Homeschool Planners ║2017-2018 │Large Family Homeschool

In this video I share the homeschool planner I made for myself and the planners I made for the kids. I wanted planner that were as simple and as flexible as possible to keep me from "rebelling" against using it. I made my planner using Microsoft Word. It's printed on newsprint paper. The kids' planners were printed on 5x8 blank note cards.
Newsprint paper: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...
www.andreamills.tv
Mills Family
P.O. Box 323
Moorcroft, Wyoming 82721
USA

[@kayben10]

I miss you! I miss your encouraging private messages and the time you took to personally answer our questions. From one large family mom to another. I will see you in heaven! Thank you again for your video legacy. I know how much they mean to me and I know you would be so proud of Tom you would be!

[@jenniferlynne9623]

Andrea, you are so excellent with the school planner....have you considered a prototype and possibly a patent (I guess you'd need one) and selling them, designed for homeschool families? Just an idea off the top of my head. But you really have a gift with that kind of thing!

[@emilypaigeessick]

I clicked so fast on this video. Your home school and home organization videos calm me.

[@pjl2963]

Andrea, I had to smile when you said the "paper was too pretty to use"...it reminded me of gifts I've crafted for friends, like dish towels, pot holders, etc; which they said were too pretty to use, so they were just hung up for display, lol! I soon learned to strongly encourage them to go ahead and get them dirty--that's what they were meant for! As always, a wonderful video...I loved the idea of the removable menu stickers! I plan a menu too, but in pencil; because so many times, life gets in the way, and I have to make changes along the way. Just love you and your family so much! xoxoxoxo...

[@GeekTrow]

Andrea, I love theses ideas! Thanks for sharing!!!!

[@bonjour00001]

if you like to keep your planner light. You could consider ripping out the weekly pages as they are used. It could also serve as a count down to the end of the year as that section gets smaller.

[@amypatterson1382]

Love the planner. What a great idea.

[@beckysebben5751]

I just got so excited to see a new video up. I love every one of them, your family is amazing, lots of love from Michigan

[@OneMamaToAnother]

I like your planner! The daily breakdown makes so much sense.

[@brittanypolly1804]

your planner is my planner dream! I love planning ! makes me feel so safe♡♡

[@JustSewTrish]

This is a great planner!! SO many awesome ideas in it!

[@juliemccoy7166]

Wow Andrea. This is so impressive. I loved this.

[@amandathane8761]

Your legacy lives on! What an encouragement you are still as we get ready for a new homeschool year. You were so wise!

[@ashleywilliams3648]

Despite having a completely different lifestyle, this is actually really helpful as I, too, struggle with rebelling against my own planner.

[@1214rdc]

I love how you make it work for YOU. That is an awesome planner and pretty. I can't wait to see your label maker.

[@heidiblair2129]

I love your planner!!! I am right with you on fancy paper; I never want to use it. I love that it lays flat and has everything customized to your needs. Great idea!

[@anna7118]

I'm like you in that the simpler the better for a planner. I have also been starting to try to create a planner for myself. This year is in a binder since I have been tweaking it as we go along in the hopes that I can print what I want next year all at one time and get it bound like yours. I also don't need a lot for school (I do track how we are doing in the ABCs and our extra projects/field trips). I am also the kids ministry director at our church and need to incorporate the prep for Sunday in my planner...that area of my planner is still in the works!

[@gymstrip]

Love your flimsy paper preference :) I like newsprint for writing on too. I'm working on my planner right now. Yes, we are homeschooling! I am exuberant (currently). Thanks, as always, for sharing.

[@oliviawakelin]

I was so happy when I saw you posted !!

[@cbigg_8844]

Your planner is awesome!! If I home schooled I'd do something very similar. Even my family of four is color coded in my calendar. The way you organize is right up my alley. :)

[@EC-jt6bq]

Oh my goodness this rings true for me. As a public school teacher I have failed year after year to keep up with my planners. The whole bit about if the paper is too fancy you won't use it is completely spot on for me too! It seems like the silliest thing but the one year I actually used I my planner was when I had a cheap dollar store one with newsprint pages. You've given me great ideas for making my own. Thank you!

