Simply Convivial: Biblical Homemaking & Homeschooling—Without Stress or Burnout (Mystie Winckler)
Explorez tous les épisodes de Simply Convivial: Biblical Homemaking & Homeschooling—Without Stress or Burnout
| Date | Titre | Durée | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 02 Dec 2021 | Finding more homeschool motivation | 00:17:18 | |
Get my new book! https://amzn.to/31nKs2A It’s one thing to start the school year strong, but quite another to keep at it after the weeks start blurring together. Motivation to homeschool ebbs away, and we can’t wait for some natural, overwhelming incoming tide to return. Instead of being tossed about on the waves of our emotions and hormones (which turn into tropical storms when they crash into the emotions and hormones of our children), we need to treat motivation like a garden and cultivate it. A garden has variety; it’s not made up of one thing. It’s the same with motivation. There are a number of things we can plant in our motivation garden that will keep it blooming and growing. We need homeschool motivation because it’s our responsibility as the parent-teacher to educate our children. It’s not optional and we set the tone for the day and the standard for the behavior. If we can’t muster up the motivation to start the homeschool day, how can we expect our children to have the motivation to do their work? We must model ourselves what we expect from them. Much of the time, what we call a lack of motivation is simply inertia. It’s hard to get started. It’s hard to get up and get moving. It’s hard to focus our attention and summon the energy. Overcome inertia by making it easy to get started with an energetic, upbeat attitude. These ten practices will increase your motivation for average homeschool days. Have a morning routine. Share your favorite homeschool quote, podcast, or tip in the comments! | |||
| 03 May 2021 | Create a clutter-free planner with a daily card to-do list | 00:08:13 | |
So often we try buying a new planner, printing a new planner, creating a new planner from scratch in hopes that the planner will keep us on track. But the reality is that it's actually our time and attention to what's written to filling it out and then looking at it that makes a planner work. The format of the planner, the colors, the layout, the options are sometimes more of a distraction and a hindrance than they are a help to us getting more done. Sometimes the amount of space and options in a planner actually makes us too optimistic and over plan. Sometimes, a planner can make us more stressed out rather than less. I want to show you how to keep a simple plan that will help you be more productive and do the right things without getting overwhelmed. We are going to create a clutter free planner with a post-it note or an index card. That's all, it takes a small little something that will keep you on target with the bare minimum list that stays in front of your face. So let's talk today about clutter free planner. | |||
| 30 Oct 2021 | How to be a better homeschool mom | 00:12:43 | |
See how your homeschool is doing with the REAL homeschool quiz: https://www.simplyconvivial.com/homeschool I don’t know about you, but I always start off the year thinking that this year will be more awesome than last because this year I’m committed to really being, well, awesome. This school year will be different because I will be different. So, a decade into homeschooling and having rounded the bend of my thirties, maybe that idealism and optimism is tempered a bit, but I still feel it even if I try to suppress it. Maybe we won’t wake up whole new people on Monday morning, transformed into mothers who do the right thing every time, yet each year – depending on the year – we should try to take the next step in growing, maturing, and increasing. Rather than start the school year with strong but unrealistic goals to be 100% consistent, to never yell, or to always follow the plan, we should go into the year with concrete strategies for exactly how we will improve our teaching and leading skills this year. Be a better homeschool teacher by controlling our tone I admit that one reason I still teach classes with other students mixed in with my own is to make it easier for me to enter “teacher zone” and give my kids the benefit of more conscious, purposeful, self-controlled teaching style. Mom’s tone matters. We don’t want our children to feel alone in their troubles and challenges even while they’re sitting next to us. To accomplish that, we can take a positive step and a negative step. Maybe I’m right and maybe I’m blame-shifting, but what I need is a strategy of communication that lets me cut through the blame and move our day forward. Classical education to the rescue. There’s this thing called Socratic teaching, and it applies in helping with math as much as it applies in literary discussions. Steven Covey made it a principle, a habit, of highly effective people, and highly effective people is exactly what we’re trying to be. He wrote: Seek first to understand, then to be understood. Usually I’m seeking to be finished. That’s where the trouble arises. Be a better homeschool teacher by controlling our thoughts We might need to understand and direct our kids’ thought-trains, but we also need to be aware of our own and redirect our own as needed as well. Our thoughts are not inevitable, but our words and tone will flow inevitably from them. So if we want to control our tone and control our words, we need to also control our thoughts. | |||
| 20 Oct 2023 | How to live a simple life you enjoy | 00:15:15 | |
| 13 Sep 2022 | Avoid escapist planning! | 00:13:28 | |
Stop the cycle of 'new plan' escapes. Learn to make realistic, actionable plans rooted in current reality, not future fantasies. FREE PLANNING WORKSHOP: https://www.simplyconvivial.com/planner The time you spend planning is often time wasted. But that doesn't need to be the case. Learn how to plan to save time rather than using planning to procrastinate. | |||
| 18 Jan 2024 | Don’t waste your life scrolling | 00:15:11 | |
| 06 Jul 2024 | NEVER do this while planning your homeschool year round schedule | 00:13:45 | |
Free homeschool audit: https://simplyconvivial.com/audit When I started homeschooling year round, I tried to prepare everything in advance for a seamless year. It was unrealistic planning due to the unpredictable nature of children's learning and development. The real success in homeschooling comes from flexibility and regularly assessing and adjusting plans. Avoid burnout by regularly connecting to your why and adjusting as needed for the children in front of you. Take advantage not only of the homeschool lifestyle, but of the year-round homeschool schedule! 00:00 Introduction to Year-Round Homeschooling How to homeschool year round: https://simplyconvivial.com/2020/year-round-homeschooling/ Mystie Winckler encourages moms to organize their attitudes and get traction at home so we are no longer overwhelmed or frustrated with homemaking. We are a community of Christian women striving to be competent, cheerful homemakers so we are fruitful, faithful, and hospitable. Subscribe for regular encouragement! 📖 Get my latest book - Simplified Organization: Learn to Love What Must Be Done 🏆 Enroll in Convivial Circle and get practical homemaking mentorship so you don't have to be overwhelmed anymore: | |||
| 19 May 2022 | Build community, accountability, and motivation for moms | 00:10:09 | |
Camaraderie-style accountability can help us spur one another on to any sort of good work: homemaking, homeschooling, holiness. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works – Hebrews 10:24 Camaraderie-based accountability doesn’t have to be official, with rules and agreed-upon terms. If rules float your boat, lay some out; remember, however, that our lives demand flexibility. Hold the rules loosely, as guidelines, not as whips. If rules scare you, you don’t need them! This is really just a friendship-maker. Make a regular and routine topic of conversation what you’re up to and encourage each other to dig in and do the work with a cheerful heart. It can be very natural and informal. Really, friendship-based, informal accountability is a way to do life together. In this way we keep track of what’s going on in each other’s lives and we can pray specifically and also encourage meaningfully and practically – perhaps even by lending a hand or an ear. It doesn’t have to look or sound spiritual or deep – yet it is. It is sharing the burden, even the mental burden, in an everyday, practical way. The truth is that we care more when someone we care about cares. Care is at the heart of motivation, and care is something we can give one another. That is, when we have a friend who cares about our eating plan, our home routines, or our Bible reading habits, it helps us care more, too. That little extra nudge might be all we need to make it over the momentary emotional (i.e. motivational) blips. Who can you walk alongside with camaraderie and care, and how will you regularly keep open the lines of communication? | |||
| 29 Jul 2024 | The little things make a big difference! | 00:17:35 | |
Try Baby Step Bingo with us! https://simplyconvivial.com/babystepbingo Discover Christian Joy in Mundane Tasks! Discover how Christianity unites work and joy, redefining mundane tasks with a purpose. Learn how incorporating fun, playful strategies like 'Baby Step Bingo' can transform homemakers' productivity and help them get more done at home. This episode is ideal for moms and homemakers looking to combat procrastination and find satisfaction in their responsibilities. Mystie Winckler encourages moms to organize their attitudes and get traction at home so we are no longer overwhelmed or frustrated with homemaking. We are a community of Christian women striving to be competent, cheerful homemakers so we are fruitful, faithful, and hospitable. Subscribe for regular encouragement! 📖 Get my latest book - Simplified Organization: Learn to Love What Must Be Done 🏆 Enroll in Convivial Circle and get practical homemaking mentorship so you don't have to be overwhelmed anymore: | |||
| 17 Jul 2024 | YES! You can enjoy homemaking! | 00:09:22 | |
Try Bust out of Burnout Bingo: https://simplyconvivial.com/bingo Transform Your Homemaking with Simple, Powerful Habits Join me as I share my journey from poor housekeeping to joyful homemaking. Discover the two key habits that transformed my life: placing scripture and inspirational quotes on index cards around my home for prayer prompts, and adding 'smile' to my daily to-do list. These simple acts have reshaped my attitude, helping me infuse my home with joy and cheerfulness. Stay tuned for more tips on habit-building and combating burnout so you can find true satisfaction and faithfulness in your busy days as a stay-at-home-mom. 00:00 Introduction to Simplified Organization Mystie Winckler encourages moms to organize their attitudes and get traction at home so we are no longer overwhelmed or frustrated with homemaking. We are a community of Christian women striving to be competent, cheerful homemakers so we are fruitful, faithful, and hospitable. Subscribe for regular encouragement! 📖 Get my latest book - Simplified Organization: Learn to Love What Must Be Done 🏆 Enroll in Convivial Circle and get practical homemaking mentorship so you don't have to be overwhelmed anymore: | |||
| 27 May 2020 | How to menu plan a month at a time - or more! | 00:12:09 | |
How to menu plan 6 weeks at a time. Take stock of what’s in your freezer already. I had a ham, some pork, and beef soup bones in addition to the chicken breasts and frozen meatballs I usually have. Fill in any special days coming up: birthdays, eating out, friends over – if you already have plans on certain days, mark those. Decide on some standard day-of-the-week dinners. We do chicken on Mondays. I can do chicken a lot of ways, but every Monday morning, I know I need to go grab some chicken out of the basement freezer. Wednesdays are crockpot days at our house. Assign a certain type of meal to some of the days of the week. Fill in variations those assigned dinner types for the next six weeks. If you spread out your different options for chicken or crockpot dinners, you’ll not feel like you’re cooking and eating the same thing every week. Start filling in other dinner options. Think about how much time or energy is usually left by the end of the day on certain days of the week. What days are you more likely to feel like cooking and what days are good for pulling out the frozen meatballs? I usually alternate weeks on some meals – Tuesday one week might be a tortilla meal and then rice the next. Planning in six weeks chunks helps make rotations like that simpler to plan. Make sure you plan the vegetable and side if you need one as well as the main dish. See my post on Menu Planning: Think in Threes for more about planning a complete meal. Each and every dinner will not happen as planned for the next six weeks, but the plan is in place so that I don’t have to think about it anymore. If I need a dinner plan, there’s one on my calendar. If I feel like getting creative, I can just move the dinner to another day or simply delete that day’s plan. But having the plan in place means I don’t have to panic at 4pm that I had forgotten to think about dinner. And that’s why I did it. Plan ALL the meals! Mystie Winckler explains how she stays on top of cooking dinner every day without becoming overwhelmed. The secret? Take half an hour of your day to plan out ahead of time what this month's meals will be. After that, just create your master pantry list so that you don't get sidetracked shopping and you will have all the materials to cook delicious dinners every day. | |||
| 06 Mar 2025 | Homemaking as Calling: EVERY Task Can Glorify God | 00:08:55 | |
Take the Vocation Vision Class: vocationvision.com Vocation isn’t just about a career—it’s about God’s calling in every role we fill. From dishes to discipleship, every task done in obedience glorifies Him. Yet, modern culture often reduces vocation to a mere job title, missing the deeper truth: all our work is vocational when done for God’s glory. Drawing from Luther’s teaching on vocation, we’ll explore how the work before us—laundry, cooking, caregiving, and even cleaning toilets—is part of God’s plan, shaping us as we serve. When we embrace our vocations with gratitude, work becomes worship. 🔹 How does God qualify us for the work He gives? 🔹 Why is learning to love what must be done essential? 🔹 What does vocation look like in daily life? Join me as we reclaim a biblical view of vocation—one that brings meaning, purpose, and cheerful productivity to our everyday tasks. ➡️ Subscribe for more encouragement on homemaking, faith, and productivity! 📌 Find more at Simply Convivial: simplyconvivial.com Mystie Winckler encourages moms to organize their attitudes and get traction at home so we are no longer overwhelmed or frustrated with homemaking. We are a community of Christian women striving to be competent, cheerful homemakers so we are fruitful, faithful, and hospitable. Subscribe for regular encouragement! 📖 Get my latest book - Simplified Organization: Learn to Love What Must Be Done 🏆 Enroll in Convivial Circle and get practical homemaking mentorship so you don't have to be overwhelmed anymore: | |||
| 28 Jul 2021 | Stop Getting Distracted: Motivation for Moms | 00:08:08 | |
Stop getting distracted and find the motivation you need to get momentum, find focus, make progress. Moms need to know how to stop getting distracted, because it's too easy to lose track of what's important and what needs to be done. We don't want to waste our time. To stop wasting time, we need better time management skills. Those skills include the simple practice of writing things down. We wonder how to stay focused, but it's as simple as writing things down, as brain dumping, to know what's actually on our plate. SHOW LESS | |||
| 01 Feb 2023 | How to declutter other people's stuff | 00:20:38 | |
Join the declutter challenge for February! https://www.simplyconvivial.com/membership The best thing to declutter is other people's stuff, right?! Women are the backbone of society, so we must be free from cultural lies & personal guilt and have the freedom of good habits and self-control so we can build God-honoring families and communities. 📖 Get my latest book: How to Use a Planner Without Wasting Time ➡️ Take the free daily card challenge and practice with me! 🏆 Enroll in Simply Convivial Continuing Education and get practical life management mentorship so you don't have to be overwhelmed anymore: | |||
| 26 Aug 2020 | 6 Ways to Build Rest into Your Day | 00:32:03 | |
You don't necessarily need to add more productive hours into your day. You need to add more true rest to your day if you want to manage your time better.
