Episode #11- Rachel Hirt: Homeschool Art in the Early Years

 On this episode, meet Rachel Hirt, co-owner of Colorfull, an online art community for kids. She believes that every kiddo is an artist filled with tons of creativity! Rachel wants to help kids develop their artistic talents and discover all the fun possibilities that art offers.

Rachel, who was also homeschooled, shares the benefits of including art during the early years of homeschooling. “We want to make sure [our kids] know that 2 + 2 = 4, but we forget that creativity is a part of who we are,” explains Rachel. She then gives practical tips, adding, “We all have creativity in some form or fashion. As a parent, find what sparks creativity in your child.” Rachel then explains that creativity comes in many forms that may spark creativity in your child, suggesting that “maybe it’s cooking. Then create something in the kitchen together with your child.”

Listen in to learn more from Rachel Hirt, a wife, small business owner, and mother to three little ones living in central Kansas. She’s also a homeschool graduate who studied art at Butler Community College before meeting and marrying her husband, Aaron. Aaron and Rachel have been married for nearly eight years and have been serving as children’s pastors for nearly that entire time.

Resources:

Join Crystal and her guests each week as they bring relevant information to equip you, stories to encourage you, and content to inspire you. You don’t have to go it alone, tune in to the Military Homeschool Podcast, and be energized in your military homeschooling journey!

How to listen:

Got questions, comments, or have show topic ideas? Contact Crystal via email at [email protected] or connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

Please subscribe, follow, and share with all of your military homeschooling friends!

The post Rachel Hirt: Homeschool Art in the Early Years (Replay) appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

S2, E5 – On this episode, Crystal discusses the hows and whys of healthy meals that are quick and easy to make for those busy homeschooling days! If you’re interested in learning some tips, and a few recipes, that won’t keep you in the kitchen all night, be sure to tune in! 

One cornerstone of homeschooling is facilitating our children’s learning resources and environment in a way that provides a well-rounded education. And that is what our homeschoolers get!  However, while parents spend many hours planning and implementing enriching curriculums, nutrition, and healthy eating can fall by the wayside.

We homeschool moms understand how busy our days can be, so it’s no surprise that we often turn to fast food options and convenient yet unhealthy snacks when hunger strikes. Fortunately, the good news is that healthy eating doesn’t have to be overly complicated. Listen in to learn more!

Quick and easy meal ideas:

●      Avocado-Egg Toast

●      Sweet Potato and Bean Quesadillas

●      Honey Chicken Stir-Fry

●      Chicken Veggie Packets

●      Zucchini and Sausage Stove Top Casserole

Snacks recipes:

●      Bell Peppers and Guacamole

●      Energy Balls

●      Peanut/Almond Butter, Honey, and Pear Open-faced Sandwich

Sources:

Energy Levels and Diet – Tufts Health & Nutrition Letter

U.S. Kids Get Majority Of Their Calories From Ultra-Processed Junk Foods: NPR

Childhood Nutrition Facts | Healthy Schools | CDC

Healthy Eating for Kids: Nutrients, Eating Habits, and Picky Eaters (healthline.com)

…

Join Crystal and her guests each week as they bring relevant information to equip you, stories to encourage you, and content to inspire you. You don’t have to go it alone; tune in to the Military Homeschool Podcast and be energized in your military homeschooling journey!

How to listen:

Got questions, comments, or show topic ideas? Contact Crystal via email at [email protected] or connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

Please subscribe, follow, and share with all of your military homeschooling friends!

The post Quick Healthy Meals For Busy Days appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

Military life brings constant change—but the good news is, homeschooling can still be a wonderful, stable option for your family… and YES, it is legal! In this episode, Crystal breaks down one of the most common questions military families ask: How does homeschooling work with base life, PCS moves, and overseas assignments?

Crystal shares encouragement, clarity, and simple steps to help you feel confident and compliant wherever you’re stationed.

Even when boxes are everywhere… deployments happen… or you’re living in temporary housing… you can homeschool. Stability isn’t about a perfect space—it’s about connection, presence, and family.

You are giving your children a beautiful gift.

Look up your homeschool laws at your current duty station and save or print what you need. Put it in your homeschool binder so you’re prepared and confident!

