NEW BEGINNINGS

 Studying about history is contagious. I am not going to try to talk you into spending more time studying history because then I would have to tell you why to study history and that is so boring {snore}. Besides, you are probably an educator of some type and already know we should be studying history.

Instead, I want to share why we are passionate about history from the way I feel about the book The World of Columbus and Sons and how we used it in studying about the early Renaissance period. I am still sharing my free note booking pages and mini books on it but want to give you a peek into the story.

Why did we choose this book or series of books? Besides the fact they are good for the junior high to high school level, they are rich with background information and colorful characters that are introduced throughout the life of Columbus. The approach to history as a story, I feel, always makes it more appealing to young and old alike. PLEASE spare me the dates {okay I like them and we need them} but make them relevant to what we are studying. Introducing lively and not so lively characters during his life gives us pegs to hang dates on. Tie it to something that has meaning and the book helps us to do that as people come along in his life.

Another reason we chose this book is because we wanted to understand the everyday life of Columbus and his world. The events, the people, the tragedies, the discoveries, the arts and religion are all gently woven throughout his life. Like her other books, Ms. Foster takes one character and relates him to other things going on in the world at that time. It is hard to live your life in any time period and not be affected by other events going on around the world. My older sons always ask of any story, Was it corruption or greed that affected the outcome of any event ? {leave it to boys to wonder that but I do too} or How did Columbus feel when he had to wait for seven years to speak to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella? Again, it's not about just learning dates, it's about feeling the spirit of Columbus being at his lowest point in life to triumph. Did he weep when he couldn't get an audience with the Spanish monarchs? Did he pray on bended knee when he got the backing to explore? What do we learn about endurance and heartbreak? Imagine the Bible research on those topics.

{Discoveries by Columbus}

It is not about being naive either because the book shares about the atrocious Inquisition and how Columbus took slaves. What other topic could incite wars or debates except slavery or religious oppression? Passion folks I am telling you passion. Candor is a sweet attraction for me to history books because so many stories only give you the triumphs and not the flaws of the characters.

{Spanish Inquisition}

Exploration is a large thread that is told over and over again in this book. Part of exploring calls for detective skills. Challenging and overcoming views from the past that that the earth was flat and is viewed now as round in 1492 makes geography a mystery to be solved instead of a subject.

{Martin Behaim Globe}

One more idea that drew us to choose this book is that we wanted to focus on a shorter time period of the main character but not lose the bigger picture of the events going on in the rest of the world.

When studying history, topics can tend to stay broad. For example, it is hard to study history and not cover a 100 years or so at a time. If you want to diverge, finding other topics and events can be time consuming. This story adds in key events and then you can decide if you want to casually mention them or have them as a subject of an essay.

Columbus was born in 1451 and died in 1506 at the age of 55. Aiming at one spot in history like 55 years allows your highschoolers to experience the time period in depth without losing their spot in the timeline of the story. There is no way we can study about all the events going on. By focusing on a more limited topic, we have come away having a deeper appreciation for Columbus and the Renaissance period.

Helpful tips in using this book. Because so many characters and events are folded into the story and at times quickly, it is helpful if you read before hand to familiarize yourself with the events. Adding in background information on new characters involved or events will enrich your study.

I found it very helpful that we had all ready cycled through a 4 year study of history using a program like Story of the World and History Odyssey when my oldest son was younger. My older son had a framework of events and characters to draw from. For my younger sons, I was able to add important information and background details since all of my sons read this book together from 5th grader to highschooler. Subjects like navigation, weaving, fighting pirates and learning about the geography of Italy makes it easy to incorporate learning for your younger children.

I could see how though if a student started with this book without a prior understanding of some of the events, it would be challenging and perhaps take some of the fun out of learning history. It would not be impossible, but I would encourage you to mentor even your high school students by helping them to build a framework on whatever topic you are reading about.

Because of the constant going back/forth between countries and characters, I feel it is imperative that the teacher look ahead to see if there is some way the groundwork for each chapter can be laid out. Too, I found it beneficial for us to orally review what we have learned prior to studying that day.

The last tip is to use the index. It is much overlooked. The index has two sections. One is people and the other one is events, places, books, maps and topics. That was a key to helping me develop another topic or unit study that we wanted to focus on. In addition, it helps you to be sure you have covered key features of the life of Columbus.

