Life Unboxed Blog

Highschool credits are important regardless of the path your teenager takes. If your homeschooling highschool, then you need to know about highschool credits. 

Understanding homeschool highschool credits is going to help you create a strong homeschool high school transcript, and preparing your teen for life beyond homeschool. If you've ever wondered how many credits your teen needs and how to assign them, you're in the right place.  

Yes, the idea of planning for high school can feel overwhelming at first, but let me help you simplify the process, so you can co...

I know you have so many questions on how do you start homeschool. How do I know if I am doing enough? Will my kids be weird if I homeschool them? 

You have a lot of questions on how do you start homeschool. Some of them are totally valid. Others you just need to toss them in the bin, because they are, well, absurd. Don’t waste your time on those. 

I get it. Homeschool can feel like jumping in the deep end without your floaties on. Mom, I have your life...

Parenting is hard, but it is also the greatest thing we will ever do. This parent guide is going to walk you through the hardest stage of parenting. No, it isn’t the infant, toddler, or preschool stages. The hardest stage of parenting is launching your teen/young adult kids. 

Yes, I need a parent guide for it. Since it is hard to find, let us share our knowledge and walk each other through the hardest stage of parenting. The launching stage. 

Each stage of parenting comes with its challenges. And I’ve...

This is a question I see a lot from new homeschool families. Do I need homeschool curriculum accredited? 

The thought behind homeschool curriculum accredited is may be it add more legitimacy to your homeschool. Or you are planning for your kids to return to public school at some point, so accredited homeschool curriculum will make that easier.  

Before you dive down the rabbit hole of homeschool curriculum accredited, or you start second-guessing all your homeschool choices, let’s talk about what homeschool curriculum accredited really means. If you actually need...

Get all the links: https://lifeunboxed.blog/homeschool-preschool/ 

Do you really need to homeschool preschool? The short answer is no. Now you can stop reading and be on your merry way. 

But if you want to homeschool preschool, then do it. And keep reading as I share all my tips on homeschool preschool. 

Homeschool preschool has been a saga for us. I have bought the expensive curriculum for the first 5 kids, and then promptly kicked myself because I spent so much money on something that was frustrating for everyone. You...

Show notes and links: https://lifeunboxed.blog/homeschool-curriculum-for-kindergarten/ 

There was a time that I was terrified of teaching kindergarten. It didn’t matter how good the homeschool curriculum for kindergarten was, I just didn’t want to do it. 

It was much easier to send the kids to school for kindergarten and first grade. Then once they had the basics down, I would bring them home and homeschool them. Then I didn’t need to worry about finding the best homeschool curriculum for kindergarten. 

Find your tribe. Join the online co...

You officially learned how to start a homeschool group as a non-profit organization. Or at least you have the tools and knowledge to know where to begin. Now it is time to put procedures in place, so the functioning of the homeschool group is smooth. Or at least as smooth as possible while you figure things out. 

Yes, you are going to have an idea of how you want your homeschool group to operate, and you will put those policies in place. But as you get into it, you will find t...

Are you looking for a way to connect with other homeschool families, but your community seems to be missing a piece. If you are ready to start a homeschool co op, then this if for you. Everything you need on how to start a homeschool co op.  

Anyone can start a homeschool group, you just need to know how to start a homeschool co op.  

Homeschool groups are a great way to connect with other homeschool families. We've been part of our homeschool co op for ten years now. Our kids hav...

A homeschool co-op is a lot of fun, but it also fills the outlet for homeschool socialization. There are different types of co-ops, but a true homeschool co op is parent led and involved. Usually, the parents are teaching all the classes.  

Now I know your first thought is, “What can I teach?” There are so many homeschool co-op ideas, but I know it is hard to know what you will enjoy teaching. You can see the previous 25 homeschool co-op class ideas. And here are 25 more easy co-op classes.

You can easily teach a homeschool co-op...

Show notes and links: https://lifeunboxed.blog/homeschool-co-op-2/ 

You don’t need a degree in education or a Pinterest-perfect craft room to write and create a homeschool co op class. 

I’ve taught a few homeschool co op classes, and I always prefer to write my own. Then I can teach what I want and create a class that is truly fun and enrichment. 

Even if it feels like you are barely keeping up with your own homeschool and let’s not mention the laundry. You can still create, write, an...

Do you think about joining a homeschooling co-op, but you aren't sure how you can contribute? Are you fresh out of ideas for a co-op class? There is good news! You can easily create a class that you will love to teach and will be fun for kids too.

