The Winner of the Homeschoolers Appreciation Giveaway!

Congratulations, Katie @ Continuing in Him!! You're the winner of the homeschoolers appreciation blog party giveaway!! :D

If you will leave me your address in a comment {which I promise not to publish} I will get the prize in the mail as soon as possible!

Thank you to everyone who entered and participated!! Bleah and I had so much fun with this! :D

Homeschoolers Appreciation Giveaway Info

Bleah and I need more time to pick a giveaway winner for the Homeschoolers Appreciation giveaway, because something came up, so we are now extending the date for the drawing to this Wednesday, September 1st. Now, I am going to show you what we're giving away. Since this is a party about schooling, Bleah and I got some school supplies. :)

We have some pens and sharpies.

Here is a pencil holder and some erasers, paper clips, butterfly clips and a mini purple notepad.

Last but certainly not least, there is a cute day planner included in the giveaway.

There will be one winner, and Wednesday, September 1st is the dateline for entering the giveaway, so if you haven't entered yet and would like to, please click HERE, or just click the button on my right sidebar. Thank you all!! :)

Homeschoolers Appreciation {day seven} ~by Bleah Briann

Homeschooling...

Homeschooling seems so simple you know? I mean to outsiders its pretty self-explanitory. Homeschooling. You're schooled at home. But its not that simple, or perhaps its just not that simple for me.

When you're homeschooled, and people know, you're stuck in these boxes. If you're homeschooled you probably know this. Either you're percieved as really smart, or really dumb. You're often considered inept, socialy unstable, deprived. People think that when you have to go out into the world you'll break into a million peices and have no chance at normal life.

Other people see it as this amazing opportunity, you get so much freedom, you work at your own pace. Its fool of possiblility.

So honestly its either one extreme or the other.

I've had people think both of these for me and either way its a ton of pressure. You want to prove some wrong and you want to show the others that they're right. But honestly... we're just like everyone else. Haha, yes we are just like everyone else. Except we're not tempted the same ways, exposed to the same things, or run in the same circles. You know what? Yeah we get to wear are PJ's a bit longer, but no we don't stay in them all day. And sure we spend less hours during school, and we don't have as many friends, and we aren't exposed to as many people. But we're just like you public/private schoolers. We go through life with the same hopes and dreams. We wanna get married just like you, we want kids, we want a job, and we want to be successful. As Children we all watched Barney, and as teens we all hate spinich. The only difference is we're alot closer to home. We have alot more time with our families. And we're alot safer.

Honestly, It think its time to take homeschoolers out of the box... don't you?

Thanks Sooo much Eldarwen for this opportunity :) Check me out @ www.blonde4christ.blogspot.com for more about moi!

Homeschoolers Appreciation {day 6}

Today I'll be posting some downfalls to homeschooling.

{1} One downfall is not getting to interact with other kids on a daily basis. Some of us have siblings that we do school with, but my schooling is just me, sitting by myself, reading. I really miss getting to chat with a friend between classes, or sitting on the swings at recess and meeting someone new.

{2} Another downfall to homeschooling, is you're at home a lot. Don't get me wrong, being home is nice, but I've always been a "get outta the house every once in a while" kinda girl. I love going places, even if it's just going to the grocery store with Momma. :)

{3} People treat you differently. Not that that's always a bad thing, but it is when you're checking out at the grocery store and your cashier asks, "So, did they let you out of school early today?" You say, "No. I'm homeschooled," and then they make this face and kinda ignore you the rest of the time. That's quite frustrating. Most people have it in their heads that homeschoolers are dumb, nerdy, sheltered kids. When that's not even close to the truth! We're just kids who want to limit the world's influence on us. We would rather get a good education in the comfort and safety of our home. What's so weird about that? 

Haha, I really can't think of any more downfalls to homeschooling. I just love it so much! It's such a blessing. :)

Homeschool Appreciation {day 5}

Today Caroline is guest posting and then I'm going to give out an award I made. :)

Homeschooling=awesomeness.

Yep, there's no way around it. I've been homeschooled since pre-school and I've loved every year of it. Even if I was given the chance to go to a public school, I wouldn't take it. Here's why...

