Free Lapbook Templates & Curriculum

Just a reminder, check out our free downloadable curriculum in the sidebar to see if there's anything that fits with your studies for this school year. Currently, I have lesson plans for studying seven different countries plus the following original lapbook templates:

- Crazy About Cars
 
- Human Body

- All About Horses

- 4th of July

If you make any of the lapbooks, I'd love your feedback. Or, join us on the HIH Facebook page and post pictures of your completed lapbook!

Hip Homeschool Moms

Have you seen Hip Homeschool Moms yet? When I saw the name and the cute logo, I just had to check it out. Visit their Facebook page to connect and share ideas with other fun homeschooling moms!

Teaching Tool Tuesday - IXL Math Practice Site

Don’t tell, but my wish lists at Lakeshore Learning and Amazon are much longer than the one I have at Endless.com. Honestly, I’m a complete sucker for books and educational games, software and toys. But this past year I’ve honed my ability to discern which tools will be fun once or twice and which ones we'll use over and over . . . and I’ll be sharing our favorites with you every Tuesday.

I'm sure I've blogged about them in the past, but we just renewed our annual membership to the IXL math practice site and it reminded me of what a great tool it is. Anything someone brings up the subject of math, I always mention IXL . . . and now that I've found it for 40% off through the Homeschool Buyer's Co-op, I thought it was worth mentioning again.

Here's an overview of what I like best about the site:

• It is the ultimate in user-friendly; activities are grouped by grade level, then broken down by skill. Within each skill, it lists each activity in order and lets you mouse over each one for a preview of what a problem would look like.

• It's completely self-guided. Follow the sequence, skip around . . . whatever you like. Practice for five minutes or an hour. I love the flexibility to fit a few minutes in on a busy day or practice for a longer period of time to reinforce something we've just learned.

• The reward system is really simple, but for some reason, my kids really dig it. As you progress towards a score of 100 (completion) for each activity, you earn three little ribbons, which are displayed under your score. After completing each activity, it will notify you if you've earned any rewards, which are given for meeting certain criteria for time practiced, skills mastered, questions answered, etc. The "reward" is getting to turn over a piece on the game board to claim a virtual prize. Doesn't seem all that exciting to me, but like I said, the kids LOVE it.

• With membership, they e-mail periodic parent updates detailing how long the kids have practiced and what skills they have been working on. At any time, you can view reports of all their work to date.

Because the kids learn so well from the computer, I've looked into quite a few online learning sites. With its excellent content, user-friendly format and kid-friendly reward system, this is the first paid site I've felt to be worthwhile.

As I mentioned, you can purchase IXL for a discounted price through the Homeschool Buyer's Co-op, so an annual subscription for one child is $47.40 instead of $79.00. If you're not yet a member of the HSBC, please consider using my referral link or referral code (65626) when you sign up for your free account.

"Me Time" Monday - Taking a Day Off

It's true that Monday isn’t the first day that comes to mind when I think of having some time for myself. I’m more likely to spend this particular day tackling mountains of laundry, piles of dishes and otherwise catching up from a busy weekend. So each week, I’ll be making a point to try out a new idea for “me time” and reporting back every Monday, when we all need inspiration the most.

This week I'm on vacation, so I'm not trying out any "me time" experiments - other than trying to get as much as I can while we're away! Instead, for the next two Mondays, I have a few ideas in mind that have worked well for me in the past that I thought I'd pass along.

One of my all-time favorites is my "day off" - something we used to do monthly that hasn't been happening with enough consistency lately. A while back, I realized that while I had plenty of nights out at dance class or having coffee with friends, I really missed having time alone in my own house to do whatever I wanted. So once a month when I have the foresight to plan it, Jim takes the kids out for a fun half- or full-day activity. He's always a little bummed that I get to do all the fun stuff with the kids, so it really is a time that we both enjoy.

Even though monthly doesn't seem to fit our schedule right now, I'm really looking forward to getting back to doing this on a regular basis. However I spend the day, I resist the urge to catch up on chores or tackle big projects. Instead, I watch movies, read or do anything that I'd never have the opportunity to on a regular day. In fact, I think I need to get one on the calendar right now!

Time Saving Sunday - Household Help

Nope, it's not as glamorous as it sounds. My latest time-saving experiment has nothing to do with a housekeeper and personal chef. Instead, I've been increasing the amount of responsibility the kids have and making consistent routines for involving their help each day.

Of course, this isn't a novel idea and most of you probably do it already. But for some reason, I had a hard time making the transition from seeing my kids as babies that needed my constant care to recognizing they were old enough to do things for themselves. Plus, I often avoided having them "help" me with household tasks because I knew it would take longer than just doing it myself . . . losing sight of the "long term gain" that they'd someday be able to do it without me.

At a friend's recommendation, I moved all their plates and cups to a lower cabinet, and now they are responsible for putting away their own dishes (plus all silverware, pots, pans and bowls) from the dishwasher. Who knew they would enjoy that??? They are also "rotating" the laundry and helping to fold and put away their own clothes plus the napkins and tablecloths. Finally, we've implemented a great system for making sure all their belongings are put away each night - having a clutter-free house and seeing their clean rooms (and a neat classroom!) each morning when we wake up always gets my day off to a great start.

For now, we're still in the learning process and they need a bit of supervision. But I can definitely see the light at the end of the tunnel and even now - every once in a while at least - it actually feels like "help".

Shoe Sale Saturday - Paisley Rain Boots

Now I have to admit that I'm not big on rubber shoes, and I don't think I've ever owned rain boots in my life . . . but for some reason, I think these boots are adorable! I found them on this fun blog called Great Green Shoes, which I'm sure I'll spend many hours exploring. "Cute" isn't generally the first word that comes to mind when you hear the phrase "vegan shoes", but she has managed to find some really great ones!

