5 Ways to Combat a Bad Day

A Production of the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

5 Ways to Combat a Bad Day | Blog article from Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network5 Ways to Combat a Bad Day

Five ways to combat a bad day? Really? Yes. And I’ve seen my share. There have been several of those in the last few weeks. Either I’m sick, the kids are sick, someone forgot to complete an assignment, dinner time is around the corner, and I forgot to remove something from the freezer, etc. etc., etc.

Can you relate? We’ve all had those days. How do we combat a bad day?

Sometimes, I think it would be better if I had stayed in bed. Or better yet, I want a “do-over.” I wish life were like a white-marker-board and I could erase and start over. However, duty calls… the kids, the laundry, the meals, the school. You know, a typical day of homeschool life.

What do you do? How about taking a deep breath?

At times like this, it helps to remember that the Lord who called me to homeschool will also provide and provide abundantly IF I remember to ask. You see, I’m a very capable over-achiever. I often created personalized spelling lists and taught my kids grammar lessons by crafting sentences using their names or those of family or friends. And what about those fantastic homemade meals I made? Let me tell you! Let’s see…homemade muffins for breakfast; great “squished” (Panini) sandwiches, with apple slices and mini-carrots for lunch; and three-course meals, often including a beautiful homemade dessert.

No wonder I was exhausted!

But the Lord provided and abundantly! I began first by repenting for my over-achieving ways. I didn’t need to win my kid’s approval or awe! They loved me just as I am, whether or not I baked homemade muffins from scratch every morning. The same thing happened with my husband. He was okay with quick meals or making his own lunch. This took the pressure off of me to always be there for everyone. Especially as my children are older and now the house sports all teens again. Many day’s meals revolve around sports practice or games, and quick meals – mostly bigger meals made over the week-end and repurposed for week-day leftovers work well.

However, you deal with your over or under-achieving ways – include the Lord in your plans. While I love to bake, there are times when it isn’t possible due to a hectic schedule. On other times like today, when the crisp, cool air begged for an apple crisp or apple pie, I baked both! I know that each of us is different, but if you are overwhelmed or feel guilty that you aren’t keeping up with the Pinterest mommas – rest assured, me too!

Here are some surefire ways to combat that bad day.

  1. Take one-thing-at-a-time.
  2. Do the most important first – that day, the rest can wait.
  3. Avoid the subject that is frustrating (at least for today).
  4. Do something outside of the ordinary. Make a picnic lunch, even if it means eating in the living room. Bubble baths with bathing suits on could be what the little ones need when fussy on a rainy day.
  5. Leave the house. Sometimes, a change of scenery helps, whether walking around the block or just going outside to let off some steam.

What can you add to this list – what helps to turn that very bad, no-good day into a winner? Share your ideas with us!

PS: Don’t forget, Mom… take a few minutes, and think about one thing you can be thankful for and hold on to that thought for the day. And I’ll pray your next day is better.

A Healthy Marriage, Day to Day (with Roger and Jan Smith) – MBFLP 293

A Production of the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

What makes a marriage last? How do you build a strong and stable relationship for hard times and good times? Is it something more than just being “lucky in love”? This episode, we’re talking with our friends and fellow teachers, Roger and Jan Smith. Between us, we have eighty years of marriage, twelve children, and a lot of practical experience! So join us as we chat about the ideas and habits we found most effective at creating and maintaining a healthy marriage from day to day!

Scriptures We Referenced

 

[Love] bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (1 Corinthians 13:7)

Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. … Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her (Ephesians 5:22, 25)

Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered. (1 Peter 3:7)

Resources You Might Find Helpful

 

Parenting With Influence by Dr. Roger Smith

Roger Smith, MD – website

“Parenting Matters Now” – vlog 

My Beloved and My Friend: How to be Married to Your Best Friend Without Changing Spouses – our book on marriage!

To find out more about Hal and Melanie speaking at your church, group, camp, or retreat, go to halandmelanie.com

What Homeschooling Does To A Marriage – HIRL Episode 17

A Production of the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

What homeschooling does to a marriage articleYou are going to want to grab your spouse for this episode! Fletch and Kendra dive right into the middle of the topic and discuss how the stress of homeschooling can leak into your marriage relationship.

Throughout this episode, you will hear live interviews conducted with couples on the floor of the Teach Them Diligently Conference in Nashville, TN. Be prepared for answers that you might not expect!

