Mom's new home office area

a post by Jenni {aka Mom}

My new office area!

Last fall we rearranged our living room, leaving one corner orphaned with only the piano and a pile of junk which needed to be sorted. Life went on, as life does, and while we intended to "do something" with that corner we never really got around to it. 

Prior to and during that time, I had a problem. I had no designated "Mom space" for grading, computer work, household paperwork, etc., so I had a little homeless "nest" of things that I moved around constantly throughout the day and had nowhere to to park at the end of the day. I'd work at the dining table a while, then clear it for a meal. I'd work at the kitchen counter for a while, then clear it to cook. I'd work in the quiet of my bedroom for a while, then clear it to make room for laundry or for my husband and I to go to bed. I'd work in the living room for a while, then clear it for worship. 

I was functioning okay this way, but I really wanted a more organized and preferably permanently located way to accomplish my work while still supervising the crew. I wanted a "home" for my "nest". 

My husband, Mike, suggested making a place for me in the orphan corner. I balked at the idea at first, thinking that it wouldn't look nice in the living room (and just inside the front door, no less!). However, the more we tossed out ideas, the better it sounded. So Hubby got to work, and here are the delightful results: 

"ORPHAN" CORNER BEFORE:

 

 

MOM'S NEW OFFICE NOOK AFTER:

I now have a place for everything, even if I do take some items to another room for a while, they have a home to return to. 

There's a basket on the floor beside my desk to hold my homemaking, school, and garden binders. 

The bird/butterfly boxes on the shelves were cheap finds at Ross, and are designated for current "to be graded" school papers, household papers that need to be dealt with, paperwork that pertains to the business Hubby & I are starting, and papers to be filed.

The shelving enabled us to move all these books out of bookcases that were cramping a hallway, and move those bookcases to Hubby's office (he'd had metal utility shelving before) freeing up the hallway. 

SIDE 1 OF LIVING ROOM BEFORE:

 SIDE 1 OF LIVING ROOM AFTER:  

 

Hubby built the shelves, and stained them dark espresso brown. I adore the oak leaf trim he picked out! He installed them on a simple black bracket system, attached mainly to studs, of course.

We looked at many options for a desk, and ended up with this cherry desk from a used furniture store. It's a bit weathered, but hardwood and dovetailed - and it was less expensive than the the desks of the same size and much lower quality at Costco, Office Max, Staples, and the furniture stores.

The chair isn't what I originally wanted, but it's sturdy, comfortable, and cost me $15. I don't care that it doesn't match. I might refinish it one day, but it's not a priority.

SIDE 2 OF LIVING ROOM BEFORE:  

 SIDE 2 OF LIVING ROOM AFTER:  

The piano is now in the seating area, making the living room feel more complete and making it more comfortable to sing together without the pianist feeling isolated.

One of our old chairs needed to be replaced badly. We pulled my late grandmother's old wing-back out of the attic, purchased an inexpensive slipcover, and it fit right in.

Having this new office area has worked out beautifully for me so far! I can more efficiently accomplish desk tasks and keep track of current paperwork while still being present to supervise the crew. Hubby has the best ideas! :-)

How to deal with all those drinking cups!

Recently Amy from Raising Arrows posted about corralling the family’s drinking cups. Having a large family herself, she had some good insight, and the comments below her post are overflowing with good ideas.

We are a family of only 5, which is on the small side compared to many in our circles, yet drinking-cup-corralling challenges seem to abound in our home. I think it just goes with the territory when your family is home all day.

In the early years, I tried the method of constantly picking up dirty cups and putting them in the sink or dishwasher. Inevitably, though, this would lead to days in which we ran out of clean cups – or ran a full dishwasher with a sink still full of cups!

We did disposable cups for a while, but that just seemed wasteful. We tried writing on the disposable cups with a Sharpee, rinsing them after each use and keeping them by the sink. This worked really well for us for some time, and eventually morphed into our next method – using “real” cups and glasses, labeling them with masking tape, and keeping them by the sink for the day.

One cup per person per day. This system worked very well, for a while.

