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Gratitude is always in season, but especially so in the month of November. Enjoy these FREE Gratitude Kindle ebooks for Kids! Prices can change at any time, so always check before you purchase
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Could your family use an extra $500 this holiday season? Be sure to enter the Giveaway at the end of this post!
I love love love printable Advent activity calendars & countdowns. They are a simple way to add beauty to my home and they help focus our minds on what really matters during the Christmas season. I’ve gathered up some of my favorite Free Printable Advent Calendars & Countdowns for you to use with your family.
I created a simple Nativity Story Countdown for little ones to color.
The Loyola Press Advent Calendar has short suggestions for prayer, activity, or reflection.
Non Dairy Diary has a precious Printable House Advent Calendar with 25 windows that open to reveal Christmas pics.
The Full Routly illustrated a Printable Nativity Advent.
Happy Home Fairy has Printable Bible Verse Advent Cards that follow the story of the birth of Jesus.
KC Edventures has 100 Printable Activities to slip into your advent pocket calendar.
Glue a cotton ball beard on this Santa Advent Calendar at Activity Village.
These beautiful Christmas Story Advent Cards can be found at Red Bird Blue.
Build an Advent Christmas Tree out of boxes that you print at Powerful Mothering.
Passionate Penny Pincher has Printable Advent Scripture Tags to clip onto paper bags.
I have a Hands On Printable Nativity Story over at Blessed Beyond a Doubt.
The Practical Perfectionista has a list of 25 Christ-Centered Traditions.
The American Patriette has a gorgeous Scripture Countdown to hang.
Woo!jr has a colorful Advent Christmas Village to assemble.
The Benson Street has a Scripture and Carols printable and a Scripture and Questions printable.
Lily & Thistle has a lovely Watercolor Advent Calendar to paint.
Giveaway
2020 has been quite a year, hasn’t it? It’s definitely been one for the books and one we will likely never forget. We have made it to the holiday season – a time for gratitude, togetherness, and celebration. And to celebrate the holiday season and the year 2020 coming to an end, I’ve teamed up with some of my favorite bloggers for the 7th annual Christmas Blessings Giveaway with the hopes of making this holiday season even more memorable (in a good way) for TWO families by giving away $500 in Paypal cash to each family.
While we wish we could bless many more families, we were able to come up with a big prize for TWO families – $500 each (delivered via Paypal) – that we pray will make a big difference in their lives this Christmas season – whether it’s to fulfill their kids’ Christmas wishes, pay off some bills, or to help build some savings, our prayer is that it helps to lessen any financial burden and/or fills a specific need, or simply brightens your day.
There are lots of entry options in the Rafflecopter form below – the more you enter, the better your chance of winning! I know it can seem tedious and time consuming to go through all the entries, but isn’t a chance at $500 worth it? I think it is! Plus, all of these amazing bloggers donated their own money toward the cash prizes, so this giveaway wouldn’t be possible without them. I hope you’ll take the time to check out each one. Who knows, maybe you will find some new blogs to follow.
The giveaway will run from Monday, November 16th through Wednesday, November 25th (ends at 11:59pm EST). Winner will be notified by email shortly after the giveaway ends and will have 48 hours to respond to claim the prize or another winner will be drawn. You must have a Paypal account to win. By entering this giveaway, you agree to be added to the email lists of the participating bloggers. Please be sure to read the Rafflecopter terms and conditions upon entering.
I HOPE YOU WIN!!
Looking for more Christmas activities?
Find all of my Christmas posts HERE!
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I’ve opened up my Homeschool Family Deals & Steals Facebook group again. This has been a hard year for many people and I want to help you stretch those dollars heading into the holidays. Whether you are looking to stock your homeschool shelf or gift closet, I’m sharing great ideas for all ages!
Here’s a peak at some recently shared deals:
Come on over and join the fun!
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Many of us are going Back to School this month! These FREE August assignment sheets will add an element of fun to your new school days.
{Click on each pic to download}
Feel free to share, but please link to this post and not to the files.
View my Printable Assignment Sheet Collection
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We are heading into our 18th!! year of homeschooling. We’ve successfully graduated two daughters, ages 22 & 20, and they now work for my husband. Our students are going into 11th (ds), 9th (dd), and 5th (dd). I love planning for a new year and putting all of the curriculum pieces together. I still have to work out extra-curriculars, but our core subjects are ready to go.
Here is our 2019-2020 Homeschool Curriculum Plan:
~*History*~ group work
We have always done history as a group, with different levels of assignments. I usually piece it together using various free history resources. I came across a fantastic (not free) resource during my research that will be the anchor of our history plan this year – The Giant American History Timeline. I bought the pdf version from the website. I will assign a few of these timeline notebook pages each week, along with books to read and a variety of online activities (videos, games, articles). Are you interested in me sharing what we use as we go along? If YES, leave me a comment.
