Tag Archives: New Year’s goals

New Year’s Resources

Though my family is still on winter break from usual homeschooling lessons, I’ve been planning and collecting ideas and links for a New Year’s study to start next week. Below is what I’ve found. I hope you find the resources helpful for your New Years lessons, too!

Looking Back at 2015 and Looking Ahead to 2016 Printable – (This is what my family is using for our yearly traditional time capsule. Each of us will fill one out and place in a bottle to be packed away with our Christmas decorations. We’ll find them next December when we get the decorations back out.) http://www.modernparentsmessykids.com/2014/12/free-family-new-years-resolution-printable.html

Top News Stories of 2015 (parents of younger kids should view privately before sharing with the kids because there’s quite a few bad news stories) http://abcnews.go.com/US/year-review-13-biggest-news-stories-2015/story?id=35852690

Find out the “Most Searched, Most Watched” (again, parents should view first) of 2015 http://www.ourlittleearth.com/2015/12/most-searched-most-watched-this-year/

“New Year” Bible Verses – http://www.openbible.info/topics/new_year

Bible Based New Year’s Crafts and Activities – http://www.christianitycove.com/?s=new+years

New Year’s Interactive Games – http://www.primarygames.com/holidays/new_years/games.htm

New Year’s Games – Fun for families, friends, and co-ops – http://www.howdoesshe.com/15-fun-new-years-eve-activities-for-kids-or-adults/

“Lucky” Foods and Recipes for New Year’s – http://www.rd.com/food/fun/7-lucky-new-years-foods/

New Year’s Activities and Printables (lots of printables!) – http://activityvillage.co.uk/new-year

How to say “Happy New Year” in other languages – http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0923039.html

New Year Traditions from Around the World – http://www.123newyear.com/newyear-traditions/

New Year’s History Articles and Videos – http://www.history.com/topics/holidays/new-years

Movie Clips and New Year’s Music from the 1940’s, 50’s, and 60’s – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-2k7hKvaW0

Happy New Year Songs Playlist – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIAVVo9m5AI

Times Square Ball History – http://www.timessquarenyc.org/events/new-years-eve/about-the-new-years-eve-ball/history-of-the-new-years-eve-ball/index.aspx#.VobXKFJecx0

Times Square STEM Activity – http://jdaniel4smom.com/2015/12/new-years-ball-drop-stem-challenge.html

Times Square Math Challenge – http://www.yummymath.com/2015/the-times-square-ball/

Be on the lookout for more January resources and lesson ideas coming soon!

betty jo

A New Word for the New Year

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Instead of resolutions or goals for 2015, I’ve decided to have a “focus word” again (you can read about this idea from last year here https://stilllearningsomethingnew.com/2013/12/31/resolutions-goals-and-a-word/ ).

My word for the new year is (insert drum roll, please)….”LESS“!

Some of my thoughts about “LESS” are personal, others are more family oriented:

Spend Less, Worry Less, Doubt Less, Fear Less, Less Mess/Clutter, Less Screen Time, Less Anger, Less Complaining, Judge Less, Yell Less, Less Stress, Argue Less, Use Less (gas, water, electricity), Less Junk Food, and even Less Caffeine!

“Less” – At first, it sort of seems like a negative word. But, apply it to the “Laws of Physics” (yeah, that’s how my train of thought often goes, but bare with me, this makes sense)

“Newton’s third law is:

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

The statement means that in every interaction, there is a pair of forces acting on the two interacting objects. The size of the forces on the first object equals the size of the force on the second object. The direction of the force on the first object is opposite to the direction of the force on the second object. Forces always come in pairs – equal and opposite action-reaction force pairs.” (Source – http://www.physicsclassroom.com/Class/newtlaws/u2l4a.cfm)

So, all of my “LESSES” (a new word ?) are going to equal out into a lot of “MORES“! More Peace, More Quality Time, More Money, More (better) Health, More Quiet, More Self Control, More Happiness….

