Confessions of an Organized Homeschool Mom

Bethany . . . Reinvented . . . Maybe

noreply@blogger.com (Bethany LeBedz) — Thu, 23 May 2013 20:05:00 +0000

So, after a long, unexcused absence from my once-beloved blog, I'm thinking about reinventing it. Along with reinventing myself. I'm not sure the blog, or me, is working the way it was. Oh, I'm still into organizing and homeschooling, but I'm just not sure that's where my blogging emphasis should be anymore. I'm not exactly sure where I'm going to end up either.

Q4U: Thoughts? Comments? Requests? Please???

The Reading Lesson & Verbal Math GIVEAWAYS

noreply@blogger.com (Bethany LeBedz) — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 01:52:00 +0000

Verbal Math Lessons are an interactive, fun way to learn math without any writing. Say no to worksheets, but yes to games and mental shortcuts. Level 1 is for kids in grades K-1, while Level 2 is for kids who have mastered Level 1 and/or are in grades 1-2. Get your kids into the habit of working math in their heads, not on their fingers!

The Reading Lesson includes the award-winning book with easy, step-by-step directions. Its simple style keeps the focus on the reading. The authors claim that it only takes 10 minutes a day and that kids will be reading from day 1, but I didn't have any non-readers to test it out on. Included in the set are the lesson book, the animated lesson CD, the storybook cd, the writing lesson cd (handwriting practice), the sounds of letters dvd, and Big Words for Little Kids, advanced vocabulary for readers in elementary grades. The adorable Giggle Bunny will draw kids along every step of the way!

Ready to buy? Use code organizedmom00 for a 20% discount (good through 9/6/13).

GIVEAWAYS: TWO winners! One will win both levels/books of The Verbal Math Lesson. One will win the complete Reading Lesson package. Just leave a comment below (on my blog, not Facebook or wherever) with your email address (so I can notify you) and which one you would like to win. Yes, you have to choose one. This is for readers in the continental US only. I'll choose 2 random winners on Monday, March 11.

Disclaimer: These materials were sent to me free of charge by the publisher, but the opinions expressed are my own.

Messianic Prophecy for Kids GIVEAWAY

noreply@blogger.com (Bethany LeBedz) — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 00:56:00 +0000

Curious about how Old Testament prophecies have been fulfilled through the Messiah? The pick up a copy of Messianic Prophecy for Kids: Follow the Threads by Brynn Padrick. For upper elementary grades (but adaptable to just about any age), it's engaging, fascinating, and includes different activities.

Follow the Threads makes the complicated prophecies accessible for the younger ages. OK, who am I kidding? Some OT prophecies can be a bit confusing for those not so young, too, but Brynn does a good job of making everything as clear as possible. It's not just another workbook, either, it's got all sorts of fun activities to help youngsters remember what they learn.

GIVEAWAY: I have one copy of this great resource to giveaway to one of my friends here in bloggy world. You must live in the continental U.S. and leave a comment including your email address in the comments below (not on Facebook or wherever). I'll choose a winner on Friday, March 8, and email her/him.

Disclaimer: I received this book for free from the author in exchange for a review; however, the opinions expressed are my own.

Little Pilgrim's Progress Adventure Guide GIVEAWAY

noreply@blogger.com (Bethany LeBedz) — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 23:46:00 +0000

It's hard to belive that Helen Taylor's Little Pilgrim's Progress has been around for 60 years already! But it has, and it's been improved with the addition of an Adventure Guide, written by homeschooling mom Deanna Conrad. Written especially for those in grades 4-6, families with children in other age groups can still benefit from the guide.

It's not just another fill-in-the-blanks workbook. The Little Pilgrim's Progress Adventure Guide provides engaging vocabulary, thought-provoking questions, allegorical concepts, literature elements, biblical applications, and character analysis in various formats. From trusted publisher, Moody Press, you know you can trust the content!

