Staying Organized–My FREE Online Helpers

I have been asked over the years how I stay organized as a homeschool mom, wife, and now work at home mom too. I have a lot of different resources that I use, and many of them can be found online for FREE. Below are just a few that I enjoy using to keep my life and home running smoothly. I’ve become rather dependent on them, especially lately with all of the traveling we’ve been doing while my husband works out of town.Being so busy doesn’t have to equal chaotic!

Here are just a few of my favorites:


Cozi is a wonderful online organizational helper. I really like the Shopping List Feature and the To Do List Features. I am nothing without my lists! They help me to remember the many things I would otherwise forget. There is also a Calendar that you can add events to, and receive reminders via email and/or text messages. You don’t have to use the mobile features to use Cozi, but they are a great plus to have! You can access your shopping lists via text message, and Cozi also has an iPhone/iPod Touch app so that you can access your lists on the go!
 



Another tool I’ve found that I really like is the Windows Live Calendar. I like how I can add events, get email reminders, and view my calendar by the day, week, month, and agenda. There’s also a To Do Feature that I use as well for important reminders. I can set them up to send me an email reminder too. I can include Birthdays and U.S. Holidays as well. I have this calendar set as my home page whenever I log onto the Internet so I can see what I have going on for that particular day, week, etc. It really has helped me a lot this summer.

Some other FREE online helpers and tips that help me stay organized and sane:

• Paperless billing: not only am I saving on paper waste, but I can access my bills online, and receive emails when they are available.
• Online Bill Payment: I pay almost all of my bills online. It saves me money on postage, and I don’t have to worry about writing a check. It’s convenient, and simple.
• Online banking: I receive all of my statements via email, and I also have access to my accounts online so I can keep up with expenses, check my balance, etc.
• Unsubscribe from junk mail: Even though I inadvertently sign up for these emails when I join a company’s site for one reason or another, I don’t want to waste time deleting tons of emails from them every day. In most email newsletters and ads there are instructions, usually somewhere near the bottom on how to “remove” or “unsubscribe”. I have cut down significantly on the amount of junk mail I receive, and now I have more time to read and respond to the important emails.
• Email all in one place: I receive all of my email through Windows Live Mail on my computer. I used to check each website that I had for each and every email account that I use. Now I have it set up all in one place which makes it much more organized and easier for me to reply and save important messages.
• Folders for email: I save all my important emails in folders that I create so I can easily find them later.
• Google Bookmarks: I use Google Bookmarks to save everything that I want to save online. That way, I never lose my bookmarks if I change computers, and I still have access to them wherever I happen to be online.
• Email to myself: I email things that I might want to save to look at later to myself so that when I have more time, I can check them out. If not for this, there are many things that I would forget about!
• Separate Usernames: I have my own laptop, but my children share a computer. I have them set up with their own usernames on that computer so that I can set time limits on their computer time, and monitor them online. I can block certain websites if I’d like too, or download kids’ only browsers for them to use. I can share files with them also through Homegroup on our computers, which is a feature I really enjoy. We can share photos, documents, videos, and basically anything that’s available on our computers to share!
• Sparkpeople: I use Sparkpeople to track my nutrition and fitness. It’s a FREE health site, with tons of information and FREE tools to use to help you lead a healthy lifestyle.

I’m sure there are tons more that I can think of, but that’s all for now…if you have any that you’d like to tell ME about, please share in the Comments Section below! And, if you have the iPhone or iPod touch, stay tuned…because coming soon…I’ll be sharing my favorite iPod Touch apps that keep me organized too.

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Coming Soon–A CSN Stores Review

Have you heard of CSN Stores? Well, I had never heard of them until recently when someone from CSN contacted me about reviewing a product for them. I headed over to their website at CSNstores.com and lo and behold…this online store has just about anything you can think of for the home, office, school, and more! If you enjoy shopping online, you’re going to love this place!

At CSN stores, there is a wide variety of products available, from Dining Room Furniture to Home Décor to Housewares to Outdoor products. There’s Office Supplies, School Supplies, and Health & Fitness products, just about anything you can think of! There’s something for everyone…even your pets!

Just check out a few of the items available at CSN Stores:

Check out this outdoor dining set…wouldn’t we have a great time by the pool enjoying a nice dinner outdoors with this set?

Of course, I could use a new Paula Deen (dontcha y’all just love her?) Cookware Set to prepare a nice dinner for my family.

