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Jen Merckling

life.unimaginable

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How to Clean Your House Fast

December 20, 2019

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

10 Best Tips to Successfully Homeschool High School

November 14, 2019

Don't miss these 10 BEST Tips to Successfully Homeschool High School! Give your teen the life skills they need to succeed & achieve their dreams! #homeschool #highschool #howtohomeschool #tips #homeschoolhighschool

Today it’s a pleasure to have Miranda Lamb, The Reluctant Cowgirl, on the blog…After homeschooling through high school, she’s sharing her 10 Best Tips to Successfully Homeschool High School! Welcome, Miranda!  Homeschooling through high school was never part of my plan. But I made the mistake of going to a homeschool graduation. As I sat in…

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Filed Under: Encouragement, High School, Homeschooling Tagged With: Affiliate, High School, Homeschool, Homeschooling High School, Teens, the homescholar

Gratitude Bingo Game {FREEBIE!}

November 11, 2019

Get ready for Thanksgiving with this super sweet Gratitude Bingo Game! Help your little ones build the habit of gratitude and thankfulness!

As we get ready to celebrate Thanksgiving, it’s a great time to focus on gratitude with our kiddos! I’ve got a super cute Gratitude Bingo Game for your little ones!  It will help them see there’s so much to be thankful for–everyday blessings! I’ve found that even small children can get into bad habits of…

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Filed Under: Early Learning, Family, Holidays, Homeschooling Tagged With: Character, Free Resource, Freebie, Gratitude, Parenting, Preschool Games, Thankfulness, Thanksgiving

Super Simple Pumpkin Craft & Activity for Kids

October 23, 2019

Great pumpkin lesson ideas and super simple pumpkin craft for kids! Grab my free printable pumpkin activity and get started with your kids!

What the heck even happened to October, Sweet Friends? Scary, wicked how time flies! This past weekend we did our annual trip to the pumpkin patch and the pickins were a little slim…(And it was an absolute crowded, crazy zoo…People in huge lines to ride a tractor and buy kettle corn…It was a NO for me. I…

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Filed Under: Early Learning, Elementary, Holidays, Homeschooling Tagged With: Activities for Young Kids, Affiliate, Book Recommendations, Crafts, Fall, Halloween

When Your Homeschool Moments Aren’t Instagram Worthy

October 8, 2019

3 Reasons I Love Homeschooling...even on the mundane days! Homeschooling may not always be cute and exciting--but it's always worth it! #homeschool #encouragement #howtohomeschool #homeschoolbenefits #whyihomeschool

Most of the moments in our homeschool days don’t feel very “Instagram,” worthy…I wish they could all be cute with pinecones, flowers, and watercolors…(And pants—pants are good.) But no—many of our moments don’t make for great photo ops…The daily grind isn’t always very romantic: math, phonics, worksheets. Not to mention dirty dishes and piles of…

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Filed Under: Encouragement, Homeschooling Tagged With: Affiliate, Encouragement, Homeschool, How to Homeschool

Free Preschool Math Worksheets (Numbers 1-5)

October 5, 2019

As much as I truly believe that young children learn best through play…my littles love sitting down and doing “work”! I think it makes them feel grown-up…So in a sense, it’s truly an extension of their imagination and play! When they are doing their “work,” I want them to experience success and joy–this should be fun…

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Filed Under: Early Learning, Homeschooling, Math Tagged With: Affiliate, Homeschool, Kindergarten, math, Preschool, Preschool Games

How to Homeschool History (Without a Curriculum)

September 8, 2019

The homeschool world is full of shiny curriculum…I love it!  I love researching it, shopping for it, and opening it all up (it’s like Christmas in July when the boxes start to arrive)! The smell of new books and fresh crayons–it’s the smell of hope and endless possibilities!  I’ve definitely chased my fair share of…

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Filed Under: Curriculum, Elementary, History, Homeschooling Tagged With: Affiliate, Charlotte Mason, Classical Education, Elementary, History, Homeschool, Morning Basket, Routines, Unit Studies

Goldilocks and the Three Bears

August 11, 2019

“Once upon a time…” There’s just nothing like those four words signaling the start of an enchanting story…a fairy tale. Personally, I adore fairy tales—give me all the princesses, castles, bad wolves, and magic beans! And I love sharing them with my kiddos!  One of my favorites is Goldilocks and the Three Bears. It’s lite…

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Filed Under: Early Learning, Homeschooling Tagged With: Affiliate, Fairy Tales, Goldilocks, Kindergarten, Preschool, Thematic Units, Three Bears

4th of July for Kids (FREE Printable)!

June 24, 2019

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

June 17, 2019

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

Summer Math in the Kitchen: Make Learning Fun!

June 13, 2019

Summer math lessons…Always high on my “good intentions,” list, but somewhere between the swimming pool and sidewalk chalk, they don’t always become a reality! The truth is–I love math, but it can be an exhausting subject! In the early years, we’re memorizing facts and nailing down foundational concepts. Later we’re tackling algebra and geometry!  Sometimes…

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Filed Under: Homeschooling, Math Tagged With: Affiliate, Free Printable, Homeschool, math, Summer, Year Round Homeschooling

Why Sensory Play is Important!

