Real Life at Home Podcast: Real Life Homeschooling

Traveling is an excellent way to learn and explore far and wide.  It was always one of my favorite things about homeschooling, and we made sure to take advantage of it.  Because of that, I have some tips to share about how to homeschool while traveling. In this episode, How to Homeschool While Traveling, I’m sharing tips about how to keep homeschooling while you’re on the road.  I know, I know.  Learning happens everywhere, all the time.  Don’t worry – I mention that too.  But, for those that have stricter guidelines to follow from their state or country about homeschooling and how it is done, these tips might be very helpful. Though we live in a state with very lenient rules for homeschooling, these ideas were very helpful to me when I decided to take my kids to visit family for a whole month during one school year. I know that as a homeschooling family, you’re very busy.  So, in an effort to help you while also not taking up a ton of your time, this episode is less than ten minutes long.  It’s perfect for listening to while running a short errand or cleaning up around the house. Listen to the podcast here on the site (or download it directly to your computer): Note: If you are reading this in a feed reader or via email, you will need to come to the site to see the audio player.  Other podcast listening options You can also listen to this episode or subscribe (for free) to automatically get all episodes through iTunes or Stitcher.  (Those are both links directly to the podcast.) Another option is to subscribe to receive an email from me each time a new episode becomes available, which only happens once a week.  Just scroll to the “Podcast Posts Only” option and put your email address in the box. Past episodes Click through to check out past episodes of the podcast, featuring stories on practical living, real life homeschooling, and authentic (sometimes domestically challenged) motherhood. Other Posts You’ll Love: 30 Truths about Homeschooling 10 Ways to Invest in Your Kids’ Future Learning to Accept Your Homeschool for What It Is From Public School to Homeschool to a Mix: Changing How We View Our Educational Ideals The post Tips for How to Homeschool While Traveling {Podcast Episode #32} appeared first on Real Life at Home.

Whether you work online or just find that you spend a lot of time online, you might find that your productivity is suffering.  There are so many things about working online and about being a blogger that can work to make you get off task and put you behind on your schedule, as well as making it difficult to be a productive blogger. In this episode, How to Be a More Productive Blogger, I’m sharing eight tips to help you be more productive in your blogging life.  Even if you aren’t a blogger, you will probably find that some of the tips will be just as helpful for you too! In an effort to help your productivity efforts, this episode is less than ten minutes in length, so it’s a perfect length to quickly listen to as you do some other task that you need to take care of, like cleaning the kitchen counter or driving to the grocery store. Listen to the podcast here on the site (or download it directly to your computer): Note: If you are reading this in a feed reader or via email, you will need to come to the site to see the audio player.  Other podcast listening options You can also listen to this episode or subscribe (for free) to automatically get all episodes through iTunes or Stitcher.  (Those are both links directly to the podcast.) Another option is to subscribe to receive an email from me each time a new episode becomes available, which only happens once a week.  Just scroll to the “Podcast Posts Only” option and put your email address in the box. Past episodes Click through to check out past episodes of the podcast, featuring stories on practical living, real life homeschooling, and authentic (sometimes domestically challenged) motherhood. Other Posts You’ll Love: The post How to Be a More Productive Blogger {Podcast Episode #31} appeared first on Real Life at Home.

Before we started homeschooling, I had these grandiose visions for what I thought our homeschool would look like. Despite the fact that I know my children and the kinds of things they enjoy and don’t enjoy, I still thought that our days would be filled with poetry and art and wonder. That just didn’t happen, despite all of my best plans. Do you have a vision for your homeschool that just isn’t working out like you thought it would? Are you working so hard to always do more that you can never enjoy what’s going on right now? I’m sharing my story of what I thought our homeschool would be like versus what my kids actually wanted it to be like, and how I came to terms with that. I hope that it will help you think on what really works for your family, and which plans are better left as ideas, rather than put into action. This episode is just under eight minutes long, so that makes it a perfect quick listen while you’ve got some down time, while you’re straightening around the house, or just part of an errand that you need to run anyway.  I know your time is valuable, so I like to keep it short and to the point! Oh, and one quick note.  Seriously – I know it’s really Washington Crossing the Delaware.  I don’t know why I said the Potomac in this episode.  So, there you go.  I just wanted you to know that as soon as I listened back to it, I thought, “What did I just say?”  LOL  But, I apparently didn’t worry about it enough to go re-record that part. Listen to the podcast here on the site (or download it directly to your computer): Note: If you are reading this in a feed reader or via email, you will need to come to the site to see the audio player.  Other podcast listening options You can also listen to this episode or subscribe (for free) to automatically get all episodes through iTunes or Stitcher.  (Those are both links directly to the podcast.) Another option is to subscribe to receive an email from me each time a new episode becomes available, which only happens once a week.  Just scroll to the “Podcast Posts Only” option and put your email address in the box. Past episodes Click through to check out past episodes of the podcast, featuring stories on practical living, real life learning and homeschooling, and authentic (sometimes domestically challenged) motherhood. {Read More Posts by Angie on Real Life at Home} The post Learning to Accept Your Homeschool for What It Is appeared first on Real Life at Home.

