July 2018 – There's No Place Like Home

Notebooking 101: Nature Study Journals

I’ve finally reached the end of my Notebooking 101 series. It sure took me long enough, right??

Nature study notebooking, or nature study journals, were actually the first type of notebooking I ever heard of, yet they were the last kind we actually tried.

Go figure.

Inspired by the Charlotte Mason method, these notebooks are a beautiful keepsake for both your children and you. Find out some practical tips in my latest Notebooking 101 video.

Enjoy!

Homeschooling and education are my passion. It is my fervent hope to one day devote more time to creating content for you. If you’re interested in helping to make this a reality, consider supporting me on Patreon.
Thank you so much. I appreciate each and every one of you!

7 Ways to Use YouTube in Your Homeschool

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: I have a love/hate relationship with technology.

As much as I would love to time travel back to the pioneer days, I also love the fact that we have so much information right at our fingertips.

Take YouTube for example.

Although, admittedly, this social media platform is filled with more than its share of dumbed down and downright inappropriate videos, with a bit of pre-screening and supervision, this website can be one of the most valuable resources you’ll ever use in your homeschool.

And it’s free.

As a mom of 11, homeschooling frugally is a must for me, and I know I’m not alone, so today, I’m going to share with you… Continue reading “7 Ways to Use YouTube in Your Homeschool”

A Homeschool Minute with the Middles IRL (and an update on my YouTube channel!)

For the past several months, I have been contemplating making a few changes to my YouTube channel. Up until this point, it has been mainly comprised of homeschooling tips, curriculum reviews, and my famous rants about the public education system. 😉

Recent developments, however, have convinced me that it’s time for something new. Find out what that is, plus, get a one-minute sneak peek into our homeschool in today’s video.

Dear Homeschool Parent, The School District Is Not Your Friend

Last year around this time, I wrote a post detailing 3 reasons to avoid overcompliance with state homeschool laws. Now that we’re heading into another homeschool year, I felt led to reiterate how important this is.

No matter how nice your school district is to you, if they are requesting information not required by your homeschool law, DO NOT GIVE IT TO THEM.

Here’s why.

There’s No Place Like Home: Introduction to a “Red-Pilled” Homeschool Mom

For a while now, I’ve wanted to share more about who I am as a person with all of you – more specifically, how I got to where I am today and why I’m so passionate about speaking and writing with boldness. Since I found that speaking seemed a more natural way to tell my story than writing about it, I’m including this link here today for those of you who are wondering:

What in the world is this “red-pilled” homeschool mom all about?

Enjoy. 🙂

My Eight Brothers: A Sister’s Memoir – Review

(This post contains affiliate links.)

Have you ever read Little Men by Louisa May Alcott?

Written as a sequel to Alcott’s critically acclaimed Little Women, Little Men was a beautifully written book which chronicled the lives of a group of boys who were being “homeschooled” by Jo March. More than once, I was completely inspired by the curiosity, energy, and love of nature that “Jo’s boys” had and wished I could instill in my own children.

So when I was given the chance to read My Eight Brothers, by Martha Morton Alexander, I was interested in whether this true story about eight homeschooled brothers (amongst several sisters) would be anything like it. Continue reading “My Eight Brothers: A Sister’s Memoir – Review”

Notebooking 101: Notebooking Through Textbooks

What’s your homeschool kryptonite? You know. That one thing that kind of sucks the joy out of educating your kids at home.

If there’s one homeschooling resource I tend to shy away from, it’s textbooks. While I do admit that many of them carry helpful information, to me, they just aren’t interesting. When you’re a huge proponent of interest-led learning, that’s a big turn off.

However… Continue reading “Notebooking 101: Notebooking Through Textbooks”

Helping Your Teen Find Balance Between Work and Homeschool

The answer might surprise you!

Homeschooling through high school can seem like a pretty intimidating prospect. Add in a homeschooled teen with a job, and you’re opening a whole other can of worms.