My life is ruled by an old-fashioned pen and paper list. Grocery lists ensure my get-in-and-out approach to shopping. To do lists give me a sense of accomplishment. I love crossing off each task with a firm stroke of the pen.
I’ve struggled the last few years to find a planner that fits the needs of our family and my schedule. From Franklin Planners to a $.99 notebook from Wal-Mart, I’ve given it a try. So, when this planner landed on my doorstep I couldn’t help but get excited.
Heart of the Farm planner is made just for me – a farmer’s wife, farm mom, volunteer, chef, chauffeur and ‘go’fer. In reality though, it is made for anyone searching for a way to sort her thoughts and feel organized, if not get organized.
Wire-bound, hardcover and large, this planner is not trying to slide into your purse or disappear on your desk. It’s purpose is to be present and helpful for whatever 2016 throws at you.
You’ll find the usual monthly dated calendar, weekly dated pages, notes pages and long-term planning sheets. Unique to this planner and perfect for a farm family are the monthly master task lists and priority pages which include sections for outdoor work, household jobs and farm and business activities.
Each month also includes a freezer inventory page and weekly menu planner. I don’t know about anyone else, but I’ll spend days preserving garden goodies, stick them in the freezer and promptly forget they are there. Nothing is more disheartening than cleaning out the freezer and discovering food stuffs no longer good to serve the family.
The section of the planner that speaks to me though is titled Field Meals. As you know my sister-in-law, mother-in-law and I share the task of feeding our harvest crew. Planning for, preparing and delivering those meals takes some effort and a lot of time. The field meals check-list maps out what to have on hand in order to meet everyone’s field meal needs. It is a week by week strategy designed to keep stress to a minimum when stress is at its height around the farm.
Peppered among the pages are beautiful pictures and inspirational quotes. When I flipped o
pen the planner for the first time, the pages fell to the July tab. Emblazoned on a black background was, “You got this!” In July, with fair planning and preparations in full swing, I’m going to need that extra motivation.
Some people roll their eyes at my list-making. But I’ve found it helps keep me and my family on track. And as the Heart of the Farm planner states, “Make time for what matters most.”
Like what you see? I’m excited to say I have one to giveaway! I’ve never conducted a giveaway before, so I am doubly excited.
Click here to enter: a Rafflecopter giveaway
Discover more about the Heart of the Farm planner:
- Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/HEARTOFTHEFARM1
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heartofthefarmplanner/
*All pictures provided by Heart of the Farm.
This is really cool! im definitely a list maker and crosser-offer too!
Great idea as we enter the new year!
I try my hardest to plan, but most days seem to get away from me! I would love to have a planner that is for me–the farm wife!
I’m not a farmer nor a wife, but, it still looks like a great planner; someone was smart enough to ask some actual farm wives what they would find useful…
As a boy, I did grow up in a small farming community, in California’s central coast, working on many of them with friends, milking, feeding, planting, and, later as one of the hands you feed during harvest… I’ve bucked my fair share of hay, & put in my time hoeing in the sugar beet fields for cash during the summers… Naturally, as teens, we called ourselves hoers….
Which is enough experience on farms to say, in amazement “Wow; you write, format, & maintain a blog, too? (A good one, too, from all I’ve seen so far…)…. I thought I was a good multi-tasker, as a lifelong polymath, chef d’cuisine, maitre d’hotel,, and twenty or thirty other job types, (truck driver included with executive secretary, et al….), but, again, wow….”
Salute!…
gigoid, the dubious
😎
Yes! The planner’s creator did reach out to me and others to ask what we look for in planners, what we needed help with, etc. It is very well thought out. Thanks for sharing your personal story and reading my blog.
I use Google calendar….with built in reminders to sync home, work, and farm wife commitments. I also try to print it weekly to have a hard copy in front of me….but it’s not a fool-proof system. I have an ARC notebook system Staples that I use to organize all the important papers that need to stay with me…..but this planner looks great!
I’ve had several people mention Google calendar to me. Need to investigate. Sounds like it works well for the whole family to stay tuned with what is happening.
I am a list maker and right now I just use a normal monthly calendar, but I definitely need to get more organized. I am trying to do more meal planning and prepping so that when tobacco season comes back around in 2016 we will be able to eat at home more than eating out!
I’ll admit that I’m a spontaneous person at heart, but I always need a planner to stay on track with my busy schedule. 🙂
I plan on a daily to do list, monthly menu plans, and using my calendar. This would be great to win, thanks for the giveaway!
Great giveaway.
I’m always on the hunt for a good paper planner each year and this one is just beautiful!
I use pen and paper a lot also, for my daily to do lists, using my calendar on the wall and making a monthly menu plan.
I love to plan meals for my family, what I want to accomplish in the week, (especially writing) and whatever packages/letters I want to send to my family who lives far away. I tend to be more structured, but am working to be more spontaneous (like telling myself that no one will know or care if I deviate from the meal plan for that day or switch Tuesday’s meal for Friday’s.) Ha! Thanks for hosting such a beautiful giveaway!
You sound like a person I strive to be . . . and succeed at maybe 5 percent of the time. : )
It’s not all it’s cracked up to be, I promise. There’s a shadow to every strength. 🙂
What a beautiful planner!!! This is exactly what I need to keep my family and small business organized! Love it!
This planner speaks to me!!! It looks perfectly amazing for my crazy busy farm life!!