Planner Perfect

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

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny Penton) — Fri, 10 May 2013 15:01:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny Penton) — Wed, 01 May 2013 02:19:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny Penton) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 14:53:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny Penton) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 15:48:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny Penton) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 02:50:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny Penton) — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 13:43:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny Penton) — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 15:22:00 +0000

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.

how to find the time to plan

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny Penton) — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 13:44:00 +0000

Finding the time in our busy schedules to actually plan our lives is something worth discussing. And especially if you're new to life planning. Life planning is taking the time to map out your life, your dreams, you and your family's goals; creating your life story.

This kind of life requires your time to think about your life, and what you want to do, what God has instilled in you to do, and how to get there. It a goal oriented life.

If you're tired of being like a hamster in a wheel only chasing endless tasks all day you need to establish a new habit.

And take it slow with baby steps. If you aren't used to this method of planning do not just dive-in. Take tiny steps each day until you're there, such as:

*Buying yourself some new, fabulous pens to plan one day and that's it.

*Maybe the next day write one personal goal in your goal pages you'd like to accomplish.

*Take 5 minutes the next day to script out one of your future mornings in your week, in detail.

What is important is that each day (do not skip) to do one life planning skill that takes you a step closer to becoming a full-blown life planner.

Take it even further each week, thinking more about your life, scripting more in your goal pages in present and future months, and writing your life in detail each day in your daily pages. Do this for a full 30 days for life planning to become second nature.

You will find the time to plan without thought because it is a new habit with rewards!

Life planning is new to a lot of women. We get so caught-up with day-to-day chasing tasks we often end-up exhausted, wanting to know if there is more to life. Alongside our motherhood we can actually follow our personal dreams and goals. It is exhilarating! We are not defined as only mothers; we have talents, dreams and goals and we can do both with balance, greatness, and when God-breathed, complete joy. But all good dreams and goals need a plan. Without them, there isn't an aim; a target!

We don't want to miss all the opportunities and greatness that a well thought-out life can provide. Baby steps; adding more each day, until you've got life planning mastered, and has become a HABIT.

Life planner extraordinaire here you come!

For more on the complete know-how on becoming a woman living on purpose, living out her dreams and goals and how to become masters at managing your home using the Planner Perfect planner and its Method, check out Planner Perfect's eBook,

A Fresh Idea On Organizing Your Life.

Click here for pdf download
Click here for my eBook on Amazon Kindle

death by appointment

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny Penton) — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 03:04:00 +0000

Everything always seems to be running smoothly until I open my planner to reveal… an appointment.

I don’t care if it’s ice skating lessons for one of my children, soccer practice or the dentist. I seem to always have the same problem—getting there on time. It’s hard enough just getting myself ready, let alone several of my kids. And when we have to be somewhere it usually gets stressful, such as one of them can’t find one of their socks or a baby is crying when I have one foot already out the door.

Sure, it’s fun filling up my calendar: lunch at noon on the 13th, we’ll be there! Teeth cleaning at 3 o’clock on the 20th, no problem. Science class this Friday, exciting! But when the time comes to actually going to these appointments, I’m not as excited as when I made them. One time, I had all seven of my children with me on our way to the dentist, because my two older ones had an appointment. I of course was running ten minutes late; turned into the dentist’s parking lot on two wheels, and pulled in front of the building with a screeching halt. I put our truck in park, looked back at all of my children in our Suburban and yelled,

"Hurry and get out!"

We unbuckled ourselves, the older ones helped the younger ones, and our feet hit the pavement in record time. We all ran in the front door, I tripped over the foyer rug with a baby on my hip and out of breath exclaimed,

"The Pentons are here for their appointment."

The receptionist looked at us over her spectacles, then her appointment book, and then back at me with pity and said,

"I’m sorry honey, you’re here too late for us to take you. We’re going to have to reschedule."

It’s amazing how one appointment in my day can be the death of me. Combine that with all my children’s activities and we’ve got chaos! Keeping my children busy and active in the homeschooling community was something I did all the time. I wanted to be plugged in to all the science projects, field trips, and sports, like I was somehow a better mom by being submerged in all the activities. Keeping busy felt frazzled, which I thought at the time, was a good thing. It seemed the busier I kept us in life, the more successful they would become.

