Every year I create multiple lists for our curriculum wants and needs. In the past, those lists have included sticky notes and a giant mess of information with prices highlighted so I know if I’m getting the best price – especially if I happen to hit a great used curriculum sale. When that became too overwhelming, I consolidated it all into one simple list to carry around with me to convention. (p.s. If you are ever curious to see our homeschool curriculum choices, you can always find them HERE.)

Last year I shared a few pages of my shopping list, but after many readers emailed and asked, there are now TWELVE different color options (apparently you all enjoy color coding as much as I do!!), including a black & white and plain version for those of you who don’t have a color printer. 

A Curriculum Snapshot

While I typically have my phone with me to do a quick price check, it’s great to know if a special a vendor is offering is worth grabbing right then – and it’s always helpful to know if I already own an item (not that I’ve ever purchased something twice – cough).

Our literature list changes from year to year, and sometimes there are books we already have on hand or require new copies of (if you are looking for a book with excellent literature suggestions, check out this one here – it’s my go-to literature guide). The overall list is a great snapshot to see what areas we may need to beef up a little academically.

Color-coded lists

You may notice there are MANY different colored lists. It’s no secret we color code our kids (Don’t judge, please – it keeps me sane). It really does help me visualize which child needs what curriculum, so the colors you see are to help me (and YOU) remember who the curriculum is for. It’s something silly and simple, but it definitely works if you are a visual person. 

If you think this would help you out too, just click below to download a copy for yourself – and please feel free to pass along the link and let your friends know too!

How to Choose Homeschool Curriculum 

Choosing homeschool curriculum can be hard. This post has some great questions and tips to help you out as you make decisions in what curriculum might be the best fit for your family.

 

April is almost here! The daffodils have been popping up even though we had a last ditch at winter mid-way through March. The trees are beginning to bud and flower – spring is here!! For our family that will mean more time outside to enjoy the warmer days and a shaking off of the winter blahs. How about you? 

To help you get your days and weeks a little more organized, I have some April Personal Planner Pages for you all to use. I hope these are a help to you in the upcoming days.

My April Goals

March shaped up to be fairly busy, between traveling to speak at Teach Them Diligently and helping with a large Easter event at church, but one of the bonuses to flying is having plenty of time to read! Unfortunately I forgot one of my main reads for March, but ended up blowing through a bunch of fiction while traveling.

April will likely be just as packed, but there are two things I am looking forward to: my brother visiting toward the end of the month (meaning we have some fun field trips planned) and swim team will be wrapping up (so no more evening practices – dinner can go back to normal!!). We’ll also be wrapping up one of our co-ops and performing a musical, but come April 22nd, we can all take a very deep breath!

Here’s a peek at my goals for the upcoming month:

• drink 100 oz. water daily
• take my vitamins (I’ve been GREAT a remembering this the last month!)
• read 1-2 non-fiction book (I’m hoping to read Hands Free Life and Mama Needs a Do-Over)
• dates with each of the kids (rotate with my hubby)
• stick to our re-newed budget (we switched to Every Dollar from YNAB to sync with our phones)
• marriage retreat with my hubby (it’s been almost 18 years of marriage, and we can always use it!)
• journal (and be brave enough to share – Instagram, anyone??)
• print off pictures and scrapbook/layout one event. I’ve printed pictures and stuck them in a book – need to add WORDS!!
   

Overall in March, my goals did great and I’m looking forward to seeing what April brings!! 

A Peek Inside My Planner

If you’d like to take a look at how I’ve set up my yearly planner, I’ve explained it more in this post here, as well as given links to my favorite binder and colorful tabs (because pretty makes life fun too, right?).

This year I’ve done a little something different and pulled my planner out of the binder and had it spiral bound at Staples. Loving it so far!!

April 2016 Personal Planner Pages

You can download the April 2016 Personal Planner Pages HERE. There are 12 pages included as a part of the download: the month at a glance and then weekly planning pages as well, with a page that goes a bit into May as well. Each month I’ll be offering a free download for that month’s planning pages, so you can check back and download them as they become available.

Purchase the Yearly Planner

 

If you like the layout and want to start planning out the rest of your year now (and next year too), purchase the full Yearly Planner for $4.99. The calendar  includes month-at-a-glance pages and dated weekly pages through June 2017.

Don’t miss my student planner and weekly homeschool planner – available as well!

Don’t Miss The Daily To-Do List

 
My Daily To-Do List is pretty basic, but hopefully it will work for you too. There is an area to make a list of things to accomplish, household goals, appointment, meals for the day, and even a space to record exercise and water intake. Each page in the document is identical so you can print them off, cut the page in half, and have two lists. If you print them front to back, you’ll have four to-do lists and save a little paper. Hope you all have a wonderful new year!! I’d love to hear your plans!

 

We’re sad that summer is essentially over (I may be a bit sad about that!). School is now in full swing and there are no more ‘lazy’ days to be had. I am excited to share a few more pages from my yearly personal planner with you all this month. If you want to have a central place to keep track of your goings-on in September, feel free to share and download the planning pages below.

How I’m Using My Daily Planner

If you’d like to take a look at how I’ve set up my yearly planner, I’ve explained it more in this post here, as well as given links to my favorite binder and colorful tabs (because pretty makes life fun too, right?).

