Vintage Homeschool Moms

Homeschool Pitfalls and Help ~ Episode 486

Homeschooling is the right choice, but how do you avoid the homeschool pitfalls that will sabotage your success? In this podcast, veteran homeschool mom Felice Gerwitz shares her thirty-two years of experience with you!

Visit the Media Angels website for books, and bundles, especially the self-paced set, “How-to-Homeschool Blueprint.”

Did you know that I was hesitant to try homeschooling? When I heard a friend mention her hopes of homeschooling, I talked her out of it! This friend was overwhelmed with her four children, didn’t have a set bedtime, and walked around sleep deprived. I explained that homeschooling took some discipline and that having a parent who was awake and attentive was important! When I began homeschooling some time after, this friend was upset with me! And, rightly so.

Your decision to homeschool should be your own, and being persuaded by someone, even someone well-meaning, is not a good thing!

Today homeschooling is the best option for your children. You know the state of the school system. It was bad in the past; today, it is worse. Parental rights are called into question. What the heck is going on in our world?

When I began homeschooling my son while my daughter was in preschool, I looked at it as a way to help my struggling learner. It was a short-term goal. In other words, I was “trying” homeschooling without thinking of making it past six months. This was in 1986-87, and I never looked back. It became a lifestyle for us, and I built relationships with my children that are strong to this day, even as they are adults.

One of the fallacies is making your homeschool ideal or identical to the public or private school. Having said this, there is always an exception to the rule. My sister-in-law homeschooled her two grandkids for a year using the same books as the school because they planned on reintegrating the children into the school system. In this case, it was a good idea, and she was not only highly successful, but she was also able to raise their test scores with the one-on-one attention she gave the girls.

It is not fun; all fun and games. A good friend of mine used to say homeschooling is not fun, yet she homeschooled her boys K-12, and they not only learned several foreign languages but were proficient in fencing. How is that not fun?

I am going to go through a list of pitfalls in two parts. The first deals with hearsay about homeschooling, and the second is in regard to the act of homeschooling. Please join our Facebook group if you have questions about homeschooling or want to connect. Homeschool Podcast Network Family

Homeschool Pitfalls – Combatting the Lies:

1. You do not have enough time.
2. You don’t have an education degree.
3. You work full-time.
4. It is too restrictive.
5. You have to recreate the school at home (use all the same books)
6. Your kids won’t get into a good college.
7. You won’t have time for yourself, and you won’t have a break from your kids.
8. People who homeschool are strange.
9. Your home is too small, and there is no room.
10. You don’t have money to homeschool.

Homeschool Pitfalls — Challenges

1. Lack of vision or goal
2. Lack of organization
3. Unruly children
4. No routine
5. Failure to check the schoolwork
6. Uncompleted assignments
7. Unsocialized kids
8. Unable to play sports
9. Lack of knowledge (parent)
10. Unable to teach

Homeschooling is what you make it. If your children are unruly, the focus needs to be getting the kids under control. Teaching cause and effect is amazingly successful. I have several podcasts in a collection I call “Just For Kids” (search for that term, and you will find them). These are geared toward children, and they are highly effective.

Kids want to be heard and appreciated, just like us! Listen to their needs and focus on the entire child, not just academics. I know you can do it, and don’t forget to join our Facebook group – Homeschool Podcast Network Family on Facebook or share your concerns in this post on the website.

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Christmas Final Touches ~ Episode 484

The countdown is on with Christmas right around the corner, now is the time for Christmas final touches. It’s time to enlist your family, extended family, and even your friends. In this podcast, Felice Gerwitz will share some last-minute ideas with you.

If you are on our email list, you can find many great for the entire family:

Best Christmas Ever

Christmas Memories

Last Minute Christmas Prep

Christmas Countdown

Sponsorship –

And, as we know those little touches are what make the holiday special. Of course, there is food and decorations, but what about those things that touch the heart? I love small arrangements of flowers on the table, or candles (even if I never light them!). There are things I do each year that are loved by all. A small note or gift does not need to be expensive, but it will mean so much if it is heartfelt.

