Oh- we also like to do the walking tours. You can buy a little booklet for a few dollars at the visitors center, (which is in an old train depot, and very cool) and take a walking tour of the old houses. It starts you at the market place and you see all the amazing houses and takes you near the battery. There's some hidden gems like Pirates Courtyard. There's also a church right near the market, I think it's the oldest in Charleston, or one the the oldest, there's a couple signers of the Constitution buried in the graveyard there, as well as some well known historical figures, and its interesting to walk through.

Make sure you walk along the Battery ( beautiful walk along the great houses of Charleston, and the Battery park, along the ocean) downtown, and then wind your way around to the pier to sit on the swings for a few minutes and then head downtown to see The Market, and Rainbow Row. Folly Beach is more of a local hangout for beaches, and less pretentious, but Mt. Pleasant is nice too. Stop at the candy stores around the market. There's a couple ones that make fudge, and pralines, they hand out samples and they are oh so good! I liked Provost Dungeon a lot- it's connected to the Market. Make sure to visit the Customs house downtown, climb the steps and go inside for a few minutes. The Notebook was filmed inside of it. Magnolia plantation is my favorite as its so pretty, Boone Hall is nice. For Authentic Southern I would go with Jestines Kitchen downtown. It's a small, hole in the wall type place, and not expensive. I would skip Hymans- it's really overrated, the foods lousy most of the time, and too touristy. Also- not to miss is Cypress Gardens. It's 20 minutes North of Charleston and is a must see! The Notebook was filmed there (scene with the swans and the boat) as well as The Patriot and many more. Absolutely breathtaking.

I wouldn't ask my husband about that small of a purchase. Through much trial and error we have a system that works for us. Dh deposits a certain amount into my banking account every 2 weeks. It's enough for food, gas, daughters classes, some fun money, field trips, homeschool stuff, etc. i can budget some months for a larger book order, or do a pricier class, or spend it on clothing, if I'm more careful with other line items. I put all the toiletries and 'needs on a credit card which gets payed off monthly. Anything beyond that, I do need to confer with him what I plan to spend to make sure we have the money. Oftentimes he'll have me use a particular credit card, or just transfer more money to me. He has an ultra detailed but complicated system, and thus works.

I'm having a hard time finding exactly what I want. I had a blank pad of the US to label- it was a pad of about 25 sheets with just the boundaries for states so dd could label. She does well with this for geography drill and I'm looking for something like this for Europe but can't find what I'd like to use. I just want a whole map of Europe with the boundary lines for her to fill in and label each country. Anyone know where to get this from?

Wow, these are all super helpful, absolutely great lists to check out. Thank you so much for all the help ladies!

My daughters 13, and we are just finishing up our study on the Middle Ages. I would like to find a few good movies that we can watch together that can show more of the life, and feeling of the time period. I know it's probably few and far between to find one that is historically accurate, but that would be great if so. What are some good ones to check into? Thanks!

I'm desperately trying to get through all the seasons again. I was an avid fan as a teen, and I didn't want to watch the new episodes without doing re-runs. I'm almost to season 7, so I'm afraid I've missed the boat!

About 7 years ago, I developed a really severe case of bronchitis that lasted for months and then turned into Pneumonia. it was so bad I had scaring on my lungs, and the Dr.s called it Pleurisy. I that that was an outdated term, but for about 4 years after that, the cough lingered and I had severe breathing problems. About every other month I was on antibiotics, and it was a struggle just to breathe. I finally read about Elderberry and its effects on the lungs- I started taking it regularly, and then making my own as it was so much cheaper that way and it was able to help them heal. It took a couple of years, but I stopped having to go on antibiotics, and now they do feel quite strong. Whenever I lax on it, I'll start having problems again. The nice thing about elderberry is that there's no knows side effects. I couldn't even take a short walk at that point without wheezing, and being short of breath, so I did strengthen my lungs with more gradual excersise as well.

I'm an INFP through and through, and I'm curious if there's any others on this board. How do you approach homeschooling? Do you have a hard time with getting stuck and lost in your ideals? Do you have a hard time relating to other people?

