Shelly – Page 26

by Shelly on July 24, 2018 2 Comments

Homeschool Organization for First Time Homeschoolers

Homeschool Organization for First Time Homeschoolers- Being a first time homeschool Mama my biggest fear is our daughter’s lack of education because of me. I have been dedicated all summer to research homeschooling and preparing the curriculum to make it easier when school starts. Add this stress with a newborn baby and you’ll see what my first few months of school will be like!

I’m sure over this year my organization will change and adapt to how we use it, but for now I think I’ve got a good set up for our needs. I will be teaching Pre-K to our daughter who is already at the Kindergarten level. My goal is to keep teaching her at her level while she is still interested in learning. We have one room dedicated as the ‘library room’ where I’ve intertwined her school materials. I will write another post on the exact curriculum and resources we’ll be using but today I wanted to show you how we have everything set up.

If you are unable to watch the video, here are some photos detailing how I’ve organized the space. The key was to make things easily accessible for our daughter who is not reading yet with picture labels. I also have several activities she can do on her own during times I need to be tending to the baby. Giving her a mix between teacher led lessons, work alone lessons and field trips. Check my post on field trip locations around us and you might be able to adapt it to your area.

I’d love to know any suggestions you have for organization that has worked well for you. What did you do to prepare for the year ahead to make it a smooth transition from summer to school season?

Homeschool Field Trips Around Indianapolis

Preschool Montessori Bedroom

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by Shelly on July 21, 2018 1 Comment

Tips for a Smooth Back to School

Tips for a Smooth Back to School- With the first day of school lingering in the not-so-distant future, you’re probably feeling both excited and overwhelmed. From creating healthy sleep habits and establishing a good morning routine to handling back to school anxiety and learning how to make communication more manageable, we’ve got 10 back to school tips and tricks for parents to help make this your best year yet!

Tips for a Smooth Back to School

1.) Make a countdown- using a calendar, paper chain or white board start a countdown a couple weeks before school. With this countdown ease into their school routine with bedtime, setting out their clothes for the next day and when they’ll be waking up. It’ll be hard to stick to those routines while wanting to get in as much fun as you can but it will help the transition immensely if you start early.

2.) Keep an affirming and positive attitude- you know that your child will reap the benefits of going to school. Try to keep any anxiety or stress you may have from showing to your child.

3.) Visit the school- This is a great practice for young kids starting preschool or Kindergarten. It is equally great for children entering a new school. Map out their classes and let them try out their locker. Park where they will park and walk in making their first day of school more familiar.

4.) Have an easy morning routine- Routine is the key word here. It may take a few weeks or even months to figure out the perfect routine for your family but once you’ve got it, stick with it. Write it out or discuss it with your kids to let them know how you’d like to see the morning go. Have them help you figure out what works best for them.

5.) Even better, have a great evening routine- Although morning routines help with the ease into a new day, setting up an evening routine can make that morning routine breeze by. Again, see what works best for your family. Maybe make a chart or a evening routine clock that shows what things they need to accomplish before lights out. Do as much as you can the night before so the next morning is simple (set out clothes, make lunches, look at the week ahead etc.)

6.) Go school shopping- Head to the store for their favorite foods in their packed lunch. Purchase the necessary school supplies or even a new First Day outfit. Get haircuts. Having a day with them to prepare for the new year ahead will let them know you want to make this as easy as possible for them.

7.) Create a drop zone/command center for backpacks and permission slips- Talk to your child about homework rules and where they should put papers that need to be looked at or signed. Have enough space for each child’s backpack, shoes, water bottles or anything else they will be carrying home from school so there is no frustration in the morning to find these items. Make sure they know it’s their space and their responsibility to keep their items there.

8.) Make a school calendar- Add all of the Holidays and School info and hang it where your child can see it. If they join a club or sport have them write in their games or practices to let them have a little responsibility over knowing when their time is scheduled. If you have a younger child, use stickers to let them know which days they have games or practices. Starting this habit of letting them schedule their time will help them decide what is too much on their plate.

