Well Planned Day

Are you all ready for Fall to start and ready for everyone to head back to school? Soon will be gone the care free and easy Summer days! I am in no way "ready" but I have been praying and making lists and have my planner ordered and ready.

I know that I have told you before about the planner that I LOVE LOVE LOVE. 

You can preview the planner HERE

I have a confession: I am not a very planned out/organized/secretarial person. AT. ALL. I'm pretty much a hot mess with piles of receipts and pockets full of crunched up dollar bills. But with 5 kids in 4 different levels  and a home and family and......I NEED help keeping it all together.

This is my third year using the Well Planned Day Planner and I have another confession. this planner is so beautiful and so well organized that my first year..now don't laugh..I didn't write in it. I was afraid of interfering with it's organization. How silly is that? The best thing about having a well planned planner is that it is a tool for you to use for YOUR life.

Not being a super organized person I really need the help BUT I dont need the pressure of feeling like I have to conform to being someone I'm not in order to thrive.  I found so much grace in the Well Planned Day planner.

It's helpful assets include:
-Full Year Planner: July 2012 - June 2013
-Home Management Helps with weekly cleaning schedule, monthly projects, greeting card registry, and monthly budgeting.
-Holiday Organization Section: Greeting card registry, activities and event schedules, gift giving, around town shopping, and internet shopping.
-Organization and planning for up to 4 children (I photocopy and add more)
-Four Student Class Plans: Schedule each student's class assignments.
-Four Student Time Schedules: Track each day by the hour.
-Weekly Schedule: Organize your week with class assignments, weekly priorities, prayer requests,  dinner menu, and notes.
-Month at a Glance: Plan field trips, enrichment activities and books to read
-Semester Attendance & Progress Reports
-Perforated Report Cards
-Menu Planning: Plan weekly meals and conveniently shop with perforated shopping lists.
-Family Worship: Read through the Bible in a year.
-Insightful homeschool articles and tips to inspire you throughout the year.

 
I don't use all of those features. Maybe I should but that's another post. I use what I need right now and do what I can do right now. Maybe in July of 2013 I will start using a new feature (like the Bible memory verses) and that would be great but I'm not obligated to. There is so much in there that everyone can find what THEY need help with organizing in one place.

***disclaimer: I was given a planner to review but was in no way influenced on what to say--all opinions are my own and should be considered just that. Links in this post do contain affilaite information and if you choose to buy through those links I will be reimbursed.

Jewerly storage and projects in snippets

I long for a awe inspiring before and after to share with you. An amazing makeover or redo that is accomplished in a weekend. My life doesn't work like that. I don't have a weekend to spare. If I dedicated a weekend to redoing and making over: what would we eat? who would counsel crying teens and referee television use? who would change diapers and remind people or bedtime? would we drown in dirty clothes? Often it feels like I don't do anything. I don't feel all that needed. But man, oh man, try to step away it quickly becomes clear what I do all day.

A few of my flaws come into play here. I am sooo bad at doing things "for now." Dresser needs painting? Drawers falling out? Don't put it in the garage! We'll use it "for now." Until we get around to it. Thing is that we don't tend to get around to it. I realize that this isn't the best system. But I also realize that if we didn't use that dresser "for now" the way that it is--there wouldn't be a dresser at all. Sometimes that way it is, is the way it is.

When I had all littles I'd stay up late and make things happen. Then my littles got bigger and bigger. Now they want attention in the wee hours and stay up late doing chores. i once again have littles. Two little ones getting up early with two others staying up late and one in the middle needing guidance. I also work all night two nights a week. My "project time" is just not there.

My projects don't have a dramatic before and after but a slow slow evolution.

Today's project for example. Apparently, I have a lot of necklaces. In a few different drawers all tangled together. I had bought a cork board at GoodWill for 90 cents. It sat on my husband's desk for awhile. I think he hated it. I saw a few different variations of hanging necklaces on cork boards. I searched for material and tacks. I made a list to buy tacks. I gave up on material and hung the cork board. Crooked. Pictures? Well you see, My camera has been MIA since Easter. Seems that a younger sibling was doing something cute and a picture was a good idea. MY camera has been missing ever since  :) I borrowed an IPOD and got this:


You get the idea right?

If you're coming here for the best way to do things..I can POINT you in that direction. If you are coming here for Grace and Acceptance and the encouragement that even you can celebrate and have a great life with what you have. That I can deliver. (and I'll be able to find a cool necklace to wear in the process)

Organization here we come!!

A "typical" day in our homeschool life, huh? I have been trying to figure out what I want and need that to look like. Perhaps a good time to join the ladies at:
Heart of the Matter for A Day in the Life of Week.

