Happy SUMMER! ☀️
How are you holding up with the heat this summer? I’m an Arizona girl at heart, so this weather is my favorite. Give me all the soft shorts, tank tops, and sandals while eating ice cream for breakfast and frozen grapes in the afternoon.
We just got back from a sun-soaked vacation to Hurricane Utah and Zion National Park. It was our annual trip to kick off the summer and it did not disappoint! The best part was our planning for the RV trip kept it within a really reasonable budget, so we never had to eat out (except for Gelatas which we just couldn’t pass up) and had plenty of entertainment to keep the boys going until late into the evening. It was the perfect summer kick off!
ICYMI: I’m introducing a new approach to this newsletter. While I’ll still share behind-the-scenes stories from our homeschool life, I’ll also share some extra fresh ideas to inspire your own homeschool journey.
You can expect this fun each Friday, too (the same fun we have daily inside Homeschool Flow, where you can contribute your own ideas and stories).
I try to avoid politics in my newsletter, but sometimes homeschooling takes us into the political world because of the nature of this educational style.
This week, I was encouraged to read that the Department of Defense is looking at how to better support military families who homeschool their kids. While there are MANY reasons to homeschool your children, one solid reason is to keep the family unit closer together and offer more stability for the kids through education. With this support, more military families can get that kind of support for their kids as they travel or move frequently.
If you’re like me, you’re looking for ways to sneak in some reading and writing this summer.
This post by Everyday Grace Homeschool offers several great ideas for incorporating Charlotte Mason journaling into your home this summer, allowing creativity to flow while also incorporating some learning outside of traditional settings.
As mentioned, our family goes on a trip each year to kick off summer. This year we headed to Jellystone RV Zion and Zion National Park. If you’re on the west coast, I can’t recommend this trip enough.
Jellystone Zion
We stayed at the Jellystone RV park in Hurricane, Utah (close to Zion National Park). If you’re not familiar, this is Yogi Bear’s park, so we were able to spot Yogi, Boo Boo, and Cindy! My boys are older but they still loved getting hugs every time the bears were on the loose.
In true Jellystone style, this park had several water slides, pools, and a splash pad. It also had a lazy river (my favorite). These were enough to keep my kids busy but we also had to visit the wibit — the inflatable course at the campground.
In the evenings, we played pickleball while the kids jumped on the jumping pillow or did a coordinated activity with the Jellystone rangers. SO relaxing and so worth the only $60-some per night we paid to stay there!
Next week I’ll share our Zion National Park experience with tips!
Here’s your sign to host a morning ice cream sundae bar with friends!
I’m doing it this morning (and will share it on Instagram later today). We’re beating the heat by gathering early and making the ice cream treat feel extra fun by eating it before noon. Who says kids can’t indulge too?
Since my background is content strategy and freelancing, I get a lot of questions about how to make money as a homeschooling mom. In this section, I’ll share ways you can bring in some extra cash without sacrificing time with your kids.
One idea that I LOVE comes from a woman in my neighborhood. She loves to go thrifting and shopping. I do not. She’s built local connections with retailers that I don’t have. It’s great! She’ll get awesome deals or find great clothing and decor items, then post it in a Facebook group. If you like it, you comment and she’ll drop it off at your doorstep. You have 24 hours to say you’ll keep it or return it. If you return it, she picks it up from you.
As a homeschooling parent, you can do this in your town too! Shop once, post once, then deliver and earn money on all the fun finds you get! It’s ideal for people like me who don’t like shopping but love a good find!
That’s it for the newsletter this week!
And, if you’re a member, I can’t wait to keep connecting with you inside the Homeschool Flow community until next Friday!
~ Kimberly
P.S. Do you manage a co-op, formal or informal? If you bring in 5 moms, you all get a 50% discount inside the Homeschool Flow.