Replay | Organization – FREEDOM Tools part 5 – FAH episode 18

A Production of the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

 

How do you respond to the word organization?
Does it make you cringe? Do you feel guilty because you’re hopelessly disorganized and wish you could be more organized?
Does it make you smile, with a happy sigh that all’s right with the world?
Do you think a certain amount of clutter is a sign of a happy home?
Do you resist the whole idea of organization—maybe because it reminds you of a neat-freak friend who labels everything in her household, uses color-coordinated storage containers, and alphabetizes her spices?How do you respond to the word organization?

  • Does it make you cringe? Do you feel guilty because you’re hopelessly disorganized and wish you could be more organized?
  • Does it make you smile, with a happy sigh that all’s right with the world?
  • Do you think a certain amount of clutter is a sign of a happy home?
  • Do you resist the whole idea of organization—maybe because it reminds you of a neat-freak friend who labels everything in her household, uses color-coordinated storage containers, and alphabetizes her spices?

Whatever your reaction, this episode is for you.

Organization is the sixth tool in my FREEDOM toolbox—7 tools for making the most of our time so we can live balanced, peaceful lives. Here’s a quick review of the tools:

Organization is essentially self-discipline applied in an orderly way to free you to focus on what’s most important to you. Organizing your time, tasks, thoughts, and things helps you overcome and prevent obstacles to focusing on your priorities.

How organized you are has a powerful effect on the atmosphere in your home. Disorganization creates chaos, while organization promotes peace. Which do you prefer?

If one aspect of your life is unorganized, it spills over into every other aspect of your life. For example, if you can’t find your car keys, you’ll get flustered and be late for your appointment. If you’re sleep-deprived or running late, you’ll be much likelier to forget things and drop things, which will make you even later.

Organization even affects your relationships. If you’re running late and feeling frazzled, you may become irritated and impatient with your family.

It’s important to remember that there’s no one right way to organize. What helps you function effectively may be completely different from what helps your best friend or your mother-in-law function effectively. Isn’t that a relief?

Ironically, it’s possible to over-organize—to spend so much time on organization that it keeps you from focusing on your priorities instead of facilitating them.

Take some time to reflect on your life to identify areas that hinder you, and commit to becoming more organized if it would help your life run more smoothly.

If you struggle with managing your time and organizing your life to focus on your priorities, you’ll find many more strategies in my book, Flourish: Balance for Homeschool Moms, available at online retailers and through my website at www.FlourishAtHome.com.

final cover

Best of The Real Kathy Lee: Let’s Get Organized!

A Production of the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

Let's Get Organized! with The Real Kathy Lee

This week, the second top podcast episode of all time!  Let’s Get Organized!

Things don’t always work out as planned, but I have learned that it is usually for a good reason. I hope that is the case with this week’s episode. I was scheduled to talk to my good friend, Mary Ann Kohl (author and process art expert). However, Mary Ann had to cancel so I called up my buddy ASH-A-LEE in Nashville. We decided to chat about one of the topics I get asked about THE MOST, organization.

People often think that because I am the queen of “say yes” and “get messy” I have a very messy house. Not true. Well, it CAN get messy. However, I am best when my house is organized and everything has a place. Just this week, I tweaked the organization of my pantry. See below.

kitchen organization

I shared some basic thoughts about organization on today’s episode.

  1. Find a place for everything and make that place known.
  2. Minimize your stuff. If you haven’t used it in a year, chances are you are not going to use it. This goes for clothes, shoes, toys, and kitchen utensils.
  3. Less is BEST. As parents we are guilty of thinking our kids need lots of different toys. False. Choose quality over quantity and rotate toys in and out.
  4. It is easier to say yes when everything has a place (ie – paint supplies, legos, etc…)
  5. Organizing children is easier in an organized space.
  6. Have children work together in order to free of individual time with each child. I love that Ashley sent me the following pics a few hours after our podcast. She immediately implemented some of my suggestions. Way to go Ashley!

 

I hope you make time to connect with your kids today!!

Want to get organized, be sure and check out the monthly freebie from Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network: Printable Checklists


Special Thanks to Our Network Sponsor – Route 60

Thank you to this podcast episode sponsor:  Route 60 – The Biblical Highway. In theaters September 18th & 19th only. Please check the website to learn more about this wonderful movie.


I Love Homeschooling But I Am Totally Disorganized | Replay

A Production of the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

 I Love Homeschooling But I am TOTALLY Disorganized! Get some tips from Fletch and Kendra on this episode of Homeschooling IRL. #homeschool #organization So you love the idea of homeschooling, but you are totally disorganized?

Is this a deal killer? Should you pack up your kids and send them off to the local school house where they will be kept on track by rigid teaching plans that maintain scope and sequence?

It’s time for us all to get real with one another. Is your lack of organization thwarting your efforts at homeschooling? At the end of the day, the week, the month, are you constantly playing catch-up and putting out the fires caused by disorganization? If so, this is the episode you will want to listen to.

What about the other side of this issue? As a busy productive homeschool parent, have you forgotten along the way that relationships need to come before agendas? Are you such a task-master that you forgot the children God gave you to develop loving relationships with?

