Oak Glen - December 27, 2014

Yesterday, we went to Oak Glen. The plan was to visit the Oak Glen Old School Museum, which was scheduled to be open from 12pm - 4pm. We got there at about 10am.

Little Sis played at the playground for a little bit, and then we decided to take a drive. We went to Oak Tree Village, where they had an animal museum, train and pony rides, and homey exhibitors with hand made items. There was also a little stand that sold mini donuts and hot apple cider. The donuts were amazing and the cider was dee-lish-us. 

After the Village, we continued our drive and stopped at Los Rios Rancho, a cute little shop with apples and apple butter and pumpkin butter and all kinds of other goodies. I bought a bag of Granny Smith Apples, and sampled just about everything else. 

The journey ended when we went back to the Old School Museum, hoping for it to be open. It wasn't. So Little Sis got to play at the playground again. There is a giant wooden seesaw, a play structure, and a rock wall (on which she got stuck - twice). There are restrooms there as well, but they were locked. Perhaps they are open if the museum is open. The playground was clean, too. No trash or graffiti. There are also picnic tables, which would be a great way to spend a few hours when the weather is warmer. 

I am hoping to write more about our Southern California travels.

Some pictures from our trip yesterday:

Oak Glen Village has two deer and a goat outside. For 25c, you can get a little bit of corn to feed them. Or, for $1, you can get a cup inside the animal museum. The cup is a better deal. 

  

Signs at the Oak Glen Old School Museum park warn of bears and rattlesnakes. Thankfully, we didn't see any. It was too cold.

Oak Glen Old School Museum and Park

11911 Oak Glen Road, Yucaipa, CA 92399

Oak Tree Village

38480 Oak Glen Road, Yucaipa, CA 92399

Los Rios Rancho

39611 S. Oak Glen Rd. Yucaipa CA. 92399

Planner Storage and Organization

So I haven't posted an entry for a while. And it's funny how the last one I posted was about my planner. 

I gave up on it after about 3 weeks. The binder, while adorable, was just not big enough to hold everything I needed. Calendar, journal, food diary, and scrapbook all in one? Yeah, that wasn't going to happen.

So I've spent the last 6 months looking for a solution. I think I finally found it. I had this adorable Orla Kiely cosmetics bag I got from Target. I was using it as a carrying case for my scrapbook/interactive notebook stuff that I was taking back and forth to work. Well, it now has a new purpose.

On one side, I have a pair of reader glasses as well as my 4 books - food journal and 2015 calendar from MayBooks, a Picadilly journal (I have 4 of these. The current is labeled "January" and will be my daily thought journal, which I sometimes use when I'm waiting in the pick up line at Little Sis' school.), and a Paris journal that I had transformed into a calendar, but will now use it for a Smash Book type journal. 

On the other side are two containers - one with pens and one with Mr. Sketch Scented Stix - as well as two Elmer's Dot Runners to use in the scrap/smash journal. 

In the center pouch, I have scissors and Smash Sticks, which have a glue stick on one end and a fine pen on the other. I also have a pen and a pencil. In the zip pouch on the other side are Post-Its and various other sticky notes. 

What I love about this set up is that I can take it all with me and leave it in the car. I can't stand to have my purse weighted down with extra books or pens, and trying to keep it organized in my purse is a headache. I also can just take my calendar in a meeting. I haven't usually had to deal with meetings at work, but I'm part of the school's Action Team Partnership, so we have monthly meetings and events I have to keep track of. I keep everything on my Google Calendar, but I transfer to my paper planner so I have a snapshot of the entire month. I'm a little hyper-organized that way.

I think I may have reached a settling point with everything. Having separate books will allow me to keep everything separate. Of course, this is all subject to change should I get a wild hair or new supplies. 

How do you keep your calendar supplies organized? Do you just toss it into your bag? Do you use a paper calendar or a web calendar?

*links included in this post may be affiliate links*

The Planner is Finished!

Front Cover - such a pretty red with a pebbled texture

Inside front cover. Dots and stars for marking dates. (Stars are for a specific purpose only.)

June Calendar. Washi tape marks special events. In June, it was Royal Family. Different colors mark school holidays and minimum days, too. (See the stars?)

A glimpse of October. Elementary students have minimum days for parent/teacher conferences. My last year of elementary school!!

A glimpse of December. Winter Break marked with different color, and Middle and High Schools have the Friday before Winter Break off.

Weekly calendar. What a week might look like if events need more information.

Other weeks are blank. If I need to add in something specific, I can. If not, I have a place to write highlights of the day, or put memorabilia in (like a Smash Book) or even journal or draw if I'm feeling artsy.

