Kids Kalendar & NSS Update

I'm not happy today.  I have lost my USB that holds all my blog pix...including the pix I was going to use for today to breakdown our DIY's for the laundry room update.  Sigh.  I've searched high and low, and even asked Sweet Pickle where it was (she's a little pick pocketing critter) - but have turned up empty handed.  Grrrrr!  I'll be turning this house inside out over the next week to find it.  I. Will. Find. It.  Eh, such is life.  Time to move on. 

School is in full swing at our home.  And a few weeks ago, Peanutty came home from school very upset with me.  Here's the convo:

Me:  Hey Buddy!  How was school today?
Peanutty:  Good.  Except that YOU forgot to put my library book back into my backpack for library today.  So I didn't get to get a new book.
Me:  Oh NO!!!  I DID completely forget to put that book into YOUR backpack after I was reading it.  After all, reading about the Pittsburgh Steelers is one of my favorite past times. (please feel free to insert an incredible amount of sarcasm here...I did.)
Peanutty:  Well?  How was I supposed to know to put it in there?!?!
Me:  Alright, how about we get YOU a calendar for your room.  And on that calendar, we can put down everything you need to remember for school and activities?

Which brings me to this:

I purchased a blank dry erase board as well as fine tipped dry erase markers.  All of it set me back (this happened in August-for the record) $15.  I wanted to find one that already had the calendar on it, but they were sold out...it was still back to school time, in a college town, so you snooze you lose.  I lost.

Did a little measuring and BA-DA-BOOM.  I give you a calendar!  I did do the calendar in permanent marker so it was easier to erase the dry erase marker.

I also wrote the days of the week in permanent marker.  I'm leaving it up to Peanutty to write everything down that he thinks is important.

We color coded it:  Red = lunches (we go through the menu at the beginning of the month and he chooses which days he wants school lunch and which days he wants to pack his own).  Blue = anything school related:  assignments, library book due date, book orders.  Green = extra circulars he may be involved in or any kind of sleepover, party, fun thing he's going to do.

Ta-Da!  There you have it.  He chose where to hang this in his room and it's proven to really help keep things in order.  He looks at it first thing in the morning.  It's made him much more responsible.  For us, it's worked...and guess what?  We haven't missed a library day again!

NSS UPDATE:  Still going strong in not spending any extra money this month.  We were treated to dinner out by my in-laws, which was DELISH!  I'm already craving a few restaurants, but I'm trying to keep it at bay.  And last Friday, I did have to ask a friend to talk me off the ledge because I REALLY wanted to shop, but I didn't.  Between not eating out and staying at home most weekends/days off - we've saved some - enough to be proud of.  Only 7 more days until the challenge is complete!

Here's just a little eye candy for you today, I was in awe of it when I saw it this summer:

All that stuff hanging is Washi Tape.  Be amazed.

Have a most wonderful week, wish me luck on my hunt for the USB thingy.  Until next Tuesday...