The Review Crew is talking about small business adventures this week, which is a topic near and dear to my heart. Our family’s small business is the reason I was able to leave my full time job and become a homeschooling mom. For the last 6 years, our small business has allowed my husband to work from home and spend more time with our family.
In addition to the small business that pays our bills, my children have run several small businesses of their own. They have sold fresh eggs from our chickens, homemade head bands, mowed lawns, and more to earn spending money and begin saving for a car and college expenses.
I have found that in addition to allowing them to have more spending money, small businesses are a great way for children to learn money management, math skills, responsibility, and other valuable life lessons. Often, they do not see the job as school, but it is some of the most educational time they spend in a day. It helps to prepare them for adulthood in ways a textbook never will.
A few weeks ago I had the privilege of speaking with my friend Shannon at The Stay at Home Family about how we helped our kids start a business. I hope that this interview is helpful in seeing the benefits of a small business and getting your child started in their own small business.
I would love to hear more about any small businesses that you or your children run. Share them in the comments or let me know what resources would be helpful for using a small business as a part of your homeschool. Check out the Review Crew blog to see what other Crew members wrote about their small business adventures.
Powered by Linky Tools
Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list…
Resource Library and Affiliate Disclosure
When you sign up for the Schoolin’ Swag free resource library you will get a link and password to the library, we are adding to the library each month with new items. You will also get a bi-weekly newsletter email to keep you up to date on what we have going on.
This post may contain affiliate or referral links, including Amazon affiliate links. As always I will never recommend a product that I don’t believe in and you will never be charged more for purchasing through our links. It does help pay for the costs associated with the blog.
I don’t know about you, but we’re only now coming off a very cold and wet spell of weather. Some of our local creeks and rivers are flooding and some roads are closed. We’re in a beautiful week right now though! During those cold, wet days we had to be a little creative to give everyone the opportunity to ‘burn off some energy.’
*Some link in this post are affiliate links, see full disclosure at the bottom of the post for more information*
Something about cold rainy days makes me want to snuggle on the couch with a good book and a mug of hot cocoa. That same weather seems to have the opposite effect on my young boys, they tend to get really energetic and seem to be bouncing off the walls inside the house before 9 am on a cold rainy day.
I have found that keeping them engaged in other activities helps all of us have a better day. Whether we break out the board games, do a little exercise, or spend time playing ‘farm’. The more engaged they are, the less pent up energy and destruction we see through the day.
Toddler/ Preschool Indoor Activities:
Balance Board (We adore the monkey balance board that is linked there but if you have older children, I have also heard good things about these balance boards.)
Bilibo Seat (We were blessed with the opportunity to try this out after a family member got them for Christmas. I love that it is light weight and easy to move around, but encourages active and creative play.)
Farm Toys (In our home, farm toys have stood the test of time. Each one of my children has spent hours playing with various farm toys. They set them up, move them around, make up stories to go along with them and more. This set is great for the preschool age group. )
Elementary Indoor Activities:
Fit2B Kids Workouts ( I love my Fit2B membership for my own workouts but on those cold rainy days when you can’t get out, it is a great solution for getting young kids to move in a productive manner. The workouts of fun and silly but get the wiggles out and help them learn healthy habits.)
Legos (Legos are another choice that have stood the test of time in our home. They allow for so much creativity while also working on fine motor skills and following directions. We enjoy kits for building specific things as well as mixed boxes that give them the opportunity to create their own projects.)
Brain Blox Wooden Planks (A house, a barn, a dock, a castle, a race track… these planks can become so many different things. They are a great way to get a child engaged. )
Dutch Blitz (This card game is so much fun and it is fast pace and gets you moving just a bit. It is great for any age, once they know their numbers. Even my teens enjoy a good game of Dutch Blitz.)
Teen Indoor Activities:
Trivial Pursuit (One of the best things about playing board games with teens is that they can handle games that are challenging and engaging even to the adults around them. There are various versions of trivial pursuit and you can choose one that fits the interests of your family.)
Ticket to Ride (This game is lots of fun for all ages and I enjoy playing it with our teens. My elementary age son can even join in the fun.)
National Parks Trivia (My son got this for Christmas and it has been a big hit! We love going to parks so he had some knowledge to get started with this game, but we are all learning more each time we play.)
I hope you are able to use some of these ideas in your home on those days when you can’t get outside. You can also check out this post for more rainy day fun. Don’t forget to check out all of the other indoor game ideas over at the Review Crew Blog.
