Well Planned Day Organizers...

 A few years ago, I stumbled upon my now favorite planners. Since then they have expanded their product line and right now Home Educating Family has some of those items on sale. Yippee!!

If you know me at all, you know that I love two things (aside from the obvious friends & family). Organizing and pretty designs. When I saw how functional and beautiful these planners were I knew they were a perfect match for me. If you haven't taken a peek, check out Home Educating Family and you will quickly see why I love their stuff!

For the homeschool mom, this planner has everything from meal planning to budget planning in addition to weekly school planning.

For my high school student, we purchase the 4 year planner. It is almost like a spiral bound guidance counselor in addition to a school planner. It has been a great organizer as well as a resource.

I have to tell you that the Uber-Nerd in me is anxiously awaiting the unveiling of the Well Planned Day software. It syncs with my Google calender?? Enough said!

I will be honest and tell you that I have not used this planner. I find that between the homeschool planner and my phone, I have not needed something like this but thought I would share anyhow. It is so pretty!

You can see for yourself why they are a favorite!

Post-holiday To-do's...

The last few hours of 2011 have expired and the decorations have all been packed away. New toys are being played with and we have said good bye to our guests and relatives. The party season has ended and life can now return to normal.

This past week, we began the joyful process of reorganizing and putting life back in order. I pulled out an old favorite, Organized Simplicity and started the task. The first day we worked in the kitchen moving things around. My thought process was to discard the clutter and make simple changes.

Switched cabinets and created better zones for cooking.

I was merciless with my Tupperware, no mate...not staying

After that we moved on to our den. This room has been a work-in-progress for months so it felt good to get in here with a trash bag and Pinterest for inspiration. We played around with our family gallery wall and rearranged my desk area. I even had fun getting crafty. This is still unfinished but now I have better vision of what needs to be done to complete. I can now enjoy the journey without all the frustration.

Thankful for a talented husband who tolerates my ideas!

I have been playing around with this for a long time. I saw just what I was trying to achieve in BHG magazine.
Can't wait until it is done.

Our final day of 2011 we spent our afternoon in the living room and dining room. Our donation box has gotten bigger and our trash can is full and it feels so good.

As we ring in the new year, I am rereading Organized Simplicity and contemplating once again the atmosphere of my home and how best to manage it. I would love to have some company and maybe even a fun book club night and share. For now I am armed with my favorite things and ready to tackle the new year. This week, I am switching gears and spending time preparing for school.

The Best Laid Plans...

This week I have opened up my calendar and have begun the process of seeking a vision for our school year. I have already chosen my core curriculum so now it is time to sit down and think about how I will implement my year. Ironically, Pinterest has been a real help for me as I try and figure it all out.

Homeschool Board

One of the first things I wanted to do was envision the "end product." What do I hope to accomplish with my children? Our family is entering a new phase. I am 50% done educating my children! Can I get a Woo Hoo? I know that I will never achieve perfection but I do find myself pondering what I could have done better with the older two. This is also my second and even third go-around teaching some of these subjects. That is a strange feeling. When I first started out, I quickly realized how little I knew and invested a tremendous amount of time myself reading, researching, and just enjoying the journey. So here I sit ready to enter this new phase.

As I go through this week, I will be preparing lesson plans, but more importantly I will praying for vision, revisiting my goals for my children, and yes getting organized!

So what's on my board? Well...

