Simple Living This Week No. 74 – Basement Cleanup, Relaxed Homeschooling, God’s Provision

Happy first Tuesday of Summer! It’s almost fall-like here right now, especially compared to the very hot late spring we’ve already had. I’m thankful for the cooler weather although I can hardly believe we are down to the last week of June!

Over the weekend we did some much needed work in the basement. Caroline has her art area down there and she felt things were a bit crowded the way we had configured them which made her less likely to use the space. So we made a few adjustments and it is much better. We also purchased inexpensive lined, room-darkening curtains. We found some at Meijer in a pretty navy blue for all the windows. Prior to that we had only used blankets over the mini-blinds to keep out the cold and heat. It definitely looks better with curtains although they aren’t at all what I would have chosen if I had been able to really shop around and make a decision. However, it’s an unfinished basement so that’s that. Overall it’s better so hopefully it will be used more again.

We’ve been having some good conversations in our home about spiritual things and planning for the future. Although I dearly love little children, I have thoroughly enjoyed having a tween and now a teenager. It makes sense since I am a thinking and conversing type person that I would enjoy the age when my child is able to have real conversations with me. All of these conversations have helped me as I work on our homeschool planning this summer. That’s been kind of a slow-go around other things, but that’s fine. There is no rush or pressure for us.

Speaking of homeschooling, I’ve been going through all of my posts under Relaxed Homeschooling to organize them and tidy them up. I’m not done, but I’m making progress. Now that I have many years of homeschooling under my belt, I want to make sure the posts are truly helpful for those who read them. So that’s an on-going project. Once that topic is done, I’m going to move on to another. I’d like my website to be a helpful library of information so this is one way I’m working on it.

If you are thinking of homeschooling or would like some fresh ideas, I encourage you to check out Schoolhouse Teachers from The Old Schoolhouse. With the code BUMBLEBEE, you can get three months for $30. That is an amazing deal for everything you get. Seriously. Everything PK-12, all subjects, for your entire family. Even if you simply pick up an elective or one class for each of your children, that’s a great deal. Check it out for the summer and see how it works for you!

If you missed it, I added a follow-up post to my Cozy Blogs I’m Reading post from three years ago. That one is still quite popular. In the new one, More Cozy Blogs I’m Reading, I introduced several more blogs you might want to check out.

I wanted to share that since I made the decision to close my Teachers Pay Teachers store (out of principle due to the changes they were making), God has been very kind to more than make up for the loss of that income. Granted this is the slower time of year for sales, but He has provided in other ways so I trust He will also provide for the much bigger months we will not have in the fall and winter. If you think of us, please pray that God continues to provide David with the work he needs. He landed a steady project that will last for a few weeks and is waiting to hear on a very large project that would go on for several weeks or a few months. Please pray that God will provide not only for us but for many Christians who are faced with the prospect of losing their jobs and income due to changes in our culture. I’ve heard multiple stories from wives whose husbands are in increasingly toxic workplaces. Please pray that God will provide another way for them.

What is going on in your home? I hope you’ll leave a comment. I’m finally starting to get caught up on responding to everyone who is kind enough to do so.

Artwork: Maternal Admiration by William-Adolphe Bouguereau