Homeschooling is such a rewarding lifestyle choice, but do you know what? Homeschooling can also be a really difficult lifestyle choice. It can be easy to get discouraged while you’re homeschooling. In this week’s podcast, I’m sharing steps that you can take to help yourself and your homeschool when you’re starting to feel discouraged as a homeschooling parent. Even if you’re not a homeschooler, you still will likely find some great tips in this episode for dealing with discouragement as a parent, no matter where your kids go to school. As always, I’m keeping in mind both mine and your busy, busy schedules, so this episode is just under nine minutes in length.  That makes it a perfect option for listening to while cleaning up in the kitchen or just part of an errand around town. Listen to the podcast here on the site (or download it directly to your computer): Note: If you are reading this in a feed reader or via email, you will need to come to the site to see the audio player.  Other podcast listening options You can also listen to this episode or subscribe (for free) to automatically get all episodes through iTunes or Stitcher.  (Those are both links directly to the podcast.) Another option is to subscribe to receive an email from me each time a new episode becomes available, which only happens no more than once a week, but typically just a couple of times a month.  Just scroll to the “Podcast Posts Only” option and put your email address in the box. Past episodes Click through to check out past episodes of the podcast, featuring stories on practical living, real life learning and homeschooling, and authentic (sometimes domestically challenged) motherhood. {Read More Posts from Angie on Real Life at Home} The post Steps to Take When You’re Feeling Discouraged as a Homeschooling Parent appeared first on Real Life at Home.

Decision making can be hard, especially when you’re faced with some difficult options from which to choose. While one of the pieces of conventional wisdom is to make a pros and cons list to help you decide, I have a variation on that concept that you just might find useful the next time you’re faced with a difficult choice. Listen to this short (less than seven minutes!) podcast episode to get my tips on how to make difficult decisions using a variation of the old standard pros and cons list. Listen to the podcast here on the site (or download it directly to your computer): Note: If you are reading this in a feed reader or via email, you will need to come to the site to see the audio player.  Other podcast listening options You can also listen to this episode or subscribe (for free) to automatically get all episodes through iTunes or Stitcher.  (Those are both links directly to the podcast.) Another option is to subscribe to receive an email from me each time a new episode becomes available, which only happens once a week.  Just scroll to the “Podcast Posts Only” option and put your email address in the box. Past episodes Click through to check out past episodes of the podcast, featuring stories on practical living, real life homeschooling, and authentic (sometimes domestically challenged) motherhood. {Read More Posts from Angie on Real Life at Home} The post How to Make Difficult Decisions: A Method for Making Choices {Podcast} appeared first on Real Life at Home.

When you’re selling your home, house staging can be an important step to help potential buyers become more interested in your house as well as to help them imagine what their life might look like in your house.  While you could spend a fortune in house staging, if you’re on a budget, there are some easy ways to spend very little while also greatly improving your home’s appearance. In today’s nine minute episode, I’m sharing what I learned about house staging from a professional who was helping us improve on the appearance of my grandparents’ house after it had already been on the market for a year.  The changes cost less than $100, but they made a big difference.  It was a great way to stage a house on a budget! Even if you’re not in the market to sell your home right now, most of these tips are things that you can do in your house just to make it look a lot nicer for your family! Listen to the podcast here on the site (or download it directly to your computer): Note: If you are reading this in a feed reader or via email, you will need to come to the site to see the audio player. (Or, you can click here to open an audio player in a new window to listen to the podcast episode.) Other podcast listening options You can also listen to this episode or subscribe (for free) to automatically get all episodes through iTunes or Stitcher.  (Those are both links directly to the podcast.) Another option is to subscribe to receive an email from me each time a new episode becomes available, which only happens once a week.  Just scroll to the “Podcast Posts Only” option and put your email address in the box. Past episodes Click through to check out past episodes of the podcast, featuring stories on practical living, real life homeschooling, and authentic (sometimes domestically challenged) motherhood. Angie, a domestically challenged nerd and mom of three very fun kids, is the founder of Real Life at Home.  Angie also listens to music every chance she gets, writes eBooks, podcasts, loves Pinterest, documents the little moments in life on Instagram, and occasionally sleeps. The post How to Stage Your Home on a Budget {Podcast Episode 27} appeared first on Real Life at Home.

