| Author | |
Dawn
Forum All-Star
Joined: June 12 2005
Location: Massachusetts
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 3191
|
| Posted: Jan 14 2007 at 3:45pm | IP Logged
|
 |
|
The two areas that seem pretty consistent for me are the homeschooling bookshelves in the living room and my *teacher's* corner in the dining room (aka schoolroom). I keep my weeky planning things here and that seems to go pretty smoothly. (Comparatively speaking.  )
I like our bulletin board too, but I won't be getting to that again until after my son's First Penance. Right now it is devoted to that sacrament. 
Oh, and I also like our tote bag system - the boys each have one (monogrammed and differently colored) that hold their personal materials. Mine holds the general homeschooling materials.
__________________
Dawn, mum to 3 boys 
By Sun and Candlelight
The Nature Corner
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Martha in VA
Forum Pro
Joined: Nov 15 2006
Location: Virginia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 496
|
| Posted: Jan 14 2007 at 7:09pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Dawn wrote:
Oh, and I also like our tote bag system - the boys each have one (monogrammed and differently colored) that hold their personal materials. Mine holds the general homeschooling materials. |
|
|
Dawn,
Tote bags are my WEAKNESS!  I love my totes!! Would you please describe your "tote bag system" in more detail?
Thanks!
__________________
Blessed wife & mom to
4dds,miracle son 4/09, 2 in heaven
My Conversion Blog
Our Family Blog
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Dawn
Forum All-Star
Joined: June 12 2005
Location: Massachusetts
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 3191
|
| Posted: Jan 15 2007 at 5:09am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Martha, I LOVE totes too!  I have so many it's crazy and my dh is now on to me - "Do we *really need* another tote bag, honey?"
I learned this tip from another homeschooling mum a few years ago. I ordered a medium size LL Bean tote bag for each of my three boys, in red, blue and green. (She used the large size but her kids were older - they had more stuff.) I had the bags monogrammed for them, too. I also have one - its the super large one with my own initials. (Mine's navy blue in case you were wondering.  )
Inside each boy's bag go any materials they use for lessons and learning. In my own bag go the materials we use all together.
So, in my oldest son's bag is his binder (which holds a calendar, checklists (when I'm really organized) and any reference things like times tables, cursive chart, etc.). Also in his tote - his Saxon 7/6, his Lingua Mater, his penmanship workbook, his flash cards, his CCD book, his Magnifikid, his current assigned reading, any current magazines like Ask or Ranger Rick and the weekly Mini Pages. He also keeps a graph paper notebook in there and a folder of his "paper games." A pencil, pen and ruler. His bag is pretty full - he may need a large soon!
My bag has things like my weekly planner (a binder), the folder for the week, Story of the World, Latin materials, A Child's Garden of Verses, Catholic Mosaic and the book for the week ... anything I need for use with all three. It's sort of like my "briefcase."
Middle son's is similar to oldest's, while youngest so far has held basically a few board books and Animal Baby's, a coloring book, Little Folks workbooks, and a crayons case.
Basically, these bags are either parked by the "school" table in the dining room or brought down to their rooms on weekends or when preparing for company. I bring all the bags out when I am working on the lesson plans. It's a convenient way to store our learning materials.
Hope that gives you a picture of how we use them - sorry I got a little long-winded.
__________________
Dawn, mum to 3 boys
By Sun and Candlelight
The Nature Corner
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Servant2theKing
Forum All-Star
Joined: Nov 13 2005
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1505
|
| Posted: Jan 15 2007 at 5:30am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Dawn, your totes sound wonderful! I wonder if sewing similar totes would make a nice homeschooling sewing project...any thoughts Michele, Alice?
Another tote option, if funds are limited, are handled plastic baskets...we have two different types, that we found at an office supply store, and they have lasted for years. They're very similar to the baskets you find at the grocery store, if you're buying only a few items (I never, ever need one of those when shopping)...the ones we have are slightly smaller. Our tote baskets hold a binder, all current study materials, and a magazine holder, to hold flimsier paperback or workbook type books. The nice thing about totes or baskets is that you're ready to travel from room to room or place to place at a moment's notice!
