Congratulations Anne: 8th Grade Graduation

I thought I'd share our evening with all of you.  Tonight we enjoyed the home school 8th grade graduation, where Anne was one of the seven graduates.

Of course Grandpa and Grandma came to enjoy the presentation, but I think the funny farm was right in front of them. . . many giggles were coming from their side of the row.

Our Graduate!

Anne's wall of fame turned out beautiful, everyone especially loved the 14 random facts about Anne.  I told her in four more years it would need to be upgraded to 18 random facts.

It has been such a priviledge and a joy to be able to home school her all these years.  She is such a blessing to our family and we look forward to seeing what God has planned for her to accomplish the last four years of our school.  Keep up the good work sweetheart!

Happy Mother's Day. . .and another great recipe

Spaghetti in Garlic Gravy with Herbs and Lemon Marinated Chicken and Cherry Tomatoes

Happy Mother's Day. .  I pray your day was extra special.

Mother's Day is a great day to try a new recipe on the family.  We had a rather large lunch after church today so we didn't want anything too heavy for dinner . . our bellies were still overly full.

This was a recipe I happen to stumble across on pinterest one evening.  We are big Italian food fans - have I mentioned that before?  I think spaghetti is a basic weekly occurrence in our home;  need I mention the olive garden salad dressing.

I didn't use the lemon-marinated chicken in the recipe this time.  I wanted something meatless since we had over indulged at the Chinese restaurant during lunch.  All I can say is that the spaghetti with garlic gravy was so heavenly; little George had three platefuls.  Even my  picky eaters didn't pick out the tomatoes for once.  The recipe really didn't need the chicken, but I will try it another day with the chicken because the marinade sounds absolutely wonderful.  I will anxiously look forward to trying some more of  Jeannie Maristela's great recipes.

How was your Mother's Day and what special things did you do with your family?

Blessings,

Michelle

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fourteen years

fourteen years::

one::  sweet baby who never wanted to sleep . . .Dad and I took turns driving around at night to keep her sleeping. . .maybe momma should have stopped having those chocolate shakes from Wendys???

two::  she survived this year on goldfishes and pepperoni. . and maybe an occassional smidge of homemade salsa

three::  her favorite saying, "Yippee, I'm FREE."

four::  her first bus trip all the way from Florida to Louisiana . she ended up staying with her Dad and Sarah while Momma finished up school.

five::  her best friend was April, who lived across the street from us.  They were inseparable.  Her sister Hannah was born this year and her big sister Sarah came back to live with us permanently.

six::  She was a Daisy Girl, she played T-ball (especially for her Dad) and she got to attend her first official baseball game for the Dayton Dragons.

seven::  We traveled to Chicago for the weekend and she got to pick out her first American Girl doll from the American Girl Place.  The doll looked just like her; she named her Elizabeth.  Anne broke her arm while playing on the monkey bars and got a super cool lime green cast, but was very disappointed because it was summer time and that meant no swimming in the pool.  Her sister Lindsay was born this year.

eight::  Anne was our superstar swimmer in Colorado. .  they had a wonderful year round swim program where she could just swim like a fish all the time.









nine::  Our little girl finally had to get glasses.  The prescription was barely needed, but she was so thrilled to wear glasses we got them anyway knowing that with her family's history of wearing glasses, she too would eventually have to wear them.  All I remember about them is that they were PURPLE!

ten::  Dad took the girls to their first ever Monster Truck Jam - "what? did you say something?" was all momma heard for a day or so after the event.  Her sister Abby was born this year.

eleven::  met her best friend Kelsey online through each other's blogs.  They are like two peas in a pod.

twelve:: being a "tween" was a busy year.  Her Dad retired from the Air Force, we moved back to Northern California and we left a wonderful church family behind in Georgia.

thirteen::  her biggest milestone yet- becoming a teenager. . getting a facebook. . . .and a cell  phone now that she was officially babysitting.

I cannot wait to see what "fourteen" has instore for her. . . .  