The index for Columbus reads, in part, like this:

as a boy; sailor-to-be; first voyage; in Portugal; voyage to Iceland; marriage; studies; receives letter from Toscanelli; and one from King John; goes to Spain; to Portugal; to Spain again; goes to Granada; receives commission from Spanish monarchs; etc.

This allowed us to see key events that were coming up or to review the past evens in the life of Columbus.

How the book is divided up:

The book is divided up into 4 sections. The section divisions make it is easier to tie in key events and relate them to the life of Columbus. Also at the beginning of each section is where you find pictures of the people who were living at that time.

The sections are listed like this:

Part I. When Columbus was a Boy in Genoa

{People and Events that took place between 1451 - 1474}

Part II. When Columbus was in Portugal and Spain

{People and Events that took place between 1474 - 1492}

Part III. When Columbus was Sailing from Spain

{People and Events that took place between 1492 - 1500}

Part IV. When Columbus made his Final Voyage

{People and Events that took place between 1500 and 1522}

The pictures and visuals are a must to review and study. We flip back constantly to each section to review and my older sons preferred to draw some of the characters and maps onto a notebook sheet.

How we used this book. We followed the Literature Guide by Beautiful Feet and because we study history together, all ages, we added some notebook pages, coloring pages and minibooks that really any level could use. It just really depends on how depth you want to be in your study. It is important to note that the guides are just question/ answer format and do not have background information compared to say a teacher's manual like Tapestry of Grace. Again, this is what we wanted this year.

I hope this helps you to get better acquainted with Genevieve Foster's series of books. Challenging yes, boring no.

Key to being a good teacher of history is a suspenseful story. They are infectious and memorable. Have you had such an experience in teaching history?

I thought about this today when teaching any subject but especially history..

"A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history."

~Mahatma Gandhi ~

Hugs

My inner organizing voice gets a little hyped this time of the year because I get to "plan and organize" something.  I want to share with you some planning tips for year around schooling along with my new printable.

But first because some of you have asked me how my hubby is doing, I decided to share his progress here.  Normally I am private with this type of thing but I think some things or journeys one shouldn't bear alone. Also, maybe some of you may benefit from what I am learning along the way.

Those of you that have been following me for a while know that my hubby had a heart attack in January and has been on the road to recovery since then. My new followers can read Words Matter. We have had lots of doctor visits and tests and we had a visit this past Thursday.  I am focused on staying positive and controlling factors we can.  Look at this guy..

He is just a regular Texas cowboy type of guy. .......... Okay maybe he is not such a regular guy. I think one reason I was so attracted to this guy was that he has to be the most ambitious business person I have ever meant. Some, but not all of you know we are self employed like a lot of homeschoolers and have been for many years. I like that the fact that my husband has only been involved in two industries the whole time we have been married.  Now he has decided to do something new and guess where his new office is?

At our home and pool side --- LOVE IT! I love the fact he can work from home. Now if I can just keep myself from going out there all the time and sitting with him and getting in the pool, I may be able to keep schooling...hee hee

While we were waiting to see the doctor, he takes this picture of us with his phone camera. He is thinking we have no kids and steals a moment on his phone but uhmmmm guess what I am taking pictures of while we are waiting on the doctor?

Yep, I am taking pictures of the posters on the walls and back of the doctor's office door thinking about future teachable moments.  I guess you can't take the homeschool out of mom once you get started even without the kids around.  As we are on this journey for his recovery, I want to remind you to please get your precious hubby to the doctor for those yearly exams. I don't know if it would off prevented it but maybe we might have caught some of this earlier.

Here is another reminder about homeschooling. Have you looked at next year's planning for year around school? I did a few blog posts a couple of years back about some of the "how to's" and you can read Part 1 here and read Part 2 here.

Do you struggle with sticking to a schedule for year around school? Or maybe you can't even begin to think about sticking to a schedule because you are not sure of how to plan a schedule. The first step starts with planning it even if you don't succeed in making it.

http://www.go4prophotos.com/

For those that are newer to following me, I want to point out to you that my organizing forms have very different purposes in helping you. Some are  planning schedules, some are check off lists and others are logs. The one I have for you today is a "planning form".