These are some of the helpful resources I’m using:
- TruthQuest American History I
- U Read Thru History free curriculum plan
- Fields of Daisies American History free curriculum plan
~*Writing*~ group work
My gang does not care too much for boring writing assignments that have no purpose, but they willingly do the activities in The Writer’s Jungle by Brave Writer. Check out my review if you want to learn more about this guide for teaching writing.
~*Bible*~
My girls and I will be studying I & II Corinthians through Community Bible Study. I’m not sure what my son will be doing yet, but I might have him work through this Basic Apologetics course from the C. S. Lewis Institute. I would take the info from the study guide and put it into worksheet format. I’m also considering 52 Major Stories of the Bible.
~*11th Grade*~
- Foundations in Personal Finance by Dave Ramsey
- Guest Hollow Chemistry in the Kitchen
- Total Language Plus Lit Guides
~*9th Grade*~
~*5th Grade*~
You might be interested in these homeschool planning posts:
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It is important for kids to know the basics of a health economy and to understand the different types of systems in our world. I usually assign this as a 1-semester course during 12th grade. Choose a FREE Homeschool Economics Curriculum from this list of great resources.
Updated 7/31/21
Lessons for the Young Economist
Foundation for Teaching Economics
Teaching Economics Using Children’s Literature
Principles of Economics – college course
If you are looking to purchase a Homeschool Economics course, check out my review of Principles and Precepts of Economics that I used for my daughter.
I think my son will be using Economics for Everybody by R. C. Sproul, Jr., and Whatever Happened to Penny Candy? – an Uncle Eric book.
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Hi friends! You might have noticed that you haven’t heard much from me this past year. I usually take a few weeks off from blogging around the holidays, but those few weeks turned into many months!
About a year ago, it really hit me hard that my kids are getting older and we have precious little time left with all of them at home. I realized that the years were rapidly slipping through my fingers. I decided to be very intentional about our remaining time together and soak up every minute.
On top of that, I figured out that I have adrenal fatigue. The last 7 years of life have been extremely stressful. I did not have any systems in place to deal with it, so the overwhelming anxiety of it all left my body stripped of the defenses it needed to keep me healthy.
All of this meant BIG changes for me. I had to figure out how to get off the crazy train. I had to stop saying Yes to allllllllll the things and start saying Yes to what was best for my family.
I am always telling people that you have to put the tools in your mental toolbox that you need to get through the day. I have spent the last year working on these changes, and I hope these ideas are helpful to you!
First things first:
Pray – Ask God to guide you and show you what is best for your family.
- read your Bible faithfully
- pray about your day – that God will order your day & help you speak words of grace to your family
- ask God to help you not worry about things out of your control
- find a verse to remind you of Truth on the hard days
Not a person of faith? Spend some time deep in thought about your life. What is working? What is broken? What is in your control to fix? What can you let go?
Take Charge of Your Health – You cannot function with a rundown body. We all know this is important, yet it slips through the cracks of a busy day. Write yourself a note. Set a reminder on your phone. Do whatever it takes to make these a priority.
- drink water
- take vitamins
- eat healthy food
- move your body
- get enough sleep
- rest when you need to – don’t just keep pushing through until you collapse
One thing I discovered is that sugar greatly affects my anxiety. It inhibits my ability to step back from a stressful situation and think rationally about it. Even a little bit of processed sugar will stoke my anxiety fire and I will work myself up into a state of overwhelming fear.
Take a hard look at your YES and NO – Only take on what you enjoy or what you have to do. I had to take a hard look at what I needed to be doing vs. what others thought I needed to be doing.
I said Yes to homeschooling, current church responsibilities, and spending time with my family. This meant I said No to lots of good things because they weren’t good-for-me things. Things like:
- church activities that took me away from my family
- elaborate homeschool plans that would end in frustration because I couldn’t keep up
- organizing a mom’s book club for the summer
- hosting friend events for holidays
- volunteer work that I didn’t feel called to do
- blogging – I love sharing with you, but it wasn’t a priority during this time of restructuring (I am a hobby blogger & don’t rely on it for income)
What causes you anxiety? Say no to any non-important things that will trigger those feelings. Remember that this is only temporary. Put some white space into your life so that you can hear yourself think. You will eventually start to notice what brings you joy and what sucks the life out of you.
Get a grip on your emotions. Put your big girl panties on. Your brain is sometimes a liar, telling you stuff like:
- That’s too hard!
- You’ll never get it right!
- What will people think?
- What if you mess up?
- They will be so disappointed!