Then, with our kitchen’s layout and constant use, the system began to fall apart. Not everyone labeled, so we couldn’t keep track of whose cup belonged to whom. The part of the counter designated for cups was needed for other uses, so cups would get moved around the kitchen accordingly and often people needing a drink would just grab another clean cup (not that I blame them!). It got to where on a good day, when the designated cup area was only used for cups, it looked something like this:

Remember, there are only 5 of us!

I chose to be satisfied with this orderly chaos for some time, until I read Amy’s post and all the wonderful ideas in the comments beneath it. Inspired to make another attempt at the “one cup per person per day” routine, I scanned the ideas, evaluated the supplies we had on hand, and came up with this:

I had my son trace 5 circles on construction paper and cut them out. He then wrote each family member’s initials on a circle, and decorated each circle. (I should have taken pics of this - sorry! Didn't think about it until afterward.) 

I probably would have allowed each child to decorate his own "coaster," except two were gone and this was a brief window of opportunity in which to complete a project, so it was delegated to one child - who very proudly selected themes for each person's circle. Thankfully, all family members are pleased with his selection :-)

I dug out this old red tray that had been collecting dust in the pantry, and I traced the bottom of it onto 2 sheets of cardstock, taped together on the backside.

I cut out the shape, making sure it was a good 1/4” smaller than the tray all around. My son then glued the circles to the cardstock, and I laminated the whole mat with self-laminating sheets that I had on hand. We trimmed the edges, put the mat into the tray, and VOILA! 

Noticeable (as in the boys around here will be able to see where it is!), labeled, portable, wipeable homes for our cups-of-the-day!

Now, I enlisted kid-help and we used only supplies we had on hand - I’m sure someone could totally "Martha Stewart this idea out" with pretty scrapbook papers color-coordinated with one’s home décor and dainty or artsy initials or symbols cut with cute paper punches. I love that kind of stuff!

I just knew that my kids really, really feel loved when they are included on the project and when their work is used and displayed in practical ways. And, personally, I actually like having kid-made creations around me – it’s a whole other type of beautiful that’s meaningful, when made by those you love. (I also knew that I had zero dollars in the budget to go purchase the perfect scrapbook paper and punches!)

That said, I’d enjoy seeing photos of someone else’s Martha Stewart version! :-)

Also, if one had a laminating machine and was able to laminate it nicely with one sleeve, it would have a nicer finish. The smaller laminating sheets I used weren’t big enough, so there is a visible seam where I joined them together.

In this instance, I believe that form definitely had to follow function for us – and so far this “home” for our daily cups is functioning wonderfully – with a pretty cute form following only shortly behind!

Super Great Frugal Organizing Ideas

Homeschool Mom Hillary Reynolds posted this video recently, packed with cheap and wonderful organization ideas. They are all right up my alley, and I thought it was worth passing along to you. 

I'd add to her suggestion of bakery buckets my own recommendation of Gamma Lids. I use 6 Gallon food grade buckets to store all our whole grain, and the Gamma Lids have been a lifesaver. You snap an outer ring onto the bucket, and then the center of the lid screws easily on and off. They seal airtight, fit several sizes of buckets, and come in a ton of colors to keep you organized. For example, at my house a red lid = hard red wheat, a blue lid = hard white wheat, a white lid = soft white wheat, and so on. Don't limit your buckets & Gamma's to food, though! Small buckets can work for toys, items in the laundry room, craft supplies, and gads of other things.

You can purchase Gamma Lids on Amazon, though the last time I ordered lids there they did not qualify for Prime and I've noticed they are often only available in black. 

When you account for the shipping cost and lack of selection, it's still worth it to get your Gammas from good ole' reliable Bread Beckers. Tacked onto a coop order, you definitely come out on top.

There are many other ideas in the video, for everything from organizing your bathroom cabinets to making cubbies for the whole family for a few bucks. It looks as if Hillary's just begun bringing us her tips and tricks. I look forward to hearing more from her in the future!

Enjoy Hillary's short tutorial! Happy Organizing! =)

Three Cheers for Homeschool Planners!!!

Don't fret, Nana! I have a draft saved of our post unveiling the completion of Operation Waterhole. Bird and I just need to make some finishing touches - we'll have it up for you soon!

