Thanks so much, Mike! I have been teaching in PYP schools around the world for the past 12 years and this is an amazing resource that I only wish I knew about earlier! Once I really get into using it more with my kids I will be sure to be in touch with any ideas. Until then, thank you for such a great website!

Thanks Deb...I love that second part of timing how long it takes to get things done. You are so right. I had put off organizing our closet because it was going to take "forever". It did take a long time but was totally worth it. Same goes for a lot of other things I sometimes convince myself that I don't have time for. Something to think about! Thanks!

I agree Lyndaal....as simple as it is though, I still have to remember not to beat myself up when my day doesn't go quite as smoothly as I had hoped! After a few weeks, I think I am ready to tweak this list a little to fit my routine a little more closely.

Thanks! Almost all of it comes down to trial and error. I give things a go and sometimes they work beautifully and really help me stay focused and organized and make life better. Other times...not so much! Best one by far was division of labor of household chores. Perfect. I look forward to the next 51 weeks with you!

Hi Shannon, Great point! I just posted with some ideas that I found online that look cute, fairly inexpensive and actually might turn out like the samples!

Love it. I would love for some of our kids to go and wouldn't mind going myself actually!

"So find time to be your spouse’s friend and do those little things for each other that build intimacy. Do have a real happy marriage! " I love this. It is work, but so, so worth it!

Thanks, both of you...two awesome moms! All teachers should be so lucky to partner with either of you in educating your gorgeous children. x

Me too :) And about the whole men vs women email mannerisms...too funny!

The little ones? Four square canvases on clearance at Michaels. Four words cut out of MDF board at Michaels for 49c or 99c each word. Wood glue and spray paint. Glue words onto canvas and paint! They have LIVE, LAUGH, LOVE, BELIEVE, FAMILY and maybe SMILE. Let me know if you want me to get you some words and post them to you!

I am going to get mine from the Habitat for Humanity Re-Store. I have heard some people say that you should apply a primer to the glass before the chalkboard paint. Others have hammered out the glass and replaced it with a thin, lighter board that they paint first and then hang behind the window frame to make the painting easier and the frame lighter for hanging. That sounds like it might work.

I remember those nights, Mere! Funny! And I love that I will catch John out using 'my' words to describe things now! Love it!

You are sweet. Thanks for your kind words. I am so happy that you are done with your studies! Yay you! Hope you continue to enjoy the ups and cope with the downs of teaching. Hold on to those great moments! x

I was thinking the same thing as I watched it (and thankful that I would not need glasses/contacts/solution). I would take an iPad2 and have John take an iPhone. I think it could be quite liberating really! We are getting our house organized for prospective renters to come check it out so are currently relishing the joy of a clutter free home - bliss!

Check this out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanami May look odd in Boise?

I just posted about that article - see the post "Sensationalized, much?". I wasn't sure what to think about it either, based on the heading. If you read through the whole thing it is almost a different article than the one the heading suggests. Do you remember the 20/20 (or other such investigative program) that did that program about aid for Haiti? I think it is interesting to see the whole story of aid work. There is a lot that goes under the radar - who would have thought that earmarking your donation, for example, could turn out to have a negative impact? I think choosing wisely who you will donate to is important. And being ok with the fact that your money for one disaster may be re-purposed for another disaster as the agency you trusted with your money sees fit. Again, I like that the Happy Hearts seems to fill the gap and make sure the kids and communities are brought back together through schools. As far as skype goes - that would be awesome. We are folding cranes and collecting money all this week. When would work for you? What is the time difference? Super fun!

That is great Kim! One of my kids found this article. It would be a great discussion prompt for your kids: http://www.slate.com/id/2288243/ I hope their projects go well! It sounds awesome.

Bec, you are one of the few people I know who probably IS looking super stylish right now regardless of the time of your flight or where you have come from! There are some pretty cute blogs out there. I am sure this will take a dive again once school goes back but for now it is amusing. Two more days of Spring Break and back to work on Monday. Hope everything is fine for you in Japan. Will be interesting to hear how it all goes as you settle back in and look to the next few months. Thanks for the anniversary love - it was a great way to end our trip to Seattle! xoxo

I love this! I googled your crane. Is this it: http://www.seltzerstudios.com/Porcelain-Origami-Crane-p361.html When my husband proposed we were living in Yokohama, Japan. We wanted to incorporate that into our very international wedding (I am from NZ and he is Dutch/Canadian) so my students (I am an elementary teacher) made paper cranes that we used to adorn our placecards - ours were orange and everyone else had silver. (Photos: http://terborg.typepad.com/blog/2011/03/wedding-revisited.html) I would love a ceramic one and had not seen them before until I cam across your beautiful blog today.