Join us on a Busy Day in the Life of a homeschooling mom who works full-time!
Not every homeschool day happens at the kitchen table. Some days look like running errands, dropping off a wreath order, and cooking outside on the patio while my daughters do their schoolwork. This was one of those days—a little busy, a little messy, but absolutely worth it.
Homeschooling and working from home means my days don’t always follow a set schedule. One moment I’m helping the girls with assignments, the next I’m answering emails, running to Hobby Lobby for supplies, or getting dinner started. It’s not about perfection—it’s about finding a rhythm that works for us and leaning into the flexibility this lifestyle allows.
By the time the rain came that evening, we had the coziest meal waiting for us: creamy tomato soup, jerk pork grilled cheese sandwiches, and warm apple crisp. Cooking everything outside in my triple slow cooker while the girls studied nearby turned our patio into the heart of our home that day. It turned out to be the perfect ending to a full day of balancing homeschool, mom life, and business.
If you want to see the whole day unfold, you can watch the vlog here. But if you’re more of a reader (or you’re looking for recipes), this post will give you a closer look at how I tied it all together.
Morning Reset & Homeschool on the Patio
Most of my days start with a walk. I pop in my earbuds, listen to a sermon, and let my body wake up with movement while my spirit gets fed too. It’s the kind of reset I need before I shift into all my roles—mom, teacher, and business owner. When you’re homeschooling and working from home, there’s not always a clear line between those titles, so having a few minutes of quiet first thing in the morning makes a huge difference.
By the time I got home, it was time to get the girls moving. They’re preparing for dual enrollment, so testing was on the agenda this week. Instead of keeping everyone inside at a table, we took advantage of the sunshine and set up on the back patio. Books, laptops, snacks, and fresh air—the works. That’s one of the biggest gifts of homeschooling while I work from home: the freedom to shift our learning environment to whatever space serves us best that day.
Homeschooling for us doesn’t just mean textbooks—it’s errands at Aldi, practicing responsibility at the self-checkout, or sneaking a peek at the Hobby Lobby aisles and talking through design ideas. I count those moments just as valuable as worksheets and quizzes. Life is the classroom, and the lessons we learn outside the four walls of a schoolroom are the ones that tend to stick the most.
Work & Home Happening Together
The patio became our hub that day. While the girls worked through assignments, I was setting up our triple slow cooker (my secret weapon) and prepping a wreath order to ship out to a customer. It’s a perfect example of how homeschooling and working from home often blend together—we aren’t in separate spaces doing completely separate things. Instead, we share the same environment, each focused on our responsibilities, but still connected.
I can’t tell you how much I love this slow cooker setup: three different dishes, all cooking at once, which means less stress for me and more flavor for my family. It’s one of those tools that makes this lifestyle possible, because I don’t have to choose between getting work done and making sure everyone has a good meal. (If you’re curious, here’s the one I recommend: Triple Slow Cooker Buffet Server.
While the soups simmered and the pork slow-cooked, I sat just a few feet away at a folding table with my glue gun, ribbon, and florals spread out, working on a custom wreath order. The girls were nearby, reading and taking notes for their schoolwork. Every now and then they’d ask me a question, or I’d ask them to hand me something, and we’d just keep going.
This is the kind of multitasking I actually enjoy—our household running like a little ecosystem. No rushing from one thing to the next, no scrambling at the last minute. Just meals bubbling in the background, schoolwork happening in the fresh air, and business tasks moving forward right alongside it all. Days like this remind me why I chose this path: it’s not perfect, but it’s worth it.
Cooking as Connection
Food is one of the ways we connect as a family, and this day was no exception. Each dish had its role:
Creamy Crock Pot Tomato Soup
I love tomato soup because it’s simple, hearty, and the perfect dipper for grilled cheese. I started with fresh tomatoes, peppers, onion, and garlic—chunky at first, but later blended smooth with cream cheese for richness.