The key to creating a home that is inviting is to remember that less is more. Decorations can be understated and still look great! And remember that when you buy gifts.

What do you have left to finish before Christmas? Most lists look something like this:

1. Shopping for food.
2. Finish shopping for gifts
3. Baking
4. Cards
5. Last-minute events or get-togethers.

Whatever is on your list give it some thought. Is it something you really need to do? I use to send out over 100 Christmas cards each year to family and friends. Once social media became popular I sent out a Merry Christmas to friends while I still sent out Christmas cards to relatives. My list now is whittled down to about 35 people. This was one of the things I really struggled with and it took me so much time because our relatives expected a Christmas letter with the card. How do you condense your entire year on one page?

Then there are the final touches when it comes to gift buying. Some people are blessed with the wisdom for buying the right thing. My mother-in-law was a great listener, and she would listen to what people said all year long and from that made her gift purchases accordingly. I love to bake and that is something that I was able to take to friends, especially people like my CPA and hairdresser. It soon became a favorite and it was easy to make and so much less expensive than buying a gift card or a gift.

This is why I consider the idea of incorporating the heart of Christmas which is love and self-giving for others. Christmas is a time to tell those we love how much we appreciate them. Who are the people you admire and why? I admire my son in the military because he told me that he makes an effort to make the best out of difficult situations, he has chosen to see the positive and live his life by example for himself and others. That touches me and the idea of making the best out of horrible situations is something that we should all strive for, especially during this time of hardship for many. Showing our appreciation comes in many forms but for me, it is sending a handwritten card and note.

If I gave you a notepad and asked you to jot down the heart of Christmas what would you write? If you can pause this audio and take the time to do so, if not, let me share my list with you.

The heart of Christmas contains words such as:  faith, joy, love, companionship, family, festivities, decorations, and food that might top the list. The main ingredient to include in the final touches of Christmas is the idea of celebration. We are celebrating the coming of our Savior as a child for the salvation of mankind, but not just anyone – you and me. It is an open invitation that we can accept at any time of the year. Our celebration if not Christ-focused will fall flat. My husband and I were listening to a faith-based audio recording lately and it talked about a man who was a well-known atheist and how touched he was when someone gave him a Bible. It didn’t change his belief but he said if Christians believe that Christ is truly God, they should be handing everyone Bibles. That is truly an inspiration for us all.

I’d like to take that one step further. Sharing our faith is wonderful but living our faith is the best thing we can do – we must be an example. The true meaning of Christmas is something that is talked about but not often understood. In a word the true meaning is love. Love for God, appreciation for the gift of the Word becoming flesh and dwelling among us. It is a time for celebration and family whether it is two, or three people, or more. If you have a large family or a small one, it doesn’t matter. Being together is the most important thing of all.

As we approach Christmas Day the final touches that make the holiday special vary from family to family. One of my friends who moved to Florida from up North would spend the day at the beach with a picnic lunch. This is non-traditional but something she and her family enjoyed. If you have listened to my past podcasts about holiday preparations, you will know that I reuse so many items from year to year and minimize the cost of buying things that are disposable. In this way, there is a sense of comfort for my family and those who celebrate with us. They know what to expect.

What are some final touches you will add to your family celebration? Will it be a handwritten note expressing thankfulness or the joy of being part of the family? One year I spoke to my children about the greatest gift and that is the Christ, celebrated traditionally on Christmas. I discussed the fact that each of us has a gift and that we should identify that gift in others. Then we randomly selected a family member’s name and wrote to that person the gifts they exhibited. Many of those gifts were things like generosity, listening, time spent together, gift-giving, kindness, etc. What a wonderful final touch to our holiday celebration to do an exercise like this as a family.

