Amy Karol: Bend-the-Rules Sewing: The Essential Guide to a Whole New Way to Sew
Alison Hansel: Charmed Knits: Projects for Fans of Harry Potter
Amanda Blake Soule: The Creative Family: How to Encourage Imagination and Nurture Family Connections
Kimberly Monaghan: Organic Crafts: 75 Earth-Friendly Art Activities
Carol Petrash: Earthways : Simple Environmental Activities for Young Children
Ann Ball: Catholic Traditions In The Home And Classrooms: 365 Days To Celebrate A Catholic Year
The Big Book of Catholic Customs and Traditions for Children's Faith Formation
Michaelann Martin: The Catholic Parent Book of Feasts: Celebrating the Church Year With Your Family
Ohio Sisters of Notre Dame of Chardon: Saints and Feast Days: Lives of the Saints
Elizabeth Foss: Real Learning: Education in the Heart of the Home
This book never leaves my nightstand!
Maureen Wittmann: Catholic Homeschool Companion
Lots of great essays, by lots of great writers!
"On the Fourth of July, we tug at the bell rope in the barn and put up the flag to wave in the hot breeze, remembering that after John Adams signed the Declaration of Independence on the first American Fourth of July, he wrote his wife Abigail that he hoped Americans would always make this day one of rejoicing and merrymaking. We follow his wishes willingly." (From The New England Butt'ry Shelf Almanac by Mary Mason Campbell)
Or maybe the better question would be, where don't the books go? ;)
People are often surprised - make that stunned - by the number of books in our home. Actually, the homeschoolers take it in stride, lol; most likely they have as many if not more books than we do! I would guess, though, that most households with young children - homeschooling or non - are apt to have lots and lots of books under their roof. The pressing question, though, is how best to organize them? How to store them, display them, keep track of them?
I recently spiffed up Bookworm's personal library shelves and, naturally, I took a picture when I was done. I thought I'd share it here and then list where else in our home we keep books. (I didn't have the time or the wherewithal to photograph each area, but that might make a good summer blog project ...) Please excuse the poor lighting of the picture - we had a thunderstorm passing through as I took pictures and had to use the flash to get the it just right.
So, where else do books go in our home?
In the living room, we have two bookcases - one holds educational resources (math, science, history, etc.) and one holds paperbacks of all kinds - lots of classics and assigned reading. There is also a basket overflowing with the boys' magazines.
In the kitchen, on a small counter to the right of the stove, I have a small selection of my favorite cookbooks.
Continuing on into the learning room/dining room, we find two bookcases - one tall and thin, stacked with my "teacher" resources (favorite liturgical and seasonal idea books, craft books of the moment, and our children's poetry collections), and another shorter bookcase with our most often used nature guides and gardening books. Also found in the learning room are the "school" totes - one for each of us; they hold curricula and texts.
There is a huge bookcase in the family room which holds more educational books (the ones pertaining to our ed. plan this year), our Catholic book collection, and, on the lower shelves, lots of Earlybird's small board/picture books. Over by the fireplace is parked the current season's basket of books.
We like to keep Earlybird's room uncluttered, so there are just a few small piles of board books and some of his favorite science texts (astronomy) kept in here. In the older boys' room, in addition to the bookcases pictured above, there are two other sets of shelves. One is only half-filled with paperbacks, and the other is filled with books, Lego creations and other paraphernalia.
In the master bedroom, I keep a rather large stack of books on my bedside table (and an even bigger stack underneath). I have one or two underbed storage boxes devoted to books, but these really need to be purged. I have a desk in the room and that is basically a horizontal surface that attracts clutter - but on one of the shelves I do have all my homekeeping books.
And then we have the downstairs, where there are boxes and bins and shelves (upon shelves) of books of ALL kinds. Right now it's all rather a mess (to put it mildly). We are revamping the finished area into a playroom for the boys - and this might be a mostly book-free area (devoted more to games and movie watching), but in the basement/storage area we will have lots of shelves devoted to book storage. The bookcases are already there (lots of them) but they are completely haphazard right now. Ideally they will be organized by subject type, and hopefully the stock will be seriously pared down.