And don't get me started on all the busy buzz from other mothers I'd overhear, like everywhere, about their children’s busy schedules. It seems to be the topic of conversation everywhere as if these moms were heroes and their kids insanely successful. Homeschooling your children definitely does not make you immune to an over scheduled life!

But in everyone's defense, including my own, there is so much out there to entice you. It lures you in and with its enticing lies, somehow makes you feel as though the busyness equates the ultimate, well rounded child.

It was when this self-induced stress created such an unhappy family life, did I realize that this busy life I had soon become a slave to, wasn't what I wanted for me or my family. It become clear to me that I didn’t want to be a part of that busy life any more. I wanted to go back to living and enjoying life, unhurried. Of course that doesn’t mean that I took my kids out of everything, and we never go anywhere; we go and do things all the time, just more at our leisure than by appointment.

For us, when we are just running errands, going to the library, or visiting a museum, we learn more and enjoy each others company. The mistake was made when thinking they were not going to learn anything, or become somebody of importance unless they were in a structured learning atmosphere and pursued a gazillion different activities.

Children do not need to dabble in a hundred different things to find out what they want to pursue, but rather, maybe one or two at the most and knowing and seeking out themselves, personally.

We now focus on that one thing each really wants to put their energy in. Those kinds of activities I don’t mind doing. They have true purpose. They of course have a lot of things they do and enjoy, and being home enables them to do them, and the time to do them well. Life has a lot to offer and God has shown me that He wants us to live life to the very fullest. I’d rather we all do one or two things at full potential, than a dozen things mediocre.

Being free of an over scheduled calendar allows us to learn about ourselves without the interference of time restraints.

There are the appointments in life that we must do and keep, such as the dentist. But as far as activities and my children are concerned, I want to be focused on the ones that create purpose and meaning, rather than always being frazzled to Death by Appointment!

"Live each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influences of each."

Henry David Thoreau

Enjoy your children and your life...unhurried.

new planner perfect calendar designs

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny Penton) — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 15:20:00 +0000

Planner Perfect's Calendar Options Now Here!!

I love calendar options, don't you? Nothing beats having options to beautify your planner and the calendar for the women's large and small planners can either be beautified with the black damask design or the fuchsia & grey. Plus, the even greater news, is that every year, more calendar design options will be available; including for teens and girls!

When you order the women's large or small planners, you now have options! You also can reorder your calendars for your planners, large or small choosing the design that best suits you.

All Planner Perfect planners also have been improved upon. The small planners for women, teen, and girls, have more extended tabbed sides for easier navigation and beauty.

For calendar orders, click here

For Planner Perfect planner orders, click here

I hope you enjoy the new calendar designs for your Planner Perfect planners!

Happy planning...

Life Planner for Teen Girls

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny Penton) — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 02:26:00 +0000

New!!

Planner Perfect for teen girls now available!

It's here! The new teen planner for girls ages 12 to adult is here!!

The perfect life planner for teens in a new black and white damask design that I know your teen girls will love!

Set-up like the woman's planners, this planner will inspire your older teen to set goals, live by her dreams and execute them. This planner's calendar is so beautiful I just couldn't keep it just to teen girls!

This calendar option is also available for the small Planner Perfect to GO! and the large Planner Perfect planner.

The only planner on the market set-up to live by your goals and dreams instead of being a slave to your tasks. This will create a life skill that will instill the importance of life planning and living on purpose!

This planner is easy to use, easy to refill and inspiring!

After each month's calendar page is where you set your goals for that particular month. Create a big header, MARCH GOALS, and from there let the dreaming begin. Make sure you are detailed with your new goals on how you want to execute them; this creates an action plan for your new goals.

Dividers after each Goal section mark your Daily Pages. Date your loose-leaf pages and script your days! Be detailed, and sprinkle your goals from your month(s) within your days to execute. This is where all the action takes place!

It's the perfect set-up and the perfect planner! It's the NEW, Planner Perfect for teens!!

Order the teen planner, here.

Order the small or large black damask refill calendar here for the Planner Perfect to GO! and Planner Perfect planners.