I am not an organized person and I tend to color outside the lines. I also don't want to MISS anything! I have told you how much I love the Maxwell family's MOTH system.



I found thee most AMAZING planner!! The Well Planned Day


It includes Catechism questions and Scripture passages for memorization, tear out grocery lists, places to document each child's schedule and transcript info....everything I would have never thought to include and many I didn't realize I need but really do. There is also a planner available for high school and one for junior high. We may be moving on to those soon:)

Our oldest is heading into high school and I have been meaning to map out his 4 years. I have felt like my kids just aren't cooperating lately and I KNOW that a schedule will conquer this. But when do I find the time? I KNOW that I need to schedule every minute so that my littles aren't overlooked or underfoot...but where do I find the time??

I had a God sent opportunity this week. An amazing lady in my life has graduated her children but continues to be involved. She hosted a ladies retreat in her home. With spots for 5 people to each have their own room and snacks and drinks and lunch (and the wisdom of an organized Titus 2 woman;) I did not bring my camera:( I wish I could show you the cool paper plates and matching napkins that even matched her cute outfit, and I wished I had taken pictures of her wall arrangements and had a chance to read through their family's amazing library.

Do you see the distractions I find? hence the much needed day away and set aside. SOOO, on my husband's day off, I ran off and left him with an unorganized home and uncooperative children and spent the day praying over and pouring over our schedule. I printed out chore sheets from DonnaYoung.com and brought my handy planner and MOTH sheets.

I have started this process over and over each year but never fully completed our schedule because I didn't have a block of time or the right surrounding. I'm hesitant to show you because I haven't worked the kinks out and don't want you to think I'm neglecting anyone or anything. Those things will come in time-right?


**I should probably add that two of our children are involved in an Art/Science/Bible Co-o on Fridays, our boys are active in Boy Scouts and our daughter in a Keepers at Home Group, our schedule does include a bedtime routine and family worship, I need longer paper:)

I made copies for each of my older kids to go over and will look at the chore charts with them soon. We don't start school until after Labor Day (I'm old fashioned like that--AND we still have two more birthday celebrations in our home)

I'm pondering a prettier way to display the MOTH schedule than the color coded chart. silly I know but have any ideas?

Under the Weather or Life Ahead, Ellers Down (A Week in Review)

It has been an odd few days. I feel like we haven't done anything but as I'm thinking it through we actually have. Want in on my thought process? Here we go...

Wednesday- We found out about Nates Scleroderma and spent time talking to other people about it and trying to figure out what to do. At first, I kind of liked the idea of there not being a medical treatment. meaning that we could search out and do what we see fit without refusing anything. But Im beginning to wonder if this will be even harder becasue there is no clear path and no way to pay for it and we may blame ourselves for not treating an "untreatable" disease.

Thursday- Was a Boy Scout court of Honor. Both my boy scouts have outgrown their pants and their patches didnt get sewn on. I stapled them on on our way out the door. A new family just moved into town. I have been wanting to meet the wife, she approached me several times and I said the oddest things. She said, "HI. my name is__________we met at the homeschool meeting last week." I looked at her totally empty and blank and said, 'Did I go to that?" Uh, yeah, apparently I did. She is a sweetheart and kept trying. She eventually asked me a question that I gave a long, honest answer too. That would be "me." She and her husband just moved her and JUST had their sixth baby, by C section. They want to have us over for lunch. I'm excited and beating myself up too.

Friday-We "did" art and Science with friends. My son got a much needed haircut.

Saturday-Hubby worked. My older son worked on a freind's Eagle Scout project. We stumbled upon a firefighter fundraiser.

A freind came by with birhtday cake and presents. Cake did not sound good to us (this may be foreshadowing to future events)

Sunday- Church was wonderful. They are praying for Nate and there were no lame comments. I got a "lead" on a naturopath.

Monday- Josh had breakfast with a friend and felt very encouraged. We spent time talking (we never get a chance to do that) By midday, I cried. ALL day. That night, I felt feverish and really uncomfortable. Our property manager came over to say that "we'd" be getting a new roof between 7 and 8 the next morning.

Tuesday- SIck in bed. SIck SIck. made plans to go somehwere to escape hammering. Couldnt get out of bed.


Wednesday- Still not out of bed. Friend made me a huge, beautiful pot of chicken noodle soup. My husband took our children down to find sand crabs, They also had a seal come to shore.

>Dr. called to say that Nate would be seeing an oral surgeon tomrrow morning at 8:30. Say What? I called and rearranged appt. It seems to be VERY important. Hubby reminded me that we dont have dental insurance.

