But I Don't Wanna Cook!

What's the temperature been in your neck of the woods? 'Round here it's been hot! That's why today I'm guest posting at The Homeschool Classroom on meals and sides that don't require you to turn on the oven!

Click on over to see yummy recipes like Crab Salad, Watermelon Granita, and Chocolate Cereal Snacks. Mmmm.

What Do Olive Juice and Soles4Souls Have in Common?

Clothes4Souls of course!

One thing I love about reclaiming Somewhat Crunchy as purely "my space" is that when I hear about something great, I can just blog about it without wondering what day or theme it will "fit"into.

That's why when I heard about Clothe4Souls I immediately wanted to help spread the word. Many of you may be familiar with Soles4Souls, a fabulous non-profit that has distributed over 15 million pairs of shoes in over 128 countries (including the United States)!

It turns out, they have a new clothing division, Clothes4Souls, whose goal is to clothe disadvantaged children around the globe. According to their statistics, there are approximately 300 million children lacking adequate clothing. 300 million. Not lacking the latest trends, lacking adequate clothing, their basic needs are not met. Are you reaching for the tissues yet? I was too when I read about them.

Clothes4Souls and Olive Juice have teamed up to make it easier for us to help these children. Right now for every item purchased on their new site Olive Juice Gives, Olive Juice will give a piece of clothing to a child in need through Clothes4Souls.

How many children can you help this year by doing a little back-to-school shopping at Olive Juice? Even one item makes a difference.

Could your little man use a handsome new shirt for church? Wouldn't your daughter love the Spring Poppy Dress this summer? And what baby wouldn't look adorable in this striped body suit? Remember as you shop that you are basically getting two for the price of one - it's a get one, give one. Everyone wins.



I hope you'll consider Olive Juice Gives for the special child in your life...because there is a special child in someone else's life who is in great need.

A Little Encouragement Today

Today I have a Thoughtful Thursday guest post up at Some Girl's Website. Hop on over and read it - I hope it blesses you today!

Be sure to come back this afternoon when I share about an easy way to help children in need!

My #SBSummit Experience

What a whirlwind it's been here! Shane was in Puerto Rico on business, he returned the night before I left for the Savvy Blogging Summit- only to get me to the airport at 4am the next morning, then the day I after I got back he had to go to New Jersey, or Joy-sey as we like to call it ;) He's now home and we're trying to resume some kind of normal around here...although how can anything be normal after Savvy??

Savvy was unlike any other conference I've been to before. It was two and a half days devoted to the art of business blogging - a behind the curtain peek at tips, tricks and tools of the trade. It was intense.

I attended Savvy with a much different mindset than other conferences in the past, I was there to learn, come hell or high water. My pen and notepad were ready - I brought home PAGES of notes and have a to-do list that will take me many months to complete. Just looking at the list makes me happy because I have a plan of action!

Things 'round here will stay pretty much the same, I am still dedicated to Somewhat Crunchy being my space. But I am excited to implement all I've learned on my deal blog (coming soon - can't wait to tell you all about it!).

Take Away-

I was blown away by Amy of Mom Advice. She is one smart cookie. But on top of being smart, beautiful, a successful business woman, blogger, speaker, spokeswoman and more, she has a heart of gold. It was obvious that any and all decisions are made on solid ethical and moral standards. She will not compromise herself or her blog for the almighty dollar. It was so refreshing to not have someone pushing for "more more more" when dealing with business.

I also really enjoyed the sessions on Bloggers in Traditional Media, Bookeeping 101, Vlogging and Email Marketing - good good stuff. Internet gold! Each speaker was an expert in their field yet they were all extremely approachable and ready to help you better your blog.

As for the sponsors, they were all wonderful. However many of them were best suited to coupon bloggers. With that in mind, my favorites were Kontera, FeedBlitz and Collective Bias. In my opinion these three would work best for lifestyle bloggers - or any niche that includes personalized content, not mainly links to deals.

Thank You-

I am very grateful to my anonymous sponsor for making this happen. Had it not been for their generosity I would not have been able to attend. I have come away from Savvy with a clear plan and the knowledge to implement that plan. Thank you so very much!

I am also thankful to my roommate Fawn of Instead of the Dishes. She generously agreed to share her room with a complete stranger and trust me when I said I was not an axe murderer. I had a lot of fun getting to know her, her sweet spirit and quirky sense of humor.

Friends-

I did have my "I'm gonna learn" game face on, but even so I had the opportunity to connect with some amazing people. I was excited to see three really amazing ladies - Angie of The Homeschool Classroom, Dana of A Slob Comes Clean and Amy of Raising Arrows. Though we chat regularly online, there is something magical about seeing and interacting with them in 3-D!

