Zara Fagen

Healthy Peanut Butter Cups Recipe: Make Chocolate and Peanut Butter Cups, Bars, Balls, or Eggs

Hey guys!  It’s almost New Year’s Eve and so I really wanted to share this recipe.  I love, love, love peanut butter cups (who doesn’t?), but they are so NOT healthy.  So today I give you a recipe for healthy peanut butter cups!

These are a great option for sharing at get-togethers because even people on a Standard American Diet love them.  Usually, I announce really loudly that they’re vegan and super-healthy.  That way, most people avoid them and there are more for me.  Ha ha ha.  So tricky.Read More »Healthy Peanut Butter Cups Recipe: Make Chocolate and Peanut Butter Cups, Bars, Balls, or Eggs

Combine Charlotte Mason and Minimalist Homeschooling: How to “Spread the Feast” with a Minimal Mindset

One of the questions that comes up frequently among minimalist homeschoolers, is how to “spread the feast,” while keeping things simple and stress-free.  Luckily, if you can adjust your mindset a bit, there are a 4 key ways to combine spreading the feast like Charlotte Mason and minimalist homeschooling simplicity.Read More »Combine Charlotte Mason and Minimalist Homeschooling: How to “Spread the Feast” with a Minimal Mindset

Foster Self-Learning: How & Why to Create Independence While Minimalist Homeschooling

A friend of mine, who is a kindergarten teacher, once told me that one of the skills she considered most valuable was independence.  In my opinion, self-learning and independence follow from each other.  I was surprised that her answer wasn’t the alphabet, or some other academic metric, but at the same time, I wasn’t surprised at all.

John Holt said:

“Since we can’t know what knowledge will be most needed in the future, it is senseless to try to teach it in advance.  Instead, we should try to turn out people who love learning so much and learn so well that they will be able to learn whatever needs to be learned.”

Yes!

It doesn’t matter if you’re an unschooler, Charlotte Mason, Classical…

You could be homeschooling a preschooler or a senior in highschool…

We all strive to create LEARNERS.

Read More »Foster Self-Learning: How & Why to Create Independence While Minimalist Homeschooling

Simplify Life – The Little House Litmus Test

Life can feel so overwhelming.  So busy.  Some days – most days – there is a never-ending to-do list and no light at the end of the tunnel.  We crave an easier existence, but don’t know how exactly to simplify life.

In comes Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder.  If you haven’t read the book recently, I suggest picking it up as a case study on how to simplify life.  Then use the Little House as a litmus test for your own life.

No time to go read a novel?

I hear ya.  That’s why you’re here!

So, I’ll give you the “Everything You Need to Know about Using the Little House Litmus Test to Simplify Life” article here.  Here are 7 ways to be more “Little House” in life:Read More »Simplify Life – The Little House Litmus Test

Minimalist Homeschooling Kindergarten: Teach Everything with a Pencil, Notebook, Crayons & Library Card

What better place to start, than with minimalist homeschooling kindergarten?

The irony is that when people first begin homeschooling their little ones, they feel so much pressure to do it “right,” or to do it “all,” that minimalist homeschooling often doesn’t start until the later years.  In reality, the requirements in kindergarten are so straight-forward, that I highly recommend starting minimalist homeschooling with the youngest learners.

It takes a leap of faith, and a whole lot of confidence to minimally homeschool – to trust that simple works, and that simple is enough.

Why not start here?

If you are homeschooling multiple ages, and wondering how to convert to minimalist homeschooling, and take that leap of faith, perhaps changing how you school the youngest learners in your home will empower you to gradually simplify your approach with the older children as well.Read More »Minimalist Homeschooling Kindergarten: Teach Everything with a Pencil, Notebook, Crayons & Library Card

Homeschool Self-Doubt – How to Make Confident Changes

If you want to make a change in a behavior or habit, it is widely accepted that there are specific steps to take.  These steps apply to pretty much any change – including accepting homeschooling.  I bring this up today because I am seeing a lot of homeschool self-doubt.

You can listen to this post here:

I have seen it everywhere I turn – homeschool self-doubt is in my friends, in facebook groups, in emails from readers… and in myself.  It seems that nobody is immune.Read More »Homeschool Self-Doubt – How to Make Confident Changes

Minimalist Homeschool: Don’t Be It All, Be Awesome

People often hear “minimalist homeschool,” and they wonder if it’s a code-word for under-achievers who do the bare minimum to educate their children, with little intention or effort.

Nothing could be farther from the truth.

You can listen to this post here:

In reality, a minimalist mindset is about being awesome, instead of being it all.

Every homeschooler that I have met wants the best for their children.  The task that they have assumed is not one that they take lightly – they are aware of the importance of how their children are educated.

If anything, the homeschoolers are often homeschooling BECAUSE they value education SO MUCH, and are acutely aware of its impact.

Because, honestly, who would take on all of this extra work and thought if it weren’t really, really, important?

You’ve gone all-in for this challenge, so be awesome at it!

Read More »Minimalist Homeschool: Don’t Be It All, Be Awesome

Homeschool Values: How & Why to Identify Them

I am probably not the first one to tell you that it’s a good idea to identify your homeschool values.

Have you done it?

What are your most important homeschool values?

Do you understand why they are so important?

Identifying homeschool values is one of the first steps in Minimalist Homeschooling: the step-by-step guide to an intentional education.  And Minimalist Homeschooling Mindset Hack #8 is: Identify your most important homeschool values.

Of all the steps in the book, THIS is the step that caused the most confusion and discussion (dare I suspect even a little anxiety) over in the facebook group.

Identify your top 5 homeschool values.

Regardless of where you are in this minimalist homeschooling journey, it’s so very important to know WHY homeschool values are important to begin with!  How exactly do homeschool values contribute to a minimalist homeschool?Read More »Homeschool Values: How & Why to Identify Them

“Prioritize Homeschooling” – The Best Advice You Can Get

There is a lot of homeschooling advice out there.  Most of the advice boils down to one thing (and the rest of it benefits from this one thing):
Prioritize Homeschooling.

 

To prioritize homeschooling doesn’t just mean that you have to put homeschooling first  before other commitments (although that is an option), but also that you must prioritize WITHIN your homeschooling.

I have already written about why “life balance” is a complete sham. Do NOT buy into trying to “balance” everything. Do not drink that kool-aid.  I’m just going to come out and say it again (and again, and again): Balance is the road to overwhelm.  Instead…

Prioritize.

Prioritize.

Prioritize.

If you want to make a big mark on your space, your schedule, your homeschool – in short, your life – this is the one piece of advice I would give you: Prioritize.

You have a limited amount of time.

You have a limited amount of space.

You have a limited amount of money.

You have a limited amount of energy (this is the one that is usually hardest for moms to accept).

Therefore, doing all the things, or having all the things IS NOT AN OPTION.Read More »“Prioritize Homeschooling” – The Best Advice You Can Get

Christian Minimalist Homeschooling – Biblical Support for Simple Homeschooling

The wonderful thing about Minimalist Homeschooling is that it is no different in principle whether you are Christian Minimalist Homeschooling, or Secular Minimalist Homeschooling.  Since minimalist homeschooling is all about doing what is of most value, religious families can watch their faith thrive in a minimalist homeschool.

First, did you know that minimalist homeschooling NOT about owning the fewest supplies, or using the fewest books?  Minimalism is actually more about the value we have in our lives, rather than the possessions.

Read More »Christian Minimalist Homeschooling – Biblical Support for Simple Homeschooling