I have always taken pride in going above and beyond in every aspect in my life.  Homeschooling was no exception and the hours of planning and sleepless nights took a toll on me.  It wasn't until a recent change in our family dynamics that I woke up and smelled the coffee differently.  I had a vision of a more simple life, filled with more peace, laughter and of course sleep.  Even though I had this vision and determination to release these expectations and have a more peaceful life I still needed guidance in the homeschool department.  I'm kind of a huge visual-hold-my-hand kind of person.  After months of stumbling around in my new peaceful existence my sweet homeschool found a resting spot.  I found this resting spot while reading Home School Farm A year of ideas and inspiration for your journey to the simple life.

You can imagine the exhale I took just after reading the title.  Right away I thought this was the answer I was looking for to tie up all the loose ends I had flapping around in my homeschool routine.  This book came to me as a PDF file that I immediately downloaded onto my computer.  It said it was 104 pages, so I grabbed a large cup of hot chocolate and notebook because I was ready to start this journey.  Right away Amy snatched up my attention in the Introduction.  As she shared pictures of her family and her passion for their life together of learning, creating and living a more purposeful life I was hooked.

This book is conveniently sectioned by the months of the year.  The Author explains how living seasonally helps save money and that the activities and projects are to be the fire starter for your family.  In the sections you get to see what goes on in their family for that particular month and you have the freedom to pick and choose through the ideas mentioned.  It was also stressed that these could be done just on the weekends, or all in one week and it didn't matter where you lived...no farm was required.

At first I was just going to read on my computer, but then I decided to print out the text only so I could have it in a binder.  I put each page in a sleeve protector that doubled as pockets so I could start collecting little things for projects in future months to come.  I would love to see this book spiral bound with folders or pockets.  Each month before the activities Amy gives a little introduction to the happenings that usually go on around the farm and with their family.  In January there is the 1st part of a Unit Study on Seeds.  She gives you the steps to planning your own garden.  There is Vocabulary, Science, Geography, History and Math involved in this study, along with many resources.  Other activities mentioned is knitting, crocheting and embroidery crafts with clickable resources.  I was really impressed with how she incorporated all of the subjects again in this craft that my daughter already enjoys.  Being able to combine education with something she enjoys doing made for a peacefully day around the homeschool table.  January was still filled with more lesson ideas for winter sports and an act of service about visiting your grandparents or adopting some.  Spending time with the elderly during the winter months sounds like a great time of visiting, sharing stories, cookies and hot chocolates.

The kids and I started planning for our garden right away, we actually called a family meeting and had everyone contribute.  We have gathered our seeds, completed our lessons along with an extra art project that the kids came up with all by themselves.  We didn't get to ice fish on play in snow type activities.  But, we have made ice skating plans and had a fake snowball fight with cotton balls in our living room.  We just had fun, instead of feeling locked inside because of the cold and rain we embraced the season.  And we are looking forward to February where we will be adding a little color to our life.  I'm not going to say anymore, except this February my kids will be able to enjoy more than just valentines and cupcakes.  And I'm very thankful for the guidance I've received from Amy and her family.

There is so much information packed into these pages.  Not only lesson ideas, but when, where and how to buy certain things pertaining to the season...like a incubator or hatchery for chicks.  Little heartfelt stories, recipes, book lists and extras like budgeting, loss/death, passions and abundance.  All I can say is this book gave me so much to pray over and think about while I carved out more important family time into my life.  I liked when Amy said that this way of life is more than just a yearly cycle, but a life cycle.  I highly recommend this book for any homeschooling family that craves a little something more in life then just keeping to a schedule.

-Product review by Sheila Quach, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, March, 2017

Another Reviewer’s Perspective:

Home School Farm: A Year of Ideas and Inspiration for Your Journey to the Simple Life
Amy Doeun
Crazy Boy Farm
www.crazyboyfarm.com

Home School Farm is an eBook, the Kindle version is to be released soon, by Amy Doeun, and is full of inspirational, seasonal projects and activities for each month of the year. This full-color, 104-page printable book is divided into monthly sections, each starting with a brief introduction, which is then followed by 4-5 seasonal activities that will bring learning to life.

Throughout the book, Amy gives you a great insight into how her family live and the fun, seasonal projects that they will be taking on during each month and ideas and activities that you too can do with your family. For example, in January, when the weather is quite cold, Amy gives you ideas of indoor activities that your family can enjoy. The gardening unit study for this month is jam-packed full of fun and educational ideas that all children will enjoy.

Also, there are six different mini topics that are addressed throughout the book. These topics cover Budgets, Loss/Death, Abundance, Throwback Farming, Passion and Seasons. These topics are not like the unit studies that are included each month, but they do contain some vital information with some great ideas on how to incorporate them into your homeschool.

As a homeschooling family who is passionate about adapting a simpler lifestyle, we have found this book to be an amazing resource. We have enjoyed reading and learning about the different seasonal activities that can be enjoyed on a farm and how to incorporate these into our daily life and homeschool.

Overall, we found this book to be an enjoyable read and very inspirational. The activities and project ideas are quite beneficial to all homeschooling families; especially those who wish to pursue the dream of living in a rural environment and building a strong family bond.

Currently listed for $14.99, this book is a must for all families who want to enjoy a seasonal, simpler lifestyle.

-Product review by Stacey Jones, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, March, 2017