Happy planning, being inspired, and looking beautiful!

Planning Your Easter Menu

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny Penton) — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 16:51:00 +0000

Easter is right around the corner! This is the time to be in your planners scripting your Easter menu!

I have some delicious recipes to share with you that I know your family and friends will love! These recipes are tried-and-true, there are some traditional and some you'll want to make a tradition, and best of all, they're made from scratch and simple.

Make sure you visit, here, to find out how a baking day in your week prior to Easter will make your menu a snap, and the best planner on the market that will make you the most organized woman for Easter and every day of the year.

Easter Morning breakfast is needed right after little ones hunt for eggs and to play with goodies from inside their baskets. Here are some great breakfast ideas that will be your new tradition for Easter.

Hot Cross Buns

Fluffy, tastes like a doughnut, and marked with an icing cross to symbolize the resurrection of Jesus. These will be be a family favorite every Easter. Made ahead of time in tucked in your freezer until the eve of Easter will ensure a simple Easter morning that is homemade and delicious and easy because you planned ahead of time. All that will be needed is the icing!

Blueberry Scones

These are out of this world! Such a beautiful pastry to serve on Easter morning. Blueberry scones with a lemon glaze; amazing! They too can be made ahead of time and both the hot cross buns and the scones would do nicely with a side of creamy scrambled eggs, orange juice and hot coffee.

Dinner. The Main Course:

How about this time for an Easter's main course: lemon and thyme roasted chickens. These are absolutely delicious and either can be the side-kick to the ham or can be the main star. This roasted chicken is full of flavor, easy, and the lemon and thyme butter make this a dish to remember

Sides:

Gruyere Asparagus tart

The perfect side for Easter. Pretty, delicious, and easy. Creamy gruyere cheese, roasted herbed asparagus, all encased in a flaky puff pastry.

Scalloped Potatoes

Let me tell you, these are thick and creamy and packed with flavor. And the ease of this dish will make Easter dinner, easy.

Dessert:

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

Who doesn't love cupcakes! And carrot cake just screams spring and Easter. These are so simple to make and even easier if you bake them up ahead of time and freeze until Easter morning. All you'll have to do is frost!

Strawberry Shortcake

This homemade treat is simple, can be baked and froze ahead of time and is the ultimate spring dessert. Homemade pastry is the bed for delicious sweetened strawberries and homemade whipped cream. Amazing!

I hope you and your family have a wonderful Easter and be sure to visit my site at www.plannerperfect.com for more on being organized and to check out the only planner that is set up to create an organized life living off your goals and dreams vs. your tasks.

Planner Perfect Meals is chalked full of amazing meals that are homemade from scratch, simple and delicious. Be sure to check out more of my meals, snacks and menu planning tips.

Unschooling Ireland

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny Penton) — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 15:24:00 +0000

Make learning about different countries fun by creating a theme

Study your country of choice, create meals and different crafts native to that country, and make learning fun.

Next Stop...Ireland!

I grew up with a full-blooded Italian mother. So as you could imagine, we never celebrated Saint Patrick's day. I'd come home once from third grade, red, from pinch marks all over body, an outfit without one speck of green on it, and I'd come home to a St. Patrick's day dinner consisting of spaghetti and meatballs.

When I'd ask my mom why she didn't tell me about St. Patrick's Day and particularly the wearing of green, she simply stated, "Honey, we're Italian; not Irish."

Clearly, taking note to wear green on this particular day was going to always be in my own hands.

Funny how I never celebrated it with my children, either until I realized what a perfect invitation this day was to explore this country with our children and make it a theme for the day!

We Made Treasure Boxes

We created fun boxes of treasure for the leprechauns to hide their treasure. They decorated them with stickers and markers. I found little plastic containers in the dollar isle at Target and filled them with little treasures from a local party store.

A Treasure Hunt

I went to the bank and cashed out $10 for $1 gold coin pieces. These were perfect for the kids to find with clues to find their hidden treasures! With eight clues...they all had a blast seeking their gold coins and unraveling clues.

3 of my 7 who loved this treasure hunt...Bella, John and Brock.

