Get organized with The Confident Mom Planner! 

Susan Heid at The Confident Mom created the 2012 Confident Mom Weekly Household Planner.  It will make completing your daily and weekly household chores a snap!

This planner helps keep you on task and productive by utilizing those “in between” moments to complete your household tasks so they don’t build up to become large and overwhelming.

Most of the items can easily be completed in 3 to 30 minutes, and you can select appropriate items to delegate to family members. (Hey, no one said YOU had to do it all!) And nothing feels better than being able to check off those items as DONE!

Here’s a sample of the types of tasks you will find in this planner:

• Plan/cook dinner
• Make beds
• Clean out expired food in pantry
• Water indoor plants
• Clean bathroom sinks/shine mirrors
• Wash car
• Pay bills due
• Pamper yourself
• Plan cards/gifts for January birthdays/occasions
• Quiet time (Gen 4-6; Matt 2) (Note: A version without the Bible study is also available.)

You can even personalize the planner by adding special weekly tasks or notes to remember. A fun or inspirational quote is featured each week to remind you about the joys, and sometimes humor, of family and motherhood.

Learn more about Susan’s popular 2012 Confident Mom Weekly Household Planner.  Because every mom deserves the feeling of accomplishment and results that will be seen using this planner!

Susan is giving away a free planner to one winner.  There are three possible entries per person.  Leave a separate comment on this post for each entry.

• Leave a comment about the planner.
• Like The Confident Mom on Facebook.
• Follow The Confident Mom on Twitter.

The giveaway will end on  Saturday, March 3, 2012.

These free printable preschool worksheets are designed to be used by preschool and kindergarten children.  Visit 1+1+1=1 to download them today.

The following is a post from Lauren.

Homemade baking mix is an easy item to keep on hand for last minute pancakes or biscuits.  Making your own biscuit mix is considerably cheaper than buying name brand Bisquick.  And the actual biscuits or pancakes?

Melt-in-your-mouth yumminess.  Oh they’re divine.

After mixing the dry ingredients, sift the mixture 3 times.  You do not want to skip this step.  This is part of the reason the pancakes and biscuits are so light and fluffy.

To make this step easier, I use two large bowls and sift between the two of them.

After sifting the mixture, add in the Crisco.

Using  a pastry blender, cut in the shortening until it resembles cornmeal.

Notes:

• I’m sure you can substitute butter for the Crisco.  However, I cannot give an accurate review of the substitution since I’ve never tried it.  If you use butter the mix should probably be refrigerated.
• I have a daughter who needs to eat a lot of protein, so I’m always on the lookout for extra ways to sneak it in.  I’ve tried this recipe with and without the milk powder and you can’t tell the difference at all.  So I always add the powder to give her the extra protein boost.
• You can substitute up to 1/3 of the flour with whole-wheat flour.  I tried substituting half of the flour with whole-wheat, but it changed the consistency too much for my family.  They couldn’t tell any difference with just substituting 1/3.

Store the mixture in an airtight container for up to three months in a cool, dry spot.  It does not have to be refrigerated.

You can find more delicious meal ideas at the The Happy Housewife Recipe Index.

As you know things have been a little different around the blog lately. I’ve hired writers and an editor to help ease the workload. What you don’t know is that one of the reasons I needed help is because I’ve become involved in something HUGE and it’s coming to a city near you.

If you subscribe via RSS or email you may need to click through to see the video.

I’m passionate about helping people save money, those of you who know me in real life, know that I’m always talking about our path to freedom and how becoming debt free changed our life.

I started this blog because after we called Dave Ramsey on October 27, 2007 and shouted, “We’re Debt Free!!!!!” I wanted as many people as possible to be able to shout it too.

This year I have the opportunity to partner with one of my favorite companies, Savings.com, to help organize one of the biggest money changing events ever launched, Savings Nation.

Savings Nation is simple. Local classes, taught by money saving experts, to help you save money, and create your own path to freedom. And it’s coming to a city near you in 2012.

Will you join me? Over the next two months I’ll be in Atlanta, San Antonio, Orlando, Cincinnati, and Los Angeles with three of my favorite bloggers sharing about one of my favorite places to save money, the grocery store.

We’ll be discussing coupons, shopping strategies, and meal planning live and in person.

I truly believe there is no such thing as small change. When we were chipping away at our debt in 2007, I counted every penny, scrutinized every purchase, and clipped every coupon because I knew those twenty-five cent coupons eventually added up to a life free from debt.

Small changes in every area of your budget can lead to big changes in your financial future. I’m excited to help bring these workshops to your local community in 2012.

Savings Nation Workshop Details…

Atlanta/Dallas, GA

March 22, 2012
6:30 pm – 8:30 pm

Instructor: Crystal Collins, TheThriftyMama.com

REGISTER here for this class

San Antonio, TX

March 30, 2012
6:30 pm – 8:30 pm

Instructor: Erin Chase, 5DollarDinners.com

REGISTER here for this class

Orlando, FL

April 12, 2012
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Instructor: Toni Anderson, TheHappyHousewife.com

REGISTER here for this class

Cincinnati, OH

April 18, 2012
6:30 pm – 8:30 pm

Instructor: Andrea Deckard, SavingsLifestyle.com

REGISTER here for this class

Los Angeles, CA

April 21, 2012

Details TBD