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Jen Merckling

life.unimaginable

Lifestyle

20 Lessons After 20 Years of Motherhood

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,…

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Filed Under: Family, Lifestyle Tagged With: Affiliate, Faith, Motherhood

The Wise Men Journey Searching for The King is a perfect new Christmas tradition for your family! Countdown to Christmas with this exciting new devotional!

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….

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Filed Under: Family, Holidays, Homeschooling, Lifestyle Tagged With: Advent, Christmas, Christmas Traditions, Countdown to Christmas, Faith, Family Traditions, Gifts, Wise Men Journey

Don’t Crash My Pity Party…Choosing Joy When It’s Hard

“Rejoice Always.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16) Hmm…Sounds nice. But really–how do we do that?  How do we rejoice when the kids are sick, the house is a mess, or we’re fighting with our spouse…? (And that’s nothing compared to real tragedy…How do we choose joy in the face of death, abuse, destruction, and divorce?)  Sometimes I don’t…

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Filed Under: Lifestyle Tagged With: Faith, Joyful Living, Prayer

The Vegans ARE Coming! (What do we feed them?)

When my daughter announced she was going vegan 3 years ago, a lot of things went through my mind. What will she eat?  Will she be healthy? Oh my Good. NESS!…Surely this is just a phase…Turns out it wasn’t a phase.  She’s still a vegan 3 years later–and has led our family in healthier eating….

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Filed Under: Lifestyle Tagged With: Favorite Recipes, Healthy Living, Recipes, Vegan

How to Clean Your House Fast

So the hard truth about house cleaning–it never ends.  But if you can build good habits and routines–it will “practically,” clean itself…And I know this sounds a little too Mary Poppins-ish to be comforting (now  “A Spoonful of Sugar” is stuck in my head).  But it’s really true… And what’s also true…habits and routines can take…

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Filed Under: Lifestyle Tagged With: Affiliate, Crisis Cleaning, FlyLady, House Cleaning, Housekeeping, Housework

4th of July for Kids (FREE Printable)!

Aren’t we all a bit of a kid on the 4th of July?  Give me all the streamers, popsicles, black snakes, and hot dogs! The 4th of July is just plain fun–it isn’t fancy or stressful! (Except when 20 children are all doing arm circles with sparklers within inches of each other’s faces…) It will…

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Filed Under: Family, Holidays, Lifestyle Tagged With: 4th of July, Affiliate, Free Printable, kid activities

20 Cool Summertime Treats

Summer is when things slow down and the weather warms up…and icy sweet desserts are what we crave! It’s the perfect time to create cool treats to tantalize the tastebuds! I’ve got 20 Summertime Treat Recipes–perfect for every day or summer parties! These easy summer desserts are ready in a flash and most of them don’t…

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Filed Under: Lifestyle Tagged With: Desserts, Easy Recipes, Recipes, Summer

Everything you need to know for your BEST vacation to the JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort! #floridabeachresort #jwmarriottmarcoisland #jwmarriott #marcoisland #romanticvacation #beachvacation #beachretreat #familyvacation #bestfloridabeaches #traveltips #beachgetaway

Beach Getaway: JW Marriott Marco Island Review

I love Florida.  Maybe it’s because the first time I ever laid eyes on the ocean (and became completely enamored) was on Florida’s sunny coast.  The ocean is my happy place.  But for whatever reason, my life is firmly planted in the Midwest (about as land-locked as a girl can get).  So–I dream of vacation…And…

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Filed Under: Lifestyle Tagged With: Affiliate, Florida, JW Marriott Marco Island, Marriage, Romantic Getaway, Travel, Vacation

The laundry piles are not going away! With 6 kids--I've learned some tricks for keeping it simple! Sharing My 5 Tips for Tackling the Laundry! #laundry #laundrytips #cleaning #homeorganization

5 Tips for Tackling the Laundry

Oh, the laundry!  There is literally no end in sight.  For years, I lived in denial of this fact.  I thought I could somehow get it all done. Visions of empty laundry baskets and spotless closet floors danced in my head…Until I accepted the truth.  Laundry is a constant work-in-progress. And that is okay–it’s just part…

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Filed Under: Family, Lifestyle, Organization Tagged With: FlyLady, Housekeeping, Laundry

Sometimes we wonder if God hears our prayers! We may even feel unworthy to come before Him in prayer. Here are biblical truths to help overcome your doubt!

