Tension. It's what happens when both ends of a guitar string are pulled taut. The right amount of tension means the string is in tune, prepared to be plucked or strummed in harmony with other well-tuned strings in the making of lovely music. But what if there's too much tension? Stretching, expanding, straining tighter and tighter until— SNAP! The string breaks somewhere near the middle, leaving two frayed, shortened, useless pieces of nylon instead of the long, whole, unharmed string that once bore a limitless capacity for beauty. There's a lot of tension in our nation and in our world ...Read More
Homeschooling 7 Reasons I Love Dave Raymond’s Modernity
High school was about 20 years ago for me (yikes!), and yet I can still remember some of the lectures given by a few exceptional teachers. There's something about a great teacher who can bring a subject to life—something that can shape a student's mind for a lifetime. I imagine if I had Compass Classroom's Dave Raymond as one of my teachers in high school, I would be saying the same about him. Our family loves everything Compass Classroom puts out. From Latin to Economics, from biblical parables to tips for homeschoolers, they've got a lot to offer. This is why I was eager to check out Dave Raymond's new course, ...Read More
Foods Healthy Dark Chocolate Marshmallows
Kick your summer s'mores or homemade hot cocoa up a notch with these Healthy Dark Chocolate Marshmallows! Looking for gluten-free recipes and resources? This Everything Gluten Free page is a library of everything gluten free we’ve worked on. All the chocolate things. It's no secret. I have a love for chocolate anything. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, dessert... You might say I have an addiction, but I'm pretty sure my body needs it for health reasons that I don't quite understand. Haha! And in my defense, I do try to make my chocolate things as healthy as possible. But when I set out to make a batch ...Read More
Astronomy Week – Live!
Ever since I was a child, I was fascinated with astronomy. I loved learning about the stars, moon, sun, and planets. I never really "grew out" of that passion, as I continue to teach astronomy to kids all over the world. I invite you AND your kids to join me for "Astronomy Week – Live!" on Facebook. When is Astronomy Week? August 8, 9, 10, and 11 at 2:00pm Eastern (1:00pm Central, 12:00pm Mountain, 11:00am Pacific). I'll be teaching for about 15-20 minutes per day. Why Should You Come to Astronomy Week? Because I'll be teaching you and your children some fun, hands-on learning activities you can do right ...Read More
“Homeschooling is Weird” and 7 Other Objections Homeschoolers Hear
I get it. To many people, homeschooling is weird to them—a foreign way of doing things. I wasn't homeschooled myself, and when I was growing up, I knew very few kids who were—and they seemed a little too "off the grid" to me. I never even considered the possibility that I would become a homeschooling dad some day. Still, what we label as "weird" is based, in large part, on what we have come to accept as "normal." When we see people intentionally living outside the norm, it naturally catches our eye. And perhaps it even makes us feel a little defensive or uncomfortable. No, homeschooling isn't for everyone. ...Read More
Creamy Potato Salad with Bacon and Chives
This creamy potato salad with bacon and chives is the perfect side dish to take along to your summer picnic or BBQ! Summer is the time for out-of-doors get togethers with family and friends. Along with cornbread, coleslaw, and grilled anything, potato salad is usually on the menu. Looking for gluten-free recipes and resources? This Everything Gluten Free page is a library of everything gluten free we’ve worked on. Despite growing up in a family where potato salad was usually a big hit, and marrying a guy who loves it, I've never been a fan. Maybe it was the sour dressing, or all the dill, but something about ...Read More
The Frugal Moms Guide to Saving Money on Essential Oils
My baby brother (who happens to be a mere 8ish inches taller than me, but he'll forever be my baby brother) gave me a call recently. It started something like this... "Hey, Sister Brain." (I'm not really sure why he calls me this, but he has for a long time.) "Hey, Daniel. How's it going?" "Great! Since you're the essential-oil guru, I thought I'd ask you a question." "Ummm, well I'm not so sure I'd call myself a guru, but shoot." "I was thinking about picking up some cheap essential oils at Walmart and wanted to know what the very best diffuser is I can buy." Screeeeech. Halt. Stop the bus. You see, my brother ...Read More
Objections to Homeschooling: “My kids won’t have good study habits.”
There's something very attractive about the discipline of public or private schooling. Assuming the school hasn't totally slid into educational laxity, students are given hard deadlines and expected to meet them; students are given grades based on their performance and mastery of the material; students are expected to develop good study skills and those who don't will suffer in their grades. Homeschooling, on the other hand, can lack the kind of structure public or private schools have... Depending on local and state laws, many homeschooling parents can simply assign grades to their students based on whatever ...Read More
