"The Neighborhood Clubhouse"

Central Florida

2011-06-26T13:40:00.000-07:00

Homeschooling Family in a small community in Central Florida

We have 3 children. Our daughter is 6, middle son is 3 and baby boy is 8 months. Dad is a former commercial pilot who stopped flying so that he could be home with us every night. He now works in a nearby city as Quality Manager of a metal fabrication shop. Mom worked as a public school teacher until last year and still works part-time for a local franchise of Florida Virtual School teaching various upper-level mathematics courses. We started homeschooling (formally) this year and really love it. We have several families close by that we homeschool with (very similar children's ages) and feel extremely blessed to have the opportunity to homeschoool.

Our home is one of the first built in 1913. The downstairs has central heat and air. We have 3 bedrooms available for hospitality - 2 have double beds and the third has 2 single beds. Each bedroom has it's own air conditioning unit.

One bedroom with a double bed also has a crib. More children can be accommodated in sleeping bags on floors. It is a big, fun old house with secret rooms and a children's studio to use (it's our school room). We have 1 community television (no cable) and a VCR and lots of toys and bikes! We are 1 block from a large play park, the public library and historic downtown for dining and shopping.

Exchange/Hospitality in Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada

2011-06-08T19:53:00.000-07:00

Cape Breton is North America's #1 island paradise!

We have two children, a son aged 12 and a daughter aged 7. We love farm life, animals, & horseback riding.

2800 sq. foot home with beautiful hardwood floors and woodstove. 18x36' outdoor swimming pool. 50 forested acres with walking trails. Just a 10 minute walk to the local grocery/gas bar.

Exchange 30 minutes from Washington DC !

2011-06-07T14:13:00.001-07:00

"We have 2 boys ages 8 and 5. Husband is an PhD mechanical engineer and works for a local consulting firm. Wife was previously an engineer then a personal chef but now works full time at home caring for the family and educating herself along with the kids. We moved to Maryland from Michigan in the summer of 2010 and are enjoying all that this area has to offer. We are fairly relaxed homeschoolers and follow the Charlotte Mason approach. Your children will enjoy our backyard swingset and will also find lots of toys, books, and board games to keep them busy. We have many children's DVDs and also a Wii that they are welcome to play.

WASHINGTON DC (30 min by car, 15 min to the Metro) Smithsonian Museums, Zoo, Basilica, Bureau of Printing and Engraving, National Gallery. BALTIMORE (40 min) Inner Harbor, Science Center, Aquarium, Port Discovery Children's Museum, Maryland Zoo, Fort McHenry. ANNAPOLIS (20 min) Naval Academy, Wed night sailboat races, Historic London Town, State House, Sandy Point State Park swimming beach. ALSO NEARBY: Historic St. Mary's City, Patuxent National Wildlife Visitor Center, Six Flags.

Master suite has vaulted ceiling, King bed and Jacuzzi. Kid's BR has twin bunks with jungle themed mural. Guest BR has queen bed. Another unfurnished BR has plenty of room for air mattresses and sleeping bags. Second bath upstairs. Main floor has large modern kitchen, formal dining room (seats 6), breakfast nook (seats 7), powder room and family room with flat panel TV with cable and streaming Netflix. Large screened in porch with dining and seating. Paver patio with grill and firepit. Fully finished large basement with family room, learning room, toy room, full bath and laundry room. Basement TV for DVDs and Wii only. Our home is located on a cul-de-sac in a safe neighborhood and backs to woods. A nearby path takes you to a tot playground and community tennis court."

Destin, Florida Family

2011-06-06T14:01:00.000-07:00

We are a home school family with one son, age 9. We love to travel and enjoy all outdoor activities.

Comfortable ranch style home with large yard, pool, outdoor patio and deck. Lots of amenities including workout equipment and bicycles. Located two miles from almost everything Destin has to offer - beaches, fishing, shopping, water park, kids entertainment, etc

Meet the Neighbors - Family in Idaho

2011-05-18T19:18:00.000-07:00

This Idaho family is interested home exchange or they welcome you to stay in their guest house!

