Schedule....check!

Every once in a while I like to link up to Tackle it Tuesday at 5 Minutes for Mom.I even worked on this project today. All the better.

It dawned on me the other day that I spend far too much time telling my boys what we are doing today or tomorrow or next week or yesterday. Well, you get the point I'm sure. I've tried various schedule things in the past, but I think I hit on one today that just might work. 

Please ignore the dirty door....

This is a calendar grid I had purchased from the dollar store a while back. It came in a two pack. I don't even remember what happened to the other one, but I think it was on the fridge for a bit and now is in the trash. So I spent some time last night printing out activity cards for workboxes. They had what I wanted - visual clues as to what we were doing - and seemed to be the right size.

Today I laminated and cut and added Velcro dots to them all. I also added an index card that says "What are we doing today?" with an arrow pointing down. This is moved to hover above each day on the grid so that it can easily be picked out.

The door is metal so the calendar grid, arrow card, dry erase marker, month topper, and the two other index cards all have magnets on the back. All the extra schedule cards are in a little baggie attached to a clip magnet.

So far it's been working wonderfully. I have plenty of blank ones so I can write in things that aren't typical (setting up for a fair tomorrow for 4-H) with a dry erase marker. I can't wait to see if it cuts down on the "what are we doing today" question I get asked so much.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

I don't generally take photos of household projects because, well, I'm typically too embarrassed to show any "before" photos. However, when I decided to tackle my pathetic flowerbed last week, I knew I needed before and after photos so I could participate in this week's Tackle it Tuesday over at 5 Minutes for Mom. I feel like I used to when I took photos in order to use my cute scrapbooking photos.

So here are "before" photos of my very sad looking flower garden.

 

I began the tackle by just ripping up all the grass and other weeds growing in and around this little garden. I worked steadily one afternoon until time and other things made me stop. However, I was determined to finish up. It took me only about another 30 minutes Sunday afternoon to finish it all up. Doesn’t it look prettier now?



I just used some leftover shavings from our chickens. I have an ample supply of sawdust for them now that the sawmill is up and running (for our housing project). While it’s not “beauty bark” I still think it makes it look prettier. Now to just buy some pretty annuals to fill in the spaces.

While I may not have the world’s best green thumb, I’m pretty happy with my little garden.

Tackle it Tuesday

I participate in this weekly meme every once in a while. When I tackle anything, I typically forget to take photos. Not this week! My little ones bedroom has been a source of much irritation lately. It literally looked like someone had gone in & just took every single toy they owned & dumped it on the floor. Oh wait, someone did. Two someones ages 8 & 5 - at least I'm pretty sure that's what happened.

Photo proof of the mess....

The really sad part? I thought I was being so smart about this yesterday. I sat down & made up twenty index cards with different "steps" for cleaning. For instance, the first card said pick up all the trash. When the boys would finish the step, they would bring me the card & I would give them the next one. Every third card had something fun to do (jump up & down five times or give mom a big hug for example). Foolishly, I did not inspect after each step because those "before" photos above? Those were taken after the boys had gone through all twenty steps. THAT was what was still on the floor. ::sigh::

So this afternoon I waded in. I brought two large black trash bags with me. The boys are train nuts. They have a very large Geo-Trax set (N has been getting this set since he was three years old), they have a "blue track" Thomas set, they have a wooden Thomas set, & they have a "take along" Thomas set. That's a lot of trains. About six months ago I made them take out two sets & I planned to rotate them back. Well, they ended up with all four sets in their room again. So two sets went in to black trash bags & they are going in to storage.

I also took out two bags of trash. So much for step #1. But now I don't feel my blood pressure going up every time I set foot in their room. Here's the after photos....

A friend gave us an old computer & I have told the boys that if they can keep their room looking this nice for a week, I'll set up the computer for them to use.

Want to read more Tackle it Tuesday posts? Click HERE.

Tackle It Tuesday

I read the 5 Minutes for Mom blog just about every day. Their Tackle it Tuesday posts always make me have an urge to declutter. And let me tell you, I have some serious decluttering that needs to happen around here. There are five of us living in a 14x70 trailer. Space is at a premium most days. I have things stacked here & there & sometimes it's downright dangerous with a tower of clutter leaning off to the side.

Today the urge hit, I had the time, so I tackled one of the things that has been bugging me.

Prior to living in the trailer, we rented a four room apartment. There were still five of us & I still homeschooled. I needed a place to store B's books and things. I had this lovely china cabinet in our kitchen in that apartment. It was full of beautiful china. Until one day I realized I never used the china & it could easily be packed away giving me all this space for homeschool "stuff." 

For the last six years, that is what has been in my china cabinet. Over time it gets really messy. So messy that I rarely want to open it to pull out anything. However, I am participating in the used curriculum sale that our state's homeschool association puts on every June. That means I need to find all the stuff I have here that is not being used (and won't be used) and earn some money back.

The "Before" photos were taken after I had almost emptied the cabinet and most of it was sitting on my table.

"After"

I didn't find as much stuff as I thought I would want to let go but I did find some things that the boys have been having fun using today. At least it's neat...for now. I consider this "tackled."