I’ve been pretty vocal in the past about my own lack of domestic skills when I moved out of my parents house at the age of nineteen as a brand new bride.  You’d think those deficits would have made me more cognizant that I needed to work on those kinds of things with my kids, but that’s not the case.  Well, in fairness, they are already ahead of where I was at their age.  But, there’s more work to be done.  Still – I have some tips of things you can do now (whether they’re in preschool or high school) to help teach them about meal planning and preparation.   As I share in this week’s ten minute episode, it’s great if you can start working with your kids earlier in life.  That’s the best time to start.  But, the second best time to start is right now!  Even if they’re teenagers, it’s not too late.  Use some of these ideas to help them start preparing for when they’ll be planning and making their own meals.   How to Teach Children about Meal Planning and Preparation Listen to the podcast here on the site (or download it directly to your computer): Note: If you are reading this in a feed reader or via email, you will need to come to the site to see the audio player. (Or, you can click here and an audio player will open in a new window with the episode.)  Other podcast listening options You can also listen to this episode or subscribe (for free) to automatically get all episodes through iTunes or Stitcher.  (Those are both links directly to the podcast.) Another option is to subscribe to receive an email from me each time a new episode becomes available, which only happens once a week.  Just scroll to the “Podcast Posts Only” option and put your email address in the box. Past episodes Click through to check out past episodes of the podcast, featuring stories on practical living, real life homeschooling, and authentic (sometimes domestically challenged) motherhood. Angie, a domestically challenged nerd and mom of three very fun kids, is the founder of Real Life at Home.  Angie also listens to music every chance she gets, writes eBooks, podcasts, loves Pinterest, documents the little moments in life on Instagram, and occasionally sleeps. The post How to Work on Teaching Children about Meal Planning and Preparation {Podcast} appeared first on Real Life at Home.

Parenting is not an easy gig.  The rewards are amazing, but it’s just not easy.  When you throw in homeschooling, it can be even easier to start to feel a little weary along the way.  Homeschooling can be an enormous amount of work, but even more so – it can be mentally taxing.  That’s not just about the actual homeschooling though.  Sometimes, that mentally taxing stuff is in our self-doubts and spending time comparing ourselves and our homeschool to other homeschoolers we know. If you’re in need of some encouragement in your homeschooling or even just in your life as a parent (because this episode talks about homeschooling, but it can easily be applied to those self-doubts and comparisons we make as parents), you’ll want to check out this week’s seven and a half minute boost of encouragement for the weary homeschool parent. Yep, that’s right.  Just a seven and a half minute easy listen.  Perfect for listening to while doing a household task or running part of an errand. Listen to the podcast here on the site (or download it directly to your computer): Note: If you are reading this in a feed reader or via email, you will need to come to the site to see the audio player (or just click here and it will open an audio player for the episode in a new window).  Other podcast listening options You can also listen to this episode or subscribe (for free) to automatically get all episodes through iTunes or Stitcher.  (Those are both links directly to the podcast.) Another option is to subscribe to receive an email from me each time a new episode becomes available, which only happens once a week.  Just scroll to the “Podcast Posts Only” option and put your email address in the box. Past episodes Click through to check out past episodes of the podcast, featuring stories on practical living, real life learning and homeschooling, and authentic (sometimes domestically challenged) motherhood. Angie, a domestically challenged nerd and mom of three very fun kids, is the founder of Real Life at Home.  Angie also listens to music every chance she gets, writes eBooks, podcasts, loves Pinterest, documents the little moments in life on Instagram, and occasionally sleeps. The post Encouragement for the Weary Homeschool Parent {Episode 25} appeared first on Real Life at Home.

