The Heartbeat of Your Home – Getting Organized

Getting Organized:
In your home and homeschool

       

The kitchen is the heartbeat of your home. It’s where you cook meals to nourish yourself and your family. It’s where you teach your children the life skill of cooking. Even if you do not feel skillful as a cook, you can still teach your children to cook. There are so many resources to help you cook a variety of healthy meals. I use a lot of recipes online. If I have a favorite food from a restaurant, I look for a recipe online that is similar. If you have followed my writing for very long, you have noticed that I have a pretty simple menu plan during the week. When I want to try a new recipe, I do it on the weekends many times. I have more time to cook on the weekends, and I enjoy cooking.

If you want to try some new foods, make a list. One year I cooked foods from each of the 50 United States, and the next year I cooked foods from around the world. I found that many favorite recipes have similar base ingredients. The differences between the foods was in the preparation and/or in the seasonings.

Please don’t think I am a super cook. When I first got married, I did not know how to cook very many things. I have learned over the years to cook. I don’t have an unlimited budget, and it is expensive to eat out with a large family. I have had to learn to cook the things I like, so that I can enjoy them and share them with my family. I am also gluten-free, and I can control the ingredients if I cook at home.

I have a son who loves to cook. Last week he wanted to have pizza pockets for lunch. I don’t buy pizza pockets, so he found a recipe online for homemade sauce and homemade pizza pockets. He made the dough from scratch. He enjoyed them so much that he made them again the next day.

Just keeping basic ingredients on hand and access to a search bar, we enjoy a variety of foods.

This week we are decluttering in the kitchen. It is much more enjoyable to cook in a clean kitchen. Teach your children to cook and to clean as they cook.

Zone Missions: The Kitchen
Monday – Declutter the counters and wipe them down

Tuesday – Declutter 1 kitchen drawer

Wednesday –  Declutter 1 kitchen cabinet

Thursday – Clean out the fridge for 15 minutes

Friday – Wipe down the stove top and microwave

Menu Plan for Monday – Alfredo Chicken and Pasta with a salad

Weekly Home Blessing – Wash the Sheets

Daily Routines:

Home:
  • Make Your Bed (Do this as soon as you get up.)
  • Get Dressed Down to Your Shoes
  • Swish and Swipe
  • Start Your Laundry
  • Decide on Dinner
  • Check Your Calendar
  • Start the Day off with a Shiny Sink. Don’t leave the breakfast dishes sitting.
  • Daily Movement for 15 Minutes

School: Pick a chapter book to read aloud as a family.


Afternoon Routine:
  • Eat Lunch
  • Clear off One Hot Spot
  • Reboot the Laundry
  • Declutter for 15 Minutes (Be sure to have your children declutter, too.)
  • Drink Your Water
Family Fun: Take a nature walk today.
Before Bed: (This starts right after dinner.) 
  • Check the Calendar for Tomorrow
  • Lay out Your Clothes for Tomorrow (Have your children lay their clothes out, too.)
  • Put things at the Launch Pad that you will need first thing in the morning
  • Shine Your Sink
  • Clean Off a Hot Spot
  • Go to Bed at Decent Hour

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Boogie Your Way to Peace – Getting Organized

Getting Organized:
In your home and homeschool

 

Happy Friday!

One of the most fun ways to declutter and bring peace to your home is to do a 27 Fling Boogie. The FlyLady coined this phrase. You set your timer and find 27 things to put away, throw away, or give away. I usually focus on the last two because getting the extra stuff out of the house is what helps the most. If you have a lot of clutter in your house, then you would benefit by doing a 27 Fling Boogie every day. Since I have followed The FlyLady system for many years, I typically do one 27 Fling Boogie a week. You can do this in the Zone of the Week, or you can do it in the area that needs the most attention.

If you have a lot of paper clutter, you can count individual pieces of paper, or you can declutter paper and weigh it when you declutter. You will be surprised at how fast the pounds of paper accumulate if you declutter paper regularly.

