Organized Chaos

Mom's of many know that our lives can often look like chaos.  Ok, so maybe it is sometimes, but mostly, it is  organized chaos! There are many schools of thought and approaches to managing a home with many children - what works for one family won't work for another.  I've read tons of books and blogs on the subject over the years and have found a lot of it very helpful.  I've attempted to implement some of the strategies and they have worked while others haven't.  I am often asked "how in the world do you do all you do?" Well, honestly I have not found a great answer for this but I know this -  with God all things are possible! There are days where I know if it were not for Him, nothing would have been done. Lots of prayer and planning go into my days. 

Today I'm going to try to tell you how I manage the "chaos" of home educating 5 children.  

The first thing  I do is take a REALLY big breath. Admittedly, I tend to stress over details because I am a detail oriented person.  I'm a work in progress :)

I plan curriculum for the year in April/May of the current school year. I jot down each subject we HAVE to cover for each child the following year, then add the subjects they may WANT to learn about.  As we decide on the curriculum for each child/subject, I write it in an Excel made template I print.  I make sure to write the price for each item necessary for the curriculum.  There are often books to read that go with the core textbook, so keep that in mind when budgeting. I then add up the totals and see where we are with our budget.  Some years, we have stretched it out to make sure to fit a certain text or subject in because we felt it was important.  Other years, we have trimmed it down or found another comparable text that was less expensive. Then, I begin purchasing curriculum so that we have all of it by the end of June.  

Home Education Management Binder -

A couple years ago I set up a Home Education Management Binder for myself.  This is my brain for Home Education. I love putting things in notebooks, it is my chosen method of organization for many things.  Below is a list of tabs contained in my binder along with what I put under that tab.

The white blob is where I removed our last name :)

In the front of the binder is a School Calendar I make each year.  It has the first and last day of school listed as well as Holidays we are off and any important dates such as PSAT, ACT, SAT.  I also include the semesters for my high school age son.

Behind the calendar are monthly calendars (Aug-June)  I printed online for free. The ones I print have pictures the kids are able to color if they so choose, the younger kids like this.  On these calendars, I write the first day of school, days where there is no school, weeks (1-36), testing dates and anything that is for all the kids. Then I make a copy for each child, then I go back and write specific dates important to the individual child. Then I give each child their copy and let them color in the pictures if they want to.  They also use this as a planner to write some things in for themselves such as any sports practice, church outings, etc...

Tabs:

• One tab for each child - behind this tab I use cardstock as dividers, punch holes and use the Post It Note tabs to add each subject for that year. I put my lesson plans for each subject in so I can easily refer to them when I create their assignment sheets. I will also place things such as ACT admission ticket and place in that child's tab so I won't have to hunt it when it's time to go or they won't lose it (because you know, that's never happened hahaha)
• Reporting papers - this is where I keep master copies of the reporting sheets I turn in each year or semester for the kids.  Grades, attendance, curriculum, etc...
• Info/Resources - this is where I keep a copy of our state laws on home education along with any other information I will want to refer throughout the year or even once a year.
• Journaling - here I keep copies of journaling ideas I find from time to time.  I have all the younger kids keep journals each year and I give them different topics each day.  Some are silly, some serious or some just outright goofy, but they have fun and it keeps them writing and using their imaginations.
• Assignments - this is where I keep a copy of all their assignment sheets.  Again, I make cardstock dividers using the Post It Note tabs for each of their names. I keep the most recent week directly behind the divider so I don't have to search for it.
• Field Trips - here I keep any information on field trips we have taken or want to take that year.  If we have taken it, I type a little blurb up and put it with the information and paperclip all together so I know we've already done it. Hey, I forget a LOT more than I used to :)
• Ideas - here I keep some information on ideas I found on another blog or received in an email or anywhere and would like to use for later.  Now, there is a LOT of neat ideas and information out there but I only print and place things in this tab that I believe I will actually use.  I will place a Post It Note on it with what my initial thoughts/ideas were as well because I've learned I forget those.

