Life with busy kids takes me in all directions constantly. In addition, I work two jobs, help keep up with our farm, help with church activities, along with managing the housework, pets, and endless errands. There are many tools I have utilized to help manage the chaos. Here are 5 tips I use to help organize your life.

1. Keep an updated/ongoing calendar

This can be calendar on your phone or a traditional calendar. I prefer a traditional calendar that hangs in the kitchen. I write in different colors according to each kid event, church stuff, appointments, and school calendar days off. Color coding helps me always see what I have going on and my family can easily see what they need to. My calendar also has extended family birthdays and Anniversaries that I can keep up on/plan for. Other things on my calendar are, dog flea treatments and changing the Furnace filter.

2. utalize a Planner

My all-time favorite planner is The Old fashioned on Purpose Planner by Jill Winger. The 2025 Old-Fashioned on Purpose Planner is here! This planner helps me keep everything organized in one place. I can keep tract of: calendar events, weekly to do lists, shopping lists, dinner menus, livestock care, gardening, and budgeting all in one place. The lists may include daily weekly and monthly lists/goals. When you have a place to put all the things floating in your head in one place, it makes your life much easier.

3. Make a meal plan

Planning meals helps make life easier in many ways. This can be done on a weekly, bimonthly, or monthly basis. I’ve attached my monthly meal plan below. If you’re on top of tip #1 then it will be easier to figure out what you’ll want to make each night according to what is going on that night schedule wise. One example of this, is if there is a busy night on the calendar then you’ll want to have an easy meal prepped and ready like a crockpot meal. This tip is also successful when you do a tip #4 which will save you money and time on extra grocery trips or fast-food stops. I have a dry erase board in my kitchen that has our weekly menu for everyone to see. This board also gives me a visual of what meat I need to thaw or throw in the crockpot etc. I like to put breakfast on the board along with lunches during summer with the kids home more. This helps everyone know what we have to eat each day. Making a Monthly Meal Plan

4. Keep an ongoing shopping list

This tip is helpful to help save time and money. This helps avoid extra trips to the store, which can kill your grocery budget, because you end up grabbing extra unnecessary items. I have started putting my list on my phone since its always with me, then I never forget anything. This tip is good not just for food and household items, but also things like a birthday gift for a kid party, classroom snacks, new knee pads for volleyball, or new winter gloves. If you stay on top of things and anticipate what you may be getting low on, you avoid scrambling at the last minute to get things when you’re in a time crunch. Tip #1 can help with this when you can plan ahead for upcoming events, you’ll need to buy such as a retirement gift, church potluck. These will all give you a piece of mind when you go to bed at night, knowing you are prepared for the week ahead.

5. Break down household tasks/to do lists

There is nothing worse than a messy, cluttered house where things get lost, dirty on the floor, or its just unpleasant to come home to. Though I am constantly working on this, it makes the week more enjoyable and less overwhelming, when things get done on a regular basis. I used to have a day a week I would clean and get all the laundry done, along with other farm tasks or errands. I found that as my kids got older, and life got busier that my housework went by the waist side. I was always overwhelmed and stressed to get everything done. To help organize household tasks, I started a to do list. I make a daily, weekly, and monthly to do list. Tip#2 can help with this as I use it to keep my ongoing lists updated. The list will help me not forget about anything, and it’s a manageable list to do. My kids also have weekly chores that they help to get things done on a regular basis such as: cleaning their rooms, empty the trash and take it out, changing their sheets out to wash, and vacuuming. Some examples of my weekly tasks are:

• Doing 1 load of laundry a day washed, dried and put away.
• Cleaning out the fridge prior to grocery shopping on Saturday
• Cleaning the bathroom on Tuesdays
• Cleaning the kitchen on Monday
• Dusting/washing windows on Thursday
• Running errands on Saturday
• Preparing breakfasts on Sunday Some examples of some daily to do lists include:
• Run the dishwasher
• Make a funeral dish
• Fix the whole in a shirt
• Make dinner
• Do Son’s laundry
• Send birthday card
• Clean the kitchen

Some examples of Monthly to do lists are:

• Change the furnace filter
• Give dogs heartworm pills
• Wash shower curtains
• Get daughter basketball shoes
• Make recheck Dr appointment
• Plant root vegetables in garden

There are many other things that can be on a to do list. Hopefully these ideas will help you organize some things floating around in your head that need done. I hope all these tips help you organize your life and take away unnecessary stress and worry.

