We have twelve more weeks of 2021.

We're over 3/4 the way through this year.

Let me be really frank with you tonight, readers: 2020 was ROUGH, but for me...2021 hasn't been much easier.

As a public school administrator, the pandemic has been difficult to navigate. 
Virtual or in-person? 
Masks or no masks? 
Visitors in the school or no visitors allowed?

So. Many. Decisions.

Some students stayed home for several months and came back in the building with wider learning gaps that they had left us with.

Some students came back to school with anxiety that they had not had before.

Some students have quarantined two, three, or four times (or six -- like our oldest daughter).

This summer, it almost felt like things were getting "back to normal" and I think I breathed a sigh of relief a little prematurely.

The other school district leaders and myself started talking about the school year as if we were going to open normally.  We had hopes that things would go on like they have always gone on.  

And then...the virus ramped up again in early-August and we were back in the boat we were in over the last 18 months.

Here's the truth:
I have felt like I was treading water since school started on August 23rd.

I have not been able to keep up with anything at home and due to some changes in my responsibilities at work, I'm barely able to keep my head above water there.  My office has been a mess.  My paperwork is getting done just a day or two before the deadline (I really prefer to be EARLY).  I'm not able to give myself to my staff like I like to.

I've been on the struggle bus, folks!

And unfortunately, when one area of our lives is chaotic, it throws the rest of our lives off-balance.

What other areas? 

Home organization (don't even get me started on LAUNDRY),
Staying physically healthy,
Sticking to a budget, 
Focusing on spiritual growth,
Being a good wife,
Being a good mom.

All. The. Things.

ANYway -- so this weekend, I decided to sit down and make a plan for our next twelve weeks.

I thought it was crazy and neurotic and a little over-the-top, but then I shared it with a few people who actually thought it was kind of helpful.

For those of you that are a little more like me -- grab the document and let's try to get our homes under control over the last quarter of 2021.

Now remember -- tomorrow actually starts WEEK 2, but you should be able to catch up by squeezing Week 1 and Week 2's content into this coming week.

High hopes for a peaceful holiday season from the farmhouse,
Hannah

​❤️🏡❤️

Today is my first day of Christmas break.

My girls, however, are still in school...so I am home alone.

A day to myself to do whatever I want to do.

And what do I have planned on this wonderful day?

There are 56 days left in 2018.

A few friends and I have been following along with Rachel Hollis's "Last 90 Days", where she has challenged people to make the last 90 days of the year count.

Well, I was successful in following her "Five to Thrive" for about 15 out of 31 days in October.

And now...that 90 days has dwindled down to 56 days.

So this weekend, I've taken some time to regroup and do some planning for the next two months.  

The girls and I did some deep-cleaning in our bedrooms and the rest of the house.

I planned out our meals for the next few weeks.

We set some goals for ourselves and made a commitment to make these last few months of the year meaningful.

If you're feeling like things have gotten out-of-control and you just want to gain some peace and calm in the near future, feel free to join me in building some habits in the next 56 days that will help us to enjoy the holiday season.

More info to come in the morning.  

​❤️🏡❤️

Happy Week 4!

This week we're going to go back through the first three zones we worked on and make sure that those areas of the house are in a "resting state".

You might remember my blog post WAY back in July about getting to start over.  

In that blog post, I talked a little bit about my experience with the KonMari method of tidying your home. 

This method has given me a different way of thinking about my house, but I have to be honest and tell you that I didn't finish the process completely during either round that I went through and so I have rebounded a little bit.

I want to go through another round in the new year, but until then the zone work from the Christmas Countdown will have to pull me through!

So this week, we're going to think about that "resting state" as we run back through our first three zones.

Look around each room you've already gone through on your zone list.

Is there anything that can be taken away? 
Does it all flow nicely? 
Is there any object that looks out of place?  
Are you pleased with all of your decorative items that are out on the flat surfaces or on the walls?

If not, take a few moments to change those things.

You can print your Week 4 checklist and Zone worksheet here.  

Let's revisit our Week 1, Week 2, and Week 3 zones and get Week 4 in order this week.

We are almost halfway there...only five weeks until Christmas!

Make it a great week, friends!

​❤️🏡❤️

If you're just catching up with the Farmhouse654 Christmas Countdown, feel free to join the Facebook group HERE and print out the Planning Calendar and Week 1 Checklist HERE. ​

Christmas Countdown Blog Posts
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3

Hello! Welcome back to the Farmhouse654 Christmas Countdown Challenge!

We are getting ready to start week 3, but before I go there with you, I want to be real with you.

