The Unhurried Homeschooler: a simple, mercifully short book on homeschooling {review and giveaway}

{Disclaimer: I received a copy of this product in exchange for my honest opinion. All opinions are my very own. This post contains my affiliate links. Thank you.}

Hello Friend,

I'm sharing a wonderful resource for you today, Homeschool Mama. 

Homeschooling is a wonderful, worthwhile pursuit, but many homeschool parents struggle with feelings of burnout and frustration. If you have ever felt this way, you’re not alone! Most of us need to be reminded of the “why” of homeschooling from time to time—but The Unhurried Homeschooler takes parents a step further and lifts the unnecessary burdens that many parents place on themselves.

 
Drawing on twenty years of homeschooling her eight children, Durenda Wilson gently reminds parents about the things that really matter, as she offers a clear portrait of what a life-giving home life can be during the homeschooling years. Reading The Unhurried Homeschooler is like having coffee with a trusted friend. You’ll be encouraged as you learn to do what God has put before you. This book will lighten your load while helping you learn how to raise life long learners and ENJOY the homeschool years with your kids.

Isn't it fun and so encouraging to read and learn from the home-educating Moms who have gone before us? The Unhurried Homeschooler, by Durenda Wilson, has been a delight to read. I found myself nodding in agreement, page after page. I think you will be blessed and encouraged by her experience and her advice. Don't be burdened by trying to "do school" the way the public school does it or even the way the homeschooling family down the street does it. There is so much freedom in homeschooling. Let Holy Spirit lead you. 

Guess what?! Durenda has kindly offered to give away a copy to one of my readers. Woohoo! See the Rafflecopter below to enter.

By the way, if you are burned out and discouraged, please feel free to email me {scarlettroyce(at)gmail(dot)(com)}, and I would be honoured to pray for you. We can do this, Mamas! We're in this together. Don't give up. God loves us and has a purpose for our lives and our individual homeschools. He will provide all that we need. Put your hope in Him.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blessings and love. xo

bloom: A Journey to Joy (and Sanity) for Homeschool Moms

(Disclaimer: I was given a product in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. This post contains my affiliate links, which means that if you choose to purchase through my links, I will make a small commission. Thank you!!!)

***This course is only on sale through tonight (Saturday, June 20, 2015) and will not be available again until sometime in 2016. Please make your purchase today!***

I want all my homeschool mama friends to know about this new online course called "bloom"! It's an 8-week video course that comes with a corresponding At Home Discovery Packet, which includes 88 pages of charts, exercises and writing prompts to get you thinking about how to have more joy in your life and subsequently, in your homeschool. The videos are pre-recorded, which makes it nice to be able to watch anytime, at your convenience. The sessions are about 20 minutes each, so nothing that requires sitting for hours and hours. You could listen/watch while you fold laundry or while you're sitting on the deck with a cup of coffee or even while cooking dinner for your family. 

Please forgive my tardiness in getting this information to you. I had agreed to review and promote "bloom" what seems like "way back" in April. It's crazy how things can change so drastically in a matter of just a few days or weeks. For many years now, I have held the belief that joy is a choice. I've even written in the past about my thoughts on encouraging more Christians to be happy. I believe Heaven to be the happiest place in existence, and we, as believers, are ambassadors of Heaven. So, while I believe happiness and joy go hand in hand, there are those times when life provides more opportunity to purposefully press through in choosing joy more than at other times. My experience these past 7 weeks has been a path of choosing joy. 

In the past couple of years, there has rarely been a time when I didn't blog on a weekly basis, and most of the time, I was posting several times each week. I had gotten into a nice groove. Until last month, when a friend's death, a severe sports injury in our family and some additional circumstances have left me needing more margin and rest. Life can throw some curve balls, and sometimes those curve balls require stepping back, praying more, re-evaluating, listening and waiting. So that's where I've been. That's really where I still am, and although I feel eager to move past it all, I know there is still a need to take a break and rest. 

This course goes right along with pursuing more of that joy that I've been talking about. I believe life can be filled with joy, even amidst the hard places and dark times. And Alicia does a wonderful job in the course to encourage us as homeschool mamas to evaluate what may be keeping that joy at bay in our daily lives and how to put pillars in place to keep it there. 