GIVEAWAY: I have not one, but TWO sets of Little Pilgrim's Progress, 60th Anniversary Edition, and Little Pilgrim's Progess Adventure Guide to give away! All you have to do is leave me a comment below (on my blog, not on Facebook or Google + or wherever you're reading my post). I'll choose a random winner on FRIDAY, March 8, 2013, and email the winner (so you must include your email address where I can find it). The giveaway is open only to those living in the continental U.S. only, sorry.

Disclaimer: I received both the book and the guide free from Moody in hopes that I would provide a review. The opinions expressed are my own, though.

When Happily Ever After Shatters (book review)

noreply@blogger.com (Bethany LeBedz) — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 23:16:00 +0000

The big white dress. The flowers. The church. The kids. The years. The breakup. Wait--what? What do you do when your (or your friend's) marriage disintegrates before your eyes? When you can stop crying long enough to read a chapter at a time, dig into Sue Birdsey's When Happily Ever After Shatters, published by Focus on the Family in conjunction with Tyndale Publishers. Sue has first-hand experience in not only dealing with abandonment, divorce, and single parenting, but thriving through it.

Sue offers practical advice for those going through every step of this life-altering tragedy. She also offers advice for friends and families of those suffering. This book was so good that I read it straight through in two sittings. I highly recommend it for everyone because we all know someone going through divorce right now.

Disclaimer: This book was provided to me free of charge from Tyndale Publishing in hopes that I would provide a review. The opinions expressed are my own.

Happy Birthday!

noreply@blogger.com (Bethany LeBedz) — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 10:00:00 +0000

Happy Birthday to my sweet, sensitive Emmaleigh! Today, she turns 15 and is looking forward to driver's ed (me, not so much!). She loves to bake and to help people.

Collecting for College

noreply@blogger.com (Bethany LeBedz) — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 10:00:00 +0000

This coming fall (gulp!!), my older daughter heads away to a 4-year college. You'd think I'd be used to the idea because this is what we homeschoolers work towards for 12 years, right? Well, my heart is not ready for her to go away, but I've already started getting her stuff ready to leave the nest.

This is a large, plastic, storage bin. I commandeered it to start collecting the myriad of odds and ends that she'll be taking with her. Just in case she had ideas of throwing other junk in there, I labeled it. I don't have the money to buy her all-new stuff in August, so it works better for me to buy things a little at a time. So far, the container has a lint roller and a spray bottle of the homemade cleaner we use.

Other items I plan to add to the container: dishes and utensils (for 1), bed and bath linens, extra personal care items, Command hooks, laundry detergent, a small sewing kit (I can hope, right?), a first-aid kit, and over-the-door hooks. I'm sure we'll think of other things, too, along the way. I found a really helpful, FREE college shopping checklist at Bed, Bath & Beyond. It's available on their website at bedbathandbeyond.com/shopforcollege.

When August comes, all of her extra stuff (besides clothes and electronics) will be ready to go.

Q4U: Have you sent a child off to college already? What am I missing?

How to Prettify Plain, Cardboard Magazine Holders

noreply@blogger.com (Bethany LeBedz) — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 10:00:00 +0000

I'm cheap. (Really, Mum, even though I know you don't believe it!) So when I needed magazine holders, I went to Ikea and bought the 5-pack of cheap, flat (to assemble), white, cardboard file holders. Sorry I can't remember how much they cost, but 5 were way cheaper than 1 of the expensive, brand-name ones at an office supply store.

But plain, white cardboard is so boring. So, I took some contact paper, cut it a few inches wider than the width of the holder, and voila: a prettified magazine holder! Then I printed labels for the contents onto my pretty Martha Stewart labels so I can tell at a glance what's in each holder.

Above, you can see what several of them look like next to each other on my bookshelf. Below you can see how I wrapped the contact paper around the edges of the back so as to prevent it from peeling off.

I saved money and completed a DIY project. What could be better?

