Celebrating with Mom-School Bundles!

A BIG “Thank You!” to Amanda Osenga for putting together these Mom School bundles!!

These bundles are on a launch special for 20% off to celebrate all of our moms! Happy Mother’s Day! We hope these are a blessing for you on your Mom School journey.

Here are the new bundles-

🌸PDF Mom School Bundle- Code pdfMomBundle

🌹 Mom School- Paperback- Secular- Code SecularMomBundle

🌺 Mom School- Paperback- Christian- Code FaithMomBundle

Apply 20% off if you’d like to purchase multiple Mom-Schooling Bundles with the promo code “MomSchool2023”.

Click the images below for details on what is included in each bundle. Click here to see all of our Mom-School products and Sarah’s Teas!

Mom-Schooling Encouragement!

(Guest post by Amanda Osenga)

Let’s talk about Mom School.

We often hear moms saying they don’t have the time. Moms are busy. We get that! Which is why we think Mom School is especially important. It’s an opportunity for you to feed your mind, set an example for your kids, and unwind.

Consider this- even one page per day is enough for you to fill multiple Mom School journals in a year. Stop scrolling- you have time for one page a day. Even if you only get one page for 180 days- that’s a full Mom School journal.

There is also a big mental impact of “should-ing” yourself and feeling like you’re not accomplishing something. Think about how great you’ll feel at the end of the year when you’ve filled a journal or two with only one page per day! 15 minutes or so is all you need. You’ll have learned new things, helped your brain think in new ways, and balance your thoughts.

Our journals are designed to help decrease stress and bring more ease to your days. Give yourself permission to take time for yourself. Moms struggle with this.

We suggest 4-6 pages per day most days of the week for full Mom School. Working up incrementally is the easiest way to build a habit. Start with one page. In 6 weeks, start doing two; 6 weeks after that add a 3rd- no need to jump all in right away.

If you can get someone to hang with the kids or a program for them to go to a few hours once a week, give yourself a regular Mom School date! Pull out your secret stash of snacks, make your favorite drink, and spend time learning something new. It’s tempting to binge-watch your favorite shows when you get a moment alone- there’s nothing wrong with that- try starting with a bit of Mom School first.

🌸ALL Mom School PDFs are 50% off!
– INCLUDING Brain Games and the Bird Watching Journal 🐣
😍 Mom School Handbook Paperbacks are $15.75
🦆Bird Watching Paperback is $12.50 🦉
☕ Coffee Time Paperback is $17.50
🌺 Homeschooling Handbook Paperback is $17.50
🤩 All Brain Games Paperbacks are $10 or less
🌹 90-day Pocket Planners are all $5 or less
We hope this helps you on your Mom School journey!

Peek inside all of these and more next week- RSVP here https://www.facebook.com/events/641466461327932/

May is Mom School Month, and we are excited to share more tips, resources, and ideas with you. Make sure and join us at our main Fun-Schooling group for great content, giveaways and discounts, and encouraging discussions! And our Mom-specific Fun-Schooling group has a regular giveaway each week! Hope to see you there!

You’re Invited to Tea Time with Sarah

In previous blog posts, I’ve shared about how “Tea Therapy” has been healthy for me and our children. I’ve also written about our Poetry Tea Time together.

In February, we hosted our first Medicinal Tea Workshop at Olive Branch Farm. Click here if you’d like details about attending our upcoming event: Creative Retreat – Tea Time, Gardening, Foraging, Pottery, Jewelry Making and More! The date is June 3, at Olive Branch Farm.

Since then, I’ve started a new Facebook group entitled Tea Time with Sarah Janisse Brown. I’d love for you to come join me! I’ve just put together 19 tea boxes, and am in the process of compiling orders for 15 more. Come to the group for details, and click here to order your box!

Disclaimer: Although we are firm believers in the benefits of herbal teas and herbal products, we are not medical practitioners and cannot diagnose or treat any disease.

Statements made on this website regarding the herbal and natural products offered on this website have not been evaluated by the food and drug administration as the FDA does not evaluate or test herbs.

The information presented on this site is provided for informational purposes only, it is not meant to substitute for medical advice or diagnosis provided by your physician or other medical professionals. Do not use this information to diagnose, treat or cure any illness or health condition.