We read about Saint Patrick and how it all originated, too. Click the link to find out more of what we studied.
We also spent the day at the library reading books on Ireland and piling on the books to take home. And then paid my $13 dollar late fee before I left. Nice.

It was quite wonderful to understand the history and more about the country, fees aside.

Pancakes in honor of St.Patrick's day, of course!

We of course had some green pancakes, but instead of all of the pancakes being green, which I thought was too unappetizing, made just a few green ones and free-formed a small shamrock and placed it on top of their pancake stack!

Check out PPM for my delicious, pancake recipe to die for.

Shepherd's pie for dinner, baby

Shepherd's pie, a beautiful salad and cupcakes to end the evening was a fun way to celebrate our Saint Patrick's day.

Check out Planner Perfect Meals
for all these recipes and so much more!

Have a wonderful time learning about Saint Patrick's day!

Slán cairde maithe

Translation: Good bye friends!

Make Your Own Resurrection Eggs for Easter

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny Penton) — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 03:23:00 +0000

Resurrection eggs have been around for awhile and I simply love them. But making them with your children can be even more meaningful.

What you'll need:

An empty egg carton

A dozen plastic eggs

11 items that signify Jesus' death and rising

Printable verses to be applied and read with each egg

Markers/colors or whatever you want to decorate your resurrection eggs carton

Each egg will represent what happens leading up to Jesus' crucifixion to the last egg which is empty signifying Jesus' empty tomb. Each egg should be numbered from 1-12 to keep it easy and in chronological order. Read each verse that corresponds with egg to tell the story. Your kids will love this...

Print this out and cut out the verses. Staple together and keep in the carton for easy reading.

Egg #1--Bread. You can use a crouton, small piece of bread or a whatever you like.

Matthew :26

While they were eating Jesus took a piece of bread, gave a prayer of thanks, broke it, and gave it to His disciples. "Take it and eat it," He said, "This is My body."

Egg #2--Coins. I used nickles to signify the event

Matthew 26:14-15

Then one of the twelve disciples, named Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and asked, "What will you give me if I betray Jesus to you?" They counted out thirty silver coins and gave them to him.

Egg #3--Purple cloth

Mark 15:17

They put a robe on Jesus

Egg #4--Thorns. I got mine from our rose bush

Matthew 27:29

Then they made a crown out of thorny branches and placed it on His head, and put a stick on His right hand; then they knelt before Him and made fun of Him. "Long live the King, of the Jews!" they said.

Egg #5--Scourge (a small piece of rope or string)

Mark 15:15

Pilate wanted to please the crowd, so he set barabbas free for them. Then he had Jesus whipped and handed Him over to be crusified.

Egg #6--Cross (I used an old wooden cross from a necklace)

John 19: 17-18a

He went out, carrying His cross, and came to "The Place of the Skull," as it is called. (In Hebrew it is called "Galgotha.") There they crucified Him

Egg #7--Nails

John 20:25b

Thomas said to them, "Unless I see the scars of the nails in His hands and put my finger on those scars and my hand in His side, I will not believe."

Egg #8--sign (We made this ourselves and covered it in tape to make it sturdy)

Luke 23:38

Above Him were written these words: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

Egg #9 sponge

Matthew 27:48

One of them ran up at once, took a sponge, soaked it in cheap wine, put it one the end of a stick; and tried to make Him drink it.

Egg #10--spear ( we made on out of paper, colored it and wrapped it in tape to keep in sturdy)

John 19:34

One of the soldiers plunged his spear into Jesus' side, and at once blood and water poured out.

Egg #11--rock

Matthew 27: 59-60

Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a new linen sheet, and placed it in his own new tomb, which he had just recently dug out of solid rock. Then he rolled a large stone across the entrance to the tomb and went away.

Egg #12--Empty

Matthew 28:6

He is not here He has risen just as He said

Have a wonderful time assembling this and reading it together every Easter.

What I'm Reading

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny Penton) — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 13:00:00 +0000

My newest book read is, The Light Between Oceans.

And let me tell you, it's good! It's ignore your family for a couple of hours good.

Oh, I pay the price when I finally finish the book and take my jammied, puffy-eyed self from crying to access the damage. But so worth it!

