Table of Contents
     Getting Your House in Order
          Get Motivated
          Plan Your Attack for a Summer Clean-up
          A Place for Everything
          Deal with Clutter
               The Four-Box Dejunking Method
               Recycling Your Castoffs
               Ways To Prevent Clutter
          Deep Cleaning
     Recommended Resources
          Be a Work-at-Home Mom
          Doorposts Summer Sale
          SCI-TECH Hands-On Project Kits
          Power-Glide Flash Cards
     Sunnyside Up: Humorous Anecdote

Greetings,

     We hope that your family is enjoying this summer, appreciating
the beauties of God's creation and the fellowship of friends and
family.
     Along with these pleasurable pursuits, there are things that
you can do this summer to make your life easier during the coming
school year.  One effort that will yield great dividends is
getting your house in order.  In this issue we share practical
step-by-step plans and ideas for doing just that.
     You might notice that we have assumed that everyone else has
the same need that we have -- to be more organized. If you are
already well organized, please look around and find someone you
can encourage by your help and prayer; it probably won't be too
hard to find someone!
     May the Lord bless you and your family for His glory.

Cordially,
Pat, Sue, Heather, Holly, and Brian Welch
The Teaching Home is a 24-year-old, home-school family business.
____________________________________________________

Do You Want To Be
A Work-at-Home Mom?
     We help women who want
to improve their family's finances
and work from their home while
they continue to nurture, teach,
and enjoy their children!  Shop from over
50 detailed home business profiles and find your perfect
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____________________________________________________

Home-School Conventions
     Unique benefits await you at your local, regional, or state
home-school convention, conference, or book fair.  We urge
you to attend!
     For information about your state convention, go to The
Teaching Home's website (link below) and link directly to the
state organization's website.  Upcoming state conventions:
July:  AZ, KY, SD / August:  NV, OR, TX
September: England / Various Dates: TN, TX, NZ
http://www.teachinghome.com/states/index.cfm

Correction
Christian Light Education
     In listing additional information for Christian Light
Education in our last issue, we inadvertently typed Christian
Life instead.  Here is the correct information:
     CLE now has their own website at http://www.clp.org and
offers a record keeping service for home schoolers.

Letter in Reply to College at Home Issue
     We can't thank you enough for The Teaching Home newsletter
#83: College at Home!  It was very encouraging and very much in
God's timing for us.
     We hope and pray that other homeschoolers who have guarded
the hearts and minds of their children at home since birth will
also read and take heed.
     We had planned on a traditional Christian college experience,
but God has been good to bring several things to our attention
lately.  This newsletter was further proof of His leading.
     We look forward to reading the testimonies of others who
have completed college at home, with details telling how they did it.
     Again, many thanks!
     In Christ, David and Dione Williams and family

Never Out of Date
Teaching Home Magazine Back Issues
     Thousands of home schoolers have found information,
inspiration, and support from the hundreds of writers who have
contributed to The Teaching Home magazine.
     Fifty-one back issues are offered for sale online.  These
back issues never go out of date.  They are relevant and
applicable to your needs today.
http://theteachinghomen.goemerchant7.com/
____________________________________________________

Doorposts Summer Sale Through July
     Save 10% on all our many creative and practical products
that help you apply Scripture in your home.  Order now for the
new school year or stock up on gifts.   Shop on our website at
http://www.doorposts.net.  Use Discount Code FOJ740.
____________________________________________________

Getting Your House in Order
by Cindy Short and Sue Welch, editors
     As the virtuous woman in Proverbs 31 who "looks well to the
ways of her household," we, too, want to follow the principle of
I Corinthians 14:40, "Let all things be done decently and in
order.