Second section is also blank paper for lists, journals, notes, etc.

Pockets. I added washi tape to the pocket to brighten it up a bit. 

I haven't decided what to use this pocket for. Maybe just miscellaneous stuff.

This is a Target find. It sticks to the inside of the notebook/binder and gives you Post-Its and flags. So awesome. I may pick up some more for when I go back to work!

I am loving that my planner is fully customizable. I can add my own papers in as needed, and there are three more dividers I can use to mark other sections I may need as the kids go back to school and I go back to work.

My Planner Addiction

Hi. My name is Jaime, and I'm addicted... to day planners.

You might remember my post from December where I made my own day planner in a notebook that was given to me for my birthday. It was awesome. But it just wasn't what I needed for my sometimes hectic/sometimes mellow schedule. Some days I will sit and journal several pages at a time - Inspirational quotes or verses from the Bible - and sometimes I'll go weeks without journaling anything. Some days I have a LOT of things to do - extensive to-do list, appointments, or just ramblings I need to remember. The small spaces for the days just wasn't big enough for these days.

So we're 6 months into 2014, and I've already been through 2 planners. I just can't seem to find one that is, well, PERFECT. So I'm on a mission.

Thanks to Pinterest, I have about 200 ideas for a personalized planner. Last year, someone brought in a box of brand new Martha Stewart 8.5x5.5" Three-Ring Binder that was donated to the staff at my school. I've been contemplating what to do with it, and I think I've found out. I went to Office Max and purchased tabbed, monthly calendar for the rest of 2014 (they didn't have 2015 yet; not even the academic year calendars). Then I purchased some colored 32lb cardstock and asked them to cut it in half. I also purchased some folder pockets that will fit in the binder.

I have yet to assemble everything, and I'm still working out exactly HOW I will make everything work, but I'm very excited. I still need to get some dividers (hitting Target tomorrow, as I know they have the Avery products for this size binders), which I will decorate with Washi tape (clearance at Office Max - 4 rolls for $2.91).

I really need a place where I can journal at a moment's notice, without having to carry around a separate journal. I also need a place where I can put in more information for specific days when I have a lot to do, but don't need something for every single day of the year. I also want a place where I can list books I've read (since not all are on my Kindle) and where I can list books I WANT to read.

I will definitely share when I get everything put together. Here's a sneak peek at what I have so far:

(Told ya it was a sneak! More detailed photos to follow... it's still a work in progress, but I'm hoping to have it finished by the weekend, so I can use it in church on Sunday!)

I took a lot of inspiration from the following pins and pages:

Early Bird Mom: A Tour of my Low-Tech Planner

(I'll add more as I get some more ideas and put them into action!)

What are some things you HAVE to have in your planner?

Headin' for the Royal Family Kids Camp!

Headin' for a lot of fun!

I can't believe it's here already. My 6th year as a counselor for Royal Family Kids. It seems like this year snuck up on me, but I am ready. I have everything packed and even cleaned out the car.

For those new to my blog, Royal Family Kids is a week-long camp for abused and neglected foster kids. The idea is that we create lasting, positive memories for hurting children. We strive to give them the time of their lives through traditional camp activities, but also through showing them that a loving God will never leave them nor forsake them; that even in their darkest times, He is there, and He will use it for good.

After 5 years, I'm still a nervous wreck. I always pray that God will use me in ways I never dreamed imaginable. To be a light in a tiny life. To be an encourager, a role model, and the funnest adult my campers will ever meet. And working in a Middle School, sometimes those things disappear.

My dear readers, I have a request for you. Starting now, and through June 13, will you pray for me? Pray for my cabin mates (Freida, Kirstie, Viviana, and Jessi). Pray for the 5 campers we'll be sharing our week with. Pray for the other 37+ campers who will be on campus with us. Pray for the rest of the counselors and staff. Pray for the director, who has had a really rough year. Pray for the campgrounds. Pray for the families of the campers - both biological and foster. Our biggest need this week is prayer.

I won't be able to share pictures of our time at camp, since, for the safety and security of our campers we can't have our phones or cameras. But I will share the pictures I have of our flag, since the campers' names are not on it yet.

Room decorations!

Gifts for our campers. We have ages 8-10.

365 Challenge - February 3

We had a busy day at work today! I came prepared to keep us perky and on fire for the kids! 

365 Challenge - February 2

I was a Super Bowl drop out today. The girls and I went to Painted Earth in Temecula. Half off studio fees!

I chose a panda. Pandas are my favorite. 

Isn't Happy Panda cute???

365 Challenge - February 1

Went to a Ducks game. I want them to lose when they play the Sharks, not the Stars!!

Stars 2 

Ducks 0