Archive for November 2015
Simple Family Organization: Easily Organize School Papers
Organize School Papers at Home Solves the problem of… how to manage and organize the daily flood of papers from school! How the “School Papers” System Works Our system for organizing school papers at home is pretty simple and straightforward. The kids clean out their backpacks every day, after school. (It’s one of their “after-school” magnets, from our Morning Magnet routine.) Trash goes…
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Simple Family Organization:
A Kitchen Command Center That Works
Command Center for Organizing Mail, School Papers, & Junk Solves the problem of… losing important mail/papers AND having mail, papers, and other junk flood my kitchen counters. How the Command Center Works My Command Center may not look as pretty as the fancy ones you’ll find on Pinterest, but it is unique in three…
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Simple Family Meal Organization:
Easy Lunch and Dinner Menu Board
The Menu Board for Simple Family Meal Organization Solves the problem of… having to figure out what to buy and prepare for lunches and dinner every day. Additional benefits… the Menu Board also improves meal-time cooperation from the kids… and has them making their own lunches, with minimal fuss. It’s a fabulous tool for achieving…
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Simple Family Organization:
Cure “Last-Minute Syndrome”
Get Everyone on the Same Page with the Sunday Meeting Solves the problem of… last-minute syndrome! A short, 5-10 minute routine can transform your family organization… and your family! During this brief, weekly meeting, we: review schedules for the next two weeks, review school papers we missed during the week, select lunches and dinners on the…
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Simple Family Organization:
Make Mornings Easy With Morning Organization Magnets!
Resolve Chaos with “Morning Organization Magnets!” Solves the problem of: chaotic, rushed mornings with lots of nagging and yelling! Added benefit(s): The “morning magnets” were so effective for morning organization, we also added “after school” and “bedtime” magnets to manage recurring, daily tasks. For better or worse, my best ideas always come when I’m fed up! Ticked…
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Simple Family Organization:
An Allowance System that Works!
Our Allowance System Solves the problem of… the kids not caring about: getting to school on time, turning off the lights, listening to directions, etc. Additional benefits… the allowance system also builds: their sense of ownership and responsibility around the house, their value for money and other belongings, and their ability to discern how to…
Read MoreSimple Family Organization: Life-Saving, Multi-Purpose Organizer
Life-Saving Multi-Purpose Organizer Solves the problem of… saving my sanity while keeping my house reasonably tidy. How the Life-Saving Multi-Purpose Organizer Works I have six of these beauties in my home, mostly as a holding place for clutter: In my kitchen, as pictured in the Command Center (see photo below). Each bin is labeled for a different…
Read MoreOur Hands Are an Extension of Our Brain
My Last Visit with Aunt Esther: A Powerful Story About Our Hands Powering the Brain… and the Heart Aunt Esther is 94 years old. She’s my dad’s mom’s sister. (Follow that?) Grandma died just before I turned 16. (Perhaps you recall the real-life Halloween Tale of Grandma’s Eternal Departure.) Ever since, Aunt Esther has been a surrogate grandmother. There’s…
Read MoreHow Students Can Avoid 80% of Language Errors
What “language” skills do people really need in college and the workplace? There’s an overwhelming amount of language rules. They create tons of places for students (and even adults) to go wrong. The problem with teaching and learning language is that there is so much to cover. So, how do you teach this successfully without…
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