First let me tell you that M.L Stedman is a beautiful writer. Here is the perfect review I found off Amazon:

The setting of the novel is a remote island off the coast of Australia with a population of two - husband and wife Tom and Isabel Sherbourne, who care for the lighthouse. Despite the isolation, newlyweds Tom and Isabel love each other and have an idealistic vision of their future, filled, inevitably, with a house full of children running around. When that dream is tragically shattered over and over again, in a place where they have no one but each other, it's not hard to imagine and even sympathize with Isabel's state of mind as she decides to keep the apparent miracle sent to them. At the same time, Tom's by-the-books sense of duty is equally as justifiable, as is his ultimate choice to stand by his wife. I grew so attached to Tom and Isabel that I could feel myself rooting for them to keep their secret forever and be happy with Lucy, though that's perhaps not the morally correct thing to do, and inevitably, it's not their fate.

Tom and Isabel believe, or perhaps try to convince themselves, that because the baby's father died at sea, her mother must have too. Indeed, this outcome would have been the only way for everyone involved to get everything they want, so of course it's not the case. I found it more difficult to connect to Hannah, the baby's birth mother, perhaps because she had been introduced much later than Tom and Isabel and she, too, makes choices that are seemingly incomprehensible. And if you think the only choice revolves around what to do with baby Lucy, you are in for huge surprises and twists, like I was, as things get impossibly messier when that secret begins to unravel.

It's must read, friends. I got mine from the library, but can be found through Amazon, or at your local bookstore.

I'll keep you posted on all the great book reads I find; fiction and non-fiction. Believe it or not, I get the reading bug when spring hits. I love reading outside with coffee, at the beach during the summer, and at a coffee house or bagel shop with my kiddos and their fun book reads.

Have fun with this book and let me know your review in the comments below. This book is too good to not discuss!

organizing your purse

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny Penton) — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 04:03:00 +0000

An organized purse makes for a happy woman, don't you agree? It's so frustrating when I can't find something in my purse, nothing has a place and especially when it's used as a trash can.

But I have found some great organizational tools with, Thirty-One yet again, and had to show you!

The Metro Retro Bag. I love it, it's cute, it's big, and it harnesses everything tidy because it has great roomy pockets inside and out, and has a clasp on the inside. I'll show you the beauty of this handy tool in a sec.

See how it holds my Planner Perfect, Fold-and-Go from Thirty-One, and my Thirty-One wallet? I love it!

See the big side pockets? I always put my sunglasses there and love to put my phone on the outside for easy reach.

See the clasp on the side of the bag sewn in? I found this idea on Pinterest, and that is to take all those store cards that clutter up your wallet, punch a hole in the side of each one and stick them on a key ring.

You then take the key ring and clasp in the purse on the clasp. It comes off super easy when you need to reach for the card. You know right where it is and is easy to access.

For information on the Metro Retro Bag or wallets, click here for my new site for Thirty-One.

Yes! You read that right. I am a new Thirty-One Rep. because the bags, the organizational tools, and the patterns were just too amazing not to be.

Look out for giveaways, for new products, for organizational helps, and for Planner Perfect helps.

***Have fun organizing your purse and be sure to check out my new wallet, too. The Timeless wallet is set-up like a passport wallet which I just love. And with all those store cards out of there and in there own handy spot, it makes my wallet completely organized and clean.***

a look inside my personal planner perfect planner

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny Penton) — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 00:52:00 +0000

A review on my personal Planner Perfect planner.

For more on all the different planners I offer, visit here.

Thirty-One Gifts Fold-and-Go Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny Penton) — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 12:00:00 +0000

It's a Giveaway!

The Fold-and-Go from Thirty-One Gifts is adorable and so excited Johanna Fincher, homeschooling mama and business rep. from Thirty-One, is offering this cute organizing essential to one lucky winner!

Fold-and-Go and Planner Perfect to Go!

What I love about the Fold-and-Go, is how perfect it pairs with the Planner Perfect planners.

See how it harnesses my favorite pens? These are the Paper Mate Flair pens. I love how colorful they make my planning pages. It also holds my sticky notes, My Martha Stewart adhesives that bring a splash of color to Planner Perfect's calendar pages and point to important dates to remember.