Bookshelf Reorganization

noreply@blogger.com (Bethany LeBedz) — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 10:00:00 +0000

I've been rearranging. Yes, again. It's been a while since I showed you my Expedit bookshelf, so I thought it was time for an update. I believe it's in its fourth different room since coming to live with me. It doesn't seem to mind, though, and it's actually fairly easy to move--after removing all of the books.

One block is homeschool teacher's manuals and such, one block is reference materials for editing, another block is teaching homeschool writing, but 2 blocks (almost) are devoted to teaching college writing. One block has my fiction books, while another block holds my yearbooks and diplomas (yes, I should probably recycle the yearbooks, but I can't quite bring myself to do it). One plastic bin is my filing cabinet, while the other one holds extra file folders, printer paper, and similar stuff.

The black bins? Well, let's just say they're holding stuff, which is what they're designed to do :-) The white tray is my to-file bin. I'd like to say that I file stuff once a week so that the bin is usually empty. Sadly, I can't say that. Hey, just keepin' it real here, folks.

Of course, you'll also notice that I've got a few pretties on my shelves as well. Organization can be pretty!

Q4U: How are your bookshelves doing?

Science Stuff Storage

noreply@blogger.com (Bethany LeBedz) — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 10:00:00 +0000

Everyone, well almost everyone, loves fun science experiments. But in order to do those fun science experiments, we need supplies. Weird supplies like 3 balloons, 2 bendy straws, and 1 small rock. After a while of buying bags of 50 balloons and ordering that 1 chemical from Home Science Tools, we've got science experiment stuff in the kitchen junk drawer, on the bookshelves, and in the couch cushions.

So, what do we do with it all? We containerize it! I bought 4 or 6 or the small, plastic bins pictured above in the dollar store. You can't beat the price or the convenience. Then, I sorted the science supplies into categories such as glass/plastic, microscope materials, and chemicals. I put one category of supplies into each bin, made an appropriate label, and tada!

Even though my girls are teenagers, we occasionally have younger visitors, so I make sure to store all of these tools on a high shelf on my bookcase.

Whaddya think?

The Family Calendar

noreply@blogger.com (Bethany LeBedz) — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 10:00:00 +0000

How do you coordinate a busy family's schedule when everyone seems to be going different directions at the same time? The most efficient way I have found to deal with mine and my teenagers' ever-changing, full-to-the-brim schedules is to have a large, dry-erase calendar in a central location--ours is in the kitchen, on the pantry door because it came with nifty mounting hardware. Each person is assigned a different color in order to 1) tell at a glance who has an outside activity at any given time, and 2) save time and writing space. Every event must be written down on the calendar, especially if it involves the mom taxi; otherwise there's no guarantee that it will happen. I also have an "all" color to designate events (such as church or Bible studies) in which we're all involved.

This calendar is also magnetic, which makes it easy to put event tickets right on the day they're needed. No more scrambling around to find out what time that birthday party starts! In addition, I love that there's a small bulletin board alongside of the calendar. I use it for coupons and other such time-sensitive materials that don't necessarily belong on a particular day.

The magnetic feature also allows for a small, magnetic eraser (top, right corner) and a colored arrow magnet (middle of last week), which make using my fabulous family calendar so much easier.

Q4U: Do you use a large family calendar that's easily accessible by all?

It's Calendar Time!

noreply@blogger.com (Bethany LeBedz) — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 19:57:00 +0000

Have you bought your 2013 calendar yet? If not, stop reading this blog post. Go buy a wall calendar, a purse calendar, a desk calendar, a family fridge calendar, refills for your Day Timer, whatever you use. Right now! Yes, really! Then come straight back. Now are you ready?

First, make sure you have your current calendar beside the new one. Then, go through and add in all the birthdays, anniversaries, vacations, and holidays. Use a pen for all these dates. Next, find all those scraps of paper stuffed under the couch cushions and scribbled on the edges of the old calendar that have the events scheduled for this coming year. Write all these events in your new calendar. Use a pencil for these events. That way if there are last minute changes, you won’t have a scribbled out mess on your calendar. Be sure to update all your calendars (including the family one on the fridge) every time you make a change.