Fletch and Kendra also spend time talking and laughing with TTD conference founders and directors David and Leslie Nunnery about the challenges we’ve seen in our own marriages and some helpful ideas on how to preserve intimacy in the middle of family, life, and school.

 Pull up a chair and prepare to get real with Fletch and Kendra as we look at What Homeschooling Does To A Marriage.

Thanks to our sponsor, CTCMath.com – we are pleased for their continued excellence in education and dedication to the homeschool community. It is due to sponsorships that our programs continue to come to you without cost. Please visit the website and check out their curriculum.

 For complete show notes and links to what we discussed on this episode, go to our website: HomeschoolingIRL.com

 

Join Fletch (from theMangoTimes) and Kendra (from Preschoolers and Peace) podcast every two weeks as they interview guests and talk through some of the goofiness they have experienced in nearly two decades of Homeschooling In Real Life.

 

 

Enjoy this episode? Check out these:

Top Vintage Homeschool Moms Podcasts

Homeschool Lifestyle
Last Minute DIY Tips
Money Saving Field Trips
All About Teaching
Raising Spiritually Strong Kids
Six Homeschooling Insider Tips
Best Staycations for Kids
Avoid Curriculum Pitfalls
Top 10 Parenting Secrets
45 Family Date Night Ideas

 

Special Replay: Marriage Secrets for Successful Homeschool Marriages

A Production of the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

I can’t wait to share my interview with my husband of 25 years in which we share secrets for a successful homeschool marriage.

6 Secrets to a Successful Homeschool Marriage podcast

 

 

Watch on YouTube   Read the blog post

Links

Apologia: Show sponsor

Psychowith6: Homeschool Sanity Facebook page – join me Thursday 6/8/17 at 4E/3C/2M/1P for my interview with Debra Bell

Ultimate Homeschool Planner by Debra Bell – use code SANITY to save 25% on any planner for a limited time

Communication: Key to Your Marriage by H. Norman Wright.

Personality Plus by Florence Littauer

The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman

Sheet Music by Kevin Leman.

What other suggestions do you have for keeping a homeschooling marriage strong? Comment and let me know.

Valentine’s Day on a Budget – MBFLP 288

A Production of the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

Like it or not, February 14 is just around the corner. Maybe you’ve got big plans, but maybe you don’t have the funds for a romantic getaway. With eight kids and a limited budget, we’ve been there! This episode we’re talking about ways to make the most of the holiday without spending a fortune!

Why Celebrate Anyway?

The Bible describes several holidays which were instituted by God for the people of Israel. When they gathered to celebrate Passover, the Feast of Weeks, or the Feast of Tabernacles, the Jews were to take the occasion to remember God’s blessings in history and the present.

The holiday of Purim was created by the people themselves, to memorialize the nation’s deliverance from genocide (as recorded in the book of Esther). Even though it’s not a pilgrimage festival like the ones God commanded, the Bible does record the celebration of Purim in favorable terms. It’s easy to draw parallels to our own holidays, like the Fourth of July to celebrate our nation’s independence, or Thanksgiving to remember God’s blessings. They’re not mandated by Scripture but they are opportunities to talk about God’s working and God’s gifts.

Valentine’s Day may be low on the priority list, as “holy days” go, but we think it’s a good time to think about our relationship with our mate and to enjoy some time to focus on one another. It’s like birthdays and anniversaries, but everyone celebrating the same day! We hope you have a good one –

(resources follow … )

Some Resources You May Find Interesting

Valentine’s resources including conversation starters (as mentioned in the program)

Our weekly email “LoveBirdSeeds”

Love poetry from the Bible

Special Replay | Loving Your Spouse

A Production of the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

Loving Your spouse

Loving Your Spouse

Before we jump in to talk about Loving Your Spouse, be sure to grab our February Organize It! Planner!

Let’s Talk About: Loving Your Spouse – Podcast #121

How do you love your spouse when you don’t feel like it or don’t want to?

For some, it does not come easily. My husband once told me, very early on in our marriage, that he could never make me happy and that true happiness only comes from God.

It was very true because I kept trying to find happiness in him – and as a human, he kept disappointing me. In this episode, we examine love, discuss relationships, self-giving vs. self-serving, and we’ll explore what love looks like to you and how you can be happy in a relationship with some of the right tools.

