Tag Archives: family

6 Things To Consider Before Homeschooling Your Children

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6 Things To Consider Before Homeschooling Your Children

If you’re thinking of homeschooling your children but you don’t know where to begin, then don’t worry: you have definitely come to the right place. Whether you’re looking to start homeschooling them as soon as they’re old enough or you want to homeschool them from a specific age, you need to be sure you’re making the right choice. Luckily, there are lots of questions you can ask yourself to ensure you’re doing exactly that. From dedicating ample time to them and keeping them motivated, the more questions you’re asking the better. With that in mind, here are six things to consider before homeschooling your kids:

Do you have enough time to dedicate to them?

One of the first things you need to consider is whether or not you have enough time to dedicate to homeschooling, as this is how they are going to get the best education they can get. Whether this means finding a job that works around school hours or creating a schedule that works for everyone, you need to be sure you can dedicate as much time as you possibly can. For a guide to creating a family schedule, you can visit this site here.

Do you have the financial means?

Homeschooling your children often means forgoing your full time work schedule and seeking part time work or odd jobs. This could cause financial strain on your family and might not be the best option for you at the time. That doesn’t mean that it won’t be achievable later, though. If you are working out the finances for homeschooling, you still will want your child to have the best education in the meantime. This is especially true if you would like your child to learn a new language. If this is the case for you, you might want to look into programs like Singapore Primary School Chinese Tuition (or something similar in your local area for the preferred language) to start your child on the right foot. When homeschooling is possible, your child will already have a great educational foundation.

Do you have all necessary supplies?

Another important thing you need to consider is whether or not you need to buy any supplies before you get started. From notebooks to colored pens, you need to be sure you have everything you need. For a list of things to buy before starting homeschooling, you can visit this site here.

Cambridge Homeschool

How will you create lessons?

Once you have worked out a schedule and you’ve stocked up on all of the essentials, you need to think about lesson plans. Whether you’re using state-mandated lesson plans or following something similar, it’s important that you know exactly what you’re going to be covering. If you’re looking for example lesson plans, you can find them here.

How will you keep your kids motivated?

One of the hardest things about homeschooling is keeping your children motivated, especially if they have lots of distractions at home. Whether you’re setting up a rewards system or giving them some new responsibilities, there are lots of different ways to help keep them motivated and on task.

Will you need extra help?

Finally, you need to think about whether or not you need any extra help. Whether that means hiring a nanny or working with an online tutor, you need to be sure you have all of the support you need. In some cases, you may be able to hire a student-teacher to help you once or twice a week.

With lots of important things to consider before homeschooling your children, you have to be sure you’re as prepared as you can possibly be. Use the tips above to help get yourself started!

Featured Image By: Esi Grünhagen from Pixabay

A Flower For Me

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A Flower For Me

Hello! On Father’s Day, my sister and her daughter arrived at our parents’ house at the exact same time that I did. We didn’t plan it at all and it was perfect because we all had the maximum time together before we split back up for the day. Beautiful presents and lots of love were gifted to our dear old dad but I think I got the most special treat of all that day. Check it out:

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After presents, we all took a pause and went to the backyard so my niece, Valerie, could move and groove before my sister took off. My dad loves to show Val his flower and vegetable garden and she loves it too. More often than not, you can see my dad smelling the flowers with her and then he will help her pick a bloom for her mom.

On Father’s Day, Val wanted a flower for each hand once she picked her favorite. Then, she toddled up to her auntie and handed me a flower with a big smile on her face. And, right at that moment, our Golden Retriever gobbled up the flower in the hand she wasn’t paying attention to. *Face palm*

Once Val realized her other flower was missing, I offered her mine to make up for it. But, she just kept handing it back to me. I have to say, I was really happy she did because there is literally nothing better than getting a pretty little flower from your fifteen month old niece. I brought it home with me and put it in my dried flower collection and it’s never not going to make me smile whenever I see it. ❤

How did you celebrate Father’s Day? How is your garden doing this summer? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Happy Birthday To Me Haul: Work Fam Edition

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Happy Birthday To Me Haul: Work Fam Edition

Hello! June seventh was my twenty-sixth birthday and, in true Lil Red fashion, it has been drawn out a few days with individual hang outs with friends and family. I also end up celebrating with the families who I work with and have ended up becoming a part of in the past three years of doing my job. One of my client’s families always ends up super spoiling me and I received the following this past week:

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As soon as I walked into work on Monday, “Happy Birthday” was sung and gifts were handed to me at an alarming rate. Each one I opened seemed to be more lovely than the next and “this is way too generous” was the catchphrase of the opening session. This was matched by each member of my work family assuring me that “you’re worth it” every single time.

