Just another busy day of Homeschooling....

With the rare few moments I have this afternoon I thought I'd sit out on my sunny verandah with my freshly made apple, carrot, tomato and ginger juice and let you all know what we've been up to today!

This morning started off with a nice morning jog with Dane. We managed a steady 2.4kms at a very good time considering Dane is only 6 and new to running with me. I stopped at my favourite Little Green Cafe on the way home and grabbed a morning coffee and came home to delve into the kitchen.

First I made a loaf of my healthy gluten free banana bread (MY OWN RECIPE HERE) followed by some healthy choc goodness balls (MY OWN RECIPE HERE), followed by my delicious smoked salmon dip (recipe to come). I served the boys up some morning tea on the verandah and finished up in the kitchen doing the dishes.

The boys ventured outside to play, jump on the trampoline, ride their bikes and came across a grasshopper being eaten by ants. They decided to save him and take him to a safe spot in the garden. A conversation ensued between the boys as to what food insects like eating and where they lived.

Meanwhile I did some blogging on my new Healthy Blog, aptly named ANGIE'S HEALTHY KITCHEN. I started my new blog 5 days ago and it has already had over 400 hits!! I'm very excited about being able to help people to eat more healthily and think more about being healthy for life.

Not long after the banana bread was ready and so we all sat together and ate it for a light lunch before setting off for a fun outing with our Homeschooling friends at a place called Bricks and Fun at Capalaba. The boys joined their group for a 1 hour session viewing the displays and making their own special creations. They enjoyed it immensely and can't wait to go back very soon!

Arriving home Bailey finished off some Christmas craft and then decided to spend some quiet time in the Lego room building an off road camper and 4 wheel drive. The other boys played nicely with some playdough on the verandah before venturing outside to play with our dog Lilly. They have just now come upstairs for a snack of some vegie crackers but I am sure they'll be back downstairs playing in no time. Bailey will do some reading with me later this evening whilst Dane sits in and listens.

Soon it will be time to go cook some dinner for the family and in a few short hours the boys will all be tucked up into their beds ready our new adventure tomorrow!

HOMESCHOOL ATHLETICS CARNIVAL 2012

Last week our boys participated in the Athletics carnival that was held for all Brisbane homeschoolers. The carnival was lead by the staff from Physi Kids, a physical education group that holds health & fitness classes for kindergartens, schools and community groups. They did an amazing job organising and running the program for the children that ranged in ages from 2 years to 15 years.

There were 3 weekly lead up sessions held before the big carnival to give the children a good idea of how best to participate in the sports. The sports on offer were the 80m sprint, 80m hurdles, 400m run, long jump, high jump, shotput, discus and javelin. Novelty races were also held at the end of the carnival. The good old favourites such as egg and spoon race, 3 legged race and the sack race proved to be a big hit with the littlies and the older children. Juniors participated in a special Physi kids class whilst the older children did the more serious events. They played limbo, team sports and a game of tag all to a soundtrack of fun, whimsical music.

Bailey and Dane were really looking forward to the big day in the weeks leading up to the event. They attended all the training sessions and practised at home so they could do their very best running, jumping and throwing on the day. I take them both regularly on runs around our suburb, sometimes up to 3kms at a time so I knew running the 400m wouldn't seem far for them.

Morning of the big day we lathered ourselves in sunscreen and packed our car up with the picnic table/chairs and umbrella for some shelter. I was busy baking healthy snacks for us for the day right up until the last few minutes of leaving! We arrived and were so glad the weather seemed to be holding out for us. The oval was filled with families arriving, setting up their trackside spots for the day and getting kids ushered to the running track for the first events. I told the boys that as long as they tried their very best I would be extremely proud of them. Dane was determined he was going to get at least one ribbon for the day!

Bailey did very well in all his events. His age group was probably the most competitive, filled with many boys keen to give their best. He ended up winning the sack race, placing second in one of the throwing events (he cannot remember which one) and placing third in the 400m.

Dane proved to be a total over-achiever! He placed first in the long jump, high jump, discus and javelin. He placed second in the sprint, hurdles and 400m run. He was very thrilled with his success on the day and delighted to place his collection of ribbons up on the fridge for all to see.

Our family really enjoyed the carnival and hope that the community can come together again next year for another event. I'm pretty sure I won't be able to keep Ehren away from the big kids running events next time though, he's busy practising for now and tells me he can do it too!