Thank you for all the suggestions, I will definitely look into them. Any more feedback on the schools? Lowell does sound very good, I'm especially surprised with it being a public school it being so rigorous! Right now my daughters in 7th but will be 14 in a few months. I held her back when we moved back to Ca. Because she missed almost a year due to sickness, and I know they did testing here and didn't want that to affect her. Suggestions on middle schools? Also- for downtown, what area should we look at for living? I mentioned Berkely as an option to my husband, and he really likes the idea of city living and not commuting for a while so I think we are going to try to live in the city proper at least at first. It seems so spread out, and from what I can see each little neighborhood has a vibe... What are some ones to check out?

One more thing- I'm a nature girl and need and crave time in nature regularly. I know this is probably hard in a city, but what places are good to go to when I need the quiet, and beautiful surroundings, or to read a book and just be alone for a bit?

We most likely are moving to downtown San Fransisco in the next month. I need help navigating this... We are new to the Bay Area, we live in the Santa Cruz area right now, but not new to Ca. We are in our 30s, with a 13 year old daughter FYI. We really love SAnta Cruz and have been here less than a year, and am not thrilled about having to move again, but my husband works in the tech industry and so he's got to go where the work is. i have really no idea about the city in general. I'm also concerned about the weather- is it truly that bad? And about school options. My daughter has always been homeschooled, right now she's with Ocean Grove and is able to take some classes, but really wants to experience a brick and mortar school. From what I can see, there's actually no homeschoolers living in downtown SF, and no regular day time classes that must not be driven to. With city traffic, I'm afraid it would be a nightmare just getting in and out, and I'm not prepared to handle time on the road like that. So it would have to be in the city itself. I'm very against PS for many reasons, so it has to be a really exceptional school for me to put her into it. I was reading the public school options are not at all good there. What are the private schools like? And suggestions on ones to look into? My daughter has been schooled with. Charlotte Mason approach, with a lot of unschooling, and I don't think would fit well in a traditional hardcore classroom experience, but if you have suggestions for some please share! Are there any classical schools that are non religious in the are? Feedback in general would be great. This is one of my greatest concerns, and I just don't know quite what my options are. I'm also concerned about the weather- what is it truly like to live there? This Southern California girl needs the sunshine!! Are there some areas that are more sunnier/ less foggy than others? My husband would be working near the financial district off market street- and we want to live downtown, not Daly City which looks truly depressing to me. We like the hub of restaurants, cafes, etc. and would prefer to live near all of this. What areas should I be looking at? The west side? Also- what salary in your experience would be a minimum to live in the city for a family with our circumstances? We want somewhere close to things, but don't need much in the way of housing. Even a studio right now would be fine. We prefer though to spend our money on traveling, and want to be able to set some aside each year to travel to Europe, like museums, ballets, restaurants, education, etc. experiences more than possessions. I'm just not sure what he should ask for or what to expect. We spend very little money on clothing, toys, possessions, etc. This is with a very large company that really wants him. Also, I do want to have access to my car because I want to be able to take off from the city if I want. What are my options? I read parking is a serious consideration. Keep the car or some other idea? What is public transport like? How difficult is it to grocery shop here? I shop at mainly whole foods, and other natural food stores. How do people get their myriads of bags home? Any help or info would be much appreciated!

Oh we are really big into natural living, organic, etc.... I know this is big in Santa Cruz but what about San Jose?

My husband has a job offer in San Jose, we are originally from San Diego but moved out of state several years ago for a job. I know virtually NOTHING about this area except visiting it as a kid and that it's the techy capital if the world 😉 What's the weather like? What's the homeschooling community like, and what type of things are offered for HS? How's the traffic? What kind if things are there to do? I'm also in a bit if sticker shock over the housing prices!! 😳 He'd be working downtown, and wouldn't want to travel more than 15-20 minutes, so it'd have to be close enough to his work. Is there public transport he can take? What's the vibe of this city? We like artsy stuff, nature and outdoors. How long does it really take to get into SF and Santa Cruz? Any other neat places around the area? He got offered a salary of 160k for the job. Is this enought to live on there? We have one daughter, she does have a lot of health issues so a lot of our money goes towards her health. We live super simple, and don't need a large house, and lots of stuff, but we do like to travel some. What could we feasibly get on this salary and still be close to work and have our needs reasonably met? We would need a 2 bedroom, at least 1 bath, washer and dryer in unit, and have cats. What can we expect to pay? Thank you for any help, and any other useful tips you can think of!

