mommying

Homeschool Musings – Fun Exercise to Focus Your Time

This is Part 1 of my two-part homeschool musings on time.  In the book, Minimalist Homeschooling, a lot of words are devoted to decluttering homeschooling schedules.  One of the hacks from this section is:

 Minimalist Homeschooling Mindset Hack #16: How we choose to spend our time matters to ourselves and to those around us.

You can listen to this blog post:

 

Must-read for focusing yoru time in homeschool and life. Pin it, try it. So helpful! Minimalist Homeschool musings.

 

I would edit this to say “How we spend our time matters, perhaps more than anything else to ourselves and to those around us.”

This is because we have a job to do.  Whether you believe in a higher purpose for your life or not, the fact is, we all have a job to do.  In fact, we all have several jobs to do that all require our attention, dedication, and yes, TIME.

I wrote job descriptions and detailed duties and responsibilities for each of my jobs.

My kids did, too.

Read More »Homeschool Musings – Fun Exercise to Focus Your Time

How Homeschool Mom Self-Care Accidentally Happened… and gave me a productive year.

Lots of blogs, podcasts, and conversations over coffee talk about homeschool mom self-care.  We know it’s important, but rarely is it a priority.  I’m the worst.  I spent years of my life researching the effects of chronic-stinkin’-stress, and how it LITERALLY rewires parts of the brain and changes behavior, and yet, I fall prey to chronic stress as much as everyone else.  Although, I’m getting better.

I want to talk about 2017, and what it taught me…

Normally, I’m a planner.  I’m a list-maker and checker-offer (apparently, I make-up words, too).  But, 2017 was totally the year that was NOT planned.Read More »How Homeschool Mom Self-Care Accidentally Happened… and gave me a productive year.

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

“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

Keep the House Clean – 3 Surprising Reasons Your Home is Still a Mess

3 Surprising Reasons for your Mess
and 3 Easy Ways to Remedy It

Have you ever wondered why your home doesn’t stay clean? Why no matter how long you spend tidying a space, your little army of clones manages to recreate a battle zone in 10 seconds? Exactly how is it people can KEEP the house clean???

Keeping the house clean is potentially a problem for 3 reasons that you probably have not considered yet… It’s time to finally reclaim your home.Read More »Keep the House Clean – 3 Surprising Reasons Your Home is Still a Mess

Life balance is a sham – How to stop trying to please everyone

 

Warning: What follows is a stream-of-consciousness rant about life balance that is important for all moms.

I saw a friend a couple weeks ago.  And before I get too far, I want to say that she’s a quality gal.  I love talking with her, and we have a lot of common plights in business ownership, homeschooling, and life.  She’s no whiner.

When I saw her, she was dragging, so I asked how she was doing.  With a huge sigh, she says: “I just need balance.  I am really praying for balance.”

How many times have you heard people (usually women, and almost always moms) craving “balance?”

Everyone.  All the time.Read More »Life balance is a sham – How to stop trying to please everyone

That one time when your mother was right: A good night’s rest is really important

Newsflash:  Your mother was right.  You do need your sleep.  It turns out that chronic sleep deprivation is really bad.  And it’s not just because your mother or your grandmother said so.  In case you don’t believe them, take it from scientists.

In a recent study published in Molecular Neurobiology, Read More »That one time when your mother was right: A good night’s rest is really important

Homeschooling without Guilt – A Post for Over-Achievers

Here’s the thing: most homeschoolers don’t use a standard curriculum as their end all and be all.  Raise your hand if that’s you.  I admit that I don’t use one set of lessons.  I practically can’t.  Our family uses a Catholic classical curriculum.  Many people (very successfully) use a classical curriculum as a complete curriculum for their elementary-aged children just by adding math and language arts.

I don’t.

I always feel compelled to add science, history, religion, literature, writing, and foreign language above and beyond the grammar memory work, math and language arts.  In fact, I usually try to meld the classical curriculum with a full-on Charlotte Mason curriculum.  I want to spread the feast.  For 2 years I challenged myself to pick and choose and coordinate (did I mention we also did a separate second coop one semester?).Read More »Homeschooling without Guilt – A Post for Over-Achievers

My List of Educational Shows for Homeschooling – Educational Shows and Websites for Learning at Home

Often parents, but especially moms are worn-out, stressed, and busy.  Add homeschooling, and it can spin out of control with each minute adding more stress, more obligation, more guilt, more sense of urgency, more needs, more wants, more decisions, more noise… This is where educational shows for homeschooling come in.

Sometimes life happens, and keeps happening, and I need the kids appropriately occupied so I can batten down the hatches and prevent the ship from sinking.  #momtruth.  Read More »My List of Educational Shows for Homeschooling – Educational Shows and Websites for Learning at Home