Midwest Mimi

  • Family Adventures on a Budget: Affordable Ways to Make Memories Outdoors (Part 1)

    I don’t know about you, but my family operates on a shoestring budget. We have what we need, but there isn’t always a lot left over for extras. With a little creativity and planning, though, it’s still possible to have some amazing family adventures. As a disabled mom, my family of five survives on Social…

  • How a Four-Day School Week Makes Homeschooling with Chronic Illness Possible

    Some days, parenting while living with chronic illness feels like climbing uphill with no end in sight. The body aches, the migraine fog, the nausea all show up uninvited, but parenting does not stop when my energy does. And because I homeschool my kids, teaching does not stop either. But over the last two years,…

  • Story Stones: A Simple Nature Craft That Sparks Creativity in Kids

    Let me paint you a picture: it’s 10:32 a.m. on a rainy Tuesday, and I’ve already heard the words “I’m bored” four times. Before lunch. (Send help.) Enter: Story Stones. Smooth little rocks decorated with tiny pictures that turn into the ultimate boredom-busting, imagination-sparking, sibling-distraction tool. They’re cheap, easy to make, and surprisingly magical. In…

  • 6 Ways Nature Works as a Reset Button for Sibling Rivalry (and One Way it Benefits Parents, Too)

    “Mimi,” Channing’s complaining tone rang out, “Raeleigh yelled at me.” “I only yelled because he was being annoying!” Raeleigh chimed in from the other room. It wasn’t even 10 a.m., and we’d already had multiple variations of this same argument at least three times. Clearly, it was time for a reset. Sibling squabbles like this…

  • Homeschooling in Nature’s Classroom

    Introduction: Learning Beyond the Books When people picture homeschooling, they often imagine stacks of workbooks and long kitchen tables covered in flashcards. In our house, the classroom looks a little different: it’s the trail where my son pauses to listen for bird calls, the lake where my daughter learns patience with a fishing pole, and…

  • How to Homeschool on a Budget: Making the Most of What You Have

    Homeschooling can feel intimidating when you start looking at the price tags on full boxed curriculums, endless supply lists, and glossy catalogs promising the “perfect” education. The truth is, you don’t need to spend a fortune to give your kids a meaningful education at home. In fact, some of the richest learning happens with free…

  • From Vacation Mode to Lesson Plans: Our Homeschool Prep Process

    We just got home from vacation and you’d think we’d still be unpacking, doing laundry, and easing back into our daily rhythm. And yes, we’re doing all of that. But in the back of my mind there’s another clock ticking: the start of a new homeschool year. For us, that means more than just picking…

  • Local Wildlife Spotting: A Kid-Friendly Guide to Common Midwest Critters

    It’s easy to spot rabbits darting across a field or deer grazing at the edge of the woods. But the Midwest is home to so many more critters that our kids can learn to recognize. Wildlife spotting doesn’t have to be complicated — in fact, it’s one of the simplest ways to turn a walk…

  • From Video Games to the Range: Channing’s First BB Gun Experience

    While we were on vacation this summer, we stayed in a handbuilt log cabin on a small homestead in the Missouri countryside. It was the kind of place where life moves slower—and where the animals have just as much personality as the people. The goats (who kept escaping their pen), a couple of easygoing horses,…

  • St. Louis Zoo Accessibility Review: Tips for a Smooth Visit

    The St. Louis Zoo is one of the top free attractions in the Midwest, and it’s an incredible destination for families. But if you or someone in your group has mobility challenges, there are a few things you’ll want to know before you go. Admission & Costs to Plan For One of the best things…

  • Let Them Get Bored. Let Them Get Dirty. Let Them Explore.

    Why unstructured outdoor play is essential for growing minds, bodies, and hearts As a homeschool mom raising three wildly individual kids, I’ve come to believe one thing very deeply: Kids don’t just need space to learn—they need space to wander. That means space to be bored. Space to poke things with sticks. Space to get…

  • Learning Without Desks: How Nature Supports Our Homeschool

    We homeschool our kids, not because we think school is bad, but because we needed something more flexible, more supportive, and more aligned with our reality. We live with chronic illness, neurodivergence, and disability. That means rigid schedules and all-day classrooms don’t always work for our brains or our bodies. But learning? That’s still a…