Your Morning Basket

Kara S. Anderson

Homeschool connection, not perfection.

You should probably make a s’mores bar this week

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A few weeks ago, it occurred to me that we’re not going anywhere for a while and I better figure out some fun things to do before we all just lie down and let the cats eat us.

But I’m not really a “fun mom.”

You know fun moms, right? They are up for anything! They have blooming Pinterest accounts and just happen to have on hand buckets of googly eyes and 19 colors of sprinkles and snow cone machines and on the weekends they craft deluxe tree houses with their bare hands.

My closet is full of Christmas wrapping paper and sweaters and the best I ever came up with is giving my kids the Magic Tree House books.

(That’s not true. We camped in a tree house once. It stormed. I’m not sure how the Keebler elves hack it full-time.)

The Alton Brown Rule

Now normally, I exercise what I call The Alton Brown rule here. We do not buy single purpose kitchen tools or appliances. Once, for Christmas, someone gave me a quesadilla maker and I would describe my reaction as enraged.

But this was basically an emergency. We needed some fun STAT.

So when my mom sent us a S’mores Maker, I flicked the tiny Alton off my shoulder, and unboxed that thing with a flourish. And then I started shopping for supplies.

(Please note, my Target does Shipt, so I didn’t have to leave home to get everything I needed. If you want to sign up for Shipt, use my code LJpHD to get $10 off your annual membership.)

The Classic

One only has to watch The Sandlot for a thorough introduction to the Classic S’more.

Normally cooked over an actual fire, you need just three items: marshmallows, Hershey’s chocolate and graham crackers.

Truthfully, these ingredients, paired with that movie is a unit study.*

You’re welcome.

Churros and Peanut Butter Cups

But maybe, like me, you’ve been feeling a bit desperate lately to gain some fun mom points.

So may I humbly suggest that you create a S’mores Bar?

The idea is simple – you take the three classic ingredients and you add options in each category.

Marshmallows

Sure – classic Jet-puffed guys will hold your s’more together, but we’re big fans of Smashmallows here. For our bar we got cookie dough, cinnamon churro and cold brew flavors.

You can get colorful marshmallows. You can dig out stale Peeps. I’m not your boss. Do what you want.

Crackers/Cookies

Some would say that the beauty of the graham cracker is that is creates a simple base for your s’more without competing with the flavors of charred marshmallow and goopy chocolate.

Those people are not desperate moms trying to impress two teens.

So maybe add some cinnamon or chocolate-covered grahams. Maybe add some cookies. Fudge Stripes cookies work well, but I’m not your mom. Maybe check the freezer for Girl Scout cookies. You’re in charge of your own destiny.

Chocolate

So this is where you really get to choose your own adventure. Turn to pg 19 if you picked cookies and cream chocolate.

Head to page 28 if you like dark chocolate.

Definitely get these thin peanut butter cups that I don’t think really serve any other purpose than s’moring, right?

I mean if someone gave me one of those for Halloween …  You think I’m doing keto or something?

I’ve been dairy-free lately, so I did some Hu chocolate and grabbed some Justin’s Peanut Butter Cups.

But again – I am not a life coach. Head boldly in the direction of your dreams.

Finally

Finally, ask your kids.

Do not be limited.

Kids will come up with all kinds of crazy ideas, and as long as it’s not meat or bugs, just go all in.

Thank you for coming to my s’mores Ted Talk.

 

* If you want to get fancy, you could build a s’more solar oven. Wink.

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You should probably have a hot chocolate party ASAP

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I don’t mean to generalize, but there are basically two kinds of people in this world – those who need a reason to plan a party and those who do not.

But those are regular parties.

A hot chocolate party is a party for EVERYONE, and I suggest you have one any Tuesday, or even in spring or fall (but probably not summer unless it’s raining or your husband is away and won’t know you turned the AC down to 50).

If you really need an excuse to party cocoa-style, maybe grab this gentle winter unit study – you’ll also get our recipe for Snowy Day cookies!

So really, the best bet is just to plan a Cocoa-Fest for this week.

Your kids will flip, and you’ll create a warm memory, and frankly, what better way to ease back into school, right?