Memories of Thanskgiving and the holidays for me involved a delicious baked sweet bread called Houska. It is a Czech bread usually paired with roasted turkey, and bread dumplings. The bread was purchased from a local bakery in my younger years. As I got older and my grandparents were no longer with us, my dad came across the original recipe my great grandmother would make. It was always made with love. The smell of this sweet bread baking was a wonderful smell of the holidays. There are raisins, in the dough with slivered Almonds on top of a golden crust. This recipe is simple with easy to find ingredients.

I am always challenging myself to find ways to save a dollar while still making things from scratch that are healthy yet easy to make. A way I have found to accomplish this is to make my own canned soup base. These soups include cream of mushroom, cream of celery and cream of chicken soups. These soups all have the same base that you can modify depending on what soup you want to use. The ingredients for this soup base are simple one’s that you can have with your pantry staples to make anytime.

Additions/Substitutions

Cream of soup base is a very simple versatile recipe that can easily be switched up depending on your needs/ingredients you have on hand. To make cream of chicken soup, you will need 1 cup of chicken broth (which can be fresh from scratch, from a can, or re-constituted chicken bouillon), then add 1 cup of milk or cream. If you want cream of celery soup, you will add some finely chopped celery, or celery salt. To make cream of mushroom soup add finely chopped mushrooms. The mushrooms can be fresh, or I prefer canned sliced mushrooms as I can always have them on hand. If you want the soup to be creamier, then you can use heavy cream instead of milk.

Cream of Soup base

Makes:	Prep Time:	Cook Time:
2.5 cups	5 min	10 min

Ingredients

• 4 Tbsp butter
• 4 Tbsp all purpose flour
• 2 cups milk or heavy cream
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper

Make it

1. In a saucepan, melt butter on low to medium heat **
2. Add the flour and whisk until the flour is mixed in to make a roux.
3. Add the cream or milk and whisk, making sure there are no clumps, and the sauce is smooth. Be sure to stir every minute or two to make sure it does not stick to the pan and burn. If it gets too thick you can add some more water or milk and stir it in. *

1. Add the salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder, stir well and add to your recipe as instructed.

** Add either the finely chopped mushrooms, if wanting cream of mushroom soup or the finely chopped celery if you want cream of celery soup, and sauté until cooked through.

*Add 1 cup of chicken broth, and 1 cup of milk or cream if wanting cream of mushroom soup.

Rotini pasta bake is a recipe I came up with on accident, and it quickly became a family favorite and easy go to. This recipe is nice also because you can change it up however it works for you. In addition to being cheap and easy, I like to make it as it uses my pantry/freezer staples of homegrown ground beef, pasta, my canned tomato sauce and my fresh herbs. The only thing I may need to buy is the pasta and cheese. This is a perfect recipe for a make ahead meal you can put in the fridge or straight to the freezer for later.

Additions/Substitutions

There are many ways this recipe can be switched up depending on what you have/works for you. First, the pasta can also be penne, if you can’t find rotini, whole grain pasta, or gluten free can also work. Second, the pasta sauce can be whatever kind you like. I usually use my home made canned sauce but there are many store options that are great. Third, the cheese can be any good melting cheese that is shredded. This can include mozzarella, parmesan, Romano, Gruyere, or Asiago. Fourth, the meat can be any ground meat you like. I have made this with ground pork, beef, venison, and turkey, all work. Our beef is not lean but if you have/like lean ground meat that is fine. Finally, the herbs, onion and garlic can be fresh chopped or dried, both tastes good, again depending on what you have.

Rotini Pasta Bake

Servings:	Prep Time:	Cook Time:
6	15 min	30 min

Ingredients

• 1 Box Rotini pasta
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 24oz jar of Pasta sauce
• 1 package Italian blend shredded cheese
• 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
• 1/2 Tbsp minced onion or 1/4 cup chopped fresh onion
• 1 tsp minced dried garlic or 1/2 Tbsp fresh minced garlic

Make it

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cook the pasta according to package directions.
3. In a large saucepan, add the beef, and cook on medium heat until browned, then drain grease if needed.
4. Add the onion and garlic to the cooked beef and cook 2-3 minutes.
5. Next add the pasta sauce and Italian seasoning, to the cooked meat, and stir.
6. In an ungreased 9×13 pan add the cooked/drained pasta, meat mixture, and 1/2 the package of cheese, and mix well.