Becoming a member of three different families wasn’t exactly what I was setting out to do when I began providing care for people with special needs. But, sometimes things just happen like that and, now, celebrations seem to happen constantly. Whether it be a holiday or a member of my “pseudo family’s” birthday, I am always a part of it and it feels good!

There is truly nothing better than walking into work Monday through Friday and stepping into a family environment. It has also been such a godsend during all of the craziness of COVID to have so many extra people to talk to! Work families are so important and I am so thankful for all of mine. ❤

Do you consider the people at your job a family? Are you an unofficial member of someone else’s fam? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Animal Crossing Outdoor Fun

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Animal Crossing Outdoor Fun

Hello!! Children, teenagers, and adults alike have all been getting super into Animal Crossing during this quarantine. And, Johnny and I just so happen to be the adults who are super into it, lol. The charmingly simple game of building a prosperous island has captured many a hearts and I always look forward to when I can fish or catch some bugs for a while on our island of Dingusburg (Johnny’s idea, haha).

Recently, at work, I was outside with my client and her nieces and we decided to do some real life Animal Crossing of our own after we saw a big, beautiful butterfly flitting about the back yard. One of the girlies grabbed her butterfly net and the chase was on. We all took our tries at catching it and had no such luck. The butterfly flew away but it was still fun!

If you have little ones with some pent up energy from being cooped in, how about some Animal Crossing fun of your own? Set up a scavenger hunt outside or grab some butterfly nets and toy fishing rods and have an adventure in your back yard. Animal Crossing is all about enjoying the simple things, like planting flowers, picking fruit, and catching bugs… All of which can easily be done from your yard!

Still need some inspiration? Message me on Facebook at Sarah Mushenheim for my friend code and come visit Dingusburg. Then, bring a little of our island life into your activities with your kids for the day. 🙂

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Which games have you been hooked on in quarantine? What are some of your favorite activities with your kids? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

My 26th Birthday Celebration

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My 26th Birthday Celebration

Hello! My 26th birthday was this past Sunday and, although quarantine kept me from celebrating a little more heavily, I got to spend such a wonderful time with my family on both days of the weekend. On Saturday night, Johnny and I had a pizza dinner with my mom, dad, and brother. We also returned on Sunday so I could see my sister and her daughter in a safe environment because there are currently beaucoup ant traps set up at my apartment right now… Not very baby friendly!

After a Sunday afternoon at my mom and dad’s, Johnny and I spent the rest of the day watching Public Enemy and Inglorious Bastards. He also humored me by watching an episode of America’s Next Top Model together. What a guy! It was, indeed, a low key birthday but sometimes those are the best kind. And, as much as I would like to turn up, it’s just not safe. So, a pizza night at my parents’ seems like a close second to me. 🙂

How did you celebrate your birthday this year? Do you have anything exciting coming up? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Happy Birthday To Me Haul: Boyfriend’s Fam Edition

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Happy Birthday To Me Haul: Boyfriend’s Fam Edition

Hello!!! My boyfriend, Johnny, and I have worked out a pretty good schedule on celebrating special occasions between both of our families. So, on Johnny’s birthday we headed to his parents’ house for lunch and on my birthday weekend we went to my mom and dad’s for pizza. I am so thankful that I have a wonderful relationship with Johnny’s parents and feel just as happy that he gets along so well with my family, too.