Our Mount Barney Camping adventure

Last weekend we were lucky enough to get away for a family camp along with many of our Homeschooling friends. One of our more experienced camping Mums chose Mt Barney as our location and I must admit that at first I was a little hesitant when I heard a creek ran right along the camping ground. I tend to be a bit of a 'freaker' when it comes to water as I have 3 non-swimmers amongst my 4 boys (we're working hard on the swimming thing). Anyway we decided to go along on advice that the creek was out of immediate sight and was fenced off to a certain extent. I made sure we set up our tent on the opposite side of the campground which also helps ease my nerves a little.

Turns out the creek really was far enough away to not be overly concerned. The creek itself ended up being quite a godsend as it happened to be fairly warm during the day. The younger boys proved to be very well behaved and stayed within the campsite playing happily with their friends. In fact all 4 of the boys gave both Clif and I a chance to relax and enjoy the company of the other Mums and Dads.

We arrived late afternoon on the Thursday and set up camp. We took our awesome Black Wolf turbolite tent with us so it took very little time to set up and settle in for the night. The older boys set off for a nightwalk with the other kids being led by Innes, the owner and manager of Mt Barney Mountain Lodge. Innes is an energetic and lively fellow. The kids loved his larrakin nature and he had a great way of motivating the kids all weekend, even when their energy levels were waning. Innes never stops, he's super fit and knows the land like the back of his hand which made you felt like you were all in very safe hands. The kids made damper after their night walk and had a sausage sizzle dinner before returning back to us ready for bed. By then we had managed to get the little ones down to sleep so we had a nice time relaxing around the campfire with the other parents.

The next morning we needed to be up early and ready for a big bush walk commencing at 8am. Turns out I need not have worried about being prepared in time, the little boys woke up with the birds, just as they did all 3 mornings that we were there! We managed to get in a bacon and eggs breakfast before I took off with the big boys and left Clif back at camp with the little ones. The walk started at the lodge and took us up through Mt Barney National Park, following the creek up into the depths of the forest. I'm quite accustomed to bush walking with great fitness level these days but I must tell you this bush walk even had me eagerly waiting each waterhole stop along the way! The walk itself was approximately 7km long but it was the terrain that proved the biggest challenge. We spent a good half of that distance rock hopping along the creek, crouching down under trees, branches and wading through waist deep scrub (or should I say neck deep for poor Dane and the younger kids in the group). It was fun though, a true adventure. We felt like we were in some small way living a day in Bear Grylls footsteps!! We stopped off at 3 waterholes along the way, each one providing clearer water and more lush surrounds. Innes advised the final waterhole was by far the best and where he would be stopping for a swim himself. I waited for that last waterhole to have my swim and it was well worth the sweaty, exhausting wait.

The water was cold but so very refreshing. You needed to be very careful getting in as the edges consisted of slippery, moss laden rocks. Innes showed the kids the one spot where it was safe to jump in off a large rock that protruded across the waterhole. They all delighted in taking turns, running back up around the rocks to climb up and take another turn. It wasn't long before I was targeted to give it a go chanting "Angie, Angie, Angie". The inner child in me let loose and besides I couldn't let my own boys think that I was scared, surely? I followed up the jump with a relaxing float along the stretch of water whilst keeping an eye on Dane playing in the shallows with Johnny, Melody and Torran. They decided together as a team to build a dam across the creek entry to the waterhole. It was another of those moments when your truly grateful that your children are growing up surrounded by such wonderful friends, seeking out learning and adventure in some of the most natural ways possible.



After our 5 hour bush walk was completed we headed back to camp. Clif had taken the little ones down to the creek for a dip and play amongst the rocks. They seemed suitably impressed and quite exhausted which of course meant there were no disagreement later come bedtime. All the kids got off to bed quite early that night which left us adults to sit once again by the campfire, chatting, toasting marshmallows til the wee hours of the night. I must have said I was going to bed at least ten times over the course of 2 or so hours. Eventually I made my way to bed around 1am hoping to get a good night's sleep, seeing as we had an early start the next day at 7am for Rock climbing.

Morning rolled around quick after we all had a great night without a single interruption. Anyone else camping a family of 6 in a tent (with 4 kids aged between 2 and 9) will know this is quite an achievement! Bailey and I joined our guide Innes for a trek up the side of a mountain til we reached the cliff face we were going to use for our Rock climbing adventure. It was quite a daunting sight staring up on at least 50m or more of ropes, especially for Bailey and I who had not been rock climbing on real rocks before!