Resource Library and Affiliate Disclosure
When you sign up for the Schoolin’ Swag free resource library you will get a link and password to the library, we are adding to the library each month with new items. You will also get a bi-weekly newsletter email to keep you up to date on what we have going on.
This post may contain affiliate or referral links, including Amazon affiliate links. As always I will never recommend a product that I don’t believe in and you will never be charged more for purchasing through our links. It does help pay for the costs associated with the blog.
Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew
Reviewing the PersonalFinanceLab Budgeting Game, Stock Market Game and integrated curriculum from PersonalFinanceLab.com was an easy decision. My 9th grade son was just finishing up a personal finance class and really interested in the topic and my 7th grade daughter had been asking questions about investing, her college fund, and other financial topics. We were excited to have a game they could play that would also help them learn more about those critical life skills.
There are three main parts to this program: Budget Game, Stock Market Game, and Curriculum. We used all three but focused on the two games and using family discussions to extend the learning as they were playing the games.
Budget Game
I started by setting up accounts in the budget game for both my 9th and 7th grade students. This game set the players up as college students with part time employment. As the administrator of the game, I could make changes to various expenses and situations. For example, the default budget had a car payment, but since my children already have plans to pay cash for a used car I took that payment out of the equation.
Once the game starts, the players have to pay the bills each month, decide how to spend their time (studying, working, playing), and deal with unexpected events (flat tire, medical bill, etc). Not only did the game keep track of the financial budget numbers but also looked at quality of life and other factors. This was to help students realize that working all the time would increase their budget but also decrease the time they had to study or the time they had with friends and family. It brought up some really good conversations about balance.
When I set up the game I was able to choose whether it stayed with the student/part time job or if I wanted them to graduate and move onto full time employment. I set it up to allow them to move onto full time employment so that they could learn more about the benefits and challenges that would face them as they begin their first full time jobs in a few years.
Thoughts and Opinions
Each ‘month’ in the budget game only took about fifteen or twenty minutes to complete and both of my children enjoyed playing. They also enjoyed competing to try and get the best results.
When talking to the children, my daughter mentioned that she learned about the difference between debit and credit cards and my son said he learned more about using a limited income and how unexpected expenses could affect your budget. They both said they would recommend the game for anyone ages 11-16 that was interested in learning more about how to handle their money.
Stock Market Game
My children enjoyed the budget game but I think it is safe to say, that the Stock Market Game was the family favorite. In addition to setting up accounts for the two children who did the budget game, I also set one up for my husband.
The children were so excited to compete against him in the game and it gave him a good chance to really try the game out and be able to discuss what they were learning. They are continuing to play the game, but currently my husband is in the lead! (Hopefully this bodes well for his ability to manage our retirement accounts.)
Each player started with $100,000. When I set up the challenge I could change what types of investments that they had available, how long the challenge would last, various rules for trading, and I could include assorted lessons and videos to help them understand the process and some of the terminology/trading concepts.
In the interest of honesty, I did not even fully understand some of the options I was giving them and how it all worked. While we hold mutual funds and other investments for retirement, I have never spent much time studying the stock market or looking at individual stocks or equities. However, set up was easy and they were provided with a lot of great information in the videos and lessons to help them more fully understand their options.
One of the first things that my husband noted was how realistic the platform was and how up to date the data was. We knew it was supposed to be based on real life data, but he would check it against the app he used on his phone to keep track of our investments and found it to match up well.
Thoughts and Opinions
I loved that the children were excited to play the game, and enjoyed checking it each day before we sat down to lunch or dinner so that they could discuss it with their dad. With the pandemic and political situations, the market has been a little volatile and it was a great chance for them to better understand how things could change quickly.
The children appreciated that there were a variety of different investments they could choose from, the competitive aspect of it, and that it used real stock prices.
They did think that it was a little bit challenging to figure it all out in the beginning because there was a lot of available information and options. However, both agreed that once they got going with it, it was easy to use and they want to continue to use it. They felt like the program was best for ages 11-up. It could even be used by an adult that wanted to learn more about investing and the stock market.
Curriculum
Since we were using this program as a fun game and a follow up to another personal finance course, I did not require my children to complete the entire curriculum. They did use several of the videos to get a better understanding of components they were not already familiar with. For example, they watched a video on different types of stocks. When I went in to set up the challenge, I could require which ever lessons that I wanted to and it was easy to set up.
