When I first started homeschooling, I came across a book called "How to Homeschool your child for free". It is full of websites where you could go to print off worksheets or get help with math problems, etc. With a few years of experience under my belt, I have found that my local Library is the best "free" resource that I have. This year I will use 2 brand new math books that I purchased for $15.00 each(each book even contains two grades) called Practical Arithmetic, a borrowed Apologia Science book, and our Library along with many books that have been bought used over the years.
I feel confident schooling with just these items because I have learned so much by going to seminars, reading books, and by seeking out information from other homeschoolers and the internet. When I first started, I needed a curriculum to lay things out for me and tell me what I needed to do next. I also feel that I will need that again when I approach the high school years.
With all that being said, I was very excited when I was introduced to Easy Peasy All in One Homeschool: http://allinonehomeschool.com/ ! A complete homeschool curriculum for grades K-12, day by day schedule, with suggested resources.........ABSOLUTELY FREE!!! This is a mom who began writing her own lessons for her older children and realized if she kept it all, her younger children could also use it as they were coming up. Then she thought, why not share it with everyone! If you are looking for day to day guidance, and especially if you are on a tight budget, please check out Easy Peasy!
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Tasty Tuesday: Homemade Ice Cream
Some of my fondest memories are of my grandpa making homemade ice cream with his hand cranked contraption. We were always so excited for the end result! To this day, I still love homemade ice cream.
Since summer is officially here, I am sharing over 150 recipes for homemade ice cream. Just in time for the 4th of July weekend!
http://tipnut.com/homemade-ice-cream/
Since summer is officially here, I am sharing over 150 recipes for homemade ice cream. Just in time for the 4th of July weekend!
http://tipnut.com/homemade-ice-cream/
Monday, July 1, 2013
Wife and Mommy Monday in Pictures
No greater role was I ever given than that of wife and mother! The Bible gives wonderful instruction to help us every step of the way. In Ephesians the Lord tells us to Reverence(deeply respect) our husbands. In Titus He tells us to love our husbands, while Proverbs says that we are to be trustworthy as wives. The Bible also tells us that we are to learn from our husbands, be chaste(sexually pure), and to be keepers of the home. As mothers we are to be nourishing, comforting, hospitable, and loving, for our children(and our husband) are gifts from God. I want to do all these things in obedience to God and prayerfully!
Today I want to share with you some favorite photos of my gifts!
Today I want to share with you some favorite photos of my gifts!
Thursday, June 27, 2013
15 Things You May Not Know About Me
Today is This 'n' That Thursday so I decided to share 15 things about myself that you may not know:
1. I had Spinal Meningitis at the age of 3.
2. One of my fondest memories as a child, is singing with my mom!
3. As a child I was allergic to all dairy products.
4. I have always talked in my sleep......even on my honeymoon, I was so embarrassed!
5. I was named after my dad's college roommate, Ray Stacy.
6. I love to laugh.
7. I wore braces for 2 years.
8. The ocean is my most relaxing place!
9. When I started wearing make-up, my dad nicknamed me "Old Blue"(blue eye shadow, blue eyeliner, blue mascara)!
10. I love chocolate!
11. When I was a high school sophomore, we had a foreign exchange student that year from Sweden.
12. I got married at the age of 18.
13. When I graduated and walked across the stage to receive my diploma, Steve yelled out "Old Blue"!
14. From the years 2000 to 2005, I was pregnant at least 2 months out of each year!
15. I would love to move to New Zealand.
I hadn't thought about some of these things in a very long time. I got a good chuckle out of this list! I hope you do too!
1. I had Spinal Meningitis at the age of 3.
2. One of my fondest memories as a child, is singing with my mom!
3. As a child I was allergic to all dairy products.
4. I have always talked in my sleep......even on my honeymoon, I was so embarrassed!
5. I was named after my dad's college roommate, Ray Stacy.
6. I love to laugh.
7. I wore braces for 2 years.
8. The ocean is my most relaxing place!
9. When I started wearing make-up, my dad nicknamed me "Old Blue"(blue eye shadow, blue eyeliner, blue mascara)!
10. I love chocolate!
11. When I was a high school sophomore, we had a foreign exchange student that year from Sweden.
12. I got married at the age of 18.
13. When I graduated and walked across the stage to receive my diploma, Steve yelled out "Old Blue"!
14. From the years 2000 to 2005, I was pregnant at least 2 months out of each year!
15. I would love to move to New Zealand.
I hadn't thought about some of these things in a very long time. I got a good chuckle out of this list! I hope you do too!
