About Us

About Messy Little Homeschool

Our Story

I never planned to be a homeschool mom. When I pictured motherhood, I imagined first-day-of-school photos, cute little backpacks, and tearful kindergarten drop-offs (I mean, there’s still plenty of tears!). Then life happened – and during those surreal days of COVID lockdown, something unexpected took root.

There we were, stuck at home with just-turned-two-year-old twin boys, desperately searching for ways to keep their curious minds engaged. As I watched them learn through everyday moments – baking cookies, building marble runs, exploring our backyard – I had this moment when I thought: “I could do this!” Not as a carefully planned decision or philosophical stance, but as a mom who discovered that learning doesn’t have to look the way we’ve been told it should.

From that moment, there was no looking back.

Who We Are

The Mess Maker (That’s me!) – As an adventure-loving mom, I fully embrace the chaos of homeschooling and finding education in unexpected places. I love to plan, but can deviate when necessary (that’s key!), I am constantly amazed by how learning unfolds naturally when we just live our lives and let the, often un-planned educational, magic unfold!

The Dynamic Duo, but let’s be honest, they’re The Mess Makers Squared – My seven-year-old twin boys, each with their own distinct learning styles and passions. If anyone loves a messy moment, it’s these two! (They’re nowhere to be found when it’s time to clean-up though!)

DoT (Dad of Twins) – Our not-so-messy supporter who jumps in for off-peak family adventures and brings his own expertise to our learning journey. (And I’m able to ignore most of the eye-rolling coming from his direction at all of my messy little schemes.)

What We’re About

At Messy Little Homeschool, we believe:

Education happens everywhere – from backyard science experiments to conversations with locals in places near and far
Learning is spontaneous – sometimes the best lessons happen at 10 AM on a Tuesday while baking cookies
Curiosity drives discovery – following the kid’s interests leads to deeper, more meaningful learning (aka: tangents galore!)
Schedules are flexible – the beauty of homeschooling is taking advantage of off-peak experiences. Don’t get me wrong, I plan out and schedule pretty much every single day, and don’y think I have yet to stick to that schedule even one time!
Perfection is overrated – those failed apple seeds in tropical Florida taught us more than if they’d grown perfectly (maybe… we’ll never know, will we?!)

What You’ll Find Here

Our “Learning Is Messy, Embrace It!” philosophy comes to life across five key areas:

Learning & Curriculum – Where kitchen counters become science labs and living rooms transform into libraries, showing how education naturally weaves through everyday spaces
Wanderlust Chronicles – Off-peak adventures and travel hacks that turn family journeys into immersive educational experiences
Feeding the Fam – Simple meals, adventure-ready snacks, and kitchen learning opportunities for hungry little explorers
Mom Life – Real talk about the joys and challenges of homeschooling, including the beautiful chaos that comes with navigating different learning styles (hi, twins!)
South Florida Adventures – Local discoveries and hidden educational gems in our sunny backyard that prove so much learning can happen just around the corner

Join Our Journey

We’re not experts with perfect Instagram-worthy homeschool setups or rigid scheduling advice. We’re a real family figuring things out as we go, sometimes brilliantly, sometimes foolishly and ALWAYS messily. But that’s exactly the point – Learning Is Messy, Embrace It!

If you’re looking for authentic stories about homeschooling, finding educational opportunities in unexpected places, or just want to see how another family makes this whole learning-through-living thing work, you’re in the right place!

I love homeschooling and this whole adventure called life, and I’d really be delighted if you’d join along for the ride.

P.S. – As you read this, we’re probably in the middle of some half-finished (possibly never-to-be-finished) project, planning our next off-season adventure, or cleaning up the aftermath of a science experiment gone completely wrong. And honestly, I wouldn’t want it any other way.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you follow a specific homeschool curriculum?

I take a varied approach, blending elements from different ready-made and self-made materials that work for our family. I use structured resources for core subjects, like language arts and math, but primarily follow my twins’ interests and incorporate learning through real-life experiences, travel, and hands-on projects. I am a huge fan of a rabbit hole, and might start teaching about one thing and end up in a completely different place, and for me that’s a big part of what makes homeschooling so much fun!

How do you handle teaching twins with different learning styles?