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| 14 Aug 2023 | SPECIAL: Homemaker's CEO Day Clip | 00:09:18 | |
Learn to love being a homemaker! Start Simplified Organization Community Coaching: https://www.simplyconvivial.com/stop-overwhelm Housework is not drudge work to get through as quickly as possible. Take a step back, get perspective, and engage with your role and responsibilities. Sign up to be notified of future live Homemaker CEO Days: https://www.simplyconvivial.info/ceo/ Women are the backbone of society, so we must be free from cultural lies & personal guilt and have the freedom of good habits and self-control so we can build God-honoring families and communities. 📖 Get my latest book: How to Use a Planner Without Wasting Time ➡️ Take the free daily card challenge and practice with me! 🏆 Enroll in Simply Convivial Continuing Education and get practical life management mentorship so you don't have to be overwhelmed anymore: | |||
| 21 Nov 2024 | Choosing Joy: Overcoming Worry Through Prayer and Gratitude | 00:17:26 | |
Discover how to overcome worry, embrace joy, and find lasting peace through prayer, gratitude, and a heart anchored in Christ. Join us: https://convivialcircle.com Worry steals our joy, but true happiness is found in Christ. In this talk, Mystie Winckler explores how to overcome anxiety and cultivate lasting joy through faith, prayer, and gratitude. Learn why joy is a fruit of the Spirit, how to replace worry with peace, and how even life’s challenges can draw you closer to God. Whether you're preparing for the holidays or seeking daily encouragement, this session offers practical, faith-based insights to help you anchor your heart in Christ and experience the joy that surpasses all understanding. Watch now for inspiration and biblical wisdom on living a joyful life! Mystie Winckler encourages moms to organize their attitudes and get traction at home so we are no longer overwhelmed or frustrated with homemaking. We are a community of Christian women striving to be competent, cheerful homemakers so we are fruitful, faithful, and hospitable. Subscribe for regular encouragement!
🏆 Enroll in Convivial Circle and get practical homemaking mentorship so you don't have to be overwhelmed anymore: | |||
| 26 Sep 2022 | What if you only had three things to do a day? | 00:17:48 | |
The best way to stay focused and make progress around the house and in your life is to limit your daily task list to three items. Here's how to do that! ➡️ Take the free daily card challenge and practice with me!
📖 Buy my latest book: How to Use a Planner Without Wasting Time | |||
| 06 Jan 2024 | Pursue Hospitality at Home (How to Love What Must Be Done #6) | 00:09:13 | |
| 05 Aug 2021 | Functional Planner: How to make any planner work | 00:10:00 | |
Work Your Plan: https://www.simplyconvivial.com/stop-overwhelm A functional planner depends more on the user than the page templates and formats. You are the secret to your own functional planner, no matter what system you use. Three Rules to a Working Planner: It's not the pages, but the process that makes a planner effective and functional. | |||
| 12 Oct 2023 | Are you getting your routines all wrong?? | 00:17:41 | |
What even are routines and why do they rarely stick? Let’s figure that out together! | |||
| 27 Feb 2024 | self-care & sabbath - life-giving habits of a Christian homemaker | 00:14:31 | |
As a Christian homemaker, I'll share my life-giving habits, including self-care and sabbath, to help you thrive in the home without feeling guilty. Find balance and peace in your homemaking habits with these tips! Free how to build a habit guide: https://simplyconvivial.com/habit As a Christian homemaker, it's important to keep the right kind of self-care and a day of rest -- without guilt. In this video, Mystie shares life-giving habits and tips for balancing homemaking and self-care, including the importance of taking a Sabbath and finding time for rest and rejuvenation. Discover how to create a healthy and fulfilling lifestyle as a homemaker in this video. | |||
| 01 Oct 2024 | STOP Complaining about Your Kitchen! Do THIS Instead! | 00:06:38 | |
Kitchen cleaning week! Join the free challenge: https://simplyconvivial.com/october So instead of just randomly cleaning whatever catches our eye, let’s take a minute to examine our space and our needs. Then we’ll be able to make smart choices for what to clean and where to focus our limited chore time. Now, I’d love to give the litany of improvements I *wish* I could make, but we’re going to stick with what’s actually feasible and “on my paper” or “in my lane.” I need to declutter the fridge front and spend 5-10 minutes putting more order in the pantry. The key with this prompt is to not go into critical mode, but rather problem-solving mode. Mystie Winckler encourages moms to organize their attitudes and get traction at home so we are no longer overwhelmed or frustrated with homemaking. We are a community of Christian women striving to be competent, cheerful homemakers so we are fruitful, faithful, and hospitable. Subscribe for regular encouragement! 📖 Get my latest book - Simplified Organization: Learn to Love What Must Be Done 🏆 Enroll in Convivial Circle and get practical homemaking mentorship so you don't have to be overwhelmed anymore: | |||
| 12 Sep 2023 | Build a livable life you love | 00:12:05 | |
Overwhelmed? Let me help with this free workshop: AnswerOverwhelm.com With a million different things to do, it's so easy to get distracted and overwhelmed. But we all know we're not the wives, mothers, homemakers we want to be when we're overwhelmed. There is a way out. When we feel the stress mount, the distractions fly, and the responsibilities come crashing in, we can respond with calm joy instead of panicked overwhelm. Let me explain how in my free workshop How to Answer Overwhelm. Just go to AnswerOverwhelm.com to register for the free workshop and get instant access. I'll also send you a few followup emails encouraging you to replace overwhelm with cheerful diligence. We can do this. Head to AnswerOverwhelm.com today. Women are the backbone of society, so we must be free from cultural lies & personal guilt and have the freedom of good habits and self-control so we can build God-honoring families and communities. 📖 Get my latest book: How to Use a Planner Without Wasting Time ➡️ Take the free daily card challenge and practice with me! 🏆 Enroll in Simply Convivial Continuing Education and get practical life management mentorship so you don't have to be overwhelmed anymore: | |||
| 17 Jun 2023 | Fixing Mom-Brain by Closing Open Loops | 00:15:14 | |
Take the Mom's Weekly Review Masterclass: https://www.simplyconvivial.info/weekly-review-masterclass Overcome perfectionism and start with baby steps as you work on organizing and planning. A 'weekly review', which is a practice to continually iterate, allows us to grasp our plans and obligations for the upcoming week. An integral part of this process is identifying and addressing 'open loops'. Coined by David Allen, 'open loops' refer to uncertainties, obligations, or commitments in one's life that are undefined and might be causing stress or anxiety. They are the things that are on one's mind but are not being actively addressed. The first step in tackling these open loops is by ‘brain dumping’, which involves writing down all the things that are occupying your mind. This practice helps make them specific rather than vague, reducing the feeling of overwhelm. The next step is to focus on particular issues among these open loops, and take baby steps to address them. Essentially, regular brain dumping and reviewing of these lists in a weekly review can lead to better organization and reduction of stress. 📖 Get my latest book: How to Use a Planner Without Wasting Time ➡️ Take the free daily card challenge and practice with me! 🏆 Enroll in Simply Convivial Continuing Education and get practical life management mentorship so you don't have to be overwhelmed anymore: | |||
| 19 Apr 2021 | You are not your life's main character | 00:08:36 | |
Do you think your story is all about you? That might be your biggest problem in living out a good story. Get hope and help telling a truer, better story: https://www.simplyconvivial.com/story for a free module from my course Organize Your Attitude all about Living in Story. | |||
| 27 Jul 2024 | From Procrastination to Progress: How Baby Step Bingo Can Help | 00:18:53 | |
Join us for Baby Step Bingo in August: https://simplyconvivial.com/babystepbingo/ Mastering Productivity: Overcoming Procrastination with Baby Steps In this episode, explore how to apply lessons from 'Baby Step Bingo' to enhance productivity and defeat procrastination, especially for moms and homemakers. Learn about the impact of breaking tasks into manageable baby steps. Discover the power of small actions to transform your household tasks and daily routines, making significant progress with minimal effort. Join the discussion on how baby steps can change attitudes and drive momentum, with practical examples and motivational insights. 00:00 Introduction to Baby Step Bingo Mystie Winckler encourages moms to organize their attitudes and get traction at home so we are no longer overwhelmed or frustrated with homemaking. We are a community of Christian women striving to be competent, cheerful homemakers so we are fruitful, faithful, and hospitable. Subscribe for regular encouragement! 📖 Get my latest book - Simplified Organization: Learn to Love What Must Be Done 🏆 Enroll in Convivial Circle and get practical homemaking mentorship so you don't have to be overwhelmed anymore: | |||
| 28 Dec 2023 | Postpartum moms - time management tips just for you | 00:12:12 | |
| 06 Apr 2021 | Are you an unreliable narrator? | 00:09:23 | |
We're all constantly narrating a story about what's going on around us. Inside our head, the ticker tape comments never stop. Is the story you're seeing and telling yourself accurate? Have you ever stopped to think about the perspective your own narrator has? Reality doesn't change based on what you think or say, but what you think or say can give you a skewed vision of reality. We should make sure the interpretations we tell ourself, the stories we spin inside our own head, line up with reality before we believe them or persist in them. Telling yourself a true story is the basic step in organizing your attitude. | |||