Organization in the homeschool can be both a blessing and a curse. On this episode of Homeschooling In Real Life, join Fletch and Kendra as they get transparent with their listeners and have a discussion out loud about balancing the need to bring organization into your family and preventing that same organization from destroying relationships.

 

 

Want to get organized, be sure and check out the monthly freebie from Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network: Printable Checklists

 

 


Special Thanks to Our Network Sponsor – Route60

Thank you to this podcast episode sponsor:  Route 60 – The Biblical Highway. In theaters September 18th & 19th only. Please check the website to learn more about this wonderful movie.

 

Homeschool Teaching Checklist | Replay

A Production of the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

the best homeschool teaching checklists s podcast replay vintage homeschool momsLet’s Talk About Your Homeschool Teaching Checklist!

with your host Felice Gerwitz

Do you have a Homeschool Teaching Checklist? It’s time to get personal. How are you doing? But you may be saying, “Hold on! We just started school.” And that’s why this podcast is soooooo important. Before the year gets away from you and you waste an entire year, let’s look at your methodology, how the kids are doing, and most importantly, the sense you feel at the end of the day. Is it one of satisfaction or one of thinking you are not getting enough done? I’ll explore some tried and true methods and explain ways to short-cut your child’s education without sacrificing true learning.

Listen to this podcast on giving your child time to find their passion here.

Handout: 49-VHM_TeachingCheckList

Show notes: 

 

Thanks to our sponsor, CTCMath.com – we are pleased for their continued excellence in education and dedication to the homeschool community. It is due to sponsorships that our programs continue to come to you without cost. Please visit the website and check out their curriculum.

Different teaching philosophies in the homeschool world:

 

  • Charlotte Mason
  • Classical Education
  • Notebooking
  • Unit Studies
  • Textbook/Workbook
  • Eclectic
  • Unschooling

Enjoy this podcast? Try these Vintage Homeschool Moms podcasts:

Just for homeschool moms. Vintage Homeschool Moms preserves the best of the past while blessing future generations with the fruit that comes from putting God first and using the experience as a teacher. Your host, Felice Gerwitz, is a Christian wife, mother, and educator-turned-homeschool-mom in 1986. She began homeschooling as a trial and never looked back.  Felice’s topics range from home education, child-rearing, enterprising moms, SAHM (Stay at Home Moms), WAHM (Work at Home Moms), and so much more.

Top Vintage Homeschool Moms Podcasts

Homeschool Lifestyle
Last Minute DIY Tips
Money Saving Field Trips
All About Teaching
Raising Spiritually Strong Kids
Six Homeschooling Insider Tips
Best Staycations for Kids
Avoid Curriculum Pitfalls
Top 10 Parenting Secrets
45 Family Date Night Ideas

 

Organizing your Homeschool with Tech in 2022

A Production of the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

Organizing your homeschool with tech in 2022

166: Organizing your homeschool with tech in 2022

In this episode, we look at various tech tools you can use for organizing your homeschool.

Here are the resources mentioned:

* Planning – Google sheets, Evernote
* Record keeping – grades, all high school things (hs challenge)
* Calendar – Google calendar
* Assigning tasks – Google sheets, Trello
* Reward system – Google sheets

————————————————————————————————–
Take a look at show sponsor, FundaFunda Academy to see what they offer for online classes and web-based unit studies.

Join our Facebook Group especially for the listeners of this podcast! You can ask questions and get advice as you try integrating technology in your homeschool.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the show and give a rating and maybe even a review! Subscribing will help you make sure you never miss an episode.

Organizing your homeschool with tech in 2022

Using Trello to organize your curriculum

A Production of the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

Using Trello to organize your curriculum

149: Using Trello to organize your curriculum with Richie Soares


In this episode, Richie Soares from Homeschool and Humor shares tips on using Trello to organize your curriculum.

Richie explains what Trello is and how to set it up in various different ways to easily keep track of all the curriculum you are using – or may want to use in the future.

Richie is sharing the board she created with our listeners so that you can see exactly how she does it. And she has included 40 virtual field trips links and ideas as well as links/resources for worksheets and resources!

TRELLO CURRICULUM OVERVIEW BOARD SIGNUP LINK: https://www.homeschoolandhumor.com/curriculum-trello

Richie also talks about other ways you can use Trello in your homeschool and some benefits of using this resource so be sure to listen in!

You can find Richie at her webiste, Homeschool and Humor. You can also follow her on Facebook and Instagram.

Previous episode on Trello:

5 Ways Homeschool Parents can use Trello

————————————————————————————————–
Take a look at show sponsor, FundaFunda Academy to see what they offer for online classes and web-based unit studies.

Join our Facebook Group especially for the listeners of this podcast! You can ask questions and get advice as you try integrating technology in your homeschool.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the show and give a rating and maybe even a review! Subscribing will help you make sure you never miss an episode.

Using Trello to Organize Your Curriculum

 


A Special Thank You to Our Network Sponsor:  Show Me The Father Movie

The Kendrick Brothers, creators of WAR ROOM and FIREPROOF, have some exciting news to share: they have TWO films coming to theaters this fall—SHOW ME THE FATHER on September 10 and COURAGEOUS Legacy on September 24.

