notes side of the planner as well to help me gather my thoughts about what I am going to post on the blog for that week and any outfits I am thinking of using. 

Of course having cute stickers and pretty pens makes every girl want to use their planner more, so that is always helpful! These budget stickers are from Michael's and they have a great selection of planner essentials. The larger stickers are my leftovers from my Erin Condren planner, and the pen is a Ted Baker pen! This pen write so well and I love it. Knox also loves this pen and loves to chew on the tassel, so I have to hide it from him ha! 

This planner system has really helped me keep my life more organized and brought me peace of mind. I have found most of the anxiety in my life comes from feeling unprepared or chaotic. If I wake up early enough to enjoy my coffee, have some me time before the baby gets up, then rest of my day goes more smoothly. If I pack everything I need for a day out with my boys, like snacks for the baby, an extra bottle, a change of clothes, then day's surprises do not hit as hard. And finally, if I write down and plan our time wisely, then we are better about time management and can enjoy our family time. I hope this post gave you some ideas for your own life and ways to utilize a planner to help bring peace and order to your homes. Comment down below if you use a daily planner and what system you have found works best for you!

Be Well,
Katelyn      

Philippians 4:6-7

6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.