We love you sweetheart!

Happy Birthday!

something rather addicting

Our family absolutely loves Italian food and some of them thought me crazy when I canned up 28 quarts of fresh tomatoes last year.  They thought me even crazier when I said that it probably wouldn't last until next year's harvest.  I hate to admit I was right, but we are down to our last 8 or 9 jars which will not last until this August when we get tomatoes from a local grower.  I dream of growing tomatoes, but unless I build a hoop house, like our dear friends, I will not see tomatoes here on the coast - we are just too damp and cold through the summer months.

Since moving to the far northern reaches of California, which is entirely void of most metropolitan restaurant chains some of the family has been going through severe withdrawals.  One of our favorite restaurants to visit on special occasions was Olive Garden.  It never seemed to fail that everyone ordered the soup and salad.  I have a recipe that nearly replicates the Sausage Toscano soup which everyone has enjoyed, but it's the salad dressing that I have yet to figure out.

Until. . . .
the other day when I was perusing around pinterest and I came across this recipe called "Olive Garden Salad Dressing the Traditional Foods Way."

Since, I am working on cooking foods in a more traditional manner my interest was piqued!


Olive Garden Salad the Traditional Foods Way:

• 1/2 c. mayonnaise (preferably homemade)
• 1/3 c. white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 2 tb. honey
• 2 tb. each of grated Parmesan cheese and Romano cheese
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed
• 1/2 tsp. Italian Seasoning
• 1/2 tsp. parsley
• 1 Tb. lemon juice
• dash of salt and pepper

Pulse all ingredients in a blender until thoroughly combined and cheeses are finely minced. Drizzle over a green salad to taste and voila! No preservatives or corn syrup here!

I wanted to be the first guinea pig to try this, since we have pretty observant food critics in our home.  At first, it had a very strong lemon/vinegar taste, but over the last few days while it has settled into it's flavors in the refrigerator, it's turned into something that is quite delicious.  While it still does not match the Olive Garden dressing I remember so fondly, I highly recommend making this dressing.  It's flavors sneak up on you and it has a very nice creamy consistency.

Just so that you can compare recipes, here's another Olive Garden Salad Dressing recipe from a blog called Everyone's Gotta Eat.  Her ingredients will make any traditional foodie just cringe.  Even through my own inexperience I could see that most of the ingredients were not healthy.

Salad Dressing like Olive Garden's
1/2 Cup white vinegar
1/3 Cup water
1/3 Cup vegetable oil
1/4 Cup corn syrup
2 1/2 TBSP grated parmesan/romano cheese
2 TBSP pectin
1 egg- beaten
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp dried parsley
1 pinch dried oregano
1 pinch red pepper flakes

--Combine all ingredients in blender on medium speed for 30 seconds to a minute. Blending well is key to a smooth, thick dressing. Under-blending will result in a runnier dressing. Chill 2-4 hours shaking occasionally. Keeps for 2 weeks, approx.

Happy Salad Eating!

Mexican Bean Soup

Along our journey of eating more whole foods, my precious peas are trying many new recipes.  One of the more recent ones was from the West Ladies, Homestead Blessings Cookbook; Mexican Bean Soup.  This is an amazing cookbook.  I got the cookbook for our daughter, Anne, for Christmas and since then we've tried several recipes; Better Than Carrot Cake Muffins and Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookies.

I quickly realized the other day that if all I do is "pin" recipes and ideas onto my pinterest page, trying nothing, then what really have I gained?   The least I can do is to share my trials, errors and/or successes.   So be ready, I plan on reporting the "testing out"  of my pinterest pins and new recipes that we are experimenting with.  But, back to the Mexican Bean Soup. . . . .

