Every Bed of Roses: homeschool

Showing posts with label homeschool. Show all posts

Thursday, 3 June 2021

Instagramers to follow who are Home Educating

Welcome to week ten of Blogging through the Alphabet 2021. This week we are looking at the letter I and my co-host Desiree will be blogging about I is for Iron Man in her alphabet lego series.

Today I would like to share a list of homeschool bloggers to follow on Instagram. (The original list that I've expanded upon is shared with permission from Erin at Seven Little Australians)

Instagram is one of my favourite platforms for it's ease of use and the sense of community is really really encouraging.

Instagram first launched 6 October 2010 and is a phone only app which is available on both Android and Apple products.

You can find me there under the user name @chareenr and @macro_passion. When I first started using instagram I recorded our daily life as a way of tracking what and where we went. Over the years it's been a multitude of things. These days I record special moments and the books we are enjoying for high school.

If you are looking for photo's of wildlife or the occasional story from a zoo keeper then pop on over to my husbands instagram @servalpaul. He loves hand feeding some beautiful little birds and you can see some slow motion feedings under the hashtag #paulswrens

Hashtags are a fabulous way of sifting through the content or discovering content to save or new people to follow.

For homeschoolers try: #charlottemason #homeschoolhighschool #readaloudrevival #sonlight #homeschool #homeschoolLife #homeschoolingfun #homeschoolmom #homeschoolcommunity #homeschoolblogger #homeschoolingfamily #homeschoolfriends

A great way to discover new accounts is to join a follow loop. You can also look through the list of whom I'm following here.

American Homeschoolers on Instagram

Canadian Homeschoolers on Instagram

Australian Homeschoolers on Instagram

Australia Somewhere

ACT

Distance Ed

Northern Territory

homeschoolaustralia

Queensland

Who are your favourite Homeschoolers on Instagram?

Blessings

Chareen

Find the other ABC posts in this series here:

A is for Art Lessons at Home
B is for Books Where do You Purchase Yours?
Charlotte Mason a Round Up of Posts
Delight Directed Education
Encouragement for Weary Homeschooling Mothers
For the Children's Sake
G is for Geography
Homeschool Bloggers

Featured from Week 4 all things 'H'

H is for Harry Potter over at Our Homeschool Notebook
H is for Harpers Ferry over at A Mom's Quest to Teach.
Discovering h Rabbits of the World over at At Home Pets
10 Fantastic Ways to Learn History over at A Net in Time
Homeschooling Tips from A to Z: the Letter G over at Homeschooling Highway
Holst ~ Composer ABCs and How to let Go... by Lori at At Home: Where Life Happens.

This Week over at Our Homeschool Notebook the topic is I is for Iron Man.

Monday, 8 February 2016

Be True To Yourself - Unlocking FREEDOM

This weekend while spending time with my sister she encouraged me saying:

“Be true to yourself.” I have really been struggling with feelings of insecurity, yes even after 14 years (edit:18 years now) of homeschooling!

As I went through my week my heart kept reaching for His. “Lord why do I feel this way ?”

and His reply kept echoing. “Be True To YOURSELF”

“But Lord WHAT does that have to do with the way I feel ??”

---oOo---

One of the root causes of my heartache was feeling as though I had somehow failed. I wondered why I felt this way? I have two children that have completed homeschool and are finding themselves and their place in the wider world and yet I feel as though I have not accomplished / completed something important.

As I pondered my feelings and via a conversation with a friend it became clearer. When I started homeschooling I was full of excitement and anticipation. I attended any and all homeschool meetings and listened avidly to all the conversations, diligently sought advice on different issues, carefully looked over anything new on the market, attended all the homeschool trips that fit our very tight budget and constantly strive to grow. It was all new and exhilarating. I looked forward to each monthly meeting, any homeschool conference and the fortnightly homeschool co-op meetings. Each time I heard what someone was doing that sounded wonderful I had added it to my list of what we were doing. I loved the results of what each of these families were doing and wanted that fruit for my family. As the years went by I began to become bone weary.

“Oh Lord I am sooo very tired, I just can’t anymore….”

