Homemade Blueberry Jam Recipe

It won't be long before jam-making season is upon us.  It's a busy time in our house, but a welcome one as we cook and can fresh fruit into jam that will line our pantry shelves with oh-so-fruity goodness.  I thought I'd share with you one of the jam recipes I use regularly.  It's from the Sure-Jell pectin insert and has worked well for me the last several years.

I'm surprised every year that we have enough blueberries to make jam because I find myself popping them into my mouth every chance I get!  They're so delicious fresh, but jam is the perfect way to savor that freshness throughout the cold months when summer seems far, far away.

Ingredients 

• 4 cups fresh blueberries, crushed - you'll need about 3 pints of fresh blueberries to yield 4 cups crushed
• 4 cups sugar
• 1 box store bought pectin or 1/3 cup bulk pectin

Equipment

• Canning jars with lids and bands
• Water bath canner with rack and lid
• Jar lifter
• Funnel with wide mouth and insert
• Large bowl
• Potato masher
• Measuring cup with a spout
• 6-8 quart stockpot
• Small saucepan with water
• Stirring spoon
• Pincers
• Ladle
• Clean dishtowel
• Oven mitts
• Apron - I always wear one because the berry juice stains

You’ll be processing your jam in a water bath canner, fill the canner with water to the top “line”, cover it with the lid, and place on the stove to begin heating.  Due to the amount of water that needs to be brought to a boil, this takes a bit of time and should be started first.  However, every stove varies, so keep an eye on the water so it doesn’t come to a boil for too long before you’re ready to process the jam.  It’s important that there is enough water to cover the jars as they process. 

Next, wash all of your jelly jars and bands either by hand or in the dishwasher.  I prefer the dishwasher because of the high heat that is generated, but if you don’t have a dishwasher, simply use hot soapy water to wash your jars.  Rinse thoroughly and either allow them to air dry or dry them by hand.

NOTE:  Don’t put your lids in the dishwasher because the heat will render them unusable (they won’t seal on the jars).  Once the jars are clean and dry, place them upright in a deep pan.

Once your jars are clean, dry, and in a deep pan, place them into your cold oven.  Next, turn your oven temperature to 150 degrees Fahrenheit.  This way, the jars and the oven heat up at the same time at relatively the same rate.  Your jars will be sanitized by the time the blueberry jam is ready to be ladled into the hot jars.

While your jars are sanitizing in the oven, prepare your fresh blueberries.  Make sure you weed out any blueberries that may be "squishy".  Wash the blueberries and remove any stems.  Crush the blueberries in a large bowl using a potato masher.  Avoid using a food processor to crush your berries.  Jam is supposed to have bits and pieces of fruit in it.  If the berries are pureed, the jam just won't be the same.  However, if you feel you absolutely need to use a food processor, simply use the "pulse" option.  You'll need 4 cups of blueberries for one batch of jam.

Fill a small saucepan ½ full with water.  Bring the water to a boil.  Turn the heat down to a lower setting (like simmer) and place the lids (not the bands) into the water and cover. Allow the lids to sit in the hot water until you are ready to seal the jars.

Measure 4 cups of sugar into a large bowl.  Set aside.  You’ll be adding all of your sugar at once, so it needs to be ready before it’s time to add it to the boiling blueberry jam mixture.

Place your crushed blueberries into the large sauce pot.  Add the pectin.  Also add ½ teaspoon butter or margarine to help keep the mixture from foaming and boiling over during the boiling process.  This is a little trick my Momma shared with me and it really does work!  How do I know?  I've forgotten it sometimes and guess what happens?  

Bring the entire blueberry jam mixture to a full rolling boil.  A rolling boil means that the mixture continues to boil even when it is stirred.  Stir the mixture constantly for one full minute.As soon as the rolling boil is achieved and the mixture has boiled for one minute, pour the entire 4 cups of sugar into the sauce pot with the blueberries and pectin.

Return the mixture to a rolling boil and allow the mixture to remain at the rolling boil for one full minute.  Continue to stir so the mixture doesn’t stick to the bottom of the sauce pot.

After one full minute at a rolling boil, remove the blueberry jam mixture from the heat.  Using a large spoon, skim any foam from the top.

It's time to fill your jars with deliciously sweet blueberry jam.  Remove your heated jars from the oven using oven mitts.  It's important to fill and seal the jars as quickly as possible.