Bailey as determined as ever advised me he was going to take the difficult climb first up (there were 3 to choose, easy, medium, hard) and in normal Bailey fashion made it look completely effortless. He reached the top in no time at all and managed to abseil down even faster. Next was my go and I really wanted to choose the easy route first but was encouraged by all around that I should give the difficult course an attempt first. I was shaky, felt giddy in the tummy and kept telling myself not to look backwards, only up! About halfway I was ready to give up as I couldn't see anywhere to put my feet and hands. Our guide showed me a few tiny spots of protruding rock and against my own desire I pushed onwards. Once past those spots I was climbing at a good pace and before I knew it I'd reached the top! What an incredible feeling. Bailey's face was gleaming up at me, I knew I'd done him proud. The abseil down was shaky at first but as I got my rhythm I found myself enjoying it. We all continued swapping between climbing, belaying (working the ropes for the climbers) and resting for a few hours before heading back for our steep decline to camp. The experience was one that Bailey and I won't ever forget. In fact we are already planning our next adventure and hope to climb the Kangaroo Point cliffs in the near future!

Apologies I only have a picture of me rock climbing :(

On returning to camp Clif decided to take the 3 big boys for a drive and a swim whilst Fraser and I took a nap in the tent with the beautiful breeze blowing nicely over us. Our last night was a little quieter around the campfire. The kids all had a turn at marshmallow toasting over the fire before crashing to bed without a single hesitation. Next morning we packed down our tent as some dark clouds were looming and we thought it best to make a quick getaway before the rain decided to join us.

In all we had one of the most amazing weekends camping ever. It was so lovely to be able to get away as a complete family and find enough things to keep each of us busy and entertained. The boys are finally getting to an age where they can all play well and stay within our sight without giving us too much hassle. They all sleep right through the night in the tent, even when right next to each other! I can really recommend camping at Mount Barney Lodge. Try and do at least one of the organised walks or activities with Innes, he will find something to suit your family for sure. Tell Innes the Homeschoolers sent you!

OUR VISIT TO THE IPSWICH ART GALLERY

This week we decided to head to the Ipswich Art Gallery as we heard they had some Lego artwork pieces on exhibit. We had been meaning to get along to this gallery for a long time and decided to head in the week before school holidays for a quieter experience. The exhibit closes on Sunday 7th October 2012.

The Lego Brickworks exhibition displayed some amazing art pieces made purely from Lego. The boys thought they were pretty awesome but I must admit I was a little disappointed there were only 10 in total on display. Nevertheless the pieces were beautifully constructed and showed great detail, giving the boys a different perspective on how they could use their own Lego at home.

I found the Wild Things exhibit upstairs in the Children's gallery held their interest for a lot longer, providing all the boys with something to keep them amused for each of their age groups. The exhibit is based on the popular children's book and movie of the same name. The toddler area was great for babies and toddlers, providing a soft play zone for exploration. The rolling green faux hills and dress-up pieces assisted those slightly older to embrace the 'wild thing' inside of them. There's an excellent art and craft zone set up for the children which Bailey & Dane enjoyed sitting at creating their own little 'wild things'. We spent well over an hour in here playing, creating and viewing the other art pieces on display.

 

 

The gallery also had other items on display that were of interest to the boys. Dane was very keen to take his time looking over roughly 100 handmade hats and beanies, all showcasing the creator's artistic flair. I found the indigenous pieces the most interesting, making use of raw materials like feathers and flora.

I can highly recommend making your way along to the Art gallery within the next couple of weeks if you can. It will be school holidays but I can't imagine it getting overly packed. Street parking is close by and only costs $1 per hour in the area close to the gallery. I can highly recommend lunch in the beautiful Indian restaurant next door if you are looking for somewhere a little different to dine. The prices are reasonable, the food delicious and the service amazing. They were more than welcoming to us, even though most places cringe at the sight of 4 young boys entering their premises!

Link for Children's activities at Ipswich Art Gallery: http://www.ipswichartgallery.qld.gov.au/kids

KEEPING BUSY!

Popping back in to do up a new blog post and realised it's been almost 3 months since my last update! Life has been keeping us super busy lately and I have found it hard to get in here obviously but I definitely have no shortage of ideas or things to write about. So first, here's a quick update as to what's been going on in our lives this past few months.

Bailey has recently turned 9 and is continually thriving and pushing himself a little more out of his comfort level. His social skills have improved out of sight since making some close friends that he gets to see every week. His confidence is soaring thanks to a realisation of his sporting abilities, excelling in Ice-skating, Soccer and running. He never ceases to amaze me with his drive and determination.