$5 Admission to Orlando Science Center This Sunday

This Sunday, August 29th, the Orlando Science Center will be offering all-day admission for only $5. What a great chance to check out OSC if you've never been there and make a return visit to check out their new exhibits. If you like what you see, OSC annual passes are a great deal as well since there are so many homeschooling opportunities there. Last I checked, OSC passholders had reciprocal privileges at the Museum of Arts and Sciences in Daytona Beach.

Magic Tree House Boxed Set only $8.77 at Amazon

If you have a big Magic Tree House fan in the house like I do, check out this great deal currently available at Amazon. Currently, the boxed set that includes the first four books in the Magic Tree House series is on sale for only $8.77 (regular price is $15.96) and is eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping with an order totaling $25 or more.

The set includes the following books:

1. Dinosaurs Before Dark
2. The Knight at Dawn
3. Mummies in the Morning
4. Pirates Past Noon

In case you're not familiar with the Magic Tree House series, these are great first chapter books, taking kids on adventures throughout time and around the world with main characters Jack and Annie. Noah is steadily working his way through the entire series, and we plan to use them as the central point in our history and geography studies this year.

Field Trip Friday - Weather Watchers Class at Orange County Regional History Museum

Somehow, we haven't yet been to the Orange County Regional History Center, but after browsing the list of upcoming homeschool classes on their website, that's likely to change! Each two-hour class engages students and their families in interactive curriculum and hands-on activities, including crafts, museum tours and take-home packets.

First up this year is Weather Watchers (Friday, September 10th) where kids will learn the science behind temperature and weather conditions. Classes start every 30 minutes between the hours of 10AM and 1PM. Classes are free for OCRHC members, and non-members pay just $4 per adult and $6 for students five and up with children four and under being free. Prices include museum admission, and families are encouraged to bring a lunch to enjoy in Heritage Square.

Other classes scheduled for the 2010-11 school year include Conquistadors of La Florida (November 5th), Pint-Sized Pioneers (February 4th) and Mr. & Mrs. President (April 8th).

Our Goodies from the Scholastic Sale

Of course, I had to share pictures of our haul from the Scholastic sale. This is what we crammed into three bags with the exception of about four or five things the kids already made off with . . . total was $20 since we added a $5 software game.

Scholastic Books Fairs Warehouse Sale

For all the local homeschool mama's, run - don't walk - the Scholastic Book Fairs Warehouse Sale currently going on at their location in Lake Mary. The sale, which started yesterday, continues until 7PM tonight and from 8AM to 4PM on Saturday.

The bulk of the items are priced at $5 per (you-fill-it) bag, with a separate section having individual items ranging to 50 - 80% off. Some items are damaged or missing parts, so you definitely have to pick through to find those in the best condition. But overall, it was well worth $5/bag to be able to answer "yes, yes, yes" every time my kids asked "Can we get this?" They have declared it to be the "best day ever" and are anxiously waiting for me to come downstairs and help them sort through all their new finds.

Thankful Thursday - Eager to Learn

In case you haven't figured it out yet, I'm a big planner. I love the idea of sorting through endless options and deciding exactly what I want to do. However, as much as I've enjoyed planning our upcoming school year, I'm ready to be done planning and start teaching!

But as ready as I am to get started, Noah literally cannot wait. He's been busting into curriculum since it began arriving - sometimes for a sneak preview and other times to actually do some work. Since it seems silly to make him wait until the official start of our school year, I've been letting him explore whatever he wants.

Of course, his eagerness to start may have something to do with the fact that we're studying cars . . . and that was my "aha!" moment for this week. This is what homeschooling is all about for me - presenting learning opportunities that capitalize on my kids' interests. And it was exciting to see it actually working.

Yesterday, he sat down for hours to read from a book on how cars work that was written for teens and adults - not because he had a reading assignment, but because he was interested in the topic and wanted to learn more. And yet I remember assigned reading in school being such a chore - something I could get through to pass the test or write the essay without taking away any significant learning experience.

Instead of teaching science, history, math and language arts topics that someone else has designated as appropriate for a second-grader, we'll be learning about the history of the automobile, the effect of cars on the environment and alternative fuel sources while calculating travel time (based on MPH) and fuel costs (based on MPG) of traveling to our favorite destinations - plus, of course, whatever else he decides he wants to learn about them.

So today I am thankful for several things. I am grateful for Noah to have an experience that is fostering his love of learning . . . and I'm especially thankful to have the opportunity to facilitate it.

Special Offer at Spark for Homeschooling in Heels Readers!

Through the end of September, the wonderful folks at Spark Enrichment Center are extending a very special offer to Homeschooling in Heels readers - purchase any one class and get another one free. Here's what you do:

1. Sign up to follow Homeschooling in Heels blog.

2. Like the Homeschooling in Heels page on Facebook.

3. Call over to Spark to sign up for your classes, and be sure to tell them that Homeschooling in Heels sent you!

Check out Spark's fall schedule here or on their website. If you take advantage of this offer, we'd love to hear about your Spark experience! Please comment back on this post or on the Facebook page to let us know which classes you enjoyed.

25% Off All Sale Sandals at Endless

For a limited time, the fabulous shoe website Endless.com is offering an additional 25% off a huge selection of already-discounted sandals. One of the many perks of living here in Florida is wearing cute sandals almost year-round . . . so shop away. My favorite thing about Endless is the free overnight or two-day shipping (varies by shoe), along with free return shipping if you don't get a perfect fit.

The sale applies to sandals for women, men and kids, and it's an instant discount (no coupon code needed) that applies at checkout. If I were shopping today, something like the Marc Jacobs pair pictured here (actually part of the sale) would be the ones to catch my eye, although I know it would be much more practical to buy ahead for the kids Crocs for next summer.

Wild Idea Wednesday - Little Authors

Need some new ideas for keeping learning fun? I’ll be sharing our favorites each week on Wednesday. To be honest, the thought of committing myself to having one great idea every week is stress-inducing, so I’m going to put it out there in advance that I will probably borrow heavily from all my wise mama friends.

