“Maternal Caress” by Mary Cassatt 1896 One of the best organization tips I ever implemented in my homeschool is writing a nightly list of the next day’s readings and subjects. These are things she can do on her own. e.g. copywork, two assigned readings, a written narration, math or Greek review. Even so, our homeschool day still very much feels like a family event every day—questions, oral narrations, spontaneous discussions, cooking, arts and crafts, outings. It feels like I spend most of my day deep in the work of mothering and education. I’m usually spent by nighttime, which is precisely ..read more

“Mathematics is the language in which God has written the universe.” – Galileo My daughter is in 5th grade and this is our second year approaching math in a way I believe stands apart from most K-12 schools. It has led to some interesting developments, including declarations of, “Math is my favorite subject!” and “Can you pleeeeease tell us another math puzzle?” Let me tell you a bit about how we got here. We left public school four years ago. (My goodness!) That’s when I first encountered the debates in math instruction (e.g. direct instruction vs. discovery, spiral vs. mastery.) I narr ..read more

In late November, our sweet girl said, “I can’t wait for Christmas school.” While I love that way of putting it, I’d say we celebrate advent—the weeks leading up to Christmas. During that time, we remember and experience the Christmas story through faith, music, books, poems, crafts, and festive fun with loved ones. School curriculum-wise, we finished our first term before break. We take December off. It’s a glorious break that would have seemed like too much to me before we started homeschooling, but it’s just right. The kids have been learning and working diligently all term. We’ll begin our ..read more

In partnership with Walmart The weekly grocery bill… amiright?! If you do most of the grocery shopping in your family, you’ve likely noticed the impact of inflation on your weekly groceries. For some it might just be annoying but for most it’s downright stressful. I’ve found some ways to stretch the grocery budget that I wanted to share. I’ve been doing this for months and it’s made our grocery bill MUCH smaller. 1. Shop Walmart private labels. Organic options, high quality, getting more for less—what’s not to love? This is a game-changer that you have to check out for yourself. When I’ve ..read more

If you ever wanted to talk, in real life, about homeschool, we could talk for hours. I love all the meaty stuff: every homeschool curricula on the market, the different pedagogical approaches, the challenges and wins, all of it. This is not that. This post is pure icing on the multilayered homemade cake that is homeschool. THIS IS A DECOR POST. And yes, yes, I know there are many more important dimensions to homeschooling. But as I said, this is just icing. It’s just for fun! When I realized I was going to have to educate my kids at home for at least another year, I wanted a dedicated space ..read more

“Mama, what is justice?” Sometimes a moment is a culmination of many others. Many years ago I was a philosophy student at Berkeley. I wrote an honors thesis about storytelling in philosophical discourse. I went to law school. I became a mom. Francis Bacon said: “A little philosophy inclineth man’s mind to atheism, but depth in philosophy bringeth men’s minds about to religion.” I must share one more anecdote. One day, before the justice question, my daughter came home–from public school—and said, “Did you know that God made everything?” I said, “Oh, who told you this?” “Allison.” Talk about p ..read more

In partnership with Walmart A typical Walmart haul! Walmart+ is my favorite membership because it helps me save so much time and money. You MUST check it out for yourself: become a Walmart+ member for benefits that help you save every day. Let’s start with time! Walmart+ gives me FREE delivery ($35 order min, restrictions apply) and this is a major time-saver. My big, weekly grocery store trip takes about 2 hours from the minute I leave the house to when I come back. Then there’s almost always an extra grocery trip for something unexpected (Kids want to bake! Friends coming over! I ..read more

In partnership with JCPenney and ShopStyle Collective. The more time I spend outside with my kids, the better our days go—especially in winter.  It’s winter though. I tend to focus on making sure my girls have the right hats and jackets but often find myself in the same old pair of leggings or a jacket that is too light OR too heavy. I checked out the activewear at JCPenney and got some awesome new stuff! I’m wearing the St. John’s Bay pink jacket (perfect mid-weight!) and Xersion leggings and top. How gorgeous is this bright pink? I love a super bright color against al ..read more

In partnership with JCPenney and ShopStyle Collective What do you make on Christmas morning? We make pancakes! I take mine topped with berries and whipped cream, but we make the girls’ something a little more fun. They LOVE snowman pancakes. I love that these are so easy to put together. JCPenney has everything you need for Christmas cooking and decor. First up: this griddle is a must-have. We use ours to make a bunch of pancakes at once and because the heat can be set and stays even, they cook nicely every time. Tis the season for seasonal plates and table runners. I love this ..read more

In partnership with JCPenney and ShopStyle Collective Ever wonder how new holiday traditions begin? For instance, on Christmas morning, we make snowman pancakes with a chocolate-chip face and a scarf made from a slice of bacon. The first time we did it, it was a big hit. Now we do it every year. This year, we started a new tradition: a we-can’t-wait-for-Christmas pajama party. Christmas pajamas, fun slippers, cozy blankets, eggnog, and a holiday movie—super simple, and the kids loved it! (Eggnog naysayers: you can substitute hot cocoa!) I found the cutest pajamas at JCPenney: matching pink p ..read more