And if you are hesitating because you don't feel like you have anything to give. Let me tell you mom, you do. Share your knowledge and gifts. You have something to contribute.

Show notes, links and sample schedule: https://lifeunboxed.blog/how-to-teach-a-homeschooling-co-op-class/

RESOURCES MENTIONED...

Resources mentioned in the show: https://lifeunboxed.blog/co-op-homeschool/ 

Homeschooling doesn't mean that you do everything alone. Co-op homeschool is a great way for families to get together and share what they are good at, things they like, and find support. 

Co-op homeschool is a great way to add enrichment classes to your homeschool, without adding one more thing to teach to your plate.  

Homeschool co-ops give parents a break from teaching every subject. They give mom and kids a great outlet to socialize,  and provide opportunities for classes that...

The to do list is like the life-blood of your day. You can’t move or plan without it. At least it is for me. I live by my to do list. You write it all out so you can see what needs to be done and check those boxes when it does get done. I love that part. The downside of writing it all out is it is visually overwhelming. You want to cry when you see everything that you need to do. But you can avoid to do list overwhelm. Take a deep breath, let it out sl...

Juggling everything and don’t feel like you have time for anything? Your work from home and homeschool mom superpower is planning in the cracks. What are the margins in your day? 

The little micro-cracks of time throughout your day are going to make it possible for you to accomplish big and little things. 

Show notes and links: https://lifeunboxed.blog/what-are-the-margins/ 

Shop the Homeschool Store

Find your tribe. Join the online community: Rebel Moms Club for Working Homeschool Mom:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/rebelmomsclub 

Grab your gu...

Time blocking doesn’t work for everyone. I know this is popular with all the productivity gurus, as a self-proclaimed guru here is your permission to toss it in the bin. 

Time blocking is always presented as the ultimate productivity solution, but what if it just doesn’t work for you. Then you feel like you failed, and you will never get this time management thing figured out. The only thing left to do it is to eat chocolate and drink coffee in your room while pondering what a failure you are. Right? Askin...

Moms working from home, we all want to get stuff done without losing our minds. Most days that happens, but it does take some planning. 

If you want a day without the chaos, yes, it is possible, then you need to have a plan and implement that plan. Your plan will probably look a lot different from mine, but there are things that we can all do to lessen that chaos and have a day without the stress…at least for most days. We need a working at home mom survival guide.  

Show note...

Are you fed up with all the promises on how to achieve goals that fail again and again? If you need a practical solution to crush your mom goals, this is for you.

I want you to walk away from this post with actionable steps to take. Once you are successful with one, you can come back to the post and start on the next one.

 Like I’ve said throughout this series, I was so frustrated hearing the same thing over and over. And it didn't matter how many different ways I tried to mak...

You have habits. I have habits. Whether good or bad, we all have habits that will propel us forward toward our goals for life. Or keep us from achieving them.

If you truly want to achieve your goals for life, then you need to look at the habits you've formed. Because habits are such an integral part of you. Remember, habits are something that you do almost involuntarily. You need to really look objectively. Or get someone else to give you objective insight.

 Habit are going to take you from the frustration and fa...

Are you tired of following all the all the steps to accomplish your goals in life, just to fail again and again?

Welcome to part 2 of the setting goals in life series. This series is for the mom who is tired of trying goal system after goal system, only to fail by February. Every. Single. Time. In part 1 we went through why the highly popular goals in life systems don't work for moms (these systems are usually not written with kids in mind).

In this post, we are going to get into some of the...

When you hear the words goal setting what feelings are brought to the surface? Excitement? Expectation? Eagerness? Or dread? Trepidation? Dismay? 

There are so many goal setting systems that everyone says are foolproof. "Just do this and you to will accomplish your goals every time."

 A few years ago, my husband and I were dragged down the rabbit hole of goal setting. We were promised that if we just followed these steps, we would totally crush our goals. So we paid the exorbitant price for the class, watched it from start to finish, set up ou...

Since it is Christmas time, we've focused on finding the perfect book to curl up in front of the fireplace with, and you can't get any cozier than cozy Christmas mysteries.