Thursday-Husband back at work. me still in bed. Intersting day. Turns out the garage had nothing but wood with huge spaces and shingles over it. My husband figured this out in the middle and ran back and forth to the garage with sheets and tarps. The contents of our garage are now covered in a few inches of dirt, grunge, sawdust and nails. I got up and tried to clean a path to do laundry.




My nine year old daughter followed me out there. I think she accomplished more than I did. Friend from homeschool group called and wants to feature our family (and this blog) in the homeschool newsletter. She brought me lunch. FUN stuff :) Our Satelite dish no longer works. I tried to troubelshoot for far too long and the sound of my children sent me back to bed.

Friday-I got up to greet the satelite repair man. Made coffee and did school. Took care of medical paperwork and ran errands. Went by Grandmas to have patches sewn on properly. Visited thrift store and Dollar Tree looking for the Family wall vinyl I read about in bloggy land :). Felt tired. Came home and did more and more laundry then dinner. What am I thinking I should be resting!

Saturday-My husband got called in for an "extra" shift. My older boys went to a leadership meeting with boy Scouts. I had trouble getting out of bed. After our house was trashed beyond recognition and my nine year old near tears I strapped my babies into their carseats and headed out to get coffee and go to yard sales. Did I mention that I ran out of coffee? Didn't help my "get up and go" one bit. We came to a yard sale and my three year old convinced me to let him out of his car seat (first mistake) A few weekends ago (near his birthday) I took him to a yard sale with a TON of kids clothes and a TON of toys. Toys were a $1.00 a bag and clothes 25 cents each. While I sorted through clothes I let him fil a shopping bag with toys. He politely asked before each toy and was so grateful. I kept encouraging him to fill the bag. WELL, I created a monster! This yard sale the toys were 50 cents each and it turns out I had $1.50 in my wallet. Maybe that was actually mistake number ONE. So, there I am with this three year old with no concept or money filling his little arms and hands with toys. I am feeling so tired and should be in bed. Oh what fun.

Sunday- Was wonderful. Church was great. A family from church wants to pay for Nate to see a Dr. that they reccomend. Can we do that? After church, we attended a BBQ picnic with our homeschool support group. GREAT PEOPLE with GREAT KIDS. Fun fun.
A few smiling people that I hadn't met before approached me and said that they had read my blog. I stood there dumbstruck. Again, not good with small talk. I said some pretty lame things. Im not sure what I was feeling. Exposed? No. I dont know. Need to work on a nice polite retort in case this happens again :)Any suggestions? Anyone else had that happen and stood there like a deer caught in headlights?

Im feeling like Im getting nothing done and then again feeling like there is way too much going on in this blog post.. And wondering if anything is worth sharing..hmmmm. I hope I can be an encouragement to others feeling the same way. Im not trying to "do it all" or "have it all" or outdo anyone and some weeks I feel pretty beaten up by life. It is my prayer that I can make good decisions about the care and management of our family and sneak some fun and good memories in there too.........

Monday August 24, 2009

My facebook status now reads:

Kathy Eller childrens' frustration that we havent started school like "everyone" else somehow involved a water bottle and being locked outside and mud. now Im cleaning and school planning and disciplining. Before coffee. Hello Monday.


BUUT....Im going to take a quick break and answer these questions. Not because I think Im all that interesting but in hopes of breaking the ice and getting to know people a little better.:)



1. Do you cook every night?
Yes. Nothing that great or exciting. The same few meals over and over BUT we eat and are thankful for that. (Can you tell that this has been addressed before?)



2. What kind of laundry detergent do you use & why?
Tide FREE, High Efficiency because I have a front load washer/dryer and have a highly sensitive child (follow Feingold program) and have not gotten around to making my own laundry soap. I have bought some detergent on Etsy. But find Tide on sale and with a coupon and earn cents off gas. I also use Tide in my Bissell carpet steamer.

3. Do you do laundry every day or loads at a time?
EVERY single day. I try not to on Sunday. I pre-sort by doing big boys now day, little boys one day etc...I alternate cloth diapers and towels/rags. I dont put things away :) Either people put their own clothes away or i sits in baskets until my husband repeatedly asks me when "we" are going to get to putting the laundry away.


4. How often do you eat out per week?
We almost NEVER do. But I will scrounge change and eat Taco Bell when Im out running errands.

5. Where do you usually eat out?
As a family? Subway. Me? Carls Jr with a coupon, Taco Bell. Seems like forever since we actually ate out together as a couple....

6. What is your favorite retail store?
Target. there isn't one nearby....

7. What's your favorite thing to drink?
Coffee, red wine, Mountain Dew,....

8. Do you take vitamins? What kind?
Im not too good at the "every day take one" and am kind of hit and miss :) I am still working through a bottle of Rainbow Light Pre-natals.
Really like them though. I would like to try the Supermom.