1. My mom is my teacher every year! I don't have to worry about switching teachers or having someone who absolutely hates me, or vice versa.

2. I can do my work at any pace I like--I don't have to wait for other students to finish.

3. My mom (a lot of these answers will involve my mom) and I do history together, so while she reads it out loud, I have out my sketchbook and am drawing away--which is how I managed to finish many pictures. :)

4. I can take other classes out of the house, such as poetry, art, science (this year.) So yeah...I am socialized enough, in case that was your next question. :P

5. My dog is my mascot.:)

6. No big 'ol tests in the middle of the year! All I have is the end of the year test, which is insanely easy.

7. I get to be HOME all day.

8. I don't have to worry about bullies at school.

9. While there's many other places where the message of the world can be directed at me, school isn't one of them.

10. I actually like spelling. (no...really? Is that possible?)

11. I can eat during class. (and have many a time.:D)

12. I'm able to avoid any compromising situations that can take place at public school.

13. Since I don't have {as much} homework, I have more time for the things I like to do.

14. Much of my school can be done from the couch.

15. I don't have to run out the door like a madwoman to catch my bus.

16. I get as much help as I need with my work.

17. I can go out during the day and not be confined to one classroom.

18. I get to participate in a huge homeschool co-op that had 490 students last semester.

19. It won't be as tempting for me to date since I'm at home.

20. HOMESCHOOLING ROCKS! That's why.

Twenty reasons why homeschooling is awesome. Twenty good reasons...but are they all? Are any of them the real reason I love being homeschooled so much?

Maybe the real reason is that it was God's will for my parents to homeschool my sister and I. And I'm so glad it was; I wouldn't be the same person without it!

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{this photo belongs to Caroline}

I'm a homeschooled, Christian teenage girl.

I write; I sketch; I photograph; I play volleyball; I am random for the sheer joy of it.

I love summertime, fairy-tales, kittens, photography, libraries, the ocean, and epic music.

Most of all my goal in life is to bring glory to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Will you join me on the journey?

Please visit Caroline's blog, A Writer's Life for Me. Just click the button over there -->. Thank you so much for guest posting, Caroline! I really loved reading your post!

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Now here's an award made by me. Feel free to take it if it applies to you!

Homeschoolers Appreciation {day 4} Cori

Today I'm going to be posting my interview with the lovely Cori. :)

{1.} First, Cori, would you mind telling us a little about yourself? Well, I'm a 14 (almost 15) year old living in a small town. I love to attend Church and youth group. I have many close friends whom I love dearly. My family consists of a 13 year old sister named Abby, a mom, a dad, two doggies and a kitty and I have a passion for writing and I hope to become an author one day. I also love to act and I've been told I was crazy silly and hilarious...haha that was an awesome compliment.

{2.} Have you been homeschooled all your life? If not, when did you start homeschooling? I've pretty much been homeschooled all my life. I went to pre-k and kindergarten. Since then I've been homescooled. I have tried a month of private school in 2nd grade and a month of charter school in 6th grade. I disliked it deeply. Though I'm not saying that school is horrible but it was certainly not for me.

{3.} What's one thing you would say is a benefit to homeschooling? Well, there are a few things but, no homework is definitely a benefit for me. That was the worst thing for me in my 2 months of school away from home.

{4.} What's one thing you would say is a downfall to homeschooling? Well, I guess it would have to be that you don't see your friends everyday like in public or private school.

I do get to see my homeschool and church friends as often as I can though. So, its not like I have no friends at all. Plus I'm part of a homschool group and a 4-H group.

{5.} Have you ever had any interesting experiences when someone asks you where you go to school, and you tell them you're homeschooled? If so, what? Haha, yes. One time a group of my homeschooled friends and I went to a local park during public school hours and some lady with her young kids asked us why we weren't in school and we told her we were (of course) homeschooled. She then responded saying, "oh, yeah I think that's what I used to say when I was in school to get away from it". That was probably the funniest one yet. Most of the time people believe me..lolz.

