Thrift Schooling

  If electives tend to take a back seat in your homeschool—I get it. It happens to me, too. Getting the core subjects in is enough of a balancing act to give me enough credits on my resume to successfully apply to join the circus. Each year is the same routine. I'll have the perfect foreign language curriculum picked out and ready to implement, only to find it hard, time-consuming, or labor-intensive. The good news is, last year was different. I found a curriculum that worked for one child and a method that worked for another. Curious as to what these are? Well, I'll begin with what did not work over the years and then share what did, so you can take my thoughts into consideration when choosing how to approach foreign language curriculum in your homeschool. NAY Rosetta Stone As an ESL tutor, I understand the concept of using pictures to help with foreign language learning, but it simply does not work in the format that they use—at least not in our house. If the basic language ...

Flag Cake Recipe Have you always wanted to eat like a president? Now you can! Take a look at these easy-to-prepare meals selected from a handful of former American presidents' list of favs and go ahead and give yourself permission to eat like a president for a day . Don't worry. I spared you some of the recipes with more difficult ingredients to work with such as turtle and squirrel! Celebrating Presidents Day can happen in so many different ways from unit studies to worksheets to crafts. Why not add cooking to the mix? Pick a single recipe or make a full day of it. Choose from one recipe for each meal of the day (and dessert!) or try both. I paired complementary recipes for each meal if you have a large family or growing children that would appreciate the generous portion sizes.  EAT LIKE A PRESIDENT FOR A DAY ⭐ George Washington : Hoecakes  ⭐ Basically the same concept as pancakes, but made with cornmeal. The recipe here makes it easy to make the change by using Jiffy cor...

Hope, a teenager from a tight-knit community, finds herself in danger  when the person she believes to be a new friend proves unsafe. Taken from all she  knows, Hope is forced into trafficking and stripped of her identity.  After finding freedom from her captors, Hope discovers that survival is only the first  step. Inspired by true stories, Hope’s journey is a powerful illustration of the  courage it takes to walk the complex path of recovery.  This film is an eye-opener and a wake up call to remind us of what is happening in our own backyards. Often, when we study about the Holocaust, we ask ourselves what we would do if we were in that situation. The problem is, oftentimes, we don't realize (or accept the fact) that these terrible events are happening until it is too late. Once we do realize it, we want to do everything within our own power to help. We want to be there for these young girls. Yet, once you pray this prayer, and you begin meeting those who...

Blackbeard. Treasure Island. Dred Pirate Roberts. One-Eyed Willy. Our culture is riddled with pirates and pirate stories. Even if we do not agree with their methods of action, their stories are intriguing.  The treasure.  The life out at sea.  The adventure. If you are looking for a unit study for your teen, the  Pirates Course  found in the  Timberdoodle Ninth Grade Curriculum Kit  is by far the most detailed and engaging unit study used in our homeschool to date. We have used other Nomadic Professor courses in our homeschool, including US History 1 & 2  which were high-quality and detailed. While those courses gives an incredible overview, the Pirates course dives deep into a specific topic, all while giving your teen high school credit for her transcript. It's a win-win!  As with all Nomadic Professor courses, the Pirates course is easy to navigate with little assistance needed from a parent. It is helpful, though, to have at least two...

Let's celebrate! Thousands of homeschoolers access the content on Thrift Schooling monthly, and I appreciate each and every one of you helping me to get the word out. Whether it's a giveaway, review, or resource, I am grateful for the response this blog has been receiving. So, THANK YOU! With Valentine's Day just around the corner, I wanted to show my readers (that's you!) some love by giving away a gift card from one of my favorite homeschool resource centers— Timberdoodle . If you have yet to be introduced to this wonderful company, let me be the first! Filled with a wide variety of hands-on educational toys, manipulatives, and homeschool resources, this site has everything you need to homeschool your children from birth to graduation. Pick and choose different materials throughout the year as you need them, or buy a premade kit filled with the essentials and more. You can check out some of my product reviews from the company below: Pirates Crossfire The Nomadic Profe...

  If you are looking for a new Bible to help you go deeper in your study of God’s Word, the brand-new CSB Women’s Study Bible is one you’re going to love. Created by a team of women who love Scripture and want to help you engage with it meaningfully, this Bible is packed with verse-by-verse study notes, word studies, profiles of women in the Bible, devotional content, and tools to help you live out what you are learning.  Whether you are studying alone or with a group, this is a resource that will meet you right where you are—and help you grow.   “Useful and practical for any reader that wants to study the Bible deeply," —Stefana  Dan Laing  Need a gift idea? If you are looking for the perfect Bible for your sister, friend, or family member, the CSB Women's Study Bible is a robust, full-color study Bible with content created by women for women, featuring helpful study notes, timelines, maps, and more on the same page as the biblical text that was refer...

  ⭐Being a homeowner can certainly be a wake-up call. The transition from college life where three square meals a day are served complete with dessert every. single. day. to apartment life with roommates that help carry the load to actual homeownership where every single mishap is now your responsibility can be overwhelming. Fortunately, before I reached this milestone I was blessed with several opportunities to visit third-world conditions all over the world. Yes, I said blessed, because seeing what others do not have can help you be more appreciative for what you do have . ⭐When the dryer that came with our first home quit working during week one, I was able to easily transition to hanging my clothes out on the line until we were able to buy a new one. It was probably only a month or so, but thankfully I had spent several months of my life in other countries where I was responsible for my own laundry with a washer only—no dryer. Hanging my clothes out on the line quickly became a...