Visiting with Johnny’s mom and dad is always such a treat because they are the absolute sweetest people and we can have a great time just sitting on the couch and talking. For Johnny’s birthday, we received their barely used air fryer, which was amazing because we were literally just about to buy one. They also sent the following for my birthday:

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^^^ Lol, never mind our mess on the coffee table!! We’ve been building with LEGO like crazy!

Johnny’s mom and dad sent me over a beautiful, colorful bouquet and a variety pack of gourmet popcorn. Receiving flowers is one of my favorite things – blame it on years of being gifted with them through theater and figure skating. I love the multicolored roses because they are unique and different just like me. And, sampling each popcorn flavor with my boyfriend during movie night was delicious… Especially the spicy sriracha flavor! 😀

Am I thrilled about now being 26? Not particularly. But, being the birthday girl to so many people who love me makes up for it. ❤

What is your favorite popcorn flavor? What is one of your favorite gifts to receive? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Happy Birthday To Me Haul: Brother & Fam Edition

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Happy Birthday To Me Haul: Brother & Fam Edition

Hello! Lil Red’s 26th birthday has came and went and it was as to be expected during a global pandemic, lol. Of course, family time was amazing and it was so much fun to celebrate both mine and my boyfriend’s birthday within such close vicinity to each other (His is June 1st and mine is the 7th).

I always believe that it’s nice to receive gifts, but it’s especially nice when I haven’t been “shopping shopping” in over three months! So, needless to say, I was very excited when this little haul arrived from my brother, sister-in-law, and nephew in the mail:

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For my birthday, I was gifted with a new mocha and coffee bean body scrub, a Taco Bell gift card (ayyy), and an escape room game to play at home. The scrub by Tree Hut smells absolutely delicious and I am obsessed with their bath and body care products so it was such a perfect treat.

The gifts from my brother and his family also provided Johnny and I with a quarantine date night. Seeing if we can escape from a secret lab sounds like a fun and different way to spend the evening and when have I ever said no to Taco Bell?! I have always wanted to visit a real life escape room because I’m an avid fan of the computer games. Unfortunately, an actual excursion to an escape room won’t happen soon but an interactive at home version is a close second! ❤

Have you ever been to an escape room? What was your experience like? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Happy 26th Birthday To Me!

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Happy 26th Birthday To Me!

Helloooo! Today is a beautiful, special, happy, wonderful day because it is my 26th birthday! June 7th is here and your favorite lil blogger is another year older and (hopefully) wiser. Let’s be honest, 2020 has been a bit of a wash so far so I don’t have any big birthday plans. But, it will be nice to spend some time with my family and I am so excited to spend my first birthday with Johnny. My birthday also happens to be our nine month one week anniversary… Which he hates when I say!

Although this year has been… Well, woof. I am still happy with everything going on in my little bubble. My family is great, my boyfriend is great, and my two businesses are successful. It doesn’t get much better than that and I am so thankful for all of it on my big day!

Happy Birthday To Me!!! ❤

Caring For Your Senior Loved Ones During Lock Down

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Caring For Your Senior Loved Ones During Lock Down

Lock down has been tough for many of us. As the days and weeks roll on, life has become rather mundane, and in some ways, quite stressful too. Not only do we need to find new things to do with our time (after binge-watching the entirety of Netflix), but we have had to cope with the mental effects of lock down too.

Times are hard indeed, but if they are hard for us, they will be especially difficult for our senior loved ones. If they are living independently, they might well be suffering from the effects of loneliness and stress themselves. So, consider what you might do to care for your aging parents or your grandparents. Here are a few suggestions:

Ensure they have health support:

If they need support with any health-related issues, now is the time to make sure your senior loved ones have everything they need. It might be that you need to collect any prescriptions for them or you might need to contact their doctor to refill them. Specialist home care services, such as those provided by Serenity Home Health, can offer support to the elderly, so get in touch if your loved one hasn’t yet accessed such support. And speak to your loved one’s neighbors, and ask those that can be trusted to keep a socially distanced eye on your family member.