If you wanted to use this as a full course, you could simply require the lessons and have a complete personal finance course. The lessons included both articles and videos on everything from navigating the program, trading stocks, credit score, and net worth. There were also different levels for lessons depending on your child’s age or experience.
Conclusions
Overall, this review was a huge success in our house. The children loved it and my husband and I felt like it was a great learning opportunity and opened up the doors to some great conversations. It is important to us that we give our children a good foundation in financial literacy as we prepare them for adulthood. This program was a great tool in working toward that goal.
If you are interested in learning more about the stock market or have a student that is ready to learn about budgeting or investing make sure to check out PersonalFinanceLab.com. You can also click on the graphic below to see how other families used these games in the homes.
While it is still officially winter, things on the homestead are ramping up for spring. We have had several new animal arrivals, new garden preparations, seeds ordered, and more. All of these preparations along with what feels like 40 days and 40 nights of rain, have me longing for spring.
New Arrivals:
Over the winter we had our laying hens, ducks, and guinea along with two goats. However, with the coming spring and in preparation for spring livestock and chicken shows, our numbers are growing. We recently got six new baby chicks for the spring chicken show. Each of my older three children are responsible for two of the chicks and they will each choose one to show in late April.
Next, we put our two livestock show pigs on the ground a couple weeks ago. My two older boys will feed, water, and train these pigs until the April livestock show. There they will be judged on how they handle the pig as well as the pig itself. There are several options after the show, but our pigs go to a local meat processor in order to fill our freezers with most of the pork we need for the year.
Finally, my daughter got a new goat for the spring show. Since the two goats that she keeps year round are Houdini and Wilhelmina (after Harry Houdini and his wife), she decided to name this cute little one, Theo. Theo was Harry Houdini’s younger brother. She will care for the goat and train the goat until the April show and possibly the fall livestock shows. After she is done showing him, she will find him a good permanent home, since we do not have the space to keep adding a new goat each year.
Garden Updates:
My husband and I have a running joke that he bought me dirt for Valentine’s Day. That might seem like a slight to some, but I was actually really excited. He got me exactly what I asked for, two raised garden beds and some topsoil to fill them. We have been gardening for years, but the sandy soil that is in our yard makes it a challenge. I am excited to try out the raised beds with more fertile soil and see if we can increase our yields.
He purchased all of the materials and worked with my oldest son to build the beds and fill them with topsoil. We also had enough topsoil left over to amend our current garden as well!
Coming Soon:
The weather is still a bit cool for most crops and the rain of the last few weeks has made it too wet to plant even the things that are seasonal. However, if it dries out a little next week we should be able to get carrots and a few greens planted.
Next month, we should be able to plant many spring crops including carrots, parsnips, spinach, lettuce, kale, and potatoes. We also have a variety of peppers, tomatoes, and eggplant seeds started indoors to transplant once the weather is warm.
We are also getting ready to add some more turkeys to the homestead next month. The first round will be just for meat and then at the beginning of summer we will get turkey poults for the fall turkey show.
Conclusions
This is a busy but fun time on the homestead. We are working hard to get ready for spring and learning a lot in the process. My oldest son in spending some time this year working out some challenges in several homestead ideas so that he might be able to expand into a bit of a small business next year, I am creating an agriculture class for his sophomore year, and my six-year-old has big plans to help me with the raised beds.
Are you growing anything in your yard or working with any livestock?
Resource Library and Affiliate Disclosure
When you sign up for the Schoolin’ Swag free resource library you will get a link and password to the library, we are adding to the library each month with new items. You will also get a bi-weekly newsletter email to keep you up to date on what we have going on.
This post may contain affiliate or referral links, including Amazon affiliate links. As always I will never recommend a product that I don’t believe in and you will never be charged more for purchasing through our links. It does help pay for the costs associated with the blog.
Deals and Freebies
It might feel a little early (or cold) to be thinking about Easter, but it will be here soon! If you are looking for a great study to do with your children in preparation for Easter, today is the last day to get 40% off of this new study by Proverbial Homemaker with Tauna Meyer Just use Code: HEISRISEN
Did you get a chance to watch the Mars Rover land this week or have a child that just loves learning about space? This Space unit study is on sale from now through Sunday for only $5!
The Review Crew is talking about “A Day in the Life of a Homeschooler” this week. One of the things I love most about homeschooling is that each day can be different. We have lots of flexibility and can adapt our school around our life and not life around school.