For some reason, I've been overflowing with fun language arts ideas since our homeschool evaluation last month. Jan, our evaluator, suggested using more "authentic" language arts activities and made me realize that many of the projects Noah came up with on his own were great opportunities for teaching on this topic. Already, I've found myself picking up on opportunities I otherwise would have overlooked and also coming up with ideas for projects I know that Noah will enjoy.

So when my friend Jill e-mailed me a link about a student publishing service called Student Treasures, it launched me down yet another path. Although their website doesn't explain exactly how the process works, Student Treasures seems to facilitate book publishing for students and classrooms. From what I can tell, they send out blank templates for students to write and draw in to tell their story, then you send them back to be bound into books. For orders of 20 or more, the price is only $6.95 plus $1.95 shipping and handling, making it a great idea for a homeschool group or co-op. A single book costs more in the $20 range - still pretty reasonable, in my opinion.

However, since I have a knack for reinventing the wheel, I realized how easy it would be to use Shutterfly for this same purpose. After browsing the interactive gallery at Student Treasures for ideas, Noah and I decided on making a cars alphabet book. For each letter, he'll pick a car-related term, draw a picture and write a short paragraph about it. I'll scan and upload each page as a graphic file into Shutterfly and teach him how to make the book. I like that this is a project he can tackle one letter at a time and still end up with a wonderful project at the end of the year.

Have you used book making in your homeschooling before? If so, I'd love to hear your ideas for incorporating learning with self-published books.

Our Homeschool Classroom

Whew! It's finally done! After moving this summer and unpacking every other part of the house, I put off unpacking the classroom for the longest time - most likely because it involved an overwhelming of planning, organizing and figuring out how it would best serve us for the upcoming year. This week, Jim finally hung everything on the walls and I cleared out the rest of the junk. Now we're all set to go!

Adorable Pencil Desk and Chair only $17.40 at Amazon Today

Saw this adorable desk and chair on sale and had to share. How cute would this be in any classroom??? It looks to be on the smallish size, and in reading the reviews, people seem to love it but admit that it works best for preschool / kindy aged kids. It's on sale today for only $17.40 and ships for free with Amazon Prime or an order totaling $25 or more.

Book Review - If I Built a Car

Today was a bit like Christmas around here when our Amazon packages showed up with all the great books and other tools for our cars and oceans unit studies. We all spent a while looking through everything, but since it was bedtime, I brought the one story book, If I Built a Car, in as a bedtime story - and we all loved it!

This wonderfully-written and charmingly-illustrated book tells the story of a young boy describing what a car would look like if he built it (think rocket fuel and swimming pools!) It reminded me so much of Noah and all his ideas for the "water-powered, 300MPH car" that he's dreaming up. So glad that we added this one to our library; I can already tell that it will be enjoyed over and over.

Sale on Homeschool Classes at SPARK!

Spark! Enrichment Center in Winter Springs recently announced their Great Homeschool Class Sale, offering discounts on their already competitive class pricing. Now would be a great time to try out their new fall classes!

- Music Appreciation
   (10 weeks at $100) Sale $80

- Biology w/Lab
  (12 weeks at $180) Sale $130

- Anime/Cartooning
  (Pay as you go $10/class) Sale Buy 10 classes for $80

- Readers' Theater
  (Pay as you go $10/class) Sale Buy 10 classes for $80

- American Girl Book Club
  (Pay as you go $10/class) Sale Buy 10 classes for $80

- Picturing America
  (Pay as you go $10/class) Sale Buy 10 classes for $80

- Aerospace/Rocketry
  (Pay as you go $10/class) Sale Buy 10 classes for $80

- Architecture
  (Pay as you go $10/class) Sale Buy 10 classes for $80

- Creative Writing
  (Pay as you go $10/class) Sale Buy 10 classes for $80

Teaching Tool Tuesday - Kreative Komix

Don’t tell, but my wish lists at Lakeshore Learning and Amazon are much longer than the one I have at Endless.com. Honestly, I’m a complete sucker for books and educational games, software and toys. But this past year I’ve honed my ability to discern which tools will be fun once or twice and which ones we'll use over and over . . . and I’ll be sharing our favorites with you every Tuesday. 

As I posted last week, I've been looking for ways to liven up language arts this year. So when I first read about Kreative Komix, it looked like a great tool that Noah would love. I've just ordered it, so obviously I can't yet give it a glowing review . . . but it looked so cool that I thought I'd share it in advance.

Kreative Komix is an interactive, multimedia tool that let's kids design and create their own comics. Kids choose the background, scenery, characters and props, then type in the dialog for their story. With the click of a button, they see and hear their stories come to life. What a great way to work on storytelling, sequencing, reading and writing while being creative and having fun!

Available "themes" include Fairy Tale, Science, American History, Dinosaurs and Superhero. It was difficult to narrow it down to one; I was very tempted by the Science but eventually decided to start wtih Fairy Tales since it seemed to lend itself better to dialogue.

I'll definitely be reporting back after we've had a chance to use it, but I definitely have high hopes for this one. If anyone else has tried Kreative Komix, I'd love your feedback!

"Me Time Monday" - A Success Story and . .. Well . . . Not So Much

It’s true that Monday isn’t the first day that comes to mind when I think of having some time for myself. I’m more likely to spend this particular day tackling mountains of laundry, piles of dishes and otherwise catching up from a busy weekend. So each week, I’ll be making a point to try out a new idea for “me time” and reporting back every Monday, when we all need inspiration the most.

Let me get this out of the way up front. Today, I will not be sharing my "me time" experiment from last week . . . mainly because it was a complete and utter failure! As a clue, it was something do do with overcoming excuses, and let's just say that the excuses won - for now. But, I am gearing myself up for a rematch in the near future.