In other words, put it down in writing. Did you know that the physical act of writing something down has been shown to be a key factor to success in a lot of things? It is like it becomes imprinted in your mind and it is a reaffirmation or commitment to school another year. I love my Kindle Fire and phone but they are not substitutes for a few well written lines, schedules and goals for my sons from my heart by pen.  Each year, I think of it being like a personal guarantee, a promise to my sons and a signature of some type of what I desire to accomplish for the next year.

If you write them down you may wonder then why assign tasks to a specific time slot? I hear a lot of homeschoolers say "that is not my style" or "I prefer to just list what I need to accomplish for the day instead of exact times". I feel there are two types of people when it comes to schedules. Those that are "time driven" and those that are "task oriented"? They both accomplish tasks. One does it by a schedule or time {for example: myself} and the other does it by a checklist for the day {for example: Kelley}. Both need to see on paper when they plan on accomplishing their goals. Organizing goals is the most effective way to manage your priorities. It also avoids procrastination. Organizing is not about making you feel like you're in a straight jacket. If exact times make your skin crawl create time zones. Even if time zones are "morning", "afternoon" and "evening" this will give you wiggle room if you are task oriented. I never recommend just a list because it is like only having step 1 of being organized but there is no accountability and procrastination looms around the corner.

As homeschool moms we need a true picture of what we can actually accomplish. Planning doesn't mean "PERFECT"  which is why I like the saying above that mistakes are proof that you are trying.  Opposite in meaning to a true picture is a mirage, a delusion or fantasy.  Who wants to homeschool like that?

Look at what I have for you and no this is not on the site. As I promise, you always get all my freebies and forms first....

Use this to plan your year around school.  The legend at the bottom can be used to plan your goal.  Circle the first day you will start and circle the last day you will school and put a strike through for the last day.

For the goal, keep in mind that 199 days or 40 weeks allows you to take off a full two months. This can be ANYTIME. Maybe you want to take off the whole month of December or plan vacation around your family. Put it all down on this planning sheet.

I like to just mark the days that are school holidays and vacations with a light line through them and the days we school are left blank. Some like to mark both the days they school and the days off. If you like to mark both then use my legend to box the days you school.

Using two different highlighters, one for days schooling and one for days that you are off works too. Color your legend to fit your highlighters. You decide.

Using a planning sheet whether you school year around or follow the public school schedule helps you to avoid delusional homeschooling. One step at a time each year and you will be stress free because after all you have a PLAN.

Download the planning sheet here.

What do you struggle with the most when it comes to year around scheduling? I hope some of these tips can help you to keep planning. ..

Hugs and I was inspired by this today as I too sit down to plan another year of year around schooling.....

 “One rarely reaches the bottom of a To Do List. It’s not completing the list that counts, but making the best use of your time.”

~Time Management Consultant Alan Lakein~

Confession time. Do you want to hear about some of my blunders? If I share just three of my mistakes maybe they can save you some grief.

Isn't that hard to do? Especially because I was the product of public school. For example, I never questioned why I needed to test, I just blindly followed the masses. I realized that leaving the public school mentality didn't mean not using some of the practical tips that did work in public school at home. Because we live in this world, it's hard to not be affected by the pressure of "test, perform and out do". My sons are just normal boys who have been privately tutored by me. That's all. I left public school because I didn't want to model it at home, not just change geography.

I am guilty. It seemed like some other mom had this whole homeschool thing figured out. Then I find out later her beginnings were as humble as mine. I thought other dads did more of the teaching until I realized that statistics show that about 85% or more of the teaching is shouldered by the mother. I guess it just sounded good when dad did a science experiment with their sons. My science experiments were not that exciting in the beginning. Can you say boring teacher?

Boring and now a show off. Yes, I thought I had to "show off" my progress to my mother in law who was not supportive of our decision to homeschool. I had to prove her wrong and was humbled in a lesson I won't forget. Showing off my teaching skills, I asked my first son who I was teaching to read to show us the long i sound. Yes he did. He promptly went and got the longest piece of white butcher paper he could tear off the huge roll. Laying the paper, twice as long as grandma, on the floor, my poor baby proceeded to draw the longest i I had ever seen.

Humble me Lord for I needed it for the road ahead.

Like many new homeschoolers, I too focused solely on my children and their need for a support group, curriculum, socialization and field trip. I took me a few years before I realized that the best way to help my children was to become the best teacher I could be.

A public school teacher is required to take continuing education classes. Why shouldn't I?