For us that means that several days a week we try to focus on our academic book work, but that other days might be learning animal science by training for our local livestock show or the state poultry judging competition.
Other days that might mean dressing up in their historical costumes to help teach a zoom history lesson or Pre-COVID even help teach field trip groups at our local historic site.
Many days it involves something in the kitchen. Learning fractions with cookies, cooking a historic meal, or snacks that match the letter of the day.
Then we can’t forget the music! It might be a fun SQUILT lesson, their daily music lessons, or just a family practice session. There is always something fun when it comes to music time.
Here are a few fun pictures of some of our various homeschool days! We love the flexibility and opportunity to turn any day or event into a learning opportunity. What do your homeschool days look like?
What do your homeschool days look like? Do your days tend to be the same or is there a lot of variety? What is your favorite part of the day? Be sure to check out what all of the other Crew Members had to say here.
Resource Library and Affiliate Disclosure
When you sign up for the Schoolin’ Swag free resource library you will get a link and password to the library, we are adding to the library each month with new items. You will also get a bi-weekly newsletter email to keep you up to date on what we have going on.
This post may contain affiliate or referral links, including Amazon affiliate links. As always I will never recommend a product that I don’t believe in and you will never be charged more for purchasing through our links. It does help pay for the costs associated with the blog. Deals and Freebies
This week the Homeschool Review Crew is discussing the winter blues. So, I wanted to share with you a few tips I’ve learned over the years for staving off the winter blues.While certainly not everyone deals with the winter blues, it is not uncommon for people to feel sad or depressed during the winter. For homeschoolers, school might seem to be dragging on and boring. I remember from grade school, the stretch from New Year’s to Easter seemed to drag on forever. Those three months, at the time without a federal holiday, were in stark contrast to all of November and Decembers diversions. The tedium of the same schedule, coupled with shorter days and cooler seemed to sap the energy from everyone. You might lack motivation or just be ready for a change. Today, I am going to share some tips to help out your home in general and your homeschool.
*Some links in this post are affiliate links, see disclosure below for more information.*
Sunlight
Between shorter days and often colder temperatures, we often get less sunlight than in other months. If I am being honest, several days can go by without me getting outside in the sunlight at all during the colder months. (I don’t even live where it gets super cold.) However, when I can get outside into the sunshine for at least 20-30 minutes a day, I feel so much better. I notice a distinct improvement in my own attitude when we make the effort to go outside. It also helps the children’s attitudes. So I encourage you, whenever possible and even if you have to bundle up and your face is the only thing really getting any sunshine, try to get outside for a few minutes each day. Some northern cultures even supplement indoor playtime with artificial lighting, like those used in tanning beds, to simulate some of that sunshine experience. Plus there’s definitive health benefits in Vitamin D production.
Flowers
This one sounds superficial, but honestly having flowers in my house during the winter can really brighten my mood. They do not need to be expensive flowers, but that little bit of fresh color makes me smile and brightens my day. I tend to either buy a small potted flower that will last for several months or I buy the $4 or $5 bouquet of flowers from the grocery store. Those tend to last 2-3 weeks. I put mine on the kitchen table so that I see it every time I go into the kitchen, but you could put flowers wherever you would find them to be the most helpful.
Change of Scenery
Sometimes a change of scenery can make a huge difference in how we feel or how our homeschool day goes. I know that during the winter and especially this winter with all of the COVID restrictions, it can seem challenging to find a change of scenery. Many of our typical field trip locations are closed or very restricted. However, it can be something simple. You might choose a warmer day and go take a hike or do school at the park. If it is open in your location you could go to the library for a little while. You might not even leave home, maybe you move your read aloud into your living room in front of a fireplace, or take school onto your porch. Sometimes just changing things up a little bit can make a big difference.
Get Moving
In the interest of full disclosure, this might be the one that I struggle with the most. I know it makes a big difference but between cold weather and busy schedules I often lack the necessary motivation. However, when I do get moving I know that it makes me feel better and gets our day going in the right direction. I find that movement works well for both myself and the children. Whenever possible, the children spend several hours a day outside playing, tending their animals, and get in a lot of natural movement. I have to be much more intentional about getting myself moving. I find that my best days are typically the ones where I get up, turn on one of my Fit2B workouts, and make myself exercise a bit before starting my day. Even when I choose one of the short 10-15 minute workouts, it improves my attitude and the brain fog. On days when it is too cold or rainy to go outside, or when we just need a little change of pace in the middle of the day, I put on one of the kids workouts and do it with my younger two children. It has the power to turn a bad day around.
