I’ve been meaning to post a personal post (not a review) for a while, but just haven’t made it this far. So, instead of having a different post for each topic, I’ll put several topics into one post. I never confessed to being a TIME organization guru, did I? Good!
First things first: I managed to break my toe and am on enforced bed/couch rest. Ugh! The upside is that I have lots of extra time to work on computer projects. The downside is that I can’t do anything that requires standing, walking, or driving. So, it’s time to do a reality check on my training my kids to do chores around the house. Hhmmm, a bit of supervision is still needed, but they’re trying. Do I hear a home ec class calling?
The other week, I finally organized all of my loose recipes (mostly ones printed from AllRecipes.com or sent in emails from friends) and my Kraft Food magazines. I set up a binder (not a surprise for those of you who’ve read some of my other organizational posts) with tabs for my most-used categories (chicken, ground meat, salads, sides, etc.). Then I hole-punched every recipe (after quickly reviewing them to make sure I still wanted them) and put them in the appropriate sections. I ripped out my family’s favorite recipes from the Kraft Food magazines and filed those as well.
Guess what time of year it is? If you guessed homeschool convention time, you’re correct! It’s also the time of year when most homeschoolers start thinking about the curricula they’ll be using the next year. Many publishers have special sales at this time of year, and used curriucla sales lurk around every corner, so this is definitely the time to buy. The most important thing, whether you plan to attend a convention, buy all your curricula new online, or skulk the used bins, is to make a list. Start by evaluating what you’ve used this past year to see if you want to continue using the same publisher or style for next year. Go ahead and poll your kids to see what they think, too. Then,ask your friends for recommendations, check out the many available online reviews (like the ones on my blog and on The Homeschool Lounge), and peruse catalogues while you make your list. Make sure you include consummable workbooks for the younger children and the math manipulatives that went missing at Thanksgiving. That’s it! You’re ready to shop! Drop me a line and let me know how your list making goes.
My true confession for this post is that, yes, I do have my list completed, but I didn’t finish it until last week (late for me). One other thing I like to do on my list is to make separate columns for the publisher and/or the cheapest place (online or catalogue) to buy the curriculum and the best price I found. That way I know whether or not I’m getting a bargain when I shop at used sales and book fairs. Do you have a great tip for making your curricula list or for shopping for curricula? Please share it with us!
Bethany LaShell 