Okay, on to something more fun - a "me time" success story. I remember vividly a time after my son was born that I felt like nothing but a Mommy. And as much as I loved being Mommy, I was slightly envious of how little my husband's life had changed since Noah's birth. Don't get me wrong, he is an amazing dad and threw himself into the Daddy role 100 percent. But he still went to work every day. If he wanted to stop for a cup of coffee along the way, he could. When he needed a haircut, he just went and got one. And if he felt like going for a bike ride (his pre-baby hobby), he did. And then there was me . . . at home with the baby, and that's pretty much it.

Somehow, jumping back into swim / bike / run training with a nursing baby didn't seem doable, and for the longest time, I was content with doing nothing for myself. Even the idea of a mom's night out baffled me. Who would want to go out with friends when their wonderful, amazing, awe-inspiring child was at home???

In the few months after he turned two and before my daughter was born, I started seeing the value in that time - in any kind of "me" time. But I had no idea what to do. Jim suggested that I needed a hobby - but have you ever tried to randomly pick a hobby? It doesn't really work. And of course, the fact that I was six months pregnant and about to start "babyhood" all over again was slightly limiting.

Ava turned out to be a much different baby than Noah had been. Where he demanded me and only me 24/7, she was content with Jim for a surprising number of hours between nursing. In fact, since she liked things quiet, she much preferred to stay home with him than to join me on a girls night out for coffee or a movie. So when she was about nine months old, I went to watch a friend perform at a bellydance recital. I have to admit, I knew nothing about bellydancing and it didn't sound particularly interesting . . . I just went to watch and support her.

Little did I know that night would take my life in a new direction. About five numbers into the show, I had decided that bellydancing was for me, and I called about classes the very next day. A few years down the road, here I am . . . still taking classes, dancing with one of my studio's performing troupes and even working a paying gig at a local Greek restaurant. Trust me, I collapsed with laughter when my "bellydance" business cards arrived in the mail . . . who would have ever thought I would have needed those???

For me, dance feeds my sense of self in several ways. First, it's the ultimate girl's night out, time away from the house with wonderful and supportive women who have become some of my closest friends. Some are also moms, but many aren't, giving me the chance to take my conversational skills back to a place that doesn't involve diapers and breastfeeding (or in these days, math curriculum and year-end evaluations). It's also a way to be active that's drastically different than anything I've done in the past, and of course, there are the costumes. Bellydance fills my need for all things girlie - glitter and sequins and makeup - oh my!

Recently, it's been fun to share my love of dance with Ava. In fact, she and I will be performing our first duet this weekend. But more than that, I think it's so important for both my kids to see that I exist as more than just Mommy . . . to see me as my own person with my own interests. I think this can be more challenging for homeschooling and stay-at-home moms . . . but very important to model for our kids for their future.

Time-Saving Sunday - Meal Planning Saves Time & Money

We love our weekend family time, but Sunday often becomes my day to prepare for the upcoming week. This will be the day I’ll call upon some fabulous mama friends to share their expertise on how to keep our homes running smoothly and our families well fed while still leaving plenty of time for school. Today's guest post from my friend Jill over at Vegan in the Kitchen shares how to save time through weekly meal planning.

Gone are the days of being that Mom wrapping up the day’s activities around four o’clock wondering, “What’s for dinner?” Meal planning used to seem like an extra step that would steal away too much of my precious time, but when our family began eating a plant-based diet I found it necessary to have a plan. Once I dove in, I discovered meal planning saves time and money that can be reinvested into my family.

So, let’s get your meal plan on paper. Grab next week’s calendar of activities, a couple of your favorite cookbooks or magazines and make a mental note of groceries you have in your pantry, refrigerator and freezer. You can use a hard copy of your weekly calendar to record your meal plan. Later, post it on the fridge so your whole family will know what’s for dinner, too.

You may also check with your local grocery store for what is on sale. Each week I use Publix’s weekly ad and look for coupon match-ups to help save my family even more money. Going into the store with a list of what I need plus utilizing sales and coupons has helped cut our grocery bill in half.

If you need a cheat sheet for your meal plan, each Sunday on Vegan in the Kitchen, you will find my vegetarian meal plan for the week. They are kid-friendly and mostly healthy, too.

I promise your life will be much less stressful when you have your meals planned. And the next time you are standing at your refrigerator, you will be eyeing your meal plan knowing exactly what you will be taking out to cook come four o’clock.

Jill is a busy homeschooling mom to four great kids who love to eat their veggies. Vegan in the Kitchen provides meal plans, frugal finds and tasty recipes for other busy moms.

Crazy About Cars Lapbook is Available for Download!

Well, I think it's done! My sample went together today with only a few tweaks. I've uploaded the edited file to File Factory, and you can download it here for free. As soon as Noah completes his, I'll post photos of the finished lapbook. Until then, there's a diagram on page two that shows my idea of where everything would go. I would love feedback on it from anyone who makes it!

Shoe Sale Saturday - Something to Keep Me Running

Moving on to something a little more practical, I finally ordered new running shoes. I don't even want to tell you how many miles were on the old ones, and if I'm going to start running again, new shoes are definitely in order. But before you start thinking I choose my running shoes based on looks, please know that it's only a coincidence that they're cute and pink. Most of my former running shoes have been pretty hideous looking, so I'm excited about these!

They should arrive on Tuesday - free 2-day shipping courtesy of Endless, and they ship back for free if I don't love them. I've never bought running shoes online before, but since I've worn Asics for years, I thought I'd give it a try. The biggest selling point for me was the $30 I knocked off the price by using the Amazon gift cards I earned through SwagBucks (Endless is owned by Amazon).

If you haven't signed up for Swagbucks yet, it's a great way to earn prizes (such as Amazon gift cards) by searching online (which you already do anyway). Make Swagbucks your homepage, and search through them instead of another search engine. If you decide to sign up, please consider doing so through my referral link so we can both earn points (and shoes!)

A Little More Shoe Art

Writing about shoe art made me think about my favorite artist, Derek Gores, and all his amazing pictures of shoes. Now it's a new thing for me to have a favorite artist, but I was strolling through an art festival last year and was completely taken with his collage work. Check it out on his website or Facebook . . . the shoes are only the beginning.