This week’s episode is just a silly little retelling of some of the ways to be annoying that I received in an email forward all the way back in 1996.  I’m also sharing a few reasons from my own life that make me know that some of the things on the list are accurate, including one of my sister’s great displeasure at robot voices. So, there are no helpful tips in this week’s seven minute episode.  It’s all just for fun.  Hopefully you’ll have some laughs like my family did when they listened to it. Listen to the podcast here on the site (or download it directly to your computer): Note: If you are reading this in a feed reader or via email, you will need to come to the site to see the audio player.  (Or, you can click here for it to open directly.)  Other podcast listening options You can also listen to this episode or subscribe (for free) to automatically get all episodes through iTunes or Stitcher.  (Those are both links directly to the podcast.) Another option is to subscribe to receive an email from me each time a new episode becomes available, which only happens once a week.  Just scroll to the “Podcast Posts Only” option and put your email address in the box. Past episodes Click through to check out past episodes of the podcast, featuring stories on practical living, real life homeschooling, and authentic (sometimes domestically challenged) motherhood. Angie, a domestically challenged nerd and mom of three very fun kids, is the founder of Real Life at Home.  Angie also listens to music every chance she gets, writes eBooks, podcasts, loves Pinterest, documents the little moments in life on Instagram, and occasionally sleeps. The post 13 Ways to Be Annoying {Podcast 24} appeared first on Real Life at Home.

Follow my blog with Bloglovin No matter how many things you can cut out of your budget, food is one of those things that you’ll always have to spend money on.  In fact, your food budget may be one of the larger line items in your budget.  There are ways, however, to start saving some money at the grocery store.  In this week’s episode, I’ll share eight simple tips for saving some money while you’re shopping. This week’s episode is a quick seven minute listen.  So, listen to it here on the site or scroll down farther to see more options, such as how to get it on your smart phone. Listen to the podcast here on the site (or download it directly to your computer): Note: If you are reading this in a feed reader or via email, you will need to come to the site to see the audio player. (Or click here to directly open a page with the audio player in a new window.)  Other podcast listening options You can also listen to this episode or subscribe (for free) to automatically get all episodes through iTunes or Stitcher.  (Those are both links directly to the podcast.) Another option is to subscribe to receive an email from me each time a new episode becomes available, which only happens once a week.  Just scroll to the “Podcast Posts Only” option and put your email address in the box. Past episodes Click through to check out past episodes of the podcast, featuring stories on practical living, real life homeschooling, and authentic (sometimes domestically challenged) motherhood. Other Posts You Might Enjoy: 5 Ways to Lower Your Grocery Bill 10 Tips for Party Planning on a Budget Teaching Your Children Money Management Skills How to Make a Cleaning Schedule that Works Angie, a domestically challenged nerd and mom of three very fun kids, is the founder of Real Life at Home.  Angie also listens to music every chance she gets, writes eBooks, podcasts, loves Pinterest, documents the little moments in life on Instagram, and occasionally sleeps. The post How to Save Money at the Grocery Store {Podcast 23} appeared first on Real Life at Home.

If you’re used to using a more traditional approach to homeschooling, such as one that looks more like a public school model, you may struggle with adding some child-led aspects to your child’s education.  This is something that I have struggled with, but it’s also one area that I’ve found some things that have worked for our family to add child-led aspects. In this week’s episode, I have suggestions for ways you can help give your children more ownership over their education and educational choices, even if you’re using a more teacher/parent-led approach to homeschooling. Listen to the podcast here on the site (or download it directly to your computer): Note: If you are reading this in a feed reader or via email, you will need to come to the site to see the audio player (or click here to listen).  Other podcast listening options You can also listen to this episode or subscribe (for free) to automatically get all episodes through iTunes or Stitcher.  (Those are both links directly to the podcast.) Another option is to subscribe to receive an email from me each time a new episode becomes available, which only happens once a week.  Just scroll to the “Podcast Posts Only” option and put your email address in the box. Past episodes Click through to check out past episodes of the podcast, featuring stories on practical living, real life homeschooling, and authentic (sometimes domestically challenged) motherhood. Angie, a domestically challenged nerd and mom of three very fun kids, is the founder of Real Life at Home.  Angie also listens to music every chance she gets, writes eBooks, podcasts, loves Pinterest, documents the little moments in life on Instagram, and occasionally sleeps. The post How to Add Child-Led Options to a Traditional Homeschool Approach (Episode 22) appeared first on Real Life at Home.