I must take a moment, however, to shout from the rooftops how incredibly excited I am about our new homeschool student planners! There are many planners available online. Some are free printables, others are reasonably priced spiral bound, on up to crazy expensive versions not made specifically for homeschool students. There are many, many ideas floating around out there. I've always had a planner for myself, but I'd never really considered giving planners to the children. I just wrote their assignments on the white board every week. We only got mixed up occasionally, and they did just what I told them to do. So why should I start thinking about giving them planners now?

After I'd already been plowing ahead with the planner idea, of which you'll read more below, the other day I was reading a thread online regarding how one survives using more than one Core of the Sonlight curriculum (each Core involving quite a bit of reading aloud on the part of the parent). Although I do not use Sonlight, I do generally follow the teaching philosophies of Charlotte Mason which, like Sonlight include a LOT of reading "real" or "living" books - and I have had a dilemma at times with my younger children when it comes to getting all of that reading done. At this stage some of their assigned readings are simply too challenging for them to read and retain on their own, so those are added to our already assigned "read alouds."

As much as I enjoy this time with the children, it is not always realistic for me to read aloud & be read to for a couple-plus hours straight every day. Not only that, my husband and I both want to train the kids to be self-guided learners who can know what they're supposed to be working towards, plan their own work accordingly, and seek out the information needed as well as persevere consistently through the learning process to achieve success in that area. Obviously this is one of the most valuable traits in successful adults. As a "hands-on" kind of mother, I sometimes struggle to push them to work independently - mainly because I really enjoy the whole process and all the activities and, by golly, I want them to wait for me to "play" with them! 


With our desire to foster more independence in mind, the self-learning philosophy described by Joanne over at urthemom.com was very appealing - yes, THAT is what we want to help our children become. The dilemma was, then, how do I begin to turn in that direction while still maintaining the methods and other priorities that we use currently and also view as important? Can a Charlotte Mason homeschooler also be a self-learner? 

The answer is Yes! Charlotte Mason put a large emphasis on good habits (so does scripture, by the way!!). Habits such as being "regular" (following a schedule/routine) as well as being orderly and being diligent are just a few of the habits she wrote about in her series of books on education. A student planner is a perfect tool for teaching some of these habits to your child (btw, a fantastic handbook of Charlotte's writings on habits entitled "Laying Down the Rails" was compiled by Sonya Shafer and can be found on her website simplycharlottemason.com I consider it a must-read for any mother!). 

Being the ever-picky person I am, I ended up developing my own planner for my children to use. Even with so much variety out there, I felt the need to tweak several things to fit our unique situation. If you're not up to that, the planner at urthemom.com is probably the best one out there, in my opinion.


Now, we've only been using our new student planners for a week, so I know that it is far too soon to tell what the final results will be. However, I have been incredibly impressed and encouraged by what I've seen so far! All three boys are more highly motivated than ever before. We still spend our read-aloud time together, I am still available for whatever help they may need, and I do still insist on participating in activities whenever possible (I can't miss out on Super Charged Science!!). Yet, all their other work is being accomplished quickly and in a regular and orderly manner, and they all have a new air of confidence about them.

Obviously, the planners have not solved our afore-mentioned read-aloud struggle (Putting my 3rd and 4th graders in the same read-alouds has helped that a lot!). However, self-learning seems to have really helped to streamline the boys' work in other subject areas so that read-aloud time is more of a pleasure than an additional item of pressure - and that is an enormous blessing!

I'll report again when the "new" wears off (and at that time I'll tell more about how we are actually utilizing that resource and purposefully training for self-learning), but I have a feeling that our homeschool student planners are another step towards even more super homeschooling! 

I'd even venture to recommend that other homeschooling families do the same. Children truly are capable of much more than what most of us give them credit for (or give the opportunity to prove!). 

A "normal" day in the life of the Super Great

What's a day look like in our house?

Generally, excluding weekends, for the kids & I it runs about like this:

5:30 am - My alarm goes off. I hit it until it's quiet. Usually Daddy's already up, so thankfully my swatting & groaning doesn't affect him.

5:45-6:00ish - I stumble blindly to the coffee pot

(Can you tell I'm not naturally a morning person?)

