34 Weeks of Clean 2019! Week 31- The Office

Welcome back to 34 Weeks of Clean!  We are nearing the end of our series and by now you should be feeling really good about your homes.  One week at a time, we have been on a mission to take back our homes!  If you are just finding us, it is still not too late to get started.  Just pick a room, set a timer for 15 minutes if that is all you have, and go!  If you do that each day, you WILL see results.  You can find a complete list of the previous assignments at the bottom of this post.

Slow and steady wins the race, promise!

It is not by coincidence that I saved the "Office" for the end.  Or that I will be breaking it down for you in three weeks of assignments. This is a hard place for many people.

Our new home does have a separate office room that we call our library.  It is a room I have dreamed of having for a very long time.  26 years, to be exact.  It was one of my non-negotiable when we started house hunting.  I have always wanted a place to keep our books, but also a place for Clarke to have his desk and all of his collected military "things."  It might look a bit overdone a lot to some people, but for us, it is a lifetime of precious memories that make me smile whenever I see them.  We do not normally collect stuff, but each thing in this room holds a story to my husband's dedication and service to his country.  BUT, it is the room to your left right when you walk in the door and therefore I do feel like it needs to stay as clutter free as possible.

See, right in the open for the world to see.

View from our front entry

When we first began this cleaning and organizing journey years ago, it was brought to my attention that we are fighting three problems really-

LAZINESS

TOO MUCH STUFF

NOT HAVING HOMES FOR EVERYTHING

Here is how we began to deal with those issues.

Laziness.  We have, all of us, got to commit to finishing what we start.  That includes if you take something out, you put it up.  Sadly, the kids are not the only ones guilty of this.  We are working on it, I promise.

Too much stuff.  Well, by now you know that I like to throw things away! Each year I sort through desk things and get rid of extras.  Notice I said extras, not just what we did not need. I think there is a difference.  Yes, we need pens,  no we do not need 200 of them.  Last year I seriously went through our whole house on a war path against pens and threw every last one of them away that did not fit my fancy.  The reality is I have never had to throw a pen away because it actually ran out of ink.  Do they even do that?  The other reality is that when I go to use a pen I seek out one of two kinds, ignoring the rest.  So those two kinds stayed and the rest went out, with the exception of highlighters and pencils that we use for homeschooling.  Bye bye motel and business pens!  If I need your number I will look you up in the phone book.

Sharpie pens are my favorite in case you were wondering!

Not having homes for everything.  I read in my Kathi Lipp book (Clutter Free) that one of the problems with organizing is that if something does not have a home, it just gets rearranged daily.  Yep!  Guilty! And paperwork seems to be one of those areas for me.  I am working to change that.  My often heard war cry is EVERYTHING. HAS. A. HOME!  The kids love it.  NOT!  If something does not have a home, a place that it goes every single time, then we either find it a home or it goes out the door.  It is amazing what that simple little task will do for you.  Try it- go around your house one room at a time and anything that is sitting out, ask yourself, where does this belong?  If you do not have a home for it- find one.  Now! Or move it out.

We are going to divide the "office" into several weeks for sanity's sake. It will look a little different for everyone, but even if you do not have a dedicated office room, I KNOW that somewhere in your home is a secret stash of files, bills, and random paperwork.

This week then is dedicated to all of that paperwork and the bills/filing system, since for me, that is where my clutter typically comes from.

For this job, go on and get a large trash bag out.  I am guessing you will probably need it.

I will also introduce you to one of my favorite office supplies- the paper shredder.  A wonderful invention!  Go get or borrow one- you are going to need it!

Here we go!

• FIRST- Go through the stacks of papers you have sitting out!  This is everything from bills to receipts to flyers.  Whatever paper you have just sitting around.  Make three piles-

          Throw away

          File

          Move somewhere else (the paper, not you!)

Your goal is to organize now, we will put it where it belongs in a bit.

Yes, shred things as you go, or your pile will grow large.  Very large!

• NEXT- do the same thing with any paperwork or files you may have hidden in the recesses of your desk.  Or sitting anywhere else they do not belong. (Kitchen counter, anyone?)

• Once you have left only what you need to keep (do not skip the first two steps, friends!)- establish a system for filing and stick to it!  Each time we love our system changes a bit but for now I have a file box for important papers.  I put stuff on top of that box with the intention to file those papers once a week.  Notice I said intention.  Like you, I am a busy person, so I do the best I can and give myself a little grace when needed.  The point is, have a place to put stuff and then PUT it there!

The goal is to find a system that works for you and use it.  Everyone does things a little differently.  The key is to find a simple solution you love and then stick to it.

