Posted in Organization

One thing that makes my life easier at times is creating a snack shelf. I do this for my daughters sometimes. It helps to save me time during the week, which can be spent on educational or family activities.

A snack shelf is easy to create. Do it after you go shopping, while you are putting groceries away. Make sure you have all of the supplies that you may need on hand when you begin. You may need zipper baggies, a cookie jar, reusable containers or other supplies. You will also need a cupboard or a shelf for storing everything.

This is what I do:

I have a box of snack size baggies available, as well as a cookie jar and a large mixing bowl. I also have crackers, nuts and other ingredients on hand.

* I usually have 2 or 3 types of crackers available. Crackers are things that children will eat way to many of, so I look on the box to see what an actual serving size is. Usually, each type of cracker has a different serving size. I put only 1 serving size in each snack size zipper baggie. These are placed in a big mixing bowl on the shelf.

* On rare occasions, I may buy a bag of chips as a treat. This usually occurs during the summer. I use sandwich baggies for these if they are big chips, or snack size baggies if they are small. They may have a bag every couple of days. When children are very active, this helps to replenish salt. They really only need one bag a week, but I do not mind them having a bag every couple of days if they are otherwise eating healthy meals.

* I like to keep a small jar of peanut butter on the shelf so that they can put it on their crackers if they would like.

* I also like to put fresh fruits on the shelf, and any canned ones that are available for snacking.

* The last thing that I like to do is make a trail mix. The amounts and ingredients vary according to what we need (and what is cheap) at the time. Here is the basic recipe:

4 cups of assorted store brand Chex Cereal

½ to 1 cup of nuts

1 small candy per bag

1 cup raisins or 1 dried fruit per bag

1 cup seeds

This makes a generally healthy snack. I store them in snack size zipper baggies and put them into the cookie jar.

It is a good idea to have your children’s first snack of the day be a piece of fruit. I also would not allow snacking for an hour or so before a meal. This could ruin their appetite. You could even set up a set schedule, like snacks at 10:00, 2:00 and 7:00. Whatever works best for your family.

This also makes it easy for grabbing snacks as you are on your way out of the house. It will be cheaper in the long run to do this, because you do not have to keep stopping at convenience stores while you are out.

If you wanted to go a step further, you could dedicate a shelf in the refrigerator for pre-made (by you) drinks in small 1-serving containers. The ones in the store are generally more than 1-serving. For instance, 1 serving of juice is only 1/4 to ½ cup, depending on the type. It is also a good idea to keep water bottles filled during the summer months. These can all be easily grabbed on your way out the door as well.

***

Shannon Buck is a single, homeschooling mom of 2 residing in a small town in Maine. You can visit her sites at http://www.thehomeschoolmomof2.com and http://www.thelowincomewayoflife.com

Posted in Organization

Well, it is that time of the year again. The education of our children is in full swing, we are trying to prepare our homes and lives for winter. We are very busy indeed. So, how can we make life a little easier on ourselves without spending a lot of money?

By preparing some food items that we will use on our own, and stocking our cupboards and freezers with them. By doing this, we will save money, energy and time for us and our families. Here are some ideas to get you started.

* Mac and cheese can be made quickly. Add some meats (not tuna!) And vegetables to make this a healthier choice. Freeze in quart size freezer bags in individual servings. Be sure to get all of the air out when freezing anything. You can make numerous boxes of mac and cheese at once, all with the same add-ins or split it into mixing bowls adding different add-ins per bowl. Whatever you do, cook all of the pasta in 1 big pot to save energy and time, and be sure to label before freezing. If taken out of the freezer the day before you need this, they will make great lunches. (I use a homemade mac and cheese recipe that is healthier than boxed.)

* Make an assortment of muffins and wrap them individually with plastic wrap. Bake a bunch of batches, mixing like batches in one bowl. If you have four or more batches being mixed into one bowl, delete an egg. Bake them all at once in the oven to save time and energy costs. You can put the wrapped muffins into gallon size. Get as much air as you can out of the bags, label and freeze. You can take these out the day before you need them. You can have them for snacks with milk, or at breakfast. For breakfast, try these:

1. Muffin, fruit and milk.

2. Muffin, yogurt and juice.

(You can do the same with the pancakes and french toast below.)