Featuring a variety of amazing, true stories, the Kendrick Brothers’ new feature film SHOW ME THE FATHER takes audiences on an inspiring and emotional cinematic journey. Their first documentary film has something for everyone and invites you to think differently about how you view your earthly father story and also how you personally relate to God.

Check out the trailer here!


 

Special Replay – Teaching History

A Production of the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

In this session you’ll hear some of the ways that both Meredith & Felice have taught history to their children from the zany to the classes Felice asked her brother-in-law to teach to homeschool kids!Special Replay: Let’s Talk About Teaching History

with your co-hosts, Felice Gerwitz & Meredith Curtis

History is about a bunch dead people and stuff that happened long ago or so I thought when I was a kid. As a homeschool parent I found that history is actually “HIS” story and when it is revealed we find so many wonderful lessons to learn. In this session you’ll hear some of the ways that both Meredith & Felice have taught history to their children from the zany to the classes Felice asked her brother-in-law to teach to homeschool kids!

Please give us a rating on iTunes – go to iTunes, find our show (Vintage Homeschool Moms – or type in Felice Gerwitz) and rate it! AND… use the social media buttons on this page to share the show with your friends.

Meredith and Felice discuss their favorite resources – here is a list of their combined books, below the audio player.

American History: Class DVD hosted by Media Angels, Inc (Felice Gerwitz)- Fabulous Facts & Pres Event – $50 discount coupon VHM50 – HERE

World History Reading List  – All rights reserved Media Angels, Inc. 2014

September Reading Books

  1. In the Days of Noah by Gloria Clanin
  2. Life in the Great Ice Age by Michael and Beverly Oard
  3. The Mystery of the Ark by Paul Thomsen
  4. The Lost Kingdom (Reg Danson Adventure #2) by Clint Kelly
  5. Adam and His Kin: The Lost History of Their Lives and Times by Ruth Beechick
  6. Genesis: Finding Our Roots by Ruth Beechick
  7. Dinosaurs in God’s World Long Ago by Henrietta Gambill
  8. What Really Happened to the Dinosaurs? (DJ and Tracker John) by John Morris and Ken Ham
  9. Priceless Jewel at the Well: The Diary of Rebekah’s Nursemaid, Canaan, 1986-1985 B.C. (Promised Land Diaries)
  10. The Magic School Bus Shows and Tells: A Book About Archaeology by Jackie Posner
  11. Exploring Ancient Cities of the Bible by Michael and Caroline Carroll

October Reading Books

  1. Tutankhamun by Robert Green
  2. Tirzah by Lucille Travis
  3. Mummies, Tombs, and Treasure: Secrets of Ancient Egypt by Lila Perl
  4. Miriam’s Cup, a Passover Story by Fran Manushkin
  5. Learning About Passover by Barbara Soloff Levy
  6. Shadow Hawk by Andre Norton
  7. Adventures in Ancient Egypt by Linda Bailey
  8. The Golden Goblet by Eloise Jarvis McGraw
  9. The Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt by Elizabeth Payne
  10. The Riddle of the Rosetta Stone : Key to Ancient Egypt by James Giblin
  11. Mara, Daughter of the Nile by Eloise Jarvis McGraw
  12. Mummies Made in Egypt by Aliki
  13. Kids Discover: Ancient Egypt
  14. The Peaceful Warrior: The Diary of Deborahs Armor Bearer, Israel, 1200 B.C. (Promised Land Diaries)
  15. Hittite Warrior by Joanne Williamson
  16. Journey for Tobiyah by Barbara Morgan
  17. King Solomon’s Navy by Nora Benjamin Kubie
  18. The Temple at Jerusalem by Jacqueline Morley

November Reading Books

  1. The Usborne Story of Music by Simon Mundy
  2. The Usborne Story of Painting by Anthea Peppin
  3. The Usborne Book of Living Long Ago: Everyday life through the Ages, by Felicity Brooks and Helen Edom
  4. God King: A Story in the Days of King Hezekiah by Joanne Williamson
  5. Aesop’s Fables for Children
  6. Hour of the Olympics (Magic Tree House #16) by Mary Pope Osborne
  7. The Seven Voyages of Sinbad (and Other Tales from the Arabian Nights) retold by Gladys Davidson
  8. King Solomon’s Mines (Puffin Classics) by H Rider Haggard

December Reading Books

  1. The Odyssey for Boys and Girls by AJ Church
  2. Tanglewood Tales by Nathaniel Hawthorne
  3. Famous Men of Greece by John Haaren and AB Poland
  4. The Librarian Who Measured the Earth by Kathryn Lasky
  5. Usborne: The Greeks by Susan Peach & Anne Millard
  6. Adventures in Ancient Greece by Linda Bailey
  7. Cyrus the Persian by Sherman A Nagel
  8. Shadow Spinner by Susan Fletcher
  9. Within the Palace Gates: The King’s Cupbearer by Anna P. Siviter
  10. The Greek and Roman Eras: (Journey Through History) by Carme Peris and Gloria & Oriol Verges
  11. Hand Me Another Brick by Charles Swindoll
  12. Arabian Nights: Tales from a Thousand and One Nights