Mexican Bean Soup

2/3 cup dried pinto beans (soaked over night) 
2/3 cup dried red kidney beans (soaked over night)
2 TBSP dried parsley
1 TBSP chilli powder
2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano
6 cubes chicken bouillon (No MSG)
1 cup wagon wheel pasta, uncooked
1/2 cup brown or wild rice


Rinse beans after soaking over night.  Place in a large stockpot with 4 cups of water.  Bring to a boil, cover and remove from heat.  Let sit for 1 hour.  Drain beans and return to pot.  Add 8 cups of water and contents of flavor packet.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour or until beans are tender.  Stir in rice and bring to a simmer.  Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.  Uncover and stir in pasta and 1/2 c water.  Simmer 10 minutes.     Makes 8 - 10 servings


Quick Note:  I did not use pinto beans as we did not have any, so I used black beans instead.  I also used homemade chicken stock instead of the chicken bouillon.  I also used regular whole wheat pasta.


I wish that I could paint a rose colored picture of this recipe, but even with these small substitutions, the verdict rang in that it was just okay- not a keeper recipe to cook each week.  Dear hubby said that it needed some kind of acid base, like crushed tomatoes and some type of meat (he's a tried and true meat and potatoes man with EVERY meal - I'd love to change that about him, but changing a man should be left for another post).  The girls turned their noses up to the soup and pushed all the beans off to the side.

I think we'll try the recipe again with some of the suggestions that dear hubby offered up and see what results we get.  As I said before, this is a journey and sometimes along the way we stumble, but what a blessing that we can try again tomorrow with another recipe.

whole foods journey

Have you ever spent every possible free moment indulging your desire to learn something new?  It seems like our librarian knows exactly what books to have ready for me when we visit the library each week.  If my eyes are not glued to one of Steve Solomon's gardening books, then I'm constantly absorbing as much information from a couple of new blogs.


Back in February I began telling about my burden to feed our family better; with whole foods, the way that God intended for our bodies to be fed.  While on this journey, I have been learning the reasoning behind many topics I've been exposed to over the years, but never really understood their importance, such as eating organic foods, sprouting wheat, and soaking grains and nuts.


So, I thought I would share the two websites that have been instrumental in my learning.


The first ~ the Weston A. Price Foundation


This is a good place to start.  It has several articles, by Sally Fallon, author of Nourishing Traditions.


The second ~ the Healthy Home Economist

My favorite part about her site is her extensive library of "how to" videos."  I have always loved learning via visual images and each of her videos are very informative.

Leave me a comment and let me know what you think of the sites.  Do you have something that you are passionate about learning?

New editions to One Blessed Acre

Yesterday we picked up six new baby chicks from the feed

store in town.  They are Rhode Island Reds.  The feed store was completely sold out of
Buff Orphingtons which was our first choice, but these ones are pretty cute
so everyone is okay with these six.  We haven't had baby chicks for over a year and I truly
forgot how loud they peep.

All little hands got to hold one before they got put in the chick nursery in our garage.
They are all toasty warm in their new home, while outside we've been having
some of the worst storms;  rain and wind so hard it rattles the windows.

Our older ladies, gentlemen and two ducks are not enjoying the excessive
water in the back coop area.  It seems that the minute I let them out, the rain
begins again and they have to retreat back inside the coop.  All of us on the farm are wondering
when the sunshine is planning on coming out.

:: Right now. . .

Right now, I am...

:: watching "Love it or List it" and I've decided they should love it.

:: enjoying using my new laptop, my birthday present from the General Manager.

:: working on lessons plans for the week. . . we are in the midst of studying the Civil War.

:: feeling so blessed that I have such a wonderful family . . . my birthday was very special.

:: harvesting, our fresh lettuce, spinach and chard from the cold frame that produced all winter long.

:: waiting for our baby chicks to arrive next weekend

:: sneaking sewing moments with our rainy, cold days has been easy these days.  I love these new dishcloths.

:: enjoying homemade granola

:: planning our  trip to my mother's house next month.  I've been told that we can swim in the pool at the hotel. . here's hoping that the weather is warm because the pool is outdoors.

:: thinking that I need to start my seedlings soon.

:: grateful for  homeschooling moments like these.  A fun afternoon of looking at the relative size of each planet.