Are there books in the car? Yes. Are there books in the bathrooms? No. I draw the line there. :)
Well, I hope you've enjoyed this brief survey of our book-keeping habits! Thanks for stopping by today ~ I hope you're enjoying your week, and if I don't pop in before the holiday (though I suspect I will) I wish you a Happy and Safe 4th of July!
A few posts back, Jennifer asked ~
Do you have a printer in your area? Is it under your table? I have to keep my printers up as we have a toddler. I guess I'm just looking for some new ideas on how to best use our space.
We keep our printer parked in a corner of the family room, where it sits atop an unfinished* stand of drawers. In the drawers we store copy paper, photo paper, ink cartridges, etc. (*I say unfinished, but the sharp eye will pick up the green Bionicle stamp all up and down the front of the drawers. Lol.)
Above the printer is a holder that is usually stuffed with things to copy and miscellaneous scrapbooking paper. Right now it holds a week-at-a-glance schedule pad. As you can see, the printer is right around the corner from the learning room/dining room (where I keep my workstation) and just next to the kids' compter desk.
Yesterday, Fe asked ~
Hmmm... so what do you _do_ with your files from previous years? I've been contemplating trying this approach, but I'd assumed you re-used the files each year?
Well, the truth of the matter is, I could (and probably should) re-use the file folders each year. I just happen to be a sucker for crisp, new office supplies - and by the end of an academic year the folders have really been 'round the bend ...
What I end up doing is going through all the folders as I write out my end-of-the-year reports. The things I find inside each folder - emails, flyers, museum brochures, library records etc. - refresh my memory of the "year that was." I *should* purge the folders at this point and just keep what is absolutely necessary (or sentimental) and recycle the folders, but I usually just place the lot of them in a cardboard storage box, along with the academic month-at-a-glance calendar and the contents of the schoolwork in-box and slap a label on the box for the year. I have too many of these now in our basement, but being the packrat I am I can't just toss them. I need to take the time to sit down and purge responsibly. Someday. :)
And today, Michelle asked ~
I have seen you mention several times about your daily chores and I was wondering if you have a system? Do you do certain things on certain days? Could you post on this?
I have a post here where I described my weekly homekeeping routine. I'm working on a revision of this routine, and I'll post about that sometime in the not-too-distant future. ;)
Hope that helps a bit!
I had a very interesting experience last night ~ I participated in a Homeschool Information Night, organized by my friend Leigh, who is the Publicity Coordinator for our homeschool support group. Our group does this once (or perhaps twice?) a year; I've always meant to volunteer ... but something has either come up - or I talk myself out of it feeling unqualified or maybe a bit shy to speak in front of a group. Well, I finally got around to it this time. :)
Homeschool Information Night is a panel discussion held at a local library - open to anyone interested in, or curious about, homeschooling. Veteran homeschoolers (including young men and women who have been homeschooled themselves) sit on a panel to take questions of all kinds regarding home education in Massachusetts. It's hard to believe I can count myself as a veteran homeschooler - we'll begin our 9th year of home education this fall!
It was a great night - and I'm really glad I did it! I hope it was helpful to the people who attended - I know it was helpful to me! I came home all revved up to prepare for another year of homeschooling - and the timing for that was perfect, because ...
Just like last year, it caught me by surprise - the letter from the school department. It arrived a few days ago, reminding me that our end-of-the-year reports are due - and due soon. And - the ed. plans are due soon after that ...
Time to flush out the file crate and begin all over again!
So I pulled out last year's folders, and bundled them up with a pretty red ribbon. (Necessary? No, but it looks so much nicer this way.) At the top of the pile is the letter from the superintendent's office. I will leave this pile on the back of my desktop and at some point over the next few weeks, I'll carve out some time to tackle the old files ...
... but in the meantime, it was on to the new:
Over the weekend I purchased a few packages of folders for the new year - in soft neutral shades. I dug out a bunch of dark green hanging folders to replace the primary colors from last year (which would have clashed terribly with the new blue tan and green folders, lol).
