All the excitement of the holiday season has died down, the weather has turned bitterly cold, and most of my girls' activities are on break until February. It is the beginning of a long winter in the Midwest. After eight years of homeschooling, I now see this season on the horizon before Christmas ... Read More about Homeschooling during the Long Winter
Reflecting on 2020
As 2020 comes to a close, Mike and I set aside time to reflect on this past year. We take the last two weeks of the year to look at what went well during the past year and what needs to change. The first discussion revolved around how we measure success. Is success based on the profitability of ... Read More about Reflecting on 2020
Simple Home for the Holidays Traditions
I have resisted the urge to bring out the Christmas decorations early, even though we will be home for the holidays. At times, I thought about just digging out all of our favorite Christmas decor, but I kept the decorations tucked away as I anticipate a long January. I may need the season to hang ... Read More about Simple Home for the Holidays Traditions
Cultivate Simple Celebrations Amid Shutdowns
Last week, I planned out much of our Christmas season. I purchased tickets to the Lincoln Park Zoo lights, scheduled our weekend to attend the Geneva Christmas walk, and selected dates to view the Christmas Around the World exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry. With all these holiday ... Read More about Cultivate Simple Celebrations Amid Shutdowns
Cultivate Simple Christmas Eve Traditions
The memories of Christmas Eve during my childhood are hard to beat. The church I was raised in was a small community that knew how to celebrate the Christmas season. Each year, the church hosted a very well attended night of Christmas caroling in the church's neighborhood. We would all bundle up ... Read More about Cultivate Simple Christmas Eve Traditions