• Teaching Natures through the Sciences - This one came to me through A Holy Experience. What appealed to me was the idea of my 3rd grader making his own nature calendar. A thought I have is to find some kind of collection-shelf-thingy (and yes that is the technical term for it) hung on his wall and post the original next to it. Then he can display his treasures for the month.
• Sketchbooks - Each year I end up using these more and more. I love the idea of each child creating their own "textbook" for different subjects. I have done this in the past and have loved the outcome. This year my high schooler will be making a Book of Centuries, but we will be using the Century chart as our timeline.
• I would also like to use a sketchbook to make a biology notebook for my 9th grader. A few years back I dabbled with this idea with my 2nd child. There is definitely a learning curve. Things I liked about it was the ownership of carefully recreating drawings and labeling items. We chose a couple of different spines to help us stay on course and never really loved any of our choices.
• Biology 101 DVD by Wes Olsen  - We are going to try a different approach for our spine and will be adding this to my ever growing arsenal of biology curriculum. I will have to get back to you on my opinions. ;-)
• A Commonplace book - This idea has intrigued me for a very long time. As I look over my own bookshelf I realize that I have several of these and honestly, isn't blogging a virtual form of a Commonplace book? With that said, I would like to introduce the idea to my two remaining students. For now, it will be simple. Mostly just about creating a habit and hopefully this will evolve as our school year progresses. On a side note, child #2 started a Commonplace book without any nudging or introduction from me. She didn't have a name for it but when sharing with me one day I realized that yes indeed that is what she had started.
• The Well-Planned Day and The Well-Guided High Schooler - What can I say about my favorite planners that I already haven't said before? They truly are a blessing at helping me keep our home and school organized. I love the articles. I love the perforated shopping list, I love the meal planner, and I love the scriptures & catechism questions but mostly I love that it is all neatly bound up and looks so pretty I just can't wait to open it and work in it. (yes I am an organizing nerd)
• School pictures - This is an area that I am neglectful. At the end of each year, I do collect the best photos of the year and digitally scrapbook our family. I even take the time to journal our year in review. In previous years, I scrapbooked yearbooks for my older children so that they would have tangible memories. This was a compromise since we would not have yearbooks. I like the idea of taking the photo and adding fun facts about the child on the photo itself. This will be a fun challenge but I do plan to start.

Overachievers Anonymous...

"Hi my name is Shelley and I am an overachiever."


"Hi Shelley."

Yes it is so true. School comes to an end and the lazy days of summer begin. My mind fills with all the projects I have postponed because time has not permitted me to be creative. Soon I am up to my eyeballs in half-completed projects and then I feel the pangs of frustration.

Surely I am not alone in this homeschool mom epidemic! There must be more like me. So I thought I would (in an effort to prioritize) put my delusions of grandeur down for all to see.

1. Scrapbook newspaper clippings of my father. I saw a container at my mother's and wanted to help her with this project. Sadly this has been in my possession for 2 years. Scrapbook purchased but stalled out at the thought of preserving the clippings first or just scrapbooking them.

2. Make movie of my parent's wedding. This year for Mother's Day we had their wedding audio restored. I have scanned the wedding album and even have it laid out in the software. The song track has been selected. It is an instrumental version of "Unforgettable" performed by the Boston Pops Orchestra. I have stalled out as I take audio clips from the wedding and overlay that with the music. Once I motivate myself to finish this task I will get back to editing the pictures with the audio.

3. Remove wire shelving from pantry and finish pantry update.

4. Organize storage closet to appease my OCD and to make life easier when I have to venture in to the pit of despair.

5. Finish my decorating my daughter's bedroom. The room was painted over July 4th weekend. Now we have to repurpose (AKA spray paint) an old curtain rod. Then we will be finishing up the fabric headboard and deciding the best plan of attack for curtains. Also, repaint gold mirror for a more shabby chic feel. Once all that is done we can start hanging pictures and placing furniture.

6. Learn to make whole wheat sourdough bread and then decide if this will be a regular family menu item or continue to buy store-bought bread.

7.  Find an overnight business trip of my husband's so that I can tag along with my school supplies in tow. Spend the day he is working, reading and preparing for the new school year.

8. Read several books for fun that have been sitting on my bookshelf patiently waiting.

Even as I type this, I find myself exhausted and feeling defeated before I even really begin. Too many times, I am in a hurry to see the end result and I forget to enjoy the journey. As I look back over this list, I am reminded that I should be enjoying the journey and spend some time in each task searching for the joy.

1. Walk down memory lane and ask my children to join me as we revisit memories of my father. Share my childhood stories as the newspaper clippings remind me of them. Let my children know their grandfather.