The Lords answer was to pick me up and move me to another country…
This time it was from New Zealand to Australia.

Over time my strength returned but my heart still ached with inadequacy and His voice this week keeps saying: “Be true to YOURSELF”

I have spent the last week meditating on His words to my spirit and looking back it has become clearer. I now know what He is saying to my heart. Each time I had attended a meeting I would take each of the homeschool Mom’s who in my eyes were successful and given them a place of authority in my life. I had taken their family vision and tried to add it to mine. I had given them too much authority to speak into my life. I had not taken the new idea to the Lord in prayer and had not asked Him if it was for us.

I now realise that if the Lord wanted ALL those things for my children He would have placed my children in those families. He did not. He chose my family and I had not been TRUE to myself and who HE had made me. I had added all these carbon copies and the burden was too heavy for me and for my children. I had been trying to mold myself to look like these super successful homeschool Moms.

In Colossians 3:1 it says: Set your hearts on things above. This is the key that is setting me free and healing my heart. I need to focus on Him and His design for my family and not strive in the flesh to perform. I had been trying to do all these things to be successful in the worlds eyes and had taken my eyes off HIM.

He has been reminding me to ask Him and He will show me. I need to Trust in Him with all of my heart and lean not on my own understanding. As I acknowledge Him in ALL my ways He will make my path straight. (Proverbs 3:5-6).

My encouragement to you is to take your eyes off your homeschool friends (especially the super successful ones), homeschool leaders and the latest trend and place them firmly on your Lord. He has a plan for you and it is a good plan.

In His word this week He reminded me: Come to me all you who are heavy laden and find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28-30). If you are exhausted or feeling overwhelmed take some time. STOP what you are doing and write a list. Prayerfully take it before your Heavenly Father and seek His heart for your family.

Be TRUE to yourself and who He has made you. When He formed you He placed within you all you would need through Him to succeed at the task He has placed before you.

Blessings

Chareen

---oOo---

A few years ago I wrote this post as a guest post. It's a post that is still relevant to me today. My friend recently stopped blogging and has placed her blog on hold as her life journey has taken a new turn. I needed to refresh my heart on this truth and emailed her to see if she still had this writing. She found it in her archives and has emailed it to me so that I may add it to my blog to refer to whenever I need reminding of His love for my family. This post was written about four years ago.

Monday, 18 January 2016

50 % Discount Coupon for Schoolhouse Teachers

I'd like to let you know about this fabulous online resource for Homeschoolers. It is currently available half price (US $ 59.50 until 31 January. That works out at US $4.95 a month). The full price from 1 February is US $139.00.

Take a look around there are over 200 online courses. You can Home Educate your whole family from Kindy to High School for around Astralian $95 for the year. This includes all your notebook pages, video class streaming, etc. Every month NEW content is added and is therefore an ever growing resource.

Included in your membership is a membership to Right Now Media this is an online Christian Media streaming service with over 10,000 videos. ALL the videos are christian.

The media library includes resources for all ages, from VeggieTales, Adventures in Odyssey, 3-2-1 Penguins, and What’s In the Bible for kids to Bible studies by Francis Chan, John MacArthur, Dave Ramsey, and John Maxwell for adults. It also includes academic content that you’ll find described in the link below.

It is a streaming video site, and there is no limit to the number of videos you can enjoy. Most videos are available worldwide (a very small number have geographic restrictions).

Schoolhouse Teachers RightNow Media Library
Look at the courses here: A list of courses on Schoolhouse Teachers
Sign up here and use the code CREWFOLLOWER for a 50% discount.

Take a look around and tell me what you think
Blessings
Chareen

Saturday, 14 June 2014

Carnival of Homeschooling {Edition # 441}

Welcome to the 441st edition of the Carnival of Homeschooling where home school families share their homeschool wisdom with us from all over the world via their blogs.

Carnival of Homeschooling was started by the Cate Family over at Why Homeschool and has been a tremendous source of home school support and information.

This Week

Over at Why Homeschool Janine shares 10 things I have learned about educating children over our 15 years of homeschooling.

