Homeschool Unrefined

Hey friends! We've been working hard behind the scenes this summer to create our newest resource for you!    The Unrefined Curriculum Guide is 30 pages of inspiration, encouragement, and resources to build and boost your curriculum library with recommendations you won't dread using.   Best of all, it's just $10 ! Which means, it's affordable for you AND it helps support us do what we do here at Ho...

With so much up in the air, how can we give our summer some stability to help us unwind from this school year and stay open to what the future school year might have for us? If we can do 3 things, and only 3 things, this summer, what should those 3 things be? We focus in on what solutions are going to be both realistic AND beneficial for us this summer.   Where You'll Find Us This Summer... We're...

Can you believe we've done NINE episodes in this series?! Friends, give yourselves CREDIT for navigating these last couple months of pandemic life. You're so amazing. We are tackling some of YOUR questions in this episode, and our answers might not be what you're expecting! -"How do you fit it all in? Working out, chores, running a whole household, AND having enough time for school work?" -"What a...

Anyone else missing adventures and ACTUAL ALONE TIME? Yes, there's a lot we miss during this pandemic. But thankfully, we've also found some surprising things that are getting us through. How about you? What are you missing? What's getting you through?   BONUS Episode! Don't miss our bonus episode with Diversity & Inclusion Expert Charnaie Gordon of @hereweeread . You'll be inspired to read more d...

Is there any better pandemic distraction than a book chat?! We talked with Diversity & Inclusion Expert Charnaie Gordon from @hereweeread a couple months ago, and we're so happy to finally share this conversation with you. You'll be inspired to read more diverse books AND you'll be equipped with an amazing list of picture books!   Get our EXTENDED chat with Charnaie when you join our $5 Squad ! Wh...

It feels like we're on a roll with routines and academic progress... but we're also wondering: Where do we go from here? Are we going to take a summer break? Should we be signing up for fall activities? We talk through this and more in our two segments: "State of the Family" (what's going on) and "The Nitty Gritty" (what we're actually doing every day).   Highlights from this episode:  -Are we goi...

There's no one right way to handle these days at home. Sometimes it feels great to tackle a project. Sometimes it feels best to just go with the flow. We're giving you permission to do what you need to do. We also have an honest conversation about self-regulation and screen time and setting boundaries that best support our kids. Listen in as we process where we're each at this week.   Highlights f...

How can we honor ALL the kinds of learning, even the ones that don't show up on a lesson plan or schedule? How can we make room for more non-traditional learning when our kids have so much on their plates with distance learning and our own homeschool plans? How can we balance the "must-do's" with the "want-to's" and how can we value BOTH kinds of learning equally? Listen in as we process setting u...

The shock of our new reality is wearing off and we're settling into a marathon pace, which means we're beginning to find routines that work. But in classic Maren and Angela fashion, our routines are unique to each of us and our personalities! In our "State of the Family" update, we discuss how we're using screen time for our kids to support our own self-care efforts. In our "The Nitty Gritty" upda...

We're back with another conversation covering our two pandemic check-in topics: The State of the Family (what's going on with everyone at home) and The Nitty Gritty (what we're ACTUALLY doing for homeschool). We talk about heightened emotions, anxiety, deschooling, struggling to get adequate self-care, and feeling like we're living in Groundhog Day. "Okay campers, rise and shine, and don't forget...

We're gonna be here weekly for a while to process with you through this pandemic because, well, 1) we're home anyway and 2) we want to laugh, encourage each other, and get real about homeschool. We cover two big topics: "The State of the Family" (what's going on for each of us) and "The Nitty Gritty" (what we are ACTUALLY doing for homeschool and life). Distance learning, homeschooling, working sp...

We're not experts on homeschooling through a pandemic, but we are here to process this new reality with you. Our calendars might be empty, but there's A LOT happening every day: checking in with family and friends, keeping up with news and information, planning and cooking and cleaning a lot more than normal, managing more (and bigger!) emotions and conflicts… and of course, there's homeschooling....

We recently posted a quote from Morgan Jenkins that said, "You're not well read if all you read is white authors." And we agree! We're talking about the importance of diverse books with our guest, author and activist Christine Platt. Christine helps us explore the concept of books as windows, mirrors, and sliding glass doors. Plus, she challenges our ideas about the kinds of stories we're choosing...

