Because I'm Me

Sneak Peek

2013-05-18T16:29:00.003-04:00

Usually the sneak peeks make it to facebook well before they make it to the blog, so I thought I'd mix things up a bit and post a first peek here.

These ties, and their coordinating bow ties, should be listed in the shop within the next few days. Can't wait? That works for me ... just ask!

Enjoy your weekend.

Summer Color Fun

2013-05-17T08:00:00.000-04:00

These ties weren't all part of the same order but they looked so good together I had to take their picture.

Hillsborough River State Park

2013-05-16T11:48:00.001-04:00

A few more images from our camping trip to Hillsborough River State Park a few weeks ago.

One third of the way in from the left and halfway up the image is a sunbathing alligator.

It was a gorgeous day, nice and cool at night, and comfortable in the morning with a slight breeze.

While at the park we saw a raccoon (he stole our trash bag and carried it up a tree!), a deer, an owl stealing fish, 2 smallish-medium sized alligators (one of which did not move, thankfully, when my son fell in the river), turtles, fish, and much more. Come to find out, this park is known for it's snakes. Some folks who were there the week after us saw a number of them. I am not good at all with snakes, not at all. Thankfully, we did not see any of those.

Mini Rapids

Suspension Bridge

TOS Review: One Minute Mysteries: 65 More Short Mysteries You Solve with Science

2013-05-16T09:57:00.000-04:00

I received a copy of, and was asked to use and review Science Naturally's One Minute Mysteries: 65 More Short Stories You Solve with Science!, written by Eric Yoder and Natalie Yoder. Having used One Minute Mystery books in the past, I was very excited to be chosen for this review and it didn't disappoint.

This arrived at just the right time. Adam (11) and Kaden (10) had just finished their logic curriculum, and this book offered a perfect "end of school year" alternative.

I kid you not, when the book came in the mail I had to hide it from the boys. They were so excited. The mysteries are short, as the title says, and I knew if they got their hands on it they'd devour it in record time, and well before I had a chance to do it with them.

If you've read any of my home schooling posts in the past you might have noticed that I love finding ways to sneak learning in almost unnoticed, much in the same way a Mom might sneak veggies into her child's diet. This is that kind of book ... it's fun and short and entertaining, but still contributes to our weekly requirements of reading, logic, and science (it is not a science program, but a fun supplement).

Using the book and incorporating it into our school day was easy peasy. The boys and I, and Mia (13) would sit at the table and I'd read the short, engaging one page stories, each of which have a question or statement at the end that needs to be explained with science (the mystery). After they'd give their answers and discuss their reasoning (when more than one solution was suggested) I'd turn the page and read the answer, based on science. The answers were more than just one-liners, they provided the reasoning behind the answer as well. After we were well into the book I casually left it laying around and, sure enough, they picked it up and read the stories to each other and worked through the answers.

The book is divided into chapters; life science, earth and space science, physical and chemical science, general science, and bonus math mysteries. Story topics include whales (they're mammals, not fish), a irrigation problem and solution, mosquitos, and balance.

The softcover book is 160 pages and is geared for ages 8-12.

The kids and I really enjoyed and appreciated this book. While they knew a lot of the answers they didn't know them all and learned from it. It certainly held their attention, the mysteries are quick enough to not lose their focus. It's a great family activity book, easy to do together. I think this would be a great book to have on a road trip, perfect for car entertainment (the boys are planning to test Ian's knowledge with it on our upcoming vacation) and something to do on a rainy day.

One Minute Mysteries: 65 More Short Mysteries You Solve with Science! is available at Science, Naturally! for $9.95.

Click here for more reviews of One Minute Mysteries: 65 More Short Mysteries You Can Solve with Science! from the Schoolhouse Review Crew.

Independence Day Planning

2013-05-10T08:00:00.000-04:00

Image courtesy of Tamarack Lodge

Believe it or not, it's time to start thinking about the Fourth of July. (I know, didn't this year just start yesterday?)

