Frugal and Free Homeschooling {part 1}

Many have pushed aside the idea of homeschooling due to a lack of finances.  Many make the decision to stop homeschooling because of a difficult financial time.  Hearts that feel the impact of failing make decisions that cause them to retreat and not go forward. You are not a failure.  If you are experiencing a hard time or you feel you can not afford to homeschool, do not feel shame.  Many more struggle behind those happy Facebook status updates and expensive looking science experiments on blogs. A few years ago, I was in a financial situation that I feared would … Continue reading

Can Your Homeschool Blog Earn Money? {Part 1}

The homeschool cup runneth over with homeschool blogs.  Many frazzled homeschool moms and those at a loss for inspiration have found restoration in many of the amazing homeschool blogs on the net today.    My experiences blogging about homeschooling has opened up a world that I may have otherwise missed; both as a homeschooling mom and as one who profits from blogging.  Many homeschool moms have also discovered this opportunity and desire to learn more about profiting from their blogs. Since most homeschool homes balance on the tip of one income this potential source of support or business is becoming more … Continue reading

Blogging From the Personal Side of Parenting

The internet has a wealth of information about a vast variety of special needs. It is fairly easy to look up medical information or news articles regarding a special need. Sometimes, it can be comforting to read a blog written by a parent about the personal side of parenting a child who has a special need. Here are a few interesting ones to explore. Parents can get online and quickly look up symptoms, recommended diets, help with IEPs, and news about health insurance coverage for their child’s special needs. What about if all you want is some conformation that your … Continue reading

The Internet and Homeschooling, part 2

Homeschool parents are finding ways to use the internet to enhance the schooling aspect of homeschooling. The mystery of lesson planning is solved by a quick search. Frugal homeschoolers can save their budget with free printables and unit studies ready to download. Students who bore easily with textbooks can take a break playing online educational games. YouTube helps many frustrated students who need tutoring in just about any subject. Adventurous homeschoolers can be whisked away on virtual field trips. Many art museums, zoos, and historical locations offer an online peek children will enjoy. Consider looking up a country you are … Continue reading

Clean Homes For Our Feathered Friends

How often do you clean your birdhouses? I never really thought about it but they do get pretty grungy after a year or so of use. I regularly clean the feeders but not the bird houses. I guess birds don’t really want to live in a mess either. It’s hard to know when to clean but if you keep an eye on your birdhouses and when the most recent residents have grown up and flown the nest, it’s time to take it down and clean it. You should clean your birdhouses at least once a year. If you can, clean … Continue reading

Is there shame in quitting homeschooling?

Due to the strong feelings toward homeschooling it is often looked at as some sort of exclusive club. The club that lets you in but will never let you out unless you defect and that my friend is like a good old fashioned Amish shunning. At least this is the feeling I get from moms who email me for encouragement when their homeschooling days come to an end. For some reason or another they can no longer homeschool but they are told by others not to give up, they can do it, or they are harming their children by sending … Continue reading

Putting it Together: Blogging Tips, Part 3

Baker’s Dozen of Blogging Tips, part 3 Remove the Navigation Bar: The navbar on your blogger blog looks unprofessional. If you want to give a more polished impression remove it. Guest Posts: Guest posting on blogs is a great way to bring more exposure to your own blog. Accepting guest posts will do the same as that blogger will bring her traffic to you. It is also a great way to get to know and form friendships with other bloggers. Facebook Page: If you do not have a Facebook page for your blog then create one. I read that 1 … Continue reading

Blog Networks, Part 1

As a blogger one of the most powerful steps you can take is becoming part of a blog network. A blog network is a small group of bloggers whose focus is promoting one another through social media. Bloggers in a network may also guest post, host Twitter or Facebook parties, or form giveaways and Blog Hops. The result is blogs that grow and bonds between bloggers. Blog Network Basics Niche: Blog networks perform best if all the bloggers fit into the same niche or genre. Variety is not recommended unless your blogs are complimentary and reach the same audience. For … Continue reading

Put Away the Excuses

I have heard a lot of women who work outside the home say they don’t have time for housekeeping. In fact, just because I work at home, I have friends say it’s no wonder I can keep up with the house. I try not to take offense to that because the reality is that even though I work inside my home, I still work full-time hours. So it’s not like I really get all these extra hours that others don’t. To me, it’s really about prioritizing and keeping a schedule. I have always kept a maintained home (notice I am … Continue reading

Interviews with Homeschoolers – Danyelle Leafty

I love talking to other homeschoolers and finding out why they chose to homeschool and how it works for them. Today I’m joined by Danyelle Leafty. Danyelle, thanks for letting me pick your brain! First off, I’d like to know, why did you decide to homeschool? I decided to homeschool because my son learns very quickly. I wanted his education to be paced with his ability which would be impossible in a traditional school setting. A single teacher can only do so much. I also wanted him to retain his love of learning. He has been asking questions ever since … Continue reading