Thrift Schooling

  Think of ways you can enjoy this summer for free: Hiking Visiting Parks In Your Area Swimming Camping In Your Backyard Visit a Public Museum Or Library Now, add more fun and imagination to your summer through the Odyssey Adventure Club !   The Odyssey Adventure Club will give you streaming access to more than 800 Adventures in Odyssey episodes plus a sneak peek of exclusive audio and video stories, on-line activities and daily devotions you can’t find anywhere else. My kids LOVE listening to these episodes to u n wind at the end of a busy day. The themes are relevant, inspiring and fun!   Start a free 14-day trial for your family today and make the summer even more fun! Disclaimer: This post is brought to you by The Odyssey Adventure Club.

I live about an hour from Greensboro, North Carolina. Nestled in between two cities, our humble, country home is pretty much in the middle of nowhere. If we want to go anywhere, it's going to be a drive, guaranteed. So, we are used to hour drives. If we want to go to Greensboro for a day, it isn't that big of a deal. We just hop in the car, and go!  One attraction in Greensboro that we hadn't experienced yet was Wet'n Wild Emerald Pointe. I had heard about it but really knew nothing about the place. Boy, was I pleasantly surprised! Our family had the opportunity to visit recently and my kids can't stop talking about their experiences. Even days after, while sitting around the dinner table, the conversation often seems to turn to talking about that one really cool water slide or which water slide they want to go on next time! Wet'n Wild Emerald Pointe is the 12th largest water park in the US with over 36 rides and attractions. It includes a wave pool, kidd...

Top Ten Things I LOVED  About the 2016 HEAV Convention 10- Being a HEAV Blogger This was my third time attending a HEAV convention but my first time going as a convention blogger. What an amazing opportunity! I was able to make new connections with both bloggers and vendors all while sharing my experience with the homeschooling community.  9-  Meeting The Family From The The Brinkman Adventures As we traveled to the convention, about a three and a half hour drive, we listened to the Christian, audio drama, The Brinkman Adventures. My whole family enjoys listening to this series about a large family who have a heart for missions. At the convention, we were able to meet two of the kids from this production, Gracie and Isaac. My children were thrilled to put faces behind the names! It was a blast meeting them. We also made sure to pick up another set of CD's to enjoy on the car ride home! 8- The Activities For The Kids The Thursday art class with Sharon Jeffus...

  Try 3 issues of the Adventures in Odyssey Clubhouse ® (ages 8-12) OR Clubhouse Jr. ® (ages 3-7) magazine for free! Created with kids in mind, Focus on the Family offers a world of fun and imagination through short stories, jokes, puzzles, and games as well as recipes and activities to do as a family. Plus, what child doesn’t like mail? Your child will enjoy getting this entertaining magazine each month in the mail. Click here to sign up for the free Clubhouse ® magazine trial. Click here to sign up for the free Clubhouse Jr. ® magazine trial. Grow Your Child's Faith This Summer! Now is the time to make sure your kids have the greatest adventure this summer with more than 800 Adventures in Odyssey episodes and non-stop listening fun! Sign up for the Odyssey Adventure Club today for just $9.99 per month at OACLUB.org Disclaimer: This post is brought to you by Odyssey Adventure Club and Litfuse. 

Looking to take your young ones on some field trips this year but plan on sticking to a tight budget? Here are some inexpensive ideas that will help them learn more about your local community... Read More at Our Homeschool Forum

The following is a guest post, brought to you by Matchzup Coupon Site. Having had skin issues at the beach already this summer, this advice couldn't have come at a better time! Enjoy.  Summer can present major issues for young ladies. As a result of slick skin,  zits and different polluting influences can ruin the skin due to the heat. Here are some simple tips that can help you with your your makeup and give you cool and crisp look throughout this unforgiving season.  The one imperative thing is that you need to get ready for summer makeup, deliberately. The makeup you use now may not make you flawless and elegant normally in a hot, damp climate so here are some summer makeup tips for oily skin. Take these strides and get impeccable makeup even if you live in a hot and muggy climate! 1. Scrub Your Skin This is the initial step before wearing makeup if you oily skin in the summer, especially when at the ocean. Scrubbing your skin is most imperative to d...

