Advertise on podcast: Making Everyday Magic: The Podcast

We started our 2026–2027 homeschool year later than ever before, even with one child beginning high school. And while I was nervous about falling behind our usual schedule, we had an opportunity to bring four generations of our family together in Estes Park, Colorado, that I didn't want to miss. In this episode, I'm sharing why we delayed our homeschool start, what we experienced on our trip, and how our time together became an education in its own right. From wildlife and Rocky Mountain National Park to glassblowing, chocolate making, and playing cards with great-grandma, this trip reminded me that learning happens in all kinds of places. I'm not suggesting that schedules and academic goals don't matter. They do, especially as our kids get older. But I'm learning that being intentional about our family life sometimes means making a different choice than the one we originally planned. If you've ever struggled with balancing homeschool responsibilities and meaningful family experiences, this conversation is for you.

Is Houston actually a good place to homeschool—especially if you're a secular homeschooler? I've spent all 10 years of my homeschooling journey in and around Houston, Texas, and in this episode I'm making the case for a city that I think is seriously underrated for homeschooling. Houston is huge, diverse, relatively affordable for a major city, and packed with museums, universities, science, arts, theater, cultural experiences, parks and educational opportunities. It's not perfect. Finding your people can take some work. And Texas has plenty of problems. But after a decade of homeschooling here, I genuinely think Houston deserves a place on the list for families looking for a flexible, inclusive and experience-rich place to homeschool.

Why do people get so upset when you make a decision that has absolutely nothing to do with them? After 10 years of homeschooling, I've had plenty of experience with unsolicited opinions, uncomfortable conversations, and people who seem personally offended by choices I've made for my own family. In this episode, I'm exploring why other people's reactions are often more about their own experiences, beliefs, and need for validation than they are about us. We'll talk about confirmation bias, the discomfort that can come from making different choices, and why people sometimes interpret our decisions as a judgment of their own. I'll share some of the conversations I've had as a homeschooling parent, including the kinds of interactions that happen when you're simply trying to go about your day and someone decides your life choices are up for discussion. But this isn't just about homeschooling. It's about the freedom that comes from recognizing what is and isn't ours to manage. We can make thoughtful decisions for our families without defending them to everyone. We can listen to other perspectives without taking responsibility for every reaction. And we can let people have their feelings without making those feelings our own. Sometimes the most liberating thing to remember is that other people are thinking about themselves just as much as we're thinking about ourselves. Your choices are yours. Their choices are theirs. And not every disagreement needs to become a conflict. Welcome to Making Everyday Magic.

After ten years of homeschooling, I've had plenty of time to think about what happens when something becomes such a huge part of your life that it starts to feel like your identity. Homeschooling is deeply woven into our family. I love it. It works for us. I'm passionate about it. And I talk about it here all the time. But homeschool isn't who I am. It's something I do. And I think that's an important distinction—not just for homeschool parents, but for women and mothers in general. In this episode, I'm talking about identity, motherhood, the pressure to fit ourselves into roles, why I don't want "homeschooler" to become my children's identity either, and why being willing to change your mind can actually be a strength.

After 10 years of homeschooling, I'm increasingly convinced that we need a better way to talk about education. Homeschool can be wonderful. It can also have serious problems. Public school can serve children beautifully. It can also fail them. The same is true of private schools, charter schools, Montessori schools, and pretty much every other educational model we could name. So why do we keep trying to turn these choices into absolutes? In this episode, I'm talking about why I don't believe homeschool is either the answer to every educational problem or the enemy of education. I'm sharing what works for our family, the circumstances that make our homeschool possible, the legitimate criticisms I have of homeschooling, and why I'm never going to tell another family what they should do. This is my homeschool. My experience. My very narrow lens. And I think that's exactly what it should be.

