I have a love/hate relationship with paper. Man, I love a new notebook. All the crisp, clean pages. A cheer me up for sure. Just as fun as a new sharpie, really.
BUT… once the newness of the notebook nearly neutralizes, I am left with scraggly, mangled, half-written in notebooks that seem to wander as much as these stinkin’ balls did.
I bought a half a dozen of some wonderful products that do the same task I’m about to share with you, for only a few dollars each, but then a friend told me an even easier and MUCH cheaper solution. I just about smacked myself in the head. Now, don’t go smacking yourself after you hear this great tip, but, instead, send a chocolate covered almond to me as a thank you.
Ok, fine. Just eat one yourself and we’ll call it even.
If you need to write math problems, spelling word lists, short little diagrams, and such for homeschooling or homework… instead of using paper… use a page protector with a sheet of computer paper inside it.
Easy cheesy for all kinds of situations in which you don’t want the bulk of a dry erase board, can’t find a notebook and are sick of using paper just for some little tasks.
This little tool can even be altered to fit your most commonly written or drawn tasks. For example, with our Right Start Math, we use the part-whole circles diagram a lot, so one side has that already drawn on the paper. Less time when I do math warm up. No paper wasted.
I have a few of these great tools that stay in the math manipulatives drawer. Faith and Cutie Pie adore getting to write on them and wipe them off, but that’s an added bonus. I like just not having to find an unclaimed notebook or wasting more precious paper. As homeschoolers, every item is a cost. This item will save you plenty of money.
Ok, are you smacking? If so, I hope it’s an almond, not your head. 
Come back tomorrow and hear What We’re Learning and link up with your own real, silly or otherwise learnings.
How quickly can you make a money and paper saving tool out of a page protector and a piece of paper?
Linking to the Hip Homeschool Moms Hop
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Well. Since you only learned of this not too long ago (right???) I won’t be mad you didn’t share it sooner.
I do have wipe off boards for Algebra, but I’ve often wished for more and now I have a cheap way to get them. Whew! Page protectors and blank paper. Brilliant!
No smacking. But I can eat a plain almond for you…..or is that not quite the same as a chocolate covered one?
As Sydney started to read more our sight word and blends flash cards began to take over. We switched to a white board system, and it’s MUCH easier.
And then I’m not searching for specific flash cards while Sydney looks bored.
Although, I must say I’m not overly fond of writing on page protectors…maybe I’ll laminate a blank piece of paper. Yeah, I know it’s basically the same thing…I’m a little odd like that
I am heading out this afternoon and stopping in at the office store for some of these TODAY! Thank you for sharing and yes I’d really like to smack myself!
Walmart has them too.
We do that too! It works great! they can color all the want and then reuse the same picture or page or whatever!
Thanks for you post!