6. Add the rest of the cheese to the top of the pasta/meat sauce mixture.

7. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until the cheese is melted and lightly browned and enjoy.

There are many ways that I have organized my life over the years, as life got busier and busier. My kids started doing more sports which took out after school free time, on top of me working about 50hrs a week between 2 jobs. This combination left little time to get groceries during the weekdays and our weekends also ended up being busier and I tried to focus on family time instead of running errands everywhere. Another factor was I got my big paycheck just once monthly. I liked the idea of getting my must have spending needs for bills, and groceries done right away, then I knew the rest could be for whatever that month. Shopping once a month also saves you some money, as when you are not always going to the store and potentially buy extra stuff that temps you. This being said, there will likely still be a few items such as fresh produce and milk that you will have to get here and there that will not stay fresh the whole month.

Here are 5 tips to help you start doing a monthly grocery haul.

Step 1.

Make a monthly Dinner menu. This can be done however you like and will help you plan what your needs will be that month. I put an example below of what I do.

Step 2.

Make a list. In order to start with a monthly grocery list, you’ll want to have an ongoing grocery list of items your running low on whether it be food items, medicines, or laundry detergent, that you write down throughout the month. I now do this on the notes app of my phone, so I can jot things down right as I remember. A list on the fridge that everyone in your household can use, works too. You will add the things you need for your dinner menu, along with your breakfast, snack or lunch items you plan to eat. It will take a bit to get use to planning ahead so much and realizing what all you will need that month.

Step 3.

Food storage. This tip is a huge help to have enough food for the month. There are many foods I have found that with the proper preparation can be stored easily a month maybe more. This My include but not be limited to: apples, lemons, lettuce, or carrots can last 3-4 weeks if stored properly in the fridge. Food storage can also be done by freezing many items. We have freezers full of our home grown beef and pork, not only can you freeze any meats other items may include for not be limited to: lunch meats, breads, tortias, butter, shredded cheeses, flour. Most dairy products other than milk last several weeks but, can also be frozen. The consistency may change a bit, for cottage cheese, yogurt, blocks of cheese, or sour cream but taste will be normal. A favorite of ours to always have on hand is frozen juices especially orange juice. The juice is a concentrate that is frozen you thaw it and add water and it tastes juice great.

Step 4.

Plan the day. This grocery haul may seem daunting, with a large amount to buy. I plan a day to just get it all done without the pressure to hurry through it and I also tie in other errands with it. This also helps for not just shopping but unpacking it all at home, as well as prepping items in the fridge to store longer. I like to also make sure my fridge is cleaned out and ready for lots of items as well as the pantry is organized/ready for everything to get put away properly. This tends to be a good 5+ hour process to get it all done, ( I live about 15 min from where I shop) by the time I prep the kitchen, shopping, unpack, and prep items for the fridge. This may seem like a lot, but when you think about time you’d spend every week, and the convivence of it, it all evens out.

Step 5.

A Grocery store list chart. This grocery haul is a big one, and one that you don’t want to take any longer than it has to. A favorite thing I like to do is make a shopping list with everything you need that month according to isle/department. I have included an example below. I typically go to 2 stores maybe 3 to get all the things I need and to get the best price on them, so I will make a sheet/list for each store.

I hope this helped you organize your life and make shopping an easy task to accomplish once a month.

There is nothing better than a nice garden tomato in the summer. After harvesting several baskets full, you may run out of good things to do with them instead of just a sandwich or salad. Tomato pie is a comfort food that you will crave all year with summer tomatoes! This pie is easy to make and one I have loved since I was a little girl when my mom would make it.

Additions/Substitutions

Tomato pie is a recipe that can be changed up depending on what time, or ingredients you may have. The pie crust for the pie can be one you make from scratch or an already made one from the freezer section. The herbs can be fresh or dried. I have made this recipe with a variety of cheeses that I have, as long as they are shredded it can be whatever you have.