Get Motivated
     Can you imagine how much easier your life and home schooling
would be next fall if all the extra clutter were eliminated from
your home and it were clean and organized?
     Organization imposes limits on your behavior, time,
belongings, and life. Yet it is an essential tool for achieving
freedom, peace, and plenty.
     Human nature tends to throw off constraints and to do what
we feel like moment by moment. The result is chaos in the home
environment.
     Personal victory in the area of household organization will
bring many benefits to your family:
 *  A home that is a haven from the world for our families,
     friends, and guests.
 *  Fewer allergies, illnesses, and accidents due to a clean,
     safe environment.
 *  Possessions that are in good repair and easy to find when
     needed, saving the time, money, and stress of looking for
     things or buying duplicates of unfound items.
 *  Less need for extra storage space.
 *  A pleasant and efficient environment for work and study.
 *  The ability to practice hospitality and to open the door and
     say "Come on in!" to unexpected visitors.
____________________________________________________

Plan Your Attack for a Summer Clean-up.
     You can choose one of these strategies or combine them to
fit your family's needs.  You may want to start with a bang and
finish off a little each week, or work up to an all-out effort.

Schedule Your Time
     One or Two Weeks Concentrated Time.  Schedule one or
two weeks to unclutter.  Wipe all other activities from your calendar
and do a systematic pass through your entire house.  You probably
will not complete everything in one week, but it will give you a
big boost.  You can follow up with one of the following
schedules.
     One Day Each Week.  Schedule one day each week to unclutter
during the summer months.
     An Hour or Two each Day or on Several Days each Week.
The consistency of even small efforts -- just 15 minutes to 1 hour
a day -- will pay off immensely. Or you could schedule 2-4 hours
once or twice a week.

Decide Where To Start
     By Rooms.  You can go through your house room-by-room in
any order: from "public" living areas to storage, more cluttered rooms
first or last, or perhaps a different room for each day of the week.
     By Categories.  Or you could deal with categories one at a time:
all your books and papers, all your clothes, all your media, all your
kitchen things, etc., and then finish up room-by-room.

Enlist the Help of Family & Friends
 *  Ask your family and friends to support you in prayer if you
     are struggling to become more organized.
 *  Talk to your family about the benefits of an organized home
     and pray together that the Lord will help each one to let go
     of unneeded items and develop habits to maintain your home.
 *  Train your child to do cleaning chores and help him become
     consistent in doing them.
 *  Seek the wisdom and guidance of your Heavenly Father
     above all.

Be Realistic
     There is a fine balance between a challenge and having
unrealistic expectations.  In the long run, clutter and disorganization
can only be effectively overcome by constant and consistent effort.
It takes time to establish new habits and routines.
     Set your eye on your goal, and even if you make only slow
progress each day and week, you will be delighted to see a real
difference in your home and life sooner than you might expect.
____________________________________________________

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____________________________________________________

A Place for Everything
     Before you start the major dejunking process described
below, take some time to plan a place for everything you want to
keep.  This is the foundation of a neat home:  a place for
everything and everything in its place!
     Budget your space, much like you would budget your money or
budget your time with a schedule.  Consider the amount of space
you have to work with and what you want to do with it.
     This is a new way of thinking about your space and
belongings -- not simply where can I put everything, but what do
I need and where do I need it.
     1.  Start by making a list of the functions your house is
used for (e.g., sleeping, cooking, washing, eating, playing,
visiting, making things, entertaining, studying).
     2.  Decide the best use of each room as you match it to
one or more of the functions.
     This is also a fresh approach to organizing your home.  For
instance, two or more children could share a room with bunk beds
and free up a school library room.
     3.  Next, write the name of each room at the top of a page
and list the uses of that room and what items should be in that
room for those needs.
     4.  Now assign a space in each room for the items needed
there.
     5.  You will need some general storage space as well
somewhere in your house for miscellaneous items that don't fit
anywhere else or are being saved for later.  This could be either
unused space in the rooms, or a separate area in the attic or
basement, etc.
     6.  After you know exactly where each item belongs, print
copies of your list.  Post them throughout the house (inside
cupboard or closet doors), and distribute them to family
members.  You can also place labels on shelves and in drawers and
closets, etc. until habits are firmly established for putting
things where they belong.
     7.  Now you are ready to remove clutter and unneeded items
from your home.
     One way of getting started might be to check your list for
needed items and "go shopping" among your stuff, find them, and
put them away.  The balance can be discarded as suggested below.
____________________________________________________

Deal with Clutter
     Dealing with clutter in an ongoing challenge.  Here are ways
to identify it, dispose of it, and keep it from accumulating.

