I read It's not the curriculum you buy and I agree with the blogger's sentiment that we obsess over curricula minutia when it's really the overall context you're creating for your kids that creates a good learning environment. But how do you create this fabled atmosphere of inspiration on a practical, day-to-day basis? I'd love to hear from the Hive about ways you try to galvanize the homeschooling experience. Also, are there any books about inspiring teaching methodology (this might be an oxymoron) that you would recommend?

Neutrogena Tinted Moisturizer is an awesome substitute for foundation. It has Retinol (anti-aging), sunscreen, moisturizer and light foundation all in one product. If you have skin that is especially dry like mine, I recommend first putting on a moisturizer/lotion a few minutes before the tinted moisturizer to help it blend easily and keep your skin from drying out. Applying a light powder (I use SkinClearing Mineral Powder) makes it last longer and keeps you from looking shiny. Lip Gloss is the answer to not overdoing it on lipstick. My top choices are Burt's Bees Lip Shimmer (my favorite is Peony) and Buxum Big & Healthy Lip Polish (I usually just use clear). An eyelash curler is my best friend. I don't even have to use mascara after using it if I don't feel like it. Gummy Prenatal Vitamins are my secret to healthy skin and nails. Water is so, so important. Most people do not drink enough water, and often we confuse feeling hungry for feeling thirsty. Drink a cup of water before you allow yourself to eat anything. You'll be surprised at how much less you eat and how much your complexion improves.

It's really funny you say this, because the only Hasidic Jew in our town pretty much only dresses in Hawaiin shirts. He usually wears sandals, shorts, a Hawaiian shirt, and a black hat. With a beard and payot, of course.

We have to be members of that board to see your post. :(

Has she read Peter S. Beagle's books? The Last Unicorn, Giant Bones, and The Innkeeper's Song are great.

Atheists are skeptical of supernatural claims. Technically speaking, deities are as much supernatural as ghosts or fairies (using the definition of supernatural as something outside of nature, i.e. has not been scientifically observed). In other words, because scientists have been trying to find evidence for ghosts for a really long time without success, I would be extremely confused to find an atheist who said they believed in ghosts. What that atheist would be saying is, "I am taking this belief on faith." Why would they then believe in ghosts and not gods? Or unicorns? For anyone who might say, "Well, the atheist might say that he saw a ghost and has to believe what he sees," well...that's not really logical. I would hope they could understand that we do not base reality on what our brains think they see or feel but on what can be observed and tested outside of our little brains. The fact that there are so many studies out there that help explain how and when and why we believe we see ghosts is evidence enough to at least make a ghost-believer into a ghost-agnostic if they familiarized themselves with the data, IMHO. A secondary point would be, why do souls exist? Why would an atheist believe they exist if there is no evidence for them? What evolutionary imperative would be there for ghosts? To try to divorce the concept of ghosts from the concept of a soul and hence some sort of deity doesn't make sense to me.

No, and I would suggest The Believing Brain to anyone who does.

This pocket microscope is 60x - 100x magnification and is only $13.

How about having her read The Young Royals series? When I was 13, it was historical fiction that really introduced me to a love of history. Of course, in my case, it was because I picked up my aunt's Harlequin novels...

The two most important things to remember, IMHO: 1. It is better that she fail now than fail later at college. 2. No single parenting method is going to work for every child, so try different things to inspire accountability on her part. On the first point, it sounds like an online class is a good place to start because she'll probably respect that more than just having to turn stuff in to Mom. It's clear that badgering her isn't a method that's working for you. What usually works best in our family is positive reinforcement. School (which is separate from self-education) is preparation for their future career, and when they get a job, they will be working in exchange for pay to get the things they want and need in life. So we think it's fair to treat schooling like a job. They have to be responsible. They have to perform to a certain standard. They receive rewards for good performance. (Side note: we don't give allowance.) We don't track homework and quiz grades, but you could do that too if you want. Our system entails two different forms of payment: one for tests and exams, the other for the final grade. We try to weight it so that they get a lot more reward for a higher grade, and we also fine them if they fail (they literally have to pay for their irresponsibility). Tests/Exams: A = $35 B = $20 C = $10 D = -$20 F = -$35 With the final grade, we try to customize the rewards based on their current interests. It could be a special trip, an expensive gadget, you name it. For a failing grade, they'd be sentenced to what we call Indentured Servitude (which is basically a form of grounding). What's great about this is that it very clearly spells out expectations and rewards so that the kid can have real goals to work toward. Some people might say it's too materialistic, but we believe that it teaches them a very adult lesson -- you become responsible because you have greater goals in mind, and if you fail then you have to pay the consequences. This is just one idea. I hope you find something that works for you and your DD!

You should definitely eat the pig. If your kids feel reluctant, educate them about the realities of factory farming. Your pig is very, very lucky to live in the open air and root around like pigs love to do. If you don't eat her, you'll probably be eating a pig that was kept in a cage barely big enough for its body and never even had the chance ot stand on real earth. is a good overview of what a pig's life is like in factory farming.

