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by Alicia Hutchinson

THE 6-WEEK MASTER PLAN

I am so excited about this post.

I’m most certain I am more excited about it than you will be, but I’m telling you anyway because I told Jarrod and all I got was that raise-your-eyebrows-real-high-closed-lip-smile thing. Do you know what I’m talking about? Ok, well that’s what I got so I’m hoping for more from you guys because I know you can appreciate a little organization right??

Two Mondays ago I was feeling draggy…unmotivated-like. My family is coming the third week in May and my brain was all funked as to what I should do with my growing to-do list with school and obligations and how I was going to get it all done and how it’s so hard to get back in the swing of school after a big visit like that.

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I need action plans.  So I made a six-week plan for school.  I just wrote out everything I wanted to get done this school year and packed it in to 6 weeks.

So I took the whole “plan out your last 6 weeks of school thing” and multiplied it times a billion or so. All last week I organized my planner, lesson plan book, papers, calendars, menus and more. For the next six weeks, I. will. have. a. plan.

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We have just finished week one of the 6-week plan.

And can I just say….we totally rocked week one!

One of the things I did was reorganize my planner. I love my planner. I talked about it back here. The thing was though, it was getting all beat up and it was unorganized with random papers shoved in it. Martha Stewart helped me spiff up my planner. (thanks, girl.)

Here’s the break down of how the masta-planna is looking now.

My 6 Week Master Planner

Calendar Section: pretty straight forward
Daily Section: tasks, daily schedule, blog schedule, and to-do sheets
Do you like to dig in people’s business and find out how they organize? Just me? Ok well if not, here’s a bit more detail…(keep in mind I am not normally this anal, but this IS a 6-week marathon of sorts, so one must plan out the details.)

 

 

 

In the Menu Section I typed a list of 12 meals to rotate over the next six weeks. I have been terrible about planning my menu and have not been very good about making dinner so this way I have 12 meals that I know are good and I’m not allowing myself to stray from it. Of course we’ll eat out our fair share too so I don’t think we’ll get tired of these meals.

 

Behind the Meal Plan page I have a Weekly Menu chart that I found HERE that I love. I printed off a whole bunch of these and put them in the planner.

List Section: Target, Groceries, Library, Liquor Store…ha! Just kidding (I think)

The rest of the planner is:
Project Section: lists and ideas of things I want to do or work on; organize school bookshelves, paint boys’ beds, decorate a giant “S” and hang in Sophia’s room…stuff like that.
Book List: this is where I keep track of what I’ve read and what I want to read. If I don’t write it down I’ll forget.
Address Section: I know what you’re thinking, that I should have all that in my phone. But I’m more of a pencil/ paper kinda girl. I’ve had this address list for years.
So that’s the master planner right there. It goes in my purse where ever I go.
Then there’s the lesson plan book that I totally attacked and filled to the brim. When I say “to the brim” that means our brim. I know how much we can handle. Or should I say, I know how much I can handle so it’s full but it’s just right.
I planned out and organized everything I want to cover for these last six weeks. We’ll finish our history curriculum and do some fun unit studies. This week we finished a super fun study on bread of all things…it was so fun! I’ll share more on that later. I planned out several fun field trips to go with our last few unit studies.  We’re also finishing up our language arts books and organizing all our papers. We will not, however, be completing our math books. Both boys will finish the year with several lessons left.
And guess what???
I don’t care.
Normally I would care.
A wise soul recently reminded me that never hardly in school did we ever fully complete a textbook and that’s so true.
I’m not going to fret it, so there.
The other thing I organized last week was a Master Homeschool Binder. I’ve needed to do one of these for the last four years and haven’t till now. It has sheet protectors and sections and typed labels…I’m completely swoony over it.
This six-week master plan has focused me.  I am excited about school once again, not just going through the motions.  I have not felt this focused and on track in months…months! Focused is good.
I love this six-week thing so much I think I will do another plan for the summer….a master summer plan perhaps? With things like a menu of 12 grilled food meals, a project list of sandcastles and making Popsicles, and a lesson plan of summer reading programs and bike rides.
Thanks for being excited with me!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Rebekah Harris says

    You must have been reading my mind back in 2012 because this is what I need right now! I love seeing how way more organized people than me plan so I can copy their ideas!;) thanks for sharing and for picking your brain for me!!!

  2. Rebekah Harris says

    I just started following you on Instagram and now am hooked on your blog. You must have been reading my mind way back in 2012 because this is exactly what I need right now to get ready for the school year! I love to see how other people plan who are way more organized than me and steal their ideas, thanks so much! You are awesome!