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
We Homeschool Wednesday
I have so many exciting things to share with you today! First I want to say that if you have not been to a Homeschool Curriculum Fair, I highly recommend it. Many fairs have already come and gone, but Chattanooga has one coming up in July. To find out more information, go to http://csthea.org/. I also recommend any used curriculum sales that you can find. It is true what they say: "One man's junk is another man's treasure"! I have found some wonderful items at used sales.
Second, I want to share how important it is to educate yourself about homeschooling. The more you know, the better decisions you will make! I am currently trying to learn more about "unschooling" and "interest-led learning". I have never wanted our schooling experience to be about scheduling math from 9 to 9:30 or how many worksheets we do. And although math is part of our daily routine, I love more of a hands-on approach or the times that my kids pick up a book and seek out information for themselves.
I have recently found a few blogs that I am really enjoying. Blogs are another great way to learn more about educating your children at home. When others have already experienced the things that you are about to embark on, they will often share ways that will make your journey much easier and more enjoyable.
1. 10 tips for gentle homeschooling: http://naturalfamilytoday.com/parenting/ten-tips-for-gentle-homeschooling-and-parenting/#axzz2X6tsdanc
2. Letting go of the school mentality:
http://www.holyspiritledhomeschooling.net/2013/06/letting-go-of-the-school-mentality/
3. Down a rabbit trail: Interest-Led Learning:
http://downarabbittrail.blogspot.com/?m=0
There are so many different approaches to homeschooling. Part of learning more will help you to decide what methods inspire you and what methods you want no part of! Read as much as you can, take notes, save websites/blogs that you have found to your "favorites" on your computer - You've got this momma! Our precious Lord has equipped us for such a time as this!
Second, I want to share how important it is to educate yourself about homeschooling. The more you know, the better decisions you will make! I am currently trying to learn more about "unschooling" and "interest-led learning". I have never wanted our schooling experience to be about scheduling math from 9 to 9:30 or how many worksheets we do. And although math is part of our daily routine, I love more of a hands-on approach or the times that my kids pick up a book and seek out information for themselves.
I have recently found a few blogs that I am really enjoying. Blogs are another great way to learn more about educating your children at home. When others have already experienced the things that you are about to embark on, they will often share ways that will make your journey much easier and more enjoyable.
1. 10 tips for gentle homeschooling: http://naturalfamilytoday.com/parenting/ten-tips-for-gentle-homeschooling-and-parenting/#axzz2X6tsdanc
2. Letting go of the school mentality:
http://www.holyspiritledhomeschooling.net/2013/06/letting-go-of-the-school-mentality/
3. Down a rabbit trail: Interest-Led Learning:
http://downarabbittrail.blogspot.com/?m=0
There are so many different approaches to homeschooling. Part of learning more will help you to decide what methods inspire you and what methods you want no part of! Read as much as you can, take notes, save websites/blogs that you have found to your "favorites" on your computer - You've got this momma! Our precious Lord has equipped us for such a time as this!
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
It's Strawberry Season
Oh, how I have missed thee......let me count the ways! This is the one place that I can put all my thoughts together without interruption. I had almost forgotten how much I enjoyed this wonderful little creative outlet! Things have gotten so busy and I just had to lay a few things down. This little momma's brain was on overload. So many exciting things have been happening, but I will talk more about that in future posts.
Thanks to my precious parents, we have the most beautiful garden growing in our back yard. I cannot wait to harvest the yummy goodness! Speaking of yummy things, we have been buying lots of strawberries lately so I had to share this wonderful recipe for strawberry sauce. You could use it over homemade ice cream, cheesecake, waffles, crepes, etc. I hope you enjoy!
http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/05/strawberry-sauce/
Don't forget, tomorrow is "We Homeschool Wednesday"!
Thanks to my precious parents, we have the most beautiful garden growing in our back yard. I cannot wait to harvest the yummy goodness! Speaking of yummy things, we have been buying lots of strawberries lately so I had to share this wonderful recipe for strawberry sauce. You could use it over homemade ice cream, cheesecake, waffles, crepes, etc. I hope you enjoy!
http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/05/strawberry-sauce/
Don't forget, tomorrow is "We Homeschool Wednesday"!
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
We homeschool Wednesday - Lots of homeschool helps
When I first started homeschooling, I remember the overwhelming thoughts I had and the uncertainty of whether or not I could really do this. Even now, six years later, I still have fears. On the other hand, I did teach my children to talk, I potty trained them, I taught them to tie their shoes, and the list goes on and on. I have often thought that this is why God allowed me to have my children later than sooner, because he knew that my heart would be to drink in every moment with them - loving them, feeding them, cuddling them, and teaching them!
