Kids’ {Home}School Bags

I love my school tote sooo much I decided to get one for each of my boys.

A couple of months ago Thirty-One offered a 31% discount after every $31 you spent.  It was the perfect incentive I needed to get this project in full swing.  Once I got their bags ordered (& embroidered in “their colors”) I made a list of everything I wanted them to have in their bags.  Mostly my list consisted of basic school supplies – which we already have in our schoolroom, but I wanted them to also have them in their bags to make it easy for when we are on the go or doing school at the house for whatever reason.  It also makes it very convenient for them to pack up & head outside to do their work during these beautiful spring days we have been blessed with.  Not to mention, the times I need to completely separate them.  In addition to all the basic supplies, I also got them each their own water bottle (from Target) & included the open top file box (the medium size works the best) & file folders like mine has. 

Each week I put whatever worksheets (typically math, handwriting, map work, etc.) in their daily files.  This helps so much when we have to go somewhere at the last minute or when they are waiting on me to get to the school{barn}.  Having their own bags & file folders has geared each of them to work more independently.  They also keep books they are reading & any activities they want to work on during free time – for example Tucker has a farm activity book, Trevor has a drawing book, & Tyler has his current reading book & a couple magazines inside their bags.

They typically keep them next to or behind their desk so they are not in the way at all.  Even little Truman has a a bag (which he is very protective of).  He gets rather upset when it is time for me to update his.

I can’t tell you how pleased I am with the Thirty-One Products.  In fact I love their products so much I keep toying with the idea of becoming a consultant.

Our Building Center

Since we don’t use our IKEA Trofast bins for “workboxes” anymore I decided to use them to organize our building center (mostly the Legos).  I found these cool labels at (Yellow Mums), but I need a couple colors that weren’t included in the FREE download, so I messaged Laura at her Etsy shop - she was super sweet & not only made me the extra colors, but also custom labels for the rest of our building center.  (*You gotta visit her Etsy shop!  She has some VERY cute printouts!!)

The top half is devoted completely to Legos.  Each of my boys have 2 shelves for completed projects & their own personal bin for their “work-in-progress.”  We spent an entire day sorting Legos by color!  One of my friends warned me that it would not stay this organized, but I have to tell you – they do a great job (on their own without any prompting) keeping it organized.  In addition to the color coding, we also made a bin for instructions, Lego people, & Big Legos (for Truman; however, he his very close to needing his own bin as well.)

The bottom portion of our building center includes:  gears, super structures, trains, tinker toys, wedgits, blocks, drill set, pegs, & lincoln logs. 

This center is by far their favorite & most chosen 99% of the time.  They spend hours in the floor building & creating & playing with each other.  Priceless memories!

Emergency Car Kit & Ouch Pouch

I heart Pinterest!  I actually gave it (& Facebook) up for Lent, but I’ve been working on some of the things I have pinned.  This project was super easy!  I just grabbed a wipe container, some scrap fabric, & an unused wetbag & then rummaged through our house for items to add to them. 

 

 

 

Inside my car emergency kit are some fruit snacks (enough for me & all the kids), granola bars, sucker, pad, $21, Kleenex, hand sanitizer, mint, a pen, tweezers, fingernail clippers, & file, hair-tie, lip gloss, sunscreen, small baby spoon, diaper, wipes, Ziploc baggie & trash sack.

Inside my ouch pouch is adult, infant, & children’s Tylenol, Benadryl, syringes, suckers, Band-Aids, thermometer, & Neosporin. 

I put these two kits in this reusable bag (which includes a mini thermal cooler – which is nice for medicines that have to be kept cool) & I also added 2 towels. 

My “SCHOOL” Tote

I can’t tell you the ExCiTeMeNt I have had over THIS:

It is seriously a homeschool mom’s dream bag!  Actually, it is any mom’s dream bag!  The possibilities are bountiful!!  In fact, I love it so much I’m going to order another one & use it for a diaper bag. 