:: trying many meatless meals.  This vegetable stew was very yummy over rice, just not a favorite of the kids.

:: anticipating our trip to Palmdale this summer for our oldest daughter's wedding.  I'm looking forward to the festivities,but trying to find a dress has been a challenge 

:: learning about "whole foods" and how to feed my family better, more nutritious foods. .  . it is all new to me - I have so much to learn and change in our diet, it is mind boggling.

:: wanting to add Feeding the Whole Family to my amazon book list

:: feeling grateful, waking up to a snuggly boy and the snow covered hills behind our home.  Sometimes I truly miss our snow filled days when we were living in the Midwest.

:: wondering what God has in store for the rest of this year for our family.

:: hoping your day is a lovely one, friends.

Another birthday girl

March tends to be a busy birthday month for our family, but it is always fun working through the month with a birthday in each week.  Last week we had Lindsay's birthday and today we celebrate Hannah's ninth birthday.  We were remembering this week on our car ride home from Crescent City that my car is as old as Hannah because we bought it right before she was born.

Hannah takes after her father about 85% of the time and the remaining 15% I can attribute to my genes.  As a baby she was so picky and wouldn't take a bottle at all - she only wanted momma time.  As a toddler, she was a stubborn girl, often exclaiming, "Hannah do it" for many tasks she tried to complete.  And if you tried to help her, look out, she continued to tell you that "Hannah do it," until you got the picture.

Her big brown eyes melt even the strongest of wills, especially her father's, whenever she wants something to go her way.

She loves each one of her sisters and especially her brother, but she has a kindred spirit for Lindsay as they are often mistaken for twins because of their closeness.  If one is seperated from the other, the other has no idea what to do with herself.

She justs makes me smile everytime I'm around her and she is growing into such a wonderful young lady.  I love when she cooks with me in the evening or makes brownies now without any help.

Happy Birthday Hannah!

We love you so very much.

Another year older

Where did the time go?

I kissed her toes when she was a baby. .

I made sure Barney was there to snuggle with her at bedtime. .

Her eyes sparkled the summer we spent on the beach in Massachussets. .

I have watched her twirl around and around catching bubbles

I love seeing how many freckles adorn her cute button nose

and each year she just keeps getting more and more cuter. 

Happy 7th Birthday Lindsay!

We love you very much.

Just an average day

Our days have been quite chilly, downright "freezing" and the wind just keeps on blowing strong,  but that doesn't seem to stop the daffodils from blooming.  Signs of spring sneaking a peak at the world!  It is deceiving looking out the window each morning.  The sun streaming in our bedroom windows gives the impression that it is warm, until that is,  I walk outside.  Brisk, but bearable, I got out this morning, camera in hand, to capture all of our blooming daffodils.  It made me especially thankful for the beautiful creation that God has given us.  More especially that there is a time and a season for everything. . .

Chocolate muffins are on the menu for breakfast - a favorite of several in the clan.  Piano lessons and ballet are our agenda for today.  I think that an art drawing  of the flowers in the front beds should also accompany our learning for the day.  Home learning allows for just such a relaxed environment.  Hannah is reading "Ralph the Mouse," even though she thinks it is a "boy's book."

What turned out to be an evening dinner at my Dad's house, turned into receiving a surprise birthday present - he made me this absolutely gorgeous drying rack after I enviously (I almost hate to admit that I jealously coveted a drying rack) admired my step-mother's the last time we were over visiting.   It holds one full load of towels or clothing.  It is a goal of mine to wean ourselves off of our dependency upon electricity. Just one more step on my ladder of accomplishments to making my life more simplified.

Weekend Inspiration

One of the best parts of my weekend is spent reading my Saturday morning "weekend inspirations" from many of my favorite blogs.  They list great links to recipes, family, faith, crafting and lots more.