Lesson Plans -

This is probably the thing that used to kill me the most!  I have to admit I despise making lesson plans.  Yet, it must be done and organization and proper planning is essential to a smooth year for me.

I use a template from Erica at Confessions of a Homeschooler  that she uses for workboxes.  More on how we use workboxes later.  Once I receive all our books, I devote July to creating weekly assignment sheets for each child for the entire 36 weeks of school.  Yes, that sounds like a huge task but you would be amazed at how much burden this takes off throughout the school year.  This has freed up my time to focus on working with a toddler learning shapes, letters, numbers, etc... as well as taking care of my home management responsibilities I need to take care of as well.

Most of the curriculum we purchase includes lessons plans for that subject (this is totally intentional) so I simply put the information into each day on the child's assignment sheet.  I print off each child's and make a copy.  They are put into file folders, the copies all together in one for use in my binder as we get to that week and the originals are used with copies of work (see next section).

Weekly File Folders -

I use 2 sets of file folders marked with each week - week 1, week 2.....week 36.  One set is used for weekly assignments.  I make copies of anything that needs copying, then tear pages out of  any book that I can that is assigned for that week.  Then I place the assignment sheet that goes with the papers on the front and paperclip.  This way all I have to do for that week of school is place each child's assignments and papers in their boxes and I'm done with that week!  You have no idea how much a burden this took off of me when I did this!  I feel so much more freedom!!

The next set of file folders is for completed work.  Again, labeled weeks1-36- I created a grading template in Excel with all the kids subjects listed and M-F, I staple this to the front of each file folder.  On Friday's I add "turn in all work from this week" to their assignments so it goes into that weeks folder.   I grade on Friday's so I can simply grade the papers (from the previous week), mark the grade on the front and it's done.  Then every 9 weeks I do a little report card for them so they can see where they are at.  Then when it comes time to turn in grades, I am not scrambling with trying to pull it together - not that that has EVER happened! heehee!

Organizing Your Closet

Source: Unknown

No, that is not a picture of my closet!  I so wish it were...it is like my dream closet.  However, I wouldn't have enough stuff to fill it up LOL!

It is a good picture of organization though. Everything has a place!

10 ways to organize your closet.

1.  Downsize your wardrobe - if you haven't worn it in 6 months, get rid of it!  Some people tend to freak out a little bit when I've told them that so here is a solution for you if you too got a little freaked out when you read that.  Get a small box, put the few items in there you think you will wear again in the next 6 months. Write the today's date on the box and the 6 month date you will need to get rid of everything left in the box.  If you have worn an item out of the box in the 6 months, then hang it up in your closet.  What's left at the end of 6 months, get rid of.

2.  Storage- take out seasonal clothing/accessories/shoes and store elsewhere (unless you have a large closet with space to neatly store them)

3. Contain non-hanging items - use matching baskets or bins to hold items that can not be hung.  Group like items - handbags, belts, scarves, etc...

4. Arrange folded items neatly on shelves or in baskets/bins. Places sweaters in protective bags and on a top shelf when not in season.

source: unknown

5. Use garment bags to protect suits, dresses and leather from dust and drying out.  If you do not have clear bags, take a photo of each suit, dress and leather item and tape or insert in a pocket on the front of the garment bag. This will help you quickly and easily identify the item when you want to wear it.

6. Cohesiveness - use the matching hangers to give your closet a uniform look. Also, consider selecting a less bulky hanger such as Huggable Hangers.  They really do save space.

7. Shoes - decide how you will store shoes.  Floor rack, cubbies, plastic shoe bins or original boxes.  If you choose the plastic shoe bins or original boxes, take a photo of each pair of shoes and tape to the box so you will save yourself time searching for the shoes you would like to wear.  If you have a small closet, remove seasonal footwear and store along with your seasonal clothing outside your closet.

8. Hanging clothes - organize by type and color.  Dress shirts and blouses by sleeve length and color, pants together, skirts together, etc...

9. Create a basket or specific hanging area for clothing needing to be dry cleaned. Then on the day you take dry cleaning or it is picket up, you don't have to search for it.

