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The Christian Homemaking Podcast: Simply Convivial with Mystie Winckler — Education
The Christian Homemaking Podcast: Simply Convivial with Mystie Winckler

Christian homemakers need encouragement and motivation to stay the course. Homemaking and homeschooling can feel overwhelming, but they don’t have to be. If you’re a Christian mom longing for a well-ordered home, a peaceful homeschool, and a joyful heart—without the stress or burnout—you’re in the right place. Moms can be productive and peaceful when grounded in Scriptural truth.

I’m Mystie Winckler, homeschooling mom of five, founder of Simply Convivial, and your guide to managing both home and heart with faith and focus. Here, we talk about biblical homemaking, sustainable homeschooling, and cheerful productivity—all through the lens of organizing your attitude and embracing your God-given calling.

In each episode, you’ll find practical homemaking systems, homeschooling strategies, and mindset shifts that will help you manage your home without perfectionism or frustration. We’ll tackle topics like:
✔️ Christian homemaking routines that actually work
✔️ Productivity, mom-style
✔️ Homeschooling with peace—even when life gets messy
✔️ Time management for moms (without rigid schedules)
✔️ Decluttering your home & your attitude
✔️ How to be diligent, not just busy

Motherhood is a marathon, not a sprint. You don’t need more willpower—you need a grace-filled, biblical approach to managing life at home. Let’s cultivate faithfulness, embrace joy, and build habits that make home a place of peace and purpose.

👉 Subscribe now and start organizing your home and heart—cheerfully.

Copyright: © 2024 Simplified Organization LLC

Latest Episodes:

Fixing Mom-Brain by Closing Open Loops Jun 17, 2023

Show notes

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
https://amzn.to/3CcRzuy

➡️ Take the free daily card challenge and practice with me!
https://www.simplyconvivial.info/todo-list/

🏆 Enroll in Simply Convivial Continuing Education and get practical life management mentorship so you don't have to be overwhelmed anymore:
https://www.simplyconvivial.com/stop-overwhelm

When you feel guilty for resting (with Stefani Mons) Jun 17, 2023

Show notes

Join us inside Convivial Circle: https://www.simplyconvivial.com/stop-overwhelm

In this episode, Stefani discusses her struggle with balancing productivity and taking necessary breaks. She finds it challenging to pause her work because she always sees something more to be done. However, she has realized the importance of taking breaks to prevent burnout and maintain her well-being. Initially, she attempted productive breaks, such as reading, but found them ineffective. Ultimately, she started taking 10-minute midday breaks where she lays down and does nothing, helping her reset. Additionally, she has scheduled end-of-day downtime for herself to spend quality time with her family.

Main Takeaways:

Constant Productivity Can Lead to Burnout: Stefani highlights the challenge faced by many individuals, particularly those who have a high focus on productivity, in taking breaks due to the never-ending to-do list. This can lead to feeling constantly frazzled and burnt out.

Intentional Breaks are Essential for Well-being: She emphasizes the importance of intentional breaks during the day, especially ones that are truly restful and not just a change in activity. These breaks can prevent burnout, making individuals more effective in the long term.

Iterative Approach to Finding What Works: It’s important to find what kind of break works for you. Stefani iterated through different types of breaks until she found that simply doing nothing for a short period was the most beneficial. Everyone needs to experiment and adjust their break schedules according to what suits them best.

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
https://amzn.to/3CcRzuy

➡️ Take the free daily card challenge and practice with me!
https://www.simplyconvivial.info/todo-list/

🏆 Enroll in Simply Convivial Continuing Education and get practical life management mentorship so you don't have to be overwhelmed anymore:
https://www.simplyconvivial.com/stop-overwhelm

Hospitality Tips with Bess Hawthorne Jun 08, 2023

Show notes

Get mostly-daily, bite-sized encouraging emails by signing up here: https://simplyconvivial.com/newsletter

Bess is a wife, mother of 5, and grandmother of 3! She currently teaches full time at Logos School and hosts the podcast, Come Over for Dinner!, on all the ways to make hospitality practical and fun. Apart from her family, Bess’s days are lively with the bustling energy of second graders whom she teaches full-time. She jestingly remarks that she “attends second grade every day”. Her teaching journey is paired with the podcast she hosts, where she and her guests delve into the practical aspects of hospitality. From sharing favorite recipes to discussing must-have kitchen items, her podcast serves as a trove of inspiration and guidance.

