Utility Room Update

Before picture of over-sized shelves.

A few shelves in a room can make a big difference!

Back in June of this year, I posted about how we reorganized our utility room in Cleaning Challenge Update Sixth Week--Home Office & Utility Room.  The over-sized black plastic shelves had overpowered the small utility room.  It made me feel claustrophobic so we removed them from the room.  That made a big difference, but I knew we still needed some shelves.

Before picture showed cloth baskets weren't working for us.

We had also removed the cloth hampers for dirty clothes we had used for years.  We turned to round white baskets that we owned.  I labeled the white baskets.  The only thing I didn't like was that they were on the ground.  I felt we needed shelves.

Detergent was placed in only reachable shelf.

My detergent was still far away from the washer.  I wanted the detergent to be placed closer to the washer.  Below is a picture of a recent update.  Now, this is much better: 

This is the current set up to our utility room.

Clean clothes are on the dryer side of the utility room.  Dirty clothes are to the left where the washer is located.  Also, the detergent is now closer to the washer.  My sweet hubby moved his work uniforms over the baskets which are for the clean clothes.  Then, he placed white shelves from that piece of furniture that now holds the clean clothes baskets.  Can you believe that?!

Two larger baskets at the top have been labeled.

I found I needed to tweak a few more things about our laundry system.  The kids already had baskets for their clean clothes.  I had to label a large white basket for clothes for Mom & Dad.  An oval basket was labeled for linen & towels.

Shelves have been added.

There is a large green box that holds crocheted blankets and pillows.  That is what is actually touching the floor.  Additionally, there is one green hamper that holds the dirty linen and towels.  By the way, I love these shelves.  Hubby has done an outstanding job!

This basket is dedicated to catching outgoing stuff.

I decided to label this blue basket as a catchall for outgoing stuff.  Stuff like outgrown, torn, or useless clothing, books, and toys can go in there.  Then, I can decide what I'll do with those items later.  I have used boxes in the past, but I think this basket will hold a sufficient amount of stuff, until I take it to the storage shed outside.

Well, thanks for viewing the pictures and reading this update. 

I hope this entry has inspired you to organize your utility/laundry room.

How about you, my readers?  Have you updated your utility/laundry room?  I hope that if your laundry system isn't working, you would consider changing things up a bit.  It could help your family want to do the laundry.  For us, it has made a difference because the white see-through baskets allow my kids to see what needs washing right away.

May God bless you all with His wisdom and peace.

This entry has been part of the Family Fun Fridays series.

Chores for Our Homeschool

This is my master chore list.

I mentioned about chores on Monday's blog entry, Going Manic Over Lists.  I stated that creating chore lists was necessary for my sanity.  It's working great, by the way.  Today, I want to explain how I went about creating my current chore lists. 

I was becoming frustrated with the need to write up four chores lists.  I have a problem with organizing something if I can't see it clearly.  That's why writing out a running list was not working for me.  My kids are not in favor of cleaning a whole room (click for a simple Cleaning Check Lists printable I found) by themselves.  For example, one child puts dirty dishes into the dishwasher, while another one takes out the clean dishes.

This is the Topic and 8 Ideas Graphic Organizer.

I had been finding free printables for other subjects, like writing.  I found this simple organizer for a writing assignment.  It's much like a web or a cluster to help organize your ideas.  Now, that's a visual I could use to organize my thoughts about chores!

I used the organizer to list each room inside each triangle.  From that, I shot off chores that need to be done in each room.  Then, I used different colors of highlighters to assign chores to each of my four kids.  In the large circle, I posted extra chores that could not be listed in any room.  For example, assisting in creating menu plans and grocery lists were placed in the circle.

I used sticky notes to place on a blank chore list.

Once I had color-coded the chores in the organizer with highlighter markers, I placed each individual chore onto similarly-colored sticky notes.  You can see on the picture above how I placed most of the chores on the left side of the blank printable (found at currclick.com).  Most of those chores will be ongoing during the week.  The ones on the right are for individual days.

I used this chore system, which resembles others.

My previous chore charts were placed behind a sheet protector.  I found some playdough-like substance for hanging posters on the walls.  The mini-pictures were placed on the sheet protector.  Then, as the children finished the chores, they would use a marker to check them off.  That would be great if they marked them, but most of my kids did not mark them.

The problem is that the sheet protectors were becoming messy.  You can see the finished product below:

These chore lists are still behind a sheet protector, hanging in each bedroom.

I hand-printed the chores in each box.  Since Kaelyn is my youngest child, I still have both of these versions, inside a sheet protector.  It hangs in the girls' room.  She uses a marker to check off those chores she's done on the picture-filled chore list.  I am allowing her to do this because she is still learning how to read.

