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Today, I want to share three things to teach your kids this spring in your homeschool. Now, if you’re anything like me, you’re starting to feel the spring slump. The homeschool blahs are no joke – and they often have you questioning if you’ve made the right decision to homeschool in the first place, especially if you are a new homeschool mama. But rest assured, my friend, every mama feels this way this time of year. We’re coming out of a cold, damp, dark season – and while I personally LOVE fall and winter – in spring, everything’s waking up! The birds are back, the sun is back, that warm-is breeze is back. The kids are aching to get outside and splash in mud puddles. We’re all just anxiously awaiting summer break – however, there’s still work to be done in our homeschool! Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing spring-specific blog posts with you to help get you through this slump. I’ll be sharing spring projects, nature study ideas, read-aloud, bucket lists, freebies, and more! Oh! And my favorite blog post will be live this week too – What to do INSTEAD of taking a homeschool spring break. Yep. You guessed it! Regardless of how “blah” we feel.. We do not take a spring break – and I’m going to show you what we do instead! Let’s dive into these three things to teach in your homeschool this spring, shall we! | Related: The ultimate spring sensory bin round up Plant Life-Cycle Studies We did a container garden last year right on our back deck! All you need are some containers (we used 5-gallon buckets – and got them super cheap and free from local sandwich shops!), seeds, and a little patience! We used this plant life-cycle observation study and turned our tiny home garden into unique learning opportunities all throughout the season! It was so much fun! Nature Studies We had SO much fun last year doing nature studies! There are a lot of studies available on Etsy and some for free on Pinterest – but mostly, we just took our nature journal and went on a hike. It made it feel less like school and a little more exciting! I’m sharing a copy of the nature journal I created and used with our kids – All you have to do is tell me where to send it! Just enter your info below and it will be on its way 😃       SEND IT TO ME > Outdoor STEAM STEAM, in case you didn’t know, stands for Science Technology Engineering Art and Mathematics. There are a TON of ideas for this on Pinterest. But the idea would be to take advantage of natural Vitamin D and do these projects outside! Let the kids get as messy as they want and then hose the workstation down after you’re finished! Simple learning that’s FUN. Here are a few of our favorite outdoor STEAM ideas: Nature art – Collect bits of nature and turn them into something extraordinary! Things like sticks, pebbles, leaves, and flowers make great artwork! Dissect flowers Sidewalk chalk Study the water cycle and make your own rain gauge Create an observation journal for bird watching + write reports on any nests you happen to see Do you enjoy spring learning as much as we do? I imagine you will love it a lot more after diving into one or all of these spring-time learning favorites! I’d love to hear more about your spring plans in the comments below! And if you loved this post and found it helpful for you, I’d love for you to share it with a friend! PIN THESE! Thanks for reading and I hope you found some great things to teach in your homeschool this spring! ♥️

Mothers in the bible verses is a four-part study written by Nicole Boyd. Nicole is the owner of Wonderfully Fashioned, a handmade jewelry brand featuring tattered lace and wire-wrapped gems. She wants to be a voice for women all over the world, stating that her pieces are simply physical reminders of the treasure God created you to be. Nicole gives a portion of each sale to Exodus Cry, an organization working hard to fight human trafficking all over the world. Take a few minutes to get to know her over on Instagram and let her know how much you loved this study! Hannah, Samuel’s Mother Let Desperation Lead You to God1 Samuel 1:1-8 “Hannah” name meaning: “favor” or “grace” I have always been fascinated by First and Second Samuel. A couple of years ago I started really digging into the story of Hannah, and the birth of Samuel, and found some pretty amazing things. There were a few things that jumped out to me as I studied these first few verses of chapter one. First of all, this story seems to have some similarities to Leah and Rachel. There were two wives who were the favorites of their husband, Rachel and Hannah, but neither of them could have children. Then there were the other wives, Leah and Peninnah, both of them were either unloved but each of them were able to have children. It makes me wonder if Hannah was Elkanah’s first wife, but after years of not being able to conceive, did her husband take a second wife so he could have children?  If that was the case, it must have been a huge blow. And on top of it, Peninnah made her life a living hell. She constantly mocked the fact that Hannah was not able to have children. Peninnah’s mocking pushed Hannah into desperation. But instead of lashing out at her adversary, she hit her knees and ran to God in prayer.  