~Blogs~

Frugal Granola

Raising Olives

Recently, I have been feeling very burdened with feeding my family better food; whole foods, natural the way God intended us to feed our bodies with nourishment.  This burden was spurred on by an accidental placement of Joel Salatin's book, "Folks This Ain't Normal," into my Amazon cart by my dear hubby.  What was suppose to be a "wish list" book until I read some of his other books that our library holds, has turned into a diving board, so to say, into very deep, deep waters. 

Food is daunting to me.  My overwhelming feeling of ineptness, encompasses everything from what to grow, how to grow it, how to harvest it, how to store it, how to cook and process it and what it does to my body.  All I know is that I can't keep feeding my body corn, in the form of sugars, syrups, meat, and processed foods, nor can I sit idly by and feed my husband and children this junk.  The only way to make an impact is through my pocketbook - I determine what I buy and from where. I have a long uphill learning curve when it comes to food, from garden to table, but the results will be worth it. 

So with all this said, I came across a wonderful blog last night after reading (of all magazines) Martha Stewart Living.  I'm loving the look of the parsley root fries and cannot wait to try some of her other recipes. 

My New Roots

Enjoy your weekend!

Why didn't I think of this years ago

Photo credit

For years now I've been making our laundry detergent and have used various recipes from not only the Duggars, but online sources as well.  It usually sits in a large 50 gallon bucket in the laundry room, or hallway nearby.  This usually causes accidents of tripping over the bucket, or sometimes the bucket just happens to be in the way of opening and closing machine doors.  I do not have a large and spacious laundry room such as this one. . . .  but I can dream . . . .  . 



Photo source

So, imagine my surprise when I was flipping through my March Country Sampler magazine and I found a new way to make a large batch of laundry soap, but not have to store it in a 50 gallon bucket!


1.  Coarsely grate two bars of Fels-Naptha laundry soap into a 12-quart plastic dishpan and then add 4 quarts of boiling water.  Stir until the soap is dissolved.


2.  Add 5 quarts of hot water to the dishpan and stir in 2 cups of Borax and 2 cups of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda.


3.  Once dissolved, add hot water to the dishpan up to a few inches from the top, stir and let sit overnight - letting it sit for 48 hours is even better.


4.  After the mixture has gelled, chop it in to pieces with a metal spoon or spatula, fill a mixing bowl with pieces of it, and mix with a hand mixer until it reaches the consistency of mashed potatoes.  Repeat with remaining gel.


5.  Disperse the blended mixture evenly among 12 one-quart canning jars.  Top off the jars with a little water, cover, shake and store.  This is the concentrated form of the soap.


6.  To use the laundry soap, pour one jar into an empty liquid detergent bottle, add 2 quarts of water and shake well.  Use the bottle's cap to measure the laundry soap just as you would for the store-bought detergent; for high-efficiency washers, just use a little less.  It's thin, but it works!

Hannah had the most fun helping with making "mashed potatoes" with them before we filled them into the canning jars.  Now, I have 8 jars of concentrate which equals 8 bottles of laundry detergent for less than $3.00 - I cannot even coupon that amazing price!  Have you tried making laundry detergent?

It Sold!

Remember this table runner. . .

Well, it sold yesterday . . .  my very first sale from my Etsy store.  Needless to say I was thrilled!  I think I bounced off the wall for most of the morning.


Not wanting my store to be bare I rustled up the last of the burlap and created another table runner.  Don't you especially like the soft and delicate, paisley cotton flannel ruffle?  That's my favorite part.  So while the kids were busy early this evening putting together their valentine cards for our homeschool Valentine's Day party this week, the whir of my sewing machine could be heard from the back room as this new runner was put together.

I just might have to purchase some more burlap and make another one for my table. A big "thanks" to Emily for the paisley printed fabric! Be sure to check out the link to my store on the side bar!

I'm not perfect

When I Say I am a Christian

by Carol Wimmer

When I say..."I am a Christian"
I'm not shouting "I am saved"
I'm whispering "I was lost"
That is why I chose this way.
When I say..."I am a Christian"
I don't speak of this with pride.
I'm confessing that I stumble
And need someone to be my guide.