I first saw it here, but didn’t even think about using it for my homeschool needs . . . until I spotted this one.

Why not just use a file holder?  Well, for one it is pretty :)  But honestly I NEEDED this! (REALLY Big Daddy, I did.  I REALLY DID!)  I’m constantly carrying my files, Well Planned Day Binder, pens, books, etc.) back & forth from the school{barn} to the house.  Not to mention days that we take school on the road & I’m cramming it all into a traditional book bag & digging for pens & DVD’s.  This bag was the perfect solution! 

So where do you get this bag?

Let me introduce you to my latest obsession:  Thirty-one

This TOTE-ally awesome bag is the Organizing Utility Tote.

I purchased both the small & medium open top file boxes from the Company Store, but I ended up using the small one so my Well Planned Day binder would fit too (+ there is still a little extra room to fit a workbook or book inside).   

 

The SWEET STORAGE of this bad boy is approx 10"H x 15.5"W x 6.5"D!

It has 5 fabulous exterior pockets (more than big enough for my crazy pen collection, flashcards, & even a water bottle!!).  Plus it has 2 mesh side pockets.

There is so much storage space I’m not sure what all to put in there!!  LOVE IT!!!

*Black is not the only color option either – there are 10 color options to order this bag in!!  And it was a VERY hard decision to go with the black over the circle spirals.

On days we are on the go, I simply pull the file box out & add the kids work or whatever we will need.  I stash a couple DVD’s in the side mesh pocket & a book on audio case on the other.  AND there is still room for snacks!!  And technically a pocket for everyone – making it super easy to tote each of their personal items around (pencils, snacks, iPods, small toys, etc.)

Okay, so how much? 

TOTE-ally affordable!!!   Are you ready?  Wait for it . . .  It’s coming . . . $25!!  Yes ma’am.  That is it. 

*I also chose to add the lovely personalization for $7 (I wish I would have put HOME above the school) & the file box was only $5.  Total I spent $37.  And I LOVE it sooo much I am going to ROCK this bag with all the pink girly necessities I possibly can.  Isn’t this going to make a GREAT diaper bag?  Just wait until I show you!! 

This tote is just the beginning of my new found love with Thirty-one.  There are so many fabulous organizing products that will truly rock your world.  I am still drooling over the catalog. 

I am sooo NOT a sales person – in fact, I got fired from a telemarketing job when I was younger because I told the caller the sales pitch was a bad deal when he flat out asked me.  True story!  And I sold my first car for $1500 less than the asking price.  Not because it wasn’t worth what I had it listed for, but just because I have ZERO negotiating/sales skills! 

BUT, I have fallen head-over-hills in LOVE with so many of the Thirty-one products I am seriously considering becoming a consultant.  I mean, my 2 obsessions – organization + bags!  Just ask Big Daddy – it is a VERY dangerous combination.  Since I AM having a baby & am in the middle of an extremely busy season of life, I decided to put the consultant venture on hold & host a party instead.  Here is the best part – YOU are invited!  Yep, it is an ONLINE party!  Go ahead & click HERE to drool over the catalog, make your list, & follow my blog over the next week as I highlight all my fav’s on my wish list & share some of the fabulous ways others have used these “functional & stylish products that will truly simplify your life!!”

Are you ready to PARTY?

*There might even be a chance to win a FREE product for those of you that place an order during my party *Sept 1-5!

Family Message Center

I’m not sure what struck the creative streak in me to turn our very ugly non-functional hallway into a family message center, but once the idea surfaced I did what I do – Searched high & low, spending a couple hours on the internet googling & scrolling pictures.  Here is my inspiration & my version:

Wall one:

my inspiration:

           my version:

           

I plan on putting a “BLESSED” sign or scripture at the very top of this.  The top row is a dry-erase board from Target & next to it is a brown corkboard (also from Target) with a calendar of “praying for your children.”  (*other important things will be added to the corkboard)

The bottom is a weekly “post-it” calendar (from Target) I put in a picture frame & scrapped the side.  I love using picture frames as dry-erase boards.  Underneath this is a magnet strip from IKEA with magnet message clips from Target.