Show Notes: Loving Your Spouse

Scripture Verses:

  1. 1 Peter 3:1
  2. Colossians 3:18-19

Loving your spouse involves not comparing this person and realizing the following…

  1. We are all human – “news flash” – just in case you didn’t know
  2. We are not married to the hallmark version of what a real man or real woman looks like
  3. If you think there is someone better out there for you – think again
  4. You made a commitment to marriage and a promise to each other – so make it work
  5. There is no such thing as too late.

Keys to Loving your spouse and having a happy marriage:

  1. Grow together spiritually
  2. Know that while walks in the park, romantic dinners, and quiet get-a-ways  are all very nice but not the key to growing.
  3. Be thankful for each other as a gift from God.
  4. Thank God and delve closer into your relationship with Him.
  5. Tell each other, “I love you,” often!
  6. The key to fixing any problem is to fix yourself
  7. Seek forgiveness – if you have offended your spouse, apologize and ask forgiveness – sometimes people don’t even know why their spouse is angry – so find out why

Resources for Loving Your Spouse

25+ Marriage Resources

Additional Podcasts

What To Do When You And Your Spouse Disagree About Discipline

 

 

 

Best Marriage Tips

A Production of the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

Best Marriage Tips Ever | After 40+ years of marriage I have some of the best marriage tips ever and these really work. | #podcast #homeschoolpodcast #marraigetips #marriage #happymarriage @godlymarriageLet’s Talk About Marriage – Best Marriage Tips!  

with your host Felice Gerwitz

After 40+ years of marriage, I have some of the best marriage tips ever and these really work.

You are probably thinking… oh great! Another know-it-all podcaster trying to tell you how to make your marriage work! Well, I have 35 years under my belt – I’m no expert, but I’m a hard-headed, first-generation Italian, New Yorker, married to a German-Irish-American! It has taken years of give-and-take to make our marriage great. And, I wanted to ask some others who have been married for years to chime in with their tips! This podcast contains advice from:

Carol Topp: Dollars & Sense Radio ; Hal & Melanie Young: Making Biblical Family Life Practical; Meredith Curtis: Finish Well Radio ; Andy & Kendra Fletcher: HomeschoolingIRL 

Show Notes:

Scriptures to Study in Regard to Marriage:

  • Genesis 2:22-24
  • Proverbs: Some I love!! Proverbs: 5:18-19 ; 20:6-7; 30:18-19; 31:10
  • Matthew: 19:4-6
  • 1-Corinthians: 7:1-6
  • Mark: 10:6-9
  • Ephesians: 5:22-33
  • Links: 

Test – Learn Your Love Language

Recommended Books:
The Bible!

Look for Books on “Love Language” at the library or your favorite book store.

Advice and Tips:

Jeff Gerwitz: Keep Communication and Smooch Them Often!

Felice Gerwitz: Don’t go to bed angry: A. You both agree to solve your issues before bed — B. Understand the resolution will be a compromise for Both of You! and If you love giving gifts – A. Don’t expect anything in return and B. Accept gifts graciously

Carol Topp: One key to marriage success is to set aside time each day to catch up, even if it’s just 10 minutes. A co-worker gave me this advice over 20 years ago and he was right! My show http://dollarsandsenseshow.com. BTW my husband and I had our 30th Anniversary this year.

Hal Young: When God created marriage, the very first reason the Bible gives is companionship – “It is not good that the man should be alone,” God said (Genesis 2:18). We should make it our goal to make our mate our best friend as well as our spouse. That takes time and commitment, but don’t we know how to keep up a friendship? Why not use the same relationship skills in our marriage? Their show, Making Biblical Family Life Practical and you can find it on this network  – here is an easy way to find them –(HalAndMelanie.com/radio/) and they wrote a wonderful book on marriage “My Beloved and My Friend: How To Be Married to Your Best Friend Without Changing Spouses.” (www.mybelovedandmyfriend.com).

Meredith Ludwig Curtis: Another Mom with a large family, who has a show on this network specifically for teens and that is Finish Well Radio – FinishWellRadio.com – she is married to a Pastor and says, “A key to marriage success: Put Jesus first! Serve Him together! Love Him together! Raise godly children together! Change the world together!”