Tomato Pie

Servings:	Prep time:	Cook Time:
6	10min	30min

Ingredients

• 3-4 Medium Tomatoes
• 1 Pie crust pre-baked
• 2 cups of Mayonnaise
• 1 cup of shredded Mozzarella
• 1 cup of shredded Chedder cheese
• 1 Tbsp chopped basil
• 1 Tbsp chopped chives
• 2 tsp Oregano
• salt and pepper

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Slice tomatoes and layer into the baked pie shell, sprinkling salt and pepper onto each layer of tomatoes, along with 1/2 tsp of the basil.

3. In a mixing bowl combine mayonnaise, cheeses, and herbs, and stir all together.

4. Spread the cheesy mixture over the tomatoes covering them all as much as possible.

5. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until the top is slightly browned and enjoy. *

*If needed you may cover the outside edge of the crust with foil to prevent it from burning.

There is nothing better than an easy delicious go to casserole all will enjoy. This one is a play off a family favorite broccoli cheese casserole, that is at every holiday gathering for us. of a recipe is simple delicious and a healthy, hearty meal to fill hungry bellies. It is a good one to make ahead and freeze for when you will need it later or just cook up and eat right away. The ingredients are versatile for whatever works for you.

Additions/Substitutions

This recipe is one of my favorites, as it can be changed up many ways to work for you. When I started making this, I made it as a normal side dish, then transformed it into a meal by adding cooked shredded chicken, as I had lots of farm raised chicken in the freezer. Over time as my chicken supply dwindled, I tried our farm raised pork sausage that I had plenty to use, and it was a hit. I have never gone back to doing anything different, but here’s some ways you can change it up. This recipe calls for cream of mushroom soup, I like to make my own from scratch when able, Cream of soup base you can also do cream of chicken or celery if that’s what you have. The cheese part of this calls for a jar of cheese wiz, you can also make your own cheese sauce, I like to do or add some shredded cheese to add some extra cheesy favor. The broccoli used is usually frozen broccoli, if all you have is fresh then you can boil some and chop it. My crew are not huge broccoli fans so I chop it into fine pieces to hide it more and they like it, if you like bigger chunks in there you can just throw the bag of broccoli in as is. The rice for this recipe is plain white rice, but you can use whenever kind you like or have on hand. I usually do white minute rice is quick and easy, and sometimes we do whole grain rice is a little healthier. If you have some leftover rice in the fridge that works good too!

Broccoli Cheese Casserole with sausage

Servings:	Prep Time:	Cook Time:
6	20min	45min

There is nothing better than some good fresh sweetcorn in the summer. We grow our own sweet corn and turn it into creamed corn then freeze it in freezer bags. while it is delicious by itself, a good way to use it in a unique way is to add it to mac and cheese to make a cheesy delicious meal in the crockpot. This is especially a crowd pleaser for kids. Sweetcorn mac and cheese is a very forgiving/versatile recipe you can change up and add other ingredients as you like.

Additions/Substitutions

This is a very versatile recipe. There are unlimited combinations of things you can make this with. First the meat choices can include hot dogs, kielbasa sausage, cubed ham, ham lunch meat, bacon or any other meat you prefer. Second, you may use creamed corn if you have it, or fresh sweetcorn cut off the cob, canned cream corn, plain canned corn, frozen corn or no corn at all. Third, the cheese combinations are whatever you like or have on hand. I use a combination of cubed Velveeta and shredded cheddar cheese along with the flavor packet cheese. If all you have is sliced sandwich cheese that works too. Another option is shredded sharp cheddar cheeses, Colby jack cheese is good also. This is a recipe ideal for kids, but I also like to add some hot sauce on my portion also.

2. Second, add the butter, and shredded cheese.
3. Third, add the hotdogs or meat of your choice, and Velveeta, then give everything a good stir.

4. Lastly cook on low for about 4 hours (may take less or more depending on the type of crockpot) until all is cooked well and creamy. You may add some more milk if it gets too thick. I recommend stirring halfway through as some, so it doesn’t start to stick to the sides, and it comes together well. Enjoy!

** When making this recipe it is helpful to either grease the inside of your crockpot or use a crockpot liner for less mess**