Let us get to the good stuff! But first I must tell you I love sharing products that I have found to add value to my life and help me succeed along this journey. So in this blog post, you will find some links and this is what I need to tell you:

**Affiliate Disclosure**
Some of the links on this website are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through them. This comes at no extra cost to you, and I only recommend products that I personally use and believe in. Thank you for supporting my work!

Our new Menu Planner is here! Ema and I co-authored a menu planner that is the exact format of what I used. https://amzn.to/4lbY8Cg

Embracing Family, Health, and Organization: A Journey of Balance and Efficiency

If you know me, or even if you just follow my journey from afar, you’re probably aware that my life revolves around the most important people in my world – my husband, our five children, and their significant others. Nothing brings me more joy than spending quality time with my loved ones, and of course, prioritizing our collective health and happiness. But let’s face it: life with a large family can get overwhelming! In fact, sometimes it feels like time slips away so quickly that by mid-week, I’m scrambling to accomplish everything on my to-do list.

Sound familiar? If you’re a parent, or someone who’s ever been responsible for a busy household, you probably understand the constant juggle. From kids’ schedules and family meals to errands, school projects, and everything else that life throws at us, it often seems like there’s never enough time in the day. However, over the years, I’ve found that the key to managing the chaos lies in one simple word: planning.

In this post, I’ll take you through my personal journey of becoming better at planning, share some tools and products I swear by, and dive into how planning and organization have become essential elements of my family’s life. Whether you’re balancing a large family or just trying to keep your own life in order, I hope you’ll find some useful ideas and shortcuts that will help you navigate your day-to-day life with greater ease and joy.

How Becoming Better at Planning Changed Everything

If you’ve been following my journey for a while, you might know that I wasn’t always a “planner.” In fact, I never used to consider myself particularly organized. But as our family grew, I quickly realized that the chaos of daily life was going to need some structure. Not only was it necessary to stay on top of our activities, appointments, and school events, but it became clear that staying organized was key to maintaining my sanity! This has helped me take the chaos out of everyday life and slow down and enjoy the moments. As parents, we are often the ones to make sure that all things are a go and work for our kids, and we miss the little moments. Some friends of ours who also have a big family recently wrote in their Christmas card, “Time is the only thing money can’t buy”. Boy does this hit home!

When we had our first few kids, the number of things to remember was manageable. But once we reached five children, with their extracurricular activities, school projects, doctor’s appointments, and playdates, the calendar started to look more like a jigsaw puzzle! As any parent knows, it’s easy to get lost in the shuffle of life, and before long, you realize that you can’t do it all without a plan.

I’ve always believed that organization isn’t just about keeping things tidy or making lists (though, don’t get me wrong, I do both of those!). It’s about creating systems that allow us to be more efficient with our time. It’s about carving out the space and energy for what truly matters: the moments spent together as a family. This evolution from “winging it” to “planning ahead” has been one of the most transformative aspects of our family life.

The Importance of Being Efficient

As our children grew older and started to have more of their own interests and responsibilities, I knew that efficiency was going to become more important than ever. At one point, we found ourselves in a constant rush, running from one event to the next without much breathing room. I knew something had to change. We needed a strategy to make our daily routines run more smoothly, so that we could not only keep up with the busy pace of life but also actually enjoy the things we love doing together.

Efficiency isn’t just about saving time—it’s about using time wisely. The more I embraced efficiency, the more I was able to create space for fun, relaxation, and meaningful moments with my loved ones. In the past, I might have looked at a busy day and felt overwhelmed. Now, I can look at a packed schedule and think, “We’ve got this!” because we have the tools and systems in place to handle everything.

This drive for efficiency has also taken on a new level of importance through my health journey in the last couple of years. As anyone who has ever faced health challenges knows, maintaining your well-being requires careful planning. Whether it’s preparing healthy meals, taking time for self-care, or staying on top of doctor’s appointments, health doesn’t just happen—it needs to be prioritized. I’ll share more about how I integrate health-conscious choices into my family’s routine later, but for now, I want to dive into the tools and products that have helped me along the way.

Tools and Products That Help Keep Us on Track

One of the most satisfying things about planning and organizing is finding tools that actually make a difference. Over the years, we’ve discovered several products and solutions that have become absolute game-changers for us. From cleaning supplies to food prep tools, here’s a list of some of the products I swear by in our daily lives:

1. Meal Prep and Planning Tools

Meal planning is essential for a large family like ours, and having the right tools makes all the difference. I’ve found that prepping meals ahead of time not only saves us money but also reduces stress during the week.