Andy Fletcher: We were given two pieces of advice. The first was very simple: Outserve one another. If you make it your goal to out serve your spouse, you will be in the right mindset. The second piece of advice was just silly: … you’ll have to listen to their podcast to find out! Catch their show on homeschooling and marriage,  What Homeschooling Does to Marriage

For the Love of Florida…Cruising with FPEA

A Production of the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

Florida Cruising #FPEA #FloridaHomeschooling #FloridaPodcast #WildFloridaFor the Love of Florida…Cruising with FPEA

Podcast #67

 

Welcome to episode #67 of FPEA Connects. We have a fun topic. We have been busy planning toward some upcoming events with FPEA. One of those awesome events is REFRESH FPEA Marriage Cruise 2020. Let’s just talk about cruising and the sunshine state because you know thousands of people fly in, drive in, whatever it takes to cruise out of Florida to the Caribbean and some very exotic ports of call.

For the love of Florida! Cruising is definitely a reason to love Florida. It is easy to jump on a ship and escape from the everyday.

It was in the 1970s and 1980s that Florida began to experience a bit of a boom in the cruise industry  which drives a huge part of Florida’s economy today.

What we discuss:

  • What to expect!
  • First timers
  • How the food works
  • What’s a drink package
  • Choosing dining…..early, late, anytime
  • You need a lanyard
  • Sail and Sign card
  • Documents….passport, birth certificate and photo id
  • Excursions and other activities in port
  • Ship activities
  • Getting to know the ship….videos….you tube
  • Concerns people might have – Drinking/partying, etc.
  • Safety in ports…..
  • do your homework…..economy built around
  • Carnival Hub….sign on for the cruise info and schedule…connectivity on the ship….texting app…..
  • Seasickness….
  • Cruise attire….formal nights…
  • Cabin size/amenities

Our upcoming cruise REFRESH FPEA Marriage Cruise 2020 ……Cost baseline $544….tax, gratuity and port fees…first deposits are due by the end of March and final payments are due in October

Special Guests Heidi & Jay St. John and Todd & Debbie Wilson!

Join us January 4th – on the Carnival Magic

www.FPEA.com/Cruise2020

Join our Facebook Group

Call Carnival 1.800.764.7419 Be sure to use Group# 6GHW24Refresh FPEA Marriage Cruise #cruise #fpea #florida #homeschool #podcast

FPEA Members, Download Your Florida History Adventures+ Bundle

Love in a Time of Sickness – MBFLP 221 (repeat!)

A Production of the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

HARRRCH! Greetings from our bronchitis ward! With the whole family, including your hosts, suffering from all sorts of respiratory unpleasantness … we’re going to bring back our show about navigating the challenges of sickness in your family. We hope to be healthy and “back in the saddle” soon! ~ Hal and Melanie


The traditional wedding vows include the promise to love and cherish one another “in sickness and in health.” Yet most of us come to our wedding without a lot of personal experience of serious, life-disrupting illness. We accept the vow but don’t have much practical knowledge of what that may look like.

“We’ve got kids who’ve had broken bones, we’ve had a child was born with a congenital heart defect.  We have had all kinds of bizarre and strange problems over the years. And yet I don’t think of us as a sickly family, … Here’s the thing. We make that promise up front that we’re going to be there for one another. We’re going to love one another even when we’re sick and you know that that’s really a practical manner. That’s really the rubber meets the road there because you know, that’s when the loving feelings just aren’t there.

“You know that you don’t have warm, fluffy feeling when one of you is throwing up in the bathroom, the romance is not in the picture at that point. And yet, …

“Do you remember when I got food poisoning? … We had only been married a matter of weeks. I will never forget that feeling of being in the bathroom throwing up and feeling such a nasty mess, and I was a newlywed! I was used to trying to be pretty and everything and I felt … so helpless. And I remember you wetting a washcloth and washing my face off and I tell you what — I felt some love for you. I felt a huge wave of affection for you.

Love is about doing. It’s not about feeling.

It’s an action, a choice of our behavior toward another person rather than purely a reflection of our feelings at the moment.

“That’s an important thing to remember. You know that over and over again in Scripture, love works its way out in our actions, not just in the butterfly kind of fluffy feelings. I mean, those are there, that’s great when they’re there; but when you’re absolutely beat by chemotherapy, when you are recovering from a really difficult pregnancy, or whatever … something else comes into play than just the animal attraction.”