2. Remind myself of an incredible example set before by my parents living out "till death do us part." Create a way for my mom to remember one of the happiest days of her life.

3. Spend time with my daughter and create a kitchen that she can enjoy cooking in.

4. Ok not much here that I can think of other than just to enjoy the vision becoming reality!

5.  Quality time with my daughter as we explore our creative side and finish up her room.

6.  I am happy to report that today I did check this item off the list and was even more thrilled when my husband said it was actually good. :-) Creating my starter from scratch and then working in the ktichen with my budding chef was well worth it!

7. This one has been a bit more difficult than expected. There is no doubt that my husband has an abundance of trips. Unfortunately none of them are short over nights. Still praying on this one because it has been such a blessing to me in the past. I typically take some school items, my Bible, journal and my Well-Planned Day calendar. It is during this time that I begin to get a vision of how my school day will flow and often I find my verse for each child.

8. This particular enjoyment has eluded me lately. I find myself just too tired to sit and read. No worries, I am positive I will recover in this area.

So what about you? What are your summer projects? Do you too suffer from Overachieveritis?

Organized Simplicity...Writing the Purpose Statement

As you may have previously read, I am enjoying reading through Organized Simplicity. I find myself working through drawers and closets a little bit at a time and feeling like with each effort I am working towards my goal of simple living.

Recently I added myself to my husband's work schedule and booked us a staycation getaway. Tucked away in my suitcase was my book. One of my goals was to just sit and talk with him and work through a family purpose statement. Over a leisurely breakfast in the hotel lobby, we sat and discussed our family. I listened as he shared his thoughts and opinions...he was a patient man to do this with me. As he spoke I wrote down what he said and have spent the past few days mulling over our conversation.

Our family is entering a new season as one more prepares to leave the nest but two still remain. I have been deeply challenged by this task. As I put our conversation in to a simple timeless purpose statement I find words like intentional, service, and love surrounding the goals and ideals we are raising our family in. I am pondering, at least for a while, putting our statement in a framed chalkboard to rest on our kitchen table. This is the place where we school, where we eat, where we build relationships. It seems only fitting.

Organized Simplicity...the family room

Why is that when you have company coming the desire to spruce things up and decorate always magnifies? As the end of the school year continues to eek its way ever closer I find my mind filled with ideas on how to fix up the house before our upcoming graduation. This time it is a bit different though because I am also hearing the words from the pages of Organized Simplicity flow through my mind.


This past week my personal decorator, my sister, visited and in between baking every sweet known to man in some new contraption called Babycakes and a spa visit we managed to tweak a blue accent wall I had painted (we did repaint it!) Balance and simplicity had been achieved.

But wait...shopping around the house worked out great for my living room and dining room but my family room was crying for some attention. Over time, it has become the family dumping grounds for all the misfit and "not sure what to do with items." My 17 year old even called me in to the room for a conference where she then laid out a plan to get this room back in gear. First she said I needed to take everything down. Then she replied that I would need to just start over.

What? Start over? Ugh that sounds so tiring. Are you sure?

My family room has lost it's purpose and so it is time to clear out this room of all the pictures, little knick knacks and only return that which fits our family purpose statement. I will examine each item and ask the question, "Is it useful or beautiful to anyone in the family?"  My goal is not to go and buy a bunch of new stuff but rather incorporate what I have. (side note: I hear that's the definition of redesign)

And so our journey begins...

The Master Craftsman

A while back I posted a blog, titled "The Apprentice." In it I shared all my creative decorative ideas for our living room. Recently my sister visited and once again she proved that she is the Master Apprentice!
  

The Apprentice



The Master Craftsman



The Apprentice

The Master Craftsman

OK so I still have much to learn from the wise one but at least I tried!

Organized Simplicity...the calendar

Words can not describe how much Organized Simplicity, has been rolling around in my mind. It seems like each week a new facet is brought forth for me to consider. This week it is the calendar.