THE COCOA

You don’t need a lot of have a hot chocolate party, but the hot chocolate is important pretty vital.

You can go with Swiss Miss. No one is judging.

Watered-down Swiss Miss is all most of us had in the 80s and 90s, and we would race our siblings inside for that business – snow in our hair, mobility constricted by too tight snow pants, JC Penney catalog jackets and moon boots.

You can also go with a crockpot recipe. This is nice for larger groups, and it you don’t have a kettle. (We have this kettle though, and love it!)

You can also get really cute and creative and go with something like this hot chocolate on a stick.

And, if you have dairy-free people to consider, I really can recommend this mixed with dairy-free milk like almond milk.

THE BASICS

From there, you’re going to need some marshmallows and whipped cream, otherwise, why bother, right? 😉

Again, I understand when dietary restrictions come into play, but this isn’t the 80s anymore when I used to put orange juice on my cereal because I couldn’t tolerate milk.

They make all kinds of dairy-free whipped toppings, and they make marshmallows that don’t contain any of the 8 major allergens.

But OK, if for some reason those toppings are still off limits, no sweat – it’s just that first, we have to delve deeper into Marshmallow Land for a sec, then we’ll move on. Pinkie Swear.

CHURROS, YOU GUYS

For instance, did you know that they make marshmallows that taste like churros? Or cookie dough? Or ones that come pre-toasted (in case you decide to have s’mores party later).

You can also get peppermint marshmallows, shapes, or just throw some Peeps up in your melty chocolate hot tub.

I don’t want to sounds bossy, but at least two marshmallow offerings take this from a “we’re having hot chocolate,” to an actual PARTY.

MORE TOPPINGS

From there, let’s talk syrups.

I’m a caramel girl. Some people like hot fudge.

And then you have your “dry” toppings such as:

SIDES

You might also want some sides. We love these cookies.

Speaking of which, you’re going to need some food or else …

FOOD

Cookies are a great accompaniment to a hot chocolate party. Kids love dipping and hey – we’re going all in here.

BUT … maybe set out a few non-sweet snacks to balance things out. Protein is good. We put out some mixed nuts and some Trader Joe’s cheese crackers and some meat and cheese … but I’m not good at this stuff, maybe ask your healthnut friend of a member of the American Dental Association.

DRINKING VESSELS

If you’re having a smaller party, you can use festive mugs.

You can even use mugs with a larger party, BUT, it can be nice since if you have a lot of people to use cups you can mark names on.

This is also helpful if you are taking your party on the go – for instance, we often make giant batches of hot caramel cider at Halloween and take it out with us as we trick-or-treat.

DECOR

Finally, from a planner stand-point, festive decor is so much fun! We got some of these bowls, which we also used for a New Year’s Eve ice cream sundae bar.

I purchased these compostable spoons, but learned they are best for scooping out toppings – they are so compostable that they can fall apart *in* your hot cocoa, and no one wants that.

We kept table decorations simple, and made the toppings the stars of the show, but you could absolutely add a fun runner, some signs or cute reusable bowls.

We did use one of these for our marshmallows.

GET FESTIVE

Finally, a roaring fire, a good read-aloud, a family movie or a sledding party can make your hot chocolate party even more fun.

If it’s an unseasonably warm day, you can even have a snow picnic! (If you do, I highly recommend an insulated thermos.)

And again, I recommend hosting a hot chocolate bar as part of this gentle winter unit study, which is on sale now and a great way to transition back to school.

Wishing you a cozy winter, friends!

P.S. Want to add a little art (and lots more fun!) to your hot chocolate party? Pair is with a lesson from You Are An Artist Chalk Pastels. A Mittens & Cocoa lessons is in the Fall Video Chalk Art Lesson set.

Do you have a favorite hot chocolate topping? Let us know in the comments.

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A thank you to my children’s (homeschool) teachers

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When my children were tiny little chubby-footed cherubs, and I was younger and naive and possibly suffering from some kind of undiagnosed postpartum superman syndrome, I thought that the way to homeschool was to make stuff up.

Yes – There were boxed curriculums out there – for other people. But not for this lady and her homemade bread and her cloth diapers and her children’s pants made from men’s Goodwill sweaters.

