5 on the Fifth - March 2015

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Welcome to another month of 5 on the Fifth link-up hosted by Marcy at Ben and Me. Quick recap of the "rules": Each blogger participating writes a post highlighting five blog posts (from others!) that really caught their eye over the past month or so, and we pin and share the posts too. You guys... I am so behind in reading blogs again. I seriously need the 5 on the Fifth deadline just to help me catch up each month! Here are some of the posts that got my attention as I was trying to do that!

So, in case you didn't realize it, March 5th marked the beginning of the Jewish festival of Purim for this year. Now I don't pretend for a moment to be an expert on Jewish feasts, but I do know that Purim is a celebration of the time that Esther (a Jewish woman who was married to a Persian king) was able to save her people from a plot to kill them. In honor of Purim, I chose this post at The Unplugged Family to share - For Such a Time As This... Whispers for Purim (The Feast of Lots)

For another great post on celebrating Purim, see Celebrate the Feast of Purim this Year at Proverbial Homemaker.

(By the way, here's the recipe we'll use for Hamentaschen. Cheating a little, cuz this is on my own blog. Sorry.)


Speaking of Israel - which has been in the news lately! - I also enjoyed this post at Little Homeschool On the Prairie, in which Renee shares about her visit to Herodium Israel. Our adult small group at church is currently doing a study that includes video tours of sites like this in Israel, and I would love so much to be able to visit. Until I can, I will enjoy the pictures of those who have been able to!

Entry tunnel into the Herodium. Image from Wikimedia Commons.

I was delighted to find that a blogger that I hadn't seen around for quite some time has picked up the pen keyboard and is blogging again. Tim at Families Again used to be a Crewmate at the Schoolhouse Crew, and I always enjoyed his humorous and insightful writing. He and his family run a ministry called "Good News Ministries". I enjoyed his article exploring what he hopes readers will get from his blog,  I Want You to Love, Learn and Laugh.

I am pretty sure it's not just me - this is the time of year when we tend to get a little weary of homeschooling, or maybe we just have the winter blahs. And sometimes we just need to admit that homeschooling isn't all sunshine and unicorns and lollipops. (Sorry to burst your sparkly rainbow bubble, if you are still in the honeymoon phase!) Guess what, there are things we sometimes don't like about homeschooling! Misty at Joy in the Journey explains the Five Things I Dislike About Homeschooling and it struck a chord with me! And it goes with the FIVE theme too. Check out her list and see if there's anything you would add.

Join in at 5 on the Fifth and follow on the 5 on the Fifth Pinterest board as well.

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 ©2006-2015 Homeschool Coffee Break. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://kympossibleblog.blogspot.com/

5 on the Fifth - February 2015

This post may contain affiliate links - using affiliate links from Homeschool Coffee Break helps fuel this blog and our homeschool - thank you!

Welcome to another round of the 5 on the Fifth link-up hosted by Marcy at Ben and Me. Quick recap of the "rules": Each blogger participating writes a post highlighting five blog posts (from others!) that really caught their eye over the past month or so, and we pin and share the posts too. Here are some of the posts that stood out to me over the past couple of weeks:

Why I Think Jesus Would Be On Facebook at Holley Gerth - I loved this because of its positive and encouraging take on the value of virtual friendships. No, social media and message boards shouldn't ever be a full substitute for in-person community and interaction, but these friendships are real and fill needs. Go see what Holley has to say, and see what you think!

me and the hubster on our wedding day.
I think my parents would have picked him for a son-in-law if I hadn't chosen him myself!

How to Pick Your Future Son-in-Law by Jaime at Coffee Cups & Camisoles - I know I can't really pick out my future son-in-law, but Jaime offers some good thoughts on how to help ensure that our daughters choose well. We kid around about who is on my "short list" for Kennady - although she doesn't know for sure who is on it, she and I have had many conversations already about the qualities she will need to look for in any young man who wants to win her heart.


Talking to God - But Asking Amiss at Raventhreads - I really appreciated this insight into how good God is to answer our prayers, even some of the ones in which we "ask amiss".


Three Tips for Sticking to a Homeschool Budget by Tara at Embark on the Journey - Some real practical tips to keep spending under control in our homeschools. It can be so tempting to buy all those shiny, new curricula and books, and let's face it, a lot of us homeschoolers have a bit of an obsession with books... Tara's tips are smart advice for new and experienced homeschoolers. (Tara also blogs at This Sweet Life, and is a fellow Crew member.)

The Art of Organization... or How Clutter Almost Ruined My Homeschool! by Susan at Homeschooling Hearts and Minds - This was Susan's entry in the "Seeking Beauty" week on the Virtual Curriculum Fair. Most of us wrote about fine arts or music, but Susan shared how streamlining and organizing her books and resources brought beauty and peace into their homeschool.

