Homeschool Day at the Capitol

Yesterday we attended for the first time a lovely event called Homeschool Day at the Capitol in Indianapolis. As homeschoolers we love to take our children out to visit special events for a richer learning experience in the form of a field trip.

Read all about it HERE.

FREE President's Day Lapbook

Hat tip to Sonya for this wonderful FREE President's Day Lapbook:

You can find it HERE.

Happy President's Day!

-picture credit

Don't forget to visit our WEEK OF GIVEAWAYS at our sister site

A Wise Woman Builds Her Home!

Homeschool Laughs

We thought we would share this banner with you all for a good laugh!

Just click on it to view it up close.

Have a blessed day homeschooling!

You Are Invited to Our Facebook Party!

Six Christian bloggers are giving away hundreds of dollars worth of amazing prizes---

read all about it here!

Valentine's Day Ideas and Gifts

We can celebrate Valentine's day and make it  special in our home by creating homemade treats with our family...

No matter how simple

as long as it comes from a heart of love it brings a special touch of warmth

You can find these ideas and their links over at my Pinterest Board.

Now since the title of this post includes gifts too here are some possible ideas.

1. Spiritual Gifts for Dad--could include a new Bible, or other resources that can help him to disciple and lead the home.  Check out this list. 

2. The Courageous Set--I cannot emphasize how much I Loved the message of this movie. Get it for him, your father, your father-in-law, your grandfather--any man you can find! The message is so powerful!

3. A Kindle Fire--I just got one yesterday and cannot even tell you how much I love it. Honestly, I can't believe how long I actually lived without it.

4. Special Mr. and Mrs.  mugs from the Love Collection at Dayspring.  I shared about these popular mugs  last year and they were a hit!

Inscribed with--

I found the one my heart loves.--- Song of Solomon 3:4 NIV

Be sure to make every day special for you family and I 
hope you have fun planning out your Valentine's Day celebration!

Indoctrination: Public Schools and the Decline of Christianity in America

Have you watched this movie?

Creative Homeschooling in December

December can be a busy time for most homeschooling mothers. Many mothers have much more on their plate this time of year especially with extra events, commitments, shopping for gifts, sometimes sick children, etc. Often times mothers feel overwhelmed, thinking they can't do it all and are struggling to keep up with homeschooling. They look around at the whirwind of things that need to be done and ultimately feel like a failure.

Read the rest HERE.

SUPER Homeschool Sale at Vision Forum!

Vision Forum is having a SUPER  homeschool sale 

with EVERYTHING 30%+ off 

and FREE shipping using discount code:

NOSHIPPING at checkout.

Also, everything else is up to 50% off too!

Get all your favorites while you can!

The Young Ladies’ Study Course for Proper Writing

Have you wanted to teach your daughters how to write and write well? Well look no further, Becky Morecraft has created a writing course that will just bless your heart--it is The Young Ladies' Study Course for Proper Writing.

Here is a description:

Do you know the difference between a metaphor and a simile? Are you able to avoid common mistakes in grammar and composition? Have you learned to properly express your emotions and feelings in a way that elevates your listeners and honors God?
As a practiced word-crafter and poetess extraordinaire, Mrs. Rebecca Morecraft has constructed a study course that will give ladies the wherewithal to master these ideas — to write with verve and speak with passion and persuasion. Presenting The Young Ladies’ Study Course for Proper Writing!
Drawn from Mrs. Rebecca Morecraft’s highly-popular School of Elocution and Composition online webinar series, this fully-integrated and interactive writing and communication course will teach your daughter how to:

• Accurately report a true story and tell a funny tale
• Write grammatically correct sentences
• Compose a poem and read it aloud
• Access tools and resources for richer writing
• Speak gracefully and express herself with nobility as a woman of God
• And much more!

What This Course Includes
This boxed-set study course comes with 15 audio lectures on 17 CDs, totaling 16.5 hours. Each lecture includes its own PowerPoint presentation on PDF, and the accompanying 320-page study guide features a course syllabus that you can use to plan your lessons. Also included with the study guide is Q&A for each lecture, writing exercises and other assignment suggestions, recommended reading lists, poems, vocabulary lists, and more. When your student finishes the course, present her with an official Certificate of Completion — it comes with the boxed set!

Yes, that is 17 CD's and now it is on SALE at 75% off---it's regular price is $79 and today it is just $19.75!!!! 

Wow!

The sale lasts only until midnight so get it while you can!