Does God Hear Me?

Recently, I had the most interesting conversation…A new friend, curious about raising teenagers, asked, “How exactly does one survive that?  All the worries about drinking, drugs, sex, friends–you name it…” And I laughed (while pointing to my glass of wine)–but then dead serious, I explained that prayer is everything when raising teens.  That is how you…

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Filed Under: Lifestyle Tagged With: Affiliate, Encouragement, Faith, How to Pray, Prayer, Prayer Life

After 21 years of marriage, I treasure romantic getaways! Here are 5 Reasons Romantic Getaways should be a Top Priority for you and your marriage!

5 Reasons You Need a Romantic Getaway

Here’s the scoop–if you’re married with kids, you need a couple’s getaway! I know this is entirely easier said than done when you have little people–and the littler they are, the harder it is to leave! But you need this! So get ready to call grandma and pack your bags–I’ve got 5 reasons you need a…

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Filed Under: Lifestyle Tagged With: Affiliate, Marriage, Travel, Vacation

Here are 3 Amazing Apps for Preschoolers that seamlessly weave together open-ended play, preschool skills, and technology!

3 Amazing Apps for Preschoolers That You Won’t Feel Guilty About

Often I get asked how I keep my littles (4 year old twins) busy while I’m homeschooling my daughter in high school and first grade son. (Honestly, it sounds harder than it actually is…twins have a way of entertaining each other!) But even if you’re not a homeschool mom, I’m guessing sometimes you could use…

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Filed Under: Early Learning, Family, Homeschooling, Lifestyle Tagged With: Activities for Young Kids, Affiliate, Apps for Kids, Homeschool Preschool, iPad, My PlayHome, Thinkrolls, Toca Boca, Using Technology With Kids

We are all looking for ways to keep Christmas stressfree and joyful! Here are 3 Simple Christmas Traditions to enjoy with your family throughout Advent!

3 Simple Christmas Traditions

  The Holidays.  Why is it that those two words can stir two completely opposite emotions: Joy and Stress? Oh how I want to grab all the joy and leave all the stress behind.  As kids–the holidays were all joy.   It was cousins and cookies and toy catalogs and Christmas carols.  As adults–I think…

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Filed Under: Family, Holidays, Homeschooling, Lifestyle Tagged With: Advent, Christmas, Christmas Traditions, Faith

After 21 years in the kitchen, I'm sharing my 21 kitchen essentials. These are the classic tools every home cook needs to make cooking and baking a joy!

21 Kitchen Essentials — Classics for Every Home Cook

When I got married at age 20, I had zero clues about cooking.  It was bad. I was burning frozen pizza and putting entire pot roasts down the garbage disposal (which to my horror, came back up through the drain in our laundry room)! Thankfully, I’ve come a long way the last 21 years!  And…

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Filed Under: Lifestyle Tagged With: Affiliate, Gift Guide, Homemaking, How to Cook, Kitchen, Kitchen Essentials, What Every Kitchen Needs

How old is too old for trick-or-treating? Here's why I let my teens go, and some thoughts about being kind to all trick-or-treaters this Halloween!

Aren’t You Too Old to be Trick-or-Treating?

