Congratulations!

I just want to extend a big CONGRATS to fellow Tri-Mom Allyson and her husband, Tim! They are the proud parents of their 4th child, a healthy baby girl, as of this afternoon.

Congratulations Allyson and Tim!

Freebie: Around the World: 9 Free Unit Studies

Got this through the Knowledge Quest newsletter. If you're doing unit studies, you may want to give this one a try. I'm going to use it this year to introduce some geography into our lessons. There are 9 one-week unit studies, each pertaining to one of the following countries: New Zealand, Poland, Scotland, South Korea, South Africa, Brazil, Canada, China and Israel.

Included in each study is a topical overview of each country, book selections, history and timelines, mapwork, recipes and a craft. This is suitable for a wide range of ages and it's totally FREE! :)

If you're interested, you can sign up for Knowledge Quest's free newsletter and download your copy of this e-book HERE.

Lessons Learned from Charlotte Mason Part 2

In continuing with my previous post on SimplyCharlotteMason.com's "Three Questions..." series, the 2nd question is this: WHAT?

Once we understand WHY we are homeschooling our children, we need to focus on what they should be learning. In a lot of ways, this is a bit easier to comprehend because it's easily understood. In short, we can spend many weeks or even months researching, planning, and rethinking our curriculum. In Volume 1 of Charlotte Mason's series, she writes:

"She must ask herself seriously, Why must the children learn at all? What should they learn? And, How should they learn it? If she take the trouble to find a definite and thoughtful answer to each of these three queries, she will be in a position to direct her children's studies."

They learn in order to grow. So what should they learn in order to best facilitate that growth?

As with the physical body, the brain also needs "food" in order to stay strong and sharp. We all know that children are natural sponges, and the earlier the age, the more important it is to nurture this. Ms. Mason suggested that children have a varied curriculum and if you think about it, this is true.

Did you ever have a favorite food as a child (or maybe as an adult?) that you would swear you could eat every day for the rest of your life? Take pizza for example--hot, steaming, cheesy pizza! Most kids love it! But what would happen to that love of pizza if you agreed to let them eat it every day? It might sound like every kid's fantasy at first--but what would happen after a week? Maybe it might not taste quite as good as it did. How about after 2 weeks? Maybe that grease and fat is really starting to make you feel sluggish and sick and it doesn't seem exciting any more. How about after a month? Probably the child wouldn't want to look at pizza again without feeling sick.

The same is true for our schooling. If you've found a great curriculum for your kids--awesome! But keep in mind that oftentimes, kids will outgrow it or get bored of it--or maybe even the teacher will. What works for a 4 year old child may not work when that child is 7 or 10 years old. What works for one child may not work for the next child. Don't be afraid to switch it up!

Yes, children thrive on routine, but they need and crave excitement and variety. You can have structure but it doesn't need to be a rigid environment. Nurture their curiosity and feed their minds with good solid material that will come alive for them!

"The mind feeds on ideas, and therefore children should have a generous curriculum." (Vol. 6) =CM

Unit studies are fabulous in that regard and there is a huge variety of topics and methods to choose from. If your child has a particular interest such as snakes or Egypt or Medieval life, go for it! You can find unit studies on just about anything and you can customize them to suit your children's needs. Make it last for a week or for a couple of months--it's up to you and you'll be giving your children the education they need and fostering their love for learning at the same time.

Check out the list of unit studies and curriculum on the left sidebar for more ideas as you focus on what brain food you're going to feed your kids this school year!

The Leapster Educational Video Game System

Check out LeapFrog's newest LeapPad- the kid-friendly learning tablet! We love LeapsFrog in our house, especially the Leapster. It's so nice to have a video game format but with educational games to reinforce learning. This tablet looks amazing! If you but a LeapPad bundle, you can get free shipping included! 

While you're there, check out the other offers below! Tag Books Sale! Select books $6.99-$9.99, while supplies last!


Leapster Games Sale! $5 off all Leapster games over $19 with promo code LEAPSTER. (Excludes hardware bundles). Offer valid now through August 31st!


Free Shipping on Orders over $60!

I Just Love Klutz!

I've been looking around at handicraft ideas and ideally, it'd be something we can all do together, boys and girls. That can be difficult but I've found quite a number of things from Klutz Press. These are some of the books we'll (hopefully) get to try out over the next year or two:

If anyone has any other suggestions or would like to share what they're using, feel free to comment! :)

My Canvas Photo

I just wrote a post over at my other blog and I wanted to share it with you.