Angie, Dana, Amy and Moi

And I made some new friends - a few that really stood out were Fawn of course, Kristie of Saving Dollars and Sense, she is a really sweet homeschooling mama with a great deal blog! Laura of The Beltway Bargain Mom, a follower of Christ with a kind spirit and a DC area deal blog. Dan of Letters From Dan, a funny, big hearted guy who knows all about SEO. And Debbie of Memories of Home, I was so blessed by my conversations with her, she's a veteran homeschool mom with a fabulous home decor blog and business.

Next Year-

Next year Savvy will be held October 4-6, 2012 in Atlanta, GA. God willing, I will be there. This conference is second to none in learning how to grow your blog. Whether you are just starting out or have been blogging for ages, you will learn. There is something for everyone.

In the past, Savvy has had an application process. 2012 is the first year without applications - tickets will be open to everyone. I have a feeling these tickets will go like hotcakes. Registration opens August 5th - so get ready!

Word of Caution-

Savvy is not a Christian conference, and it's not marketed as such. So if you attend be prepared that not all attendees will share your beliefs or sense of humor. On the other side, know that all attendees were kind - we just had different lifestyles. It is also currently a favorite conference of deal bloggers. I went, learned a TON and had a great time. But sometimes felt I didn't quite fit because I couldn't talk coupons. That was okay because I was there to learn, not just socialize. To get the most out of the conference, find someone in your niche to go with you so you can discuss how to best apply your new found knowledge to your blogs.

Leaving on a Jet Plane - #SBSummit

Things will be quiet around here for a few days. I'm leaving this morning for Colorado to go to the Savvy Blogging Summit! I am so excited. So so so so so excited. Excited! I am so thankful for this opportunity, I know I will learn so much about the business of blogging. I'll be sure to fill you all in when I get back.

While I'm gone will you please pray for my hubby? He'll be playing Super-Dad while I'm gone. He's a fantastic husband and father, I know he'll do just fine - but I worry about him. He travels for work, so I know how stressful the days can be when you're on duty 24/7.

And while you're praying, will you say one for me, for safe travels and calm nerves? I've mentioned many times that I am a nervous flier...and I'd like to avoid an episode like this



LOL, gotta love Meg Ryan! Talk to you soon!

Let it Rain on Our Homeschool

Yesterday, a friend of mine posted this on her Facebook wall and boy did it resonate with my spirit! After our parched-earth year, this is what my heart is crying out to God for our homeschool. "Let it rain, let it rain, open the floodgates of heaven." Amen.

2011/2012 Curriculum Plans!

Drop the confetti - the Homeschooler's New Year will be here soon! Do you celebrate a second new year? We do, when the school year is complete and we can start next year fresh. And with the Second New Year comes all the new curricula - new plans, hopes and dreams with it.

Check out my 2011/2012 Curriculum page to see what we plan to use this year.

A Homeschool Mom's Prayer

While shuffling some papers in my office, I came across handouts I received last March at the Apologia Live Retreat. (Which was an awesome retreat by the way!) The title of the top page caught my eye - "Praying for Your Home School". This neat worksheet was a list of prayers we can pray for our specific homeschools. It held prayers based on scripture, divided by topics -

Guidance, Vision, Discernment, Strength, Patience, Grace and Perserverance.

I loved this paper when I received it, I pored over it and prayed along with each line. It was a life raft I desparately needed during a difficult school year. I highlighted the verses that had special meaning for me and prayed and prayed.

This time when I picked up the paper, rather than praying over the whole thing or a single section I decided to take all the significant, highlighted sections and create a customized prayer for my homeschool. I'm going to share that prayer with you now - I don't think Apologia will mind as I'm not sharing the paper in its entirety, just taking the bits and pieces from each section that were most relevant to my heart, my kids, my school.

Since, as the paper stated - "those of us who have been called to homeschool our children, and have faithfully answered that call, must be diligent in our prayer...We must make sure that we are not getting in the way of His will for each of our individual children" - I am making a commitment to myself to pray this prayer daily for the next 40 days in preparation for the coming school year.

A prayer for Ash Breeze Academy.

Father God, make our path straight (Proverbs 3:6), I am confident that You have a plan (Jeremiah 29:11, Isiah 42:16). Show me Lord who these children are for your glorious purpose (Ephesians 2:10). Please show me how to equip them for all You have planned for them to be. And Father, open the eyes of their hearts so that they might know Your will for their lives. I do not want to depend on what makes sense to this world to determine my actions as a homeschool mom. Let me go forward in confidence because of my relationship with You and in nurturing my children's relationship with You before anything else! I love You, O Lord, my strength! (Psalm 18:1) Sustain me as I seek to do Your will as a homeschool mom. (Psalm 55:22) Today I choose to to "stand firm" (Ephesians 6 and Romans 5) and live in Your power, not in fear (II Timothy 1:7). Grant me Your patience with my children as I train them in Your ways (Proverbs 22:6). Do not allow me to exasperate them (Ephesians 6:4). Let me love them with the unconditional love You extended to me (John 3:16, I Corinthians 13, Romans 5:8). Please do not allow me to be harsh with them and judge them rashly (Matthew 7:1). Lord, I want to be able to say "I have fought the good fight, and I have finished the course!" (II Timothy 4:7) I claim Exodus 14:14 which says that You will fight for me and I also claim Joshua 1:9 where You encouraged him to be "strong and courageous" because You are always with me. It is my desire to go forward in this call You have given me. Thank You for Your infinite patience with me and for exposing my faults so that I can depend on You more each day. I continue to look forward in the knowledge that You have great plans for those who love, trust and obey Your good, perfect and pleasing will. Amen.