When I was growing up my family went to my grandparent's house most years to celebrate Independence Day. I have so many great memories of swinging on the porch swing with my cousins and drinking Ting soda. While we saw our cousins throughout the year, some more than others, Fourth of July was the one time when we were all together.

When I was 13 we moved out of state. Around that time some of the older cousins spread out to various colleges and began lives of their own. As happens, the annual Independence Day get-togethers became a wonderful part of my past.

Many, many years later, just after Ian was born, we had a huge family reunion for that side of the family on Fourth of July weekend. Not only were all my cousins there but so were their (and my) children, most of whom we'd never met before. A gorgeous family portrait was taken, with everyone celebrating the "red, white, and blue". That was a good 14 years ago and so much has changed (and now we have facebook to keep in touch!) but the recollections and pictures are always there.

Awesome memories!

Whatever your wonderful holiday plans, a tie may be the perfect icing on the cake for those family photos. Or for showing your spirit at a local parade (we love the annual parade in Waupaca, WI, though we don't make it every year).

"Girl, it's only May," you say. True, there's plenty of time, almost two months.

The shop, though, will be closed from the end of May to June 11th for my vacation so I'm recommending orders get in soon so there's no "down to the wire" worry. I will, as always, work to accommodate last minute orders, but I can't speak for the USPS, so I suggest playing it safe.

These ties, coordinating pocket squares, and more can be found in the Holiday section of the shop and are available for both boys and men. Red and blue gingham ties are available as well in neckties and bow ties.

The ties are certainly not limited to the Fourth of July. They're great for Flag Day, Memorial Day, Veteran's Day, Pearl Harbor Day, and every single day of the year.

Find a little American pride pinspiration here.

What are your Independence Day memories? Are you my age, old enough to remember the Bicentennial? I'd love to hear your stories.

TOS Review: Spanish For You!

2013-05-09T12:18:00.000-04:00

I was asked to review Spanish for You's Fiestas program by Debbie Annett, MDEd.

Spanish for You is a Spanish language course for kids in grades 3-8. The program I was asked to review, Spanish for You! Fiestas! was a downloadable e-book and contained an e-book, lesson guide, worksheets divided into age groups (grades 3-4, 5-6, and 7-8), audio files both by the teacher and in a native tongue, and flashcards.

I intended to use this with Adam and Kaden (ages 11 and 10). Mia (age 13) decided to join in.

To begin, I had to open and download all the files mentioned above. They were very large zip files and my computer found them very challenging. After the zip files were downloaded and opened I had the task of finding the files - audio, worksheets, and flashcards - I needed for each lesson. There was a lesson guide but the files weren't clearly labeled in the lesson guide and weren't necessarily in order on my hard drive, creating some organizational confusion.

To be truthful, we're a book family. Until the kids do schoolwork online (late middle school / high school) we sit at the kitchen table with our books and work away. I was out of my element with this program and I was beyond frustrated, which may have been lessened somewhat had I had much experience with downloaded programs. That said, I really do believe that the program needs to be, and can be, better organized. I spent a lot of time channeling paraphrased SirMixaLot lyrics:

"I like big books, I cannot lie. You other brothers can't deny ...".

After fighting with the computer, the files, my SirMixaLot brain, and, ultimately, the printer I was tempted to give up on the program, thankfully I didn't throw in the towel, because my first impression was not a reflection of the quality of the program itself.

The program seemed to me to be kind of a hybrid between immersion and traditional classroom. Our program, Fiestas! teaches Spanish while talking about parties and events, rather than just the rote memorization I remember from junior high Spanish (as boring as that was, I can still conjugate a whole lot of verbs!). The first lesson teaches birthday party terms, which really got the kids attention and kept them interested. Even River (age 4) sat at the table and participated. The flashcards and worksheets, combined with the audio lessons, really worked. We spent about 20-25 minutes a day on the lessons and by the end of the first week all the kids had learned a dozen words in Spanish and after two weeks they were learning verb forms and had a grasp on some basic communication. What they were learning made sense because it was in "everyday" terms, and that made it much easier to learn and retain.