Unit Study/Electives
Winter can sometimes leave us wanting something different during our homeschool days. Some years we have needed to make a full switch because curriculum was not really working, but often we just need to add in a little fun to help us through the slump. This might be done by taking a week off of normal studies and diving into an interest driven unit study. Sometimes we keep all of our normal curriculum and just add in a fun elective that everyone can look forward to. This might be something we do as a family or each child might pick something that interests them. Since we have a membership at SchoolhouseTeachers.com, it doesn’t cost us extra for them to pick up a an elective and give it a try. In addition to full year courses, they have lots of short studies that can be just right for adding excitement, and a little enrichment, into our homeschool day. For example, my daughter enjoys photography and can take one of their photograph courses. My son might prefer to try the violin course or architecture. You could also add a bit of music with lessons from SQUILT or even just their daily listening calendar. You could start your morning off with just that few minutes of music to change the tone of the day. If you have a student that enjoys art you could add in some fun winter or literature themed lessons from ChalkPastel.com. Changing things up just a little bit can help bring back the interest and motivation that will keep you going until spring time.
Conclusions
I hope that you found these tips and tricks for dealing with the winter blues helpful. I would love to hear your suggestions in the comments. Don’t forget to hope on over to the Review Crew page to check out all of the other posts about winter blues.
Resource Library and Affiliate Disclosure
When you sign up for the Schoolin’ Swag free resource library you will get a link and password to the library, we are adding to the library each month with new items. You will also get a bi-weekly newsletter email to keep you up to date on what we have going on.
This post may contain affiliate or referral links, including Amazon affiliate links. As always I will never recommend a product that I don’t believe in and you will never be charged more for purchasing through our links. It does help pay for the costs associated with the blog.
The Review Crew is sharing about winter themed crafts this week! With that in mind, and in honor of the fact that there is a chance of snow this week, a rare event indeed here in Eastern North Carolina, I am excited to share a few snow and winter themed crafts that you can do with your children. Some of these are crafts we have already done and a few are crafts that I want to try this winter. I have tried to include crafts and art projects that work for a variety of ages and interests.
*Some links in this post are affiliate links, see disclosure below for more details*
Winter Birch Trees (This painting is lots of fun and turns out beautifully.)
Clay Polar Bear (This could be good for any ages, though older children will probably achieve a more realistic bear. You could even incorporate a lesson on polar bears. )
Snow Themed Crafts
Name Snowman (These are a great way for young students to work on spelling their name. We did this with cotton rounds instead of paper.)
Paper Snowflakes (If you are like us and rarely have snow, these make for a easy way to create your own.)
Painting Snow (For those that have snow, you can create an outdoor painting in the snow.)
Groundhogs Day Crafts
Groundhog Pancakes (Technically this is food and not a craft but it is fun to create and then get to eat them.)
Homemade Valentine’s (Use whatever materials you have to create cards for important people in your life. We love making cards for grandparents, aunts, friends, and even folks in the nursing home that might be lonely. )
Valentine’s String Art (The simpler patterns could be great to work on fine motor skills with younger student, and the more complex ones make a great project for older students.)
Lego Heart Challenge (I know I’m not the only one with Legos in the house. Even my teen son will enjoy this project.)
I hope you get a chance to try some of these fun winter themed craft projects. I would love for you to share your favorite winter themed crafts in the comments. Make sure that you head over to the Review Crew page and check out all of the other winter themed craft ideas. If you’re all crafted out and looking for a little read aloud there’s a chapter in Heroes Next Door that’s winter themed, too.
Resource Library and Affiliate Disclosure
When you sign up for the Schoolin’ Swag free resource library you will get a link and password to the library, we are adding to the library each month with new items. You will also get a bi-weekly newsletter email to keep you up to date on what we have going on.
This post may contain affiliate or referral links, including Amazon affiliate links. As always I will never recommend a product that I don’t believe in and you will never be charged more for purchasing through our links. It does help pay for the costs associated with the blog.
Journey Homeschool Academy is offering sale if you need a new science program! We love their high school programs and plan to try their elementary astronomy next year.
This is a great resource for lots of amazing printable materials from pre-k to 12th grade and they are offering 40% of lifetime access.