Famous Homeschoolers

Our Favorite Homeschool Family--the Duggars Expect Blessing #20

This morning our favorite family--the Duggars, announced the special news that they are expecting their 20th blessing on the Today Show:

,

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

(Scroll down to the bottom if you need to turn off the music)

"We are so excited," Michelle Duggar told TODAY Moms before the broadcast. Now three and a half months pregnant, the mom of 19 says she was actually surprised to discover that she's expecting again at 45. "I was not thinking that God would give us another one, and we are just so grateful."

See her personal interview here at her home 

and the latest one HERE.

Congratulations, Duggars! And thank you for bringing joy to so many over the years by your great example of Christ of loving your family, children and the world around you!

(My daughter  and Jill Duggar are online "pen pals" ---Jill, if you read  this Janai is sending a big hug and congratulations to your family!)


  Get their latest book here!
Pssst---it's on SALE!

 

Family movie nights are a great learning experience and kept wholesome when watching the Duggar family in action in their hit TV show 19 Children and Counting.

 You can watch their movies instantly here 
starting from ONLY  $1.99!

These movies also make perfect Christmas gifts!

Have a blessed day!

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Do you feel you have your hands full with mothering?
Get True Christian Motherhood
my new Amazon best selling ebook! 

The Modest Mom

Have you checked out The Modest Mom lately? She has added new items to her wonderful website. Love the pink blouse above!

And this pretty skirt will go with anything and looks oh-so comfortable!

Here is a description from the website:

Do you desire to dress in fashionable, feminine, yet modest clothing? Consider your search over! At The Modest Mom, we provide the solution for a woman's changing wardrobe throughout the seasons of life. 

Has pregnancy left you with a clothing problem? We offer long maternity skirts in a variety of stylish and attractive fabrics. At The Modest Mom, we strive to provide you with affordable, quality maternity clothes for that special time in your life. 

At The Modest Mom you will find long skirts that are beautiful, and fashionable. Be assured, wearing lovely clothes is still an option for moms and moms to be. Your satisfaction is our desire.

Be sure to visit The Modest Mom today!

True Christian Motherhood Now Available!

We are SUPER EXCITED to announce that our NEW ebook, True Christian Motherhood, is finally HERE!

Here is the description:
 
Women everywhere are looking for guidance, encouragement and vision. Gone are the days when we would have support from our community, friends and family.  Being a mother in the 21st century can be a challenge for a Christian woman and many are looking for help...

Come be encouraged, and learn all that you would need to know about Christian motherhood. Here, you will be given life-changing vision that will change the way you view motherhood, your life, and the way you engage with your children forever. 

Watch the video:

DOWNLOAD IT NOW for only $7.00!

Pay by PayPal or credit card--Instant digital download 
PDF version

or get it on 

KINDLE or NOOK!

And in celebration of the release of our new eBook, we are celebrating with a super bundle giveaway to win a free copy and some super amazing prizes!

Click here to join the party!

New Book For Mothers--True Christian Motherhood

We are excited to announce the news of our soon to-be-released NEW ebook! 

The topic?

Christian Motherhood!

The goal?

To give encouragement, guidance, support, and vision!

Read more about the details HERE and HERE.

You can keep up with the latest details of this ebook and when it will be launched on Facebook, we will also  have a super mega bundle giveaway!

Also, join the True Christian Motherhood Discussion Group, to discuss the questions at the end of the book with a group of amazing women when the book is released.

(You can join early!) 

What a wonderful way to start out the new school year!

Have a blessed day!

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Labor Day Crafts

Happy Labor Day to all our readers!

Looking for suggestions on how to celebrate this day with your children?

Click HERE to find some great Labor Day crafts--from puppet making, to games, to cookies, it is all there!

Have a great day celebrating!

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Back-to-School Crafts

This colorful chalkboard and clipboard combination is perfect way to set up a child's homework center for his/her desk!

Be sure to visit all of our back-to-school ideas including back-to-school crafts, school lunch recipes and great printable activities.


What you'll need:

Wooden chalkboard
Yellow paint
School themed scrapbook paper
3 wooden clothespins
White craft glue
Scissors


How to make it:

Paint the frame of the chalkboard yellow and set aside to dry. (See photo.)
Cut scrapbook paper to fit on the clothespins and glue in place. (See photo.)
Glue the clothespins to the bottom section of the chalkboard frame. (See photo.)
Decorate the top of the frame with school themed shapes cut from the scrapbook paper. (See photo.)