Join in at 5 on the Fifth and follow on the 5 on the Fifth Pinterest board as well.

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 ©2006-2015 Homeschool Coffee Break. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://kympossibleblog.blogspot.com/

5 on the Fifth - January 2015

This post may contain affiliate links - using affiliate links from Homeschool Coffee Break helps fuel this blog and our homeschool - thank you! 

Welcome to another round of the 5 on the Fifth link-up hosted by Marcy at Ben and Me. Quick recap of the "rules": Each blogger participating writes a post highlighting five blog posts (from others!) that really caught their eye over the past month or so, and we pin and share the posts too. The posts I'm sharing today caught my eye very recently. Take a look:

It's a new year, and a lot of us want to make some improvements in how we're living our lives, whether it's eating healthier, quitting bad habits and starting new good habits, handling our finances better, getting organized, or any number of other things.  So I've picked out a couple of interesting blog posts related to that.

April at Coffee, Cobwebs and Curriculum shares a post titled Cow Trails (It's Time to Focus) that challenged me to  pay attention to where I'm headed and which path I'm on, rather than looking only at the "backside in front" of me. 

  This is the second year in a row that my hubby and I have decided we need to be intentional about reducing our stuff and getting our home into a neater and more organized state. I am really looking forward to the entire upcoming series from Michele at Family, Faith, and Fridays. The link will take you to the first article, Introducing 34 Weeks of Clean, and I encourage you to join me in following the series throughout the coming months. I'll be doing my best to complete Michele's assignments, and I think the camaraderie and accountability of doing it together will be helpful.

Of course we want to do better with our money too, so I was very interested in the 52 Week Money Savings Challenge at Life As You Live It. Save in increasing or decreasing increments, and the math is done for you with several different options.

And finally, a couple of posts from the Virtual Curriculum Fair 2015 which just opened. Our first week's theme is "Playing With Words" and I loved the recommendations in Language Arts Reading for Delight-Directed Learning, at Susan Raber Online.  I was reminded of some books I thought Kennady would enjoy, and I got some new ideas as well.  And for those who wonder about teaching reading at home, especially to kids who seem to be struggling with it, Kristen at Sunrise to Sunset shares awesome information and encouragement in Teaching Reading At Home: A Tale of 5 Readers.

Join in at 5 on the Fifth and follow on the 5 on the Fifth Pinterest board as well.

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 ©2006-2015 Homeschool Coffee Break. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://kympossibleblog.blogspot.com/

5 on the Fifth - December 2014

It's time for the 5 on the Fifth link-up hosted by Marcy at Ben and Me.  Past time, actually. I really did write (most of) this post on December 5th - but the weekend was crazy and I forgot to finish it! Quick recap of the "rules": Each blogger participating writes a post highlighting five blog posts (from others!) that really caught their eye over the past month or so, and we pin and share the posts too.

Christmas is just a couple weeks away, and the Advent season has already begun. During a time of year when it's all too easy to put pressure on ourselves to take on more than we can handle, I really liked this article at The Art of Simple: How to Simplify the Holidays without Feeling like a Scrooge


And another article on a related theme of remembering that stuff is just stuff: What Losing Losing My Decorations Taught Me... from Jenni at Our Journey.

With a new Schoolhouse Review Crew year about to start, I am being introduced to some new blogs as new Crew members join us. One of those is Meagan at More Than a Coupon Queen. I noticed her post about 9 Christmas Science Experiments and thought some of these ideas looked like a lot of fun!

Around the holidays, many of us have fond memories related to food and family traditions. Here is a great how-to post from Joanie at Simple Living Mama on making your own family traditions cookbook: How To Create a Family Recipe Book - Passing Down Traditions. Wouldn't that make a wonderful gift?

And finally, if you're looking for a fun Christmas gift idea for a kid that likes to make music, you might want to consider an ocarina. If you're like me, and not too sure what an ocarina even IS, read Marcy's review and enter the giveaway too! Learn to play the ocarina: Ocarina FUNdamentals Review (and giveaway)

Join in at 5 on the Fifth and follow on the 5 on the Fifth Pinterest board as well.

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 ©2006-2014 Homeschool Coffee Break. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://kympossibleblog.blogspot.com/

5 on the Fifth - November 2014

Today is the 5th of November, which means it's time for the 5 on the Fifth link-up hosted by Marcy at Ben and Me. This is just the second month, so here are the "rules". Each blogger participating writes a post highlighting five blog posts (from others!) that really caught their eye over the past month or so, and we pin and share the posts too. I think it's a great way to share some of the blogs we read that might not be the biggest names in blogging, but have some awesome things to say. Here are five posts I've picked out to share this month.

