But, this year, I thought: I really need to give my whole life a good spring cleaning and that’s what I’m going to do! In this month’s edition of the Monthly Goals linkup, read how you can spring clean your life!

How to Spring Clean Your Life

I started reading the book Simple: 30 Ways to Declutter Your Life a few weeks back and it’s been a really great reminder of why it’s worth it to make your home into an actual place where humans can relax and live. (Mine had pretty much become a diner/storage unit.)

That’s when I realized that my life itself has kind of become a hoarder’s paradise too. My email inbox is super dee duper full. (Actually, all three of them are full.) My housework schedule is too hectic, since I do have four children who can help. And I’m training for a marathon, but I’ve been filling my belly with actual junk. Mostly because I’m too busy to plan a good meal.

So it’s time to simplify and declutter every part of my life, which is what I’m doing this month! If you want to spring clean your life (simplify it and remove the junk), check out my goals for March!

My Life Goals for March 2016

As I did in January and February this year, I’m setting a new list of life goals for the month of March. And, like in those previous months, I’ll be setting one for each part of my life.

• Family: This month, I’ll be working on teaching my kids to cook. I’ve outsourced almost all the housework, except this. Now’s the time.
• Finances: I need to develop a solid budget for our necessities and include a fixed amount for “fun” stuff. “Nickel and dime” spending really adds up if you’re not careful.
• Fitness: I’ve started eating wayyyy too many carbs lately – and not the healthy ones either. Time to go back to eating clean at least once a week.
• Work: This one is going to be the hardest of all. I’m actually going to attempt to empty my work email inbox. As of today, there are 1,665 messages in it. Yikes.
• Home: Kids just grow like weeds, don’t they! One week, you buy them new clothes. Then you have to do it again the next month and before you know it, you have clothes they haven’t been able to wear in years! All of the kids’ clothes that don’t fit are getting out of my house THIS MONTH.

Get more home decor and maintenance ideas from my Taking Care of Home board on Pinterest!

The post How to Spring Clean Your Life appeared first on Look! We're Learning!.

Tigger didn’t watch any television until she was 2 (per the AAP recommendations). Somewhere between my third and fourth pregnancy, though, I discovered something wonderful: TV is seriously awesome for kids!

So these days, I don’t hesitate to use TV as a babysitter. In fact, it actually seems to be making me a better mom! Here’s how.

Image c/o: djedzura / deposit photos

Why I Use TV as a Babysitter

There are several reasons why I don’t mind using TV as a babysitter, but I’ll just stick to three:

• TV is a super educational supplement. Depending on the topic, sometimes the TV actually does a better job of teaching something than I do. The kids and I watched a six-minute video about ancient Egypt about a week ago and they remembered more from that than they did from a week-long lesson I did about it a while back. Sigh.
• The kids discover new interests. Kids have a way of wanting to discuss the exact same thing every single day for eternity, so it can be tough to get them to break out and try something new. Enter TV! When the kids and I watch a good kids’ program, they always learn about something they didn’t know before and that usually leads to a brand new unit study topic they’d never have found before.
• I need a break. For real, sometimes I just turn on the TV and go into emergency shut-down mode. The kids get to watch a show or two and I get some much needed quiet time.

How I Choose Good Television Programs

The key to making this work, though, is choosing excellent children’s television programs. Generally, I watch a few episodes of a new program with the kids to get a feel for it. As I watch, I consider three things:

• Is it kid-friendly?
• Is it educational?
• Does it make the kids want to learn?

If the answer to all three is yes, then it’s a keeper.

One of my kids’ all-time favorite shows is Wild Kratts. They are seriously fanatics of that show. They get so excited as they learn about animals, plus they love Chris and Martin’s hijinks, so it’s a win-win. These are the kinds of kids’ shows that make excellent babysitters.

So, yes, I use TV as a babysitter and (with supervision) it’s doing an awesome job with my kids! How about you? Do you use TV to “babysit” your children? What are your favorite kids’ shows? Share your tips in the comments!

For more parenting tips, check out my Parenting with Joy Pinterest Board!

This post is part of the “I am That Mom…” linkup from iHomeschool Network! Click over to read about how my fellow bloggers manage motherhood!

And if your homeschooling motivation is somewhat…lacking these days, reinvigorate your mojo with this wonderful homeschooling ebook!

The post I am That Mom Who Uses TV as a Babysitter appeared first on Look! We're Learning!.

I sent them to public school for a few months, but even though I appreciated the slight increase in “alone time“, I missed them terribly. And I found that I actually missed homeschooling.

Now that we’ve returned to homeschooling, I’m determined to have a more thankful attitude toward our learning this year by appreciating the homeschooling gifts our family enjoys by being together. Here are 10 of the homeschooling gifts that I missed and vow to never take for granted again.

Image: beerphotographer / Dollar Photo Club

10 Homeschooling Gifts I’ll Never Take for Granted Again

1. Preparing breakfast with my children

2. Making artwork together

3. Playing outside with my kids

4. Sharing a new story as a family

5. Taking a homeschool field trip

6. Listening to my children talk about what they learned

7. Watching all four of the kids read quietly

8. Helping my daughter (who hates math) master a new math concept

9. Seeing my kids get excited about choosing books at the library

10. Hearing one of my children say “Thank you” when we finish the school day

What homeschooling gifts are you thankful for? Share them in the comments!

And let me just add an update here – There are a few more homeschooling gifts that I’ve grown to treasure:

11. Watching my children support each other in a tough subject

12. Being there when they have questions or fears about learning something new

13. Waking up when we feel like it and beginning the day relaxed

14. Taking a vacation whenever we’re ready for one

15. Observing my kids grow into young adulthood with confidence

Need more parenting encouragement? Don’t miss these posts!

This post is part of the Homeschool Gifts linkup from iHomeschool Network! Click over to read what our fellow homeschooling bloggers are thankful for this year!

Need more ways to plan your homeschool this year? Check out my Homeschool Planning board on Pinterest!

The post 10 Homeschooling Gifts I’ll Never Take for Granted Again appeared first on Look! We're Learning!.