9.) Listen and be present- As tempting as it is to tell our kids they have nothing to worry about as a way to distract them, sometimes the best thing we can do as parents is to simply listen. If your child is finding school stressful, allow her to put her feelings into words so you can figure out exactly what is bothering her and (hopefully) find a solution to her worries. Spend 5-10 minutes connecting with each child in the morning or evening routine- with your phone put away. Talk about who they’re excited to see or what they’re going to do at recess. If they are nervous for the week ahead brainstorm a family activity for the weekend.

10.) Outsource your time- Know that it’s OK to ask for help. Figure out what is taking up a lot of your time, therefore, keeping you from your family. Is there a way to pay to have it done by someone else? Hire a cleaning service, utilize grocery pick up or delivery, make crock pot meals, car pool with other parents for practices. There are a lot of ways to simplify all of the busyness if you are able to step back and see what needs to be adjusted.

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by Shelly on July 19, 2018 Leave a Comment

Salads Your Kids Will Love

‘This post has been sponsored by Tyson®. All thoughts and opinions are my own.’

Salads Your Kids Will Love – Four-year-olds are notorious for asking for one meal and then once dinner is on the table, asking for a different one. At least that is how mine is. In our home, we give her the same dinner we’re eating. If she chooses to not eat it all at the table with us, she can eat it as a snack later if she’s hungry. Vegetables are the tough part, and we’re always trying to find new veggies that she enjoys. Thankfully we’ve stumbled on two colorful salads that she loves eating as well as making!

Salads Your Kids Will Love

Thankfully we have a Kroger close to our house that we love shopping at. Our favorite part about shopping there is the ClickList program where you can order your groceries the night before and pick them up on the way home from the library the next morning! Makes it super easy to stick to our meal plan and budget. Learn more about savings at Kroger here. If you are looking for meal planning help check out Tyson’s calendar here.

Kroger also has all our favorite brands (including Hillshire Farm® and Tyson®) to make our favorite meals. Tyson is also offering $6 towards a movie ticket at the register when you buy any 5 of these participating products in 1 transaction: State Fair® Corn Dogs, Tyson® Chicken Nuggets and Strips, Hillshire Farm® Lunchmeat, Hillshire Farm® Smoked Sausage, Jimmy Dean® Frozen Breakfast, Jimmy Dean® Fully Cooked Sausage and Simple Scrambles™ products between 7/25/18-8/8/18 (excludes online purchases)

We’ve made lots of combinations of salads over the years, and we’ve found two that really please each of us. The best part is that they’re super easy and quick to make!

Mandarin Chicken Salad

Ingredients (in order of how you can add them to a jar for lunch the next day):

Salad Dressing (we use Classic Sweet Dijon but poppy seed would be great, too)
Blueberries
Mandarin Oranges
Romaine Lettuce (add spinach or kale for adults)
Tyson® Frozen Grilled and Ready Chicken Strips
Sunflower Seeds

Strawberry Ham Salad

Ingredients (in order of how you can add them to a jar for lunch the next day):

Salad Dressing (we use Classic Sweet Dijon but a raspberry vinaigrette would be great, too)
Strawberries
Red Grapes (halved)
Romaine Lettuce (add spinach or kale for adults)
Hillshire Farm® Smoked Ham (chopped)
Pecan halves

One of our favorite parts of these salads, besides that our daughter enjoys making them, is the ease of taking them for leftovers to work and school the next day! We layer them in the jars after we make them for dinner and our lunch is set for the next day!

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by Shelly on July 16, 2018 Leave a Comment

Hoosier Salon Returns to Indiana State Museum

Hoosier Salon returns to Indiana State Museum

INDIANAPOLIS– The annual Hoosier Salon exhibition, featuring artwork from more than 120 Indiana artists, returns to the Indiana State Museum for its 94th run beginning Aug. 3. The competition is Indiana’s longest-running art exhibition and is considered to be the preeminent juried exhibition of Indiana art by Indiana artists. While the art will be on display to the public Aug. 3 through Oct. 14, it will also be for sale – and the bidding begins on Aug. 2 at a special preview event that starts at 6 p.m.

Art by Amos Carol

Hoosier Salon Returns to Indiana State Museum

During the preview event, the winners will be announced for this year’s show, and the artwork will officially go on sale. Tickets for the preview event can be purchased online through July 27 athoosiersalon.org.

