Pricey Field Trips for FREE or Cheap

When you are homeschooling at the speed of life, learning...most REAL learning...happens away from a worksheet or textbook. 

Some of the most memorable and meaningful life-schooling is done when you take the show on the road...when you venture out to meet real people and see real stuff...when you experience real life the way it WAS lived or IS lived...when you take a field trip.

But, let's face it.

A large homeschool family is a herd that moves rather slowly and comes with a pretty hefty entrance fee.

Field trips aren't cheap!

Or are they?

Ancient Rome Unit: DIY Roman Road

As the old saying goes, at one time, all roads really did lead to Rome. One of the largest was the Via Egnatia where the apostle Paul and his friends Timothy and Silas traveled on to spread the Gospel to the uttermost parts of the world. It was in large part due to this and other "modern" roads that we have Paul's letters.

Roman roads were impressive 4-layer highways complete with water-drainage plans. They were built by Roman soldiers during the empire's expansion and used for military travel and eventually trade. Covering over 85,000 kilometers, the road system first began around 500 BC with the Via Appia and can still be seen meandering across Europe today.

Working At Home and Homeschooling: What My Schedule REALLY Looks Like

Three years ago, when I sat down to plunk out a chronicle of our homeschool days, I never dreamed of the kind of community that would build, the kind of catharsis I would gain, and the kind of personal and professional growth I would experience.

God took my little corner of the Web and my desire to minister to mommas on the journey and crafted a ministry and side-income like only He could.

I have gotten to meet and walk real-life with a few of my readers.
I have shared God's love and His story to women all around the globe.
I have helped to write a book and launch a much-needed ministry.

Eclectic Homeschooling: Learning a la carte

Every summer, when I release my curriculum choices for the upcoming school year, I receive a number of comments regarding the rather random-looking compilation of books. But, although it might look like a hodge-podge collection, there is a definite method to my madness.

I am an eclectic homeschooler. Craziness, pure craziness!

But what does that mean exactly? And why would someone choose such an a la carte style of learning? 

Why I'm No Longer Behind in Homeschool

A Little behind

My sweet mother-in-love used to have this little ceramic doll that sat on a shelf in her living room. I remember seeing it long before I ever made the decision to homeschool. If memory serves, it was a gift given to her back in her homeschooling days...back when The Hubs sat at her dining room table poring over books about World War II and sloughing through algebra worksheets. 

The doll stood bent over with its fanny pointed to the sky and on its bloomer bottoms were etched the words, "A little behind in school."

It sat there on her neatly-organized shelf as a reminder of that ever-vexing feeling that all homeschool mommas fall prey to...that nagging notion that we are behind...that we are racing against the school year calendar in a desperate attempt to get caught up...to fit it all in.

The Hatmaker's Sign: A Colonial Mini-Unit

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Our homeschool co-op book club stepped back in time through the pages of The Hatmaker's Sign by Candace Fleming. This living-literature book is a parable as told by "Benjamin Franklin" who attempts to encourage a downhearted Thomas Jefferson during the drafting of the Declaration of Independence.


Since our book club consists of the six and under crowd, this story made for a gentle introduction to colonial life and history.

DIY Lemon Body Scrub

Slough off the winter skin with this refreshing body scrub. Its soothing oil and invigorating springtime smell makes for an inexpensive and oh-so-easy at home spa treatment. Because of the detoxifying and antiseptic nature of lemon oil, this scrub will give your dull post-winter skin a glow. Its my GO TO body scrub and my GO TO hostess gift for friends. Because it is completely natural and can be made for cheap, I can slather it on or give it away guilt free!

What We're Reading in March 2015

With only three more months left of the 2014-2015 school year, we are in full boogie mode. Lots of learning happening 'round here. Lots of learning. The gentle sound of a turning page can be heard wafting through the house at any given moment. 

We've got our noses in some good books and can't wait to tell you all about them!

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March is roaring in with these titles...

Homemade Snow Cream Recipe

The fresh dumping of snow we've received here in the midwest naturally means two things.

1. Playtime will include snow pants.
2. We will enjoy a bowl of snow cream, our homemade version of ice cream made with newly-fallen snow.

With the exception of the few days in July that we affectionately call "summer", we are surrounded by snow all year long. (Ok, so that might be a slight exaggeration...but, only slight. Our winters are L...O...N...G!) On the upside, we get plenty of opportunities to enjoy both snow play and snow cream.

50 Easy Ways to Sneak in Learning

Homeschooling isn't just an educational choice. In our home, it is a family culture. Even when the books are stashed away and the hands on the clock read "school's out", learning is still happening. Over the years, I've peppered our home with strategically placed items designed to bring about curiosity, imagination, and learning around the clock.