* Make up a bunch of batches of pancakes. Freeze in a gallon size plastic bag on its side, between pieces of freezer paper. Label and freeze. You can pull these out as you need them. We sometimes like to top one with apple pie filling, but this is just a treat.

* Make many batches of french toast, flash freeze, cut into thirds and freeze in snack size zipper bags. Then put all of the bags into a gallon size bag. Label and freeze. Pull out to go with your other breakfast items.

* Make freezable casseroles, freeze as individual servings for another lunch choice.

* Freeze leftover vegetables, vegetable and/or pasta water, and meats in separate containers in the freezer. Once in a while, you can pull them out for a homemade soup.

* In the evenings, you can chop and prepare a lot of foods for the next nights dinner. In the morning, you can put everything into the slow cooker and turn it on low. This will make an easy dinner for later.

* Be sure that you make a trail mix for snacks. I put ours into snack size zipper bags with 1 small treat (bagged in the candy aisle). My children are allowed one a day, and can only have the treat if they eat the rest of the mix first. If you do not believe that your children will do that, I would suggest that you do not put the treats in the bag. Instead, if they eat the snack, give them the treat separately. These can be put on a snack shelf.

* Always keep fresh fruits and vegetables on hand for snacks and salads. The vegetables can generally be cut up once or twice a week and stored in individual containers in the refrigerator. I will also make up individual salads every few days to store in the refrigerator.

* You can also freeze lasagna and other pasta meals in casserole pans. Take them out early the day before you will use them, and they can be baked for dinner. Or freeze them in individual servings for lunches.

If you do the things mentioned above, you will have quite the store of prepared foods to make your days easier. You will be able to spend more time running errands, educating your children, and spending time with your family.

***

Posted in Organization

This week brings softball tryouts for Skye. With a child on any sports team, life gets pretty hectic. First there are tryouts, then finding out if they make the team. Then they are practicing and having games five days a week, and scrimmages some weekends as well as meetings. There is a lot going on.

For those of us who are trying to lose weight, or to maintain their current weight, this can be a bad time. There are ways to combat this. One way is to walk whenever we can. Skye is trying out for softball at the high school in the next town, because our town does not have a high school. I am walking up there with her, walking while I am there, and walking back home with her. I am walking almost six miles a day.

Being gone all of the time poses time restraints on any family. Sometimes this means that we do not eat properly. Instead, we opt for slices of pizza, chips and a soda on the way home from sporting events. This is not good for any of us, and though none of us are perfect and will eat unhealthy things once in a while, we can lessen the number of times we do this throughout the week with a little planning.

Below you will find recipes and ideas that will help your family make better choices during the busy times in your life. The ideal way to go about your planning and preparation is this:

* Do grocery shopping on the weekends.

* Prepare for the coming week on Sunday by doing the following:

     ~ Prepare a few meals, snacks and other healthy alternatives.

     ~ Wash out and prepare a cooler. One of the soft side ones that you can carry easily. You may need one for each person. Start out for one day, putting any utensils, wet wipes, napkins, etc. that you will need into the side/top pocket.

     ~ Prepare enough sets of utensils, wet wipes, napkins, etc. for everyone for the entire week. Have a basket or other container available to put them all into so that you can grab the easily.

     ~ Prepare quick lunches and dinners for those busy days. Double batches of a few recipes, frozen in individual servings, are a big help. Just thaw over night and heat in the microwave or oven. Each family member can choose what they want, and heat it up when it is convenient for them. I like to do this with manicotti, shepherd's pie, lasagna and homemade soups.

     ~ Other quick alternatives to lunches and dinners are canned soups with vegetables. The best ones are more expensive, so stock up on them when they are on sale, and be on the look-out for coupons.

     ~ Make up enough salads for everyone for three or four days. Store them in individual containers in the refrigerator. If your family likes add-ons, store them individually as well. Shredded/cubed cheeses, bacon, cubed meats and dressings can all be stored in individual servings for quick access to add to any salad.

     ~ Cut up and rinse vegetables; allow to dry. Put into individual servings to be stored in the refrigerator. Do this with enough vegetables to cover snacks and meals for three or four days.

     ~ Make sure there are plenty of grab and go fruits on hand.

     ~ Make sure all water bottles are filled and put into the refrigerator. You will need to do this one every night.