The next most important tip is to use your calendar FAITHFULLY! Never commit to an appointment without consulting your calendar. Train your children (and hubby!) to do the same thing. Don’t forget to write down each and every new event right away, otherwise you’re likely to forget about it.

My absolute favorite calendar organizational item is my smart phone (it goes EVERYWHERE with me and syncs with my Google computer calendar, too). I realize not everyone wants one of those (or could have one), but it’s what I use. My next favorite tool is a monthly, magnetic, dry-erase calendar. All family appointments, classes, and other events go onto that calendar. Each family member has her own color marker to designate personal events. Each child also has her own small student calendar, and I am training them to put long-term homework assignments as well as schedules into these. We also have a few wall calendars by our desks, mostly for long-term reference.

Now, go get organized for the year ahead! Then come back and leave me a message telling me about your favorite calendars.

Be In Style: Say Thank You

noreply@blogger.com (Bethany LeBedz) — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 10:00:00 +0000

Is it just me, or are thank you notes (the paper kind you hold in your hand) becoming obsolete? Are they following the dwindling number of friendly letters and Christmas letters and cards that used to stuff our mailboxes? Well, my mum (she’s Canadian, but I thought the southern phrase more apropos for the title) taught me to acknowledge every gift with a handwritten thank you note. If your techno-kids balk, here are some inspirations to help reinstate the good old-fashioned thank you note.

1. Don’t restrict Thanksgiving to a single day or month. On the contrary, the fact that Thanksgiving comes exactly a month before the day when kids get overloaded with new toys, books, and electronic gadgets should prime them for even more thankfulness.

2. Someone—grandparent, aunt, sibling, parent—took the time to pick out a special gift for each child in your home. The least a child can do in return is to take the time to handwrite note acknowledging appreciation for the gift and for the thought that went into its purchase.

3. Yes, grandparents know that little Jimmy just loved the Tonka truck, but writing a thank you note is kind of like saying “I love you.” You know it, but it’s still nice to hear frequently.

4. The Bible leads the way in encouraging thankful attitudes. “Offer to God thanksgiving” (Psalm 50:14a NJKV). “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name” (Psalm 100:4, NKJV). “Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:20 NKJV).

5. You can count writing thank you notes as a school project! Just look at all the subjects you’ll cover: grammar (proper letter forms and written grammar), handwriting, art (if they design their own), spelling, and etiquette (it is good manners to write thank you notes).

6. Let’s face it: the kids will be looking for something to do in between Christmas and New Year’s Day. The novelty of the new toys will wear off about two days after they’re opened and writing thank you notes can help fill in the time gap before you’re ready to jump back into formal lessons in January.

7. Many children enjoy designing their own cards or drawing pictures. The recipients will enjoy seeing those pictures and cards on their refrigerators. This works especially well with children who are too young to write complete sentences; they can draw pictures of themselves playing with their new toys.

How many ways can you say thank you? Shukran Gazillan, Thoinks, Moite! Wado, Xie_Xie, Merci, Danke sehr, Mahalo, Köszönöm, Grazie, Cheers, Salamat, Spasiba, Tapadh Leat, Gracias a todos, Tesekkurler, Thanks y'all! (Other languages courtesy of e-Tailers Digest.)

(It's a repost because I have to remind my own kids to write Christmas thank you notes every year, and I'm sure you do, too!)

The REAL Christmas Story

noreply@blogger.com (Bethany LeBedz) — Mon, 24 Dec 2012 10:00:00 +0000

About that time Caesar Augustus ordered a census to be taken throughout the Empire. This was the first census when Quirinius was governor of Syria. Everyone had to travel to his own ancestral hometown to be accounted for. So Joseph went from the Galilean town of Nazareth up to Bethlehem in Judah, David's town, for the census. As a descendant of David, he had to go there. He went with Mary, his fiancee, who was pregnant.