I won a giveaway a while back for a canvas print and this is the photo that I chose. I took this picture of a duckling family in our yard and I love the way it turned out on canvas.

Hip Homeschool Hop!

Join the Hip Homeschool Hop over at Hip Homeschool Moms! Link up your blog, Facebook page, Twitter, or other pages and network with some other homeschooling families!

If you're visiting from the hop, thank you! Please feel free to browse around my blog and check out  my frugal blog at Centsible Savings!

Tri-Moms: Clothing a Bunch

First, I want to say a big THANK YOU to Kristin and Allyson for choosing me as their new Tri-Mom! I am flattered and I hope that I can be helpful to them as well as my readers. :) A little about me: I'm a SAHM to 3 kids ages 9, 7, and 6. I am married to my high school sweetheart and we live on the Eastern Shore of MD. I love a good deal and I run another new blog called Centsible Savings.

This week's topic is Clothing a Bunch. My "bunch" isn't quite as big as Kristin's or Allyson's but no matter how many kids you have, it can be difficult to keep up with their many (MANY!) growth spurts in today's economy. Add in active children that are tough on clothes and the fact that many of us are living on one income and it presents an extra challenge.

You know the saying "you get what you pay for"? A lot of people interpret that to mean that if you don't spend a lot of money, you can't get quality goods. I disagree with this.  We are fortunate that we have gotten some hand-me-downs from friends or family. I make sure to save my oldest daughter's clothing in plastic storage bins for my youngest to wear in a few years. I was going through the fall clothes the other day to see if we needed to buy anything for fall and it doesn't look like I will need to buy much of anything for her.

If you don't have family or friends nearby that are able to offer you "oldies but goodies", check out Freecycle or The ReUseIt Network. Both organizations are a good place to find clothing for your whole family, especially children. You can let people in your community know what you're looking for and if someone has that item they want to give away, they will contact you. I've gotten a few free bags of clothing and an Easter dress over the years, often in great condition, this way. It's also a wonderful way for you to declutter and help others in need.

I'm also a big fan of thrift stores. There are usually a few in most areas but you have to be willing to commit a little bit of time to shopping there. Goodwill and the Salvation Army are probably the most well-known, but there are also many independent thrift stores if you look them up.One helpful tip is to find stores that are located in or near more upscale neighborhoods. You will likely find more brand name clothing in these areas and many thrift stores have new clothing that still have the tags attached at a deep discount.

The same principle is true for yard sales. This also can take some time and a commitment because it's really hit or miss but it can really pay off. Most people are just looking to get rid of things for just a fraction of the retail value. Many people offer clothing at $.25-$.50 apiece. If you don't want or can't take time to shop around, Craigslist is another way to get yard sale prices without leaving your home. Goodwill also has their own online auction site as well. Ebay can also offer some good values, but I've found that it's gotten harder to get a good value there in recent years.

Lastly, things like underwear and socks I obviously won't buy secondhand. With these items, stores typically include them with their "back to school" sales. Right now, during the last couple of weeks before school starts, many stores offer their lowest prices of the year on school supplies. I will try to watch the sales flyers to see when the lowest price comes and stock up then. Companies like Fruit of the Loom or Hanes usually offer coupons in the Sunday paper as well, or you can get good deals by shopping at their sites online.

Hopefully, these tips will help you save more money for your family necessities so you can have more to spend on other things like family time. :) Thanks for reading!

You can read the other Tri-Moms tips at Kristin's blog and Allyson's blog.

First Day of School Traditions?

Is it just us or are other homeschooled children dreading school as much as any other kid? I have to try hard not to take it personally when my kids groan and moan and give me "the look" (wonder where they got that from?) when I mention school is quickly approaching!

So, I want to try and make it more fun for them this year. We have joined a local co-op and that is something to look forward to. But it's tough to just jump right into the books that first day. I think I might start with a light day of school with the subjects they look forward to most. Maybe heading outside to get some fresh air and do some nature study or do some crafty things that go with our lessons.

Do you have any "First Day of School" traditions to make the kick-off of your year more exciting?

Upcoming Teacher Appreciation Days

Here's a list of upcoming Teacher Appreciation Days at participating retailers. Feel free to comment if you know of more and I'll add them to the list!

