If you are feeling overwhelmed with the thought of homeschooling high school or if you are starting to doubt your ability to teach it, you are not alone.

Certainly, teachers deserve our kudos and respect but sometimes - for whatever reason - "normal" school situations just aren't right for our families.

The HomeScholar Gold Care Club was created specifically for all of us who want to keep going in spite of wondering if we're good enough, smart enough, brave enough to go for the brass ring of homeschooling: homeschool high school graduation.

Have fun and stay safe,

 

 

 

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Have you ever wanted to learn Spanish but thought it would be too hard or too boring?

Well now you have a chance to learn how to speak, read, write and understand Spanish, Webmom-style!

You know that wherever we are, there's bound to be something fun and educational. =)

Webmom grew up speaking Spanish. She worked hard to lose her "white girl" accent and make her Abuelita proud.

Keep checking the calendar on your right or sign up for our rss feed to find out when the eCampus launches.

Have fun and stay safe,

 

 

 

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Now this is what we think real role models should be like!

Watch the Edutopia video below to check out what these Brooklyn kids are doing to help other students at their school.

Have fun and stay safe,

 

 

 

 

 

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How often do we procrastinate by thinking "I can't do this right now, it's not quite right". Something is missing.

Whether we know what that something is or not, we feel that without that something, it won't be a perfect or complete work.

Nothing is perfect though. If we wait for something to be "just right", we might be waiting for a long, long time and never reach our goal.

Make A Plan, Map Your Goals

Wanting to do our best is a great thing and sometimes we do have to wait for something. When it is part of a plan, with recognizable steps, we've taken control of that elusive something. We're getting a degree, publishing an article, starting a business. Whatever it is we want to do.

Without a plan - written or not - we're bogging ourselves down in wannabe-perfection. Spinning our wheels with goals, dreams and no plan of action.

In every case, a well thought-out action is better than none.

When you find yourself saying "I can't do this right now, it's not quite right", make a plan. Map your goals and take at least one baby step forward every day.

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Technorati says we have to include a weird code in a new post to claim this as "ours". So, here you go Technorati: 6G5WKW3B6SV2.

Have fun and stay safe,

 

 

 

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With live classes, homework AND working from home, sometimes we don't have enough time to cook something healthy.

Other times, we're tired or have chores to do and feel stressed out.

Our solution is to prepare pack and prepare lunches and snacks!

Freezer safe, quart-sized Ziplock bags hold both individual and meal-sized entrees for our household (3 people). A couple of them are stored in our "sandwich stuff" drawer in the refrigerator. The rest go into the freezer for use as frozen lunches or dinners later on during the week (or month).

From now on, you'll be able to find some of our favorite, totally simple, healthy and definitely delicious menu ideas under "Kids In The Kitchen".

Make sure to check back often or sign up for our Newsletter to get the week-in-review every Sunday morning. =)

Have fun and stay safe,

 

 

 

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You've got to check out our new Toy Store! It's loaded with awesome toys, games and family-friendly stuff.

Oh yeah, we've also made a few design tweaks (in case you hadn't noticed). ;)

Anyway, our Toy Store is great. We've been making our shopping list there doing our product review research there.

Check it out : The CJsKidsClub.com Toy Store.

Have fun and stay safe,

 

 

 

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"Consider the postage stamp, my son. It secures success through its ability to stick to one thing till it gets there." ~ Josh Billings


We quickly learn that we must multitask in order to keep or advance our place in the corporate world. Yet, that same mentality can wreak havoc in both our personal and professional lives.

Take a breath and focus on one thing at a time. Turn your phone's ringer off. Give your children, co-workers, supervisors or spouses 100% of your attention when you are with them. You'll be surprised at the improvement in quality and reduction in edits and misunderstandings.

You may even find that, by focusing your attention, you'll actually increase your time and money.

If you are worried about your productivity, I highly recommend the Pomodoro Technique. I use it and love it!

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"The difference between perseverance and obstinacy is that one often comes from a strong will, and the other from a strong won't." ~ Henry Ward Beecher

Sometimes it takes both to succeed in life: the will to go on and the will to not go in certain directions.

When those are in harmony with each other and with your beliefs, morals and values, you will experience a sense of peace and blessing. It may feel like you are on the right track or going in the direction you are meant to go.

On the other hand, when these strong feelings disagree with one another, you will go around in circles and never get anywhere.

Like a dog chasing its own tail, you'll never be able to move forward. There will be a sense of discontent and perhaps other negative emotions like anger, frustration and helplessness.

So how do we get these to come into balance? What can we do to come back to our center and regain that sense of control and well-being?

The answer itself is simple. It is the implementation that can cause us difficulty. That's when the services of a Business Consultant or Coach (like me!) can come in handy.

Whether you choose to work with me, someone else or simply tap on a friend's shoulder, stating your goals out-loud and adding an accountability buddy will make a huge difference.

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"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." ~ John F. Kennedy

How many times has someone begrudgingly told you "thank you"?

You could feel that they didn't really want to thank you and probably didn't appreciate what you did either. It doesn't feel good.

Yet, we sometimes do that to others as well. To be polite, to follow our societal rules and "do the right thing". Then there are times when our hearts are full of sincere gratitude and we want to return the favor in some way.

Those are the times we should strive for: showing our thankfulness through our actions and not just pithy words meant to follow the rules of a polite society. That is when our interactions with each other become real.

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As parents, we know we should never get lax about our children's internet safety. Yet, keeping up with changes in technology, netiquette and the ever-evolving scams can sometimes be overwhelming.