A key point.  Papers WILL pile up if you allow them to.  Make your life easy and have the 1 touch rule.  Touch it for the first time and take care of it, whether that means the trash or a file.  If you just lay it down somewhere random, you will simply move it from place to place.  That is not one touch!  It is a time waster, and a counter cluttering habit.  Ask me how I know!

Yes, I realize there is still much work to be done in the office, trust me we will get there!  But for this week your goal is to move through all the paperwork, get rid of the old you no longer need to keep, and organize what you need to.  I KNOW it is a monumental task for some, it was for us, but we can do this.  Once again, if you need to- set a timer for 15 or 20 minutes a day, work until the buzzer rings and then repeat the next day.  You might be surprised at how far you get in 7 days!

Blessings,

Intro Week
Week 1- Holiday Decorations
Week 2-The Pantry
Week 3-Kitchen Cabinets and Drawers   

Week 4- Fridge, Freezer and Floors
Week 5- Recipes 
Week 6- The Stove and Loose Ends 
Week 7- The Dining Room 
Week 8- The Living Room 
Week 9- Books 
Week 10- Bathrooms  
Week 11- The Foyer
Week 12- The Family Room and DVDs 
Week 13- Pictures and Scrapbooks
Week 14- Arts, Crafts and Hobbies 
Week 15- The Master Bedroom  
Week 16- The Master Closet 

Week 17- The Master Bathroom

Week 18- Halftime

Week 19- Bedrooms 1 &2

Week 20- Bedrooms 3+

Week 21- The Hall Closet 

Week 22- The Laundry/Mudroom 

Week 23- The Linen Closet

Week 24- Porches and Decks 

Week 25- The Yard

Week 26- Storage Areas and Attics 

Week 27- Clothes Storage 

Week 28- The School Room 

Week 29- The Garage

Week 30- The Cars

Let's Talk About...Foreign Languages

Welcome back to our Let's Talk About ...Series.

You can find an updated lists of the previous posts at the end of this one.   So far we have tackled History, Science, Math and recently Grammar and Writing.  Let's look at Foreign Languages real quick and next week we will chat literature.

If you have hung around Family, Faith and Fridays for long enough, you know that we are Spanish enthusiasts.  Notice I did NOT say perfectionists.  We love the Spanish language, but we do not speak the Spanish language.  Yet.  We are working on it.  Our fourth child, after all, was born in Guatemala and we have a love for the Latin American culture and people.  What we lack in skill we make up for in effort.

So while I am mentioning specifically Spanish programs here, many of these do have other languages available.  Make sure to look at your options- did you know you can even learn to speak Klingon?  Just saying!


Song School Spanish- This was one of our first experiences with Spanish and used it when our son was just home from Guatemala.  It is a super fun program with, as the name suggests, lots of singing, and chants and playing.  I highly recommend it if you want simple and easy.

Flip Flop Spanish- This program is one that is great for visual learners as well as kinesthetic learners.  It has lots of colorful flashcards and you do various activities using those cards.  My boys used this program together and had a lot of fun.  We learned a lot of vocabulary with this program and started learning how to put sentences together.

Classic Academic Press Spanish Primer A & B- This program begins to flesh out more of the Grammar side of the Spanish language and helps older kids being to conjugate verbs and understand the mechanics of the Spanish language.  I love that there is a DVD to watch for weekly instruction as well as a CD for language practice, and a student workbook.  I use this for upper level middle school levels.  When we traveled to Guatemala the child who had used this program fared better than those whom had not.

Homeschool Spanish Academy- (obviously Spanish specific) Here is where the rubber meets the road for us.  There is just no better way to learn a language that from a native speaker!  By video skpying with teachers from Guatemala you are sure to learn the accent and learn to converse.  If you are not convinced after reading my review, re-read it!  This program is simply AMAZING and improves continually.  It is a well greased engine!

Duo Lingo- New to us this past year,  we began this program just for fun and to take up some free time during our summer transition and move.  Turns out it is really good and we stuck with it, still using it during free time to brush up on skills.  It is user friendly, has a free online version, and has MANY languages to choose from.  The best thing I can say about it is it strengthens your listening and translating skills, as well as your conversational skills.  I know many people are using it these days and I have not heard one negative comment on it.

Again, we are not getting anything from recommending these products.  They are just some of the many we have used and have risen to the tops of our list to recommend.  In most states you have to graduate with a foreign language and many colleges often require at least two semesters to graduate.  You might as well find one you enjoy and dive in!  You never know where it will take you!

Maybe even to Guatemala to adopt the cutest little guy ever!

Blessings,

Let's Talk about...Science
Let's Talk About...Math
Let's Talk About...History
Let's Talk About...Grammar and Spelling

We Are Back to School

As part of Timberdoodle's Back to School Blog Hop, I wanted to share our most popular homeschooling posts with you.  After 21 years of homeschooling and blogging for many of those, I have had a lot to say about the subject of homeschooling.  It is what we do and in many ways who we are!  I hope you will take the time to get to know us over here at Family, Faith  and Fridays, and maybe eve find a little helpful advice and encouragement along the way!

