Thoughtworthy (Narration Book!!, Organizing Collections, and MORE!)

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Some of you have probably already heard this, but Karen Glass’ new narration book, Know and Tell, was released yesterday! Woo hoo! I had the opportunity to read a couple of the chapters early in the process, and I can tell you that this book is a TREASURE! Karen did oh so much research, including many interviews with teachers at Charlotte Masons schools. There is a wealth of wisdom here.

Here’s more about the book:

This book discusses the theory behind the use of narration and then walks through the process from beginning to end, to show how simply “telling” is the foundation for higher-level thinking and writing.

While narration has grown popular among homeschoolers, it also works well in the classroom. In this book, you will find sample narrations and many resources to help you use narration with your students in any setting. If you’ve been wanting to try narration, but haven’t felt confident enough to rely on an unfamiliar method, this book will give you the tools that you need to make the process easier.

♥

 

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Earlier this week on Instagram, I shared a series of photos about how I organize my extensive collection of homeopathic remedies. I am not an organization junkie, but I’ve learned that if you want to keep track of a large collection of anything, organization is a MUST.

These pictures are for @hfcanning! She asked how I store my extensive collection of #homeopathicremedies. (Hint: my profile link will give you more information.)

1 – I bought a set of PULL-down shelves from ULINE. This is a recent purchase, made using Christmas money! It has been wonderful, but I did go years without anything this fancy.

2 – Here you can see how the shelves pull down. I labeled them all using a basic label maker, and everything is in alphabetical order. Each drawer fits exactly 12 2-dram bottles.

3 – My pharmacy sells these little boxes that also fit remedies perfectly. That is my one big tip: most companies sell empty storage to fit their bottles. If you have a brand you like, look around and see what they offer for storage. This box is for everyday use. It’s in alphabetical order, too, and it’s all the stuff we use for bumps, bruises, bee stings, tummy aches, etc. Everything else is in the closet, but this is out where it’s easily accessed.

4 – This photo is just to show you what it looks like with the lid closed! ? having a lid that keeps everything secure is important if I want to take it with me.

5 – These little round labels have been a lifesaver for me! I have always written on the top of my bottles so that we didn’t have to pick up each bottle to see what was inside. My pharmacy recently changed to different bottles that had a clear top and no one could see what I wrote. I bought these labels; they fit the top perfectly. My advice? Label label label! It’s the only way to be able to find things in a hurry.

:: Someone asked me which brand of remedies I prefer. I suppose I like Boiron if I’m buying from a store, but I took a class years ago that allows me to purchase direct from a pharmacy. I guess that means I’m not much help! ?

:: Remember my picture from over the weekend? Keeping a spreadsheet is a really good idea once you have more than 20 or 30 remedies! I’ve wasted money buying duplicates — this is so much like books! Just like I learned my lesson with books, I’ve learned my lesson with remedies. If you want a big collection, keep a spreadsheet … and keep it updated! ? #getorganized

A post shared by Brandy Vencel (@brandyvencel) on Jan 23, 2018 at 9:27am PST

 

 

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Speaking of Instagram, are you aware of the Instagram page here on the Afterthoughts site? It doesn’t have all the photos, but any photo where a link might be helpful is on this page and linked to the appropriate place here on the blog, on Amazon, or what have you. So, for example, with the collection of photos above, each one is on that page and linked to where to buy the supplies I’m showing. Anyhow, it’s my attempt to be helpful.

 

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In early February, one of my Top Secret Projects will be revealed! (It’s not long now.)

That is all I’ll say about that…

 

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Tomorrow (1/27/2018) is the LAST DAY to buy the raglan shirts and canvas field bags! I know most of you have ordered already (I know because many of the shirts are in production as I type!), but if you’ve been putting it off, don’t! Last chance before they’re gone!

Not pictured is the second shirt color: red sleeves with charcoal lettering. Keep in mind that all shirts and bags come in each of the five designs.

 

:: 6 ::

This month in 2014:

Turns out, this post is the first time I publicly said that Latin is my love language. Too funny.

 

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This week’s links collection:

• What Happens Next to the 13 ‘Tortured’ California Kids Who Escaped Their Parents? from VICE
  • THIS is why the Turpin case doesn’t need to be responded to with increased homeschooling laws (or any other laws):
    

    I’ve been looking at child abuse cases for 40 years. I have never seen anything like this. It is unprecedented in the number of victims that were in one home, in the number of years that it went on — it’s an outlier in every dimension. So it’s hard to know how child welfare will respond to this, because they don’t see cases like this. It’s on the level of a cult…” — Dr. Deborah Daro, Chapin Hall senior research fellow and former director of the National Center on Child Abuse Prevention Research

• No, Homeschooling is NOT a “Sickening Danger” from The Republican Standard
  • Since Assemblyman Medina has publicly pledged to increase oversight of homeschoolers so that “nothing like this ever happens again,” it’s good to keep in mind that statistics tell us that homeschooling is OVERWHELMINGLY SAFE while public schools have had 11 school shootings nationwide already this year. It seems like the government would do well to clean up their own houses before blaming homeschooling for the supposed worse case of child abuse in 40 years.
  • Thanks to Lindsay for giving me the link to this article, which has some sad but helpful stats if you find yourself in a position to defend your homeschooling freedom.
• Sexual Abuse by Teachers is on the Rise from The Children’s Center for Psychiatry, Psychology, and Related Services
  • “Very often, other teachers “thought there might be something going on”, but were afraid to report a fellow educator if they were wrong.”
• DOJ recovers missing text messages between anti-Trump FBI agents Strzok and Page from Fox News
  • SHOCK: the government can find “missing” things when put under enough pressure.
  • “In one text exchange, Strzok and Page spoke of a “secret society” within the Department of Justice and the FBI the day after Trump’s victory, according to two lawmakers with knowledge of the messages.” ← Interesting.
• HHS Announces New Conscience and Religious Freedom Division from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
  • Good news for doctors, it sounds like, and I hope for patients in the future…