I have never before used a homeschool planner. While I am very much a planner, they all felt a little intimidating and not quite what I needed. However, when I saw the chatter on the Classical Conversations group Facebook page about the Homeschool 18-Month Classical Planner by Hot Pink Lime, I was instantly interested. The folks over at Hot Pink Lime were kind enough to give me a copy to review. Now that I’ve received it and have it all set up for this school year, my initial instinct is confirmed, it’s just right! I’ll tell you why I think so:
1. The look. The design is simple and clean, but with colorful touches like the watercolor drawings and thoughtful, encouraging quotes throughout.
2. The function. Besides lesson planning pages, there are pages for important dates, gift lists, master meal planning, goals, book lists, attendance records, field trip plans, to-dos and notes. I have the pre-printed planner and I think there are plenty of copies of each page. With the digital download, you can print as many as you need and only the ones you need. How smart! Also running from July 2015 to December 2016, I like the margin it provides. If you’re a year round homeschooler, perhaps this will be even more helpful.
3. The quantity. There are lesson planning pages for the 24 weeks of CC with brief outlines of the memory work subject matter and an additional 17 lesson planning page spreads. Each lesson planning page is designed to work for planning for three students. Even though I have five children, this works for us because much of our lessons are shared. The attendance records have room for six students. In Pennsylvania, we have to “count days,” so this will make that easier. At the end of the year, I can copy these filled-in records and place them in each of my little’s portfolios.
4. The quality. The printed version is spiral-bound with over two hundred pages, thick durable laminated cover and back pocket. I need it to keep up with our busy days, so I’m glad it’s sturdy.
5. The options. I went for convenience of one kind by ordering the printed planner, but you can choose convenience of another kind by purchasing the digital planner as a download for $15.00. Besides the lower cost, you have the flexibility of printing whichever pages suite your needs and as many copies of those pages as you need. As Hot Pink Lime explains, you can even print multiple pages and covers to make each of your students their own planner. They offer nine additional covers with fronts and backs, so everyone can have their own distinct look. The designs are great and I know I could find something each of my students would like. Now that’s value!
I’m excited to see how the ease of using this planner will help me this year. So far I penciled in the dates for each week’s plans on the lesson planning pages. I even penciled in holiday weeks. I like having them there so if I want to include holiday plans, like reading certain books or scheduling special field trips or friend dates, I have space to do so. Most weeks I planned for 4 days worth of lessons, but on weeks without CC, I often scheduled 5 days worth. Knowing how many weeks could be 5 days really helped me schedule more easily for the full year.
I like having the schedules for all my lessons in one place. We have a schedule for reading (which covers most of our subjects) and CC. I make a schedule for math, English, Latin, and Bible. In case you thought we were strict abiders of our schedule, we absolutely are not! I just like having a guide or an expectation of where we need to be to complete our goals for the year. For example, I planned on using this past Monday for our first day of school! We don’t start CC for a couple weeks, so this would help us get a jump on our math and reading, which takes more like 36-38 weeks to complete. However, we decided to spontaneously take our baseball loving crew to the Little League World Series instead. Monday worked for daddy’s work schedule, so we grabbed some cardboard boxes and off we went! School will start on Tuesday or maybe Wednesday since I might need a minute to recover the house and we all might need to rest before diving in.
And that is a perfect example of why I always use pencil and planners are only for plans, because I know life is not static! Last year we had a newborn and moved. Two years ago I was quite sick with pregnancy. None of that was exactly planned, so who knows what this year holds?
If you’re interested in this planner, you’ll be excited to know they’ve been very generous to offer two digital downloads for y’all to have a chance to win! See below for details:
To learn more about the planner, be sure to check out the Hot Pink Lime Facebook page for more images and ideas on using it.
I plan it out using a planner I made myself from a composition notebook.
I think simple ways nearly always do the job just right. Composition notebooks especially make me nostalgic for my school days. 🙂
Like you, I pencil in everything except hard & fast appointments like cc days, physical therapy for one child, etc. I’ve outgrown our write it down as we go plan and need to be more mindful of reading plans now that my kids are burgeoning readers. Thanks for the review!
You know I should use pen for those things! I’m always afraid I’ll need to change something. When we were dating my husband would jokingly ask me to “pencil him in” since he knew I didn’t write in my little planner in ink. 😉
Thank you for such a wonderful give away.
I just found your blog and I love it.
Thank you,
Kristen
kristen foster recently posted…Decluttered zones
Kristin thank you so much for entering & for your kind words!
I do a little of both! We are a CC family so some of my kids have their own planners. We never plan out the whole year in advance.