When I say..."I am a Christian"
I'm not trying to be strong.
I'm professing that I'm weak
And pray for strength to carry on.
When I say..."I am a Christian"
I'm not bragging of success.
I'm admitting I have failed
And cannot ever pay the debt.
When I say..."I am a Christian"
I'm not claiming to be perfect,
My flaws are all too visible,
But God believes I'm worth it.
When I say..."I am a Christian"
I still feel the sting of pain
I have my share of heartaches
Which is why I speak His name.
When I say..."I am a Christian"
I do not wish to judge.
I have no authority.
I only know I'm loved.


This beautiful poem came out of a book I read recently and I wanted to share it.  It is a heartwarming celebration of God through two women from vastly different lives, but through the grace of God, had their lives and hearts interwoven together.  I find myself intrigued by the Amish way of life - simply put - they live the simple life.  Their's is a way of life with no distractions, no information overload, no technological advances. . .  just simplicity.  They live off the land, cherish their family, work together in harmony and constantly give thanks to God for all of His provisions.  I thoroughly enjoyed the book and the humorous tales told by the two women.  What I found was that through their stories and life experiences they share a kindred spirit to the way they live life.   What interesting books do you have on your shelf?

Burlap Table Runner

source:  Country Living

I saw this and dreamed of the look on my table.  So, one evening, when my father sent a couple of yards of burlap home with my husband I got creative and this is what I created. . .

It is not to the exact image above, especially since one of the girls just pointed out while looking over my shoulder, "Mom, there is sugar on the table and George's booster seat on the chair," but then we all know I traded the "Beautiful Home" magazine look years ago for finger-print stained walls, sipee cups, loads and loads of laundry and smooshed down sofa cushions (from years of kids jumping on them) for my precious peas and I wouldn't change a thing.  I can add in little pieces of "Beautiful" in my home and that's the key word that I choose to embrace - "Home."  Through all the chaos - my home is PEACE for me.

Here is the best news of all - you can have one of these beautiful table runners because I created two and put one in my etsy shop * see the side bar for the link *.   and I promise there will be no peanut butter finger prints on your table runner!

May your day be blessed!

Michelle

Twenty-one again

Every year this man that I love, tells everyone he knows, "I'm twenty-one again,"  and every year that he tells this to someone it causes the children to have a quick math lesson.  They instantly chime in, quite frequently, with a "No, Dad that's NOT right."

You can see the wheels spinning in their minds and then a light bulb clicks on.  With a quick burst of wonder each spouts out - "Dad, you've been twenty-one for twenty-four years now."  He just chuckles like he always does when one of them surprises him with a witty remark.

Happy Birthday Sweetheart!  I'm looking forward to many more "twenty-ones" with you.  I love you very much.

Mint Tea

When my mint is not being consumed by the slugs in my front yard, it grows quite prolifically.  Amazingly, it is also continuing to grow through our mild winter months!  So, with that in mind I decided to try my hand at mint tea like the West Ladies teach on their "The Art of Herbs" DVD.

Since the mint is right outside my front door - quite handy if I say so myself - I gathered a rather large bunch of mint stalks (really just enough to cover the bottom of a medium sized bowl), pulling all the leaves off and putting them into a bowl.  I didn't take the time to measure the water in the bowl, nor do the West Ladies, so if I had to guess, it was probably 4 - 6 cups of cold water that was added to the bowl.

Here's the fun part, take your hands and squish the leaves down into the water.  There is not an exact "squishing" time to follow, so I quit when the water turned bright, minty green.

Get your pitcher ready . . . you'll need a piece of cheesecloth, larger than the top of your pitcher.  Strain the juice into the pitcher, catching all the leaves.  The best part of this, if that didn't make enough tea, you can go back to adding more water to the bowl and squishing the same leaves all over again.  Don't forget to compost the mint leaves once you are done with them.

Now I added about 2/3 cups honey and stirred really well.