It is no secret that 2020 was a crazy year for most people, and honestly 2021 does not appear to be settling down. As I spent time in prayer about what I needed to focus on this year, it became clear that I needed to really lean into ‘Trust’. I know that I can trust God but I need to spend time making sure I actually put it into practice. As a part of my desire to focus on trusting the Lord, I have decided to include several hymns that focus on trust in our lineup this year.
*This post may contain affiliate links, please see disclosure below for more information*
Hymn Story
This month we will be studying Trust and Obey, written by John H. Sammis. It is most often sung to the tune written by Daniel Brink Towner. It was first published in 1887. According to Ira Sankey, a young man at a testimony meeting led by Dwight Moody, “I am not quite sure but I am going to trust, and I am going to obey.” Sankey then sent a note and that quote to John H. Sammis who was a Presbyterian minister. From that note he wrote the hymn that we now know as Trust and Obey.
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
Scripture
There are many scripture verses in the Bible that talk about trusting and obeying God. A few that tie in really well to this particular hymn are Proverbs 16:20, 1 John 5:2-3, Matthew 11:29-30. These would be great verses to memorize or use as copywork.
Activities
In addition to listening to a variety of versions of this song (make sure to check out some of our favorites below), I have created free printable copywork sheets with the hymn lyrics. In order to build upon the idea of trusting God, you can make a list of things you are thankful for and ways that God has already been faithful to your family. This hymn can also be a good starting point for discussions on times when we have to obey God even though it is hard.
Another fun way to help your children remember the hymn is to have your children learn to play the hymn on a musical instrument. You could choose any instrument your child already plays, or if they are new to learning an instrument you might start with the recorder as an inexpensive and easy to play option.
We hope you enjoy this hymn study and find comfort in the words of this classic hymn through whatever trials come your way.
When you sign up for the Schoolin’ Swag free resource library you will get a link and password to the library, we are adding to the library each month with new items. You will also get a bi-weekly newsletter email to keep you up to date on what we have going on.
This post may contain affiliate or referral links, including Amazon affiliate links. As always I will never recommend a product that I don’t believe in and you will never be charged more for purchasing through our links. It does help pay for the costs associated with the blog.
This week the Review Crew is talking about homeschooling during the winter. For some of you, winter is a time when it is challenging to get outside because of the weather. For others, it might be a very busy time of year. Sometimes the winter can prove long and maybe stir up spring fever for some families.
* Some links in this post are affiliate links, see disclosure below for more information. *
For our family, winter tends to be a time when we can really dig into our schoolwork. Once the holidays are over we often have more time at home to focus on getting schoolwork done. Our normal park days and home school hikes slow down during the winter months and provide us with an opportunity to spend more time at home.
Focused Time
We know that when spring arrives, the activities will pick back up, the children will want to spend lots of time outside, and we will want a break from being home. This is an incentive for us to work hard and stay focused during the winter so that we have plenty of flexibility in the spring.
In addition to being sure that we are making good progress in our regular curriculum, the extra time at home often gives us an opportunity to get in some extra read aloud time and focus on all the fun extras like art and music that sometimes get pushed to the side when things are busy.
If you are looking to add art you can try snow painting if you have snow. You can also check out this fun winter lamp post lesson, which is perfect if you also happen to be reading The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. Nana, over at You Are An Artist has an entire course of winter themed art lessons.
Snow Fun
We live in a climate where snow is a fairly rare occurrence (maybe once or twice in a year and sometimes not at all). When we are lucky enough to have a little snow, we stop our regular schooling for a bit of snow school. We take nature walks, read books about snow, do snow art, and anything else we can do to enjoy the snow.
Overall, winter tends to be a time for us to slow down on activities outside of the home, and focus on productive school work and great books. What does homeschooling in the winter look like for your family? Be sure to check out all of the other ideas from the Review Crew here.
Resource Library and Affiliate Disclosure
When you sign up for the Schoolin’ Swag free resource library you will get a link and password to the library, we are adding to the library each month with new items. You will also get a bi-weekly newsletter email to keep you up to date on what we have going on.
This post may contain affiliate or referral links, including Amazon affiliate links. As always I will never recommend a product that I don’t believe in and you will never be charged more for purchasing through our links. It does help pay for the costs associated with the blog.
Feel like you need core or pelvic floor PT and Rehab but don’t want to go in person or find the costs prohibitive? Kelly over at the Tummy Team is having a huge sale TODAY Only for her birthday. You can get 49% off of memberships, courses, and more. Their programs were life changing for me and I highly recommend them.