You can boogie your way out of clutter and into peace. Use your timer and turn on some music. Have fun bringing peace into your home!

Have a great weekend!

Zone Mission: 27 Fling Boogie

Weekly Home Blessing: Take out the Trash, Sweep, and Mop

 
Menu Mission: Pork Roast and Salad

 

Routines:

 

Home:
  • Make Your Bed (Do this as soon as you get up.)
  • Get Dressed Down to Your Shoes
  • Swish and Swipe
  • Start Your Laundry
  • Decide on Dinner
  • Check Your Calendar
  • Start the Day off with a Shiny Sink. Don’t leave the breakfast dishes sitting.

School:

  • Have a fun day!
 Afternoon Routine:
  • Eat Lunch
  • Clear off One Hot Spot
  • Reboot the Laundry
  • Declutter for 15 Minutes (Be sure to have your children declutter, too.)
  • Drink Your Water
  • Loving movement for 15 Minutes

Before Bed: (This starts right after dinner.)

  • Check the Calendar for Tomorrow
  • Lay out Your Clothes for Tomorrow (Have your children lay their clothes out, too.)
  • Put things at your launch pad
  • Shine Your Sink
  • Clean Off a Hot Spot
  • Go to Bed at Decent Hour

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Making Appointments – Getting Organized

Getting Organized:
In your home and homeschool

As a new calendar sits in front of you, look back at last year’s calendar. What appointments do you already have on the calendar? What appointments do you need to make?

When I am setting appointments, I try to keep them on one day in the week. This will vary from person to person. I like to schedule appointments on Wednesdays when possible. This is the day of the week when it does the least interrupting on our school week. I do not make appointments on Monday when possible because that does derail the start of my school week.

If you have homeschooled very long, you have probably realized that a morning appointment can mean a lost school day. It takes discipline to go home after an appointment and do school for the day. Some days, I try to make the appointment late enough in the day that we can do math and language arts before we leave the house. When I had lots of little children, that still did not always work. We did good to make it to the appointment and back home for a nap. Some of you can relate to that!

Now, I just allow myself a certain number of days off each year for appointments. Be assertive when scheduling appointments. Many offices like the fact that homeschoolers can come to appointments during the day, but make them when it works best for your schedule.

Have a wonderful day!

.

Zone Mission – Detail dust the Dining Room

Weekly Home Blessing Task: Declutter Paper/Magazines

 
Menu Plan for Thursday: Baked chicken and salad

Routines:

Home:
  • Make Your Bed (Do this as soon as you get up.)
  • Get Dressed Down to Your Shoes
  • Swish and Swipe
  • Start Your Laundry
  • Decide on Dinner
  • Check Your Calendar
  • Start the Day off with a Shiny Sink. Don’t leave the breakfast dishes sitting.

School:

  • Play a game with your children
 Afternoon Routine:
  • Eat Lunch
  • Clear off One Hot Spot
  • Reboot the Laundry
  • Declutter for 15 Minutes (Be sure to have your children declutter, too.)
  • Drink Your Water
  • 15 minutes of loving movement

Before Bed: (This starts right after dinner.)

  • Check the Calendar for Tomorrow
  • Lay out Your Clothes for Tomorrow (Have your children lay their clothes out, too.)
  • Put things at your launch pad
  • Shine Your Sink
  • Clean Off a Hot Spot
  • Go to Bed at Decent Hour

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Being Creative – Getting Organized

Getting Organized:
In your home and homeschool

Many times we do not encourage creativity in our children because we are afraid of the messes that often come with creativity. I want to encourage you to let your children create artful masterpieces. Let them paint, use glue, use scissors (with supervision, of course), use markers, and more. They will make messes, and they will learn a lot. It is worth cleaning up a few messes to let them express their creative side. You don’t have to offer arts and crafts every day, but it is nice if they can do arts and crafts once or twice a week. This time of year, we often spend more time indoors because of the cold weather. Use this as a time to do arts and crafts with your children. It will stimulate different parts of their brains. Remember that they can be washed up, so let them have fun!