9. What percentage of the household chores to you do?
Its getting to the point where I am overseeing more than doing. But it still takes ALOT OF TIME.


10. Do your children do chores? {Or will they, did they, etc}
Yes, they do and are pretty good about it and trustworthy. I need to work on a schedule of morning chores, afternoon chores, evening chore and before bed chores....

11. Do you go to church?Yes. Love love love "my church" The teaching is solid and sound. The people have been so gracious and amazing and generous to us in so many ways the past 8 1/2 years that we have lived here. We attend a Reformed, Presbyterian (OPC) church a half hour away.

12. Do you have a housework schedule?

No but I can really see where that would be freeing :)

13. Do you keep a working budget?

Would LOVE to work up to one. Right now we spend the absolute bare minimum and juggle bills to be paid.

14. What do you do at night as a family?

We prepare and eat dinner, clean up and prepare for bed, "do" family worship. My husband works in the early am hours so he and the babies go to sleep. The older kids linger longer and longer to spend time with me OR get out of going to bed....I clean up the house, handle paper work and watch tv/go on the computer (usually until about 2am)

15. How do you prepare yourself for a new week?

What I really WANT to start doing is go through the weekly evaluation sheet in This Planner

Click here to visit Graham Family Ministries.and pray about the week being better than the last:)

16. What should do your mornings look like?
I got this all down on paper last night:)
We gather at the table
(so wish it was this one:) for breakfast and Bible reading together. Chores are done, people are dressed, diapers changed, rooms tidied. Big kids start individual math lessons, Madelyn and I do a seperate devotional, babies watch a short video and the days goes on switching "activities every half an hour-hour...

17. What time do you get up in the mornings?
Really working on that :)SHOULD be between 8 and 9.

18. What time do you go to bed at night?
about 2am. Hoping this is just a "summer schedule" and I can turn things around:)

19. How do you manage all of the paperwork that floods into your household? {bills, school work, magazines, ads, etc}
Increasingly and increasingly better :)

20. How do you keep your household organized? {calendars, charts, etc}
There is a calendar on my office wall. A daily schedule in the dining room. A laundry schedule and chore schedule in the hallway....


There are more great ladies answering these questions HERE.

Almost time for Holiday Planning

Im getting so excited about Autumn coming and the hoilidays and cozing up with a blanket and my littles....

I came across an amazing deal and resource that I want to share with you!!!

A dear friend of mine uses this planner:




every Holiday season. I am soooo impressed with it. It is so much more than a calendar or list of presents to buy. The Graham Family Ministries have done SUCH a good job of including all the things important to me :)

I "borrowed" this description:
What you will find in this 146 page ebook:

Blank monthly and weekly calendar pages for planning your year

Weekly "To Do" lists showing exactly what needs to be done each week

Thanksgiving and Christmas Menus forms

Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Recipe Card forms

A Holiday Self-Evaluation form

Shopping Lists

"Sheri's Tips"- tips to make your holidays meaningful, shared throughout the ebook

Christmas Craft and Gift Ideas

Memory Making Ideas for the Family

Holiday Journal Pages

Many, many forms such as:

Christmas Gift Shopping List
Gift Making Checklist
Christmas Card Checklist
List of Baked Items to Share/Give Away
Favorite Meals to Freeze for Later
Decoration Ideas
Needed Supplies to Purchase This Week
Holiday Baking Schedule
Kids' Gift Idea List
Christmas Gifts to be Shipped

PLUS!!! This ebook includes "The Glorious Coming: A Jesse Tree Celebration of Advent" - Jesse Tree devotionals, ornaments, and instructions to make your own Jesse Tree!

PLUS!!! Some of our favorite holiday recipes!

Some things that I hadn't thought about but should have: doubling a recipe each week to avoid the drama later during the holiday rush. Planning time for your children to make gifts for people.

During August and September you can get $4.00 off this e-book by entering:
AUGSALE
Click here to view more details

Review: Managers of Their Home Scheduling Program

First off. I am not a scheduled person. I am not a structured, scheduled person. I am more of a fly by the seat of my pants, spontaneous gal. I am also a mother of 5, wife to one, manager of my home, superintendent of our homeschool. Are you seeing a problem here? Scheduling may not be my gift, but one thing that I am good at is seeing a problem. Manager's of Their Homes by Steven and Teri Maxwell was the solution to a lot of problems in our household.

Why would we listen to Teri and Steve Maxwell?

