Updates to DonnaYoung.org: August - December 2012 It seems that I have been very busy. Below are 28 official updates to various sections of donnayoung.org. --Art > Crafts A friend wanted to make photo cubes for a gift and so I made a set of templates using Microsoft Word that one may use to create photo cubes that would be (what I hoped would be) a little easier than doing the entire project in photo editing software. The cube templates and instructions uses four pages and they are listed below. Cube Templates and The Memory Cube https://donnayoung.org/art/cube-template.htm A memory cube is a project in which one places 6 photographs on a cube. The cube can be made of wood, but in the case of this particular memory cube, the cube is a piece of card stock paper that has the photos printed on it and then folded into a cube shape. This page provide doc templates in 7 cube sizes. Cube Templates and How to Work with the Pictures https://donnayoung.org/art/cube-template-images.htm This page details at some length how to work with the photographs after adding them to the memory cube doc file. Cube Templates and How to Fold the Memory Cube https://donnayoung.org/art/cube-template-folding.htm This page tells how to fold the memory cube. Cube Templates and Pre-Folding and Cutting the Memory Cube https://donnayoung.org/art/cube-template-cutting.htm This page describes how one might pre-fold the cube and how to cut the cube. --- Because it was around Christmas time, I worked on the gift tags page. New Gift Tags and Improved Template Docs https://donnayoung.org/art/gift-tags.htm#blank-tags Blank Gift Tags - I updated the doc gift tag templates to improve the layout of the table cells and added a docx. While doing that I made 3 sets of gift tags with Microsoft's clipart using the template and put those online as pdf files. --- I spent a lot of time working with calendars last fall and this is one of the new ones that ended up in the Art section. Calendar Frame https://donnayoung.org/art/calendar-frame.htm The calendar frame is a simple calendar with months that are listed in clockwise order. The header of the calendar frame is typeable; however the header can be made blank. The center part measures slightly less than 5 inches wide by 3 1/2 inches tall. Use the center of the calendar frame as you will, examples are placing a drawing or a photograph in the center. ===end art section=== --Calendars Blank "Undated" Dated Calendar https://donnayoung.org/calendars/blank-dated-calendar.htm This calendar is educational in a way. It is a monthly calendar and has no numbers, however; it is dated. Each month will have the right amount of date blocks in the proper places. The child should write the dates in the correct block, basically beginning with day 1 in the first block and writing numbers in sequence, across then down, until the blocks are filled. The child could also write the month and year, which is already noted on each month, and draw a seasonal picture on each month. Optionally, holidays could be noted. This calendar can potentially (depending on child's age) add to skills and knowledge in language arts, math, social studies, and drawing. Vertical Monthly Notebook Calendars https://donnayoung.org/calendars/vertical-monthly-calendar.htm#ruled Of course calendars continue to occupy work and I can't seem to resist making new calendar styles. This new style is a one-page monthly calendar that has ruled lines, most of which are dated. Printable Undated Calendars https://donnayoung.org/calendars/blank-calendars.htm#year-long Requested: Blank Calendar in the Blue Calendar style and the Frame Calendar style. These files are placed on the Blank Calendar page at Calendars > Blank Printable Horizontal Monthly Calendars https://donnayoung.org/calendars/horizontal-monthly-calendars.htm#colonial-wall-calendar The only dated "wall" calendar that I have was expiring this year (and I just removed it from the page) and I made another wall calendar to take it's place. It's made in the same style as the Colonial Set. 3-Year Calendar https://donnayoung.org/calendars/calendars.htm 3-Year Calendar - Someone requested a 3-year per page calendar a few days ago and so I made the calendars and now they are online. ===end calendar section=== --Household I added recipes to the household section and that remains officially unannounced, but meanwhile to some of the recipes I will add printable files, two are listed below. Spicy Popcorn Recipe and Recipe Card https://donnayoung.org/household/recipes/spicy-popcorn.htm The Spicy Popcorn page will be new to most of you. Today I updated the instructions to reflect exactly how I make the popcorn; I've been making it for years, and I added a 4x6 recipe card in the Microsoft Word formats of - DOC for Word 97-2003 and DOCX for Word 2007 and newer. Fantasy Fudge Recipe and Recipe Cards https://donnayoung.org/household/recipes/fantasy-fudge.htm Fantasy Fudge from the Kraft Marshmallow label - Our family's been making this particular fudge for decades. I picked up ingredients today to make some for someone. The recipe is online at the page linked here and I added recipe cards, a pdf of 4 small cards that could be packed with a gift of fudge and the typical 4x6 recipe card size in doc and docx formats. --- Two articles about two different ways to plan meals; there are many ways to go about it. 13 Meals - The Repeating Meal Method of Meal Planning https://donnayoung.org/household/articles/13-meals.htm 13 Meals - The Repeating Meal Method of Meal Planning - A method of meal planning that sorts menus not by date, but by meal names, more specifically, repeating meals. I started this method in the early 1990's and on this page, I have described the method and provided menu planners for this method. The Category Method of Meal Planning https://donnayoung.org/household/articles/meal-planning.htm The Category Method of Meal Planning - There are several ways to plan meals and ways to not plan meals. This page explains Meal Categories, which basically, is a record of meals. If you like