__________________
All for Christ, our Saviour and King, servant
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
JennGM
Forum Moderator
Joined: Feb 07 2005
Location: Virginia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 17702
|
| Posted: Jan 15 2007 at 9:00am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Superiffic, Dawn! You're ready for carschooling at a moments' notice!
I keep meaning to pass this idea along, and this thread is perfect! Did you see this idea in the latest issue of Martha Stewart? Removable Tote Organizer.
I didn't know about your totes, Dawn, but thought of you immediately when I saw it. Not sure why!
__________________
Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to  & ds1  '03 & ds2  '07
Family in Feast and Feria
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
1floridamom
Forum Pro
Joined: June 30 2006
Location: Florida
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 236
|
| Posted: Jan 15 2007 at 10:36am | IP Logged
|
|
|
What neat ideas; that tote organizer is cool! I love this thread, because this is one of my big resolutions for the year (and ever after) to really get things organized. Normally, after we've done a sweep of the house and taken our things to Goodwill, many rooms are in order and stay in order as long as we stay out of them!
I'm starting the year by using Quicken to organize the finances and MOTH to organize the organizer. I like to make lists, but I don't have good luck with getting things done past the lists. I am really hoping to put enough routine into our days to get to the organizing projects that each room is needing. My closet is the next big project. Everything is coming out and being put back in in an orderly fashion. That will be painful for a while, but it is so necessary.
Our schoolroom is nice. We have an 80s house with the living room/dining room rectangular combination. We chose instead to make it the schoolroom. The living room has my computer, four bookcases (!), a sofa, our home altar, a credenza and a train table. It's great for either the trains or puzzles, etc. The schoolroom has a 6-foot table, 3 bookcases (!), paper organizer, and a 9-cube cubby organizer. That has a lot of the school supplies organized in flip-top containers; crayons, markers, wrap-ups, card games, etc.
Oh, but the rest of my house! 
__________________
Monica in FL
dh Steve, Sean (14), Ethan (13), Emily (10), Kylie (6), Ashley (5) and Lindsay (2)!
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Dawn
Forum All-Star
Joined: June 12 2005
Location: Massachusetts
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 3191
|
| Posted: Jan 15 2007 at 11:15am | IP Logged
|
|
|
JennGM wrote:
| I keep meaning to pass this idea along, and this thread is perfect! Did you see this idea in the latest issue of Martha Stewart? Removable Tote Organizer. |
|
|
Jenn, this is genius!  I am so behind on my Martha's - I have both the January *and* February issues to read!
__________________
Dawn, mum to 3 boys
By Sun and Candlelight
The Nature Corner
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
KC in TX
Forum All-Star
Joined: Aug 05 2005
Location: Texas
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2621
|
| Posted: Jan 15 2007 at 1:08pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Dawn,
That's such a great idea. I love totes too. I thought I was the only "crazy" one (like my love of office supplies). We often have to school on the run at the therapy office. If their schools things are organized that way, it will work!! Now, I think I have finally found a solution to shelf space. This will free up so much space on my shelves. I'm so energized now. Now, I need to go to the LLBean website. 
__________________
KC,
wife to Ben (10/94),
Mama to LB ('98)
Michaela ('01)
Emma ('03)
Jordan ('05)
And, my 2 angels, Rose ('08) and Mark ('09)
The Cabbage Patch
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Philothea
Forum All-Star
Joined: Aug 15 2006
Location: Virginia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 824
|
| Posted: Jan 15 2007 at 1:38pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
JennGM wrote:
[
Anyway you can share pictures? I'm drooling over here. Does your island have a sink or electricity, too? |
|
|
No sink, no electricity. It's freestanding. DH has the camera at work but when he gets home I'll take pics to share. :)
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
stefoodie
Forum Moderator
Joined: Feb 17 2005
Location: Ohio
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 8457
|
| Posted: Jan 15 2007 at 3:08pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
My used-to-be island that my hubby and dd-15 constructed from Ikea materials 3 years ago. Eight feet, 16 drawers, 2 base cabs.
