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Why You Should Try Homeschooling During COVID19

November 27, 2020 by Rachel 5 Comments

So many friends are asking me about homeschooling these days. The pandemic seems like the perfect time to start homeschooling. If you’ve been on the fence about homeschooling for a while, now is the time to give it a try. Your risk is low and the benefits of homeschooling during COVID19 are many!

Why You Should Try Homeschooling During COVID19

When the pandemic first became a thing, we had just enjoyed a nice bonfire with friends. The next day the entire United States suddenly realized that COVID19 was real and present danger. The realization literally hit us overnight, didn’t it? Parents and schools everywhere started grappling with the question – what do we do now? And for many of us, at least some of the answers to that question have been dictated by our state and local governments. Schools went virtual, sports seasons were canceled, graduation was a drive-thru event, and working parents have had to wrestle through massive shake-ups in child care.

As Fall approached, the reality that COVID19 is not going away any time soon sat in. Schools started virtually in the Fall, and for many of us, that’s not going to change for a while. Virtual school is a challenge even with training, but mass training staff has proven too much for many school districts. So far, virtual schooling has been a disappointment for many.

Homeschooling During COVID19 is on the rise.

In the meantime, homeschool enrollment across the United States continues to rise. Parents have watched their peers homeschooling for several decades now. It’s starting to sink in among the general public that homeschooling is neither fringe, nor weird, nor ineffective. In fact, homeschool education has proven to be just the opposite. More mainstream than ever, homeschooled students are excelling in colleges and in their social lives in spite of the prejudices faced in the past.

So why is now a good time to try homeschooling?

Homeschoolers Face Less Prejudice During COVID19

Well, let’s start with prejudice. With so many new homeschool families in the United States, prejudice from friends and neighbors is becoming a thing of the past. In most cases, you can begin homeschooling today with the support of your family and friends because they’ve been experiencing Covid19 school and have been wondering about homeschooling themselves. Now’s your chance for a no-judgment beginning.

homeschool at zoo

You Can Start Homeschooling Slowly During COVID19

Another great reason to start homeschooling during COVID19, you can take a “soft start”, and still know that your child is getting more than they were last week in virtual school. Now, I know that many local schools are doing okay with virtual school, but not all. And furthermore, I am aware that many teachers are working like crazy to figure this thing out. I get it.

Why You Should Try Homeschooling During COVID19

But, I also know first hand the power of having one-on-one time to teach your kids, reading and writing, and arithmetic. Life can’t stop during COVID19 and neither should education. With homeschooling, you can make the next year count in a big way.

Homeschooling During COVID19 will Save You Time.

Homeschooling is going to save you time. You’ve already realized that keeping your child focused on a screen, and on track with assignments is way harder than it should be. You may be working from home, or managing your child’s virtual school experience after a long day at work. Either way, homeschooling will help. What takes eight hours a day in public school will only take about three hours a day at home (for elementary school).

Why You Should Try Homeschooling During COVID19

You and your child can spend less time in front of a screen and more time experiencing life together. Taking walks, exploring parks, cooking, and playing games are all great ways to spend time at home after school work is done.

Experience Incredible Homeschool Support during the pandemic.

Support for homeschooling is off the charts right now. If you choose to start homeschooling during the pandemic, you are going to find that local homeschool support groups, homeschool publishers, and homeschool organizations across the country are ramped up to help you. You can find local, state, and national social media groups to help with any homeschool challenge you face, from legal requirements to special needs homeschooling. The homeschool support atmosphere has always been incredible and has only gotten better as so many new families join the movement.

Provide Your Kids with a COVID19 Emotional Safety Net through Homeschooling

Homeschooling provides many opportunities for you to reassure your kids that everything is going to be okay. As kids see COVID19 dragging on and on, they cannot help but worry. Kids might not be communicating their fears, but fear is there lurking. One of my kids spent most of the morning frustrated and sad today. He was unable to really explain why everything was just so hard. The emotions of pandemic life were getting to him. Instead of having to sit in front of a screen visible to his friends with tears running down his cheeks, he was able to sit next to me on the couch and talk it out.

hiking for homeschool

We were able to take breaks – long breaks – and give him room to breathe and process emotions. We aren’t going to get around to his science lesson today until after supper, and you know what? That’s okay because as the homeschool mom I set the pace. And today the pace was all about dealing with big emotions because progress can come later. Reassurance for his precious worried heart is more important in the long run.

As many families across the United States are learning, homeschooling is a great way to manage the education of your kids during this pandemic.