| 08 Dec 2022 | When your kids are bored on school break | 00:19:45 | |
Teaching our children how to manage their time and their expectations is an important part of our role as parents, and the feeling of boredom can be a good opportunity. But it can get tiresome. It can also be frustrating, because when they had school work they complained that they had no time, but then when they have time, they complain that they’re bored. 📖 Get my latest book: How to Use a Planner Without Wasting Time ➡️ Take the free daily card challenge and practice with me! 🏆 Enroll in Simply Convivial Continuing Education and get practical life management mentorship so you don't have to be overwhelmed anymore: | |||
| 27 Apr 2021 | Life is full of growing pains | 00:07:45 | |
Instead of focusing on the hurting or the tiredness, focus on the growing. When your heart and mind fight to be cranky, and you struggle to win the fight and stay cheerful, and you win it, you have a real success to be cheerful about, even if you feel worn out by it. Remember, prayer is the most effective weapon in the fight against a bad attitude. | |||
| 06 Jan 2023 | The mind-blowing secret for sticking with your goals | 00:09:09 | |
Have a goal to keep a cleaner house? Set up a cleaning routine that fits your life, not someone else's. Get the free guide here: https://www.simplyconvivial.com/cleanhouse It is not unusual to make progress for 2-3 weeks in January on those big goals and then peter out. By the end of February, it might have been weeks since you thought about those goals. No worries – after all, there’s still most of the year ahead, right? You can pick those goals back up when X is over. That kind of thinking is what got you to this place where you haven’t thought about your goals at all for 2-3 weeks. How are we going to stay consistent with our goals with an on-again, off-again pattern? That’s not consistency and it’s not motivating. To stay consistent with goals we don’t need more motivation and we don’t need more grit. Instead, sticking with your goals comes from attention and awareness. Women are the backbone of society, so we must be free from cultural lies & personal guilt and have the freedom of good habits and self-control so we can build God-honoring families and communities. 📖 Get my latest book: How to Use a Planner Without Wasting Time ➡️ Take the free daily card challenge and practice with me! 🏆 Enroll in Simply Convivial Continuing Education and get practical life management mentorship so you don't have to be overwhelmed anymore: | |||
| 30 Mar 2022 | Get Organized #3: A planner that isn't clunky, that works - even when messy | 00:35:11 | |
Daily Card Workshop: https://youtu.be/XQ81AJz5_ZM Free Brain Dump Guide: https://www.simplyconvivial.com/braindump Youtube version: We have so many tasks, thoughts, ideas, and appointments we need to keep track of, but sometimes the more we try to get the perfect system in place, the harder it seems to be to stay on top of things. Let's do a working but messy planner and actually accomplish the most important things without getting distracted and overwhelmed. | |||
| 01 Jan 2022 | Homemaking is an occupation | 00:15:55 | |
Get started: https://www.simplyconvivial.com/stop-overwhelm Most of us began our lives as wives and mothers not only without any training or instruction in running a home, but also without any real examples in our own history and life to follow. We want to identify as a homemaker, but still feel uncomfortable doing so. We so desperately want to do a good job, and we jump in with both feet and suddenly find we’re drowning. Modern society conditioned us to think that the job of a homemaker and mom was mundane, simple, outsource-able, unfulfilling work. “So,” we unwittingly think, “I should totally be able to manage this and do a good job.” Then, to our surprise, we find that it’s a lot of work and that we’re wholly unprepared for all it demands of us. We’ve had no training in how to be homemakers. Our society is set up to believe that education is meant to prepare you for your work. We go into debt, spend 4 or more years of life, and plan to come out of that ready for a fulfilling career. On the one hand, then, we buy the argument that homemaking is fulfilling and meaningful work, yet on the other hand, we don’t think it takes any real training or education to do it. In what other meaningful work is that the case? Past societies didn’t have the university system. Instead, they relied on apprenticeships and relational training. Children learned how to survive and work from their parents. Tradesmen learned their craft from an experienced master. Knowledge and skill were past on through relationship over time. But mom is home alone with her small children, no one there helping her see what the next thing she ought to do really is. Who will help sort out the details and make it all fit into a manageable whole? We can blame our mothers, but even our mothers, at this point, didn’t have mothers who taught them either. I designed Simplified Organization Community Coaching to be the mentorship most of us never had, the encouraging cheerleading squad many of us can't find, with the gospel-centered base all of us need. Starting now and continuing together all year long, we are going to take baby step after baby step and finally find our feet as homemakers. With Simplified Organization Community Coaching, you'll get the personal development and mentorship you've been seeking, but that Google and Facebook just can never give you. | |||
| 16 Sep 2020 | Ordo amoris in a terrible no-good homeschool day | 00:12:51 | |
Maybe you start off homeschooling with grand visions and high hopes. Maybe you change your approach and your style and think that will fix the bad days and the bad attitudes. It turns out that even in spite of best laid plans, principles, and practices, we’re teaching real children. They don’t always like what they should. They don’t always want the true, good, and beautiful. Sometimes (oftentimes) they even complain. What’s a homeschool mom to do? Maybe you spot it in the sloppy work, or the sighs and slouching. Often the children are not reluctant to voice their opposition: They don’t like the book. They hate fractions. They don’t want to write an a that way. And then you come upon those “inspiring” quotes at the end of a bad day: The question is not, – how much does the youth know? when he has finished his education – but how much does he care? and about how many orders of things does he care? – Charlotte MasonAnd you know you’re in trouble, because your child is certain he doesn’t care, not one bit. In fact, maybe just that morning he muttered or even exclaimed, “I hate nature walks!” True story. It happens. Have I failed? Is it time to give up? No, not yet. I haven’t failed. I just know what my task is now. As both the mother and the teacher, it is our job to make our kids care. Our job isn’t to help them pass tests or memorize facts or check boxes. Our job is to make them care. C.S. Lewis, Augustine, and Aristotle tell us it is so: St. Augustine defines virtue as ordo amoris, the ordinate condition of the affections in which every object is accorded that kind and degree of love which is appropriate to it. Aristotle says that the aim of education is to make the pupil like and dislike what he ought.It’s our aim. It’s our job, not a byproduct we hope for, but what we’re trying to do. And it’s oh so much harder than checking boxes, isn’t it? | |||
| 30 Jan 2022 | How much time should homeschooling take? | 00:13:08 | |
| 24 Jun 2020 | How to stay sane as a stay-at-home mom | 00:18:27 | |
God is a maker, and we are little sub-makers. Being creative is human. Having a creative outlet helps us feel connected and whole. Knitting, baking, sewing, sketching, painting, gardening, writing, decorating: finding a way to make beauty is actually a very important outlet that we need. The book Hidden Art of Homemaking by Edith Schaeffer develops this very well, giving plenty of ideas and examples. I also have a short interview with Jennifer Fulwiler of Conversion Diary about how and why to make time for creativity.
“Prayer is the most important part of the thankfulness God requires of us,” teaches the Heidelberg Catechism. We need to stay in step with God through prayer, as He requires: “Pray without ceasing.” We make this optional and skip it to our own detriment. God’s peace surrounds us when we pray with thanksgiving, the Bible teaches. If we don’t have peace and we don’t pray about it, we shouldn’t be surprised by it.
Three minutes of solitude really isn’t too much to ask. Little fingers might still peak underneath the door and wails might still be audible, but a few minutes “cloistered” away is not unreasonable. In fact, it’s a good way to teach the children that moms are people, too, who require at least some dignity and respect.
Speaking of dignity and respect, I find it helps when I dress it. I have nothing against cute yoga pants, but there’s a world of difference between cute yoga pants and ratty old sweats. When I regularly dress sloppily, it doesn’t take long before I feel as crummy inside as I look outside. Taking a few minutes in the morning to do my hair, apply mascara, and put on clothes I wouldn’t be embarrassed to go out in not only lifts my own mood, but also teaches through my actions and appearance that home and motherhood are worth respecting and honoring. My current summer favorite is a knee-length skirt with a yoga-pant waistband I found at Costco. It looks dressy and nice, but is cool and comfortable. With a blouse it’s fancy, and with a tee or tank it’s casual and breezy.
I know, I know. It’s really hard. I don’t deny it. But, I don’t think you can deny that starting off the day with a little quiet and space makes for a better start and a smoother day than one where we hit the ground running. I’ve learned that if I don’t get up before the kids, exercise and prayer time simply won’t happen, so I have to prioritize getting up in the morning if I want to prioritize my own health and sanity.