  3. Lindsey says

    Just wanted to say you have inspired me! I saw this post and knew it was exactly what I needed to get re-motivated. Thank you for sharing!

  5. Farmgirl Paints says

    I'm blog stalking you. Rereading you master plan. I'm thinking maybe I need to hire you to organize my life. Maybe I need a plan to get out of my dreadful funk;) OR maybe all my lists put me in my funk to begin with…

  6. Kathy says

    can I just say … I LOVE this post … I am SO doing this. It is exactly what I need to keep us going and to finish out our year strong. thank you thank you thank you! =)

  9. Ricki Jill Treleaven says

    Wow, I am so impressed! 😀 I live by a list, but I need to better organize my time during the week. I have tried to go paperless and use my iPad, but I do not think it is working for me. I might refer back to your blog…I might need a binder!

    xo,
    RJ

  10. Cula says

    LOVE IT! I must know where you got the lesson plan calendar book thing. I've been looking for one just like that.

  11. Mary ♥ Mur says

    ♥
    Really like your blog!
    A wonderful post!

    Have you got an account in instagram?
    If yes, write me your name!

    ♥

  14. Nessa Bixler says

    Love it – I have been slowly building a binder of things and you have given me some great ideas to make things flow a bit better… and to make it pretty!

  15. meg + andy says

    Bless your beautiful heart for giving us all the details! You know we were all drooling to know what was in that super duper organized binder…so THANK YOU for sharing. you are awfully, awfully sweet. 🙂

  16. Sarah says

    Girl, you are one of the only friends I have left who still writes things on real paper with a real pen. I am right (write…ha) there with you. I neeeed to see my own handwriting in ink.

    I've been thinking about how I want to have a better schedule with my days. My kids are at a flexible age and I need to take advantage of that better.

    Loved talking with you this week. Let's add that to the calendar too… creative brainstorming sessions!

  17. Biz says

    I am all about some good organization!
    My plan this weekend is to "organize something" so that I can link up next week!
    Be Blessed and Happy Easter!

  18. kirstin & tricia says

    oh how I love this. I love lists. I love being orgnanized. I love it when those two go together.

    we are headed on a big grad trip at the end of may for more than a month (!?!?!?!?!), so I have a list of "63 things to do before graduation." it's split into 'house,' 'grad party,' 'blog,' 'sew/create,' and 'trip.' I am not making much progress (and if you do the math, I should be getting at least one project done a day), but I still love the list. 🙂

    WAY to go friend! love it!

  21. Mary says

    you and robin are so darn cute! 🙂
    you totally kick my butt in this.
    like….you are 1000 ft ahead of me in the marathon kicking.my.butt.!!!

    can you host a workshop and teach me all of this? skype, perhaps? heehee!
    i LOVE that meal planner and am going to use it!
    i absolutely HAVE to start budgeting for food better because food is soooooo expensive!
    great job!
    xo

  22. Robin says

    Thanks for being my go to gal when I need some help getting focused..you've been there a gazzilion times for me. If we were on the school playground I might just have to say to you, "I like my binder better than your's!" but that would be mean and untrue because you have pretty colored tabs. And since we are not mean school girls anymore but pilgrims on a journey,I say, "Go girl! Yeah for all things focused and making them pretty." I love you with all my organized and planned out heart.

  24. Christina says

    Great Job! I need to do this and love being organized (have to be to no feel overwhelmed, in fact) but when it comes to lists and "paper work" side of it, I never know where to start and how to do it.

    A couple of questions…. exactly which binder do you have that fits in your purse (or do you just have a HUGE purse)? and I need tips on organizing lesson plans for different children in different grade levels. Right now we are finishing up kindergarten but soon enough I'll have a kindergartener and 1st grader. (future blog idea? hehe)

    P.S. SOOOOOO excited to get my journal in the mail that I bought from you 🙂 The design and colors of the fabric are so peaceful and relaxing looking.

  25. Blissful Blooms says

    1. You are adorable, I mean reeeeeally adorable.
    2.I NEED one of those planners.
    3. You motivated me in a big way this morning- thank you girl- needed that!
    4. Loved our sweet chat yesterday.
    5. Please know that I think you're amazing.

  28. Tara says

    I am doing this! I have been absent from my blog, overhelmed with my day job, etsy shop, family obligations, and few other tough things going on in our lives right now. I think and hope this will pull me out from under that cloud. Thank you friend! I enjoy your blog!

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