Simply Convivial: Organization & Mindset for Home & Homeschool

Declutter your mind when you write things down, right away. This is step number 2 for how to organize your life – and it’s a habit you should continue daily. You can listen to the podcast version or watch the YouTube version or read the post – however you like to get your tips and tricks delivered. When you’re ready to dig deeper and get these steps established in your routines, check out Simply Convivial Membership – the first two weeks of membership includes extra help in working through the Get Organized Basics course so you can see instant progress. A brain dump – which means write things down – is the best way to declutter your mind. Clear your mind so you get get organized more effectively. Whether you use a brain dump journal or just a cheap spiral notebook, a brain dump strategy will clear your mind and prepare you for organization at home. It’s the first step to declutter your mind so you can declutter your life. If you want to know how to get organized, start with a brain dump. Write things down. All the things. The first step for getting organized isn’t to buy containers or a label maker. The first step is to declutter your head. We start every project and start getting organized by writing down everything in our heads. All those swirling thoughts and big ideas need to be written down on paper. When we write things down on paper instead of keeping them in our head, we can see them and think about them better. When we write things down, we see first why we felt so crazy. We’re trying to keep track of and trying to work for too many things. When we see them on paper, we’re able to more clearly and deliberately choose where to place our attention. It gives us more objectivity as we think about what we ought to do next. Secondly, a brain dump allows our mind the space and the freedom to actually think about those ideas creatively. It allows us to problem solve. Our brains are not the place we want to store information or keep track of what needs to be done. So when we keep the information and reminders on paper, then we can use our brains for what they’re good at: thinking, solving, praying. So write things down for mental clarity and peace. Start your brain dump now with my free guide with prompts and instructions to get you decluttering your mind today! Listen to the podcast Find me on Instagram Watch me on YouTube

The podcast is back, better than ever! Let’s kick it off again with a 5 episode special on how to get organized at home. If you want to know how to organize your life, this is how you get started. You can listen to the podcast version or watch the YouTube version or read the post – however you like to get your tips and tricks delivered. When you’re ready to dig deeper and get these steps established in your routines, check out Simply Convivial Membership – the first two weeks of membership includes extra help in working through the Get Organized Basics course so you can see instant progress. Want to get organized at home? I have 5 essential practices you need to be organized – this is tip #1 and it’s all about your attitude and mindset in being organized and getting organized – and even staying organized. Declutter your home by decluttering and organizing your mind first. When we try to organize and declutter, we usually start with the stuff, but we need to start with ourselves. These organization tips will get you ready to organize your life and be happy. When we are trying to get organized, we need to start off by clarifying what our definition of organization is. Because if we get our definition of what organization is from Pinterest or the magazines, we will think that it means having life go our way. When we think that being organized means that our life will go our way, we are bound to be disappointed and bound to fail. Newsflash: Life will not go our way. Being organized does not mean life goes your way and it doesn’t mean you have matching containers in all your closets. Being organized means that you are prepared and exercising self-control, not control of others or the situation. Organization is simply shorthand for managing life’s resources to the best of our abilities. It isn’t a magic bullet that changes everything. It’s not a goal to be checked off once reached. It’s not a status to arrive at, after which we can do as we please. Organization is on-going, just like laundry, dishes, and sweeping. It is a set of actions we must continually, consistently take. Organization is a state-of-mind as well as a state-of-home. There is no end-point goal, but there are always baby steps and further developments to make. So how does one get from a state of chaos to a state of organization? How can we actually organize life when it feels like a jumbled mess? By taking it one day at a time, one step at a time. There is no sudden overhaul to make or popular bandwagon to join or new leaf to turn over. There is learning to take the right next action – and then taking it – each hour of every day. There is only one kind of control we must have to be organized: self-control. We might not control our homes or our lives, but we should be controlling ourselves. If you want to organize your life, you need to start with your self, not your stuff. Being organized is a set of practices and mindsets, not a status to achieve. How to get organized at home Just like fussy, grabby toddlers, we have inner voices and desires that need discipline. The good news is that we know how to parent. We can turn that parent-attention to our own selves.