Insert the wide mouth funnel into the first jelly jar.  Using the ladle, fill the jar to 1/4 inch from the top of the jar mouth.  Wipe the jar rim and thread completely.  Cover the jar quickly with a flat lid, using the heated lids in the saucepan.  Screw the bands on tightly.

At this point, (hopefully), the water in the water bath canner is boiling nicely.  Lower the jars of jam into the water carefully using a jar lifter.  Once the water bath canner is full, process the blueberry jam for 15 minutes.   
*I am hoping to take photos of the jam in the water bath canner the next time I make jam and get them posted later in the summer.

After 15 minutes, remove the jam from the water bath canner using the jar lifter and place them onto a cooling rack.  The jars and jam inside will slowly cool.  As this happens, you should hear "popping" noises.  This is the wonderful sound of the lids sealing the jam jars properly.  If for some reason a lid doesn't seal, put that jar into the refrigerator to use right away.  Opened jams can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three weeks.

Let your blueberry jam stand at room temperature for roughly 24 hours.  Sealed jams should be stored in a dark and dry place away from direct sunlight.  They can be stored for up to one year.  It’s handy to save the boxes that the jars come in so you can put the blueberry jam back into the box, effectively keeping sunlight from it while it’s on the shelf.  Label the box so you know at a glance what jam is in each box.

Now you know how to make blueberry jam in the comfort of your own kitchen!  There is a deep sense of satisfaction after making jam for the first time.  It really doesn't take that much time to make a batch, but you'll reap the benefits for months to come.  Now that you know how to make blueberry jam, you’ll be able to make strawberry jam, raspberry jam, and many others, with only slight differences between each.

I'll be posting recipes for the other jams too, so feel free to stop back soon!

Give jars of homemade jam to friends and family members as gifts.  A jar of jam along with a homemade loaf of bread or cake is a sweet and thoughtful gift at any time of the year.

One important note:

As tempting as it may be, do NOT double jam recipes.  The fruit mixture may set up correctly.  Simply do one batch after another.

I'm linking to Trash to Treasure Follow Friday Roll Call.

Won't you stop by and see her beautiful, informative and fun blog?  Thanks!

All my best to you,

So much to write about...so little time!

I don't know about the rest of you, but since I started writing this blog, I seem to have blog topics running through my head constantly.  Ideally, it would be great to sit down right then and get my thoughts all out on "paper".  But, life gets in the way and as a result, I have posted notes and lists to myself in at least three rooms of the house in an effort to remind myself that I had a thought and wanted to write about it.  Does anyone else do this?

As a teenager, I journaled about everything - friends, boyfriend, parents, clothes, band, choir, speech team, people who had treated me horribly that day, feelings, well...you get the picture.  When I look back on those pages, I see glimpses of the writer I was struggling to become even then (and didn't know it).  Even in college I continued to write in my journal, but after I graduated and got my first job, I quit writing in my journal and seemed to drop all that was important to me to chase after empty pursuits.  Sad, but true.  Although, the lessons I learned during those few years are still etched in my brain and heart, so perhaps it was better I didn't journal about them.

Ok, fast forward to roughly present day.  About 2 1/2 years ago, I began ghostwriting and fell in love with writing all over again.  Who thought I'd ever actually tackle a blog?  Not me!  But, I find that the thoughts going through my mind are ones I want to share (well, most of them) and ones I would pray would encourage and inspire others.  Isn't that what all writers desire to do?  Words - the written ones and the spoken ones - have been a blessing to me in my life for years now.

Just yesterday, a dear friend of mine called me and we were able to catch up a bit.  Cathy and I have been friends since 7th grade!  She is an absolutely amazing lady who loves the Lord and her family.  I am blessed more than I can express by her friendship.  She has this amazing laugh that makes me want to laugh.  She has broken into spontaneous prayer with me when she feels the Holy Spirit leading her to pray for me.  I am humbled and blessed by her!  As kids, we would write to each other over the summer because we didn't see each other that much during those months.  I'm talking epistles!  Not just a short, "hi, how are you?", but pages and pages about this, that, and the other thing, but mostly about our boyfriends and how life was going at the time.  Cathy's letters in the mailbox were like getting a gift!  I loved seeing her beautiful handwriting on the envelope.  Those letters helped us stay connected.  Words - a blessing to me and a "language" I understand with all my heart.

