New and used homeschool books, tapes, CDs, unit studies, educational toys, and Betty Luken felts. From a Christian perspective.

The Riordan family explains why character training is important, how they use felt boards, timelines, homeschooling by boat and car, and a typical day at their house.

These colorful cones trimmed with candy canes and sparkly sequins look as though they came from the set of the 1964 TV classic Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

Share the warmth of the holidays by recycling thrift shop wool sweaters into sweet wreath ornaments.

Serve some heart-shaped pancakes to kick off Valentine's Day -- or any other special day!

I just finished two seminars on the Ultimate Women’s Expo where I covered the Truth About Fitness and Diets Make You fat.  The theme of the expo is New Year/New You.  I think fitness and dieting fit in there pretty well. It was awesome to be invited onto the show.  They have plenty more shows coming up that will encourage and uplift you.  I don’t know how  many women were actually on the radio show, but it sure felt good to speak the true, hard facts about fat loss without all the fluff that is so common in the media today. If you still think you can lose body fat by vacuuming and parking further away from the doors of the supermarket, you definitely need to listen to this call.  If you missed the live taping, you can purchase a ticket to the expo and get the recordings, as well as, all the free gifts I am giving away.  If you were on the show, please give me your feedback, questions or comments regarding the seminars.  I’d love to hear your thoughts. Post from: Homeschool Fitness Coach

So by now you’ve probably heard that Olympic champion Michael Phelps has gotten himself into a little bit of hot (bong) water. I felt I couldn’t let this opportunity slip by without sharing some lessons from his mishap. First, we all have to remember that we’re role models. Somebody somewhere is looking up to us for guidance. It’s a shame Michael Phelps screwed up, but he did. What’s done is done. I know it reminded me that as a fitness pro, I MUST lead by example. Second, again, he screwed up. He’s young and there will be many more mistakes and misjudgments in his future.  And while I’m not one to give people a million chances, I do believe in second chances. And forgiveness. Which, when it comes to melting fat and getting fit, is VERY important. I can tell you from experience working with hundreds of people with similar goals to yours, you WILL screw up somewhere along the way. The key to success is to forgive yourself and move forward. The people who truly fail are the ones that just give up the first time they make a mistake. Third, this has nothing to do with what Michael Phelps has recently done, but it’s another great reminder. If you want a lean, hard body and 6 pack abs, or just to be fitter and healthier, you’re going to need to WORK. Regardless of his recent actions Michael Phelps is an Olympic Champ because he worked his rear end off. Don’t fool yourself into thinking achieving your fitness goals is going to be a piece of cake. Fourth, much was made during the Olympics of Michael Phelps and the massive amounts of calories he was consuming. If YOU want to get into peak condition you need the proper nutrition. Period. Look, if you’re not eating enough fruits and vegetables you need a Whole Foods based multi like Prograde Nutrition’s VGF 25+ http://InspirationFitness.getprograde.com/vgf If you aren’t optimizing your workouts by refueling with the correct blend of carbs to protein (based on the research) then you need to start using Prograde Workout   http://InspirationFitness.getprograde.com/workout) like I do. Anyway, when you see a news story like this one involving Michael Phelps, always remember to look for the positive lessons you can learn. PS - If you’re serious about your training and want the best nutritional products, then use what I use - Prograde Nutrition http://InspirationFitness.getprograde.com) Post from: Homeschool Fitness Coach