Homework Station Turntable



Mom on Timeout made this very useful turntable full of homework supplies - glue sticks, pencils, tape, etc. Perfect to sit in the middle of the table and then everyone can reach what they need!

 

See the Homework Station Turntable.

Afterschool Snack Organization

School is just around the corner for us, here in Idaho. Blooming Homestead some great tips for organizing afterschool snacks. Makes snack time easy, quick, and somewhat healthy!


See this simple Snack Organization.

Homemade 'Uncrustables'

Do you have littles in your home who like to take the Uncrustables to school? Well, Working Mom Magic has a her own version of homemade Uncrustables. She even has a few tips and tricks to help make the process smoother. Perfect for those lunch boxes!


See how to make Homemade 'Uncrustables'.

2014 Back to School Categorically Crafting Party

Welcome to the

  2014 BACK TO SCHOOL Categorically Crafting Show  

where you can show off all of your fun projects for

BACK TO SCHOOL TIME!

Please join your post if, and only if, it corresponds with the category and theme of back to school. We would love to see any craft projects, clothing, décor, activities, gift ideas, or food ideas that correlate with back to school time! (If it doesn't fit in this specific category though, you are welcome to link it up to Whatever Goes Wednesday.) If you have joined a project that fits this theme to a party on my blog before, feel free to add it to this show too! If you have a lot of projects to show off, please choose your favorites. Remember to link to the specific posts, not to your main blog page. This makes it easier for readers to find your awesome ideas.

Let's see what you have created (either recently or in the past)!

This linky will be open until September 15, 2014, so keep checking back for more inspiration!

 Keep checking back for more ideas!!!

Homeschool Organization for Back to School

Hey Someday Crafters! Today, I'm joining the Back to School series that Emily at The Benson Street is hosting.

 

The last few months have been a bit confusing as far as my son's education goes. I've gone back and forth between his options for schooling. The public school that we're zoned for doesn't inspire much confidence. The PTA has eliminated all funding for basically everything but one big school party and 1 or 2 educational field trips. It's also ranked really low in the state. One of my neighbors sent her late birthday son to Kindergarten at this school and has told me some not so great things about it that further strengthen my thoughts of not wanting to send him there. I've looked into the charter schools and there was one we really loved, but we're 11th on the waiting list so I don't have high hopes. We were accepted into the charter Montessori, but after doing some more research about Montessori, I don't know that it's the right fit for us in the long run.

My son has a late August birthday, and we held off on Kindergarten last year. At that time, I was still unsure of our public school and we were too late to apply for the charters. I've always felt like I shouldn't rush school for him. From the time he was a baby, I knew that I should wait to send him to Kindergarten, so I did. But this year, he'll be six before the deadline here. Idaho law states that children don't have to be in school until 7, but I don't want to hold off another year. So, with my lack of faith in our local school, I feel like that leaves me with homeschooling. I've never been opposed to it, and I've given it serious thought over the last few years. I just haven't been sure if I'm cut out for it. My biggest worry is if I can be organized enough to make it through a whole school year. And now I have a baby to add in to the mix!

But, I feel like I've finally decided that I'll be homeschooling my son this next year. Possibly just until we move (no plans to) or until he gets into a better school. Possibly for much longer. So now I'm researching curriculum and methods of teaching and learning and trying to get prepared and organized for August. In my efforts to be organized, I've been racking my brain to come up with a way to be prepared for school and to stay organized for the school year. While I was at the store, I was walking through the storage bin aisles and found what I needed.



It's a very simple idea, but I think it will work for me. I purchased 4 bigger bins and 2 smaller ones. The bigger bins are wide and long enough to hold full-sized papers and workbooks, but also deep enough to as many books and stacks of paper as I need it to. I purchased 4 so I could be organized for a whole month.

The bins have these cute little dry erase tags that snap on and off. I don't have to try and get cutesy with the labels. Because, really, who's got time for that and a new baby? And if they don't work, I can easily re-label them and use them elsewhere in the house. As you can see, right now they're just labeled for weeks 1-4.

 



The smaller bins are for art supplies and other learning supplies (like our little bag of play money, legos that are set aside for math, etc).

Obviously I haven't planned the first 4 weeks of school yet, and I haven't put them to the test long-term yet, but I think this storage system will work well for the way I work. I can plan a month at a time, put the needed supplies in for each week, and then move the curriculum books through each week as needed.

 



Since I'm new to this homeschooling thing, I'd love to hear from other homeschoolers out there. Any tips or hidden secrets that will help my life flow more easily? However, I know homeschooling can be a touchy subject for some, so please keep your comments courteous and kind.

If you're looking for more back to school ideas (not just homeschool), then check out the links below. It will be updated though mid-August with tons of new ideas from other bloggers perfect for helping you ease into back to school time.

100+ Printable Lunch Jokes & Brain Teasers

Even though school has started for many of you, it doesn't start here until this next week. Here are some fun printable jokes and brain teasers from Kristen Duke to stick in your child's lunchbox. You can even write special notes on the back!

 

See the Printable Kids Lunch Jokes & Brain Teasers.

 

How to Decorate Your Locker for Less

It's back to school time and, as many of you may know, decorating the lockers at school is pretty popular now. I really had no idea. It's been years since I was in high school and we never did anything like this. My Litter has a great post about decorating a locker on a budget. You can get the same designer look without the designer price tag!

 

See How to Decorate Your Locker for Less.

School Binders with Printables

Thirty Handmade Days created these cool school binders to keep track of important things that happened during the school year and little "About Me" page for each year. What a fun way to track all the important (and even the "unimportant") things that happen each year during school!

 

See the School Binders with Printables.