How to Make Your Homework Box

To create your family’s homework box, start with a lidded plastic shoe box or discarded cigar box. (You can purchase cigar boxes rather cheaply at local cigar stores). I recommend a wooden box over a plastic shoe box, as cigar boxes have attached lids that make them difficult to misplace and they holds up against the heavy use this box will get. A lid is needed to discourage use of the box as a dumping ground for...

Things I wish I’d Done Before the Start of School

Hindsight, it’s a painfully beautiful thing: you can only learn from looking back, after suffering through the consequences of your choices.  As the school year starts in full swing, here are a few things, I am scrambling to do now, that I wish I had done BEFORE the start of school.  Here’s hoping by writing them down, I’ll remember to do them next year, and you will be sparked into thinking...

Creating Bucket Binders: A Home for All the Important School Papers

In the Rockies, school has started.  The reams of class disclosures, class schedules, snack schedules, and school newsletter have started to roll in.  There are pass codes to remember to access textbooks, teacher websites, and grade records.  Their are school schedules and extra-curricular calendars to keep handy.  While many of these paper items have gone electronic or are simply managed on a school website,...

Sharing Dinner-Making Chores- Stress-lessly, Really?

I have a mental block when it comes to meal planning.  I have a grocery list that is largely staples for our household.  I have a full-size freezer, that I keep stocked with various meats and prepared quickie meals, but rarely do I plan a week’s worth of meals.  Every school year I resolve I will plan ahead, and inevitable by the end of the first week, assuming we are not on the run to after-school...

7 Blogs for An Inspired Simple Life (amidst the ADHD chaos)

Unclutterer: Daily tips on how to organize your home and office Slow Family Online Tips for enjoying family life at home The Artful Parent Art and science activities to do at home with the kids The Happiness Project Daily ideas for enhancing life’s happiness by Gretchen Rubin, author of  ”The Happiness Project” Lifehacker Tips and tricks to solve life’s little challenges ZenHabits Tips on...