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Not Just Another Food Tracker
In my first week on Bright Line Eating I scoured the internet for printables and charts. However, I could not find a food tracker that I liked. I wanted it simple and useable and fun (ish). So, I made my own Bright Line Eating food tracker- complete with gratitude and encouragement journal pages. On BLE, foodie freedom fighters are asked to plan their meals before the day begins. This takes all the guesswork out of the next day’s meal prep. Gone are last-minute whimsy-driven decisions. Once I write down my meal plan, unless there’s an emergency, I stick to it. Or I’m supposed. So far so good. We’re also asked…
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My First Bright Week on BLE
Come on in my friend. Grab a coffee and get comfy as I give you a peek at my first week on Bright Line Eating. The Call: I’d heard of Bright Line Eating before. Three years before, to be honest. I felt its call, researched its online presence, and decided it would be way too impossible for me. So, instead of changing my mindset, I ignored it. Flash ahead 18 months, and BLE called again. It beckoned a bit louder, through the same source it used the year before. But hey, it was 2020 so again I shut it up and pushed it aside. That brings us to now- I’m…
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Audiobooks that won’t Break the Bank
I lOVE me some audiobooks. They’re great when I’m too busy to crack a spine or scroll on an e-reader. Long ago, my mom got me into listening to novels. Back then it was uncommon for even the Library to have audiobooks. Actually, they were called Books on Tape as in cassette tapes. There were rental shops designed for reader’s ears. Even then one could rarely find a good listen for under $20. But here’s a way to score audiobooks for $5 or under. LibriVox My family LOVES librivox.org. They take public domain literature and bring them to life. Volunteer-based the quality of narrators is hit and miss. But there…
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Upgrading with Teaching Textbooks
Dyslexia doesn’t stop with reading and writing. Math gets tossed into the mix- just for fun. After years of trying many curriculums, Teaching Textbooks came to our family’s rescue! Now, as I’m watching my kiddos grow and learn, I get to introduce you to the upgraded, improved, and still life-saving Teaching Textbooks 4.0. Teaching Textbooks is a computer-based math program for elementary through High School. My family has used it for years! Not only does it instruct my kiddos in easy-to-understand, playful, humorous, and simple ways- but it also grades them for me. All I have to do is check their grade books and check in on their progress now…
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Meet Tip and Lex: Spotlight on Lex
Homeschooling a family with more than one child means homeschooling more than one learning style and ability. My family is no exception. We have one typical learner that we’ll call Tippi and one not-so-typical learner we’ll call Lex. While each has its own style, pitfalls, and strengths in this series we’ll focus on Lex and what we’ve used to support her in our school. Lex has several diagnoses in her portfolio. Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, Dyscalculia, Auditory Processing Disorders, Visual Processing Disorders, ADHD, and special short-term memory issues that amplify them all. With as many labels, there are three times the treatment and specialized curriculum used to address them. Here’s what we’ve…
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Guess What’s Back?
After a long hiatus, my YouTube channel is back and active! – and in desperate need of subs. What will you find there? My favorite videos to shoot are heartfelt, candid, and honest, which means little to no edits from this mom. For you- that equals genuine encouragement and someone else to walk beside you in the homeschool – writer mom journey. Me! 🙂 And I’m there cheering you on! Here are a few of the playlists I have awaiting you. Verse of the Week Are exactly as they sound… raw, unpretenious, flawed Scripture readings and thoughts. Writer Life Yup- thier videos about this writer’s life Homeschool Life Again- it’s…
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Nano & Homeschool: How we count it
NaNoWriMo is an inspirational motivator for writers and reluctant story creators. Teens and teachers can benefit from the experience. But adding any amount of extra words to your homeschool day can be rough. Every family will handle it differently. This is how we count it… DON’T Go OVERBOARD- Refrain from adding NaNo to your already brimming high school schedule. It won’t do you or your teen much good to ladle a hefty serving of extra words atop of all your normal work. CUT SOMETHING OUT- It won’t take much. Just a few nips and tucks to create space for writing. -What do we cut out? We cut out all other…
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What is Nanowrimo?
November is approaching. Which means writing season is just around the corner, leaving many moms and writers asking what is Nanowrimo and how can I incoroprate it into my homeschool? First things first: Nanowrimo stands for Nation Novel Writing Month During November writers of all stages and genres take on the challenge of writing 50,000 words in one month. Not an impossible feat but a daunting one. This year will be my fourth year participating in Nano and every year I’m nervous that I would “win” the challenge. THough set up for adult 18 and up, mostly to keep chat groups and teams safe, the main event can be found…
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1st Peter Read & Write Along
Life has been hard. Beyond hard. To this depression-prone mama that means diving even deeper into God’s word. If you’re anything like me, it isn’t necessarily the isolation that eats at you but the total lack of control and predictability. Don’t get me wrong… I love spontaneity… as long as it happens when I’m expecting it. 😉 So, to combat the blues and mean reds… I’ve been taking a few minutes every day to write out the Word of God. My goal is to walk with you through the book of 1st Peter. Why 1st Peter? It’s short! And direct! And feels attainable. I’d love for you to join me…
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Boom Writing!
Boom Baby! Okay, so I totally dated myself by typing those words. And even though the phrase is peppy and a bit exciting- depression is anything but. That’s why we’re hanging out today. We’re going to give our creativity a boost (or boom) and control the little things we can (AKA Writing) while God is working out the things we can’t. (Pretty Much anything and everything else!!!) Depression and Creativity Depression and grief have been eating away at any ounce of my writer’s drive. I literally want to do nothing but roll around in my favorite quilt, cry, and listen the Cure. And that’s exactly what I would be doing…
