Homeschooling and more homeschooling with a side of organization, writing, and editing. Look for homeschooling and organization tips, book reviews, curricula reviews, and product reviews.
Writing isn't as easy as it looks. Well, maybe just putting words on paper (or on the computer screen) isn't too difficult, but getting those words to sound ingenious is a little harder. So is having those words published so that other people can read them.
Felice Gerwitz--author, speaker, and mentor--has a plethora of resources available to help you realize your dream of becoming a published author. She recently launched a brand new, exclusive Premium Author's E-Course and Members Only Group. To win a FREE membership (and lots of other goodies), head on over to her Information in a Nutshell blog for the details and a survey.
Felice has been there and done that, and she wants to share her hard-earned knowledge of the publishing world with you. Let Felice be your mentor and finally get that book out of your head and into the hands of your target audience. Visit her Web site for more great resources.
Disclaimer: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
I think that the Crock-Pot is one of the greatest inventions ever. The only thing better is having a variety of tasty recipes from which to choose. Molly to the rescue! In Molly Makes $7 Slow-Cooker Suppers, you’ll find 140 recipes in all categories: soups and stews, chicken, beef, pork, meatless, and sandwiches, plus bonus sections with sides, breakfasts, and desserts. Molly includes some of the basics you’d expect to see such as Pork Chops and Gravy, Chicken and Rice, and Chili. In addition, she incorporates some unexpected and fun recipes such as Taco Soup, German Potato Salad, and Chocolate Cake. Also included are tips for freezer-friendly beef and chicken broth (I’m trying the chicken broth later this week) and tips for converting traditional recipes into Crock-Pot recipes (very handy).
What makes Molly Makes $7 Slow-Cooker Suppers different from Molly Makes $5 Dinners? Half of the recipes portray mouth-watering real-life photographs. Try not to drool on the pages! In addition, each and every recipe has been taste tested by an independent panel and their homey comments and suggestions are printed for you to see. How cool is that?
One of the most handy features is a breakdown of the costs for each meal by ingredient. Many of the recipes cost less than $7, so you can really save money. I think my favorite feature (after the Chocolate Cake recipe) will be the conversion chart. I can now make many of my favorite meals without slaving over the stove all day. Be sure to check out more helpful hints from Molly on her Econobusters Web site. Purchase Molly Makes $7 Slow-Cooker Suppers for yourself at the TOS Store.
Disclosure: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Several of you have asked, so here it is: the story behind our homeschool. This is the short version. In the coming weeks, I plan to write more about Christian classical homeschooling and how our family makes it work.
I'd never heard of homeschooling until several years after my children were born. When my oldest was just 3, we moved to a new town and the small church we attended had 5 or 6 homeschooling families. The other moms nurtured me along, lent me books, and invited me to homeschooling outings and events until it seemed the most natural thing to teach my oldest how to read. By then, my husband and I, through much prayer and thought, decided that God was calling us to homeschool. My parents (a pastor) were all for it. My husband's family thought we were going to permanently damage our children.
Very early on, I received a copy of the Veritas Press catalog with several articles about Christian classical homeschooling. Then I read The Well-Trained Mindby Susan Wise Bauer & Jessie Bauer. The methodicalness and orderliness of classical homeschooling attracted me at first, then I realized how much it made sense to study historically and how many benefits would be gained by learning Latin and studying logic. We enjoy discussing worldviews from a biblical perspective and watching God's hand work through history. I also liked that I could do some things my own way (cheap and easy spelling and handwriting booklets, skipping some books I didn't like, and throwing in plenty of fun activities), but yet have a framework to follow. Ten years later, we still homeschool classically, and I still do it my own way.
We used mostly Veritas Press materials for the first 8 or 9 years, but have branched off somewhat in the past year or two. My first child is my guinea pig; my second child definitely gets the better end of the deal (I'm more relaxed!). My favorite grammar program is Shurley English, and we've always used Apologia Science. We've gone through several different math programs, but are currently using Math-U-See. My 10th grader's favorite class this year is the One Year Adventure Novel curriculum.
High school has been a challenge, but I can't imagine sending my girls to school. We are, however, going to try to take advantage of a few dual-enrollment classes at our local community college next year. Our homeschooling journey has had its ups and downs, but perseverance to God's calling for our family is the key.
