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I’m switching things up! I had started writing my monthly “What We’re Reading” post, and it was looking like a repeat of last month. Life happened. Rather than relist those with an additional book or two, I wanted to do something different. I thought maybe a newsletter-type post near the beginning of each month would be more practical. I’ll still include reading, as well as other topics of interest as to what’s coming up for the month.
I am thrilled to announce that I was selected to be on the Homeschool Review Crew for 2019! That means I get to try out a variety of homeschool products, use them with my kids in our homeschool, and give you a review of what we thought of them. This is great news for a curriculum junkie like myself, in that I will actually use these things with my family, and be held accountable for reporting our findings. It’s great news for you too! You will get our real opinion of a product after trying it ourselves for a few weeks.
My first assignment was a review of the Ultimate Annual Yearly Membership from SchoolhouseTeachers.com. It is an online, subscription based, complete curriculum from preschool all the way through high school. I must confess….. I haven’t always been a huge fan of online products. Sure, my kids take math courses online, but that’s it. I am usually a boxed curriculum kind of gal. Huge, spiral bound teacher manuals, answer keys, workbooks – everything a “doing school at home mom” loves. It has only been a few years ago that I started becoming more eclectic. But still, I had to have my large, spiral manuals…….or so I thought.
This was my week! A week that will probably never happen again. Want to know more? I got a legit week off from my role as a homeschool mom. My daughter is learning driving skills at driver’s ed all week. My son is gaining valuable life skills by working with his dad all week. The weather is cold, and I was going to be Mrs. PRODUCTIVE. Last week, I even made a list of all the neglected jobs I was going to tackle:
This week marks twenty years since our first visit to Myrtle Beach, SC. It was January 23, 1999. The weather was warm, it was raining cats and dogs, and we were just married a few hours earlier that day. Since then, we have gone back to Myrtle Beach every couple of years in winter. The weather is great most of the time, and there are no crowds! We have noticed it gaining popularity in the winter months, but I’m sure it doesn’t compare to the summer season – which I’m not interested in finding out! I’d love to share with you our favorite places that we have visited over the years!
Just a few short months ago, we were beginning our new school year. The freshness of new books, the brightness of new paper and notebooks, and the excitement of starting yet another amazing year! I carefully and purposefully planned, reviewed, and chose the best curriculum for my upcoming 7th and 9th grader. This was no-doubt going to be the best year ever! For the most part it has been. The only set back we’ve had was a major hurricane that hit 10 days into our new school year. We had to make some adjustments and change a few plans, but come through just fine.
It’s the start of a new year, and I am so excited about this month’s reading choices! There are so many things I love about the new year, and new books are near the top! During the holidays, our reading fell off a bit, but that is to be expected. I am looking forward to the quietness and fresh start of a new year. This post contains affiliate links.
My favorite holiday is finally here! No, it’s not because I will be sipping champagne and dancing until 2a.m. New Year’s Eve is much different for me and always has been. Our evening consists of celebrating my dad’s birthday (who will be 80) with soup, grilled cheese, and my mom’s homemade cake. We will then head to my hometown in Oriental, and run with the dragon. It lasts about 20 minutes, but it has been a tradition of mine since I was very young – and it’s probably the closest thing that I’ll ever get to Times Square.
At the start of every new year, people everywhere make resolutions. Losing weight, being more organized, and changing habits are probably the most popular. While I would like to do all those things, the one thing closest to my heart is homeschooling. Finding ways to improve, finding new things to implement, most of all – finding how to balance homeschooling with the rest of my life. Please tell me I’m not the only one struggling with balance!
It’s crunch time, and if you are a procrastinator like myself, you are still searching for a great, thoughtful, gift that will be used, loved, and not break the bank! As kids get older, sometimes it’s difficult to find something they will like, that’s out of the ordinary, and not too expensive. This year, my son wants a four-wheeler. Not happening. He’s getting braces soon, so……. Merry Christmas, son.
‘Tis the season. The crazy has already begun. Events to attend, crafts to make, activities to do, books to read, gifts to buy, on and on and on. My social media feeds are loaded with all things Christmas. I’ve been both a partaker and contributor to some of those things myself, but it’s enough to make you crazy. It’s enough to make you feel that you aren’t doing enough. It’s enough to make you set aside your curriculum for at least a month while we try to duplicate everything we’ve seen on social media. It throws us off our schedule, and adds more stress to moms everywhere who are trying to give their kids the very best education, and still maintain super mom status. It doesn’t have to be like that. Continue reading “When the Holidays Make You Feel Like a GRINCH”→
