5 Ways To Make The Homeschool Day Go More Smoothly

We are going into our 4th week of school and I'm tired. Well, tired and refreshed at the same time. Tired because getting back into the groove. Refreshed because I have discovered ways to make our homeschool day go more smoothly. 

We do school in different locations, so laying out everything on the table does not work. Maybe things that are helping us this year will help you as well. 

1. Pack lunches the night before. I use sandwich bowls and make bento lunches the night before. Then, the kids can get their lunches when they are ready for them and I don't have to stop teaching to fix something. I often use dinner leftovers. 

2. On Friday afternoon, I make sure my records from that week are up to date and gather for the next week. I have a folder for each day of the week and I gather all the supplies I can. I make sure to do this Friday evening because I can then devote my entire weekend to family time. 

3. Prepare like you would for a "public school" kid. Double-check that all materials are gathered, videos found, clothes laid out, room clean, and all that good stuff. Even though we don't have to rush out of the house in the morning, this will make the morning smoother. 

4.  Get excited about learning. I've always tried to show the kids that I love to learn and strive to learn something new each day. I realized something though. I was looking at homeschool like a job and not showing them excitement DURING school. When I get excited about what they are learning, they get excited. Act like a kid, enjoy the moment, have fun with your kids. 

5. Remember that we are all the ringmasters of our own circus. Everyone struggles with something, even those Instagram-perfect homeschool moms. No day is perfect and not every day will go as planned. Go with the flow. This type-A personality has had to let go and laugh at myself, my mess, and my circus. Because of that, this school year is going much more smoothly. But, I'm still a work in progress. 

I hope the things I've realized this year will help you or someone you know. 

Book Review: God's Great Embrace

 Disclaimer: I received a book to review. All opinions are my own. 

God's Great Embrace, by Adrian Best, is the best book that could have come out in this time. 

Excerpt taken from Adrian Best, God’s Great Embrace: Discovering Deeper Intimacy with Jesus (Port Orchard, Washington: Ark House, 2022). 

“This book seeks to explore the wonder and mystery of the gospel, the key to all Christian life and practice: the believer’s union with Christ.

What is this union? Why is it so important? There are few questions greater than these.

A dear friend and mentor once reminded me that we can’t take others where we haven’t been ourselves. I want to help you grasp something of your union with Christ by taking you on my own journey. Along the way, we’ll encounter some of life’s most burning questions. These deep mysteries of life and spirituality are not accessible by science, psychology, or philosophy, but are unveiled in the Trinitarian love and grace of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit poured out for us in Jesus Christ.

I offer my thoughts on union with Christ as a fellow pilgrim to whom God has spoken about this glorious biblical truth through the ups and downs of my life, a good dose of seminary education, and my years of church life, Christian experience and prayer. I’ve experienced firsthand the truths and the treasures, the pitfalls and the mistakes described in the pages ahead. But this book isn’t about me. It’s about all believers. It’s about the Holy Spirit deepening our journey with Jesus into the Father’s heart.

What you’ll find here is down-to-earth and pastoral, while also rooted in biblical theology. Starting with foundational truths about this union in the first four chapters, the rest of the book gives rise to an abundance of practical applications, with the potential to transform your life.”

I have recently really been craving a closer relationship with Christ and really wanting to model for my kids to grow with Christ and dive into his word each day. The kids and I have been having many deep conversations with my kids and feel like this book has given me the push to really encourage my kids. 

You can purchase this wonderful book here. 

Guess what?! You can even win your own copy if you head on over to Blessed Freebies!

You can learn more about God's Great Embrace on social media by following these hashtags #GodsGreatEmbrace #ChristianBookReview #GodLovesYou #GraceUponGrace

Free Printable: Kids' Thank You Notes

 I have something fun to share with you this holiday weekend. I created this quick little thank you note template for my kids and thought I would share it. This could be used as a gift thank you, thank you for an act of service, or "thanks for being my friend." It is cute and fun- I hope you enjoy it!

The printable has 4 to a page

Download here

Why I Started This Blog

 

My first blog post here was April 18, 2012. It was named The Palmetto Queen then. My little Tbomb was about a year and a half old and Miss Snapper wouldn't make her appearance for more than a year later. That post was simply an introduction to me and my family. 

