About Me

Now this is a vacation!

Simply The Good Life has so many new friends to start the new year that I decided now is a good time to introduce myself.  I'm Karissa; wife and mother.  My husband and I have three children; fifteen year old twin boys and an eight year old daughter. Okay, make that four children; we also have a three year old English Bulldog boy.  (You may have seen him getting a good night's sleep in my blog post, "The Flu Season Is Here".)  We are mid-western transplants, living "the good life" in Florida.  For me, the good life means taking time to smell the ocean air, enjoying the natural beauty of the world around us, and doing the best we can with what we have.

Morning computer work.

Our children go to school at home.  It's not exactly homeschool; we use Connections Academy, a public virtual school.  My husband and I talked for several years about homeschooling our children.  I was intimidated by the thought of being solely responsible for their education.  It seemed like there were so many choices for curriculum, and responsibilities for record keeping that I felt a little overwhelmed.  It was when virtual schooling became available in our state that we decided to take the plunge; and we couldn't be happier.  We have the involvement we want in our children's education, and they have the freedom to learn in their own styles and at the speeds that suite each of them individually.  I also have peace of mind in knowing that their classes are meeting or exceeding state standards and that there are teachers available for instruction in every class should we need them.

 

Scratch-made Apple Sharlotka with Caramel Sauce.  Yum!

I've always enjoyed sharing tips and ideas I've found with friends and family members.  I started this blog when my husband and I moved our family out of state so that I could continue to share resources for education, family management, cooking, and crafts & hobbies with family, friends, and now everyone else as well.  I love to cook from scratch.  I get a real sense of satisfaction from creating a delicious meal all on my own that is healthy and affordable.  I also like coming up with creative new ideas to motivate my children to learn.  It takes a village to raise up a child, so I'm always looking for new ideas and sharing the ones I've already found. Crafts and homemade gifts are another hobby of mine.  It feels so good to give a unique gift that was made with love, not just picked up at a store in a hurry.  Living the good life is not always easy these days, but when you think outside the box and keep it simple, you can make it work.  

I'd love to get to know you, as well.  Please feel free to share a little about yourself below in the comment section of my blog post, on my Facebook or Google Plus pages, or send me a tweet with your Twitter handle so I can follow you.

Karissa