With four kids we can easily spend much of our time in the car shuttling them here and there. There is no doubt that our life is filled with seasons and there are times when commitments overlap and it is necessary but overall we can over-schedule ourselves. For our family a compromise was to allow the children to play sports but only one child per season. This decision was brought about after a particular sports season where several nights of the week were spent at practices and Saturdays were spent criss-crossing town while mom and dad tag teamed which child's game they would watch. We were out and about more than we were in. As a result, we were all feeling the stress this stretched-thin calendar. I longed for peaceful evenings with my family and dinner around the table and so our compromise was reached.

Recently we again had to spend more time in the car than I would have liked driving the older children. As we finally emerge from this season I am reminded once again how precious the calendar truly is and how we should diligently guard it. Free time is valuable time for a child as well as a family. It is in these moments when we process the events and knowledge of the day. Charlotte Mason calls this materly inactivity.

'Masterly Inactivity.'––A blessed thing in our mental constitution is, that once we receive an idea, it will work itself out, in thought and act, without much after-effort on our part; and, if we admit the idea of 'masterly inactivity' as a factor in education, we shall find ourselves framing our dealings with children from this standpoint, without much conscious effort.
Charlotte Mason Volume 3 Chapter 3

Education is a Life...Mornings

As I continue to meditate on Organized Simplicity, I find myself seeking more intentional schooling. I can look back over the conferences I have attended, webinars I have participated in, and books I have read I see that this is what God has been preparing in me for a while...intentional schooling! With that said, I thought I would share the evolution of our typical school day.

This is mainly what the later half of our week looks like. On Monday we host a co-op here in our home and I try to stick to the idea of the schedule but am realistic enough to know that things happen and that my schedule is meant to be my guide not my dictator. On Tuesdays we are out of the home for a different co-op and after school activities.

Mornings:

We begin our morning with dictation.
I use the Well-Planned Day for our choices.
I do love that planner!
After dictating the selection, we read over it again and punctuate the sentence.
This is where we briefly discuss grammar. We will get more grammar during writing.

This is my youngest's handwriting book.
He copies an English proverb in cursive and then practices saying & writing phonograms.

In order to give our hands a break, we switch gears and read aloud a lesson.

After our Thinking Toolbox lesson, we pull out our respective math lessons and work quietly.

Sometimes I will turn on a Pandora playlist depending on our mood!

Then on to my favorite subjects.
Honestly I could spend hours here and try really hard not to be overwhelming.
I let Tapestry of Grace "drive" the subject.

We read a variety of books and work in our Century Charts or History notebooks.
In this picture, my youngest is reading Story of the World while listening to the CD

Once again, Tapestry of Grace is my resource for Literature study.
I find that the pace is a little ambitious for our family so we do slow things down a bit.
Planning helps in this area.
I have also been having great success with the Go!Chart and like pulling this out on occasion.


Afternoons:
One area of weakness I have is science.
Knowing this about me, we have chosen to seek co ops that offer the sciences.
During the week, each one works on the reading and labs and/or activities are done in co op.
This has been a great help

This is the core of our year. We have languages, music study, art study, etc. but these are not daily activities and so they are interspersed throughout the week.
We also have books we read and our Bible study time before school or in the evenings.

Each year our typical day looks a little different as our needs and schedules change. Only recently have I been able to turn over the responsibility of driving the older ones to their work and activities. This has certainly helped to keep the atmosphere of our day in order. I try very hard to guard our calendar and truly pray over our long-term commitments. Each year has different priorities and goals. I am enjoying our mornings quite a bit more but a huge part of that is being prepared myself. It is not enough to say you want to live simplistically. I think the other part of that must be organization. When things become crazy I still have a plan. I still have a system that I can rely on with minimal effort. I am truly enjoying seeing all the threads of my life weaving together and am finding great peace in knowing the God has been the one behind it all. I am finding great joy in my mornings!

Organized Simplicity...the home

ReDesign Concepts

As I mentioned previously we are reading Organized Simplicity and as I continue to digest this topic I have been struck by the notion of the simple home.

