Homeschooling High School

Last summer was an unsettling time for me, I realized I would be homeschooling a high schooler in the coming fall. I felt completely unprepared, afraid I was not capable and I was not sure what would be expected of me. Now, I had never once considered any other option but homeschool, so there was no backup plan, I was just uncertain of what to do next. Thankfully, half way through that summer I found peace. Some of that came through the Lord from good friends and some of that came through Him when we attended a conference and spoke with others that have gone on before us on this path. My confidence was renewed and I was prepared for the future! I am very much reminded and encouraged again as I read through the stories of "Help Lord, I’m Getting Ready to Start Homeschooling My High Schooler!". The individual family accounts contained within this book are exactly the type of confidence building information we need as we face this time in our homeschool career. Seeing pictures and reading about children that have gone on to graduate and find amazing places in the world helps me see how much God is truly in control of our children's lives and how we need to be there to help guide them in the talents He has instilled in them already. The stories were real, and not perfect. They reflected struggles we all face in our homeschool and how those struggles were handled and the outcomes. I very much enjoyed having the opportunity to read through these families journeys. If you are looking at high school looming in your future and need a bit of a pick me up, or some inspiration, look to the veterans who have "been there done that" to share their ups and downs. This book contains 122 pages which can be a bit much for reading online (and I don't feel it is cost effective to print it at home),  so I took it a bite at a time, however I think I would enjoy having this in hard copy to sit in a comfy chair and savor the stories, but at this time it is not currently available in that format. This little bit of encouragement can be found at www.theoldschoolhousestore.com under e-books for $12.45 for the downloadable e-book. Happy Homeschooling!

 As a homeschool family we frequently find ourselves in need of frugal inspiration! When you live on one income, stretching a budget can be a challenge, but it can also be fun when you have great resources to glean from. I really enjoyed the variety of money saving ideas I found in Molly's Money Saving Digest. The articles were enjoyable to read, I felt like the author was speaking to me as a friend rather than writing an article for a publication. I am inspired to try out her recipes for pie crusts (which I have never really attempted before even though I love to bake) and perhaps I will bake a pie for my family in the very near future....I'm thinking apple, my hubbies favorite.

There were articles as well on money management for not only the adults, but one that specifically interested me would be great for my teenage son. He is at a point in life where he should be learning about checking accounts, and the article gave step by step instructions on how to open one as well as offering information on registering checks. The lessons will continue in the next issue of the ezine.

Menu planning. Ugh. Something I am not a huge fan of, but I know when I do it, it saves me not only money but time. I really enjoyed that a weeks worth of menus were included as well as a complete shopping list! This is a real time saver not to mention, new recipes are a great way to break up a monotonous menu in my home!

Another wonderful bonus of Molly's Money Saving Digest were the printable pages for everything from money management to home organization. Personally, I do keep a journal filled with forms, calendars, homeschool planning etc. I love to find wonderful forms such as these to help streamline my life and my home. And to be honest, it just makes some of these chores just a little more fun.

 So, I found Molly's Money Saving Digest to be a great value for just $4.95, it can be found at www.econobusters.com, where you will find additional articles, ezines and great ideas for "busting free from this economy!" I would say this little ezine has something for everyone!