Tips:

Look for themed scrapbook paper at your local craft supply store.
Chalk can be purchased from discount department stores and dollar stores.
While you can purchase wooden clothespins at the craft store, it's less expensive to get them in the laundry aisle of discount department stores. You can get them at dollar stores, but sometimes they fall apart easily.

Craft by Amanda Formaro

Find more great back-to-school projects at KABOOSE!

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48 Hour Homeschool Sale Ends Today!

Yesterday I spent a fabulous day shopping for fall clothes, planning out the school year, and ordering art supplies online from Amazon (yes, they have that and great stuff like manipulatives, puzzles, dry eraser boards, supplies, etc.). I also registered the children up for some local classes that they are excited about attending.  I'm feeling like I am wrapping up the strings to being fully prepared next week when we start and that we are finally ready.

I still had to pick up a few last things last week and was so happy when I ran across this sale at Vision Forum. Today is the last day for this 48 hour sale, so if any of you are like me and need to pick up a few good resources today is a great day to do it! They have really expanded their line this past year and have some great NEW homeschooling resources, click HERE to take a peek.

(They even sell fun things like this Windpower Kit!)

The sale is for all homeschool items 25%-50% off--PLUS FREE SHIPPING!  

(You can't beat that! And if you don't homeschool these still make great educational resources.) They also sell microscopes, sketching sets, calligraphy sets, Science DVD sets, readers, and so much more.


Remember, this sale ends at midnight tonight--so don't delay!

Have a blessed day!

Ideas for Your Homeschool Room

Every year I like to get new ideas for my homeschool room. While the majority of our homeschooling is done at the kitchen table, sofas and even bedrooms we do have a room downstairs that we use for storing crafts, displaying and making our many projects, painting and sewing, etc.

This year we purchased a black Labrador puppy for my son's birthday and the puppy wreaked havoc on my school room.  So this year I will be repainting and replanning this room and attempt to make it a happy space once again. I love some of the ideas below:

Isn't this tent adorable? What little boy would not want this?
By Magical Hands

I like how this uses a small space but makes it feel alive, bright and fun all at the same time. 

If you didn't have a lot of room, you could always just use one of these as workspace.

I like this kids alcove from house to home,
a place for little ones to have their own creative space.

This room is bright and sunny and I love how the students are faced AWAY from eachother, although I think my students would get distracted looking outside those windows! LOL!
BHG.com

What a lovely art room, 

I like the art work lovingly displayed in the background. I had a friend once who would display her children's art work on twine hanging from one end of the room to another using clothespins! It was quite charming!

The globes in this room beckon one to learn...
Pottery Barn

This brilliant mom has a beautiful reading/library room with rain gutter bookshelves. I love the colors in this one and the energy it gives! I am thinking about repainting with these colors...

Reading nook for the kids....

This little escape from Pinterest makes me want to curl up and escape with a good book (especially after a long day of homeschooling!) This could be called the Homeschool Mom's Recharging Nook!

Now, I know most of us just like to do school at the table or all over the house, which is just fine! Don't feel pressured to have to have a beautiful school room in order to teach your children! You can make homeschooling special whether you have a room or not--remember it is the learning and the memories that counts! Learning is LIFE---and can be done anywhere from the couch, outdoors, at the museum, zoo, etc. My homeschool room is used basically as a storage room for craft supplies, a place to CREATE and do major sewing or painting projects, displaying projects, etc. 

You also do not need a big budget to make a nice homeschool space for your children. Look around your home to see what you already have and be creative. You might even be able to repurpose something old and make it something you love for this room.

Pray and ask God to show you!

If you need more inspiration, nearly 300 moms have shared their homeschool rooms HERE.

If you have not seen my past posts of school rooms--click below:


Homeschool Rooms of 2010

Homeschool Rooms of 2009

Homeschool Room Virtual Tour

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Hot Homeschooling Tips

I am sharing some of my favorite homeschooling tips today at

A Wise Woman Builds Her Home

Please stop by and visit!

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Summer Beach Crafts

Summer is the perfect time to make crafts from items we find at the beach!

Check out how to make these Cockleshell Critters

Aren't they cute?

Click HERE for more beach crafts. 

Enjoy!

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Need Curriculum?

Summer is the time where many of us moms are browsing through the homeschool catalogs and picking out what curriculum we will use the following year. One of my favorite places to get wholesome, Christian curriculum is HERE. You can also click the beautiful image above to visit. 

I will soon share a post of other places I recommend.

This is also a great book to consider:

Until then, have fun browsing!

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Top Secrets for Having a Successful Homeschool

This week I am going to spend a little time talking about homeschooling.