Little children don’t need very much and are often overwhelmed by too many gifts. Making family memories with those final touches is important. It can make the difference between having children overtired and grumpy. Taking little ones out to see the Christmas light decorations in your neighborhood, making hot chocolate and cookies then sitting to hear a Christmas story, playing a simple game, or watching the children put on a play are all things that will be treasured memories in the future.

Of course, the final touches can include food and decorations, but the memories that stay with us year after year are the things we do and events we plan. Gifts come and go and change from year to year, but holiday traditions can begin and grow each and every year. I’d love to hear about your family traditions and the last-minute Christmas touches you will add to your list this year.

May you be blessed this wonderful season of Christmas, and I will pray for all of you this year~

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Thank you to our Sponsor | 5000 BLANKETS

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Last Minute Christmas Gifts ~ Episode 483

hat do you do for that hard to buy for person? How about some great last minute Christmas gifts? Over the years I have a list of great things to help you without much planning or spending lots of money!

I have found that personal gifts are difficult to buy but my best buying tip is to think about things they may enjoy eating. One year we gave away mason jars filled with ingredients to make cookies. Layered looks nice, but baggies are more practical especially when mixing the ingredients. What about homemade bread? You can buy tiny loaf pans you can bake in that are festive and perfect for gifts. It is always fun to receive something that is personal

Have you checked out the calendar lately? Is it time to freak out? What do you do for that hard to buy for person? Don’t worry, I’ll share some things you can have on hand for the times you need something quick!

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Here are some other shows you may enjoy:

Best Christmas Ever

Christmas Memories

Last Minute Christmas Prep

Christmas Countdown

I love giving gifts. I love to give gifts that have value but are not ridiculously expensive. It depends on your individual budget, but many times we give gifts based on what we want to give rather than on what the person wants.

Last Minute Christmas Gifts …The key to giving gifts is threefold:

1. Know the person
2. Have a budget
3. Listen

This is great for your individual family and some of you have special traditions. You may have a special way you handle gifts within your own family. My daughter’s family (a household with eight children ranging in age from sixteen to three) select a name to gift one other person among the children. Another friend with a large family purchased large, plastic Christmas storage bags and filled it with wrapped gifts for each of her children. There was no scrambling to find gifts under the tree. She kept her gifts to under twenty dollars. Another friend purchased each child and Christmas ornament for each year. When they were adults, they took these with them. It was a wonderful keepsake.

Last Minute Christmas Gifts: Take a Trip!

Perhaps you take a trip instead of giving each other gifts. This is something I think that adults enjoy more than kids. If you do something like this, perhaps consider sharing a few inexpensive items with each other that are meaningful on Christmas. Having something on hand for gift-giving is not always possible, especially if you have a budget. But I promise these ideas won’t break the bank. I know we all love to purchase personal gifts but that isn’t always possible.

Here are some suggestions for inexpensive last-minute Christmas gifts:

1. Think about storage if you are short on space. Under the bed in a flat storage bin is one idea.
2. My favorite isles are the discount isles in stores such as Hobby Lobby. I picked up about ten nice kites for several dollars each. These are stored there until I needed them. I can also pick up craft books and art books at discounts.
3. Gift cards are great, and while impersonal, they are enjoyed by most. If you are on a budget you may consider restaurant gift cards. You can get them in smaller increments. Buy ones that have two or three restaurants on the card. By having these on hand you will be ready in case a friend “unexpectedly” brings over a gift and you have nothing in return. I have other ideas upcoming. I would buy gift cards to my family’s favorite restaurants and often you get a free $10 card or more with a larger purchase. You can use the gift card to pay for your meal and then gift the smaller increment.
4. Once again depending on how you celebrate the gift exchange, you may want to keep an ongoing list of age-appropriate gifts handy. Over the years our list has grown but crowd favorites are roller blades for the teen and under set, airsoft for the fifteen and older sets, and Rubik’s cube for eight and older. (Tell Mike’s story)
5. Some families like to give one main present and then have some filler gifts. For example, a pair of roller blades and the filler gifts are pads, a helmet, and a homemade gift card to the roller rink with a note that they can redeem to bring a friend after the holiday.