     ~ Make a bunch of muffins or breads for the week. Make fruit or vegetable ones, adding real fruit or vegetables to store bought  mixes. Store these in the refrigerator for the week.

     ~ Keep sandwich needs on hand. I do not make these any earlier than the night before I will need them. I store them in the refrigerator.

     ~ A trail mix is great. I store the ones I make in snack size baggies in a big bowl.

     ~ You can store crackers and cheese or peanut butter in the refrigerator for a few days in sandwich bags.

The steps above should be a big help to any family. You have a lot of quick choices throughout the week for when you are at home or out and about. If there will be someone at home when while you are out, start a slowcooker meal so that it will be ready when you get home. Then all you have to bring with you are drinks and snack.

I also try to make sure that each child has a small bag of chips a week. Too many chips are not good for them, but their doctor recommended a bag of chips a week when they play sports. This is to replenish the salt they lose when they sweat.

Here are a few recipes to get you started. You will have to adjust them to feed your family.

Trail Mix:

Wheat Chex cereal

Corn Chex cereal

Rice Chex cereal

pretzels

nuts

dried fruit

raisins

1 or 2 treats per bag - M&M's, Jelly Beans, or something else that is fun.

* Mix everything (except the treats) together in a big bowl. Split the mix among snack size plastic baggies, and add one or two treats to each bag. Wipe out the bowl well, and store the baggies in it.

Shepherd's Pie:

Fill quart size freezer baggies with a serving as follows:

ground beef (cooked in olive oil on lower heat or boiled)

corn/other veggie

mashed potatoes

* Freeze and take out the night or morning before you need them.

Lasagna:

I cook this in the slow cooker. Layer as follows and cook on low all day.

sauce

pasta

sauce

turkey

cheese

* Continue making layers until the slowcooker is 2/3 full. Top with a little extra cheese. Freeze in quart size freezer bags in individual servings. Can be taken out of the freezer the evening or morning before needed.

The Perfect Salad Mix:

(Change to suit your family)

shredded romaine lettuce, or cut up small

shredded carrots

cut up spinach leaves

sliced cucumber

cherry/grape tomatoes

* Also prepare each of the following in individual servings:

dressings

chicken, turkey or ham cubes

cheese cubes or shredded cheeses

chopped turkey bacon

sliced or chopped pickles

*The add-ons will be easy to put on when needed. Store the salad in individual serving sizes in the refrigerator.

Peanut Butter Celery:

Stored in the refrigerator in individual servings.

Wash and cut widthwise into three os four pieces; fill with peanut butter.

***

Shannon Buck is a homeschool mother of two living in a small town with her children. She spends a lot of her spare time writing to help others. You can contact her at thehsmomof2@aol.com, or visit her at http://www.thehomeschoolmomof2.com, http://www.thepampermesite.com, http://www.adventuresinorganzation.com or http://www.thelowincomewayoflife.com.

Posted in Organization

What does a typical day look like for a homeschool family? Well, there really is no typical day, as all families are different. I work six days a week, and have three typical day types. This schedule changes three times a year. It changes according to my sisters school and work schedules. These are our days right now:

Monday, Wednesday:

8:00 - 9:00 am

I wake up, the girls are still in bed. Get dressed, wash up and brush my teeth and hair. I can here Zowie's alarm, she keeps hitting snooze. I pick up my room a little, making the bed. I start a load of laundry, putting it in the dryer when it finishes washing. I clean the bathroom: wipe it down, sweep. I load the dishwasher. I start up the laptop.

9:00 - 9:30 am

I wake up Skye if her boyfriend hasn't called yet. I make sure Zowie is up. I then check my e-mail and do what I need to online. I put my laundry and the bathroom towels, etc. in my room until I have time to fold them. Everything else goes onto the livingroom chair.

Skye and Zowie get up, get dressed, wash up, and all that good stuff, and they scoop out the litter boxes. They also pick up their rooms if the need be, and eat breakfast. They put their clean clothes away if the need be.

Skye feeds the cats and gives them water. She picks up the livingroom when needed. The livingroom is her responsibility.

Zowie empties the dishwasher if it wasn't done the night before, or starts it if I was able to load it with dirty dishes before she got up. It is a portable, so it needs to be moved. When the dishwasher stops, she puts it back and opens it so the dishes can air dry. Zowie puts clean kitchen towels, etc. away. The kitchen is her responsibility.

