Well, my buddy, Cactus Wren, wrote about her cherished homeschool assistants over on her blog recently. I just loved reading it as I was so able to picture her family being homeschooled and how it all looks. (Though it DOES help that in the past I've seen photos of her schooling area!LOL)  So, I thought I'd write a bit about a few of my favorite homeschooling assistants...

My Computer-- truly my #1. Yes, I *could* homeschool without it, but it would make it difficult to connect with other homeschoolers in the area (since we move reguarly), find out what's going on around the area (since we don't subscribe to any local newspapers), it saves me time (since I design and make forms, notebook pages, etc on the computer MUCH quicker than I do by hand), saves me money (shop around for great bargains, school items, find images and information without HAVING to buy books for those same things, etc), keeps me organized (I can't ever say TOO much about staying organized.)

Our Whiteboards-- great giant space for our notetaking during discussion times, working out math together, art lessons, and so much more. (You can see a photo of one of our big whiteboards here. The picture is old now, since i've rearranged some things, sold off some things, and tidied up numerous times since then, LOL... but you get the idea.)

Many Bookshelves-- I don't think I could ever have tooo many shelves! But, those that I do have are well loved, well used, and well loaded. They allow me to collect books for upcoming studies, store them in a manner that allows me to access them easily. I'm able to sort, arrange, and organize the various books into subject area, reading level, etc. Doing so keeps me better organized, allows for  spontaneity in our studies when desired, and my daughter is able to locate books on subjects she wants to know more about and/or find books that appeal to her for free reading. Okay, yes I'll admit it.... having any unused space on a bookshelf gives me license to buy another book(s). But with that admission, I also must say that I *do* try to cull our books on a regular basis either through Paperback Swap or various selling methods.

Two cars-- We've managed with one vehicle in the past, but boy, oh boy, having a second car again sure has made life easier for all of us! DH has a car to commute to/from work and the gym while I have a mini-van that my DD and I can hop into for lessons, park days, field trips, library visits, errand running, etc. Thankfully my and my DH's prayers were answered last December when we did buy that second car that fit nicely into our budget. We had two cars in 2002 but hadn't since then. I forgot how nice it was!

Page Protectors-- Whether storing my DD's nature notebook pages, her memory work, or covering a pricey workbook I want to sell off after usage, page protectors are fabulous! They've saved me time and money in the long run. My DD is able to keep not only flat notebook sheets but also adhere dried leaves/flowers, etc to the notebook pages and keep them safely inside a protector. Her memory work notebook has withstood 3 or so years of daily use because of page protectors, and it is still going strong! I was able to sell off my entire MUS set as "nearly new" because my DD wrote on page protectors placed over workbook pages instead of writing directly onto the workbook. (Note: we're since opted to forego the protectors on the math workbook because the math is getting "more detailed" and pencil is better.) My entire Tapestry of Grace program is in page protectors! Yes, it is a bit of an investment to buy all the protectors initially, but I happen to adore prestine pages and with protectors I'm able to keep them that way. In my TOG binders I use Sharpie markers to write on (and rubbing alcohol swabs to erase them clean.) 

Of course I have other "handy dandy" things I use regularly in our homeschooling. These are just the first few things that came to mind, and even probably have the biggest impact on our homeschooling.