I hope you had the chance to read Jennifer's story about her prayer life and her homeschooling experience! If not, you can take a second to go do that here, in part one of her Catholic Homeschooling Mama Showcase installment. In this second part, Jen in TX will tell us how she handles organization and self-care. I think you'll find it interesting because in the area of organization, she and her husband are "polar opposites". This can definitely cause stress in a marriage, so read on to find out how they make it work!
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Organization
I loved Jen's response when I asked her if she considered herself an organized person. "Hahahahaha. Not at all." So many people I meet do not consider themselves organized. I believe that everyone has the ability to attain a certain amount of organizational skills that will make their lives a bit easier. Jen uses her creativity to find a way to make chores and meals work for their family.
Meal Planning
Meal planning can be such a saving grace in so many ways. When I asked Jen if she meal plans, she said, "Yes, I meal plan weekly, most weeks. It’s the easiest way for me to stay in budget and make sure all of our specialized diets are met since we have a variety of food intolerances in our family."
Chores
Here's how Jennifer and her family handle the chores:
"Currently, we do chores after school in the afternoon. My husband is my polar opposite, so he is organized and orderly. When he walks in the door, if the house is a mess, he gets stressed out. He asked if we might be able to just have the main living areas picked up when he gets home, so chores involve making sure those areas are clean. The 12 yo and 10 yo have two rooms each, with the help of 8 yo and 5 yo now.
They are also responsible for setting the table for dinner, and clean up afterwards is a family affair.
The kids are also responsible for folding and putting away their own laundry. If anything else needs to be done, I usually make a list with check boxes and put their initials next to their assigned chores.
That being said – I have a bulletin board with laminated chore cards that I’m going to try out soon. Each kid has a section of cards and they have to flip each card over when they are finished. This allows me the freedom to switch around the chores, but still gives my kids (especially the choleric one) the knowledge of what they are assigned to do for the day without any “surprises” along the way.
Also, screen time only happens if their chores are done by 3 pm.
Successes and Struggles
The best thing Jennifer said she does regarding her chores is "having a consistent system. Also, having it timed (because some children will literally take all day otherwise). AND only allowing screens AFTER."
The thing she struggles with the most is "not giving enough responsibility to my younger kids and the “That’s not MY room so I shouldn’t have to help!” attitude. Thus, the new chore system."
Advice from Jen in TX
"Be patient when starting something new. Also, lay out your expectations clearly. 'Clean this room' isn’t going to cut it with most kids – you need to be specific – 'All items OFF the floor and put in their correct places, couch cleared, table cleared, dishes rinsed AND loaded, counters wiped, vacuum under the table, move the rug to vacuum, wipe off your brother’s part of the table' (Yes, I have to use this one regularly).”
For younger kids, help them with their chores – my 5 and under crew will be more willing if I’m there helping. Actually, all my kids will. Also, use it as a time to engage with them. Most of our conversations happen over washing and drying dishes and such.
Smile 
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Self-Care
Self-care, as most of you know, is so hard when you're a mother. So many women, myself included, find it difficult to take time for themselves, but it is really so necessary! I asked Jen what she does for her self-care and she replied, "I sew when I’m able as I find it relaxing and finishing a project is such a satisfactory feeling! Also, I make sure I schedule play dates with friends as well as moms’ nights out.
My husband and I spend time together after the kids are in bed, even if for just a few minutes. My love language is quality time, so spending time with my best friend (my husband) really rejuvenates me."
She also likes "to send my kids to Grandma’s and hideaway in my sewing room. Or go to Target and roam the aisles sans any children.
For something more short-term, I love to breastfeed my youngest down for a nap and either read or browse social media while doing so. Also, sitting on my couch with a glass of kombucha and a book."
Date Nights!
I asked her if she and her hubby did dates nights and, like most families on one income, money plays a part in that. Here's how they've tackled that hurdle, "Yes (to date nights), although money is super tight, so most are at-home.
We LOVE to play board games. It’s our main hobby that we share. We have a lot of them (last count was around 150) and we play with just the two of us, as a family, and with friends.
Other than that, I really love doing anything as long as it’s just the two of us and we aren’t doing something incredibly stressful like paying bills. 
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I hope you enjoyed getting to know Jen in TX! You can follow her on Instagram @almostdomesticmama and see her lovely sewing projects, as well as other family things!
Remember to contact me if you would like to be showcased here on the blog! I'm looking forward to meeting many other homeschooling mothers and learning from them! To see all of the other mamas that have been showcased, you can check out my original blog post on the series.