[@SacredMommyhood9]

Fantastic planner! It's such a blessing to hear you talk about producing. In a consumer's culture, I love your simplicity and your desire to always be producing. We feel the same, and think it's so important to teach our children. I recently finished listening to "'The Vanishing American Adult" by Ben Sasse. He has a chapter devoted to teaching our children to be producers rather than consumers. It's an incredible book, but I especially appreciated that chapter. Hope you are feeling well!

[@Nightowlnursery]

Was so excited for a new video .... I know you have been extra busy with school starting .. the planner looks great ! Your Wonder Woman toO me ! LOL

[@CookieCrumbFun]

I really like the goal card/planner ya made for the children. I really should get something like that made.

[@non-profitcommunication7357]

I love those student planners. It is settled I. Need my own binding system.

[@rainbowphoenix8168]

You're glowing!!

[@rosyssweetcreations]

I agree with Andrea. I’m a Pre-K teacher and bought me a teacher planner from Target…. I’ve used only 1 page… it’s too fancy to me… I end up using index cards or just Word in the computer for my lesson plans. Rest In Peace my fellow mama. You are an inspiration for many of us!

[@carolpauls3645]

I am a happy planner fan the big one helps me organize school and life

[@volition51]

You are definitely on to something! Not sure why the newsprint works so well, maybe because it *feels* informal and so flexible, and like a help instead of something you're locked into. I love the "if I enjoy it I'll use it" approach. Great designing!

[@karbear26]

Nice job on your planner looks professional!

[@Amenhomeschoolers]

Wonderful planner! I hope you can share your hot lunch ideas.

[@2u2a]

I love the idea with menu on the stickers. I also always rebelled against any planers, although I loved setting up new ones. Untill I have found out about bulletjournal- I don't follow it to the t, but that's what I love about it: it's so versitale and customizable. But I like the idea in yours that you can tear out and add pages: that's what I only miss in my bullet journal.

[@InHimAlone]

Brilliant! It's like you have my brain, except you actually come up with solutions and get things done, haha! I can totally relate to not using the nice planners. I remember feeling like this as a child too. If I used it, then I wouldn't have it anymore. If something was too fancy I would mess it up using it - even if that was its intended purpose. I like the simplicity of yours. I am a spiral notebook person, but I end up with a handful of them with all kinds of notes all over the house and I never know where I wrote something. I may need to make one like yours :)

[@cherrynurse05]

I completely understand wanting a planner that isn't too fancy! That is always what I gravitate toward and when you mess up a page of very nice paper it is always a let down! It is like it is too nice to mess up and then kind of stresses you out.

[@kjlouisi4630]

Good organization skills!

[@JustSewTrish]

you have some of the most amazing ideas!! I feel the same way about planners!!! I had no idea that you could buy newspaper paper to print on!! Fantastic!!!

[@TheMillsFamilyVlog]

I didn't know it, either, until I decided to see what I could find that would feel "cheap." There it was on Amazon!

[@miraclesinreallife5161]

I totally understand having a thing about page texture. I am always afraid of "messing up" nice paper.

[@simplyraisingarrows7369]

I so wish I could of learned more from you we seem to be so much alike .

[@plussizemommy2B]

I love my mini binder planner ... But your right it's bulky ... I bought high premium paper because I like to use marker sometimes and not the shadow on the other side ... But I love this planner I wish I had a spiral binding maker.

[@bethgordon7386]

Your binders are wonderful! I made planner sheets for my children this year (loosely based on a previous video of yours). They are working okay. I love that you have comb-bound your planners. And of course all the color in yours! I really like your combo life/homeschool planner for yourself. It seems so flexible and well made for your family routine. An idea for the Saturday/Sunday dilemma is to make a removal laminated strip that can be snapped into the comb for that week (maybe even make it a little longer on top to use as a bookmark?). You can use a dry eraser/Vis-a-Vie marker to write on it; then wipe off for use the next week. Truly looking forward to following your weekly vlogs. Once again you have motivated and inspired me! You are an amazing woman! :)

[@TheMillsFamilyVlog]

That's a great idea! It would work as a bookmark for the current week, too. I might have to try something like that.