The Four-Box Dejunking Method
     This method is recommended by many experts.

1.  Get four boxes and label them:
 *  Throw Away
     (Some serious dejunkers even rent a small dump box.)
 *  Give Away
     (You may also want a box for things to sell.)
 *  Storage
 *  Put Away

2.  Make Your Decisions.
     As you go through the items in your current work zone, force
yourself to make a decision about each item you pick up and place
it in the correct box.  Indecision is often the biggest problem
in dealing with clutter.
     Refer to your master list of items needed for each function
and space assigned for those items.  Ask yourself questions like
these:
 *  Can I do without it?
 *  Do I have room for it?
 *  Can I use something else in its place?
 *  Can I borrow or rent one if I rarely need it?
 *  Do I have too many of these?
 *  Could someone else use this more than I would?

3.  Finish Up.
     Be sure to schedule time before you stop working to
appropriately dispose of box contents.
 *  Relocate Put-Away items.
 *  Place Give-Away items in car to take to their destination
     (e.g., donation center, church, support group, friends or
     relative's house).
 *  Put storage items, as well as items for your summer yard sale
     or eBay sales, in clearly labeled boxes in your storage area.
 *  Throw away the rest.
     (Use large trash bags for non-garbage throw-aways, rather
     than overfilling your garbage can.)

Free Online Resources
     These websites contain a wealth of practical and encouraging
information.

The Organized Home
     Many pages of free information about how to organize,
unclutter, simplify, and clean your home, including:
 *  Several articles on decluttering.
     http://www.organizedhome.com/content-cat-2.html
 *  Many detailed articles on cleaning.
     http://www.organizedhome.com/content-cat-5.html
 *  Much more!
     http://www.organizedhome.com

The Fly Lady
     The FlyLady takes you by the hand and gently leads you step
by baby step through her housecleaning and organizing program.
     She has invented the 27 Fling Boogie to help you declutter
your home.
     Take a garbage bag and walk through your home and collect 27
items to get rid of as quickly as you can. Do not stop until you
have collected all 27 items. Then close the garbage bag and pitch
it. Do not look in it!  Just do it.
     Next, take an empty box and go through your home collecting
27 items to give away.  As soon as you finish filling the box,
take it to the car.  (You are less tempted to rescue the items.)
If you have two of any item and you only need one, get rid of the
least desirable.  http://www.FlyLady.net

Don Aslett's Cleaning Center
"Clutter's Last Stand" and other books by Don Aslett.
     http://www.cleanreport.com/sub_category.cfm?subid=5
Articles on dejunking and cleaning.
     http://www.cleanreport.com/new_articles.cfm
____________________________________________________

Venture to foreign lands
with powerful, picturesque
Power-Glide Flash Cards.
     Populated with more than 200
nouns, this effective vocabulary
resource visits 22 different categories
in six different languages and includes
two audio CDs to simplify learning!
You can use the flash cards just as they are or play games
with others learning the same language or different languages.
Travel abroad with Power-Glide -- your ticket to foreign language
fluency!  http://www.aop.com.
____________________________________________________

Ways To Prevent Clutter
     To prevent clutter from accumulating again, try one or all
of the following suggestions.

1.  Hold Your Ground.
     After a particular area (as small as one counter top or
drawer) has been cleared, do a daily clutter check to make sure
no clutter is permitted to return.

2.  Put Everything in Its Place.
     Each member of your family needs to know where every item
belongs.  (Review your master lists!)
     Keep eliminating stuff until everything fits in the space
you have available, rather than wishing for something you do not
have -- more space for more stuff!