After the first few days we got into a routine ... they'd work on flashcards while I found the correct files for the day, nowhere near as frustrating as it was initially. I'm not sure if the kids liked watching me get confused or really, really liked the Spanish program, but they did ask every day to do Spanish (I believe it was combination of both). Each days lesson included a combination of sound files (very handy for non Spanish speakers), flashcards, games/activities, lesson pages, and worksheets.

From Kaden: The program helped us memorize Spanish, so we could speak it. It took a while to find the right pages but when we found them we could learn something. I think other people would learn from it when they did it.

Overall, I liked the content of this program for the kids because they liked it and they learned from it while still having fun. The lessons were engaging and interesting, with a lot of variety in presentation and work required.

In it's current form this is not the program for me, I wish it were organized with everything needed for a lesson together, with a clearer, more navigable lesson guide, but I think this program has great potential. If a new lesson plan that I could follow more easily was released we'd likely continue with the program.

Spanish for You! Fiestas! 24-30 week program can be purchased at Spanish for You! for $34.95 for each specific grade level, or $64.95 for all three grade levels (grade 3-4, 5-6, and 7-8). Included in the $35.95 and $64.95 are:

soft cover book or e-book (currently only our trial pkgs.)
24-30 week lesson guide for the grades you need (24 weeks for G5-6 & 7-8, 30 weeks for G3-4) (PDF download)
self-checking worksheets (PDF download)
audio files of entire book (includes bonus audio of native speaker of entire book) (MP3 download)
flashcard/activity pictures (PDF download)

Click here for more reviews of Spanish for You! Fiestas! from the Schoolhouse Review Crew.

One Adventure Down

2013-05-08T08:00:00.000-04:00

We made it through our inaugural camper weekend. Last Saturday afternoon we headed to Ikea and then a state park campground for the night to test out the camper.

Worked perfectly.

There is still some organizing to do (we forgot scissors somehow) and a few more necessities to take care of, but we got so much done and had so much fun.

I must admit I ordered a memory foam mattress as soon as I walked in the door on Sunday. This old body doesn't do well on cheap concrete camper mattresses!

A little remodeling update ...

Before:

After:

Sorry the "before" doesn't show the same view as the after, but it should give a good idea.

All cabinets, walls, and drawers have been painted white to remove the two-toned brown and gold look (with oxidizing brass hinges). New white self-closing hinges and clear Ikea knobs have been added.

The quilts on the ends are from the girls bedroom, before they were replaced with Mama-made ones. I squared the corners and added elastic at the bottom so the quilt would stay permanently tucked in (the boys prefer blankets on top of the quilt).

In the top image you can see the front door. The bottom half of the inside of the door has been painted with chalkboard paint. Two coats over primer turned out just right, super easy to write on and wipe off.

Those benches will be recovered eventually, but today they aren't bothering me too much so it'll be a bit.

We're planning our next adventure already. In the meantime I'll be practicing my backing up skills (not easy my friends, not easy).

TOS Review: Papa's Pearls by Homefire Press

2013-05-07T08:00:00.000-04:00

I was recently given a copy of, and asked to read and review, the book Papa's Pearls, a Father's Gift of Love and Wisdom to His Children and Grandchildren, written by Diane Flynn Keith.

Papa's Pearls tells of the life of Diane Flynn Keith's father, Papa, from childhood to death, overcoming poverty and crime to become a successful father, husband, and businessman, while simultaneously sharing Papa's "pearls" of wisdom. Each chapter has it's own pearls and short accompanying anecdotes; I was reminded of all those little memes that float around facebook that I see and "must" remember and promptly forget ... except that the addition of the stories behind the "pearls" made sense, and made the little nuggets of knowledge much easier to remember and relate to.

The softcover book is a fairly quick read, with 112 pages. It's written for adults, as a parenting and personal growth book, and also worked with my older elementary and middle school aged kids.

I read the book first and then passed it along to Mia (age 13) to read in a doctor's office (have I mentioned that the child slammed her thumb in a car door - requiring stitches for the cut AND a splint for the break?). She enjoyed the stories of Papa's life and found a few pearls that spoke to her, particularly one about saving money and one about hugging more (everyone needs a lot more hugs than they're getting!).

