Well, 2012 is nearly done. I always spend time in December reflecting on the past year and planning for the one to come. I am a planner, by nature. I love lists. I love to jot things down as I think of them and I love organizing things. I like schedules, too. I thought I’d take just a minute of your time and share my most used websites from this year. I’m excluding this one (Blogger) and Facebook. I use those a lot, every year. However, the sites listed below are ones I’ve either started using for the first time, or ramped up my usage in 2012.

www.paperbackswap.com – This is the place for finding the cheapest books around. You post a minimum of ten books that you want to get rid of and receive a free credit to order a book, free! When someone requests a book from your list, you mail it to them and receive a book credit in return. You can also sign up and purchase credits for under $4 – that includes shipping! For a homeschooling mom, or anyone who loves to read, this site is a dream come true. I’ve used it more this year than ever! I’ll be sharing the books I read in a later post.

www.goodreads.com – Another book-related site, it’s become not only a great resource for book reviews, but also a nice place to keep a tally of the books I’ve read, am currently reading, and want to read. If you’re on there, look me up! I’d love to hear about your favorite books. You can even set up a yearly reading goal. I set a goal to read 40 books this year and have succeeded beyond it! It feels good to see the percentage rise with each book I read.

www.picmonkey.com – This is a really popular place to edit photos and I just started using it this year. It’s fun and easy. Try it, if you haven’t already!

www.christianbook.com – I’ve used this site a lot over the years, but this year I’ve used it even more. I discovered that ordering books and paying shipping is cheaper than driving two hours to pick them out in person, then two hours back! I’ve gotten some great deals on the books and free shipping a few times.

www.amazon.com – Again, I’ve used Amazon for years, but it’s become a new favorite since I got my Kindle Fire for my last anniversary. I have found scads (is that a word?) of free apps and books, and bought some music as well. I have heard the Prime membership is a great savings for avid Amazoners – maybe I’ll try that next!

www.pinterest.com – It’s my new best friend. I have found ideas for gifts, recipes, crafts and more. Many of my friends can’t sleep because they have”Pinsomnia”. I’m not that far gone, but close. I will never get everything done on my pin-boards, but it’s fun dreaming. I look at it as plans for my retirement. Oh, wait, moms don’t retire…well, plans for my “empty nest” years. 🙂

www.education.com – I just found this site this month and L-O-V-E, love it! A myriad of choices in coloring pages and worksheets. I’ll be adding this to my homeschooling links page for sure! Be careful though, you can only download ten items free each month. Choose wisely. 🙂

www.mamaslearningcorner.com – Another site with great printables! If you want to homeschool at a very low cost, here’s a place that can help.

Have any favorite sites that you use all the time? Please share them!