This year, more than 250 artists applied to the show, including several who are in their 20s, and the show has more young and up-and-coming artists than in previous years.

“The jurors did an excellent job,” said Jim May, executive director of the Hoosier Salon. “In addition to bringing back some long-time participants, 22 of the artists selected are first-timers, helping us to gain ground on our goal of getting new and younger artists from across the state to become members and enter.”

This is the second year back at the Indiana State Museum after a five-year run at the Indiana Historical Society, and the museum is honored to host the show once again.

“We are delighted to partner with the Hoosier Salon again this year at the Indiana State Museum,” said Cathy Ferree, president and CEO of the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites. “The show offers us an opportunity to give visitors access to the best art representing Indiana artists from across the state and around the country.”

In conjunction with the Hoosier Salon exhibition, a kids’ show will be on display in the museum: the Indiana Electric Cooperatives’ Calendar of Student Art Contest. This show features artwork from K-12 students that will be displayed in the cooperative’s annual wall calendar, with a first-place winner selected from each grade to go into the calendar. The winners of the kids’ show will also be announced on Aug. 2 during a 2 p.m. event.

The cost of both shows is included with the purchase of general museum admission, which is free for Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites members.

# # #

The Hoosier Salon is a statewide, nonprofit artist-service organization whose mission is to create an appreciation of visual art by promoting Indiana artists and their work. The organization has locations in Carmel and New Harmony.

The Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites is located in White River State Park in the heart of downtown Indianapolis. It is Indiana’s museum for science, art and culture, offering a place where you can celebrate, investigate, remember, learn and take pride in Indiana’s story in the context of the broader world. Even the building is a showcase of the best Indiana has to offer in architecture, materials and sculpture. Easy and convenient parking is available in the attached underground garage.

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by Shelly on July 12, 2018 1 Comment

Homeschool Field Trips Around Indianapolis

Homeschool Field Trips Around Indianapolis- One of the greatest things about Indianapolis are all the great museums and parks. This makes for a really fun place to do field trips as a homeschooling parent! I’ve been researching where we should go in coordination with our curriculum this year and found an overwhelmingly large amount of cool places. There’s literally a place for any subject you’re learning about. I broke it up by indoor and outdoor locations in case you’re doing a spur of the moment trip but this is only a small percentage of all that Indianapolis has to offer.

The beginning of our year will start out pretty slow because of my lack of sleep with a newborn. Having a baby late in July means we’ll be starting the year off slow which is why I’m researching like crazy awesome places to visit once we’re mobile and able to explore! I’ve been to all of these locations but have never visited through the eyes of a teacher. The numerous amount of hands-on information we will learn is exciting!

15 Homeschool Field Trips Around Indianapolis

Below I’ve given suggestions of locations but there are multiple locations within each category you could explore. The website will link to the educators page of each location.

Get Outdoors

Farms-Fair Oaks Farm- Lots to do and see on this dairy farm. You can learn about animals and their birth and what they do on the farm. Check the website for elementary, middle school and high school quizzes that go along with what you’ll be learning. You can pack a lunch but there is also a large variety of food options in the cafe. Try the grilled cheese and buy a chocolate milk to go, you won’t regret it!

Orchards- Tuttle Orchard- take a tour of the orchard (apox 2 hours) and learn about the history, economics and how weather affects apples! Home School Day is October 10, 2018. Sign up online starting August 1st.

Zoos- Indianapolis Zoo- Zoos are the perfect place for specific animal studies but our zoo is so vast, there are so many great opportunities! You could learn about conservation of the animals (specifically in the dolphin show) or have chats with various animals (sea lions, macaws, lions, cheetahs to name a few). Moderate temperatures are best for visits as the animals are more playful. My favorite time to visit is when it’s raining because there are no crowds, you can observe as long as you want and if you bring a big striped umbrella or wear a yellow rain coat the animals get more playful!