It also comes with a cute tablet for notes, short lists or it can harness your Kindle or other E-reader.

This other side offers a handy zipper pouch that I keep all my coupons and gift cards. But could easily harness anything your heart desires to keep you organized on the go!

has the perfect wrap to keep your Fold-and-Go nice and securely closed

I also have their wallet. It is so cute, too. More on Thirty-One's wallet review at another time. I chose the same pattern and love them together.

This Fold-and-Go! accompanies the Planner Perfect planners, beautifully. Carries your favorite pens and important needs, folds up perfectly for on the go, cute patters to chose from, this one for the giveaway is above and is the Party Punch, pattern. It was one of my favorites.

This is cute for kids too. Use this to go alongside the Planner Perfect for Girls planner, to hold all their seasonal stickers for their calendar and planning pages, and their favorite pens.

Also perfect for kids of all ages and long car rides. They can doodle, carry their favorite items for on the go and read out of an Ereader.

Other fabulous uses:

Baby shower gift as a diaper changing station on the go.
Emergency medical kit
Bill paying
Keeps receipts, sticky notes and pens
High schoolers for calculators, pens and note-taking
Used as a card station to harness stamps, cards, envelopes and pens

In other words, you need this! It's perfect!

So what do you have to do to enter to win?

See how cute these fit in my Thirty-One purse along side the Planner Perfect to Go!?

#1. Join Johanna Fincher's Facebook Thirty-One, Group page, by clicking on "Join this group" located right under the main header to receive organizational Thirty-One tips and specials! Click here to be taken there.

#2. Then leave a comment below with your name to tell me that you've joined her group for your entry.

That's it! Giveaway will be closed Tuesday evening at 10 p.m. CST. Winner will be announced on Planner Perfect's Facebook page Wednesday, February 20th, 2013. If you haven't liked, Planner Perfect's Facebook page, you can do that here.

Have fun! I can't wait to see who wins this wonderful organizational tool to keep women cute and organized on the go!

A Thirty-One Review and Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny Penton) — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 18:59:00 +0000

A Thirty-One Gifts, Giveaway,

Monday On Planner Perfect!

I have a confession.

I am in love with Thirty-One Gifts...

They have so many cute and amazing, organizational items for the home and on the go.

Monday, February 18th, 2013, My friend and Thirty-One consultant, Johanna Fincher, is offering one Fold-and-Go organizer, to one of my Planner Perfect readers!

The Fold-and-Go, is perfect with the Planner Perfect planner to Go!, keeping you organized with your favorite pens, coupons, and more. It fits perfectly in your purse, carries with you where ever you go, and is one of my favorites from Thirty-One Gifts!

Be sure to find out how you can win one of these amazing, organizational must-haves Monday morning with more info. on how you can enter! There will be more on the functionality of this cute tool, and my complete review!

For more on the Planner Perfect planners and how these planners were created to harness a life of purpose, your dreams and goals, click here.

Get a, Fresh Idea On Organizing Your Life, with Planner Perfect's eBook, and learn how you can be not only an organized woman, but a woman who lives not by here tasks, but by her vision.

Get your copy today on Amazon Kindle or as a PDF download.

The Importance of Creating Mealtime Traditions

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny Penton) — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 22:08:00 +0000

My Italian family has been making spaghetti and meatballs every Sunday for as long as I can remember and then some. I remember my grandma Marino busy over her stovetop wearing her usual moo moo dress, making up a big brew of this Sicilian sauce. I also remember the size of her meatballs; they were huge!

They were like the size of the palm of your hand, huge.

My mom, too, made and still does make, spaghetti and palm-sized meatballs every Sunday. The aroma ridiculous, the taste insane. A loaf of Rotella's Italian bread always sat on the counter for countless dipping trips while the brew simmered all day until dinner.

But it wasn't just the spaghetti sauce and its delicious meatballs I remember. I remember the process, the anticipation for dinner, and even what my mom would wear while making this traditional meal.

I remember her hair, jet black and curly, would be loosely gathered at the nape of her neck. Her apron was folded over and then tied on at the waist. She would have her onions, garlic, her meats for the sauce and meatballs out and ready as well as a host of other special ingredients.

