The Clipboard Corner

A few pictures from my clipboard corner. :)

First of all, I'm so excited to see this clipboard thing (idea, system?) is helping some of my favorite bloggers! Check out Elizabeth's plans and Matilda's pictures! I'd love to hear from you if you are using the clipboard and/or file crate system. Let me know how it's working for you! :)

So the next piece of news is, I bought a new clipboard for myself last weekend. (That metal clamp with its sharp edges had me envisioning all kinds of potential injuries, most of them involving small bare feet). This new clipboard has a clear acrylic base with a smooth tension clamp and not a sharp edge to be found. I gussied it up today with some Susan Branch stickers (as you can see in the top photo).

And wonder of wonders, did you know you can hang the things up? I myself only discoverd this neat trick a few weeks ago at my homeschool support meeting (and then I promptly forgot about it). Luckily Matilda's post reminded me, so I stuck yet other thumbtack into the window frame (my poor husband) and checked it out! It hangs so neatly and now I see I could have relaxed a bit on the metal clamp issue. Hanging up here it should see little if any interaction with small bare feet. One would think.

Since we moved furniture around in this room after Thanksgiving (lost a sideboard, gained a bench and a tree), the worktable is once again next to the birdfeeder windows. This means two things: a. we will all be much more distracted from our lessons by birdwatching and tree-gazing, and b. I have a new little corner to set up!

Below you see my clipboard hanging up on its push-pin, along with the printouts and papers I needed for today. In the front are some random angel stickers I found and the small piece of paper I use for my daily to do list (a page-a-day tear-off). For the record, I do realize it's blank, but this does not mean I had nothing to do today. It just means I was too busy this morning to write my list out!

On the small table below I set up a small Christmas planning station: the steno notebook I covered in a Christmasy floral and I use it for all my holiday notes. (This took the place of the planner I never got around to organizing this year. I find this slim notepad very easy to pop in my bag when I'm going out and it has plenty of room for all the various holiday planning I need to do. (I always think I need to write down a lot more than I actually do.)

And then I have the card-writing basket. Remember that schedule I set up for myself (10 cards a night)? I'm already behind ...

Below the table I have my Christmas tote - which holds any catalogs I want to keep for online purchasing. I try very hard not to keep each and every catalog that arrives in the mail. Only the ones with tabbed pages (indicating a possible gift idea) go in this bag. I also keep Christmas idea books and special magazines in here, too.

And this final photo has nothing to do with my clipboard, but how cute is my cat? :)

And seeing as how it is 8 o'clock now, I'm thinking Midget has the right idea. :) Before I head off, though, I'm setting up my clipboard for tomorrow, including that little list of things to do. My day may start early, but it's always a better one when I've given it some thought the night before.

Well, I hope you all had a good day ~ see you again sometime soon!

Comments

[Lizz]

This is a picture of my cat George that I took today. http://www.flickr.com/photos/11956213@N05/2069397557/in/photostream/

He could be Midget's brother! Must be what all good cats are doing this time of year.

[Theresa ♥]

I've used the clipboard before for my to do lists too but gave it up in place of a notebook. I had a sheet that I made up on wWord that had 4 different sections. Things to do, Things to buy, e-mails to return and phone calls to return. This daily sheet also had a spot for the date across the top and then what ever didn't get accomplished that day would be carried over to the next days sheet.

[Stacy]

Thanks again for the encouragement! I'm working on my file crate system and and love it. Texas is so easy to homeschool in, and we don't answer to anyone, so I don't have the detailed plans you have. I have noticed that just writing down what we did for the day, and noting what needs help on or daddy to look over in the evening is a great thing for me - then I file that weeks notes in a file like yours...so I can go back and write what we've accomplished or make a trascript from the notes.

I also have a George! Actually, I have 4! My neighbors cat showed up a few elections ago and I called him Albert for a few days, but then changed it to George. He's huge, yellow, and has 6 claws on each foot. He gave my girl kitty a little love, and now we have 3 huge, yellow cats, with huge feet! They are wild, so everyone that is yellow is George! There's Big Nasty George, Big Sexy George, Huge - I want to get a hold of George, and Girl George!

Your table/corner looks great and if I wasn't so far away - I'd drive over to snoop through your notes and goodies.

Have a blessed day!
Stacy in Texas
www.dobeckafarm.blogspot.com

[Dani]

I just ran across directions on how to create a really cute Advent calendar created on a clipboard and thought that I'd follow the directions to "fancy" up my everyday clipboard.

http://katydidcreations.typepad.com/my_weblog/2007/07/santa-claus-is-.html

[Jen]

How funny you should post this...I was getting organized for the day this morning, and thought, "I need to pop over to Dawn's blog and tell her how much I'm loving the file crate system!!" (Although mine is an old picnic basket instead of a crate...:)) I'm still tweaking it, and hoping to spruce it up a bit just for aesthetic purposes, but it is working so well and has been such a blessing already! Thanks for sharing your ideas!!

[Paula in MN]

I have been doing a file system for years, but became truly inspired after reading all of your posts. I had calendars and notebooks and files all over the place, and felt very organized, because I knew where everything was - or at least knew in which 6 different places to look. I'm happy to report that after incorporating some of your ideas, everything is now in one place, I'm down to two calendars, and really am organized! Thank you so much for sharing this with us. Now, if you'd only post your December themes and plans (I love to compare your ideas with mine!)

[Theresa ♥]

Dani, those clipboards that you left the link for area ADORABLE!! When I used my clipboard I put a cute scrapbooking paper on the front and then put pictures of my kids on it. I then covered it with laminating paper to seal it.

These others are so cute though and I love the touch of ribbon.

[Eileen]

Oh, Dawn. This is just so wonderful, and delightfully simple. I've known many talented people in my time, but it's a truly special gift to be able to simply and clearly explain to someone else *how* you do what you do. Thank you so much for sharing. It's (slowly but surely!) having quite an impact on me!!

[mel]

Your file crate system has worked great for me! I pop all kinds of things in my folders,,,like when I pick up various asthma meds from the pharmacy for our 7yo, I can pop the extra label into a folder for the week it should need refilling....our insurance doesn't like to pay for these expensive meds, and if you are late refilling they decide you really must not need them and quit paying!! I also love being able to print off and drop in holiday/seasonal/liturgical year ideas, knowing they will be there waiting when the time comes, and knowing if we don't get to a particular one this year I can save it for the next.

[Rose]

Hi Dawn ~ Love your blog.
Please tell me where to look regarding the diet of your youngest. Is there is a special name for it? I remember reading about it in one of your blogs. I hope to forward it to a friend. Thank you so much and God bless you always. You are a beautiful lady.

[Lisa Haddican]

Hi Dawn,
I use your file crate and clipboard system.:) It has made my life easier. I am working on tailoring it to my famiy. Over all I have not had to "change" too much of your concept. As all the other ladies have said, I want to add my thanks for sharing all of your ideas and thoughts that make your life run smoothly. I like that moms can and do learn from each other.
Blessings! Lisa

[Dawn]

Thanks for the comments, everyone!

Lizz, your George is adorable, and he does look just like my Midget! In fact, he looks a lot like Midget's mother, Mama Kitty, who passed away two years ago.

Rose, the diet is called the Feingold diet and if you look in my archives (link at right) you will find a Feingold archive.

Hopt that helps! :)