Archive for August, 2007
August 24, 2007· Filed under Casual Friday, Organizing
Happy Friday! I had a great post planned yesterday but between Middle School orientation and what felt like I was living with the Slowsky turtles, it just never happened. Maybe I can sneak it in this afternoon.
Did you start a Go-To Resource Book with us this week? If so, it is time for Step 5 - IMPLEMENTATION. That book will not become a Go-To Resource unless you show every member of your family where it lives, what’s inside and how to use it. Put any finishing touches on it and break that thing in! (Did you miss this series? Start here with Step 1)
While I was at Middle School orientation yesterday I gathered a few items for the book - I am making a copy of my son’s locker combination, his schedule, the team fact sheet given out as reference by his teachers, and his school lunch menu.
This afternoon we get to go to the Elementary School to meet the Kindergarten teacher - which I think will put Miss N a lot more at ease, then we go upstairs to check in with Miss M’s 4th grade teacher who we know very well.
So, how was your week? Did you kids go back to school or did you meet the teachers yet? Did you do anything fun? See any good movies? Stop in anytime - the conversation will keep going all day. Everyone is welcome!!
Thanks to Eliza, Gayla, Yvonne, Brown Baron, Brooke, DevDad, Agent Sully, Randa, Kendra, Amanda, Laura, Angela, Ingo, Lynn and Marcie (Pickel) for hanging out with us last week.
August 22, 2007· Filed under Wordless Wednesdays
This is the true definition of PLAYROOM.
For more Wordless Wednesday posts, visit the official WW hub. And if you are participating today, don’t forget to leave a link to your page with Mr. Linky!
August 22, 2007· Filed under Organizing
Step 4 of creating your Go-To Resource book is actually the easiest to set up, but the hardest to maintain because it’s all about the kids.
Use and label one 3 ring tabbed divider for each child. Also include 5-7 clear protector sheets per section.
Ideas for what goes in each child’s section:
- Monthly lunch menus
- Class lists
- School supply list (in case you have to replenish during the year)
- Teacher announcements/notes
- Sports practice/competition schedules
- Other activity schedules, rosters, information
Now the challenge comes in keeping each child’s section up to date. Set aside one day a week (this should only take 5 minutes total) to quickly review the items in your book and trash items that are out of date or no longer needed.
The goal of this book is to keep the important information in your daily life at your family’s fingertips. Try not to let this book get too bogged down, and only keep information that is relevant to the whole family in it. I keep my schedule, passwords and more personal information in a different place. This should be a book that you could leave on the counter for the babysitter, your spouse or the kids to use.
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August 21, 2007· Filed under Organizing
One of the reasons I love my Go-To Resource book is that I can quickly get the big picture of what we have planned, when the kids have a day off, and when major holidays are.
I have created a full year calendar that starts September 2007 and goes until August 2008 and fits on one page. Now you can’t really write a lot of notes on it, but the way I use it is to take a few different highlighter colors and go through month by month and mark federal/national/religious holidays in one color. Then I go through and mark the kids days off in another color. Finally I add a third color for family birthdays/vacation/special days. That way when I need to know if we are going to be in town the week of January 22, I can quickly glance at the calendar and see any major conflicts ahead of time. Don’t put every little appointment on here - remember, this is the BIG PICTURE.
Once yours is ready, slide your calendar into a plastic sleeve and in to the binder it goes. If you got a binder that has the clear insert pocket on the front and back of the cover, you could put your phone list in the front cover and the calendar in the back - what ever works for you.
Also take the calendar of events that the school gives you (if you are that lucky) and slide it into a clear sleeve. Likewise, if you have a child who plays sports and you have a printed schedule of games/competitions, drop it in a sleeve. We’ll be focusing on the kids tomorrow, so be sure to stop back in.
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August 20, 2007· Filed under Menu Plan Mondays, Organizing
One of the best tools for having a great week that I have found is Menu Planning. I know, I’ve mentioned this too many times before, but it is true. Today we will add a Menu Planning section to our Go-To Resource books.
Go-To Resource Book - Step 2 - Weekly Menu Planning
Each Sunday afternoon or evening I take a few minutes to see what is in the freezer and cabinets, question the family on their dinner desires for the week, then start my menu plan worksheet. On the left hand side fill in the menu ideas for each day. Then in the right hand column, list the ingredients for each day’s menu that you need to get at the grocery store.
Print out a few of the worksheets and place them in a protector sleeve in your 3 ring binder. I would recommend creating a divider labeled Menu Planning. Take another protector sleeve and slide this week’s completed menu planning worksheet in to it. As you complete a new planning sheet, slide it in on top of last week’s - it is good for reference.
My Menu for the Week
- Monday - Ham & Cheese sandwiches with veggies and fruit
- Tuesday - Slow cooker BBQ chicken, roasted potatoes, green beans
- Wednesday - Hamburgers on grill, baked beans, steak fries
- Thursday - Taco cups
- Friday - Baked Macaroni & Cheese, salad
Be sure to check out I’m an Organizing Junkie for more inspiration! And don’t forget to stop in tomorrow to find out what goes in your Go-To Binder next!
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