Tell me how your routines are going this week. Are you getting things back into a regular daily schedule? It’s hard after a break to get things moving along again. Keep at it!

Have a great day!

.

Zone Mission – Declutter the Dining Room

Weekly Home Blessing Task: Wipe Windows and Mirrors

 
Menu Plan for Wednesday: Roast and salad

Routines:

Home:
  • Make Your Bed (Do this as soon as you get up.)
  • Get Dressed Down to Your Shoes
  • Swish and Swipe
  • Start Your Laundry
  • Decide on Dinner
  • Check Your Calendar
  • Start the Day off with a Shiny Sink. Don’t leave the breakfast dishes sitting.

School:

  • Get out some art supplies and be creative with your children.
 Afternoon Routine:
  • Eat Lunch
  • Clear off One Hot Spot
  • Reboot the Laundry
  • Declutter for 15 Minutes (Be sure to have your children declutter, too.)
  • Drink Your Water
  • 15 minutes of loving movement

Before Bed: (This starts right after dinner.)

  • Check the Calendar for Tomorrow
  • Lay out Your Clothes for Tomorrow (Have your children lay their clothes out, too.)
  • Put things at your launch pad
  • Shine Your Sink
  • Clean Off a Hot Spot
  • Go to Bed at Decent Hour

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Pick One Thing Fun to Study – Getting Organized

Getting Organized:
In your home and homeschool
             
Are you wanting to change any of your curriculum? Has your school year had an element of fun with learning? You can branch out a little if you want to add some fun to your school day. Hands on learning is our favorite way to learn, and I use it for science and history as much as possible. If you are having fun with learning, you remember more. Anything we have ever studied using hands-on learning is something they will recall for years to come.

It’s easy to start a unit study. Pick a topic. Choose some books and activities. If you need activity ideas, a quick Internet search can help you out. One year, I decided to study earth science with the boys to go along with a field trip to a large science center. We read about the layers of the earth, volcanoes, hurricanes, tsunamis, tornadoes, and more. We watched videos. We drew diagrams. Then, we went on our field trip. All of these activities were more fun than just reading about earth science. We erupted a volcano in the front yard using baking soda and vinegar. They will never forget the experience!

History can be just a engaging to study hands on because you can do so many re-enactments when you study history. We have made costumes, castles, written plays, and gone on field trips to experience history. It is not a dry and boring subject at all.

Talk to your children and pick something fun to study to add to your school. You might find that you enjoy learning this way alongside your children. I have!

 

Zone Mission: Declutter your Entryway

Weekly Home Blessings of the Day: Quick Dust and Vacuum

Menu Plan for Tuesday: Beef Stew with vegetables and a side salad

 

If you need more help with organizing your home and homeschool, you can download  The FlyLady’s Homeschool Teacher and Homeschool Student Control Journals for free.

Set your timer for 15 minutes for the Home Assignment and 15 minutes for the School Assignment
 
Home:
  • Make Your Bed (Do this as soon as you get up.)
  • Get Dressed Down to Your Shoes
  • Swish and Swipe
  • Start Your Laundry
  • Decide on Dinner
  • Check Your Calendar
  • Start the Day off with a Shiny Sink. Don’t leave the breakfast dishes sitting.
  • Clean out your refrigerator. Toss the science experiments.
  • Spend 15 minutes loving movement.

School: Consider a fun topic to study

 Afternoon Routine: 
  • Eat Lunch
  • Clear off One Hot Spot
  • Reboot the Laundry
  • Declutter for 15 Minutes (Be sure to have your children declutter, too.)
  • Drink Your Water
  • Write up a menu plan for the next 7 days. Check your pantry and freezer and make a grocery list. This habit will save you time and money. Try out some new recipes with the slow cooker. It will save you time once you start back to your school schedule.
Family Fun: Take your children for a walk.
Before Bed: (This starts right after dinner.) 
  • Check the Calendar for Tomorrow
  • Lay out Your Clothes for Tomorrow (Have your children lay their clothes out, too.)
  • Put things at the Launch Pad that you will need first thing in the morning
  • Shine Your Sink
  • Clean Off a Hot Spot
  • Go to Bed at Decent Hour

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Happy New Year 2017 – Getting Organized

Getting Organized:
In your home and homeschool

      

Happy New Year plus a Day! Since yesterday was New Year’s Day, I wanted to take the opportunity to wish you a Happy New Year. Thank you for reading my newsletter and responding to my emails. I love hearing from you, whether it is a question or an encouraging note.