replay of a live member-only troubleshooting session

Welcome to Simply Convivial, where we organize our attitudes before we organize anything else. Simply Convivial members grow in diligence and delight. Diligence comes from persistent practice, not instant perfection. Delight comes from working for God’s glory, not our own. We continue to grow in both because we know we’ll never attain either completely. We walk in faithfulness, spur each other on to love and good works, and repent, rejoice, repeat. I know many times in the past I’ve been tripped up and frustrated by my own bad habits, by my kids’ bad habits, and by how hard those habits are to change. One thing I realized, though, was that the real source of frustration was that I’d pinned false hope on those habits. Habits are important, but they might not be the holy grail you were hoping for. Let’s dig in. Original post: Habits: The Secret for Smooth and Easy Days? Habits are something we do work on for ourselves – but primarily in ourselves and not something forced on other people to make our own life easier. As we cultivate habits in our children, we cultivate them in ourselves first and foremost, and grow in maturity ourselves more and more – are sanctified more and more – through the process. How many solutions have you hunted for in magazines, online, or with friends only to have it not work for you? It happens all the time because we try copying and pasting other people’s practices into our own lives, when our situations are different. There are a few true and universal principles to work through the life, the universe, and everything, but many ways to live out those principles. Instead of trying to practice other people’s solutions, we need to grow our understanding and application of the principles to fit our own lives and needs and callings. The primary universal principle for us as Christian homemakers is that our role is not to keep a clean house or have well-behaved children. Our goal is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. Our job is to love God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strength and our neighbor as ourselves.  Our homemaking is simply an extension of that basic call, and whatever we do that is not an extension of that basic call, is labor spent in vain. Reorient yourself to your role as a homemaker within Simply Convivial Membership & community, where we apply this principle across the board, every time, every day. Visit Simply Convivial Membership to learn more. * Learn from gospel-centered homemaking & homeschooling self-paced courses you can navigate on your own terms. Level up your plans and progress, one step at a time.* Find a community of likeminded women, working to find what’s important, and do it – every day.* Get support through ongoing conversation, discipleship, and prompts to increase your skill and your motivation as we spur one another on to love and good works. The direction & accountability homemakers need to make noticeable progress in their home management skills. just $15/month – for a limited time Enroll today.

Welcome to Simply Convivial, where we grow in diligence and delight, learning to love what must be done. I’m Mystie Winckler, wife, mother, homeschooler, reader, writer, and project-juggler. With the hundreds of women inside Simply Convivial Membership, I am held accountable not only to taking baby step progress day by day, but also to keeping my attitude aligned with truth every step of the way. We’d love to have you join us, too. Today’s post was inspired by something a Simply Convivial member once said that struck me as so true. It was a good jolt of truth to my own attitude, so I had to write it up as part of my series in 52 Ways to Organize Your Attitude. Let’s dig in. Original post: Blaze the trail. To blaze a trail or to lay down the rails is to intentionally decide and build the habits that we know will make our lives more effective. It will not make life easier – building the habits is hard work and paying attention and doing what’s called for in the moment requires attention and effort – but once intentional logistics become habit, then it takes less energy to maintain your equilibrium and consistency. Homemaking is complicated. It’s made up of so many moving pieces, all kinds of unpredictable people, and then ourselves. And we aren’t as awesome at handling it all as we thought we’d be or as we’d like to be. We might need to give up on trying to be awesome, but we shouldn’t give up on trying to be faithful. Simply Convivial Membership is for women who want to grow in faithfulness, diligence, skill, and joy in it all, because all of life gives us opportunities to glorify God by loving others.  Every course, workshop, and troubleshooting session in Simply Convivial Membership helps you learn how to align your attitude with truth, audit your situation with realistic honesty, and iterate for gradual but sure progress. Visit Simply Convivial Membership to learn more and join us for a month’s challenge, a quarter’s project, or an annual commitment to consistent growth. Simply Convivial Membership is all there, ready for you to use on your terms to serve your needs.  * Learn from gospel-centered homemaking & homeschooling self-paced courses you can navigate on your own terms. Level up your plans and progress, one step at a time.* Find a community of likeminded women, working to find what’s important, and do it – every day.* Get support through ongoing conversation, discipleship, and prompts to increase your skill and your motivation as we spur one another on to love and good works. The direction & accountability homemakers need to make noticeable progress in their home management skills. just $15/month – for a limited time Enroll today.