10. Use all the wall space in your closet - above and below the handing clothes.

Small closet organization.
 Source - Better homes and Gardens

Get On Your Way To An Organized Life...

Do you feel like a mess in every way? 

Are you mostly neat and tidy but need help with organization? 

Do you desire to be an organized and scheduled person but have no idea where to start?

Do you start organizing your home only to get stuck and not know what to do next?

If any of the above describes you, I’m telling you now…there is hope!  I have been a pretty organized thinker and scheduled person my entire life.  However, that didn’t always translate to my surroundings.  As a kid, I was a MESS!  My parents would always have to make me clean my room because I let it get out of control and then I had a HUGE mess to clean up and didn’t know what to do with all that stuff!  As I became a teenager I craved organization and because I naturally thought in an organized fashion, I was able to be pretty orderly….then something ugly crept in – OCD or better known as CDO to those of us who have it J   you know, because the letters are in order that way! hahaha...   Anyhow, when I got married it was pretty bad, I literally would get up sometimes at night to straighten the shoes in our closet…that was messed up.  My husband would say “you’re kidding me!? Get back in bed”   I let it kind of take control of me a bit.

Well, I became a mother and that right there can cure you of some of your overly OCD tendencies!  Then, we moved and moved again, had another baby, moved again (twice in 3 months) then another baby and we accumulated more and more “stuff”.  At this point I was anything but organized and I hated it!  I KNEW I could be organized but now there was finding that time  (and energy) to be organized.  I literally spent about 2 hours sitting one day during the kids nap time and pondered how I could become the organized person I used to be... within reason.  I was still scheduled, meaning we had a regular routine we followed each day, yet there were times that were “dead” and honestly I could have been more productive.  Now, we have 5 (soon to be 6) kids ranging from 16yrs to 2yrs of age.  I am still always having to stay on top of things because that IS what mom’s do but we have a schedule, everything has a place and most of the time everything stays in its place.  It can be a daunting task to look at everything you have to do to simply maintain a neat, tidy home but then to also need to organize and de-clutter your home as well can seem so big.  This is when a schedule comes in real handy!  The best advice I can give you is, break it all down.  Break it down into small manageable chunks and it doesn’t seem so big.  On top of that, you feel a sense of accomplishment that will increase your desire to move on to the next task.

Some people like to have a step by step approach so they can follow the steps to accomplish what they need to.  I created to following steps with you in mind J

The very first thing that is so, so important is to get up before your kids and spend some time with Jesus.  Give your day to God and bathe it in prayer.  Ask God to bless your day, to give you strength to accomplish all you desire for your day, to give you wisdom to know when to stop if you need to. We can do nothing without Him and everything with Him!  The days I have done this have gone so much better than the days I have skipped it wanting a few more winks of sleep.

Next step, make a plan!  This step is two fold.

First, you must make a plan of attack.  List the rooms/places that need to be organized and be specific.  I would list by priority. You can then cross off as you complete each item on your list!

 Next, create a schedule for your day.  Think about how your days go now.  What is your routine? Do you tend to eat breakfast at the same time each day? Wash laundry at a specific time? Nap time?   Keep it simple at first, as you become confident,  you can always add or change if necessary.  Post it somewhere you will constantly see it throughout the day. 

Here is a sample schedule for you:

6:00am wake up/ wash face/get dressed/ make bed/devotions & prayer time

7:00am start load of laundry/wake kids/start breakfast/eat breakfast

7:45am clean up after breakfast/switch laundry/take out anything for dinner or start crock pot dinner

8:00am morning chores

9:00am spend 15 minutes decluttering current project

9:15am spend time with kids

9:45am fold & put away laundry/switch laundry

10:00am complete any morning chores needed

11:00am spend 15 minutes relaxing

11:15am make lunch

11:30am eat lunch

12:00pm clean up after lunch

12:30pm fold & put away laundry

1:00pm nap/quiet time

1:30pm work on a small project you can’t do with kids around

3:00pm kids up from nap/snack time

3:30pm rescue the hotspot areas

4:30pm start dinner

5:30pm eat dinner

6:30pm clean up after dinner

7:00pm bath time

8:00pm kids bed time/tidy any areas needed lay out clothes for next day/lay out anything for breakfast that won’t spoil/shower

