Favorite Read Alouds & Read Alones in 2025

I've kept a reading record since 2013—a list of all the books I've read for the past thirteen years. It's nothing fancy, just a handwritten inventory in a journal I found haphazardly tossed into a clearance bin years ago. But whatever it lacks in form, it most certainly makes up for in function. Each entry includes the title, author's name, dates I started and finished the book, my star review of the text, and any thoughts I want to remember when recommending it or discouraging others from reading it.

4 Ways I'll be Increasing in 2026

I'm not a farmer. Truth be told, I'm not much of a gardener, either. I've kept very few plants alive in my life. But though I've never cultivated a crop, I do know this one simple truth about gathering a good harvest: very few things will ever grow on a mountaintop. The soil is not deep or rich enough on a peak. Growth happens in the valley. The valley is where the best fruit grows.

Tips & Tools for a Budding Young Artist

When my son was little, he never played. Not with one single toy. He only wanted to make and do and create. Of course, at his age, all of that making and doing and creating looked more like a mess than a masterpiece. Once, when he was almost three, he found a black Sharpie marker that I had accidentally left on my dresser and proceeded to draw pictures on my bedroom wall, the curtains, the carpet, my brand-new bedspread, and himself, in less than five minutes. Around that same time, he became obsessed with drawing pictures in spills. He would intentionally go to the fridge, find a bottle of this or a box of that, spill it on the floor, and use his finger to make shapes in it.

12th Grade Homeschool Curriculum 2025-2026

He may be the middle child, but he’s anything but middle. He’s a servant leader with a sharp wit. Loves antique car shows, watching FI racing, and tinkering under the hood of whatever you’re driving. Big fan of reading Shakespeare and studying ancient history. But don’t come at him with American history; it’s not old enough. Has strong political views and enjoys a good satirical meme. Avoids cooking whenever he can, but loves to eat, especially if there’s rice, beans, or pasta involved. He's never met a soup he didn't like. If you can’t find him, check the gym; he’ll probably be there lifting something heavy. This fall kicks off his last year of homeschooling!

11th Grade Homeschool Curriculum Choices 2025-2026

My fourth born is my Renaissance man. Artist. Junk hunter. Baseball Pitcher. Cook. Downhill ski jumper. Bird watcher. Coin collector. Fisherman. He’s got more hobbies than he has time most days. Strong sense of justice and fairness. He loves talking on the phone the old-fashioned way, is sweet potato averse, and is known to deep fry fun snacks at midnight. Neighborhood lawn mower. Autodidactic learner. Always ready to share a trivia fact. Can speak with nearly a dozen different international accents. If you’re bored and need a pal to help you drum up something fun to do, he’s your guy. 

8th Grade Homeschool Curriculum Choices 2025-2026

Bounce a ball. Throw a ball. Bat a ball. Catch a ball. Kick a ball. Spike a ball. Repeat. This is the rhythm of my youngest son's days. He’s an extrovert’s extrovert who never gets tired of a big crowd. He’s a champion of others and a loyal team player. Loves music, watching movies, and pet-sitting. Not a fan of bedtime or most board games. Hates Brussels sprouts, but is happy to put buffalo sauce on almost anything else. Much to my make-most-things-from-scratch mantra, Doritos are his love language. But if those are in short supply, he’ll also settle for your undivided attention. He may be the smallest, but he’s got a big heart!

Homeschool Curriculum Choices 2025-2026

Five more years — that's all the time I have left as a homeschool mom. How is that even possible? With my oldest two launched and pursuing their own career paths, and my middle two taking several dual-enrollment classes from a Christian University, most of my efforts will be directed toward my youngest son and his individual learning.

That said, there are still a few subjects/resources that all three of my remaining at-home kids will work on together. 

Join the Overwhelmed Mom Launch Team!

Calling all bibliophiles, overwhelmed moms, fans of smooth days, folks who can hype, and anyone craving more quiet in their lives!

Perhaps you've heard that I've written a new book. It's called Overwhelmed Mom: Quiet the Chaos, Mind What Matters, and Enjoy Your Life Again. It doesn't hit shelves until Tuesday, August 5th, but from now until then, word about it needs to spread like wildfire. So, I'm gonna need your help in fanning the flames.

Would you be willing to link internet arms with me and join my launch team? Pretty please!

5 Hearty Recipes for Soup Season

"You can make soup out of anything!" This is my wintertime mantra. 

Since my family doesn't love eating leftovers, soup is my Go-To Nextover--my simple way to put a new shine on the scraps from a previous meal.

When I'm pressed for time, I can toss some leftovers, a quart or so of broth, and the veggies to make a mirepoix (chopped onions, carrots, and celery) into a pot, and have a hot and hearty dinner on the table in a half hour. It's like magic!

Favorite Read Alouds & Read Alones in 2024

In an essay for Collected Perspectives: Choosing and Using Books for the Classroom, Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop wrote that books should be like mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors. Certain books should reflect the reader's life, others should give him a peek into someone else's life, and still, others should fully immerse a person in a brand new experience by allowing him to enter the story.

