From Frazzled to Fun

Last month I flew to Dallas and back for less than the cost of what it takes to fill up my car with gas!

How does the sound of a super cheap weekend trip sound to you?

Airlines like Spirit, Allegiant, and Frontier offer some unbelievable flight prices! Check it out.

But BEWARE! These airlines make most of their money on the a' la carte items, such as bags, seats, early boarding, snacks and drinks.

On my Spirit Airlines trip to Dallas, even if I had just added in a carry on bag, my travel costs would have increased by time and a half!

With some strategy and a little planning, you can hurdle right over those extra charges and maybe afford to take your whole family away for the weekend!

Because of this strategy, everyone from our family of 7 was able to fly from Phoenix to Dallas to see our college son perform when he had the leading role in his university's musicals.

After flying on two dozen...

I want to share with you a podcast that came out this week. 

I had the pleasure of chatting with Courtney Lowman of Journey of Ruth podcast on the topics of:

• questions to ask yourself when home organizing
• teamwork tactics and how the benefits can continue to bless you for years
• encouragement for mamas of newborns
• fun ways to get your kids to want to behave
• boundaries and screen time for kids
• gettin' 'er done as a mama but keeping it fun

If you want to feel encouraged, be more equipped to be intentional, and be inspired to return to the fun mom you know you really are, Courtney and I invite you to listen in (also includes a link to watch on YouTube).

• Organized 19 areas in her home and posted before and after photos in the group
• Sons organized and maintained their bedrooms 15 min/day 
• Created cool family slogan to boost morale
• Wrote notes of appreciation to her family members commending their work
• Honored accomplishments with a...

How would you like to say bye-bye to those nagging laundry piles?

Laundry is one of those things that always seems to be hanging over moms' heads, and it can be terribly draining. These are just a few of the problems:

• It takes so much emotional energy to sort the clothes back to the owners...and there are so many clothes
• Laundry sits in baskets for days awaiting folding
• Folded laundry sits in piles waiting to be put away
• Mom is the only one doing it

Here's an idea - LET EVERYONE CARRY THEIR LOAD (pun intended).

Can you imagine a world where everyone ages 3 and up does their own laundry?

How would that impact your life on a week-to-week basis, and how many extra hours would that buy you in a month?

 I dare you to try.

 To make the change, communication will be important. These are questions to ask each family member that can help set them up for success -- it simplifies, equips and tailors their experience:

 1. What can you get rid of from your drawers and...

Want some fun and thrifty DIY ideas for Valentines Day?

1. Make a custom heart-shaped puzzle - This 8-piece puzzle is super cost effective at only $1.50. Directions:

1. Print a favorite picture of you and your sweetie onto matte photo paper in a 5x7 size.
2. Snap the jigsaw pieces together and lay them on top of your photo, then trace around the puzzle's perimeter with a pencil. Cut out the resulting heart shape.
3. Turn the photo and all the puzzle pieces facedown. Position the bottommost puzzle piece along the corresponding part of the back of the photo. Trace closely around the puzzle piece with a pencil, then remove. Repeat with the remaining puzzle pieces.
4. Using small scissors, carefully cut out each jigsaw shape from your photo with scissors. Use an acid-free glue stick to mount each cutout, face up, to its matching puzzle piece, also face up. Decorate an envelope or small box to package them in.

2. Coffee filter heart wreath - This is simple, but has many...

Have you been New Year decluttering and have annoying piles left over?

You know

...the stuff you want to keep

...but you don't use on the regular 

...and you don't necessarily want them taking up room in your prime real estate areas?

Don't give in to the temptation to just stuff it back into an area in your house to get it out of sight out of desperation the next time you have guests over.

The Coach Mom Tribe mamas have been working this week on a great storage box system, set up so they can easily retrieve anything in storage that they need within a matter of minutes.

It has saved me so much time, frustration and money the past 25 years.

Here's the quick gist of it: 

Fill storage boxes with "to save" items that you don't use frequently, and number them.

Make a list of those numbers (on your phone or another location), and beside each number record the contents of the box and the location of the box.

As your...

The Organizing Alongside Kids (OAK) 5-Day Challenge just wrapped up and was amazing. 

This is just one other way I'm helping moms move from frazzled to fun.

The progress made was just astounding. Moms realized just how much can be done in just 15 to 30 minute chunks of organizing time.

And many were surprised at how enthusiastic their kids were to help reach goals for their own rooms.

Check out below some of the before and after pictures.

Would you like to see some transformation like that in your own home?

Why not walk with us the clearly laid out step-by-step path to 

• a decluttered, organized home
• a family that pitches in happily to help with things like laundry and meals
• kids that get along
• a closer relationship with your spouse and kids 

The doors are open now but will close again at midnight tonight.

I am committed now more than ever to the building up and strengthening of Christian homes and...

Mom of elementary aged (or older) kids, are you ready to get the clutter moved out and get organized in a way that 3-4x your efforts? 

What if you could do that by having your kids gladly work alongside you?

But that would be a grumpfest if I tried to get my kids to help, you are thinking? It’s easier to just do it myself.

I’m here to tell you that you can

• multiply your efforts
• motivate your kids while training them in good life skills
• weave “teamwork” into the fiber of your family
• have fun doing it and
• end up with results that you can all be proud of!

“When it’s time to get something done I realize I haven’t been the best at communicating at the best times and in the right ways, so instead of everything going just smoothly, it’s gone bumpy often with bad attitudes, including my own,” says Nicolette Scarborough, Estes Park CO mom of boys ages 13, 11, and 8.  

She said,  "So we are...

In Christmases past, have you ever wished you had a better plan to enjoy the Christmas cards you receive?

I found a few ideas for Christmas card displays that I thought you might like to make yourself.

This DIY Christmas Card Tree by Driven by Decor is simple and adorable. 

Also, Minted has16 Unique Ideas for Christmas card displays here.

These were my favorites:

• Display bars
• Twinkly Lights Card Display
• Wall Tree Card Holder (zig-zagged twine)
• Binder Ring Christmas Card Flip Book

Which is your favorite? Or do you have an idea to share? I would love to hear it.

Praying you have a peaceful and joyful Christmas season, and that the cards you receive are reminders of the many blessings in your life in a year of tough realities.

May the God of hope fill you with all JOY and PEACE as you trust in Him, so that you may be filled with HOPE by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13