"Our home is an historic farm house built in the late 1800s. It has an additional guest house that is open for use. It can sleep 8 or more complete with your own kitchen and two bathrooms and we would love to have homeschoolers visit!

We enjoy playing in the river, playing with our farm animals and spending time outside.

We live in a beautiful mountain town and a kayaking and hiking paradise. We have class 3,4, and 5 rivers surrounding us as well as miles of forest and the beautiful Sawtooth Wilderness just a short drive away. Our town also has a golf course, fishing, developed and undeveloped hot springs, horseback ridding, and gold panning.

A Home on the South Carolina Coast!

2011-05-15T14:43:00.000-07:00

Home on a Barrier Island on the Coast of South Carolina
This homeschooling family of four have lots to see and do!

"We feel like we are always on vacation at home!

On a very small barrier island, our house is comfortable but not luxurious, a very typical older beachy home with deck. Large child friendly yard, with swings, sandbox & a trampoline (with safety net), heated pool with kiddie area and attached spa, and shaded sitting area.

Beach is 3 short blocks away, & Center St. is 1 block, where the shops and restaurants are located, & walking distance to the public boat landing. Close to public tennis court, basketball court and playground. Public fishing & crabbing on the river & pier. Only a 20 minute drive to downtown Charleston with lots to do and see, for adults and children.

Our little island is its own town, one main street mostly restaurants, beach/surf shops & realtors. Many houses are vacation rentals. Lots of surfing! The public deep water boat landing is walking distance, giving access to the river and marsh creeks; great fishing and views from the Pier; a public tennis court and playground. In Charleston...museums, galleries, fine dining, historic sites and plantations, the SC Aquarium, children's activities, riding, the Charleston Tea Plantation, dining cruises & more."

Workaway.info -- VolunTOURism

2011-05-08T20:22:00.000-07:00

The idea is "Voluntourism"

If you love to travel and want to see the world as it is - not through tourist eyes...HAVE I GOT A SITE FOR YOU!
Workaway.info

I read a great article by a mom/travel writer Alice Griffin. She begins the article thus...

"In return for a few hours’ work each day, volunteers have the chance to take the holiday of a lifetime"

Well, I was certainly intrigued! My son has been wanting to tour Europe upon graduation and this seems to be a way to stretch the length of time he can stay, by volunteering his way around!

It reminds me a lot of our site, hosting families but with a twist! A working vacation, this might be the thing that many of our members and readers would find beneficial!

Spend some time there! You will most likely be inspired or at the very least intrigued!

Here are some places you might go...

Villa on the Cote D'Azur, South of France

Description
We are a British couple ( three grown up chidlren) who live 6 months in France and 6 months in California. Our place in France is in the heart of an absolutely beautiful medieval village approx 4 kms from the Medierranean. We bought the house 3 years ago and we have been renovating the grounds which contain a large old established garden which was very neglected when we bought it. There is always a lot of work to do in the garden and we need help from volunteers with some experience of gardening. There are many lovely beaches within a few kms for swimming and sunbathing. We are currently signing up volunteers searching for a working holiday ( 2 weeks) on the Cote D' Azure

Area

Cote D'Azur, France

Type of work

Other,
Helping with Tourists,
Building,
Gardening

Work

Basic gardening tasks, weeding, clearing, digging flower beds, pruning, watering plants, shreeding garden waste for compost. Knowledge and skill with skilled activities like paving, dry and wet walling etc useful.

Languages spoken

English, French

Accommodations

Self contained studio apartment ( with shower + Kitchen) with sun terrace and great sea views. Short walk to village centre. No meals provided but all other outgoings ( e.g electricity) paid for.

What else ...

Between mid September and March we would like to find a volunteer for an extended stay -suit someone ( or couple) wanting a 6 month stay in France . Between April and September, we are interested in volunteers who can stay at least twp weeks but we will consider shorter stays. Please bear in mind, that we do not provide meals - you will get good quality self catering accommodation and you will need to show us that you have your own health and accident insurance.

