6 Back to School Ideas (Homeschool Edition) + link ups!

Dear Reader,

Like many other families in America, we bit the bullet and are diving into homeschooling this year (and depending on how this pandemic goes, maybe next year, too?)  Our first day is just around the corner (September 1st), and as I was looking up "first day ideas" to mark the occasion I thought - hey, why not share some thoughts about it in a blog post?

                         But first, pin this image for future reference:

Why we are homeschooling this year (and which curriculum we picked!)

Dear Reader,

I apologize for my absence!  Three weeks is way too long, and I missed my little blog immensely.  Of course, it was for good reason - we have been working hard on room organizing (specifically my son's room), and setting up our new homeschool space :D (and lots of home reno projects, and decluttering and lifeeee).

So if you'd like to take a little peak into what that looks like (well, the beginning stages of it - there's still a few more things to do to make it look pretty!) - and see which curriculum we picked, and why, then read on.

                                           But first, save this pin for future reference:

My Honest Review: Mary Magdalene (2018) movie (and more!)

Dear Reader,

Happy Feast Day of St. Mary Magdalene!  Today the Catholic Church celebrates the "Apostle to the Apostles" and Christian Mystic, Mary Magdalene.  So naturally I felt it was a perfect time to finish the movie, staring Rooney Mara as the titular character, that I had started a few weeks ago.  Now don't let the fact that it took a few weeks to finish deter you - in my case, I wanted to prepare myself for the Passion of the Christ scenes that I knew were coming up, and with kids home, I couldn't really find the perfect time.

BUT before we dive into a full review, let me give a quick background of the actual Saint the movie is based on . . . right after you save this pin for future reference ;)

My Favorite FREE Photo Apps

Dear Reader,

I love photography - I love the artful kind, the playful kind, the browse-pinterest-for-pose ideas kind.  I love it.  There's something about photography, capturing those special moments (or even just "mundane" moments) that really speaks to me.  I don't know if it's because of chronic health issues, or my ADD, but being able to look back on them (I use prime photos to back up all my photos and get daily reminders of "this day, years past"), helps me to remain grateful and puts a smile on my face.  Memories flood back, and a deep appreciation for my life so far ends my day on a high note.

Now of course, some of those photos are a bit "hmm" because of the quality of the phone, or camera . . . but smart phones have obviously changed all of that.  And then you have add ons, or clip ons (in fact, I even have a little lens kit that you can clip on the phone, how cute, right?  You can buy it here - no affiliation, just recommending).

But, no matter the set up and equipment, it still isn't on par with high tech digital cameras . . . but you can get reallyyyy close when you use these FREE apps.  To me, they are a game changer, and the best part is free.  Now of course, you can always get paid versions that are going to cost a little, but really even the ads aren't too bad on most of these (usually less than five seconds).

So if you're looking for a way to spruce up the smart phone photos, here you go:

(but first, save this pin for future reference)

How I'm Homeschooling This Summer For Under 20$

Dear Reader,

Yup, you've read that right - I'm doing homeschooling this summer with my boys (also known as "partial homeschooling" in some circles), and I'm doing it for less than 20$.  Now of course, if I was doing it year round, I might invest in some curriculum books, but thanks to the internet and computers and devices, you really don't have to break the bank to teach your child (and hey, you can do this ecoconsciously, too!).  Read on to see what we are doing this summer (well our goals at least - sometimes we have to be flexible about it haha) and resources I'm using in this budget friendly beginner's guide.

But first, pin this image for future references: