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7 Step Homeschool Planner – Top 10 Favorites

January 5, 2015 | 19 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

When I started creating the 7 Step Homeschool Planner quite a few years ago and before I started sharing with you, I had no idea that other homeschoolers had the same needs that I did.

Before I share the 7 Step Homeschool Planner – Top 10 Favorites of my readers, I wanted to take a minute to explain how to use it so that you are getting the most benefit from it.

Homeschool Planner Favorites

What makes the 7 Step Homeschool Planner so UNIQUE?

The top feature of the planner is that YOU pick exactly what you need each.
**Your needs change each year and so should your planner.**

No downloading one huge .pdf of forms that may not be what you need for this year and laid out in way that works for somebody else. You are in control. (I love that word.)

7 Step Homeschool Planner – Top 10 Favorites

The nightmare of paying and downloading a planner that is set up to suit the needs of somebody else never works exactly the same for you.

The other top feature is that I guide you STEP by STEP through the 7 Steps or sections needed in a planner. I got you covered so that way you don’t miss something significant for the year.

I take the guesswork out of it for you.

Too, though I suggest that you put them in the order that I explain, a huge advantage to you hand picking each form is that you get to arrange the order of the sections.

Everybody has a method to their madness and your planner should speak volumes about the way you prefer to organize.

Although I could go on about how I add forms each year, give you tidbits on organizing along the way and tell you there are free forms at every step, which is another perk, the last advantage is that each planner is unique because my pages are not matchy-match.

The mix and match style keeps your planner just plain awesome. Your planner will always be unique because of the pages you choose each year

You can read some more key features of my planner on the 7 Step Homeschool Planner main page.

Without making you wait any longer, here are my readers’ Top 10 Favorites of my 7 Step Free Homeschool Planner.

Going from dazzling to totally awesome order, I started with number 10 on the list.

My teacher’s schedule gives you a glimpse of at least 3 kids at one time.

10. Teacher’s Schedule. Look here on STEP 5b, Form 13.Class & Teacher Schedules to find this form.

9. Then, you loved the planning sheet when planning for multiple children.Look here on STEP 5c, Form 2. Planning Sheet for Homeschooling Multiple Children to find this form.

And you can read about how I use the planning sheet on 5 Days Of The Benefits & Challenges of Teaching Mixed Ages Together – Day 4: Embrace Homeschooling Multiple Grades.

Look here on STEP 5c, Form 1. Community Service Record to find this form.

I love forms created out of a need because they are always the best instead of a fluff form for the sake of busy record keeping.

8. Then the community service tracker was created out of my need to track my highschoolers community service projects and apparently some of you were in need of it too.

7. Then like me, you also liked the 5 page holiday reference page in your planner.It is perfect in any planner and print off as many as you like. You were really fond of the turquoise luv (me too.)

Look here on STEP 2 Option 5 Holiday Reference Page to find this form.

Be sure you check out my Ultimate Unit Study Planner and Glam it Up Planner because each one serves a different purpose just like each of my unique forms do.

2. Ultimate DIY Homeschool Unit Study Planner
$5.99 Add to cart

Glam It Up Package
$4.99 Add to cart

Look here on STEP 2, Option 5 Long Range Planning to find this form.

6. Then you know I am big on long range planning and goals because otherwise we just meander through homeschool with no plan. So you took it to heart too because the Long Range Planing form was number six.

Homeschool Lesson Planning Forms

5. Then you chose a back cover for one of the forms you used this year. I think this means I need to create some more choices too since you are using it like I am.

Look here on STEP 1 Choose a Homeschool Planner Pretty Back Cover to find this form.

Look here on STEP 4 Daily Homeschool Lesson Planning form to find this form.

4. Then the daily lesson pages which are undated, thank you, so we don’t feel like we are behind from the beginning came in at number four. A lot of you are using this lesson planning set up.

3. Then there was a real need to clearly identify which curriculum resource was needed for which term and which child. So the Curriculum Resources page was in your top 3 choices as a way to track curriculum resources.

Look here on STEP 5a, Form 4. Curriculum Resource Checklist – Editable Too! Up to 4 students on one page to find this form.

Look at these other fun planner pages

2. Then number 2. This is the beautiful 2 pages per month calendar with bigger boxes to write in for appointments.

Look here on STEP 2 Choose Calendars/Appointment Keepers to find this form.

and then drum roll please . . .

Curriculum Pages for Planner

1. Weekly General Planning page came in at first place with 8,384 of you downloading it.

Look here on STEP 5b, Form 17. General Weekly Planning Page. You can choose the free version or I have made the paid version editable with a WHOPPING 74 boxes. Of course since it’s undated, it’s a one time purchase.

A lot of my other forms were neck in neck with these, but these showed the top number downloaded. Did your favorites make the list?

Remember too, I always, always take your suggestions for new forms because this is planner is for me AND for you.

I am so glad that I have a place here where I can share all my homeschool planning forms.

Are you seeing what I have already created free for this coming school year?

Click here to go to my Free Organizing Printables category to grab them.

Hugs and love ya,

7 Step Homeschool Planner - Top 10 Reader Favorites

Ready to start building your own UNIQUE planner?

{The only thing quick here are the steps because this free planner has grown to over 500+ free downloads spread throughout the 7 easy steps and still going strong! Grab your cup of ~~caffeine,~~ coffee!}

7 Easy Steps – “Tons of Options & Pretty Color”

Step 1. Choose a Pretty Front/Back Cover

Step. 2. Choose Calendars/Appointment Keepers

Step 3. Choose Goals/Objectives

Step 4. Choose Lesson Planning Pages Right For You!

Step 5a. Choose Unique forms JUST for You! Not a kazillion other people

Step 5b. Choose MORE Unique Forms JUST for You!

Step 5c. Choose MORE MORE Unique Forms Just for You!

Step 6. Personalize It

Step 7. Bind it! Love it!

I am PROUD to be part of iHN. This blog hop is organized by iHomeschool Network, a collaboration of outstanding homeschool bloggers who connect with each other and with family-friendly companies in mutual beneficial projects.

Cooking in Ecuador

January 4, 2015 | 4 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

One thing about moving to any foreign country and that is the most well equipped cook can be brought to her knees because ingredients and spices can be very different.

You almost feel like a beginner cook because you do have to learn to cook differently. On top of being in a different country, I have to adjust to the altitude here too while cooking in Ecuador.

I have started with the very basics. You know my crew likes meat and potatoes and there is no shortage of that here. But I did not realize, though I consider myself a cook from scratch type of person, that I was using still way too many ready things in the states.

While cooking a favorite of roast and potatoes for my crew, I often used premade cream of mushroom soup. Guess what? They don’t have that here. Before I tell you what I did, look at this list of some things they don’t have here or at least I am still on the hunt for them.

Cream of mushroom soup pre-made.

Maggi brand has cream of mushroom and others in a bag that you mix with water, but that didn’t sound very appealing appetizing to me.

Chicken or Beef stock or broth.

Yep, you guessed it, I have been making my own.

Beef Bouillon Cubes.

I consider this a staple in my home. Though they do have chicken bouillon cubes, it’s hard to make beef stew without my much loved beef bouillon cubes.

Chili Powder. I can just pass out over this one.

You know I am from Texas and well we love us some chili, tacos and fajitas with original chili powder.

These were very basic items I kept stocked up on for any easy meal preparation.

So the other day, I started with my list and have tackled at least two things to make and keep in my freezer.

Too, we wanted to cook a bit healthier here. I hadn’t read the label to those pre-made soups in a while, so I set out to stock my freezer a bit.

It’s pretty easy to make chicken stock, so I did. But I was especially excited at finding a great link over at Money Saving Mom for cream of anything soup and oh I found a new recipe, Poor Man’s Steak that Tiny loves to.

Adding in a new recipe was a side perk of my hunt.

Focusing on what we do have here, which is an abundance of a variety of fresh ingredients, I whipped me up some home made and delicious cream of mushroom soups.

After seeing how easy it was, it makes me wonder why I didn’t do it before, but then again in the states it’s all about the convenience.