In verse six it says that the Lord had closed her womb. I thought that was interesting. Why would God do that? Couldn’t He see that Hannah was miserable? Sometimes we don’t understand why God allows things to happen that seem cruel or unjust. But as we will see later, God had a plan to move Hannah to the place he needed her to be in order to accomplish His purpose.  Is there a situation or circumstance that you are walking through that seems unfair? What if God is positioning you to receive a blessing? How does that perspective change how you react to the situation you are in? Your Response is EVERYTHING1 Samuel 1:9-18 I love how Hannah responded to Eli. If it were me, I probably would have stalked off madder than a hornet. “How dare he accuse me of being drunk when I am praying in desperation to God!” But instead of getting offended, Hannah responded in humility. I have to think that, because of her righteous response, God’s heart was moved.  Then Eli blessed her and sent her on her way and she was no longer sad. She chose to trust God’s word and wait for her promise with hope.  Is there something you’ve been asking God for that you have been discouraged about? Maybe it’s something to do with your children and family or a dream that God has placed in your heart. Take a few minutes to pray and ask God what He says about it.  Are you enjoying Mothers in the Bible Verses by Nicole? Click here to follow her on Instagram and let her know! Dedicating Our Children to the Lord1 Samuel 1:19-28 “Samuel” name meaning: “God heard”  In the commentaries I have read, it said that women nursed for about three years. I can’t imagine taking my son, who is three right now, and giving him to a church to be raised there. But Hannah was true to her vow and gave Samuel to Eli so he could serve the Lord in the temple. That’s pretty amazing to me!  I believe that we are called to give our children to the Lord. Perhaps you dedicated your children after they were born in a ceremony at church. It’s a common practice among Christians and is a beautiful way to say, “Thank you, God, for my baby. I’m committing to raise them up in the way they should go and pray that they will serve you all the days of their lives.”  Did you dedicate your kids when they were young? What are some things that you prayed over your kids that day?  My Weapon is a MelodySamuel 2: 1-11 In places, it seems that Hannah is almost talking to Peninnah, telling her not to be so proud and boastful. Even though it took a long time, Hannah eventually had five children! The Lord heard her cry, and brought Peninnah’s words to naught.  The enemy tries to do the same thing to us: he uses lies to discourage us, to steal our identity, and keep us from doing what God has called us to do. How do we respond? We praise! Did you know that the musicians used to go in front of the army when Israel marched into battle? They were preparing the way for victory. In the same way, our praise is a powerful weapon!  | Related: Read more blogs from Nicole! I love the popular worship song, “Raise a Hallelujah” by Jonathan David Hesler. I encourage you to listen to the song today, I know it will bless you! What can you praise God for today? Here I am…Samuel 3 I love this picture of how God revealed Himself to Samuel for the first time. Teaching our children to hear God’s voice is so paramount to help them develop their own relationship with God.  I grew up in a Christian home and gave my heart to God when I was four years old. I was baptized in water when I was eight and also started speaking in… [read more]

Mothers in the bible verses is a four-part study written by Nicole Boyd. Nicole is the owner of Wonderfully Fashioned, a handmade jewelry brand featuring tattered lace and wire-wrapped gems. She wants to be a voice for women all over the world, stating that her pieces are simply physical reminders of the treasure God created you to be. Nicole gives a portion of each sale to Exodus Cry, an organization working hard to fight human trafficking all over the world. Take a few minutes to get to know her over on Instagram and let her know how much you loved this study! Jochebed, Moses’ Mother When the World Turns Against YouExodus 1:1-10 Have you ever had to deal with an overwhelming situation? Silly question, right? As a mom, it can sometimes feel like you are all alone in your struggles. I find myself often wondering how I’m supposed to get everything done and still carry myself with grace.  I can only imagine what it must have been like to be a Hebrew mother in Egypt during this time period. For a while, everything was good when Jacob and his family sought refuge in Egypt. After all, their homeland was in the middle of the worst drought the world had seen– maybe in its entire history. Can you imagine going through seven years of drought?  2020 certainly felt like a type of drought. If not physically, then spiritually, emotionally, and mentally. Something my pastor shared this last Sunday really caught my attention. He was speaking about where we place our anchors in life, and of course, they must always be placed in Jesus. During his message, he said something so simple, yet it reverberated through my heart with such a resounding echo. “In this season, we must dig deep into God’s word. His presence is the only thing that will sustain us.”  