Are they all knowing and good at everything we are not? Not exactly. Terri does seem to be amazing person. Teri is gifted and great at scheduling. She and her husband Steve did seem to train and teach her eight children very efficiently.
The main reason that I trust her though, is that she developed this system, out of a need in her family. Teri suffers from depression. She wasnt always completely available to her children to answer their every "what do we do..?" and "Can I?" She developed this system out of her strengths and on her good days to improve her family's everydays. She is real mother with real weaknesses raising sinners in a real family. I respect that.

Every step of this system is bathed in prayer. The worksheets that are provided will either bring to light that you have more hours than you realize OR that you are trying to shove 42 hours into a 24 hour day. They will enable you, through prayer, to see the needs of family member and what they should get out of their day. For your reference there are sample schedules from many different familes varying in size, style and habits.

There is time spent on explaining the whys of having a family schedule. I have trouble being in five places at once. Yet, I have 5 children, including a toddler, crawling baby, scissors sneakers, and people that I want to spend time with. I am responsible for them ALL the time. It can be hard to decide where they all should be. Where is the baby while I am teaching you handstitching? The sample schedules made by the testers have really helped me. To see that one family has their children under 5 watch PBS while Mom makes lunch is reassuring. Seeing hwo others work out scheduling conflicts was helpful too. With the purchase of the program, there is also a web board to bring questions and find discussions.

Rather than judgement of the way that some of us waste time, there is much Grace and emphasis on God designing each of our families differently and uniquely. The color coded charts could seem too rigid and corny to some. They have proved invaluable in our family. I can find myself overwelmed with what each of my children should be doing, have done and need to do at any given time during the day. Having a carefully graphed chart with poster putty helped me to sort it out and move things around. Having a chart to refer to also eliminated a lot of the "why CANT I play my video game at 7 am?" types of questions. We found that when those questions were asked over and over by numerous children a "Yes" would slip in there and children would be doing odd things at odd times with a guilty feeling mom wondering how it had happened :) It's never fun to feel like the "bad guy." Being able to see on a chart your time with each child, and their being able to see their free time and time with people laid out was an encouragemnt to all.

From this program, I learned the value of a schedule, the reasons for having a schedule and how to develop and implement a schedule. I highly reccomend this book and its principles. Honestly, I can not think of a way to improve upon the system, or methods of the program.

Around to it

Today I got frustrated about never having time to do the things that I need to during the day. I have 5 children, including a two year old and a newborn, my husband is also home during the week. I have made a schedule and delegate a lot of chores to others. But it doesnt save me any time because I am constantly answering questions or checking up on the progress of the said delegations. Our house is also very LOUD. I dont get phone calls made, I dont get paperwork done, I dont go anywhere.

There is something that you might not know about me. I had Stage 3 malignant Melanoma removed from my back 6 years ago. I have only had one check up since then and I have some moles on my face and back that have been really itching and bothering me. Doesnt that sound so stupid and irresponsible written down in black and white?

I meant to see the dermatologists every 6 months. Medi-cal would only pay for once a year. Then the health dept didnt have calendars to make appts for 6 months in advance, then I dindt have a car, then I was pregnant and sick, then I had a newborn, then I was pregnant and sick again. Five years went by. How did that happen? Wait! I just told you how it happened.

Now here I am. I called to try to find a dermatologists covered by our insurance because right now I don't have a dime to my name. Seriosuly. I had to transfer my paperwork to a different place that will take effect October 1st, then I have to get a Drs. referral. I am really freaking out though. I found the first melanoma and it was taken care of. Am I pushing my luck now? Did I become paranoid or have I ignored my warning.

I can name so many people who have quickly died from Melanoma. Why would I not take this seriosuly? I dont have my affairs in order for such a thing. I want to see my chidren grow to marurity and fulfill the dreams that we've dreamed for them. Im scared.

Where have I been?

It has been awhile since I have posted....

Hmm...They want to fumigate our rental. We really really dont want to. We are looking for rentals closer to my husband's work and our church. We currently drive 4 hours a week that we could cut by living in the town over. We need the money we would save but don't have the money to move. Catch 22 huh? We are looking and wondering how we'll come up with the first months rent and deposit.

We started school. That is going well. I am struggling with getting up in the morning and schooling with a toddler in the house. The children are doing very well.

We celebrated a 2nd birthday.


We celebrated an 8th birthday.





My son earned two ranks and 3 merit badges in Boy Scouts.


I really should have better pictures of these things!! (Add better camera to my wishlist)

My dear freind and I did more canning: We made "hot" jalapeno/peach jam, peach jam, peach pie filling, and spiced peaches.

My baby is now 2 months old.


We are cruising right along :)