The practice of hospitality is not just about inviting people over but also about serving and giving to others, including family members. True hospitality involves sacrificing personal standards of perfection for the sake of fellowship and building relationships. In unexpected or less-than-ideal situations, it is important to maintain a positive attitude, understanding that sometimes these incidents can be humorous when viewed in retrospect. Having a sense of humor, especially about one’s imperfections, is valuable in building character and maintaining a joyful spirit.

Dealing with Perfectionism with Bess Hawthorne Jun 02, 2023

Show notes

Get mostly-daily, bite-sized encouraging emails by signing up here: https://simplyconvivial.com/newsletter

Bess is a wife, mother of 5, and grandmother of 3! She currently teaches full time at Logos School and hosts the podcast, Come Over for Dinner!, on all the ways to make hospitality practical and fun. Apart from her family, Bess’s days are lively with the bustling energy of second graders whom she teaches full-time. She jestingly remarks that she “attends second grade every day”. Her teaching journey is paired with the podcast she hosts, where she and her guests delve into the practical aspects of hospitality. From sharing favorite recipes to discussing must-have kitchen items, her podcast serves as a trove of inspiration and guidance.

Bess identifies perfectionism as a common hurdle that many women face. This paralyzing mindset, which dictates that if something can’t be executed flawlessly it shouldn’t be undertaken at all, can be stifling. Bess is no stranger to this challenge. She admits that her natural inclination is toward perfectionism, wanting things to be ‘just so’. She's a planner by nature. Through personal experience, she shares insights on how to overcome this hindrance. One of the most profound pieces of advice Bess offers is to view oneself as a character in God’s story. Citing the author N.D. Wilson, she encourages individuals to see themselves as part of a larger narrative. This perspective can be transformative.

Choosing Joy, with Katie Westenberg Apr 26, 2023

Show notes

In this conversation, Katie Westenberg discusses practical tips for staying faithful to God in moments of disappointment and overwhelm. We must prepare in advance by investing time daily in reading the Bible, even when it may not always feel productive or inspiring in the moment. Our devotional time is an investment in a "debit account" we can draw from later. She also emphasizes the importance of having friends who can speak truth into one's life and call out negative beliefs or thought patterns. When faced with overwhelming situations, Katie recommends aligning oneself with the truth of God's word and what it says about Him, rather than giving into fear or anxiety. Ultimately, she stresses the value of having a strong foundation of faith and staying connected to God, even during challenging times.

📖 Get my latest book: How to Use a Planner Without Wasting Time
https://amzn.to/3CcRzuy

➡️ Take the free daily card challenge and practice with me!
https://www.simplyconvivial.info/todo-list/

🏆 Enroll in Simply Convivial Continuing Education and get practical life management mentorship so you don't have to be overwhelmed anymore:
https://www.simplyconvivial.com/stop-overwhelm

Ack! There's never enough time! with Katie Westenberg Apr 24, 2023

Show notes

Overcome overwhelm with my free workshop: AnswerOverwhelm.com

Katie Westenberg, a Christian author and speaker, shares her perspective on how to deal with overwhelming situations. Our capacity for dealing with stress can change throughout our lives and is dependent on our circumstances. We need to be aware enough to diagnose whether the problem is spiritual or physical and seek God's guidance in both areas. She suggests that if the problem is physical, practical changes can help. However, if the problem is spiritual, we need to focus on our relationship with God and examine our faith. Katie suggests connecting with other women for help during tough seasons.

📖 Get my latest book: How to Use a Planner Without Wasting Time
https://amzn.to/3CcRzuy

➡️ Take the free daily card challenge and practice with me!
https://www.simplyconvivial.info/todo-list/

🏆 Enroll in Simply Convivial Continuing Education and get practical life management mentorship so you don't have to be overwhelmed anymore:
https://www.simplyconvivial.com/stop-overwhelm

What is women's work? Apr 22, 2023

Show notes

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
https://amzn.to/3CcRzuy

➡️ Take the free daily card challenge and practice with me!
https://www.simplyconvivial.info/todo-list/

🏆 Enroll in Simply Convivial Continuing Education and get practical life management mentorship so you don't have to be overwhelmed anymore:
https://www.simplyconvivial.com/stop-overwhelm

Don't homeschool for the camera Apr 21, 2023

Show notes

Free 7-Day Stop the Scroll Challenge: https://www.simplyconvivial.info/stop-the-scroll/

The rise of social media has been a double-edged sword for many of us. On the one hand, it's never been easier to keep in touch with friends and family from all around the world, but on the other hand, social media can also have some significant negative effects on our mental and emotional health, as well as our relationships. This is especially true for homeschooling moms, who may find themselves constantly comparing their own lives to the seemingly perfect lives of others on platforms like Instagram.