Military homeschool moms, you can provide essential resources and support for students with special needs, ensuring that every child can succeed in a supportive educational environment. Jumpstart the new, incoming school year off right with the Bright Beginnings Homeschool Starter Kit. For $399, you can homeschool your whole family, no matter how many kids you have. It’s good for an entire, uninterrupted 365 days and includes all your textbooks, too. www.BrightBeginningsHomeschool.com.

On the next episode, Crystal will cover another frequently asked question so be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss a single episode!

If you found this episode helpful, please follow, rate, and share so more military families can find support and encouragement. You’re not alone, friend. You’ve got this—and we’re here with you every step of the way.

The post Can Military Families Really Homeschool? Yes—Here’s How appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

Episode #32- On this episode, Crystal and guest Stepheny Seabolt chat about the turn of a new calendar year being the perfect time to freshen up your homeschool and give it a restart, giving tips on implementing changes and how to handle the dreaded mom guilt.

As we look ahead to a new calendar year, many homeschool moms find themselves feeling the need to do things a little differently in their homeschool. There may be aspects of your homeschool routine and curriculum that are working well. But others, not so much. Or perhaps you’re a bit behind academically from where you would like to be at this point in the school year. You may even be feeling a little burned out.

If you feel that you need to rethink how you homeschool or are altogether burned out, be sure to tune in to this episode as Crystal discusses using the new year as a fresh start or restart for your homeschool with special guest Stepheny Seabolt!

Stepheny Seabolt is the wife of one amazing husband and the mama to three very interesting kiddos, ages 12, 13, and 16. She’s a West Virginia gal through and through, even though she is currently stuck in North Carolina. Stepheny has been homeschooling for ten years now. She went back to school in 2016 and received her associate’s degree in business administration. She also runs a homeschool bookstore from home and works with The Old Schoolhouse to help other parents get started homeschooling. In her free time, she loves to cook from scratch, read, sing, and add to the list of places where she doesn’t have to wear shoes!

Resources:

Interview with Stepheny Seabolt: I Don’t Have to Look Like the Public School

Seabolt’s 2nds Homeschool Curriculum Consignment

SchoolhouseTeachers.com

Join Crystal and her guests each week as they bring relevant information to equip you, stories to encourage you, and content to inspire you. You don’t have to go it alone; tune in to the Military Homeschool Podcast and be energized in your military homeschooling journey!

How to listen:

Got questions, comments, or have show topic ideas? Contact Crystal via email at [email protected] or connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

Please subscribe, follow, and share with all of your military homeschooling friends!

The post The New Year is a Great Time to Reset Your Homeschool: with Stepheny Seabolt appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

Episode #27 –  As parents, we love giving our children gifts and seeing their eyes sparkle with delight. But we do our kids a disservice when we fail to teach them the blessing of having a grateful heart. On today’s show, Crystal talks about ways to encourage a grateful heart in your children, not just during the holidays but all year long.

Giving and receiving gifts is a wonderful blessing; however, the Christmas season tends to over-encourage a “gimme” attitude in children, which can lead to a feeling of entitlement rather than gratitude. Teaching your kids to have an attitude of gratitude has many benefits. An article published by The ImagineProject.org lists the following benefits of gratitude: “Greater sense of well-being; improved physical health; improved self-esteem, resilience, and empathy; decreased aggression; increased optimism; improved sleep.”

When we revisit negative thoughts over and over again, we are literally deepening those connective pathways in our brains, making us more prone to think negative thoughts. The same goes for positive, thankful thoughts. We have to be mindful of where we let our minds go; we’re choosing our future thought patterns. This is why it truly is a gift you give your children when you teach them to be thankful and model gratitude in your own life. Material things come and go, but a grateful attitude is a blessing to everyone.

Ways to Teach Gratitude to Children

Gratitude is a valuable life skill that has many amazing benefits. It can help children to develop strong relationships, cope with adversity, and feel happier overall. Make sure to model thankfulness in your own life and encourage gratitude in your children. Not just during the holiday season but all year long!

Resources:

The Imagine Project, INC

Sponsor:

Upper Iowa University is committed to providing quality, affordable education to service members and their families. Service members, spouses and dependents qualify for tuition savings with their Military Family Grant on undergraduate and graduate degrees. 