As a veteran homeschool mom and over 13 years of experience, I thought I would share with you some tips I have learned along the way. As a family, we have chosen to homeschool to provide a Christian education and worldview to our children as we shepherd and disciple them.  I know many of you are planning and preparing for the next school year or will be starting soon so I wanted to give a few words of encouragement as reminders, so let's begin:


1. Jesus Christ must be center. We need to know that the purpose of educating is not to gain accolades from the world or gaining riches or honors to impress but instead the most important thing--educating our children as godly seed that will one day bring glory to Him. He is the center of why we learn and all education stems out from there. He also is the head of our school and we bring all our needs and desires to His feet.

2. Pray, pray, pray.  What curriculum should we use? How do we schedule their day? What outside activities will we participate in?  Prayer covers all this and with this we can receive true answers that are best for our own family.

3. Be flexible.  We all love to plan and buy curriculum but we must remember to stay flexible. When I first started out I thought I had to complete workbooks from beginning to end while doing every problem--that was a rigid one-way track to burn out (and all the homeschool mothers said--amen!). Now I know better and will design a lesson around what we need to know, not what the book curriculum designers dictate that I do with my children. Also, if a book is not working for you, don't ever be afraid to toss it and replace it--you'll be glad you did!

4. Stop comparing.  It is so easy to look around at other homeschooling families and compare (everything from homeschool methods, to instruments children play, or even what the children wear!) Try not to compare!  I have seen moms get discouraged feeling as though they couldn't handle homeschooling and then eventually throwing  in the towel for this very reason. The comparison game will only get you feeling down and putting more stress and pressure on your homeschool that God did not intend or perhaps feeling smug that you have it more together than another mom.


5. Plan and yet be willing to throw your plans out the window. I always recommend planning---and while I used be a fierce list planner as a young mom, I have since learned to plan loosely and allow God to direct our days. If a days schedule gets thrown out the window because of life--then as moms we need to truly be okay with that. Remember, there is always tomorrow. Homeschool moms need not to be so hard on themselves.


6. Laugh, cherish and have fun. I cannot emphasize this enough. Sometimes we  get so serious about homeschooling that we can forget about experiencing the joy that comes with it (wouldn't Satan just love to rob us of this?). Your children need to know they have a happy mom who is willing to have fun and laugh with her children (and sometimes at herself!). I know we will not always be joyous all the time, but we do need to remember that a smile will bless our children and encourage them. We also need to view the broader spectrum of homeschooling and enjoy the blessing of each day and each lesson.

7. Take a break.  Sometimes we need to step back and evaluate. Are we doing too much? Too little? Do we need to get back our focus and perspective? Add some fun into our school? Wise mamas need to know it is okay to take a break sometimes. It is perfectly okay to take a step back and refocus if the end result is moving several steps forward. 

8. Choose the best. Don't outdo yourself by joining every sport, club, homeschool group event, etc. Slow down! If we are always on the go, we cannot effectively homeschool or shepherd our children. Be wise were you invest your best energies or your homeschool will suffer. Our family places a special emphasis on family time at home so we can strengthen and build the relationships there.  We know that with more things pulling at our schedule will mean less time for the things that really matter to us.

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Homeschool Curriculum SALE!

So many of you are already planning out the next school year pulling together homeschool curriculum, attending conferences and sales,  and collecting what they will need for your school. I am excited to share that Vision Forum has marked down over 300 homeschool resources to 60% off until June 25th!

I found this new CD by Doug Phillips:

 How Important Are Educational Choices-on sale now for only $4.50

Here is the description:

Are educators or teaching methods neutral? Are academic concepts void of context or presuppositions? Or should the Scriptures direct our educational philosophy? Whether you are 5, 15, 25, or 75 years old, God’s Word applies to us all equally. Psalm 1 proclaims that the man who does not counsel with the ungodly, or commune with sinners, or enjoy the company of those who scorn the will and pleasure of God will be blessed! The truth of what we learn is important to God, but the environments in which we are educated, and the hearts of those who teach us, are critical to Him as well. In How Important Are Educational Choices?, join Doug Phillips for a one-hour examination of educational philosophies, their consequences, and what the Bible has to say to us regarding our choices.

I often get this asked this question and glad there are resources to point to!

Check what else they marked down HERE.

We love a super great sale and being able to share it with you---

now I am off to order a few things...

Happy shopping!

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Fun In the Summer

Are you looking for fun things to do in the summer?

Whether you are on summer break or not, consider trying one of these creative ideas to inspire your child:

101 Things To Do This Summer

Enjoy the season!

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