The Lord is so good to me!  He sent to me a husband who loves to talk...to me.  I love that.  We talk, talk and talk some more.  Not everyday, not all the time, but we share our hearts as often as possible.  He "gets" me like no one else and I believe it's because he is willing to listen to me with not only his ears, but with his heart as well.  My Jeff is my very best friend.  He is my confidant and so much more.  Thank you Lord!

Words, both written and spoken, have been a blessing to me.  Yes, they can be hurtful too, but I prefer to focus on the good, at least for today.

Do you as a writer have difficulty getting all of your thoughts down on paper?

Are there times you find that are better for writing than other times?  Morning, evening, afternoon, etc.

Do you use paper and pen or the computer for even the drafts?

Can you remember a time when the thoughts were flowing and you actually had the time to write and then felt fabulous afterward?

I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic!  I am not sure yet how to do a link party, but until then, I'd love to hear your comments.

All my best to you today,

What's On Your Kitchen Windowsill?

I have always loved my Momma's kitchen windowsill.  It is filled with odds and ends that reflect her wonderful personality.  She loves the outdoors.  She is creative.  She rarely, if ever, tosses anything and yet, her home is neat, clean, and uncluttered.  She sees the beauty in the smallest things of nature and I love that about her. 

What is on her kitchen windowsill?  Small rocks, pieces of wood, birds made from fabric and feathers, shells, coins, and other odds and ends that she has gathered from the outdoors and brought inside to enjoy.  She could probably tell you where each item came from and perhaps even when and where she found it.  That's pretty amazing to me considering the number of years things have been gathering on that windowsill.

You can tell a lot about someone just by looking at the things on their kitchen windowsill (in my humble opinion).  I began thinking about my very own kitchen windowsill and what is there right now.  So, I grabbed the camera and took a photo this morning.

 Here is what I found:

• A baby photo of our oldest daughter, who is now 10, soon to turn 11 years old.  The frame is one that I received from friends when our daughter was born.  
• Two-toned miniature vase - this vase belonged to my Grandma Robinson.  I was happy to have it as a remembrance of her and the flowers she always had in her kitchen.  The purple flower in the vase is one that our youngest sweet daughter picked for me.
• See the colorful little woven bag?  My Julie made that for me for Christmas on her loom.  it is a special token of devotion and love and the fact she made it with her own two hands is even more special.  Love that!
• The little "jigger" glass is one that my girls spotted at the thrift store and having no idea the purpose of it, fell in love with it and "just had to have it".  For a whopping $.09, how could I refuse?  It now holds our daughters' rings that fall out of jean pockets.  Eventually they look for them and I know right where they are and can surrender them at a moment's notice.
• The die cast car - that was in my stocking this year!  Love it because it's from my parents!  A few years ago, we made a pact with my parents that we (my husband and myself) would only exchange stocking gifts instead of spending money on things that neither of us need.  It has become a stress-free and fun tradition and we take the opportunity to gift each other things that are sometimes very nice, but also very silly.  It's a great tradition and one that I hope we continue for many more years!
• My wedding rings and my promise ring - I am one of 'those' wives who doesn't wear her rings at home.  I always wear them in public, but at home, this is where they stay.  Next to my rings, you can often find my favorite pair of earrings, which seemed really big to me on Christmas morning when I first saw them, but now they are just perfect.
• Coupons - I am surprised there aren't more there, because other than food coupons, this is where I place promotional coupons and information so I am reminded of what I have as I am putting on my rings and heading out the door.

So, that's it for my kitchen windowsill.

What is on yours?  I look forward to hearing your responses!

All my best to you this evening. 

Hello - I'm still here!

Good Morning!  Yes, I am still here.  I haven't written in a few days because the outdoors have been calling my name.  It was so beautiful yesterday that I was outside for at least four hours working on the yard.  After mowing both the front and back lawn, weeding, trimming, and pulling out some of the old foliage from the side flower bed, I can honestly say I was a bit 'creaky' last night.  But oh, the rewards of looking out at a newly mowed lawn...well worth any ache to me.

