Help for the Grumpy Homeschool Mom

Written by Jessica.

As this past summer came to a close, I was looking forward to getting back into a routine and doing school again. A new school year always feels like a good, fresh start. So, it came as quite a surprise to me when my middle child said incredulously, “What do you mean you’re looking forward to doing school again? You’re always tired and grumpy when we do school.” And then my other children chimed in with agreement and added their own two-cents. Ouch.

Interior Design Course for Homeschoolers

My husband runs his own graphic design/advertising agency by day. But by later-in-the-day, he's a picker. You've heard of a "picker," haven't you?

A picker is a person who scrounges around old barns, yard sales, and junk piles to find unclaimed treasures to turn for a profit. To be honest, most of the stuff he brings home looks like it should be sitting under layers of trash at the town dump.

A taxidermied weasel in a shadow box? Who's gonna buy that?

What We're Reading in October 2018

Apparently, this is the Year of the Book Club for our family. Last month, I joined a Well-Read Mom group in our area. My oldest two kids enrolled in a literature class at our co-op. (While not an actual book club, it kinda feels like one.) And at the invitation of a recent homeschool grad who has a passion for great books, my middle son linked arms with a handful of other homeschoolers who love reading and talking about books as much as he does. They've been reading the same book and then coming together once-a-week at our local library to discuss what they've read.

Top Living History Museums and Tips for Visiting

Written by Chelsea Gonzales.

I adore museums. Visiting them is a fabulous way to introduce new concepts and an even better way to dive deeper into a child's interests.

As a history nerd, living history museums are definitely my top pick when it comes to choosing an educational attraction, and my son and husband both quite enjoy them as well.

Unlike regular history museums which have traditional tour guides and only display artifacts and photographs, living history museums are interactive, have actors wearing costumes and reenacting the lives and livelihoods of the past, and usually focus on one particular place or event in history. While at a living history museum, you don't just look at and learn about the past, you actually step back into it.

The One Simple List that Will Fix Your Underwhelming Launch

I'd like to tell you that I always come fully-prepared into every homeschool year--that I have my plans solidified and written in stone; that I have all my curriculum ordered and in order; that I have tugged on all the kinks and have straightened them out.

But I don't.

I've been at this now for eleven years. Twelve, if you count preschool. And I still waver. My school year never launches quite a smoothly as I always hope it will. This year was no exception.