3.  Build Good Habits.
     Work hard on the habit of returning items to their homes.
     One suggestion is to have an attractive basket or other
container in a corner of each room for items that need to be put
away in another room.
     At a designated time each day (e.g., before dinner, bedtime,
or free time) have each person check the containers and put away
his own belongings and things that he has used.

4.  "One Comes In, One Goes Out" Rule.
     When you buy a new item, another item must be discarded,
recycled, sold, or donated. This keeps the sheer number of items
below the clutter point. It can also save money as you consider
if you really need or want to buy a new item badly enough to
release one you already have.

5.  Don't Buy It.
     It is more cost effective to rent some seldom-needed items
or to borrow them from your public, church, or home-school
library. This is another way to keep down the volume of material
in your home and storage space.
____________________________________________________

Recycling Your Castoffs
     Ridding your home and life of clutter is enough reward in
itself, but you may also realize other profits.
     Items that could still be of use to others can be disposed
of in several ways:

 *  Give them to people you know that could use them or donate
     them to your church, mission, Goodwill, or Salvation Army.

 *  Sell them in a garage or rummage sale.
     (See secrets for a successful garage sale at
     http://www.organizedhome.com/content-54.html.)

 *  Sell them online.
     Laurelwood Publications.  http://www.laurelwoodbooks.com
     abeBooks/BookFinder.  http://www.abebooks.com/docs/Sell
     eBay. http://pages.ebay.com/education/sellingtips/index.html
     (List individual books, sets, or by grade level.)

     Suzanne Himka, a home-school mother of three children, began
selling some of their own unneeded items on eBay three years ago.
Now she resells enough garage sale finds to pay for clothes, curriculum,
and more.  Read the full text of Suzanne's article with detailed information
on how to sell on eBay at:
http://www.teachinghome.com/newsletters/vol_2-no_42.cfm.
____________________________________________________

Deep Cleaning
     Did you miss spring cleaning this year (or maybe the last
several years)?
     Of course, if you are really well organized, you have been
keeping your house neat and clean all year.  But those of us who
always seem to be a little behind probably need to do a good,
thorough house cleaning right about now.
     If you followed the steps above for dejunking your house,
you are ready for the next step -- discover a new level of
clean.  It is amazing how easy it is to clean a house with the
clutter out of the way.  In fact, your house might even be cleared
up enough so that you can hire some help for the scrubbing!
     Afterwards, enjoy the fruits of your labor as your family and
friends live and fellowship in your clean and orderly home.
     For valuable tips on efficient ways to clean anything, see
the three online resources listed above.
____________________________________________________

     Please Thank and Support
     Our Sponsoring Advertisers!
          These free newsletters are made possible financially by
     the fine suppliers who advertise in them and the accompanying
     e-mail.  Please consider those that advertised in our last issue
     (below) as well as the ones in this issue.

     Christian Liberty Academy School System
          http://www.homeschools.org
     Marvelous Math Software
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     "The Third Alternative: Christian Self-Government"
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     Elexio IntelliPortfolio
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     AVKO Dyslexia (& Spelling) Research Foundation
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     "College at Home Handbook"
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____________________________________________________

Sunnyside Up
     Our 6-year-old overheard a phone conversation I was having
with a friend. She could sense the surprise and concern in my
voice and was curious as to what we were talking about.
     When I hung up, she immediately asked, "What happened, Mom?"
     Her eyes grew big when I told her that our friends' house
had been broken into the previous night. Her expression changed
from one of curiosity to one of great perplexity as she gasped,
"How did their house break in two, Mom?"
     Submitted by Lorie D., Mich.
____________________________________________________

God Loves You.
     Because we were separated from God by sin, Jesus Christ
died in our place, then rose to life again.  If we trust Jesus Christ
as our Savior and Lord, He will give us eternal life.
     "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that
not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of
works, that no one should boast" (Ephesians 2:8, 9).
     http://www.TeachingHome.com/about/salvation.cfm
____________________________________________________

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