The book was then passed on to Adam (11) and Kaden (10). In place of their regular creative writing, they were asked to pick a number 1 through 17 (the number of chapters in the book), then read the chapter, choose a pearl from it (they're listed at the beginning of the chapter), and write a page about how that pearl could apply to their lives. Teacher Mama hoped that they'd start reading and read the entire book but they stuck to the assigned chapters. They did do some good thinking, and wrote terrific papers about being honest and trying after failure.

I enjoyed the book. The lessons are meaningful, especially as they're presented. Some of the "pearls" really hit home for me, like "Tell yourself you like it" and "Be grateful every day". Some of the anecdotes had me giggling, some had me near tears, and many had me rereading so I'd remember and put into practice the lessons being taught. The boys were very ambivalent about Papa's Pearls. They read what they had to, but really had no interest in digging any further into it. Mia, on the other hand, enjoyed it very much and talked about it quite a bit afterwards, she really did get a lot of out of it, and I can see other teenaged girls really liking it and finding great value in it.

Papa's Pearls is available at Papa's Pearls for $14.97 and $7.00 shipping and handling.

Click here for more reviews of Papa's Pearls from the Schoolhouse Review Crew.

If You Need Us ...

2013-05-01T13:52:00.000-04:00

.... we'll be on the road with our "new to us" pop up camper.

The interior is no longer brown walls and brown cabinets with gold detail and brass hardware. The cabinets and walls are now white (always nice to find a "use what you've got" project!). Much more my style and so much lighter and brighter. A trip to Ikea will occur in the near future for cabinet knobs. I will share progress pictures as we transform this baby into "ours".

After deciding not to pay someone to install the tow bar and trailer lights hook up I bought the needed parts online; I installed the lights wiring myself and a friend did the trailer hitch. I was pretty darn proud!

Our first trial run will be this upcoming weekend. One night to see if we can figure out how everything works, which is imperative because all I know how to do is plug in the electricity; I've got a lot to learn.

And then ... at the end of May/beginning of June we're taking a 2 week trip to the Grand Canyon, with some pretty cool stops along the way!

Buttonhole Cutting Trick

2013-04-25T08:00:00.000-04:00

The last step to making the vest from the other day was the buttonholes and buttons. Buttons are easy. Buttonholes, not so much. And, as the very last step to making the vest, not the part of the vest I wanted to take chances with!

To ease the process a bit, here is the best buttonhole opening solution I know of:

To begin, sew your buttonholes. I have no sage advice here. My only suggestion is to google or search for a YouTube video for your particular machine and make as many practice buttonholes as necessary.

Many tailor suppliers and notions sources sell a buttonhole cutter set, containing a cutter and a block of wood or mat.

I did not have ready access to a shop that I knew would carry one of these sets (rumor has it Joann's doesn't carry this product) so I, instead, went to a hardware store and purchased a simple cold chisel for about $4.50.

As you can see, it has a nice point to it, not sharp to the touch but sharp when pressure is used.

Gather the rest of your supplies; a small block of wood, a spare piece of fabric large enough to wrap around the block of wood, and a hammer or mallet.

Wrap the cloth around the block of wood. Wrapping the bottom will protect your floor, wrapping the top will protect your fabric.

Place the buttonhole to be opened on top of the cloth covered wood.

Center the chisel over the area of the buttonhole to be opened. Because the sides of the buttonhole are raised from stitching the chisel wants to be right in the middle and will naturally go there, avoiding the newly sewn threads. Hold the chisel vertical, perpendicular to the wood and buttonhole.

Hammer the top end of the chisel a few times with some good solid whacks to cut the fabric and create the buttonhole opening. Move the chisel down the buttonhole and hammer again, repeating if necessary until you've opened the entire buttonhole.

Voila: Perfectly opened buttonhole! Great job.

On occasion, your buttonhole opening will be smaller than your chisel. To easily solve this, instead of laying the buttonhole flat on the wood wrap it over one edge and hammer the chisel through a portion of the buttonhole, then turning it around to finish the buttonhole.