A Smattering of Other Offers

Come and help on a working sheep and cattle station in The Outback
Great escape to Italy come and enjoy the incredible experience that is Tuscany!
Help in a hostel in the Virgin Islands in the Caribbean
Help at chateau guest house in Normandy, France
Volunteer with a family on the Big Island of Hawaii

Workaway.info

Meet the Neighbors - In Illinois

2011-05-05T19:05:00.000-07:00

Introducing one of our families here at the Neighborhood. They live in IL - are world travelers and love to host folks "at the drop of a hat!"

"Hi! :)

Our family is somewhat new to homeschooling (our oldest daughter asked to be homeschooled in 2009 and the rest of the family joined the fun in 2010) but so far we are loving it! We don't have a curriculum per se. It is more a mixture of unschooling/interest-led and TJEd (Thomas Jefferson Education) .

We love to travel - Dad lived in Guatemala for 2 years, Mom was an exchange student in Chile and also lived in Argentina. We have had more than 16 exchange students in our home and love to share a meal with visitors at the drop of a hat.

I don't think there are too many places we wouldn't want to visit! We've been lots of places (individually or collectively) and are always looking to give the kids new windows on the world. We've lived in Utah and Illinois, and I went to college in Michigan while my parents lived in Wisconsin; he traveled most of the continental US with his family growing up...) I think our countries-visited list between the two of us is around 15 or 16. :) With the exception of Antarctica, there are only two continents we haven't visited (Asia and Australia)...hopefully we'll get around to 'fixing' that. :D

Dad and the boys are active in Scouting, oldest daughter swims on 2 local teams, and Mom just tries to keep everything running! We all really enjoy reading and being outside. We'd love to meet you!"

We the Google Globe Trotters ;)

2011-04-28T22:22:00.000-07:00

Trot the Globe (Traveling Homeschoolers with Google Earth!)

This past winter we visited the Pyramids of Giza, Buckingham Palace, the Eiffel Tower, Venice, Stone Henge and Niagara Falls!

How did we do it?

Google Maps/ Google Earth...the next best thing to being there (well, maybe not...but you must admit it is a good idea!)

Whenever we learn about any new place in our lessons, we visit there with Google! It is really neat when you can drag down the little yellow man and "virtually" see the actual place. It is fascinating to realize how far out in dessert the pyramids really are! And I was shocked when I realized that there was a road so close to the Niagara Falls viewing area. Strangely, I really feel as if I've almost been to these places now!

Another great thing we do with Google maps is let our children drive "virtually" around town, to friends houses, to favorite restaurants and grandma's house. It helps them develop that bird's eye view that will help them learn their way around.

Hospitable Folks Abound!

2011-04-26T15:32:00.000-07:00

Here at the Neighborhood, about 1/3 of our families are ready to open their home to you and your family, letting you come stay in their spare bedrooms or the RV in their backyard! We call this "Hospitality Exchange."

From time to time I will share these family's own words of invitation to you! That's right, your family could have a vacation this very summer if you contact one of our members! Here are some possibilities...

A family in Washington State!
"We are a creative and artsy family. Daddy is in Music Production and Mommy was a Costume Designer for Disney, but quit to have her real dream job Homeschooling our 2 girls. We are constantly opening our home to guests (usually band guys), so a nice Homeschooling family would be a welcome change for us. We have a guest room with a comfy king bed, another room w/2 twins and plenty of sleeping bags. We are open to exchanging as well as hosting. Since we travel from time to time, the exchange does not have to be simultaneous, nor luxurious... We enjoy spending time together and traveling.