👉 Get the full recipe here.
Jerk Pork Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
This was my twist on a classic. Instead of plain grilled cheese, I slow-cooked pork loin with jerk seasoning, onion, and peppers until it was tender enough to shred. Then I layered it with cheese (Muenster this time, though I love Pepper Jack) and a little smear of pesto on a toasted golden brown roll.
👉 Full recipe Jerk Pork Sandwich Recipe here.
Apple Crisp in the Crock Pot
Dessert was new for us that day—our first time making apple crisp in a slow cooker. We used Cosmic Crisp apples (budget-friendly compared to Honeycrisp) and topped them with oats, almond flour, brown sugar, and plenty of warm spices. It wasn’t as crunchy as oven-baked, but the flavor? Gone in a day. The girls couldn’t stop eating it.
👉 Full recipe here.
When the Rain Came
After prepping the food and finishing up the wreath, I drove to drop off the package. On my way back, the sky opened up. It hadn’t been storming all day, but the timing couldn’t have been more perfect. By the time the rain started falling, I walked back into the house to the smell of warm soup and seasoned pork simmering in the crock pot.
That’s the gift of homeschooling and working from home—moments like this where everything comes together. Instead of rushing through drive-thrus or stressing about what to make for dinner, we already had a hearty meal waiting for us. The house was filled with the sound of rain against the windows, the laughter of my daughters, and the aroma of food we had prepared together earlier in the day.
We gathered around the table, dipping jerk pork grilled cheese into creamy tomato soup and finishing the night with bowls of warm apple crisp topped with vanilla ice cream. The food wasn’t complicated, but it was comforting. The day wasn’t perfect, but it was ours. In that moment, I couldn’t help but feel thankful for the flexibility of homeschooling and working from home—the chance to build days like this.
The Balance of It All
For me, balance isn’t just about managing the to-do list—it’s about modeling something for my daughters. They’ve had a front row seat to this whole journey, watching me build a business while homeschooling them at the same time. They get to see the hard work that goes into running a home, serving clients, and showing up consistently, even when things don’t go perfectly.
That’s one of the biggest gifts of homeschooling and working from home: they’re not just reading about responsibility, entrepreneurship, or time management in a book—they’re living it right alongside me. When they scan groceries at Aldi, they’re practicing math. They see me plan and ship a wreath order, they’re learning what it means to follow through. When they hear me talking about deadlines or watch me prepare content, they’re absorbing lessons about communication and consistency.
These are things I could never teach from a textbook. They’re life lessons that will carry them into adulthood, whether they become entrepreneurs themselves, step into leadership roles, or simply learn how to manage their own homes with confidence. To me, that’s the balance: weaving family, business, and education together in a way that shows them what’s possible.
Final Thoughts
If there’s one thing I hope you take away from this post, it’s that homeschooling and working from home doesn’t have to look one specific way. Your balance won’t look exactly like mine—and that’s okay. Some days will feel smooth, others will feel chaotic, but every day is shaping something valuable for your family.
You don’t need a triple slow cooker or a patio classroom to make it meaningful. What matters is finding little ways to weave life, learning, and work together so your kids see what it looks like to live with intention. They’re watching you more than they’re listening to the lesson plans, and that’s where the deepest lessons take root.
So here’s my encouragement: lean into the flexibility, embrace the imperfect, and remember that balance doesn’t mean doing it all—it means choosing what matters most in the moment. And on the days when the rain comes, may you already have something warm and comforting waiting for you, too.
Try the recipes we made:
- Creamy Crock Pot Tomato Soup Recipe
- Jerk Pork Grilled Cheese Sandwiches Recipe
- Slow Cooker Apple Crisp Recipe
Or watch the full day unfold here.
Thanks for spending the day with us 💛 I’d love to know—what’s your go-to meal when it rains? Drop it in the comments below—I’m always looking for cozy day inspiration!