Too, this is my “market” and when you can find fresh fruits and vegetables on every corner, you are inspired to cook every bit of it home made. Organic is delicious too.

(cherries are in season and they are so sweet, we just can’t stay away from them and the grapes)

Then next on my list is learning how to cook all their tasty soups. I could just live on soup and bread if my crew didn’t always want meat and potatoes.

(cream of onion)

(bean, hominy and corn soup)

(cream of broccoli is my favorite, so far, but I just had quinoa yesterday and now it’s a toss up)

(but then I forgot about the cauliflower soup where the cauliflower was slightly fried. I never leave any of the soup at lunch.)

Then of course there is no shortage of the best testing hamburgers you have ever had when you have had your fill of being a “trial” cook.

Somehow when we go out to eat, the ingredients and spices that aren’t found here in Cuenca just don’t seem that big of a deal.

Hugs and love ya,

Want to read some more about living in Ecuador?

Appreciating the Culture of South America Through Dance

5 Things I Love About Cuenca Ecuador

Everyday Life in Cuenca, Ecuador

Free Year At a Glance Form For Moms Buried in the Organizing Details

January 2, 2015 | 8 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have a gorgeous free year at a glance form for you today.

I promised you that when I talked about Planning Homeschool When Drowning in a Sea of Ideas I would share my fix for my planning struggle.

Instead of staying buried in the details which I have a tendency to do on my Glam It Up Planner, Unit Study Planner and my 7 Step DIY Homeschool Planner, I always struggle with the broad strokes on any type of planning.

Year at a Glance Printable Form

First, you know I am not a fan of having house management printables, homeschooling, and blogging stuff all jumbled together in one planner.

Too, weekly homeschool planners which give you teeny tiny boxes to write in is now how I roll.

Free Year At a Glance Form For Moms Buried in the Organizing Details

Detailed day to day lesson planning requires writing space and I have found that daily planning overall is much better.

Each area of life needs to have details worked out. With that being said, I do see adding a few pages of menu planning or week at a glance pages to keep you seeing the broad strokes while you homeschool.

And since most of us wear more than one hat whether we homeschool, we are just plain busy mommas.

So now that you know I always tackle details first and I have pages in my 7 Step DiY Homeschool Planner for looking at the big picture in those specific areas of life. But, my struggle is looking at ALL of it!

Today, I have my fix for those buried in the organizing details and I have created a free at year at a glance form.

I wanted to keep it free so that all of you could benefit. I try to keep my prices down for my products, but I really wanted this form available to all of you so I kept it free.

I have already filled in some of my goals for January’ I’m loving this new glance at a year form because it helps to be honed in on one area of life.

It has already helped me to clearly see projects that I need to pull back away from and look at the big picture so that I can make the next goal.

Free Year at a Glance Form

Look at the Year at a Glance form which I have for you and me.

Print one or two or however many you need and put it with your planner to remind yourself to keep looking ahead at your yearly goals and to keep tracking them.

Can you believe that it was painful for me to create this because I wanted to fine tune it some more for detail?

I refused to let myself go there because I needed a place to plug in general homeschooling plans, personal goals and just you name it any type of goal for the year.

Also, in the busy mayhem homeschooling sometimes I have forgotten what makes me move and rock when I need to and that is inspirational quotes.

Though I tell you how much I love them and share them occasionally, I try to limit myself on posting them at the end of my blog posts sometimes because I tend to give detailed blog posts talk a lot. I can’t help it, I have a lot to say.

Getting back to what makes me stay on fire throughout the the whole long year of homeschooling, parenting, helping other homeschoolers and generally just being energized about life, I added a section to the top of the year at a glance form on the right side for a quote of the year.

Curriculum Pages for Planner

Your quote of the year may just be a few words that you are focusing on or verse that you are fond of.

This year I came across a saying on Pinterest which struck a chord with me.

This is the year I will be stronger, braver, kinder and UNSTOPPABLE. This year I will be FIERCE.

Some years I have just wanted to mildly goal plan and other years, like this one I need some fierceness.

With a few trips planned back to the states this year and in between catching up on homeschooling, updating my blog and writing a book along with some other changes, it will be one ~~hectic~~ rocking year.