Learn to recognize when you are struggling, and have a system in place to combat it. Ask yourself some questions:
- What is the reality of this situation?
- What is the worst that can ACTUALLY happen? (NOT the worst scenario you can dream up)
- Am I REALLY the only one who can do this?
- Are my feelings based on facts or fear?
Don’t Fix Other People’s Problems – This is the most liberating thing that I have learned this past year. Listen to me: You don’t have to fix everyone’s problems just because you can! My personality is one that says “I can help you fix that”, even when no one is asking for help. I’m working on not getting involved in another person’s decision-making process unless they specifically ask for my advice. This includes my children!! I realized that I was projecting my anxieties onto my kids and undermining their confidence every time I asked if they had considered this-or-that. The first few times were hard, but now I take great delight in letting others make their own (sometimes dumb, but not dangerous) choices.
Simplify Homeschool – It’s okay to read books and fill out worksheets this year instead of designing elaborate unit studies. Watch Netflix documentaries or YouTube videos. Don’t bother with co-ops or field trips unless your family loves those things. Designate one day a week as Homeschool in Your Pajamas Day.
We do a 4-day school week with our core subjects. Friday is reserved for cleaning house, nature study, and finishing up any leftover school work. This schedule gives us breathing room to stay caught up on household duties without sacrificing precious family time with Daddy on the weekends.
KISS – Keep It Simple Sweetie – What can you do to build some space into your schedule when life is hectic? Some of these suggestions are only helpful if you have more money than time. I understand what it is like to be on a very tight budget – been there, done that – so take some time to brainstorm solutions that will work for you. Pinterest is your friend!
- use paper plates for breakfast & lunch to cut down on dirty dishes
- double the recipe on favorite meals & freeze one for later
- grocery shop at only 1-2 stores
- order gifts online
- simplify parties & celebrations
- break big projects (like decluttering) into bite-size tasks and then just do SOMETHING every day
Choose the 3 most important things on your To Do list that you need to get done each day. Consider it a successful day if you accomplish those things, even if you didn’t touch the rest of the list.
Do something that you enjoy. Find a peaceful spot in your home where you can retreat for a few minutes to rest. Fill your home with scents that make you happy. Open the curtains and let in the sunshine. Read some of those free eBooks that have been on your Kindle for ages.
Finally, don’t be afraid to get professional help. Maybe your problems run deeper than this little list can fix. Don’t be ashamed of that!
Sweet Homeschool Mama, you are not alone and you can do it!!
I plan to start puttering around this blog again as I have time, so leave a comment and let me know what kind of new content you would like to see!
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Do you have a child who loves workbooks? I do! My youngest has enjoyed filling in colorful pages since she was little bitty. I would buy her workbooks from the dollar store when she was a toddler so she could do “school” like her older siblings.
I have to admit that I am a bit of a workbook fan myself, but I try to limit the use of them in our home because so many of them are just busywork. That is not the case with the Reading Eggs Essential Reading Skills Workbooks. They cover one important reading skill each day in lessons that only take about 15 minutes.
Before I tell you all about the content of these workbooks, let’s just stop and talk about how lovely they are for a minute. These are no dollar store workbooks! The paper is thick and filled with colorful images, and the heavy-duty cover can stand up to daily use.
Online Learning
You are probably familiar with the popular Reading Eggs site, a multi-award winning online reading program for children aged 2–13. It was the catalyst that took my daughter from a struggling reader to a fluent one a couple of years ago. Something just clicked as she played the fun reading games!
The Essential Skills Workbooks are a companion to that website. This curriculum covers reading comprehension, spelling, and grammar – 200 reading skills in each level!
Each of the short daily lessons focuses on one essential skill. Here are a few of the skills covered in the 4th grade book:
- Main Idea
- Sequencing
- Analyzing Character Actions
- Making Inferences
- Prefixes
- Suffixes
- Parts of Speech
- Punctuation
Reading Skills the Easy Way
I’m going to get real here and share something that maybe you feel too, but don’t have the courage to say out loud:
I DON’T WANT TO SPEND A HUGE CHUNK OF TIME ON GRAMMAR AND READING SKILLS!
Yes, they are super important … but a little can go a long way. I love how these lessons are simple while still providing lots of depth.
Some of them are also a bit quirky. The fictional stories for the comprehension lessons are pretty twaddle-y (in case that is important to you). We tend to stay away from silly literature when it comes to schoolwork, but I’m willing to give that a pass for these short lessons because I would rather hear giggles than groans.
You might also want to check out the Essential Math Skills Workbooks.They are available for K through 2nd.