Hey friends! We wanted to let you in on something great we have created just for you. Are you trying to find that balance with homeschool, technology, and life? Maybe you're completely overwhelmed by all the seemingly "educational" apps out there. We're here for you.   We have carefully curated our favorite apps in a special guide with you in mind. This guide has all our favorites, organized by ca...

"Do audiobooks count?" We're here to shout it from the rooftops: YES! Listening to audiobooks, or "ear-reading" as it's also known, is a valuable and legitimate form of reading, with some of its own unique benefits not found with eye-reading. Let's demystify the idea of eye-reading superiority and celebrate all the amazing things about ear-reading and audiobooks!   We'll each be sharing our Top 10...

It's seems like there's a lot of stigma and shame around screens, especially for us homeschoolers. But should there be? Is all screen time created equal? We've embraced what we call "app schooling" for a few years, and now we want to help take away some of the shame around using screens for learning. Apps can take the pressure off us (and our kids!) on busy days and around difficult subjects (*cou...

So, like, what even is deschooling?! The fact is this: We are immersed in a schooled mindset. It's the air we breathe, the water we swim in. Deschooling is a way to reprogram our thinking about learning.  We're going to talk through this essential homeschooling tool: What is it? Why bother? What does it actually look like? And what comes next?   Highlights from this episode: Learning is natural an...

Sure, you're Marie Kondo-ing your sock drawer, but what about your homeschool? In this episode, we talk about why we all might want to consider using Marie Kondo's simplifying technique on our homeschool plans. We also identify what really Sparks Joy for us, and of course, we had to include a few What We Don't Dos.   Because, Marie.   Show Some Love Leave us an iTunes review! Your reviews help mor...

This week we reflect on 21 years of homeschooling with THE homeschool guru and veteran, Pam Barnhill! Pam brings insight and encouragement to our discussion. Ready for some serious truth bombs?  Get out a Sharpie and notecard. You'll want to tape these on your cupboard and be reminded of them everyday. Connect with Pam on her website, here .   $20 in 2020: Classes ON SALE!! Jumpstart 2020 with our...

Today, we honor our authentic selves and yours!   Do you love to plan?   Or are you more fly by the seat of your pants?   Do you love to knit? Play games? Read aloud? Adventure?   Whatever you do, embrace it!   Here we give you ALL the reasons to own your authentic self. We'll give you a glimpse into what our authentic homeschool looks like for each of us—and we bet it won't look the same as yours...

One of our favorite Instagram follows is here! Saira Siddiqui ( @confessionsofamuslimmom ) is a perspective-shifting writer and digital parent educator. If you haven't met Saira yet, allow us to introduce you. Pull up a chair (and pull out a notepad!)—you'll want to give this conversation your full attention and catch every bit of Saira's wisdom. Listening to Saira will challenge your ideas about...

This holiday season, let's all get better at saying, "This is what I want." Don't get stuck with gifts you don't want (we're looking at you, decorative hand towels and clunky desk calendars). Let our Gift Guide inspire you to invest in YOURSELF. You deserve it!    Want to give Homeschool Unrefined a (FREE!) gift this holiday season? Use the affiliate links and referral codes included in our show n...

Do you tend to overthink holiday shopping? Us too. But good news: We've done all the hard work for you! We've asked our kids, looked around our houses, and reviewed our Amazon histories to bring you a curated list of gifts our kids have LOVED over the years. Yep, ONE-CLICK SHOPPING. So sit back and enjoy knowing your shopping experience can be a little bit less stressful this year. All of the item...

What if what saves your homeschool isn't anything you can order on Amazon or put on a report card? We're talking about the ways nature and self-care are totally saving the day for us. PLUS we're sharing a snippet from our class on The Four Tendencies. This is *THE* framework that's helped make our relationships and homeschool better, day after day.   Four Tendencies & Homeschool This might be the...

We're continuing our fall mini-series on what's saving our homeschool RIGHT NOW. This week, we're talking about the e-reader that's changing reading for one of our kids and the master homeschool plan we can't homeschool without. PLUS we're sharing an excerpt from our Enneagram & Homeschool Class ! We look at Enneagram numbers 1, 2, and 3, and talk about how they might show up in homeschooling. Emb...