January Reading Books

  1. Cleopatra VII: Daughter of the Nile, Egypt, 57 B.C. (The Royal Diaries) by Kristiana Gregory
  2. About the History of the Calendar by AE Evenson
  3. Battle of Actium (Great Battles Through the Ages) by David Califf
  4. The Runaway by Patricia St. John
  5. Fountain of Life by Rebecca Martin
  6. Adventures in Ancient China by Linda Bailey
  7. A Grain of Rice by Helena Clare Pittman
  8. Archimedes and the Door of Science by Jeanne Bendick
  9. The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare
  10. Ben-Hur by Lew Wallace
  11. Titus: A Comrade of the Cross by Florence Morse Kingsley
  12. Augustus Caesar’s World by Genevieve Foster
  13. Famous Men of Rome by John Haaren & A.B. Poland
  14. Rome and Romans (Usborne Time Traveler) by Heather Amery and Patricia Vanags
  15. I and II Maccabees from the Apocrypha (available in Bibles that include the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical books)
  16. Life Stories Of Men Who Shaped History, From Plutarch’s Lives
  17. Pompeii…Buried Alive! by Edith Kunhardt
  18. The Robe by Lloyd C Douglas
  19. Masada by Tim McNeese (Sieges That Changed the World)

February Reading Books

  1. Devil’s Island by John Hagee
  2. Outcast by Rosemary Sutcliff[
  3. See You Later, Gladiator (Time Warp Trio) by Jon Scieszka
  4. Detectives in Togas by Henry Winterfeld
  5. The Eagle (previously published as The Eagle of the Ninth) by Rosemary Sutcliff
  6. The Story of Valentine by Wilma Pitchford Hays
  7. Augustine, the Farmer’s Boy of Tagaste by P. De Zeeuw
  8. The City of God by Augustine
  9. Ancient Rome: How It Affects You Today by Richard J. Maybury
  10. The Ides of April by Mary Ray
  11. Beyond the Desert Gate by Mary Ray
  12. Jesus Freaks: Martyrs by dc Talk
  13. Foxe’s Book Of Martyrs by John Foxe (many different editions of this work are available)
  14. Saint George and the Dragon retold by Margaret Hodges
  15. Saint Patrick: Pioneer Missionary to Ireland by Michael McHugh

March Reading Books

  1. Anna of Byzantium by Tracy Barrett
  2. Famous Men of the Middle Ages by Haaren and Poland
  3. Augustine Came to Kent by Barbara Willard
  4. Beowulf
  5. The Shining Company by Rosemary Sutcliff
  6. Bede’s Ecclesiastical History of the English People
  7. The Big Wave by Pearl S. Buck
  8. Against the World: The Odyssey of Athanasius by Henry W. Coray
  9. Saladin: Noble Prince of Islam by Diane Stanley
  10. The Story of Rolf and the Viking Bow by Allen French
  11. Le Morte D’Arthur by Sir Thomas Mallory
  12. The Sword in the Tree by Clyde Robert Bulla
  13. The Book of Pastoral Rule (also published as Pastoral Care) by St. Gregory the Great
  14. The Song of Roland (an epic poem)
  15. A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain
  16. Otto of the Silver Hand by Howard Pyle
  17. Idylls of the King by Alfred Lord Tennyson
  18. Camelot by AJ Lerner (script for the Broadway play)
  19. Viking Raiders (Usborne Time Traveler) by Civardi, Graham-Campbell, & Wingate

April Reading Books

  1. Famous Men of the Middle Ages by Haaren and Poland
  2. Son of Charlemagne by Barbara Willard
  3. The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer
  4. A Chaucer Reader edited by Charles W. Dunn
  5. Leif Eriksson: First Voyager to America by Katherine B. Shippen
  6. In His Name by Edward E Hale
  7. Paula the Waldensian by Eva Lecomte
  8. Lost Baron: A Story of England in the Year 1200 by Allen French
  9. Macbeth by Shakespeare
  10. Hamlet by Shakespeare
  11. El Cid, retold by Geraldine McCaughrean
  12. Don Quixote (also published as Don Quijote) by Cervantes
  13. A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver by E. L. Konigsburg
  14. The Hidden Treasure of Glaston by Eleanore M. Jewett
  15. Castle by David Macaulay
  16. Cathedral by David Macaulay
  17. The Door in the Wall by Marguerite De Angeli
  18. The Midwife’s Apprentice by Karen Cushman
  19. Knights and Castles (Usborne Time Traveler) by Judy Hindley
  20. The Striped Ships by Eloise McGraw ***
  21. The Third Crusade: Richard the Lionhearted vs Saladin (Great Battles Through the Ages) by Samuel Willard Crompton
  22. The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle (who also drew original illustrations for this book)[
  23. The King’s Shadow by Elizabeth Alder

