Shopping Haul | Target and Mardel's

It's that time of year where I find it very hard to walk past the Dollar Spot at Target. I usually end up spending my whole budget there and don't even get to enjoy the rest of the store. Most of our school room decorations came from the Dollar Spot last year. This year is not much different. I found a lot of new goodies and want to share what I got!

I had seen these books posted all over Instagram and knew they would be fun to read this year with my boys. My first stop at Target I was able to find 5 of them and I later picked up the last of the set. There are 6 in total. The books are Treasure Island, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Anne of Green Gables, The Secret Garden, Little Women, and The Call of the Wild. I also picked up a pack of blank books to use for poetry writing this year. 

 

I also picked up a Multiplication workbook for my youngest to use this summer and a book about Presidents.

Next from the Dollar Spot were these bookmarks. I like to set a time limit as a minimum for my boys so that they read for at least 30 minutes but usually they read longer. Some days though it can be a struggle and I think these will help. They have a timer right on them which will come in  handy!

Next are just a few things that caught my eyes and I figured we could use somehow. The paper roll we will use for Art. The banks we just needed to replace the small ones my boys have had for a while. The dry erase blocks I plan to use in several areas of our homeschool. I want to use them for Language Arts, Writing, and Math at least. I am sure I will find more ways to use them as the year goes on. 

I found these Fossil Digs and Gem Digs to use with our first couple of Chapters of Story of the World. My boys love things like this so I picked up two of each for them. 

The rest of the stuff from Target I didn't really need but had to have. 

Some pretty new stationary items and mouse pad.

Two new coffee cups even though I don't drink coffee. I might have a slight addiction to these cups as I tend to buy one every time we go to Target. I will use them for hot chocolate in the winter. 

A bin for our Math Manipulatives as our Trofast bin from Ikea was getting too small. 

And the popular storage caddy that is all over Instagram that I am in love with and had to search all over for! It is really cute when filled with a lot of colorful school supplies! 

I also made a trip to Mardel's which is a Christian bookstore and School Curriculum store. 

I only picked up a few things this time. 

A Math fact game in hopes it will make memorizing our facts fun.

A inflatable globe and multiplication flashcards.

And a few books to read this school year. Heroes of History; Daniel Boone and Abraham Lincoln. I also picked up Holes because it was a book I really enjoyed in school and we have seen the movie so I think my boys will really like it. 

Have you found any really good items in the Target Dollar Spot or at another Store? 

Feel free to share! I love a good shopping trip!

Curriculum Shopping | Finding the Right Curriculum

With the last school year ended, it is time to start looking and buying next years curriculum. Choosing curriculum can be fun but overwhelming if you aren't sure where to start.

I start by listing what subjects I want to teach this year. Once I have that listed I give myself a budget. It is very easy to over spend when it comes to curriculum. 

I like to include in my list what things I am looking for in each subject. Things like is it Christian based, Secular, or the types of areas I want covered.

I made up a printable that I used to make up my subject list and curriculum I wanted to look into more. You can get it HERE

When I have my budget and list of subjects together it is time to start researching and reading reviews on the different types of curriculum out there. I tend to just go to my search engine and type in things like History Homeschool Curriculum or 6th grade Homeschool Math Curriculum. This usually brings up a mix of reviews and publishers that have what I am looking for. 

Once you have an idea of curriculum you are interested in, it's time to get your hands on it. A couple ways to do this is to go to Homeschool Conventions or in a Store. You can usually find Samples online also.

Now that you have figured out what you are going to use; purchase it. Keep an eye out for sales from the publishers or even used curriculum through Amazon or Facebook groups. 

After it is ordered comes the waiting period, but once it is delivered it feels like Christmas morning when you get to open all of the packages and really dive into each book. 

What's your favorite part about Curriculum Shopping? Any tips for those who may just be starting out with Homeschooling?

School Supply Haul

It's back to school season in all of the stores! That means it's time to start shopping for school supplies with all of the good deals out there!

I started by making a list of items that our curriculum suggested we would need and items that are commonly needed when doing school work!

When deciding what we would need I wrote down a number for how many items of each supply we would need. I ended up buying less than I was going to but figured with homeschooling for the first year I can always pick up stuff as needed for replacements. 

Here are my suggestions for others that want to know what I bought and possibly what they may need when homeschooling!

Binders, Folders, Spiral Notebooks, Dividers, and Notebook paper. 

I let my boys pick out a couple of fun folders as they have never been able to because in Public School items were shared and no fun type folders were allowed. 

Art Paper, Construction Paper, and Printer Paper.

Pencils, Pens, Dry Erase Markers, Highlighters, Markers, Colored Pencils, Chalk and Crayons.

Play-dough, Erasers, Index Cards, Scissors, Paper Fasteners, Rulers, Liquid Glue, and Glue-sticks.

Some of the items I bought in certain colors as one of my children will be using blue items and the other using red items. They each have a supply caddy that they can move from their desk to our center table. So I figured it'd be easier for those supplies to be color coordinated so they don't get confused on who has what. 

This is our basic school supply haul! 

Christmas Shopping List

Christmas shopping season is here and with that I like to have a nice list that I can easily track what gifts I have bought, what I need, and what needs to be wrapped still. 

This printable makes all of that easy peasy! 

 

At the top I place the person's name that I am shopping for. Then I list the gifts and prices as I find them. On the left side under the little present; I check when the item has been wrapped. The right side I check under the check mark when I have completed everything that deals with that gift. 

This process really has helped me when shopping for my husband, my kids, and family! 

I hope it helps you too! 

You can download the printable HERE!

Black Friday Preparations

When shopping on Black Friday/Thursday there is a lot to get prepared for. Here are my tips from past years of shopping Black Friday. 

I always start with setting a budget. If money is no object than skip this step. For me having a budget keeps me from over spending and buying things I don't need. 

Once my budget is set it is time to start looking through all of the Ads that have leaked at this point. I never wait until Thanksgiving Day to start my planning. Start now. There are many sites online that share the leaked ads. My favorite is BFads.net.

At this point I start to make a list of items I need for gifts or things I have been waiting to buy. I list the item, the price, and the time the store opens. Some stores have their sales in shifts so this is important for me to know what time and what items are on sale during that shift. 

Another helpful tip I was given several years ago is to ask a Store Manager if they have a Black Friday Map. Some managers will share the layout of the store and where items will be, so by having that map available. You will be able to prepare even more for the rush and more likely to get the items you want. 

~Actual Day~

Be prepared for cold weather if you live in a state that gets cold. 

There are going to be long lines to get in the store and to get out of the store. 

If you can have a team of people with you, you will be able to get in stores and out of stores faster. You can split up and shop and then meet together to check out.

If you are in a team have a set meeting place for everyone ahead of the actual day. 

Have your checkout method ready when in line. There is nothing worse than being in a hurry and that one person in line isn't ready and is having to fish through a purse or pocket for credit card or money. This is not a time to even have a purse on you as the crowds are huge and they tend to just be in the way. If you can carry your money in your pocket or cards in your pocket that is best. 

Once you all have checked out head to the vehicles. If you are in a SUV bring blankets to cover your items. Theft is high during this time as they know most people out are shopping. 

And last but not least Have Fun! 

If you don't get the item you wanted that is okay. 

It's not like they won't ever have the item again.

A tip for those that hate Black Friday shopping most deals are live on store websites the Sunday before! 

I know I will be doing my Black Friday shopping online this year!

 No crowds for me this year!

Do you have any Black Friday Tips? If so comment and share!