{6.} What's your favorite subject in your school? Why? English and grammar (I combine them) I've always loved that subject. It feels natural as opposed to math where I'm not the best. :D

{7.} Do you do school year-round, or do you take off whenever you need to? We mostly do school year round. We start in fall and usually go into summer. We've tried for as long as I can remember to continue all the way through summer but being as busy as we are we end up taking a break during July and August.

{8.} Why do you love being homeschooled? I just love the fact that God has blessed me with the opportunity to be away from the drama of public school and to have a great education at my own pace taught by my wonderful mom :)

{9.} If you had your choice, would you rather go to public school? NO WAY!

{10.} Is there anything you want to say to all the homeschoolers out there? If your ever having doubts about being homeschooled such as: you want to go to public school. Just pray to God for guidance. Maybe he is calling you to go to public for some reason. Or maybe he wants you to realize that he has blessed you with this opportunity.

Thanks for having me be a part of this great idea :)
Go homeschooling!!

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{this photo belongs to Cori} 

Hi peoples, I'm Cori and I am 14 years old and going into 9th grade.

I love God so much and love being a Christian.

I have one 13 year old sis and parents whom I love so much.

I've been homeschooled all my life and I love my friends and family.

I am an author in training and I love to blog. Thanks for stopping by. With love, Cori :) 

Please visit Cori's blog. Just click the button over there -->. :) Thanks for letting me interview you, Cori! I had fun with it, and I hope you did too. :)

Homeschoolers Appreciation {day 3}

Sorry, this post was scheduled to post at 8am, but for some reason it didn't. o.O

Today it's my turn to do a little post about homeschooling.

In 2001 my parents prayed about and decided they would homeschool me and my older sister, Narthea. So, they took us out of public school (me being in the 2nd grade and Narthea in 3rd) and we started homeschooling. I will admit that at first I was not completely on board. Sure, I liked not having to put up with a bully, or spending eight hours of my day with a bunch of teachers and kids I hardly knew, but I missed interacting with other kids, and recess (I mean, come on. Who didn't like recess?:). After a while I started liking homeschooling, though. I didn't spend as many hours doing schoolwork as I was in public school, and there was no homework afterwards. Well, it's all homework, but it's not like you do school, then have to complete a bunch of papers afterwards. Homework was definitely not one of my favorites when I was little. Now me and homeschooling are like this *crosses fingers*. :)

My family and I use a curriculum called Sonlight. My mom and I tried a couple different things with me (I'm not much of a learning freak:), and Sonlight is definitely my favorite. I've used it basically all my years of homeschooling (9 years). It teaches a lot about the Bible and Creation, and it's not even a lot of work. I usually do school for about two hours. Sometimes three, if I "double up" and do two-days-worth. With the Sonlight curriculum the student basically teaches themself. All it consists of is reading, paperwork (it's in a guide and you copy it, then fill it out) and a few reports now and then. I really love it and it's very flexible! :)

I think homeschooling is healthy for a kid. They're in a safe environment, around people they know and trust, and there's not all this pressure of being the best in the class. You get to work at your own pace, and have one-on-one time with your teacher (I call mine mom;). If I'm doing really good in vocabulary, I can excel ahead. Or if I'm doing poorly in science, I can slow down and take my time. There's just so many advantages to homeschooling!

Now, here's an award made by Bleah. :)

Isn't it just darling? Take it, take it! :D

Homeschoolers Appreciation {day 2}

Today for the homeschoolers appreciation blog party, Eden is guest posting. :)

Hey there! My name is Eden and I'm 16 years old. I'm a homeschool student and soon-to-be homeschool graduate. I'm the eldest child of two, wonderful Christian parents and I have two sisters, Sara (age 13), and Leah (age 11) and a little brother Jude (age 10). Our family lives on a Christian resort in Bermuda along with our two kitties, Onyx & Opal.

I've been homeschooled since I started school at age 4. Actually, I've never been to any public or private school. It's been a joy to be taught by my Mom and I'm looking forward to graduating at the end of this year!


But why did my parents decide to homeschool us anyway? Well, Dad & Mom decided to homeschool us because they believed that was God's will for our family. I'm so happy they've taken the time to give us the education they believe God wants for us. And nearly twelve years later, we're still on this journey called homeschooling. Day after day, we learn valuable life lessons as we help Mom around the home, go out with Dad on business, or help a little sister learn about fractions or multiplication. God has blessed Mom with wonderful teaching skills and she's always weaving spiritual life lessons into our secular classes.