May Reading Books

  1. Men of Iron by Howard Pyle
  2. If All the Swords in England: A Story of Thomas Becket by Barbara Willard
  3. Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott
  4. Genghis Khan and the Mongol Horde by Harold Lamb
  5. A Morbid Taste for Bones (Brother Cadfael Chronicles–we recommend this series) by Ellis Peters)
  6. Adam of the Road by Elizabeth Janet Gray
  7. The Dragon and the Raven (The Days of King Alfred) by G. A. Henty
  8. The Magna Charta by James Daugherty
  9. The Inferno of Dante: A New Verse Translation by Robert Pinsky
  10. The Life and Words of St. Francis of Assisi by Ira Peck
  11. In Freedom’s Cause: A Story of Wallace and Bruce by G. A. Henty
  12. The Beggars’ Bible by Louise Vernon
  13. Ink on His Fingers by Louise A. Vernon
  14. Morning Star of the Reformation by Andy Thomson
  15. Henry V by Shakespeare
  16. Joan of Arc by Mark Twain
  17. The Pied Piper of Hamlin by Robert Browning
  18. The Trumpeter of Krakow by Eric Kelly
  19. Constantinople (Sieges That Changed the World) by Tim McNeese[/easyazon_link]
    [easyazon_link asin=”0374457433″ locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”ultihomeradin-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”]A Parcel of Patterns by Jill Paton Walsh[/easyazon_link]
    [easyazon_link asin=”0375802320″ locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”ultihomeradin-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”]Joan of Arc by Nancy Wilson Ross[/easyazon_link]
    [easyazon_link asin=”0891076026″ locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”ultihomeradin-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”]The Hawk and the Dove by Penelope Wilcock[/easyazon_link]

Time Boosters for Mom

A Production of the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

With the time boosting strategies I'm about to share with you - you will learn how to be the master of your own time, increase your productivity and never let the lack of time get the best of you!Let’s Talk About Time! Time Boosters to Increase Your Time Daily

with host Felice Gerwitz

Everyone lives under the impression that there is not enough time to complete all the things you want to do each day, and I know, because I’ve lived with this concept for years. However, with the time boosting strategies I’m about to share with you in this podcast- you will learn how to be the master of your own time, increase your productivity and never let the lack of time get the best of you!

FREE Handout Instant Download: TimeBoosters_Handout_VintageHomeschoolMoms

Books I recommend:

Mary Jo Tate: Flourish at Home

Crystal Paine: Goodbye to Survival Mode

Special Replay – Let’s Talk About Teaching History

A Production of the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

History

History is about a bunch of dead people and stuff that happened long ago or so I thought when I was a kid. As a homeschool parent, I found that history is actually “HIS” story and when it is revealed we find so many wonderful lessons to learn. In this session, you’ll hear some of the ways that both Meredith & Felice have taught history to their children from the zany to the classes Felice asked her brother-in-law to teach to homeschool kids!

Meredith and Felice discuss their favorite resources – here is a list of their combined books, below the audio player.

American History Online Course 

World History Reading List  – All rights reserved Media Angels, Inc. 2014

September History Reading Books

  1. In the Days of Noah by Gloria Clanin
  2. Life in the Great Ice Age by Michael and Beverly Oard
  3. The Mystery of the Ark by Paul Thomsen
  4. The Lost Kingdom (Reg Danson Adventure #2) by Clint Kelly
  5. Adam and His Kin: The Lost History of Their Lives and Times by Ruth Beechick
  6. Genesis: Finding Our Roots by Ruth Beechick
  7. Dinosaurs in God’s World Long Ago by Henrietta Gambill
  8. What Really Happened to the Dinosaurs? (DJ and Tracker John) by John Morris and Ken Ham
  9. Priceless Jewel at the Well: The Diary of Rebekah’s Nursemaid, Canaan, 1986-1985 B.C. (Promised Land Diaries)
  10. The Magic School Bus Shows and Tells: A Book About Archaeology by Jackie Posner
  11. Exploring Ancient Cities of the Bible by Michael and Caroline Carroll

October Reading Books

  1. Tutankhamun by Robert Green
  2. Tirzah by Lucille Travis
  3. Mummies, Tombs, and Treasure: Secrets of Ancient Egypt by Lila Perl
  4. Miriam’s Cup, a Passover Story by Fran Manushkin
  5. Learning About Passover by Barbara Soloff Levy
  6. Shadow Hawk by Andre Norton
  7. Adventures in Ancient Egypt by Linda Bailey
  8. The Golden Goblet by Eloise Jarvis McGraw
  9. The Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt by Elizabeth Payne
  10. The Riddle of the Rosetta Stone: Key to Ancient Egypt by James Giblin
  11. Mara, Daughter of the Nile by Eloise Jarvis McGraw
  12. Mummies Made in Egypt by Aliki
  13. Kids Discover: Ancient Egypt
  14. The Peaceful Warrior: The Diary of Deborahs Armor Bearer, Israel, 1200 B.C. (Promised Land Diaries)
  15. Hittite Warrior by Joanne Williamson
  16. Journey for Tobiyah by Barbara Morgan
  17. King Solomon’s Navy by Nora Benjamin Kubie
  18. The Temple at Jerusalem by Jacqueline Morley