The problem with Instagram, in particular, is that it works as a comparison machine. When we scroll through our feed, we're bombarded with images of other people's lives, which our minds then evaluate and analyze. If the photo seems acceptable, our minds register it as good, which can then lead to feelings of obligation. For example, if we see a picture of someone's perfectly organized kitchen, we may feel like we should be doing more to improve our own living spaces.

The images we see on Instagram can also shape our conception of normal, which can be a good thing when it comes to passing down cultural practices from one generation to the next. However, in the world of social media, our perception of what's normal is more shaped by what other people choose to post online than by interpersonal interactions in physical social contexts.

For homeschooling moms, the constant exposure to images of other people's homeschooling experiences can be especially problematic. We may find ourselves constantly comparing our own homeschooling practices to those of others, which can lead to feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt. Additionally, we may start to view our own lives through the lens of Instagram, constantly thinking about what's "Instagrammable" and how we can document our own experiences to make them look better on social media.

To avoid these negative effects, it's important for homeschooling moms to be mindful of their social media usage. Try going a week without looking at or posting on Facebook or Instagram, and see if you notice any unhealthy patterns of relating that you didn't even realize were happening. Remember, Instagram is just a highlight reel of someone's life, and it's not a true reflection of what life is really like. So, take a step back, and focus on what really matters - building meaningful relationships with your family and creating a fulfilling homeschooling experience for yourself and your children.
📖 Get my latest book: How to Use a Planner Without Wasting Time
https://amzn.to/3CcRzuy

➡️ Take the free daily card challenge and practice with me!
https://www.simplyconvivial.info/todo-list/

🏆 Enroll in Simply Convivial Continuing Education and get practical life management mentorship so you don't have to be overwhelmed anymore:
https://www.simplyconvivial.com/stop-overwhelm

How to get a grip on your thoughts, with Laney Homan Apr 21, 2023

Show notes

When we aim for completion rather than faithfulness we can get sucked down into resenting the work in front of us. The room you just cleaned needs cleaned again, and the laundry will never be forever done. Changing our goal to being faithful in our work rather than being done with our work is such a helpful shift.

Laney Homan is a wife of 25 years and mother to eight children ages 6 to 23, and works from home as the member success manager for Your Morning Basket. She homeschools her five youngest kids who are elementary through high-school aged, and knows what it feels like to have a lot to keep track of. Some of her favorite things are reading and visiting her local coffee shop. And today she joins us with words of encouragement for the Mom who feels scattered and overwhelmed.

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
https://amzn.to/3CcRzuy

➡️ Take the free daily card challenge and practice with me!
https://www.simplyconvivial.info/todo-list/

🏆 Enroll in Simply Convivial Continuing Education and get practical life management mentorship so you don't have to be overwhelmed anymore:
https://www.simplyconvivial.com/stop-overwhelm

Even if you're a naturally messy person, you can learn to love cleaning! Mar 24, 2023

Show notes

Free how-to-make-a-cleaning-plan guide: https://simplyconvivial.com/clean

When I was a young mom and homemaker, I read blogs and books on keeping house better. I didn’t love housework, but I did want to do a good job. I wanted to be a good housewife, a good homemaker.

I would try to do the cleaning routines promoted by bloggers. I copied lists and plans from magazines. I asked friends who had clean houses how they did it.

But having a clean house just seemed like one of those things that was not going to happen for me. I would go in fits and spurts, but no routines or consistent level of cleanliness ever stuck.

The only thing I was master of was the boom and bust cycle: Go on a cleaning frenzy, make a ton of progress all in a day, collapse exhausted from the effort, and wake up sad the next day that the work all had to be done again.

What I know now, nearly twenty years later, is that I was missing two things: 1) an unconscious preference for neatness and 2) an understanding of the nature of cleaning.

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
https://amzn.to/3CcRzuy

➡️ Take the free daily card challenge and practice with me!
https://www.simplyconvivial.info/todo-list/

🏆 Enroll in Simply Convivial Continuing Education and get practical life management mentorship so you don't have to be overwhelmed anymore:
https://www.simplyconvivial.com/stop-overwhelm

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