• Meal Planning Template: There are so many meal planning options out there, but I’ve found that if I stay consistent with what works for us, I have more success. Ema and I worked together to create a meal planner that you can use to plan your meals for the week. This is the exact template that I used to plan our meals over the last couple of years while I was on my journey to a healthier lifestyle and how I lost 115 pounds. It is available here: https://amzn.to/4j7DRM4
• Reusable Meal Prep Containers: These containers are a game-changer when it comes to storing prepped meals. I love the ones with separate compartments for different foods because they make packing lunches and snacks so much easier. Plus, they’re eco-friendly and help reduce waste. Here is my recommendation for amazing containers that help us have food ready to go: https://amzn.to/3QRwZXa
• Pressure Cooker: If you haven’t jumped on the Pressure Cooker bandwagon yet, you’re missing out! This magical kitchen tool can cook meals in a fraction of the time it would take on the stove or in the oven. From soups and stews to rice and even desserts, this is one appliance that gets a lot of use in our home. The best use I have found for mine, which is a time saver, is boiling hard-boiled eggs. AMAZING for this! I know pressure cookers can sound scary, but I promise, they are easy to use. My family needs a large-sized one that you can find here: https://amzn.to/3RdY9YF, and if you have a normal-sized family and don’t need such a large one, here is a great option: https://amzn.to/42hFfWV

2. Cleaning and Organization Products

A clean home is essential for maintaining order, especially when you’ve got a busy family running in and out. But cleaning doesn’t have to be a huge time-suck. I’ve found several products that make the process faster and more efficient. I find that if I clean throughout the week instead of trying to do it on the weekend, then I actually get to enjoy my weekend instead of spending an entire day cleaning. I usually vacuum, clean our wood floors, and try to keep up with laundry during the week. Then on Friday I clean all the bathrooms. By breaking in down, it isn’t so much at one time. I try to be consistent, our house stays pretty clean, and then when the weekend comes, we are ready to enjoy!

• Robot Vacuum: If you don’t own a robot vacuum yet, I highly recommend investing in one. Our robot vacuum runs a couple of times a week and keeps our floors looking spotless without me having to lift a finger. It’s perfect for a family home where dust and crumbs seem to appear out of nowhere. This is my favorite of the three that I have owned: https://amzn.to/43uuPEz
• Wet/Dry Vacuum: If there was one household tool that I could not live without, it would be this amazing wet/dry vacuum cleaner! If you haven’t seen the Tineco vacuum, you are missing out. Some friends of ours had one, and they are a bit expensive, although they do go on sale often, and it happens to be right now! Let me just say, if you are a mom, you need this without a doubt. It vacuums and scrubs all at the same time and does a fantastic job! I mean, I used to do a good scrub every month to two months. Now I clean our floors weekly. I love this vacuum! You can get yours here: https://amzn.to/4c9f8og
• Cordless Vacuum: This vacuum is the catch-all in between my robot vacuum and my wet/dry vacuum. This one is great for everything in between, steps, rugs, and the quick tidy ups when you don’t need to scrub your floor. For the sawdust or straw that my family tracks in when they are done working for the day. You can find the one that I use every day and love here: https://amzn.to/3FLa0ux

3. Time-Saving Tips

Technology has been a huge ally in helping us stay organized. From family calendars to to-do lists, here are some of the tools we use:

• Shared Calendar Apps: I can’t stress enough how essential it is to have a shared family calendar. With everyone’s activities and appointments in one place, there’s less room for confusion and missed events. We use a digital calendar so everyone can add their events and tasks. Our favorite app that we use is the Cozi App, we use the lists on there as well for groceries and to-do lists. Each of uses our own color and everything goes on it. That way we all know where we have to be and when, and honestly, some days, it helps me know where everyone is; they are hard to keep track of some days.
• Grocery Pick Up Orders: Online grocery shopping has been a lifesaver. It saves me time and energy by allowing me to quickly order what we need without having to spend an hour walking through the store. It also makes me spend time planning to know what we need instead of just buying what I think as I am walking through the store. Life Hack: You can add a different pick-up person, if you live close to me, give your teenager some money for Caribou, and send them. I love not having to go to the grocery store, and my kids love driving and of course the Caribou!
• Time Management: This might seem like a no-brainer. But if I am taking the kids to the ortho for their appointments, or I am going to have downtime at a volleyball tournament, or if I am going to an appointment. The examples are endless, but I use this time to plan. I will make sure that no matter what I am doing throughout my week that I take the time to lay out our upcoming week. I will always have a planner and a notebook with me. This way, instead of mindlessly scrolling on my phone, I am getting organized and planning to be prepared. I recently found this planner that I have ready by Sunday night of each week: https://amzn.to/4j5CA8f. This is the perfect size notebook, and I always have one close. Not too big, but the perfect size to make my “lists”: https://amzn.to/4iIwMBL and my sister recently recommended these pencils, and I love them! https://amzn.to/4c8EyTb

Conclusion: Finding Balance and Enjoying the Journey

Life with a large family is always going to be busy. But with the right tools, planning, and mindset, it’s possible to juggle everything without losing your sanity. By embracing efficiency and finding shortcuts that work for us, we’ve been able to spend more time doing what we love: being together, focusing on our health, and enjoying each other’s company.

I hope this list of products and strategies has inspired you to find your own solutions to life’s chaos. Whether you’re organizing your home, improving your health, or simply trying to make more time for the people who matter most, there’s always room for a little extra planning and a lot of love. Here’s to a balanced, happy, and organized life with the ones we hold dear.