The Reference Section | Heart of the Matter

Planner Perfect: A Fresh Idea on Organizing Your Life

Congratulations to Courtney, Ariana, Pamela Jorrick, Hillary M, and Bethany LeBedz!! *Please note: We hosted a Planner Perfect giveaway a couple of weeks ago but the comments on the post were lost. If you entered that...

Is it the Winter Blahs or Something More?

It’s cold. It’s dark. Getting out from under the warm blankets is more difficult. You have no motivation. It’s the winter blahs. Or is it? Maybe it’s something more. Maybe you’re really fighting...

Learning Through Life

Growing up I did not like school and especially science, my favorite subjects were history and English. Homeschooling my children has broadened my interest in various subjects, one being science. I have realized that one of the...

Pick and Draw

Part art lesson and part card game, Pick and Draw can teach basic cartooning techniques to kids of all ages using a quick step-by-step approach that is fun and very easy to understand. Getting started with Pick and Draw is very...

Homeschooling with Toddlers

The key to successful homeschooling with toddlers is preparedness. Knowing this now, as I do, all the year round I keep an eye out at garage sales, thrift stores, and craft blogs for activities, inexpensive ones, that will keep...

Lessons from Martial Arts

My boys were destined to study martial arts. Their father is a black belt in one karate style, went so far as brown belt in Aikido, and is currently a brown belt in a second karate style. Watching their father practice and test...

The Literal World – Be Careful What You Say

While enjoying a nice lunch at the Japanese restaurant we were recalling that it once used to be a Blockbuster video store. It had been remodeled so well that it was hard to remember the building in its original state. An old...

Teachable Moments in Spanish

When children begin learning a second language at birth, they have the capacity to learn them without getting confused — because, as the brain develops, so does the ability to separate one language from another. Why learning a...

Making High School Fun

Homeschooling high school is full of focused, directed study; however, I do try to provide experiences for our kids that are really, truly fun. Each family is different and your idea of fun is going to be totally different than...

Gift Jars for Christmas

Glass jars can easily be turned into an inexpensive Christmas gift. I like to use the 8 oz pickle jars, as long as you wash it well, the smell will go away. I usually just rinse it and turn it over in the drain board to dry and...