I get it because I used to feel the same way. You're a busy mom. Who has time for dreams and goals? My answer? You can't afford to NOT have time for dreams and goals.  Dreams and are what fuel you; what get you up in the morning with enthusiasm. If you aren't jumping up out […] The post Dreams and Goals? Why Should I Care About Those? appeared first on A Plan for Joy ..read more

Overwhelm is a word that seems to be most commonly associated with homeschooling. But does it need to be? It is actually possible to manage overwhelm in your life, in your family and in your homeschool. All you need to do is to be able to recognize it when it shows up and then learn how to […] The post How to Manage Overwhelm appeared first on A Plan for Joy ..read more

Let's face it - our world moves at an incredibly fast pace. There is so much high demand put on us as mothers. If we are not careful, feeling overwhelmed as a mom is a perpetual state that we can fall into.  Think about this, though. Were you ever trained to manage this level of demand? […] The post Are you Feeling Overwhelmed as a Mom? appeared first on A Plan for Joy ..read more

Let's face it.  We only have so much time in any given day.   There are many things that need to get done, so that limits the amount of time that we can spend on school.   Therefore, you need to decide how much time you're going to spend doing school and then find the most efficient […] The post Homeschooling Unit Studies appeared first on A Plan for Joy in the Home ..read more

Are you looking to have an All Saints Day Party and don't know where to start? Maybe you've been to one before but would like some different ideas. Many Catholics like to have a Saints' party as an alternative to Halloween for their kids.  My kids always looked forward to picking their Saint and then making […] The post All Saints Day Party Ideas appeared first on A Plan for Joy in the Home ..read more

My last pregnancy was a stressful one. I was getting older and already had 6 kids so I was definitely exhausted. Add to that two hernias (both while pregnant), a hernia repair gone awry and ultimately an 11 lb 10 oz baby boy!  The only thing that got me through it was prayer. My own prayer? […] The post Mothers Novena for Expectant Mothers appeared first on A Plan for Joy in the Home ..read more

"Mom, what do I do next?" "I'm all done with math, what's next?" "But I forgot about spelling - you never told me to do it!" Does this sound familiar to you? The thing that used to drive me crazy was having kids asking me what to do next. All.the.time. And when you have a bunch […] The post Homeschool Planners appeared first on A Plan for Joy in the Home ..read more

If you are new to homeschooling and you've already spent some time researching your options, then I know you know that there are a lot of Catholic homeschool programs to choose from! There are so many that they can make your head spin!  When I started homeschooling, there were a handful of choices that I had […] The post Catholic Homeschool Programs appeared first on A Plan for Joy in the Home ..read more

As homeschoolers, we have a unique opportunity to teach our kids about racism through the lens of our Catholic faith. I will start out by acknowledging that I am far from perfect in this area! I will also acknowledge that the Catholic church, while having good teachings on social justice, hasn't always gotten it right, […] The post How Can I Teach My Kids About Racism? appeared first on A Plan for Joy in the Home ..read more

You decided last night before you fell asleep that tomorrow you would turn over a new leaf! The next morning, you jump out of bed and tell yourself it's going to be a great day. You put on your best positive attitude and head to the kitchen for your coffee. The mess in the kitchen slaps […] The post Homeschooling and House Cleaning: A Love Story appeared first on A Plan for Joy in the Home ..read more