Step back, smile, congratulate yourself, and marvel at your brilliant buttonholes.

The Best Boys Vest

2013-04-23T08:00:00.000-04:00

I've been toying with the idea of adding vests to the shop after making this one last December. I hesitated (time constraints!), and hemmed and hawed, until I received a special request for vests to match this tropical tie purchased for an upcoming summer wedding.

I was so excited by the opportunity I immediately said yes and got to work. That is how the boys vest came to be.

The vest is fully lined, in a coordinating solid. It has three buttons up the front and a belt in the back, allowing for adjustability.

I am offering the vest in the shop in a seemingly endless array of Kona cotton colors. Of course, prints can and will be done just as easily per request.

As soon as I get the post put together I'll be sharing the most incredible simple trick I learned for flawlessly cutting open buttonholes!

Shop Update

2013-04-17T08:00:00.000-04:00

A few of the new summery ties appearing in the shop this week. A click on the images will lead directly to their shop listing.

Robots, oh my!

2013-04-12T08:00:00.000-04:00

This was a post about a whole bunch of home repair and maintenance going on around here this week. After writing the whole entire post I just didn't feel it, so I deleted it.

So, instead, we have a new pair of Mama Made Cargo Shorts. Please trust me when I say this is more fun than faucets, washing machines, printers, and refrigerators.

The many pairs of shorts I made last summer have now shrunk, somehow, and land well above River's knees. They shrunk around the waist too.

For this pair of shorts I used the same pattern as before, but had to add to the length and width (the pattern shrunk too, how does that happen?), and extended and widened the pocket, making it even better to fill with stuff.

They're robot shorts! River is super happy about that, even though he really has no shirt to wear with the shorts (why yes, a robot shirt probably will show up here very soon). The fabric is a Robert Kaufman print, and was purchased at StitchStashDiva.

I can't say enough how much I love this simple pattern.

Now if I could just get his clothes to fit until they're worn out ...

Fun

2013-04-11T08:00:00.000-04:00

Another beautiful weekend spent camping. It never gets old.

This particular weekend was spent in the company of 80 or so teenagers. The kids came from various local scout and other groups to compete and just plain have fun getting to know each other (and themselves a little better). For many of the kids it was their first time camping and they handled it like seasoned pros, it was neat to have the opportunity to see the experience from their point of view.

The first night the kids played games and watched movies. Apparently, Risk, is THE game. As soon as Adam and Kaden grabbed the game they, and Ian and Mia, were surrounded by new friends. The Risk board stayed set up all weekend, occasionally the players would change (I must admit I found someone to take my place pretty early on), the board would sit for hours while other things were going on, games would end and new ones would start, but no matter what, Risk was ready to go.

The competition ... tug of war, an obstacle course that involved galloping on a stick horse, a "bucking bronco" in the pool (Mia won that event ... sailing balance comes in handy), shooting, canoe dunking, and more.

I spent most of the weekend hanging out with Adam and Kaden. They were a little too young to compete but didn't let that stop them from having a great time and trying all the events they wanted to. I enjoyed a little one-on-two time with them. It's not often I get to hang out with just one or two kids for a whole day so I really soaked it in and enjoyed it.

The last event Saturday night was an extreme dodgeball tournament. Very exciting to watch. My kids, being the home schooled souls that they are, had no idea how to play but learned quickly (that happens when balls are flying at you!). I played dodgeball in elementary school and I had no idea there was so much strategy involved, the teams that had a plan and a back-up plan seemed to do the best.

{this moment}

2013-04-05T08:00:00.000-04:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.
If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

From SouleMama

*************

Swap Projects

2013-04-03T08:00:00.000-04:00

A few completed swap pieces ...

Two appliqued mug rugs for a Quilting Gallery swap.

Two house blocks for Block Swap Adventure.

I often get so busy making ties and related accessories that I don't make time to sew other stuff. These swaps are a great way to change the pace a little and do something different. Very, very refreshing and fun.

