Over the past 5 years that we've been homeschooling we've come across a variety of great resources. The internet is an amazing place to find information! As I've been organising my notebooks and consolidating my notes and bookmarks I thought I'd share these free home education resources with you to have in one handy place. As we find more sites we love we'll add to this list. If you have any great resources that you'd like to share, we'd love to hear about them. Leave a comment below and ... read more
May BBQ & Snacking Degustabox
Summer is in sight, and it's time to get the barbecue out (if you haven't already been enjoying it in the fine weather we've had the past 2 months), and just on cue, it's time to review the BBQ& Snacking Degustabox. Read our review of the full box, and which are our top picks this month. Please note that as reviewers, we often receive most or all of these variations so we can try them all out and share our thoughts with you (I will note this where applicable below). We received this ... read more
Say Thank You With A Golden Ticket Treat
This is a fun simple two minute craft to show your appreciation for teachers, librarians, front-line workers, carers, shop keepers, refuse collectors, or anyone who has a love of books. Give a Golden Ticket treat to anyone who deserves a thank you for the work they do! This post may contain affiliate links through which I may receive a small commission. My children originally made these for our local librarians, but now they're making more to show their appreciation to some ... read more
Teru Teru Bozu: a Japanese Good Weather Doll
June in Japan is known as the rainy season, and I can attest first-hand that it is true. The rain in June was incessant and it honestly seemed to rain 24 hours a day, which when mixed with warm to hot temperatures day and night, led to such high humidity that it was a difficult month for me...the warning of a possible typhoon approaching should have been bad; but for me the increased winds meant a reprieve of the heat. But one can't control the weather...or can they...? With a Teru teru bōzu ... read more
Winnie’s Picks Paint By Number Is As Easy As 1-2-3
What can you do when you have extra time on your hands, or to relieve stress? I've been working on a Winnie's Picks Paint By Number over the past few months when I need to take a little time out and put the rest of life on hold temporarily. Choosing a Kit Thank you to Winnie's Picks for sending me a paint by number kit to try out and review in exchange for my honest review. It's really been a fun project to do. Let me state that I have run into some roadblocks and disasters ... read more
How Do I Know My kids Are Learning?
I was my children's first teacher from the moment they were born, even though I didn't feel like it when Tristan was in the NICU after his premature birth and others were essential for keeping him alive. However, ever since the moment he came home, Phil and I have been involved in his home education, but when speaking with others over the years, the question has come up about how do I know my kids are learning? I've watched my children grow and learn on their own from 11 weeks and 4 ... read more
Modern Japanese Short Stories
I began to read Modern Japanese Short Stories a wee while ago, but as life tends to do, I became busy and the holidays came and went, but now I am beginning to get things better organised and am finding a little time once again to set aside for my own personal reading - yay! I've really missed reading for pleasure, and I'm slowly but surely working my way through my stack of books in my bedside shelves. I'm sure I've already read more this year than the previous year (or more). That makes me a ... read more
Keyboarding Without Tears For K-5
Typing isn't just a skill needed for the secretary pool anymore, it's an essential everyday skill in today's computer-saturated world. Some of us may have taken a typing class in high school as an elective course because it might come in handy someday, and those of us who didn't that use the hunt and peck method of typing. Obviously, touch-typing is the more efficient way to type and the sooner one learns it, the faster it can be applied and other tasks will become quicker as well. Today we're ... read more
7 Fun Family Activities To Forget About Your Stress
There's no doubt that the past couple of months has been stressful, and perhaps even fearful while the world is in a period of uncertainty. I know that I've been spending more time snuggling up with my family, as well as more time reading alone. Perhaps I should be doing something more productive, but it's okay. Everyone deals with stress differently in both the long and short terms, and it's best if this is done in a positive way. I've gathered together 7 fun family activities from our blog ... read more
Learn How To Doodle Everywhere
I had friends in high school who doodled in class - both to pass the time and to help them remember the lessons. A couple have even gone on to make their livings from their art. As for me...I need to learn how to doodle! Do You Doodle? Here's a little something you don't know about me. I write out my posts long-hand before typing them up. It's how my mind works best and how I find my creativity...but you wouldn't have found doodles on my pages before Tuttle Publishing kindly sent ... read more
A-Z of Japan: G is for Gaijin
Next up in my A-Z of Japan (Fuji-san was last), is G is for Gaijin. In Japan the word gaijin means , outsider, as in a foreigner, usually from the Western world. It was introduced to me in Japan on the first morning of my training there. Sometimes it's rather derogatory in manner and sometimes it can be a badge of honour, depending on the context. Gaijin Stand Out I was very obviously a gaijin when I lived in Japan; from my skin colour, my hair colour, and my eye colour, there was ... read more