Stay in touch:

If your senior loved one is living alone, you should make an extra effort to get in touch with them. A daily phone call might make their day, although you could also use Skype, Zoom, or social media to stay in touch with them too. And when you talk to them, be reassuring. The last thing they might need is your stressed-out tones if you’re worrying about lock down, as they might have similar worries themselves. Instead, be encouraging and reassuring, and do nothing to exacerbate their fears. Let them talk to your kids, share stories that will make them smile, and answer any questions they might have if they do share any concerns with you.

Offer practical support:

We have already suggested picking up their medications, but there are other ways to offer practical support too. You might arrange food deliveries for them, for example, or you could take food parcels to them. Maybe you can help them stay on top of their garden and you could drop off books, DVDs, knitting supplies, and anything else that will give them something to do while they’re restricted at home.

If you aren’t in a position to offer practical support hands on, there are still other options. Sarah Care, for example, or Care.com can be most helpful in finding you a helper. You might also want to consider chelseaseniorliving.com/locations/new-jersey/sparta/ if your loved one has more critical needs that can’t be met through drop ins.

Share ideas with them:

If your senior loved ones are unable to exercise outside, share these 10-minute chair exercise ideas with them. If they are experiencing anxiety, research breathing exercises, and go through them with your loved ones on the phone. And if they have any other needs that could be met through your research, do what you can, and provide them with the solutions to the problems they are facing.

Your extra care to your elder family members is just what they need right now. Use our suggestions and research other ideas online to meet their particular needs during this crazy time.

Featured Image By: Pixabay

3 Ways To Keep Busy During Lock Down

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3 Ways To Keep Busy During Lock Down

As the days in lock down turn into weeks and the weeks roll into months, it can become increasingly difficult to know what else to do with all of this extra time on your hands. Well, most people always wished they had more time and now that it has come, we should put it to good use. Whether it’s spending more time with the children or learning something new, it’s safe to say that this opportunity will probably never become available again. Without a firm quarantine end date in sight, check out this list of three ways to keep busy during the lock down:

Learn a New Language:

The benefits of learning a new language go beyond being able to order food while on holiday. It also comes with both personal and professional advantages. On the personal side, it strengthens your IQ, and it is also a great workout for your brain. These cognitive benefits help to ward off dementia and enable you to be more decisive and focused on the task at hand. Did you know that learning a new language also sharpens your sensory perceptions in terms of touch, hearing, sight, speech, and movement? Not many other hobbies can attest to this claim.

On the professional side of things, having bilingual skills greatly opens up your job prospects and makes you more attractive to employers. For companies, it allows for a greater ability to reach new customers in new markets worldwide. Learning a foreign language also sharpens your communication skills making you a more rounded employee.

Take Up a New Hobby:

With most people working around the clock in today’s modern societies, not much time is left for extra-curricular activities and hobbies. Yet the advantages of having hobbies are priceless. For one thing, it keeps you present in that moment. A lot of time is spent regretting the past or planning for the future that most people never truly live in the ‘now’. Hobbies can be used for stress relief as it diverts your attention to something that creates pleasure. Hobbies help you connect with people or groups with similar interests. This encourages feelings of inclusion, support, and community, which is great for your mental health.

There are many hobbies that you can consider taking up, including writing, photography, cooking, and gardening. If you think that you have green fingers, why not get out of the house and into your backyard and try to grow something a bit different than the standard household vegetables. As summer is on the way, try growing some pineberries (white strawberries) or some achocha pods. If you’re really adventurous, you could look up how to grow a luffa gourd, then have the added benefits of organic sponges for your bath or kitchen. No matter what hobby you choose to take on, it will certainly help you while away the extra time on your hands.

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Give gardening a go!

Catch Up on Family Time:

Spending more time with your family can be done in multiple ways thanks to the technological advances in video calling. If you don’t have immediate family around you, then you could link up with them via Zoom, WhatsApp, and many more similar programs. Family time is probably the most important use of our time, yet hardly any time is committed to it. Why not jump in and play some fun games online with your kids or video call your aunt or grandparents – you’ll certainly be glad you did!

Dedicating your time to worthwhile hobbies will make your quarantine much more enjoyable. Choose something you’re interested in and watch a day go by as you immerse yourself in something new!

Featured Image By: Pexels