The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, one of my favorites:-), is hosting a summer reading program with Splish the frog.  Click on the graphic to go directly to Splish's blog.  There, you can get the details of the program as well as take a peek at the reading lists of kids and their moms. Now for our reading list for the summer, lots of exciting reading on ancient times, some great, clean fiction, and books on everything reptilian (the latter interest was added yest... Read Full Story

Eating healthy is absolutely critical to functioning well as a mom.  Not only does the proper nutrition enhance our immune systems and prevent disease, it also enhance our well-being and energy levels. To that end, I am always trying new recipes that combine lots of good foods, especially vegetables.  The other day, my cupboards were bare (at least for me because I have to eat gluten-free - that's right - no wheat:-()  I was making acorn squash as the vegetable for dinne... Read Full Story

This morning, I tucked into my latest book, Choosing Happiness, by lifestyle guru, Alexandra Stoddard.  I always look forward to reading Alexandra's books.  They inspire me and uplift me and give me a renewed sense of peace.  This experience has been no different.  For one thing, her books are as beautiful to look at as they are to read.  This one has cobalt blue ink and the quotes on the margins are a lovely fuschia.  Just looking at words in these co... Read Full Story

Planning, second only to God and my family:-) I enjoy planning anything almost as much as the activity itself.  So, here is what Professor Mom has been planning for the 2008-2009 school year... For my six-year-old son, I base most of what we do around Sonlight's awesome program.  (The little one - 4K - is using Sonlight's program as well.)  There are a few things that I am doing differently this year based on lessons learned from last year (did I just make a play on wo... Read Full Story

How do you keep track of the big and small details of your life? Do you use a traditional to-do list, the post-it method, or maybe it's the "all in my head" philosophy? My four-pronged approach includes my Calendar, Forward Lists, Project List, and Action List.  These four documents sum up my "life tracking" system.  In other words, it's how I keep track of my life and how I make sure my life stays on track. The Calendar I use this for appointments and an... Read Full Story

  Hi everybody! Did you every notice that we all love to talk about who we are and what we do until someone asks us to do it?  OK, here it goes... My bio: Heather Shanks, aka Professor Mom, is an author and researcher specializing in education and family life issues. Much of her work centers on creating a positive home environment and the affect of character on educational success. Her website and blog, AskProfessorMom.com, offers moms a productivity and renewal resource to help the... Read Full Story

Two women are walking down the street.  One looks as though she bears the weight of the world on her shoulders.  Her hair is stringy and her expression growly as she walks along in her mismatched sweatsuit with her shoulders slumped.  The two children she is almost dragging with her are fighting between themselves and doing everything they can to annoy her.  They have been rude to her, and she has let them.  She doesn't feel like there is anything at all she can d... Read Full Story