This is My Life 2015 Planner Review

Exciting things today!!!!  If you are a homemaker, or if you know a homemaker, then I have found something AMAZING for you :).  I've had the opportunity the past few weeks to review a planner for A Virtuous Woman (http://avirtuouswoman.org), and I wasn't disappointed.  I actually haven't found a planner that worked for me since my working days, as a single girl.  Since the Mr., 4 babies and keeping a home has become my calling, my whole list of responsibilities have changed (and so has my memory).  So, I've kind of been working from multiple lists, scattered throughout the house, that I can never find when I need to look at them.  Well, the planner I'm about to tell you about keeps everything in one binder for me, and she thought of everything!  Aaaaaaaaand the sections on each page are even colorful and pretty, so that won major points for me.  

Here are some of the highlights from This is My Life 2015 Planner:

*Monthly calenders, for quick glance, so as not to double schedule anything.  This was especially helpful for me this month, when multiple Christmas events are planned every week, it seems.  This gave me a reference to know if we were available or not for any family dinners or company parties.  And I also used this section to keep track of any special crafts I'd told the kids we would do on a certain day.  I wanted them to know they were more important to me than any busy events this month, so I didn't want to forget any promises.

*Weekly Calendars.  These are not like any weekly planner I have ever used.  For each week, there are several sections.  One for daily housekeeping chores, which she has already listed for you, and made room to mark off each day when tasks are completed.  She has also listed weekly duties.  These were especially exciting to me because she did all the planning for me,  As long as I work through the daily and weekly tasks consistently, my home can stay clean and picked up, and I never have to think, "hmmmm. what should I tackle today?"  (And, our live Christmas tree has survived ONLY because she had listed a weekly reminder to water it).  She even has a place to keep track of how many glasses of water you drink each day!  Let me tell ya, I wasn't getting near the water I imagined myself to be drinking.  In the two weeks I've been using This is My Life Planner, I have DOUBLED my water intake :).  The weekly meal planning page was one of my favorite things!  In all the planners I have previously used, there was a little box to plan suppers for the week.  That is NEVER enough room for me to plan a week's worth of meals for our family.  This planner, however, has ample room for breakfast, lunch, supper, and even snacks, for each day of the week.  I loved this!  It made things so much easier and more organized.  And then in the extra spaces on the weekly calenders, I jotted down a few things I need to do every morning, afternoon, and evening that is specific to our household, like bring in wood for the fireplace, etc.

*Menu and Craft Ideas.  A whole page each month!!!!!  This was another favorite of mine,  Especially, this month, while I am attempting to do mostly homemade gifts for Christmas.  It allowed me plenty of room to jot down ideas, as they came to mind, and then go back later after the kids were to bed and plan materials needed and time to complete the project.  Awesome!!!  I am actually WAY more ahead on my Christmas crafts than I have ever been in my entire life!  Whoop whoop :)!!

*Journal Pages.  Throughout the planner, she has provided room to journal as you go throughout your day.  How many times have I experienced a precious moment with my family, and had full intentions of jotting it down later, but by the time family is taken care of and I have a moment, the memory is either lost in the shuffle of the day, or I am too tired to pull out my journal to write things down?  Problem solved.  I can write it immediately in my planner, which is close by, and have that memory preserved forever.

*Holiday Menu Planner, sources of recipes, and shopping list.  This was especially helpful this month.  I was able to gather all my baking hopes on this page, keep track of what I was asked to bring to various family dinners, and even had room to write out the menu for Ely's 4th birthday supper this month.  I'm not hosting family this Christmas, but if you do the hosting, there is room to list what food items are assigned to certain family members and guests to bring.  She thought of everything :).

*Gift Ideas and Shopping List.  Awesome!  I was also able to keep track of any fleeting thought I might have that so'n'so may enjoy this gift or that gift, and revisit later to make final decisions.  Then, I could also list any items I needed to purchase on our next shopping trip!  This made things so much easier than past Christmases.  I'd have a great gift idea for someone, then forget what it was before I could make it or buy it! Ha!

*Plenty of pages to keep general notes

*Inspirational quotes to keep you excited about your home :)

*Read more about this line of planners at http://avirtuouswoman.org/printable-this-is-your-life-planner/

When the opportunity was presented to review, I was hopeful.  But honestly, before I got a look at it, I assumed it would be like all the rest I had tried, and that I wouldn't have enough room to write out my hopes for productivity each day.  It was a pleasant surprise to start looking through each page, and realize this planner just might change my life, and help me stay on track.  After two weeks of heavy use, during one of the most busy and hectic months of the year, I am going to say, I love it so far!  And, it's looking like I'm gonna be ahead of the game this year!  I may even get to sleep Christmas Eve night, instead of staying up all night trying to complete everything I'm behind on :).  I am going to recommend this planner for any wife, mom, grandma, homemaker, and even any young girls that help out around the house a lot.  I think this would be an excellent way to practice organization in homemaking before marriage even, and would make a GREAT gift to any busy lady!!  Go to http://www.avirtuouswoman.org, to see the planner, and to get your very own This is My Life Planner for 2015.  Y'all, we might just be organized this coming year!! :).