Keeping a budget is a wise way to save and stretch a dollar. First, track your expenditures so you know where you spend your money. Take a ledger and write your line items such as mortgage, medical, garden and yard, insurances, food, gasoline, charity contributions, gifts, utilities, etc. I separate each utility so I know…
I enjoy listening to Focus on the Family broadcasts once in a while. Several years ago when they were on the radio station I listen to, it was easier to hear them daily. Now, I must seek them out online, and that means planning to listen on purpose. I tend to listen while I cook…
Thirteen easy ways to save money includes saying no to some things. In 1999, a fierce storm came and blew our satellite dish away, along with over 30 huge trees in our once-wooded lot. Months before the storm, my husband quipped that if God wanted him to give up satellite television, He’d let him know.…
Transitions rock the boat. One chapter finished, yet you find yourself in limbo, in unchartered territory for you. As a homeschool mom, you worked yourself right out of your job! Now what? Here are four options to consider while you transition after your homeschool career. Breathe. Take it one step and day at a time.…
How many hours did you homeschool is another question I hear. However many hours it takes to get through the lessons for the day was how I did it. Some days were longer than others. Some shorter. It’s not about how much time you spend. It’s about how well the children learn. Some subjects just…
Another question I am often asked is, “Should I have a schedule for my homeschool?” Some homeschoolers are spontaneous, free spirits, but I am the type of person that thrives with order, so when people ask if they need a schedule when they homeschool, my answer is a resounding yes. Have a loose or fluid…
You can save money by reusing items instead of throwing them away. One year, I wanted Christmas stockings for my family. Rather than buy them at the store, I went through old clothes that I didn’t wear anymore and fabric leftovers that I keep for some unknown reason and used these materials to make the…
Life is full of shifting roles and a wide range of emotions that accompany the changes. Who would expect grief to become my companion after I sent my youngest off to public high school after spending over 20 years educating my children? During my first year of homeschooling, I found myself weeping on the doorstep…
One question I received was whether a homeschool curriculum is needed. Yes, I think one is. How else will you know if what you are teaching is age appropriate or grade level? How will you know for sure that you are going in the right order? Homeschool curriculum offer valued guidance I know how to…
Dear Homeschooling Mom, Quit being so serious—that’s one piece of advice I wish I’d learned earlier in my homeschooling days. You see, I worried constantly about messing up, not doing enough, missing some vital piece in the educational process. I feared not measuring up, letting my kids down, failing them. I let my insecurities rule…