Dane is 6 now and is such an affectionate, loving little boy. He still has moments lacking in judgement but they are decreasing as time passes and he is proving to be a good mate to his 2 younger brothers. Dane has recently started reading and is still really enjoying Homeschooling. I once thought that he would eventually ask to go to school, seeing as he has never been, but he seems determined to continue on this path with Bailey. I really feel that Homeschooling is a better option for him anyway, given his concentration issues and his inability to keep his body in a relaxed state.

It's often easy for me to forget that our little Ehren is only 3. He is quite mature and intelligent for his age. He is now able to hold a conversation extremely well and is naturally inquisitive of the world around him. He loves doing his preschool work at home and is constantly asking me for his 'schoolwork' when he sees his older brothers completing theirs. He is currently practising writing numbers and drawing common shapes. He is starting to become a positive role model for Fraser which is lovely to see, especially as they are only 14 mths apart in age.

Fraser has grown up so much this past few months. He recently turned 2 and is talking up a storm. He is a very determined child who shows no fear in getting his point across, which I guess is more a positive trait when he's the youngest of 4 boys! He also loves sitting down to do 'schoolwork' which for now is mostly crayon drawing and practising pencil control. He has just commenced the beginning of toilet training, which we will step up more once the weather is reliably warm. I'm looking forward to not having any more nappy changes in our house in the months to come!

Clif and I recently celebrated our 10th Wedding Anniversary. We are the happiest and healthiest we have been since the day we got married. I managed to get back into my wedding dress for a happy family snap, which is a goal I set myself shortly after giving birth to Fraser. Life couldn't be better right now. I'm very blessed for all I have in my life, both with my family, friends and the life we lead.

Bailey's 2012 Science journal, midway through the year!

Some of you might remember back at the start of the year that we decided to embark on a Year of Science. Well I'm happy to report that so far it's been a big success! The idea was to focus on Science subjects for a fair chunk of our Curriculum and incorporate lots of reading and writing on each Science topic as they were covered.

We decided the best way to track their progress was by keeping a Science journal. I was hoping we could keep different subject areas seperate in this book (yes I'm a little OCD at times) but it didn't quite work that way. I allowed Bailey & Dane to lead the way with what they wanted to learn, coming back to our Curriculum to give us ideas on what to concentrate on next. We've already come back several times to Space & The Solar System, mainly because it's a huge interest for our whole family and also because with the recent purchase of our telescope there's been a number of experiences for us to view and write about.

Below is an excerpt of the Science section of Bailey's 2012 Curriculum.

Science Topics we will be covering are:

• Famous Inventors and Scientists
• Greatest Inventions of all time

§  Aeroplane

§  Automobile

§  Camera

§  Computer

§  Laser

§  Light Bulb

§  Printing Press

§  Radio

§  Rocket

§  Steam Engine

§  Telephone

• Medicine (Discoveries, Tools and Techniques)
• Science in the kitchen
• The Solar System
• Weather

So far we've covered about half of the Greatest Inventions of all time, The Solar System and a little of Science in the kitchen. We still have a long way to go but I'm thinking if we don't get it all covered this year we can always just carry it over to next year. There's really no big hurry :)

Below are some pictures of the work Bailey has added to his Science journal so far, at the halfway point of the year. Apologies for some of these pictures being on the side, my laptop is playing silly buggers with me!

A WEEK OF 'ASTRONOMICAL' EVENTS

This week is going to be a HUGE week for our family, being great lovers of all things relating to Astronomy. The fact we recently bought ourselves a Celestron Nexstar 4SE telescope is going to make this week even more enjoyable.

For those who aren't aware tomorrow night (Monday 4th June, 2012) will be a Full Moon in Partial eclipse. The Moon will go into a partial eclipse phase from 8pm until ending at 10:06 pm. Those who do not have a telescope you will still be able to view with your naked eye. It's a perfect time of the night to take your older children out to the backyard to watch the Moon darken. The portion of the Moon not covered by the eclipse will be a brilliant reddish hue caused by illuminated sunlight refracted through the Earth's atmosphere. I'm hoping to get some photos, taken through the telescope, to share with you all here.

Something I am even more excited by happening this Wednesday (6th June, 2012) is the Transit of Venus. This is the last time we will view a Transit of Venus in our lifetime, as another will not occur til the year 2117. Venus will pass across the face of the Sun leaving us being able to view this rare occurrence for a total of 6 hours and 40 minutes. For those of us living on the east side of Australia we are particularly lucky to be able to view the entire transit, dependant on clear skies. So far weather forecasters are predicting that we will mostly have favourable weather conditions on Wednesday which sounds great to me!

