The "Focus On This" Podcast features Stacie in Episode 129!

[Podcast description from the Focus on This Podcast website: focusonthispodcast.com]

OVERVIEW

Getting the vision, alignment, and execution you need to drive extraordinary results isn’t always easy. And it can be especially tough when you’re doing it alone. So much around you feels chaotic. How can you bring order and structure to the mess?

In this episode, Verbs, Courtney, and Blake speak with Stacie Simpson, a seasoned Full Focus Planner user and new Full Focus Planner Certified Pro, about what life was like for her before she started using the Planner—and how things became different after she did. Plus, Stacie shares her personal tips for getting started, building good habits, and more.

In this episode, you’ll discover—

• Courtney’s mishap at Disney World

• What drove Blake to be a Full Focus Planner user himself

• Stacie’s discovery of the power of “no”

• How and where to start using the Full Focus Planner

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Start Planning

Order your Full Focus Planner to start getting results from the built-in goal-setting and achievement system.

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The Onion Experiment

Once again, we are oh-so-grateful for the resources from Usborne Books! If you know an Usborne rep, you must check out the “Biology of Bananas” book. It is a perfect science-focused companion to our current cooking/food activities.

In this experiment, Caleb cut an onion in half and observed the layers. He learned facts about the parts of an onion bulb: from the roots and stem, to the fact that the fleshy layers are technically the leaves of the plant! And - I didn’t know this - the outer layer is formed first to protect the inner layers and then it grows from the center. We also discussed the science behind why your eyes water when you cut open an onion, although that part got pretty technical.

Read Caleb’s thoughts on this experiment, including images of the onion flesh and membrane in the microscope: click here to visit “Inside Caleb’s Mind”

Inside Caleb's Mind: Onion Experiment

By Caleb:

Today i did an experiment on onions. Two pictures show a microscope of the onion. One is the membrane and one is the flesh.

A note from Stacie: To see more about this experiment, get the full scoop here.

Inside Caleb's Mind: Today's Photos

sandy water

This water has some water with some trees in the background.

water

This some nice water.

rocks

These are some very nice rocks.

Inside Caleb's Mind: Nature Adventure [Photos]

By: Caleb

Today i will be walking around camp Greenville, i will be taking photos.

I hope to find and photograph:

• tree

• moss

• flower

• dog

• lake

• log

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moss

This is very nice moss on a rock.

log

I found a big log with moss on it.

silly dog

My dog RuGBY is being very silly.

bud

This plant is almost a flower!

pinecone on a log

I found the pinecone on the log, i did not place it there

rock

Rock on a rock.

"Homemade" Meals - Now a Staple of our Evening Routine

I get a lot of joyful feelings when the cutting board looks just like the example photos! Anyone else or am I just weird?

If you’ve never tried HelloFresh before, I’ve got coupons for $40 off your first box.

We get one almost every week.

I love it because making these meals together is quality time that my husband and I spend together that still feels like we’re doing something productive too, so it’s a perfect win-win.

Plus, it’s WAY healthier than what we’d eat if we were left to our own devices.

Grab the $40 off for your first box here: click here to go to HelloFresh

My finished product from tonight:

Book Report: Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew

by Ellen Notbohm

I borrowed it from the Greenville County Library.
You can grab it on Amazon.

I am a problem-solver. In my career, I was moved into different and ever-challenging roles fairly quickly. As soon as I’d solved some problems or created some needed resources, the leadership team would move me somewhere else. Always more problems to be solved. Anytime I stepped into a new space, I started with analysis. I believe you must get a firm grip on the current state before you’re able to make changes or improvements.

When we started our homeschooling adventures, I was confident! I have a Bachelors Degree in youth programming (essentially any education outside the classroom… perfect!), patience for children, a love of experiential learning, and good organizational skills. And…. that all went right out the window when I realized this was a whole different ballgame, with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder). I threw my summer-camp-style lesson plans in the trash, pared everything down to the bare minimum, and started studying.

In other words: It’s time to get a firm grip on the current state. Let’s start by knowing what we don’t know.

I bought and borrowed a whole stack of books, and I’ll be working my way through them and sharing insights week-by-week. We also are currently LOVING a book called “The Survival Guide for Kids with Autism Spectrum Disorder” which Caleb is reading together with me and Cory.

I decided to start my reading with Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew, partly because… it was the smallest book. So, I thought I could finish it quickly. Turns out, it was a perfect place to start because it’s it’s an awesome introduction to HOW to think about your child and autism. I HIGHLY recommend this book as a starting point for parents, teachers, youth development professionals, camp counselors, anyone else who is a non-professional in special education or developmental healthcare, but works with any children in any capacity.

It’s a quick read - it almost reads like a long blog post, which makes sense, because a blog post was the origin of the concept. It’s a perfect mix of science/health background + mindset approach for parents + life story/memoir + practical advice. Overall, it helps you see into the world of a child with autism spectrum disorder and how you can be a support.

Here’s an overview of the 10 chapters:

1. I am first and foremost a child

2. My sensory perceptions are disordered

3. Distinguish between won’t and can’t

4. I am a concrete thinker. I interpret language literally

5. Be patient with my limited vocabulary

6. Because language is so difficult for me, I am very visually oriented

7. Focus and build on what I can do rather than what I can’t do

8. Help me with social interactions

9. Identify what triggers my meltdowns

10. Love me unconditionally

Maybe my favorite part of the book, because it was such a joyful moment in reading: the book ends with a “Forward”.

The author says, “The ‘forward’ typically comes at the beginning of a book, and this is the part that’s supposed to be called the ‘conclusion.’ But our trek is not typical. And we are really closer to the beginning than the end of the adventure, so it seems more appropriate to continue to look forward and ahead, past the last page.”

I just love that.