"Put Your Homeschool Year on Auto-Pilot" by Pam Barnhill

*Disclaimer: I approached Pam Barnhill to receive this product and do this review.

It's time to get planning for the next homeschool year! Can you imagine getting all of your homeschool planning done by the end of summer so you can enjoy the rest of the year without scrambling every Sunday night to figure out what you're going to teach on Monday morning?

So there are 10 modules in the Put Your Homeschool Year on Auto-Pilot online course. I printed out all the paperwork for each module, 3-hole punched the whole set, then put it into a binder for a place to take notes, do planning, etc. I had to block out time in my planner to make sure I was actually dedicating my time to the course. This is career development, after all.

Module 1: Vision. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP. Watch the video, mull it over, then just sit down and do it. Then come back to it. Make a brainstorm mess. Then make it tidier. Then finish it up after you Google some other homeschool vision statements. You can do this! Here is our family's Homeschool Vision Statement.

Module 2: Goals. Instead of saying, "My kid will finish the Algebra workbook by the end of April," try "My kid will do one lesson of Algebra per day, 4 times per week until it's done." I used this section to make a whole big mess of ideas and goals until I squeezed it down into just a couple of pages for my kids. I also made goals for myself about consistency.

Launch Your Career Without College: 13 Jobs That Don't Require a Degree

Have you found college isn't your cup of tea but are uncertain about which career path to take? No need to panic! There are plenty of non-college jobs that offer amazing opportunities. In this blog post, we will go over 13 such roles from freelancing to entrepreneurship that could provide great start-up options without attending university.

Photo by Marten Newhall on Unsplash

Freelancer 

If you possess experience in writing, graphic design, web development or video editing, freelancing could be an option to bring in some extra cash. By marketing your services online and building relationships with individuals or companies that need your assistance.

Entrepreneur

Starting your own business can be an exhilarating way to kick-start your career without going to college. Everyone brings different strengths to the table, so it is crucial that you determine what kind of company would suit your vision best and how you'll outshout competitors.

Lose Weight Drinking a Chocolate Fat-Stripping Frappa

I posted about the Trim Healthy Mama Orange Creamsicle Shake that I make when I'm feeling run-down or like I'm eating too much junk. Just maintaining my weight right now is important to me as I focus on physical therapy for my hip/knee (just a lot of muscle work), so I'm not actively trying to lose weight but I do want to FEEL GOOD!

I got some good responses to that post ... some women are really losing weight just by making a simple change of replacing one crappy fast food meal a day with this shake. It really can be breakfast and lunch because it makes a lot. Then snack on veggies or fruit or almonds and you're good until dinner.

*Bonus: you aren't running to Starbucks for their mocha frappuccino light that I always get and pay 5 bucks for. Save money and gas and do it at home.

So here is the other shake I like to make when I'm sick of the orange situation or craving chocolate. I have modified it from the Trim Healthy Mama original.

Every Kid Loves #TaterTotCasserole and Campbell's Soup #EasyDinners

I've been blogging here for nearly 12 years, so it's important to me to go back and update old blog posts so you can see how the kids are changing and how my family is changing. This post was written originally on December 3, 2013, and was begging for an update! Enjoy!

I don't know why I thought that when I had kids they would all be the same, or at least very similar. Turns out all five are extremely different, and that goes for their taste in food as well. Here's how they shake out:

• Joel is 12 and will eat anything. His taste in food has changed a lot over the years, and he appreciates food with onions, tomatoes, and any veggie these days. He likes to try new things and likes it spicy quite often. (Now he's 18 and loves everything, but especially healthy things. He cooks for himself often.)
• Michael is 10, and we've always joked that he's our vegetarian. (Now he's 16 and cooks for himself and loves everything.)
• Callie is 8 and can be picky, but has always loved things like broccoli, asparagus and any green veggie! (Now she's 14 and still loves veggies and eats just about everything.)
• Eva is almost 6 and is super picky because she would eat sweets all day if she could. Isn't a cookie/fruit pizza a meal, after all? She will eat green beans all day long if you let her, though! (Now Eva is 12 and loves chocolate milk most of all.)
• Samuel is 4 and will shovel anything in simply because it's fuel for his energy streak that is nonstop. (Now Sam is 10 and still eats anything that isn't nailed down and still has that nonstop energy.)

Mealtime at my house this past summer of 2013. Party of 9 on this particular evening. Yes, we do eat in our swimsuits sometimes!

I like to use a lot of soups in my cooking because they are kid friendly. I use 'cream of' soups to make gravies and sauces. They go great in a slow cooker with some chicken and rice and veggies. And, of course, you have my famous Tater Tot Casserole, which I know how to make 35 ways! I love Campbell's soups because they have so many varieties of cream soups that really help me to make my cooking creative and varied. And the kids eat it, which is significant!

How do People Recover from Disasters That Destroy Their Home?

 Be it a house-wide fire, a destructive storm, or even severe flooding, many homes around the world are often destroyed by disasters that we might have little control over. But when these incidents occur and people are displaced, how do they bounce back and recover? What do these people do in order to continue their lives? Here are some of the ways that people recover from home-destroying disasters.

Source: https://unsplash.com/photos/WlA8r5hR4Aw (CC0)

What people do immediately following a disaster

As soon as the disaster happens and you know that your home will be lost for good, there are usually a couple of responses that people go through.

• Ensuring the safety of others. People will do everything they can to ensure that none of their loved ones are in danger. They will phone all of their friends and family members, and even get in touch with neighbors if the incident could’ve also affected them. If there are still safety concerns, such as the possibility of a fire spreading or a flood reaching other parts of the town, then they will continue to spread the warning and alert people who could be in harm’s way.