Homeschooling 
The first year of homeschooling isn't so bad. You remember: that year when you were only homeschooling one kindergartener. All of their books fit into one nice tidy little box or on one little bookshelf. The second year wasn't too bad either. I might have even said smugly to myself, "This really is easy peasy." But a few years and a few kids in, it starts to get trickier—and a lot messier. And then what happens when your 3rd grader is doing 4th grade math, so you have to go digging for the right book in a separate box. Things don't stay so nice and tidy. 1. Figure out how to store the books: bookshelves, boxes, ...Read More
Foods Sugar-Free Homemade Peanut Butter Cups
Ditch the super sugary store-bought candy and make your own! Here's how easy it is to make sugar-free homemade peanut butter cups. I will totally admit I have a major sweet tooth. Sigh. Even now that I know just how bad junk food is for you, I still stare longingly at the brightly colored packages of candy in the check out aisle. However, sugar and I just don't agree. My body is much happier when I am avoiding sugar. Still, I feel a need to have a treat now and again. (More like every night after dinner.) Old habits can be difficult to break. It's been about two years since I ventured into using sugar-free, ...Read More
Testing for Lyme Disease: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Let's get serious about testing for Lyme Disease. Imagine a world... Imagine a world where the approved screening test for a disease running rampant misses 55% or more positive individuals. Imagine a world where a second screening test is available, but this test still misses 20-30% of positive individuals. Imagine a world, where the CDC has removed vital pieces of information from this test, making accurate diagnosis extremely difficult. Imagine a world where insurance only pays for these two tests, a world where the government, insurance companies, and CDC stick their heads in the ground and refuse to ...Read More
Homeschool Curriculum: Our Plans for 2nd Grade
Since Cameron is my second-born, you would think I'd have this homeschool thing all figured out, right? Well, sorta. There are certain things I have kept the same with Cameron, but Cameron has a very different personality and learning style from his brother. Unfortunately, for my pocketbook, that means that I'm needing to buy new curriculum. But, fortunately for my son, that means he is getting a highly-individualized curriculum. That's one of the great things about homeschooling—you can customize your child's education to their learning style, work extra on their weaknesses, and encourage them to excel in their ...Read More
Homeschool Curriculum: Our Plans for 6th Grade
Planning out the homeschool year can be overwhelming—if you let it be. It really doesn't have to be, though. This year, the name of the game is EASY. No, I don't want my kids to have all easy schoolwork—though they sure would like that. But it is important that they have schoolwork that is easy for me to implement. We all have busy schedules. Between homeschool, church, homeschool co-op, piano lessons, sports practices, and running a blog, this mama doesn't have time for difficult-to-implement curriculum. You know, the kind that takes hours to plan and even more hours to execute. Do you feel me, homeschool ...Read More
Homeschooling for Cheap(er): Plus a giveaway!
I plan. I dream. I look through online catalogs. I browse curriculum websites. I make my lists. Two lists. Every year, there are two lists. One list is the "must have" curriculum list. The other list is the, "If the budget allows" curriculum list. Do you have these lists too? There are always those pieces of curriculum I'd really love to buy, but just can't always justify the expense if they're not a part of our core curriculum. This year though, you and I don't have to choose. This year, we can build a bundle of curriculum for one itty bitty price. Yes, you BUILD your own bundle. You can pick out exactly ...Read More
Homeschool Astronomy: A Course That Practically Teaches Itself
In college I got my dream job: I was hired by the university Astronomy department to lead "stargaze" presentations. Night after night I walked out on the roof of the physical sciences building to tell students the story of the stars. I got to play with expensive telescopes. I got to attend planetarium conventions—yes, they have those. Sometimes I would go up on the rooftop alone, away from the bustle of the 18,000-student campus, and just look up at the stars. For as long as I can remember, I've always had a love of astronomy, which is why I am so excited about my newest project: Experience Astronomy. It's a full-school ...Read More
How to Teach Your Kids Astronomy at Home
For as long as I can remember, I've loved astronomy. When I was 5, I was fascinated how the moon seemed to follow me no matter where I walked in my backyard. In grade school, I waited eagerly for field trips to the downtown planetarium, remembering them as the highlight of my school year. In high school—because I was a nerd—I got a membership at the local observatory. In college, I worked as a stargaze instructor for the university. Now, as a homeschooling dad, I've taught astronomy to nearly every grade level our local homeschool co-op. I don't know many kids who aren't interested in astronomy. On second thought, ...Read More
