No More Scarecrow Mommy

I have to share this curriculum planner!  I've had it a week and already it's become my brain.  I really, really want to have everything digital, but I feel so scattered without something I can touch.  You know how the scarecrow wanted a brain in Wizard of Oz.  I've wanted one ever since having Sterling!  "If I only had a brain."

It started out as just a curriculum planner, but pretty quickly I realized I wanted to have everything in one place.  I downloaded much of the curriculum planner here.  Her planner is very customizable, she offers different covers, colors, and even layouts sometimes.  I also went exploring on her site and added some things from her home management planner.  I'm sure I will add and subtract things for next year.

I added some of the pages from this site as well.  They don't really "match" but I'd rather have everything just like I like it.  I really liked her reading log, and since I was adding those pages I thought I'd add everything I wanted.

The only thing I didn't really like about the first planner was the actual lesson planning sheets.  This is preschool, I'm planning more in weeks rather then having each day mapped out.  So I found this. Just keep scrolling down until you find the picture that looks like this:

 

She has so many planner options.  So many colors, some with more color and some to save ink.  Some sectioned off into distinct days, and some without columns for planning for the week, just what I wanted!

 Here's how I put it together:

I double sided printed everything, except where the dividers were going, of course.  Then, I laminated everything.  This is going to make it significantly thicker, but so far I think it's worth it.  I'm writing on it with a wet erase marker (overhead marker).  Then trimmed up the pages and because paper is so sharp when laminated, I rounded the corners with one of those corner rounder thingies from Hobby Lobby.  I got pocket dividers, but cut them with a paper cutter past the holes to make them smaller and rounded the corners.  Then I took it all down to Office Max for binding.  The lady from the first website highly recommended you bind it, not put it in a notebook.  You can read her reasons on her site, but I decided to go with it.  The best part is certainly the 360 folding you can do with a spiral bound book.  The lady at Office Max did an amazing job.  The dividers were a little bigger than the rest of the pages, but she got them in just right.

 I just picked up some washi tape from Walmart, of all places (cheap too); so, I'm hoping to pretty up these pages with it.

 I've started trying to follow the FlyLady.  If you don't know about her, google her.  I have such a hard time trying to keep up with house chores, and her method is great for me.  She gives you a 15 minute task everyday.  Other than that her method is all about making routines.  She has you work on a new habit every month, a load of laundry a day is this month's.  The idea is before long, your house work is second nature and the clutter is gone.

I've read books with similar philosophies, but I love that she does all the work for you.  No cards, she sends you an email with your tasks for the day.  Her emails do get overwhelming, like eight or so a day, you can sign up for the one a day option.  Most of them are others writing in about how they implement various things in their house.  I haven't downgraded to one email a day, and usually end up not reading most of them.  But so far I have been encouraged by the ones I've read.

Day at a glance page.  I only printed seven of these because I'll just wash and reuse them, but I love the layout!  It came from the home management binder.  Bi-hourly schedule, meal plan, chore list, shopping list, what to remember, phone numbers, and notes.  LOVE IT!!