If you have or suspect that you have a medical problem, consult with your physician for diagnosis or treatment. Use herbs as per instructions and always watch for any allergic reactions.

You should always carefully read all product packaging and labels. Always consult your physician or health care provider before using any herbal products, especially if you have a medical problem.

We assume no liability for any injury, illness, or adverse effects caused by the misuse and/or use of the information or products presented on this website.

Please visit this FDA website to clear any confusions you have about food and dietary products and their ingredients: https://www.fda.gov/Food/DietarySupplements/default.htm

21 Thoughts About Core Journals

1. I originally created the Core Journal so I could take a break from customizing each child’s curriculum around their interest, while making sure we included copywork, nature study, logic, film study, math time… I wanted a way to document internet based learning, library based learning, and include the Charlotte Mason goodies into each day without searching for the individual notebooks.

(View the Core Journals Here: https://www.funschooling.com/homschooling-bookstore-core…)

2. I was about to have our tenth baby and wanted to take time off, but keep learning going, according to the daily structure that works for my kids.

3. They need to have a balanced plan that covers the basics, while allowing them to dig deep into the topics they love.

4. We were also about to move from Florida to Ukraine and I wanted a way for each child to have all their work in one portfolio.

5. My kids were already studying their interests, doing copywork, nature study, logic games, drawing, reading and watching documentaries… But nothing was being documented. Sometimes I would be busy or sick and they would watch YouTube and read all day and not remember to do the simple things like nature study.

6. I only planned to use the Core Journal for 6 weeks, but found it to be wonderful long-term for some of the kids.

7. My Detective and Explorer kids really thrive with them.

8. My Friend learners enjoy them when doing it with others, but like the smaller themed journals best.

9. Followers who are motivated to study a topic like the routine, but they find the journals to be too open-ended and they may try to just get by with whatever is the minimum to move on. With Followers, a strong example is needed, this we have Mom-School.

10. Creators like a lot of variety, and in some stages of life really need to learn to have more structure, for them the journals are not open-ended enough and they may feel limited… So they skip pages or repurpose them. Not all children have the drive, skills or personality to really embrace to potential of the core journals. They don’t work for everyone.

11. Many kids are okay with a system that doesn’t require them to use a lot of research, creativity or thought. These books are designed to be a launch pad for learning.

12. Kids who are in a rush to move on to play, chores, gaming, social media, or personal projects may feel that the core journals are just something that should be rushed through so they can do what they love.

13. It’s okay for a child to not use any system of learning that doesn’t work. For the many kids who have a Follower Learning Style they will actually do better with some classroom style learning, fill in the blank, memorize and test methods.

14. For the Super-Creators the core journals may feel boring and limiting. You need to know your child.

15. My Detectives and Explorers do especially well, but work in different ways.

16. The Detectives need quiet and focus, while the Explorers move from place to place all over the house and yard, and need to be told that chores come after they finish their work in the core journal, so they don’t rush. They really learn to look forward to the activities they love in the daily routine of the book.

17. For kids who thrive on structure they enjoy using a core journal daily, but really need to know what is expected. I suggest doing the first 20 pages together to teach the child how to do copywork, a nature study, or creative writing. It’s so important to be an example.

18. In most cases, don’t say “when you finish you can play Xbox” — they will rush. It works much better if the next activity is something they don’t mind putting off while they focus on their work, like cleaning a bathroom. For example say: “You can take as much time as you need to finish five pages, then show me your work and I’ll show you how to clean out the oven.”

You will be amazed at how much detail they pour into their work.

19. It’s also very important to be available to your child to help them find the right documentaries and books to study their topic. Most of the actual learning isn’t in the journal, it’s what the journal reminds them to do.

20. So know your child. If they don’t put their heart into learning with a core journal, what will they put their heart into? Starting a business? An online course? A textbook? A series of Documentaries? A boxed curriculum that tells them exactly what to memorize? A classical education? Dance school? An internship? Volunteer work? Building a fort? Sewing a dress? Baking? Full-on Unschooling?

21. Some kids are like, “I don’t care… Whatever!” Then they get on their phones and post 80 selfies, and play games until midnight, and complain about everything that requires any effort at all. In that case you just need to pull the plug and light a fire under the child.

I hope that helps someone out there! Let me know if there is a specific example of a child’s struggle that I can help with.

