We Are Under Construction!

I may be back to the blogging world but...

please give me a little time and check back

for updates and new posts.

I will post some of them back at their original date..

so some you may think you have seen but have not! 

The first posts will be about homeschooling -

and then I will get caught up on the rest.

Thanks!! 

Our Homeschool Room Is Finally Ready!

We moved in just a few short weeks ago, but it was the first room that we needed to complete (minus paint and a few remodel touches!)

This is the before: It's a kitchen nook/ breakfast area

And Here is the After! We still plan to do some added touches, maybe even 

chalkboard walls or some funky color and a new fan with more colorful blades.

I love that my husband hung the flag first thing! And yes, we have Ten Commandments

on the wall which I think is also important.

Because we do our work in here but also in alot of other areas, I decided not to

do traditional desks and instead go with lapdesks and this coffee table doubled as a seating area.

The blue things underneath were purchased at Walmart along with the coffee table.

Most of my posters are from the Dollar Tree or a local store called School Daze.

The desk was a gift from my mother in law and the chair I had before so not much cost here either. 

We chose to hang art from a laundry line.

I added a water fountain and small light to bring comfort and quiet to the room as needed.

Above is my teaching area.  I will need a bigger or second board before too long.

The blue bins are their "lockers" and the black bin is for completed work.

It was a very exciting and new process for me to put this room together.  It was a long time coming as we had moved around alot and were not able to have a room.  Since we are not sure whether our landlord will want to sale, we have made no attempt to paint here ... honestly, this is the only room we have done.

I knew that it was important for them to have this space and I am glad we did it - and under $500 at that.  I didn't add up everything as I went because it was a year to year process but if I was guessing I would say I spent about $150 of my own money doing this room with most items being used or from local discount stores.  It turned out great and I am very pleased! But now that means I have the rest of the house left!!

Stay Tuned I Guess! ;)

Surprise!!!

Dear Readers,

The last time that I posted on this blog was in November of 2012.  To say that we have gone through alot of changes is an understatement.  I wasn't sure if I would come back here or start over, but let's face it, this is my home.  I love to write and will always be a writer whether I like it or not.  There have been so many times where I wrote something here and then thought "God, is this really supposed to be out there for all to see?" but in the end, I think each of us needs to heal from something and we heal in all different ways - for me, it is writing.  My book is at a stand still to say the least and writer's block frustrated me to the point where I was ready to give up, but God clearly had other plans.

It will take me some time, but I will get this blog caught back up and I will be adding my other blog about homeschooling to this one as well.   Yes, for those of you who don't already know, we have ventured into the new world of homeschooling.

  Alot of people have come to me for advice and it is a huge part of my day to day life so it will be a big part of this blog - You will notice that I have updated this blog before this post with all of the current homeschool blog posts from my previous website.  Although this is the first official post here, there are ten or more blog posts I have moved over before this one so be sure to check them all out!

  I love that I blogged alot of my life and I think it's important to get back to that.  So, here I am! :)

For now, I leave you with only this.. an adorable photo of my boys all grown up.  Blaze is almost 10 and Ace is 7.  They are in 2nd and 4th grade, at home of course.  I will be turning 30 this year and DJ and I just celebrated 10 years of marriage! Be back soon to tell you guys all the details of life from then to now! 

Organization Is Key In The Homeschool World...

I will make this short and sweet because:
 a) i'm exhausted
 b) it's hot and
 c) my kids are currently covered head to toe in mud.

 I am working on a new homeschool room.. and no, I cant share yet because of the move and such but promise to very soon so I thought it would be nice to post some other ideas I have come across along the way:

The best organization tips Ive found so far I found here - http://organizedhome.com/family/ties/homeschool-storage-strategies


Some of the best rooms Ive found so far I found here - 
http://www.houzz.com/Homeschool-room/


And somehow I ran across this lady's YouTube channel and couldn't get enough of her adorable classroom fit for all of her growing kids - 
Homeschool Room - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQe_0-trKqI


So far the tips that seem to stick out the most are color coding instead of labeling everything by name and using unordinary "school room" items like dishpans and shoe boxes for your school instead of the normal everyday items you would find in an actual classroom.  Hope this helps some of you stocking, finishing, or just getting started on that new homeschool classroom you have been dreaming of! 

A (Long) Random Post About Summer 2013

Well... it's officially Summer 2013.  So far not too hot, but the mosquitos are eating my alive and I remember why Fall is my favorite season and not this hot ole mess that we can barely breathe nor walk or function in! 

First thing I want to talk about on this random blog post is my kids doing this:

 I think it may be the most annoying thing in the world to here the words "whhhaattt?"  followed by that crazy face - although the minion above looks really cute while doing it, right?  The age old question of "what?" is sometimes even replaced with "why" or "how" and that is no better.

I can feel the gray hairs growing as I type. 

Onto my next rambling post photo... I wish that I could tell my sons this everyday and they knew, without a doubt, that I meant it:

Blaze has been showing some major signs of depression or low self esteem and I just wish I could show him who he is in the eyes of the people that love him.  Who he is in CHRIST.  But, as his mother I simply cannot.  That is something he will have to figure out on his own in his own time.  For now, all I can do is boost his self esteem, praise his work ethics and endurance, and teach him what my parents never taught me - that vision plus energy plus faith equals success. 

What will be the next random post photo on this post.. well here it is:



I would like to sell or trade the following books if anyone is interested.

I have books for Pre-K through second grade and I am looking for books up to fifth grade.

Contact me via ashleywilsonjackson@gmail.com if you are interested. 

Next random photo... we "skipped" our homeschooling lesson for the day when we heard that the Titans were in town.. just one of many pros to homeschooling I suppose!

And next on my random list are these books that I would like to giveaway to one lucky winner.  If you are interested in winning this prize pack, please email me, FB, or tweet me before July 5th.  I will choose a winner on July 6th.  Some of the items in the giveaway are Quick Math Quiz drills for third and fourth grade, a teachers notepad that sticks of your fridge, a large Science Is Fun book for ages 7-12, a Math Unit book for ages 6-8, a Reading Connection book for 3rd grade, the new children's book by Tiki Barber, and this ugly hotel bedspread! Okay, just kidding on the bedspread..

If you are still reading this long, crazy blog post then THANK YOU.  Now it's time to talk about something very near and dear to my heart (and a lot more serious than above.)  This little girl below is my precious angel of a God-Daughter named Karissa.  She has brought such joy to my life as well as my husband's.  I have been around her since she was born and I love watching her learn and grow - but as we watched her, we realized that she was not progressing like most little girls here age.

Her mother, my dear friend Tiffany, took her to a specialist who sent her for futher testing and diagnosed her with Lissencephaly AKA Smooth Brain.  It has a horrible prognosis and very large death rate with the average age of death being 3 years old and the longest anyone has ever lived with it being 22 years old.  Obviously, this is a devastating blow to all of those who love her.  We would really appreciate prayers and support as we walk this journey with her mom and the rest of her family.  I just know that if anyone can kick butt it's Karissa and I have faith that God's mighty healing hand will help this little girl have a happy and healthy life. 



So, as my random but wonderful blog post comes to an end, I want to leave all of you with this.  Please never change who you are and let people love you exactly where you are at in your life.  We can never be perfect, there is no such thing as perfect people... but good news! There is a perfect God, he loves you, and he sent his son to die so that you would have everlasting life.  My challenge for you this week is to stay positive, read your bible, pray, and just smile a whole lot.  I love each and every one of you and I would love to pray for you too! Leave a prayer request in the comments and I will lift you up in prayer this week. 



For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present or things yet to come. nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the Love of Christ! - Romans 8:38