Thrift Schooling

  ( Please note: This movie is rated PG-13 for violence .) An adopted Viking orphan becomes a carpenter’s apprentice to Jesus. The orphan, Oren, fights as a side hustle. His experience training as a carpenter with Jesus as his mentor changes his lifestyle. The Carpenter is a powerful tale of transformation and redemption. Set in biblical times, this film showcases a life-changing journey of becoming a carpenter’s apprentice to none other than Jesus Christ. Through the timeless skills of carpentry, a path of compassion and redemption is found. The Carpenter is an action film that explores Nazareth in 29 A.D. with music, fight sequences, and a carpenter. Since Jesus did not officially begin His ministry until He was 30 years old, the producers of this film took their creative liberty to envision what life in Nazareth may have been like shortly before His official ministry began. The story revolves around Oren, who makes his income fighting—boxing. After the death of his father, Oren ...

  Notgrass History  has been an absolute blessing in our homeschool over the years. While we were living in a foreign country, I needed to have a curriculum that was easy to follow, had set lesson plans, and included an element of fun for the kids. Notgrass History was the perfect way to stay on track when the days were unpredictable. Then, last year, I needed something for two of my high schoolers to work through independently while I focused on my younger homeschoolers. Notgrass History was THE perfect fit ! With materials spanning from elementary to high school, today I want to focus on Our Great Big World  created for grades one through four.  Snuggling up on the couch with my homeschoolers during their younger years is one of my absolute highlights of homeschooling. I mentioned in a previous post that I am working through the entire Little House on the Prairie  series for the second time with my younger ones. I am savoring these moments since once these one...

(Please note: This has been updated to reflect a PayPal giveway.) Praising Storms: Through Faith, Hope, and Love by Patricia Markus and Debbie Leuzzi is the devotional you didn't know you needed. Diving deep into the pain that no mother should ever have to endure, Patricia Markus relates to anyone going through any storm on a personal level. This 100-page easy read hits the ground running with a chapter called Stripes Through Storms. Setting the stage for what is to come—hope that there is a purpose for the storms in our lives . The mid-90s was a significant turning point in so many arenas. At this time,  “ email ”  was called electronic mail and was predominately limited to those who worked for large corporations. Most teens did not even think about obtaining one but if they could receive access to their parent's account, they did! The allure was there but none of us knew where that would lead. It was for businesses (and tech nerds), and that's it. Then Yahoo! came on the...

  The homeschool resource website  Write Bonnie Rose has an adorable Thanksgiving Fun Activity Pack  that you can begin implementing today in your homeschool—no prep required! Developed for K–1st grade, this can be used with preschoolers or older children as well. My first grader has enjoyed coloring the letters provided that spell out Happy Thanksgiving—just in time for the upcoming holiday! The size fits a traditional-sized chalkboard or white board that you might have hanging up in your homeschool room or dining room.  With over thirty pages, this activity pack includes a turkey craft, spelling activities, a Thanksgiving card, matching, copywork, simple math, letter practice, and more! Just in time for Thanksgiving, my son has been diligently working on his banner to hang on our chalkboard. We love to decorate for holidays. We already have our fall decorations in place complete with our Thanksgiving-themed picture books that we pull out year after year.  Has...

Looking for ways to keep your homeschooler busy with educational content? With SchoolhouseTeachers.com , your children can enjoy fun activities AND family-friendly videos from RightNow Media, included with your Quarterly Family Membership! Start now and get a FREE MAMA BEAR tote if you purchase by Oct 31, 2024 ! Homeschool your entire family for less than $20 a month with SchoolhouseTeachers.com . A single membership gives you access to hundreds of self-paced courses PreK–12, a video library, interactive content, spelling lists, and an incredible community of homeschoolers to connect with! Join today to snag your free tote while supplies last!  We have used ST in our homeschool for OVER a decade. I LOVE picking and choosing courses to use for my kids. My daughter used it strictly for history last year and retained a ton. My youngest used it predominantly for preschool and kindergarten and still talks about it! Read my SchoolhouseTeachers.com review to learn more about the progra...