Though I'm not usually fond of artwork with people in it, his portraits of women are just stunning and he's posted a preview of a commissioned piece for the Orlando Magic.A commissioned portrait is on my "big wish list" for someday, but I don't know how I'd decide the subject . . . the kids, a bellydance portrait, recreating a wedding photo. Too many choices. For now, I'll just covet the shoes.

A Little Shoe Art

So it's Saturday, and I have shoes on the brain - mainly because I've designated today as Shoe Sale Saturday. But before I start shopping (all for your benefit, of course), I thought I'd share this lovely photo with you.

My friend Jill over at Vegan in the Kitchen sent me the link to this earlier in the week. After digging around a little, I found that they'd been causing quite a stir online because people were trying to order them . . . only to find out they were just a piece of art (rather than actual shoes). Still, I thought they were too cute not to share.

New Fall Homeschool Classes at SPARK! Family Enrichment Center

Spark! Family Enrichment Center kicked off their new fall homeschool schedule this week with an amazing assortment of classes every day of the week. In addition to language (French, Spanish and Mandarin), science, math, language, music and writing classes, they have some really unique offerings such as Picturing America, Reading Theater, Architectural Explorations and American Girl Book Club. 

If you're looking for your child to study for a day or two outside the house or are interested in specific topics you don't feel comfortable teaching, be sure to check out Spark! Both of mine have taken classes there, and in addition to it being a fun learning environment, the staff is amazing and I felt very comfortable leaving them there. They also have a parent's lounge with Wi-Fi if you want to stick around while the kids are in class.

In addition to their homeschool classes, Spark! offers support services to homeschooling families, including evaluations and standardized testing. They're also hosting an upcoming homeschooling seminar series with Jan Zeiger that starts tomorrow! 

Here's a peek at their current schedule; class descriptions and pricing can be found on their website.

Monday:

9:00-10:00 Study Hall (by the hour)

9:30-11:00 Art Grades K-5

10:00-11:00 Life Science/Biology Grades 5-8

10:00-11:00 Spanish Grades 1-4 

11:00-12:00 Geography/Map Skills Grades 1-4

11:00-12:00 Spanish Grades 5-8

11:30-1:00  Teen/Adult Art

12:00-12:30 Lunch12:30-1:30 Architectural Explorations Grades 5-8 

12:30-1:30 Science Grades 1-4

1:30-2:30 Architectural Explorations Grades 1-4

1:30-2:30 TBA Grades 5-8

3:00-4:00 Mandarin Chinese Grades 1-6

Tuesday:

9:00-12:00 Study Hall (by the hour)

9:30-11:00 Biology with Lab Grades 8-12 

11:00-12:00 Cartooning/Anime Ages 7+ 

10:00-1:00 Montessori Grades K-2 

*** Afternoon is open for in-house field trips for Homeschoolers ***

Wednesday:

9:00-10:00 Study Hall (by the hour)

9:00-10:00 French Grades K-2

9:00-10:00 Art K-2nd Grades

10:00-11:00 Aerospace/Rockets Ages 5-8

10:15-11:00 French Preschool

10:00-11:30 Physics Grades 8-12

11:00-12:00 Art Grades 1-6

11:30-12:30 Aerospace/Rockets Ages 9  and up 

12:00-1:00 Science Grades K-3 

 

Thursday:

9:00-11:00 Study Hall (by the hour)
9:00-10:00 Readers Theater

10:00-1:00 Montessori Grades K-2

9:30-11:00 Physics Grades 6-9
10:00-11:00 Picturing America Grades 2-6
11:00-12:00 Music Appreciation
11:00-1:00 Math Lab Grades 6-9 (by the hour)
11:00-12:00 Architecture Explorations  Grades 6-12
12:00-1:00 Creative Writing Grades 3-6
12:00-1:00 Spanish Grades K-2
12:00-1:00 Architecture Explorations Grades 2-6
12:00-1:00 American Literature Grades 6-8
1:00-2:00 Spanish Grades K-2

Friday:

10:00-11:00 American Girl Book Club Grades 2-4
11:00-12:00 American Literature Grades 8-12
1:30-2:30 American History Grades 8-12

"Field Trip Friday" - Homeschool Day at Florida Aquarium

My kids love being on the go as much as I do. If we all had our way, every day would be a field trip! We’ll be home more this year, but every Friday, I’ll be sharing a field trip that we’ve done or have planned, along with how we tied it in to our studies at home.

I've been talking so much about cars lately that I've almost forgotten I still need to prepare for the other unit study we're doing this summer - oceans. This was Ava's pick to learn about for fall, and although I'm not sure exactly what we'll be doing yet, I know it will kick off with a trip to the beach and a visit to the Florida Aquarium in Tampa for their homeschool day.

This will be our first time visiting the aquarium, but if their website is an accurate representation, it looks wonderful! On Thursday, September 9th, they are offering special activities and discounted pricing for homeschooling families. The event runs from 10AM until 3PM, and the cost is $5/person plus $6/car for parking.

For those living closer to the Tampa area, the aquarium offers monthly, hands-on science classes for all ages. The 200,000 square foot facility features more than 20,000 aquatic plants and animals from around the world, as well as a 2-acre water fun zone. Special activities include Swim with the Fishes, a beginning scuba adventure for ages 6 and up, Dive with the Sharks, for certified scuba divers ages 15 and up, a backstage Penguin Pass and a Wild Dolphin Ecotour in Tampa Bay.

Free Shoes Giveaway at Southern Savers

If your little one loves shoes as much as I do (or, if they just need something to wear on their feet!) check out the Free Shoes Giveaway going on right now at Southern Savers. One reader will win a free pair of kids shoes from the Eleven Collection.