Q4U: Leave me a short message on how/why your family started homeschooling. I love reading others’ stories!
Justin! Congratulations! I've sent Justin an email & I'll give him a few days to respond. My birthday girl chose a random number, and that's how I chose my winner.
Yep, I did an oops & promised to announce my winner on here the very day of my youngest's 12th birthday. Oops. Anyway, I managed to choose a winner even with Hannah Montana and a bunch of preteens singing along in the background.
Thanks to all for entering my contest. I loved reading all your comments. Please stop by my blog again!
What do the New Testament, a quiz on being a talkaholic, Jordin Sparks, the 411 on guys, and celeb drama have in common? They’re all packed into the new Revolve 2010 Biblezine. A Biblezine is a combination of the complete text of the New Testament (NCV) in a colorful magazine format designed especially for teen and preteen girls. Teens want to know how the Bible applies to their lives right now. With daily devotional readings and relevant topics, Revolve 2010 addresses today’s hottest topics and keeps girls in the Word.
When Revolve 2010 came in the mail, my two teen/preteen girls wrestled over it. When I sat down to write this review, my oldest had to dig it out from under a stack of books on the floor underneath her desk where she had it hidden from her sister. Cool graphics, fun quizzes, and the most sought after Christian artists make Revolve 2010 the most innovative New Testament for keeping teens engaged in Bible reading. I just wish I had two copies: one for each of my girls! My only disappointment is that it included a list of stops for the Revolve 2009 tour, but not for 2010.
Disclosure: I’m a member of Thomas Nelson’s BookSneeze program and they provided me with a complimentary copy of this book to review. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
I relived my strict Baptist (although not Fundamentalist) upbringing and my ongoing love affair with music through the pages of Matthew Paul Turner’s Hear No Evil memoir. With humorous honesty, Turner writes for all the world to see the secret thoughts that most of us don’t dare to admit even to ourselves. Every life has a soundtrack; relate to, laugh and cry with Turner’s. Discover how a kid gets from singing “Just As I Am” to a degree in the music business. Be there when Turner’s mom discovers his first Amy Grant album stashed under the front seat of his car.
Hear No Evil had me in stitches from cover to cover. Never before have I read a non-fiction book straight through in two days the way I read fiction. In many ways, I feel that Matthew and I are long-lost siblings; I understand his longings to break free of musical legalism. My only disappointment was that the last two chapters were not quite as engaging as the rest of the book. Overall, Hear No Evil gets two thumbs up from this musician.
Want to read it for yourself? I’m giving away a copy of Hear No Evil by Matthew Paul Turner right here on my blog! All you have to do in order to win is to leave a comment telling me the name of your favorite Christian musician. Be sure to leave a way for me to contact you as well. (And my previous winner is not eligible to participate—sorry!) I will choose a random winner on Friday.
Disclosure: WaterBrook Press provided me with a review copy and a giveaway copy of this book. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
What's your homeschooling style? If you're not sure, or if you're curious about some of other styles out there, I thought I'd detail some of the highlights here for you. Of course, there are many variations, but I think these are the main styles.
Classical homeschooling is based on the classics, with three basic stages that correlate with how children learn at different ages: grammar, logic, and rhetoric. It’s methodical, rigorous, and the style that my family and I have embraced for many more reasons that I don’t have space to detail here. The Charlotte Mason method is more flexible, emphasizes nature and artistic studies, and uses a lot of narration. A pre-packed curriculum is just what it sounds like: everything you need in a box from one publisher, including lesson plans. Some of the more well-known publishers of pre-packaged curriculum include A Beka, Bob Jones, and Alpha & Omega. Unit studies focus on one key topic at a time—say, butterflies or moon landings—and encompass most of the required academic subjects. Homeschoolers who use some of this and some of that are classified as eclectic. They take what they see as the best of several different methods and/or publishers and craft a more custom educational experience. Relaxed or unschooling families are more child-centric and use real-life experiences to teach their children. They take each day as it comes and include more play and games than worksheets and grades.
I encourage you to take the time to explore each of these approaches and to think about your family’s current lifestyle. A number of books are available that detail each of these methods. Other books are available that will help you to figure out your children’s learning style. Knowing your children’s learning styles will enable you to tailor your homeschool teaching to your children, which will enable them to thrive.