Grocery shopping isn’t a particularly fun task, especially when it includes compiling lists, meal planning, and coupon clipping. What can make it even more of an experience is to have three small children along for the ride. Although it can be extra stressful, in retrospect, it may make for a funny story. In this week’s episode, I’m sharing the story shared (on Catholic Mothers Online) by Delena from It’s on My To-Do List about her battle plan for her major grocery trip and how it instead included things like a half-eaten avocado, a checkbook using woman at the checkout line, and some conveyor belt licking. {This week’s episode is approximately nine minutes.} Listen to the podcast here on the site (or download it directly to your computer): Note: If you are reading this in a feed reader or via email, you will need to come to the site to see the audio player.  Other podcast listening options You can also listen to this episode or subscribe (for free) to automatically get all episodes through iTunes or Stitcher.  (Those are both links directly to the podcast.) Another option is to subscribe to receive an email from me each time a new episode becomes available, which only happens once a week.  Just scroll to the “Podcast Posts Only” option and put your email address in the box. Past episodes Click through to check out past episodes of the podcast, featuring stories on practical living, real life homeschooling, and authentic (sometimes domestically challenged) motherhood. Angie, a domestically challenged nerd and mom of three very fun kids, is the founder of Real Life at Home.  Angie also listens to music every chance she gets, writes eBooks, podcasts, loves Pinterest, documents the little moments in life on Instagram, and occasionally sleeps. The post The Battle in Aisle Four: A Tale of Grocery Shopping (Episode 21) appeared first on Real Life at Home.

Sometimes, it seems like there is just such enormous pressure to be a super mom.  You should be a cheerful and creative mother, a loving and, um, loving wife, an excellent and efficient keeper of your home, and be able to do all of the awesome projects you see on Pinterest.  It’s easy to get overwhelmed in your role as Mom.  Well, I’m here to share something.  I’m absolutely not a super mom. Despite any cool stuff I may share on this site or on social media, I do not have it all together.  Whatever that means, anyway.  This is a safe zone for you other moms that aren’t super moms either.  It’s okay to not be perfect.  None of us are.  Even the ones that pretend that they might be. In this week’s episode of the podcast, I hope you’ll find some encouragement, as well as probably some laughter, at just ten of the reasons that I know that I’m absolutely not a super mom. After you give it a listen, I hope you might come back here and share some of your reasons in the comments or on Facebook.  But, more than anything, I really just hope it brightens your day a little bit.  (Plus, you’ll find out the reason one of my sisters is positive that I’m our Mom’s favorite, while I’m just chalking it up to my Mom’s desire for self-preservation.) This week’s podcast episode is approximately nine minutes.  So, pick your favorite nine-ish minute task or errand and start listening. Listen to the podcast here on the site (or download it directly to your computer): Note: If you are reading this in a feed reader or via email, you will need to come to the site to see the audio player.  Other podcast listening options You can also listen to this episode or subscribe (for free) to automatically get all episodes through iTunes or Stitcher.  (Those are both links directly to the podcast.) Another option is to subscribe to receive an email from me each time a new episode becomes available, which only happens once a week.  Just scroll to the “Podcast Posts Only” option and put your email address in the box. Past episodes Click through to check out past episodes of the podcast, featuring stories on practical living, real life homeschooling, and authentic (sometimes domestically challenged) motherhood. Angie, a domestically challenged nerd and mom of three very fun kids, is the founder of Real Life at Home.  Angie also listens to music every chance she gets, writes eBooks, podcasts, loves Pinterest, documents the little moments in life on Instagram, and occasionally sleeps. The post 10 Reasons I Know I’m Absolutely Not a Super Mom (Podcast #20) appeared first on Real Life at Home.