“You know what true love is—it’s putting someone else’s feelings and needs ahead of your own, right? There’s a passage starting in Ecclesiastes 4:9 – it says, ‘Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their labor, for if they fall, one will lift up his companion; but woe to him who was alone when he falls and he gas no one to help him up again. If two lie down together, they will keep warm, but how can one be warm alone? Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.’”

“You know that the two of us in marriage together, if one of us has a need, the other one can step up and meet it. I’ll be strong one day or week or even year. And you’ll be strong another one. Can we just take turns? And in that threefold cord that’s not quickly broken — when we have the Lord to rely on, we are strong.”


Special Thanks to Our Network Sponsor – Christian Standard Bible

The Christian Standard Bible captures the Bible’s original meaning without compromising clarity. An optimal blend of accuracy and readability, this translation helps readers make a deeper connection with God’s Word and inspires lifelong discipleship. The CSB is for everyone—for readers young and old, new and seasoned. It’s a Bible pastors can preach from and a Bible you can share with your neighbor hearing God’s Word for the very first time.

Find out more here!


Date Night (even when you “can’t”) – MBFLP 215

A Production of the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

How to have date night nevertheless

Once upon a time, when we were young parents a long way from home, we heard someone say, “Date night is absolutely necessary for a healthy marriage!” When you’re new in town and grandparents are a thousand miles away, that’s discouraging! But the important thing is not “dates” but connection – how to renew the face-to-face relationship in the midst of shoulder-to-shoulder life. This episode, we talk about practical ways to do just that, even if you can’t really manage a getaway right now!

How to have date night regardless

What’s the reason?

Actually the important thing is not “the event” but the time for re-connection. Don’t get frustrated and fretful over the inability to do a big formal celebration – it may be the best thing at this time of life is smaller and closer to home.

In fact, home is a good option. We travel so much with our speaking and teaching ministry, we really find a quiet evening at home is a change of pace! We’ve had some great anniversaries and Valentine’s dates watching old movies on Netflix and eating dinner we prepared ourselves.

What are some options when kids are in the mix?

A second thing that’s important to remember is that we need all sorts of intimacy – not just the kind that takes total privacy and all kids asleep or absent. It’s good to just talk together, whether over dinner or a grown-up dessert, and let the kids watch their own movie back in the family room. If you really want them to entertain themselves for a while, you can even invest in some snack foods and turn them loose for an hour or two.

If you haven’t noticed, people never stop growing and changing. You didn’t reach 18 or 25 or 40 and then stop, as if you’d arrived at a destination — life goes on, and you both will find new surprises in each other if you look for them. Why not ask some open ended questions – “What’s your favorite food? Do you like different things as an adult than you did as a child? What’s the earliest thing you can remember? What did you find surprising about being married?” If you need some suggestions, sign up for our free series, “LoveBirdSeed” and get fun and thought-provoking conversation starters every week.

Of course you can stay up later than the kids … or get up earlier. You can go for a walk together or take the kids to the park, where you can sit on a bench and watch them play while you have some grownup conversation. Grandparents are a lifesaver if they’re nearby (and remember, letting your kids eat a few extra cookies at Nana’s house probably won’t topple the organic or keto lifestyle you’re cultivating at home). We even know friends who traded babysitting with each other on a regular schedule, one Friday a month at each house – and as the kids got older, the couples were even able to sneak away for overnights sometimes.

Remember that a lot of advice people share is based on particular circumstances. Sometimes you’re so busy or kept apart by business travel or other responsibilities, you really need to jealously protect a few precious hours. In that case, a scheduled, carefully planned date on the calendar can be a lifesaver! But if you are blessed to have more free time together on a regular basis, the desperation isn’t the same, and maybe you can find good, satisfying “couple time” from day to day. Date night can be great fun, but don’t feel that it’s a mandatory formality if you’re building a strong relationship in the informal hours of life right now!

“Q: What do we do when we can’t get away for our anniversary – not even for dinner out?”

If you are looking for a great couples getaway, check out our Come Away Weekend retreats in the spring and fall. Details will be coming soon for our Spring 2019 event – for more info, visit our website!


Special Thanks to Our Network Sponsor – Change is in the Air Movie

This story embraces the imperfections that make us human, offers a way to set ourselves free and asks us all to take a good, long look at the wild birds in the sky.

Watch the trailer here!