Welcome to Simply Convivial, where we remember that organization is about our attitudes, expectations, and responses more than about our closets, cupboards, and calendars. I’m Mystie Winckler, wife, homemaker, classical homeschooling mom of 5, and I’ve learned in home, homeschool, and life contentment in not getting ahead and in just keeping things together. It’s not giving up; it’s recognizing that God’s plan always rightly supersedes my own. In today’s episode we’ll discover how to rightly define a productive day, and why it’s important to give our expectations a reality check. Original Post: What Makes a Productive Day? Being productive while feeling crummy about it stinks. I don’t want a groundless feel-good, but neglecting the feel-good doesn’t work either. When productivity feels good, it feels energizing. That energy, in turn, helps us keep going. When productivity feels bad, it feels like walking dead, like the slow sapping of vitality with each check made on the stupid list. How many solutions have you hunted for in magazines, online, or with friends only to have it not work for you? It happens all the time because we try copying and pasting other people’s practices into our own lives, when our situations are different. There are a few true and universal principles to work through the life, the universe, and everything, but many ways to live out those principles. Instead of trying to practice other people’s solutions, we need to grow our understanding and application of the principles to fit our own lives and needs and callings. The primary universal principle for us as Christian homemakers is that our role is not to keep a clean house or have well-behaved children. Our goal is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. Our job is to love God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strength and our neighbor as ourselves.  Our homemaking is simply an extension of that basic call, and whatever we do that is not an extension of that basic call, is labor spent in vain. Reorient yourself to your role as a homemaker within Simply Convivial Membership & community, where we apply this principle across the board, every time, every day. Visit Simply Convivial Membership to learn more. * Learn from gospel-centered homemaking & homeschooling self-paced courses you can navigate on your own terms. Level up your plans and progress, one step at a time.* Find a community of likeminded women, working to find what’s important, and do it – every day.* Get support through ongoing conversation, discipleship, and prompts to increase your skill and your motivation as we spur one another on to love and good works. The direction & accountability homemakers need to make noticeable progress in their home management skills. just $15/month – for a limited time Enroll today.