While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. She gave birth to a son, her firstborn. She wrapped him in a blanket and laid him in a manger, because there was no room in the hostel.

There were sheepherders camping in the neighborhood. They had set night watches over their sheep. Suddenly, God's angel stood among them and God's glory blazed around them. They were terrified. The angel said, "Don't be afraid. I'm here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: A Savior has just been born in David's town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master. This is what you're to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger."

At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God's praises: "Glory to God in the heavenly heights, peace to all men and women on earth who please him."

As the angel choir withdrew into heaven, the sheepherders talked it over. "Let's get over to Bethlehem as fast as we can and see for ourselves what God has revealed to us." They left, running, and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. Seeing was believing. They told everyone they met what the angels had said about this child. All who heard the sheepherders were impressed.

Mary kept all these things to herself, holding them dear, deep within herself. The sheepherders returned and let loose, glorifying and praising God for everything they had heard and seen. it turned out exactly the way they'd been told!

~ Luke 2:1-20, The Message

What All Home Educators Need: Remote Digital Backups (guest post)

noreply@blogger.com (Bethany LeBedz) — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 21:14:00 +0000

Using an electronic device such as a laptop, tablet, even a smartphone to help store lesson plans as well as archive other important school-related documents like graded assignments and projects is definitely the more green approach. More importantly, it's also great for organizational purposes— you can create digital folders with appropriate titles and dates for easy retrieval. But as you've probably already learned, technology isn't always "reliable."

Sometimes computers crash and files on your hard drive are lost. Sometimes your USB flash drive won't work and you can't access your important documents (which can pretty inconvenient if you're trying to give a lesson away from home).Sometimes your tablet can run out of power at the worst time. Sometimes your email is temporarily shut down. Whatever the case, it's important that you backup everything on to a remote cloud device so that you have access to everything you need from any device at any time.

That said, below are some of the more popular remote storage -cloud devices to choose from. And the best part? They're all free!

DropBox

Wanting remote access to important documents without having to constantly email themselves or save their files on a flash drive, two MIT graduates created DropBox in 2007. Today, more than 100 million people around the world uses the free service to store college papers, photos, and other documents they don't want to get lost. Windows, Mac, Linux, and Mobile users start off with 2GB of free storage but can potentially earn up to 18GB of free storage by completing various tasks, such as inviting your friends to become members.

Google Drive

If you already have a Gmail account, then using GoogleDrive to store documents and share texts and spreadsheets with your student is probably the easiest way to go since everything is already built in. You'll also have access to Google Docs. Google Docs can be used as a "tracker"—you can create lists and keep track of daily lesson plans, assignments completed or volunteer hours. You can also collaborate with more than one person on documents at the same time since you can see live edits. Users get 5GB of free storage and must pay a subscription for more.

Microsoft SkyDrive

Last but certainly not least is SkyDrive. SkyDrive works relatively the same as the other devices since you can store and share documents, but there is one nifty exception: Windows 8, Windows 7, or Vista, and Mac OS X Lion computer users can automatically sync their files. This way, you automatically create a backup without having to think twice about it. SkyDrive offers its users 7GB of free storage.

Aniya Wells is a freelance education and tech writer. She mostly contributes to OnlineDegreePrograms.com, a site that specializes in alternative online learning. She welcomes your questions and comments.

A Promise to Protect (book review)

noreply@blogger.com (Bethany LeBedz) — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 20:57:00 +0000

Liz Johnson delivers again with A Promise to Protect! Navy SEAL Matt Waterstone knows about keeping people safe. When his best friend’s sister is attacked, Matt promises no harm will come to Ashley Sawyer–not on his watch. But Matt’s not the only protective one. Ashley will do anything to safeguard the residents of the battered women’s shelter she runs. She’s sure she can handle the threats she gets in return. What she can’t handle is the way Matt scales the walls around her heart. Yet when she falls prey to a crime web more sinister than she’d realized, trusting Matt could be the only way to survive. (Summary provided by author.)

