If you haven’t noticed, Camille’s Primary Ideas has received a major face lift! What do you think? I’m so excited to be able to give primary music leaders an updated and more user-friendly version of my website! If you were here over the weekend, you probably experienced a few glitches (or a lot) with all the changes. Or maybe you are still experiencing issues which I’m hoping to get all the bugs worked out as soon as I can.
Needless to say I’m beyond thrilled that this new space is finally live! Maybe even more that this project is coming to an end (or at least the end is in sight)! I’ve been working on it for over the past 2 months and it’s definitely been a HUGE learning curve. I’ve lost a lot of sleep over it (but that isn’t unusual – I struggle with insomnia and the slightest stressor in my life goes right to my nights. It’s seriously annoying).
September and October tend to be the slowest time of the year for my website so I thought it would be an appropriate time to work on this update. If you noticed that I wasn’t as prompt or detailed with my posts, now you know why.
Hopefully I’ll be back up-to-speed here soon, especially with creating material for next year including my Interactive Bookshelf for Book of Mormon (UPDATE: find it HERE) and 2020 Singing Time Planner (UPDATE: find it HERE)!
I’d love it if you’d take some time to browse my pages – on your desktop, tablet and mobile devices. All these variations have bugs to work out and I’m sure I’ve missed lots! I would love some feedback and comments on issues you’ve found so I can correct them as well.
My content has still remained the same and it’s still just me, Camille, creating and writing up singing time content. However, there are a few major changes.
Most notably 2:
Resource Library
I’ve decided to store all my printables on one page. With this setup, you can easily access, download and print any printable on my website from one place. All material for one lesson plan is now in one link instead of linked randomly throughout my website on individual posts. My hope is that this is a more organized approach for accessing my material.
It also allows me to easily keep documents current and updated instead of trying to dig through old lesson plans to make sure I didn’t miss updating the various “HERE” links. Which I usually do and then I create a mess for everyone…ugh!
I’ve gone through all of my posts (okay, I’m not quite finished yet as this has been a HUGE undertaking with 700+ posts!) and updated any of them that have printables with an “ACCESS RESOURCE LIBRARY” button. Clicking on this button will direct you to a pop-up for you to enter your name and email address. You’ll then be emailed a link to my NEW Resource Library page. You will want to bookmark that link or keep the email handy. Here’s the button if you want to go ahead and gain access to it now:
Each lesson plan post with printables will have instructions on the bottom of the post, underneath the button with directions as to where the printables are filed.
If you ever come across material that I say it’s where it is but it isn’t there, will you please let me know? I’ve gone through TONS of files and links and there is a good chance I missed something. Being human is buggy sometimes, isn’t it?
Accessing my Resource Library will join you to my website! I’m hoping to create a wonderful singing time community over here, give you direct access to my help and bring relevant singing time content right to your inbox! Don’t worry, I’ll never spam you ;). You’ll receive weekly post updates, my monthly singing time schedule and of course, be able to access my printables. And that’s about it.
And speaking of my monthly singing time schedule, that leads to the next change on my website!
Singing Time Schedule
If you are familiar with my website, you’ve come to know and love my singing time schedules:
It’s funny because when I started originally posting my upcoming schedule, I wondered if anyone ever found them relevant and necessary and even mentioned that on one of my posts once. I received wonderful feedback that they were well-loved and others found them useful as well. Years later I’ve come to find out, they are my most-read posts each month.
These posts have also moved to access via email. I want them to be available to those really interested in following what I do. You only have to join my website once to gain access to everything. So if you joined above to gain access to my Resource Library, you’ll now receive access to my singing time schedule as well! You can join to receive access to my singing time schedule throughout my website, or the direct button is also here:
Aren’t these buttons cool and fancy? I didn’t have anything like this over on my old website. But I won’t lie, I’m still getting used to the changes as well! Thanks for bearing with me!
These schedules outline what I plan on implementing into singing time for the upcoming month. I don’t know about you, but it’s the backbone of how I stay organized in primary. I love to plan ahead and this is how I do it. Having a plan creates less stress and worry for me and also frees up my Saturday nights ;).
Beginning in January, I’m planning on using the planner that I’ve created for you HERE but ironically, never used myself! So the above chalkboard image and monthly Word documents will be replaced with my monthly planner that I’ll fill in with my monthly material:
If you’ve joined anywhere on my website and are not receiving any emails, please make sure to check your spam folder in your email and to mark them as “not spam” so they will go directly to your inbox going forward. If you still aren’t receiving emails, please let me know so I can look into it. I want these changes to be a benefit to you and not cause you grief!
There are a few more changes, some that I’m still in the process of working on and creating. One is my new store! You can access it at the top of the page and clicking on the “‘SHOP” Button. I’ve started creating and selling Music Bag Starter Kits HERE! I’ve wanted to launch this project for YEARS and I finally decided to bite the bullet and do it! My first orders will be shipped out next week! Horray – another HUGE check off my to-do list!
