REVIEW: BETWEEN FORM AND FREEDOM I was delighted when I was asked to review the 2022 edition of Between Form and Freedom by Betty Staley first published in 1988. Betty Staley is an educator and international lecturer, and author of eight books. She was the first to bring Waldorf education to public schools in the U.S. and helped to found six high schools. This is the book often recommended for parents of adolescents in Waldorfland and I think it is a must-read book for parents of Waldorf Steiner homeschool teens. If you are jumping into Waldorf-inspired education “late,” (there is no “la ..read more

Last week, I wrote about why we would be homeschooling high school. It wasn't an easy decision, but it is one we feel reasonably confident about. This week, I'm sharing about our road map for homeschooling high school. What is our plan? Where are we going? How will get there? And how did we figure out those things? I borrowed a concept from Steven Covey - his Second Habit that says, "Begin with the end in mind." For us, this means thinking about what our kid's next steps will likely be after high school and what he will need to succeed. I say "likely" because it is quite possible he will chan ..read more

If you've been #homeschooling for awhile, you may have noticed that as the kids get older, more and more people return to some form of more traditional schooling. By the time #highschool rolls around, so many families have thrown in the towel and enrolled their kiddos in school it can start to feel a lot lonely. Believe me - putting the kid in school has crossed our minds at least 493 times (and that's just this week...). I get why our friends have done it. Their reasons are many, all valid, and I support their decision whole-heartedly. With that said, we've decided to take that proverbial "ro ..read more

Last week, I asked if you were getting the alone time you needed to recharge and shared one way I've been making that happen at our house. This week, I'm talking about getting the alone time you need with a good SPRING CLEANING with a modern twist. Here are four spring cleaning ideas to create more time for ourselves. Here's my list: Social media. First, let me say that social media has literally been a lifeline for me. I know that some people really hate it, even blame it for many of the ills we are facing as a society, but for me, it is a way to connect to with family and friends, keep up w ..read more

As we begin a new school year here in the States, I know many are looking for inspiration for homeschool moms. ALL moms work hard, all moms need inspiration, but taking on the task of homeschooling really is a unique endeavor. It takes a phenomenal level of emotional, spiritual, physical and mental energy - and the demands on our energy are relentless unless you have a great support system. (Unfortunately, many of us don't.) When I first began homeschooling full-time four years ago, I had no idea what I was getting myself in for. I had no no idea how HARD it would be to be home with my childre ..read more

I did not expect to glean confirmation for my life direction at the farmer's market. Local honey? Sure. Ripe tomatoes? Maybe. But I did not expect the experience to shed light on how to move forward post-pandemic. But that is exactly what happened! Nearly two months ago, the call for vendors went out from our very tiny farmer's market. I had always wanted to participate, but not alone - so I called a like-minded friend and we hatched an ambitious plan. Two weeks later, we were sweltering in the Texas summer sun with a beautiful table full of hand-crafted items, visiting with tourists, and sel ..read more

Okay, I know - Spring is nearly over. But until late June, it is still technically Spring and I'm excited to announce the new stuff I have in the shop, new stuff on the site, and new stuff coming up in the next month. I've got two new products to talk about, as well as the new forum feature, AND I also want to share about some new videos I'll be doing to help you bring music, story, imagination, and connection to the kiddos you teach, whether it is in your homeschool, homeschool co-operative, or brick-and-mortar school. First off, check out what came via snail mail today! My proof copy of the ..read more

As we come to the end of our first year in business, I am in pursuit of a simpler path. I am just too busy - too busy with work, too busy with homeschool, too busy with homemaking, too busy with outside commitments - just way too busy! This year, I'm slowing down and I'm committed to the KISS method. Have you heard of it? It stands for "Keep It Simple, Stupid!" or "Keep It Simple, Sweetie!" if you prefer. I've heard this aphorism in seminars for time management, goal setting, project management, and education. And while I agree with the general premise, it makes me laugh every time. Because of ..read more

So, your kids have decided to homeschool your grandkids. Or maybe, you've noticed that the family next door with school-age kids seems to be home during the school day. Maybe one of your BFFS from college has decided that she's going to keep her kids home even though schools are reopening this fall. And you have thoughts. Maybe some big feelings about it, too. Maybe you even hate this idea. What if the kids never learn to read? What if they can't make change at the grocery store? What if they don't make any friends ever and turn out totally...weird? And what's next?!? Are they going to move to ..read more

It's that time of year when homeschool planning really seems to crank up. It's an exciting time to pop into homeschooling social media groups and pages and see what others are using, their decision-making process, and make new discoveries. It can be also be incredibly overwhelming and I wrote a little about how I deal with that ,here. But if you are looking for some inspiration, I wanted to share how I plan each year. It works well for me and maybe it will help you. My guiding principles for planning are: I plan for MY kids. Not the neighbor kids, not the kids in my imagination, not the kids ..read more