TOS Planner: Not just another Planner

Are you a planner addict?  I am.  I love office supplies and anything that has to do with planning and getting organized.  It gives me a sense of security to know that I’ve got it all under control.   I know it’s just an illusion of sorts because life is chaotic.  I’m trusting in One who really does have it all under control but I like having a plan.  I think I like seeing how His plan is so much better than mine and I also know that by praying and planning that sometimes, my plan is really His plan and that He’s given me what I need at that moment to make sense of the chaos.  My newest planning and organizing toy tool is The Old School House Planner.

So what is so special about The Old Schoolhouse Planner that I am spotlighting it on my blog?  I’m so glad you asked!

The TOS Planner is an electronic planner that you can print out or save on your computer.  It is a PDF file that allows you to type in your information *and* save it!   All of the forms that you would need to make your lesson plans and plan out your school year are right there and some forms have different layouts so you  can pick the style that you like best.  Also included are forms for tracking grades, reading logs, memorization items and a form for a high school transcript.

 

You may be thinking, that’s nice Tess, but don’t you already use a record keeping system on your computer that you love.  Yes, yes I do and as much as I love, adore and rave about that program I decided I had to have the planner.  There is much more to the TOS Planner than just home school planner pages. 

The Old Schoolhouse Planner is packed with over 600 pages! Before getting to the the hundreds of pages of useful forms you are given a rich tool to enhance your home school experience.   There are 12, what I think of as enrichment sections each coordinating with a month and loosely tied to a theme. For example in July you’ll find a “Bible Must-Know List” as well as some tips for organizing your home.  I imagine this section as a foundation; firmly grounded in my faith and having an organized home leads to a more satisfying and productive school year.  My favorite part of the monthly sections are the recipes.   I”m always looking for new recipes to  try! 

Even though July has come and gone already for 2010 and August is on its way out the door, the information is not date or time specific; I’m sure I’ll still be referring back to those Bible reference pages in years to come.  The other 10 months are no less timeless.

How would you like, right at your fingertips, the answers to questions like “What are the Seven Wonders of the World?” or  “What is the chemical symbol for Gold?”.    How about a chart  with all the Miracles of Christ or His parables?  These are just a few of the resources in the “mini-reference” book that TOS included and labeled as Miscellaneous Educational Information

 

 All that great information at my fingertips is wonderful but I fell in love with the forms and all the possibilities of what I could do with all those forms.   It’s like planner heaven to be able to customize exactly what pages I want.  Print them out and put them in the exact order that I want them.   I’m not even talking about the home school planning pages!   I’m in love with the pages like website log in.   I am forever forgetting what I put for a password or what password I assigned to my children for online subscriptions for school.   And the medical information sheet is perfect for filling out and having on hand to include with consent forms for youth camps and activities.

There are pages you can use to keep track of your library books and to keep track of your car vehicle maintenance.    Like to garden?   You can plan out your garden with pages from the TOS Planner!

I am currently setting up a mini-planner for myself using the calendar pages.  I am typing the church festivals and holidays as well as birthdays and anniversaries.    I’ll print them out and comb bind them as a personalized Month-at-A Glance planner.   I’m going to have a “high school planner” for my oldest.  It will include a log sheet for courses that are “non-traditional” and place to map out what she needs to earn a high school credit.   I’m planning a kitchen planner with my rotating menu plans typed up on the wonderful meal planning pages. I’d like to organize our chores and yes the TOS Planner will help me with that, too!  I only wish I had a preschooler so I could use the cute preschool chore pages! Oh the possibilities are endless!

To see a sample of the TOS Planner click here.  Ready to purchase your own copy and join me in planner heaven?  Click here..

Disclosure Statement: Being a member of the The Old Schoolhouse Review Crew means that I am an independent contractor for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine. This is a product that I purchased for my own personal use.  I was not compensated for this advertisement nor am I under any obligation to write this advertisement. This blog post does, however, constitute an entry in the TOS Planner Advertising Campaign and is competing for a grand prize issued by TOS.