News

2013-04-02T08:00:00.000-04:00

A new section has been added to the shop, Mens Neckties. Currently there are 20something different prints available, I'm adding more as quickly as possible, including some styles that are completely new to the shop (and will be available for men and boys).

The men's ties match boy's bow ties and neckties ... great for weddings or photo sessions.

As always, if you don't see what you're looking for, ask. I'll do my best.

The Elephant in the Room

2013-04-01T08:00:00.000-04:00

While searching for a star quilt block for a swap I came across this wonderful elephant pattern.

Star quilt block was abandoned immediately and elephant pillow began. Yes, it has been suggested that I have an attention deficit issue.

I randomly bleached the red fabric in a grid pattern using freezer paper stencils to create the pattern. The bleach was then added with a toothbrush. After it had dried, and was machine washed and dried, I added the black dots with stamping ink made specifically for use on fabric (found at Hobby Lobby). The end result is exactly what I'd hoped for.

For the pillow covering I simply sewed the front and back together, leaving an opening for the pillow, turned it right side out, and stuffed the pillow. I then machine stitched the opening shut. I considered doing an envelope back but opted for a more permanent cover.

Creating the elephant, border, and pillow covering took less than an hour in total. Leaving me enough time to make the quilt block I was supposed to be making in the first place.

If you make an elephant pillow of your own please share a link or picture.

{this moment}

2013-03-29T08:00:00.000-04:00

(not my image, it was found here ... click over to read the article)

Ok, so not my image, but dang it's great to see the local team (and my daughter's school!!!) do so well. We'll be cheering them on tonight as they play the Gators.

Letter Practice

2013-03-26T08:00:00.000-04:00

River isn't fond of handwriting. He comes by it honestly, it's been a battle with all the boys. When Kaden was five and learning to write his name he told me he didn't have to learn to write because his children would write everything for him (Kaden's handwriting remains "challenging" ... those children of his have their work cut out for them).

To practice handwriting I tossed some paint in a gallon ziploc bag and sealed it with tape. I mixed two colors for interest, but even after they mixed together it was great fun. This gave him an erasable surface to practice with his fingers on. And, mostly, it's just plain fun to play with.

I set a handwriting chart next to him and let him go.

He loved it, but I quickly realized (1) there was too much paint in the bag (a very small amount is all that's needed, maybe two tablespoons), and (2) the bag was slipping around. I removed a bunch of paint and taped the bag to a cookie sheet. Much better.

After a while I thought to put a white sheet of paper under the bag, so he could better see his end results. Even better.

The bigger kids had more fun imprinting their hands and faces in the bagged paint. Because bigger kids are like that. I used to make these when I had the daycare to practice counter-clockwise circles and letters.

To recap: Our best concoction was a tablespoon or two of paint in a gallon bag, taped to a cookie sheet or other large enough flat surface, with white paper underneath.

Big Boat Lessons

2013-03-25T08:00:00.000-04:00

When the phone rings and the other end of the line asks if I want to take a couple of my kids sailing on a big boat I don't say no.

To be honest, when I said, "yes" I had no idea what we were getting in to. Something about a boat going out from Fort Myers Beach.

What we'd agreed to was a two hour excursion on the Privateer Lynx, an incredible teaching replica historic tall ship from the War of 1812.

{this moment}

2013-03-22T08:10:00.000-04:00

Easter Ties

2013-03-22T08:00:00.000-04:00

There's still a little time left to get Easter tie orders in.

Or, up the shipping to Priority Mail and order by next Tuesday.

Adventuring

2013-03-21T08:00:00.000-04:00

Midway between Naples and Fort Lauderdale lies the magic of the Florida Everglades. Within the Florida Everglades lies the Big Cypress Swamp and the Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation. Located within the Big Cypress Indian Reservation is the Billie Swamp Safari, a tourist destination with airboats, swamp buggies, a zoo, and more (airboats and swamp buggies .... drawing a blank - go to the Billie Swamp Safari website and next time you're near a swamp check them out).

Every year Billie Swamp Safari organizes and presents the Big Cypress Shootout, a reenactment of the second Seminole War and every year they invite Boy Scouts from southwest and southeast Florida to attend the event and camp for the weekend.

