Teachable {MOM}ents

I have a passion for early learning - it may have something to do with my mom, who has been in the early childhood education field for over 25 years. I worked as a nanny and taught preschool for a while before my children were born and I also provide free preschool resources on my blog. I believe that it is NEVER too early to start teaching our children. As homeschoolers, we do not follow the public school guidelines for many things - so why would we follow their idea of when a child should start learning?  If 85% of children's core brain structure is developed by the age of four ( Source ), then early learning is a crucial aspect of educating our children.  Nationally, less than 10% of public investments in education and development are spent on children, ages four and younger ( Source ). This is yet another area in which homeschooling parents have the opportunity to step outside of the societal norm - and take advantage of this crucial and exciting time in your ch...

You call me out upon the waters, the great unknown where feet may fail... You asked us to...and so we stepped out - in faith. We walked away from Pastoral ministry, walked away from our home, walked away from comfort, walked away from "normal". We were scared - but we wanted something radical, we were done with mundane. Still, I heard the voices... You are failures. You are ruining your kids' lives. I knew they were lies. You told us - job, home, church. Quickly You provided a job for Ben. We moved into an RV - 6 people in less than 500 square feet of space. My brother and sister-in-law allowed us to park the RV next to their barn. We worked hard to make it feel like a home, and we began to settle in. We found a church that welcomed us - not because we were Pastors, not because we were doing anything for them - but simply because. And there I find you in the mystery, in oceans deep, my faith will stand... We started to see the light at the end of a long and...

About a year ago, I felt God was pressing me to step away from blogging for a while. I didn't know exactly why or for how long, but I wanted to be obedient. So I walked away. I was in the early stages of my 4th pregnancy and ended up having a lot of sickness for the first half of the pregnancy. I began to focus more on my children (especially my spirited 2 year old, who needed mama's attention), homeschooling, my husband, my home, my church. It was nice to take a break. A few months later, my dad had a bad fall and broke his femur, requiring surgery. My husband started helping my parents out with things around their house and yard, and we were spending a lot of time at their house. Then, on August 5th, 2014 we welcomed our newest blessing ~ Clementine Hosanna ~ through a beautiful homebirth (story to come soon). We were settling into life as a family of six, when one night in November I received a phone call that took my breath away. Now seems like a fitting time to start b...

I know I haven't been around much lately. I have been taking a little break, focusing on my family...and just waiting for God to lay something on my heart. Well, He definitely did and it is raw and personal for me. I hope that it speaks to your heart... Where are you from? The question stares back at me every time I log into my Facebook account. It is a simple enough question for most, but I honestly don't know how to answer it. My parents are both originally from Zanesville, Ohio. My dad joined the air force after they were married and I was born in Fairbanks, Alaska. My family moved to Michigan before I was two. At age six, we moved again to Colorado Springs so that my dad could attend a bible college after feeling called into the ministry. We lived there for only a few months, then moved to Ohio because my maternal grandmother had cancer. That was my 1st grade year and I attended three different schools, in three different states. From that point on, I was a Pasto...

Today, I am sharing some ideas on how to start fresh this new year in your homeschool on FreeHomeschoolDeals . You will also find a FREE 2014 Goals chart printable !  I don’t know about you…but my school year has not turned out the way I planned.... I am in desperate need of a fresh start. I have spent far too many mornings sleeping in later than I should. I have spent far too many days rushing through school so that I can run errands or finish up some project I am working on. I have spent far too many afternoons loading the dishwasher instead of creating science experiments or instead of curled up on the couch engrossed in a magical story. Read the rest, and print the FREE Goals chart here . 

Today, I am sharing 4 DIY Christmas crafts over at Frugal Homeschool Family  as part of the 25 Frugal Days of Christmas... To find out how to make these crafts, click here ! 

Christmas is the perfect time to host a Pinterest party! Last year my mom and I put one together, and let me tell you - it was a blast! In reality, it was super relaxing and enjoyable. Four hours of fellowship, food and crafting - what more could a girl want? ;) We made recipes we found on pinterest, and each guest brought one craft to share with the group. We provided hot glue guns, scissors, ribbon and glitter snow paint - plus bags to take our crafts home.  Our bags said "Saw it. Pinned it. Did it." - a Pinterest idea ;) The yummy food... My mom's famous punch - not from Pinterest :) Chocolate Dipped Oreos & Peppermint Cookies Chocolate Caramel Truffles as favors Chips & Salsa Bar Layered Taco Dip Mini Wonton Tacos Our crafting gear The ladies crafting away :) Popsicle Stick Snowflake Wreath Stick Vases Christmas Craft Frames Stick Stars & Scrapbook...

*Post contains affiliate links* Last year I started a new Christmas tradition with my children. I created a list of 24 activities that we would accomplish during December - one for each day leading up to Christmas - a part of our Advent celebration. I am going to share my list with you and you will also find some FREE printables - you can either use my list or print the blank cards and create your own - you can even mix and match!  24 Days of Christmas 1-            Write Christmas Wish List 2-          Color a Christmas Picture 3-          Make Christmas Tree Ornaments       4-        Sort through toys to donate 5-          Hot Chocolate &  Watch Christmas Movie 6-           Play with s ensory  S...

Today I am sharing my first post as a contributor at FreeHomeschoolDeals.com !  I watch in slow motion as the eyes widen and the lips forcefully come together. “MMMMIIIINNNEEE!” I hear as the little form of a toddler hurls itself toward the unsuspecting sibling. The sibling quickly registers what is going on and clings to the toy phone, pushing the toddler away. But, not to be deterred, the toddler goes in for the big finale – mouth open and teeth slide across skin, beginning to clench down…I reach them just in time to pull the sibling away from the toddler’s eminent bite. We are born with it – that sin nature, that desire for self. A giving, selfless, servant’s heart – well, those things don’t come so naturally... To read the rest of this post, click here !   

I have created a FREE printable Thanksgiving placemat for you! You can personalize these placemats by adding your own little turkey's photo! You can print as an 8x10 (on letter size paper) or use the 8x14 size for a larger placemat (on legal size paper). Click here to download the 8x14 placemat Click here to download the 8x10 placemat Blessings!