November Reading Books

  1. The Usborne Story of Music by Simon Mundy
  2. The Usborne Story of Painting by Anthea Peppin
  3. The Usborne Book of Living Long Ago: Everyday life through the Ages, by Felicity Brooks and Helen Edom
  4. God-King: A Story in the Days of King Hezekiah by Joanne Williamson
  5. Aesop’s Fables for Children
  6. Hour of the Olympics (Magic Tree House #16) by Mary Pope Osborne
  7. The Seven Voyages of Sinbad (and Other Tales from the Arabian Nights) retold by Gladys Davidson
  8. King Solomon’s Mines (Puffin Classics) by H Rider Haggard

December Reading Books

  1. The Odyssey for Boys and Girls by AJ Church
  2. Tanglewood Tales by Nathaniel Hawthorne
  3. Famous Men of Greece by John Haaren and AB Poland
  4. The Librarian Who Measured the Earth by Kathryn Lasky
  5. Usborne: The Greeks by Susan Peach & Anne Millard
  6. Adventures in Ancient Greece by Linda Bailey
  7. Cyrus the Persian by Sherman A Nagel
  8. Shadow Spinner by Susan Fletcher
  9. Within the Palace Gates: The King’s Cupbearer by Anna P. Siviter
  10. The Greek and Roman Eras: (Journey Through History) by Carme Peris and Gloria & Oriol Verges
  11. Hand Me Another Brick by Charles Swindoll
  12. Arabian Nights: Tales from a Thousand and One Nights

January Reading Books

  1. Cleopatra VII: Daughter of the Nile, Egypt, 57 B.C. (The Royal Diaries) by Kristiana Gregory
  2. About the History of the Calendar by AE Evenson
  3. Battle of Actium (Great Battles Through the Ages) by David Califf
  4. The Runaway by Patricia St. John
  5. Fountain of Life by Rebecca Martin
  6. Adventures in Ancient China by Linda Bailey
  7. A Grain of Rice by Helena Clare Pittman
  8. Archimedes and the Door of Science by Jeanne Bendick
  9. The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare
  10. Ben-Hur by Lew Wallace
  11. Titus: A Comrade of the Cross by Florence Morse Kingsley
  12. Augustus Caesar’s World by Genevieve Foster
  13. Famous Men of Rome by John Haaren & A.B. Poland
  14. Rome and Romans (Usborne Time Traveler) by Heather Amery and Patricia Vanags
  15. I and II Maccabees from the Apocrypha (available in Bibles that include the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical books)
  16. Life Stories Of Men Who Shaped History, From Plutarch’s Lives
  17. Pompeii…Buried Alive! by Edith Kunhardt
  18. The Robe by Lloyd C Douglas
  19. Masada by Tim McNeese (Sieges That Changed the World)

February Reading Books

  1. Devil’s Island by John Hagee
  2. Outcast by Rosemary Sutcliff[
  3. See You Later, Gladiator (Time Warp Trio) by Jon Scieszka
  4. Detectives in Togas by Henry Winterfeld
  5. The Eagle (previously published as The Eagle of the Ninth) by Rosemary Sutcliff
  6. The Story of Valentine by Wilma Pitchford Hays
  7. Augustine, the Farmer’s Boy of Tagaste by P. De Zeeuw
  8. The City of God by Augustine
  9. Ancient Rome: How It Affects You Today by Richard J. Maybury
  10. The Ides of April by Mary Ray
  11. Beyond the Desert Gate by Mary Ray
  12. Jesus Freaks: Martyrs by dc Talk
  13. Foxe’s Book Of Martyrs by John Foxe (many different editions of this work are available)
  14. Saint George and the Dragon retold by Margaret Hodges
  15. Saint Patrick: Pioneer Missionary to Ireland by Michael McHugh

March Reading Books

  1. Anna of Byzantium by Tracy Barrett
  2. Famous Men of the Middle Ages by Haaren and Poland
  3. Augustine Came to Kent by Barbara Willard
  4. Beowulf
  5. The Shining Company by Rosemary Sutcliff
  6. Bede’s Ecclesiastical History of the English People
  7. The Big Wave by Pearl S. Buck
  8. Against the World: The Odyssey of Athanasius by Henry W. Coray
  9. Saladin: Noble Prince of Islam by Diane Stanley
  10. The Story of Rolf and the Viking Bow by Allen French
  11. Le Morte D’Arthur by Sir Thomas Mallory
  12. The Sword in the Tree by Clyde Robert Bulla
  13. The Book of Pastoral Rule (also published as Pastoral Care) by St. Gregory the Great
  14. The Song of Roland (an epic poem)
  15. A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain
  16. Otto of the Silver Hand by Howard Pyle
  17. Idylls of the King by Alfred Lord Tennyson
  18. Camelot by AJ Lerner (script for the Broadway play)
  19. Viking Raiders (Usborne Time Traveler) by Civardi, Graham-Campbell, & Wingate