Very, very cool.

The war reenactment was terrific (the Seminole clearly won the battle - in fact, they were never defeated and never surrendered).

The costumes on both sides were so colorful. The horses were amazing to watch. And the cannon, well, the boys were cheering and clapping then.

Not to be missed was the alligator trainer? tamer? fool? Yikes. All I know is that I hope my children NEVER choose to follow this career path. As we watched Justin, the trainer, I couldn't help but wonder how "accidents" are handled, the two man medical crew seemed quite insufficient. Fortunately, Justin completed the show with all appendages, including his head, attached.

Side note of sorts ... we were camping with hundreds of cub and boy scouts and parents. And non-gender-specific port-o-potties. The brilliant Miss Mia grabbed paper, pen, and tape and labeled one of the potties near us "Women". Perfect.

Seriously, real live big alligator

Review: SchoolhouseTeachers.com

2013-03-20T18:41:00.000-04:00

Art. Not my strong suit. Which I say very wistfully ... I love art and I wish I knew it better. If the opportunity ever arises I will take art classes, mostly about mixing color and what works visually and why. In the meantime, I want the kids to have a good basic understanding of art. Thankfully, I have found help for the older kids over the years through books, blogs, and various activities, and most recently at SchoolhouseTeachers.com.

SchoolhouseTeachers.com, a division of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, is a website devoted to current, fresh homeschooling lessons and ideas taught by . Lessons are offered in every subject imaginable - science, math, home economics, foreign languages, logic, mock trial, etc., over 25 subjects total. Classes are taught from preschool through high school levels, with new lessons added weekly and monthly.

There's even a section called "Dailies". Check out the image below to see all daily selections you'll find:

As you can see by the black drop-down tab bar above there's a lot available. In the "extras" section are free supplements and planners, great for busy families like mine.

When I first heard of SchoolhouseTeachers.com I had to check it out. While the kids and I are fairly settled in our home schooling routine new inspiration is always welcome, and can lead us in all sorts of new directions.

I must admit that at first glance I wasn't blown away. It's me, not them. If a website doesn't hit me in the face with what they're trying to tell me I get distracted. It's all me. I mentioned my thoughts to a friend and she asked me if I'd look at the site tour videos. Um, no. The two videos are a total of about 7 minutes long and very clear and user friendly. See, I learned something without even opening a lesson.

After glancing through the site I found two "must tries". First, a creative writing lesson. Second, Studio Art for Teens.

The kids do creative writing every day, which I'm planning to write about soon. The lesson, however, was about writing a Sci-Fi story. How cool. The 4th and 6th grade boys were very excited and got really into it. The lesson included a solid lesson and brainstorming worksheets. Paired together they created a very clear, easy to follow study. I gave the boys a week to do their papers, from brainstorming to writing a rough draft to proofreading (4 times) to writing a final copy. Every step of the lesson plan was complete and very well written, making it easy to follow and easy to grade. They enjoyed a break from our traditional creative writing and learned a lot about how to write a solid paper.

Studio Art for Teens had Mia, my 9th grade art and poetry lover, written all over it. February was divided into four lessons - The Line, Shape, Texture, and Color. While each lesson is given a week to complete we were able to work through the first three lessons in a week.

The first lesson focused on the line, creating drawings with dimension using lines. The project in this lesson was to draw a lion, which proved to be very difficult but led to some great conversation about drawing, what worked, and what didn't.

Shape and texture captured the kids' interest as well. Mia's review of the lessons, "I like the lessons because they teach you a lot of different techniques."

Overall, I was pleased with the website and will use it again. The boys will be finishing their grammar book at the end of this month, and I'm planning to supplement with SchoolhouseTeachers.com lessons throughout the spring.

Membership in the site is available for all for just $55 a year or $75 a year for site membership and annual membership in a sister site, Econobusters.com. For more membership options check out the SchoolhouseTeachers.com promo page.

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Disclaimer: I received a free membership for this website through Schoolhouse Review Crew in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review now was I compensated in any other way. All opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC regulations.