So, what do styles have to do with organization? I'm so glad you asked! Your style will determine what kinds of materials you need, how you want to organize your space, and how your children learn best.
Q4U: What's YOUR style?
P.S. - Please notice my new signature & my new blog button (feel free to use it to link back to my blog from your blog). Yes, it took me most of a day (plus a few emails from Jodi Wisenhunt), but I'm very proud of myself for figuring it all out!
Who doesn’t want to live the good life? If we’re honest, I bet most of us do. I bet most of us want the good life to be cheap, too. In Molly’s Money-Saving Digest for February 2010 digest, she shows us how we can live the good life frugally. Share the love with your loved ones this month without breaking the budget. Molly shares 45 ways to say “I love you”—you could do 1 or 2 every day for the whole month, not just on Valentine’s Day! Never make a last-minute run to the store for a gift again; learn how to set up and maintain a gift closet (or shelf).
Of course, a Molly digest wouldn’t be complete without printable organization forms, a week’s worth of menus and a shopping list to go with it, a special section on potatoes (Who would have thought to use instant mashed potatoes instead of bread crumbs? “Begin With the Basics”), resources and links, and creative ideas to perk up your home for free.
Disclosure: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
If I could choose the perfect title for a book on marriage, Love & War (by John and Stasi Eldredge) would be it. If we’re honest, that’s happens in many marriages: we love each other, so we get married, but then the war begins. John and Stasi give real-life examples from their own marriage, not from “case studies.” They cut to the chase with chapters such as “More Than Just Roommates,” “How to Have a Really Good Fight,” “The Little Foxes,” (dealing with distractions and the difficult topics) and “The Chapter on Sex” (yes, that’s really its title!). Their light-hearted, yet honest, approach will keep you turning the pages to find out how they got from “Let’s get divorced” after three years of marriage to celebrating their twenty-fifth anniversary.
My favorite thing about this book is that it’s written by a married couple from their own experiences. The “her” perspective is balanced by the “his” perspective—no lectures. Practical advice for real life gives couples hope that they really can find the marriage of which they’ve dreamed. I give Love & War an enthusiastic two thumbs up!
Disclosure: WaterBrook Multnomah Press provided me with a free copy of this book to review. I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Hope I don't get in trouble for borrowing my title from a popular line of books, but I thought it conveyed what I wanted to say. When you're physically sick, what's the best thing to eat (especially if it's winter)? Chicken soup! When you're emotionally exhausted from being around your children 24/7 while trying to make sure that they get a good education, what do you do? Last time I checked, there was no magic pill for toddleritis and there was no chicken soup for the teenage-induced flu bug.
Several things can help cure a worn-out mom. The most important thing is to make sure that you're getting enough rest and nutrition physically. I'm not a doctor or a health nut, so I'll leave the specifics to someone else. Just make sure that you go to bed early enough to get up at your designated wake-up time. If your sleep is interrupted at night, make time for a short nap early in the afternoon--say, as soon as the little ones go down for their naps. Also try to plan healthy meals and snacks for yourself, not just for your family.
This next piece of advice is my favorite. Are you ready? Get. Out. Of. The. House. Without. Children. I know it's hard, trust me. My husband and I had only 1 car for the first 11 years of our marriage, and I stayed home with our children--all day every day--during that period. I won't say that you have to go out once a week or once a month, but I will say that you need to get out of the house alone regularly. It doesn't have to be anywhere expensive or for a long time each time. When my kids were really young, even a trip to the grocery store was the highlight of my week sometimes! Look for a once-a-week, women's Bible study at your church that includes childcare; ask your hubby to watch the children while you go to Olive Garden for a girls' night out with some friends, swap babysitting with a friend or two one morning a week. Of course, you can always hire a babysitter and have your husband take you out for a nice meal--no cooking and no kids. Get creative!
Want to boost your happiness? Get outside in the fresh air and sunshine! I realize that it's easier the farther south you live, but even up north you can usually get outside for a short time (10-15 minutes) a few times a week. I like to walk slowly from my car in the back of the parking lot to the store; even a few minutes like that adds up. If you live where there's snow, I'm sure your kids would be delighted to have mom's help in making a snowman or in tobogganning. The sun's rays bring healing vitamin D and just plain ol' make you happy, even just a little bit of sun.