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| 13 Mar 2025 | Feeling Overwhelmed? Use Vocations to Simplify Your Life | 00:11:08 | |
Masterclass: www.vocationvision.com -- Struggling to define your roles and stay on top of life’s responsibilities? Vocations aren’t just about jobs—they’re about understanding God’s calling in every role you fill. In this episode, I walk through a step-by-step process for defining your vocations, using them in your planning, and keeping them at the forefront of your decision-making. When you clarify your vocations, planning becomes easier, your priorities become clearer, and your time is spent more intentionally. 💡 What you'll learn: Let’s stop overcomplicating our responsibilities and start living intentionally within God’s calling. 📌 Find more at Simply Convivial: simplyconvivial.com Mystie Winckler encourages moms to organize their attitudes and get traction at home so we are no longer overwhelmed or frustrated with homemaking. We are a community of Christian women striving to be competent, cheerful homemakers so we are fruitful, faithful, and hospitable. Subscribe for regular encouragement! 📖 Get my latest book - Simplified Organization: Learn to Love What Must Be Done 🏆 Enroll in Convivial Circle and get practical homemaking mentorship so you don't have to be overwhelmed anymore: | |||
| 15 Sep 2021 | Hey, slob. You might be a perfectionist. | 00:08:11 | |
Are you a perfectionist? Is the reason for your chaos actually perfectionism? Show notes: https://www.simplyconvivial.com/blog/slob-perfectionist/ Those who want all or nothing generally get nothing. I used to think I was not a perfectionist, because nothing I did was perfect. I was a slob, so how could I be a perfectionist? If all-or-nothing perfectionism is our tendency, then we shouldn’t be surprised when we can’t get up off the couch. Why start when we know we won’t accomplish what we’d like? Such perfectionism is debilitating, and it’s that debilitation that causes us to end up in chaos and discouragement that we can’t pull up out of. So how do we, then, pull up out of it? How can we pull up out of ourselves? Recover from perfectionism by practicing baby steps. Baby steps are not glamorous, they don’t seem significant, but they lead to real, noticeable, tangible progress when we are content to stick with them. When we feel resistance to doing what needs to be done, instead of either trying to grit our teeth and power through, we can make it simpler to start by reducing what we’re expecting from ourselves. Perfectionism is false expectation. We envision the end we want, and if we know it won’t happen, we don’t begin. The best way out is to change what we envision, to take a humbler view of ourselves and our efforts, and submit to imperfect yet faithful next steps. | |||
| 15 Aug 2024 | Advanced Time Budget Techniques for Busy Moms | 00:43:12 | |
https://simplyconvivial.com/timebudget/ As we head into a new school year, we have to evaluate how we're using time. Time budget, time blocking, time management - these are skills we as busy moms can improve in so we can steward our days well. Mystie Winckler encourages moms to organize their attitudes and get traction at home so we are no longer overwhelmed or frustrated with homemaking. We are a community of Christian women striving to be competent, cheerful homemakers so we are fruitful, faithful, and hospitable. Subscribe for regular encouragement! 📖 Get my latest book - Simplified Organization: Learn to Love What Must Be Done 🏆 Enroll in Convivial Circle and get practical homemaking mentorship so you don't have to be overwhelmed anymore: | |||
| 02 Jan 2025 | What is a HOUSEWIFE, really? | 00:15:58 | |
Is “housewife” a word worth reclaiming? Become a better housewife: https://convivialcircle.com In this thought-provoking discussion, we explore the history of homemaking, the role of marriage as a shared mission, and the value of the productive Christian household. From the industrial revolution to today, the meaning of homemaking has shifted—but its God-given purpose remains clear. Discover how embracing your role as a housewife or homemaker can bring joy, purpose, and gospel witness into your home. With practical advice and encouragement rooted in Scripture, this video challenges modern assumptions and offers a fresh perspective on what it means to manage your home for God’s glory. 📖 Learn how to: 💡 What’s your take? Share your thoughts on the term "housewife" in the comments below! Let’s reclaim the joy and dignity of this God-given role together. 📖 Get my latest book - Simplified Organization: Learn to Love What Must Be Done 🏆 Enroll in Convivial Circle and get practical homemaking mentorship so you don't have to be overwhelmed anymore: | |||
| 21 Mar 2024 | THREE kinds of homeschool checklists you need to be organized | 00:14:45 | |
Get my homeschool checklist templates: https://simplyconvivial.com/homeschool-checklist/ As a homeschool mom, it's important to stay organized and on top of things. In this video, I'll share the THREE kinds of checklists that have helped me stay organized and efficient in our homeschooling journey. From lesson plans to weekly accountability with our students, these checklists are a game-changer for any homeschool mom. Watch now for homeschooling tips from Mystie Winckler! Simplify doesn’t mean doing as little as possible. We don’t want to be like the worst version of our students, getting away with as little as possible. But we also don’t want to be idealist dreamers, planning for so much more than is actually possible. Have a purpose for everything you assign. Avoid busy work. Will having done this work make a difference in the child’s education? Will both of you be happy in ten years that you did it. You will be when it comes to reading good books, having meaningful discussions, learning important skills.Mystie Winckler encourages moms to organize their attitudes and get traction at home so we are no longer overwhelmed or frustrated with homemaking. We are a community of Christian women striving to be competent, cheerful homemakers so we are fruitful, faithful, and hospitable. Subscribe for regular encouragement! 📖 Get my latest book - Simplified Organization: Learn to Love What Must Be Done ➡️ Take the free daily card challenge and get more done at home! 🏆 Enroll in Convivial Circle and get practical homemaking mentorship so you don't have to be overwhelmed anymore: | |||
| 10 Oct 2024 | 3 Tasks to Quickly Clean Your Living Room Every Week | 00:10:29 | |
Joy Reset Workshop - https://shop.simplyconvivial.com/joy-reset Now, certainly there are more steps you might take. We haven’t vacuumed, washed windows, or done anything too drastic. However, we have dealt with the common irritants that most often inhibit the living room from doing its job. That’s always where we should begin. Then, if that’s as far as we get, it’s ok because the space is functional and the living, not the arrangement or appearance, is the point. Mystie Winckler encourages moms to organize their attitudes and get traction at home so we are no longer overwhelmed or frustrated with homemaking. We are a community of Christian women striving to be competent, cheerful homemakers so we are fruitful, faithful, and hospitable. Subscribe for regular encouragement! 📖 Get my latest book - Simplified Organization: Learn to Love What Must Be Done 🏆 Enroll in Convivial Circle and get practical homemaking mentorship so you don't have to be overwhelmed anymore: | |||
| 19 Mar 2022 | Dear homeschool mom who wants to give her 5yo a classical education | 00:16:16 | |
Education as a program, even classically, did not traditionally begin until the child was reasoning. Talk to a 9 or 10 year old child for a time and observe the difference between his thinking process and conversational ability and your 5 or 6 year old. When the oldest is 5 or 6, and he’s followed by younger siblings, he seems so smart, so capable. He is. But he is also still quite young. Whatever you do, don’t try to start Latin with your 5 or 6 year old. Rather, read fairy tales, Aesop’s fables, and begin working your way through the 1000 Good Books list. Don’t construct science experiments. Have him spend hours outside each day, and go to different sorts of outdoor environments to play. In Teaching Science So Students Learn Science, classical school teacher John Mays says that outdoor experience is the best foundation for later science learning, and it comes at a premium in this tech-driven age. Start Morning Time, but not full-blown mimics of those who have older kids and have been doing it for years. Start with 15-20 minutes, including the reading of poetry and nursery rhymes. Pick a hymn and a Psalm to learn, add a new one every couple of months, and in ten years the amount you’ve filled your heart and mind with will astonish you. But it starts with one, not with a full binder. Do not despise the days of small beginnings. | |||
| 13 May 2020 | How to enjoy cooking more - 3 dinner time tips | 00:15:12 | |
It's easy to slip into feeling like dinner is a drag, like it's an interruption, like it's something we just really rather not do. But since we do need to serve dinner everyday, why not learn how to enjoy cooking more? It truly is possible! Of course, there are times where it just doesn't happen or it doesn't work out or we don't have the time, and so we have plan B meals. We have takeout—there’s pizza (whatever) sometimes that happens. But as a general rule if we are walking into the kitchen and feeling downcast and downtrodden because we have to fix another meal it’s really not the kitchen work that has to change or a new plan we have to make unless that plan is about our attitude. Today I have three tips to help us learn how to enjoy cooking more:
We need a plan to fix our attitude, not a plan for fixing dinner. We've got to fix dinner. We have to fix our attitude first and even while we fix dinner. And when we can repent of our bad attitudes about our responsibility to feed our people we will find not just that we dread making dinner less, or we are resent the obligation on our day, or the mess in our kitchen that dinner makes, instead of looking at all those things as impositions on us, we can take it in stride as a part of our responsibility and duty and not just do it out of drudgery, but actually enjoy it. | |||
| 14 Sep 2022 | How to get out of a mental loop & really think things through | 00:13:34 | |
Free brain dump course: https://www.simplyconvivial.com/clarity | |||
| 10 Sep 2020 | Obedience will make you happier | 00:14:12 | |
IF you are obeying the One Whom you ought to obey, you will be happier, because you'll be doing what you were created to do.
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| 09 Nov 2023 | Start a beginner's weekly review | 00:13:44 | |
| 02 Dec 2020 | Be ready for 2021! Planning Step #1 - Review 2020 | 00:09:29 | |
What have you done with 2020? Is it relegated to being the punchline of every joke? If it is, then you need to review what actually happened, what you got done. Everything has a purpose, and 2020 was the harsh wake up call we all needed. Too often we focus on the negative: everything cancelled, political turmoil, etc. etc. It's easy to see that. But that's not what we need to look for. We need to look for the good, the things we got right, the things we need to fix. It's time to review, because 2020 will end and we need to be ready for 2021. So get ready for 2021 and repent, rejoice, repeat. | |||
| 22 Apr 2024 | Your weekly planner on an index card! Simple. Easy. Cheap. | 00:14:50 | |
Plan your day on an index card: https://simplyconvivial.com/dailycard Are you a sidetracked home executive? Looking for a simple, easy, and cheap way to stay organized? Watch this video to learn how to create your own weekly planner on an index card! You can get more done by focusing on less - as long as the less you’re focusing on is what matters. When you get the big rocks in your day first, the smaller pebbles fit better and snugger. A daily card is simple, cheap, and effective. Check out my free guide that will jumpstart your daily card practice. The link is in the description or you can go to https://simplyconvivial.com/dailycard to get your free 1 page printable guide so you can get started with a daily card yourself. Mystie Winckler encourages moms to organize their attitudes and get traction at home so we are no longer overwhelmed or frustrated with homemaking. We are a community of Christian women striving to be competent, cheerful homemakers so we are fruitful, faithful, and hospitable. Subscribe for regular encouragement! 📖 Get my latest book - Simplified Organization: Learn to Love What Must Be Done https://simplifiedorganization.com ➡️ Take the free daily card challenge and get more done by focusing on less: https://https://simplyconvivial.com/dailycard 🏆 Enroll in Convivial Circle and learn to love what must be done so you stop feeling overwhelmed: | |||
| 18 May 2021 | When you pick the wrong top 3 for your to-do list... | 00:07:09 | |
Free 5-Day Daily Card Challenge: https://www.simplyconvivial.info/daily-card/ So you've been using the daily card writing down your top three or what you think are your top three, but then other stuff comes up. Was your plan a waste of time? What do you do when your top three is not what you do in the day? So, so often when we get those top three items chosen and we write them down on our daily card, something else comes up and we don't do those things. Not because we were lazy or self-indulgent or apathetic, but just because other stuff came up, other priorities took precedence. That does not mean that the daily card doesn't work. It doesn't mean that it's not the right option for you. It just means that we're learning what life is like. And we are living the life that we are given, not the life that we are making or trying to claim for ourselves. And that's a better option to live within the Providence of God and recognize that he sends his plan, which is often different from ours. And so, even though we are making a plan to attempt to identify our top priorities, sometimes we're wrong. Sometimes we don't have enough information. And so a big way that the daily card can help us is when we use it to, to actually identify and remind ourselves, tell ourselves of where our plans need to be, where our attention needs to be. And that's sometimes the things that we would not normally count, but it really is our primary responsibility for that day. Sometimes it's just errands, just doctor's appointments, just chauffeuring, children around cheerfully, and maybe using that time in the car to have conversations with them. Sometimes it's just feeding and clothing people, and a read aloud or audio book would be a good bonus. We can use our daily card not to create the life that we think we ought to have or write down what we think we ought to get done, but really out of everything, out of all the options, what's the best way we can spend our time today and identify those and write them down. And at the end of the day, if what we wrote down does not get done, we can ask ourselves really truly is it because I picked the wrong things, what were the right things? And maybe write those down instead, like cross out what you wrote and write down the priorities that actually happened that day. And over time, we can learn about ourselves, about our life and about how to make an appropriate plan for the current season in life that we're at in the current responsibilities that we have. | |||