Sharon from over at Awakening Your True Self shares: " There is much fanfare over the first day of the New Year and many people make resolutions about things that they will start or stop doing when January 1st rolls around. I do not limit myself to starting over on the first day of January, as sometimes the early days or months of a new year seem more like what I wanted to leave behind than what I planned to carry forward. " Creating the Life You Want To Live

Sola Gratia Mom shares The Wisdom of a Weed I need to weed my garden more often, so I don't have those weeds that take up residence and are difficult to remove. There is much wisdom in the weeds....

Kerin from over at Vocabuverse is still writing a dictionary! Be sure to take a look at this clever rhyme What is 24 Hour Time ?

Jennifer encourages us to remember that Sometimes, It’s Okay To Turn Back over at Home Grown Mommy

Carol asks: "Do any of you, like me, have curriculum sitting on your shelf, that if you are honest with yourself, you will probably never use? I want to share some experiences I’ve learned about money and homeschooling in a podcast with guest Susan Raber." Read more about Money Myths Homeschool Moms Believe. Dollars and Sense Show #13 over at Homeschool CPA

Over at Today's Trial is Tomorrow's Testimony Jennifer shares some thoughts on beginning homeschooling..

Michele over at Family, Faith, and Friday's shares their favourite curriculum choices for 2013-2014.

This week Sarah over at Delivering Grace shares her insights on The Cost of Home Education.

Jen has made some FREE Workbox Labels over at the Chestnut Grove Academy for you. Jen also has a tutorial to make a DIY turning an Ikea Lack Table into a Light Table.

If your looking for a summer reading list take a look at Our Summer Reading Plans at Raventhreads. Be encouraged to Keep Your Children in the Word All Summer.

Teaching and understanding fractions can be challenging. The Canadian Homeschooler shares a list of resources to help with Teaching Your Kids About ... Fractions.

Marcy from over at Ben and Me shares her thoughts on So You Think You Want to Homeschool? 10 Things You Should Know

Wren shares her thoughts on her 5th essential for Homeschooling: LOVE over at Finchwren.

Ever wondered why some families home educate ? You can read why over at For The Display of His Splendor. Homeschool Essential: Kids and Why We Started Homeschooling

Tara over at This Sweet Life shares their favourite 5th Grade Homeschool Curricula.

D is for Decisions ?? Kym from over at Homeschool Coffee Break discusses some important things to consider when thinking about curriculum and your homeschool for the new year ahead.

Are you Considering Homeschooling ? If you are Jenn over at Simblissity shares some thoughts in this three part series.

In celebration of the World Cup I have put together a post of links for a unit study covering Brazil, soccer and the world cup.

Thank you for visiting the carnival this week may you be as I have been.

Blessings

Chareen

Next weeks Carnival will be hosted by Constance over at The Foodie Army Wife.

--oOo--

For Future editions of Carnival of Homeschooling
Email submissions to: CarnivalOfHomeschooling@gmail.com
(With "carnival" or "submission" in the subject field of the email.)

When: by 6:00 PM (PST) on the Monday evening of the week. It is greatly appreciated when the submissions come in earlier.
What: Please send the following information

Title of Post
URL of Post
Name of Blog
URL of Blog
Brief summary of the post
Brief introduction of yourself

Monday, 24 March 2014

Australian Homeschool Bloggers

Calling all my Austalian Homeschool Blogger friends. Have you heard about the Australian Homeschool Bloggers Group ? This is a new group for bloggers supporting and encouraging each other via a group on Facebook. We would love for you to join us.

Do you have a home schooling blog?
Are you wanting to connect, share, encourage and collaborate with other Australian Home School Bloggers? This group is for you.
Your blog must reflect at least 80% home schooling, lessons, ideas, excursions etc.
Your blog must be at least 3 months old and have consistent updates.
We are seeking bloggers that love to blog, love to share, inspire and connect with the Australian Home Schooling community and bloggers that have a keen interest in growing their blogs and the Australian Blogging Community.

How To Join?
Please send a message to Admin with your blog details.

If you would like to join my Australian Blog Friends page and be featured please leave a comment with your blog address for me on the page.