We don't have one of those beautifully manicured lawns.  In fact, I think in the 13 years we have lived here, we've had several lawn care companies come through here just dying to help us out with those dandelions and crabgrass.  When we politely decline their offers of spraying lovely chemicals all over the lawn where our children like to run and play, they seem so disappointed.  I even had one guy get irritable with me! (Not the way to garner respect and business from a potential customer, but then what do I know, 'eh?)  Ah well, it's ok.  It's just grass, right?  Growing up in the country, I was surrounded with beautiful green lawns and gorgeous wildflowers that my parents cultivated and allowed to grow naturally, so I come by this attitude about the lawn honestly. 

To top it off, I have what I am told are 'ditch lillies' in our front flower bed.  They are a junk flower I am told, but hey, the plants were all free and at the time we accepted them, we couldn't afford to deck out the front flower bed with shrubs and perennials as we would have liked.  So, the lilys provide foliage and blooms - voila - done!  In between mowing and weeding, I spray painted some great things for the flowerbeds and even some letter trays for my office.  My friend Tammy was purging her garden shed, so we struck a deal and I returned home on Monday with some great things for the outdoor patio.  I spray painted a pretty 'lil metal house that will hang on a shepherd's hook in the garden.  I also painted a planter and a metal plant stand.  I am quickly seeing the benefits of spray paint on projects, but I still love to sit down with a paintbrush and do it by hand too.  There are still several projects I want to tackle, but all in due time.

The office is a work in progress (more on that later) because I have never liked that closet!  And, I was pulling out stuff for the girls' homeschool portfolios and pulling things for the curriculum sale coming up in May, so as a result, the office is completely and utterly trashed.  Ugh.  But, it will get better!  I now have lovely paper trays to put in there once things are organized again.  These .25 each trays (love garage sales!) were black when I bought them.  Now, they are a snazzy light satiny caramel color.  They're not perfect, as I am still learning the art of spray painting, but I am very pleased with the way they turned out anyway.

See this planter and blue pot?  I am thinking I am going to "plant" an artificial plant in there for the summer months.  Yes, I know, you're cringing, aren't you?  I know, I know...I would have never thought I would resort to fake foliage, but in the summer when it is 95+ degrees and the brick is radiating the heat, making it even hotter, any plant I have ever tried to have next to the house croaks in a very short period of time.  I still want something at my entrance though, you know?  Something that says, "welcome!".

Any ideas?  Thoughts?  Would love to hear what you think!

All my best to you today,

Stay-cation Ideas

April is almost over, which means the time for wearing my comfy fleece pullover is probably almost over.  When I look at the calendar, summer seems to be right around the corner once again this year.  It seems that each year my husband and I vow to sit down and get a few things onto the calendar so we don't "miss" the summer.  What I mean is that we want to purpose to schedule some fun in the coming months so that when fall arrives and school days are here again, we can look back at our summer and think, "wow, we had so much fun as a family!"

Admittedly, we have not lived up to even our own expectations for a few years which is humbling and sad in a way.  However, the reasons vary as to why we didn't go many places or see all the people we wanted to see.  Ok, I digress...This year, we have once again sat down as a family and discussed things we would like to do this summer.  Pretty much all of the activities are close to home or right here at home.

You've heard the relatively new buzz word, "stay-cation", right?  The concept is of a stay-cation (I put the hyphen in there, don't know if anyone else does) is that instead of planning a long and possibly expensive vacation away from home, you plan short jaunts or day trips from home.  Or, there are many fun things you can do right in your own backyard that are a bit different, but activities that will surely make memories.

I thought I'd share some ideas for stay-cations that you can enjoy at home or close to home.  I'd love to hear your ideas for some fun summer activities that are fun, interesting and inexpensive.  We've discovered that you don't have to spend a lot of money to have a great time together as a family and that's great news for our budget!

Oh, and don't forget the camera every time you do something fun!  

Go to the local beach - fun times without a lot of fuss.  If you're blessed to live by the ocean, then head to the closest spot to you.  Local lakes are fun too and summer is a great time to discover the lakes in your area that maybe you haven't yet visited.  Toss in the water toys, inflatables, camp chairs, a cooler with food, sunscreen, towels, and perhaps a good book to read.  You're set! 

Visit your local zoo - granted, this does cost a little money, but surely not as much as an amusement park or water park.  Ask about yearly memberships, which can sometimes be much less expensive than visiting even twice through the year.  There's so much to see and enjoy at the zoo!  If you're a home educating family like us, you can use it as a learning experience (isn't everything a learning experience?) and even have the children create a photo album of their favorite animals in the days following your trip.  Plan to take along a cooler with lunch, snacks, and water or else you'll blow the budget on this day.  Perhaps plan to treat everyone to ice cream or something once you leave the zoo.  Ice cream is always fun!