What is your child like? Of these 21 thoughts what stood out to you and why?

See a Flip-Through of the core journals here:

The Beautiful, Creative Dyslexic Mind (and a 25% off discount code!)

Dyslexia Games is designed around the beautiful and creative dyslexic mind.

It uses the gift of art, the creative genius, the ability to see through the mind’s eye to complete patterns and solve puzzles. The games focus on the dyslexic gifts and talents as the symbols, letters, words and poetry are added to the activities- step by step, little by little.

The idea is to light up the dyslexic mind that the student engages in art and logic; the strongest part of the mind is activated as the symbols are reintroduced. The idea is for the stronger areas of the mind to engage in the process of symbol identification.

I would recommend reading “The Gift of Dyslexia” to really understand what people with dyslexia are brilliant and how to engage their brilliant minds while reintroducing literacy.

Many dyslexia therapies just focus on “kindergarten type phonics” over and over and over. This type of therapy offended my brilliant dyslexic daughter.

I wanted a reading program that would respect the fact that she was an artist, a thinker, a storyteller, a creative. And that is why she thrived with Dyslexia Games.

Here are some wonderful testimonials:

“We’ve almost completed series B. My sons are more confident to try spelling and for the most part I can actually figure out what they are trying to spell. These are huge steps for these boys that could barely put pencil to paper because of the stress. Our speech lady hadn’t seen us since Covid. And I know that’s long but we really haven’t done anything for spelling since that time except these books. And the speech lady was floored at how much they had improved. One of them doesn’t even qualify for speech/language right now (which was going to be for focus and help with dyslexia). These books are the only thing I can think of that have made the difference.” Tina Perez Glenn

These books were a huge game changer for us. We went through Dyslexia Games a few years ago with my oldest and I truly believe they really helped. There was some serious struggle with the first few books while he got the hang of it, but he stuck with it and we noticed a big difference. He also built his confidence back up which was huge for us. Then we discovered their curriculum journals and have used them ever since. Both my boys enjoy them so much! I have my own books to work in alongside the kids and it really sets the tone for learning. I also love the supportive community and company itself.” Leanne Nattress

Two of my sons and myself use the Brain Games and Dyslexia Games books. My profoundly dyslexic kiddo is reading after less than a year using these books! My dysgraphic kiddo is writing FOR FUN. And, I have noticed that if I do 2-3 pages a day, my brain fog and using the wrong words is a lot better!” Stephanie Ann Goetsch

“We have used the Dyslexia Games and it made a huge difference for my youngest son. We had tried more traditional therapy and he fought it tooth and nail, but not the dyslexia games. We are currently using Math Craft and like it as well.Amanda Murray Griffey

“Our daughter is a high school junior. She was exasperated as we tried one thing after another, trying to find something that would click with her brain, as she deals with dyslexia and Asperger’s. Dyslexia Games was the solution. Having everything available in Dyslexie font was huge for her. As she’d faithfully do 2-3 pages a day, I began to see changes not only in her reading and writing, but also in her ability to organize and perform tasks in sequence (both are challenging for kids like her). It has boosted her self confidence so much! We love the journals generally and use not only Dyslexia Games but many, many other Fun-Schooling journals almost exclusively for her school now. I also do Brain Games Art & Logic Therapy alongside her which has helped me with Covid fog/fibro fog while inspiring her by my example. Win-win! What’s not to love???” Diane Heeney

Apply 25% off to Dyslexia Games + Math Craft PDF Sale with the promo code “Dyslexia2023Joy”. Go here to use the code: https://www.funschooling.com/special-needs-bookstore

This code expires on February 28, 2023.

Why We Love Fun-Schooling

I thought I just chime in and share why I love fun-schooling so much.

When my kids were little, I was trying to do a lot of Charlotte Mason learning, some Montessori schooling at home, classical learning and a lot of Unschooling. It was exhausting! Our whole life style revolved around me being a worn out teacher-mom.

I have so many children with such diverse needs and passions, I wanted to give each one their own path. I gathered tons of different curriculum from conventions and it was overwhelming to create all these custom plans for each child!

And so I had the idea to make the Fun-Schooling journals when my oldest child was 16. I created ONE do-it-yourself homeschooling journal that guides each unique child through the experience of studying their passion, their hobby or their career goals – while still focusing on all the required subjects!

