In this episode, Jessica interviews Megan Ross, who amazingly juggles both homeschooling five children AND running an impressive homesteading operation. We talk about all the things - balancing schoolwork and farm chores, butchering animals (yes), growing fruit trees, and which homesteading ventures offers the biggest ROI. Guest biography Megan Ross is a first generation homeschooler and homesteader in North Carolina. She raises five children, along with goats, rabbits, chickens, and lots of crops on her two-acre well-maximized space.  Host biography Jessica is a wife, homeschool mom of three, author, and blogger. She lives in sunny North Carolina on a big family farm with chickens, goats, cousins, and lots of mud. Resources   Chore and Allowance Chart Connect Jessica Smartt | Instagram | Facebook | Website Homeschooling.mom | Instagram | Website Thank you to our sponsors! Medi-Share: an affordable Christian alternative to traditional health insurance Have you joined us at one of the Great Homeschool Conventions?  We hope to see you there! For more encouragement on your homeschooling journey, visit the Homeschooling.mom site, and tune in to our sister podcast  The Charlotte Mason Show.  View full show notes on the blog.

330 | Homeschooling and Homesteading (Jessica Smartt with Megan Ross)

The homeschooling community is large, diverse, and ever-growing. There is so much we may learn from the successes, failures, and challenges of others in this community. We trust that you’ll find these conversations to be encouraging, thought-provoking, and equipping.

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When Jessica Smartt realized that what her seventh-grade son needed more than anything was to love reading, she created a little challenge for him. It has transformed him into a reader. She shares how to run a Book Challenge for YOUR family - summer reading, or in the school year! About Jessica Jessica is a wife, homeschool mom of three, author, and blogger. She lives in sunny North Carolina on a big family farm with chickens, goats, cousins, and lots of mud. Resources  50 Book Challenge Download Connect Jessica Smartt | Instagram | Facebook | Website Homeschooling.mom | Instagram | Website Thank you to our sponsors! Medi-Share: an affordable Christian alternative to traditional health insurance Tuttle Twins: children’s books to help you teach your kids how the world really works Have you joined us at one of the Great Homeschool Conventions?  We hope to see you there! For more encouragement on your homeschooling journey, visit the Homeschooling.mom site, and tune in to our sister podcast  The Charlotte Mason Show. View full show notes on the blog.

424 | How To Help Kids Love Reading: The 50 Book Challenge! (Jessica Smartt)

Real friends don’t let friends complain alone. Best good homeschool friends are for keeping it real, a safe space to complain. They can be the best defense against the homeschool blues and burnout. Let’s talk about why you need one, how to find one, and some truths and laughs about the perks of having your very own best good homeschool friend. About Jennifer Jennifer Cabrera, the Hifalutin Homeschooler, is the writer of homeschool truth, humor, and inspiration.  Jennifer lives in Salado, Texas with her husband and three brilliant boys.  She is a licensed Physician Assistant/MPH, but set aside that career for her ultimate life's work.  She is also the author of  Socialize Like a Homeschooler: A Humorous Homeschool Handbook and  Revolting Writing, a hilarious writing, vocabulary, and illustration journal for reluctant writers.  She is a featured speaker with Great Homeschool Conventions and her memes and witty insights are widely shared on social media. Resources   In a Moment of Weakness We Joined a Co-op Homeschool Nightmares  10 Things I Hate About Homeschooling Connect Jennifer Cabrera | Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest | Website Homeschooling.mom | Instagram | Website Thank you to our sponsors! Medi-Share: an affordable Christian alternative to traditional health insurance Tuttle Twins: children’s books to help you teach your kids how the world really works Have you joined us at one of the Great Homeschool Conventions?  We hope to see you there! For more encouragement on your homeschooling journey, visit the Homeschooling.mom site, and tune in to our sister podcast  The Charlotte Mason Show. View full show notes on the blog.