9:30 am  - (about) 12:00 pm

Studies with me: Geometry, taxes (or other life skill), Science, Language Arts, Daily Warm-Ups (World Geography). We usually finish this early. We do these together because I want to make sure they understand everything properly. I consider these the most important studies.   We study in the livingroom or at the counter where we eat. If studying in the livingroom, I sit on the sofa, Skye in the chair and Zowie on the floor.

I begin work about 10:30 when my nephew arrives. He watches TV or plays quietly until I finish working with the girls. He usually watches The Waltons or Little House on the Prairie at this time.

If the girls finish early enough, I take my nephew for a walk. Usually to the store and/or the post office. I will also take him to the playground to play if it is a nice enough day.

If the girls finish early, they have a snack and then start their independent studies early.

11:30 am

Begin preparing lunch. Sometimes I do this, sometimes one of the girls does it.

Isaiah picks up whatever he has been playing with.

Skye and Zowi pick up there school stuff.

12:00 pm

Lunch. Pick up after lunch. Even Isaiah (9) scrapes his plate and puts his dirty dishes in the sink.

12:30 pm

The girls do/finish their independent studies:

Skye: Women's Studies, World Studies, African American Studies, Cartooning, Literature, etc.

Zowie: World Studies, Cartooning, Literature, Forensics, Criminology, etc.

Most of this is reading.

I hang out with Isaiah. We play the fractions game, Whiz Kids, read, play a different game. Whatever we feel like doing. He is picked up at about 1:30. If we really don't feel like doing anything, we will watch Animal Planet.

1:30 - 2:00 pm

I take some time to myself, maybe have a shower. Just be alone. I try to do this each day, but don't always get to.

2:00 - 6:00 pm

The girls may or may not be done. If they are, they can hang out with friends or whatever.

I try to get some organizing in. I also make crafts for gifts, run errands, write, update websites and blogs or whatever else needs to be done. I  try to get some cleaning in, so my afternoon chores get done.

5:30 pm

Someone makes dinner.

6:00 pm

Evening chores:

Skye is responsible for her room and the livingroom.

Zowie is responsible for her room and the kitchen.

I am responsible for loading the dishwasher, the bathroom, the hall and laundry area and my room. I also do a load of laundry if the need be.

6:30 pm +

TV, talking on the phone, hanging out and talking with each other, Skye's boyfriend may be here until 8:00 or 9:00 pm. At this time of the year we may be wrapping gifts, making out Christmas cards, making crafts or baking. The girls will sometimes hang out with friends at this time. Skye's cerfew is 9:00, Zowie's is 8:30.

8:00 or  9:00 pm

As soon as Skye's boyfriend leaves I go to bed and read.

Skye and Zowie do something quiet in their rooms.

9:00 or 10:00 pm (Depending on when Garnet leaves)

Bedtime.

Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday nights I can stay up a bit later because I do not have to be up as early the next morning.

Tuesday, Thursday,  and Friday

6:00 am

My alarm goes off.

7:00 am

I drag myself out of bed and do my morning routine. I am not an early morning person.

7:30 am

Nephews arrive. Watch TV or they play quietly. We talk.

8:00 am

Breakfast.

Try to get the girls up and going.

The rest of the day is the same as Monday and Wednesday, with a snack at 10:00 am. 

Thursday evening:

4:30 - 5:30 pm

Work. Boys arrive. They hang out with the three of us, or go outside to play with the girls.

6:00 pm

Dinner.

7:00 pm

After we do our chores, we may go for a walk to the playground and hang out there for a while. Right now we are walking to see the christmas lights. They are pretty.

Saturday

6:00 am

My alarm goes off.

7:00 am

I drag myself out of bed and do my morning routine.

7:30 am

Nephews arrive. Watch TV or they play quietly. We talk. The boys pick up their toys.

8:00 am

Breakfast.

The girls, if they spent the night at home, will probably sleep until they are ready to get up. Sometimes until almost noon.

9:00 am

Wake up the girls enough to tell them we are going to the post office, and the playground if it is nice. Lock up the house, let the girls go back to sleep. Then they get up and do their morning routine.

9:20 or after - 11:30 am

Return home, snack, play time.