The first DIY journal could be adapted to any child age 7-17. I created a different cover for each child and put the first Journal on Amazon with a bunch of different covers, and bought them from Amazon for my own kids. I was just using Amazon for print-on-demand book making for my own kids. But I had the books up for sale just in case other families wanted a copy.

So when I created the first DIY homeschool journal I was expecting my 10th child and I really just wanted to take a break for six weeks so I could focus on the new baby.

So I thought I’d make a six week curriculum where the kids use 10 pages a day, without much help from me. I would build myself into the book!

The idea is that they would get a stack of library books and a bunch of documentaries about anything they were interested in, and they were to use those resources along with the journal while getting in all those academics.

My idea was that they could do everything independently with one journal and I would just have to add a math curriculum.

It worked great! After the kids finish their first DIY journal they asked for themed journals. One wanted to study horses. One wanted to focus on travel and fashion. One wanted Minecraft theme. One wanted to focus on dogs. Another was really into nature. My son Joe was crazy about space. I said yes to my kids and we started collaborating on making Fun-Schooling journals together- based on each of my kids’ passions.

The whole idea was an amazing success. My kids started earning royalties and were doing their homeschooling independently!

One thing I really love about Fun-Schooling is that it frees me up to be mom, and it gave me time to enjoy my preschooler and baby.

So instead of spending my day struggling over their schoolwork and trying to make sure that everything is organized in a really boring way… I started focusing more on pursuing my passions and reading to my kids more.

I thought it would be great to be an example to my kids of the learning I want to see in them. Down the rabbit trail I go… I started making Mom-School journals that look a lot like their DIY Fun-Schooling journals!

Not only did the kids love Fun-Schooling – I do too.

When we first started Fun-Schooling, I had 10 kids. Before Fun-Schooling, our homeschooling days were really stressful and I always felt like I wasn’t doing enough, yet I was going non-stop.

Our home just became so much more peaceful, full of wonder, and just more harmonious with Fun-Schooling. Best of all – lots of other families started discovering Fun-Schooling too!

Within two years of making the first DIY journal we sold so many Fun-Schooling books that we were able to do things we never thought possible.

We were able to support ourselves as volunteers in Ukraine, and eventually we were able to adopt five more kids because we had the extra income and I didn’t feel like I was overwhelmed by the ten kids I already had.

As more of my kids became teenagers, we helped them to focus on pursuing their careers, instead of focusing on high school credits, and now five of our kids are adults and have started their own successful businesses and are able to be independent.

Fun-Schooling made such a huge difference in our every day life and empowered us to really become who we were meant to be!

It wasn’t just the kids pursuing their passions.

I also was able to pursue mine, and somehow I found time in the past 8 years to create, collaborate and publish over 400 books!

Art & Logic Therapy Sale!

I’ve put my Brain Games books at the lowest possible price, Amazon will earn their penny, and will also give everyone with Prime free shipping. I won’t earn much, maybe a few cents, but you all will have the opportunity to get our therapy books as a “loss leader” to help us get back on our feet and get these books back up into their “bestseller” rating. I just think we all should get a blessing out of this opportunity.

Last time I offered these books for less they $5 we hit #185 of all books on Amazon! We’ve already hit the Best Seller list again with several of these journals!

Since we got canceled and reinstated things turned upside-down, this boost will help.

Less than $4 or $5 per book!

Candlelight: https://bit.ly/3HwTV8Z

Morning Light: https://bit.ly/40roBkK

Wind & Rain: https://bit.ly/3HXbIYo

Full list of Flash Sale Books here on Facebook!

Stock up for your co-op!!!

The Modeling Mom

In my earlier years, I spent some time modeling. You can read about it in my biography, Windows to Our World. Now, I spend a lot more time modeling in a different way, enjoying my passions and studying my interests and doing my projects. I invest more time in modeling than I do trying to compel my kids to do their school work. I just model a love for learning, a passion for projects and show them what it looks like to live life to the fullest.

I am fully alive and totally focused on pursuing things that I am excited about. I invite them in to be part of my interest, and they invite me to be part of their learning. Anything I want to encourage them to do more of, I do myself in relation to my own interests.