Homeschooling can be taxing even during the best times of the year.  But, throw in cold and snowy weather that sometimes keeps you trapped inside the house, and you may just hit the winter doldrums of homeschooling. It’s no fun, but take heart and know that you’re not the only homeschooler who has dealt with this before.   In today’s episode, I’m sharing some tips for things you can do to help you get through the winter homeschooling doldrums, and perhaps even make winter some of your favorite times for homeschooling. In keeping with the newer format of the show, this is a six minute episode, making it an easy listen while doing a quick cleaning task around the house or running to the grocery store.  You’re busy, and I know that a more succinct episode makes it easier for you to listen. Listen to the podcast here on the site (or download it directly to your computer): Note: If you are reading this in a feed reader or via email, you will need to come to the site to see the audio player. Although not in its entirety, if you prefer to read about this rather than listen to the podcast, you can check out a post I wrote about it a couple of years ago. Other podcast listening options You can also listen to this episode or subscribe (for free) to automatically get all episodes through iTunes or Stitcher.  (Those are both links directly to the podcast.) Another option is to subscribe to receive an email from me each time a new episode becomes available, which only happens once a week.  Just go to the “Podcast Posts Only” option. Past episodes Click through to check out past episodes of the podcast, featuring stories on practical living, real life homeschooling, and authentic (sometimes domestically challenged) motherhood. Angie, a domestically challenged nerd and mom of three very fun kids, is the founder of Real Life at Home.  Angie also listens to music every chance she gets, writes eBooks, podcasts, loves Pinterest, documents the little moments in life on Instagram, and occasionally sleeps. The post How to Beat Winter Homeschooling Doldrums {Podcast #19} appeared first on Real Life at Home.

If you struggle in the kitchen, it can be hard to even know where to start when you’re trying to learn how to be a better cook and baker.  I have some suggestions for what you should and shouldn’t do as you work toward more kitchen proficiency in this week’s six minute episode of the Real Life at Home podcast. Listen to the podcast here on the site (or download it directly to your computer): Note: If you are reading this in a feed reader or via email, you will need to come to the site to see the audio player. During the podcast, I talked about some finding some good cookbooks for beginning cooks and bakers.  Here are some of my top suggestions: (Note: These are affiliate links.) If you think that something like the standard Betty Crocker cookbook (which I think everyone should have) or Better Homes & Gardens cookbook might be over your ability level (although I doubt it, because there are a huge amount of recipes for every skill level in those), then consider something like: Anyone Can Cook Anyone Can Bake How to Boil Water Betty Crocker Cooking Basics: Recipes and Tips to Cook with Confidence Taste of Home Kid Approved Cookbook (This is meant for kids to be able to join along with the preparations, this is a good source for kid friendly recipes that also don’t take extensive cooking skills.  Of course, this would also be a great gift idea for kid learning to cook.) Pillsbury Fast and Easy Meals for Kids (again – with a focus on kid friendly foods, it tends to bring down the need for extensive cooking skills) Good Housekeeping Step by Step Cookbook (I have found that cookbooks that denote that they’re for college students or those just freshly out on their own are usually a good resource for the kitchen hopeless.) Now, here are those Pinterest boards that I mentioned, but that you should hold out on getting recipes from, if you’re not ready for that step yet: Breakfast Lunch and Dinner Lunch on the Go Side Dishes Snacks Sweets and Desserts Food Tips, Tricks, and Ideas Other podcast listening options You can also listen to this episode or subscribe (for free) to automatically get all episodes through iTunes or Stitcher.  (Those are both links directly to the podcast.) Another option is to subscribe to receive an email from me each time a new episode becomes available, which only happens once a week.  Just click on “Podcast Posts Only” on the web form that pops up when you click on this link after you’ve put your email address in the box. Past episodes Click through to check out past episodes of the podcast, featuring stories on practical living, real life homeschooling, and authentic (sometimes domestically challenged) motherhood. Angie, a domestically challenged nerd and mom of three very fun kids, is the founder of Real Life at Home.  Angie also listens to music every chance she gets, writes eBooks, podcasts, loves Pinterest, documents the little moments in life on Instagram, and occasionally sleeps. The post How to Become a Better Cook Through Practice {Podcast Episode 18} appeared first on Real Life at Home.