By the way, I wanted to update you on what came from this form. Look at what I accomplished the next few years with this year at a glance form.

I wrote a book, Homeschooling 31 Day Boot Camp for New Homeschoolers: When You Don’t Know Where to Begin

Also, the New Homeschooler Boot Camp I taught for years in person and wrote a curriculum for, I put it online for all homeschoolers.

A bit of encouragement for you too. Whether you meet your goals or not is not the sign of success, but by planning you greatly increase your chance of successfully meeting them.

It is better to plan than to not plan. Also, though I remind you of this, I need the reminder myself too and that is, as I explained in Planning Homeschool When Drowning in a Sea of Ideas don’t over plan.

Over planning and not meeting goals is just a road for burnout.

With goals clearly marked in order from 1 to 12, a plan stays reachable.

Then at the bottom of the form, I left an area for a 6 month evaluation to write in what you have successfully done and what you may want to work on half way through the year.

Too, sometimes goals can completely change mid-year.

We may have a child struggling with a subject that we may think it will take all year to master and they may do it in three months.

Again, big picture goals change and hopefully, this general year at a glance form will keep all the goals you make wrangled in one place to remind you and me both to look up sometime.

I hope you love the new form as much I do.

Remember it’s a two page spread so be sure to bind it that way in any planner you use of mine.

Look at these other homeschool planner products that I know you’ll love!

7 Easy Steps DIY Homeschool Planner – “Tons of Options & Pretty Color” Begin building your planner

Step 1. Choose a Pretty Front/Back Cover

Step. 2. Choose Calendars/Appointment Keepers

Step 3. Choose Goals/Objectives

Step 4. Choose Lesson Planning Pages Right For You!

Step 5a. Choose Unique forms JUST for You! Not a kazillion other people

Step 5b. Choose MORE Unique Forms JUST for You!

Step 5c. Choose MORE MORE Unique Forms Just for You!

Step 6. Personalize It

Step 7. Bind it! Love it!

How to Download this Freebie.
It’s a Subscriber Only Gift.

From time to time, I do Subscriber Freebies only. This is a subscriber freebie. I do this to show my appreciation and because I want you to follow me and give me a chance to make a difference in your homeschool.

Too, when you join my email list, you get access to my Subscriber’s Only Exclusive Library of Freebies.

This is how you get access to this form quickly.
1) Sign up on my list.
2) Confirm your email.
3) Look for the automatic reply giving you the password to the private subscriber’s area. You should have it soon.

IF you are already a follower/subscriber, PLEASE do NOT email me asking how to find it. You may not want to wait on me replying since I get bombarded with emails.

IF you’ll find the MOST RECENT email from me, the password and link to the Subscribers Area are ALWAYS at the bottom of every email. Look for the most current email since I change the password frequently.

And be sure to check out my Free Organizing Printables Category because I plod along my blog and may have new forms that are not listed yet on one of 7 Steps.

Hugs and love ya,

Year At a Glance Planning Tina's @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Top 10 Favorites

January 1, 2015 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I don’t try to get too sappy here on my blog with the new year and all because I like to keep it to helping you with homeschool how-tos, unit studies, and of course my love for planners. But before I list the top 10 favorites places and posts you loved this past year, I just wanted to say THANK YOU from my heart!

This past year has been a huge change for our family in moving from Texas to South America and downsizing, selling our house, packing and being on a whirlwind adventure took up a good part of the year. It has been exciting, but exhausting.

We are loving it here in South America more than we even imagined and are grateful for however long we can stay. I can’t wait to share more posts about the everyday life here along with all the other topics I love to blog about.

Too, though I shared articles on my New Bee Homeschooler site, the end of this past summer finished my first official year of blogging. I just wanted to say how much I appreciate your comments and emails. Truly, I am touched by each one and you are the best followers.

Each comment and email means a lot to me and I try to answer each one because without you my new little blog would not have seen the tremendous growth it has seen this past year.

I am also grateful that you support my products in my new store. I have many things planned for 2015 and one of them is a book along with other things. I look forward to telling you more about them this year and my other goals.

