Decluttering Cookbooks
I cook a lot. Lots of people to feed, lots of meals a day. Six of us still live here, we homeschool and work from home. Getting rid of cookbooks was not something that ever occurred to me. But as a goal of decluttering, I started taking any delivery box that came into...
read more
Going Minimal
Tip: Donations are best put in a black bag, so you cannot see what is inside and change your mind! If I am decluttering a large area, I may have a bag for actual trash too. Then I use a white bag for trash and the black for donations. I have to be totally clear. We...
read more
Beddys Review
One of my favorite Youtubers, Jordan Page talks about identifying "Pain Points" in your house. One of my pain points was my youngest daughter's bed. She is eight, and she shares a room with her 20-year-old sister. When I redid their bedroom, I made a tactical error. I...
read more
Our Family’s Experience with COVID-19
When we got sick with COVID-19, I knew no one else who had it except for people's whose loved ones were in the hospital in ICU, fighting for their lives. So when I got sick, I started talking about it on social media. So many people were thankful for information from...
read more
Fall 2020 School? You CAN do this!
This week many of my friends have started back to school with a year that looks way different than they hoped. Some are homeschooling for the first time, some are back in school with new social distance rules and masks required. Some of my friends are even managing...
read more
Our Year With No Health Insurance (+Hysterectomy!)
Why on earth would a perfectly sane woman choose to cancel her insurance for herself and her children? A couple of years ago, we were calculating that our insurance premiums through my husband's work cost $18,000 a year. With that plan, we had a $10,000 deductible...
read more
We have a College Graduate!
Anne Mary's final grades have been posted so I can officially share that she has Graduated with her Bachelor's degree with a 3.98 /4.00 G.P.A. She had her major in piano and also minored in voice. She started college with one J-term accelerated class, then part-time...
read more
The Modern Library
I have long been a lover of books, and as a homeschool mom to six, have utilized the library to save thousands of dollars on books. But, today's library has certainly met the challenges of the digital age as well. Here are some of the things we are NOW using from the...
read more
Prepping Food Ahead for College
To make life simpler, prepare meals ahead to freeze for busy days. This has become such a normal part of my routine, that I do not really consider what a time saver it is for me. But last semester, my college-aged daughter, still living at home had a particularly busy...
read more
Yummy Candied Pecans recipe!
1 pound of pecan halves 1 egg white 1 Tablespoon of water 1 cup of sugar 1 teaspoon of cinnamon he egg white until it is foamy. Add the water and beat well until it has soft peaks. 1 teaspoon of salt Sift together all the dry goods. Beat t Add the sugar mixture to the...
read more
Productivity When You Are Stress-Frozen
There are lots of ways to reduce stress in your life, and that is probably a terrific starting point, but this article is not about that. These are my personal strategies to get moving when you feel stress-frozen. I always suggest beginning with prayer and some time...
read more
On Aging Parents
Several years ago at a homeschool conference I was giving a talk about Chaos to Order, and ways to handle all the responsibilities of being a godly wife, mother and home educator when someone raised a hand and queried, " What advice do you have for someone who is...
read more
Our Greyhound Bus Nightmare
When we booked our December vacation we discussed the many options for getting to our destination. We could have flown. We could have driven. We decided to take a Greyhound bus. With five children going with us, the airfare was going to be a significant expense, and...
read more
What I Learned from an OCD Person’s Book
I am not a clinician, but a few chapters into this book and you will find yourself reading it incredulously. This author, if she is not clinically OCD, she is awfully close. Her relationship with stuff and her extreme drive to declutter it, as well as to be attached...
read more
Homemaking Essentials- The Things Every Homemaker Should Know
How to make a budget - If this is something brand new to you, start with a simple budget like this: Dave Ramsey Simple Budget. Most people take a few months before they have this process down. Start right away and budget in time to look it over each week or month and...
read more
How to Teach Teens To Manage Time Wisely
Get our FREE PDF: Nine Tips to Teach Your Teen to Manage Time Wisely! Here's the deal: Teens are young people who are transitioning from being under out constant watch and control into total freedom. This is a shaky time for everyone. We, as parents have to sit back...
read more
Master List of Science Curriculum for Home Schools
This resource was developed to go along with our FREE class, 7 Days to Your Best Homeschool Year Ever. We use: Apologia- We use this for Elementary through High school Astronomy- See review Botany Astrology Zoology 1,2,3 General Science Biology Biology 2, Marine...
read more
Master List of Language Arts Curriculum for Home Educators
This resource was developed to go along with our curriculum, 7 Days to Your Best Homeschool Year Ever. We use: Logic of English- Comprehensive spelling/reading/grammar program from age 4-adult (for intervention) - Have found this especially helpful for dyslexia and...
read more
Master List of Math Curriculum for Home Educators
This resource was developed to go along with our curriculum, 7 Days to Your Best Homeschool Year Ever. Saxon Math (We use this for third grade- Advanced Math (Pre-trig and Pre-calc). This is our favorite math. Math-U-See (We use this for course level work K-2,...
read more
Master List of Online Classes for Homeschoolers
This resource was developed to go along with our curriculum, 7 Days to Your Best Homeschool Year Ever. One I love: Schoolhouseteachers.com (hundreds of classes, all ages, baby to adult, tons of included resources) one low price for all the classes your family wants to...
read more
Review: Logic of English Foundations A
Last year I had the l the pleasure of reviewing Logic of English's program Essentials with my son, David. You can see that review here. Through this program he has continued to make significant progress, in spite of his dysgraphia. This made me curious. What if I'd...
read more
Quick Slow-Carb Breakfast
My sweet friend, and fellow homeschool mom made an instagram picture with some yummy breakfast quiches so I decided it was brilliant and decided to make my own slow-carb version using only veggies and eggs. These were quick and easy to make, and if I couple...
read more
The Perfectly Imperfect Tea Party
ME: "I can't do it. My house is too messy. My dishes don't match. I don't have enough cloth napkins that match. The pretty paper napkins I have don't match the dishes I have. I can't use paper plates. What if no one else likes the tea I have? What if they are...
read more
FREE Kindle Books on Budgets and Money Management
Every year around tax time, I review our progress towards our financial goals and set new goals for the future. Here are 10 FREE Kindle books on this topic. Be sure to check the price before you purchase. Sometimes prices change without notice. 1. Saving Money: The 40...
read moreWhy You Should Register for your Baby at Amazon
Ok, I admit it- it seems new-fangled and impersonal to create a baby registry online. Here's why I am BEGGING you to do it anyway. A lovely friend of mine recently had a beautiful baby shower. And of course, she registered for the things she wanted and needed for the...
read more