April Reading Books

  1. Famous Men of the Middle Ages by Haaren and Poland
  2. Son of Charlemagne by Barbara Willard
  3. The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer
  4. A Chaucer Reader edited by Charles W. Dunn
  5. Leif Eriksson: First Voyager to America by Katherine B. Shippen
  6. In His Name by Edward E Hale
  7. Paula the Waldensian by Eva Lecomte
  8. Lost Baron: A Story of England in the Year 1200 by Allen French
  9. Macbeth by Shakespeare
  10. Hamlet by Shakespeare
  11. El Cid, retold by Geraldine McCaughrean
  12. Don Quixote (also published as Don Quijote) by Cervantes
  13. A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver by E. L. Konigsburg
  14. The Hidden Treasure of Glaston by Eleanore M. Jewett
  15. Castle by David Macaulay
  16. Cathedral by David Macaulay
  17. The Door in the Wall by Marguerite De Angeli
  18. The Midwife’s Apprentice by Karen Cushman
  19. Knights and Castles (Usborne Time Traveler) by Judy Hindley
  20. The Striped Ships by Eloise McGraw ***
  21. The Third Crusade: Richard the Lionhearted vs Saladin (Great Battles Through the Ages) by Samuel Willard Crompton
  22. The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle (who also drew original illustrations for this book)[
  23. The King’s Shadow by Elizabeth Alder

May Reading Books

  1. Men of Iron by Howard Pyle
  2. If All the Swords in England: A Story of Thomas Becket by Barbara Willard
  3. Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott
  4. Genghis Khan and the Mongol Horde by Harold Lamb
  5. A Morbid Taste for Bones (Brother Cadfael Chronicles–we recommend this series) by Ellis Peters)
  6. Adam of the Road by Elizabeth Janet Gray
  7. The Dragon and the Raven (The Days of King Alfred) by G. A. Henty
  8. The Magna Charta by James Daugherty
  9. The Inferno of Dante: A New Verse Translation by Robert Pinsky
  10. The Life and Words of St. Francis of Assisi by Ira Peck
  11. In Freedom’s Cause: A Story of Wallace and Bruce by G. A. Henty
  12. The Beggars’ Bible by Louise Vernon
  13. Ink on His Fingers by Louise A. Vernon
  14. Morning Star of the Reformation by Andy Thomson
  15. Henry V by Shakespeare
  16. Joan of Arc by Mark Twain
  17. The Pied Piper of Hamlin by Robert Browning
  18. The Trumpeter of Krakow by Eric Kelly
  19. Constantinople (Sieges That Changed the World) by Tim McNeese[/easyazon_link]
    [easyazon_link asin=”0374457433″ locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”ultihomeradin-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”]A Parcel of Patterns by Jill Paton Walsh[/easyazon_link]
    [easyazon_link asin=”0375802320″ locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”ultihomeradin-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”]Joan of Arc by Nancy Wilson Ross[/easyazon_link]
    [easyazon_link asin=”0891076026″ locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”ultihomeradin-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”]The Hawk and the Dove by Penelope Wilcock[/easyazon_link]

6 Random Tips for the Organizationally Challenged

A Production of the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

The Organizing Challenge

Organized Homeschool mom plans her day with a plannerI don’t know whether some kind of momentum builds from taking down the Christmas tree and decorations, or if we’re eager to start a new year on the right foot, or if we just start getting antsy being cooped up inside, or a combination of all three catalysts, but January seems to be the time of the year when we all start thinking about organizing, scheduling, and just generally getting our lives in order!

If you’re like me, you’ve been binge cleaning (whether or not you see much in the way of tangible evidence) and looking around your house for ways you can stash the clutter a little better…a desk here, an Ikea cube unit there, a shelf or two over here.

In my little tribe on Facebook, many moms share a similar struggle to me: getting organized and following through on plans. I can’t say I have all the answers or have conquered this struggle yet, but I have learned to manage my “disability” over the years and have discovered some tricks and ideas that have worked for me. So I want to share those with you!

  1. Ask God First
  2. Install (and use!) the ToDoist App
  3. Find a Homeschooling Planner That Fits Your Style
  4. Get Rid of the Broken Shoelaces
  5. Handle Mail and e-mail Immediately
  6. Keep a Gift Bin

Ask God First

One of my favorite verses is Proverbs 16:9: “A man plans his ways, but the Lord directs his steps.” It’s a reminder that, while planning is good, it’s really God who directs each day. So, doesn’t it make sense to just go ahead and consult Him first?

I usually try to pray through my to-do list every day while I’m still in bed. I also pay attention to what God puts on my heart first thing in the morning. Often, even before I’m fully awake, I will hear the Lord speak to me about things I need to do that day.

Install and Use the ToDoist App

Once upon a time, I tried a daily to-do list. I would write it out in the morning, get to about half the items that day, then keep it for the next day and add more. It ended up a big, long, never-ending scribbly mess! Then I tried transferring to a new paper each day. Do you know what it’s like to write out every single item that I didn’t complete on a new sheet? Depressing, that’s what! I didn’t need to slowly and painfully write out my failures each day.