But LESS homeschool? NOT A CHANCE! However, “less planning” is a potentially good thought. It seems like sometimes I spend more time planning – researching, gathering materials, etc – . than we spend actually learning or doing an activity. Not to mention all the times that plans fizzle out because of lack of interest , change of interest direction, or something unexpected comes up instead. “Less Planning” – It’s a consideration, for sure.

And of course, a “LESS” application for my spiritual growth and relationship with my Savior, “Less of me = More of Him”! John 3:30 – “He must become greater; I must become less.”

Less cooking, cleaning, and laundry? – Well, a girl can have dreams for the new year, too!

What’s your resolution, goal, or focus word of the new year? Whatever it is, I wish you the very best with it.

Have a Happy and Blessed 2015!

betty jo

http://benoitacademy.com/2015/01/06/geeky-educational-linkup-15-create-a-vision-for-the-new-year/

Resolutions, Goals, and a Word

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As the year comes to an end, of course I’m thinking about resolutions. I’m not so great with New Year’s resolutions. Over the years I’ve broken nearly every one…diet, exercise, pray harder, memorize Scriptures, less caffeine, spend less, organize, quit yelling, better housekeeping, go to church more, and on and on. I’ve even had years when discouragement and fear of failing has kept me from making any new ones.

Instead of making resolutions the past few years I’ve set “doable” goals. I have been slightly more successful with the goals than the resolutions. Slightly. I set the goal of learning computer skills a couple of years ago, and I did. Last year I set the goal of starting a blog, and I met that goal, too.

Whether resolutions or goals, my family does it with me. Whatever we choose, we write it on paper and put them in a time capsule (a plastic container). Our capsule gets buried with the Christmas decorations, then when we decorate the following December, we can review how we’ve done and if progress hasn’t been made, there’s still a bit of time to work on it. Here’s a link for a printable for New Year’s time capsules http://www.freehomeschooldeals.com/free-printable-end-of-the-year-time-capsule-questions/ This interview printable will be a great thing to include in the time capsule, too http://www.homeschoolshare.com/blog/2013/12/creating-new-years-family-traditions-free-printable/

I happened across a blog post and thought “YES! This is how we should do it this year.” Just pick one word and let it become the focus of the year. One word, seems easy enough. I’ve thought about my word, re-read the post and other’s suggestions, prayed, and I now have my word. I’m thinking this isn’t going to be so easy after all. My one word focus for 2014 is “IMPROVE”. I am not even close to “perfect” in any area of my life, there is much room to improve absolutely everything. I imagine this will be my daily question to myself. “What is one thing I can do today to improve my life and the life of someone else?” This is the link for the One Word One Year Transformed Forever article http://forthefamily.org/one-word-one-year-transformed-forever/

This time of year, there are several challenges starting. Being part of a group challenge is not a bad idea. I find accountability to the others attempting the challenge to be great motivator . Knowing that others are working (struggling) on the same issue is encouraging . Short term challenges suit me best. Surely, I can do something that improves my life for a few weeks, and may possibly develop into something more long term. Even when past challenges have failed, I can look back and remember that one time I actually exercised everyday for a couple of weeks, read “x” amount of Scripture, or went on such a cleaning frenzy that even the back corner of the junk drawer was spotless. Below are some of the short term challenges I think will be worth attempting and perhaps repeating throughout 2014.

30 Day Mom Challenge http://www.imom.com/tools/build-relationships/30-day-mom-challenge/

30 Day Marriage Challenge http://www.imom.com/tools/build-relationships/30-day-marriage-challenge/

21 Day Home Organization Challenge http://www.imperfecthomemaking.com/2011/10/31-days-to-organized-home-day-one.html

Wonderful listing of Bible based 30 day challenges https://www.reviveourhearts.com/resource-library/30-day-challenges/

Family Fitness Challenge http://skinnyms.com/family-fitness-challenge/

I’d be interested to know what your resolutions, goals, word of the year and challenges are for 2014. Please leave a comment, you may inspire someone!

May God bless us, everyone in 2014,

betty jo