Thrift Schooling

  I just wanted to hop online quickly to let you know about a super flash sale over at Amazon on this super cute and durable patio set !  Memorial Day is so much more than sales, deals, and picnics, but I know that having a quality patio set on my porch helps the homeschool days go so much smoother. Not to mention that it lends to more meals outside, providing additional quality family time.  Wouldn't you agree that the traditional family meal has been lost to our culture? Especially throughout the summer. One unique commonality that many homeschooling families share is the love of food. Our family gathers together around food and my kids are the ones who enjoy preparing what is plated.  If you are looking for a new patio set new patio set just in time for summer, snag one this Memorial Day weekend for 40% off. Hurry, this offer ends soon!

  Join America’s favorite storyteller, Mike Rowe, on an epic journey to the heart of Washington D.C. Drawing from his blockbuster podcast “The Way I Heard It,” this cinematic tour de force will take viewers to the frontlines of the American Revolution, World War II, the Civil Rights movement, and more. My younger kids just finished learning about the American Revolution in history and Neil Armstrong in science. I mentioned to my husband that we just take a weekend trip to Washington D.C to reinforce what they have learned. He then reminded me how stressful the family field trip was when our older kids were their age. Two words sums up the stress—the subway. Oh, yes, talk about us being on edge. I always loved the thrill of big cities in my teens and twenties but travelling on the subway with kids is a completely different ballgame. So when my husband suggested to do it when they are a little older, I immediately agreed.  What's the next best thing to visiting D.C. in person? G...

    Before I get into this review, let's backtrack. Everyone has a past, whether you grew up in a Christian home or not. I have been saved 20+ years so it is easy to forget the past sinful days of my youth but when I saw that the Blackabys just released the  Encountering God Study Bible , I was whisked back to those days—in a good way. The Bible says to  “ Look to the Rock from which you were hewn, and to the hole of the pit from which you were dug, (Isaiah 51:1). ”    When I think of that verse, I think of what God brought me out of. Where he brought me from. In college, while studying Elementary Education, I would go to class during the day and hang out with the wrong crowd at night. A sweet little Italian girl who grew up in Black Forest, Germany, befriended me. She asked me if each Sunday afternoon I would want to visit her dorm room to go through a Bible study called Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby. This one on one time with someone who cared, was j...

Homeschooling is a wonderful opportunity to express your freedom in education. It gives you the opportunity to teach according to the needs of your child or your favorite teaching style. Each subject can be taken in stride, depending on what your child is interested in or what his learning style might be. That said, a homeschooling mom is so much more than a teacher. Unlike a traditional classroom teacher, you are not on the clock only certain hours of the day, but you are always teaching, always working. You are not just a teacher, but a cook, janitor, chauffeur, and so much more. To help with homeschooling, sometimes it can help to use a kit. This means, all of the materials are provided in one place and the homeschool parent can be as hands on or hands off as needed.  Here are several boxed/kit options that you can begin implementing in your homeschool right away. Timberdoodle Grade Kits Virtual School Boxes Abeka Curriculum Kit

There are a few different directions that I could go in when it comes to homeschool jobs. For this post, I have decided to focus on what we can encourage our children to do when they begin looking for part-time jobs. When I was a teen, I have fond memories of babysitting neighborhood kids from when I was twelve until I went off to college. With the rising popularity of The Babysitter's Club books , I had a Kid Kit and everything filled with crafts and activities. I even attribute some of my parenting skills to some of the knowledge that I gained babysitting. I never had brothers and now I am raising four boys. I learned a tremendous amount babysitting boys that helped me when I became a parent. In addition to babysitting, I worked part-time as a library page. This was the coveted job in my town because it paid slightly more than the fast food restaurants, but was much less stressful. Here, too, I learned life skills and was surrounded by one of my favorite things of all time—books!...

  It's insect unit study time! Are you homeschooling little ones? Use the worksheets below to introduce insects in a non-evasive way into your homeschool. Have fun with it! I have included five worksheets to be used for a Monday through Friday schedule or whatever works for your routine. Be sure to check out the linked videos and resources as well for added instruction! Sometimes kids just need to break away from the traditional textbook-style learning and explore what is around them. Studying insects can be as hands-on as you like, so have fun with it! VIDEOS Facts about Insects for Kids Insects for Kids  v1 All About Insects Insects for Kids  v2 What Is an Insect? BOOKS Insect Collection and Identification Big Bugs, Little Bugs God Created the Insects of the World Insect Detective Insects RESOURCES Insects in Resin Specimen Kit Nature: Butterfly Growing Kit Bug Catcher Kit Real Bugs Discovery Kit The Magic School Bus: Exploring Bugs, Insects, and Other Creatures

  Housework. How do we get it all done while homeschooling? To be honest, we don't get it all done—and that's okay. Cleanliness and order is important and will eventually get done but super organized, pristine clean homes can be put on the backburner. Rather than focusing on how to get all of the housework done as a homeschooler, I want to encourage you that it will get done. Sometimes it is easy to look around and get stressed out at everything that needs to happen, especially with little kids underfoot, but, in reality, the tasks will not take as long as you think. When the rubber meets the road, it will happen. To help ease your mind, here is a list of 12 things that I would do even with dirty dishes in the sink since the years with our kids are so short (though at times, the days feel long). 1. Snuggle on the couch with Little House on the Prairie.   2. A hike in the woods.  3. Fishing on the lake.  4. Making brownies together and letting them lick the bowl....