[@kiniusia1983]

You absolutely are a Superwoman ! Great idea with the planners :)

[@karenann5283]

This is very helpful!

[@FierceTarot]

You should try to publish a planner like this! I love it

[@goode2shuz1]

How do you come up with such great ideas? I love your planner! I totally understand about the fancy paper. I think it intimidates me. And then the pages are so pretty I don't want to mess them up by writing on them. I thought I was the only one who felt that way :). Can you please put the planner on your blog so i can download it? I will pay you for it too. You should sell it on your blog page. I am not very good at creating word documents, so that would be wonderful. And the kids' planner too. Where do you buy newspaper paper? I didn't know you could buy that kind of paper. Thank you so much for sharing your great ideas. Carla

[@brendamuschal9104]

I admire you! What you do in a day makes me exhausted just hearing about. Your family is very fortunate to have such a Godly wife and mother. I did the ACE Curriculum my last two years of high school, and I loved it. If I ever decide to homeschool my son ACE is where I will go. God bless you and keep you.

[@teresametts1097]

Since you have the comb binder, maybe you could just add in a small strip for sat and sun? Just an idea.

[@reneesasser256]

Magic Mondays? That made me laugh. If my 21-year-old son didn't play Magic I wouldn't even have known what you were talking about.

[@debbieblincoe888]

Awesome - you may have mentioned this previously but why do you start your school week on a thursday?

[@Sharonprincess1]

Out of all the planners I ever seen, this is my favorite. Do you have an editable version?

[@SalinasCountry]

Do you have the forms you made available for download? These are great! I love making forms. Love it! But thought if you had some already done, it would save some time. Thanks for your vids. So helpful.

[@NotAVampireLvr]

These are awesome ideas! The sticky tabs might work better if you use regular paper rather than the newsprint. I find if I use the wrong kind of paper with those they lose their stick.

[@TheMillsFamilyVlog]

In this case, the issue wasn't that they weren't sticking fine. I positioned them with only a tiny bit of the tab sticking out, so most of the colored, non-sticky part was on the paper. I was worried it would pull of accidentally, so I taped them down nice and tight where there wasn't any sticky stuff. I love those tabs! I use them on all sorts of things.

[@theqtippingmom]

We just started with Ace this year. I am trying to come up with a Grading system besides just the tests in the paces. How do you do grading?

[@kafo9263]

Do you have a video where you explain why you do ACE? I don't know if I told you this before but I made an attempt at ACE but I got overly concerned about cost (maintaining the ongoing cost) of buying paces and the score cards. I wasn't homeschooled and had no experience with ACE before looking into lessening the load on me (of sourcing everything and correcting everything).

[@hedgerow.homestead]

What is the finished size of the planner? It looks wonderful

[@patriciaorsborn7165]

You've probably thought of this due to your business, but why not put it on a tablet? Not Superwoman?? Is my hearing going bad? Lady, you have several full time jobs-wife, mother, Child of God, teacher, homemaker, helper in the family biz, and you do allllll that with grace, FELLOWSHIP, compassion, style, and LOVE. Your hubby seems happily content, your kiddos (EIGHT!!) are well-haved, loving and sweet, yet you say you're NOT Superwoman?? If you don't think you're Superwoman, man I'd hate to see your requirements for being one!