It’s definitely a balancing act! I recognize that my boys process information differently—they are both very hands on, and that is so complementary to my messy approach (and honestly probably why I even have that approach in the first place.) I think I would have benefitted from a less traditional learning style when I was in school, so I am beyond thrilled to be able to give that to my kids. We always start with core learning experiences that they share, but then I allow them to engage with the material in ways that suit their individual personalities. Most days this means parallel activities with the same learning objective; other days it means completely different pursuits.

Is homeschooling expensive?

It can really be as expensive or as affordable as you make it. I invest in quality materials for subjects that need more structure (and have a bit of a book buying problem), but many of our most valuable learning experiences come from, nature exploration, kitchen science, the library and community resources that cost little to nothing. Travel is probably our biggest educational expense, but choosing to go at off-peak travel times, because we have that flexibility, helps to off-set the cost.

What about socialization?

This is possibly the most common question homeschoolers hear! (I mean seriously come up with some new material!) Our twins interact with children and adults of various ages through homeschooling friends, co-ops, community classes, sports, and traveling. They develop social skills in real-world settings, which I believe prepares them well for life beyond school.

How do you find time for yourself while homeschooling twins?

The biggest work in progress for me! I use “free time” in between learning blocks to get other things done, some planning in, or sometimes just to sit and read. But honestly most time for myself happens after the boys go to bed, and I am ok with that in this season of life!

Do you homeschool year-round?

I follow a relaxed year-round approach. Since we don’t follow a strict “school-year” schedule, we often end up homeschooling through other kids’ breaks, but we also take more breaks when other kids are sitting in a classroom. Learning happens for us naturally all year long, but the intensity and format shift with moods, seasons we’re in and our family’s needs.

How do you handle both homeschooling and household responsibilities?

In case you haven’t noticed a theme here… my house is messy! I try to integrate household responsibilities into our day, but let’s be honest, that’s the first to go when something needs to be cut. I am sure DoT wishes this answer was different, but I tend to lean more into the EMBRACE IT philosophy (cue that eye-rolling again!).

Our Messy Little Educational Philosophy

I embrace an educational approach that might best be described as “mindfully messy” (there is a method to my madness, I promise!) Here’s what I tend to focus on:

Interest-led learning – I believe children learn most deeply when pursuing topics that genuinely excite them, not to mention, this approach is just for fun for everyone. Caution: a child’s excitement is extremely contagious! Rather than forcing rigid subjects at predetermined times, I like to follow my boys’ curiosities. Of course, I still teach core academics, but I like to thoughtfully weave them in. As an example, when they became fascinated with ocean life (every little Floridian’s birthright!), we incorporated a marine biology co-op which included monthly trips to the beach to dive deeper (pun incredibly intended)

Education through experiences – Just like every parent likes an experience-based gift, rather than another toy we have to figure out what to do with. I take a similar approach to teaching; I prioritize hands-on experiences over worksheets whenever possible. I am a big believer that learning happens through doing, really in adults and children —and that can look like measuring ingredients for recipes, practicing a foreign language with a native speaker, or observing wildlife in natural habitats. These immersive experiences create connections that a textbook alone cannot match.

Surroundings-as-classroom – I believe that a well-rounded education is one that is able to connect students to both their immediate environment and to the broader world. We do this through our many South Florida explorations, where we study local ecosystems, history and beyond; and it extends to our travels, where brand new environments become captivating and unique classrooms.

Whole-child development – In my opinion, academic knowledge should just be one facet of education. I place equal emphasis on social-emotional learning, physical development, creative expression, character building, and practical life skills. A day spent developing resilience through failed experiments or practicing conflict resolution and showing compassionate kindness to peers is as valuable as any academic pursuit in my book.

Rhythms over schedules – While structure provides security, and I love a routine, rigid hour-by-hour schedules just never work with the natural flow of discovery and learning. I try to maintain consistent daily and weekly rhythms that provide stability while allowing major flexibility for deep dives into subjects, rabbit holes and all kinds of spontaneous educational opportunities.

My approach isn’t just about the rejection of traditional education—I absolutely use structured materials when I think it is appropriate and recognize the value of core academics. However, I’ve seen firsthand how messy little minds flourish with given the chance to have meaningful, educational experiences and can guide themselves using their own sense of wonder.

As I often remind myself (especially in those challenging moments): education isn’t about filling brains with information; it’s about lighting conflagrations of curiosity that will burn throughout their lives. That process will often get messy—embrace it!

For a peek into one of our not-so-traditional days, please enjoy this post:

Mom Life

Learning Is Messy, Embrace It!