Download the September Personal Planner Pages

 
You can download the September 2015 Personal Planner Pages HERE. Each month I’ll be offering a free download for that month’s planning pages, so you can check back and download them as they become available.

Purchase the Daily Personal Planner

If you like the layout and want to start planning out the rest of your year now (and next year too), purchase the full 2015 -2016 Daily Planner for $4.99. The calendar runs from July 2015 thru December 2016. It includes 18 month-at-a-glance pages and dated weekly pages through December 2016. Enjoy!

 

Sponsor Thanks

We really appreciate the following companies. There are some fun reviews and giveaways coming up in the next few months, so stay tuned!  Many of these have been long time sponsors of Homeschool Creations and we are SO thankful for them – be sure to stop by their sites and check them out!

• Rainbow Resource has been providing provide the best educational products to homeschoolers, parents, and educators at the lowest prices we can offer since 1989. They currently carry over 50,000 quality educational products in all subject areas, for grades PK-12 and beyond! In addition to their great prices, you can count on them for additional "perks" as well, like free shipping on orders of $50 or more!
• Educents is the online marketplace for educational products and resources saving you up to 90% on engaging lesson plans, interactive worksheets, hands-on learning tools, educational games and more! Plus, Freebies are added daily!
• EEME – Teach your kids electronics with online lessons and hands-on project kits that foster the curiosity and problem solving skills kids need for the science, technology, engineering, math – STEM – opportunities of tomorrow.
• Reading Eggs is the perfect program for homeschoolers, providing a comprehensive range of online reading lessons, activities and e-books that teach kids aged 3–13 the core literacy skills needed for lifetime reading success. Take advantage of our FREE 3 week trial and see how your child’s reading improves with Reading Eggs!
• Betty Lukens provides interactive educational tools for parents, grandparents, and teachers that make learning fun. Their educational magnets are ON SALE this month and will provide hours of fun at home and while traveling with younger children!

Don’t Miss The Daily To-Do List

Daily Assignment Sheet

Need a daily assignment sheet for your children? We’ve laminated ours so we can use a Vis-a-vis marker and clean them off each week. Don’t miss this free download.

 

September Pocket Chart Calendar Pieces

 

Get your September pocket chart calendar pieces ready to go now. These cute pieces have three different colored number cards and pictures. Use the different colored number cards to try different pattern sequences: an ABC pattern, ABAB pattern, AABB pattern and other patterns you can make up together.

August – just about time to start school here, but there is still a little bit of summer left to enjoy and savor. I am excited to share a few more pages from my yearly personal planner with you all this month. If you want to have a central place to keep track of your goings-on in August, feel free to share and download the planning pages below.

How I’m Using My Daily Planner

If you’d like to take a look at how I’ve set up my yearly planner, I’ve explained it more in this post here, as well as given links to my favorite binder and colorful tabs (because pretty makes life fun too, right?).  

Download the August Personal Planner Pages

You can download the August 2015 Personal Planner Pages HERE. Each month I’ll be offering a free download for that month’s planning pages, so you can check back and download them as they become available.

Purchase the Daily Personal Planner

If you like the layout and want to start planning out the rest of your year now (and next year too), purchase the full 2015 -2016 Daily Planner for $4.99. The calendar runs from July 2015 thru December 2016. It includes 18 month-at-a-glance pages and dated weekly pages through December 2016. Enjoy!

Sponsor Thanks

We really appreciate the following companies. Many of these have been long time sponsors of Homeschool Creations and we are SO thankful for them – be sure to stop by their sites and check them out!    

• EEME – Teach your kids electronics with online lessons and hands-on project kits that foster the curiosity and problem solving skills kids need for the science, technology, engineering, math – STEM – opportunities of tomorrow.
• 2015 Homeschool Buyers Guide – sifts through volumes of often-overwhelming homeschool information and breaks down the decision-making process into manageable bites. In about an hour you’ll gain valuable insights that answer your questions, provide direction and help you take the next steps.
• Reading Eggs is the perfect program for homeschoolers, providing a comprehensive range of online reading lessons, activities and e-books that teach kids aged 3–13 the core literacy skills needed for lifetime reading success. Take advantage of our FREE 3 week trial and see how your child’s reading improves with Reading Eggs!

 

Don’t Miss The Daily To-Do List

My Daily To-Do List is pretty basic, but hopefully it will work for you too. There is an area to make a list of things to accomplish, household goals, appointment, meals for the day, and even a space to record exercise (oh – I crack myself up!) and water intake. Each page in the document is identical so you can print them off, cut the page in half, and have two lists. If you print them front to back, you’ll have four to-do lists and save a little paper.

Daily Assignment Sheet

Need a daily assignment sheet for your children. We’ve laminated ours so we can use a Vis-a-vis marker and clean them off each week. Don’t miss this free download.

 

August Pocket Chart Calendar Pieces

 

We’re in the thick of summer now – keep the learning going with these cute calendar pieces will keep the learning going! The August pocket chart calendar pieces have three different colored number cards and pictures. Use the different colored number cards to try different pattern sequences: an ABC pattern, ABAB pattern, AABB pattern and other patterns you can make up together.