Thrift Schooling

  The title of this curriculum says it all— Our Star Spangled Story . Written by a team at Notgrass History , these materials do just that—tell a story. History is an interesting subject. Many either love it or hate it. Some despised it in school and are learning to love it as adults. Why is that? Many of us who grew up in the public school system or private schools feel like we were spoon-fed what they wanted us to learn. Pieces of history were completely left out. Stories were left untold. Of course, this can happen in any educational system, but when we are providing our children with a strong Christian worldview, we don't want to leave anything out, especially the Christian influences. I cannot tell you how many homeschooling parents I have met—men and women—who fell in love with history for the first time because of homeschooling. I believe this happens because of the hard work put into the resources and compilation of not only well-known but little-known facts in history that...

    Esther is a hero and rightly so. We can glean so much from her life, experience, and faithfulness to her calling. Yet today I want to focus on the unsung hero of the book of Esther, Mordecai. Though not her parent, per say, he was her guardian and he took that charge seriously. If we have foster kids, adopted children, or children of our own, it is no small task. Sometimes our past, our fears, and our insecurities can get in the way—but they don't have to. The Lord has equipped us with all that we need to parent those in our care and looking at the life of Mordecai can help us know how to do that.  The most quoted text from the book of Esther is: Who knows, perhaps you have come to your royal position for such a time as this. Esther 4:14 Though spoken to Esther who needed the courage, strength, and wisdom to take this advice, Mordecai needed to be strong in order to give such advice.  Older men and women do not just become wise and strong in the Lord. This is dev...

  My bookworm emerged from her hiding place long enough to reveal that she had finally completed a coveted book series. Money had been pinched, and coins had been collected between couch cushions and car seats. A few childhood toys had even been. . .  READ MORE IN THE HOMESCHOOL MINUTE .

  Tomorrow is an exciting day on the Circle C Ranch. That is the day  Book 8 of the Andrea Carter and More Tales from the Circle C Ranch will be released! Be sure to pick up your copy while you can! Bookmark this page today, and you can purchase as soon as tomorrow. For under $10 you will have an excellent read for any horse lover in your life! If you are not yet familiar with author Susan K. Marlow, she has several horse-themed series that span across different age groups. The Goldtown Beginnings series is an excellent one for my younger boys. My daughter is a fan of the Andrea Carter books.  Book eight of the Andrea Carter series is filled with more adventures about one of my daughter's favorite characters, keeping readers on the edge of their seats throughout this 138-page book. Set in the late 1800s, this book is the perfect addition to any homeschooling library (physical or digital)—along with the other seven in the series.  If your child has yet to read this s...

  Order your copy of the CSB Illustrator’s Notetaking Bible, Large  Print Edition today! If you like to take notes, highlight, or draw in your Bible, this Bible allows room for all three.  Though I would not consider myself an artist, I would say that I am artistic. I create things to de-stress and arts and crafts are fun and relaxing for me. Yes, I am one of those moms with a messy craft room filled with yarn, fabric pieces, rubber stamps, and glitter galore. I try my hand at a new craft every once in a while and even sign up to sell at a craft show here and there.  That said, studying the Bible, praying, and worshiping God becomes a creative process for me as well. Not for anyone else to see—only the Lord—but for things to gel in my mind I need to have a pen in my hand and gets things down physically. Things do not fully register with me with a device. I can listen to the word online, read it online, or even type things out online, but until I get it down on pen a...

Thrift Steading is now here. Check out the Thrift Steading tab for a brand-new podcast, guest posts from homesteading greats, and occasional giveaways.  Coming Soon: THRIFT STEADING KITS  📦 Details will be announced shortly. These will be available at select homeschool conventions in 2026. Stay tuned! Homeschooling comes in all shapes and sizes. Every home looks different and so does every homeschool! Visit the Homeschool Helps tab to read Heather's reviews of products that she has used with her various children since 2012. Some work great for active learners, others for the tech-savvy ones. Whatever your teaching style or your child's learning style, you are sure to find tried and true materials that will speak to you and help you along in your homeschooling.  November is the month of giveaways! Visit the NOVEMBER GIVEAWAYS tab to enter today!

  Any homeschooling mom will tell you that fear has hindered her from making the right choice at least once in her homeschooling journey. The lies come in from naysayers, well-meaning family members, social media, and even our own minds—leading us to doubt and ultimately towards making fear-based decisions. As resilient as we are, we bounce back after finding support from other homeschooling moms, our spouse, and most importantly the Lord.   What about when we don't? What about when fear cripples us? What about when we stay in the place of doubt, fear, and confusion because it seems like we are in a dark room—grasping into nothingness—not knowing what is right in front of us? I want to talk about when Jesus was sleeping in the boat while the disciples were fearful and how that can help us today . Before I do, I will address several unhealthy ways to approach fear.  Ways that are just as crippling as fear itself.  If you are attempting to battle fear using the f...

I am pleased to announce  Bible Study Guide for All Ages  as a NEW Thrift Schooling Gold Sponsor ! Though a new sponsor, this incredible Bible resource for families is not new to our homeschool.  This is one of the top materials that has stood the test of time over the past TWELVE YEARS of homeschooling! I was introduced to this Bible homeschool curriculum in 2013 and continue to use it to this day. Not only did I use it with my teens when they were younger, but I continue to use their materials with their younger siblings.  That's a quality homeschool curriculum right there.  This curriculum even landed NUMBER THREE in my Top ten curriculum choices for the last school year. ( Spoiler alert: It might make it to the top ten again this year.) When I organized the curriculum for our church's Sunday preschool program, I immediately brought these materials into the rotation. Primarily because this is not a Bible curriculum full of fluff. It has solid, biblical...

  How do you explain . . . the unexplainable? When does the impossible . . . become possible? Why are some prayers for healing answered and others do not seem to be? Through true stories of the supernatural crashing into human suffering, a compelling new documentary arrives in theaters this spring—unlocking the possibility that the impossible still happens in our world. Meet experts who have studied miracles and suffering, discover true stories of the seemingly unbelievable, and be reminded that prayers can be answered in ways that we could never expect or imagine. If you or someone you love has ever pondered one of life’s deepest questions—“If there is a loving God, why is there so much suffering and evil in the world?”—experience hope, encouragement, and awe with Show Me Your Glory . Show Me Your Glory is releasing in theaters only on  May 13–15. I am so curious to see how this topic is approached in this film. With so many leaving the hyper-charismatic movement due to the ...