11:30 am

Someone prepares lunch. boys pick up toys.

12:00 pm

Lunch

12:30 pm

The girls usually hang out with the boys, doing a craft, watching TV, whatever.

1:30 - 4:00 pm

The boys are picked up somewhere between these times. We are free this afternoon and evening.

6:30 pm

Evening chores

Sunday:

Sleep until we wake up.

Relax. Watch TV.

Catch up on work I didn't finish during the week, as well as housework.

Run errands.

Bill ASPIRE for childcare servises I provided.

Bill Penquis for meals that I fed the boys.

Make menus for us and the boys. Make out shopping lists. Go through sales papers and coupons.

Print up chore charts, schedules, etc.

This is the plan, and I try to stick with it whenever I can.

I have to walk 3 1/2 hours a week (at 1/2 hour a day), but have been getting almost twice that lately.

***This was the schedule for spring 2007. I will see if I have time to make our new schedule and post it.

Shannon

Posted in Organization

Quite a few pages on the site have been updated:

* Organizing the Master Bedroom

* Cleaning the Kitchen

* Organizing the Kitchen

* Organizing Our Homeschools

* Organizing Our Offices

http://www.adventuresinorganization.com

Posted in Organization

Posted in Organization

This tip newsletter will be e-mailed to you weekly. Please order at the Adventures in Organization website. Here are the details:

So, how would you like to join me in my adventure? We can do this together. Sign up for the Adventures in Organization Tip of the Week. You will get weekly tips on cleaning and organizing, as well as monthly decoratind tips.

See you at Adventures in Organization.

Posted in Organization

Some of us are not born organizers. This just not only affect our things, but our cleaning and our lives as well. Not to metion our health and body image.

I have been trying so hard, and have found a couple of sites that have helped me, but I have been unable to find the perfect site/book/system to do the job. While I enjoy a couple of these sources quite a bit, and am using certain things from them, I also have to figure out a lot for myself.

My way to cope with this issue (of mine) is by creating Adventures in Organization. It took me a couple of weeks to set up the website, but it will be well worth it.

Join me in my Adventures in Organization, and we can watch our lives bloom into organized havens for ourselves, our families, and all of those who visit us.

Posted in Organization

I am currently building a new website called Adventures in Organization. It is not completed yet, and will likely take all week for me to finish. We are currently beginning a weeks vacation from our educational program, so I thought this would be the best time to build another site.

The site will deal with cleaning and organizing every aspect of our lives. Well...actually, it will be about my adventures in learning how to organize. I am not a born organizer.

Another thing about this site is that I will be discussing how I am organizing my life. This is important to my survival on this organizing adventure.

There is a special page dedicated to our bodies and our well-being. If we do not take care of ourselves, how can we take care of our homes, our lives, our children and our loved ones? I am particularly excited about this page.

When the site is finished, I will post here again.

Happy Days!

Shannon

thehsmomof2@aol.com

http://www.thehomeschoolmomof2.com

http://www.thelowincomewayoflife.com

http://www.thepampermesite.com

http://www.shannonbuck.com

http://www.adventuresinorganization.com

Posted in Organization

So, in accordance with this years goals, I have been cleaning and organizing today:

* the cupboard under the bathroom sink

I took everything out, washed the area, refolded the beach towels and placed them on one side. I plan to get an organizer (shelf type, maybe) to go on the other side for more efficiency in storing bathroom items.

* the toilet and area around it

I will need to replace the toilet brush and holder, the plunger, and get a "snake".

* I am trying to clear the tub drain

That "snake" would probably come in handy for this. I am using baking soda, vinegar and boiling water.

* the food cabinet

I took everything out and washed out the cabinet. I wiped off the tops of cans and such. I put everything back where it was supposed to be.

I still have to do:

the organizer on the back of the bedroom door

on top of and below my sewing cabinet

the laundry area

I am hoping to finish these today.

Shannon

http://www.thelowincomewayoflife.com

Posted in Organization

I have been doing some deep cleaning and organizing of our home.

Yesterday was a particularly good day for me. I not only did my morning, afternoon and evening routines, but I did a few other things as well:

* I cleaned around the faucet in the bathroom.

* I organized my room some more. I do not have much left to do.

* I disinfected the sink area in the kitchen.