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Tips for Specialty Diet Shopping at Walmart

October 8, 2020 by Rachel 8 Comments

bit.ly/3kSzTsOWhen I first became I mom I truly thought I was prepared for everything. I naively thought that sleep issues would be the hardest. Sure, sleep issues were (and are still) difficult. But what really threw me off was finding out that all three of them had dairy intolerances. I had to get inventive with the food we were all eating. I’m going to share all of my tips for specialty diet shopping at Walmart.

Tips for Specialty Diet Shopping at Walmart

Yep, believe it or not, you can do all of your regular shopping and specialty food shopping at Walmart. Here’s how to save money and find all of your favorites at Walmart.

Do your research

I know so many people who think to themselves, “I could never be dairy free / vegan / flexitarian because I’m too busy to make meals from scratch.” Newsflash: there are plenty of ready-made options for you to choose from. Companies like Marie Callender’s, Amy’s Kitchen, Good Food Made Simple, and So Delicious make it easy to grab-and-go for the whole family. And, yep — they can all be found in your Walmart freezer section.

Shopping at Walmart

Don’t get overwhelmed

For many people, trying to dive into a specialty diet can seem overwhelming. Want to try and cut out meat? Do it! But that doesn’t mean you have to eat only raw veggies. Meat free options have come a long way in recent years. For instance, Marie Callender’s famous pot pies are now available with Gardein Plant-Based Chick’n! So you’ll get the same flavors you know and love, with the perfect meat substitute. Of course having veggies as a side is always a good idea. But, at least with these feel-good and convenient items, you can feel less overwhelmed about the changes you’re making in your food choices.

Tips for Specialty Diet Shopping at Walmart

My kids don’t even know that their Good Food Made Simple French Toast is whole-grain. They just love the flavors! The Cauliflower Kung Pao is also gluten-free. And don’t even tell them my secret about Amy’s Kitchen Pizza (shhh — it’s made with a veggie crust!) or Amy’s Mac N 3 Cheese with Cauliflower!

Enjoy a stress-free dessert

Once you start looking at food labels, you’ll find that many of the items you *thought* were off limits actually are not. When the kids and I went dairy-free, I was really worried about dessert options. Ice cream is a go-to for most kids (and adults). These days the options for dairy-free desserts are endless. Our go-to frozen snack are the So Delicious® Dairy Free Salted Caramel Frozen Dessert Bars from Walmart. Super creamy, flavorful, and you would never even guess they don’t contain dairy!

Save money whenever possible

Going vegan, dairy free, or even as meat-free doesn’t have to be expensive. In fact, I do all of our weekly shopping with Walmart.com and use their convenient pickup options. That way we always have our favorite pizza’s, snacks, and dinners without breaking the bank.

Tips for Specialty Diet Shopping at Walmart

Tell me — what’s your favorite way to save money with Walmart on your specialty food items?

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PIN ME - I'm going to share all of my tips for specialty diet shopping at Walmart. Yep all of these are from Walmart! #ad #meatless #amyskitchen
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How Lexington Law is Helping Me Recover My Credit

September 30, 2020 by Rachel 20 Comments

I remember my Senior Year of high school like it was yesterday. The excitement and anticipation of what was to come was a total rush! At the time, every impressionable adult in my life urged me to go to college, despite being ‘undecided’ on a major. My guidance counselor urged me and my parents to take out student loans because, in her words, the return on the investment would be worth it. And interest rates were so low, right?! Well, that’s not exactly true. But even years after my college graduation, Lexington Law is helping recover my credit from student loan debt.

ABOUT LEXINGTON LAW

I’ve talked in great detail about my credit journey. Well, I’ve been a college graduate for nearly 14 years, and I am embarrassed by the amount of student loan debt still looming over me. Despite making monthly payments on all of my student loans, I could never seem to get ahead. Did you know that despite the ‘low interest rates’ your actual amount due over the principal will grow and grow and grow?! It’s honestly insane how much money I was throwing away towards interest.

How Lexington Law is Helping Me Recover My Credit

That’s where Lexington Law comes in. As a law firm, they have actual lawyers to drive the credit repair process and intervene as needed. They take questionable negative items, which are things in your credit history that could lower your score, and they challenge them.

How Lexington Law is Helping Me Recover My Credit

Lexington Law are trusted leaders in credit repair for a reason. They use a three-step process which is proven to help repair credit. The first step is to analyze your report to identify any questionable negatives impacting your score. The second step is to address these items by challenging them with creditors. And the third step is to accelerate by keeping the process going to get individual clients to their goals!

HOW TO GET STARTED

When you first call Lexington Law, a credit advisor will pull a TransUnion Summary Report and FICO Score for free. While it only shows the first 5 of your negative items, it’s enough to get an idea of where you stand credit-wise and how it’s impacting your current situation.