[@TheMillsFamilyVlog]

I can't stand using electronic planners. I'm an out-of-sight, out-of-mind person and whenever I've tried setting things up on a computer/phone/tablet, I absolutely won't use it. It's fun putting everything in, but then I never ever look at it again. I need something tangible in my hands. (I also don't like reading on a Kindle for the same reason. I need to touch the paper and be able to flip through it.) Tom, on the other hand, has his entire life/business planned on his iPhone. :)

[@edigonzalez9556]

I'm exactly the same. I use electronic devices for lots of things but when I'm working, thinking, reading, etc, I really need the feel of the paper on my fingers and the comforting little "scritch-scritch" of the pencil in my ears. (It's always a pencil! I use ink only when it's absolutely necessary.) I admit it's kind of weird, but it's just the way my brain is wired.

[@TheMillsFamilyVlog]

I like pencils, too! That was one downside to this newsprint; pencil doesn't write well on it. On the other hand, it's very pleasurable writing on it with a pen compared to regular copy paper so that makes up for it. It's like the pen sinks into the paper and feels so nice and smooth when you're writing.

[@drummerlovesbookworm9738]

I could have answered this question for you. LOL! xoj

[@ggandbb1702]

dont forget, shes also growing a baby addionally to what the origonal post said .definitely wonderwoman😊😊

[@southernbeautywithhannah8484]

Would you ever consider selling these planners? I’m in love with this planner 😍

[@bernadettemcmahon9057]

I agree with you...make it for use your way. Otherwise, all that work for naught!

[@reginaking8795]

the planner is a excellent idea, but i have a question. why do you start your school day on thursday?

[@Linda-ww5mu]

Will you be updating the planner to 2020 or future dates in your shop to be able order?

[@keepinghouseshefindsreward685]

Could you record your coming day? I'd love to see it

[@jackaroolane]

The more I watch your videos the more I enjoy your personality! I looove your tips and ideas 💡 Btw you're as close to superwoman as they come lol

[@non-profitcommunication7357]

Your planner is comb bound just add a Saturday Sunday sheet like a quarter strip or 1/6th strip, so you print four or six on one 8x11 sheet of paper cut and place in the middle see how it works out. That way you see how often you use it before you make a whole new layout.

[@TheMillsFamilyVlog]

I'm now using the one I've got for sale on my blog. It's not as specialized as the one I made for myself, but it does include the weekends. I was using it to make sure it worked before offering for sale and I've just stuck with it.

[@claireguzman7935]

Do you still do naruto night

[@metallicleoraa]

I really like your planner! Did you make a new one this year?

[@TheMillsFamilyVlog]

Thank you! I have one for sale on my blog (www.andreamills.tv) that goes from June 2018-June 2019.

[@edigonzalez9556]

I loooooove this video! I'm a big planner/organizer type and I always love hearing cool ideas for it that actually WORK. I'm a binder person myself -- I like being able to add and remove things easily -- but I'm right with you on the cheap paper. If something is too nice I just won't use it. Good for you! I hope it works great for you!! One question: Is there any reason that you made the kids' goal cards M-F instead of Th-W, or did it just not occur to you? Obviously it's fine either way, not a big deal, but it's interesting to me that you made all of your own stuff Th-W but stuck to M-F for them.

[@TheMillsFamilyVlog]

We've done it both ways for the kids, but they prefer Monday-Friday so that's how I make them.

[@AshleyBass85]

Thank you so much for sharing! You have such great ideas! The mention of your homemade pizza sauce...do you happen to have that shared somewhere?? I would love to learn how!

[@TheMillsFamilyVlog]

I cut several pounds of Roma tomatoes in half and put them on a baking sheet with a peeled carrot and a quartered onion. I sprinkled everything generously with sea salt, pepper, garlic powder, basil and oregano. I baked them for an hour and 15 minutes at 375 degrees. After letting them cool I ran the tomatoes, carrot and onion through my Kitchenaid juicer (it's a food mill.) You could also just put it all in a blender. The sauce is delicious!

[@AshleyBass85]

Wow, interesting! Especially with adding in the carrot. It definitely sounds easy and delicious. I will give it a try. Thank you so much for taking the time to share!