Things are much different for my kids growing up than they were when I was growing up. If you’re a child of the 70’s, 80’s, or 90’s, and are a parent now, you might recognize some of these things that were commonplace in your childhood that might make your children look quizzically in your direction. While our kids believed us when we told them some of these things, there was definitely a certainly level of skepticism. Listen to this week’s seven minute episode to see if any of these seven things ring true for you too. Hopefully you’ll be at least mildly amused by today’s episode.  If you think of any thing that you would add to today’s episode that was commonplace for you and crazy to your kids, be sure to leave a comment. Today’s episode is only seven minutes long, so it will be easy to listen to on the site or to download it to a mobile device (there are options below) and listen to it while running an errand. Listen to the podcast here on the site (or download it directly to your computer): Note: If you are reading this in a feed reader or via email, you will need to come to the site to see the audio player.  If you’re reading this via a tablet or mobile device, you may need to click on “play in a new window.” Other podcast listening options You can also listen to this episode or subscribe (for free) to automatically get all episodes through iTunes or Stitcher.  (Those are both links directly to the podcast.) Another option is to subscribe to receive an email from me each time a new episode becomes available, which only happens once a week.  Just click “Podcast Posts Only” on the web form that pops up when you click on this link after you’ve put your email address in the box. Past episodes Click through to check out past episodes of the podcast, featuring stories on practical living, real life homeschooling, and authentic (sometimes domestically challenged) motherhood. Angie, a domestically challenged nerd and mom of three very fun kids, is the founder of Real Life at Home.  Angie also listens to music every chance she gets, writes eBooks, podcasts, loves Pinterest, documents the little moments in life on Instagram, and occasionally sleeps. The post Things My Kids Just Don’t Understand about my Childhood {Podcast Episode 17} appeared first on Real Life at Home.

Motherhood is not an easy gig. Sure, it’s rewarding, but it can be hard sometimes. When you throw in homeschooling on top of that, it can become even more difficult and exhausting. If you’re a newer homeschooler, or just need some encouragement in your journey, take heart and listen to these words of encouragement for new homeschoolers originally penned for Real Life at Home by Kris Bales from Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers.  I have to admit though, when I first read her post, it was encouraging to me, and I had been homeschooling for six year! In keeping with my goal to keep the podcast length reasonable for busy moms, this week’s episode of the podcast is only eight minutes. Listen to the podcast here on the site (or download it directly to your computer): Note: If you are reading this in a feed reader or via email, you will need to come to the site to see the audio player.  If you’re reading this via a tablet or mobile device, you will need to click on “play in a new window.” Other podcast listening options You can also listen to this episode or subscribe (for free) to automatically get all episodes through iTunes or Stitcher.  (Those are both links directly to the podcast.) Another option is to subscribe to receive an email from me each time a new episode becomes available, which only happens once a week.  Just click “Podcast Posts Only” on the web form that pops up when you click on this link after you’ve put your email address in the box. Past episodes Click through to check out past episodes of the podcast, featuring stories on practical living, real life homeschooling, and authentic (sometimes domestically challenged) motherhood. Angie, a domestically challenged nerd and mom of three very fun kids, is the founder of Real Life at Home.  Angie also listens to music every chance she gets, writes eBooks, podcasts, loves Pinterest, documents the little moments in life on Instagram, and occasionally sleeps. The post Advice and Encouragement for New Homeschoolers {Podcast Episode 16} appeared first on Real Life at Home.

Keeping the house clean can be challenging with so many other things keeping us busy every day. There is a way to help with this struggle though, and it’s putting a cleaning schedule in place. While ready-made systems and schedules are fine, I have suggestions for making a cleaning schedule you can actually follow: one you make for yourself!  In this week’s episode, I’m sharing tips for making the schedule and displaying it. With this episode coming in at just a tiny bit over six minutes, it will make for a quick listen on your mobile device while running an errand or you can listen right here on the site. Resources Mentioned in the Episode: My cleaning schedules board on Pinterest The personal laminator that I use (affiliate) Listen to the podcast here on the site (or download it directly to your computer): Note: If you are reading this in a feed reader or via email, you will need to come to the site to see the audio player.  If you’re reading this via a tablet or mobile device, you will need to click on “play in a new window.” Other podcast listening options You can also listen to this episode or subscribe (for free) to automatically get all episodes through iTunes or Stitcher.  (Those are both links directly to the podcast.) Another option is to subscribe to receive an email from me each time a new episode becomes available, which only happens once a week.  Just click “Podcast Posts Only” on the web form that pops up when you click on this link after you’ve put your email address in the box. Past episodes Click through to check out past episodes of the podcast, featuring stories on practical living, real life homeschooling, and authentic (sometimes domestically challenged) motherhood. Angie, a domestically challenged nerd and mom of three very fun kids, is the founder of Real Life at Home.  Angie also listens to music every chance she gets, writes eBooks, podcasts, loves Pinterest, documents the little moments in life on Instagram, and occasionally sleeps. The post How to Make a Cleaning Schedule that Works {Podcast Episode 15} appeared first on Real Life at Home.