Soon, I will be posting the top curriculum planner favorites, but check out these top 10 favorites y’all visited.

My Ancient Civilizations Unit Study and Lapbooks which includes Mesopotamia, Indus Valley, Ancient China, Phoenicia, Assyria, Ancient Babylon, Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome continues to be my number 1 unit study and free printables.

Though I posted 50 Keep Me Learning Activities During the Long Cold Winter Days roundup at the end of 2013 when I first started my blog, it was the 2nd most popular one in 2014.

Then, we all loved the 50 Free History Unit Studies–History Lover’s Round Up to give us more ideas for keeping history fun. It took the number 3 spot.

Then I am loving that my first series of my blog my 31 Day Free Boot Camp for New Homeschoolers stayed at my number 4 spot.

Even if you are not new, have you gone through it yet? You may find a tidbit or two to help you if you are struggling with homeschooling. We all need encouragement and on some days more so than others.

Then feeling a little crafty and making it the center of the pack, how to make an Eazy Peazy Roman Costume and Free Printable Set of Wings post took center stage at number 5.

And then my Tropical Rainforest South America Unit Study and Lapbooks for older and younger children along with the page for the Rain Forest Animals of the Amazon comes in 6th place.

Y’all are loving these seasonal roundups. And again, though I posted this in the first few months of blogging in 2013, Free Fall Unit Study Ideas– For Older Kids Too grew to the 7th spot in 2014.

Loving to read about homeschool organization, my post Homeschool Organization + {Storage, Spaces and Learning Places Part 1} came in at number 8.

Then you are loving this Free 8 Page Fan Book–Animals of the Galapagos Islands for number 9.

Then last, but not least, you are visiting my American Revolution Unit Study and lapbook.

What do you think? Were any of these your favorites or did you miss any?

Hugs and love ya,

Linking up @ these awesome places:

Motivation Monday | Mommy Monday | Inspire Me Monday |

Mythological Map – Marco Polo Unit Study

December 30, 2014 | 4 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

We started our next unit study, which is Marco Polo and a study of the Mongolian Empire.

It seems like history books are sometimes focused so much on the conquest of Alexander the Great and don’t realize that Genghis Khan created an empire from China to the Adriatic Sea in Europe. Massive and impressive!

Creating a mythological map for our Marco Polo unit study was just the perfect start to exploring this empire.
I really don’t teach myth when we do history, but just introduce it to the boys.

This was such a perfect time to talk about the myths that existed in the time of Marco Polo because basically the world was unexplored.

They had parts charted like Africa and then because Marco Polo lived in Venice, he was familiar with the Mediterranean Sea and then the rest of the world was unknown.

Hands-on History: Mythological Map – Marco Polo Unit Study

Some of the mapmakers would put warning signs on maps and fill them with mythological creatures because the land was uncharted territory and they thought the rest of the world was filled with dragons and such.

Of course Tiny thought this was way beyond cool and I found the activity to create a mythological map in the book Marco Polo for Kids: His Marvelous Journey to China, 21 Activities (For Kids series) which sparked our creativity.

Look at this short list of materials needed to create this fun and aged map.

Paper size of your choice. We had regular old paper.
Permanent Marker
Coffee and coffee grounds
here.

Have those things in your house?

Another reason why this is such a fun project is that there was very little known of the world and so most of the map can be made up from imagination.
A short geography project is a win-win. No moaning when mapping out mythological and unexplored areas.

Tiny just drew Africa, labeled the Mediterranean Sea and filled in the rest with creatures and monsters and added in his own warning.

I grabbed some left over coffee and a soft rag.

Next, he crumpled up the page and wadded it up real good (he loved that part) and laid it back out again. This helps it to look worn.

The coffee grounds were a must too.

He add in a few of those over some holes he made on the map and it started to take shape. We both wished he had added a bit more coffee grounds over it to mimic aged spots.

Then he took his soft rag and used the old coffee to soak the map.

Be careful to not tear the page, though you do want some of the edges torn. Add a few torn edges.

Then I stuck it in the oven on the lowest heat and dried it for about 5 minutes. Take it out and be careful because now you have an old and brittle map.