My brother, sister and I have learned how to make this spaghetti sauce to pass on to our own families and my family absolutely loves and looks forward to it every week.

Food and mealtime create such tradition and memories. The process, the love you spend with your hands in dough, the simmering of a spaghetti sauce, soup or stew, the taste testing, the helping hands, and the mealtime...

It's the making of food, prepared by our hands, that family traditions are made of and vital to creating such wonderful memories for our children.

While my family's spaghetti sauce and meatball recipe are sworn to secrecy I do have an amazing breadstick recipe that you must try!

Get your hands in some dough, simmer a sauce, stock or stew, bake some bread from scratch and enjoy your kitchen. Your family will remember it for a lifetime...

If you haven't visited or liked my meal blog then hop on over! It is chalked full of family-friendly simple, from scratch meals that your whole family will love.

You can find all my recipes that are tried-and-true over at Planner Perfect Meals.
www.plannerperfectmeals.com
Planner Perfect Meals on Facebook
Planner Perfect Meals/Planner Perfect on Twitter

A Good Marriage

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny Penton) — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 13:00:00 +0000

Mark 10:6-9

"But at the beginning of creation God 'made them male and female.'' For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.' So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate."

I have learned a tremendous amount about marriage since I first said, I Do, in my early twenties to my amazing husband, John.

My first lesson? Marriage isn't easy, not to mention a good marriage. And in honor of Valentine's Day coming up on our heels, I've compiled my top love lessons I've learned that has made my marriage strong, happy, and a good marriage.

#1 There isn't a concrete right or wrong way to fix problems in a marriage
It's important to do what works for you and as a couple in any problems that arise in your marriage. But one important factor to consider is if what you're currently doing, is working. If it's not, change what you're doing. I would go at a problem the same way every time in our marriage and got the same sad results. Once I changed my approach ;dramatic results happened.

#2 Run to the Throne before you run to the phone
I used to always ask advice from everyone I knew when having an issue with my marriage. This proved over and over again to not work. I needed to give my marriage and my needs to God.

James 1:5-6 NKJV If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.

So before you run to pick up the phone to get some advice from people who will tell you what you want to hear; give it all to God. He will guide you and give you wisdom.

#3 I've learned that I don't always have to be right

This was a hard one for me. Admit I'm wrong? Listen to my husband and find his story credible? Oh, this was tough. I had a lot of growing to do and this was one of the first ones God needed to change in me. I needed to humble myself, I needed to respect my husband and what he had to say, and I needed to not end an argument with me always being the victor.

I've learned it's important to hear each other out, be willing to apologize for any hurt I've caused, and learn to be open to hearing opinions that may differ than mine. Always respect your husband. Always.

#4 Make time for intimacy

When you're a mom, you're touched all day, needed all day, and this is exhausting in and of itself. At the end of a long day all we want to do is sleep. But saving some of us just for our husband is important in a good marriage. You can even plan for it, too. Making sure kids are in bed at a good time so you have time together, planning a night out and arranging a sitter, and making the choice that your marriage and husband are important to you. Always make sure don't give your husband just your leftovers. Make the choice to always make time for your marriage.

#5 You don't fix things by fixing your partner

I love this advice from Dr. Phil. I have been guilty of this method of thought. When all along, God had some fixing to do in me. When I grew and made changes, my husband changed.

#6 Give your marriage one hundred percent

I would have a hang-up at times on who's doing more. We would actually argue over this. Ridiculous. We both work hard and sometimes, if things seem unbalanced and your needs are falling on deaf ears, keep on giving your all and giving your needs to God. He will balance everything out, give you rest and it will honor your marriage. Remember too, that we aren't always perfect in meeting all our husbands needs either. I always needed to remember to calm down, gain perspective and make the choice to love and give no matter what because I am doing it for God.

#7 His needs/Your needs

It's important to express your needs when needed to your husband and your husband with you. But a big mistake is to think that your husband is always going to meet all of them and keep harping until he does. We all will fall short and we need to give God our needs, our feelings, our hardship, and our frustrations. Keeping this in the forefront of my mind, kept things in perspective.

Having a good marriage is a choice. Choose to be committed, chose to do what it takes, and don't give up. A good marriage is worth the work.

