Breakfast for dinner is always a good idea. This simple breakfast bake is a “create your own your adventure” kind of recipe. It can be customized to your family’s liking and one of my favorite ways to clean out the fridge.   Vegetable Mix-In Ideas: Spinach (fresh or frozen) Bell peppers Tomatoes Broccoli Mushrooms Onions (yellow or green) Meat Mix-In Ideas: Sausage Bacon Ham Chicken sausage (my favorite) Vegan “meat” crumbles Chicken Turkey bacon   Cheese Mix-In Suggestions: Cheddar (white cheddar is our favorite) Swiss Gruyere Monterey Jack Havarti Pepper Jack You can creat ..read more

Inauguration Day is here! There is no better opportunity for learning than live history.   Here are some ideas to involve your little learners in the Inauguration Day festivities.   Inauguration Day Homeschool Resources   Watch the Inauguration Live *Streamed at BidenInaugural.org/watch* 10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. EST: Our White House: An Inaugural Celebration for Young Americans Hosted by Keke Palmer, it will feature a special message from Jill Biden. There will also be a segment on presidential pets. 11:15 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. EST: Inauguration ceremonies begin. 12:00 p.m EST ..read more

Vegetable Soup Recipe One of my goals this year is to share more of our family’s favorite go-to recipes. Homeschooling goes beyond just teaching our kids at home. There will always be laundry to be done and meals to be made in between the chaos of the homeschool day. I hope this easy, healthy vegetable soup recipe makes a delicious addition to your meal rotation. I look forward to sharing more ways to make your homeschool days happier and smoother in the new year! Vegetable Soup January 2, 2021 by alsoknownasmama Cuisine Comfort Category Food A hearty, simple vegetable soup recipe ..read more

The benefits of reading picture books together as a family are infinite. There’s a picture book about just about every subject imaginable.   From picture book biographies, to heartwarming bedtime stories – we’ve read hundreds of new books this year. To close out 2020, I thought I would share our 50 favorites of the year (in no particular order).   On this list, you will find picture books with diverse characters and backgrounds. Some true, some make believe. Some educational, some just for fun. I hope this book list brings you joy and inspires you to start building your own to-read ..read more

Set your homeschool up for success by reverse planning. Reverse planning is about setting intentions, not deadlines. Use this free printable to record what you do, rather than what you plan to do. Don’t set yourself up for failure. It’s okay to make intentions. By recording all of the other things that you do in your homeschool day, you won’t feel so bad if you don’t accomplish said intentions. You’ll find the following columns in this worksheet: Intentions – subjects you want to hit, or special projects you have planned Accomplishments – each assignment, activity, or standard you achieve B ..read more

Play is an essential component of your child’s education. I may argue that it’s the most important. If your child is playing, not on a screen, but physically playing, I would never interrupt that. It is just as important as reading and writing. Play teaches: Problem solving Reasoning Concentration Spatial awareness Sharing Storytelling Language and vocabulary Coordination Balance Memory Cause and effect Development of fine and gross motor skills Creativity and imagination Independence and positive self-esteem If you have a child who struggles with independent play, one way to encoura ..read more

Spending time outside is an important part of any education. You can read about bugs and flowers in books for days, but nothing beats seeing them up close and in person. I used to think that we didn’t have access to nature in our small suburban backyard. I’ve always envied the Instagrammers who live on big farms, filled with gorgeous plants and animals. But then I realized if you really look for it, nature is everywhere. And children are much better at finding it than we are. If you need help getting started with your own backyard nature study, I created this free worksheet just for you and ..read more

If you’re reading this blog post, I’m assuming you’re a new homeschool mom. Or you’re on the fence about homeschooling. Or you’re just curious how learning from home works. Regardless of your reasoning for being here, WELCOME! Homeschooling isn’t half as complicated or as stressful as you may think it is. I’ve had many new homeschool moms come to me recently; all feeling overwhelmed and lost about where to “start.” If you’re in this camp, I hope this simple list helps guide you in the right direction. The New Homeschool Mom Starter Pack Education/Inspiration for mom The first thing I would ..read more

Quite often I’m asked what our homeschool day looks like. Most seem to think we have some magical schedule. It’s kind of funny to me because, as much as I’d like to be perfectly organized and scheduled, that’s just not realistic. When we first started homeschooling, I had everything planned out. From 9-9:30 we would work on math, 9:30-9:40 would be snack time, 9:40-10:00 would be handwriting time, and so on and so on… Guess how long that lasted? Not very long at all! The beauty of homeschooling is that you can weave learning into your family’s unique lifestyle. Everyday doesn’t have to look ..read more

I can’t believe that in just two short months, we’ll be starting our 2020-2021 homeschool year. Because of the unusual circumstances this year, I’m planning our curriculum a little earlier. I’m also purchasing more materials than I usually do, for multiple reasons… I want to make my life as simplified as possible during these stressful times. I fear that with the influx of homeschoolers during the pandemic, curriculum and supplies will sell out quickly. I want to be prepared and equipped with lots of fun “school” activities, should another Stay Home order be put in place. Here’s a breakdo ..read more