Hey y'all! It's officially Fall and you know what that means! Pumpkins, leaves, apples, hayrides, scarecrows and of course cozy sweaters and crisp air! However, one thing that is equally as "Fall related" is... a Fall Bucket List!   Fall bucket lists are a great list to have for many different reasons. 1. You can have a guide for all things Fall to help you plan for the best time of the year! 2. You can make sure to hit all your local favorites that have Fall themed events, Fall goodies and of course, more memories that will last forever. 3. PUMPKINS! I don't know about you, but for me, seeing all those pumpkins make me feel HAPPY lol. I could go on and on about why you should have a Fall Bucket list.. but, to save you time and get you to the the real reason why you are here.. you were looking for a bucket list for your family!  I do want to make note that this bucket list is family friendly and can also be done sans kiddos! Also, as I have stated in the past, my family and I do not observe Halloween so this list will strictly focus on things to do in the Fall excluding Halloween ( but still just as fun!). So, With that being said, check out this Fall bucket list! 1. Go to a pumpkin patch 2. Go to an Apple Orchard 3.Drink a Pumpkin Spice Latte 4. Roast marshmallows ( Trader Joe's has vegan/kosher ones!) 5. Sit by a fire 6. Open the windows on a rainy day 7. Go to the Farmer's Market 8. Take a walk in the early morning 9. Bake a Pie 10. Make caramel apples 11. Drink apple cider 12. Eat apple donuts 13. Take a hayride 14. Go to a Football game ( GO COWBOYS) 15. Host a football game party 16. Go on a Fall leaf scavenger hunt 17. Make S'mores 18. Make pumpkin bread 19. DIY a scarecrow 20. Pick acorns 21. Have a Friendsgiving 22. Decorate a Fall wreath 23. Take a quick family getaway 24. Toast pumpkin seeds 25. Take a family bike ride 26. Visit a corn maze 27. Make applesauce 28. Volunteer at a local charity 29. Stargaze  30. Take Fall family photos 31. Host a dinner party 32. Host Thanksgiving dinner 33. Check out Fall themed books from the library 34. Make Thanksgiving themed decor. 35. Decorate your porch with pumpkins 36. Visit a farm 37. Sit outside and cozy up with a blanket 38. Read a book by the fire or outside 39.Make leaf art 40. Visit a local Fall festival 41. Make homemade popcorn 42. Jump in the leaves 43. Have a picnic 44. Play Football 45. Have a movie marathon 46. Build a fort 47. Visit the drive in theater 48. Visit a flea market 49. Tailgate with friends 50. Have a family "sleepover" in the front room. So, there you have it! My 2019 Fall bucket list! Make sure you Pin this post and print it out so you and your family can have the ultimate Fall bucket list! Have you already done some of these? Did I miss any? What are your favorite Fall activities? LEt me know in the comments below :)!

Hey y'all!

After years and years of preparation, I thought I would be able to handle the day my step daughter turned 13! Turns out... all those talks we had, pep talks I gave myself and all the blogs I read about what happens when your child becomes a teen have severely failed me!

Don't get me wrong...

A lot of the blogs, books and articles I read offered some sound, reasonable advice that I could learn from and try to incorporate into the future.. but what they didn't prepare me for was the feeling of fear and hopelessness that eventually cloud my mind.

We all know turning 13 is a major milestone in a kids life and it can definitely be equally as challenging. They are still technically a kid but tip toeing around the block to adulthood. Yes, they have a lot of growing and learning to do still, but they have begun the process of outgrowing their innocence.


At 13, they are in middle school and let's face it... they are exposed to more "grown up" things than one would hope at that age. And that's ok. It presents opportunities to talk, engage and understand your child as they stagger through this awkward time in their life.

What's not ok is the things they are leaving behind or forgetting.

At 13, the kisses begin to go away and the thought of any form of parental affection towards them in public makes them cringe. The sweet look of pure joy when you lift them up or tickle them becomes a sigh of " MOM" or "DAD".

But all of that will easily be comforted with a simple " I love you". TBH.. kids telling you that they love you definitely helps with a lot of hardships lol.

So, as always.. this post is dedicated to my birthday baby, Phoenix!

My sweet P is so talented, kind, funny, beautiful and truly a gift. Every moment with her brings a sense of completeness and joy within our family. Phe is a great big sister that continues to teach, encourage and love her siblings!



So, there it is.. the beginning of a new chapter. I am officially a stepmom to a full on TEEN. I'm literally tearing up as I write this lol.

Phe, daddy and I love you so much! You will always be our baby no matter how old you get or how many mistakes you make. You make us proud in so many ways that it would take more than a post like this to list them. We love your confidence, smile, your drive, your ability to teach and guide those around you. Keep being Phe and never loose sight of what's real. fake or yourself!
Happy 13th birthday my love!

Want to see how much Phe has changed since 12? Check it out here.