I have three teenagers.  They all loved trick-or-treating with friends well into their teenage years–and I happily let them!  Initially, I questioned my judgement…Aren’t you too old to be trick-or-treating?  But I quickly realized, there are MUCH BIGGER FISH to fry with teenagers…this is not a battle worth fighting.  In fact, now I celebrate their…

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Filed Under: Family, Lifestyle Tagged With: Halloween, Parenting, Teens

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Hello! Welcome--I'm Jen! I've got 6 kiddos (including sweet twins) --lots of laundry and always dirty dishes! I've been Jason's wife for 26 years, a mommy for 24 years, and a homeschooler for 20+ years...I'd love to be friends. ♡

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This is the loveliest book…💗🪶🪺 Perfect This is the loveliest book…💗🪶🪺
Perfect for the changing seasons, bird lovers, & a bit of history!! 
(Thanks to @readaloudrevival for the recommendation!) 🥰
We can be reluctant to "count" activities that did We can be reluctant to "count" activities that didn't come in our packaged curriculum as "school". 

❤️But so much counts...(I think it may all count??)

(I honestly have a hard time trying to think of activities that don't count as education!)

🎨Here's just a few: swimming, ballet, soccer practice, nature walk, going to the playground, coloring, cutting, video games, reading books together, cooking, chores, dress-up, video creation, poetry writing, imaginary play, documentaries, vacations, the grocery story, Sunday School, camp, museums, legos, collections, lunch with friends, planning a party, and the list goes on & on...

 👀 Watch for the learning that is happening all around you! 

🌻Life is an amazing teacher & there is so much to learn! Our kids know that instinctively--we can trust them to be curious. We can become curious again...
I like to start the year with Language Arts lesson I like to start the year with Language Arts lessons, Math, & one other subject...

(And Language Arts can have lots of parts--so I gradually add in pieces as we gain some confidence in our routine.)

It's okay if you don't have it all figured out on day one, week one, or even month one! Give yourself time to get comfortable with your curriculum.

When I taught elementary school--we spent so much time just going over routines that first week of school! But in homeschooling--we can just bypass all that... 

🥳(Yay for freedom to potty & snack when want--and no thanks to practicing how to "line-up" for 20 minutes)! 

Even once our routine is established--we RARELY do all subjects every day at my house. 

🔥Breaking free from traditional school is more than the leap into homeschooling...It's also breaking free from our ideas of what education looks like, where & how it happens, & how much time formal instruction takes. 

It takes time to make that paradigm shift--give yourself grace as you grow with your kiddos!
Please don't feel like you have to complete lesson Please don't feel like you have to complete lessons in your curriculum exactly as they are written...

You are the boss of your curriculum--make it work for you! 

Sometimes we doubt ourselves (and sometimes fear messing up this huge thing--our children's education)! We trust that the experts who have written the curriculum know  best & therefore  we must follow it perfectly...like a recipe for perfect education. 

But remember...often the best way to cook is to look over the recipe & then make adjustments to fit your personal tastes & needs! 

The same can be said of curriculum!  Use it as a guide--a help...But trust your gut! If your child is struggling & done--it's okay to stop for the day! 

It's okay to skip lessons, skip sections, skip problems--you know your child. You know what they need & you know their limits! 

Enjoy the process & create a beautiful education & life with your kiddos!
This Week in my Homeschool Lesson Planner… FAQ This Week in my Homeschool Lesson Planner… 

FAQ: How do I use the blank weekly list pages? 

💗🤓So I love making lists! In addition to the blank lesson planning spread, I included weekly planning pages that give an overview for the week & all my lists! This week my own plans included meal ideas, work projects, & subjects/actives for my kids to loop through—like copywork & music!
 
#homeschoolplanning #homeschoolmom
I've created a Homeschool Lesson Planner perfect f I've created a Homeschool Lesson Planner perfect for planning, organizing, & building consistency! 

12 Months, 52 Weeks Undated Large Monthly Calendar & Weekly Planning Spread--Start when you want & plenty of room for personal & homeschool needs! 

Link in Bio!
#homeschoolplanning #homeschoolmom #homeschoollifestyle #homeschoolplanner #organizedhomeschool

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