Thrift Schooling

  When my daughter saw  Mose's Detective Agency  in this year's Timberdoodle catalog, it quickly made it to the top of her list. I don't know if you have fond memories of getting the Christmas edition of the Sear's or JC Penny's catalog as a kid, but I do. As soon as it would come in the mail (or sometimes my mom would pick it up in person at the store first!) I would have it in hand with a thick marker ready to circle what I wanted for Christmas—if my sister didn't get to it first. I don't ever remember if I actually received anything from those chicken scratches I made in the catalogs, unless it happened to be sheets or socks, but it was memorable nonetheless. This may actually have been the first time my daughter received what she circled in one of our homeschool catalogs (our modern tradition). She was so thrilled when this came in the mail. Do any of you have children that are outgrowing their toys but they aren't quite sure what to ask for as gifts...

  Is it time to pull your kids out of public school? Do you feel the tug to keep them home? Making the decision to homeschool is an important decision for your family, but you don’t have to do this alone. Join The Old Schoolhouse® family as we bring you the information and encouragement you need to take those first steps on your homeschooling journey. Get answers to your questions and more by joining us August 8–10 at 1–3 p.m. ET each day. RSVP here .

"Corrie Ten Boom was a terrible, terrible person." The voice echoed on the other end of the phone line. I sat down. What was going to come next? Was this Christian hero who so diligently worked in the Dutch Resistance freeing hundreds of Jews not who she portrayed herself in her writings?  Here I was, hearing from a relative who heard a firsthand account from my great-aunt the truth about Corrie Ten Boom. I had just found out on this phone call, while researching my family's involvement with the Dutch Resistance, that my great-aunt had bunked with Ms. Ten Boom in Ravensbruk concentration camp. Was this hero of faith going to be exposed?  " All she did was proselytize. All she did was talk about Jesus ." This was the response I heard causing a huge sigh of relief on my end of the call. In a dark and horrifying situation how would I respond? Would I focus on the darkness or the Word of God? Corrie clearly focused on the Word, but that doesn't mean she didn...

  Got littles? Be sure to add the  Kumon: My Book of Cutting  book to your morning routine. Whether you use a morning basket, bins, folders, or crates, this book is perfect for little hands eager to work and learn. Designed for children ages three through five, this book is essential for providing the basic skills needed for using scissors. Children can often become frustrated when they see you or older siblings cutting things out yet when they try it is an epic fail. In their mind it shouldn't be that hard! They see you do it, why can't they cut as smoothly and easily as you or their older sibling? What a perfect opportunity to teach our children that practice makes perfect. And not just practice, but stepping stones are key. They are able to learn the importance of starting small, achieving that skill and moving on to the next, building their skills and confidence step by step. These skills are important for math, writing, reading, and so many other disciplines. ...

  When I first began homeschooling shortly after the 2008 recession, my friend and I would tease each other about our tight budgets. We would laugh and say we knew things were tight if we couldn't afford to buy paper towels. That was our gauge! Still makes me laugh. The economy has gone up since then, and fortunately so has my homeschooling budget—and yes, paper towels are currently in my kitchen! In the early years of homeschooling I would thrift EVERYTHING—hence my blog, Thrift Schooling. As time moved on, I began to see what was worth investing money in and what wasn't. I am going to share with you five homeschool items worth spending money on and why you should.                                   Homeschool Items Worth Investing In 1. An EcoTank Printer: At this stage in my homeschool we own two. One in the computer lab (AKA basement) for the teens as they do most of their own work, and one for ...

  Have you ever attended an online homeschool conference only to miss your favorite speaker when they were online? Homeschool moms are busy (especially during the summer) so it seems near impossible to make an online conference work. What if I told you that the Homeschool Mom Summer Summit gives you the flexibility to watch top-notch speakers on your own time throughout the week—all while being connected to a community of homeschool moms just like you? I know that you tend to struggle with things like: * Staying on task with homeschooling * Saving money on curriculum * Keeping a thriving marriage going while homeschooling The good news is the Homeschool Mom Summer Summit plans to address all of these issues and more. That's why this online homeschool mom summit is just for YOU! I will even be touching on the second two bullet points in my talks! Over five days you will hear from 50 speakers about everything from summer homeschooling, year-round homeschool, back to homeschool...

  We have a new family tradition. Even though we are not huge into sports, the Harlem Globetrotters have become an annual favorite in our household. My kids love the excitement, entertainment, and twists and turns that show up at one of these events. The crowd was much larger this year than last and the excitement level was through the roof. Two in my family have sensory issues so earplugs were a must, but that didn't hinder the entire family from having a great time. One aspect of this year's event that made it stand out from the rest was the interaction with the audience. In addition to the entertaining stunts such as standing on the basketball rim—the team members got the audience involved. It was hilarious. I won't spoil the entire show for you but one of my favorites was when one of the team members grabbed a man's popcorn and began eating it. He was totally caught off guard. Then, the audience was caught off guard when fifteen minutes later, a team member presente...