[@DierdreV]

I love your weekly grid with the "rhythm" of your day on the left. I'm going to totally steal that! Also, what is the reason for starting your week on Thursday? I start my week on Monday because I work fri sat and sun so I like to see my homeschool schedule and my work schedule together. Just wondering what yours was related to...

[@TheMillsFamilyVlog]

Here's a link to the blog post I wrote about that: www.andreamills.tv/single-post/2017/05/11/Why-Do-You-Start-Your-School-Week-on-Thursday

[@TheMillsFamilyVlog]

Thanks babydoll.

[@jillygirl2024]

Awesome planning

[@jenniferwood5560]

Where did you get your progress chart with the mountain climbers? I love that.

[@TheMillsFamilyVlog]

I made it. I just added it as a printable to my blog last week. Here's a link: www.andreamills.tv/home-school-1

[@jenniferwood5560]

Thanks so much, I am super excited to make one for mine kids.

[@non-profitcommunication7357]

I don't use paces, but I made my own privilege and demerit system thanks to you. I created chore trackers for my children I am curious why you didn't include a demerit talky space after privileges?

[@TheMillsFamilyVlog]

We track demerits on a sheet on the refrigerator. I like to keep it in a convenient place. If I have to stop and open a book to mark one down, the chances of me remembering to mark it go way down.

[@aviendhabntbshr]

You should sell your planners on Etsy. They are perfect. Desktop publishing is not one of my skills, and I'd totally pay someone for a .pdf!

[@TheMillsFamilyVlog]

I am thinking of selling a printable version on my blog. (If I can find time to work on it!)

[@theconnollyclownschoolforb4865]

Yes please!!!!

[@traceywye6480]

do you know if a planner is the same as a diary because I am not good with diaries but need to keep things in order

[@TheMillsFamilyVlog]

I'm not sure what the official definition is for either of these, but my way of thinking is that a diary is something in which you record events, etc. that have already happened and a planner is something in which you record things that will happen in the future. I'm not sure if that's what you were asking, so let me know if I missed the mark.

[@traceywye6480]

well in the UK a diary is used for both so yes you have answered the question. and yes I do like your planner idea, making your own seams to be a good way, to try and organize what you need to do.

[@BaileyKaye27]

Which program did you use to make your pages ?

[@TheMillsFamilyVlog]

I used Microsoft Word.

[@robinsdog1]

What do you use to bind your pages into a book?

[@TheMillsFamilyVlog]

I have an inexpensive comb binder from Office Depot. It's not the nicest machine, but it gets the job done. This is the one I have: www.officedepot.com/a/products/538218/Swingline-GBC-BindMate-Machine/

[@robinsdog1]

Thank you so much for your quick reply. I went to the link and there was a video!

[@amybeth2379]

What is your spiral machine called?

[@TheMillsFamilyVlog]

This is the binding machine I have: www.amazon.com/Swingline-Binding-CombBind-BindMate-7706170/dp/B002QKCD52/

[@lillyarbogast7283]

Are you going to post the first week of school

[@TheMillsFamilyVlog]

Yes, I just need to get it edited.

[@ITSSAMMMMM]

Do you have a Pinterest page to follow ?

[@TheMillsFamilyVlog]

No, I'd like to say I might someday, but that's probably not true. :) I'm already planning to get rid of Twitter because of the guilt feelings I have for never taking time to do stuff with it.

[@suedamato8080]

Why start the week on Thursdays?

[@TheMillsFamilyVlog]

I have a post on my blog (www.andreamills.tv) that gives the details about how that started.

[@leannbrown8782]

Out of curiosity, if any of your children ever wanted to go to a private Christian school rather than be home schooled would that be an option for them or is that off the table? I'm sure they're content, you're amazing! I was just curious if that would be an option in the event they approached you about going to a different school.