Our small town has 2 AMAZINGLY gorgeous parks. One is an overnight park with a lake and the other has hiking trails that resemble the rain forest. Portland, Or is 30 min. south and boasts the Rose Garden, Japanese Gardens, OMSI--Kids'Science Museum, and a WHOLE LOT more! Around here you will find many rivers, u-pick fruit(June-Sept.), Mt.St.Helen's(2hrs.), Seattle(3hrs.),Ft. Vancouver(15min.), Starbucks(3! w/in walking distance) and the best pizza on the planet right here. Email me what kinds of things you like to see or do and I will suggest a more customized list for you."

How About North Carolina?
"Ours is a 5 bedroom split level home on 5 and 1/2 acres within a gated lake and golf community. We have access to a 1000 acre lake (swimming and boating), playground, tennis courts and pool. There are numerous golf courses in the area, as well as equestrian activities. We are conveniently located between the mountains (4 - 5 hours away) and coast (3 - 4 hours away), and are within a 75 minute drive from Raleigh, Greensboro or Fayetteville. We can provide hospitality to 5 on beds, 1 on a couch, and as many as don't mind to sleep on the floor on camping pads or blow up mattresses. We have a dog who resides in the house, and we have pet snake. We have canoes, kayaks, a sailboat and bikes. We are interested in an exchange or hosting."

Alaska? Y'all Come-Really!
"Large family home with 2 guest bedrooms (king size bed in one, trundle bed in other) available for hospitality guests. Children are also welcome to sleep on the floor in those rooms. One of the guest rooms has its own bathroom. There is an extra microwave oven and small refridgerator available for guests' use. Plenty of parking is available. Guests may use our laundry. We are just down the street from a Christian camp with approx. 25 horses, & lots of trails for walking or x-c skiing. We are 5 mins. from a world-class x-c skiing area with miles of trails, approx. 20 miles from a State Recreation Area, 50 miles from a hot spring, and 2 hrs. drive to Denali National Park.

We are a Christian home schooling family with 2 children, teen and pre-teen. We love to travel and experience our great country and would love to host families here. Our family has gluten-free and allergy diet neeeds, so we welcome families with similar situations. I am a ex-Park Ranger at Denali National Park, so can give expert advice for exploring AK's backcountry and natural history.

See wildlife and wilderness, the aurora borealis, and scenery that will amaze you; try your hand at dog mushing, hiking in bear and wolf country, soaking in a natural hot springs after a day's hike; talk with real homesteaders and pioneers, and learn about living Native cultures. If any of this intrigues you, come visit! All of this and more is part of our lives and our community, and we would love to share it with you - and learn about your lives and your communities, too. March is the best time for winter/early spring activities, and then late May - mid-Sept. for more "typical" tourist activities. If you want to experience something totally different, come in the winter (Nov. - Feb.)!"

Lovely Colorado Listing

2011-04-02T15:04:00.000-07:00

Here is a lovely home and family that are interested in exchanging! Sounds like fun huh?!

"Our 1906 home is located in a nice urban neighborhood: an easy car, bike, or bus/lightrail ride to downtown (museums, outdoor walking mall, Rockies' Coors Field, shopping, etc.). We live a mile from the zoo, Denver Museum of Nature and Science and huge City Park. The mountains are less than an hour away, closest skiing is 1 hour away by car. We have 4 bedrooms and a double futon in the TV room/office and in the living room. The first floor of our house is wheelchair accessible (ramp into back door). Our home is not a designer home, but comfortable with ALL new appliances. We do have a dog and cat that will need food and water, if you don't mind. :) "

Flexibility - An Important Key in Home Exchange

2011-03-25T16:45:00.000-07:00

Flexibility an essential key to home exchange! and I will say it again Flexibility is an essential key to home exchange!!!

Yes, yes I know this, but was totally reminded again (and again) this past year as we tried to arrange four different exchanges to particular places at particular times. A wedding, an out-of-state birthday party, a gymnastics competition and a conference. We made lots of inquiries, and had a few interested parties, but none were able to travel on our time frame :(

However, if you can be flexible when you make inquiries, then upon finding an interested family you will most likely be rewarded with an exchange.