I've got 3 drawers with trays for tools (melon baller, instant thermometer, maki mats, chinese soup spoons, lobster claw crackers, chopsticks, cannoli molds, scallop shells, meat pounder, bread razor, etc.)
1 for regular cookie cutters and 1 for Christmas cookie cutters
1 large drawer for food processor parts
1 large drawer for mixer parts
2 drawers for racks (cake and otherwise) and trivets
1 drawer for everyday flatware
1 large and 1 small drawer for canning tools
1 small for thin baking tins (madeleines) and sheets (silpats), brioche molds, jell-o molds
1 for Asian mats
1 for Asian dishes
1 for candles, matches, and our stash of dark chocs
1 cab has pull-out baskets, for potatoes, garlic, onions; wish it had holes though for better air circulation -- didn't realize Ikea cabs were difficult to drill on -- i tried
1 cab has shelves, for all my cake- and cookie-decorating stuff.
It's the ONLY really organized space we have in the house that stays that way most of the time. The other rooms/spaces fluctuate all year. But I would go crazy if I were to cook/bake and the tools weren't where they're supposed to be. Wish I had one of these for all our craft stuff.
__________________
stef
mom to five
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Rachel May
Forum All-Star
Joined: June 24 2005
Location: Kansas
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2057
|
| Posted: Jan 15 2007 at 7:44pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Wow! I'm getting tons of inspiration here.
__________________
Rachel
Thomas and Anthony (10), Maria (8), Charles (6), Cecilia (5), James (3), and Joseph (1)
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
SuzanneG
Forum Moderator
Joined: June 17 2006
Location: Idaho
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 5465
|
| Posted: Jan 15 2007 at 8:34pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
PaulaL wrote:
| And Suzanne, all 3 of my freezers are like yours, with *special* places for different types of food, and a list on the front of them so I know what and how much is in them!....and my downstairs pantry is the same way.....and the rule is when you take something out of the freezer or pantry you have to mark it on the list.... |
|
|
Yep.....my 4 and 5-year-old have been known to "remind" daddy to mark it off when he goes down to get something !!
__________________
Suzanne in ID
Wife to Pete
Mom of 7 (Girls - 14, 12, 11, 9, 7 and Boys - 4, 1)
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Paula in MN
Forum All-Star
Joined: Nov 25 2006
Location: Minnesota
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 4064
|
| Posted: Jan 16 2007 at 6:21am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Stef, I LOVE that island!!!!!!!
__________________
Paula
A Catholic Harvest
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Philothea
Forum All-Star
Joined: Aug 15 2006
Location: Virginia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 824
|
| Posted: Jan 16 2007 at 8:39pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Here's the island:
Excuse the mess in the background, we're rearranging the kitchen due to the arrival of the pictured island (and new huge french-door refrigerator, yay!) and stuff is EVERYWHERE.
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Cay Gibson
Forum All-Star
Joined: July 16 2005
Location: Louisiana
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 5193
|
| Posted: March 19 2007 at 8:05am | IP Logged
|
|
|
saintanneshs wrote:
| Yes! My walk-in pantry! It was the first thing dh renovated for me when we moved into this old house and I love it. |
|
|
Ditto!
saintanneshs wrote:
My pantry is the first thing everyone sees when they come into my house (we're back door, not front door folks), and most of the rest of my house is a renovating work-in-progress, so it's kinda nice to feel like I have something that looks pulled together. To look in my basement is sooo discouraging. The pantry gives me hope!
|
|
|
Same here! 
__________________
Cay Gibson
"There are 49 states, then there is Louisiana." ~ Chef Emeril
wife to Mark '86
mom to 5
Cajun Cottage Under the Oaks
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
|
|
4Real Forums : Tea and Conversation
Topic: Best of....Oganization