I have to admit that I'd never heard of Eleven Collection before. But after browsing their website a bit, I realized why I loved their shoes so much; they're the sister company of See Kai Run, a brand I've always loved.  Eleven makes super-stylish, well-crafted shoes for ages 3 to 8 that don't require a break in period. I'll be browsing the cute styles on their site just in case I win the giveaway!

Thankful Thursday - The Joy of Homeschooling

Ever get struck in the middle of a crazy, hectic day by overwhelming wave of gratitude for being able to share a special moment with your kids? Well, that’s what Thankful Thursday is all about. Each week, I’ll aim to share a special moment that I would have missed had my kids been away at school . . . and I’m counting on all of you to share yours, too. It will give us something to reflect on during those other six crazy, hectic days!

When Jim and I decided to start a family, it was pretty much a given that I would stay home with the kids. To be honest, I didn't like having a job before I had a baby so I was pretty certain I wouldn't want to return to one afterward. Now before you start thinking I'm lazy, let me remind you that I'm still the same girl who's been up until 2AM the past few nights finishing the cars lapbook!!! I enjoy work - on my terms - it's just having a "job" that's not my thing.

I'm going to level with you here and admit that I've been complaining (my nice word for it) a lot lately about all the things I have to do and how little time in which I have to do them. As always, let me preface this by saying that I'm immensely thankful for my jobs - especially the fact that I can do them at 2AM so I can be with my kids all day - but sometimes they add up to too much. And when I'm overwhelmed with work (and since I'm being honest, usually when the hormones are kicking in), I tend to do a little dramatic spiel questioning how I'm supposed to balance my jobs as a technical writer, resume writer, translation coordinator, mother and teacher in just 24 hours a day (and that's assuming I don't want to sleep!)

It was during one of these little tirades that something about that thought didn't sit right with me - and it seems even more absurd now that I see it in writing.  

When had "mother/teacher" slipped from being a privilege and a joy to being another "job" in my long, tiresome list? When had it become another thing I needed to "get through" each day? And how had I not noticed this sooner???

I've spent the past few weeks reconnecting with those roles, and it's brought me to a place of being truly thankful to have them. Of course, I've always expressed gratitude for them, but I'm not sure my actions always backed up my words.

This year, I'm aiming to make school something I experience with the kids rather than something I plan for them. How many parents are lucky enough to watch their children learn every day? To see what interests them and watch passions develop? To identify challenges and help them overcome them? What a truly amazing gift for both a child and a mom. Is homeschooling "work"? Yes. But is it a "job"? For me, the answer is now "no". It is a privilege that makes all the other jobs worthwhile.
 
This week seemed to be the official start of school in our area, and I've spent my week watching adorable "first day" pictures pop up on Facebook. It was so fun to see moms and kids alike thrilled that school was back in session, and it's great that it works for so many people . . . but when I closed my eyes and imagined that it was my kids walking off towards the bus stop with their little backpacks on, I got tears in my eyes.

Maybe it's selfish, but I just couldn't do it . . . I couldn't miss an entire day of their lives. It's already going by too quickly, and I want to be there to cherish every moment. And I'm so thankful that I can.

Wild Idea Wednesday - Living Language Arts

Need some new ideas for keeping learning fun? I’ll be sharing our favorites each week on Wednesday. To be honest, the thought of committing myself to having one great idea every week is stress-inducing, so I’m going to put it out there in advance that I will probably borrow heavily from all my wise mama friends.

So I have to admit that I'm not feeling particularly creative or full of "wild ideas" today. On top of the fact that we're not really in school mode yet, I had work come in from three clients all at once. Please forgive me that homeschooling is not at the forefront of my mind today, but I really did want to take a stab at my first Wild Idea Wednesday.

Fortunately, I got some great inspiration from Jan Zeiger at our recent homeschool evaluation. After reviewing Noah's portfolio, she suggested incorporating more authentic language arts experiences rather than relying on just workbooks. Since Noah's not big on repetition or writing just for the sake of practicing, her suggestions really struck a chord. In fact, I could think of so many things he'd done on his own that would have made great language arts projects - I just never thought to consider them part of "school". For example, when he was really interested in hamsters and we checked out several books from the library, he created his own book about hamsters - wrote a page on each topic, drew pictures and staples it all together - all while I was busy doing who knows what.

She gave me plenty of great suggestions - have him write the grocery list, find a penpal, etc., but I also wanted to find what would be of most interest to him. One day a few weeks later, he shared a joke he'd made up and told me it might be in a joke book one day . . . so I asked if he wanted to write one (and of course, he does). In addition to writing about something that interests him, I like that it's something we can work on over the course of the year, adding a little at a time as the mood strikes.

Crazy About Cars Lapbook is Done!!!

Whew! My new Crazy About Cars lapbook is finally done . . . took many, many more hours than I expected, but I'm so thrilled with the results.
Covering everything from the invention of the car to where they're headed in the future, the content encompasses a broad range of subjects, including science, history, geography, language arts and math.

Can't wait to share it with my little car buff - and with all of you. In the next few days, I'll be proofing it and mocking up a sample to see what I've messed up. Once I've worked out the glitches, it will be available to download. Until then, here's another preview . . . and I'm going to sleep!!!

Planning Our Homeschool Year

No, we're not officially back to school yet. I'm protesting the end of summer and holding out for a few more weeks. But, I think I'm finally in the last stages of getting our year planned and supplies ordered.

Still trying to figure out how to incorporate the message of "relaxed homeschooling" that struck a chord with me at convention with my urge to plan each day. Overall, here's what our year will (might?) look like.

