I’m going to share something that is pretty raw. Something I really don’t like people to see…at least not like this. These are photos of our house just a few weeks ago.
WARNING: These photos are scary.
These were taken all on the same day with my iPhone as I was explaining to my husband (who was at work) that life here at home had taken a huge step backward and I wasn’t sure how to fix it.
I was feeling like I had gone back in time about 8 years when I had only littles and my life felt very chaotic. Our move to this house in February, followed by several speaking engagements, followed by morning sickness had created a household that was barely functioning.
The kids’ rooms were always a mess. Laundry was never under control. The homeschool closet (shown above) was a colossal mess. And then the basement flooded…
I couldn’t even begin to concern myself with what was down there when what was upstairs was nowhere near where it should be.
And who did I think I was, standing before a crowd of homeschool moms, telling them how to have a well-ordered household?!
I found myself at a place where I was completely incapacitated by the sheer volume of things that NEEDED to be accomplished, and I was begging God for an answer…a place to begin and get back to the way of life I knew I needed to have in order make our home run well.
The very next day, Mystie Winckler contacted me about her new ecourse, Simplified Organization. I knew she had some things in the works, but I had no idea how much I was going to need exactly what she was working on.
Simplified Organization has been a breath of fresh air in our home. It is a go-at-your-own-pace online course, so there is no pressure to have A, B, and C done by Friday, and the information is not going to disappear if you don’t get it done by Friday. Mystie is even quite candid about the fact that some of these “habits” will take years to fully flesh out, and rather than that being a negative thing, she teaches you to see the process and system of ordering your household as the goal, rather than some arbitrary “by-September-I’ll-have-an-organized-home” goal.
And everything is from a solid Christian perspective. This isn’t about digging deeper within yourself…it’s about reaching out to the Lord and working with His plan for your life here on earth.
I’ve gone through 3 of the learning modules already, and I am so excited by the progress I’ve seen that I have to force myself to shut the computer down at night and go to bed! I have finally learned to use my Google Calendar to its fullest capacity (and I’ve shared it with my oldest two children so they are “in the know” about what is going on around here). I am learning to immediately get things out of the labyrinth of my brain and onto paper so that I don’t have to try to recall everything. (This is going to be a steep learning curve!) I have the beginnings of a command center. I am finally working on a laundry system for this house, and I am seeing real progress as opposed to hamster-wheel days, weeks, and months.
Today, is the official launch of Simplified Organization. The price of membership and access to all the videos, audios, articles, and step-by-step instruction is $99.
So, if you are feeling overwhelmed by the state of your household, if you need some prodding and purpose to get back on track, if you need a place to begin and the focus to continue, this online course may very well be the answer for you in the way that it was for our household!
The tasks have not interfered with our homeschooling. The lessons are all in bite-sized pieces so I don’t feel like I have to carve out huge sections of time to work through the course. The encouragement and Biblical advice has given me a whole new perspective on where I am right now.
I am absolutely thrilled that Mystie followed the Lord’s leading and went to the effort to create this course to help other homemakers and mommies learn to love what must be done in our homes.
Valerie says
Amy, thank you for sharing! I assure you that even your “before” pictures are not so horrible or shocking compared to many of our homes 🙂 And thanks to you and Mystie for the great discount offer!
Two Questions: Would this course be a good resource to work through with my maturing 10-year-old daughter as I try to train her for keeping her own home one day? (Of course, I can already hear her asking why her brothers don’t have to do it? Maybe it would be good for them, too, but I can probably handle only one at a time.) Also, does it include any help or suggestions for the out-of-control paper monster that is my unorganized homeschool stuff? I feel like I am constantly moving paper around, but never making any progress toward being organized!
Amy says
First of all, I had to change the discount code due to an issue on Mystie’s end, so the code is now raisingarrows – which will make the course $45. 🙂
I’m not sure it would be relevant for a 10 year old, but I wouldn’t hesitate to let her listen in and learn. The concepts are more mama-geared, but will be useful to her as she strikes out on her own. As for the paper…I’m not all the way through the course, but I do know her ebook Paperless Home Organization talks about that. She might end up touching on that in this course too. (Paper is a major issue here too, and there is one thing she mentioned in module 3 that is already helping that).
Kari says
Thank you so much for sharing this Amy! I know it’s hard to post pictures like this for the whole world to see but it is so helpful for others! I feel like my house is beginning to fall apart and my anxiety and depression are starting to rear their ugly heads making everything feel that much more out of control. Thank you so much for sharing this new course. I will definitely be looking in to it!
Amy says
Kari,
If you do end up getting the course, use code: raisingarrows instead – it will give you the course for $45!
Brie says
Amy,
Thank you for posting, this is exactly where I am right now, too! I clicked on the link, and it is $99, not the discounted $69, did I click the wrong thing?? Thank you!
Amy says
Mystie accidentally gave me the wrong code. I’ve corrected it now and the price will be $45 if you use code: raisingarrows 🙂
Allison says
Amy, thank you for sharing your photos and course links. I always feel alone in this type of struggle. Will this course help with time management as well? I am good at finding homes for things, but terrible at organizing time for the daily things. The house and school get off track so easily. I have purchased many organization how-to books and ebooks from various homeschool and other people. How is this one different? I look forward to trying one more thing if it will truly be helpful!
Amy says
For me, having the Google calendar set up properly has created MUCH better time management. I have many things set to alert me throughout the day to either get busy with something else or remember to do something. And of course, when systems are in place, everything runs smoother. I think as I continue to work through the course, I’ll see even more time management skills put in place. Hope that helps.
E says
We’re an active duty military family and organization feels like a survival skill, but I’ve been on a mission to simplify in a major way before our next move in a couple of years. After every move I find our laundry process has I be reworked for the new home and we usually have about a month (or three) between being somewhat settled and finally getting a handle on the laundry. There was one move where I couldn’t seem to get a good system working the whole time we were there – 16 months. Though we did manage to get it done, it was always this huge chore that didn’t fit seamlessly amidst other chores. New homes always require a new approach to chores to suit the family’s new schedule and the house’s needs, it seems. I try to give myself a good dose of grace that first year as I work out the kinks, but that can be challenging for a recovering perfectionist. 😉
E says
*to* be reworked…ah…phone typo. I’ll take full credit for any others. 🙂
Lori says
Wow…Amy! This so so ME!!!! I am always getting on track then right back off again!! Love that you are so transparent with your readers and it is good to know that I am not the only one with this problem.
Samantha Hatcher says
Every time I read your blog, I immediately feel like I’m not alone. I too have been living in chaos since this pregnancy began. To be honest since we had to move last February 2 weeks after the previous baby was born. I’m trying to find some order int he chaos before the next baby is due to arrive in February. This may be exactly what I need. Hugs to you, sweet lady.
Amy says
There is a HUGE improvement in the day to day operation of our household – and I’m not even finished with the course! (HUGS) to you!