Cathy, I like to sketch out the year, but it never goes quite according to plan, which I’m totally okay with! 🙂 Out of curiosity, how old were your children when they started with their own planners?
I plan, but not the entire year at once.
In the past I have had a general plan and then wing it from there. As they get older I find better planning is more beneficial to all. : )
Definitely more to keep track of us they get older!
I’m a planner!! I’m super flexible but if I don’t have anything written down and planned we won’t get much done.
Sounds like a perfect mix! 🙂
Love to plan! Hope I win 🙂
I do too! 😉
We plan the year, about 6 weeks at a time!
I like that approach, Shanee! Do you take breaks between the 6 week chunks? How many weeks do y’all school all together?
I’m a planner…but sometimes our plans go out the window for better plans. Like today, instead of worksheets, we went to open gym for P.E.!
I like that flexibility, Erin! Good choice! 🙂
This planner looks perfect to keep all my CC (and the rest of my life) a bit more together.
<3 Hot Pink Lime! 🙂
I think it’s great! I hope you do too! 🙂
I plan out my year. I have yet to find a planner that works wells for us!
Ooo, I hope you’d like this one!
This looks like a great planner!!
I would love to win this planner!
I am usually guilty of winging it. But I really want to be a planner!!
I bought the actual CC planner because this is our first year (and I’m obsessed with notebooks and planners!) but I love this one more!! Functional, customizable and pretty? It’s got everything! Thanks for sharing this!
Caryn, I’m so glad you like it! Welcome to CC! Hope your year is off to a great start.
Would love to win the download to help me get organized this school year!
I usually try to wing it but definitely need more planning since the addition of my last 2 little ones!!
The more the merrier & messier, right? 🙂
This looks awesome!
I would love a planner like this!
a planner
I have in the past before last year tried to order a curriculum that would have it all planned out then last year we found CC and this is our second year plus I am a tutor first time this year, so, I feel that I need to plan more. I love that this is classical conversations. Thanks for the chance to win. Jessica
Good luck, Jessica! I’m sure a tutor has lots to keep track of & I think this would be great for using with your family & your tutor planning.
I used a CC-based planner last year, but we’re not participating in CC this year. Might still use the same general idea (it’s in Excel – print each page after that week is complete), if nothing else seems just right. I am thinking of getting the kids their own planners this year, too – might be nice if we all used paper planners together.
Hilarie, since it’s digital you can skip the CC pages and plan extra lesson pages, if you’d like!
New to CC and Homeschooling this year, so I need all the help I can get! 🙂
Haelie recently posted…Never say “Never!”
Welcome, Haelie! I hope this planner helps make your transition even easier 🙂
I plan but not nearly as detailed as most people. I also like to “keep track” of what we’ve done.
Becki @Running with Team Hogan recently posted…How Are We Doing? Gauging Success In Our Homeschool
I agree, Becki! Besides the planning, I like having records in the end.
Sadly, I tend to wing it. But really need to step up the planning/record keeping/journaling etc this year. Feel like i’ve neglected it much too long. Sounds like an awesome planner. Thanks for the giveaway!
I find winging it works for me for a while, but I can’t really sustain it. You know? I hope this planner works well for you!
Minimal planning. We do want to study human anatomy as well as CC!
This planner should help with that!
I am new to Homeschooling and CC. I plan to use the book as a helpful guide to figure out all the new things that are happening in our lives! 🙂
Welcome, Lisa!
Plan it as well as I can ahead of time and see how it goes. Or as we used to say in my former job/life: Measure with a micrometer, mark it with a grease pencil, and cut it with an axe!
Micrometer/grease pencil/axe – I’m gonna try to remember that! What was your former job?
IT ends up being some of both. I wish I did much more planning with 3 now schooling and directing challenge without a child in that level.
Directing Challenge? And homeschooling 3? Way to go!
I plan general topics each month. I have planned to the tee in the past and quickly learned, my children’s questions and interests are just not “plan-able.” 🙂
Rachel, I like that approach! So more like unit studies? Do you use CC too?
I’m more of a “wing it” gal. As my children have gotten older though I am finding a definite need to plan more intentionally. This will be a new challenge for me this year.
Yup, definitely more boxes to check, right? 🙂
I was wondering if you were planning on doing a follow-up post for this. I’d be very interested in seeing the inside of the planner in more detail and see how it’s used. Thanks!
will you be doing a follow up post? I’d be interested in seeing the planner in more detail and see how you use it. Thanks!
Tina, that’s a great idea! I will work on that 🙂 Thanks for asking.