*Note: As homeschoolers, you'll most likely need some "proof" that you're a teacher. This could be a membership card to a local homeschooling group or co-op, or it might be a copy of your Notice of Intent that you've filed with the Board of Ed.

Big Lots- 8/13 10% off your purchase

Jo-Ann's Fabric Store- 8/13-8/14 20% off your purchase and free tote bag (while supplies last)

Michael's Craft Store 8/13 and 8/21 15% off your purchase every day plus come in for free Back to School events

Office Depot Dates vary by location. 20% off your purchase plus on the Saturday during your city's week of events, enjoy a FREE breakfast and giveaways!

Staples- 8/20 (Day differs by state) 9am-12pm FREE thank you gift bag for first 100 teachers, coupons, samples

The Smells of Summer

Last night I took a walk with the kids around the neighborhood. We have a small pond with geese and ducks that they like to watch. I took this photo but it turned out blurry when I got home and uploaded it. :/

Oh well, maybe you can still see the serenity of it. I love going down there and watching the geese (although I don't like avoiding their little "bombs" lol).

As we were walking home, I was really taken back to the days when I was a kid and stayed at my grandmother's in the Shenandoah Valley. I used to play all day long with my friends there, even when it was pitch black outside--that was the best time to play Kick the Can! The smell of freshly cut grass mixed with the earth was always present and that's what I really enjoyed last night as we got home. It's a shame that we can't (won't?) let our kids play all over the neighborhood all day and all night anymore. The world is such a different place now, or maybe it isn't...maybe we're just more aware now.

Getting back to summertime...my other favorite place to be is the beach. I've always loved the beach and the smell of salt in the air always tells me summer is here and the beach is just a short trip away. The feel of the hot sand in between my toes, the salty spray of the waves crashing around me, the smell of hot and fresh french fries on the boardwalk, the screams and laughs of children nearby, and the metal clack-a-clack-a of the roller coaster by the pier--those are my reminders of summer for me.

What reminds you of summer? Do you have any traditions that your kids will one day look back on fondly?

Now through Aug. 14th, you can make any 25% item into a 30% off item. Just use the code SLASHTHRU at checkout!

Why I Homeschool A to Z

As I get ready to start the new year in the next few weeks, I thought I'd share my reasons for homeschooling with you. I get a lot of questions about it and even more "I could never do that"s. So, here's my philosophy.

Reasons Why I Homeschool

Attention. I can give each of my kids the one on one attention that they need in order to learn. 

Benefits. There are numerous benefits to homeschooling as studies have shown.

Curiosity. I want to keep my kids natural curiosity about the world and I can foster that individually with them.

Distrust. The plain truth is I don't trust the public school system as a whole. IMO, the institution is corrupted by politics and needs to be reworked from the ground up.

Environment. I don't like the boxy feel to public schools, not the physical or the atmosphere. I don't want them to be influenced by a culture of drug use, sex, and other negativity any more than necessary.

Field trips. I can plan them wherever I want and whenever I want, even in the off season.

God. I really feel like God has led me to do this. From the time that Skylar was a baby I felt like I was supposed to homeschool and I had never even really heard of it until I had her.

Home. I like the atmosphere of our home, it's comfortable, cozy, familiar and I think it's a natural place for kids to learn.

Individualism. I want them to retain their individuality and not be confined to a box because a teacher or test said so.

Joy. It brings me joy to watch my kids "get" something and knowing that I helped them is very satisfying.

Knowledge. I want to learn right alongside my kids so I'm not afraid to teach them something I'm not familiar with. We can learn together.

Living Books. I love them and hate teaching without them.

Math U See. I love this program and how it's hands-on math. I don't know of any public schools that use it.

Needs. I have different kids with different needs and one of them particularly has issues and would not function well in a public school setting.

Outdoors. So much can be learned just by going outside! Nature study is a big hit in our house and we've discussed a variety of topics like entomology, botany, ornithology just in our own yard or at a public park.

Philosophy. I have a vastly different philosophy when it comes to education than most public schools. I don't believe in textbooks and desks, tests for everything, or strict regulations.

Quality time. Even though we're busy, I'm blessed to be able to be home with them and I hope that never changes.

Rebellion. I've never liked to go with the grain in just about any area of life. Call me an outcast lol.