| 29 Aug 2024 | 3 Effective Tips for Homeschool Accountability | 00:14:15 | |
Art of Homeschooling course: https://simplyconvivial.com/art-of-homeschooling Mystie Winckler, a seasoned homeschool mom and author, addresses how to keep kids accountable during homeschool days. She offers three practical tips to create accountability, reduce nagging, and ensure students know their responsibilities. The strategies include using checklists, designating a place for work submission, and enforcing daily deadlines with consequences. Mystie emphasizes clear communication and consistent enforcement to teach responsibility. She also highlights the importance of parents holding themselves accountable. Join her course 'The Art of Homeschooling' for further guidance. 00:00 Introduction to Homeschool Accountability
📖 Get my latest book - Simplified Organization: Learn to Love What Must Be Done 🏆 Enroll in Convivial Circle and get practical homemaking mentorship so you don't have to be overwhelmed anymore: | |||
| 04 Apr 2024 | How I simplify our homeschool with checklists | 00:14:36 | |
Mystie Winckler encourages moms to organize their attitudes and get traction at home so we are no longer overwhelmed or frustrated with homemaking. We are a community of Christian women striving to be competent, cheerful homemakers so we are fruitful, faithful, and hospitable. Subscribe for regular encouragement! 📖 Get my latest book - Simplified Organization: Learn to Love What Must Be Done ➡️ Take the free daily card challenge and get more done at home! 🏆 Enroll in Convivial Circle and get practical homemaking mentorship so you don't have to be overwhelmed anymore: | |||
| 11 Oct 2024 | Replace your living room complaints with real gratitude - 3 quick steps! | 00:06:46 | |
Start today: https://simplyconvivial.com/october Identify a common complaint you have about your entry and living room. Replace that complaint with a written, related statement of gratitude. Spend a full minute, with a timer, thanking God for the things you love about your entry and living room. Which horizontal space is your biggest hot spot for clutter? Spend 5 minutes decluttering and tidying that spot at least 3 times a week. Spend only 5 minutes, whether or not you’re “done.” Mystie Winckler encourages moms to organize their attitudes and get traction at home so we are no longer overwhelmed or frustrated with homemaking. We are a community of Christian women striving to be competent, cheerful homemakers so we are fruitful, faithful, and hospitable. Subscribe for regular encouragement! 📖 Get my latest book - Simplified Organization: Learn to Love What Must Be Done 🏆 Enroll in Convivial Circle and get practical homemaking mentorship so you don't have to be overwhelmed anymore: | |||
| 01 Jan 2024 | Tell Yourself True Stories (How to Love What Must Be Done #1) | 00:10:18 | |
| 21 Jul 2021 | Unclutter your mind so you can think creatively | 00:10:12 | |
Download the free guide: https://www.simplyconvivial.com/braindump We all know the feeling. You can't focus, you can't think straight. You can't get a handle on life. The truth is that your mind is for having ideas, not holding them. Clear the clutter to free up your creative energy. Three steps: 1. thoughts that make you anxious, When your mind is uncluttered, you come up with out of the box solutions you'd never have been able to think about when your mind was full of junk. | |||
| 12 Jan 2022 | Time budgets for moms | 00:10:39 | |
Time Budget Resources: https://www.simplyconvivial.com/time Just like Dave Ramsey has you use cash envelopes for your spending budgets, we can reserve envelopes of time for our various responsibilities across the week. Rather than scheduling 20 minutes for folding laundry, 10 minutes for sweeping, and so forth for every task we have on our list, we can look at our days and weeks as a whole and reserve chunks of time for types of tasks. Then when that chunk of time begins, we can assess the current state of things and decide what comes first and what’s next. A week is never going to play out the way we budget our time, but it’s still a valuable exercise because as we mark out the time commitments we have, we start to see where we have margin, where we need to create margin, and perhaps why things like grocery shopping or phone calls are so stressful – there’s no place for them in the flow of our week! As we start filling in the overview of our weeks with our commitments and responsibilities, we also need to keep an eye on whether or not we have healthy amounts of rest built into our weeks. We can’t function in go-go-go mode all day, every day. | |||
| 01 Feb 2023 | How to get better at keeping house | 00:11:33 | |
Conquer home chaos, to-do list overwhelm, and personal discouragement so you can joyfully serve God in all your callings. 📖 Get my latest book: How to Use a Planner Without Wasting Time ➡️ Take the free daily card challenge and practice with me! 🏆 Enroll in Simply Convivial Continuing Education and get practical life management mentorship so you don't have to be overwhelmed anymore: | |||
| 06 May 2020 | How to keep a well-stocked pantry. | 00:20:58 | |
I had a dream. And in this dream my pantry always had everything I needed. I never ran out of ingredients to make dinner. I would go to the pantry, pull out what I needed to make dinner that day and it’d be there—no surprises. I had achieved well-stocked pantry perfection. But it turns out that making this dream a reality was much harder than I thought it would be. Still, it’s worth the effort to keep a well-stocked pantry. So, let’s talk about how to do just that. So, you go to make spaghetti and there’s no tomato sauce. You go to make soup and there’s no chicken broth. You think you’ll make tuna noodle casserole and then there’s no tuna or no noodles, or neither. This is frustrating. And it illustrates one of the troubles of menu planning. Menu planning isn’t just coming up with ideas of what’s for dinner. It’s managing this whole magic of having the idea of what’s for dinner, having the ingredients for that dinner on hand, starting dinner at the right time, on the right day, and of course, keeping it all frugal and within budget. There’s a lot that goes into keeping a menu plan. It takes practice. And with practice comes skill. But we need to practice—not just making a list and following that list, the menu planning proper—we also have to manage that pantry ingredient, grocery shopping side of things that makes the meal planning possible. It’s really this whole separate piece that if we aren’t aware of it, managing it, keeping track of it, then that menu plan that we’ve worked on doesn’t work. And we’re thrown back to plan B, or takeout, or frozen fish sticks (if those are in the freezer). So, what does it take to keep a well-stocked pantry? What is in a well-stocked pantry? What should be in your pantry? What should be in my pantry? How do we know that? And then, how do we keep our pantry well-stocked while feeding people three times a day? There are four important steps to keeping and using a well-stocked pantry.
I know when I was newly married and stocking our pantry for the first time I felt at a loss. There’s so much food at the grocery store. There are so many options. How do I even know what to buy? Sometimes we solve that conundrum by making a menu plan first and then buying the food that we need for those meals that we’ve planned for and that works. But it actually takes a lot longer to make that menu plan, to grocery shop for that menu plan, to follow the recipes, and to just make it all work. We can cut down on the time and energy that it takes to make our meals if we become pantry cooks. If we keep a regular stock on hand and then base our meals off of those things that we just always keep on hand. It’s actually in limiting our choices that things take less effort, energy, attention, time. Not only that, but when we function within limits, our creativity is called into play. It’s needed. And so choosing dinners based out of a pantry system is not only more efficient, it’s also more creative. But the question still comes down to what is in the pantry? And it’s certainly something that takes experience to build up, experimentation to figure out, and iteration and flexibility in continuing it. One of the things that I tried to do the first time I was stocking a pantry was look up that Martha Stewart list of what belongs in your pantry. I didn’t know what should be in our pantry but I figured someone else knows what I should buy, and so I took Martha Stewart’s list and stocked our pantry with the things she said that we should have. And you know what? A lot of that I didn’t really use. I had to be creative and use what I purchased, but I quickly realized that a lot of what Martha Stewart considered pantry basics I did not and I was not going to use and I was not going to restock. We all need to go through that process of figuring out what belongs in our own well-stocked pantry. There is no single definition, single master pantry list that we can all use as a standard, and as long as we follow this list then we have a well-stocked pantry. No, a well-stocked pantry simply means that our pantry has on hand multiples of the items that we consistently use in our cooking. There’s going to be a lot of overlap from what’s in your pantry and what’s in my pantry, but the identical lists, the master lists made by some expert, or my list used by you, or your listed used by me, is not going to work. We each need to go through that process of figuring out what we actually use regularly and keeping those things on hand A well-stocked pantry is not a full pantry. A well-stocked pantry is a pantry that has plenty of what you actually use. If your pantry is full of items that you don’t use, that you aren’t sure why you bought, that you aren’t sure what they’re going to go into, maybe you bought multiple something because it was on sale, or because this one recipe that you made for a special occasion called for it, so you bought several, now you don’t know what else to do with it. A pantry full of items that we aren’t sure about, that we aren’t used to using, that we are likely not going to use, is not a well-stocked pantry, even if it’s stocked. It’s not well-stocked. So we can brainstorm the typical, usual dinners that our family likes to eat, the lunches, the breakfasts, the snacks—all the food. What are the usual things that we make? And a lot of times there’s overlap and common ingredients. We need flour. We need eggs. There’s going to be a lot of similarities in the basics of anyone’s master list, but they’re going to vary for sure. Not only that but the amount of those basics that you need is something you have to figure out for your family, that I have to figure out for my family, and that can definitely change as our families grow in number and grow in size and change in eating habits. Those master amounts that we figure out, that work for us, overtime end up not working. A well-stocked pantry master list is not a once-and-done project. And this is another thing that threw me off for sure. I did this early on, made the master list—these are the items that I’m going to keep on hand in my pantry. I never want to run out of these. I want to always have them on hand and all of the dinners that I make are going to rely on these ingredients only, so that I know I can go to my dinner rotation list and pick any one of them and I’ll have the ingredients on hand because these are just the things that I buy. | |||
| 24 Oct 2024 | Clean Your Bathroom in 10 Minutes FLAT! | 00:07:39 | |
Joy Reset Masterclass: https://shop.simplyconvivial.com/joy-reset Don't make these bathroom cleaning mistakes! Watch this video for tips on how to clean your bathroom effectively and efficiently as part of your weekly routine. Mystie Winckler encourages moms to organize their attitudes and get traction at home so we are no longer overwhelmed or frustrated with homemaking. We are a community of Christian women striving to be competent, cheerful homemakers so we are fruitful, faithful, and hospitable. Subscribe for regular encouragement! 📖 Get my latest book - Simplified Organization: Learn to Love What Must Be Done 🏆 Enroll in Convivial Circle and get practical homemaking mentorship so you don't have to be overwhelmed anymore: | |||
| 30 Dec 2020 | Planning for 2021 & the unknown, Step 5: Ready | 00:10:32 | |
Not only is ready the fifth step of preparing for 2021, it is also an acronym that the members of Simplified Organization Community Coaching will be doing as a deep dive. In this video, Mystie briefly discusses the first, familiar element of the acronym as well as the final, surprising component. | |||
| 02 Apr 2020 | Make a simple, daily to-do list | 00:08:43 | |