Welcome to Simply Convivial, where we remember that organization is about our attitudes, expectations, and responses more than about our closets, cupboards, and calendars. I’m Mystie Winckler, wife, homemaker, classical homeschooling mom of 5, and I’ve learned in home, homeschool, and life contentment in not getting ahead and in just keeping things together. It’s not giving up; it’s recognizing that God’s plan always rightly supersedes my own. Within Simply Convivial Membership, we just wrapped up a live accountability group working through Sweep and Smile, six weeks of mom-habit-training for our own chore routines. The most important chore routine, in my opinion – and many others’ after finishing Sweep & Smile – is the morning routine. It’s amazing what 15 minutes can do, especially before the business of the day. Today’s episode is an excerpt from the first week’s lesson inside Sweep and Smile. Enjoy, apply, and dig in! And here’s the real kicker: The next week it stayed clean. Instead of treating “cleaning my room” as a project, going all in, and then falling back into my normal habits, I had built a new habit: a morning routine of tidying a single space for a seemingly insignificant amount of time. And with that habit, with that routine, my room not only gradually became clean, it also stayed cleaner. My behavior outside the 5 minute routine began to change, too. I chose not to set something on the dresser that I knew I’d just clear again in the morning. I hung my clothes up in the evening so I wouldn’t have to use my tidying time on that. Picking something up off the floor didn’t seem like a big deal. I actually noticed what was out of place and did something about it. I knew it doesn’t take long, and I knew I’d do it soon anyway – why not now? This is the magic of a morning and an evening routine: 3 tasks in the morning and 3 tasks in the evening that keep your home ready for the action of life, of the day. There are no secret 3 things everyone should do every morning to have a wonderful day. But when you find your own 3, the magic is in the doing of them, every morning, without fail. Suddenly, we have traction. We have momentum. We have consistency. Instead of barely keeping our heads above water, we start to see progress – without accomplishing all that’s on our list. Clearing the counters and getting the laundry going and making your bed might make up your morning three. 5 minutes for tidying my bedroom, 5 minutes for giving the bathrooms a quick swipe, and 5 minutes of kitchen-counter clearing make up my own 15 minute morning routine. Yes, it’s important what those 3 tasks are. Choose tasks that have a big impact on the day ahead. Choose tasks that need to happen to make your home ready for action.  We’re talking basics, not extras. However, it’s more important that they’re short. Five minutes each should get you far – not because it’s enough to make things sparkling, but because you can get more done in a time pinch, you can get started more readily with a deadline and a clear stopping point, and you’ll see progress build over the course of your consistency, which lasts so much longer than attempted perfection on a single day. Homemaking is complicated. It’s made up of so many moving pieces, all kinds of unpredictable people, and then ourselves. And we aren’t as awesome at handling it all as we thought we’d be or as we’d like to be. We might need to give up on trying to be awesome,

Welcome! We are Simply Convivial because we keep first things first and know that our attitudes, our hearts, set the tone in our homes and matter before God more than our to-do list does. Thank you for joining me. Have you ever felt like setting up your planner or even updating your planner is just a waste of time, just an exercise in futility? There’s no denying that sometimes you feel that way because it’s true. In today’s episode we’re going to talk about what to do when your planner really is a waste of time. Let’s dig in. Original Post: Why Planners Are a Waste of Time Although the hope of a fresh new year often expresses itself in new planners, pretty markers, and a renewed resolve, the reality of life lived with and for others often undermines our planner-related ambitions.However, just because planners can be a waste of time, doesn’t mean they always are a waste of time. How many solutions have you hunted for in magazines, online, or with friends only to have it not work for you? It happens all the time because we try copying and pasting other people’s practices into our own lives, when our situations are different. There are a few true and universal principles to work through the life, the universe, and everything, but many ways to live out those principles. Instead of trying to practice other people’s solutions, we need to grow our understanding and application of the principles to fit our own lives and needs and callings. The primary universal principle for us as Christian homemakers is that our role is not to keep a clean house or have well-behaved children. Our goal is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. Our job is to love God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strength and our neighbor as ourselves.  Our homemaking is simply an extension of that basic call, and whatever we do that is not an extension of that basic call, is labor spent in vain. Reorient yourself to your role as a homemaker within Simply Convivial Membership & community, where we apply this principle across the board, every time, every day. Visit Simply Convivial Membership to learn more. * Learn from gospel-centered homemaking & homeschooling self-paced courses you can navigate on your own terms. Level up your plans and progress, one step at a time.* Find a community of likeminded women, working to find what’s important, and do it – every day.* Get support through ongoing conversation, discipleship, and prompts to increase your skill and your motivation as we spur one another on to love and good works. The direction & accountability homemakers need to make noticeable progress in their home management skills. just $15/month – for a limited time Enroll today.