If I didn't take time to read blogs, join support groups, buy teacher helps and attend homeschool conventions I couldn't say I was schooling for my children. Feelings of guilt that I had associated with longing to interact with other homeschool moms had to be left behind. Association has to be a vital part of my everyday teaching. Online forum groups were not a waste of time but needed for refreshment and encouragement. Like all things, the time I took for educating myself and camaraderie had to have a place in my life to be balanced.

Your turn: Do you have a story we can learn from? I hope someone can learn from my mistakes.

I thought about this quote today because after many repeated failures, pursuit can turn to passion for homeschooling..

"Life is filled with so many exciting twists and turns. Hop off the straight and narrow whenever you can and take the winding paths. Experience the exhilaration of the view from the edge. Because the moments spent there, that take your breath away, are what make you feel truly alive."

~ Stacey Charter ~

Hugs and love ya,

Did you know that bird watching is the second largest hobby? I knew it was a popular hobby but didn't have a clue it was that popular. After our last field trip I can understand why. They are so captivating to watch and to learn about.

In between the used curriculum sale and working on updating our New Beginnings program, we managed to squeeze in our group's last field trip for the year which was a bird presentation given by the Houston Audubon Society.

The visuals she used in the presentation from the beginning to end kept our kids asking SOOO many questions.

The one poster she had of  the eagle's wing span left an impression......but not as much

as bringing out a peregrine falcon. We didn't have to remind any of the kids to listen up.

The kids were just as curious about the horned owl as he was to look at.

I don't know if you can see real good what she is holding in her hands but it is a hummingbird and a nest. I have seen many hummingbirds but have never seen a nest.

She even brought different types of feathers for a hands on touch and see.

Then the poor little ones that didn't make it, were preserved and brought so.....

that we could get a closer look and touch. What a way to end our field trips for this year. After my youngest son saw this, he just had to have a bird log.

I have a free falcon lapbook on my Dynamic 2 Moms   and now I created a Bird Journal that can be used on any unit or to use by itself.

I have one cover and one blank page that will allow your child to draw in or sketch the bird and then add some facts. I added one extra box on the page so that you can use it how you want to. You can have your child draw a nest or baby chick if they are younger or if they are older they can write about a fact they enjoyed learning about the bird.

Also, I have created a page for the peregrine falcon and horned owl with the picture already added. You know how I like to have many projects moving ahead slowly. So this will allow me to keep adding  pages to this bird journal. If your child wants to learn about a particular bird, just glue that picture in or draw the bird in the page left blank. If not, I will add to this bird journal with different birds pictures in color and you can add it to your journal as I complete them. My son wants to use some of my pictures and draw in some birds of his own choosing.

Download below by clicking on each link.

Bird Journal Cover

{By the way, I added lines on the front journal page so that your child can fill in with the name of the type of bird. Starting at the left side and moving clockwise, the pair of birds are Frogmouth, then a Peacock, then Cardinals. The bottom left are Falcons and bottom right is the Horned Owl.}

Bird Identification Page

Peregrine Falcon Bird Page

Horned Owl Page

I was thinking about this quote today because I do a lot of reflecting at this time of the year. I think about people whose path cross mine in homeschooling, like yours and think how much better I am knowing you. Homeschooling is about growing, learning, failing and moving ahead in spite of those failures...homeschooling is about the people and building friendships along the way.

"Accept the things to which fate binds you, and love the people with whom fate brings you together, but do so with all your heart."

~ Marcus Aurelius~

Just wanted to say Thank You for being here and crossing my path.

Hugs today and love ya,

So I saved one last thing to show you on the set up of your table for a used book sale. Set up, access, visual appeal and organization means a lot even in used book sales.

The last tip is to use those BEAUTIFUL and cheap moderately priced bright colored table cloths. I have gone polka dot crazy lately and had bought these new table cloths at Wal-mart to use outside by our pool this summer. I decided to leave them a little wrinkled otherwise folks might think I was a little obsessed if I showed up with a steamer and ironed them before putting them on the table for a used book sale. Besides the fact that all my curriculum was upright in ziploc bags with a page that had been printed off from Amazon, Rainbow Resource or Christian Book Store to show the retail price on one side and my price on the other side, the color aspect sets the table off from the rest. What do you think?