No-no-no.

The ONLY way I could homeschool was to wear myself out staying up until 2 a.m., creating things from scratch.

It took me YEARS to realize a few things:

  • I’m creative, but not like, make your own pants creative.
  • I’m nicer when I sleep.
  • Other people have talents too.

Early on, I think I figured that giving my kids this “homemade” level of education proved my commitment or something?

(Again, I have not ruled out that we lived in a house with a lot of old lead paint back then.)

But somewhere along the way, I discovered that other people have THEIR things, and they are super passionate about those things, and if you are lucky, you can buy or subscribe to those things, and then you can stop DIYing everything to death like Martha Stewart on methamphetamines.

So today, I wanted to take a minute to thank my children’s teachers.

Because these amazing women are not just sharing their passions with my kids – they are helping me maintain a certain level of just-buy-pants-at-a-store sanity.

Below are some people/resources that have been a huge help to us this year:

Kate Snow (Kate’s Homeschool Math)

I first met Kate Snow at a table at a Mexican restaurant where we shared chips, salsa and margaritas, so obviously we are soul mates.

This was in Cincinnati is 2018, but it was in 2019 when we really connected. I told her about a recent debacle where I had said something that set off a chain of events that changed a bunch of things, and I was struggling with how people can love the same God, but see Him so differently, and she didn’t judge, or ask me if I needed her to call a doctor.

She just listened and made me feel like it’s OK to talk to people about BIG things even though you don’t know them super well yet.

So over the summer, when I was planning math and having my annual they will never use half this stuff, but I want them to have real job opportunities meltdown, I called Kate and she helped me find a path that made sense for my kids.

Since then, we’ve been using her math books and Key To Math, and I have never in 12+ years felt so good about math. (Actually, I never felt good about math until this year including my own math education. But you get what I mean, right?)

Thank you, Kate.

Tricia and Nana (You Are An Artist Chalk Pastels)

Earlier this year, we did a Lewis and Clarke program with two of my kids’ favorite teachers, and I drew the worst map of the United States that you ever did see.

But.

That wasn’t the point.

The point was that in an hour, I learned more about the Lewis and Clarke expedition than I had in the previous 42 years. I got so many whys that had been so hazy before.

And that is the beauty of You Are An Artist Chalk Pastels.

There are so many things that I love about this resource, so I’m going to try to sum it up:

  1. Chalk Pastels are forgiving. Even when you make mistakes, they kind of work.
  2. Because Nana teaches, you get to do the art with your kids, so they can see that you are not doing a perfect drawing either.
  3. Nana is so patient and encouraging. There’s no intimidation factor.
  4. But most important – the projects you create are not just about art. They are about birds, or presidents, or history. So you and your kids are going to learn something even if your map of the United States looks like a distorted animal cracker. #minedid

Cindy West (No Sweat Nature Study)

I met Cindy in Cincinnati too. Because of social media, we already knew each other, but there’s something about breaking bread and hugging that makes it more real, right?

I feel like God keeps sending me to Cincinnati to meet wonderful people. (Is Cincinnati some sort of Earthly Heaven outpost? And if so, why is their downtown Chipotle so bad?)

But one thing is clear – I was immediately drawn to her warmth and wisdom.

So when she created a nature study subscription, I knew we would love it.

Cindy is such a natural teacher and again, I have learned so much from her classes. My daughter and I do them together and we each have separate nature notebooks.

I have always wanted to be really good at nature study, but it just doesn’t come naturally for me. I don’t have a strong nature background and I’m allergic to a lot of it.

But Cindy has made nature study easy and fun! I’m so grateful.

Mary Prather (SQUILT)

Somehow I was gifted with a really musical kid. … Despite having almost zero musical talent or understanding.

So SQUILT is new to us this year, but I’m so excited about it. Especially because in February, we’ll be studying Jazz, which is my son’s favorite.

And because Mary is teaching, I can learn along with him!

***

As we enter our 13th year of homeschooling, I’m so grateful for my kids’ (homeschool) teachers, their co-op teachers, the teachers at various museums, and eager librarians, and people like my friend Krysta who always have creative ideas they are willing to share with my kids.