Perhaps I should have put this at the top of the list, but maybe you'll remember it better if I put it at the end. No matter how many children you have, no matter how many other responsibilities you have, always take time for your personal Bible reading and prayer EVERY DAY. You may have to lock yourself in the bathroom and ignore the pounding on the door to do it, or you may have to get up a few minutes early (that's my weak area), but find the time somewhere. When your kids are very small, even 5 or 10 minutes in God's Word daily can help to restore your weary soul. As your children get older and able to understand that you need some uninterrupted time (or less interrupted time!), it becomes even more of a personal discipline to make time for God. Along those same lines, try not to get stuck doing nursery duty week after week. Make sure that you're able to get to the big people service at least every other week to have some big people talking and learning time.
Q4U: What's your favorite way to rejuvenate when you have children at home 24/7 (either young ones or homeschooling)?
How are you progressing on your 2010 goals/resolutions? Are you ready to cash in your shiny gym membership for a box of Godiva chocolates yet or have you lost that pesky 20 pounds yet?
Since I made my goals public, I thought I'd review my progress so far. Below is my original post, 2010 Goals. The action steps I took in January are GREEN. The steps I have yet to take are RED.
1. Take my writing to a new level. Actions:
Finish working through An Introduction to Christian Writing, by Ethel Herr, including the exercises.
Send out at least one new magazine article query per month (sent a proposal for several and wrote one e-book for TOS; I figured that counts)
Follow up on old queries (I'm going to get to that ASAP!)
Put together a working outline, sample chapters, and proposal of The Book
2. Be more consistent with my quiet time. Actions:
Read through My Utmost for His Highest (again)
Keep a daily journal (mostly - I've missed only a few days)
Read through the book of Psalms
3. Explore the possibilities of more homeschool speaking assignments. Actions:
Hold a spring paper monster seminar (my house again?)
Check on speaking at the HINTS Bookfair this summer
Hold another early fall organization seminar (bigger audience/venue)
Another exciting opportunity presented itself to hold webinars. I'm currently exploring that possibility.
4. Pursue better health. Actions:
Follow the elimination diet (Balsam of Peru & Sugar Sensitivity) to find out my sensitivities and allergies (Unfortunately, I think I may have uncovered some other food sensitivities. I'm currently undergoing some tests.)
Exercise at least 5 days a week
Cut back significantly on processed foods
No surgeries, broken bones or major health issues! (I had all 3 last year.)
Many people ask, “Why bother to organize? It is too much work!” That has an easy answer: organization equals peace and consistency! In addition, I think that it is much less work to teach in an organized space than to try to find space and tools to teach every day. You reap what you sow: sow peace and efficiency into your homeschool to reap peace and effectiveness. Have you ever seen a farmer’s field with crooked rows or several different kinds of plants growing in the same row? Neither have I! Farmers know that in order to harvest the best crops, they need to organize their fields.
Does it take you half an hour to find the grammar book each morning? Do the kids take five minutes to find and sharpen a pencil? Have you ever found three copies of the same book lying around because you had no idea you already owned it? (Yes, I know someone to whom that has actually happened!)
Here’s a little parable to illustrate my point. Behold, a mother went out to teach her children. And as she taught, some lessons fell by the wayside; and the dirty socks and lost library books came and devoured them. Some fell on messy desks, where they did not have much space, and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of thought. But when the days were long, they were forgotten, and because they had no root, they withered away. And some fell among unorganized papers, and the papers sprang up and choked them. But others fell on sharpened pencils and yielded three-point paragraphs, some a ten-point paragraph, some six, some four. She who has ears to hear, let her hear! (A very liberal retelling of Matthew 13:3–9.)
What is organization anyway? Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition, defines the word organize as “to form into a coherent unity or functioning whole; integrate; to set up an administrative structure for; to arrange by systematic planning and united effort.” Some synonyms of the word organize include classify, categorize, group together, plan, order, establish, and methodize. While the Bible does not use the word organize specifically, it does have an admonition about ordering one’s house, “Let all things be done decently and in order” (1 Corinthians 14:40). Proverbs 16:3 says, “Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established.”
Q4U: Does organization terrify or excite you? Were you confused by what organization is or by its purpose?
Writing isn't as easy as it looks. Well, maybe just putting words on paper (or on the computer screen) isn't too difficult, but getting those words to sound ingenious is a little harder. So is having those words published so that other people can read them.