Being on this side of the computer and writing to you daily is a blessing for me. Homeschool moms are heroes. We give up a lot of things to teach our children. Sometimes we lack for adult conversation until our husband gets home from work, and sometimes the house is messy and dinner is not ready. But we would not trade our time teaching our children for anything. It is a calling to homeschool, and I want to tell you that you are doing a great job!

My hope for these articles is to encourage you and give you helpful tips on organizing your home. I want you to have peace and happiness and fun in your home. Using routines and playing games with your children can help you maintain your home. I don’t want you to feel like your house is a museum that is picture perfect all the time. I want you to have order about your home and enjoy being in your home and having people over.

Have you set a goal for the year? Send me an email and let me know about it.

Zone Missions: The Front Porch, Entryway, and Dining Room
Monday – Sweep the front porch and put away the decorations

Tuesday – Declutter the Entryway

Wednesday –  Declutter the Dining Room

Thursday – Detail dust the Dining Room

Friday – 27 Fling Boogie in Zone 1

Menu Plan for Monday – Alfredo Chicken and Pasta with a salad

Weekly Home Blessing – Wash the Sheets

Daily Routines:

Home:
  • Make Your Bed (Do this as soon as you get up.)
  • Get Dressed Down to Your Shoes
  • Swish and Swipe
  • Start Your Laundry
  • Decide on Dinner
  • Check Your Calendar
  • Start the Day off with a Shiny Sink. Don’t leave the breakfast dishes sitting.
  • Daily Movement for 15 Minutes

School: Let’s get back to the basics this week. If you don’t have a full week planned, start with reading or math.


Afternoon Routine:
  • Eat Lunch
  • Clear off One Hot Spot
  • Reboot the Laundry
  • Declutter for 15 Minutes (Be sure to have your children declutter, too.)
  • Drink Your Water
Family Fun: Take a nature walk today.
Before Bed: (This starts right after dinner.) 
  • Check the Calendar for Tomorrow
  • Lay out Your Clothes for Tomorrow (Have your children lay their clothes out, too.)
  • Put things at the Launch Pad that you will need first thing in the morning
  • Shine Your Sink
  • Clean Off a Hot Spot
  • Go to Bed at Decent Hour

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Joy in 2016

Getting Organized:
In your home and homeschool

 

Happy Friday!

Since this is my last newsletter of 2016, I thought I would reflect on the word I picked for 2016, “Joy.” This year has been a blessed, joyful year.

In January, I ran my second marathon and had a fun weekend away with my husband. I spent much of the month working on plans for our daughter’s wedding. I looked at lots of flowers and candles and decorations with my daughter.

Our daughter got married in February, and I spent the first part of the month preparing for the wedding. It was a blessing to see family from near and far at the wedding.

In March, I traveled with The FlyLady to Nashville, TN to the Teach Them Diligently conference. I also visited with family who lives near Nashville.

In April, I traveled again with the FlyLady to attend the Teach Them Diligently conference in Atlanta, GA. I love meeting homeschoolers and talking to them at these events. It is such a blessing to me.

In May, the boys and I traveled to Sandusky, OH for the third Teach Them Diligently conference of the year. We also did a few field trips along the way and visited the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the Great Lakes Science Center in Cleveland. We finished with a wonderful weekend at the Kalahari Resort for the convention.

In June, I attended the North Carolinians for Home Education conference in my home state. It was a blessing to see friends from near and far at this convention.

In July, we traveled to Oak Island, NC for a week at the beach for our family vacation. We had a fun week of playing in the sand and fishing.