4 Ways I'll be Increasing in 2025

This past year was marked by much increase, in both big and small ways. Some of the growth has left the scars of stretch marks on my life, but mostly, it has just widened my world in immeasurable ways.

My oldest entered her junior year at a Christian university on the other side of the country and joined a church all on her own; my second-born went on a short-term mission trip to an orphanage in Belize, graduated high school, and left home to serve his country; my middle son started taking online dual-enrollment courses at a Christian university and got his driver's license; my fourth-born won the Congressional Art Competition for our district, won the Cy Young pitcher's award for our high school's baseball team, and went on an inner-city missions trip to St. Louis; my last born played on two different local baseball teams and one football team.

The 2024 TUH Gift Guide for Book Lovers

Recently, I searched online for Ferrari-themed novelties for my middle son. I didn't expect to find many. Boy, was I unprepared for the number of ideas that began to pop up? Turns out, he's not the only one preoccupied with a certain Italian racing car company. I snagged a hat, a shirt, and a handful of stickers. Admittedly, I don't love Ferrari--a car is a car to me. Not better or worse than any other. But I love my son, and he loves Ferrari. So, I make it a point to invest in his passion in order to invest in him. Sometimes, I need a little help, though. I need to be pointed in a good direction. 

Brown Paper Package Back-to-Homeschool Party, Moms Only

Homeschool moms are the unsung heroes of education. Unlike classroom teachers, we don't get a salary for our efforts. We get no holiday pay, sick days, or a fat 401K at the journey's end. But what we do get is each other. We're a tight-knit group--a sisterhood of moms who understand the many wins and losses of this unconventional schooling choice and have both the victory laps and the battle scars to prove it.

11th Grade Homeschool Curriculum 2024-2025

My middle son is a reader, writer, and indoor enthusiast. He's our resident introvert who needs plenty of downtime in the day. But don’t let his quiet fool you. He often brings the jazz hands in big groups. He loves classic cars, classical music, and classic literature. If you ever need a fun fact about Formula 1 racing or the Roman Empire, he’s your guy. Serve him chili, chili mac, or chili dogs, and he’ll love you forever. These days, he’s never too far from a thought-provoking podcast or a bench press. Conscientious driver. Closet comedian. He may be the middle child, but he’s anything but middle to us.

10th Grade Homeschool Curriculum Choices 2024-2025

 

My fourth born had an extraordinary 9th-grade year! In the past nine months, he was hand-picked by a baseball coach to pitch for the local high school baseball team, won the National Congregational Art Competition for our district, flew to Washington, D.C., to see his colored pencil sketch hanging in the US Capital, learned how to do 540 jump on the downhill ski slope, traveled with the whole family to Branson, MO for an unforgettable vacation, and went with some youth group pals to St. Louis to spread the love of Jesus to inner city youth and displaced/houseless adults. His 2023-2024 will be a tough act to follow, to say the least.

7th Grade Homeschool Curriculum Choices 2024-2025

As the last born of the family, my youngest has the advantage of a relaxed homeschool mom. I've experienced more than my share of both hits and misses over the years and realize that a great education doesn't require me to find the "perfect" curriculum, the "perfect" schedule, or the "perfect" plan. (Spoiler alert: in the realm of homeschooling, "perfect" only exists on Instagram.)

Homeschool Curriculum Choices 2024-2025

I'm down to the final three kids at home. It's my seventeenth year of homeschooling, and with two kids in high school and one in middle school, I feel nearly obsolete. They may all be fairly self-sufficient, but they still need me—just in less acute ways. And isn't that the goal? Homeschool mothers should always aim to work their way out of a job. 

Here's a peek at how I'll still be involved in their day-to-day learning.

Stress-Free Logos Science Lab Kits for Homeschool

Once upon a time, I piecemealed our science projects together, gathering bits of this or scraps of that from around our home to create three-dimensional demonstrations of what would otherwise be two-dimensional concepts. My kids were little, the experiments I had planned were basic, and the lessons could be learned with simple household supplies.

Apprenticeship Tips for Homeschooled High Schoolers

According to Forbes magazine, hiring a plumber to snake a clogged drain will cost you $125 to $360. If you've got a tougher clog, be ready to shell out up to $800. A recent survey of 2,000 American car owners confirmed that only about 1/3 know how to change their vehicle's oil. One can only assume that the other 2/3 pay someone else to do it, which, according to Kelly Blue Book, runs them each anywhere from $35 to $125, depending upon the type of car they own and the type of oil it requires. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that when budgeting for a basic home construction or repair project, one should expect to add 20-40% to the total budget for labor costs.

Favorite Read Alouds & Read Alones in 2023

According to a recent report from the Washington Post, nearly 50% of American adults read 0 books in 2023. 33% finished reading at least 5 books. And sitting at the very top, 1% of the population read 50 books or more. The 1500-person test group represents a very small cross-section of humanity, in my opinion. Nonetheless, the statistics are disheartening and bear severe implications for the dwindling vocabularies, attention spans, and overall knowledge base of our citizenry.