6:00-7:00 - My quiet time, snuggled in the rocking chair in the corner of my bedroom

6:30 - Boys' alarm goes off. I marvel as I hear them dutifully roll out of bed, quickly dress, and hustle outside for their morning run. I don't know how in the world we actually trained them to do that. I sure wish I had that kind of discipline!

7:00 - Boys are finished with their run, and disappear for their own quiet times. I make myself at least halfway presentable, and start fixing breakfast. Yes, I usually cook breakfast. If they eat a good, hearty one, they rarely ask for snacks and they concentrate better. It's totally worth it. Sometimes I put hot cereal in the crock pot overnight, if I know I'm going to be beat in the morning.

7:30 - Breakfast. On the table till 8. You snooze, you lose!

8:00 - Morning devotions. Sometimes Daddy's here, sometimes he's already left for work. He's a farrier, so it depends on what he has scheduled. For now we keep devotions simple: we read the chapter of Proverbs that matches the day of the month (Chapter 1 on the 1st, etc...), discuss a few verses together, and pray.

8:30-9:30 - Chores. The boys have certain things they take care of every day. Sometimes I do a little housework, but most of the time I use this hour to copy math pages, write up assignments, grade papers, and finish preparing for the school day.

9:30-11:30 - School

11:30ish - Lunch. No, I don't usually cook anything for lunch. Lunch is typically leftovers, canned soup, and/or sandwiches. Quick & easy. 

12:00-1:30 pm - Finishing up of school, if needed. Depends on what had to be done that day. Certain children are almost always done before lunch, certain others tend to stretch their work until 2:00...or 3:00...or dinnertime...both shall remain nameless.

1:30-4:00ish - The boys finish any chores they were unable to finish before school, help out with any work that has to be done around the house, and have free time. This usually means one is caved out with a book, and the other two are either having epic battles outside or playing upstairs (which usually also involves some sort of battle...it would be so nice to have a girl around here!) 

        - I hide out in my room for 10-20 minutes, if possible, until I can hear my own thoughts again. Then I proceed with whatever duties of my own need to be done. I try to make time to sit and read for at least 20 minutes before I have to begin fixing supper. 

4:00ish - I start fixing dinner. Usually I can pull it off in an hour. Sometimes I have to start sooner. I snag one or more children to straighten up the dining room & set the table. I'm trying to get into the habit of also having them clean up their mess upstairs. So far, it's definitely not a habit. 

5:00 - Dinner

6:00 - Family Worship (aka evening devotions)**. This varies. We have a general Bible reading plan that we follow, but we have taken breaks from that to do video series or other studies together. Often times we use part of this time to review the boys' memory work for church. We're just starting the curriculum for Pilgrim's Progress from Answers in Genesis.

7:00 - Free time for the boys. Some evenings they hang out with Dad.

      - I am just re-embarking on the quest to use this time to work out. Pray for me. I don't like it, but I need it. After that (or in lieu of that!) I shower & fix my hair - I've learned that it's SO MUCH better to do it in the evening and not have to try to fit in a shower in the morning.

8:30 - Boys shower & get ready for bed

9:00 - Bedtime for boys, quiet for me & Dad!

10:00 - I try to be in bed by ten. Sometimes I enjoy the quiet & the time with my bff (Daddy) way too much, and end up staying up much later. That probably affects the whole getting out of bed in the morning thing...

So that's a day in the life of our family. Nothing spectacular, but there is something nice about a routine. 

**Just an aside, making this time of "Family Worship" together a regular thing has been one of THE best things we've done for our family. The spiritual & relational growth has been tremendous. If you do not do daily family devotions, and have no clue where to start, a good outline is The Family Worship Book. It's a bit old-fashioned & liturgical, but it's a great starting point and easily tweaked to fit your tastes & needs. I was pretty dubious about beginning family devotions when my husband brought it up a few years ago - I wasn't sure how it would go over with slightly older children - but I am so thankful I followed his lead (however reluctantly at first). It is so worth the "trouble" and is building not only stronger faith in us all, but also strong family ties and memories that will certainly last a lifetime.
If you want a good book that goes over the reasons why Family Worship is so critical in the raising of godly children (amongst several other key things), you definitely want to read Family Driven Faith