Welcome! We are Simply Convivial because we keep first things first and know that our attitudes, our hearts, set the tone in our homes and matter before God more than our to-do list does. Thank you for joining me. Last year I read a fascinating marriage book by John Gottman. His is not a Christian marriage book, but he does have a reputation as a researcher who can accurately, within minutes, predict divorce or not based on listening to a couple’s interactions. I read the book out of curiosity, and the principles he teaches in his book, The Seven Principles of Making Marriage Work, apply not only to marriage but to relationships more broadly as well. Let’s dig in. Original post: What a marriage book taught me about parenting teens As I read this book it dawned on me: This is how to form & strengthen adult-to-adult, respectful relationships. This is how to live together in love and good humor even if you don’t agree. That is what I need as a mom of teens. And if I have been doing so for seventeen years with my husband, I should be able to apply what I’ve practiced more broadly now. Homemaking is complicated. It’s made up of so many moving pieces, all kinds of unpredictable people, and then ourselves. And we aren’t as awesome at handling it all as we thought we’d be or as we’d like to be. We might need to give up on trying to be awesome, but we shouldn’t give up on trying to be faithful. Simply Convivial Membership is for women who want to grow in faithfulness, diligence, skill, and joy in it all, because all of life gives us opportunities to glorify God by loving others.  Every course, workshop, and troubleshooting session in Simply Convivial Membership helps you learn how to align your attitude with truth, audit your situation with realistic honesty, and iterate for gradual but sure progress. Visit Simply Convivial Membership to learn more and join us for a month’s challenge, a quarter’s project, or an annual commitment to consistent growth. Simply Convivial Membership is all there, ready for you to use on your terms to serve your needs.  * Learn from gospel-centered homemaking & homeschooling self-paced courses you can navigate on your own terms. Level up your plans and progress, one step at a time.* Find a community of likeminded women, working to find what’s important, and do it – every day.* Get support through ongoing conversation, discipleship, and prompts to increase your skill and your motivation as we spur one another on to love and good works. The direction & accountability homemakers need to make noticeable progress in their home management skills. just $15/month – for a limited time Enroll today.

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Welcome! We are Simply Convivial because we keep first things first and know that our attitudes, our hearts, set the tone in our homes and matter before God more than our to-do list does. Thank you for joining me. If you homeschool, you probably put a lot of time and energy into pulling together your curriculum and resources. So often, though, the best lesson of the day is not the one learned in the lesson plan, but rather the one learned in the process of doing the lesson plan. Let me tell you, you don’t need a character curriculum because in reality, every single lesson every single day is a lesson in character – not only for our kids, but even for ourselves. Let’s dig in. Original post: What is Character? and How to Build It. We must know what we are about and we must be able to articulate that to our children. However, the main source of their character training will not come from a lecture or from a coloring page about a virtue; it will come from being made to practice that virtue in the midst of their real life – which includes school lessons. Turns out that homemaking is a lot of work. It’s way more complicated than we expected when we first got started. More than mundane housework, we come to realize the duty we have as wives and mothers to be the atmosphere of our home. Our attitudes matter more than our housekeeping.  That’s why in Simply Convivial Membership everything – even help with chores – begins with centering and correcting our perspective, our attitudes, and our relationship with the God who gave us the situations we’re in to steward for His glory. What He’s called us to, we can do, and it’s better to not do it alone. Join Simply Convivial Membership not only for practical guidance in the courses for tackling your attitude and your actions, but grow in consistency in both with the companionship of likeminded women invested in the same approach. Visit Simply Convivial Membership to learn more.  In May and June we’ll be simplifying and streamlining our pantries and menu planning techniques, together, figuring out what works for our unique families and planning and sorting and cooking accordingly. Join for a 3-month quarter at a discount of the monthly rate and tackle this important home management area with hundreds of other women in Simply Convivial Membership. * Learn from gospel-centered homemaking & homeschooling self-paced courses you can navigate on your own terms. Level up your plans and progress, one step at a time.* Find a community of likeminded women, working to find what’s important, and do it – every day.* Get support through ongoing conversation, discipleship, and prompts to increase your skill and your motivation as we spur one another on to love and good works. The direction & accountability homemakers need to make noticeable progress in their home management skills. just $15/month – for a limited time Enroll today.