Unit Studies (most with a lapbook component)
Cars (fall) - Noah's pick
Oceans (fall) - Ava's pick
Money (year-long)
Great Inventors (spring) - Noah's pick
Animals around the World (spring)

Language Arts
Language Smarts
Kreative Komix
Write a joke book
Personal dictionary
Write to a penpal

Math
Singapore Math
IXL
Balance Benders and Math Analogies

Science
Cars, oceans and animals around the world units
Fuel cell and solar car models
Exploration Education Physical Science curriculum (Unit 1: Forces, Machines, Motion & Energy)

Geography
50 States (fall)
Where in the world are Jack & Annie? (Magic Tree House mapping activity) 

History
Magic Tree House timeline
Cars & great inventors units 

Critical Thinking
Organizing Thinking Skills (Noah)
Visual Perception Skill Building (Ava)

French
Rosetta Stone

Art
Draw Cars
Draw Ocean Animals
Sports Car Designer
Car photography project (photo book and/or blog)
OMA Art Adventure classes

Other activities
Weekly co-op (art, science, money, PE)
Swim team
Dance (Ava)
Odyssey of the Mind (Noah)
DuathLONG training club

Looking for free homeschooling resources?

Since it's Teaching Tool Tuesday, I thought it would be a great time to post about a wonderful blog I've been visiting, Free Homeschooling 101. Both the blog and the Facebook page offer great links, broken down by subject, to free homeschooling tools and resources.

Don't let the small number of posts in the index fool you . . . each post shares a number of resources. For example, "Free Geography" shows only one post, but that post contains links to 10 great free resources. Can't wait to check them out, especially the "White House 101" (we're hoping to tour the White House on our DC trip this month) and "50 States and the games at Grammaropolis (Noah will love these!)

Teaching Tool Tuesday - Custom Word Searches

Don’t tell, but my wish lists at Lakeshore Learning and Amazon are much longer than the one I have at Endless.com. Honestly, I’m a complete sucker for books and educational games, software and toys. But this past year I’ve honed my ability to discern which tools will be fun once or twice and which ones we'll use over and over . . . and I’ll be sharing our favorites with you every Tuesday. 

Since I've spent the past few months researching and selecting curriculum for the upcoming year, I've found so many fantastic tools that it's hard to pick one to start with for Teaching Tool Tuesday. But, since I'm working on a lapbook right now, my thoughts are running along the lines of tools that work to support a unit study.

I'm a fan of Lakeshore Learning on Facebook (and just a fan in general, really), so I've been seeing all the great teacher aides they offer. My favorite so far is this PDF tool that lets you create a custom word search.

Just enter a title for your word search and the individual words you want included, then select a few options about the orientation of the words. With the click of a button, the tool will create your own word search, which can then be saved as a PDF file. You can even print the answer key in case you need help finding the answers!

The one in the picture is from our 4th of July unit from this summer, but I'll be making them for our cars, oceans and money studies this fall.

Lapbook Preview - Crazy About Cars

It's nearing 2AM, and the cars lapbook did not get finished. It's great to have a goal . . . but not as great to make myself crazy trying to achieve it. So I'm calling it a night and will finish tomorrow - only one more mini-book to go, so I really am close!

It's turning out really cute, and I know that Noah will love it! I'm very pleased with the diversity of the content, which so far covers science, history, geography, math and a little art or language arts.

As soon as I mock up my sample, I'll make the PDF available to download - right now, all I have to share is the sneak preview "The 8 Fastest Cars in the World" mini-book. Do you know what they are???

Suddenly Shoeless

So this renewed triathlon interest has brought me to the realization that I no longer have shoes . . . shoes appropriate for running or cycling, that is. Somehow, it seems hugely ironic for the Homeschooling in Heels girl to be shoeless.

It's been seven years (seven years!!!) since I've taken my road bike for a spin, and my cycling shoes - veterans of my two Ironman races - seem to have disintegrated during that time.

My last pair of running shoes remains in my closet, and I take them out walking from time to time. But seeing as how they've been through one marathon and three half marathons over the past two years, they're probably a year overdue for replacing.

Not sure which to start with, but if I can find some cute pink Asics like the ones pictured, that will make the decision easier. Going to check out the local running store this week, but since I've been hording $5 Amazon gift card prizes from Swagbucks, I have about a $35 head start if I order them from Endless instead.

"Me Time" Monday - Share Your Ideas

It’s true that Monday isn’t the first day that comes to mind when I think of having some time for myself. I’m more likely to spend this particular day tackling mountains of laundry, piles of dishes and otherwise catching up from a busy weekend. So each week, I’ll be making a point to try out a new idea for “me time” and reporting back every Monday, when we all need inspiration the most. 

Well, I already have my idea for my first "Me Time" Monday! I'll be testing it out this week and reporting back next Monday with the results. At first, I'd planned to share details today, but I've decided to keep it under wraps for now.

Today, I'm having the ultimate "Me Time" Monday since the kids are at my mom's for the day. And although I know I should be doing something I never get to do like relaxing - or something unpleasant but ultimately necessary like swimsuit shopping or going to the dentist - I'm using the time to work on the cars lapbook. I will be finishing it today, although that's more of an affirmation and less of a statement on how close to being done I actually am.

Hopefully I'll have a success story to report next Monday - and be more refreshed and inspired while doing so. In the meantime, I'd love to hear from you! 

• What are your best ideas for taking time out for yourself and keeping your balance in this homeschool adventure? 

• Or if you're not quite there yet, what are the biggest challenges standing in your way?

My Kind of Crazy

For the past few weeks, I've been having the urge to do something a little crazy, but I didn't know what. Among the suggestions from my friends were skydiving, bungee jumping, scuba diving, body painting and a new hair color, but for some reason, none of those struck a chord (though the last two were the ones I'm most likely to try). I tried not to obsess about it, but one day this past week, I was sitting at my computer working on the cars lapbook when I decided that what I wanted was to do a triathlon.

This may not sound that odd, but I guess what makes it crazy is that I'd pretty much sworn off tri's after the kids were born. Running I could handle, but finding the time to train for three sports while homeschooling two kids, performing with my bellydance troupe and juggling several freelance writing gigs seemed  a tad unrealistic. And I'm sure it's still completely unrealistic, but somehow, I'm going to do it anyway.

