Foods 
My Red White and Blue Fruit Tart was inspired—to be honest—by just a hankering. I was craving a tart. I hadn't had one in so long. I love almond-flour-based pastries and for the first one I made, I had some almond flour on hand. That one was also full of butter, dairy, and eggs. It was fabulous! Then I got to thinking, so many people need dairy-free and egg-free delights—I best make some for them. (Looking for gluten-free recipes and resources? This Everything Gluten Free page is a library of everything gluten free we’ve worked on.) I remember the days when we were egg-free and dairy-free. Just a few years ...Read More
Homeschooling Homeschooling Twins: 1st Grade Curriculum Guide
Freelance writer Tricia Marrapodi once said that being a twin is like being born with a best friend. And it's true. I get a front row seat to that reality every day as I play both teacher and parent to my twin boys. But just as sure as my twins are best friends, they also know how to get on each other's nerves better than anyone else. This makes homeschooling a real challenge, at times. The success of our homeschool day is often determined by how well I'm able to steer their energies away from competing with each other and towards helping them work together to learn something new. This past school year was the ...Read More
Copycat Keto Chocolate Frosty
Creamy. Cold. Chocolatey. And delicious. My kids can eat chocolate frosty any day of the week any time of year—they love them spring, summer, fall, and winter. And what about me? Yeah, even me (who's not a chocolate lover) loves a chocolate Wendy's Frosty®! I should back up...my tastebuds love Chocolate Frosty, but the rest of my body goes a little haywire with all that sugar! What's in a Chocolate Frosty? You're probably over there saying, "Everything in moderation." Right? But if you just grab a small chocolate Frosty, it packs in a whopping 47 grams of sugar. Yikes! That's more carbs than I want in my diet in a ...Read More
Homeschooling 5th Grade: Curriculum Guide
Our second-born, Cameron, finishes 5th grade this year, and we are happy to say so much of our work educating him has given way to a healthy independence. Much of his schooling this year was hands-off for us because he's grown into a self-motivated kiddo with enough foundational knowledge, he can really pursue his own education. Not that he teaches himself everything. Far from it. Rather we've been able to steer him with the help of some great curricula. Curriculum Guide for 5th Grade Math Just like the past several years with Cameron, this year we used CLE (Christian Light Education) math. This year he ...Read More
How to Improve Handwriting: a homeschoolers guide
Improving handwriting is no small task for the sloppy writer. To this day, I wish we had done more with our oldest son to improve his handwriting when he was younger. My second-born kiddo really takes pride in his penmanship; my youngest are still learning. But my oldest makes pencil strokes on the paper like Zorro carving initials into his defeated foes. But I've learned through trial and error—and some research—some tips on how to improve handwriting if your child is struggling to write legibly. Handwriting skills are a very important developmental task for kids. Improving handwriting is an important aspect ...Read More
Not Just for Kids! Make Your Zoo Trip Fun and Educational (free printables)
Probably one of the cheapest—and best—investments we ever made was our family pass to the local zoo. It's a small zoo, but since it's an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), we also have free access to hundreds of other zoos, aquariums, safaris, and nature centers all over the country. There was one year we traveled to probably 9 or 10 zoos in different states—some on multiple occasions—over the course of a year! Can we just pause for a moment and appreciate how incredible it is that we can even go to zoos? In ancient times, precursors to modern zoos could be found in Egypt, Assyria, ...Read More
Summer Stargazing for Families! – A Fun, Free 8-Week Course
I think we counted about 52 of them—and that was just in the first hour. (At least that's the number I remember. We probably lost count after a while.) My son and I laid in reclining lawn chairs looking up at the dark night sky because it was the night of the annual Perseids meteor shower—possibly the best meteor shower of the year. It was a warm August night. We smelled of citronella and peppermint bug spray. And I think he thought it was cool to be able to stay up late with Dad, chatting about movies, superheroes, LEGOs, and whatever else came into his 8-year-old brain. At one point he wanted to know what ...Read More
47 Amazing Gluten-Free Cookie Recipes
When going to parties and other social events as a gluten-free family — everyone is always worried about the kids (and I appreciate that!). When there's cookies, and bars, and treats galore, that my kids just can't eat, they don't want them to feel out of place. I have quite a stash of gluten-free cookie recipes, so I never hesitate to offer to bring a big plate of gluten-free cookies! Not only do my kiddos love these gluten-free cookie recipes, the gluten-eaters enjoy them too. I've included 47 gluten-free cookie recipes for your baking enjoyment below. They're divided into the following categories so you can ...Read More