Welcome! I am Mystie Winckler, wife, homemaker, reader, writer, and classical homeschooling mother of 5. We are Simply Convivial because we keep first things first and know that our attitudes, our hearts, set the tone in our homes and matter before God more than our to-do list. Thank you for joining me. Do you ever feel like you’re going to go crazy? Of course you do. We all do. What should we do when we feel that way? Are there ways to minimize or prevent the feeling? Here are 5 suggestions I have for battling or circumventing the inevitable onset of crazy-making. Let’s dig in. Original Post: 5 Sanity-Savers for Homeschooling Moms Rather than things to do like “get out by myself” or “carve out reading time” or “get exercise in the fresh air,” all of which are important to, the five things I am sharing today are mindsets, perspectives, ways of thinking that shift the focus off whatever is dragging me down and fix it on something that will lift me back up. Turns out that homemaking is a lot of work. It’s way more complicated than we expected when we first got started. More than mundane housework, we come to realize the duty we have as wives and mothers to be the atmosphere of our home. Our attitudes matter more than our housekeeping.  That’s why in Simply Convivial Membership everything – even help with chores – begins with centering and correcting our perspective, our attitudes, and our relationship with the God who gave us the situations we’re in to steward for His glory. What He’s called us to, we can do, and it’s better to not do it alone. Join Simply Convivial Membership not only for practical guidance in the courses for tackling your attitude and your actions, but grow in consistency in both with the companionship of likeminded women invested in the same approach. Visit Simply Convivial Membership to learn more.  In May and June we’ll be simplifying and streamlining our pantries and menu planning techniques, together, figuring out what works for our unique families and planning and sorting and cooking accordingly. Join for a 3-month quarter at a discount of the monthly rate and tackle this important home management area with hundreds of other women in Simply Convivial Membership. * Learn from gospel-centered homemaking & homeschooling self-paced courses you can navigate on your own terms. Level up your plans and progress, one step at a time.* Find a community of likeminded women, working to find what’s important, and do it – every day.* Get support through ongoing conversation, discipleship, and prompts to increase your skill and your motivation as we spur one another on to love and good works. The direction & accountability homemakers need to make noticeable progress in their home management skills. just $15/month – for a limited time Enroll today.

Welcome! We are Simply Convivial because we keep first things first and know that our attitudes, our hearts, set the tone in our homes and matter before God more than our to-do list does. Thank you for joining me. Today’s episode is a fun one. Who doesn’t love a step-by-step program, right? The reality is that our organizational efforts will fall apart and suffer from entropy. That just means a time will come to jump in, pick up the pieces, and start over again. Here’s how to do just that. Let’s dig in. Original post: When Organization Falls Apart: 6 Steps to Recovery We can recover from topsy-turvy times. It might take one or two intensive days or a week or two gradually added to. When you know it’s time to get your home back in hand, these are the steps to get there. No more floundering, not knowing where to start, feeling like it must all be done now. Turns out that homemaking is a lot of work. It’s way more complicated than we expected when we first got started. More than mundane housework, we come to realize the duty we have as wives and mothers to be the atmosphere of our home. Our attitudes matter more than our housekeeping. That’s why in Simply Convivial Membership everything – even help with chores – begins with centering and correcting our perspective, our attitudes, and our relationship with the God who gave us the situations we’re in to steward for His glory. What He’s called us to, we can do, and it’s better to not do it alone. Join Simply Convivial Membership not only for practical guidance in the courses for tackling your attitude and your actions, but grow in consistency in both with the companionship of likeminded women invested in the same approach. Visit Simply Convivial Membership to learn more.  In May and June we’ll be simplifying and streamlining our pantries and menu planning techniques, together, figuring out what works for our unique families and planning and sorting and cooking accordingly. Join for a 3-month quarter at a discount of the monthly rate and tackle this important home management area with hundreds of other women in Simply Convivial Membership. * Learn from gospel-centered homemaking & homeschooling self-paced courses you can navigate on your own terms. Level up your plans and progress, one step at a time.* Find a community of likeminded women, working to find what’s important, and do it – every day.* Get support through ongoing conversation, discipleship, and prompts to increase your skill and your motivation as we spur one another on to love and good works. The direction & accountability homemakers need to make noticeable progress in their home management skills. just $15/month – for a limited time Enroll today.