Beat the heat and treat your family to a refreshing visit to Wet' N Wild Emerald Pointe this week! I admit, I was born and raised a Yankee. It's true. I remember summer as being warm but never as scorching hot as it is down here in the south!  Dealing with the heat, with children, has been interesting. I have had to be creative in this department otherwise the complaints come rolling in. If I don't plan several activities that are both fun and will help keep the kids cool then they will just want to stay in the air conditioning all day long.  Not happening.  We have wooded areas and a creek on our property, which helps keep the kids a bit cooler on those intense summer days. We also live close to a river and a lake, which we visit quite often to cool down. Yet nothing beats the adventure and excitement of a water park! The kids always have such memorable experiences that they can't stop talking about for weeks afterward! This summer, we plan on visi...

  Give your family summer vacation a makeover this year and turn it into a "staycation." Have your kids forget their summer boredom, turn off their screens, and instead, circle the globe with Focus on the Family's "World Explorers" Summer Adventure Kit ! Throughout the next two months, travel our colorful, diverse world, visiting 27 different countries on six continents. Part of the fun will be figuring out where the next stop is, using five clues that reveal interesting facts about the next country. Once you've determined where you're going, use the games, activities and faith lessons to give your kids a glimpse into that country's unique culture. Click here to sign up and receive your Free Summer Adventure Kit. Don’t Be Bored This Summer! Now is the time to make sure your kids have the greatest adventure this summer with more than 800 Adventures in Odyssey episodes and non-stop listening fun! Sign up for the Od...

While cleaning out my closet recently, I stumbled upon a mystery box. A box I rarely look through but have been carting around with me since I graduated college. A memorabilia box, so to speak... Read More at Our Homeschool Forum

It's here! It's finally here. The annual HEAV Homeschool Convention is THIS Thursday, Friday and Saturday. So much to think about and so much to plan for! From past experience, I can tell you that hitting the exhibit hall can be quite overwhelming. So many booths and an overload of information.  To help ease the chaos, I like to have specific booths in mind that I plan on visiting when I first arrive and then I will go from there.  You can check online and see which exhibitors will be set up in the exhibit hall and where.  For starters, if you head over to Booth #826, Character Concepts is handing out a FREE BOOK to anyone who stops by!  Have a science kid? Your first stop should be Booth #600 where Applied Inspirations will be holding a hands on soldering workshop! Nervous about SAT and ACT testing? Visit Booth #1228 and meet convention speaker Jean Burk who will be sharing her test taking knowledge and so much more throughout the convention! Check ou...

This summer, you can join Adventures in Odyssey’s Clubhouse Magazine and help children in the Middle East go to school and learn English. It’s Adventures in Odyssey's Clubhouse Magazine Exercise to Educate Summer Challenge ! The Problem Nearly 7,000 miles away from the United States, there's a war going on in the country of Syria. Many families have been forced from their homes. Parents have had to leave their jobs, and children have had to leave behind toys and friends. Many of these families now live in refugee camps in nearby countries. They have tents instead of houses. Clean water is hard to come by. This war has put 2.6 million children out of school – some for more than four years already. The Solution Our friends at Focus on the Family Middle East know many families who don't have the money to buy a school uniform and pay for their children to go to school. They also know people who would love to teach children English in local c...

Betsy Ross and the American Flag  Do you use graphic novels in your homeschool? A graphic novel uses sequences of pictures to tell a story. Some children (and even preteens or older) respond well to this style of learning. For those who struggle with reading, this is an excellent way to hold their attention. You know your child, you know which method of learning works well for them. What forms of teaching helps them remember the content presented? Quiz your child when they aren't expecting it. Try to see what information was absorbed into their brains and remember which methods you used to teach them that information and expound on it from there. We have so many resources available to us today thanks to both technology and old fashioned means. See what works best for each of your children and run with it! Red, White and Blue; The Story of the American Flag   If your child is younger, in their early elementary years, try using easy readers to present ...

Has your child ever had to write a biography report, kicking and screaming the whole way? There comes a point in your child’s writing journey when he must move away from writing about what interests him and move into different genres that might not be as much fun. It’s always easier to write about what we know, like and have experienced.. Read More at Our Homeschool Forum