Early in my homeschooling adventure, I am so thankful that I surrounded myself with other homeschooling and like minded friends. This is where you will find so much support and your best advice. Today I am going to share with you some of the great advice that I got early on and will put in some important links to some really awesome websites.
One of the first things that someone ever told me, was how wonderful unit studies, lapbooking and mini books were when you needed to teach the same subject to multiple grade levels. For instance, if I wanted to teach my 1st, 3rd, and 5th grader about the state of Tennessee, I could give all three of them a coloring page of the TN flag and my 1st grader could color it and write the word "Flag" on the bottom of the page. My 3rd grader could write two sentences about the flag and my 5th grader could do research to find out things like, our state flag was officially adpoted in 1905, but wasn't raised for the first time until 1911. He could find out that it was designed by a Colonel in the Tennessee National Guard and that in 1976 the United States Postal service issued a sheet of stamps that included a stamp of the Tennessee Flag. You could get books from the Library about TN and/or about flags, or both! Imagine the topics and the possibilities of learning this way! If you want to learn more about Unit Studies or Lapbooking check out these two links:
1) http://www.homeschoolshare.com/ - I highly recommend this website, they have so many unit studies and lapbooks that are FREE!
2) http://www.squidoo.com/lapbooking#module12673419 - This website has lots of great pictures and how-tos!
Another great resource that I have discovered is free spelling! Woo hoo! This website gives you free spelling lists for the entire school year and even provides activities to do with each list. The only down side is that they only give lists for grades 1-4. But, four years of FREE spelling "ain't" too bad! On the up side, they also cover a slew of other subjects, with more FREE worksheets.
3) http://www.superteacherworksheets.com/ - Just scroll down the left side of the page to find what you need!
I know I am covering a lot on this post, so I am just going to give you two more links and these are just because I think they are great. Lots of great resources and extras to help you along the way!
4) http://www.millerpadsandpaper.com/ - When the curriculum fairs come in the summer, I think I spend more time at this booth than any other. Love them!
5) http://www.visionforum.com/ - This is another great website that is so full of great helps. They have books, audio books, toys, DVD's, and so much more. Even some great stuff for the parents too.
I hope you find some of these as helpful as I did! And, I will be happy to answer your homeschooling questions. Just leave your questions in the comment section and I will respond!
Early in my homeschooling adventure, I am so thankful that I surrounded myself with other homeschooling and like minded friends. This is where you will find so much support and your best advice. Today I am going to share with you some of the great advice that I got early on and will put in some important links to some really awesome websites.
One of the first things that someone ever told me, was how wonderful unit studies, lapbooking and mini books were when you needed to teach the same subject to multiple grade levels. For instance, if I wanted to teach my 1st, 3rd, and 5th grader about the state of Tennessee, I could give all three of them a coloring page of the TN flag and my 1st grader could color it and write the word "Flag" on the bottom of the page. My 3rd grader could write two sentences about the flag and my 5th grader could do research to find out things like, our state flag was officially adpoted in 1905, but wasn't raised for the first time until 1911. He could find out that it was designed by a Colonel in the Tennessee National Guard and that in 1976 the United States Postal service issued a sheet of stamps that included a stamp of the Tennessee Flag. You could get books from the Library about TN and/or about flags, or both! Imagine the topics and the possibilities of learning this way! If you want to learn more about Unit Studies or Lapbooking check out these two links:
1) http://www.homeschoolshare.com/ - I highly recommend this website, they have so many unit studies and lapbooks that are FREE!
2) http://www.squidoo.com/lapbooking#module12673419 - This website has lots of great pictures and how-tos!
Another great resource that I have discovered is free spelling! Woo hoo! This website gives you free spelling lists for the entire school year and even provides activities to do with each list. The only down side is that they only give lists for grades 1-4. But, four years of FREE spelling "ain't" too bad! On the up side, they also cover a slew of other subjects, with more FREE worksheets.
3) http://www.superteacherworksheets.com/ - Just scroll down the left side of the page to find what you need!
I know I am covering a lot on this post, so I am just going to give you two more links and these are just because I think they are great. Lots of great resources and extras to help you along the way!
4) http://www.millerpadsandpaper.com/ - When the curriculum fairs come in the summer, I think I spend more time at this booth than any other. Love them!
5) http://www.visionforum.com/ - This is another great website that is so full of great helps. They have books, audio books, toys, DVD's, and so much more. Even some great stuff for the parents too.
I hope you find some of these as helpful as I did! And, I will be happy to answer your homeschooling questions. Just leave your questions in the comment section and I will respond!
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