After bundling up last year's folders, I cleaned out the crate (dusted and wiped) and then began filling it back in.
I have started making up the folders for each week of the year. So far I've just been dating them - but I am considering adding a week-at-a-glance calendar sheet to the front of each folder, as seen in the picture above. I've done this before on occasion and I do find it helpful. First of all, it makes the folder more productive - keeping it out on my counter or desk, I have the papers inside at my fingertips, and I can see the week ahead at a glance. By year's end, the folders serve (inside and out) as excellent reminders of what we did each week of our academic year.
I'm still (and forever it seems) tweaking this system - but I keep coming back to it, because I know it can work well - when I take the time to work it. I am always eager to hear from others who use a file crate - how and why this kind of system works for them. Angela at Three Plus Two has some wonderful posts about how she uses the file crate system. Do stop by and check them out!
Well, I'd best be off! That bathroom's not going to clean itself is it? (Though wouldn't it be lovely if it would?) Thanks, as always, for stopping by - I hope your day is a good one!
Remember that bug hunt I spoke of last week?
Well, we didn't find many bugs (besides mosquitos, that is!) but we did have a nice walk all the same. What we did find was lots and lots of all kinds of mushrooms!
As you can probably tell from the pictures, the weather most likely had much to do with our findings. It was a damp, cool day ~ our nature walk fit in perfectly between a showery morning and a stormy evening. The rain must have sent most of the bugs into hiding, while coaxing the fungi out of the ground. Still, our Nature Club always has a good time together - the kids all walking together, the mums just behind.
Here are some pictures from our day ...
We found lots of galls on the ground. Some brown and papery ..
... some green like a grape:
Most of the mushrooms we spotted were a variation of this type:
A velvety peachy-pink top and a thick white stem.
Some were more plum-like in color; we weren't able to identify them.
Another variety we found, shown above and below ...
(Chanterelles?)
Above you see a very strange fungus we spotted growing on a fallen log. The picture here doesn't do the color justice - it was bright bubble gum pink!
Finally, some cute little button mushrooms sprouting up underfoot.
This was a cocoon of some sort. The leaves bear the evidence of hungry critters.
Just before we left, one of the kids did spot a very interesting insect - a small grasshopper shedding its exoskeleton!
By the way, June Nature Club, Part 1, was our trip to the tidal pools - you can find that post here. Sometime this summer our group will be meeting to plan out next year. We've already got some fun ideas percolating ...
As for this outing, these pictures will serve as a good start for a page in our family field journal. I'm sorry to say we haven't worked on it much lately, but I am hoping we'll have more time to do so this summer.
Well, thanks for stopping by today! I am working on the July Themes & Plans and hope to have them up by tomorrow. (Which, if you can believe it, is the first of the month!)
See you all again sometime soon .. :)
"Just living is not enough," said the butterfly. "One must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower." (Hans Christian Anderson)
Stop by Bella Dia for more Thoughtful Friday inspirations ... and have a great weekend, everyone!
... We're gonna catch a big one ... We're not scared ... !
OK, technically this is an arachnid, and not a bug (or even an insect), but still. And I didn't have to hunt too far to find this beautiful little orb weaver. She has set up a tidy little nest for herself above the trash cans in the lower driveway. I tried very hard not to disturb her delicate handiwork as I deposited the recycling in the bins yesterday. I ran back inside to get my camera (natch) because this is the time of year when I start photographing bugs (and the like). I should have a separate category for these types of pictures (I think they are mostly filed away under Nature or Wildlife) ... Oh, hang on! I do have a Summer Bug Study photo album around here somewhere and there are a few good spider pics in my Autumn Nature Study album, too. I tend to forget all about spiders until June, and then they are very much on my mind until fall. (A combination of fear and fascination; fear, leftover from childhood - fascination, in thanks to my boys.)