When I started following Callie at Mama's Coffee Shop, I just knew I was going to enjoy her blog. I love the name, and I love the tagline. And she writes some pretty neat stuff too. Like this one, about the joys and struggles of being mom to a teenage boy: 

The Teenage Years and Why It Isn't All About Me



 I like to read so I try to follow a few book blogs and author blogs. One I've recently started following is pdworkman. We were 'neighbors' several book-related link-ups in a row, and then I noticed that she is from Calgary (like me) and figured I should probably follow her blog. I liked this article:
All Young Adult Literature is _______________
because it puts to rest some of the myths about young adult fiction. I enjoy some young adult fiction myself! A good story is a good story.

 I've been trying to get serious about losing some excess weight, so an article titled
Why You Shouldn't Want to Be Skinny Tomorrow at "...Of Some Value" caught my eye.

And the Christmas season is drawing ever nearer. Are you ready? I am not. Some aspects of the holiday season... I just don't want to think about them. Or at least not yet. But seriously, I do love Christmas and the whole holiday season. So I am highlighting two articles related to Christmas.

Heather at Only Passionate Curiosity shares some things she's learned about celebrating the holidays without breaking the bank in
Christmas on a Budget: The 4 Gift Rule. 
Some great ideas there. In our family, we used to have a three-gift rule for the kids - gifts to represent gold, frankincense, and myrrh, the gifts given to Jesus by the wise men.


And I loved this - Tess at Circling Through This Life explains why
X is for X-mas (or Why X-mas Does Mean Christmas). 
Seems like every year I hear somebody bemoan how Christ is being taken out of Christmas when the term "X-mas" is used. But that's not what is going on! Go read her explanation. 

   

Join in at 5 on the Fifth and follow on the 5 on the Fifth Pinterest board as well.

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 ©2006-2014 Homeschool Coffee Break. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://kympossibleblog.blogspot.com/

5 on the Fifth - October

I'm looking forward to a new link-up hosted by Marcy at Ben and Me. Each blogger participating will be writing a post highlighting five blog posts (from others!) that really caught their eye over the past month or so, and we'll also be pinning and sharing the posts. Now, honestly - there are a lot of blogs I try to read, and I simply can't keep up the way I'd like to with all of them. And so often I am pressed for time and even though I read something I especially like, and guess what... if I don't comment, or share it, or pin it right then... yeah, I forget. Obviously I can't pin every post I love in 5 on the Fifth, it will give me a place to regularly share some of the stuff I love.

This first time out, I grabbed a couple of posts from fellow homeschooling bloggers that grabbed my attention over the past couple of weeks, and a couple that struck me just today as I was reading. 

Tara @ This Sweet Life wrote about their Middle School October Reading Challenge. I thought this was a great idea for encouraging and nurturing a love of reading in a tween girl's life. My daughter loves to read too, and I got a few ideas to add to her suggested reading list, and it made me think about offering an appropriate reward for reading every now and again. (Although, book-lovers tend to agree that reading can be its own reward!)





{Question} Does Homeschooling Have to Be Fun? at Lextin Academy is a good example of why I enjoy Lexi's blog. Even though her kids are so much younger than mine, she writes good, honest stuff about homeschooling. And sometimes makes me wish that I could rewind to when my kids were little and we were just starting our homeschool adventure.





Kristi @ The Potter's Hand Academy shared this very cool post about a new study based on the Dr Who TV series on my Middle School Monday link-up a few weeks ago, and it made quite an impression on not only my daughter, but several other homeschooling Dr Who fans I know. If you have a young Dr Who fan in your homeschool, check out Traveling Through History With Dr. Who






Diane @ Cabin In the Woods often shares her daughter's artwork in her posts, and these usually catch my eye. This past week she showed some recent artwork in Preparations for Myths and Legends Art Show.






And my final entry for this month is not a homeschooling blog at all, but a blog that has fascinated me for about a year now - Global Table Adventure. This blog started out with Sasha's plan to have a meal once a week that highlighted the food from another country. So began the Cooking the World A-Z project. Sasha shared her recipes and info about 195 countries as they went. I found her blog when we were studying the Americas, and it provided plenty of ideas, inspiration, and of course - recipes! Now that we're studying Europe, I'm back at the Global Table Adventure browsing recipes. Having finished Cooking the World, the posts are now varied, but still focus on appreciating the diversity of peoples and cultures through a shared love of food. Check out this recent one: Around the World with Apples: Celebrating the First Day of Autumn. 

Join in at 5 on the Fifth - Favorite Blog Posts October 2014 and follow on the 5 on the Fifth Pinterest board as well.

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 ©2006-2014 Homeschool Coffee Break. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://kympossibleblog.blogspot.com/