If you didn’t know, it’s already October. Seriously, March until now seemed to have happened in a blink of an eye. This means we’ve been homeschooling for about a month, and we still haven’t fully gotten into the swing of things. To be honest, that probably won’t happen until after our week-long break later this month. The first 6-8 weeks after an extended break has always been an adjustment period.
Weekly Homeschool Resources
For the kids:
My BFF in Southwest Florida is a marine biologist and is always sending me fun ocean science stuff to do with the kids. Sanibel Sea School has a newsletter called “Nature Near You” with home activities and lessons for both homeschoolers and distance learners. Also, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute hosts NOAA Live! Webinars for kids with awesome resource links you can access at anytime.
My boys (including my husband) are stoked for the new Star Wars: Squadrons game that debuts today. I have to check to see if my eldest son’s laptop can handle the game before we order it as it may be something only my husband gets to play.
Talking about gaming, has anyone had any luck scoring a preorder for the new PlayStation 5? The release date is scheduled for November 12th and you know it’s going to be the “it” toy of the holiday season.
Figured out what you’re doing for Halloween yet? My cousin alerted me to this DIY Candy Slide from Wicked Makers for social distanced trick-or-treating. We may just do this, but I’m not sure if it’s worth the effort if kids don’t walk our neighborhood this year, but my husband says we should just use it every Halloween.
Speaking of holidays, one of my favorite gifts for curious minds is a subscription to Letters From Afar. We’ve been getting their letters for a few years now and the kids LOVE them. They are beautifully illustrated and thoughtfully written, plus you get two vintage stamps with each letter. We keep our letters in a binder for easy rereading and I’m looking into getting a stamp collector album for our ever growing collection.
This unboxing activity from Ditch That Textbook looks like a great idea. I used to have my students create youtube videos, usually short films or comedy skits, featuring historical facts they’ve learned. It was really awesome to see their creativity.
Apps we’ve been using this week: Insect ID, eBird, Merlin Bird ID, and Picture This.
For the adults:
I’m always misplacing my mask, so I bought a pearl mask chain from my favorite local jewelry store, Betty Belts. If you want something budget friendly, this beaded metal one is cute.
Have you heard of Blueland? My cousin introduced it to me as we’re both looking for convenient yet earth-friendly cleaning products. She already ordered her set and loves the window cleaner so far.
I’ve been taking classes on Coursera for a while, usually just to up my knowledge on whatever topic we plan on studying in our homeschool, but recently I’ve been thinking of what I could take to boost my resume for when I decide to get back into the workforce. My other BFF is looking into coding. What courses do you think would be beneficial for a career?
I may have bought a modern witch hat to wear all month long, but I’m jonesing for this crooked hat that reminds me of the Hogwarts Sorting Hat (which we also already have!) However, I don’t think I could pull this off for daily wear, but fun fact: I have dressed up as a witch for Halloween for most of my life. Only since having kids have I begun dressing up as other characters, but thankfully I got to be Bellatrix LeStrange last year!
Have you heard of Fiverr? It’s a freelance marketplace that a few of my friends use to earn extra money. One of them is doing quite well and actually quit her job to freelance full-time while she and her family live on the road for a year. I just signed up for it, but haven’t offered any of my services yet. I’m just not sure if I actually have time to add another project to my plate.
50+ Best Ways to Save Money – like don’t buy random witch hats.
From my dad:
Xuan Klevecka is a Southern California-based homeschool mom, wife, and sometimes purveyor of vintage goods. She’s an Enneagram 5w4, a lover of good food, and a former middle school history teacher. You’ll either find her looking at road maps and daydreaming about her family’s next epic adventure or perusing recipes and cooking up a feast for the brood.