UIU programs are available online, on campus and at one of their learning centers across the country. Work one-on-one with an advisor to reach your educational goals. Learn more at UIU.EDU/MilitaryHomeSchool

Join Crystal and her guests each week as they bring relevant information to equip you, stories to encourage you, and content to inspire you. You don’t have to go it alone, tune in to the Military Homeschool Podcast, and be energized in your military homeschooling journey!

How to listen:

Got questions, comments, or have show topic ideas? Contact Crystal via email at [email protected] or connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

Please subscribe, follow, and share with all of your military homeschooling friends!

The post Teaching Gratitude During the Holiday Season (Holiday Replay) appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

S2, E10 – Mother Christmas Encourages Military Homeschool Moms – Today on the podcast, Crystal chats with Caroline Schafer (aka Mother Christmas), a military spouse and veteran homeschool mom. Mother Christmas encourages parents to nurture a love of reading in their children and reminds moms of the importance of self-care.

Caroline Schafer wears many hats. She is an Army wife, mom, grandmother, digital creator, podcast host, voice actor, and Mother Christmas! Crystal and Caroline (aka Mother Christmas) talk about why nurturing a love of reading in our children equips them for a lifelong pursuit of learning and wonder. Mother Christmas was born out of Caroline’s love of reading and learning throughout her life.

Caroline also shares an important message to mothers, reminding them to take the time to truly enjoy the homeschooling journey and show themselves grace and kindness as they care for their families.

Full of enthusiasm, positivity, and a love for reading to children of all ages, Caroline will inspire and encourage military homeschool moms! This is a can’t miss an episode so be sure to listen in!

Resources

Spouse-ly

Instagram: Caroline Schafer

Instagram: themotherchristmas

Tik Tok: themotherchristmas

Website: The World of Mother Christmas

…

Join Crystal and her guests each week as they bring relevant information to equip you, stories to encourage you, and content to inspire you. You don’t have to go it alone; tune in to the Military Homeschool Podcast and be energized in your military homeschooling journey!

How to listen:

Got questions, comments, or show topic ideas? Contact Crystal via email at [email protected] or connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

Please subscribe, follow, and share with all of your military homeschooling friends!

The post Mother Christmas (Holiday Replay) appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

S2, E5 – On this episode, Crystal discusses the hows and whys of healthy meals that are quick and easy to make for those busy homeschooling days! If you’re interested in learning some tips, and a few recipes, that won’t keep you in the kitchen all night, be sure to tune in! 

One cornerstone of homeschooling is facilitating our children’s learning resources and environment in a way that provides a well-rounded education. And that is what our homeschoolers get!  However, while parents spend many hours planning and implementing enriching curriculums, nutrition, and healthy eating can fall by the wayside.

We homeschool moms understand how busy our days can be, so it’s no surprise that we often turn to fast food options and convenient yet unhealthy snacks when hunger strikes. Fortunately, the good news is that healthy eating doesn’t have to be overly complicated. Listen in to learn more!

Quick and easy meal ideas:

●      Avocado-Egg Toast

●      Sweet Potato and Bean Quesadillas

●      Honey Chicken Stir-Fry

●      Chicken Veggie Packets

●      Zucchini and Sausage Stove Top Casserole

Snacks recipes:

●      Bell Peppers and Guacamole

●      Energy Balls

●      Peanut/Almond Butter, Honey, and Pear Open-faced Sandwich

Sources:

Energy Levels and Diet – Tufts Health & Nutrition Letter

U.S. Kids Get Majority Of Their Calories From Ultra-Processed Junk Foods: NPR

Childhood Nutrition Facts | Healthy Schools | CDC

Healthy Eating for Kids: Nutrients, Eating Habits, and Picky Eaters (healthline.com)

…

Join Crystal and her guests each week as they bring relevant information to equip you, stories to encourage you, and content to inspire you. You don’t have to go it alone; tune in to the Military Homeschool Podcast and be energized in your military homeschooling journey!

How to listen:

Got questions, comments, or show topic ideas? Contact Crystal via email at [email protected] or connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

Please subscribe, follow, and share with all of your military homeschooling friends!