In August, we started off our school year, and I enjoyed several outings with my family. Truly, time with my family is treasured time.

In September, we had a family picnic in the mountains of our beautiful state and enjoyed playing in the creek and hiking on the trails.

In October, I ran my third marathon and beat my previous two completed marathons. It was a beautiful fall day in the mountains of North Carolina.

In November, I had a wonderful Thanksgiving with my husband, all six of our children, and with my mother, brother, and his family. When your children grow up and get married and move away, you look forward to the holidays when everyone is able to be together.

In December, we had family fun days, and we enjoyed doing things for one another for Christmas. My treasure is my family, and I am blessed and JOYful that they made this a great year!

If you have any questions or tips, please email me. I enjoy hearing from my readers.
Zone Mission: 27 Fling Boogie

Weekly Home Blessing: Take out the Trash, Sweep, and Mop

 
Menu Mission: Pizza and Salad

 

Routines:

 

Home:
  • Make Your Bed (Do this as soon as you get up.)
  • Get Dressed Down to Your Shoes
  • Swish and Swipe
  • Start Your Laundry
  • Decide on Dinner
  • Check Your Calendar
  • Start the Day off with a Shiny Sink. Don’t leave the breakfast dishes sitting.

School:

  • Have a fun day!
 Afternoon Routine:
  • Eat Lunch
  • Clear off One Hot Spot
  • Reboot the Laundry
  • Declutter for 15 Minutes (Be sure to have your children declutter, too.)
  • Drink Your Water
  • Loving movement for 15 Minutes

Before Bed: (This starts right after dinner.)

  • Check the Calendar for Tomorrow
  • Lay out Your Clothes for Tomorrow (Have your children lay their clothes out, too.)
  • Put things at your launch pad
  • Shine Your Sink
  • Clean Off a Hot Spot
  • Go to Bed at Decent Hour

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Finishing Up the Year – Getting Organized

Getting Organized:
In your home and homeschool

We have a few days left in the year. Use today and tomorrow to do some of the projects you wanted to do around the house over Christmas break. I want you to have fun this weekend without thinking about these projects. So use your timer and see what you can accomplish. I know Christmas break always looks so long and inviting, and then, suddenly, it’s time to start back to school. Do something fun today, too. Don’t be all work and no play. Use your fun activity as a reward for working on your project. Adults deserve rewards, too!

Start planning your New Year’s Eve celebration for your family. Even if your children are young, and everyone goes to bed well before midnight, you can still celebrate and have a “countdown” to the New Year. We like to have snacks and play games on New Year’s Eve.

Have a wonderful day!

.

Zone Mission – Clean under the living room furniture

Weekly Home Blessing Task: Declutter Paper/Magazines

 
Menu Plan for Thursday: Fish and vegetables

Routines:

Home:
  • Make Your Bed (Do this as soon as you get up.)
  • Get Dressed Down to Your Shoes
  • Swish and Swipe
  • Start Your Laundry
  • Decide on Dinner
  • Check Your Calendar
  • Start the Day off with a Shiny Sink. Don’t leave the breakfast dishes sitting.

School:

  • Play a game with your children
 Afternoon Routine:
  • Eat Lunch
  • Clear off One Hot Spot
  • Reboot the Laundry
  • Declutter for 15 Minutes (Be sure to have your children declutter, too.)
  • Drink Your Water
  • 15 minutes of loving movement

Before Bed: (This starts right after dinner.)

  • Check the Calendar for Tomorrow
  • Lay out Your Clothes for Tomorrow (Have your children lay their clothes out, too.)
  • Put things at your launch pad
  • Shine Your Sink
  • Clean Off a Hot Spot
  • Go to Bed at Decent Hour

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Decluttering Papers and Books – Getting Organized

Getting Organized:
In your home and homeschool

We started the school year all bright and shiny. We ordered books. We got papers, notebooks, and pens. We gathered art materials. We enjoyed gathering these materials. Then reality set in as we started using some of the materials. Some of the things we bought so excitedly just did not work out for our homeschool. Because we spent money on it, we feel obligated to keep it. Today, I am giving you a free pass from guilt. I want you to look at your homeschool materials. Do you have books that are taking up valuable real estate in your home? Make a stack of these items. Some of them you may be able to resell. Lot of people decide to start homeschooling during their child’s Christmas break. Some of the books you can give to another homeschooler. Just because the materials did not work for your children does not mean they won’t work for someone else. Put a note out to your local homeschool mom’s group. You can bless someone else with your abundance.