How Lexington Law is Helping Me Recover My Credit

From there, should you decide to use Lexington Laws services, you’ll be charged a one-time fee of $14.99 to pull all of your reports and histories. From there you’ll be charged a “First Work Fee”. This First Work Fee helps get your case started. Their advisors will start analyzing reports and start the credit repair process.

WHY IT’S IMPORTANT TO USE LEXINGTON LAW

As a young 17-year-old headed off to college, I had no idea how those massive student loans would haunt me for years to come. But calling Lexington Law has helped me go from feeling defeated to feeling hopeful. Now there’s a plan in place and I have trusted leaders on my side. And now I spend less time worrying, and more time with my family.

family

So call Lexington Law today and kickstart your credit repair journey. Because your credit is not written in stone!

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How Lexington Law is Helping Me Recover My Credit

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Filed Under: #MomLife, finance, money saving tips, tips + tricks Tagged With: #MomLife, finances, money saving tips, parenthood, tips + tricks

Making the most of Quarantine Halloween

September 28, 2020 by Rachel 21 Comments

Twenty-twenty will forever go down as the worst phrase of our generation. As a mom of young kids, one of the worst things ever is knowing that my kids know that something is going on. I mean, my 7 year old and my 4 year old both keep saying “…when COVID-19 is over, can we….?” And it absolutely breaks my heart. But we’re all doing the absolute best that we can given the circumstances. So I have made it my personal mission to let my kids know that Covid doesn’t have to stop the fun. And that’s why I’m making the most of quarantine Halloween!

trick or treat

Trick-or-no-treat?

Our city is still very much on the fence regarding trick-or-treating. But I am not. Our neighborhood gets really busy — which we have always welcomed. But this year I am less than thrilled about the potential for kids coming and going and pushing around. With a heavy heart we decided against traditional trick-or-treating this year. And, honestly, I think that’s what’s best. My kids will have another Halloween and trick-or-treat. But, Covid is a wildcard. And I couldn’t live with myself if something happened.

So what should we do?!

There are so many ways to make the most of Halloween. Kids don’t really care about trick-or-treating. Heck! My kids usually only last 15 minutes! But they do love celebrations — and candy! So that’s what we will do.

Making the most of Quarantine Halloween

How we’re celebrating

We will still dress up. I will admit — I don’t like how much adults ‘love’ Halloween. I’ve always hated the idea of adult Halloween parties. But I will dress up this year for my kids. We will have a big at-home party! My kids and I will be setting up the most perfect candy charcuterie board for Halloween.

Making the most of Quarantine Halloween

What you need for a candy charcuterie board

Assorted candies
Small containers
Large cutting board or platter

Charcuterie Board

Candies may include:

Twizzlers
M&Ms
Candy Corn
Candy Pumpkins
Jelly Slugs
Halloween Pez
Bloody Bites
Spooky Lips Lollipops
Assorted snack size candies, wrapped or unwrapped

  1. Choose a board or serving dishes for the charcuterie board.
  2. Place loose ingredients (small candies, loose candies, etc.) into bowls or individual dishes. Place those bowls on the board or buffet first.
  3. Arrange other candies around the bowls.
  4. Add assorted tongs or Halloween decorations.

Tell me this…

How are you planning on making this the BEST Halloween ever for your kids?!

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Filed Under: #MomLife, children, crafty, creative, desserts, family, Halloween, mommyhood, parenthood, parenting, tips + tricks Tagged With: #MomLife, children, crafty, creative, desserts, family friendly, halloween, holidays, motherhood, parenthood, tips + tricks

Five Ways to Ease Your Kids Into a School Routine

August 25, 2020 by Rachel 17 Comments

The transition from summer to school is tough! It will be especially hard this year since we’ve been in this strange “stay at home” summer mode for so many months. To help with the transition, I’ve developed a list of five ways to ease your kids into a school routine.

Five Ways to Ease Your Kids Into a School Routine

Do Your School Supply Shopping Early

There is nothing worse than panic buying school supplies the day before school starts. The stores are packed, the supplies are picked over and the emotions are high. Trust me, you do not want to spend your final moments of summer with your kids in the school supply aisle the night before school starts. Shop for your school supplies early. It will help your kids start thinking about the upcoming year. 

Get Back into a Routine

Remember that bedtime routine that your kids had when school was in session? Yeah, it is time to bring that back. Make sure you start their normal bedtime routine at least a couple of weeks before school starts. You will also want to make sure you are setting an alarm in the morning. If your kids are like mine, their bedtime has gotten increasingly late all summer. I plan to gradually make them go to bed 15 minutes earlier than normal every few nights until they are back on their normal school routine. This will make the first week of school less jarring. 