Looking forward to meeting fellow Aussie Homeschool bloggers
Blessings
Chareen

Monday, 20 January 2014

Stationery {Homeschooling Essentials}

Welcome to day one of this weeks 5 Days of Homeschooling Essentials posts brought to you by the Homeschool Review Crew. We have 89 homeschool Mom's like you sharing their top homeschool essential lists with you. Today I would like to share about my essential stationery list for homeschooling. For me they are Pencils, eraser, scissors and glue.

Pencils
One of my pet hates is sharpening a pencil and the lead is broken inside. Grrrr it frustrates me endlessly. When my teens were younger this drove me to Warehouse Stationery NZ where I spent a while reading the backs of all the coloured pencil boxes in an effort to find a better pencil that I did not need to sharpen and sharpen and sharpen again!

I discovered that Faber-Castell had a new type of pencil on the market and were advertising SV bonding.

Faber-Castell Tri Grip Colour Pencils

What is SV Bonding ?
SV stands for the German word "Sekuralverfahren" meaning secural bonding or (secure-all bonding). The SV Bonding is a process of gluing the lead to the wood on both sides and the full length of the pencil. This results in strengthening the lead to prevent breakage, provides for better sharpening, which produces a fine point. All Faber-Castell pencils are SV Bonded. SV Bonding is a Faber-Castell trademark.

Faber-Castell Jumbo Colour Pencils

I ended up buying a set of Faber-Castell Jumbo Colour Pencils and have never looked back. They have lasted for over 10 years of almost daily use in our house. I highly recommend these pencils.

This is what three of my daughters pencils look like after 12 years of use. Miss used to colour in every day!

They hardly ever need sharpening and when they are dropped the leads do NOT break inside. They are more expensive to purchase than other brands but well worth the price as you do not sharpen them very often and the leads do not break. In fact I have had a set for Sir N which he uses often and I sharpened them for the first time yesterday.

Links for more information:

Eraser
Although the children like fancy erasers and the ones that come on the backs of pencils I find it frustrating when I use them and they leave a dirty great big smear across the page! I finally bit the bullet and purchased a couple of good erasers. My two favourites are the Faber-Castell PVC free eraser and the Staedtler Plastic Eraser Holder.

Scissors
Cheap scissors are a waste of time and your finances. They don't cut the paper well and end of being a frustration to you and your student. Go to the store and try out the types they have their. See if fingers fit the grips and whether they are comfortable. Next check the blades. Are they sharp ? Straight ? Even ? Well made ? Spend more than 99 cents and you will get years of happy tidy cutting from your students.

Glue
Years ago I was introduced to the UHU line of glues by a friend and I have never looked back. We had tried all sorts of glue sticks and were getting really frustrated. Some would dry before you even had a chance to adhere it to the page and others would simply peel off a couple of weeks later. This is no longer a problem since we now use UHU Stic Glue. I look for this and stock up when it's on special. We use UHU glue sticks for most of our notebooking and timeline glue needs.

What is on your must have homeschool stationary list ?

Blessings
Chareen

Don't forget to check out and see what my fellow Homeschool Review Crew mates are sharing this week. Here are some to get you started. Some of these links will not be live until tomorrow due to time zone differences as these bloggers are from across the globe. Here are some from the crew to get you started

Amanda @ Hopkins Homeschool Daily Planners
Jennifer @ Royal Little Lambs Planning
Sarah @ My Joy-Filled Life Our 2013-2014 Homeschool Curriculum Choices
Debbie @ Debbie’s Homeschool Corner A Plan!
Lisa Marie @The Canadian Homeschooler Know the Reason Why
Laura @ Four Little Pengins Seeing Your Vision
Dinah @ The Traveling Classroom Ten reasons why food is important in our homeschooling
Dawn @ Guiding Light HomeschoolThe *MOST IMPORTANT* Thing in Our Homeschool
Erin @ Water on the Floor New Year, New Curriculum

Note: The pencil part of this articile is part of a reprint from my post in 2011

Wednesday, 15 January 2014

Homeschool Statistic Infographic

I found this infographic recently and wanted to share it with you. I do disagree with the arrogant attitude in the "Homeschool Domination" comment though.