I then pull out the above version (which I placed behind the pictured chore list) and sign my initials at the bottom.  The signed list will show what she has been accomplished.  I can leave a note here and there when chores need tweaking.  We can also see the progress of what she's done in the weeks to come.  

A reusable chore chart inside a sheet protector is great.  To show the progress of each child, I want to make a new chart for each child for each week, at least for a few months.  For my two oldest, the teenagers, I will want to rotate the meals they work on.  That's why I have to customize their chore lists every week.

Writing out these chore lists is time-consuming.  I feel it's worth it.  My house seems more organized now.  I get help with keeping the house clean.  My kids get to learn that everyone pitching in helps to keep the house clean.

Chore list template is available for free as a download.

A few days ago after I had made my hand-written lists, I found this chore list template.  I downloaded it to my computer because I might use it.  I'm not good at creating templates because of the different versions of Windows and software (Microsoft Word and Open Office).  There is no need to re-invent a template as this one is available.  I simply will type in the chores and print it out.

Well, thanks for reading this entry about how I've organized our chore lists.  I appreciate you stopping by my blog.  I hope this entry helps some of you who are struggling to customize your own chore lists.

How about you, my readers?  How are you assigning chores?  Do you have a database printed out?  Or are your chore lists hand-written?  Over the years, I have used different methods of assigning chores.  I think it's important to teach our children about cleaning.  Also, our children need to see the big picture of teamwork at keeping our house clean, organized, and presentable.

I pray that God helps us find the right method of assigning chore lists.  May God bless us all with His wisdom and peace, as we teach our children.

This has been an entry for Thorough Thursdays.  Hope you liked it.

Keeping to My True Nature: My Contemplation of Verse 38 of the Tao Te Ching

Dr. Dyer's book is Change your Thoughts--Change Your Life: Living the Wisdom of the Tao.

Today, I am focusing on verse 38 of the Tao Te Ching, particularly this portion:

The great master follows his own nature

and not the trapping of life.

It is said:

"He stays with the fruit and not the fluff."

"He stays with the firm and not the flimsy."

"He stays with the true and not the false."

I have often asked myself questions before doing or saying something.  Should I do this?  Should I say that?  I replay something in my mind after traumatic events in my life.  Then, I keep those things in mind for the "next" time.

I know we all do it.  We second guess ourselves.  We wonder if we are doing the right thing.  Are we hurting someone?  Are we doing something we'll regret later?

A better question to ask is: What do I really want to do or say?  If we are honest with ourselves, we can retain our integrity.  We have to own our true natures.  I'm not giving permission to anyone to be cruel or rude.  I'm just saying we need to own up to what we really want to do or say.

I'll give you some examples.  There have been times boundaries have been crossed.  People have said inappropriate things to me.  Several people have told me I should respond in a rude manner and put the rude persons down; however, that's not how my mother raised me.  My personality is not built to pay back rudeness for rudeness.

My nature is to tear away from negative people like that.  I am not built to be rude.  I can't stand rude people.  I try to be respectful around others, but I have my limits.  That's my true nature--to tear away from people who continually mistreat me.

Let's be true to our natures and surround ourselves with positive people.

Thanks for reading today's post.  

I appreciate it.  

I hope this post blesses you, my dear readers.

I've got some questions for you: What is your true nature?  How do you deal with negative people?  Are you rude to rude people?  What is your gut reaction to rude people?  I pray we all seek our true nature. Let's ask God to help us live our true natures.  He will surely help us.

May God bless you, my beloveds, with His wisdom and peace, in Jesus' name.  Amen!

This has been an entry for Wisdom Wednesdays.

I am currently drawing inspiration from Dr. Wayne W. Dyer's book and the 81 verses of the Chinese wisdom book the Tao Te Ching.
 

Q is for QuickMath

I'm currently participating in 

an ABC's for homeschooling challenge.  

Since it falls on Tuesdays, 

I am adding a technological slant to the challenge.  

I hope you stay tuned and enjoy my entries.

 

 

QuickMath provides explanation of Algebra.

 

QuickMath is a website that offers an explanation of Algebra.  It also provides solutions to algebraic problems.  I found this website a while back as a backup to the physical material I already own pertaining to Algebra.  Of course this website also covers Calculus and other upper math subjects.  I just wanted to make sure to cover all bases in case I did not know the answer or the way to solve an Algebra problem.

 

These are sample problems at QuickMath.com.

 

Graphing and solving equations are just two topics covered at QuickMath.com.  The website says it,
 

"will automatically answer the most common problems in algebra, equations and calculus faced by high-school and college students." 