Have you ever been frustrated trying to use a planner? Have you ever worried that you spend more time writing in your planner and decorating your planner than actually doing what that pretty plan tells you to do? Let me share my quick planner hack that streamlines the process and keeps me focused on the most important things to do each day. Let’s dig in. I know, planners are pretty. They’re fun. But a lot of the ones that we can buy pre-printed, packaged, ready to go are actually over kill. They contain sections and questions and areas that maybe (maybe!) work for the person who designed it and implemented it, and maybe they work for some people, but just because a tactic or a format works for one person does not mean that it’s the thing that will work for anyone and everyone. Try to figure out what you need to make a consistent daily plan that actually works. We have to think about what the point of it all really is. Why have a planner in the first place? Why write things down? And you’ve probably thought about that already, maybe in the spirit of ‘Do I have to?’ or ‘What’s the point because I seem to just be wasting my time?’ And the reality is that a lot of planning is wasting time, but that’s because of the kind of plan that we make and not that all planning is always a waste of time. When we make plans that are based on wishful thinking that’s a waste of time. We need to plan for right now, our current reality, our current responsibilities, and then our plan will be effective. I think that a good question we can ask is, what’s the least amount of effort that I have to do to create an effective plan, a plan that I will use and follow through on? And my answer to that question is all you need is a post-it note! Using a post-it note to make our daily plans helps us remember that not only our time, but even our energy and our attention, our abilities, are limited. We can’t do everything that we might be keeping on some other to do list. We have to pick the things that are most important. And then we write down the things that are most important on a small piece of paper that we can keep in front of our face. Then we are more likely to follow through on tasks because they’re not vague, nebulous “I coulda, shoulda, some day do this thing.” We have specified and written down and thought about what it is we actually have to do. So, on your post-it note every day, at the beginning of the day or maybe at the end of the day (the day before) write down your top three things. That’s a hard thing to do. It’s a skill that we have to practice. And we will get better and better the more we practice it at choosing what those top three things really are. Our minds are for thinking and we need to give ourselves the time and the prompts to actually think about what’s most important just today. And the daily card (or post-it note) is an exercise that helps us do just that. Because we are limited—we’re limited in time, we’re limited in resources, we’re limited in energy—our to do list also needs to be limited. And the tiny size of a post-it note is a visible reminder of that. Writing what needs to happen out by hand every day helps us focus on our priorities. It allows us to adjust the plan as needed as life unfolds. And it puts our responsibilities right in front of our face. The great thing about a post-it note is that it’s sticky. I can put this on the top of the computer monitor. I can put this on the front cover of my planner so that it’s right there. I can put it on the back of my phone and have it right with me in my pocket. A post-it note is super flexible and can help us keep our priorities visible. And that’s really key because a planner (no matter what kind of planner) will not work unless you look at it! Over at Simply Convivial I’ve put together a Daily Card Quick Start Guide that will help you get going with this small, simple habit. It will teach you how to make and use this card (or post-it note) every day and give you a checklist so that you can hold yourself accountable to actually trying this out for yourself. And, where you can always write down your observations about what you learn about this method (and also yourself) so that you can figure out a plan that works for you. Visit SimplyConvivial.com to find that today. At Simply Convivial we do not believe in one-size-fits-all solutions, plans, or checklists. I’m all about teaching you the principles and the skills that you need to figure out what’s going to work for you in your particular situation with your particular needs. If that’s what you need then make sure to subscribe and check out some of my other videos. But always remember, that your attitude is the most important part of your organization project. So, repent, rejoice, repeat. | |||
| 20 Feb 2024 | Homemaking habits not working? 3 mistakes you might be making | 00:12:30 | |
| 11 Jul 2024 | How to organize your life and be happy | 00:09:33 | |
Free! Beat Burnout Bingo: simplyconvivial.com/bingo Transform Your Home and Life: A Guide to Organization and Happiness for Moms Feeling overwhelmed with housework and life? Join Mystie Winckler, author of 'Simplified Organization: Learn to Love What Must Be Done,' as she shares her journey from being a poor housekeeper to a joyful homemaker. Learn the importance of attitude adjustments, personal habits, and inner transformation in managing household chores and mental clutter. Discover her 'Humble Habits' course and get access to the free 'Beat Burnout Bingo Card' to kickstart your journey towards organization and happiness. Tune in for practical mom hacks and tips on how to get your life together and be happy. 00:00 Introduction: Overwhelmed and Burned Out? Mystie Winckler encourages moms to organize their attitudes and get traction at home so we are no longer overwhelmed or frustrated with homemaking. We are a community of Christian women striving to be competent, cheerful homemakers so we are fruitful, faithful, and hospitable. Subscribe for regular encouragement! 📖 Get my latest book - Simplified Organization: Learn to Love What Must Be Done 🏆 Enroll in Convivial Circle and get practical homemaking mentorship so you don't have to be overwhelmed anymore: | |||
| 02 Apr 2024 | Homeschool accountability with weekly checklists | 00:20:33 | |
Get my free homeschool checklist templates: https://simplyconvivial.com/checklists Every homeschooling mom's dream is to have independent learners who just do their own work and love learning - every day. Yes, that's a dream. The dream is different from the reality. Checklists aren’t a tool where we offload our responsibility onto our kids. But they are a tool that lets us train them in diligence if we keep up our end of the diligence. Raising an independent learner is more than handing a checklist to a kid and telling him to do it. It takes time, coaching, and consequences after mistakes for kids to learn. There are age-appropriate stages for expecting independent work. Learn more about proper expectations when it comes to homeschooling with checklists in this video! Mystie Winckler encourages moms to organize their attitudes and get traction at home so we are no longer overwhelmed or frustrated with homemaking. We are a community of Christian women striving to be competent, cheerful homemakers so we are fruitful, faithful, and hospitable. Subscribe for regular encouragement! 📖 Get my latest book - Simplified Organization: Learn to Love What Must Be Done ➡️ Take the free daily card challenge and get more done at home! 🏆 Enroll in Convivial Circle and get practical homemaking mentorship so you don't have to be overwhelmed anymore: | |||
| 05 Jan 2024 | Establish small routines in your home (How to Love What Must Be Done #5) | 00:10:09 | |
| 10 Sep 2021 | Your weekly dashboard - make a planner work for you! | 00:10:49 | |
Find out about our community: https://www.simplyconvivial.com/membership Hear from a number of women about personalizing and customizing a planner to make it work for your life and needs. Planners don't have to be one-size-fits-all and they don't have to be confining or busy work. Keeping a weekly dashboard - in any format - will help you keep your plates spinning when life is hectic and busy. | |||
| 02 Apr 2024 | FIVE mistakes moms make with homeschool checklists | 00:18:52 | |
Get my free homeschool checklist templates: https://simplyconvivial.com/checklists I couldn't keep my homeschool running and organized and on track without checklists for me as the teacher and checklists for each student being homeschooled, but that doesn't mean I haven't made mistakes along the way! There are wrong ways to use checklists and bad ways to depend on them. Here are the major mistakes I've made while homeschooling with checklists so that you don't have to! 1. Making all the homeschool checklists up front at the beginning of the school year. Blog posts about homeschooling teens - Mystie Winckler encourages moms to organize their attitudes and get traction at home so we are no longer overwhelmed or frustrated with homemaking. We are a community of Christian women striving to be competent, cheerful homemakers so we are fruitful, faithful, and hospitable. Subscribe for regular encouragement! 📖 Get my latest book - Simplified Organization: Learn to Love What Must Be Done ➡️ Take the free daily card challenge and get more done at home! 🏆 Enroll in Convivial Circle and get practical homemaking mentorship so you don't have to be overwhelmed anymore: | |||
| 28 Jan 2021 | Perfectionism stops progress | 00:10:20 | |
Perfectionism is the most likely reason that we procrastinate doing a weekly review. Perfectionism trips us up and tricks us into thinking that we will do more and do better - later, not now. In this episode, we learn how to identify perfectionism and defeat it. | |||
| 19 Dec 2024 | Why You’ll Never Be ‘Done’ Organizing—And That’s Okay | 00:16:04 | |
Are you tempted to think you can get everything organized in just a week? Especially between Christmas and New Year’s? Join Community Coaching: https://shop.simplyconvivial.com/socc Let’s talk about why real progress takes longer—and why that’s okay. In this episode, I share insights from Simplified Organization Community Coaching and how the process of organizing your home and life isn’t about flipping a switch. It’s a journey that requires consistent steps, adjusting your habits, and embracing the reality that life keeps changing. You’ll also hear inspiring stories from women in the community who’ve learned how to maintain steadiness through life’s challenges—whether it’s illness, chaos, or major transitions. These are real wins from real people, showing how sticking with small, faithful efforts leads to big changes over time. Organization isn’t about achieving perfection. It’s about showing up, growing, and taking the next step forward—together. Mystie Winckler encourages moms to organize their attitudes and get traction at home so we are no longer overwhelmed or frustrated with homemaking. We are a community of Christian women striving to be competent, cheerful homemakers so we are fruitful, faithful, and hospitable. Subscribe for regular encouragement! 📖 Get my latest book - Simplified Organization: Learn to Love What Must Be Done 🏆 Enroll in Convivial Circle and get practical homemaking mentorship so you don't have to be overwhelmed anymore: | |||
| 05 Dec 2024 | “Housework makes me mad” | 00:15:40 | |
Need to get better at cleaning your home and being a happy stay at home mom? Join Community Coaching: https://shop.simplyconvivial.com/socc Feeling overwhelmed by housework? Learn how to manage chores without resentment, embrace ongoing tasks, and foster family teamwork in homemaking. Read the article: https://www.simplyconvivial.com/blog/housework-makes-me-mad/ Mystie Winckler encourages moms to organize their attitudes and get traction at home so we are no longer overwhelmed or frustrated with homemaking. We are a community of Christian women striving to be competent, cheerful homemakers so we are fruitful, faithful, and hospitable. Subscribe for regular encouragement! 📖 Get my latest book - Simplified Organization: Learn to Love What Must Be Done 🏆 Enroll in Convivial Circle and get practical homemaking mentorship so you don't have to be overwhelmed anymore: | |||
| 15 Jul 2021 | How To Be More Productive When You're Feeling Unmotivated | 00:11:48 | |
Find my free brain dump guide here: https://www.simplyconvivial.com/braindump When you're feeling unmotivated, it's hard to get things done. We want to be more productive, but when we're feeling that lack of motivation we drag and dawdle. This one practice is the golden key to overcoming a lack of motivation and kicking your productivity motor into gear. You might wonder how to be more productive when you're feeling unmotivated, and the answer often comes down to acting in the way you want to feel. Whether you're working from home or working at home or both, you want to feel motivated and productive, but it's easy to feel stuck instead. | |||
| 17 Aug 2023 | SPECIAL: The bandwagon isn't the problem or the solution | 00:19:08 | |
Get a homemaking makeover: https://www.simplyconvivial.com/stop-overwhelm Simplified Organization is my signature online course that will walk you through getting your life in order. In the process, we learn that the biggest thing that needs to be ordered is our attitude - and we take concrete steps to do that. Organizing our attitude might be the biggest thing that needs to be organized, but it's certainly not the only thing. While walking through mindset shifts and attitude adjustments, we also set up a life management system:
and more! When putting our home management skills and practices in order is paired with attitude and mindset centering, we grow in resilience, competency, and joy - not because we have it all together at last, but because we know how to handle the life that comes to us. If life feels too hard, if your home feels too out of control, or if you just feel like you aren't "up to snuff" - Simplified Organization will give you the makeover - in attitude and skill - that you need. Join today and find out how you can get extra help implementing the strategies over the next school year 2023 - https://www.simplyconvivial.com/stop-overwhelm | |||
| 29 Apr 2024 | Skyrocket your productivity as a stay-at-home mom with index cards! | 00:14:30 | |
Take the free index card challenge: https://simplyconvivial.com/dailycard Learn how to skyrocket your productivity as a stay-at-home mom using index cards! These simple tools can help you get more done and stay organized. Watch this video to learn how. Mystie Winckler encourages moms to organize their attitudes and get traction at home so we are no longer overwhelmed or frustrated with homemaking. We are a community of Christian women striving to be competent, cheerful homemakers so we are fruitful, faithful, and hospitable. Subscribe for regular encouragement! 📖 Get my latest book - Simplified Organization: Learn to Love What Must Be Done https://simplifiedorganization.com ➡️ Take the free daily card challenge and get more done by focusing on less: https://https://simplyconvivial.com/dailycard 🏆 Enroll in Convivial Circle and learn to love what must be done so you stop feeling overwhelmed: | |||
| 16 Nov 2022 | Housework is a team effort - build your dream team | 00:12:54 | |
No, you don't have to get all the housework done by yourself. However, you might have more help at your fingertips than you realize. Be sure to make use of your available resources as you make a workable cleaning plan! Women are the backbone of society, so we must be free from cultural lies & personal guilt and have the freedom of good habits and self-control so we can build God-honoring families and communities.
➡️ Take the free daily card challenge and practice with me!