* I hung the towel rack in the kitchen, above and to the side of the sink where I will need the towels.

Two days ago:

* All three routines were done.

* More organizing of the bedroom.

* All three of us cleared off our bathroom shelves, getting rid of unwanted items.

* I cleared out the mess of empty bottles and old scrubbies from the shower area.

* I shredded papers we no longer need around.

Shannon

Posted in Organization

I store most of my ornaments in those big popcorn tins. I wrap them in toilet paper or bubble wrap. These tins serve more than one purpose for my family:

1. I use them to store the ornaments.

2. I use them to store small decorations.

3. I use them to store garlands and lights.

4. When the house is decorated for the holidays, I use 1 tin to store all of the bubble wrap and toilet paper.

5. The rest are used for storing small gifts under the tree, so the gifts do not look so messy.

6. This year I will give up one of my tins for my 17 year old daughter. I have made and collected so many ornaments and decorations over the years that I seem to be overrun with them. On top of that, I made more this year. I decided to go through everything and pack away a tin of ornaments and decorations for my daughter to use for her first Christmas in her own home.

Shannon

The Homeschool Mom of 2

thehsmomof2@aol.com

http://www.thehomeschoolmomof2.com/

The Down Home(School) Gazette http://www.thehomeschoolmomof2.com/thedownhomeschoolgazette.htm

http://www.thepampermesite.com

http://www.thelowincomewayoflife.com

http://www.shannonbuck.com

Posted in Organization

I begin Christmas shopping December 26th each year. I need to be able to store all of the  gifts that I purchase throughout the year. I do this on a big white bookshelf in my bedroom. It has 5 big shelves, and I can even utilize the top. I do not generally wrap gifts before December, though I may begin to. I actually keep paper shopping bags on the shelves to put the items that I purchase in.

Shannon

The Homeschool Mom of 2

thehsmomof2@aol.com

http://www.thehomeschoolmomof2.com/

The Down Home(School) Gazette 

http://www.thehomeschoolmomof2.com/thedownhomeschoolgazette.htm

http://www.thepampermesite.com

http://www.thelowincomewayoflife.com

http://www.shannonbuck.com

Posted in Organization

This is a nice site with menus, freezer meal ideas and more. I came across it in an e-mail from FlyLady.

I am actually looking for ways to organize my kitchen, as well as ways to stock our kitchen with food for the winter. I have a freezer over the refrigerator and little cupboard space to work with, so I am looking for a better way to run my kitchen.

I try to use the slowcooker as much as possible to save time, as well as a little money. The slowcooker uses less electricity than the stove, and it adds up throughout the year.

I also have a few freezer recipes, so I stock the freezer with foods that are easy to prepare.

Shannon

The Homeschool Mom of 2

thehsmomof2@aol.com

http://www.thehomeschoolmomof2.com/

The Down Home(School) Gazette http://www.thehomeschoolmomof2.com/thedownhomeschoolgazette.htm

http://www.thepampermesite.com

http://www.thelowincomewayoflife.com

http://www.shannonbuck.com

Posted in Organization

So...having my nephew here six days a week is pretty hectic. I had my schedule all worked out before he decided to homeschool, and now I cannot stick to it. I am not getting hardly any writing done, because I just do not have the time to do so very often. I am trying to come up with a new schedule now.

I am also trying to create my own household binder. I have looked at so many, but none of them work for me and my family.

Another project I am trying to work on is my own freezer plan meals, which will make life so much easier on me. I already have the hamburg plan ready.

I joined FlyLady. I do not follow the entire schedule yet, but I do have the basics down. I will continue to work through it until my home and life are organized.

Shannon

The Homeschool Mom of 2

thehsmomof2@aol.com

http://www.thehomeschoolmomof2.com/

The Down Home(School) Gazette http://www.thehomeschoolmomof2.com/thedownhomeschoolgazette.htm

http://www.thepampermesite.com

http://www.thelowincomewayoflife.com

http://www.shannonbuck.com

Posted in Organization

...this past year, we couldn't find all of the work she had done for school when it came time to have her portfolio checked.

My solution?

Banning school work in her room. She has to do it in the kitchen or livingroom now. The only thing she can do in her room is her reading assignments.