I'm actually not that swoony for him, but I couldn't resist the joke. :D

That is why I have to imagine him without pants during that film. And all his other movies, come to think of it.

I think it says something that Stephanie Meyer says that Wuthering Heights is her favorite book ever. This comic sums up the Brontes pretty well. There's another strip about Emily Bronte giving Jane Austen literary advice which is also hilarious, but I can't find it at the moment.

I say this as someone who considered becoming an English teacher: does she realize that teachers are only paid around $35,000 per year and that getting her degree will cost around $75,000 (assuming she attends a public college)? Does she know that many school districts are instituting hiring freezes because of the economy? In terms of job security and seeing a return on her college investment, she may want to think about going into a different field. I'm good friends with a graduating education major who is very, very worried about his future.

Just be sure that he's brushing correctly. Most people don't realize that brushing your gums is more important than brushing your teeth, and you should brush for at least two minutes. My FIL is a dentist, and he says that not using toothpaste is fine. He even goes so far as to say that if you can only manage to brush once a day, you should brush at night before bed. And don't forget to floss. I wish he'd tell me flossing wasn't important, because I hate it...

We don't have a garage, so that's not an option for us...but I've been eyeing pre-fab sheds (often used for studio spaces or workshops) as an option. I have no idea if these are in your budget, but I'll post them just in case. This 144 square foot workshop is $8,300. This 120 square foot gem is $9,000. This 144 square foot cabin is $11,000. Google turned up these beautiful photos of a woman who turned her garage into an art studio. This designer made a bold statement by painting the garage door black in this office space (scroll to Picture 13). I hope this helps inspire you! Let us know how it turns out!

My best friend is one semester away from graduating as an elementary education major. The stories he's told me are truly frightening. No one is more aware of how incompetent most teachers are than he is because of this experience -- but he is still going to send his kids to public school. I don't get it. Anyway, we can't demand better teachers until we pay them a better wage. Just as important as the new requirements, I would (being Queen of the World and all) rearrange the school budget so that teacher's salaries increased to about $100,000 per year and the amount spent on infrastructure, new books every year, laptops, etc. was severely cut. I'd also give a huge boost to gifted programs, which are being severely underfunded at present, so that the levels of instruction would be narrowed and more defined (LD, regular, gifted). Early Education teachers would focus on child development, early reading instruction, etc. I would be okay with Early Education (K-3) only having a bachelor's degree. Everyone else would have at least a Master's Degree. Their undergraduate would be their focus (English, history, biology, etc.) and their Master's would be in Education. Their Master's would be equal parts theory and apprenticeship. I'd also try to break away from the dated model of K-12 that insists children learn best when in a sterile environment. Classes would be held outside as often as possible. There would be 20 minute recesses (all the way through high school) at least three times a day. There would be a lot more free reading time (schools are moving more and more toward this trend, thankfully). I guess I should stop now, because the laundry list of things I would change is quite long. :P

You might want to check out the links I provided above. A higher risk of weight related diseases and untimely death commences only beyond BMI of 40. Empirical studies show that there are extremely few people in US with a BMI of over 40.

I have seen absolutely no data to support your claim that children are heavier now than they were before the BMI standards changed. Unless someone here is going to offer some scientific evidence, then statements like this are mere opinion. We can't make heads or tails of this issue based only on our personal observations. That's what makes science so useful. Just because you think you see more heavy kids now than in years previous doesn't mean kids are heavier in general. Just because the media is screaming that we have an "epidemic" does not mean it reflects reality. To back up what twoforjoy said: Study of 80,000 children finds "obesity epidemic" a myth You may also want to check out this article (with linked studies): An Epidemic of Obesity Myths The longer this myth is propagated, the more harm it does to our children, our wallets and our reason.

To make a real comparison, you need to look at what public schools spend on their students. That's about $9,000 per student, per year (that's underestimating it, because as far as I know to get that number they exclude expenditures like infrastructure, but let's ignore that for now). I would be very surprised if the average cost of homeschooling a student is anywhere near that. $50 per week in music lessons plus $50 per week for a foreign language tutor would be $5000. Community college classes are usually $300 - $500 per class, so high schoolers could take four classes per year for around $1600 (let's add another $200 for used or rented books). A year long laboratory chemistry or biology class offered by the local Science Center is $200. It's difficult for me to estimate how much regular homeschooling curricula would cost, because it really varies so wildly depending on if it's boxed or what have you. I think $500 is a good average amount, considering in this scenario the parent is already outsourcing a bunch of stuff. That brings our grand total up to $7,500. So even in this situation, where every year the parents splurge for 12 credit hours at a local college, two private tutors, a year long laboratory science course from a local museum or science center, and the books and curricula associated with your average homeschooling curriculum...public schools are still spending upwards of 20% more per student, with very little to show for it. This is ignoring the extra costs associated with sending a child to public school, and again, there are many aspects of the public school budget (federal funding, grants, infrastructure, etc.) that do not get included in that $9k figure. I know that homeschooling parents have to pay taxes for public school regardless (just like childless couples do). But I'm talking about student-to-cost ratio. Bang for your buck. Imagine what homeschoolers could do if they were given a voucher system of only a third of the budget for public schools. It's definitely a way to put in perspective just how much homeschoolers are able to do with less money than institutional schools. EDIT: According to my copy of Digest of Education Statistics, private schools have a national average cost of $3,116 per year. Just adding that as another comparison for its own sake.