  Buy tickets today to see Lost on a Mountain in Maine in theaters starting November 1! The inspiring true story of 12-year-old Donn Fendler who, separated from his family by a fast-moving storm, must fight to stay alive while lost for nine-days in the remote wilderness of northern Maine. Donn’s disappearance captures national headlines and sparks a massive search effort attracting hundreds of volunteers, including his own father who fears he may never see his son again. His fight to survive gained national attention by even Franklin D. Roosevelt who awarded him a medal for outstanding youth heroism. Set in the 1930s, this film beautifully portrays the struggles of this young twin in this coming of age film. When his mother was told that one of the sons was lost during the hike, she secretly hoped that it was Don since she believed in her heart that of her three boys, Don would have the highest chance of survival. Not that she wished this tragedy on anyone, but it gave her ho...

  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. There then comes a point when they need to be able to expound upon what was learned, even if it isn’t anything they particularly care about. How do we go about teaching them this skill without hindering their creativity? How do we encourage our struggling writers to present us with a two page, well written paper on Benjamin Franklin rather than a paragraph of sentences simply thrown together to get the assignment done? Read more at Our Homeschool Forum .   Stop by again next Monday for another  Thrift Schooling Monday Memory  where I share my published content on other websites created to encourage, equip, and edify homeschooling f...

  Many homeschoolers have been keeping up with the news about the two American astronauts currently stuck in space! Fortunately, they are safe and sound at the International Space Station, but their return was delayed until 2025 , which was completely unexpected. They are in good spirits and willing to go with the flow as plans change—they are even able to vote in the upcoming presidential election from space! If your kids have inquisitive minds and like to imagine what it would be like if they were stuck, stranded, or trapped in space or on an alien planet then the  30 Days Lost in Space STEM kit  would be an excellent way to introduce electronics and coding skills into their homeschool. Part of the  tenth grade Timberdoodle curriculum kit, this program is designed for ages twelve and up.  After implementing it in our homeschool this year, I would lean towards this being more for high school rather than middle school , unless you have a tech-savvy older sibli...

  Use this truck-themed homeschool chore chart to keep your kids on track throughout the school week. With lessons, field trips, meals, and unexpected errands filling up your week, even the simplest chore chart can help your home run more smoothly. At times, kids are excited for the new opportunity to help out around the house and do it with joy. Other times they stomp toward the trash can with anything but a good attitude. Help keep attitudes in check by using stickers, smiley faces, or positive verbal reinforcement as your child completes each task on the chart. For the child who loves lists (and the mom) this is the perfect free printable to have on hand!   (Simply right-click, save, and print)

  Help your younger homeschooler with letter recognition, spelling, reading, and hand-eye coordination with the Hello, Fall Word Search . Go ahead and save this for a rainy day or print it out today for your child to work on while you are preparing dinner. Don't forget to hang the completed word search on your refrigerator at the end of the day so your child can review what she learned throughout the rest of the season. Enjoy! (Simply right-click, save, and print)

Homeschooling just got easier with this completely FREE downloadable meal plan that you can use this upcoming November. This simple and easy to navigate meal plan template is designed to help you make your homeschool day run a little but smoother. I left the weekends off because, let's face it, weekends can be unpredictable. Homeschool weeks can be too, but, having a plan in place (whether we stick to it or not) can put our minds at ease while preparing for the weeks ahead.  The way this particular template works is simple. Use this to plan ahead three meals a day, two, or even just one. Whichever meal(s) stress you out the most—plan ahead for them! This is great if you want to have your kids start making a meal or two a week. Plan lunches ahead of time, assigning them to your children. Or, plan all of your weekday meals to help ease the load of the craziness that homeschooling can often bring. Enjoy!                       ...

