Homeschooling as Told by Doctor Who

Doctor Who is undoubtedly one of my favorite shows to binge watch on Amazon Prime. Why? Because it's silly, and science-y, and filled with all sorts of ridiculous timey-wimey fun. But can homeschooling be described by Doctor Who? I believe it can. Here are 10 of my favorite Doctor Who moments... and their relation to the stereotypical homeschool family experience. ;) 

Let's be real. This is your internal reaction when school is in session, and all of the beaches, stores, libraries, and amusement parks are deserted...


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Don't pretend. 
You know you'll wait for this moment to come all summer long.
Embrace your inner joy over a (nearly) kid free Target.
Your secret is safe.

... until your kids suddenly decide to act like they've never seen another human...


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"I swear I let my kids out of the house --
once in a while."

... or when they tell strangers crazy stories about being homeschooled.


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"No we did not count an episode of Doctor Who as a history lesson,
nor did you have ice-cream for breakfast."
Ahem.

When somebody asks "What about socialization?" and you have to come up with a witty comeback.


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When the kids do their math assignments without complaining...


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The world is very strange...
But beautiful. So beautiful. Especially today.

... or when your child reads their first sentence without any assistance.


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"I did it! I'm not ruining my kids' lives!"

Then there are those days when you have to repeat the directions 50 times...


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*tap tap* 
Is this thing working? 
Can you hear me?

Those moments when you decide it's just not worth continuing the debate...


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"Let's just figure this out tomorrow."

... and the days when they won't. stop. fighting.


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Who wants to play the quiet game?
MOMMY DOES!

But at the end of the day, this is how you feel...


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Sung to the conga line tune:
"The kids have gone to bed! Yeah! 
The kids have gone to bed!"

... because you know you are making the decision that's right for your family, and you wouldn't change a thing. :)

On Networking, Learning, and Giving Shout-Outs!

This week is the final week of the #TpTSellerChallenge hosted by Third in Hollywood, Sparkling in Second, Peppy Zesty Teacherista, and Teach Create Motivate. I hope that you have enjoyed this little peek behind the scenes of what we do as TpT Teacher-Authors. :)
This week, I want to give a shout out to all of my fellow Teacher-Authors. When you search for products on TpT, you are interacting with real individuals behind each store. And, even though you might be inclined to think that those of us behind the stores are competitors, we have a unique family online! We really are a BIG, happy family on TpT! This week, many of us are participating in the TpT annual conference in Las Vegas, either through live, in-person attendance or virtual attendance over the internet (like me)!
We know that YOU work hard as educators, and so we work hard to bring you the VERY BEST resources!
I found this awesome quote this week, and I thought that it tied in perfectly with this week's challenge:

I am just ONE person. I don't know everything. I can't even pretend that I do!

It is only through synergy with YOU and my fellow teacher-authors and curriculum designers that I can begin to make a difference in this field. I need help to develop the best materials I can, so that I can share them with you!

Over the last few weeks, I've had the incredible opportunity to work with so many of my fellow sellers, sharing ideas and resources, helping each other build the best materials possible. When I think back on these experiences, there are two sellers in particular who stick out in my mind...

The first person is my new friend, Maren, of Malimo Mode. She's in Norway, which automatically makes her awesome! I've had the privilege of helping her review some of her resources as we participate in a Facebook group designed to keep us motivated and working hard all summer. She is pretty much one of the nicest people you will meet on TpT, and has some beautiful resources available in her shop. I mean, just take a look!

The second person who came to mind was Carrie, from Adventures in Kinder and Beyond. She's also in our Facebook accountability group and has helped me edit my own resources! You need to see how colorful and cheerful her blog and store are. I always look forward to seeing what new resources she has created.

I hope that you will stop by their blogs and stores, take a look, and maybe even give them a "follow" if you like what you see! I guarantee you won't regret it!

P.S. I'm always looking for new friends, so if you blog or TpT and want to network, leave a comment and let me know! I'd love to check out your page!

Five For Friday {June 13, 2014}

Welcome to Five for Friday! I'm linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching today because I have SO MUCH to tell you about this week. Here are five things that I can't wait to share with you:

Number 1...

If you've visited my blog before, you are probably aware that it hasn't always looked this beautiful. I have Courtney from Blogs Fit for a Queen to thank! If you are looking for a new blog design, please check her website out. She is FABULOUS, and an absolute delight to work with! She works quickly and her rates are super affordable, even on an educator's budget. PLUS... there are several ways that you can get a discounted rate or enter a giveaway for a FREE design this week! Just check out her Facebook page. :)

Number 2...

If you're looking to get your blog organized, please check out my NEW blog planner for sale on Teachers Pay Teachers! I designed it to be simple, yet thorough. One of my biggest problems with other planners on the market is that they were WAY too busy and colorful for my taste... So, I designed mine to be cute (with a few graphics by Krista Wallden) but entirely in grayscale. That way, you can let your blogging voice and creativity shine through. 
... and really, who doesn't like to color once in a while? ;)

Number 3...

Is it wrong that I'm already excited for my writing classes to start back this fall? I have a big ol' stack of Institute for Excellence in Writing books sitting on my desk waiting to be used and I... just... can't... wait! (If you want a sneak peek at the books that I'm using, you can see them here, here, here, and here!)

Number 4...

Now that I've gotten that out of my system, let's get back to summer fun! 
If you are looking for something to use with your kids this summer (or any time of the year) check out this Print 'n' Go Travel Journal Pack. I know I'm a little biased, but this is one of my favorite products in my store. I sort of want to go on vacation so that I can use it myself. Take a peek! 
(P.S. This product will be 20% off through the weekend!)

Number 5...

If you're on Instagram, come join me for some fun! I'm trying to work on updating more often with fun photos and quotes! Hope to see you there! :)

Currently! {June Edition}

For about as long as I can remember, I've been wanting to link up with Farley at Oh Boy Fourth Grade! for her monthly "Currently" linky party. This month I finally remembered! So, here's my contribution:

Listening: I'm not going to lie, I'm pretty irresponsible when it comes to doing laundry. I always put it off until I don't have a choice. I could tell you that it's because I'm so dedicated to the task of teaching, tutoring, and creating resources for homeschool families (I am!) but the truth is, I mostly just put it off because I hate doing laundry! :)
Loving: Today is the first day of hurricane season here in the Sunshine State, and I'm fairly certain that mother nature knows it. It's pretty stormy looking out there, but I'm totally okay with it, because I don't have anywhere to go this evening.
Thinking: I have about 50 million ideas for new resources, blog posts with tips, and e-mails to send... but right now this is more fun. I love getting to be "real" with you and share a little bit of what's on my heart and mind. :)
Wanting: I got my Mom hooked on Downton Abbey, and we've just finished season one (her first time watching it, my second). I'm looking forward to starting season two, but I'm disappointed that there is no new Mr. Selfridge tonight!
Needing: My dryer just beeped to tell me that it's done. Have I mentioned how much I hate doing laundry, lol?
Summer Bucket List: I have lots of grand plans for teaching and learning (maybe I'll share those in a post later this week?) but for now I'm looking forward to...

... NOT traveling! ... catching up on all sorts of Masterpiece shows that I've missed over the years. ... honing my writing skills. ... blogging more often. ... experimenting with more adventurous cooking.

So, there you have it. Leave a comment and let me know what's on your summer bucket list, or hop on over to Farley's blog and link up with her party so that I can visit your blog!