423 | Moms and Best Good Homeschool Friends (Jennifer Cabrera) | REPLAY

Life can be so busy that it's hard to focus on the things that really matter. Although Cal Newport's book, Deep Work, isn't written specifically for homeschooling families, his ideas are surprisingly compatible with Charlotte Mason's philosophy of education, and can help you discover ways to create focused, peaceful, and productive habits in every area of life.  About Janice Janice Campbell, a lifelong reader and writer, loves to introduce students to great books and beautiful writing. She holds an English degree from Mary Baldwin College, and is the graduated homeschool mom of four sons. You’ll find more about reading, writing, planning, and education from a Charlotte Mason/Classical perspective at her websites, EverydayEducation.com, Excellence-in-Literature.com, and DoingWhatMatters.com. Resources  Deep Work by Cal Newport Cal Newport's blog Blog post with visual notes A simple schedule from Benjamin Franklin (who didn’t have nearly as many distractions as most moderns, but shared some of Newport's ideas on time) Connect Janice Campbell | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Website Homeschooling.mom | Instagram | Website Thank you to our sponsors! Medi-Share: an affordable Christian alternative to traditional health insurance Tuttle Twins: children’s books to help you teach your kids how the world really works Have you joined us at one of the Great Homeschool Conventions?  We hope to see you there! For more encouragement on your homeschooling journey, visit the Homeschooling.mom site, and tune in to our sister podcast  The Charlotte Mason Show. View full show notes on the blog.

418 | Deep Work: Learning Focus in a World of Distraction (Janice Campbell)

As parents, it can be tough to stay focused through a day of homeschooling or working from home. Here are a few tips to help you manage some of the most common distractions that can keep you from getting done the things you really want to do.  About Janice Janice Campbell, a lifelong reader and writer, loves to introduce students to great books and beautiful writing. She holds an English degree from Mary Baldwin College, and is the graduated homeschool mom of four sons. You’ll find more about reading, writing, planning, and education from a Charlotte Mason/Classical perspective at her websites, EverydayEducation.com, Excellence-in-Literature.com, and DoingWhatMatters.com. Resources   Handbook for Writers  Connect Janice Campbell | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Website Homeschooling.mom | Instagram | Website Thank you to our sponsors! Medi-Share: an affordable Christian alternative to traditional health insurance Tuttle Twins: children’s books to help you teach your kids how the world really works Have you joined us at one of the Great Homeschool Conventions?  We hope to see you there! For more encouragement on your homeschooling journey, visit the Homeschooling.mom site, and tune in to our sister podcast  The Charlotte Mason Show. View full show notes on the blog.

414 | How to Focus Despite Distractions (Janice Campbell)

It's impossible to know all that schooling your children at home will require of you when you get started, but it's a lot. In fact, it's everything. In its truest form, homeschooling is a selfless act and it requires sacrifice. To modern ears that truth is like nails on a chalkboard, but to those who yield themselves to the requirements of the task (the privilege, really) comes the realization that it is in fact one of the most beautiful endeavors you could ever be engaged in. About Sean Sean Allen is the founder of The Well Ordered Homeschool, husband to his beautiful bride Caroline and a proud father of eight. He has a bachelor of fine arts in graphic design and is passionate about creating materials to assist parents in the incredibly challenging, yet surpassingly beautiful, work of schooling and training their children at home. Resources  Find a Great Homeschool Convention near you! Connect Sean Allen | Instagram | Facebook | Website Homeschooling.mom | Instagram | Website Thank you to our sponsors! Medi-Share: an affordable Christian alternative to traditional health insurance Tuttle Twins: children’s books to help you teach your kids how the world really works Have you joined us at one of the Great Homeschool Conventions?  We hope to see you there! For more encouragement on your homeschooling journey, visit the Homeschooling.mom site, and tune in to our sister podcast  The Charlotte Mason Show. View full show notes on the blog.

330 | Homeschooling and Homesteading (Jessica Smartt with Megan Ross)

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