How do you homeschool multiple children when they're in completely different grades? In this episode, I'm sharing exactly how we make our 9th-grade and 5th-grade homeschool work after 10 years of homeschooling. My kids are four grade levels apart, so they obviously don't do everything together. Math and language arts stay individual, while we combine subjects like history, science, art history, geography, and French whenever it makes sense. I'll talk about our "teach to the older child and pull the younger one up" philosophy, how I adjust assignments and expectations for different developmental levels, why group learning works so well for us, and how we've built independence into our homeschool over the years. This isn't a prescription for every homeschool family. It's simply what works in our house—and hopefully it gives you a few ideas that save you some time, effort, and grief.

What happens when you don't homeschool and your idea of homeschooling comes mostly from the loudest and most extreme examples? I understand the skepticism. After 10 years of homeschooling, I've seen things in the homeschool world that concern me too—including educational neglect and rejection of science. But that's not the whole story. In this episode, I'm talking about what our secular homeschool actually looks like, why I don't think homeschool parents need to be experts in every subject, and why one of the most important parts of my job is knowing what I don't know. My kids learn from scientists, specialized instructors, experts, curricula, museums, and experiences that I couldn't possibly provide by myself. I don't have to know everything. I have to be willing to find the people who do. And ultimately, my homeschool isn't about building taller walls around my children. It's about opening doors.   Links: Non-educator Superintendent: https://www.cga.ct.gov/2002/rpt/2002-R-0945.htm Teacher Stats: https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/product/state-teacher-shortages-2026-factsheet

I've been homeschooling for 10 years, and I don't love homeschooling every day. I know that's probably not what you're supposed to say when you have built an entire life around homeschooling—but it's true. In this episode, I'm talking honestly about the hard homeschool days: the pressure, the stress, the lack of sleep, the cost, the mess, the expectations, and those days when you simply do not want to homeschool. But I'm also talking about what we can actually do about it. Sometimes we change the schedule. Sometimes we have a pajama day. Sometimes we go to the beach. Sometimes we do math and call it a day. Sometimes we outsource. And sometimes we need to admit that homeschooling may not be working for our family anymore. Because I don't believe homeschooling is something we should suffer through just to prove that we're committed. You can love homeschooling without loving every day. You can put it down and pick it back up. You can pivot. You can change your mind. And if you're in a hard homeschool season right now, maybe you don't need another productivity system or another curriculum recommendation. Maybe you just need permission to admit that today is hard. The days are long, but the years are short—and that applies to homeschooling, too.

We're entering our 10th year of homeschooling, and with a 9th grader and a 5th grader, I'm starting to think about what life looks like when my kids need me less. Not because I'm done being a mom. Because I'm still a person, too. In this episode, I'm talking about learning new things, being a beginner, and figuring out what comes next. And apparently, that currently means learning the art of wig making and wig styling. I have a cosmetology background, a child pursuing theater, and a lot of curiosity. It's creative, flexible, and something I can pick up when I have time. But this conversation is about more than wigs. It's about remembering that you're allowed to have interests, you're allowed to want things, and you're allowed to do things just because they make you happy. I'm also sharing a little about the other things I'm figuring out right now, including planning our hopefully soon Parisian trip, building our own homeschool resources, and my ongoing pursuit of maximizing the value of the dollars we spend. Because apparently, even when I'm trying to relax, I'm still trying to figure out how to get the most out of everything. What are you working on right now? What's your next thing? I'd love to hear what you're learning, what you're excited about, or what you're thinking about for the next season of your life. Let's grow this list. ❤️

There is one phrase I come back to over and over again in homeschooling, parenting, relationships, business, and honestly... life: What you tolerate, you endorse. And I know that might feel a little uncomfortable. Because sometimes the things causing chaos in our homeschool, our homes, and our relationships aren't things we actively chose. They're things we let slide. One more late bedtime. One more skipped lesson. One more meltdown that ends with us giving in because we're tired, embarrassed, or simply do not have the energy to deal with it right now. But what happens when "just this once" becomes the pattern? In this episode, I'm talking about consistency, boundaries, parenting, homeschool habits, people pleasing, and why being firm doesn't mean being unkind. From bedtime routines and homeschool expectations to relationships and the comment section, we're looking at the bigger picture. Because sometimes doing the hard thing now is really about doing later you a favor. You don't have to control every person around you. You don't have to be harsh. You don't have to become a jerk. But you do get to decide what you will and will not tolerate. And if you're tolerating something that is creating an outcome you don't actually want, it might be time to address it. Kindly. Firmly. Consistently.