How did I do yesterday? I took 15 laundry baskets of curriculum and came back with 6! I couldn't be more happy.  I did asked thought if I owned a store.....uhhhh Nooooo....I just take care of my things.

Also, I was able to spend all day with my oldest son and get some 1:1 with him. What will I do when he graduates next year? If I get choked up on my words this next year I hope those of you that are just starting this homeschool journey remember to cherish the season you are in right now...Soon they will fly on their own. Be happy, don't look back for what you should have and could have done....do it! Oh here I go.......

Back to my subject.......I loved the way the table turned out and it took us no more than 30 minutes to get in, put the table cloths down and pull the signs that I had made out of each basket. I put the signs in each basket the night before. We were ready for business.....sitting down and waiting for it to open..

Try not write your prices on masking tape on your curriculum. Like I mentioned, printing off the suggested retail prices on one side of the paper and a review about the curriculum and your asking price on the other side, folks know that you know your pricing. It will bring a good return on your investment.

On a side note, another plus of attending a book sale is to see some old time friends. Ginny and I use to serve on a  Board of Directors together and it was good to rekindle old friendships and to see how our children have grown.

Every bit of work you put into saving your curriculum, keeping it pristine and reselling is so worth the time involved. All my work is now done and I am ready for the next curriculum sale.....

Did you find any good deals at a sale or are you going to have a table? I hope you can use some of these tips to make your table stand out from the rest or grab some good deals from sellers you like.

Hugs and I was thinking about this quote today as I savored the company of my son almost man,

"Children will not remember you for the material things you provided but for the feeling that you cherished them."

~~ Richard L. Evans~~

Because I have not been able to go to a used book sale in about 5 years, I am really excited about going tomorrow. Over the years I have both hosted them and then just sold at them. This year I actually don't have to do anything except sell my stuff. I get so excited about my clutter becoming somebody else's treasure. Want to hear about some tips I have learned that makes your junk  treasure stand out from the rest or if you are a buyer?

Before I do that though, I want to share with you our new covers for our New Beginnings program. Those of you that know me, understand that when I share anything with you about New Beginnings it comes from a place deep inside of my heart and not because I use my blog to promote our program.  {not ever my style}. I truly love the ladies I help over the years and Kelley and I are always looking for ways to improve our program and help all homeschoolers stay the course. Doing things like this is part of how we spend our time while we are "off" and don't have workshops now.

This is the front and................

this is the back of the book.....what do you think? We just needed a change after looking at the other book for 5 years. You know how visual I am and Kelley is too...so we are hoping our New Bees this next year will love the new look too..

I needed to rethink used book sales because I haven't been to one in a while and it really matters how you arrange your books and curriculum. Besides the fact you want to have good prices on your items and want to get some good deals, you want your items sorted in a way that is most effective.

Seller Tips:

 Organize at home, not at the sale. As aggravating as it is to count through and be sure you have all the flash cards, manuals, kits or readers for each product you are selling, it is better done at home. If you show up and don't know what you have, you might have to settle for a lower price.

Yes, all my stuff is accounted for and looked through. It took me 2 weeks to organize my curriculum.

Know your prices. I print off prices from Amazon or Christian Book Store and have that on one side of paper and My Price on the other. I have nothing to hide and like everybody we want fair prices for our items that are in mint condition. That sheet is inside the clear ziploc bag with the curriculum. A reference is right there for you and the buyer.

Organize by Subject. It really helps to make your table more appealing when you have your items clearly marked and sorted by SUBJECT in a container, basket or bag. This year I have used clear ziploc bags and grouped the items by subject. I prefer using white laundry baskets because they have built in carrying handles and I can't put too much in them.

LABEL, LABEL, LABEL. Again, you and the buyer will both know what you have if everything is generously labeled. I created the labels above and stick them in my basket. When I get to the sale, all I have to do {or my oldest son}  is stand them up or lay them flat on the table in front of the basket. I have laminated them using a thicker laminate so they will last for a couple of years and couple of book sales. At the rate I am going, I will need to attend about 4 or 5 this year to get rid of what I have collected :o)

  And of course, I always have something for ya...download here the copy of the labels.

 Don't forget the small stuff. Though a comfortable pair of shoes, a huge glass of iced tea or water, a working calculator and lots of small bills to make change seems like the small stuff, it really makes the sale go smoother. It's not pretty but I use a fanny pack for my money {not money box} so I don't have to keep up with a purse and can be mobile to walk around my table.