So where did this urge to push my limits in some crazy way arise from? My theory is that I've been so wrapped up in planning our upcoming school year that my balance has been a little off, too heavily weighted in my mama/teacher role and too light on the "me side". Plus, I always like to have a goal on the horizon, and since I swore off running earlier this year (I've been eating my words a lot the past few days!) I haven't really had that.

While I haven't made a final decision, I'm leading towards the Florida 70.3, a half Ironman race at Disney next May . . . and I'm just hoping this still sounds like a good idea once training time rolls around!

New Daily Features at Homeschooling in Heels

Over the past few months, I've been hinting at adding some new content to Homeschooling in Heels. In addition to the Homeschooling 101 section - which is coming after I finish our lapbook templates for the year - I'll be blogging daily on certain topics to inspire us through each day of our homeschooling week. Here's a sneak peek at what's coming:


“Me Time” Monday

It’s true that Monday isn’t the first day that comes to mind when I think of having some time for myself. I’m more likely to spend this particular day tackling mountains of laundry, piles of dishes and otherwise catching up from an overly-busy weekend. So each week, I’ll be making a point to try out a new idea for “me time” and reporting back every Monday, when we all need the inspiration the most.

Teaching Tool Tuesday

Don’t tell, but my wish lists at Lakeshore Learning and Amazon are much longer than the one I have at Endless.com. Honestly, I’m a sucker for books and educational games, software and toys. But this past year I’ve honed my ability to discern the best teaching tools for use at home . . . and I’ll be sharing our top picks with you every Tuesday.

Wild Idea Wednesday

Need some new ideas for keeping learning fun? I’ll be sharing our favorites each week on Wednesday. To be honest, the thought of committing myself to having one great idea every week is stress-inducing, so I’m going to put it out there in advance that I will probably borrow heavily from all my wise mama friends.

Thankful Thursday

Ever get struck in the middle of a crazy, hectic day by overwhelming wave of gratitude for being able to share a special moment with your kids? Well, that’s what Thankful Thursday is all about. Each week, I’ll aim to share a special moment that I would have missed had my kids been away at school . . . and I’m counting on all of you to share yours, too. It will give us something to reflect on during those other six crazy, hectic days!

Field Trip Friday

My kids love being on the go as much as I do, and if we all had our way, every day would be a field trip! We’ll be spending more time at home this year, but every Friday, I’ll be sharing a field trip that we’ve done or have planned, along with how we tied it in to our studies at home.

Shoe Sale Saturday

I know that I keep saying “it’s not all about the shoes”, but sometimes it is . . . just a little. And Saturday seemed like a good day to reward myself for a hard week’s work by browsing the best shoe deals online . . . who knows, maybe you’ll reward yourself too!

Time Saving Sunday

We love our weekend family time, but Sunday often becomes my day to prepare for the upcoming week. This will be the day I’ll call upon some fabulous mama friends to share their expertise on how to keep our homes running smoothly and our families well fed while still leaving plenty of time for school.

Homeschooling Seminar Series at SPARK Enrichment Center

It's already on my "to do" list to blog about the new homeschool schedules at two fabulous enrichment centers in town - SPARK and Misty Forest. While I promise to get to that soon, I wanted to go ahead and post about a series of homeschooling seminars being offered at SPARK by homeschool consultant Jan Zeiger.

Jan is a homeschooling mom with teaching experience in both public and private schools. If you're considering homeschooling, just getting started or are looking for new ideas, Jan can guide you in finding a fun, balanced, child-oriented approach to homeschooling.

Hands on Homeschooling: The Elementary Years
Saturday, August 21st at 11AM

Hands on Homeschooling: Language Arts

Saturday, September 18th at 11AM

Hands on Homeschooling: Math / Critical Thinking

Saturday, October 16th at 11AM

Hands on Homeschooling: Science / Social Studies

Saturday, November 20th at 11AM

Each seminar in the series will last 60 minutes and will be followed by a Q&A session. The cost is $20 per family. Register by phone by calling SPARK at 407-679-7775.

Group Buy on Dave Ramsey Financial Curriculum

I'm still knee-deep in all things cars, but I definitely wanted to take time out to blog about the current group buy that the Homeschool Buyer's Co-op is offering on financial curriculum from Dave Ramsey. We'll be using this as the core for our year-long study on money.

When you purchase through the Homeschool Buyer's Co-op, you received great savings of up to 67% on products that help all ages learn about personal finance. The discount applies to their adult books and the elementary / high school curriculum. This group buy ends on August 16th.

We will be purchasing the elementary bundle, which includes Financial Peace, Jr. and Junior's Adventures Boxed Book Set. Here is the description from their website:

Financial Peace Jr. PLUS Junior's Adventures Boxed Set
 
Make a real difference in a child's life! For ages 3-12, this special includes age-appropriate tools for teaching kids about money. It's never too early to teach them how to make wise decisions with their money, whether it's $1 or $100. Designed for ages 3-12. Bundle includes:

• Financial Peace Jr. - Dry-erase board to track commission earnings, Dry-erase board to track savings amounts, Envelope system (3 separate envelopes), Clip-n-carry coin case, Give, Spend, and Save magnets, Cool calculator, Instruction manual, Instructional audio CD

• Junior's Adventures Boxed Set - 6 hardcover kids' books in a keepsake boxed set, each book centers around a particular life lesson - working, spending, giving, saving, integrity, and debt.

The regular price for this bundle is $79.94, but the price through the co-op is $44.95. Orders over $65 ship for free.

If you're not familiar with the Homeschool Buyer's Co-op, it's a wonderful resource for finding discounts on popular curriculum. In addition, when you buy certain items, refer new members or write field trip reviews, you can earn points to use on future purchases. For example, I'm planning to use points I earned buying our Critical Thinking Company curriculum from them (same price with free shipping) to pay for part of our IXL membership renewal.

Membership is free, so if you're interested in joining, please consider doing so through my referral link. When you join through this link, I'll get 100 SmartPoints, and you'll get 100 SmartPoints just for joining!