Search Results for: tag Christmas at school

Homeschoolers Helping Homeschoolers

Christmas. Love.  Joy.  Hope. The heart of Christmas is giving.  It beats in a rhythm that begs to be heard.  The call for compassion, to prepare an offering for the hurting, is answered by hearts who desire to fill the cracks of the broken. Despair.  Sadness.  Exhaustion. The brokenhearted are blinded by despair.  It comes with the territory when traveling through difficult trials.  They cannot see the shining star on the top of the tree and wander lost. Sugar plums no longer dance in their dreams for nightmares do not share a stage.  A family hurts. Hands hold an exhausted … Continue reading →

Family History in the Christmas Tree

For some families, decorating the Christmas tree is a trip down family history lane. While I do not yet have a tree for my home, and I am not sure whether my parents have theirs yet, I do have many memories of decorating Christmas trees with them. Some of the memories even involve the event of choosing a tree and bringing it home. When I was growing up, we did not have a specific plan regarding where we got our Christmas tree. Sometimes, my dad would come home with one on top of the car. Other times, we would go … Continue reading →

Finding the True Meaning of Christmas

My 8-year-old has a severe case of the Christmas gimmies.  Unfortunately, I have myself to blame for her very unmerry malady. Whereas I am by no means showering the kid with pre-holiday presents, I haven’t been doing a very good job focusing on the “reason for the season” either. I’ve been swept into the chaotic tsunami that is the month of December.  Gifts to buy, wrap and mail; cookies to bake, decorate and distribute; cards to take photos for, write and stamp; and the list goes on and on. As a parent, it’s easy to get caught up in the … Continue reading →

Holiday Homeschooling

The holiday season is a busy time for everyone. Homeschooling during this time can be more complicated than during other times of the year. I hear many homeschooling moms who feel terrible about being lax in homeschooling duties during the holiday season. Many express feeling overwhelmed, stressed out, frustrated, and exhausted. These feelings stem from feeling like you are falling behind, failing at homeschooling, failing your kids, and not being able to keep up like all the other shiny happy homeschooling moms. Yes, the holiday season is crazy busy but without joy and a festive heart the season loses its … Continue reading →

Homeschool Changes for New Year

Coming off of Christmas break and entering into a New Year means a new semester for many homeschoolers. Even if you are not entering a new term or semester the mindset remains that a New Year brings about new beginnings. The excitement to ring in a New Year is often a catalyst for reviewing and refining our school schedules.. So how do we know when it’s time for a schedule change? Change if…. *your homeschool feels stagnant. *your curriculum is not working out for your family. *your schedule is causing too much stress for you or your children. *you have … Continue reading →

Vintage Felt Hair Bows

These little hair bows remind me of Little House on the Prairie. They are so cute and sweet and oh so easy to make and best of all, practically free! Materials Felt ( a 5”x9” piece of felt will make three bows) Hot glue Scissors Measuring tape Any trim or decorative items *Gather all your supplies. This is truly a scrap craft, I used felt that was left over from making little felt moccasins for my brother’s baby. From the felt cut three pieces- 1”x6”, 1”x4” and ½” x 2”. *Take the 6” piece of felt and bring the ends … Continue reading →

Scrapping Christmas Past

If my mother had her way digital scrapbooking would be something you’d only see in the movies or on TV like… Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. Needless to say, my mom has not exactly embraced advances in the world of scrapbooking, especially if they involve technology. She is old school all the way. Really old school; as in early 1900’s old school. My mom is a huge fan of vintage scrapbooking. In fact, she is currently working on a Christmas-themed heritage album. Whereas she is not filling the pages with photos of my great-great grandparents, she is using a … Continue reading →

Priceless Christmas Gifts for Parents

I smile every time I see the sign that reads: “Unattended children will be given an espresso and a free puppy.” You can usually catch the tongue-in-cheek threat hanging in stores, doctors’ offices and auto repair shops. I love kids to pieces and I firmly believe a baby is one of the best gifts a person can receive during the holiday season… or any time of the year. However, the cute creatures aren’t problem-free. They enter the world following the shedding of blood, sweat and tears, and the work that goes into raising them doesn’t miraculously dwindle when they reach … Continue reading →

Be Prepared for School Holidays

Many of my friends who are also working parents are scrambling right now to get child care. Stay at home parents are scrambling to figure out what to do with the kids. A combination of half days off and full days off is throwing everyone off of schedule. And with the big holidays coming, things are going to get even more confusing. If you can do a little preparation now, your household will be in great shape, leaving you to take advantage of the school holidays, so everyone has a great time while they are off. Planning ahead will really … Continue reading →

Christmas in Summer

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve here in Australia. That means the last day for shopping and getting all those last minute food items. Not the ham though, I got that today. It also means I will be busy cooking pork and chicken and making babaganoush. Given a summer climate we don’t go into for roasts dinners on Christmas Day. Years ago we decided to go for what its better suited to the climate and have cold cooked meats and an array of salads. Tabouli is always one of our family’s favorites. But some of the other salads vary. As well as … Continue reading →