 Buyer Tips:

 Leave the kids - bring the stroller. I use to do this when the kids were too young to enjoy the books and curriculum. Then as they got older, I didn't have any place to put all my books. A stroller and a canvas bags are must haves in my opinion so you don't have to carry your new goodies the whole time. On the flip side, if you have some active teens, put them to work by having them make a few trips to the car of your purchases. If you can't leave the kids, bring plenty of snacks and drinks for them.

Know your prices. Prices can vary between sellers who are even sitting right next to each other. Don't make the mistake though of waiting to the end and finding out that both sellers have sold their used curriculum. Used curriculum can tend to go fast.

I post my used curriculum list on my local loops for the sake of being courtesy. I know moms with very young ones can't move as fast when the doors open as moms with older ones so it gives them time to decide which table to visit first.

Make a list. Just like you would if you were going to a convention so you focus on what you need for the next day.

Bring lots of small bills.. I don't know how many times I heard somebody say they wished they had more cash or try to put the seller out of business right away because they show up with a $50.00 dollar bill for a $3.00 purchase.

I have something for you buyers too. I updated the curriculum resource list but haven't loaded it to our website yet. So if you are getting ready for a convention or used book sale, here ya go.

Download here the revised curriculum resource page.

I think I am ready for the used sale tomorrow and will have to post pictures of how my tables look. I only have 30 minutes to set up and that is not long at all with everybody else trying to get in.

Hugs today and  I thought about this as another year of homeschooling is coming to an end for some of us

I remember the year I gave up boxed curriculums because it was several years after I tried starting without one.

Giving up a boxed curriculum was a relief because it helped me to understand the difference between teaching a child and teaching a curriculum. On the flip side, it brought on greater responsibility as a mentor.

Fear of our children being left behind can paralyze the best homeschool mom, and I think it's a justified fear. Nobody wants to feel they have invested 15 years or more of homeschooling only to feel like a failure. However, I also believe that fear can be turned to focus. Focus gives you a direction and clarity in your school.

Up until the time I let go of the boxed curriculum, the line between living and learning was not blurred. School was my focus and not learning. I was curriculum driven instead of family focused.

Focusing on testing, schedules and approval of in laws does not allow you to find out how unique your children are.

Since we all want to succeed, blurring the line between living and learning has to be viewed as a positive. Belief comes from your heart and from the desire to do the best with the precious children God has given you. I struggle too with not falling victim to this world's institutionalized way of thinking. Schooling only from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. has to be abandoned and it is a heart wrenching struggle. From struggles throughout the years though can come conviction.

Each year as I homeschool I am humbled about things I have learned. Sharing what I have learned hopefully helps you to blur the line between living and learning.

Looking back, it wasn't the boxed curriculum I needed to let go of but it was my own view that boxed me in. Curriculum laid out can save lots of teacher time prep. Don't take an all or nothing view to curriculum like I did.

Do a unit study but follow a textbook if you are more comfortable. Try a hands on math project like a lapbook. Look at this download of minibooks by Dinah Zikes.

Read your history textbook but allow your boys to draw cartoons illustrating the history. For your girls who dream about fashion, let them draw costumes for that time period.

For science start a bug zoo jar collection with your little ones. Surprise your teens who need a social outlet by going to a movie theater first thing in the morning and feel homeschool freedom. Pack a lunch and drag all your art supplies to the park. Lay out there on a blanket and enjoy your nature journal as you praise the Creator along with your children.

It doesn't have to be about wild abandonment of tests, schedules or textbooks if you want them. Letting go means we are keenly aware of allowing our everyday life and experiences to train our children. Day to day meaningful conversations become a normal part of teaching your children. It is about getting to actually know your son or daughter that you thought you knew so well before. Allowing your children to hear your expressions each day of your deep love for Godly things and His creation becomes more parenting than homeschooling.

Are you living or learning?

Can you guess what I am doing this week?

That is NOT laundry as you can see but curriculum, curriculum and more curriculum. That is just the beginning of what I have to sell and am sorting. For the past 5 years, I have not been able to sell at a local used curriculum sale because of our growth with New Beginnings.  But I am going to this year!  I am determined. I may have to attend three to get it all done, but it's happening this year.