For those of you without a telescope you are only able to view the transit using a pair of special viewing glasses (most places are running out of stock quickly). If you are lucky you may be able to pick up a pair from Astro Petes at Palmdale shopping centre, Upper Mount Gravatt. He has back order to fill at the moment but is hoping to have more in stock before Wednesday. Even those of us with a telescope will need to use a special filter to block the sun's radiation as viewing the sun directly with or without a telescope can cause serious eye damage, not limited to blindness.

This is certainly going to be a great week for Homeschooling with our emphasis this year on Science, particularly the Solar System. Along with today's visit to the Brisbane Planetarium to watch the Cosmic Collisions show, this week is jam packed full of learning in the best way possible, the fun way!

DANE'S READING SUCCESS!

Most parents who have been through the process of teaching their child to read will know how exciting it can be when their child finally moves past the emergent reader stage into the beginner reader category. I have found that it is far quicker and easier a process when the child has a strong desire to read.

Bailey was clearly keen to read shortly after the age of 7. I was a little worried at that point that he may be 'too old' to be at such an early stage of reading but now only 18 mths later he is reading books of all kinds of topics and levels, instead choosing to read Science and educational resources as opposed to children's books aimed at 8 year olds.

Dane on the other hand has been keen to read now for around 6 months (since 5.5 yrs old). We have worked consistently using the phonics approach, being careful to move quick enough to keep his interest but not so quick that he became overwhelmed or disappointed by his progress. This week marks an important time for Dane. He declared early this week that he would be reading very soon as he wanted a night reading light the same as we had recently bought for Bailey. The phonics work he has completed this week has blown me away. It came to a point around Wednesday when he had read the word 'smoothies' from a sign and 'fantastic' off a book that I realised he was officially a beginner reader!

The look on Dane's face yesterday when we took him to Masters to purchase his very own nightlight was priceless. Even better still was the massive smile he had tonight when using it for the first time (he couldn't use it last night as we got home from a party too late). He was so excited and even had a book ready to go under his pillow when I tucked him in for the night. My little just turned 6 yr old is growing up!! So proud of our 'Daney', he's come such a long way since officially starting Homeschooling last year.

THUNDERBIRD PARK HOMESCHOOL EXCURSION

Last week our boys were lucky enough to join their Homeschool group of friends for an excursion to a great place up at Tamborine Mountain, Thunderbird Park. The place gets it's name from the egg shaped rocks that can be found in the area. If you stretch your imagination a little you may even think of the 'eggs' as belonging to a prehistoric bird, hence the term 'Thunderbird'. The park uses a Pterodactyl as it's logo which is quite fitting.

We spent the day before the excursion up on the mountain with friends who were camping there for a few days. We would've joined them if Clif could have taken a couple of days of work but we enjoyed spending the day before making a fire, damper and cooking it over the coals nevertheless!

The excursion itself consisted of 4 activities, Archery, Rock Fossicking, Bush art and then at the end of the day all the groups came together for a bushwalk and to learn some Bush survival skills from our guide. The boys enjoyed the day immensely, having fun with their friends and learning new skills.

Here are a few pictures of our day.

Bailey really enjoyed the Archery. Here he is in green shooting for the target.

This is part of the group after making a fire during their Bush survival skills talk.

This is the first day at camp with friends after one of the Dads showed the kids how to make and cook damper.

Bailey with friends cooking their damper.

Paul showing the kids how to make damper.

Tracy and I rock fossicking for Thunderbird eggs. I managed to find one that could be cut and it looked lovely inside.

INCIDENTAL LEARNING

Today whilst doing schoolwork with the boys I came to realising just how much incidental learning is going on in our household. Some days I am teaching Bailey a new Maths concept or a new spelling tip and Dane is listening in on the background, only to come out with the information weeks later. Other days I think Dane is learning a new topic and Ehren sits in and seems to be taking in as much as he can as well. It's really quite incredible to think how much they are picking up that I am not going out of my way to teach them!

Today is a classic example. I was teaching Dane about halves and quarters (something that Bailey has only just mastered mind you) and then Ehren asked me for his schoolwork. So I palmed him off the ABC flipchart I had just been using with Dane for his phonics work. Ehren starts flipping over and saying a for apple, c for car, pronouncing the phonic sounds! I swear my head almost spun right around, he's not even 3 yet!!