The first taste was "WOW!"  I thought I had just swallowed a pack of mint gum.  It was very strong and not so appealing.  The frugal girl inside of me decided to let the tea sit in the refrigerator for awhile (before throwing in the towel by throwing the tea to my plants) and see if the mint and honey merged to make a more mellow "mint" taste. 

The next day turned out to be much better.  When I poured another glass, instead of "WOW" it was "OOOOH" that's really good and fresh tasting.  What a great way to use mint! 

Now, it's your turn - How have you used mint?

cold winter nights: snuggly quilt

Remember this sneak peak of a quilt square I was working on.  Well, it became this:

Our second oldest daughter loves Pirates of the Carribbean and now she has some pirates to snuggle up next to on those cold winter nights in Sparks.

Rejuvenation

So often we try to fit a mold, an idea, of what homeschooling should be, or could be, or looks like. Yet, it's not about a mold; it's rather about freedom, discovery and learning to do life.  We need to learn from veteran home school families - taking breaks is not cause for guilt or discouragement.   Just like in a garden – the soil must be left to rest and rejuvenate.   Everyone reaches a point where rest and a different approach are sorely needed. Sometimes the best way to rejuvenate yourself and your kids is to break the normal routine. 

1 — Take a look at your curriculum. Look at each of your kid’s work — is it too much? Is it too little?  Rest assured, its okay to switch curriculum in the middle of the year if it’s not working for your family.   Over our Christmas and New Year's break,  I take some time to look over the curriculum choices and then make the changes that are needed.   Sometimes, I add something new and fun, other times I drop the mundane work or the lessons that a child is not ready for yet. Although, I’ve never entirely switched everything in January before — knowing that I can gives me the freedom to choose what works best for the family.  Never base your curriculum choices on what other families are accomplishing – make sure your children are smiling after a school day, not frowning.  Some suggestions for a change of pace:

~ try lapbooks (A Journey Through Learning)
~ try a Charlotte Mason inspired nature walk (moments with mother culture) 

2 — Declutter.  Although this sounds like an “organizational tip” for the New Year, sometimes it might be just what your house needs in order to make schooling more enjoyable for all.  So, put down the schooling for a day and declutter!  First, go through the mounting piles of paperwork.  Sort, file and throw away any excess.  Next, consider moving on to the toys. Once again, get rid of the excess, the broken, and the missing pieces.  Finally, go through your school supplies weeding out the old markers, dead pens, pencils, and more.  My little ones love to spend time sharpening pencils – this is a fun activity that helps momma out immensely.  Make a game of “Search and Find” - go through the house and find a specific number of things to throw away and then that same amount of things to donate.  This makes decluttering even more fun.

3 — The Best plan is the one made not merely thought about.   Some of us are schedulers and some are not, yet just recently I created some new goals for our family for the upcoming year.  When you think about it, it really only takes a few minutes to jot down a Day’s Draft to the flow of your day.  I have not always homeschooled with a loose schedule.  My first year homeschooling looked so similar to a public school day, except that the kids were still in their pajamas and we were at the dining room table.  Over the years, I’ve found that I do like to have a general idea of what we’ll be doing or fieldtrips we’re going on. Take a look at your day’s plan and see if your schedule is working for the family.  Try something new:

~ begin the day with family devotions
~ Plan on attending a Home school convention in the spring – it will motivate you beyond words.
~spend the day learning and cooking together
~complete the afternoon school work first and then the morning school work
~create work stations in your home that the children rotate through, having some activities that they can accomplish without much assistance

4 — Rest.    Rest is so important, which is why in Matthew 11:28 - 30, God tells us to rest. . . Come unto Me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls.  For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light."
Make sure to take some time this week to sit and be still. Enjoy those children that you’re blessed to be able to homeschool.  Play a game, read a book, take a walk, and sit with them.  This is where our hearts and minds should be focused on – the eternal perspective of raising our children— the planning, scheduling, and decluttering can wait. Our family should be placed high on our priority list, but if you are weary, first rest your soul.  Your children want a well rested momma, not one who is foggily flowing through her days.