keeping records, then this record of meals is something that you can refer to during those large parts of your life when you do not plan meals, you just make them. --- I finally moved this large menu planner online. It had previously been only one the site-cd, YoungMinds. Menu Planner https://donnayoung.org/household/fullsize/menu-planner.htm A menu planner in two colors - black and white, and blue and white. This planner allows you to keep a running record of meals and it has the typical menu planner files to go with it. Part of this menu planner is based on my category method of making meal plans. --- A new Month on a Page in household planner Month on a Page Household Planner https://donnayoung.org/household/fullsize/month-on-a-page.htm I came across a file that I had forgotten about. It is a "Month on a Page" type of calendar. This one is called List Top and I have a non-dated version of it at Calendars > Blank Calendars. Anyway, I made a whole lot of dated "List Top" calendars. --- A new half-sized menu planner 1/2 Sized Menu Planner https://donnayoung.org/household/halfsize/kitchen-planner.htm I needed a small menu planner for some special menus that I must make this year. I opened up Microsoft Excel and came up with a new 1/2 sized menu planner design. Originally I made the file so that it could be printed as a month-long booklet with the pdf booklet setting, which is what I needed. Shortly after that, I made my regular sort of printable 1/2-size file layout which does not use any special printer settings. Both are online. ===end household section=== --Homeschool Planner A new attendance file that is for more than one child; it's about time I made. Not only does it let you keep records for several children, it is dated. This might be the best homeschool attendance planner page insert out there. Homeschool Attendance Records - Attendance H https://donnayoung.org/forms/planners/attendance.htm#attendanceh Attendance H - an attendance calendar that can be used for several children. I made 3 versions of this new attendance calendar - one for 2 children (1 page), one for 4 children (2 pages), and one for 7 children (3 pages). I am calling it Attendance H because it prints horizontally. --- 2-Page Attendance Calendar - an extra choice for August https://donnayoung.org/forms/planners/attendance.htm#2-page I was recently updating the files for the 2-page dated attendance form when I realized that I needed to make one more for August - one that included January in both the 1st and 2nd semesters. Our homeschool year typically started in August and the 2nd semester started in January. Once in a while the 1st semester used part of January. So now we have a 2-page attendance calendar with two Januaries. Dated Daily Planner Spreadsheet https://donnayoung.org/forms/planners/daily.htm#dated Someone recently asked me if I had a daily planner. I do, but today I had an idea for a spreadsheet file with which one can enter subjects and print daily planners, blank, with subjects and dates. I included a video that shows how it works. --Homeschool Planner > V Planner New V Planner Videos https://donnayoung.org/forms/planners/vp-videos.htm It has been almost two months since my last update; I've been busy, but, recently, to assist those who use the V Planner, I have made several new V Planner Videos. The link shown here goes to the basic V Planner video page. All of the new videos are marked. Moving Lesson Plans into the Next Term with the Bump Column https://donnayoung.org/forms/planners/vp-ss-terms-shifting.htm V Planner Tip- How to move lesson plans into the next grading term with the bump column. ===end Homeschool Planner section=== --English XLS - The Composition Grader My old XLS grader bravely moves online - I made this grader many years ago and I used it to help me arrive at a fair grade for paragraphs, essays, lab reports. https://donnayoung.org/english/composition/composition-grader.htm An XLS file - The Composition Grader is a criteria based grader that is useful for obtaining a grade for written works such as lab reports, essays, etc. Prepositional Phrases https://donnayoung.org/english/grammar/prepositions.htm While working on the page, Prepositional Phrases, I added files for the Thanksgiving song by Lydia Maria Child: Over the River and Through the Wood. The pdf version has a ruled right side for anything that you deem useful. ===end English section=== --Penmanship I added a set of paper, one that uses handwriting rule. Handwriting Rule Paper 2012 Set - Full and Blanktop https://donnayoung.org/penmanship/handwriting-paper-bw.htm#set-2012 I made a new handwriting paper set - 2012 Set. The set includes rule sizes from 1 inch to 1/4 inch in 1/8th inch increments in both fully ruled and blank-top. The 1/4 inch rule also comes in a booklet. I added one more size - 1/4 inch Tall, a rule size that allows one to write tall uppercase letters. The Blank-top version of this set: https://donnayoung.org/penmanship/blank-top-paper.htm#set-2012 Blank-Top Handwriting Paper https://donnayoung.org/penmanship/blank-top-paper.htm Two years ago a woman emailed me and asked, "Where is the black and white blank top handwriting paper with the landscape orientation?" (My web site says that I have it) I looked at where it was supposed to have been and it was not there. ... And so I made a file with 7 hadwriting rule sizes and emailed the file to her and then I linked the file on the blank-top handwriting paper page without any p whatsoever - it was just a link. Today, 2 years later, I wonder, did I ever describe the link, make it user-friendly? No I didn't. And so today I fixed that. Now it is plain to see and easy to find the blank-top horizontal handwriting paper in 7 rule sizes. ===end Penmanship section=== I think that is all; Thank you for reading. Happy Homeschooling, Donna Young Receive Timely Updates: Website RSS Feed - All Updates: https://feeds.feedburner.com/DonnayoungorgUpdatesFeed This file may be shared, distributed, and republished. Text file: https://donnayoung.org/new/updates-8-12-12.txt