I also gave her the top of the bookshelf in the livingroom so that she could store all of her books, her assignment schedule, her notebooks and folders, and her various other supplies.

Shannon

The Homeschool Mom of 2

thehsmomof2@aol.com

http://www.thehomeschoolmomof2.com/

The Down Home(School) Gazette http://www.thehomeschoolmomof2.com/thedownhomeschoolgazette.htm

http://www.thepampermesite.com

http://www.thelowincomewayoflife.com

http://www.shannonbuck.com

Posted in Organization

Shannon

The Homeschool Mom of 2

thehsmomof2@aol.com

http://www.thehomeschoolmomof2.com/

The Down Home(School) Gazette http://www.thehomeschoolmomof2.com/thedownhomeschoolgazette.htm

http://www.thepampermesite.com

http://www.thelowincomewayoflife.com

http://www.shannonbuck.com

Posted in Organization

Shannon

The Homeschool Mom of 2

thehsmomof2@aol.com

http://www.thehomeschoolmomof2.com/

The Down Home(School) Gazette http://www.thehomeschoolmomof2.com/thedownhomeschoolgazette.htm

http://www.thepampermesite.com

http://www.thelowincomewayoflife.com

http://www.shannonbuck.com

Posted in Organization

This is what my weekly schedule looks like. I actaully have it set up in cloumns across the page, but I can't get it to copy and paste that way.

This is just a basic schedule. We start school at 9:30 am, doing the subjects that we wrok together on first. Then I can work, and they can come to me and discuss their studies when I take breaks.

This schedule does not include chores, organizational tasks, errands, etc., so I do more in a day than what is recorded here and on my chore chart.

I also have to add my exercise program. And Saturdays are supposed to be my personal time.

Mom’s Schedule

Shannon

The Homeschool Mom of 2

thehsmomof2@aol.com

http://www.thehomeschoolmomof2.com/

The Down Home(School) Gazette http://www.thehomeschoolmomof2.com/thedownhomeschoolgazette.htm

http://www.thepampermesite.com

http://www.thelowincomewayoflife.com

http://www.shannonbuck.com

Posted in Organization

Well, we officially started our new homeschool year today. I am almost through with planning everything. We are still waiting for our world literature, art and art history books to arrive. When they do, I will do the lesson plans for them.

Today went well. I was impressed. I did, however, forget to copy the pre tests last night for today, so we had to take a break for me to do that. I actually forgot about the pre test all together, so we did that before math. This took us beyond the amount of time that we had wanted to spend on school work. We will time ourselves again tomorrow. We want to have an average on the amount of time will will be spending on their studies. This way, we can plan other things as well. Like Skye's orthodontist appointments. She has three coming up in October.

I also made up our chore charts on the computer, saved a copy, and will be able to make a new copy each week.

I made a copy of my schedule for work and writing as well. I saved a copy of this so that I can change it when necessary.

I also made up a copy of extra/disciplinary chores. On this their are four special lines: Skye owes Mom_____, Mom owes Skye_____, Zowie owes Mom,____ Mom owes Zowie_____.

This chart is two fold, and each of my daughters has two colomns. One each under Discipline and Pay or owe me.

Discipline is not used often. These tasks are required only when they have particularly bad attitudes or do something that they know is unacceptable.

The pay or owe me colomn is two fold, and is used when they would like to earn some money for something, or if they owe me money because I purchased something that they wanted becuase they did not have the cash (units for their trac phones). Each time I print a new sheet, I put in any amounts owed.

The above sheet is also saved on my computer, so I can print a new one any time I need it.

I have two other lists as well. These are also kept on my computer for easy updating and printing. One is our basic phone number list. The other is list of the girls friends, their addresses, phones, cells, e-mails, addresses and phones of parents not living at home, and parents names. I have this list in case shomething should happen. It is really an emergency list. A just in case list. Just in case I have no idea where they are. Just in case they were kidnapped. You get the idea. I can print off this list, a copy for me, a copy for the police.

Shannon

The Homeschool Mom of 2

thehsmomof2@aol.com

http://www.thehomeschoolmomof2.com/

The Down Home(School) Gazette http://www.thehomeschoolmomof2.com/thedownhomeschoolgazette.htm

http://www.thepampermesite.com

http://www.thelowincomewayoflife.com

http://www.shannonbuck.com