We don’t have to go it alone. I’m not sure why I believed that, but I’m glad I don’t anymore.

To see more of our favorite homeschool resources, head to my new Homeschool Resource Library.

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A homeschool soft open

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It’s clear from the state of my living room, that we are a family who learns at home.

… Or perhaps runs some kind of book multi-level marketing thing.

Because it’s a hot mess of books in there.

Most are in stacks, although not logical ones.

Plus, there are the boxes.

They started arriving a few weeks ago, and now new ones come every few days.

We’re still in the getting ready process.

I have school set to begin Tuesday, which may have been wishful thinking, given my actual progress. But that’s OK. Because I’ve started doing what I call a Homeschool Soft Open here.

If you aren’t familiar with the idea of a soft open, restaurants do them. They invite friends and family for a night so they can celebrate with their loved ones.

Of course that’s not really all that’s happening. They’re working out kinks. They’re figuring out potential pitfalls. They’re breaking plates and finding chairs and realizing that, yes, that’s a picture of Jerry’s dog’s behind that got accidentally printed on the menus and now April is going to have to recite the menu from memory:

 

So that’s what I’m doing here. I’m starting slow, and with plenty of room to flex and bend.

I learned a long time ago that if I try to plan for an entire year, I crash and burn.

So we’re starting with the first 6 weeks or so.

Let me tell you what I have planned:

Math

I would highly recommend that as soon as you can, you make friends with a Harvard educated math teacher. But if you can’t do that, I recommend Kate Snow’s site  – its packed with great ideas, and guess what – she really did go to Harvard! Plus, she gets homeschooling.

On her recommendation, my son is doing the Key To books.

My daughter and I are finishing Kate’s series and then jumping into Key To.

(Listen to Kate on The Homeschool Sisters Podcast here.)

Geography

To say I am excited about Geography right now would be a bit of an understatement. But mostly I’m just excited because both of my kids are excited. This doesn’t always happen.

So a high-five to Universal Yums. We’re using their treat boxes to study countries around the world. (Want to try it? Get $5 off with this link. Discount applies at check-out).

Plus, we have a subscription to Atlas Crate.

And I bought this fantastic scratch off map, so as we learn about countries this year, we’ll scratch it off and see our progress. So fun!

Language Arts

Our first read-aloud of the year is going to be The Wild Robot.

We’ll continue to do monthly Read-Aloud Revival book clubs, and meet the authors!

Spanish

We’re jumping into Spanish this year with Rosetta Stone.

We’ll also be listening to News in Slow Spanish, and I’m considering finding a native speaker through this site to coach us.

Science

We’re doing Chemistry with MEL. We love these kits!

STEM

Last year, we tried BitsBox and my daughter loved it, so we’re going to do more coding this year! (Want to try it? Use the code KARA20 to get $20 off any subscription purchase of $50 or more.)

I’m also excited to try something brand new to us – EEME. EEME makes not-so-easy hands-on project kits and online lessons to teach kids electronics. I’ll keep you updated!

HISTORY

We’re doing something new with history this year too – Take Time for Art. (**Christian resource.**)

I learned about this hands-on history curriculum at the Carolina Homeschool Conference, and knew right away it meshed perfectly with how we learn.

We’re excited to start with ancient Egypt.

ART

So, the thing is, I kind of want Nana to adopt us. But, we have the next best thing, which is Nana coming to our kitchen table.

We love You ARE an Artist Chalk Pastels, and will be peppering in art lessons here and there.

So much new has been added lately! Presidents, Composers, Famous Artists, Maps – we might just need to do a Chalk Pastel intensive this winter!

So this is where we are starting. I like that there’s lots of margin.

And in 6 weeks, I’ve evaluate again, and we’ll see what’s next.

So if you jumped into homeschooling recently, and now feel like the first week or so was a lot of broken dishes and missing chairs, it’s OK – that’s what a soft open is all about.

You’re still working out the kinks.

It takes time to build rhythm and foundation.

Be good to yourself. Be good to your kids, and let things unfold.

P.S. The Homeschool Sisters Podcast is back this week! We’re talking about first day of school and last day of school traditions, our summers, plants, and more. I hope you’ll join us for this season. Cait and I are so excited about it!

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