*I know the black line (ribbon) isn’t straight in the pix – I’m too lazy to take it out of the frame & fix it right now :)

Wall two:

my inspiration                                         

      my version:

    

This side of the wall leads to the boys room & still needs the doorway re-trimmed from us removing the door.  My shelf & coat/hat rack is from IKEA ($10!!)  I really wanted 2 side-by-side, but only 1 would fit.  For now it is holding hats, but I intend on using the book bags too.  I am ordering the LLBEAN bags (color coding & embroidering each kids name on them).  My chalkboard was one of the extra’s we didn’t use in our schoolbarn.  Originally it was green with a wooden trip.  I repainted it & blinged it up with some colorful chalk.  *I love PAINT chalk!!

Wall three:

my inspiration 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is actually from a friend of mines house.  I made the “I heart you because:” frame, but am still on a hunt for bins that will work for us.  Her bins are custom made (by another homeschool dad – who I need to bake some cookies or something for as bribery).  I’ve looked for bins like the one in the first picture above (LOVE those green bins from Staples), but they are no longer available & honestly, I have 5 kids – they aren’t space-effective.  Right now our small wall just has the picture frame.  I just scrapbooked the message (leaving a blank line at the top & bottom), & framed it – using a dry-erase marker to leave sweet messages to each other.  Super easy!

And guess what – this entire project was very inexpensive.  The paint was FREE (left overs from a very sweet friend)!  Most of the items I already had & what I did have to buy (2 picture frames, coatrack, & post-it calendar) were very inexpensive or I had a coupon for it!  There are still a few finishing touches to add, but so far I’m estimating I spent less than $50 on the entire project!  (minus the lovely LLBEAN bags I’m eyeing ;)

My FAVORITE {links}

FABULOUS blogs *Especially"* for those with little children:

• Quirky Momma
• Lets Explore
• {Share and Remember}

LARGE Families:

• Large Family Mothering
• The Boyer Blog

PARENTING:

• What do you do with Boys? by The Boyer Blog
• Mini Homekeeping Book For Girls

ORGANIZING:

• Organizing Junkie
• KIDS mudroom
• Magnetic-Dry-Erase Calendar
• Drawing Paper Roll

HOMEschooling Posts i HEART:

• Classical Conversations Board
• Memory Work
• Lap Journal {FIVE IN A ROW}
• Tiny Tips for Little Bits

READING:

• Teaching boys to READ by The Boyer Blog
• READ & WRITE by Lets Explore
• Getting Started With Chapter Books
• Gift Idea:  Book Series Sampler
• Read Aloud Skills
• . . . while you are there check out the awesome Writing Kit

HOME Management: Family & Household

LARGE FAMILY  Logistics + i Heart ORGANIZING = A Plan for ORGANIZING our LARGE FAMILY

The first section of my HOME management binder is for Family & Household information. 

The first page records each family members information: 

• e-mail
• cell phone
• birthday
• ssn
• notes

I also had Jennifer make me a custom set of important family information (similar to the one on her website).

The first page is:

• Important Phone Numbers (emergency, local police/fire, poison control, hospital #’s, emergency contacts, neighbors, school, church, salon, veterinarian, banks, & 3 extra spaces for “other”)

The second page is for passwords (website, username, & password):

Then there is important medical information for:

• Medical Info:(insurance carrier info, primary clinic/hospital, primary physicians, pediatricians, specialists, & OBGYN.)
• Dental (insurance carrier info & primary dentist)
• Vision (insurance carrier info & primary optometrist)

The following page is important home information:

• utilities (electricity, propane, phone/internet, trash, & home owners info)
• auto info (insurance, towing, & mechanic)
• financial info (banks & accounts)

The last 2 pages are important dates & family library system for lending/borrowing

   

Then I made sub-tabs for:

^(Projects)

I LOVE these dividers (came with the binder), they not only have a pocket, but also a mini pocket for holding index cards (I use it to store pictures)

  

The front of the divider holds current projects & pictures of inspiration (you can see I have quite a bit of projects in the works).  Behind it is a pocket folder to hold our home project pages:

The next sub-tab is for:

I have a full size copy of our important emergency contacts for the kids “phone center” & behind it is our homeschool group directory & church directory.  I also plan to add a frequently called numbers page.