Make Your Kids Get Dressed

My kids would stay in their PJs all day if I would let them, and honestly some days I do – it is summer after all. However, it is time for a reality check. After their alarm goes off, have your kids get dressed, brush their teeth, and eat breakfast. It will make that first week so much smoother if they’ve already established this rhythm. 

Five Ways to Ease Your Kids Into a School Routine

Do a Practice Run

A few days before school actually starts, do a practice run. Have your kids go to sleep the night before at the normal school night bedtime and set their alarm like it is an actual school day. Practice how you as a family will get out the door that morning. If you have a younger kid, you might be pleasantly surprised to see that they do not need as much help from you in the morning. See how long it takes to actually get out of the house and to school. This will help both you and your kids feel more prepared for the first day of school, especially if your kids are going to a new school.

Talk to Your Kids

Going back to school is stressful for both kids and parents. Make sure you talk to your kids and see if they have any concerns. Ask them what they thought went well last year and how you all can improve your school routine as a family. 

With a little planning and preparation, you can ease your kids into a school routine that will make the transition painless!

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Filed Under: #MomLife, back-to-school, homeschool, parenting, tips + tricks Tagged With: #MomLife, back-to-school, homeschool, parenthood, tips + tricks

Self-Care Routine with Post Dunkin’ Cereals

August 23, 2020 by Rachel 17 Comments

Thank you Post for sponsoring this post. Post Dunkin’ cereals are rolling out nationwide now. To find a retailer carrying the cereal, check the store locator at dunkincereal.com

Fewer things are more precious to a mom than coffee. Kids are obviously more precious, but they are also the reason we need so much coffee. Am I right? I would love to say that I getting enough sleep at night. But I’m not. As a mom of three, there just isn’t enough time in the day for adequate sleep. But there is enough time in the mornings for me to squeeze in a little self-care routine with Post Dunkin’ Caramel Macchiato cereals — which pairs perfectly with my Dunkin’ Coffee.

Self-Care routine with Post Dunkin'

Need some tips for a successful morning routine? Well look no further! Here are my tried and true tips for getting a little morning boost to get you through another busy day!

But first, Post Dunkin’ Cereal … and coffee

In a perfect world, I would be waking up at dawn — before the kids groggily arise from their slumbers. But? This isn’t a perfect world. In reality, the kids are the first awake and I am the last. I try and stay in bed for those precious extra few minutes of almost sleep, but it’s never long enough. Instead, I roll out of bed and get the kids some breakfast. Once they are settled, I pour a giant mug of Dunkin’ coffee — and then a giant bowl of Post Dunkin’ Caramel Macchiato or Post Dunkin’ Mocha Latte cereal.

dunkin cereals

My kids know not to ask too many questions before I have my morning coffee. But now I have to remind them that I need to eat my coffee, too! The new Post Dunkin’ cereals are TO DIE FOR — especially if you are coffee-obsessed like me! Savoring those few moments where the kids are quiet and I’m enjoying my coffee and Post Dunkin’ Cereal is sacred for me. Because after the coffee comes the chaos!

Self-Care = Home-Care

My main job as a mom is to keep my kids alive. And I consider the day a success if I’ve done so. But I also have to clean this house, because children are tiny little tornadoes of destruction. So most of my post-coffee morning routine consists of picking up toys, gathering up laundry, and doing an endless amount of dishes. Can that be considered self-care? I sure hope so. I mean, sometimes I’ll throw on some NPR or Kidz Bop while I’m cleaning. So it totally counts.

If I’m being honest, I really do try and get in a few moments to myself. Usually it’s by reading a chapter in my Book of the Month book or catching up on some social media scrolling. But, of course, it’s between still doing all of those other mom things.

More (cold) coffee

After the self-care portion of your morning is complete, sit back down for a second cup of coffee. By this point, it’s likely cold. And, heck, why not a second bowl of Post Dunkin’ Caramel Macchiato Cereal. A second bowl is the perfect way to round out the morning.

Self-Care routine with Post Dunkin'

Do all of the things

The rest of our mornings are a blur of coloring, PlayDoh, screentime, and Disney Princess movies. The days as a mom are super long. And, oftentimes, I find myself at the end of a long day thinking “What the heck happened today?!” But we have survived 100% of these days. My kids know how much I love them. And, even if I don’t sleep for the next 18 years, at least I’ll always have coffee — and Post Dunkin’ Cereal.

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Learn more about how you can incorporate Post Dunkin’ Cereals into your morning routine.

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