A TOS Review: Motivated Moms

You might be surprised to know that I am high-maintenance. It’s true. Ask my husband. Though he is an absolute wonderful (and diplomatic) man who will just refer to my issues as  "a creative genius and gentle spirit." Which means “crazy in a nice way.”

As a result, this “crazy in a nice way” always has a project going. An idea to be carried out. A “something or other” to do. Just today, The Muffin was sorting some laundry for me (cause he’s terrific that way) and asked me about an unusually hideous shirt that was buried deep in the laundry basket. What was this for? Why. I’m making an apron out of it. What else?

You can see that the combination of living in a small space, homeschooling (and all the stuff that goes with it) and my many projects might make it difficult to keep the housework current. In other words, most days I’m lucky just to get a path cleared. Help! I need a housework routine.

I recently received the blessing of reviewing the  2014 Motivated Moms Half-Size Chore Planner with Scheduled Bible Reading {Black and White} (one of the many Motivated Moms Ebooks) from Motivated Moms. This system is not just for “crazy in a nice way” gals like me, but overwhelmed mammas everywhere.

What I Received

Motivated Moms is a “unique and straightforward” chore planner. Kind of like me. Except I seldom plan chores. 

I received a download Motivated Moms printable planner (you can see the version I chose here). They also have a handy app for any i-product. The ebooks are $8 and come in a variety of choices. You can purchase a half page planner or full page planner. There is a choice of color or black and white. Some planners come with a Bible reading plan. In any event, there is a planner for any preference or persuasion. I counted 16 (16!) different planners you can choose from.  
 

My book came as a PDF file and was easy to print. There are 185 pages (total) with 2 pages of meal planning pages in the back.

How I Used It

I chose to receive the half page, black and white planner with the optional Bible reading plan. I have a Bible study I am working through, but I like having the option of something written down for me I can refer to when I am in between studies. I also liked the idea of the half page. I wanted to be able to minimize how much space it took up. I also thought about printing costs. The color option appealed to me, but printing costs were also a concern here as well. I also chose the planner that allows me space to jot down my appointments or activities for the day.

So obviously, I am project happy. Any time I start something new I feel the need to create a binder. When I received this product, I wrestled with myself for days. I would not add to my crazy. I would just put it in a simple notebook. I am trying to simplify my life.

I just couldn’t help it.

Then I realized that one of the beauties of a housecleaning schedule like this is that its simplicity gives me time to do those creative things I enjoy so much.

The planner is set up like a check list. Anybody else like the check list? Sometimes I will add things I’ve already done to the check list just so I can mark it off. I love this planner because I don’t have to do anything but complete the task and check it off. I don’t have to plan ahead to fit in all those things that get neglected.

First of all, I printed a month of the planner. I decided that would be better for my budget. I stuck it in my new binder and off I went. When looking at my day, I can see already that I have my usual chores in a little box off to the left. Those don’t change. It even has a box to check off for exercise, reading to Josiah and taking my vitamins. 

 Below is a copy of my own planner. There are 2 days worth of planner on one page, but I thought you might want to give this one a closer look.

The rotating chores (located on the right) are obviously different. On this particular day (February 27), I could see that I was going to:

•   Mop kitchen

•  Change the hand towels in bathrooms

•  Straighten master bedroom closet

•  Dust dining/breakfast room(s)

•  Clean up computer hard drive – delete unwanted files
• Check prescriptions, call in refills if necessary

The other sections of the planner include a menu plan (very helpful) and daily appointment schedule. I liked being able to have all of it in one place.

My 12-year-old also got in on the action. He has a list of responsibilities and daily I would assign him things on my check list to take care of. He is always the “dish putterawayer” and “floor vacuumer.”  It helped both of us to stay focused.

What I Thought

One of the best things about Motivated Moms is its simplicity. It isn’t a complicated system. I didn’t feel it added to my already busy schedule…instead it focused it. I also love the rotating chore list. It gave me a day to clean out my purse and holler at Josiah to clip his nails (actually it instructs us to clip our child’s nails, but Josiah has taken over that responsibility).

I look forward for this product to be a big help to me from now on. And (most importantly) give me more time with the people I love…and more binder creating moments.

More Tidbits (in a nutshell)

Price: Ebook version - $8. The iOS app is $1.99 for two months or you can purchase a full year for $7.99.

Read more about both versions at Motivated Moms. You can also find sample pages (of the planner I chose) for further inspection.

Connect with Motivated Moms. They are everywhere! Facebook and Twitter

Other gals from the Schoolhouse Crew got to review both versions of Motivated Moms. Check their reviews out by clicking on the banner below.