I’ve anchored myself in things other than God these last few months, I’m sorry to say. Distraction has a way of sneaking up on you sometimes. But this year, I am purposing to dig deep into God’s word and rest in His presence. It truly is the only thing that will sustain us in this dark and dying world. And not only ourselves, but our families and the people around us! Have you anchored your heart in something other than God? What is God speaking to you about possibly shifting some priorities?  Oppression Leads to MultiplicationExodus 1:11-22 The first thing that jumped out to me in these passages is verse 12: The more they oppressed the people of God, the more they multiplied! [my paraphrase] This verse reminds me of stories of the oppressed Church from all over the world. Not everyone has the religious freedom we do here in America. You would think that oppression would lead to the Gospel message dying out, but it actually has the reverse effect. The Chinese church is thriving, even though they are underground. The more we face oppression because of our beliefs, the more it spreads like wildfire!  We may not always have the freedom to worship God in the open as we do now. I’m not a doomsday kind of gal, but I have seen how quickly our liberties can be taken in the last year. Perhaps we will also have to face persecution and oppression in the not-so-near future.  Will we be a people who follow Him no matter what kind of persecution we face? Joshua 24:15 says: “But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”  My family and I have made the decision that “come hell or high water”, we will serve the Lord. Have you? Take a moment to journal your thoughts about this today. Are you enjoying Mothers in the Bible Verses by Nicole? Click here to follow her on Instagram and let her know! Entrust Your Children to GodExodus 2:1-10 Now, bare with me today, ‘cause today’s thoughts a little longer. I have always been fascinated by name meanings and thought I’d share what Jochebed’s name means.  Jochebed means: “God’s glory”Moses means: “To pull out / draw out [of water]” I can’t even imagine what Jochebed must have been feeling when she heard about the Pharaoh’s edict. She already had two children, Aaron and Miriam. Now her youngest baby was in danger of being thrown into the Nile. So she made a basket and sent him down the Nile, telling Miriam to watch over her brother. Can you imagine her surprise when Miriam came back and told her that Pharaoh’s sister wanted her to nurse her own son? And she would pay her to do it!  I’m sure Jochebed grieved over the fact that she was not able to raise her son. Jochebed had to entrust her son to a stranger to save his life. But it turned out that God had a plan. God needed Moses to be raised in a palace, so he would have the mindset and skills needed to lead over a million people out of slavery.  As moms, we can’t always spare our children from the harsh realities of this world. It can be difficult to entrust them to anyone’s care but our own. But God is a good Father, and sometimes we have to let go of them, to trust that God knows what He is doing. It’s our responsibility to train them up in the way that they should go. Proverbs 22:6 says: “Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.” Moses grew up in a culture and religion very different from his family. Jochebed had to trust that in God’s timing, Moses would come back to his heritage and his people.  We… [read more]

I am so excited about this Christmas Challenge! I simply can’t believe how quickly December 2020 has gotten here. What has seemed like the longest hours of our whole year have really flown right by. We’re grateful for good health, toilet paper, and of course the opportunity to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year yet again! December is the month a lot of mamas drag through. I think there’s just so much going on, in general, this time of year, that homeschooling is the icing on top that mentally drains you. So that’s why we started taking FIVE weeks off for winter break. Yup. Five. My mind and even our kids’ minds just need that refresher, ya know? But here’s the kicker… We aren’t just dropping everything and becoming couch potatoes for a month. We’re just shifting HOW we “do school” so that the kids think we’re on a break and I’m not as stressed out trying to check all the boxes!​ This year, we’re repeating the Gather Round Christmas unit study (because it was SO good last year) and adding in A Connected Christmas from Lyndsey at Treehouse Schoolhouse, and it’s absolutely stunning! We’re also completing the Christmas Challenge I’ve created for the December Bundle! When I told the kids we were memorizing 20 verses in the Bible about Jesus’ birth, they looked at me crazy! It sounds like a lot, but the way I’ve laid it out will make it super easy for your family to do the same! SO – My gift to you, and perhaps one of many more throughout this month — wink, wink! — I’d like for you and your family to have a copy of the Christmas Challenge for FREE! You can find it in the Resource Library! Now, of course, if you’d like to download the challenge PLUS 80+ pages of homeschool goodies, the bundle is just $10 this month! You can grab it here. But the Christmas Challenge is something I think we will all enjoy going through together – so I wanted you to have it, regardless of if you purchased the bundle or not!  Follow me on Instagram and tag me as you finish each day! Make the last 31 days count, mama.So grateful for you!