We are living in a time where STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) education is gaining in popularity.

Many exciting and innovative career choices will centre around STEM subject areas which, as homeschoolers, we have an opportunity to provide our children with in a more real life way.

I am excited to share a new user friendly CAD (Computer Aided Design) program that we can teach our kids!

Effective How To STEM Projects

Learn Onshape is a company dedicated to teaching online 3D design projects to anyone interested with a special interest in also helping families and kids learn this real life program application!

It is one thing to learn STEM projects, but as homeschoolers we understand the amazing and magical growth which can happen when we teach from real life experiences; and Learn Onshape knows this too!

Learn Onshape has released the first in many videos on “How to Set Up Your Free Onshape Account” which you will need in order to learn and complete the exciting project he has lined up for us very soon!

Or download this Getting Started pdf to help you set up your Free Onshape Account.

To stay informed of all the inspiring content Learn Onshape will be offering, you will definitely want to sign up for their newsletter!

Pop over and do that now:  https://www.LearnOnshape.com/Sign-Up

Here’s a sneak peak of the first project!

What kind of 3D designs do your kids want to build?

The sacrifices of men and women who have served our country in time of war, conflict and peace should never be forgotten or taken for granted.  Those who have served our nation, both in the past and present, deserve to be honoured for their dedication and allegiance to our country and our welfare as a nation .  It is our duty to not only take time to pay our respects, but to teach our youth about the history of our nation and our military.

Taking part in Remembrance Day services, in one way or another, has been something I have done my entire life and it is something my children participate in as well.  When they were quite young, we wore our poppies, made crafts, observed the 2 minutes of silence every November 11th and we shared simple stories to help them understand, on their level, what this day was all about.  As they grew and could grasp more, we did more. We now share stories of our family and friends who have fought in wars and who have taken part in peace keeping missions.

Most recently my boys took an online course about WWII which covered the strategies and politics of the war as it unfolded. They came away from that course with a deeper appreciation of those who stood up for our country and fought to preserve our freedoms.

By taking opportunities to be involved in Remembrance Day ceremonies, history courses, family discussions and online activities, I am proud to say my children have a deep respect and appreciation for our veterans.

Here are some resources I have found to help you learn more about Remembrance Day…

Remembrance Day Resources

Links and Resources:

Education/Lesson Plans/Support Materials:

• Veterans Affairs –

  • Remembrance Day (main page)

  • List of Events – grouped according to Province

  •  Veterans’ Week Learning Resources

  • Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae – includes his poem “In Flanders Fields”

• The Royal Canadian Legion

  • Youth Contests – Plan ahead and research your local deadlines for entry

• Canadian War Museum

• Donna Ward from Northwoods Press – Remembrance Day Resources/Links

  • WWII Secret Agents in France – Remembrance Day Lesson 1:1

• Activity Village 

• CBC News – Canada – Type “Remembrance Day” into search box for articles and look for a link to a Live Stream on November 11th to watch the ceremonies.

Arts and Crafts:

• Painted Coffee Filter Poppy Craft for Remembrance Day from Happy Hooligans

• Colouring Pages and other resources from Activity Village

• Poppy Crafts from Hodge Podge Craft

• Worksheets, Colouring Pages and Crafts  from DLTK Kids

Books and References:

• A Poppy Is to Remember

• In Flanders Fields: The Story of the Poem by John McCrae

• Remembering John McCrae: Soldier – Doctor – Poet

• Canada’s Wars: An Illustrated History

• The World Wars

• Animals at War

• The Second World War (high school level reading)

On social media, you can look up #RememberThem to find more links or to express your gratitude to our Veterans.

~Lest We Forget~

Grabbing your coffee or tea on the run and feeling the pressure for everything to be perfect?

During busy holiday seasons, or even seasons when family commitments abound and pile high on your plate, it is easy to be too focused on that looming to-do list.

We can become so burdened with a whirlwind of errands, making the best Christmas cookies, or having the kids finish off their Math assignments before you declare “Christmas Break”, that we fall short in taking time to breathe and enjoy the season with our family.

Trying to create a perfect holiday by piling more on our plates without removing  other things is a recipe for disaster.

Life is all about give and take.

We are far from perfect.

You know that rule about shopping?

Where if  you buy something new to bring into your home, a piece of décor or even clothing, then at least one thing you previously had has to go?

What if, during these busy times of preparation we apply the same principle? 

What can you remove from your busy schedule in order to have more fun during the holidays?

Really think about this!

There is something you can put off or not do or even allow yourself to say “this is good enough”!

In our home, we change up our homeschool schedule and learning during the weeks leading up to Christmas. (See “Holiday Traditions and Homeschooling”)  My kids are still learning, but this allows us time to prepare for Christmas together v.s. me running around feeling all worn-out in the last days before Christmas.

You should also know that even though I change things up and strive to have things run smoothly, there are still days where things are very real and messy. Days where despite my best efforts I can feel the pressure.

As parents, we want every holiday to feel special and dare I say we even strive for perfection.

Holidays and Family Time

But Guess What?

Your kids version of a perfect Christmas and your version are probably a bit different.

Kids remember the little things you do as a family, like the time you had a picnic by the Christmas tree, or when you let them use glitter for their crafts, and your favourite carols playing in the background.
(Yes, I know how messy glitter is, take a deep breath and let it happen, I promise you will survive. )

As much as it is nice to have family traditions, it is okay to acknowledge that some years those traditions might be too much of a burden.  You can let it go and use this as an opportunity to create a fun and new memory!

The other day, I was rushing around and I could tell my kids just wanted to have fun.

So, we packed up and headed out to pick up some new decorations.  Once home, we laid a nice table cloth and sat together at our ‘fancy’ table to eat a simple lunch complete with some hot chocolate.  S-I-M-P-L-E !

We had such a great day!

Time spent with our family where we are free from distractions and can have focused time with our children is a way to create special memories and happy hearts!

Today, take time to hangout and do something fun or even silly together – it will be good for all of you!

Want more inspiration?

Check out my friend Kendra’s series: 5 Days of Making Christmas Memories – Stress Free!

She shares some very real, down to earth advice for all of us!