I will be sharing some tips for a used curriculum sale for both seller and buyer.

Also, I have some more freebies for the Beautiful Feet book we are working on...

And if you have been following me you know we just finished our spring project of our new Home Management Binder with over 30 free forms. I am doing something new on that page and I have a Linky Party I just set up. So come on over and link to an organizing project you did. It doesn't have to be a binder. Show off your blog or site. Click on the button to go the page.

Hugs and I was thinking about this today when it comes to a "do over" for our homeschool journey,

"Mistakes are always forgivable, if one has the courage to admit them."

~ Bruce Lee~

What do you call it when a homeschool mom talks to herself?

A parent teacher conference.

Hee Hee. That is so corny I loved it. Louise, a New Bee, at our last New Beginnings workshop of the year, shared that with us during the workshop. {our workshops are so educational}

I think I have recovered from the end of the year workshop hype with our New Bees but I always have a grieving process for them. I know they graduate to make room for the new ones but I try to remember something special about each New Bee that came through our workshops. It's true that homeschooling friendships multiple and divide and keep expanding.

So I was a little longer getting these last two printables for our Home Management Binder done and I am still waffling about some more "pretties" for the binder. When I get a wild hair, I will share them with you first like I do all my free printables.

But guess what? We are done! For those of you that followed me and for my newer followers can you believe we completed close to 35 forms for our Home Management Binder? We started in February and finished up by the end of April.

Did you enjoy it doing it together? I did. Let me share these latest two printables I have.

Download here Note Page

And FINALLY, we can now add our table of contents in the front section. For now I am using tabs until I decide what I to use more permanently. It is so new, I am still exploring options and it takes time for me to decide what I want to permanently add.

Dnload here table of contents.

And for all of you I have now revealed the page on our New Beginnings site for the Home Management Binder.

Click here to go to our New Beginnings Site to view all the printable for the Home Management Binder.

Because I am getting new friends each day to my blog, I wanted to remind all of ya'll that our Free Units and Lapbooks are stored on our Dynamic 2 Moms site and our Free Curriculum Planner and now Free Home Management Binder are stored on our  New Beginnings site. Just keepin' it straight for ya!

Did you have an organizing project you did and did it while you homeschooled? AMAZING..lol. Share your organizing project with us on our site. I have created a Linky Party. It doesn't have to be a Home Management Binder, that was just on my "to do" list. Grab the button below and come to the website page to link up.

I need to get off this hype I am on and get on to sharing with you some more things I like. You are not going to believe this, but now I see that my Recipe Binder doesn't match my pretty Home Management Binder? Mmm, do I see another project coming for back to school? I am so glad you let me blog so I can get things done.

Alright, come on over and link some of your pretty stuff if you want to.

Hugs today and this philosophy sounds simple enough to me,

"I have a simple philosophy: Fill what's empty. Empty what's full. Scratch where it itches."

~ Alice Roosevelt Longworth~

You may not know, but we add in our notebooking pages and lapbooks as enrichment. I guess I don't view us as "true lapbookers or notebookers".  Don't you think a lot of  homeschoolers view themselves as eclectic homeschoolers? We take a little of this and that from each homeschool approach and sprinkle it throughout our day. I think that is what makes each homeschooler's view point and journey unique. If you haven't tried to mix up your day by different curriculum and different approaches, take a chance. Get wild and taste homeschool freedom. Letting go doesn't mean no structure, it just means finding something that works better for your family.

I think I would be a total whack a doo if I were to do all of "one" anything.

So after I sent you got the French and Indian war lapbook, my boys decided they wanted a few notebooking pages. We ended up doing six, but I just pictured a few here for you.

Download them here.

I heard back from one winner of our give away but I am still waiting to hear back from one more winner. Sunny, you need to email me at Dynamic 2 Moms @ yahoo.com.

A few thing on tap for you is to

Put the finish up touches on our Home Management Binder and the website page reveal.....

and to share another article in my new "How To" Series........

Hugs and my ramblings today made me think about this quote,

"I used to think that anyone doing anything weird was weird. I suddenly realized that anyone doing anything weird wasn't weird at all and it was the people saying they were weird that were weird."

~ Paul McCartney~

Congratulations to the two winners! Do you see your name?

 Email me at dynamic 2 moms @ yahoo.com so we get your prize to you!

Hugs