This is where hospitality exchange is a wonderful asset to a home exchange site's portfolio. When you have host families willing to offer a spare bedroom, basement or RV this can be a great blessing to traveling families. On our site, I'm excited to say that about 1/3 of our families are open to hosting your family when you're "in the Neighborhood!"

Isn't that exciting?? It was too bad for us however, that none of these lovely families lived where we needed to go.

Hopefully this year we'll get to host and be hosted! I'm looking forward to meeting some of you!

Home Coming

2010-02-01T14:56:00.002-08:00

Returning from a trip to a home that has sat empty for two months REMINDS me once again how incredible the home exchange concept is.

How you ask? Do you remember hearing about the crazy rain that hit the Atlanta area in September? Well, if someone had been staying in our home when we got 13 inches of rain in three days they would have realized that we had a leak in our roof and would have notified us.

As it was, we came home to a 3'x3' hole in our ceiling!! Fortunately, we had DEAR friends who came by to check on our house because we live near a creek (they were concerned about flooding.) They discovered the hole and did what they could do to cover the hole and clean up the mess to make our home coming more pleasant!

Before we left we were making arrangements for a family from "The Neighborhood" to come during our absence and stay for 10 days or so, but a death in their family caused a change in plans. I was disappointed it didn't work out. They would have enjoyed the area of GA where we live and we would have felt better having someone to keep an eye on our home for those two months we were gone.

Hopefully next time!

My own "MY MAP"!! What FUN!

2009-09-21T10:13:00.001-07:00

Here is our first "my map"! We've been in Corpus Christi, TX about seven weeks and gone lots of fun places -- if you click on an icon you will see photos and read little tidbits of our travels. You can zoom in and out and be sure to click onto the "satellite" view for seeing the real lay of the land!

I will be honest, it took me a little bit to figure out how to get photos on it, mainly because I'm not used to using a host site for photos. (I'm sure you will figure it out in an instant!) But once we figured that out it was VERY FUN and EASY to do!

If you want to view it in a larger screen you can go to this direct link into google earth -- I think it is a little easier to view!

Hope you have fun looking at "MY MAP!"

View Fun in Corpus Christi in a larger map

Fan Page Info

2009-09-15T21:40:00.000-07:00

Thanks for posting on our FB fan page!

Thanks so much for your interest in our site and we hope that the home exchange concept will enhance your family’s education by giving you the ability to travel more!

Please share our page as your status and tell your homeschool friends that they TOO can get their free membership just for leaving a comment!

Below is the info for your free membership. Free memberships must include one photo. If you have ANY trouble attaching photos just send them to us and we'll be HAPPY to attach it for you! **

Here is how to claim your free one-year membership.

1) Visit our home page, www.hsneighbor.com

2) Click on "join now" and follow the instructions.

3) On step 2, put “5812” in the promo-code box.

This will bypass the shopping cart and you can begin working on your home listing immediately. Please email me if you have any questions or need any help. I love getting to know my "new neighbors"!

Happy Travels,

Amy Davidson

**After 48 hours of creating, listings without photos will be de-activated, they can be easily reinstated by sending us an email.

My Family in Corpus

2009-09-04T08:20:00.000-07:00

Here is a photo of my family, my parents, my two sisters, brother in law, nephew, niece and her husband and children.

We were all gathered at the airport to welcome my nephew (center in gray shirt) home for the first time since joining the Navy! We're very proud of him! (and his brother who is also in the Navy!)

Laguna Madre Birding

2009-08-22T07:46:00.000-07:00

There is a body of water here called the "Laguna Madre". It provides lots of opportunities for bird watching. Here are some of my attempts at bird photography. I'm borrowing my BIL's long lense - not too bad for a novice.

Spoonbills - very unique birds and very camera shy! Notice them moving away from me.

Graceful Egret

Corpus Museum of Science and History

2009-08-17T05:57:00.000-07:00

We all love museums and spent two afternoons at the Corpus Museum of Science and History Thought I'd share some pics!

From Corpus Photos

My sister Kathy (far right) treated us to this trip to the museum - Thanks Aunt Kathy!