Camp out in the backyard - it's ok to pitch a tent in your own backyard!  The children feel as though they are "camping" and yet you have all the comforts of home at your disposal if needed without spending a dime to do so.  Get a fire going and make s'mores or grill burgers and hot dogs for dinner, just like you would if you were camping.  Lie on your backs and count the stars.  Capture lightning bugs.  Tell stories and jokes.  Go to bed late and sleep in!  Sounds great doesn't it?  Um...where did you go?  Are you heading to the attic to get your tent?  Great!

Visit your local parks - we were amazed at the number of parks in our area.  We know of several that we frequent, but have discovered several more that are just begging for a visit!  Make a list of the parks you want to visit and then plan day trips.  It would be interesting to see how many of them you could visit in one summer.

Visit friends and family - it sounds simple enough, but sometimes we don't get to see our loved ones as often as we like during the hustle and bustle we call life.  Make plans to go, visit, laugh, and enjoy being together.  Hopefully you can stay with family while visiting, but if not, it's worth a few nights' stay at a hotel to see loved ones, right?

Plan a craft day - try your hand at paper mache, quilt piecing, pillow making, pottery, finger painting, or any other crafty project you've been wanting to try, but just couldn't get to during the school year.  Make a day of it complete with smocks, art supplies, and lots of drop cloths.  

Hit the bicycle trails - bicycling is free and it's a fun way to get some exercise while spending time together.  Find out what trails are in your area, pack up the bicycles, helmets, snacks, map, and water and go!

Go on a picnic - grab the food and drinks, a few blankets or camp chairs, frisbees, balls, and even kites and head to your local park.  Plan to spend the afternoon just relaxing and having fun!

Photography fun - take the cameras and go find interesting things to photograph.  Ideas might include nature, city buildings, pets, people, inanimate objects of all kinds, etc.  Just get creative and enjoy seeing the world through a camera lens.  The view can bring new perspective to ordinary things.

Movie night - not so original, I know.  But when a rainy day hits, curl up with the children, pop some popcorn or toss in a pizza and watch a few of your favorite movies.  This is vacation time after all!

Cookout and Game Day - invite family and friends over for a cookout and game day.  Ask each family to bring a dish to share, grill out, and organize a few games for the afternoon.  Keep it simple so you can enjoy yourself.  Top off the afternoon with a fire and roasting marshmallows.  Yum!

Dive into some great books - most libraries have reading programs for children over the summer.  Take time to get involved in these terrific programs.  Or, if your library doesn't offer one, make up a reading program at home.  Include prizes for reading a certain amount of time or for reading a certain number of books.  Give each child a goal for which to strive and enjoy seeing them get into books.  Don't forget to pick up a few books yourself.  There's nothing like getting lost in a good book!

Keep your eyes and ears open for summer activities in your area too.  Oftentimes, you can find free concerts, fairs, festivals, productions, and more during the summer months.  


Fall will arrive before we know it...so plan to enjoy those lovely months before the snow flies.

Go apple picking and make delicious apple crisp, apple butter, apple pie, apple fritters, and applesauce.  Are you getting hungry?

Visit a fruit farm - enjoy the bountiful harvest of the year.  Pick pumpkins, buy a few hardy mums, and go on a hayride.  Good times!

I am sure there are many more stay-cation ideas that I've missed.

Would you be so kind as to share your ideas with us?

All my best to you today,

It's all good...or is it?

It has been a few years now that I have adopted the phrase, "it's all good".  I use it during those times of high stress and during times of emotional and physical challenges because it's my way of saying, "despite what I am going through, my life is so good!".

Out of curiosity, I looked up this phrase to see what meanings it has and the one that caught my attention was this one from the Urban Dictionary:  "used in an optimistic sense to show the lightheartedness of something".  When I use that phrase, it is never meant in a flippant or derogatory manner, but instead, a way of saying to myself and others that I am blessed and whatever it is that I am going through at the time will pass.  The Lord is with me always, I know this.

But this morning, my heart is heavy in so many ways for so many people.

Right now, today, it is not all good for everyone.  There are husbands, wives, children, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, friends, sisters, brothers, daughters, and sons walking through (or being carried through) severe challenges and heartbreak.