When we were newly married, we were stationed in California. I sold my car so that I could be a stay-at-home mom and we made adjustments to being a one car family. The kids were young and we walked everywhere we needed to get to. Fridays were set aside to clean the house and catch up on laundry which I could have finished before school got out. Our weekends were also simple. Long leisurely nights sitting on the back porch swinging, looking out over the fields and talking into the wee hours.

Often my husband and I comment how much simpler life was back then. The house was less cluttered, our commitments were not so scattered.I think I have always had a desire to live as simplistically as possible, but life tends to happen. Children are born, we collect more things, we make more commitments and before we know it we are tired and worn out. I certainly recognize that life is full of seasons and as I am currently leaving one and entering a new season, I can not help but ponder the simple home.

What does it look like now?

First of all I would like to say that God has blessed me with some incredible women in my life and I glean from them all. First my mother. I describe her as June Cleaver. She made our house a home. Her housework was never displayed as a burden. She took great joy in being a homemaker, wife, and mother. The atmosphere in our home was welcoming and filled with happiness.

Then there is my sister. I describe her as the ReDesign Fairy. She is so talented and just an all-round wonderful person. A few years back she took what little I had and made both my husband and I fall in love with our home. She set the wheels in motion. Paint, a few pictures, and creative decorating made our home something we loved. Before long she has transformed our home in to a place where we could school, put it all away and enjoy dinner by candlelight. I am thankful for that gift. The decorating was the icing on the cake but the real joy came from the atmosphere she helped me create for my home.

When my husband is not travelling we try very hard (stress the word, try) to have the main living area cleaned up before he comes home from work. For me this is a simple act of love telling him that we appreciate all his hard work and long hours to provide for us. I don't want him to feel the stress of housework or schoolwork when he walks through the front door. Making sure that everything has a home is important to me. Clean up should be simple and can be beautiful as well. It's all about the atmosphere you create in your home. Having homes for our things and putting all together with fabrics and textures and paint help create the right atmosphere.

Purpose Statement...

I have really been enjoying Organized Simplicity. I think this has been a topic near and dear to my heart for quite some time. I am currently on the topic of creating a family purpose statement. As I read, this got me to thinking about my educational philosophy for my family when we first started. I remember stating clearly what my desires were for their education and how this has helped guide me in my decision making. So now this week I am faced with the challenge of asking my husband and I to define our purpose as a family. I am looking forward to some quiet hours, time with God, and time with my husband as we search for this.

What would your educational purpose be? What about your family purpose? Could you put it in to a simple, timeless statement?

Organized Simplicity...the plan

So I found this new book and the title caught my eye...Organized Simplicity. There has never been a book title that could so accurately reflect my desires for my home. Both words indicate peaceful living and hospitality.

Then a friend of mine ordered the book and posted it on Facebook. Like the generous person she is, she allowed me to peek at it. It only took an afternoon of glimpsing through the chapters to know this would be worth my time to read. So I came up with a plan.

Two very dear friends and I have been wanting to plan a trip to my hometown in Florida. We wanted to unplug and spend time leisurely enjoying walks around the lake and share great conversation over good food. So for the next 10 weeks we will be reading through Part 1 of Organized Simplicity. Then we will load up my van and head down chomping at the bit to share our lightbulb moments and of course relax! When we return we will begin Part 2 which is the practical application of the book. I am truly looking forward to all the aspects of this little bookish adventure and can not wait to share it all with you.

Thinking Outside of the Box...

This month I have been cleaning out the school room and getting ready for the new school year. When we first started homeschooling my then 6th grader said the only thing she wanted was a locker. She could handle the transition but not the loss of lockers. Well she is going to be a senior next year and we finally got lockers!

OK so it's not the metal lockers of my past but who wants that in their house? Each one is chock full of next year's goodies and no one is the wiser. I love creative storage and thinking outside the box!

The Well-Planned Day

This is my absolute favorite planner hands down.