June 11, 2019

Welcome to my house–don’t mind the tub of pinecones, collection of rocks, and the bowl brimming with water and toy frogs!  It’s all part of play–which as you know, is where kiddos learn best!  There’s a fancy term for letting our kids collect, pour, mix, sniff, and generally make a mess…It’s called Sensory Play!  And…

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Filed Under: Early Learning, Family, Homeschooling Tagged With: Affiliate, Homeschool, Importance of Play, Parenting, Preschool, Sensory Play, Toddlers

Choosing Homeschool Curriculum: Where Do I Start?

June 7, 2019

  Homeschooling has been such a huge blessing in my life and family–I’d do it again in a heartbeat!  I started researching homeschooling when my oldest son was about 3 years old–I really wrestled with the decision! (Here’s my post about why I homeschool and still love it). And after that initial decision to homeschool,…

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Filed Under: Curriculum, Early Learning, Elementary, High School, Homeschooling, Middle School Tagged With: Affiliate, Getting Started, Homeschool, Homeschool Curriculum, Homeschool Resources, How to Homeschool

Essential End of Homeschool Year Checklist and 5 Day Challenge!

May 28, 2019

Whew…We just wrapped up another year (our 15th year of homeschooling)! And the truth is–I’m so tempted to shove all our homeschool books in a cabinet, jump in the pool, and not think two bits about school until August! But this year, I’m vowing to actually end with some semblance of grace and be intentional…

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Filed Under: Homeschooling, Organization Tagged With: Affiliate, End of School Year, FlyLady, Freebie, Homeschool, Homeschool Organization, How to Homeschool

4 Easy Steps for Organizing Your Digital Homeschool Files

May 15, 2019

Once upon a time I taught 2nd grade in a public school–before the age of Pinterest.  In fact, we barely used email. I certainly never looked for teaching ideas on the internet–I barely even knew what the internet was…So what the heck did teachers do back in 1999?!  Well, we coveted our beautiful, black file cabinets!…

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Filed Under: Homeschooling, Organization Tagged With: Affiliate, Digital Files, Homeschool, Homeschool Organization, How to Homeschool

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Hello! Welcome--I'm Jen! I've got 6 kiddos, twins, toddlers, teens--lots of laundry and always dirty dishes! I've been Jason's wife for 20 years, a mommy for 18 years, and a homeschooler for 14 years...I'd love to be friends. ♡

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I’ve never been so mesmerized by rocks!! 😍 T I’ve never been so mesmerized by rocks!! 😍

The Grand Canyon literally took my breath  away!😂😬 Jason & I hiked  down from the South Rim (Bright Angel Trail) to the bottom, camped 2 nights, & hiked out the South Kaibab Trail (4,800 ft elevation gain from camp)...If you know me—you know this was WAY out of my comfort zone!😅

My husband is the best trainer because I actually felt so good! 🥳🏆(He’s been getting me ready since September...ie...6 am hikes, sub-zero temps, & repeating the same one hill we could find elevation on in Kansas!!) And we’re still training for a rim-to-rim hike in June! 🏜 

I really could not decide which pictures to share...none of them do this amazing place any justice...🏕

❤️Here the rocks truly cry out the Glory of our Lord!❤️
❤️Love of Learning, Leadership, Creativity, Cr ❤️Love of Learning, Leadership, Creativity, Critical Thinking… 
Just some attributes at the heart of why many of us homeschool! 

We’re digging deep into all that this coming week over at the Life Skills Leadership Summit! I’d love for you to join us!! {Grab your free pass in my bio!}🎉 

I’ll be talking about growing independent learners through all the seasons of homeschooling...💐☀️⛈🍁❄️ 

And the longer I homeschool (17 years now)--the more I am convinced that our kids create & experience meaningful learning through play! 🦄🤖🤴🦸‍♀️

❤️My 6 year old twins created this barn (and a set of paper dolls & horses)--complete with apples in a barrel, hay for the horses, and tiny carrots...I did nothing but provide the materials and the TIME to play!

It may not be Instagram or Pinterest “pretty”—but they were so engrossed and immersed in the process!!

 What project is taking over your dining room table?🐴🎨😉
Slow, cozy mornings...Just one thing I love about Slow, cozy mornings...Just one thing I love about homeschooling! The twins set out their toys to enjoy the fire & then disappeared...Now it’s very quiet—maybe too quiet... #whataretheyupto
Happy New Year!!🤩 Time to take down this tree Happy New Year!!🤩

Time to take down this tree & make some changes in 2021!🥳

{GIVEAWAY—Closed!! Winners have been notified —Congratulations to Sarah & Amy!}🎉❤️

But you still have time to join me for the Make Over Your Life Summit!🥰

We're covering all the things...in 8 individual tracks or grab the All-Access Pass:

❤️Marriage 
❤️Spiritual Life 
❤️Schedules 
❤️Home 
❤️Motherhood
❤️Homeschool 
❤️Health 
❤️Finances
Starts Monday--but Early Bird Registration (and best price) is NOW!
{Link in My Bio!!}
This sweet little book is meant to be read with ou This sweet little book is meant to be read with our little ones! They love joining in & “reading” the pictures! ❤️ 
It’s part of The Story of Christmas product in my shop—which also includes a game, narration, & coloring pages. 
 
Link in my bio!!❤️
All dressed up & nowhere to go!😂 #2020life All dressed up & nowhere to go!😂 #2020life

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