Happily, our yard seems to be a haven for these creatures (they're great pest control!), but today I'll be looking elsewhere for spiders and other crawly critters. Because today we're heading into the woods with our Nature Club - it will be our last "formal" meeting until September. As the title of my post suggests, we are going on a Bug Hunt - and I hope we find lots - and I also hope the thunderstorms hold off until evening. Right now (7 a.m.) it's warm and sunny - perfect weather for a nature walk. I'll be back later with lots of pictures. :)
Before I go, here are some wise words from my favorite nature writer Sharon Lovejoy ~
Spiders should never be taunted, mailgned, abused or scorned. They're hard at work in our gardens - just look how that web is adorned. The filigreed tatting and dewdrops tell tales of a hardworking sprite ~ an assortment of bugs, some mosquitos, a grub ... Don't spiders get time off at night? (From Hollyhock Days)
Stop by Sharon's blog if you have a chance, she's hard at work on a new book - and she's asking for help from her readers:
"Do you have any specific art projects or nature crafts or adventures you would like to share with me? I cannot guarantee that it will make it into my new book, but anyone who reads my blog will have ready access to your comments. I already have many pages of this section completed, but I am always searching for something magical that can change a child's life."
Hmmm. Nature crafts or adventures? I might be able to drum up one or two ideas ...
Have a beautiful Thursday, my friends!
P.S. Thank you, thank you for all your lovely comments after my workspace post! I'll post more summer cleaning posts as I move along ... :)
As of yesterday there are 10 weeks till Labor Day, and I have 10 areas of my home to work on ~ doesn't that work out nicely? :) So I've drawn up a summer cleaning schedule* for myself, and, with our learning year safely wrapped up till September, I've begun. This first week, I'm concentrating on the learning room (also known as the dining room). I spent the morning yesterday working in my corner, which for better or worse is known as "Mama's Desk." I thought you might like to see the pictures of where I work ...
Corner of the room ~ my bookcase housing craft supplies, correspondence materials (stamps, address book, cards, stationary, etc.), writing utensils (Mama's and nobody else's, lol), the bill basket, yarn basket, coupon packet and assorted books for pleasure and planning. I have a small bulletin board filled up with inspirational stuff ~ I've thought about taking it down as it is rather cluttered. In the bottom right corner of the picture is my file crate, of course. I have yet to pick up new folders for the new academic year; it's on my list for this weekend.
Next we have my "desk" which is really a table I inherited from my grandmother. On its top I have a rather large in-basket, a pile of magazines and catalogs to peruse, my index card file box, and spread out on display, my month-at-a-glance calendar. On the windowsill I have a fun book I plan to peruse this week, a chess piece I found (a little reminder), my page-a-day calendar (I use the back of each piece for shopping lists), scissors and tape (essential journaling tools), my wooden turkey (I collect turkeys), and a batch of adorable notecards handmade by my friend Kim. (See the little knitting sheep in the corner? She made these for everyone in our Knitting Circle!) In the upper righthand corner of the picture you can just see the corner of my clipboard. It is holding some clipped articles and current project pages (added today ~ Christmas 2008 - it's just 6 months away!).
And finally, my side of the learning/dining table. I have my laptop open here, as well as my current journal. I sit here comfortably with the boys all around me - playing, eating, reading, watching tv in the next room - or perhaps working on their own stuff across the table. My calendar is to my left, my notes are in front of me, and the windows are generally open to let in fresh air. It's not perfect, but it feels cozy and creative to me. :)
Not seen in these pictures, and parked just beneath the desk are a few more things ~ a large floral gift bag filled with receipts to save (and ideally sorted later) and a tote bag with more of my "stuff" including homekeeping binder, recipes, lesson planner, etc.
*Summer Cleaning Schedule:
I am completely neglecting the basement (laundry, pantry and playroom) for now. I'm hoping Bill will continue plugging away down there this summer (the playroom is under construction), and then I'll start in on that area this fall. The attic will also wait for the cooler months.
You're probably wondering if I've started a notebook for this endeavor (seeing as how I start notebooks at the drop of a hat, lol), but what I've done instead is to make up a planning sheet for each week of the summer and attach them all to my clipboard in order. I'll see how that works ... and I'll let you know!
Well, thanks, as always, for stopping by today, and I wish you all a Good Tuesday! :)