Planner OR Recorder  - www.wellplannedday.comThe homeschooling life can quickly become busy and when you can not find the time to plan out your class assignments, no worries. Simply use the Well-Planned Day to record your child's daily schoolwork and activities. Recording your homeschool day helps you stay on track and keeps you motivated as you look back over all that has been accomplished.

2. Dinner is Ready!

Research has shown the value of families enjoying dinner around the table. With the Well-Planned Day, planning your meals becomes a breeze. Use the dinner menu to plan your weekly meals and the perforated shopping list to organize your trip to the grocery store.

3. Compatible with Year Round Schooling
Home educating schedules vary from family to family, but regardless of your annual routine, the Well-Planned Day will accommodate! Beginning in July 1st and ending in June, each planner is a full 12 months.

4. Chore and Assignment Charts for Young Ones

Help young children develop good habits with the perforated chore and assignment charts. To use, simply tear out, laminate and use all year long with dry erase markers.
5. Read through the Bible in a Year Family Devotions

As Jonathan Edwards stated, “Family education and order are some of the chief means of grace. If these fail, all other means are likely to prove ineffectual.” Family Worship can be planned using the month-at-a-glance scripture references. Using a thematic approach, you can enjoy reading through different sections of the Bible all year long.

Biblical Themes:


Day of the Week Theme Books of the Bible


Monday Law Genesis - Deuteronomy

Tuesday History Joshua - Esther

Wednesday Psalms Psalm


Thursday Poetry Job, Proverbs - Song of Solomon


Friday Prophecy Isaiah - Malachi, Revelations


Saturday Gospels Matthew - Acts


Sunday Letters Romans - Jude

 6. Attendance and Progress Reports PLUS Report Cards!

 

Track each students progress and attendance and issue report cards at the end of the year. Report cards can be used in your community for special discounts, freebies, and to show off to the grandparents!

 7. Homeschool Encouragement


Be encourage all year long as you educate your children with articles from the Home Educating Family Magazine. Challenging articles focusing on parenting, marriage, and homeschooling.

EXAMPLES:

Raising a Writer

To Love, Honor and Vacuum

Welcome to the Adventure

History ReVisited

and more....

 8. Type, Save and Print PDF Version
 New this year, the pdf versions have been recently updated to a format that allows typing, saving and printing.

 

10. The Pretty Factor!

Best of all the Well-Planned Day is a full-color, beautifully designed planner developed with homeschool moms in mind. Each page is thoughtfully orchestrated with a consistent flow, making homeschool planning enjoyable!

www.wellplannedday.com

Looking back...

I don't think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday. -Abraham Lincoln

As the school year progresses slowly towards its end I become more reflective of what we have accomplished and learned. I separate the two because honestly what we don't accomplish can be just as important.

Mom's Lessons

• I am reminded once again of the grace and goodness of God...even when I am struggling He is in control of everything.
• I am reminded that children, no matter what the age, need their mother's love and encouragement.
• I became more aware that I am the thermometer of the house and directly influence the atmosphere of our home.
• I am reminded that more than anything I desire to create a safe and loving home where my children can laugh, learn, and grow.
• I am reminded that life is filled with seasons...some longer than others, some joyful, some painful but still it is just for a season.

School Lessons

• I learned that I love the flexibility of virtual co-ops and the opportunities it provides.
• I learned that when all else fails, read read read.
• I enjoyed notebooking and narrations this year and love seeing the fruits of our labor.
• I am reminded that proper planning makes a happy homeschool.
• I enjoyed discussing history and current events with the children and planting seeds along the way.
• I am still trying to find my niche for writing but we plugged along in spite of my weakness.
• I enjoyed reading living books to my children and creating our Book of Centuries.

Practical Lessons

• I am  in love with my new planners! I have already ordered by 2010-2011 teacher planner.
• I love our box system with my elementary student. Planning has become simple.
•  Audiobooks have been helpful as I try to juggle three levels of literature.