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| 03 Jun 2020 | Time Management for Moms | 00:18:48 | |
There really is no such thing as time management. There’s only self-management. You don’t use your time better and end up with more. Usually it seems less time because of how we spent it, though there are things we can do to maximize what we get out of the time we have. Time management is all about the decisions we make regarding our time, decisions for ourselves and not the time. Time is external from us. It is not something we can control, manipulate, or change. When we’re talking about time management, what we’re actually needing to manage is ourselves. To maximize our time we must practice self-control and self-management. We must make better choices and decisions. We all feel like there's too much to do, but with the right perspective and realistic expectations, we can use our situation for growth instead of discouragement because we know neither ourselves nor our situation is stagnant or permanent. Get help figuring this out in your own life with Simply Convivial Continuing Education: https://www.simplyconvivial.com/membership | |||
| 01 Nov 2024 | Simple Ways Smiling More Can Change Your Life as a Mom! | 00:05:52 | |
Cultivating Joy as a Fruit of the Spirit - a how-to for moms Join the Joy Reset: https://shop.simplyconvivial.com/joy-reset Christians must remember that joy is a fruit of the Spirit. Joy does not originate from within us; it comes from the Holy Spirit. We can ask for joy, knowing that God delights in giving it. To increase joy, take a minute to pray, asking God to increase your joy for His glory. God provides joy by guiding us to walk in His way. As you ask for joy, stay open to the Holy Spirit's guidance. To increase the joy in your home, smile intentionally at each family member. Make someone laugh by doing or saying something funny. This simple act can significantly lighten the mood and atmosphere in your home. Share your experiences and results in the comments. Experiment with different ways to bring joy to those around you and observe the positive changes. 00:00 Understanding Joy as a Fruit of the Spirit Mystie Winckler encourages moms to organize their attitudes and get traction at home so we are no longer overwhelmed or frustrated with homemaking. We are a community of Christian women striving to be competent, cheerful homemakers so we are fruitful, faithful, and hospitable. Subscribe for regular encouragement! 📖 Get my latest book - Simplified Organization: Learn to Love What Must Be Done 🏆 Enroll in Convivial Circle and get practical homemaking mentorship so you don't have to be overwhelmed anymore: | |||
| 08 Jul 2020 | Do moms need a vision statement? | 00:15:32 | |
Perhaps you've been told that as a mother, you need to write a vision statement for yourself and your family in order to succeed. In this video, Mystie Winckler discusses the efficacy of vision statements and their inherent flaws in providing purpose to a Christian mother. The fact is, you don't find your vision statement deep inside yourself, but through the Bible and Christ. So instead of looking to yourself to find answers and meaning, look to Christ and pray to find your true purpose; that is the only way to truly succeed as a mother, or even as a human being. | |||
| 20 Dec 2023 | Do you have the nerve to be a Mom? | 00:19:21 | |
Daily free encouragement emails: https://www.simplyconvivial.info/email Find the article on Simply Convivial: https://simplyconvivial.com/2023/the-nerve-to-be-mom/ Moms often lack the nerve to be the leader with their kids, but the truth of the matter is that Mom’s ability to homeschool is dependent not primarily on her own level of knowledge, but on her level of leadership and backbone with her kids. You can outsource teaching as a homeschooler, but you can’t outsource the role of Headmaster. I want to help equip moms to be better leaders of their children, better mothers and educators who are willing to put up with temporary resistance for the long-term good of their people. | |||
| 29 Apr 2020 | What is organization? It starts with your attitude. | 00:15:02 | |
We need to stop striving for having ducks in a row and admit that ducklings actually waddle where they will, leaving sloppy footprints as they go. We need to stop believing the marketers who tell us we're only 5 containers and 1 label maker away from achieving the state of organization. | |||
| 16 May 2024 | No menu plan?! Try a meal strategy instead! | 00:15:26 | |
Free downloadable pantry list: https://simplyconvivial.com/freemenuplan/ So if you don't have a menu plan, what do you do to be sure there's food for everyone at every meal? Try a meal strategy! Looking for a new approach to meal planning? Try a meal strategy instead of a meal plan! This video will show you how to create flexible and delicious family dinners without the stress of traditional meal planning. Mystie Winckler encourages moms to organize their attitudes and get traction at home so we are no longer overwhelmed or frustrated with homemaking. We are a community of Christian women striving to be competent, cheerful homemakers so we are fruitful, faithful, and hospitable. Subscribe for regular encouragement! 📖 Get my latest book - Simplified Organization: Learn to Love What Must Be Done ➡️ Take the free daily card challenge and get more done at home! 🏆 Enroll in Convivial Circle and get practical homemaking mentorship so you don't have to be overwhelmed anymore: | |||
| 22 Apr 2023 | What is women's work? | 00:17:34 | |
Women were created by God, in his image, with biological distinctions that separate and distinguish them from men. God not only created humans, male and female, but He also created work for them. In the perfect garden, mankind had a job. Because God made both women and work, we must look to Scripture to determine what makes up women's work. Unfortunately, many women, especially Christian women, struggle with home management, motherhood, and figuring out what they ought to be doing. There is a lack of direction and instruction in the Christian world today for women who want to be faithful to Christ in their homes. The gospel touches and transforms our whole lives, bringing us into greater conformity with God's revealed will. Both men and women have the duty to love God with all their hearts, minds, and strength. Both have the call and ability to know God more deeply and personally through prayer, Scripture, and corporate worship. The fruit of the Spirit applies equally to both men and women, but the opportunities and expression of that fruit will be different. God made men and women different by nature and gives them different roles so that we better image the glory and complexity of God Himself. The Bible has much to say about the duties of women, with one passage giving us a comprehensive glimpse of our job description: Titus 2:3-5. God makes it clear that real kingdom work is done through families in homes. Women are not to stay home in order to keep small. Instead, God tells women to cultivate a fruitful life from their own home base because they are the cultivators of beauty and glory and the home is the best place to build beauty and glory. 📖 Get my latest book: How to Use a Planner Without Wasting Time ➡️ Take the free daily card challenge and practice with me! 🏆 Enroll in Simply Convivial Continuing Education and get practical life management mentorship so you don't have to be overwhelmed anymore: | |||
| 17 Apr 2024 | SIMPLIFY your home cleaning plan using index cards - with Abby Wahl | 00:14:37 | |
Take the daily card challenge: https://simplyconvivial.com/indexcardvideo Links to the things Abby mentioned: Mystie Winckler encourages moms to organize their attitudes and get traction at home so we are no longer overwhelmed or frustrated with homemaking. We are a community of Christian women striving to be competent, cheerful homemakers so we are fruitful, faithful, and hospitable. Subscribe for regular encouragement! 📖 Get my latest book - Simplified Organization: Learn to Love What Must Be Done ➡️ Take the free daily card challenge and get more done at home! 🏆 Enroll in Convivial Circle and get practical homemaking mentorship so you don't have to be overwhelmed anymore: | |||
| 26 Nov 2024 | Holiday Reset: The 5-Step System to Prepare for an Amazing New Year | 00:20:08 | |
Feeling overwhelmed as you prepare for the new year? Start Ready5 with us! https://simplyconvivial.com/ready5/ In this seminar talk, Mystie Winckler shares practical wisdom for embracing a slower pace during the holidays to reflect, reset, and prepare your heart and mind for the year ahead. Learn how to balance intentional goal-setting with grace-filled rest using the Ready 5 framework: Repent, Rejoice, Edify, Align, and Dare. Mystie discusses how to let go of perfectionism, avoid “delusions of grandeur” in planning, and approach goals as exciting dares rather than overwhelming obligations. Whether you're juggling family life, routines, or personal growth, this talk will inspire you to take simple, actionable steps for organizing your attitude and life. Don’t miss these insights to help you navigate the transition between holiday rest and productive rhythms. Grab your timer, print the prompts, and start your Ready 5 brain dump today! Mystie Winckler encourages moms to organize their attitudes and get traction at home so we are no longer overwhelmed or frustrated with homemaking. We are a community of Christian women striving to be competent, cheerful homemakers so we are fruitful, faithful, and hospitable. Subscribe for regular encouragement! 📖 Get my latest book - Simplified Organization: Learn to Love What Must Be Done 🏆 Enroll in Convivial Circle and get practical homemaking mentorship so you don't have to be overwhelmed anymore: | |||
| 29 Apr 2022 | How to juggle homeschooling and housework | 00:10:14 | |
Get a tidy house: https://www.simplyconvivial.com/ehap --free guide It’s a truth universally acknowledged that a homeschool mom in possession of a large family must be in want of a housekeeper. That’d be nice, wouldn’t it? Some families can actually swing it, but most of us are on our own when it comes to keeping up with both school and home. Of course we can bring the kids on board, and sometimes husbands can lend a hand, but there’s still a lot to do. Our homeschool year is over, but this is the perfect time for a home routines audit as well as a homeschool audit – look at what worked and what didn’t, and figure out what to do this summer to set ourselves up for a better year next year. | |||
| 12 Apr 2024 | NO APPS - use index cards to plan and organize your life | 00:10:56 | |
A single, simple index card planner is a better tool to organize your life than any app out there! Learn how: https://simplyconvivial.com/dailycard Learn how to organize your life without using any apps! In this video, I'll show you how to use index cards to plan and stay organized. As a busy stay-at-home mom looking to streamline your life, this index card organization system will help you stay on track and get more done each day. Mystie Winckler encourages moms to organize their attitudes and get traction at home so we are no longer overwhelmed or frustrated with homemaking. We are a community of Christian women striving to be competent, cheerful homemakers so we are fruitful, faithful, and hospitable. Subscribe for regular encouragement! 📖 Get my latest book - Simplified Organization: Learn to Love What Must Be Done ➡️ Take the free daily card challenge and get more done at home! 🏆 Enroll in Convivial Circle and get practical homemaking mentorship so you don't have to be overwhelmed anymore: | |||
| 07 Mar 2024 | My daily habits as a Christian Homemaker - what I’ve learned after 20 years | 00:15:32 | |
Free habit-building guide: https://simplyconvivial.com/habit Join me as I share my daily habits as a Christian homemaker after 20 years! From cleaning routines to meal planning to spiritual practices, these are the habits that have helped me thrive in my role as a homemaker for over a decade. Whether you're a new homemaker or have been homemaking for years, these habits are essential for creating a peaceful and fulfilling home. Mystie Winckler encourages moms to organize their attitudes and get traction at home so we are no longer overwhelmed or frustrated with homemaking. We are a community of Christian women striving to be competent, cheerful homemakers so we are fruitful, faithful, and hospitable. Subscribe for regular encouragement! 📖 Get my latest book - Simplified Organization: Learn to Love What Must Be Done ➡️ Take the free daily card challenge and get more done at home! 🏆 Enroll in Convivial Circle and get practical homemaking mentorship so you don't have to be overwhelmed anymore: | |||
| 15 Feb 2021 | What is clutter?! ...and how best to deal with it | 00:11:55 | |
Don't miss the ABCs of decluttering workshop: https://www.simplyconvivial.com/2021/the-abcs-of-doable-decluttering-with-free-workshop-replay/ What is clutter? If you’re going to declutter, you have to be able to answer that question. It’s harder than it seems, and knowing the difference between clutter and not-clutter might just be the difference between success and failure in your decluttering project. Clutter is stuff that doesn’t belong where it happens to be.
