A Mom's Year

Creating a comfortable life one moment at a time

Free Printable Christmas Planner

I created a free downloadable Christmas planner as a way to show my gratitude to everyone who’s purchased a copy of THE ADVENT BOX, recommended it to their book clubs, shared it with a friend, or taken time to write a kind review on Amazon or Goodreads. I’m truly thankful for your support!

You can download all 20 pages or just print out what you need any given year. I keep my planner in a 3-ring binder, along with recipes, gift ideas, and past years’ planning sheets. Not only does it help me remember what I’ve done in the past, but it’s fun to take a look back at how we celebrated Christmas over the years.

Just download and print these Christmas planning pages to stay on top of all your holiday to-do’s.

The Advent Box Christmas Planner

Birthdays and Anniversaries Planner

After once again forgetting whether a close friend’s birthday was January 1st or 2nd, I decided to create a printable so I could write it down. You can stick this perpetual “Birthdays and Anniversaries” calendar on your fridge, or keep it with your household files and transfer the occasions into your planner at the beginning of each year. Whatever works for you!

Mark & Diane’s Fajitas

When Tim and I got married twenty-five years ago, I planned to give cookbooks as favors to our wedding guests, who’d shared their favorite recipes with us. I didn’t manage to produce the cookbooks in 1995, but I’m hoping late is better than never! I think sharing these recipes (more than 100!) will be a fun part of celebrating this milestone anniversary—and celebrating our friends and family, too.

This fajita recipe is a staple in our family. It comes from my mom’s youngest brother, Mark, and his wife, Diane. Mark and Diane have lived in Phoenix for as long as I can remember, and they’ve mastered Southwest cooking with delicious recipes like this. My grandparents spent their winters in Phoenix for years, and one of my best memories from high school was getting to spend senior year spring break with all of them. I remember Camelback Mountain and lots of beautiful scenery, but the best part of the vacation was visiting gorgeous model homes just for fun. And discovering Chili Cheese Fritos.

[Read more…] about Mark & Diane’s Fajitas

Tim Urban: Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator

Andrew shared this video with me and it’s laugh-out-loud funny. Here’s the description: “Tim Urban knows that procrastination doesn’t make sense, but he’s never been able to shake his habit of waiting until the last minute to get things done. In this hilarious and insightful talk, Urban takes us on a journey through YouTube binges, Wikipedia rabbit holes, and bouts of staring out the window–and encourages us to think harder about what we’re really procrastinating on, before we run out of time.”

I was a bit smug for the first half of the video, thinking that I don’t procrastinate that much. I mean, with four kids something will ALWAYS come up at the last minute, so I’ve gotten pretty good about not putting things off. Or so I thought. I don’t want to give away the ending, but let’s just say I was humbled to realize I’m just as big a procrastinator when it comes to some things as anyone, and it was only the fear of my 92-year-old grandma never holding one of my books that forced me to create a real deadline, thus waking the Panic Monster. (And, no, textbooks don’t count because they’re just not as sexy.)

Anyway, you should check it out when you have a chance. Urban’s blog “Wait But Why” is fun, too (speaking of rabbit holes).

Book Bento Box

I’m a little late to the party, but I’ve just discovered @bookbento, a virtual gallery of great books accompanied by still lifes of meaningful objects. I’m excited to make one for THE ADVENT BOX, and I can’t help but imagine artifacts for other books I’m reading. I’ve just started TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY by John le Carré, but so far I think its bento box would have to include a pair of eyeglasses (like George Smiley’s), a cup of tea, a chess piece or two, and a prep-school-style tie. Just for starters!

[Read more…] about Book Bento Box