Then to top it off Fraser is sitting in his highchair beside us and I asked Ehren how many cars there on the table? Fraser (who is 20 mths old may I remind you) starts counting 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9!! He missed a 6 but seriously I can't believe he is counting!! When did this all happen?

I don't really need anyone to remind me these days just how much Homeschooling is working for my big boys. At 8 and 6 yrs old Bailey & Dane are both bright, highly motivated learners. I guess I just really underestimated the positive impact it would have on the two little boys. They certainly don't need to Kindy with the amount of mental stimulation and play they get here at home and they definitely have a lot more friends than my other boys had at ages 1 and 2. Homeschooling works for us, all round :)

SIMPLE TIPS TO ORGANISE YOUR HOME

Lately it seems I have been receiving many compliments on how organised I am. I must confess to being just a little bit 'anal' but it's really only to counteract the fact that if things aren't in their usual place I tend to have a little meltdown! It's not always easy to keep your cool in a home with 4 boys aged 8 and under, let alone when they are all home each and every day homeschooling with you.

I've been asked for tips on how I keep myself organised for a very long time and up until now I've barely had more than 2 seconds to scratch myself so whilst hubby is working late tonight and I have all the kids in bed early (well before 8pm) here goes.

My best tip is the old saying 'a place for everything and everything in it's place'. The first thing you'll notice when you walk around my house is that I am a big believer in keeping things in boxes in designated areas of the house. We have oodles of white plastic boxes you get from Ikea that house all the kids toys and homeschooling resources but also use them to store each of the boys shoes in.

Knowing exactly where something is when you need it will save you loads of time, when you add up all the minutes in the day you could possibly waste just looking for something. It also means that asking your kids to help tidy up is an easier task as they always know where to put things. When we walk in the door from being out the first thing I say to my boys is go put your shoes away. They then take off their shoes and pop them into their personal shoe box, even the 20 mth old!! It means that the next day when they need to get their shoes on they are in the same place they always are. The boxes are kept in a bookshelf in the hallway. Here we also keep hats, bags and all the kids swimming togs to make it easy to collect what we need quickly should we decide on a whim to head to the beach or a theme park.

The classroom/playroom stores an enormous amount of toys, games, books, school and art supplies. I've made the most of the vertical space in the room by adding in Ikea cube shelf systems to house all the boxes. All the items I don't want little ones getting into like paint and lego are stored at the very top shelf.

One of my biggest tips is for the mountains of washing I encounter, which I'm sure most Mums can relate to. I have a separate large washbasket for each of my boys labelled with their name. When I am sorting the family's washing I order the baskets from biggest child to smallest and throw at each basket til I'm done. I'll normally have a couple of loads to do a time.

Then those baskets sit on top of each of their tallboys ready for putting away as I get time through the day. Sometimes I only have a few minutes free at a time so I just pop in their room and put away as much as I can in that time. It saves me time having this system cos I am looking for something specific in the meantime (for example a pair of shorts for Dane) I don't have to go through copious baskets. I just head straight to his basket and I'll find what I'm looking for quickly and easily. Even better I normally direct the older boys to look in there for what they need. At least this way they're not throwing all my nice clean clothes all over the place in their search.

I have also laid out each of their tallboys in the exact same format so it's easy for me (mostly hubby) to find what I'm looking for quickly. For example the top drawer has undies on the left, singlets in the middle and socks on the right. Second drawer is pyjamas, third drawer is shorts and the bottom drawers are long pants.

Just the last few days I've been busy on my latest organising mission. I picked up a tip from my friend Kylie a long time ago to take all the board games out of their boxes and put them into individual clipseal bags. I decided to give this a tackle as over the years we have managed to build quite a collection and they were taking up 4 cube spots in my large Ikea shelf unit. I bought some large clipseal bags from Ikea, you buy them in bulk in the kitchen area for $4.99 for 15 extra large bags and 15 large bags. You can see from the following pictures how much room I've saved by doing this. Amazing how boxes can take up so much room. I challenge you to give this one a go. It seems hard letting go of the box, but if space is an issue I can guarantee this will help!

Can I also add that the above pic is not accurate of all the boxes being thrown out. There are about another 4 inside larger boxes too!

Anyway I hope that I've managed to help with some tips to keep things organised in your home. If you've got some more for me I'd love to read your blog too, don't be shy!

Until next time
Take care,
Angie xx