I did find of the homeschool statistics in the Homeschoolers are Less Affected By External Factors very interesting and would love to know your thoughts...

Source

Created by: CollegeAtHome.com

Wednesday, 20 November 2013

Carnival of Homeschooling {Edition # 412}

Welcome to the 412th edition of the Carnival of Homeschooling where home school families share their homeschool wisdom with us from all over the world via their blogs.

Carnival of Homeschooling was started by the Cate Family over at Why Homeschool and has been a tremendous source of home school support and information.

This Week . . .

Marcy from over at Ben and Me shares E is for Everyday Epistles. . You too can become a walking epistle! Memorize the entire book of Philippians in 28 weeks!

How We Use Stuffed Animals In Our Homeschool over at A Slice of Homeschool Pie. Read about how this family use stuffed animal toys to create a happy learning environment in their day to day school activities. Yes Mom plays too :)

3rd and 4th Grade Grammar and Spelling---How We Do It for Free! Susan from over at Homeschooling Hearts & Minds explains how she is doing 3rd and 4th grade language arts for free, the philosophy behind it, and links to free resources so others can follow a similar path.

Lisa Marie from over at The Canadian Homeschooler is sharing some thoughts on Bullying Awareness Week. A full list of resources and information for you can be found here.

Cristi from over at Through the Calm and Through the Storm is sharing This Year's Favorite Crew Review Items. Christi has a show and tell of their families top ten products and why they are still using them.

52 Homeschool Tips for Every Homeschooler – #27 Use Bath Time as Learning Time Tawnee is doing a series on Homeschool Tips for Every Homeschooler over at Adventures in Homeschooling and todays tips covers Bath time learning.

Crystal shares all about her families Our Sugar Cube Castle! Homeschool Fun! over at Crystal Starr Blog. See the process and adventures to be had building a Sugar Cube Castle.

Homeschooling and the What If game by Janine Cate over at Why Homeschool. She shares because we, as homeschoolers, have a nearly endless supply of educational options, it can be very hard to be satisfied with our choices.

Annie Kate from over at Tea time with Annie Kate shares Delight-Directed Learning, Part 1: Pitfalls We have been learning in a delight-directed way for over a decade and a half, and we've been fallen into some common pitfalls. Once you know what they are, you can more easily avoid them.

Barbara from over at Barbara Frank online shares some thoughts this week One response to the question, "How many hours a day do you homeschool your kids?" in her post How Many Hours?

Julie from over at Highhill Education shares some great resources for a Rome Unit Study - Government and Military. Please join us each week as we continue to learn about Ancient Rome through books, videos and activities. At Highhill Education we believe kids learn best when they are having fun. We do lots of entertaining and education activities which support this philosophy.

Knowing what the Bill of Rights guarantees us and fighting to not let those rights be taken away will keep our country strong. Do your children know what those rights represent? Chris from over at Homeschool vs Public School is working his way through the Bill of Rights with a short post each day covering a different aspect. This week he shares on Bill of Rights 7th, 8th,9th &10th Amendments.

Sarah over at Mustard Seed Mommy shares An Introduction to Tot School this week. This post is an intro on how Mustard Seed Mommy's family has introduced tot school into their day to day life.

Katherine from over at No Fighting, No Biting shares some thoughts on children learn at their own paceand what to do with extra-curricular activities when a child is in multiple grades?

Suzie from over at Suzie's Home Education Ideas shares about the different learning activities her son has been doing to learn about fractions. 10+ ways to play with Fractions contains links to FREE printable resources to help your children learn fractions.

Kate from over at The Alternative Family introduces us to …The ‘Grow-Learn-Go’ Series a free book for your Kindle.

Bernadette over at the Barefoot Hippie Girl shares some thoughts on What to Do When You Run Out of Fuel

Lucinda from over at Navigating By Joy shares some great resources on Hands-On Russian History

Thank you for visiting the carnival this week may you be as encouraged as I have been reading what has been shared.

Blessings

Chareen

Next weeks Carnival will be hosted at Petticoat Government