Here are the class titles to give you a better idea:

•  Class 1: The Big Fat Lies (and the Truths That Set Us Free)

•  Class 2: Firm Foundations: Building Rhythm Around Daily Pillars

•  Class 3: Steps to Simple (and Rest-Filled) Days

•  Class 4: Homeschooling Joy Stealers: Part 1: The Perfectionist Vice

•  Class 5: Homeschooling Joy Stealers: Part 2: The Comparison Leech

•  Class 6: Homeschooling Joy Stealers: Part 3: The Anger Monster

•  Class 7: Needs and Opinions: How to Not Drown in the Tidal Wave

•  Class 8: The Path to Perennial (not Annual) Joy

The awesome thing about the “bloom” course is that the learning is three-dimensional: First, you learn the information in the video classes; second, you process and apply the information through the at-home exercises; and third, you have the opportunity to discuss these issues in real time with other women going through the course via our general “bloom” Facebook group or one of our “bloom” Community Groups (hosted by other top homeschooling bloggers). In addition, the resources are always there, so you can always go back to a class and use the tools again and again to gain more wisdom as your life circumstances change.

Please let me know if you have any questions . . . you can contact me directly at scarlettroyce(at)gmail(dot)(com).

And don't forget that today is the very last day to purchase!

Register NOW!

Blessings and love. xo

Holiday Time

Hi friends!

If you're wondering where my Weekly Menu Plan is, I'm sorry! I'm taking a little time off this week. Yes, we're still eating, of course, just not posting about it. I may post some things this week or I may not. It's Spring Break week for us, and I'm trying to take advantage of the actual "break" part of that term. We're not actually away on holiday. We're home and doing more of a "staycation" kind of week. I have a few extra projects lined up for myself around the house, as well.

If you're on Spring Break, as well, have a great one! 

Blessings and love. xo

Staying home + nature and art

We had one day this week when no one had to leave the house (excluding Bob, of course!). Woohoo! No errands, no jobs, no social engagements, no babysitting, no classes. 

Just home. All day. {Happy sigh}

So I decided it would be nice to do something out of the ordinary. It is something we used to do more of, but during this season of our lives, it's been more rare.

We went out to enjoy nature, sunshine, autumn colours and fresh air, blustery though it was. Several of us had mitts on, and a couple even donned their touques, to keep warm.

And after we had gathered rocks, leaves of various colours, twigs, pinecones and branches, we drew, sketched and created. 

Then we enjoyed the first hot chocolate of this season!

Love and blessings! xo

A Little Time Away

Our family had a little break earlier this week. It was fabulous to get away. I had had an interesting conversation with a dear friend at the park on Friday and found out that she does not relish holiday get-aways. She told me that it simply causes too much stress for her and that she really likes home and her routine. I can relate to that to a point, but I realised after talking with her that I just need a get-away now and again. 

It's not that I don't love home and the haven that I try to create for my family. I absolutely love home. I do normally need some sort of routine. But there are just times, once in awhile, when I need to get out of Dodge. I think it helps me be a better me. It refreshes me. And the need to explore and have adventures is embedded deep down inside. I'm not sure where that comes from or even really when I realised it to be true about me. I know Bob has this need, too, and apparently we've passed it on to our kids, who are all quite the adventurers.

We weren't able to take any holidays in the summer, so when a friend recently gave us a three day/two night holiday to the resort where he owns a timeshare, we were thrilled and thankful!

We had never driven on the infamous Skyline Drive in the Shenandoah National Park, so we made that part of this trip. We are so glad we did! The views were spectacular. 

I had in my mind that the resort was all one building or several buildings located in close proximity. That was not how this one is laid out at all. It is very spread out. There are several thousand acres, with the main buildings and accommodations located quite a distance from each other. The main building is one place. The water park is down the road. The stables are up the road. The hotel is in another location. The condos are spread out in several places. 

Once we arrived at the resort and checked in, we decided to enjoy some of the many, many activities they have to offer. 

Maya's face cracks me up in this one. She is loving this go-cart ride!

Ben was a flying, flipping, bungee jumping machine!

Team 1 . . .

Team 2 . . . 

The water park was pretty impressive . . . 

Hiking is one of our very favourite things to do . . .

Riding time . . .

My horse-loving girl was very happy . . .

Austin had the best looking horse (Cappy) . . . 

Ben was excited to go on his first trail ride . . .

As part of our stay, Bob and I had to sit in on a tour and presentation of the timeshare aspect of the resort. We agreed to do so and were under the impression that it would be a two hour presentation. Unfortunately, the tour lasted three hours and fifteen minutes. Absolutely ridiculous. Our children were waiting for us to take them to the water park and, we were not interested in buying a timeshare at this point in our lives (and with our budget). It was the only negative aspect to our time away. Even though it was very frustrating, we would go back to this resort again (as long as we didn't have to endure the tour  another time). Everything else was enjoyable.

The rest of the time we enjoyed being together, eating in restaurants (which is such a treat for us), meeting delightful people and gazing at the beautiful scenery. The autumn colours were starting to pop and the views were breathtaking. You can see the ski slopes in the background . . .

Autumn in Virginia is a joy to experience. And we are so thankful {to the Father and to our generous friend) for a little refreshing holiday away. 

xo