I’m not completely thrilled with my first attempt, but I am content that it depicts our week and family. Now to lay in week 2!
Cover page (click for larger view):
Full spread:
Week 1 Left:
I shared about our annual New Year’s tradition and took a pic of all the kids on the stairs. Dad and the boys got haircuts so I included a shot of that. I created a Week in Review card with the week’s highlights and a “Resolutions” card since I couldn’t find one online.
Week 1 Right:
I shared a shot of my great-nephew that I babysit. We’d missed him all Christmas break so were glad to see him! I tweaked a Facebook outline to share a shot of my adorable new granddaughter. I love the Facebook updates my son and daughter-in-law share of her. I then posted a photo of each of us with our New Year’s goal or resolution. John and I have been eating Paleo since the first so I documented that with a big bowl of veggies!
So far, I’m really liking the project. I just hope I can keep up!
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Photo used with permission
*My favorite Christmas organizer pages can be found at Organized Home. She has nearly every form you can imagine to organize your holiday.
*This is a neat little weekly organizer that you can even customize to meet your specific needs.
*Here are some neat ideas for celebrating Advent as a family.
*Lovely Little Snippets also has a neat set of organization printables.
Get started with your planning now and you’ll be able to relax and enjoy the Christmas season ahead!
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Comics work well if your child has a hard time with tiny print.
Interestingly enough, even though our Times Tales is based on mnemonics, I often forget to take advantage of using them in my day-to-day life. This is a skill that will greatly benefit our children (and ourselves!) if we learn to take advantage of it.
For example, let’s say I want to remember the meaning of the word “anthrophobia”. Since it means “fear of people” I would mentally visualize the word as “aunt throw people out” (since she’s afraid of them). Whenever I hear “anthro” (aunt throw) I immediately recall a fear of people.
For “claustrophobia” (fear of enclosed spaces) I would think of being in a closet, or “closet-phobia”, immediately bringing to mind an enclosed space.
Pictures also work well, as in the above example of a belt buckle for “Buckley”.
The next time your child is faced with a list of vocabulary words, take time to sit down together and brainstorm some word associations. If you make this a natural part of his memorization process you will be gifting him with a valuable life skill.
Or…if you need to remember a coffee order, try this! 
Actually, this is AFTER several piles were cleared away.
Today I wanted to share a tip that I’m sure many of you know, but I hope is new to some of you. It’s a great and inexpensive way to save great books or texts that have pages falling out of the binding. In this instance, I found an inexpensive Writer’s Express book (love thrift stores!) that my son will be using this year. Unfortunately, many of the pages were falling out, or had been taped lopsidedly back in. (I wish I had thought to take a before picture.) No problem! I simply took it to my local copy shop and had them cut off the binding and coil bind it. For a total cost of $4.50, I have a perfectly usable book. (The cost is based on how thick the book. These are about 1″ thick.)
Honestly, the books are actually nicer when coil bound, because they can be fully opened as well.
Do you have any money-saving tips for back-to-school?
Linking to:
Works for Me Wednesday and The Mommy Club