You Do What? Yes, we are one of those families. Homeschoolers!  For over 21 years now, actually.   And we have loved almost every minute. 

I say, almost, because let's be real, some days are just harder than others.  And some kids are easy to teach than others.

Take, for instance, the Strong Willed Child I am teaching!  Do you have one of those?  I am convinced they are going to grow up, rule the world, and do great things, but until then we must stuck together, fellow moms of the SWC!

And at the other end of the spectrum I have a college graduate as of December 2014.  She duel credited her senior year of high school, spent 1 1/2 years away at college, and then came home and finished a year later at home online.  Not your typical college career but it worked for us and it was the best thing for her!  She is now 25, works 30 hours a week AND runs her own quilt business! If you have a child headed to college you might want to consider a few things.

And then in between I have a 17 year old boy- still loves legos and all things knives and guns! He is such a joy and growing into such a special young man!  Really!  He is one of the sweetest and kindest young men I know- and not just because I am his momma.  If I could only get him to stop growing up.

And then there is my 21 year old drama queen.  And I mean that in the nicest way possible.  Really! She did school differently as well.  She duel credited her last two years of high school, taking multiple on line classes, and entered college as a sophomore.  She attended a Christian college in Mississippi and just graduated, majoring in Musical Theater.  There are BIG things in the future with this girl and she is currently as part of the just opened Medieval Times in Scottsdale, AZ!

Some days are great and some days are not so great.  Just like everyone else.. So Why DO We Do It?  Can you do it too?  You bet!  Put the excuses aside and buckle in for the ride of your life!  There may be Pros and Cons, but it is worth it, I assure you!

Blessings from a Veteran Homeschool Mom,
Michele

Other Homeschooling Posts that might interest you-


Let's Talk About...Series
Schooling Year-Round While Others Have a Break
Even Veteran Mom's Have Doubts
There's a Light at the End of the Tunnel
Life Hacks from a Homeschooling Mom
Aim High, Settle for Less
6 Tips for Dual Crediting Highschool
Schooling Boys
How to Homeschool When Your Days Get Crazy
The 7 Flaws of Standardized Testing
The 9 Lies Every College Student Tells
5 Reasons You Will Want to Homeschool

You are invited to the Timberdoodle Back-to-School blog hop!

Click here to enter

34 Weeks of Clean 2019! Week 30- The Cars

OK, OK, I know your cars are not technically a part of your house, but let's face it, many of us spend enough time there to count them as such, right?  Between groceries and appointments, children and friends, we spend a lot of time in our cars.

And like anything else, time and lots of kids take their toll on our vehicles.  Honestly, it is not usually a big deal to me.  But, it is a big deal to my sweet husband, so I do try to keep a handle on the chaos. We used to keep a car organizer on the back of the seat for my youngest's books and such, but that went out recently.  We also try to enforce the stuff in, stuff out rule daily.  But past that, well, life happens!

Since our kids are getting older (12 and up) we do not usually have too big of a mess to deal with.  AND, because our kids are getting older, we can bribe pay them to do detailed car duty occasionally. Yay me!  But on the other hand, there are currently five cars in our driveway to keep clean and we are in the middle of monsoon season here.  That's a lot of sand and elbow grease.

So, here we go- CLEAN OUT THOSE CARS!

A quick checklist for you-

• Empty all trash bags or just get rid of all the trash you have on the floor and everywhere else!  We keep a grocery bag in our van at all times for trash.  I admit it is not lovely, but it does get the job done.

• Take out all car mats and wash down.  Again, I live in the desert, ya'll, there is a lot of sand.

•  Vacuum the floorboards.

•  Wipe down all surfaces.

•  Wipe down all windows inside.

•  Wash outside of car, including tires!

• Check tire pressure while you are there! ;)

 

• Clean out your trunk.

One of the things we have always kept in our cars is an emergency car kit.  It hold simple things like a first aid kit, jumper cables, and such.  Here in AZ, you also need to keep water in your car about 9 out of the 12 months.  You just never know when you will be stranded and our motto is better safe than sorry!  We also keep a few camp chairs in our trunk because of, well...KIDS!

That's it!  Pretty simple, huh?  And it will make the men in your life smile for some reason, go figure!

Well my friends, we have almost come to the end of the road with 34 Weeks of Clean!  I cannot even believe that the time is almost done.  Next week we are heading back inside to finish up for our last few weeks.  I hope you are starting to look around and see a difference. 

Remember it is never too late to start and you are never really finished.  But it does get easier!

Blessings,