Heh, you should have dinner with my inlaws sometime. It's a fun combination of rants about how people should only have one or two children ("I honestly wish I had only had one," -- what a horrible thing to say when you have two children!), people with large families are weirdos who are making their older kids parent for them, etc. There's also a hefty serving of the mentality, "My politics are absolutely correct and if you hold any other view, you are insane or stupid or both." Taking a shower and having a glass of wine after we get home helps.

I'm not naturally tidy, but I organize and clean houses part time for extra income, so I'd like to think I've learned a few things along the way. :) The most important difference you can make in how tidy your home appears to be is to practice minimalism. This book and this book are great reference tools. Get rid of the clutter. Start by selling or donating all the stuff you don't need -- try to choose at least ten items per week to get rid of. Box up the stuff you just can't part with and store them in the attic or basement. If it's actually inside your house, it should be there with intent. The second common cause of untidiness is a lack of storage. All of your stuff should have its very own place in which it is stored -- a nice looking box on your bookcase, a filing cabinet, a drawer. No matter how much you dust or try to clean up, if you have random things that are just shoved onto a shelf or on a desk, it will never look clean. The third way to tame the crazy is to identify the areas that are most prone to accumulating clutter. The dining room table, your desk, the bathroom sink, whatever it may be -- acknowledge them and focus on them first, so that you can stay one step ahead. Buy an organizer for your mail. Buy a small dresser that you can dump things into until you have a chance to sort them out. Put small wastebaskets all over the house so that trash isn't just left out. Resolve to not go to bed until your desk is tidied up or until the kitchen counters are cleared, so that you don't have to wake up to chaos in the morning. One final note: don't be afraid of getting help. You can hire a housekeeper to come weekly or biweekly off of Craig's List for $60 - $75 per cleaning usually. If your budget allows it, this is a great investment that can benefit your whole family. It'll bring you peace and give you more time to do all the other important things you have to do. :)

Rebecca hit the nail on the head about the mortgage. About guns and ammo, there are four things to consider: 1. Long before a Worse Case Scenario, it may become illegal to buy guns, so it's important to own them now so that they're grandfathered in. 2. Long before there are bans on certain kinds of guns (or all guns in general) ammunition will skyrocket in price and even if you have the money, there will probably be shortages. This has already begun to happen. 3. Guns almost never go down in value. I bought a SKS rifle for $100 around five years ago. Now the same rifle is $300. Historically, guns in America usually either maintain their value or they increase in value. 4. It doesn't matter how much food you store or survival skills you learn. If crime and/or rioting become a problem and your family is NOT armed, you will suffer exactly the same fate as your neighbor who never bothered to look into survivalism at all. Whether it be natural disaster (Katrina) or rioting (Greece or London), if you do not arm yourself, everything you have will be taken away from you. It's just a matter of time, and one can only hope that they only want your food and not your daughters.

I agree with Laurie4b. I'd also like to point out that your sister is at least as much to blame for this situation as her husband. It takes two to tango, and it isn't so much that he is "doing this to her" (which implies she has no control) as it is she is encouraging him to set the tenor of their relationship and family life. I mean honestly, is it really true that it's entirely his fault the kid plays Call of Duty in his bedroom all day? (Why hasn't she taken the TV out of his room? Why hasn't she gotten rid of the game entirely? And so on.) I'm not trying to make your sister out to be some kind of villain -- but her life is mostly comprised of a series of choices, and we cannot give her a pass for not taking responsibility. Sometimes not choosing something is itself a choice (like not setting ground rules for their toddler or choosing not to leave or any number of things). I think you know from the way she tried to manipulate you into paying for her divorce that she is swimming in the same foul pool of lies and deceit as her husband. Leave the drama. Be cordial when you have to, but don't go prying into their latest spectacle and don't allow yourself to be involved either emotionally or financially. I wasn't sure I should add this, but I decided to go back and edit this post to include it. My sister is married to a horrible man who cheats, doesn't work, punches holes into walls, verbally abuses his wife and kid, you name it. There may even be physical abuse going on that I don't know about. But all I can do is disentangle myself from their web, because it's pretty evident that my sister does not want REAL intervention. In a way, I think that their dysfunctional relationship is what she thinks she wants. If I hear something that raises a red flag, I call CPS anonymously. But I can't keep giving her money or listen to her endless complaining when she is not willing to take ANY of my advice. I can't let myself be used like that, even by my sister.