Beauty All Around

I was recently chatting with a friend who also homeschools her kids.

I've been doing this long enough to have figured out that there's usually a slump for us homeschooling Mamas,  and it often happens in the cold, dreary months of January or February.

We're a bit burned out.

We begin to question our sanity.

We begin to wonder why it is we're doing what we're doing.

I've figured out a few ways to combat this slump.

Not to say it never happens to me.....it does, it does!

But I've found that there are two secrets that make our days and years and time together (oh, that's the glorious benefit of keeping our kids with us!) run smoothly.

The first is waking early.

Turns out that whole "early to bed, early to rise" thing is one of the best recipes for happiness and health!

 And the second is getting outside.  

Everyday.  For as many hours as is possible.

We had a lovely snowshoe hike one day a few weeks ago.

The snow was bright and deep,  the sun was glittering off everything.

All was right with the world.