 

Hey y'all! Fall is basically here ( hello PSL Day!) and I am here for it! Especially the trendy fall colors of 2019.  If you have been checking the major fashion outlets, stores, street styles and of course influencers.. you will see some of the hottest colors that will be gracing the runways and streets this Fall/Winter. Two of those colors I absolutely love, Butterscotch Yellow and Cool Pinks! I have always liked yellow and pink, I used them in everything! It wasn't until I got older that I realized there were more to just basic yellow and pink and they were equally as pretty! Which is why majority of the stuff I own is blush toned lol. Anyway....  The first trendy fall color for 2019 is Butterscotch Yellow. This shade of yellow is deep and rich. Unlike yellow, butterscotch yellow has a subtle hint of gold and is closer to the cool end of the color spectrum. For this look, I paired a butterscotch yellow skirt from Ross, a navy and white pinstripe shirt also from ross, and my favorite granny sweater I found at some estate sale! I also paired it with tan Kenneth Cole heels and felt hat from Old Navy.
Next is Cool Pink/Crab Apple! Ok, like I mentioned earlier, I love blush tones so this color was a no brainer! Unlike warm/hot pink, cool pinks are darker, softer and also closer to the cool end of the color spectrum. For this look, I paired a crabapple colored skirt from Ross, a knit sweater from Dress Barn and velvet mules from Target.


OTHER TRENDING COLORS! Like I said there are a few trendy colors this Fall/ Winter season and Butterscotch and Cool Pinks are two of them! Some of the other colors include: Red Chile Pepper- Mauve/ Lavender- Summer Fig- Tiger Orange- Bluestone- Sugar Almond- Eden- Rutabaga and more! Want a full list of all the trendy colors for Fall? Check out this awesome post from Glowsly.com! What  do you think of these trendy Fall/Winter colors for 2019?! Which one is a must have for you? Let me know in the comments below!

Hey y'all!

As the new school year starts to approach, I have begun planning, sorting, over thinking and doing everything possible to "feel productive"... meaning I have been pinning away ideas for this years lessons! Thankfully, we are able to homeschool with Youtube and it has been a great supplement!

I am pretty shocked as this is going to be our 4th year homeschooling! Thailand is starting her 6th grade year, Baltimore his 3rd and Italy is in 1st! Talk about a whirlwind! Back in 2016, I was literally in tears as the subject of homeschooling resurfaced. Mostly because the school Thailand was in at the time was absolutely AMAZING! All the teachers, students and the environment was like a dream. I was so sad to not only take her out but also move out of state, which was also a contributing factor as to why we started!

However.. here we are! To be honest, during the end of year 2 I found myself in love with it! I love the freedom it provided, the fact that my kids could control some of what they learned and that Thai could have the 1 on 1 time she needed with her work! It really became a part of our lives and we wouldn't want it any other way!

Want to know what curriculum we used? Check out our homeschool curriculum: Pre-K - 4th here!


Now, on to the reason you are reading this, you want to know the best youtube channels for homeschooling! Homeschooling is not just workbooks, lesson plans and extra curriculars. Like PS, the teacher gets sick from time to time and they need to phone a sub... in a HS case, the sub is YouTube! So, to make your search a little easier, I have compiled a list of our favorite YouTube channels for homeschooling!

1.Homeschool Pop- Homeschool Pop is definitely my go to channel! I love that it covers a wide variety of topics and it even has grade level playlists! Homeschool Pop is channel that has comprehensive and fun videos!


2.Art for Kids Hub- Art for Kids Hub is a great channel to supplement your homeschool art class! They have a wide variety of fun, colorful and easy to follow videos. They are a great choice for your art lover!

3.Free School- Like Homeschool Pop, Free School covers a wide variety of subjects that will fit right into your homeschool curriculum! I really love their Famous Artists for Kids playlist!

4.Free School Early Birds- We haven't used Free School Early Birds yet but after seeing a few videos, I think it's safe to say it is awesome! This channel is meant for Pre-K learners but it has great videos on animals and stories older kids will enjoy as well.

5.KidsHealth.org  (how the body works)- The Kids Health How the Body Works series is my absolute favorite health/science channel! The HTBW videos are around 4-7 minutes and are fun and adventurous! Join Chloe and the Nurb as they travel through the body to show you how it works!

6.Ted-ED- If you have heard of Ted Talks, then Ted- Ed should be on your list as well! Ted-Ed is great for older kids and focuses on history, nature, math and even riddles! Ted-Ed videos will be making their debut in our household this school year!

7.Fun Science Demos - Have a future scientist or one that doesn't want anything to do with it? Fun Science Demos is a fantastic YouTube channel that explores science in a fun, visual way in under 10 minutes!

8. 20 Online (kids workouts)- Need a way to keep active while homeschooling? Check out 20 Online! This Youtube channel has kids 20 minute workout videos! They only have a few videos but these can be rotated daily or a few times a week!

MoveToLearn

9. MovetoLearnMS (Dancing)- Move To Learn has tons of fun videos you and your kids can get moving to! They have simple dances you can learn, learning while moving videos and exercise videos!

10.Crash Course Kids- CC Kids is a cute and entertaining YouTube channel for homeschooling! They cover topics like gravity, properties of matter, life science and more! Have an older kid? Check out the original Crash Course YouTube channel for literature, history and more!

11. National Geographic Kids- Nat Geo Kids is another great YouTube channel for homeschooling! Their videos cover animals from all over the world.. above and below!

12. 5 Minute Crafts KIDS- Some of these crafts on this YouTube channel do require assistance if you have younger kiddos. They cover DIYs, hacks and experiments!

13. Books Read Aloud For Children- We all know just how important reading to your child is so that makes this YouTube channel a definite must have for homeschooling! Books Read Aloud has a variety of books read aloud for your kiddo.. including classics like Goodnight Moon!


There are millions of channels on Youtube and I know there are even more great Youtube channels for homeschooling! What are some of your favorites? Let me know in the comments below!