8:45pm spend time with hubby

9:30pm sleep

Here is a word of caution in your scheduling.  The above is just a sample.  You will need to make a schedule specific to your situation.  You may have a nursing baby that dictates a lot of your schedule, give yourself time to nurse and nap when everyone else is napping.  It is most important that you take care of you during this time as well as your child. This is a season of life and will soon pass, enjoy it and give yourself permission to take a break. Inevitably there will be interruptions in your day – be flexible and know it isn’t the end of the world if your schedule is not followed completely.  Maybe, like me you assign your older children to wash their own laundry, well then you may not need to put laundry on your schedule for every day.  Keep that in mind, don’t hold yourself to someone else’s standards or schedule.  Make one that works for you and you feel you can follow or you will end up burned out and give up altogether.  Also, I have often re-worked my schedule.  As your kids grow older things change in your home and so you have change your schedule.  Know that at some point you too, will need to change up your schedule.  

Ok.  Those  are the first few steps.  Tomorrow, I will share tips on organizing a closet.

Until then here is a challenge for you this week. Make a list of the areas you want to organize in your home and create a schedule that works for you! 

Please feel free to ask any questions you have.

Blessings

Jenna

Motherhood Is A Calling

31 Days of Praying For Our Husbands - Day 31

Lord, I pray my husband will love righteousness and hate wickedness, especially the evils of our culture. I pray that he will recognize and avoid wickedness in his own life and if necessary, take a clear, strong stand against evil.

"A prudent man forsees evil and hides himself, but the simple pass on and are punished." Proverbs 27:12

"I pray not that you should take them out of the world, but that you should keep them from evil" John 17:15

"Wherefore let him that thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.  There has no temptation taken you but such as is common to man, but God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above what you are able, but will with the temptation akso make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it." 1 Corinthians 10:12-13

31 Days of Praying For Our Husbands - Day 30

Lord, I pray my husband will grow in leadership skills in our relationship - protecting and providing for us.  I pray he will lead us wisely and love us sacrificially so that God will be glorified in our marriage.

"For husbands, this means love your wife just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her. To make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God's word. He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault.  In the same way, husbands ought to love wives as they love their own bodies.  For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself. No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it just as Christ cares for the church." 
Ephesians 5:25-29


"Husbands, love your wives and never treat them harshly" Colossians 3:19

Becoming A Proverbs 31 Woman

source

The book pictured above - The Proverbs 31 Woman One Virtue At A Time, is free.  All you have to do is subscribe here, you will receive daily emails and the link to download the book is at the bottom of the emails.  Additionally, you can participate or lead a group study based on this book.  You can download the study guide, reading plan and a leaders guide here.  I am excited to complete my reading of the book.  Many of us think becoming a Proverbs 31 woman is unattainable.  I know I did.  God is changing my heart about that.  It is only with His strength we are able to become who He wants us to be.

Taken from the Women Living Well website-

Here’s what the eBook includes:

Table of Contents

Is the Proverbs 31 Woman For Real?

How to be Treasure to Your Husband

Does Your Husband Trust You?

A Woman of Action

Working With Eager Hands

Shop to the Glory of God

The Proverbs 31 Woman Rises Very Early

Do You Have a Dream?

Vigorously Clean Your Home & Get a Bonus Workout

Burning the Midnight Oil

Mundane Tasks Are a Hidden Treasure

P.S. Your Hands Are Beautiful

Are You Prepared for the Weather Changes?

The Proverbs 31 Woman is Classy

Help Your Husband be a Man of Influence

Pursuing Excellence

Let Me Help You Pick Out Your Clothes

Putting Order on Your Tongue

Managing Our Time, Family and Home

What Do Your Children Think of You?

Be the Woman Your Man Needs

The Proverbs 31 Woman’s Beauty Secret

Pity or Praise the Proverbs 31 Woman?

Blessings!

Jenna