My goal for 2021 is to read at least 52 books and have that be a good mix of fiction and non-fiction. Last week I shared some of the fun fiction books that I read in 2020 or plan to read in 2021. Today I want to share some of the non-fiction books that I loved from 2020 and a few that are on my list for 2021.
*This post contains affiliate links, see disclosure below for more information*
Homeschooling
Awaking Wonder is a homeschooling book written by one of my favorite authors, Sally Clarkson. It is not a book that recommends certain curriculum or exact procedures. Rather it is a book that shares how Sally and her husband sought to inspire and nurture their children through a wonder filled life.
Dumbing Us Down John Gatto is a book I had been hearing about but never got around to reading. It discusses the problems with public education and why home education is a great alternative. I have decided this is going to be one of the first books I purchase this year.
Lessons at Blackberry Inn is the sequel to Pocketful of Pinecones. I have also had this one on my list for awhile, but it was out of print and thus very expensive. However, I found this second edition which was much more economical. This book and Pocketful of Pinecones are written in story format for a fun easy read but they include lots of tips and ideas for Charlotte Mason style homeschooling and Mother Culture.
Sensibility and Education is not a book I would have picked out on my own. It was written by Haruko Katoaka and was recommended to me because my children are taking Suzuki music lessons.
Better Together is a great book by Pam Barnhill that helps parents create and incorporate a ‘morning time’ into their homeschooling day. If you have been struggling to make morning time work, or you are searching for a way to bring your children together to learn, this book is a great resource.
Christian Life
Mama Bear Apologetics by Hillary Morgan Ferrer, equips moms to share their biblical beliefs with their children and help teach their children to be able to see through popular cultural lies. In a world that feels increasingly resistant to Christian principals I think it is vital that our children have a good foundation. While we already share our beliefs and train our children in biblical truth, I am looking forward to more ideas geared towards helping them see the lies and half-truths of popular culture.
Life Together will be the first book I have read by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. I have read several books about his life and service and greatly admire him. Therefore, I am excited to be reading one of his books. This book is written about his time in an underground seminary during the time of Nazi power in Germany. The book is designed to encourage and help people build real Christian fellowship.
Walk it Out is written by Tricia Goyer. I have read several of her other books and I am excited to read this one. The purpose of this book is to help women actually ‘walk out’ the mandates of scripture. The book helps women look beyond what is easy and safe and focus on God’s plans for our lives.
Parenting
Will They Stand is a new book by Ken Ham that shares a message about raising strong believers and helping the next generation face cultural adversity. I am looking forward to the chance to read this one.
Parenting Beyond the Rules is a great book for parents of teens or those looking forward to the teen years. Connie Albers does a great job sharing ways to help develop a strong relationship with your teenage children. I have a 14-year-old son and a daughter who just turned 13, so I am soaking up all the wisdom I can for these exciting but challenging teen years.
Biographies and Government
The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas are Setting Up a Generation for Failure, is a book that calls out both the ‘left’ and the ‘right’ for how our society has started shutting out real discussion and trying to criminalize differing ideas. I am currently reading this and so far I highly recommend it. I don’t necessarily agree with all of their conclusions but I think they have some really important truths for such a time as this.
My Grandfather’s Son is a memoir and autobiography about Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. I am trying to start adding in a few biographies both for my continued learning and because my son loves to read biographies.
In the Land of the Blue Burqas tells the story of Kate McCord (Pseudonym) and her time sharing Christ in Afghanistan over the course of five years. I am looking forward to learning more and getting a more personal account of this missionary and what it was like to share the gospel in a place that is so hostile to the gospel. I expect it will be a difficult book in some ways, but also a book that will grow and stretch me.
Those are just a few of the non-fiction books that I hope to read this year as I work my way towards a goal of 52 books. I would love to hear what books you are enjoying or if you have any reading goals for 2021. Be sure to check out the reading goals of the other Review Crew members here.
Resource Library and Affiliate Disclosure
When you sign up for the Schoolin’ Swag free resource library you will get a link and password to the library, we are adding to the library each month with new items. You will also get a bi-weekly newsletter email to keep you up to date on what we have going on.
This post may contain affiliate or referral links, including Amazon affiliate links. As always I will never recommend a product that I don’t believe in and you will never be charged more for purchasing through our links. It does help pay for the costs associated with the blog.
The Schoolin' Swag Blog 