The video below is from The Federal Trade Commission. Make sure to visit their site for more great tips and suggested reading resources.



When it comes to the safety of our kids, it pays to learn all that we can!

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You don't need a big place for a big adventure. All you'll need is a tent and your family to join you.

Pitch the tent in your backyard, bring some flashlights, s'more supplies and you are set!

Thanks to the Nature Rocks website (sponsored by the Children in Nature Collaborative of Austin) for this great idea!

Have fun, stay safe and God bless,

 

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Today is National Buttercrunch Day. A day to eat anything buttercrunch-y! =)

We're making No-Bake, Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch Patties to celebrate!

Have fun and stay safe,

 

 

 

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The Discovery Education Network's Science Convention (DEN SCIcon) is an online conference (with a twist) focused on providing participants with some of the most effective strategies for transforming their science classes through the meaningful and effective integration of digital media content.

This year’s SCIcon will have a special presentation from Reed Timmer! He is an Extreme Meteorologist and TVN team leader for Discovery Channel’s hit series Stormchasers.

Join thousands of educators from around the world for an amazing day of professional development sessions, networking and sharing.

To learn more and register for the online or in person sessions, please visit:

Discovery Education Network SCIcon 2011 Page

Special thanks to Learn Central for the heads up! =)

 

 

 

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Today is National Popcorn Day! Really, it is. =)

To learn more about this holiday and get some fun activity ideas, please visit:

Popcorn.org's National Popcorn Day page.

We're adding an extra movie night this week just to make sure we celebrate in true popcorn style!

 

 

 

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see more dog and puppy pictures

 

 

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Do you like math? Do you think multiplication is fun?

It's okay to admit you don't. Why? Well, for one, who are we going to tell? For another, if you are struggling with a subject, it's always better to get help and find some cool tools to make it fun!

Today we've got a fantastic, free resource to help you make the most of math-time studying:

Math Is Fun :: Multiplication Tables

Try it out for yourself and let us know what you think! =)

CJ has a printed times table chart but prefers this version better. We think it's easy to figure out why. ;)

Have fun and stay safe,

 

 

 

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This week's Freebie is one of our very own creations! =)

Our "Working It Out" Math printable makes it easy to show your work! Line up your numbers, write in the appropriate function and work it out.

There are currently two versions available:

• I'm Working It Out (3 Column)


• I'm Working It Out (5 Column)

We hope it will help you (or your favorite kid) like it's helped CJ! =)

Have fun and stay safe,

 

 

 

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AARP helps 55+ individuals with jobs and training. Companies get employees for 18 hours/week, 5 hours/day for a month (20 days) for essentially free. If you are looking for extra help, this might work for you.

Unless you live and work in South Texas and want your help to speak English.

Yes, you read that right. Less than an hour ago, the local AARP Employment Specialist I was speaking to told me I shouldn't ask for GED and English speaking/reading/writing because they might not be able to meet that. Then she went on to detail how local companies don't require that because "it's just labor".

This person told me they would try to accommodate me but it would be hard.

What was I asking for? An office clerk. Someone to help me with filing, answering phones, keeping track of my calendar and making appointments for me.

Isn't this still the English speaking United States? Isn't there something called being bilingual? Hell, I grew up here and totally understand the need for speaking Spanish but I am an American, running an American company in America and being told I cannot ask for my employees to speak English!!

No wonder this area has gone to hell in a handbasket. I have nothing against someone who comes to the United States for a better life or those of us who are born along the US/Mexico border (like me). For crying out loud though, you don't go to Germany and tell them they can't speak German! You also don't tell them they can't expect you to at least have a G.E.D.

This is freaking ridiculous. I'm so ashamed and disappointed to be a native South Texan right now. We demand that employers not require English skills or a basic education while complaining about the lack of resources/possibilities for our children.

Wishing you much peace, happiness and success,

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AARP helps 55+ individuals with jobs and training. Companies get employees for 18 hours/week, 5 hours/day for a month (20 days) for essentially free. If you are looking for extra help, this might work for you.

Unless you live and work in South Texas and want your help to speak English.

Yes, you read that right. Less than an hour ago, the local AARP Employment Specialist I was speaking to told me I shouldn't ask for GED and English speaking/reading/writing because they might not be able to meet that. Then she went on to detail how local companies don't require that because "it's just labor".

This person told me they would try to accommodate me but it would be hard.

What was I asking for? An office clerk. Someone to help me with filing, answering phones, keeping track of my calendar and making appointments for me.

Isn't this still the English speaking United States? Isn't there something called being bilingual? Hell, I grew up here and totally understand the need for speaking Spanish but I am an American, running an American company in America and being told I cannot ask for my employees to speak English!!

No wonder this area has gone to hell in a handbasket. I have nothing against someone who comes to the United States for a better life or those of us who are born along the US/Mexico border (like me). For crying out loud though, you don't go to Germany and tell them they can't speak German! You also don't tell them they can't expect you to at least have a G.E.D.

This is freaking ridiculous. I'm so ashamed and disappointed to be a native South Texan right now. We demand that employers not require English skills or a basic education while complaining about the lack of resources/possibilities for our children.

Wishing you much peace, happiness and success,

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Peak Survival is one of our all-time favorite YouTubers. She's fit, she's outdoorsy and she's introduced us to some interesting gear for women.

Today, we're sharing her suggestions for packing day and multi-day packs for desert hiking or camping.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuqFO0Nqt8o&w=520&h=445]

The items shown are for illustration purposes only, so make sure to do some research on the products you'll be packing.

Have fun, stay safe and God bless,

 

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