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Back to Homeschool Challenge – Day 1

Up until the last minute, I knew exactly what our first challenge would be… You know it, I know it… We should discuss organization, right?  It’s at the core of keeping things running smoothly during the year.  But then much to my surprise, an idea popped into my head.  I realized there was something more important to tap into first… and this post kind of wrote itself! Cartoon graphic purchased...

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10-Day Back to Homeschool Challenge Starts Next Monday, August 8th

Hi Everyone, For those in the northern hemisphere, I hope you’ve been having a restful, relaxing, rejuvenating summer!  Time is flying by quickly and maybe you — like me — are wanting to make sure we’re ready for the new school year!!  The Back to Homeschool Challenge starts next week… 10 days of small daily tasks to make sure we’re ready for a fabulous new homeschool year!! Join us each...

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Upcoming Homeschool Mastermind Group! (It’s coming soon!)

I’ve hinted this summer about a Homeschool Mastermind Group… It’s going to happen!! I’ve been working hard to iron out the details and plan out a really great course. It’ll be a 14-week discussion group that will delve deep into how we can make our homeschool extraordinary! What is a Mastermind Group?  It’s a group of experts who come together to get support, inspiration, advice and encouragement from others who...

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Starting to Homeschool – Where to Start!

Over on Facebook, a reader said, “trying to figure out how to homeschool my 7th grade daughter any advice would help…” For those who are new on their homeschool journey and/or new to our blog I’ll share some resources with you that will hopefully help you as you embark on your own journey to find curriculum, resources, and to make this educational adventure an amazing one for your family!! I...

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Homeschool Planner – Free Fall 2016 Spring 2017 Calendar

In last week’s post, I mentioned an online-planner that many homeschool families use.  I still need to be able to see everything at a glance and to be able to check things over the course of the day, so I like having everything gathered in a 3-ring notebook. Last year I got a notebook that has a built in file dividers where I can place invitations and keep important papers...

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Technology Tools and Websites to Facilitate Learning

This summer I am spending some time looking at some education apps, tools and websites. I thought I’d talk about a few that I’ve heard other educators mention so that you have a chance to look at them before the school year starts as well. 🙂 These look like they might be a fun way to incorporate a bit of technology in those “checking for understanding” moments. I don’t know...

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Petrified Forest, Grand Canyon, & Yellowstone Highlights Video and More!

It’s taking me longer to go through the pictures to share them than the trip itself!! I’m excited because today not only do I have some photos to share, but I also put together a 5-minute video of Yellowstone. A week or so ago I shared our photos from Canyon de Chelly.  From there we continued west through Arizona, first to the Petrified Forest and then on to the pueblo...

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5 Things you Can Do This Summer to Get Ready to Homeschool

For many of us it is mid-summer. Homeschooling seems far away still, though we know it’s lurking around the corner. We don’t want to be caught completely unprepared, right? Here are some things that we can do now to make the transition easier when we return: 1) Turn in your Notice of Intent (if your state requires one) – Get this done and turned in so you don’t have to...

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Canyon de Chelly, (In the Navajo Nation)

We arrived at the Spider Rock Campground at Canyon de Chelly in the evening after a full day (about 10 hours!!) of driving… Howard, the owner of the campground was amazing and treated us like long-lost friends!!  (I had emailed with him a number of times to make sure we had accommodations since the kids and I had to drive hundreds (and hundreds!!) of miles to get there.) We had...

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World’s Only Diamond Mine Open to the Public & Acoma Pueblo Sky City (NM)

When we were planning our trip out West, I purchased a book of some of America’s best geological sites.  I read about the Crater of Diamonds state park and the kids were beside themselves at the thought of being able to search for *real* diamonds!! This state park is the world’s eighth largest diamond-bearing volcanic crater. We camped in the state park and tried our hand at diamond mining! Many...

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Our 7,000 Mile Trip Out West!!

Just a few days ago, the kids and I got back from a 7,000 mile cross-country trip. We visited more than 10 national parks and monuments as well as a number of famous state parks.  We spent time looking for diamonds in the world’s only diamond mine open to the public, had a long tour of Canyon De Chelly which we had studied about this spring with a Navajo guide...

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Summer Activity Ideas

Here are some fun summer activities you might enjoy doing with your kids this summer! A Huge List of Summer Activity Ideas! Nature Scavenger Hunt: Send your kids outside to complete this scavenger hunt! This printable is free! 🙂We also have a photo hunt: Have them take photos of the things on the list:Set up an Outdoor Treasure Hunt with QR Codes! Kids use the QR code reader to find...

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25 Beloved Books for Kids Ages 8-12

Today I’m going to share a list of chapter books for older kids.  This is a great selection of books. We’ve now read every book on this list (and then some!!).  Many of them we read aloud together.  I loved Hatchet so much that I read this aloud with LD and then read it again to DD just this year.  Sometimes its fun to share the excitement together. Our family...

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Summer Activities: Science, Engineering, and Math Fun!

Here are some fun summer activities you might enjoy doing with your kids this summer! Today’s post highlights some fun engineering, science and math activities you can do this summer! Summer Fun: Science, Engineering, and Math Ideas  Egg Drop Challenge: Give the kids various supplies (cups, paper bags, yarn, scissors, hole punch, tape, and some coins). Have them design a parachute that will safely let an egg drop to the...