Staying Organized for the New School Year

I've been working on my lessons and plans for this year. This year is the first year in 10 years that I am not returning to school as a full-time teacher. Instead, I am staying home and homeschooling and teaching online part-time. Let me just say, it is quite a change. I know I work harder at home than I did at school. For instance, at school, I get a planning period. Home - not so much. I don't even get to go potty by myself!

Rachel has mentioned how she merges her hubby's Outlook calendar with hers and writes notes to herself. It's an awesome idea, and I LOVE it. For instance, last year when I found pumpkins for 1 penny a pound, I wrote myself a note to appear on my calendar this year at the same time, hoping that I don't forget to get that deal again.

Over the summer, I have mastered what I find an easy management method for my home - Google Calendar. For real. I had some doubts when I first read about managing multiple calendars (I can hardly keep track of one!) but now that I've been doing it for awhile, I really like it! Here is the basic idea - you start a new Google Calendar for everything you want to keep track of: Here is the monthly view of mine right now:

It's looks kind of crazy at first....then it starts to be awesome!

On the far left are all of the separate calendars. The ones that I have highlighted in color - show up on the calendar I am viewing. Right now I have 10 calendars that I can look at individually or together with others. They are: baby (as in stuff I should remember about this pregnancy - like how far along I am, which I can never remember), Appointments, Bills, Birthdays & Events, Church & Community, Family, Homeschool Plans, Household Management, Meal Plans, and School Board Business. It seems like a lot, I know. But, here are some reasons why it's awesome.

For Birthdays & Events, I have all of our family birthdays and anniversaries. I have marked these to repeat yearly and have each person's physical and email address in the notes section. Now I don't have to stop and look them up! Also, I can print this calendar alone if I want all that info on one page. Meetings I have because of my online job are under School Board Business, I share that calendar with my hubby and mom (my main babysitters). On the Bills calendars, I mark any specific bill due dates and use the email me a reminder feature for things like property taxes and homeowners. You know, bills I get months in advance and don't have to pay immediately and then, of course, forget about. Not that anyone else does that.

There are a few calendars that I don't have highlighted - basically because it makes my calendar a LOT harder to read all at once. My meal plan calendar is completed 1 month in advance when I make my SHARE order. Then I print it and put it on the fridge. Household Management is basically a reminder for me - what specific tasks I do on a weekly basis - toilets and wipe down bathrooms on Monday's for instance, iron church clothes on Thursday, stuff like that.

Finally, Homeschool Plans. I actually write out my plans every week (and make changes). However, my mom and my hubby like to know what I have planned so they can ask the kids about it. So, I share that calendar with them. The times on that calendar aren't important at all. We do those lessons mixed in with center time, puzzles, dance/music time, etc. Most importantly, it serves at my official record that I can keep as long as I need and print at will if I need to do so for Homeschool record keeping. Now that schedules are starting to get busier with school starting, maybe this is something that will work for you. I feel like a genius now that I am using it. I mean, I know when Ryan's cousin's birthdays are and manage to send them a card! Holy Cow.