Welcome! We are Simply Convivial because we keep first things first and know that our attitudes, our hearts, set the tone in our homes and matter before God more than our to-do list does. Thank you for joining me. Today’s episode is one to let you know you are not alone and pass on a bit of wisdom I knew from my own mom and also heard from Cindy Rollins: Life with toddlers just is a muddle. Roll with it; don’t fight it. In fact, as the oldest of 7 and mother of 5, I’ve lived with toddlers for over 30 years. The muddle is reality, and that’s ok. Let’s dig in. Original post: How to Manage the Muddle of Daily Life I needed an attitude change for progress to happen, but I also needed straight, raw practice. You can’t go from zero to sixty overnight in housekeeping skills. And every pregnancy and newborn seemed to roll me back down the hill I’d been trudging up. Turns out that homemaking is a lot of work. It’s way more complicated than we expected when we first got started. More than mundane housework, we come to realize the duty we have as wives and mothers to be the atmosphere of our home. Our attitudes matter more than our housekeeping.  That’s why in Simply Convivial Membership everything – even help with chores – begins with centering and correcting our perspective, our attitudes, and our relationship with the God who gave us the situations we’re in to steward for His glory. What He’s called us to, we can do, and it’s better to not do it alone. Join Simply Convivial Membership not only for practical guidance in the courses for tackling your attitude and your actions, but grow in consistency in both with the companionship of likeminded women invested in the same approach. Visit Simply Convivial Membership to learn more.  In May and June we’ll be simplifying and streamlining our pantries and menu planning techniques, together, figuring out what works for our unique families and planning and sorting and cooking accordingly. Join for a 3-month quarter at a discount of the monthly rate and tackle this important home management area with hundreds of other women in Simply Convivial Membership.

Welcome to the Simply Convivial Audio blog. I’m Mystie Winckler, a homeschool graduate myself now homeschooling my 5 kids who span first grade to tenth grade. Homemaking and homeschooling was harder than I thought it’d be, so I write and speak to keep my own head in the game and I hope it helps you do the same, too. Today’s episode is a reminder that we are not alone, we are not each our own islands and we shouldn’t pretend to be or try to be. Friends aren’t a fun accessory; friends are necessary for perspective and encouragement. Sometimes isolation seems like a good idea, but it isn’t. Let’s dig in. Original post: Share the load. If you’re trapped in a burnt out mode, unable to keep up and incapable of putting a smile on it, one way out is to let go of situation-control and share the load. There’s a reason Scripture tells us to not grow weary in doing good – that’s really a thing. We feel weary, but we’re called not only to persevere but to be zealous for good works. That takes planning, intention, and joy. It won’t happen on accident. We get weary because it turns out that doing what we ought, even just at home, is harder than we expected. It’s our expectations and our attitudes that are out of whack more than our stuff. Simply Convivial Membership provides you with the support and perspective that you need to dig in and practice not only diligence, but diligence with joy. Courses, texts, community, discussion, workshops, and more, are there when you need it – for as much or as little as you can handle at the time. Need to target a specific area? There’s a lesson for that and a place to talk it through with others. Visit Simply Convivial Membership to learn more. April’s theme is laundry, and all members have the option of participating in Sweep & Smile live – a 6 week course on tackling habit housekeeping routines. It’s practical, specific, and challenging. Join membership to access Sweep & Smile and so much more! Inside Membership you’ll be able to * Learn from gospel-centered homemaking & homeschooling self-paced courses you can navigate on your own terms. Level up your plans and progress, one step at a time.* Find a community of likeminded women, working to find what’s important, and do it – every day.* Get support through ongoing conversation, discipleship, and prompts to increase your skill and your motivation as we spur one another on to love and good works. The direction & accountability homemakers need to make noticeable progress in their home management skills. just $15/month – for a limited time Enroll today.