My husband has got a job offer in San Jose, and I'm looking into options for charter schools. I REALLY need help with direction. What's the best charter schools out there? I'm looking for one that will let me do my own thing with minimal oversight (we do a relaxed Charlotte Mason method) and also provide 2-3 days of onsight classes to choose from. Can you point me to the ones you feel are the best in Thea area? I'm open to driving about 45 minutes outside of San Jose. Also, I'm looking for any private co-ops, homeschool classes, resource centers, etc. My daughter is 12. Thanks!

Oops, not sure how to edit, I'm on my phone, sorry for the typos!

I'm looming for inspiration for all things Fall related, for myself and my 6th grader to do. Every year we do: Nature walk and leaf wreath Pomander ball Spice sachets Paint a fall scene. Any other ideas/links with either art, or special days, to enjoy the fall and create some memories? She asked to go to the nearby Forest for a whole day and do fall related activities for the day. I'm trying to come up with some new ideas and inspiration to make this day special. We are relaxed Charlotts Masoners, and I'm thinking of getting outside as much as possible for the next month to do crafts, handiwork etc. Thanks!

I think it's perfectly acceptable and fine to recline my chair, and im a frequent flier. I pay for the space in front on me, including the chairs design to recline a few inches. Also if the person in front of me reclines, I do so as well so that they are not in my lap! 😳 I once had a younger lady/young adult aggressively kick my seat very hard and cuss me out because I reclined my chair. It was a long flight, and I had a young child and was flying alone. The flight attendant saw her do that, and talked to her and told her it was my chair, and I could recline it if I wanted. She pretty much threw a tantrum right then, not kidding, and so I put my chair up, but it left me shaken! Talk about plane rage! I do think that a couple inches makes it more comfortable for everyone, and I mostly see everyone recline their chairs except for a few people who looked like they were flying for business.

Oh maybe she had a different test. She had the radioactive food, and they did monitor it for the first four hours. But they also wanted to see how long it would take for it to empty completely. It's supposed to take 24 hours, and it took 5 days!

My daughter had this done about 4 months ago. She's had GI issues for several years, and the past 6 months quite severely. It took her 5 whole days for them to empty out of her completely. Talk about slow motility. It explains why she was ending up in the hospital every week for several days at a time. They can't explain why, it could be damaged nerves with her, or stomach damage, but we have to be super careful with what she eats, taking her Meds, excercise, in the midst of all her health issues. It's an ongoing issue. They usually keep you on a daily dose of miralx or something else to help, though I have been able to wean her off and find some natural things that help as well as a 'diet' that will encourage her going. Basically no fruits that constipate, no bread very little grains, no dairy... Not fun!

Sheesh! I can't figure out how to edit evidently! I DO know proper grammar and spelling, but I'm on my phone, with a cracked screen!

I hvnt heard of The Terribke Quest, I'll look that up. I wasn't actually pulling from Sonlight as I out my own curriculum together but I do see that there are some titles there. I'm mainly trying to focus on literature this year, instead if just reading historical fiction, and what we do read I'd like it to be of more literary value than just an exciting story. Any other advice?

Oops! Typing on my phone- sorry for the multiple typos.

I am having a hard time narrowing down all the books for this years history, I'd like more quaIity over quantity, not just reading about a time period like Sonlight does through lots of books. I am looking for the 'better' books out of the list that Ive chosen for their literary quality, i dont want to have a ton of books on the subject, but some of these I know nothing about. Can anyone tell me how this looks, as far as my plan, and also the 'best' books out of this list? Oak meadow- 6th grade history/Geography, most chapters not all, used as a spine with Queen- Middle Ages Resource books: Illuminations The illustrated book of knights Castle Cathedral Literature(help me pare this down!!) Gabriel and the Hour Book Adam of the Road Black Horses for the King Mary, Bloody Mary Son of Charlegmane When knights were bold The Samurais Tale The Shakespeare Stealer Master Cornhill. I don't want books quite as lofty as what Ambleside suggests, by want to pick and choose . What. From this list would you add or take away? Any others not to miss? Thanks in advance!

Oops, lots of typos. Very tired, and on my phone.