Show notes and links: https://lifeunboxed.blog/cozy-christmas/ 

Find your tribe. Join the online community: Rebel Moms Club for Working Homeschool Mom:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/rebelmomsclub 

Grab your guide today! The Momtrepreneur's Guide to Homeschool Curriculum: https://lifeunboxed.blog/homeschool-curriculum/ 

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

5 Best Christmas Books for Mom: https://youtu.be/c6foir...

For the month of December, we're focusing on books for the holidays. And this week, it's all about Christmas chapter books for your young readers. 

Let's talk about the five best Christmas chapter books for kids. 

Show notes and links: https://lifeunboxed.blog/books-for-the-holidays/ 

Find your tribe. Join the online community: Rebel Moms Club for Working Homeschool Mom:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/rebelmomsclub 

Grab your guide today! The Momtrepreneur's Guide to Homeschool Curriculum: https://lifeunboxed.blog/homeschool-curriculum/ 

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

Letters from Father...

For the month of December we are doing book reviews on the website and  podcast and I'm so excited about it because I thoroughly enjoy reading a good book. This week we are talking about Christmas read alouds! 

What makes a book great is when it comes highly recommended. And I wanted to give you the gift of making Christmas just a little bit easier by giving you some Christmas read alouds book recommendations that you don't have to think about. You just can grab and enjoy.  

In the previous post, we t...

Christmas lights are twinkling, the fire is crackling in the fireplace. You're curled up in your favorite chair with some coffee. And the only thing that would make this perfect is books for mom. 

This month on the podcast, we're going to do book reviews, because in December, I like to take time off, but I also want to give content that fits the season, that is more relaxed and laid back. And so I wanted to talk about one of my favorite things, and that's books. Specifically, books for mom.

Show notes a...

Christmas doesn’t have to be complicated to be magical. Here are some easy ideas for Christmas Day dinner and more to keep Christmas simple and magical. 

Think back on your favorite Christmas memories. Are they memories of Pinterest-perfect tables or complicated dinners? The most treasured memories come from slowing down, simplifying, and enjoying the time spent together. This post is all about ideas for Christmas Day dinner and other ways to simplify the holidays. 

Whether you are a work from home mom, homeschool mom, or exhausted just thinking about the holi...

I hope you are enjoying the conclusion to the holiday season. Winter, Thanksgiving, and then Christmas is my favorite time of year. Since I gave myself December off (I am a really good boss), I wanted to do something a little different. I want to share my story from corporate workhorse to momtrepeneur.  

If you’ve read the About the Mom page (they say this is usually the most read page on a blog), then you know a little of my story. But I wanted to go more in-depth and share, not just the chronological events, but the...

Balancing work, homeschooling, and everyday life can often feel like starring in your own three-ring circus—with no intermission. This is my circus and these are my monkeys. So how do you get it done and keep your sanity?  

It feels like the same thing day after day. Before the alarm buzzes at 5am, your mind is already churning through the day’s impossible juggling act: client projects, math lessons, laundry, spelling tests, deadlines, and somehow finding time to actually eat. This is the reality of working from home and homeschooling. Is it possible to do it...

Do you long to go back to the holiday season of carefree childhood bliss? Where the only thing on your mind is to enjoy the season. Now, those days are replaced by overwhelm, stress, and the pressure to make this the most amazing Christmas ever.  

This is just one of our roles as a mom. Especially, since we are homeschool and, in some cases, work from home moms. We are home with the kids, so it falls to us to make this time of year magical. It isn't that we don't want to. Of course, w...

I’ve always cringed at the idea of early mornings. I would prefer to be a night owl and enjoy the quite at the end of the day. But early mornings can be a powerful tool for work from home and homeschool moms. 

For years, I was a night owl. I enjoyed staying up late and having the house to myself. Early mornings were not something I enjoyed. Yes, I heard all the podcasts and read all the blog posts about early mornings, but I really didn’t want to hear it. I liked...

Download your free Mom Boss 2.0 workbook and start a business without a niche. 

Do an internet search and type in how to make money from home or how to start a business. You probably see a ton of results. Once you get past all of the "do surveys" or "get paid to just do this" (take it from someone who has tried, getting paid for surveys is a waste of time). You find one piece of advice common to all of the search returns. And they all say this, "If  you want a successful business then you ne...

Grading. This is the dreaded task. You know the kind of task you need to psyche yourself up for days ahead of time. And grading for 4 kids multiplies this feeling by 4. Teaching multiple grades, figuring out the right curriculum, and keeping grades for school, it can get overwhelming. Keeping grades is not my favorite thing to do, but over the years, through trial and error, I've found a system that works. 