I didn't get my kitchen done this week! I got the mudroom finished and the kitchen was on my zone list for this week, too.

I've been catching up on some photography sessions and editing pictures.

I stayed late at school almost every single day this last week and last night, instead of working on the kitchen...I watched a movie with my 10-year-old, Harlee-girl, and one of her besties.

It is what it is.

This is why the countdown concept works for me.

I have now completed my Week 1 challenge of the Living Room and Entry-way.

I have completed half of my Week 2 challenge of the Kitchen and Mudroom.

And I'm (almost) ready to move on to my Week 3 challenge of the Dining Room and my Office.

Instead of just focusing on those two rooms though, I'll move the Kitchen over on my calendar and get them all knocked out this week!

I don't feel like I'm so overwhelmed by not completing half of the kitchen task to just stop and give up.

Instead, I move the few parts of the kitchen over to this week and work hard to finish all three rooms before Week 4.

This week, outside of our Zone work, we are focusing on our vision for the holidays.

I really feel like it's important to set a goal and make a plan to get there.

Set a goal and make a plan.

I use this phrase in my classroom.
I use it in my budgeting.
I use it when talking to my girls about all areas of life.

So today, we're setting a goal for our holiday season.

What do we want our holidays to look like? To feel like? To smell like?

What do we want our kids...our friends...our families to remember about this special time of year?

What can we start doing over the next few weeks to make these dreams a reality?

Make sure to print out our Week 3 Planning Pages to help keep you on track!

I'm so grateful that we are on this journey together. I love sharing life with all of you!

Happy November from the Farmhouse!

​❤️🏡❤️

If you're just catching up with the Farmhouse654 Christmas Countdown, feel free to join the Facebook group HERE and print out the Planning Calendar and Week 1 Checklist HERE. ​

Christmas Countdown Blog Posts
Week 1
Week 2

Hello there and welcome to Week 2 of the Farmhouse654 Christmas Countdown!

Last week, we focused on getting organized before we begin our journey to a peaceful holiday season with our families! 

We divided our home into eight zones and worked all week through the deep-cleaning process for Zone 1. 

At the farmhouse, this was my Living Room & Entryway.

I started the week by decluttering any shelves and drawers in the living room...I went through our DVDs and purged anything we don't watch, cleaned out a few drawers that had acquired some junk, and minimized a few decorations on the flat surfaces.

After a crazy week of parent-teacher conferences and the first slumber party in the farmhouse, I used my Friday off school to finish up Zone 1 by deep-cleaning from floor to ceiling...dusting, cleaning the windows, and making the floors shine.

If you didn't get to join us for the Week 1 challenge, just try to squeeze both of the first two weeks in this week!

Our week 2 challenge is to think about our giving.

You can print my Week 2 Planning Printable here.  

This week, we are focusing on the friends and family members we would like to give gifts to this year.

We want to be intentional with our giving!

This year for the girls, we are going to do four main gifts...

1. Something they want,
2. Something they need,
3. Something to wear, and 
4. Something to read.

We're also going to buy a few "family experiences"...zoo passes, a Royals game, and gift cards to some of our favorite restaurants.

Thanks to this list, coupled with the fact that we had a Christmas sinking fund (using CapitalOne 360 that I talked about in my blog post a few weeks ago), I am almost finished Christmas shopping.

This week, make a list of who you need to buy for, any gifts you might have already, and ideas of what you would like to purchase or make over the next several weeks.

The second part of our challenge this week is about how we can give to others during this season.  

Mr. Farmhouse and I do this in a few different ways that I've outlined on the Week 2 Challenge printable.   

Start thinking about how you can give back!

Finally, we are starting work in Zone 2 this week!

My Zone 2 is my Kitchen & Mud Room!  These two rooms will be a bit more challenging than the Living Room was!  I still haven't felt "settled" in the Mud Room since we moved into the farmhouse three months ago.  I'm hoping to change that feeling over the next week by breaking the process up into manageable tasks and tackle those two rooms!

I hope and pray that you are already feeling a little more peaceful about the upcoming holiday season! 

Let's not get bogged down with the hustle and bustle of the holiday season!

Let's take a moment and enjoy the process of getting us to this special time of year!

Happy New Week, friends! 

Much love to you and yours from the farmhouse!

​❤️🏡❤️

If you're just catching up with the Farmhouse654 Christmas Countdown, feel free to join the Facebook group HERE and print out the Planning Calendar and Week 1 Checklist HERE. ​

Christmas Countdown Blog Posts
Week 1