This blog has been through a lot of changes, including design and name changes. I have covered many different subjects and I have done sponsored posts, educational posts, and even ranting posts. 

Sometimes I have to go back and think about why I started here and what my mission was, especially when I can't seem to find inspiration to write a post. 

I was 27, had a toddler, and had adjusted to my role as a mother. However, I often found myself with nothing to do when all the chores were done and the Tbomb was sleeping. If you know me, you know that my biggest annoyance is being bored. I feel like I need to do something all the time. It wasn't until I was in my 30s that I learned to watch TV without doing something else at the same time. 

My mother-in-law understood my problem and introduced me to graphic design and also suggested that I find some "mom blogs" to read to give me ideas for things to do with Tbomb and ways to make life easier. What a wonderful idea. 

I actually didn't think I could do graphic design, but I like a challenge, so I tried. I actually succeeded at it and really enjoy making logos (I've always been interested in branding, so it was really fun.)

In reading the "mom blogs," I realized that there were things I could share with the world as well and asked her how I could do the same. She had been creating websites for years and blogging, so she was happy to help. Her blog is currently here. 

I finally had something productive to do with my time and I enjoyed employing my new graphic design skills as I grew here. It has been a journey I've really enjoyed and this year I aim to share more helpful things than ever!

Book Review: Hope In 60 Seconds

 I received a book to review. All opinions are my own. 

I was recently given the opportunity to read Hope In 60 Seconds: Encountering the GOD of the Impossible by Christina Baker. I truly enjoyed the book- it really is a book that everyone can get something out of. 

DO YOU NEED A MIRACLE?

Has life stolen your hope? Have your prayers gone unanswered? 

After years of darkness- full of abuse, rejection, homessness, addiction, illness, loss, and injustice- Christina Baker couldn't believe in a good God. A God who cared. 

But in her dark night of the soul- high on drugs and facing jail time- Jesus came knocking at the door of her heart. She encountered the love of a God who creates beauty from ashes, binds up the brokenhearted, and heals even the most harrowing diagnosis. Now able to see the ways in which God loved and protected her even when she was unaware, Christina carries hope for anyone too weary, too broken, too hungry to carry it in themselves.

• In Hope in 60 Seconds, Christina shares that hope and offers powerful wisdom to encounter, receive, and follow Jesus in the form of:
• Twenty short prayers that point you to a God who will stop at nothing to fight for you.
• Ten personal stories of the miraculous transformation made possible ty the Hero of Hope.

Biblical teachings that will introduce you to the God who has always sheltered the suffering.

Now more than ever, we need hope. Christina's dramatic story reminds us that the hope we hunger for is not a strategy or state of mind but deep, abiding faith in Jesus.  

 (from the back cover)

Christina Baker, a proud athiest, was hooked on drugs and living a life that would only lead to regrets. Instead of spending evenings with her son, she was partying and buying drugs. One night everything changed. She got pulled over and the drugs were found. She was sent to jail. She was angry at God. She realized that even though she didn't think she believed in God, she must becuase she was quick to blame him. A crack formed in her hard heart and God found a way in. She still had quite the journey to go on, but all God needed was a crack to get started. 

Hope in 60 Seconds is truly an amazing book. Broken into small segments, you can read a section in just a minute if you can't sit down and read loger- but I get pulled in and have truly enjoyed reading Christina's words. She is an amazing story teller and has a way of retelling Bible stories in a modern way that makes making connections come naturally. 

You can purchase Hope In 60 seconds here.  

Be sure to follow her on social media: 

Instagram: @iamchristinabaker

TikTok: Christina.Baker

Facebook: @Christina.Baker.543

 

Join GO MVMT and Help Spread The Gospel

 GO MVMT (Go Movement) is a campaign that inspires us to spread the Gospel and get others encouraged to pray and spread the Gospel. They offer a FREE action kit full of resources, encouragement, reminders, and prayers. The pray for 5 a day card is really wonderful. I taped mine inside my Bible cover for a daily reminder. 

GO MVMT is offering this wonderful toolkit for free. You can get it here https://bit.ly/3NlHaPP

The included resources are wonderful and I really like the prayers. Sometimes it isn't so easy to know what to pray but this helps. 

Remember, this action kit is free- go now and download it (https://bit.ly/3NlHaPP) and get to spreading the Gospel and praying for a fellow man. The world could use more prayers right now.