Welcome!

I'm a wife to my "Mr. Right". A momma of five. A maker of slow food and simple living. A collector of memories, a keeper of books, and a champion for books that make memories. An addict who likes my half-and-half with a splash of coffee. A fractured pot transformed by the One Who makes broken things beautiful. I heart homeschooling, brake for libraries, and am glad you're here with me on the journey! Be sure to subscribe to my monthly newsletter. Or, follow along with Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Google +, Youtube, or Pinterest.

Choosing the Right Readers for Your Emergent Reader

Choosing the Right Readers for Your Emergent Reader- The Unlikely Homeschool


A few days ago, I whipped out the family celebration plate. We were having a little dinner-time party.
I made a big deal of it because it WAS a big deal!

My little Greased Lightning, read his first book!  

Now, granted, the storyline was simple, the words were repetitive, the pictures told more of the plot than the few letters on the page. But, HE READ IT! He read it and then smiled. It was the kind of smile that only comes when the mystery of words is unlocked...when the black-and-white gives way to color and the 2-dimensional takes on life...when a written story becomes a solo adventure. His eyes bulged large as he turned the last page and realized that he had just crossed over the great divide that separates those who can read and those who can't. He was a READER!

Art Tutorial: Magazine Scrap Sketches

Art Tutorial: Magazine Scrap Sketches {The Unlikely Homeschool}

Wanna squeeze in some art into an otherwise jam-packed week?  Here's an easy-peasy project that can be woven into your schedule in seconds.  These simple magazine scrap sketches blend imagination with more complex art concepts such as, perspective, line, movement, and landscape.  

Because there is no right or wrong way to create a sketch, these trash-to-treasure drawings can be adapted for any age or skill level making them perfect for the HOMESCHOOL art class with its multi-level learning.  

Bread Baking 101: Tips for a Homemade Lifestyle

Bread Baking 101: Simple Tips for Homemade Living {The Unlikely Homeschool}

So, the secret's out.  I like me some bread!  REAL BREAD.  With gluten in it!  There...I've said it.

Yes, I know gluten is currently out of vogue.  But, before you embark on a gluten-is-bad-for-you tirade, please understand that gluten and I are like peas and carrots.  We just belong together!  

Easy Peasy Wheat Bread: Bread Baking for the Rest of Us

Easy Peay Wheat Bread: Bread Baking for the Rest of Us! {The Unlikely Homeschool}

Move over, Sara Lee. There's a new bread in town.
In an attempt to bake up a bread that could replace Sara and her laundry list of ingredients I can't pronounce (azodicarbonamide...what's that?), I've baked up wheat bread. Lots of wheat bread.

Correction.

I've baked up BAD wheat bread. Lots of BAD wheat bread.

The thing is, for many years, I've been baking all kinds of other kinds of breads. Rolls, biscuits, artisan loaves, breadsticks, quick breads, white bread, international breads. You name it, I've baked it. No problem. But wheat bread? I've been chasin' the illusive "perfect" wheat loaf for three years...yep...three.

What We're Reading in January


What We're Reading in January-The Unlikely Homeschool


Our library basket is overflowing this month with some great reads.  The kids have already sped through a handful of titles this month and look forward to digging into a many more.  As of today, our bookmarks are parked in the following books.

Pinterest Flips & Flops: DIY Wool Dryer Balls



The calendar reminds me that today is the second Monday of the month, the day when we rally together to report on our Pinterest successes and failures.  I hope you have had a chance to dust off some pins and try them out.  No sense just "collecting" great pictures, right?  

Have you had many FLIPS or mostly just FLOPS?  Now's your chance to share the results.

Pinterest Flips & Flops:  DIY Wool Dryer Balls {The Unlikely Homeschool}


Lately, I've been on a bit of a "make my household cleaners from scratch" kick.  Don't ask me why.  Maybe it's for the sake of frugality.  Maybe it's more about health.  It's probably a bit of both.

Aerial Snowman Chalk Art Tutorial


Aerial Snowman Chalk Art Tutorial-The Unlikely Homeschool


Since the current plummeting temperature in our neck of the woods has prohibited any outdoor artistry for fear of possible frostbite, we've kept our snowman-making "itch" indoors and created a cute snowman SANS the snow. I, originally, saw a picture of one on Pinterest, but there were no directions included, only a picture. So, we just had to make it up as we went along. But, you don't have to!

This two-day project was a simple lesson in perspective as we tried to capture what a snowman might look like if we were looking down at him.

DIY Tickler File: Organization for the Rest of Us

DIY Tickler File: Organization for the Rest of Us {The Unlikely Homeschool}


With my year-long goals before me, binge-and-purge 2014 has commenced.  I began by de-cluttering a long-term filing system in the basement...a place to store all things "official".  I kept what needed to be kept and did this with the rest.  

DIY Tickler File: Organization for the Rest of Us {The Unlikely Homeschool}

The Hubs was given detailed instructions to burn/recycle/shred it all!  Next...

Mid-Year Curriculum Evaluation {with small changes}


Mid-Year Curriculum Evaluation {with small changes} The Unlikely Homeschool


It's no secret that I'm not an advocate for bailing on curriculum midway through the year.  In truth, sometimes, it's not the curriculum that is the problem.  (This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for full details.)

But, I also know that a thorough evaluation midway through the year, is a necessary and beneficial venture.  I never want to be tied down to a sinking ship.  So each year, come January, or sometimes before, I take a quick assessment of what IS or IS NOT working in our school day.  I make changes accordingly. 

Sometimes those changes come in the form of scheduling tweaks and sometimes in curriculum refinements.  

Personal Goals 2014

As 2013 has come to a close, I am compelled to reflect on the personal goals I had set for myself twelve months ago.  

Some call them resolutions.  I choose to call them goals.  (This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for full details.)

Personal Goals 2014

GOALS seem more flexible to me.  A goal is something to shoot for...something to fix your eyes upon and draw near to with forward motion.  

Perhaps it is nothing more than semantics, but a RESOLUTION, seems to be clouded in failure before it is even begun.