Here's the cover of my binder-
Collaged various items to the front that represent me and my family.
Modge-podged it all afterwards to seal it. **Ooops, I forgot about the
stamped images and accidentally smeared them a bit
with the modge-podge. Oh well.*
And the spine:
And yes, part of my binder design was to edge it all in black
for that "worn" look. Hey, I figure I might as well start the
wear and tear off right! LOL
And the back:
Well, as it turned out, creating and decorating the outside of the binder was the easy part. It was more difficult to actually decide what I wanted to put in the binder... and not just to fill it up! I've been collecting various forms, pages, charts, etc. for who knows how long. Unfortunately I didn't have the mind to think to keep note of where I got most of them. So if you happen to see a page and know where it originated from, please leave me a comment with the link and I'll thankfully & happily link to it as proper credit!
First inside is a bulldog clip, to hold the "hot stuff" (things I'm actively working on or need to be.) In this photo it holds the summer camp registration and waiver forms for my DD plus a Office Depot brochure I need to follow up on, having registered ages ago but never received my personal card. (Digital noise added to cover up vital personal information, etc.)The right hand side holds a brown pouch for various writing instruments, calculator, notepads, etc. On the smooth, clear window I stuck a couple pads of Post-it Notes. They stick well, and use the rest of the window to hold notes.
Next page is a lovely little
household prayer from the Susan Branch website. I just love her stuff!
And that is followed by the month's print out of my Outlook calendar. Nothing fancy, it doesn't even show the full information, but it's enough to bring something to mind if/when I need it and I'm not at the computer.
Next is an "at a glance" calendar for 2008. Very basic. As with most all the pages, since it is in a page protector I use a Sharpie marker to write on it instead of the actual calendar sheet. This comes off with an alcohol swab or a good rubbing with a plastic eraser.
And for adding "extras" to our typical learning, I printed two months of calendars from
Teacher Vision. January is seen here...
...while February is here. To the right of that is a little graphic I printed & cut out with edging scissors.
Next is a homemade
Cleaning Solutions page(from
Starry Sky Ranch) and then a month's worth of pages from the
Motivated Moms Planner I purchased for a mere $8.00. Those that know me know I'm a list maker. I started a few different times to make my own but eventually decided it was quicker/easier to just buy the one from
Motivated Moms. There are a couple of things from time to time that I mark out either because it doesn't need to be done again so soon or it doesn't apply. No big deal. I'll happily contend with the mark-outs and not have to spend the time to create my own. Maybe one day, but not today.
Here's that page spread...
You'll see on the top right corner of the Motivated Moms Planner page I've added a graphic.
That graphic and others that I've added in future pages of the planner for the month are
from
About.com's Funday Calendar. I cut out graphics for days that have something which
I'd like to remember and/or celebrate, discuss, etc. and just glue them on the planner page.
Additional month's graphics get stored in a pocket in the back of the section. I only cut/glue one
month's worth at a time since I like to see how busy the month is already before adding more to it.
Here's today's planner page as it was this morning. (Yes, I've since gotten more done!LOL)
I use a "TODAY" ringed-ruler to mark today's day.
To it I've stuck a large post-it note of tasks I need to do as time permits
for homeschooling. Hmmm, look like I need to mark some of those as completed! Woohoo!
At the very back of this calendar/planner section I've put a thick plastic divider from a former daytimer binder I had. It holds post-its for future notes to myself. Most "future notes" are as flagged messages in my Outlook program but sometimes a note I need to remember comes up when I'm not at the computer and I just put it on a post-it for here.
Next an (empty) business card holder. I had it from that former Daytimer binder. As you can see I don't have any business cards, so if it never gets filled I may just stow it away someplace. But maybe I'll put it to use. LOL Also is my Bible section pocket. I've taken most of the things out for privacy (like lists of prayer requests from friends) but here you can see the
Our Daily Bread.
Inside the Bible section is a Proverbs 31:10-31 sheet:
(LOL I just noticed I forgot to change the tab paper on one of the divider tabs.
I do NOT have a "Language Arts" section in this binder. I'm repurposing these
tabbed pocket dividers from a former homeschooling binder I used to keep. oops!)
(After that is a blank section that I apparently needed to fill now that it is no longer mislabeled as Language Arts!)
The next section is "Child Rearing" and so far holds--
Stages of Responsibility (ages 8 - 15)
You can also see here the right hand page which is a tabbed pocket divider for a section
called "Home Education." Currently in this pocket is a flyer from Joann's (outdated but there
as a visual reminder to follow up with them on the next class schedule... which was NOT
posted last time I checked,) a flyer for a Ren. Festival, and an old handiwork plan I made.
This Home Education section has another image that has been edge-cut
Then some looseleaf paper for list making (here's one page as an example)---
I use Homeschool Tracker for our record keeping and my lesson planning so I don't have much in this section for homeschooling. However, I did include--
Three pages of
Charlotte Mason's principles
A page from HSLDA for when (if) a social worker comes to the door:
And their Authorization Form (should I ever need it.)
You can also see above the pocket for master grocery lists. I'm not quite at the point of USING one of these yet, as I need to revise it for our own usage, but it's there to remind me to do so!LOL
On the back of that pocket is another pocket that holds recipes I've printed/collected that I'd like to try. To the right of that is a printed Excel sheet I made of various meals. I pick and choose from this sheet when I'm making up a new grocery list for upcoming meals. Again, since it is in a page protector I just write w/ a Sharpie on the page to highlight those meals I've bought for, that way I don't make any one thing to often!
Then comes a "Current Season/Holiday" section. In the pocket is a magazine insert for wintery recipes and behind that are magazine tear-outs I've collected for the winter months. These are updated as the calendar proceeds.
"Future Season/Crafting Idea" is a place to store print-outs and magazine/newspaper tear-outs. I move "current holiday & seasons" ones to the previous folder when it is time. Eventually, this folder will probably become its own binder or set of file folders as I have too many to even put in this section.
And as for now the last section is "General Crafting" ideas. Again, print-outs & tear-outs I've collected.
The pink X or Star at the top right of pages tells me THAT is the side of the page I saved
it for (not the other side.) I write this with a Slick Writer marker so it won't smudge.
I've seen some people's binders with their family budget/bill paying-- me, I have a different notebook for that.
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Posted by Alicia@Daughter of Hope 
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that rocks!
I'm sure I'll have more questions and comments but my first on is how do you use the educators calander in your school day. This looks like something my kids would love!