Enrichment | Heart of the Matter

Ham and Bean Soup

So, you bought the big ham and have eaten enough to hold you until next year, but still have a refrigerator full of leftovers? I have the perfect soup for you. It is super easy, super delicious, and freezes well in case you...

How to Use Acrostics for Homeschool Lessons

Need a quick and easy idea for wrapping up a unit of study or for narrating a lesson? Try an acrostic. This word-rich activity touches on vocabulary, spelling, and grammar and results in an attractive finished product. Steps for...

I am Not a Super Mom

I love to read blogs but I have to be choosy about which blogs to read and when. Depending on my current situation I might find a blog uplifting or convicting or I might be discouraged – thinking that all of the other...

Timeline in a Box

When we were still fairly new to homeschooling, a friend suggested we begin a perpetual timeline that would grow right along with my son, now sons. It was one of those advice nuggets I’m so glad we heeded. This timeline has...

Living Out Loud

Homeschooling our children, gives us the advantage of being their primary influence. Because they are with us most of the day, every day, we are a living, breathing example. They will see that I’m not only their mother; I am a...

Shine the Light

A few years ago after several people had mentioned this book to me, I finally picked up The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson at our local library and read it to my children during the month of December. We...

My Homeschool Story

I was homeschooled as a child. My mother taught me to read, count, and add. She got a copy of the school district’s kindergarten goals and dutifully worked through the list with me, insisting on finger painting even when...

Snowman Art Project

Art was always my favorite subject, I love to “create” things (as if you didn’t know that already). Allowing your children time to be creative is an invaluable part of their learning. It’s been proven that early exposure...

December is for Jesus

I vow every December to find more ways to celebrate the real reason for the season—Jesus! After Thanksgiving, I get out my box of advent accessories and stacks of Christ-centered Christmas books. I set out the many nativity...

No Room in the Stable?

My five-year-old son, Ryan, insisted on helping me decorate the house for Christmas. He carted assorted red and green plastic boxes into the den. I cleared a shelf down low and told Ryan he could be in charge of the kids’...