 

Last night, I went on a quest to compile relevant websites about anything called QuickMath.  I found the following websites:

 

 

*Websites about QuickMath:

http://www.quickmath.com/

http://www.aboutus.org/QuickMath.com

http://www.quickmath.com/pages/modules/algebra/index.php

http://www.freedownloadscenter.com/Business/Misc__Calculators/QuickMath.html

http://illuminations.nctm.org/WebResourceReview.aspx?ID=423

http://www.liveperson.com/quickmath/

http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/mathgames/quickmath.htm

http://www.qblittlesquare.com/2010/07/quickmath-the-quickbooks-calculator/

http://www.mathnook.com/quickmath.html

http://www.radabg.com/url/quickmath.com/

http://en.kioskea.net/download/download-14604-quick-math

http://9rank.com/quickmath.com

http://www.blifaloo.com/mental/quickmath-game.php

http://www.curriculumassociates.com/products/detail.asp?title=Quickmath

*Extra math websites:

http://www.ifigure.com/math/algebra/algebra.htm

www.webmath.com

http://www.khanacademy.org/

 

 

I have to be honest here.  I enjoyed compiling this list of math helps.  I wanted to have this list available to me to refer to when desperately helping my teens with Algebra.  I hope that this list also helps other homeschooling parents, too, who struggle with understanding and/or teaching Algebra.  Algebra does not need to be difficult. 

There is hope.  The internet makes these invaluable math websites available to us.  Let's take advantage of this opportunity.  Even if we don't fully understand Algebra, there are people on the World Wide Web who are more than willing to teach Algebra.  We don't have to reinvent the wheel.  The wheel of Algebra, in the form of videos, tutorials, modules, and explanations are available at our fingertips.

 

Well, thanks for reading this entry.  

Next week, I will be covering the letter R.  

Please stay tuned!

How about you, my readers?  Do your have adequate Algebra material to teach your children?  Have you considered finding websites to explain Algebra to your children and yourself?  If so, which ones?  I believe in finding resources to help in the home school.  I encourage you to expose your children to education through technology.

I pray that God gives you all, my beloveds, His wisdom and peace.

This has been an entry for the Technology Tuesdays series.

Going Manic Over Lists

This is my master chore list.

I think I've gone over the cliff of sanity.  I succumbed to the need for creating lists.  Everyone's doing it.  'Tis the season for creating lists due to the new school year.  I might as well have created mine, too. 

It's not like I created anything beyond the chore list.  I've been consumed with perfecting my chore lists for each child.  I've had so much fun creating the chores lists. Not!!!  I had created some before, but they weren't working.  

Some background is necessary for clarification.

You see, each kid had a list to draw from.  It was driving me crazy that some of them would mark theirs up with their dry erase markers.  There were others who did not have a single mark at all on their chore charts.  According to my standards, my house was a mess.  Simple things weren't getting done.

That's why I discussed the subject of chores with them after dinner last week.  I informed my kids about my plans.  I would reward them with something they would like to work towards.  Can you guess what they came up with?  You guessed it: technological games, for the most part.

Oldest son's chore chart is full as are the others.

I was armed with the rewards.  I decided to sign under each day they accomplished the goals.  I experienced a great hope that my house would get cleaned.  I indeed wrote up the chore lists and posted them on the wall.  I took a nap in the afternoon, after having stayed up all last night.  

Then, I woke up to...

a clean house.

It worked.  My insatiable need to create the chore lists paid off.  I signed Monday's chores.  

I pray this will show my kids that I'll be checking their progress.  I hope it will also keep me accountable to them, too.  

Chores are a fact of life.

The children will be accumulating a monetary amount until they earn enough to buy their desired reward.  I have let them know that we parents will not always reward them for their chores.  I am merely giving them a jump start into them doing their chores.  I wanted to give them some motivation. I have tempered this with the reality that we parents don't get paid for doing our chores. 

Creating my chore lists were a lot of work for me.  I'll mention in another blog how I went about creating them. For now, I will admit that I must continue with the list mania.  I need to create other lists for our family.  My plan is for the following areas:

1. Food pantry

2. Non-food pantry

3. Freezer/fridge

4. Office supplies

5. Homeschooling material

When I get around to creating some of these new lists, I will share them here in the blog.  For now, thanks so much for reading this entry.  My mania over lists is, oddly enough, to keep me from going insane.  Stay tuned to see if I don't really go crazy!

How about you, my readers?  Have you struggled with organizing yourselves and your family?  Have you struggled with assigning chores?  Or have you mastered chore management?  I encourage you to consider bite-size changes in your life, gradually accumulating the better habits in your life.  If you need to improve your mental health, ask God to help you organize your life.  God is sure to help you, if you pray for His guidance.

This is an entry for Medical Mondays.  For past entries, click here.