The post Quick Healthy Meals For Busy Days (Holiday Replay) appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

Military life can sometimes feel like a never-ending juggling act—new orders, constant change, and goodbyes just when you’ve finally unpacked the last box. But even in the middle of all that, gratitude can be the steady heartbeat that keeps us grounded. In this episode of the Military Homeschool Moms Podcast, Crystal shares how to cultivate gratitude in your home—both as a military spouse and as a homeschool mom.

Gratitude doesn’t mean pretending life is easy—it means noticing what’s still good even when things get hard. For military families, gratitude anchors us in what doesn’t change: our faith, family, love, and purpose. It strengthens resilience and helps both moms and kids reframe challenges with perspective instead of frustration. Crystal shares personal insights, including how keeping a simple gratitude journal helps her focus on God’s control instead of life’s chaos.

You’ll love the touching story of a military mom who created a “Deployment Dinner Bell” tradition with her kids. Every evening, before dinner, they rang a tiny bell and shared one thing they were thankful for. It became a sweet way to replace loneliness with connection—and the bell still rings in their home years later as a reminder that gratitude isn’t just for hard seasons; it’s for every season.

Crystal offers age-appropriate ideas for weaving thankfulness into homeschooling:

Drawing from Scripture and quotes from Joni Eareckson Tada and Max Lucado, Crystal reminds listeners that gratitude isn’t denial—it’s perspective. Giving thanks in all circumstances keeps our eyes on the Good Giver, even when life gets messy.

Gratitude turns ordinary days into moments of worship and connection. Tiny steps—like naming two things you’re thankful for or inviting a neighbor to dinner—can transform your outlook and your homeschool atmosphere.

Connect:

The post Gratitude in Boots: Teaching Thankfulness in Military Life & Homeschooling appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

Homeschooling High School: A Mission Worth Taking for Military Families

Homeschooling high school can sound intimidating—especially for military families who already juggle deployments, PCS moves, and ever-changing routines. But in this encouraging episode of the Military Homeschool Moms Podcast, host Crystal Niehoff shares how homeschooling high school can actually be one of the most rewarding and freeing decisions for military parents and their teens.

Crystal explains how the flexibility of homeschooling fits perfectly with the unpredictable rhythm of military life. From overseas assignments to homecomings, homeschooling allows families to maintain consistency, no matter where duty calls. Teens can take their education anywhere, adjust schedules around deployments, and even turn travel experiences into hands-on learning opportunities.

Listeners will also hear how homeschooling provides academic freedom and personalized learning, letting parents shape education around their teen’s strengths, interests, and faith. Crystal discusses how homeschoolers thrive in college and the workforce thanks to their adaptability, independence, and critical thinking skills—qualities that come naturally to military kids!

Crystal then shares about Venus and Serena Williams, two world-renowned athletes who were homeschooled throughout their high school years. Their parents chose homeschooling so the girls could focus on both academics and tennis training while maintaining strong family values. That decision not only gave them flexibility but also helped shape their discipline, confidence, and focus—qualities that made them champions both on and off the court.

Listeners will come away reminded that homeschooling high school isn’t just about academics—it’s about building character, faith, and family bonds that will last a lifetime.

Tune in to hear why homeschooling high school as a military family isn’t a burden—it’s a blessing! Subscribe and share this episode to encourage another military mom who might be wondering if she can do it too.

The post Homeschooling High School: A Mission Worth Taking for Military Families appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

When your spouse is away on deployment or extended training, it can feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders. You’re not just mom—you’re mom, dad, teacher, fixer, and encourager all rolled into one. In this episode of the Military Homeschool Moms Podcast, Crystal shares practical strategies for thriving on the homefront while your spouse is away.

From solo-parenting tips, to creating a rhythm that keeps your homeschool running smoothly, to building a support system you can lean on—this episode is packed with encouragement and real-life wisdom. We’ll talk about simplifying your days, finding balance, and making the most of the time with your kids, even when Dad is far away.

You’ll also hear a real-life story of a military homeschool mom who faced a nine-month deployment with her husband overseas. Through faith, flexibility, and community support, she and her children didn’t just survive the deployment—they grew stronger, closer, and more resilient.

Deployment is never easy, but you don’t have to walk this road alone. With a little planning, a lot of grace, and plenty of support, you and your kids can thrive during this season.

Friend, you’re stronger than you think—and you’ve got this.

The post Managing the Homefront While Your Spouse is Away | Military Homeschool Moms Podcast appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.