Right now, I know of at least one family who is praying for the safe return of a wife and mommy.  She disappeared two days ago and has a loving husband and beautiful infant daughter missing her and loving her.  It's not all good for them right now.

I know of at least four families experiencing or going through divorces right now.  This time of heartbreak, chaos, and upset is not a good time for these families.

I know of two other families who have been given devastating news regarding their health and who are trying to make serious life decisions that will affect loved ones.  It's not all good for them today...

So many others are facing surgeries that will determine much for them in the way of physical health.

There are people around the world who are suffering from loss, devastation, hunger, death, sickness, and so many other horrible things.  They certainly wouldn't choose to say that everything is fine right now.

So, how do I justify saying "it's all good" when in fact, it is not?  How can I smile despite my tears and heartbreak over loved ones' trials and difficulties?  Or despite my own?

I can say it because I know that my Saviour lives.  I know that by His blood and resurrection, I am redeemed.  God's Word has promise after promise that tells me He is with me always.  He will never leave me nor forsake me!  No matter what is going on in my life or the lives of others, I know He is in control.

There are times when it is not all "good".   

So, how can I move forward and not be completely crippled by the sadness, heartbreak, loss, and illnesses of the people I love and people I don't even know?  Pray!  Pray hard.  Take His holy Word into my heart and mind and recall it when things are the most difficult.  Praise Him when things are bad and praise Him when things are good.  Sing praises!  Speak praises!  Love others as much as I possibly can, every day, even when I don't feel like doing it.  The Lord will give me strength, if I simply ask Him for it.

God's Word encourages me today with this verse:

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Romans 8:38-39

In light of this verse, I believe I can say, "It's all good".

**Update on the mom who disappeared, she was found and she is safe.  Please continue to pray for her and her family.  Thank you.**

All my best to you today,

 

Homeschool Portfolios

As a home educating family, our schedule tends to get a bit interesting around this time of year. I am feeling (like always!) that we probably didn't get enough done, or we have loose ends that need tidied up or...well, you get the idea. It's this time of year that I get serious about putting together our girls' homeschool portfolios.
 
Over the year, I gather papers, drawings, awards, photos, lapbooks, and other items of interest in a central box for each of them so that I have it all in one place when I'm ready to put it all into a portfolio.

What is a homeschool portfolio? Basically, it's a "picture" of what your child worked on and accomplished that school year. It's a reflection too of who they are and what skills they've gained over the year. We love adding photos to ours so we can see how they've changed - maybe a new haircut, new style of clothes, or the addition of pierced ears.

A portfolio for your child is a record of everything they've accomplished through the year. It will also become a keepsake in years to come. A portfolio is one of the best ways to showcase your child's academic milestones for the year. It's also the perfect venue for highlighting field trips, certificates of achievement, book reports, and summer activities.

Several states require that a certified teacher at year's end assess home-schooled students and a portfolio comes in very handy for this very occasion. The assessor will appreciate looking through an organized and well-prepared portfolio as they converse with your child.


I thought I'd share some tips that I found helpful when I was putting together my first homeschool portfolio (and feeling totally overwhelmed!). I hope these tips are helpful to you too.

Putting Together a Homeschool Portfolio

Every parent should include what they feel is important in the portfolio. It can be as simple or as creative as you like.
The supplies I use are pretty basic:

• Binder - 3 to 4 inches thick
• Page protectors
• Computer paper with design (for title pages)
• Dividers
• Photos of field trips
• Note what is mentioned below too

Cover Art – Have your child create a cover for her portfolio. It could be a picture she draws or simply a coloring sheet that says "My Home School Portfolio". This gives your child a chance to personalize her portfolio. These are easily created on your computer.

Legal Papers –In this section, I like to include a copy of my state's home school requirements, a copy of my letter of intent to the superintendent of my school district, and the letter I received from him in response (including the envelope because it has the date stamped on it). One quick aside note here: I always send my letter of intent by certified mail and I attach a confirmation of delivery postcard as well. I include these receipts in this section, along with the superintendent's letter. A copy of the teachers' assessment is included in this section too.

Title Page – A recent photograph of your child is perfect on this page. Include also your child's age (at the beginning of the year), grade level, and birth date.

Learning Objectives – For each subject you'll be studying for the year, include a list of goals. Be specific and concise, so you'll have a way of measuring your success in meeting your goals.