Well Grounded Middle Schooler

**I am still in the middle of my outdoor day but paused for lunch & mail.**

I am so excited! My middle school planner arrived in the mail today. (yes I am doing a little happy dance right now) I currently use the Well-Planned Day calendar and love all that it offers so when I got the email announcing student planners I knew I had to have it. One of the appealing features to both planners is the way that it combines school and home.




A few of my favorite features:

• Month-at-a-Glance
• Week-at-a-Glance
• Monthly study of the 12 attributes of God
• Weekly catechism
• Reference section for all subjects

**And now it is time to get back outside!**

Teaching him to play...

Last week was a nice week of finishing up some simple projects, reading fun books, and generally having a relaxing time. One of our projects was to reorganize my youngest's toys and incorporate some personal responsibility in school. I found this system at Ikea (one of my favorite places for fun organization finds) and my wheels began to turn.

"I realized I am teaching my youngest ones to play."

Those are the words a friend of mine confessed last week and I was struck by those words. In the chaos of juggling school there are moments when I feel more like Elastigirl from the Incredibles than Shelley. During those times, my youngest has taken to a new habit of going outside to play. Now this isn't a completely bad thing UNTIL I realized he was outside more often than not! Uh oh I was teaching him to play instead of teaching him to finish what he started. I needed to retrain this habit. My friend was speaking of how the workbox system has been helpful for her and so I began to read a little more and then began to tweak it. What I decided to do is buy 6 green bins. Each bin has an item of school that Ben can work on independently. I might put a book in one bin and a coloring page with crayons in another; his math workbook and a story he can read. On each item I wrote directions on a post-it note explaining what he needed to do. Each night I "pack" the bins and have been enlisting Ben to help keep the excitement.

By the way, the labels were my son's idea. Maybe I really am rubbing off on my kids!

The Well-Planned Day

Well-Planned Day

For those that know me know that I am an organizing nerd. Sometimes I achieve greatness but most of the time I am simply striving for the goal. :-) I stumbled across this homeschool planner at the beginning of the year and instantly fell in love! It has done a wonderful job of merging the managament of your homeschool life with the management of your home. Here are a few of my favorite features.

• daily Bible readings
• perforated shopping lists for each month
• week-at-a-glance that includes menu planning
• perforated report card (homeschool friendly)
• perforated progress report
• transcript sheet
• goal sheet

For a pdf preview, go to http://www.wellplannedday.com/

Digital Diva...

This week I have been learning about a whole new world called "virtual co-oping." About a year ago, I began to roll around in my mind just how this could be done. Then I found some wonderful ladies who have pioneered this process and have had a successful co-op for five years now.

The toolbox:

• http://www.wiziq.com/ - this is a free online whiteboard. I have looked at others but this one has been pretty user friendly...so far.
• power point - this is where I have been working the most preparing slides to go with my lectures.
• online file sharing system - I personally like http://www.yahoogroups.com/
  schedule - with yahoo groups you can have a shared calendar listing class times, important dates, vacations, etc.
• like-minded families - this is the key to success

Here is a sample of my work for Apologia Human Body module 1. The kids will have the opportunity to answer questions by "virtually" raising their hands, discuss live the subject matter, review, even play games, or take a quiz. The possibilities are endless!

Whistle While You Work.

Recently, I read another blogger's post on how she spends her summer and being the partial compulsive perfectionist that I am I was intrigued. I love a clean organized home however I am also realistic enough to know that when you live with five other people your dreams and expectations may not always be met. This blogger had a fantastic suggestion about how to clean and organize your house. She simply suggested cleaning a room a week during the summer months. After reading that I was hooked! I could totally do this and so I proceeded to divide the house up in to 9 sections. Each week we work on thoroughly cleaning, throwing away, donating, and reorganizing each room. I have been amazed at all the junk we have been hanging on to and thrilled at removing all the clutter. We are now in week 4. I have clean closets and cabinets (inside and out), organized drawers and a tremendous feeling of accomplishment. I even polished my pots and pans. LOL