It was at the midpoint of the homeschool year I found we needed the math answer. The homeschool math answer. My eldest children were middle schoolers and I had preschoolers under foot. Math was a struggle. There were tears (from the children too). So I asked my fellow homeschool mamas. “Teaching Textbooks,” they said. I’m […]
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Hodgepodge Homeschool Favorites
In our 17 years of homeschooling, we have gathered some favorites. Tried and true homeschool favorites we use always! I’m sharing those with you today. Not only that, but I am celebrating 10 years of blogging here at Hodgepodge. And because it is a Hodgepodge, my family and I are also hosting BIG giveaways at […]
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Happy New Year Chalk Art Tutorial
Oh there are so many possibilities with this Happy New Year Chalk Art Tutorial! You can write ‘Happy New Year’ or simply ‘2018’ – even ‘Celebrate!’ Have you noticed that we’ve been using black construction paper often lately? It just shows off the beautiful chalk colors! Plus I think construction paper simply ‘holds’ the chalk […]
Freezer Meals for Your Slow Cooker
This time last year I made it my goal to cook dinner for my family more often. You can read about it here. I was living up to my promise to my family until my son was hospitalized and our lives got busy with doctors’ appointments and tests. I knew I needed to get back to providing […]
Nutcracker Art Lesson
Shall we kick off this season of Christmas art with a Nutcracker Art Lesson? Let’s do! Enjoy a pre-recorded Nutcracker video art lesson – led by Nana – on the ChalkPastel.com Facebook page during our usual weekly art lesson time: Wednesday at noon ET. I placed the video below for you to enjoy at any […]
Searching for Joy
Hello, there! I’m back! I’ve missed being part of this space the last couple months, and I’m excited to join you all again. My family and I have successfully and safely moved across the country, and seen God’s gracious provision for our family every step of the way. Rather than tell the stories all over […]
You ARE An Artist: What’s On Your Thanksgiving Table?
What’s on your Thanksgiving Table? Thanksgiving is just around the bend, or shall I say, “Over the river and through the woods”…so I thought that we might indulge and paint what would be part of your Thanksgiving feast! On our table: Down in the southern states, where we are from, we have “Dressin’”, not ever, […]
Charlie Brown Thanksgiving Chalk Art
It’s a tradition at our house to watch A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving each year. You too? And in anticipation of doing just that we decided to search some images of Charlie Brown Thanksgiving for artistic inspiration. There are many images to choose from – check it out for yourself. YOU are the artist – so […]
How to Teach Multiple Subjects to Multiple Ages in Homeschool
Just how I teach multiple subjects to multiple ages? It’s always changing with growing children and their needs. Since you, dear reader, might be looking for a specific answer for a specific subject, I include links to all of my best tips for teaching multiple ages. First, let’s start with the basics. The Basics of […]
Helpful Homeschool Habits for Multiple Ages
Welcome back to 10 Days of Lasagna Learning: Teaching Multiple Ages. For over a dozen years we’ve turned to our habits as the ‘bones’ of our day. Our habits help us accomplish a basic school day and get food on the table. We leaned on one or two more heavily when all were age 10 […]
Overnight Slow Cooker Grits and Breakfast Casserole
Overnight slow cooker grits are a bowl full of comfort on a cool morning or a delicious highlight for brunch. We’ve enjoyed this simple, celebratory breakfast on Christmas for many years now. Perfect for any easy going weekend breakfast or brunch. Certainly fast food for slow Sundays. Overnight Slow Cooker Grits Ingredients Amount of […]
Preparing for College—10 Steps
Helping a child apply to college and all that goes along with it can seem overwhelming to any parent, but the homeschool parent has the added responsibility of being the educator as well. You can do it, and without much stress, if you take it one step at a time. Here are 10 steps for […]