Resource List – This list includes any and all curriculum you intend to use for the school year. Include books, field trips, and any other materials you are intending to use. Arrange this list by subject. For your own reference, include the publisher and author of each resource, in addition to the title. Piano lessons, ballet lessons, gymnastic classes, and other outside activities can be listed here as well.

Reading List – Throughout the year, keep a running list of the books your child has read on her own. List the title, author, and type of book (nonfiction, poetry, cookbook, fiction, etc.). This is the section in which you'll present this compilation. You and your child may be really surprised at the number of books read for the year! This is a personal note: I include here the books read through the summer as well! (Include it next year, it's ok!)

Evaluations – Some home school families keep records of grades, whereas others do not. For this part of your home school portfolio, include grades (if recorded), report cards, achievement test results, and any professional evaluations or letters of praise (if applicable).

Awards – Include here any certificates of accomplishment and awards your child received throughout the year. I also include pictures of trophies, ribbons, and other items that can't be physically placed into the portfolio.

Language Arts – Include copies of worksheets and writing projects. Be sure to highlight examples of her work that demonstrate what she has learned in penmanship, spelling, vocabulary, composition, mechanics, and grammar. For each month of the school year, include two compositions she has completed. This will show her marked improvement through the year. Include as well any drawings she completed in relation to this subject.

Arithmetic – Sample pages of her work sheets should be included. Did you engage in other arithmetic-related activities such as logic, consumer math (going to the grocery and learning what is the best deal), or other math games? Be sure to include examples of these in the Arithmetic section. We include Sudoku worksheets completed, speed drills, best test scores, and any drawings completed related to arithmetic. For a younger child, I include work sheets that show how her handwriting of numbers improved over the year.

Science – photos are the key here! Include pictures of science experiments or projects completed both at home and outside the home. Always pick up brochures of field trips taken, because they often have something to do with learning about science. If you belong to a home school cooperative and your child works on a group project with her class, get pictures and include them in this section.

Social Studies/History – Include any field trips taken relating to history (a visit to the State Capitol, historic landmarks, etc.), illustrations or drawings your child completed relating to these subjects. Sample workbook pages and field trip brochures can also be included.

Technology – Think multimedia here. Include such things as samples of work or projects your child completed. Did she take typing this year? Record her words-per-minute at the beginning, middle and end of the year to show improvement. Did she create anything on the computer, such as a spreadsheet or a Power Point presentation? Include photos and other items here to showcase her accomplishments.

Art – There is so much that can be included here, such as examples of art, photographs of art projects (pottery, painting, crafting, quilts, etc.), and anything related to art history.

Music – Include photographs of your child participating in the church drama at Christmas, singing in the children's choir, taking piano (or other instrumental) lessons, etc. Include any awards or letters of praise in regards to her musical achievements.

Physical Education/Health – Include photographs of your child doing physical activities. Examples: bicycling, swimming, rock climbing, hiking, soccer, badminton, tennis, gymnastics, bowling, t-ball, softball, or ballet. Children are naturally physically active, so just capture it on film and include those pictures in this section.

Extracurricular Activities – Socialization is one of the biggest "buzz words" when people talk about home schooling. Include photographs of your child interacting with others in this section. Examples might be attending a friends' birthday party, talking with nursing home residents, helping a relative plant flowers, playing games or reading with her siblings, or cleaning up the neighborhood.  

Additional Thoughts Don't fret if this is your first year. Just prepare for the fall and the following year. By the time your school year begins, have a designated crate or box in which you'll place everything your child does for the year. That way, compiling your home school portfolio won't be so overwhelming at the end of the year.

You may want to include a section for Bible verses your child memorized.

The rules for a home school portfolio are not set in stone, so be creative and add anything and everything you believe will showcase your child and his/her achievements.

The home school portfolio should be neat and well organized. Some parents like to include a brief summary for each section, outlining what was studied for the year. These summaries could be an invaluable tool for the following school year. Include summer activities, such as reading programs completed and vacation activities.

Memorabilia such as ticket stubs from performances, stickers, and other items can be incorporated into your portfolio.

The best time to purchase supplies is during the school supply sales toward the middle/end of July.

If you didn't compile everything this year and still want to create a portfolio for your child, go ahead! Get together the basics and do the best you can. Then, start fresh at the beginning of a new school year.

All my best to you,