Self-paced. Homeschooling allows me to go at the kids' own pace so I don't have to worry about boredom or anyone falling behind.

Teaching. What can I say? I love to teach but I never realized it until I actually did it with my own kids.

Unity. Being at home together and learning together fosters a closeness that would be hard to achieve otherwise.

Vacation. We can take one whenever we want and not have to worry about missing school. If we really want to, we can take it on the road.

Want. I just want to. I don't need any other reason. :p

Xcitement. Okay, yeah I know that's spelled wrong but oh well. I find that looking at curriculum and books and figuring out what we're going to learn and do this year is fun!

Yo-yo-ing. I yo-yo with our books. I like to explore new methods and publishers when it feels right and adapt them to my kids needs. Public schools don't do that. 

Zaniness. Homeschooling is crazy fun (or maybe just crazy some days and fun other days)!

Free Gradebook for Homeschoolers

Joy over at Five J's has designed a gradebook and recordkeeping planner just for homeschoolers! It's completely free and you can check it out here:

Lessons Learned from Charlotte Mason (Part 1)

I'm a big fan of Charlotte Mason style learning in our home school. We're not exclusively CM, but I find that approach very useful and successful in most areas. If you've never heard of Charlotte Mason, here is a great website that I've used repeatedly in planning our year. Miss Mason wrote a wonderful homeschooling series, a six-volume set on education and parenting that many (myself included) still find to be a treasure trove of useful information and wisdom. 

SCM has a great article right now called "Three Questions for the Homeschool Mother." It is a three part series and this week they're examining the "Why?"

While we're busy planning our curriculum and schedule for the quickly-approaching school year, CM encourages us to ask the broader question of "Why Must the Children Learn?"

We need to stop and figure out what our educational goals are for our children. Do we want them to be full of knowledge, able to parrot facts and figures and dates with rote memorization? Or do we want to invest in them  ideas to help them grow?

Miss Mason had this to say on the topic of knowledge:

“The mind is capable of dealing with only one kind of food; it lives, grows and is nourished upon ideas only; mere information is to it as a meal of sawdust to the body” (Vol. 6, p. 105).

That's a pretty powerful statement! Let's think about it for a minute. When we memorize information it is a single act and much of it is typically forgotten later. However, an idea is like a seed that motivates and feeds on itself. I don't know about you, but I was never motivated while memorizing figures and dates for various world wars or repeating my times tables 20 times a day. 

I, like a lot of people including children, am more apt to absorb and retain information that is interesting to me or presented in a fun way. I'm a HUGE proponent of living books! This is a cornerstone in my teaching and I believe that you can learn so much from one living book than you could with a standard textbook. 

What is a living book? It is usually a novel or picture book that is written in a casual, conversational way. The author is typically passionate for the subject matter and has the ability to pull you into the story. Living books make you feel as if you are really there, involving your emotions or senses. The author makes the material "come alive" making it easy (and fun) to remember important events and facts. are usually written by one person who has a passion for the subject and writes in conversational or narrative style. The books pull you into the subject and involve your emotions, so it’s easy to remember the events and facts.

So as we gear up for the upcoming school year, let's try to step back and focus less on schedules and busy work and more on what we want our kids to learn. More importantly, how we want them to learn. How can we using living books to complement and enrich their studies? How can we plant seeds that will grow into genuine interest and curiosity?

Feel free to share you thoughts!  

Barnes & Noble Kids Writing Contest

Do you have a budding writer on your hands? Tikatok and Barnes and Nobler are partnering up to present the Summer of Imagination Writing Contest.

The contest is open to kids ages 6-14 in three age groups. Entries can be submitted from July 11-August 21 and can be a maximum of 20 pages in length.

Prizes are as follows:

Grand Prize: A Nook Color, a $500 B&N gift card, and a meet-n-greet with 39 Clue bestselling author Peter Lerangis!

2nd Prize: A $100 B&N gift card and a $50 Tikatok gift card

3rd Prize: A $50 B&N gift card and a $25 Tikatok gift card

Click here to enter!

Kabongo Educational Games--Great for Homeschoolers!

Free reading games for kids! GoGo Kabongo develops cognitive skills that are essential to reading. Fun, educational children’s games will build confidence and stay challenging with auto-leveling games that advance at your child's pace. Discover three different games in each habitat, each with six levels. Click here to take a look!