Conner Prairie- Conner Prairie is our very favorite Indy spot to explore. Take on a role in Prairietown by using our Adventure Guide and Achievement Cards, link history with hands-on science in our Create.Connect gallery, and experience Indiana’s brush with the Civil War at 1863 Civil War Journey. Also be sure to explore the Conner House, and take a journey out to our newest exhibit, Treetop Outpost. August 28 and September 12, 2018
$5.50 per student, $8.50 per chaperone, free for primary educator.

Eagle Creek Park- explore, hike, picnic, and learn! Visit both nature centers and explore the park grounds for educational experiences on your own, or sign up your group of students for one of our environmental education program offerings. The Fall 2018 programs will be held Friday November 2nd and Friday April 5th.
Fort Harrison Park (and other State Parks)- Again, great location for nature lessons with lots of shade. Be sure to check out each park’s website for a list of fun classes/activities to go along with your visit and the link that shares coloring pages and rainy day activities.
Spring Mill State Park- take a trip back in time to the 1800s while exploring history and nature in this one location!

Indoor Locations

Indiana State Museum- The ISM has a great program lined up for 2018. Check out their K-12 School Guide on page 19 to learn more about each program offered. Be sure to check the age range before signing up. Be sure to pack a lunch for this location as their cafe is on the pricier side.

The Children’s Museum- I’m not sure what you wouldn’t be able to do a lesson on at TCM. My daughter attended their preschool program last year and she learned about such a wide range of topics. Check their site for their various programs as well as pricing for each class. They also offer day camps during break.

Libraries- Indianapolis Public Library (6-12), Hamilton East Public Library- We’ve got libraries in every town so just choose one closest to you and check out their program offerings. Up on the north side, Noblesville and Fishers have locations very dedicated to their children’s programs. They’re constantly adding more classes/programs for all ages and are very interested in what we want to learn about. Oh it’s also a great place for books! at the HSE locations there are cubbies for learning as well as rooms with desks and outlets that you can grab on a first come first serve basis.

Museum of Miniature Houses- this darling museum’s permanent collection comes from the more modern miniature world and includes children’s doll houses that are not to scale (and have been well-loved), as well as small scale reproductions of items (many are quite exquisite) that become the contents of dollhouses, room boxes, vignettes, or any setting that the ingenious miniaturist chooses to create, often with painstaking attention to detail. They also offer workshops on how to build your own small scale items (check the age limit).

Arts Council of Indianapolis- The Arts Council is a great place to look for lessons on all arts. Music, art classes, culture and more are all around the city all throughout the year.

Eitlejorg- The Eitlejorg is primarily a Native American museum but there are also several rotating exhibits featuring other topics. Jingle Rails is a fun exhibit in the winter showcasing a large model train scene that is very intricate. The website does not mention discounts for home schooling but the discount is $5 per person—students and accompanying adults. Children 4 and under are free. Again, bring your lunch to this field trip because there aren’t many places close by for food and their cafe is pricey.

Indy 500 Hall of Fame Museum (The track offers “School Days” two weeks before the Indy 500. Students and chaperones get into the track FREE; receive a FREE parking pass; and FREE access to the Hall of Fame Museum. Lunches can be purchased or you can bring your own lunch into the track. Up close and personal views of the drivers, pit lane, and more. Watch your favorite drivers practice for the upcoming race. Awesome experience and great field trip fun!)

Newfields (Indianapolis Museum of Art)- their are hands on art classes, guided tours and self tours available at Newfields. Tours must be scheduled three weeks prior to your visit. This is a great way to introduce your children to a ‘grown up’ space where we have to learn to be more quiet. Bring a sack lunch!

If you’re in the Indy area or coming to Indy for a trip to one of these fantastic places, I’d love to show you around and do a lesson with you this year. Just contact me at shelly@diymamablog.com.

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Homeschool Organization for First Time Homeschoolers

Tips for a Smooth Back to School

Tips for a Smooth Back to School

Salads Your Kids Will Love

Salads Your Kids Will Love

Mandarin Chicken Salad

Strawberry Ham Salad

Hoosier Salon Returns to Indiana State Museum

Hoosier Salon Returns to Indiana State Museum

Homeschool Field Trips Around Indianapolis

15 Homeschool Field Trips Around Indianapolis

Get Outdoors

Indoor Locations

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