[@TheMillsFamilyVlog]

It wouldn't be an option because there aren't any near us anymore. Even if there was one close to us, it would not make sense for us financially. I couldn't justify the expense for what we'd get for the money. It would cost us about $4,000 a year per child as opposed to the $300 or so per child we're spending now. That's a pretty high price to pay just to hang out with other kids on recess! If one of them wanted to pursue that in high school, they'd have to pay for it. (In our state, public school costs $20,000 per child per year, funded by taxpayers, in addition to an average of $500-$1,000 spent by parents each year. I cannot imagine how that amount of money is justified!)

[@leannbrown8782]

Wow that's fantastic how much you're saving. I would have never imagined the expenses being so drastically different. I went to a private Christian school for 13 years, a public school for 2 years, and then studied independently my last year of high school and most of college and nothing beat doing my studies at home. Any interaction I wanted with the people outside of my family was easy to find in sports, church, etc. Side note- I have no idea how this works so this might be a dumb question but don't you still pay taxes that fund public school? Thanks for your response!

[@TheMillsFamilyVlog]

Yes, we pay taxes still, but it doesn't come close to paying for even one child. Our property taxes are about $400 a year, most of which goes to some form of public education. I don't know how much of our federal tax dollars go to paying for education, but again, even if 100% of what we paid went to public school, it wouldn't cover even one child. I cannot in my heart justify asking others to spend $120,000 a year to educate my school age children (in addition to the $3,000-$6,000 in personal, out-of-pocket expenses.) And, of course, 6 kids in private school would cost us about $25,000 a year. I'm happy spending our $1,200-$1,500 a year and playing with friends in our free time!

[@leannbrown8782]

That's great thank you for the information. I never thought about it before but now homeschooling is something I'll think about for my future children. :)

[@LifeByJen]

I saw your video then saw 16 minutes and was sad. Lol!! I love the long videos the most but always enjoy all of your videos!! Have you thought of doing a pregnancy planner? Is that something people even do? No clue but it popped into my head. Lol

[@TheMillsFamilyVlog]

Yes, I bought pregnancy planners with my first few babies and now I make my own. Just like everything else, my tendency is to over-complicate things and there are only a few pages I actually use. Now that you bring it up, I may print out those couple of pages and add them to this planner. If I do, I'll show them in one of my pregnancy videos. (I have a couple of them on my blog as free printables for people who've asked already.)

[@LifeByJen]

Andrea Mills I do the same thing. I over complicate then get overwhelmed and never use my planners. I love your layouts!! I also love that they're not super expensive to make or buy the materials.

[@janlovesmany712]

Makes this older lady wish her adult 2 children were young again...I'd love to have that time back and decide to homeschool instead of doing the public school from kindergarten to 12 like we did. You are a special Mama Andrea..

[@simplyraisingarrows7369]

You were more than super woman !!!!

[@drummerlovesbookworm9738]

File under "Things KZbin made me buy/do": buy newsprint sheets. LOL!

[@TheMillsFamilyVlog]

I knew in my heart that you'd appreciate this information! :)

[@drummerlovesbookworm9738]

lol

[@JustSewTrish]

Haha, I now have that in my amazon cart too.

[@savannahrogers68]

You’re SUPERMOM

[@lifewithduchenne3030]

Can you come live in MY house lol

[@tamsin7460]

I know we're not supposed to covet our neighbours ass, but how about our neighbours beautiful planner ( and required skills to make it)? Only joking, but this planner really appealed to me!

[@janlovesmany712]

3 dislikes?? I just don't understand some people these days...:-(

[@souldawn2187]

Miss you! But take care! You are super woman!👩🏻‍🏫👩🏻‍🔬👩🏻‍🌾👩🏻‍💼👩🏻‍🎨🤰🏻👩🏻‍💻

[@joefreeman3087]

As kind as she seems, she wouldn't be the kind of mother I'd personally like.

[@TheMillsFamilyVlog]

I suppose that's why God didn't give you to me. I'd feel sad having a child who'd tell strangers that they're not the kind of person they'd like for a parent.

[@naydavo]

Joe Freeman thats a bit unneccesary. Whats the point in writing that? Did you want to make her feel like crap?