I use my music bag in primary, nursery (well, the nursery leaders use it now that I don’t have time to go in there) and best of all, my family uses it every week with our family home evening lesson! My 6 kids will sing the songs for 30+ minutes and listen to our lesson for less than 5 (my big kids are good sports to accommodate my younger kids)! So it’s always a win to bring primary music home. It’s been my way of creating a more home-centered church for our family!
My Nursery Bag post HERE has been my #1 top post since I’ve started my website. With my new Music Bag, I’ve given all the items a fresh (and much needed!) upgrade and the Music Bag Start Kit is my primary singing time asset! I couldn’t live without it. It’s perfect for the last-minute sub (just store it in the primary closet a member of the primary presidency to grab and go). And most of the props can be used with various songs and lesson plans.
Also in my store are links to products that I know, love and recommend. Some are affiliate links where I receive small commission if you purchase but please know that I’m not trying to just sell you unnecessary items. There are things there that I know, trust and love. I’m still adding products so come back often!
Also in my store {coming hopefully in January} will be a clock interface printable (complete with Susan Fitch artwork of course!):
and customized Secret Code printables, perfect for the 8-year old in your primary or family! I make these for my own kids and everyone looks forward to turning 8, being baptized and finding out what their secret code will be! I hope to share the fun with more kids and primaries!
But I’m really jumping ahead. I’ve first got to get this website in prime condition before all that happens!
But if you want to look around my store (again, it’s the “STORE” button at the top) I’d be absolutely delighted!
I wish I could take all the credit for this new place but there were SEVERAL people involved in this project! First is Misty at designedforgoodness.com who seriously saved my sanity and has been a huge mentor and cheerleader. She was an answer to my prayers! She is a true angle and saint when it comes to website design help. I was a week into trying to do this by myself and was going to have a nervous breakdown as I quickly realized I was in way over my head. She came in and worked her magic on my website and I can’t thank her enough! She is a member of the church and caters to LDS bloggers so if you find yourself in my same boat, please check her out!
Then my sister Sharon (isn’t family the BEST?!) came to my house one day and helped me with the photoshoot that includes the picture at the top of this post and on my homepage. She’s a hairstylist/pro-bodybuilder (yeah, not my speciality AT ALL) and she’s also not a photographer but didn’t she still do amazing with the photo? My hair looks perfect thanks to her mad skills (she covers my grays so wonderfully and gives me curls that I cannot do myself!). If you want a little behind-the-scene photo, here’s the original shot:
I’m a huge fan of keeping things real…especially online. Yep, that’s my taken right in my small living room. I wish I had a few pictures of the rest of the house. It was a mess! But still fun nonetheless! I had to move all the furniture around that day and I’m no model – just ask my sister! I was a lot of work for her. But she was patient with me and we finally got some images to work with.
You might also recognize my dress! It’s from Cleo Madison, of course! I’m a HUGE fan of their line of dresses if you don’t already know! I can’t tell you how many times at church I get asked where I got my dress. If you want more details, you can check it out HERE.
Amazingly, I do own the music stand in the photo and didn’t have to borrow one from the primary room :). My mom gave it to me when my twin boys started in band at middle school (they’re learning to play the flute and clarinet and please don’t come over to my house when they are practicing – YIKES!). I’ve loved the music stand so much that I decided to make it my website icon! Kind of fun!
So, if you are still with me, I would love any feedback – good or bad (but please be kind!) on issues you’ve found, links that are no longer working, problems with subscribing to gain access to my printables and current singing time schedule, etc.
Thank you for being amazing readers, friends and for being here! This place wouldn’t be what it is without you! I’m excited to bring all these changes to you to hopefully enhance your singing time primary music leader experience!!
4 thoughts on “New Look!”
Love the new look! The different way of organizing will be a little to get used to….but I love it! Good for you! You’ve got some major talent and gifts that you’ve been given and are so willing to share. From the bottom of my heart, I’m truly grateful. I’m a music person too, but benefit so much from you. My philosophy for teaching music to children has always been to teach the music and get the music into the kid’s hearts. A lot of music leaders out there teach game after game after game, so much so that they loose focus of the Savior and the gospel. Your lesson plans help us all to focus on what is truly important, but in a fun and engaging way. Thank you! I get so many wonderful positive comments from my primary presidency and primary teachers about the way I teach. BUT I give a whole lot of credit to you and your website! Thank you!
Hi Ginger!
I really appreciate you taking the time to comment. It always makes me happy to hear that others find my content useful in their primaries! And I’m still getting getting used to all the changes…ACK!
~Camille
Oh Camille, the site looks wonderful. Thank you for all your help, you’ve saved me week after week and I think the children in Primary are really enjoying singing time. I’m definitely more of an analog person, so navigating everything will be a learning curve for me at first, but I’m looking forward to it. Thank you!
Camille, I LOVE the new look and your fabulous updates! You are so amazing and wonderful to continue sharing your talents and constant inspiration!! YOU are my resource for this calling, and I couldn’t survive without you on a weekly basis. 🙂
Thank you for everything and best of luck with your continued changes. I look forward to seeing them and learning my way around your new site!
Sharon 🙂