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…
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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…
Top 12 Favorite Homeschool Curriculums
After 17 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…
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…
20 Lessons After 20 Years of Motherhood
This year I’ll be celebrating my 21st Mother’s Day as a mom…My oldest child is 20 years old–I became a mother at age 22. I’ve almost 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…
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…
2020 Homeschool Mom Conference
It’s that time of year…Homeschool Conference Season! This year, many in-person conferences have been delayed or rescheduled for later in the summer (we hope). I’ve been involved with the online Homeschool Mom Conference since it started in 2018…It’s the original online homeschool conference! But because the concept is still relatively new–you might be wondering exactly how…
How to Start Homeschooling: The Ultimate Guide
I have been homeschooling 16 years…It’s not something I ever imagined doing–but now I can’t imagine my life without it. If you’re at the beginning of the journey, I just want to come along beside you and give you a huge hug. You can do this! (Currently, some of you find yourselves schooling-at-home temporarily because…
Letter A : Crafts & Activities
Let the games begin! My 5 year-old twins are just beginning to learn how to read! They’re on step one: Learning the letters and corresponding sounds. We’re using my phonics curriculum: Ready for Reading (I created it especially for them and other homeschool families after years of teaching my other 4 children to read and…
6 Reading Strategies for New or Struggling Readers
Training wheels…Sometimes I feel like teaching children to read is much like teaching them to ride a bike. Some kids are super confident–“Take these training wheels off; let me go!” (These are the amazing early readers that apparently all the other moms have…If only kids reading too much was your biggest problem!) And then there…
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…
