• Last updated 10/23/12 by emilyfrischmann

Do you believe in the importance of rituals? I do. I’m not talking about religious services necessarily but the repetitive actions that bind us to our history and humanity; the kind that help us stay grounded and present in our gadget-rich, consumer-driven, busy busy busy lives. Between shuttling kids around, being a loving partner, working, scaling the laundry mountain and trying to stay on top of life, it can be difficult to find a moment’s peace or a timeless place. Although I am a feminist, I may make some who ascribe to this label upset when I say that... read more

• Last updated 10/8/12 by SavvyHomeschool

In this episode we chat about surviving the heat, E-books vs printed books, and homeschool field trip ideas! Some links from this episode: Perseid Meteor Shower Field Trip Factory Free Entrance Days for National Parks Six Flags Discovery Kingdom (Vallejo, CA) Homeschool Day 2012   To see the full show notes, including a LOT MORE links to all the resources mentioned, please visit our website: The Savvy Homeschool Moms, episode 13. To subscribe to or download our show, check us out on iTunes, or our website. You can also now find us on Pinterest and on Instagram we... read more

• Last updated 8/14/12 by Keya Chatterjee

At least in my mind, when I was a kid, ‘back to school’ was a little different from what it seems to be like today.  I’d dig my back pack out of the closet, admire the one new outfit I got for the first day of school, and imagine all the fun conversations I’d have at the bus stop in the coming months. Back to school time has changed a bit since I was a kid, and some of that change seems to be bad for the planet.  The pressure is high for parents to buy far more than one outfit.  The list of supplies seems to be longer than it used to be.  The yellow school bus has gotten... read more

• Last updated 8/23/12 by Melanie Mayo

Oak Meadow was so thrilled with all of the wonderful responses to their giveaway that they have decided to have us randomly choose an additional 10 entrants to win a classic book of their choice!! The winners are listed below. You will all be emailed so that you can pick a book and have it shipped to you by Oak Meadow.   Brooke Wow – so many good choices! I have to go with Little House in the Big Woods (and the rest of the series) as a favorite from my childhood. I loved reading all the stories about how people lived back then and the wonderful and creative ways they... read more

• Last updated 8/12/12 by Laura Grace Weldon

We’re laughing even thought it’s not quite the beat at our house. About Laura Grace WeldonLaura Grace Weldon is a writer, editor, conflict resolution educator, and marginally useful farm wench. She is the author of Free Range Learning: How Homeschooling Changes Everything. She lives with her family on Bit of Earth Farm. Check out life on the farm at http://bitofearthfarm.wordpress.com/ and keep up with Laura's relentless optimism at http://lauragraceweldon.com/blog-2/ Posted by: Laura Grace Weldon read more

• Last updated 10/8/12 by SavvyHomeschool

In this episode, we talk about World Breastfeeding Week, the Mars rover landing, preschool audiobooks, and how to stay sane while homeschooling! Some links from this episode: Pieter Brueghel Painting, “Children’s Games”, Virtual exhibit Mars Rover Curiosity video (streamed live, now recorded) Georges Méliès Robert Munsch To see the full show notes, including a LOT MORE links to all the resources mentioned, please visit our website: The Savvy Homeschool Moms, episode 12. To subscribe to or download our show, check us out on iTunes, or our website. You can also now... read more

• Last updated 8/6/12 by Marcy Axness

Four Ideas for Simplifying Life While Enriching Education Aside from some fall clothes, fresh notebooks and maybe a new backpack, how might you prepare yourself and your children for a back-to-school season that doesn’t slam you like a late-season ocean wave — smack!! — and instead lays a foundation for sustainable nurturance, sanity and joy in the family for the coming year? Picking up from the first two ideas in Part 1, let’s look at two more ways to deploy simplicity to enrich your child’s school experience. These ideas harness two of simplicity’s major values:... read more

• Last updated 10/25/12 by AdinaL

This week I had the pleasure of interviewing Claire Dederer, bestselling author of POSER: MY LIFE IN TWENTY-THREE YOGA POSES. What advice, yogic or otherwise, do you have for new moms and dads, especially in those first few wonderful but very trying years. Oh, dear, I get asked this often. And I feel like the least qualified person on earth to be dispensing advice on this particular subject. I can only say I wish I’d devoted myself more wholly to the motto “Whatever works.” There’s a a huge diversity of solutions and ways of parenting that are... read more

• Last updated 8/1/12 by Kelley Powell

Here’s a bedtime story to read with your children whether you’re camping in the woods, in your backyard or attempting to outwit clever city raccoons. Have a great long weekend! RACCOONS! A Tall Tale for the Tent © Diomedes66 | Stock Free Images Xavier woke up one morning and jumped up and down with excitement. “Today we’re going camping, and we always get yummy treats when we go camping!” Xavier watched as his Mom packed the cooler with delicious things to eat: marshmallows, veggie dogs, popcorn and pudding. She put everything in the car and off they went to the... read more

• Last updated 8/1/12 by Mothering Editorial

By Lisen StrombergIssue 93, March/April, 1999 My son is a cross-dresser. Most mornings he gets up, puts on a hand-me-down dress, wraps an old pillowcase around his head with a ribbon (to create his "long blond hair"), and prances around singing, "The hills are alive with the sound of music." My son is three and a half years old. At the toy store, he does not want a Batman doll. "I want Batgirl," he cries. When he begs to play with his friend Margo, it is because she has such an extensive collection of Barbie dolls and outfits in which he can dress them. He loves... read more