Last Minute Christmas Gifts Include:

For Kids:

1. A book on how to make paper airplanes with a small pack of colored heavyweight papers.
2. A craft or drawing book with a small gift card for supplies.
3. Watercolor pencils and a pad of blank paper
4. Yarn crafts: including yarn
5. Gift cards
6. Christmas Ornaments
7. Slingshot
8. Rubik’s cube (a crowd favorite)
9. Origami book and paper
10. Binoculars

For Adults

1. Plants
2. Decorative towels
3. Recipes: recipe card and cheap card holder that you decorate
4. Cutting boards
5. Gift cards
6. Christmas ornaments
7. Framed family pictures.
8. Homemade trail mix in a decorative mason jar.
9. Homemade bread such as pumpkin (you can bake these and freeze them).
10. Re-gift (be sure you write down the name of the person who gave you the gift!)

On Hand Gifts

Smaller gifts that I have on hand (when my children were little and now for the grandkids) are as follows:

1. Parachutes: family favorite and nice ones are about six dollars for three and made of cloth instead of plastic. (Kid favorite!)
2. Airplanes – These are the quick kind you can put together and fly
3. Glow sticks. Evening gift
4. Bubbles
5. Cracker Barrel novelty items such as puzzles and games.

One more last-minute favorite gift idea, especially for people who are difficult to buy, is a gift of food. Most people enjoy eating, so food is a favorite. One year we gave away mason jars filled with ingredients to make cookies. Layered looks nice, but baggies are more practical, especially when mixing the ingredients. What about homemade bread? You can buy tiny loaf pans you can bake in that are festive and perfect for gifts. There are many ready-made mixes that you can make at home as well if baking is not your thing. It is always fun to receive something personal with some extra thought behind it.

Well, there you have it! Gift ideas that won’t break the bank and will help you with those who are hard to buy for. Keeping to a budget this time of year may be difficult, but putting thought behind a gift, even if it is not lavish, is important.

Have a blessed Christmas, and I pray these ideas are helpful!

Thank you to this month’s Sponsor: 5,000 Blankets

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Last Minute Thanksgiving Treats ~ Episode 482

With Thanksgiving just around the corner here are some last-minute Thanksgiving treats sure to please. The key is ease, things you may already have on hand, and ideas that won’t be too costly. In this podcast, Felice shares her best-kept secrets with you!

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I’m all about preparing ahead of time and yet, sometimes I look at the calendar and stress! How did all those weeks fly by what I have left to do will take three weeks instead of the one week I have. So, what am I going to do? I’m going to sit down, with a nice cup of calming tea, raspberry is my tea of choice, and make a list. I use to hate lists, in fact, I would make lists and then go off what I remembered was on my list instead of actually looking at it. No wonder I forgot things on my grocery list. I did have a great memory and for the most part, remembered what I needed to buy but not always. The same with planning for the holidays which I began hosting many years ago.

Last Minute Thanksgiving Treats ~ The Easy Way:

1. Refrigerator treats, things you do not need to bake.
2. Dips and chips.
3. Finger foods.
4. Pre-made foods.
5. Fruit platters

Whenever I have a diverse group of guests, like babies to sixty-something-year-olds, I want to have a variety that even the little ones will enjoy. I’ve found that fruit fits that bill, and it came, courtesy of extended family! My daughter’s mother-in-law makes a wonderful fruit platter. A mixture of cut-up fruits, and sometimes she brings packaged and pre-cut fruit, and then she serves it with the fruit fluff. It consists of an 8-oz package of cream cheese and one jar of marshmallow cream. It is easy, festive looking and best of all the kids and adults love it.

Salty treats – Take a sliced cheese (or use firm cheese slices) and sandwich it between mini-pretzels – bake on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet (425 for about 10 minutes) until the cheese is melted. Serve hot with spiced or regular mustard. These are yummy but must be made before serving.