 If you are feeling mom guilt when it comes to keeping grades for school, banish it. You homeschool because you want to tailor curriculum and teaching fo...

Homeschooling high schoolers means you are almost finished homeschooling. Unless, there are younger kids, then it is just the start of a new and exciting chapter in your homeschool journey. 

But homeschooling high schoolers might feel like a giant leap from the elementary years. And you are also planning for after high school, college or not to college, and really preparing your students for the rest of their lives.  

No pressure, right?

Show notes and links: https://lifeunboxed.blog/high-schoolers/

Grab your guide today! The Momtrepreneur's Guide to Homeschool Cu...

Are you wanting to live your impossible dream, but you don't know how to make money from home and homeschool your kids?  

Show notes and links: https://lifeunboxed.blog/how-to-make-money-from-home

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW: 

My Story from Corporate Workhorse to Momtrepreneur
Managing Information
Mug Nerds (Etsy Shop)
Don't Up is the Wrong Advice
How is Success Defined
Mom Boss 2.0 Workbook (Free Download)
The Beginners Guide to Working and Homeschooling
Is Time Blocking the Best Way?
Create a Routine 

Mom Boss 2.0 Course
Rou...

Homeschooling moms are divided on this issue. We want to homeschool for the freedom to not be tied to our desks. Yet, homeschooling online opens the door for so many opportunities. What's a mom to do? 

There are pros and cons to homeschooling online. There isn't a one-size fits all approach to it. You know your kids, their personalities, and what works and what doesn't. 

Show notes and links: https://lifeunboxed.blog/homeschooling-online 

Find your tribe. Join the online community: Rebel Moms Club for Working Homeschool Mom:  https://www.facebook.com/grou...

 Show notes and resources mentioned in the episode: https://lifeunboxed.blog/self-care/

Self-care is a word that I love to hate. Mainly because the Instagram version of it is in conflict with reality. Is there a better way to self-care than what we see on Instagram? 

Self-care is a trendy buzzword now, and I am fully aware that it can seem inaccessible for work from home and homeschool moms. We are always busy. Always exhausted. Running on coffee and the most convenient snack we can pull out of the pantry.  

B...

It is that time of year, planning for homeschooling! Out with the old curriculum or posted on Ebay, and in with the new. 

Planning for homeschooling can be fun and exciting, but it can also be a bit overwhelming. Whether you are new or a veteran, making sure you haven't missed anything can be stress paralyzing. Let's take the stress out of planning for homeschooling. 

Show notes and links: https://lifeunboxed.blog/planning-for-homeschooling/ 

Find your tribe. Join the online community: Rebel Moms Club for Working Homeschool Mom:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/rebelmomsclub 

G...

Some days feels like chaos as a working at home mom. Even to the point of researching private school tuition and wondering if you should get an office job. 

Mom, if you’re juggling work, homeschool, family, and everything in between, then grab your coffee (you need that to conquer the world), let’s tame the chaos, and create a plan for working at home mom.

Show notes and links: https://lifeunboxed.blog/working-at-home-mom/

Grab your guide today! The Momtrepreneur's Guide to Homeschool Curriculum: https://lifeunboxed.blog/homeschool-curriculum/

RES...

Creating a flexible fall homeschool schedule is going to give you the homeschool freedom you want while ensuring those little clones you created are learning. 

The transition between summer break and starting a new school year isn't easy. Even if you did some schoolwork during the summer. Your kids and you enjoyed the break. And it was needed. Never feel guilty about taking a break. We all need to time to recover and reset. 

Let's take on these challenges and create a flexible fall homeschool schedule that works for you, your kids, and takes the st...

Get all the links: https://lifeunboxed.blog/writing-a-book/ 

Writing a book is a great way to add creative writing to your homeschool.  

Liven up your homeschool language arts by writing a book. 

As homeschoolers, we have the unique opportunity to really take the time to make writing enjoyable and fun. I know most college assignments will be the 5 paragraph essay, so that is important to know. Or you can just wing it if you decide to do dual enrollment in high school. But once your kids understand the structure of...

Hiring your kids in your business is a great way to boost their resume, teach practical life skills, and add help for those mundane tasks you don’t want to do. 

I have a confession. Like all confessions, I will probably lose my momtrepreneur status. But here goes. I don’t want to grow my business to the point of needing to hire anyone. I know shocking. Every business owner is supposed to want to grow to the point of creating an empire. But that’s not one of my business goals. However, there are things that I don’t...