Comic Relief

I don't know about you, but this has been one looooong week, on top of several other looooong weeks. So, I thought a little comic relief was in order. These have been scavenged off the internet, but I'll give credit where credit is due. Enjoy!

All of these comics are courtesy of http://www.cartoonstock.com/directory/o/organizing.asp.

Q4U: Please drop me a line in my comments section just to let me know that you're still getting my post feeds! I'm a little (okay, a lot) nervous since I changed my blog url. I don't want to ditch my faithful followers! Thanks.

A Change - Yikes!

I just did something even more drastic than my blog makeover: I changed my blog url. I really, really, really hope it doesn't mess everything up and make me lose all my followers. If so, I'm sorry!

The reason I decided to change my blog's url is because I've been reading a lot lately about branding. No, I'm not talking about cows in Texas. (I just know someone will leave me a note saying you don't brand cows or something, but you know what I mean!) "They" strongly suggest that if you're is going to cultivate a strong web presence, which is what I'm trying to do, you should choose a single name and/or image and stick with it. That way, everyone who knows you from one venue will be able to find you elsewhere or be recognize you when they stumble across other online activities in which you're involved. That makes sense to me, but it's harder to implement when I've had my finger in so many different pies and kind of piece-mealed my online activities.

Anyway, if you have more experience than I do in this whole viral campaigning thing, please let me know if I just committed a major gaffe! But it might be too late. Oops.

Introduction to Portfolios

Welcome to all the visitors from the Carnival of Homeschooling, hosted by Janice Campbell this week. Thanks for stopping by.

This is a repeat, I admit it, but it's that time of year again! School's out and you're wondering what to do with the plethora of papers under your dining room table. Or, you know you have to make a portfolio, but you  have no idea how to go about it. In the coming weeks, I'll post more ind-depth directions and thoughts on portfolios, so keep reading!

What does a hard-working homeschooling mom do with all those 3-D projects, art papers, grammar workbooks, math tests? Throw them away? Horrors!! There is an alternative that can make both the “savers” and the “throwers” happy, believe it or not. The solution is to make a portfolio to showcase a selection of each student’s best work throughout the school year. Portfolios are required by law in some states, but they are a good idea for everyone for several reasons: preserving hard work, providing evidence for skeptical grandparents or other family members and friends, planning purposes for younger siblings, and recording grades and/or levels earned.

                                    

A meritorious portfolio does not include every single assignment from every single subject. It includes a representation, which has the best writing samples, the best test scores, the best artwork, the best notebooking pages, and the best worksheet pages. It also includes pictures of 3-D projects, field trips, and other activities that can’t be condensed to a single written document.

To grade or not to grade? That debate is a whole separate subject which is goes far beyond the scope of this entry. But, if you choose not to give actual grades or not to fill out a report card (or its equivalent), then a portfolio becomes even more important.  A portfolio gives physical evidence that little Johnny really is a genius – just like you always thought!

The easiest way to make a portfolio to do all along, but it’s never too late to start. My preference is to take my children’s binders (again, a different topic, but I’ll get to that one eventually) about once a month, choose papers to go into the portfolio and trash the rest, unless they’re needed for a later test. Older students who have final exams may benefit from having some of the papers not needed on an every day basis sorted and put into another binder kept on a shelf for future reference.

That’s the ideal. However, I fully realize that it’s June and most of you are just ending your school years. If you’ve got piles, cartons, or binders stuffed full of papers all over your dining room table, that’s OK! Take it one pile at a time. Sort by subject, then by date, then choose the best page or two out of every 10 or 20. Use dividers to separate each subject. Have each child decorate the front of his or her binder, add the year and grade, and you’ve got a portfolio!

I'm currently working on an e-book dedicated to portfolios, so if you have any bright ideas, drop me a line, I'd love to incorporate some of them!

Q4U: What do YOU do with all the artwork, papers, tests, and projects that accumulate throughout the school year?

Blog Makeover

Please come check out my blog's new look! When I logged on the other day, I was delighted to discover that Blogger now has push-button design tools. No more experimenting with html code to widen the display--yay! I was able to try different colors and backgrounds with just a mouse click. I also re-organized my sidebar and tried to remove some of the extraneous stuff.

Want to try it on your own blog? Go ahead; it's practically fail proof. Hey, if I can do it, anyone can do it!

No, it's not a custom-designed look, but I can't afford that right now. I was ready for a change, and I got it. So, tell me what you think.

Q4U: Will you try out a new design (or just tweaking what you have) on your own blog?