Tried and true is pepper jelly over 4oz of cream cheese. Place the cream cheese on a microwavable plate, pour a generous amount of pepper jelly on top, and place in the microwave for about one minute or less. It depends on your microwave, but you want to slightly soften the cream cheese and heat the jelly. Serve with crackers. (Even the kids love this.)

Gouda cheese wrapped in crescent rolls is another favorite. Buy a half pack of crescent rolls (4) and lay them out end to end to make a square. Place a round gouda cheese on top and cover tightly. You can keep this in the frig overnight or for a day or two until you bake. The oven temperature is 350 for about ten to fifteen minutes. The cheese will be warm and gooey and the rolls light and fluffy! You may want to make two of these as they go fast. Place a small knife or precut the portions. Let cool for a few minutes.

Another goodie is anything dipped in chocolate. This does take some prep time, but it so easy. I take large strawberries that I leave whole with the tops on and wash them several times (usually with a few drops of vinegar then rinse). I line a cookie sheet with paper towels and allow the strawberries to air dry. Then once dry (or I pat them with paper towels to hurry the procedure) I dip them in pre-melted (one bag of your favorite semi-sweet or sweet chocolate chips). I melt the chips in the microwave thirty seconds at a time and stir with a fork. Once it is creamy and melted (chocolate burns so be careful), I carefully dip the dried fruit one at a time and place them on another cookie sheet lined with wax paper. If you are blessed to live in a cold climate the chocolate will harden quickly. If not, you will need a quick zap in the frig – be careful not to leave them overnight. These are best fresh. You can get creative if you have time and melt white chocolate chips and drizzle them over the hardened chocolate. Sometimes these sell for $2 each!

You can also chocolate-dip large pretzels. I dip half in chocolate and leave half plain. I’ve dipped graham crackers – each graham cracker has four perforations and I crack these evenly (or not – you get to eat the mess ups) and dip half in chocolate and leave half plain. Again, wax paper and cookie sheets are ready to chill if needed. The kids love making these easy treats as well.

Dips are another great way to serve veggies or pita chips. You can use prepared guacamole, salsa, or a homemade dip such as cream cheese with Knorr packaged seasoning. Their official website is here with lots of food ideas and tips. I keep some of the packages on hand for last-minute prep. My favorite dips are a cold spinach dip that is easy to make and store. You can serve this with loaf bread that is torn into strips or purchase (or make) round bread that you cut up to dip.

Another favorite is mini-meatballs. Do you know I use to hate meatballs? I hate to admit this because being first generation Italian you are supposed to love meatballs! I finally found a recipe I love it is easy to make and it freezes well. I use a small ice cream scoop to keep the size small and bake them in the oven. Once you cool them you can freeze them and take them out when needed. The sauce is optional but yummy. The key to the recipe I like (by Bobby Flay) is that he uses three types of meat. In the past you could find this meat already packaged, now it is harder to get. The meats are beef, pork, and veal. The veal is a tricky meat to find. I’ve made these meatballs with beef and pork and they were still yummy. Due to copyright, I don’t want to list the ingredients here, but you can find them online with a quick search, “Bobby Flay Meatball Recipe.”

My go-to favorites are pulling things out of my freezer, such as small cakes I’ve baked during the year. I use small rounds and have an assortment of vanilla and chocolate cakes. I can serve these frosted or plain with fruit such as raspberry or strawberry, and whip cream. I bake when I have time and keep things in one section of my chest freezer which I keep on the back porch.

And, the last-minute prep idea that works every time is to buy something packaged and already made. Okay, don’t judge but we are talking about last-minute Thanksgiving treats here!

For quick clean up sever the appetizers and desserts on disposable platters. Or get fancy and use those glass platters (I have them in all sizes) that I bring out just for special events and they go with everything. Enlist help. If someone asks what you want them to bring over assign a sweet or salty treat – or better yet, ask them what they’d like to bring. Enjoy the holidays with family and friends! I pray you have a blessed time!

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