The other night, while all five kids were tucked into bed, I put my feet up and relaxed on the couch watching YouTube videos of random homeschooling families. Sometimes it encourages me just to see what other homeschoolers out there are up to. One of the moms I watched showed a glimpse of their eccentric, simple, off-grid lifestyle living in a yurt in New Zealand. This family of four moved from England, bought a yurt from the US, and set up camp on a large plot of land in New Zealand. The mom commented that . . . read more on at  Our Homeschool Forum . Stop by again next Monday for another  Thrift Schooling Monday Memory  where I share my published content on other websites created to encourage, equip, and edify homeschooling families.

 ( Please note that this movie is rated PG-13 for some violence and language ) Stand for freedom by watching Average Joe ,  in theaters October 11 . High school football coach Joe Kennedy had no other choice but to fight. A childhood in foster care followed by twenty years in the Marine Corps was nothing compared to his biggest battle—his commitment to stand for God publicly by taking a knee in prayer after each game. When he was fired, Joe and his wife Denise knew this battle for religious freedom, freedom of speech, and the rights of all Americans was one they would have to fight—no matter the cost. From the director and producers of God’s Not Dead and the producers of The Blind comes Average Joe, in  theaters beginning October 11 . Get your tickets today! My Thoughts What do you think when actors break the fourth wall ? Think of The Office. When actors break the fourth wall they are speaking directly to the audience. As a writer, I love to break the rule...

  Looking for ways to keep your preschooler busy with educational content? With SchoolhouseTeachers.com , your little one can enjoy fun activities AND family-friendly videos from RightNow Media, included with your Quarterly Family Membership! Start now and get a FREE MAMA BEAR tote if you purchase by Oct 31! Homeschool your entire family for less than $20 a month with SchoolhouseTeachers.com . A single membership gives you access to hundreds of self-paced courses PreK–12, a video library, interactive content, spelling lists, and an incredible community of homeschoolers to connect with! Join today to snag your free tote while supplies last! 

Homeschooling moms! Are you homeschooling boys or adventurous girls? A new movie is about to hit the theaters—homeschool outing, anyone?  Lost on a Mountain in Maine tells the inspiring true story of 12-year-old Donn Fendler, who becomes separated from his family by a fast-moving storm atop a treacherous mountain. For nine days Donn fights to stay alive as he attempts to survive the unforgiving wilderness of northern Maine without food, proper clothing, or the knowledge of how bad his situation really is. His disappearance sparks a massive search effort that captures national headlines and attracts hundreds of volunteers, including his own father who fears he may never see his son again. Lost on a Mountain in Maine  will be releasing in theaters on November 1. More details to come. In the meantime, check out the trailer for the movie below!

    Even though  Beyond Personal Finance is part of the Timberdoodle Ninth Grade Kit , it can be implemented with any homeschooling high schooler grades nine through twelve. The unique approach to teaching finance to your homeschooler is like none other. I was pleasantly surprised with how well my teenage daughter took to this course . The variety of content learned and the interactive elements involved keeps it from being a monotonous, dry, typical textbook-based course. The Beyond Personal Finance course is one of my daughter's favorite this semester because it is engaging, uses real world scenarios, and prepares students for life in the most practical way possible.  How it Works With your purchase you will receive online access to the course. You will also receive a workbook in the mail. The course takes you year by year, from graduation until retirement. You take your future you on a journey to get a glimpse into the reality of how much life might cost. You look...

  ( Please Note: This movie is rated PG-13 for violence and some language.  A secular rap song is also played near the beginning of the film. )  From the world of  Wonder , which sparked a movement to   “ choose kind, ”   comes the inspirational next chapter:  White Bird . Struggling to fit in at his new school after being expelled for his treatment of Auggie Pullman, Julian (Bryce Gheisar) is visited by his grandmother (Helen Mirren) and is transformed by the compassionate and heroic story of her attempts to escape Nazi-occupied France during WWII. From the director of  Finding Neverland ,  White Bird  reminds us to be brave and choose kind. White Bird released TODAY so  find a theater where it is playing near you! This film captures the heart of friendship, kindness, forgiveness, and hope all while embracing the horrific events of occupied France during WWII. This movie is unique in that it focuses on a single fifteen-year-old Jew...