Life Unboxed Blog

Christmas lights are twinkling, the fire is crackling in the fireplace. You're curled up in your favorite chair with some coffee. And the only thing that would make this perfect is books for mom. 

This month on the podcast, we're going to do book reviews, because in December, I like to take time off, but I also want to give content that fits the season, that is more relaxed and laid back. And so I wanted to talk about one ...

Christmas doesn’t have to be complicated to be magical. Here are some easy ideas for Christmas Day dinner and more to keep Christmas simple and magical. 

Think back on your favorite Christmas memories. Are they memories of Pinterest-perfect tables or complicated dinners? The most treasured memories come from slowing down, simplifying, and enjoying the time spent together. This post is all about ideas for Christmas Day dinner and oth...

I hope you are enjoying the conclusion to the holiday season. Winter, Thanksgiving, and then Christmas is my favorite time of year. Since I gave myself December off (I am a really good boss), I wanted to do something a little different. I want to share my story from corporate workhorse to momtrepeneur.  

If you’ve read the About the Mom page (they say this is usually the most read page on a blog), then you know a little of my story....

Balancing work, homeschooling, and everyday life can often feel like starring in your own three-ring circus—with no intermission. This is my circus and these are my monkeys. So how do you get it done and keep your sanity?  

It feels like the same thing day after day. Before the alarm buzzes at 5am, your mind is already churning through the day’s impossible juggling act: client projects, math lessons, laundry, spelling tests, deadlin...

Do you long to go back to the holiday season of carefree childhood bliss? Where the only thing on your mind is to enjoy the season. Now, those days are replaced by overwhelm, stress, and the pressure to make this the most amazing Christmas ever.  

This is just one of our roles as a mom. Especially, since we are homeschool and, in some cases, work from home moms. We are home with the kids, so it falls to us to make this time of year ...

I’ve always cringed at the idea of early mornings. I would prefer to be a night owl and enjoy the quite at the end of the day. But early mornings can be a powerful tool for work from home and homeschool moms. 

For years, I was a night owl. I enjoyed staying up late and having the house to myself. Early mornings were not something I enjoyed. Yes, I heard all the podcasts and read all the blog posts about early mornings, but I really ...

Download your free Mom Boss 2.0 workbook and start a business without a niche. 

Do an internet search and type in how to make money from home or how to start a business. You probably see a ton of results. Once you get past all of the "do surveys" or "get paid to just do this" (take it from someone who has tried, getting paid for surveys is a waste of time). You find one piece of advice common to all of the search...

Parenting is hard, but it is also the greatest thing we will ever do. This parent guide is going to walk you through the hardest stage of parenting. No, it isn’t the infant, toddler, or preschool stages. The hardest stage of parenting is launching your teen/young adult kids. 

Yes, I need a parent guide for it. Since it is hard to find, let us share our knowledge and walk each other through the hardest stage of parenting. The launchi...

Grading. This is the dreaded task. You know the kind of task you need to psyche yourself up for days ahead of time. And grading for 4 kids multiplies this feeling by 4. Teaching multiple grades, figuring out the right curriculum, and keeping grades for school, it can get overwhelming. Keeping grades is not my favorite thing to do, but over the years, through trial and error, I've found a system that works. 

 If you are feeling ...

Homeschooling high schoolers means you are almost finished homeschooling. Unless, there are younger kids, then it is just the start of a new and exciting chapter in your homeschool journey. 

But homeschooling high schoolers might feel like a giant leap from the elementary years. And you are also planning for after high school, college or not to college, and really preparing your students for the rest of their lives.  

No pressure, ri...

Are you wanting to live your impossible dream, but you don't know how to make money from home and homeschool your kids?  

Show notes and links: https://lifeunboxed.blog/how-to-make-money-from-home

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW: 

My Story from Corporate Workhorse to Momtrepreneur
Managing Information
Mug Nerds (Etsy Shop)
Don't Up is the Wrong Advice
How is Success Defined
Mom Boss 2.0 Workbook (Free Dow...

Highschool credits are important regardless of the path your teenager takes. If your homeschooling highschool, then you need to know about highschool credits. 

Understanding homeschool highschool credits is going to help you create a strong homeschool high school transcript, and preparing your teen for life beyond homeschool. If you've ever wondered how many credits your teen needs and how to assign them, you're in the rig...

Homeschooling moms are divided on this issue. We want to homeschool for the freedom to not be tied to our desks. Yet, homeschooling online opens the door for so many opportunities. What's a mom to do? 

There are pros and cons to homeschooling online. There isn't a one-size fits all approach to it. You know your kids, their personalities, and what works and what doesn't. 

Show notes and links: https://lifeunboxed.blog/h...

 Show notes and resources mentioned in the episode: https://lifeunboxed.blog/self-care/

Self-care is a word that I love to hate. Mainly because the Instagram version of it is in conflict with reality. Is there a better way to self-care than what we see on Instagram? 

Self-care is a trendy buzzword now, and I am fully aware that it can seem inaccessible for work from home and homeschool moms. We are always busy. Always exhausted. Runn...

It is that time of year, planning for homeschooling! Out with the old curriculum or posted on Ebay, and in with the new. 

Planning for homeschooling can be fun and exciting, but it can also be a bit overwhelming. Whether you are new or a veteran, making sure you haven't missed anything can be stress paralyzing. Let's take the stress out of planning for homeschooling. 

Show notes and links: https://lifeunboxed.blog/planning-...

Some days feels like chaos as a working at home mom. Even to the point of researching private school tuition and wondering if you should get an office job. 

Mom, if you’re juggling work, homeschool, family, and everything in between, then grab your coffee (you need that to conquer the world), let’s tame the chaos, and create a plan for working at home mom.

Show notes and links: https://lifeunboxed.blog/working-at-home-mom/

Grab your g...

Creating a flexible fall homeschool schedule is going to give you the homeschool freedom you want while ensuring those little clones you created are learning. 

The transition between summer break and starting a new school year isn't easy. Even if you did some schoolwork during the summer. Your kids and you enjoyed the break. And it was needed. Never feel guilty about taking a break. We all need to time to recover and reset. 

Let...

Get all the links: https://lifeunboxed.blog/writing-a-book/ 

Writing a book is a great way to add creative writing to your homeschool.  

Liven up your homeschool language arts by writing a book. 

As homeschoolers, we have the unique opportunity to really take the time to make writing enjoyable and fun. I know most college assignments will be the 5 paragraph essay, so that is important to know. Or you can just wing it if you decide to ...

Hiring your kids in your business is a great way to boost their resume, teach practical life skills, and add help for those mundane tasks you don’t want to do. 

I have a confession. Like all confessions, I will probably lose my momtrepreneur status. But here goes. I don’t want to grow my business to the point of needing to hire anyone. I know shocking. Every business owner is supposed to want to grow to the point of creating an empi...