A TOS Review: Hey Mama! Schoolhouse Planner 2016-2017

One of the best parts of my job as a reviewer for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine is that I get to peek at some pretty great products. This time around I got to review  the fabulous Hey Mama! Print Schoolhouse Planner 2016-2017 from The Old Schoolhouse.

I am somewhat of an enigma when it comes to the whole planning thing

Frankly, I can plan a party or an event like nobody's business. But (and this is a biggie), sometimes I look at our homeschooling life and think, "how was I ever in charge of a classroom?" Let's just say I'm a bit of a free floater. I tend to waft along like a dandelion petal (which by the way would be a good nature study). However, my son needs structure. My husband needs structure. My laundry needs some attention, too, but that's for another day. 

You can see I need bit of an intervention. 

Okay, my friends. 

I am not saying I am a "planner expert" by any means, but I do know what I need in one. For one thing, I need it to be fairly simple to use. If it too complicated I get overwhelmed and start drawing purple flowers all over the pages. 

I also like paper planners. I like to have it close at by...even if it is to draw purple flowers all over the pages. I like the old-fashioned comfort of hauling it with me, whether it be to the park or to grandma's. 

The Hey Mama! Planner is a good size. It has 192 pages of a variety of helpful pages. 

The planner begins with yearly calendars for 2016, 2017 and 2018. The monthly calendars begin with July 2016 and end with June 2017. There is note page for each month ready for whatever you have 

need for. 

Weekly Planners aren't dated...which I LOVE...after all, we homeschool year long and take breaks throughout the year and need my planning pages to be flexible. 

For all of "us" who like to set goals there are spaces for monthly, semester and yearly goals. What I like most about these that the spaces are specified. For example, there are spots for educational, spiritual, physical and even relational goals. They have caused me to think a little bit more specifically about what I want Josiah to achieve. One of the spaces is Financial. We were able to talk a little more about tithing and his savings account. 

The Attendance Chart is something I will have to adapt. In Missouri, we keep track of our hours. The Attendance Chart is made up of 180 little squares and there are charts for 5 students. 

Obviously, I have one child. I can always use space for doodling so I'm okay with it! 

Here are some of the other pages included:

Books Read This Year

Curriculum Planning Sheet

Homeschooling Contact List

General Writing Prompts

Story Starters

The Thirteen Colonies by Date

Timeline of Inventions

U.S. Presidents and Their Wives

Branches of Federal, State and Local Governments

United States and Capitals

Creating an Academic Transcript

Academic Transcript

Checklist and Skills Learned

There are several pages I know that I will be used. Josiah is dyslexic and I have found it important to keep track of the books we've read. It has really promoted his confidence. Of course, the writing prompts and story starters are a handy thing to have for journal writing exercises. 

One of the sections I REALLY need this year is all about creating an Academic Transcript. Josiah is going to be a FRESHMAN this year! I am not ready for this!! Thankfully, there is some good advice for me here. 

So my favorite of the planner. Here is comes. 

If you are familiar with The Old Schoolhouse you might have heard of Gena Suarez. She, along with her husband Paul, is the publisher. A few years (If I remember right), I started noticing these encouraging little words from Gena popping up in my Facebook page. 

She always started them off with, "Hey, Mama." 

Her words were always filled with fantastic and comforting advice. 

I don't know about you, but sometimes I feel like I just blow it. I am overwhelmed. I sometimes feel undone. Knowing that someone has felt the same way and tells me that I'm doing okay...that means the world. 

So does this planner fit all my "planner needs?" You betcha. It does and more. 

What you need to do right now is go check it off for yourself. There is a super duper great sale going on. AND you will be ahead of your planning game for the next school year. 

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