I loved the book! It was the perfect blend of intrigue and romance with just-right characters. I couldn't put it down once I'd started it. I can wait until Liz's next book!

Disclaimer: The book was provided to me free of charge in hopes that I would post a review. The opinions expressed are my own.

Cookbook Winner

noreply@blogger.com (Bethany LeBedz) — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 18:39:00 +0000

And, the winner of the Simplified Dinners--Gluten Free and Dairy Free Made Easy cookbook is maplesunflower, commenter #4. Congratulations! Check your email for confirmation.

Taking a Break

noreply@blogger.com (Bethany LeBedz) — Sun, 30 Sep 2012 22:01:00 +0000

Just letting y'all know that I need to take a blogging break for now. Don't worry; I'll be back! This month, I'm trying to defend my thesis for my master's degree, plus my regular class work, teach from a new textbook at the community college, homeschool, and . . . and . . . and!! I hope to return to blogging by the beginning of November, but definitely by mid December at the latest.

Please don't desert me :-). Many blessings in the interim.

Simplify Dinner (cookbook review & GIVEAWAY)

noreply@blogger.com (Bethany LeBedz) — Sun, 30 Sep 2012 21:50:00 +0000

Some people love cooking. Some people love planning exotic, nutritious, delicious meals for their families. Some people even love spending all day in the kitchen. I am not one of those people. Don't get me wrong, I can cook just fine. I know how to plan healthy meals for my family. But I'm often exhausted and busy with other things around the dinner hour. So, I was delighted to be given the opportunity to review Simplified Dinners--Gluten Free and Dairy Free by Simplified Pantry's Mystie Winckler. (Don't worry, there's also a "normal" version of the e-book, but I have food intolerances.)

With my food intolerances, I often feel like I always eat oatmeal for breakfast, a smoothie for lunch, and grilled chicken salad for dinner. Every. Single. Day. Of course, that's not entirely true, but I was very excited to discover easy, different choices. The emphasis here is on easy, meaning that most of the ingredients can be found in any grocery store.

The best thing about Mystie's cookbook (besides the fact that it's gluten free and dairy free) is its ORGANIZATION! Y'all know that's my favorite word! She starts with 23 basic recipes (listed in the index = easy to find), but each recipe contains numerous variations. The other night, I had chicken, fatigue, and no time. I flipped to the "Skillet Cutlets with Pan Sauces" page and had a tasty dinner on the table before I fell over from exhaustion. Score!

In addition, there are 3 separate salad categories, a side dish category, and of course, a dessert section. Simplified Dinners--Gluten Free and Dairy Free is quickly becoming my go-to cookbook.

Wouldn't you like to have one for yourself? It's easy; just leave your name and email address in a comment below for a chance to win a copy! I'll choose a random winner on Thursday before noon (EST).

Disclaimer: I was given a free copy of this ebook to review, but the opinions expressed are my own.

Dish Dryer Mat Storage

noreply@blogger.com (Bethany LeBedz) — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 09:00:00 +0000

Recently, I discovered the best invention ever for my kitchen. Well, at least for drying my dishes. OK, to be totally honest, the best invention for my kids to utilize when they scrub the pots that don't go in the dishwasher.

For years, I had a plastic dish rack with a thick, plastic mat that went under it to direct all the water droplets toward the sink. They were country blue. Remember those racks? And that color? Yeah, I'm showing my age. Anyway, mine were old, cracked, and nasty looking, so we never used them. They just took up precious cabinet space under my kitchen sink.

Enter the super-absorbent, microfiber, dish drying mat. It allows me my kids to place dishes neatly on the counter to drip dry without the dishes slipping onto the floor and without water spilling everywhere.