I encourage you today to create a prayer, based on scripture, for your homeschool. One that will encourage your family and shore up your weaknesses.

Looking Back on a Hard Homeschool Year - Our "Parched Earth" Year

photo credit - runrunrun

At the end of each school year I like to write a summary of how our homeschool progressed. I've wanted to write this post for a while, but haven't tried for fear that it would just come off as one big, long, whine-fest. I hope it doesn't seem that way, because I really do love homeschooling, but as the title implies - this has been a long, hard year. Though it didn't start that way - it started with much excitement and new beginnings.

My eldest was starting high school! This was Fox's 9th grade year, our tenth year of official homeschooling. Tony and Billy (my BILs) had moved in with us and I would be homeschooling them also (9th and 7th grade respectively). Bram was just beginning to show interest in learning so I was starting preschool readiness. Exciting times.

On top of all this we were readying for an international move. My husband had accepted a job in Lybia, Africa. We would live there for a minimum of 2 years and we, well most of us, were excited to experience a new culture first hand.

We were looking forward with anticipation. But from the beginning things began to unravel.

I decided to start the year late, rather than homeschool for a month, move to Lybia, experience culture shock then start again. So what would have been the first few weeks of the school year were spent packing the house and putting most of our belongings in storage. We were only weeks away from our move.

Then our move was delayed, so we unpacked some of our creature comforts to make the wait more comfortable and dove into the school year. It was a rough start. Because we were facing an imminent move we didn't sign the boys up for co-op, music lessons, group sports - nothing. It was monotonous.

Add to that the deschooling that needed to be accomplished with my BILs, their general disdain of homeschooling because they had bought all the stereotypes, my navigating of new and difficult learning disabilities that I feel were improperly diagnosed, my sons' adjustment to having to share their mom's time with two new people, and the aforementioned monotony and you can imagine the tightrope walk we walked daily.

Our move was delayed twice more. Then revolution broke out in Egypt and quickly spread to Libya. Our move was cancelled. Thankfully, hubby's position was still secure, they simply kept him in the local office.

But we still needed to move. We were 7 people, 3 dogs and 2 cats living in a tiny (and I mean tiny!) three bedroom house. Thus started the house hunt. We trudged through the school year with out any extras. I did my best to make it fun, but time and money didn't allow for big field trips.

It was around this time I realized my beloved Sonlight curriculum wasn't going to work for us. It was perfect for one grade level - but was too difficult and time consuming to juggle two different cores, covering different eras of history. I needed to streamline our curriculum, and fast! After an exhaustive search I decided on Tapestry of Grace which I am loving for its ease of use with multiple age ranges.

Shortly thereafter I found my dream home - which needed a lot of work before the loan would even be approved. This began a period of juggling homeschool with home improvements (for a home we didn't even own yet) more packing, then an actual move and all that entails.

Oy - what a year and it wasn't even over yet. But more than all the physical changes, what really made the year difficult was the emotional aspect. And to be honest, it almost broke me.

Trying to instill values in all the boys and nip unacceptable behavior in the bud. Doling out chores and consequences, the truth of Christianity and the importance of honor, which honestly, were slightly foreign concepts for some. I had attitudes from my kids, my BILs, and extended family who care about my BILs and want them to be happy. I was deschooling, homeschooling, juggling schedules, trying to accommodate all the needs - school, vacation, visitation. Once again we were thrown into the infuriating battle against those who get homeschool and those who don't. It was like we were back at year one again - fighting against the stereotypes and questions like "Don't you boys want to go to prom, what about your friends, don't you want to go back to school and be with your friends?"

Frankly Scarlett, I don't give a damn what they want. I saw what public school got them, and it wasn't much, especially when you take eternity into account.

As I said the high emotions almost broke me - almost, but they didn't. We made it through and are marching on toward next year, finishing up the straggling subjects as we go. How? Why?

Because my God is bigger than anything this world can throw at me. Because He has called me to homeschool and has promised me the strength to carry on. Because I know that His will is perfect and far better than anything I can comprehend. He is control and God is always good, even when bad things happen.

It was a long hard year, but we made it through together. And even though there were lots of negative aspects I did see growth in us all - both educational, spiritual and maturing. So rather than look with dread at next year, I will continue to have faith in God's plan. Tomorrow, I will begin a period of fervent prayer over our coming school year and lay our new plans with excitement!

Be sure to come back tomorrow when I share A Homeschooling Mom's Prayer and Thursday when I will share out new curriculum plans.