But, the alternative was not good. With no list, I forgot about so many important things I needed to do! (It’s not cool when you forget to pay bills, for example.) Then I finally found the ToDoist app on my phone – there is a desktop version that syncs with the phone app too so we can stay organized everywhere! I love it because I can move things around from day to day instead of looking at scribbles and feeling frustrated by all I didn’t get to. Somehow the neatness of it is helpful to me…and the ease of moving things. Try it and see if it works for you!

Find a Homeschooling Planner that Fits Your Style

In case it’s not horribly obvious, I am a Type B person. I hate planners and planning in general, and I’ve never found one that I was in love with. So, naturally, I just created my own! The Lifeschooling Vision Planner is designed for extremely flexible people like me…but it’s also adaptable to those who require a little more structure. I love it! During the month of January, it’s included in a full kit of lifeschooling resources for an amazing introductory price!

Another great planner is the Beyond Blessed Planner by Ana Willis. This planner has it all! If you want to organize your entire life on paper, this one is for you. Includes sections for homeschool mission, annual goals, monthly goals, monthly spending tracker, meal planner, pantry inventory, food journal, water intake, and so much more! It truly is all-encompassing. And the best part is it’s filled with Scripture from cover to cover.

If you just need a basic, down-to-earth daily planner for the budget-conscious, check out the Best Homeschool Life Planner by Christine Zell. It will give you just enough guidance to not become yet another burden to keep up with. It includes an attendance record, monthly and weekly page spreads that include reading and field trip logs, and customizable bullet pages.

Whatever your style and personality, do some research and find what works for you. If it doesn’t work, don’t force it! Move on until you find the right fit. It’s important to find something to help direct you through each homeschool day.

Get Rid of the Broken Shoelaces

I am the classic, “But I might be able to use that someday” girl! Over the years, I have learned that it is burdensome to hang onto everything because it’s a reminder of all the projects and ideas that I can never find time to get to. If you’ve owned it for a few years, it’s time to get real with yourself. You probably won’t ever use it. Plus, maybe you can pass it on and bless someone who can!

My friend Barbara is great at this! My youngest son even picked up on it and talks about how Mrs. M. is always getting rid of stuff! Once when she came over to help us organize and purge, I “reasoned” with her that I could use some of these things and that I didn’t want to waste them and end up needing them someday. “Well,” she said, “I love to bless others with things I’m not currently using. I just always pray that God will bring that type of item back to me later if I end up needing it, and so often He has done that.” Her response really helped change my thinking in this area! Sometimes hanging on to things is a lack of trust for God to provide in His timing.

Handle Mail and e-mail Immediately

Okay, confession time. I don’t do this…at least, not with my e-mail. But I think it might be time! I currently have over 50,000 e-mails sitting in my inbox. (Ridiculous!!) I was very inspired the other day when my mother-in-law told me that the high executive she used to work for at a large national bank (I believe he was #3) left at the end of each day with an empty inbox. How freeing! He went through e-mails right away, handled them, and then deleted them. Sounds like a New Year’s goal for me!

I am much better with my paper mail, however. It comes in and I immediately put it all where it belongs. I’ve stopped trying to read every catalog and sales ad. If I don’t have time and it doesn’t pertain to my life right now, it goes right in the garbage. Gone are my early married days of piles of mail all over the house!

Keep a Gift Bin

I stole this idea from my mom who always kept a stash of children’s birthday gifts at the top of her closet when we were young. If we got invited to a birthday, we just “shopped” that bin and never had to worry about rushing at the last minute.

I do this now and it’s very helpful to me since I am so disorganized by nature! Not only does it save me at the last minute when I realize Sunday morning after breakfast that there’s a church baby shower, but it also saves me money since I can pick up items on sale at any time. (Or even re-gift unwanted birthday or Christmas gifts…shhhhhhh!)

Start Somewhere – Even if it’s Not Perfect

Even if you feel you have so far to go with scheduling and organizing your life, I think the important thing is just to start somewhere and find a rhythm. Once you get one little area consistent, you can move on to bigger goals.

I often think of the verse, “Despise not the day of small things.” Sometimes we have to just start somewhere, even if it’s not perfect. I’ve spent years trying to get my act together, so if you struggle as I do, I feel your pain! 😆 Celebrate the little successes and don’t beat yourself up for being imperfect.

Remember, God made you who you are for a reason. Just because organizing isn’t your strength doesn’t mean you can’t still be a successful homemaker and homeschooling mom. God sees your efforts and He does not reward us based on performance. He sees your heart and He meets you where you are and fills in the gaps. Aren’t you glad? I sure am!

 

About the Author: Danielle Papageorgiou has been homeschooling, or “lifeschooling,” for 18 years (she counts birth as day 1!) and runs a blog, LifeAsALifeschooler.com. She has a passion for helping other homeschoolers learn how to homeschool in a way that does not compete with family life, but actually enhances it…homeschooling done in a spirit of freedom, not legalism. She believes that each family is unique and God has placed in each child special gifts and desires that He wants to use. The verse that guides the Papageorgious in their pursuit of lifeschooling is Matthew 6:33, “But seek FIRST the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and ALL these things will be added to you.” (Emphasis mine). Danielle has been married to her amazing husband, Jon, for 20 years and they have three talented and fun children, Konur (18), Elleina (15), and Korban (8).