And with home schooling, we enjoy having the flexibility to take a day off for a field trip or will spend the afternoon helping Dad with his architectural business. I personally enjoy being able to work at my own pace --another advantage of home schooling. When I come across a concept in school that's difficult or challenging, I'm able to slow down and think through all the steps carefully without feeling rushed to keep up with other students. And if I'm doing well in another subject, I can accelerate in that area. Of course, we also enjoy having more free time! Our lessons usually end around lunch time so we have the afternoons free to learn homemaking skills, practice our instruments, or read a book!


We use a Christian, Bible-based curriculum, and it's a joy to learn about our world and the Creator who made it. Social Studies would probably be my favorite subject because I love learning about people and cultures; and I find the way people live their lives in other parts of the world intriguing. But if I was allowed to have another favorite, Biology would be a close second. It's fascinating to learn about just how the human body works! Truly we are "fearfully and wonderfully made"! I'm praying about studying to become a nurse after I graduate from homeschool so I can use my love for people and culture as well as my fascination with biology to help others stay healthy.


Homeschooling is about learning at home and being taught by loving parents in an atmosphere that encourages everyone to follow after Christ and "study to show [ourselves] approved unto God" . I'm truly grateful to my parents who have taken the time to homeschool me and carefully guide me through each school year. These years spent under their instruction, guidance and care will be sure to have a lasting impact on my life.
 

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{this photo belongs to Eden} 

My name is Eden and I am sixteen years old.

I'm the eldest child of two wonderful parents and big sister to two sisters (Sara age 13, Leah age 11) and one brother (Jude age 10).

My siblings and I are home schooled and have been all our lives.

My primary goal in life is to glorify my Maker and fulfill His will for my life.

As a stay at home daughter, I enjoy helping my Mom around our home and learning homemaking skills along the way.

My desire is that you will be blessed and encouraged by reading about my life as we all continue to grow in Him.

"I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore." Psalm 86:12

Please visit Eden's lovely blog, Growing In Him. Just click the button over there -->. :)  Thank you for guest posting, Eden!!  I hope everyone else enjoys reading your post just as much as I did. :) 

Be sure to check out Bleah's post of the day!! :)

Homeschoolers Appreciation {day 1}

Today is the first day of the Homeschoolers Appreciation blog party Bleah and I are doing! We've been working really hard on this, and we're so excited to finally start! Woot woot! In this post, I'm going to list five benefits to homeschooling, and an award made by yours truly. :)

{1} One of the benefits to homeschooling (for me) is definitely getting to sleep in sometimes. When I was in public school I had to be up and ready by 7:30am (and that was elementary). Sleeping in is really nice. :)

{2} The flexibility of homeschooling is another benefit. I love being able to say, "Hey mom, 'so-and-so' wants me to spend the night tonight, is that okay?" Even on a week day! Fun fun fun! :)

{3} Having the opportunity to grow closer to my family is another benefit for me. I have always loved hanging out with my friends, and staying the night with friends, so being around my family basically 24/7 has really taught me to appreciate them more, and to interact with them more. :) 

{4} No peer pressure. That was a BIGGY for me when I was in school. Even in kindergarten I ALWAYS worried about what other kids thought of me. I still do today, but I'm much better than I was. I remember being picked on one time on the playground by some boy (his name was Daniel... yeah, I remember him) who thought my jeans were ugly. I cried and cried, because they were my favorite jeans. I probably never wore them to school again.

{5} Another reason I love being homeschooled is because I'm around better influences. As much as I love to "fit in" with people, there's no telling where I would be in my relationship with the Lord right now if I were in public school around [even a few] teens who don't dress the way I do, who have a boyfriend/girlfriend, who talk trashy, who dress trashy, who aren't Christians, etc. Though, I'm not judging the kids in public school, and I'm not saying they're all "bad". Please keep that in mind. :) Also, I love having the freedom of being taught whatever my parents see fit to teach me.

Now for the award:

Feel free to take it!