For more on marriage, visit my blogging friends over at Fulfilling Your Vows and enter to win wonderful prizes, such as Amazon gift cards, marriage books and much more!

It's a Valentine Marriage Event! Don't miss it and click here for details.

Valentine's Day Craft

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny Penton) — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 21:05:00 +0000

Melt, Shape, & Bake

Make Valentine Crayon Hearts

This was a lot of fun to do. My kids had a wonderful time! They watched their favorite movie while they unwrapped a gazillion broken crayons and then the fun part was piling them into our heart silicone shapes and then baking them off. They absolutely loved this!

A fun time was had at the Penton home for day #1 for Valentine fun...

Here's how to do it:

Peel crayons

PP Tip: my kids found that when they soaked the crayons in some shallow water, while they peeled, the wrappers came right off

Put in heart shaped muffin tins

PP tip: I loved this silicon muffin heart shape, dollar isle purchase, from Target. It can be used over and over for just melting crayons and is easy to pop out the heart shaped colors once baked

Put into a 275 degree oven for 15 minutes

Heart shaped crayons. One to give and one to color with...

Happy Valentine's Month!

apple cinnamon roll muffins

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny Penton) — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 17:19:00 +0000

These are exactly how they look. AMAZING! They are a cinnamon roll and apple fritter rolled, literally, into one.

Check out Planner Perfect Meals for the printable recipe! And be sure to like PPM's facebook page to see all my favorite, from scratch, meals and recipes in your Facebook feed or subscribe via email!

finished with a little glaze

right before the oven

in muffin tins to create the cutest look

Enjoy this recipe friends!

Planner Perfect to GO! Has a New and Improved Look

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny Penton) — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 16:34:00 +0000

Planner Perfect to GO! has a new and improved look and I am so excited to share it with you!

I have redesigned my calendar pages to extend further to make for easier navigation between your months.

It is beautiful!

You can see how it extends much further. By an inch to be exact. And it makes all the difference in the world.

This time, it will include a pocket for all your favorite pens and sticky notes.

Dreaming in your months. With your favorite pens. Does it get any better?

There will be a price adjustment but felt the price change worth it and then some.

If you can navigate through your months much easier, have a better look and feel, and have a pouch to carry things with you on the go, was what the Planner Perfect to GO! should be. I know you're going to love the new look!

Same goes for the cute Planner Perfect for Girls. Extended and improved calendar makes it easier for girls to navigate too! New images for the Girls planner coming soon!

The Planner Perfect to GO! and Girls Planner Perfect, calendar and Planner will be available to purchase on Monday, January 28, 2013.

Organizing Your Laundry Room

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny Penton) — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 15:40:00 +0000

Honestly, I hated my laundry room until just last week. That's sounds so funny writing that but it's true!

We have finally purchased a new washer and dryer and I have been doing the happy dance ever since. I used to have the front loaders and let me tell you, I hated them! I was on my knees doing laundry and it always smelled of mold and that in and of itself is enough to hate your laundry room. That and the fact I used to keep my cat's litter box in there too! So, I cleaned out all my cupboards, I put my cat's litter box in the lower level in an area that is unfinished (perfect!), and made my cupboards more efficient for doing my laundry.

Oh how I love my new washer and dryer! It's bigger, it smells like a clean and

fresh laundry room and it's pretty! But you certainly don't need a new washer to love your laundry room. Here are some other things I did that make it a nice room to be in:

My husband bought this for me at Menards and it works beautifully to harness my broom, dustpan, and ironing board. Keeping things tidy and off the floor is a must, especially in such a small laundry room as mine.

My husband made this for me, it's simple just using plywood to the dimensions we chose and painting and gluing trim to frame it. The cork board are just squares glued. It's beautiful, It's our main message system.

Inside my cupboard is all that I need to do my laundry. I buy my laundry detergent at Sams. It is large and lays on its side for me to easily pour into a cup and put into my machine. A basket harnesses laundry items not used as often and makes it prettier to look at.

Baskets make everything prettier...

A money jar in my cupboard harness all that loose change that falls out of pockets while doing laundry.

Share you laundry tips!