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| 08 Apr 2020 | How to keep your to-do list short | 00:07:27 | |
We all know the feeling. There’s just too much to do. Do you ever feel like the more you have to do the less you actually get done? That’s a real thing. There’s a reason for that. And it’s decision fatigue. The first step that you have to do to prevent decision fatigue and then to get started is decide what to actually do next. It seems simple but it can be hard. The more options there are, the more that’s rattling around in your head, the more thought and energy it takes to come to a conclusion and just get started. Let me show you how to streamline the decision-making process so you can do what needs to be done no matter how long or short your to do list is. Let’s dig in. So, let’s figure out how to make our to do lists short and simple, so we can actually get them done each day. Step one is that you actually need two to do lists. One is your master list. A running list of all the things that need to happen; big or small, routine or not. Everything that needs to happen needs to be written down and kept. But that’s not your to do list that you actually work from day to day. Think of it like the safe-keeping place so that you’re not keeping track of everything in your head—you’re keeping things safe and written down where you can refer to it as needed, jog your memory, where you’re not afraid you’re going to lose something or forget something. Then, you need the actionable daily to do list. You can choose from that master list what goes on today’s list, but the list that you’re making for today is short. It’s prioritized. It’s a list of what’s most important today. Sometimes that’s going to be something that’s not even on your master list. Days are like that. Keeping a daily to do list allows you that flexibility you need to adjust to real life as it unrolls. Your daily to do list then is a prioritized list. It is not even all the things that you will do. It is your top three things for the day, the three things that, if you do those it’s going to be better tomorrow. The three things that are going to make a difference. It’s easy to get distracted of the little things that pile up but then we end up never getting to those important things that aren’t necessarily urgent. This short daily to do list is where we make sure that we do not lose sight of what’s important in our days. Now, we need to keep this to do list short because we don’t have unlimited time, we don’t have unlimited energy either. So, we have to choose. We have to make tough choices and then we need to write them down so that we can stick with those choices. And we make this list every day because every day our time is a little bit different—the time we have available, the kind of energy that we have available—and so we can look at what we actually have by looking at our calendar, looking at our commitments, and we can choose what’s most important. Sometimes, appointments might take up all day and so we don’t want to write a list that assumes we’ll be able to get a lot of home projects done. Or maybe even any of our routines done. Our daily to do list is made in light of the reality of today. It takes practice and experience to know how to pick a viable, realistic top three. It’s not something that anyone can tell you what you should pick. It’s something that you have to think about, figure out, try, experiment, iterate, and continually learn from your own experience by evaluating how it went, making observations, and moving forward in light of what you learn. In this way, with this daily practice of learning how we work, learning what our real responsibilities are, recognizing what we tend to procrastinate on, and seeing what’s really important. In this practice, over time, we make better and better choices. And, because those are self-determined choices that we know are realistic and necessary, we also grow in our self-motivation and momentum and follow through in actually doing them. And that’s really what we’re after. So, you need to identify your priorities. That’s hard to do but you’ll get better at it with practice. So, practice every day and write three to do’s down on a daily index card. You will, of course, do more in a day than the three things written down on your index card, but if you start with what’s most important, you’ll feel better about how you’ve used your time and you’ll probably even get more done in the long run because you’re focused and clear. You’ll see you’re spending your time well. We tend to waste more time in distraction and indecision when we aren’t working from a clear list. So, give it a shot. Try it out. And let me know in the comments below how it’s working for you. At Simply Convivial we do not believe in one-size-fits all plans. I’m all about teaching you the principles and the skills that you need to figure out what’s going to work for you in your particular situation with your particular needs. Always remember that your attitude is the most important part of your organization project. So, repent, rejoice, repeat. | |||
| 10 Jun 2020 | How to be a successful stay-at-home mom | 00:21:50 | |
Especially as stay-at-home moms it can be so hard to know how we're doing because we look at the standards and the definitions of success that come from the business world or the personal achievement world. We know those are not our worlds, yet we don't know where else to go for an understanding of how to get more done, how to better influence our people, and how to measure our successfulness.
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| 26 Jul 2022 | Got homeschool logistics? | 00:03:26 | |
https://www.crowdcast.io/e/homeschool-logistics We know we need curriculum and books and lists before the homeschool day begins, but what about logistics? Logistics is our strategy for how things will be done - as opposed to the curriculum question of what will be done. Our homeschool days are more about logistics than curriculum particulars, so let's address our logistics strategies head on before we finalize our homeschool plans. Join me for a free workshop series that will give you 3 practical ways you can improve your homeschool logistics. https://www.crowdcast.io/e/homeschool-logistics Then forward this email to another homeschool mom friend who might enjoy joining, too! I'll be giving away resources and printables and more during the live sessions, so you don't want to miss it! Each session I'll also give away a book to a random live attendee who participated in the chat! It'll be fun, energetic, meaty, and super practical. | |||
| 03 Feb 2021 | Declutter in 10 minutes a day | 00:13:38 | |
Declutter Workshop with slide deck download: https://www.simplyconvivial.com/2021/the-abcs-of-doable-decluttering-with-free-workshop-replay/ (no email signup required) How long is it going to take you to declutter? Decluttering can be an overwhelming project. It might feel like there’s no end and no hope in sight. You might be right about that. Declutter in 10 minutes a day and change your perspective on the task of decluttering. Did you assume you’d be a more organized mother and homemaker than you are? Did you think it’d be easier than it turned out to be? I’m right there with you. I hear from women all the time who say that before kids they *were* so organized and they don’t know why they can’t figure it out now with life with kids. I’ll tell ya: The problem isn’t with the kids or your house. It’s with your mindset and your expectations. Family life is different from project-based work and homemaking is different from a job with a boss and a schedule. Children need attention and response in the moment. Children’s needs cannot be predicted and planned, only addressed as needed. That takes a different skill set. Homemaking requires us to be self-directed, self-managed, and self-motivated - a different skill set than being a good employee. At Simply Convivial continuing education we learn and practice the skill sets this family life at home requires, all while remembering that the people are the point and our work is a calling and service given to us by God. When we practice in this mindset we not only improve our skill, we also find contentment and satisfaction, even when things don’t go our way. Remember to pop on over to https://simplyconvivial.com/attitude to get your free attitude adjustment audit and reclaim and renew your mindset. And always remember to Repent. Rejoice. Repeat. | |||
| 13 Apr 2022 | How to classically homeschool multiple students | 00:25:17 | |
My book - The Convivial Homeschool: https://amzn.to/3rhFLBA We homeschool to avoid the factory model and give our children an effective learning environment rather than an efficient one. Thus, our home life and our various ages working alongside one another is actually a perk, not a problem. So what do you need to classically homeschool multiple kids? You need good books, time to read and talk about them, thoughtful and engaged brain work, encounters with the real world, and discipleship into living well alongside others. All of these things the home and family come fully equipped to provide. We can’t homeschool well without confidence and independence – freedom – of mind. Classical education should bring both confidence and freedom by its very nature. If it doesn’t, it’s probably not actually classical. In The Liberal Arts Tradition, Kevin Clark and Ravi Jain use this definition: “The ancients believed education was fundamentally about shaping loves….It is for this goal of passing along a culture that the curriculum existed.” Kevin Clark and Ravi Jain, The Liberal Arts Tradition While particular practices and day school techniques might not be feasible in the home, giving our kids an education with a classical goal, classical content, and for classical reasons is possible. | |||
| 31 Dec 2022 | The first thing to declutter is your attitude | 00:15:09 | |
🏆 Get practical life management mentorship so you don't have to be overwhelmed anymore: Decluttering the stuff is really the least important kind of decluttering we can do. With more time at home around our families that will become evident. We might think that our problem is that everyone has too much stuff and if we just solved the stuff problem, then we’d get along, then we’d not be irritable, then life would be good. The first thing we actually need to declutter is our attitude. Yes, I like to say we need to organize our attitude, but decluttering is often the first step in getting organized – with attitudes as well as stuff. And we can take a similar process, as well. Women are the backbone of society, so we must be free from cultural lies & personal guilt and have the freedom of good habits and self-control so we can build God-honoring families and communities. 📖 Get my latest book: How to Use a Planner Without Wasting Time ➡️ Take the free daily card challenge and practice with me! 🏆 Enroll in Simply Convivial Continuing Education and get practical life management mentorship so you don't have to be overwhelmed anymore: | |||
| 01 Jul 2023 | How gamification can work for busy, distracted moms | 00:17:04 | |
Play Baby Step Bingo with us in July! https://simplyconvivial.com/stop-overwhelm Change things up in your routine and blast out of the blahs by seeing how you're winning while taking small baby steps. Women are the backbone of society, so we must be free from cultural lies & personal guilt and have the freedom of good habits and self-control so we can build God-honoring families and communities. 📖 Get my latest book: How to Use a Planner Without Wasting Time ➡️ Take the free daily card challenge and practice with me! 🏆 Enroll in Simply Convivial Continuing Education and get practical life management mentorship so you don't have to be overwhelmed anymore: | |||
| 13 Jan 2021 | Weekly Review #2 - Calendar & List | 00:08:15 | |
However, to use this tool to its fullest extent, a few guidelines must be followed. Among them: don't overplan. Seems simple, right? Yet all too often, we pile too much on our plates, thinking that it would be good to start another project, start another book club, etc etc. All these projects simply degrade the usefulness of your calendar. Rather than being a list and schedule of the things you will do, it becomes a wish list of things you want to do. So reevaluate your calendar, cut off the flabby, unnecessary projects that are stressing you out, and, of course, repent, rejoice, repeat. | |||
| 23 Oct 2024 | 3 Quick Ways to Clean Your Bathroom FAST | 00:10:03 | |
Joy Reset Masterclass: https://simplyconvivial.com/joy-reset Clean your bathroom fast with these three baby step tasks: Refill the soap and change the hand towel. Wipe out the sink and any toothpaste spots on the counter and mirror. Clean the inside of the toilet bowl. Mystie Winckler encourages moms to organize their attitudes and get traction at home so we are no longer overwhelmed or frustrated with homemaking. We are a community of Christian women striving to be competent, cheerful homemakers so we are fruitful, faithful, and hospitable. Subscribe for regular encouragement! 📖 Get my latest book - Simplified Organization: Learn to Love What Must Be Done 🏆 Enroll in Convivial Circle and get practical homemaking mentorship so you don't have to be overwhelmed anymore: | |||
| 20 Apr 2022 | 3 things to do when homemaking is hard | 00:13:22 | |
I often hear from women who say they were organized when they worked in an office, but they just can’t manage to be – or at least feel – organized at home. What makes it so hard to stay on top of basic tasks? Why is organization so hard to maintain? I think it’s due to both the open-ended and repetitive nature of the job. There are no bosses, no managers, no teachers. There are no paychecks, no grades, no due dates. The tasks, once done, need to be done again, so there’s never the accomplished feeling of finishing. We have to not only make our own plan, but also be the one to follow through on the plan without oversight. Some of us are good at making the plan, but bad at follow-through. Some can follow a task list, but are less comfortable making that list themselves. So homemaking ends up being a challenging position. However, like entrepreneurship, it also offers a unique opportunity to shine, to grow in capacity, and to find fulfillment and satisfaction. | |||
| 03 Oct 2024 | Why You're Wasting Time in the Kitchen and How to Fix It | 00:05:14 | |
Free challenge: https://simplyconvivial.com/october With over two decades of homemaking under my belt now, I have come to a breakthrough insight: Kitchens are functional when there’s a clear workspace available. Shocking, I know. Mystie Winckler encourages moms to organize their attitudes and get traction at home so we are no longer overwhelmed or frustrated with homemaking. We are a community of Christian women striving to be competent, cheerful homemakers so we are fruitful, faithful, and hospitable. Subscribe for regular encouragement! 📖 Get my latest book - Simplified Organization: Learn to Love What Must Be Done 🏆 Enroll in Convivial Circle and get practical homemaking mentorship so you don't have to be overwhelmed anymore: | |||
| 25 Nov 2020 | How to have a festive home for Christmas | 00:07:49 | |
What is the key to festivity in your household? Is it the Christmas tree, laden with ornaments? Perhaps it's the constant supply of fudge and candy, threatening your kids' teeth with cavities. What if it was none of those things? Mystie explains in this video that the key to festivity is your festivity. As the idiom goes, if momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy. So strive this holiday season to be the happy one in the household. See for yourself that when you shine festivity, you will see it come to life and reflect back to you. | |||