And how about this lovely bookcase? This would be perfect for all of those children’s books I adore so much.

I’ve been dreaming of one of these comfy down comforters for a while now..and getting a 'lil sleepy just thinking about it!

There’s just so much to see and order from CSN Stores…why not stop by and check it out?

I’ll be choosing a product to review, so stay tuned for a review post coming soon!

iLive Math Oceans–We have a Winner!

 

 

Canadianladybug said...

Any apps from them are a blessings. iLive Oceans would be a great addition to the iLive Animals of Africa we have.

Congratulations Canadianladybug!! You are the winner of The Homeschool Desk’s iLiveMath Oceans Giveaway thanks to iHomeEducator for providing the promo code for this giveaway. I will be contacting you! Thanks to all who entered.  

 

*Winner was chosen by Random.org.

Homeschool Plan for the Year

 

Wow, we are really enjoying our summer break, and it’s not over yet. But, I am starting to think about what next year’s school year is going to look like for my children.

 

I always enjoy seeing what other homeschoolers have planned for their school year.

 

Would you like to know what we’re using in OUR homeschool this fall?

Well, here you go:

 

Miss M, age 14 Grade 9

Now that Miss M is entering high school, we’ve decided to use Alpha Omega’s Switched on Schoolhouse (SOS) for her 9th grade curriculum.

Below are the subjects and topics she will be studying this year. I will also add in extra required-by-mom readers.

Bible – New Testament Survey

History – World Geography

Language Arts – English 1

Math – Algebra 1

Science – Integrated Physics and Chemistry

Foreign Language -  Spanish 1

Health – High School Health

SAT Prep – College Prep Genius

We will be adding in our own electives. Miss M rides and takes care of horses, and most recently has helped teach horse camp this summer. She also volunteers twice a week at a therapeutic riding center for children with disabilities. All of that should cover her “Equine Management” elective that she has chosen. She likes to cook and help me clean for Home Economics. We will also be adding in a physical exercise routine and some family sports playing to cover our P.E. requirement for graduation. I’m sure we’ll be adding things in throughout the year as per her interests.

 

Lil D, age 10, grade 5

 

Bible – Grapevine Studies: Old Testament Basics

History – Bright Ideas Press All American History Volume 1

Language Arts – Peace Hill Press’ First Language Lessons, Level 3

Spelling – All About Spelling, Level 4

Writing – Writing Strands, Level 3

Handwriting – Various Copywork in HWT style cursive

Math – AOP’s Horizons Math, Level 4

Science – Pandia Press R.E.A.L. Chemistry

 

We’ll add in some baseball, and family games for P.E. We’ll study health throughout the year too as part of a unit I’ll create myself. We’ll be adding in some fun lapbooks and readers, as well as unit studies that interest him over the year. I’m sure there will be a lot of baseball and sports units over the year along with some Childhood of Famous Americans chapter books. We were fortunate to snag a few at our library’s used book sale. We’ll also add in whatever homeschool products I’m reviewing for the TOS Crew for his age range.

 

The Princess, age 8, grade 3

 

Bible – Grapevine Studies: Old Testament Basics

History – Listening in with big brother to All American History Volume 1, along with an American Girl Unit Study from Highlights of Homeschooling. She will be reading the AG books that match up with each time period that we are studying in All American History.

Language Arts –  Peace Hill Press’ First Language Lessons, Level 3

Spelling – All About Spelling, Finish 2nd half of level 2, then start Level 3

Writing – Writing Strands, Level 3

Handwriting – Handwriting Without Tears Cursive Handwriting; also practice HWT Printing throughout the year.

Math – AOP’s Horizons Math, Level 3

Science – Pandia Press R.E.A.L. Chemistry

 

The Princess will continue to do gymnastics and participate in family games for P.E. She’ll join her big brother in her health studies. I will combine the two of them whenever possible. We’ll be doing some Download N Go’s, Monthly Teacher Book Bags, lapbooks, and unit studies that interest her over the year. Of course, lots of American Girl History related stuff will be included too. She loves learning, and we can add in just about anything that interests her throughout the year, and have a lot of fun with it! We’ll also add in whatever homeschool products I’m reviewing for the TOS Crew for her age range.

 

So what are YOU planning for your homeschoolers this fall, please leave me a comment and tell me all about it! I’d love to hear from you!

 

Hope you’re enjoying your summer! Make it a good one!