The only problem is where and how to store it when it's not in use. After wrestling it into the cabinet under my sink for a few weeks, I finally hit on the idea of hot gluing a clothespin to the inside of the cabinet door. I simply fold the mat in half, clip, and close the door. It's out of the way, and it can dry easily. Best of all, I can throw it in the washing machine with my dishtowels.

How to Keep Track of P.E. Hours in High School

noreply@blogger.com (Bethany LeBedz) — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 09:00:00 +0000

The only thing worse than high school itself (as a teenager), was gym class. I'm uncoordinated; I never played a sport, and every time there was a ball involved, it hit me in the face. And usually broke my glasses. One time when I finally, actually, served the volleyball over the net, the OTHER team cheered. Seriously. Oh wait, maybe that was college.

Anyway, thank goodness my girls are more coordinated than I am! Even though they were/are homeschooled, colleges like to see a physical education/health credit on their transcripts. Every state is different in their requirements, so be sure to check your state's guidelines. Our state just requires one credit, and they don't specify exactly how it should be divided up, so being the ~~lazy~~ flexible mom that I am, I decided that my girls could participate in whatever physical activity they choose.

Experts generally agree that 120 hours of effort is the equivalent of one high school credit. In our house, we don't exercise for an hour at a time (except for that year or so a while ago when I took up running), so when I made the table to track P.E. hours, I made each rectangle equal to half an hour (for a total of 240 squares). Voila! One physical education/health credit accounted for.

How to Keep Track of Volunteer Hours in High School

noreply@blogger.com (Bethany LeBedz) — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 20:12:00 +0000

High school was scary the first time I went through it (as a teenager). High school was almost as scary the second time I went through it (with my older daughter). I'm thinking that the third time will be a charm. My younger daughter started high school a few weeks ago, and we're chugging right along.

One important record-keeping aspect of high school that was new to me the second time around was keeping track of volunteer hours. As colleges get more and more competitive, documenting volunteer hours becomes more important.

So, I created a table in Microsoft Word with empty blocks to fill in the dates for when my high schooler completes an hour of community or church service time. I hole-punched the paper and keep it in my Mom Master Binder (part 2 here). Then all I have to do is pull it out once every few weeks and update my daughter's volunteer hours.

The Year of Learning Dangerously (book review)

noreply@blogger.com (Bethany LeBedz) — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 09:00:00 +0000

While I wouldn't classify homeschooling as dangerous, Quinn Cummings, former child actress, does in her new memoir, The Year of Learning Dangerously: Adventures in Homeschooling. And the way Quinn humorously describes their forays into a variety of homeschooling methods could certainly fall under the adventurous category. Her dry wit and humor had me giggling on every page.

Homeschooling isn't just for a select few; it's gone mainstream in America, even for people who hate math. Yes, Quinn, Alice, my girls, and I seem to share the same feelings for that subject, and I know we're not alone.

In one year, the Cummings family tried out three different methods of homeschooling and perused several others; that's real commitment to figuring out the best way for them to homeschool. It's also a good starting point if you're curious for a (mostly, okay not at all) unbiased glimpse at some of the ways all those other homeschoolers manage their learning. Their family adventure just proves that there is no single, correct way to school at home.

While you're taking a break from your own homeschooling adventure by reading about Quinn's, I'm going to audition for a part in The Real Housewives of Classical Education.

Disclaimer: I received this book for free from the publisher (actually, from the author's editor at Penguin) in exchange for a review, but the opinions expressed are my own.

Tattoo a Banana (book review)

noreply@blogger.com (Bethany LeBedz) — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 09:00:00 +0000

Tattoo a Banana? Say what? Don't you recognized the famous David on the banana on the cover. Phil Hansen's premise is that anyone can be an artist with anything. Even me, and I can't draw a stick figure. Turns out I don't have to with this fun how-to book that includes templates and directions for original, creative, outlandish works of art.

Fun, fun, fun! Our only problem was deciding which project to tackle first!

Disclaimer: The publisher sent me this book totally for free, but the opinions expressed are my own.