This year I’ll be celebrating my 24th Mother’s Day as a mom…My oldest child is 23 years old–I became a mother at age 22! I’ve spent more of my life as a mom than not. But no matter how long you’ve been a mom, entering motherhood is a defining moment. A bridge, that once crossed,…
Top 12 Favorite Homeschool Curriculums
After 19 years of homeschooling–I’ve tried a lot of curriculums! Homeschoolers have so many great curriculum choices available…Which is awesome, BUT–it can be totally overwhelming! Don’t let the multitude of homeschool curriculums scare you into analysis paralysis! Here’s the thing–there is no one perfect curriculum! We all have different needs and preferences. However, I do…
Homeschool Supplies–Ultimate List
It’s that time…Local stores are rolling out the school supplies! Which kinda makes me cringe (didn’t summer just start??)–but also…I couldn’t pass up the $.97 markers! In a few weeks–the panic will be palpable…Aisles filled with moms and kids clutching supply lists from all the local schools. No thanks to all that mania (another reason…
Night Zookeeper Review: How it Helps Homeschoolers
Seeing my son improve as a writer–and enjoy writing…These are the heart of my homeschool goals this year. So when Night Zookeeper approached me with their Online Language Arts Curriculum I was definitely intrigued…My little guy is 10. In a nutshell–he has very high verbal skills but initially struggled with reading. And now that we’ve…
The Wise Men Journey — A New Advent Tradition
You know when God puts someone on your path and they just ooze Jesus–and you are flat out humbled and amazed by the whole thing to your core? Well that is exactly what happened to me when I met my friend, Lynette Meintjes, while waiting around for my kids at ballet class! She is amazing….
Jesse Tree Christmas Tradition
Preparing for Christmas **Updated from the original 2017 post… I love Christmas–all the decorating, the baking, the entertaining, all of the things… We start preparing 2 weekends before Thanksgiving…that way I have time to put all the boxes away before the weekend of Thanksgiving preparations. For years, getting our Christmas decor out before Thanksgiving felt…
Avoiding Homeschool Pitfalls
After 18 years, I’ve noticed homeschool success boils down to this: Consistency & Margin. When either of these pieces are missing from my life–I feel the ramifications: frustration, overwhelm, resentment, guilt, fatigue (just to name a few)! But we can avoid all those common homeschool pitfalls! Homeschooling can be a blessing and lifestyle that brings…
Why I Homeschool — 18 Years of Benefits
I colored inside the lines all my life…Deciding to homeschool was one of the first decisions that really took me off the beaten path. At first, I was terrified of what others would think—I spent a lot of time trying to justify why I homeschool (mostly to myself). Not necessarily because anyone was point-blank asking…
The Best Curriculum for Kindergarten
Kindergarten…so full of possibilities! For many it’s the beginning of their “official,” journey into the world of homeschooling! If that’s you–welcome!! Along with all the excitement of starting something so monumental, comes a lot of pressure! You are homeschooling because you feel it’s the best choice for your child and your family…You want to do…
12 Favorite Christmas Books for Kids (and kids at heart)
I love everything about Christmas. All the traditions…all the food…all the music…movies, decorations, lights, parties…All. Of. It. And of course–all the books! Like the smell of Christmas trees or sugar cookies, Christmas books have an amazing way of whisking us back to childhood–the vivid pictures and words bring it all rushing back. And of course…
It’s Okay–Give Your Homeschool Permission to These 5 Things
Whew…We just made it through our first few weeks of the new homeschool year. Even after 16 years–the transition from summer to school still exhausts me. So in case you’re feeling a little overwhelmed (and wondering what you’ve gotten yourself into), I want to send you a hug and let you know that it’s okay…The…
2nd Grade Homeschool Curriculum–What We Loved
Sometimes I get really excited about my homeschool curriculum picks and just have to share them–even before we use them…This year I decided to write my curriculum picks reflectively… (And I procrastinated.) But now you can see what worked and what ended up being tweaked a bit as the year progressed! That’s the beauty of…
6 Things No One Tells You About Homeschooling…
I’m getting ready to officially start my 17th year of homeschooling! I can hardly believe it. I have a senior, a 3rd grader, and twins in kindergarten…The senior is my first child to officially graduate from our homeschool (my oldest two kids graduated from public high school). Homeschooling has truly become our lifestyle…But I still remember…
4 Books that Will Make You Rethink Homeschooling, Unschooling, & How You Parent
As a former public school teacher, gold-star sticker student, and general rule-follower…I never really considered unschooling. I don’t like the word. And quite frankly–I thought it sounded like a bunch of crazy talk. Who are these wild moms? I can only be so countercultural! Homeschooling is my max-limit—thank-you-very-much. To me unschooling sounded too much like…
Is Saxon Math Right for Your Homeschool?
I’ve been using Saxon Math for almost as long as I’ve been homeschooling…(16 years). It’s my staple, no-brainer curriculum choice year after year. For whatever reason–talk of math curriculum brings out some really strong emotions among the homeschool crowd. We’re fierce about our math! Perhaps because math is such a foundational subject or perhaps because…