In this episode, I share two stories of funny or intriguing things that I have overheard while eating or working at Panera. First, you’ll find out about one college student’s theory on how to find the perfect mate, which ends up being something kind of bizarre, but funny and not at all expected. This is followed up by learning that one little boy named Rhett had some very interesting privileges, and he just might lose them if he doesn’t settle down.  Once you get a chance to listen to the podcast, feel free to take a guess at what Rhett’s other privileges that we never found out about might have been. Oh, and one more change to the podcast: I know you’re busy and so am I.  So, I’ve dropped the last segment of extra stuff in each episode so that these episodes will be a quick listen.  Today’s episode, for example, clocks in at just under six minutes!  If you get a chance, let me know what you think of the shortened episodes.  I already have the next episode recorded and it’s a very similar length. There won’t be an episode next week, because of Thanksgiving, but then expect one on cleaning schedules the following week. Listen to the podcast here on the site (or download it directly to your computer): Note: If you are reading this in a feed reader or via email, you will need to come to the site to see the audio player.  If you’re reading this via a tablet or mobile device, you will need to click on “play in a new window.” Other podcast listening options You can also listen to this episode or subscribe (for free) to automatically get all episodes through iTunes or Stitcher.  (Those are both links directly to the podcast.) Another option is to subscribe to receive an email from me each time a new episode becomes available, which only happens once a week.  Just click “Podcast Posts Only” on the web form that pops up when you click on this link after you’ve put your email address in the box. Past episodes Click through to check out past episodes of the podcast, featuring stories on practical living, real life homeschooling, and authentic (sometimes domestically challenged) motherhood. Angie, a domestically challenged nerd and mom of three very fun kids, is the founder of Real Life at Home.  Angie also listens to music every chance she gets, writes eBooks, podcasts, loves Pinterest, documents the little moments in life on Instagram, and occasionally sleeps. The post As Overheard at Lunch: Funny Stories Told Loudly at Panera (Podcast Ep. 014) appeared first on Real Life at Home.

It can be easy to get so set in particular ideals for any given situation, and education is no different.  When my kids were very young, I had some pretty strong opinions about education.  They got turned upside down when we felt called to start homeschooling. Six years later, they got confused again when I had one of my children ask to go to school, while others wanted to continue homeschooling.  In the end, I figured out that I had to anchor my educational ideals on something other than a method of schooling. In the ending segment of today’s episode, I’m sharing something that was making me happy at the time of the recording (back in early September): my teenage son’s first date!  This includes a small discussion on the particulars of what dating currently looks like for our son, although he and the girl that he was briefly dating have recently decided that it would be better for them to just be friends for now.  (Thankfully, it happened all pretty amicably and with a lot of maturity from both of them.) Listen to the podcast here on the site (or download it directly to your computer): Note: If you are reading this in a feed reader or via email, you will need to come to the site to see the audio player.  If you’re reading this via a tablet or mobile device, you will need to click on “play in a new window.” Other podcast listening options You can also listen to this episode or subscribe (for free) to automatically get all episodes through iTunes or Stitcher.  (Those are both links directly to the podcast.) Another option is to subscribe to receive an email from me each time a new episode becomes available, which only happens once a week.  Just click “Podcast Posts Only” on the web form that pops up when you click on this link after you’ve put your email address in the box. Past episodes Click through to check out past episodes of the podcast, featuring stories on practical living, real life homeschooling, and authentic (sometimes domestically challenged) motherhood. Angie, a domestically challenged nerd and mom of three very fun kids, is the founder of Real Life at Home.  Angie also listens to music every chance she gets, writes eBooks, podcasts, loves Pinterest, documents the little moments in life on Instagram, and occasionally sleeps. The post 013: From Public School to Homeschool to a Mix: Changing How We View Our Educational Ideals appeared first on Real Life at Home.