**UPDATE**

This last picture was originally posted with our information on it – opps!!  I had intended on posting this blank version – grrr!  Thanks to an anonymous reader for pointing it out!

 

The last sub-tab is Family Rules & other discipline/rewards.

Check out Jen’s i Heart Organizing Etsy Shop for more of her fantastic printables! 

gettin' it ALL together

I have been working really hard at “gettin' it ALL together".  I have a crazy amount of information & ideas I gathered from LARGE FAMILY  Logistics & I needed somewhere to “see” it all. Kim even suggests a Home Management Binder in her book.  It has been at least 2 years since I updated my “control journal” & almost just as long since I abandoned implementing most of it.  I needed to put all my notes from LARGE FAMILY Logistic’s into action & form a better plan (& actually use it, not just plan it).  I actually have several “binders, notebooks, folders, etc.” that I use to manage all the craziness that stems from a large homeschooling mama. 

Here is the method behind my madness:

• Binder #1:  HOME management
• (zipper) Binder #2:  Well Planned Day planner
• Folder #1:  Weekly/Daily folder
• Folder #2:  “In-Progress” folder
• Binder #3:  homeSCHOOL management
• Binder #4:  homeSCHOOL info by Subjects
• Binder #5:  homeSCHOOL Units

I’m not completely done with all of them, but I am so excited to shared the gems inside these bad boys!! I started this post with the intentions of sharing it ALL with you, but whew, it was beyond L-O-N-G after the first section.  LOL  So, here are the basics & I will go into detail in future posts.

My HOME Management binder . . .

I LOVE LOVE LOVE these mead binders.  They are super flexible & actually hold quite a bit.

Inside the front is our family daily schedule:

Inside are the following sections:

1. Family & Household Information
2. Cleaning
3. Meals
4. Personal
5. Business

Tomorrow, I will share the awesomeness I found at i Heart ORGANIZING!

my cleaning schedule

One of the suggestions from Large Family Logistics was the importance of a cleaning schedule.  I used to totally be on top of this & then I kinda got into the “I’ll do it when it absolutely ‘HAS’ to be done” attitude.  But after reading Kim’s book I realized how important this is to keeping me on task doing what I’m supposed to be doing & not what I want to be doing.  So, with that said here is my cleaning schedule:

I found a little inspiration for creating my Cleaning Schedule from The Carolina Clipper.  It looks all nice & pretty & will be a great addition to my HOME management binder (more on that soon!  ~I’ve been a VERY busy girl!!), but when it is hiding away in a binder or is just another piece of paper I have to carry around it becomes less effective QUICK.  So, let me share a little secret with you:  The HomeRoutines App

I LOVE IT!!

With this sweet little app I not only manage & schedule detailed cleaning tasks in an automatic weekly rotating  “Focus Zone”, (*you can also set the zones to rotate manually or daily)

 

I also can:

• Describe & follow daily & weekly routines.  **Which also has an option of a routine reminder you can set! (see the bottom of the middle pic – my routine reminder is at 6:30 A.M.)

     

• Set a daily focus or goal
• I use the daily reminders feature to remind me of my daily focus (ex.  Laundry Day or Kitchen Day, etc.), which child is “the sheriff”, & I also put my menu plan for the week.  Each day it appears at the top of my main screens (“All Routines” & “Today”)

   

You could also use this for a daily scripture or quote.

• Plan your most important tasks for the day, week, & later    
• Review all that you’ve accomplished at any point

              

You can check out the HomeRoutine Blog for more great ideas to take full advantage of this apps awesomeness!