I don't want my kids to have a normal childhood. After 10 years of homeschooling, I'm realizing that I'm not trying to recreate the childhood I had—or the childhood society tells us our kids are supposed to have. I'm trying to build a family life that gives my girls room to learn, explore, play, ask questions, and become the people they're meant to be. In this episode, I talk about what "normal" means to me, why I'm proud of the ways our homeschool and family life are different, and why I want my girls to grow up knowing they can build a life that fits them. I also talk about the things I want them to have—and the things I want them to learn to live without. Because exceptional doesn't mean spoiled or the center of the universe. It means having opportunities, developing compassion, and knowing you have a safe place to land while you figure out who you are. If you're homeschooling, parenting differently, or simply questioning something that everyone else seems to accept, I hope this gives you a little room to think about what you actually want for your family. What is one thing that's accepted as "normal" that you've decided is just not for you? Find me on Instagram: @makingeverydaymagic #Homeschooling #IntentionalParenting #MakingEverydayMagic

What happens when you stop trying to recreate traditional high school at home and start building an educational experience around the actual learner? In this episode, I'm talking about our first year of homeschooling high school and how we're creating a custom, magnet-style experience for our daughter. She's pursuing performing arts, but we're not choosing between passion and academics. We're building both into her education: advanced academics, Algebra 2 in ninth grade, a future dual-credit path, serious performance opportunities, real-life learning, and the flexibility to bring in experts and resources as needed. I'll also talk about why I think homeschool parents don't have to know exactly where their children are headed before they start building the foundation—and why I think following a child's interests and maintaining high academic expectations can coexist beautifully. This is what customized education looks like for us after ten years of homeschooling. It's not about doing less. It's about intentionally building something that fits the learner.

What did you think homeschooling would look like before you actually started? Because I can tell you... mine did not look like this. In this episode, I'm talking about the space between our ideal homeschool and our real homeschool—and why I think that space is where so much homeschool guilt lives. We see the curriculum, the classes, the field trips, the beautiful homeschool rooms, the art projects, the co-ops, and all the things our kids could do. And before we know it, we've planned approximately 14 years of homeschooling into three days. Meanwhile, reality is over here asking for snacks. And bathroom breaks. And free time. And flexibility. And reminding us that we are trying to be humans, mothers, and homeschoolers all at the same time. After nearly 10 years of homeschooling, I'm still learning this: we do not need to drag our real lives toward some impossible ideal. We need to bring our ideals closer to reality. Your homeschool doesn't have to do everything to be enough. If you have happy people, making progress, with some consistency? You might already be doing better than you think. So before you add another curriculum, activity, class, field trip, or beautifully ambitious plan to your homeschool year, maybe take one thing off instead. Let's talk about homeschool idealism, realism, overwhelm, guilt, and figuring out what actually works for your family.

I recently got a hateful comment about my homeschooling, my parenting, my personality, and apparently my nose ring. And honestly? I thought it was hilarious. In this episode, I'm talking about how I handle internet trolls, homeschool criticism, and the people who become strangely confident experts on your entire life after seeing a tiny piece of it online. But this conversation is about more than one nasty comment. We're talking about boundaries, knowing who you are, sharing your life without feeling obligated to share all of it, and why you do not have to accept every invitation to defend yourself. I also share the unexpected story behind my nose ring and how one decision I made at eighteen eventually connected me to a thirteen-year-old boy who needed a bone marrow transplant. Because people don't know your full story. And they don't necessarily need to.

After a decade of homeschooling, I have learned that sustainability doesn't come from doing more. It comes from building systems. In this episode, I'm sharing the practical systems that help our family manage homeschooling, chores, meals, laundry, planning, and everyday life. We talk about why systems work better than rigid schedules, how we divide responsibilities as a family, and the small routines that make a huge difference in reducing mental load. This isn't about creating a picture-perfect home. It's about creating a home where everyone knows their role, everyone contributes, and there is room for connection and learning.