I have a life, and I have adventures, and I enjoy projects and activities that have nothing to do with my kids. This is the essence of Mom-Schooling! My children see that I am a very passionate learner and I am living dreams right in the middle of raising a family. I share my accomplishments and struggles, and they share theirs.

I am curious about their learning and pursuits and they are just as interested in mine. Because I am enjoying life as a learner, they do too. I have done so many things in my life that my kids can learn from. I entered an election and became vice president of the town council. I wrote for newspapers and magazines. I made new kinds of foods and put on parties. I read books and listened to audio books. I tried to build a village, and failed. I invested, I won, and lost. I show them what fun it is to be a wife and mom. I teach them that it’s okay to eat chocolate in the morning and fill up journals with poems. I make tea for myself and some for them, and they make tea for me. I plant trees and research strange animals. I travel. My husband makes music and fixes computers and plays Pacman… We do a lot of things that we love, and we have fun. They can join us, copy us, learn from us, ignore us… and when they are gone we will still have each other and our hobbies and interests! This is Mom School!

There are a lot of things I don’t do to make time for what I love, and what I love the most… family.

Sarah’s 2023 Mom-Schooling Basket!

Today I took an hour
To rearrange my things
To think about my goals
And to reignite my dreams
I went from shelf to shelf
To gaze upon each book
As if to stop and ask myself
To take a deeper look
To think of who I want to be
The skills I hope to learn
To set imagination free
To love, to grow to yearn.
I found my favorite basket
Full of other people’s things
I dumped it out, and asked it
To be the keeper of new dreams.
I start fresh from empty
And held it with one hand
Without hesitation we
Set off to make new plans.
I found my favorite books again
And promised to begin
To treat them as my dear friends,
And then I found some pens
I found my father’s Bible
Filled with his notes and lines
I’ll take his thoughts once more to heart and try to make them mine.
I have a little journal, for each and every child
I fill the pages with my prayers
Through times of tears and smiles
I have some colored pencils
Some photos and memories
I’ll add a story book of course
For my little girls to read.
My basket is almost ready
My heart and mind feel full
Now I just need a cup of tea
And a journal for my soul
Today I took an hour
To rearrange my things
I’m ready now to grow and learn
And to reignite my dreams

A “Little” Survival Kit

Do you need a Mom School Survival Kit?

These little books help so much because they give you a realistic perspective on how to accomplish the most meaningful things. We grow to be intentional about how we spend our precious time. We learn to invest in the things that make a lasting difference and make everyday life sweet and memorable. These little books help you let go of the things that hold you back, while seeking what truly matters. You will learn to evaluate the demands upon your life, and take a simple, yet mighty step into your dreams, purpose and passion.

As women we feel like we can’t give in to the joys of life if the demands of life are screaming at us. We deny ourselves fun, joy, peace and harmony in life because we are focused on our failures… and the failures of the people around us.

We have to learn to give up on the things that steal our joy, those thoughts that tell us we are falling behind. We need to set aside that vision of what everyone else thinks we ought to be, and be who we were born to be. We need to find true joy in serving others, in caring for our homes, in bringing laughter and smiles to the table… even when things are far from perfect.

We need to learn to find joy in the mud puddles of life. Raising a child is hard. Homeschooling is demanding. Meeting the needs of a husband is challenging. Putting away leftovers and remembering to eat them… ugh who really cares, when what is really needed is more smiles and hugs and passion.

How do we focus on the important things without neglecting the rest? I made these little books to help you discover how. And it only takes 4 minutes a day. You can just keep this book, and a pen, by the toilet, if nothing else.

Need some specific encouragement from other moms? Aside from joining our Facebook support group (and there is also this group if you are new to homeschooling!), grab a copy of The Homeschool Letters! In this book over 35 homeschooling moms share their hearts, explaining what they wish they knew when they first started. The art and logic activities in this book are borrowed from the book “Lost & Found” it’s a brain fog therapy for women who need to sharpen their minds.

Or maybe you need a secret weapon for the “littles” in your life?

The Littlest Kindergarten Workbook is all about animals, and its 4.5″ x 6″ size is perfect for tiny hands.

It has over 100 pages of do-it-yourself beginner learning, covering everything from letters, numbers, weather, shapes, colors, poetry, animals, handwriting and more. Includes a poem that talks about God’s gifts to us.

Just a “little” encouragement to help you begin the new year well!