4 Week Free Trial & 10% Coupon
Sign up for a 4 Week FREE Reading Eggs trial to see if it is right for your child. You will get access to all of these programs: Reading Eggs Junior (2-4 yrs), Reading Eggs (4-7 yrs), Reading Eggspress (7-13 yrs), and Mathseeds (3-9 yrs). (Hello, math drills!) Offer expires 10/17/2018.
I also have a coupon that will save you 10% off of the Essential Reading Skills companion workbooks. Use code WK10AGZ5SPP at checkout. Expires 10/15/2018.
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We have used Apologia’s elementary science curriculum for years, so I was excited to see their new high school Health and Nutrition curriculum because I knew it would have a Christian worldview. I want my kids to learn science through the lens of God’s amazing design and wisdom for our lives.
It is important for our children to learn to take care of themselves physically, but their mental and spiritual health is just as important. Exploring Creation with Health and Nutrition covers all of those bases and then some.
Complete Health and Nutrition Curriculum
Most of the health curriculums that I have come across are only supplemental. Exploring Creation with Health and Nutrition is full year science course packed with information and activities. Honestly, it was a bit more advanced than I was expecting. More on that below.
The course consists of a textbook and workbook, and is divided into 15 modules:
- Who Am I and Why Does Health Matter?
- Physical Influences On Thoughts and Feelings
- Mental and Emotional Stability
- Interpersonal Harmony
- Treasuring Your Senses
- Processing Nourishment and Hydration
- Food Science I – Micronutrients
- Food Science II – Micronutrients
- Let’s Look at What You Eat
- Delivering the Oxygen
- Let’s Move
- You’re Stronger Than You Look
- At War With Infection
- Peace in Difficult Times
- The Gift of Reproduction
Each section includes science lessons, practical applications, and spiritual encouragement.
The workbook contains assignments and study guide questions. It also has pages to take notes while reading the text.
There is a suggested daily schedule in the front of the workbook that is so helpful! It is completely open-and-go with no long planning session required from a parent.
The Birds and the Bees
The very last module of this course is about reproductive health. It emphasizes purity and the sanctity of marriage. The descriptions and illustrations are very thorough, but tastefully done. Our children need to know that the way their bodies work is by God’s design.
Advanced Health and Nutrition Course
I mentioned above that I was a little surprised at the level of this course. I wasn’t expecting such a meaty course, and it was a bit too much for my 8th grader. She is not an advanced reader and the terms were simply above her level of comprehension. She worked through a few lessons before we decided it was best to shelve it for high school. We will pull it back out in a couple of years when she is ready because it is goldmine of information.
Don’t let my experience deter you from checking it out for your 8th or 9th grader, though. It might be a perfect fit for your child! Check out the large sample files for a closer look.
Free Apologia Resources
Apologia has some wonderful free homeschool resources for your family:
Giveaway
We are giving away two Exploring Creation with Health & Nutrition sets. Enter below for a chance to win.
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Have you heard of CTCMath? A couple of my friends use this online math curriculum and encouraged me to try it out. I kind of brushed them off because we already have a shelf full of Teaching Textbook programs that all of my older kids have used. Those cost a pretty penny so I wasn’t interested in trying something new. Don’t fix what ain’t broke, right?
Well, guess what … this past year it broke. My 7th grader was really struggling with math and I knew she needed to try a different approach. For a split second, I insanely considered just quitting math for the year … that’s how bad it was.
Once I returned to my senses, I remembered how much my friends liked CTCMath so I decided to sign up for a free trial to see if it would work for my daughter.
It turns out that she does much better with the mastery approach of CTCMath than she does with Teaching Textbook’s spiral method. Because the lessons are broken down by topic, she was able to jump right in and start where she was having problems.
Online Math Curriculum
CTCMath is an online curriculum that allows my daughter to independently learn. It teaches, quizzes, corrects, and grades.
Features:
- Short 4-9 minute videos on each topic
- Interactive questions and printable worksheets
- One page summaries for review to print & add to a notebook
- Step-by-step solutions showing how to solve each problem
- The ability to learn by topic instead of grade level
- A task assigner to schedule out lesson assignments for your child
- Detailed progress reports that get emailed to the parent
- Works for a complete curriculum or supplemental help
There are also some fun math drill review games.
The ability to dig into one topic at a time was what my daughter needed for the math light bulb to come on.
Affordable Math Curriculum
One of the great things about CTCMath is that you can use the account for ALL of your children, making it a very affordable option.
Homeschoolers get a whopping 60% off of a CTCMath membership!! PLUS 6 months FREE if you purchase a 12 month plan. Go HERE to check out the different plans.
CTCMath Giveaway
Would you like to win a free 12-month CTCMath Family Membership? Enter the giveaway below!
Connect with CTC Math
Have you used CTCMath in your homeschool? What is your experience?
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