Monday, July 25, 2011

Arts/crafts, history, and geography WILL get done this year!

Yes, that's right.  We WILL do at least one craft a week, including the cool crafts in history and holiday/seasonal crafts, this year.  We WILL stay on top of our history and geography programs this year.  We WILL be prepared.  We WILL have a fun year {or at least more fun than last year}. You know how I know?  It's all right here...planned, printed, and ready to go....waiting on us. 


All of the printables, book lists, and material lists needed for history and geography, all of the craft details, AND all of the paper materials needed for every craft in a nice, pretty weekly schedule. I LOVE it.

BUT.  It doesn't stop there.  I also have all of the other printables, book lists, and material lists for other subjects in their appropriate binder placed in the appropriate drawer of their workboxes.  Everything printed and ready...waiting on us {instead of the other way around}.

Now I just have to get started gathering the materials.  I have a storage tub just waiting to be filled with ziplock bags full of materials needed for each week's science experiments, crafts, history projects, and more.

My mid-school year self is really going to appreciate my summer self.  I'm excited.  Bring on the school year!!!

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

New workbox tags.

So if you've been following me for very long, you know we use and love the workbox system.  When we stick with the workboxes, we get things DONE! 
In the past, I've just labeled each drawer and stuck the tags on, telling the boys to just do the next one.  Well I decided to do things a little differently this year.  I loved the strips and *books* that everyone uses but I really didn't want to use all that velcro.  Of course velcro is one of my BFFs {right up there with my laminator, printer, computer, and 3-hole punch} but I just wanted something a little different. 

Using the boys' individual school colors, I made up the cards, printed and laminated them.  Then the fun part {for me anyway}...I cut them out and hole-punched each one. 


Then Gabriel helped me put the cards on book rings, color coordinated of course. 

I made chore cards and activity cards as well as the workbox number cards.  I saved the template {just in case} and I'm SO glad I did because I realized I forgot a couple activities as I took pictures.




This is going to be Drake's workbox storage until he reaches Kindergarten.   He'll just have a few fun activities to keep him happy.


The bigger boys' workboxes.  I really need to add a few more but we're going to make this work for now.


This picture shows the magazine holders which contain different activities to reinforce what we're learning in all of the subject areas.  There will be 3-5 different activities in each holder and they will be able to choose the one they want to do when that card comes up on their ring.  Also the four file folder organizers {left center} have file folder games and fun workbooks.  Same idea as the magazine holders, several different activities in each and they'll get to pick the one they want.  This is my version of the centers found in a public school room.  I also have a few more *centers* that need cards.  The two small green and blue storage boxes next to the abacus on the top shelf are math games, and there are several more storage boxes with more educational games that need cards as well. {These are the ones I forgot until I took pictures.}

We still use our workbox grids. They now hang on the inside of the pantry doors. I can't BELIEVE we're going to use Gabriel's and Drake's this year. I knew we would one day when I made them but it seems a little surreal at this point. :)



As you can see, our new school space needs to be painted and I need to organize our home library this week too.  Both are on my ever growing *before school starts* to-do list.  I found a super awesome system that I plan on using with all of our books.  I'll share when I finish.  With school starting in less than two weeks, I'm back to work!

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Look at what I made!

When I need some serious inspiration, I only have to log into my Pinterest account and {WHAM!} I'm off and running with projects!

I'm kind of surprised with myself.  Usually I see projects on different blogs and think "man, I'd like to make that for myself"....and that's as far as it goes.  I lose the blog address or just never pull the materials together or completely forget all about the project.

Something about having those pictures all neatly *pinned* on my *boards* staring back at me that kicks me in gear.  I LOVE it. 

When I saw this address wreath, I knew I had to have my own.  It was the week before 4th of July, and I knew my 4th decor would be packed away soon....including my door wreath.  I went with green since my living room is green and it's my favorite color.  I LOVE the bright lime color!  I forgot to pick up the wooden numbers for my address but I still hung that thing on my door!  I'll finish it up when we get back from our trip.




Not all of these crafts come from Pinterest.  These I've had in the back of my head for a while and was inspired to get them done.  These are for our school area.  My original plan with the nut containers was just to scrub the stickers off and leave it clear.  I love clear containers.  BUT.  It took me FOREVER to do just two and there was still a filmy residue left from the glue.  THEN.  My oldest son {bless his heart} threw them away...thinking they were garbage.  Yeah so I went the easy route with the rest of my nut containers.  I got the Gerber containers from a friend since I don't have a baby in the house anymore. 






I wasn't sure what I would put in the three nut containers when I made them, but I quickly figured it out when I opened my art/craft storage.   1. pom storage....I have TONS that I got on clearance for 75% off and now they are all in one place.   2.  crayons...perfect.  3.  decorator scissors.  And now I have several other ideas for them so I need to make MORE!  The Gerber containers are for pencils and pens.  I'll probably make a couple more for markers and paint brushes. 
I have a few more things I'm finishing up and a couple more that I guess I failed to photograph, and I've also pulled together supplies for several holiday kid crafts.  Each craft is in its own ziplock bag and in the appropriate weekly file in the arts/crafts container.  No more skipping fun crafts because I don't have the necessary supplies or time to pull it all together!  I think I'm most excited about that.  After I finish more of these holiday crafts, I'll post a blog with pictures.

Now that I've actually completed a few of these projects, I just want to do MORE! :)  Thankfully I've probably pinned more projects already than I'll ever have time to complete!

I'm linking up with:
The Shabby Creek Cottage

and