Take a look at your paper collection from the year. Let some of it go! You do not need it all.

Have a great day!

.

Zone Mission – Clean out your sofa

Weekly Home Blessing Task: Wipe Windows and Mirrors

 
Menu Plan for Wednesday: Chicken, vegetables, and a salad

Routines:

Home:
  • Make Your Bed (Do this as soon as you get up.)
  • Get Dressed Down to Your Shoes
  • Swish and Swipe
  • Start Your Laundry
  • Decide on Dinner
  • Check Your Calendar
  • Start the Day off with a Shiny Sink. Don’t leave the breakfast dishes sitting.

School:

  • Sort through your books and papers and declutter
 Afternoon Routine:
  • Eat Lunch
  • Clear off One Hot Spot
  • Reboot the Laundry
  • Declutter for 15 Minutes (Be sure to have your children declutter, too.)
  • Drink Your Water
  • 15 minutes of loving movement

Before Bed: (This starts right after dinner.)

  • Check the Calendar for Tomorrow
  • Lay out Your Clothes for Tomorrow (Have your children lay their clothes out, too.)
  • Put things at your launch pad
  • Shine Your Sink
  • Clean Off a Hot Spot
  • Go to Bed at Decent Hour

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Decluttering will help you get organized

Getting Organized:
In your home and homeschool
            
Since our zone of the week is the Living Room (and/or Family Room), I want you to take a look around. Is there anything you want to do to change the look of it? Are Christmas presents still taking up residence in your living room? Let’s start with putting the new things away. Then, set the timer for 15 minutes. Gather any Holiday decorations that are left in the Living Room and put them away. Start thinking about moving the furniture around. You can change the look of a room by moving the furniture around. Tomorrow’s zone mission will be to clean under the furniture anyway, so start thinking today. Your goal is to declutter today and think.

 

Zone Mission: Declutter and put away decorations

Weekly Home Blessings of the Day: Quick Dust and Vacuum

Menu Plan for Tuesday: Lasagne, salad, and garlic bread

 

If you need more help with organizing your home and homeschool, you can download  The FlyLady’s Homeschool Teacher and Homeschool Student Control Journals for free.

Set your timer for 15 minutes for the Home Assignment and 15 minutes for the School Assignment
 
Home:
  • Make Your Bed (Do this as soon as you get up.)
  • Get Dressed Down to Your Shoes
  • Swish and Swipe
  • Start Your Laundry
  • Decide on Dinner
  • Check Your Calendar
  • Start the Day off with a Shiny Sink. Don’t leave the breakfast dishes sitting.
  • Clean out your refrigerator. Toss the science experiments.
  • Spend 15 minutes loving movement.

School: Review your school papers and purge

 Afternoon Routine: 
  • Eat Lunch
  • Clear off One Hot Spot
  • Reboot the Laundry
  • Declutter for 15 Minutes (Be sure to have your children declutter, too.)
  • Drink Your Water
  • Write up a menu plan for the next 7 days. Check your pantry and freezer and make a grocery list. This habit will save you time and money. Try out some new recipes with the slow cooker. It will save you time once you start back to your school schedule.
Family Fun: Take your children for a walk.
Before Bed: (This starts right after dinner.) 
  • Check the Calendar for Tomorrow
  • Lay out Your Clothes for Tomorrow (Have your children lay their clothes out, too.)
  • Put things at the Launch Pad that you will need first thing in the morning
  • Shine Your Sink
  • Clean Off a Hot Spot
  • Go to Bed at Decent Hour

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