11 Ways to organize with binders

With school JUST around the corner for some of us {only one month away for our household}, you'll likely see lots of binders coming out on sale. I've come up with 11 ways to organize with binders! Here we go...

Getting Organized While Heading Back to School

Getting Organized While Heading Back to School

Well, it's time for us to start thinking about heading back to school. Can you believe it? My kids start school TODAY!!! Yikes! So, I'm always trying to stay a step ahead of back-to-school shopping by doing much of it online!

Here's what I do to prepare: 

1. Set up a kid-fund savings account - I put a little bit of money away each paycheck to help pay for all the kids' activities, supplies, and unexpected expenses {cause they ARE expensive}. This way, when it's time for stuff like school supplies and new clothes, I have it there to use.

2. Make a list of school supplies, backpacks, clothing, etc. that are needed about a month before school starts. Some years we don't need new backpacks and other years we do! I usually buy the kids each one new outfit and a few essentials for the new school year. They also both get a brand new pair of nice tennis shoes. I buy a good brand {Keens} that cost more, but I have found in the long run they have lasted far longer than just about any other pair and I save money! Go figure!

3. Keep checking out online deals and coupons a month or so before school starts.

4. Purchase all items at least two weeks {or more} before school starts.

I now have a teenager in the house! Aaack! He has become quite tech-savvy and we have had to use our computer for many of his reports and daily homework! So, that means we're also trying to be up to date on our computer programs, including Microsoft Office 2010. We have it on our Mini-Mac computer for the kids to use. We keep the kids' computer out in our family room as a work station for homework - it's a safe place for us to keep an eye on what they're doing and also be there when they have a homework question.

If you haven't tried using Microsoft Office, let me tell you what they say are some of the important reasons to have it on your home computer:

• Helps them better express themselves with Word {the program my son uses most}
• Easy to us photo-editing and {new} photo effects
• Automatic creation of a bibliography from in-paper citations
• Helps them aggregate and analyze data with Excel {something I use quite a bit for my own budgeting}
• Gets a visual summary of date using the new Sparkline's feature.
• Create and display math equations with a rich set of equation-editing tools.
• Can help give them more confident presentation in Power Point - another program he's going to be using and I've used many times.
• Embeds and edits videos to make school presentations more dynamic.
• Can help them get organized with OneNote - I'm going to have to look into this one because I am always wanting to get more organized!
• It captures notes, images, video, audio, and more in a digital notebook.
• And, quickly finds information with simple tagging

With Microsoft Office 2010, your kids {and mine} will have everything they need to help express themselves and succeed. Word, Excel, Powerpoint, and OneNote offer features that help kids collaborate on projects, take dynamic notes AND give great presentation, this year and beyond....you know, into high school and college!

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Organized Resolutions: Your Finances and NeatDesk Giveaway

OK...are you ready to start the New Year off right? 

Have you started making your New Year's resolutions? Are you thinking that you need to get more organized? Of course! Why are you here? 

Trip planning - the cost!

Last week, I shared with you about our annual family vacation to the snow!  We had a blast, but it took some planning. Here is one part of the planning. 

How I organize my finances

For about 8 or 9 years of our marriage I was noticing that the finance area of our lives were just so-so.  We were getting by, I sort of had a budget in my head, but it was "flying by the seat of our pants."  We have never been in any significant debt, by God's grace.  However, I would often feel anxious and worried about finances.  So, I realized that I needed to approach finances/budgeting the way I did everything else - organizing it!  I'm going to share with you how I have organized our finances.  I have no guarantee that this will solve your financial problems....only to tell you that I no longer worry or feel anxious when we purchase things.  I stay within our "means" and I know that we have the money to manage it.  So, here goes...