Home Sweet Home (Business) - a Molly review

Many homeschool/stay-at-home moms want to earn a little money on the side to help out financially or to provide some extras that just aren’t in the family budget. Just as many moms get stuck on what type of business to start and how to start it. Molly to the rescue! Normally, Molly’s Money-Saving Digests focus on ways to save money, but this issue focuses on ways to make money instead. Since I’m co-owner of a small business and work part-time from home in addition to homeschooling, these thoughts are near and dear to my heart. Molly interviews several adults and teens who have successful home businesses; you can learn from their thoughts and ideas.

If your young entrepreneurs want to make some extra money this summer, Molly’s got a whole section just for them! She has age-appropriate ideas, a list of things to do, how to advertise, and helpful links.

The fun, summertime extras included in this month’s digest include a rainbow salad and other unique summer salads, little-known holidays to celebrate, printable forms to help you decide what kind of home-based business is best for you (or your teen), directions on making decorative tassels, a mouth-watering menu for a week (including the shopping list), creative up-cycling projects, and more.

Check out Molly’s Econobusters website for more great money-saving tips. You can also join Molly’s special members’-only site for even more articles, ideas, and freebies. It’s only $3.95/month for a subscription, less than the $4.95 for just the digest!

Click your way over to The Old Schoolhouse Store to purchase Home Sweet Home (Business), Molly’s June 2010 Money-Saving Digest.

Disclosure: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Desk Organizers for Mom

Update on my new desk: I still love it! Unfortunately, the cats think it's a great spot to sit and look out the window, so I'm constantly cleaning it off.

When I bought my new desk, I decided to splurge and buy new desk accessories to go with it. Fortunately, since I was shopping at Ikea, I didn't have to spend a ton of money to get the sophisticated look I wanted. The receipt got trashed, so I can't tell you how much they cost, but they were between $3-$9 each, I think. I chose three items from the STRIKT line in a deep burgundy. They're cloth covered and perfectly complement the color of the walls and curtains in our school room. They contrast nicely with the white desk as well.

Set one is 2 magazine holders that nest inside each other. I used them for curricula catalogs and some spiral-bound books that don't stand up on their own. Set two has 4 boxes that nest inside each other: 2 small boxes for paper clips, tacks, glue stick, lip balm, etc., 1 long box for pencils and pens, 1 slightly larger square box for my stapler, tape, etc. The third item from STRIKT was a large, shallow box that I use for my colored pencils (yes, I have my own set!), my business cards, cute notepaper, etc.

I also got a set of 2, white, CD-size boxes by KASSETT from Ikea. In one I have CDs for my computer, and in the other I have my labeler (I could write a whole post about my labeler;

I love it that much!) and cords for my various electronic things.

I must say that I was disappointed in the STRIKT products because I was hoping they'd fit on the shelf underneath the glass on my desk, but only the pencil case is shallow enough. Oh well. I figured out how to make them all fit onto one side of my shelves, so it all worked out.

On top of my desk, I have a wicker basket (that's actually an old one that I had in my previous desk) for small notepads, stickers, and bookmarks. I found a nice, red, glass vase at Ikea for less than $2 that is perfect for scissors and rulers. At Hobby Lobby, I found an adorable black and white tin bucket to put my pens and pencils in. Actually, my daughter found it

while we were shopping for party favors for her 15th birthday party, but that's just semantics!

So, now I have a large, classy, comfortable work area. I love it! What do you think?

Q4U: Tell me about your favorite desk organizers.

My Blog Featured!

I've just been informed that my blog has been featured on OnlineDegree.net's post "50 Best Blogs to Organize Everything in Your Life." Cool! And, for all of you, my faithful readers, you can check out the other 49 blogs to help you get organized in other areas of your life. Enjoy! And, THANK YOU for following and reading my blog!

Back to our regularly scheduled posts . . . soon. As soon as I get my scheduling act together, that is.

Disclosure 1: No Material Connection. I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Q4U: Which of the blogs listed in the above article did you find to be most useful and why? After my blog, of course!

What Happens

Oops--just noticed that it's been over a week since I posted anything! So, it's time for a true confession: that's what happens when life happens, even in the home of the very organized homeschool mom. I just ran out of time to write ahead, so my blog was the first thing to go.

Maybe that's the real lesson here. Sometimes it's okay to let the non-essentials slide for a short season. It's okay not to obsess about doing everything to perfection all the time to the detriment of, say, one's mental health and family obligations.

Q4U: What's the first thing you let slide when you just run out of time or energy?