By Holly Giles | Boy Crafting , Florida , handicrafts , homeschooling
As a little girl, the Central Florida Fair was always an exciting time of year. My grandparents lived close by the fairgrounds and every night I could see the lights and hear all the fun. We would go in the evening, when everything was lit up. My favorite was the carousel of horses, holding baby […]
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By Holly Giles | Family , Field Trips , Florida , Great Outdoors , homeschooling
Have you been to an aquarium lately? Grant, my 10-year-old and I took a mini vacation together to see Winter, the dolphin who lost her tail. My sister recently moved to Clearwater which gave us the perfect excuse to scoot down to see her and Winter, who we have wanted to visit for years. If you […]
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By Holly Giles | Florida , Great Outdoors , homeschooling , Nature Study
Adding Wildflowers to your nature study is as easy as looking in your neighborhood. Yes, it can be easy! For some reason, studying wildflowers seems daunting. Where do you find them and how in the world do you figure out what they are? Start in your yard or your neighbors. Most of our area does not use herbicides on […]
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By Holly Giles | Boy Crafting , Florida , Great Outdoors , handicrafts , homeschooling , Nature Study
Nature study doesn’t have to be hard. It can be as simple as taking an egg carton on a walk down your street or running around your backyard. A simple way to get outside and look at what is happening in the natural world is a scavenger hunt. Grab an egg carton, 6 colors of paint or markers and […]
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By Holly Giles | Field Trips , Florida , homeschooling
History never captured my attention when I was in school. Memorizing dates and names did not link me with real people and how our country was shaped because of them. Now, it is one of my favorite subjects that I share with my boys. We love a good historical fiction book to curl up to […]
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By Holly Giles | Family , Field Trips , Florida , Great Outdoors , homeschooling , popular , Recipes
Even though it is hot here in summer, there are loads of zucchini and other vegetables and fruits that are in season and abundant for feeding hungry boys! Let’s face it ya’ll, it is hot here in Florida and even sitting at my computer makes me sweat. I don’t like to sweat unless it is […]
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By Holly Giles | Field Trips , Florida , Great Outdoors , homeschooling
“We are called the best-hidden gem in Volusia County for Florida history!” said Betty, our tour guide at Debary Hall. A friend and I, along with our four children decided to take a tour of this historic home to learn some Florida history. This particular gem actually sits right within my own neighborhood. I […]
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By Holly Giles | Boy Crafting , Florida , Great Outdoors , homeschooling , Nature Study
We love nature study, but sometimes planning it seems to take the joy out of spontaneous interests in the out-of-doors. Although my boys love a good show from the hawks outback or a new bird that shows up, they can balk at a scheduled time to go sit and draw what they see in nature. (yes, those are pj’s, bird […]
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By Holly Giles | Field Trips , Florida , Great Outdoors , homeschooling , Nature Study
Our homeschool co-op visited the Avian Reconditioning Center in Apopka, FL and were treated to a real wildlife show. ARC has been serving the bird of prey community for ten years by Carol and Scott. They have turned their property into a haven for rescue birds and rehabilitation. They work with area officials and clinics […]
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By Holly Giles | Family , Field Trips , Florida , Great Outdoors , homeschooling , popular
Mount Dora is a quaint historic town surrounding Lake Dora in Lake County, Florida. They have wonderful festivals of art and patrons come from all over the country to attend. I applied for the Mount Dora spring show in hopes of our family experiencing a large show and to sell enough feed sack totes to keep […]
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