From Corpus Photos

Toured a replica of one of the Columbus Ships - for more history check out the museum link.

From Corpus Photos

My daughter who wants to be a gemologist greatly enjoyed the museum's collection of minerals. I think this was our favorite section.

From Corpus Photos

We also enjoyed their shell collection - especially fitting since we've been picking so many up on the beach!

From Corpus Photos

Call me crazy, but I loved this exhibit which shows the whelk's life cycle. It starts at the egg case on the bottom right and shows how it's shell grows as it matures. "Two Thumbs Up" for this one!

From Corpus Photos

Right outside the museum doors is a beautiful fountain called the Corpus Christi Water Gardens - we had a fun here too!

From Corpus Photos

They also have a Xeriscape Exhibit. Here we learned a little about the native plants to the Coastal Bend Area.

Fun Impromptu Field Trip!

2009-08-12T06:04:00.000-07:00

Within minutes of where we are staying is what is called "the canal streets". These are homes that have been constructed on canals to allow the residents access to the waterway here.

We were taking photographs at the bridge and on our way back to our vehicle a neighbor noticed us looking at the plants in the yard next door. She greeted us and commented about the flowering plant at which we were gazing. She then said, "Have you children ever seen grapefruit growing? I have a tree in my backyard and limes!"

We said we'd love to see them. This lovely lady (former school teacher) showed us to her backyard.

Since they live on the canal she shared how they would leave the light on in the water at night, which would draw crabs and small fish, which would draw even bigger fish. They then take out their fishing poles and catch their supper! Without ever leaving home! Now that's cool!

As our visit drew to a close she exclaimed, "Oh, there is one more plant that you must see, it is called 'the mother of a thousand babies'!" My mom used to have a similar plant called a 'fertile myrtle'. These propagate by forming little plant- lets on the edge of the leaves which drop off, thus providing a new plant. "Please take this one" our tour guide urged, assuring us she had plenty.

We were thrilled to oblige her and left feeling blessed at the experience...by the stories, by the plant and by the reminder that there are kind people in the world who make it a better place for all! We want to be that kind of family!

PS...In a previous post I wrote about inexpensive but memorable souvenir ideas. Here's another to add to the list - native plants of the area you visit! It's at the top of my list! What a memory!

Off We Go!

2009-08-04T06:41:00.000-07:00

We have a once in (my) lifetime opportunity! My husband is a remodeling contractor and my sister has purchased a "fixer-upper", so we are on our way to visit my parents, two sisters and niece who all live within minutes of each other in Corpus Christi, TX!

We will be staying about a month. I'm so excited!

"Disney's - A Christmas Carol" Train Tour!

2009-08-03T13:16:00.000-07:00

DISNEY’S - A CHRISTMAS CAROL - TRAIN TOUR

Disney is taking to the rails visiting over 40 cities in the US from now until Nov. 1 to introduce their new holiday film Disney’s A Christmas Carol with Jim Carrey.
Four vintage rail cars full of behind-the-scenes attractions, entertaining demonstrations, and fun activities including snow! – ALL FREE to the public!

Click here to see if they will be near you!
http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/christmascaroltraintour/#/map/

Hospitality Thoughts for Homeschooling Families

2009-07-31T09:45:00.001-07:00

Hospitality Exchange offers so many fun possibilities, especially for homeschoolers. Let me share some ideas that will bring a blessing to all who participate.

1. Providing Hospitality for Homeschool Publishers and Vendors During Conventions
Many homeschooling publishers and vendors would benefit greatly from our hospitality when they are in your local areas for homeschooling conventions. Because of the length of time they are at the convention, they really just need a place to rest their heads. And you could save them the cost of hotel accommodations. Maybe your older and responsible children could accompany them as a volunteer at their table. I am a member of a yahoo group of homeschooling authors and vendors. I would love to let them know that members of the Neighborhood would like to offer hospitality to them as they travel.

2. Providing Hospitality for Traveling Homeschool Families.

I'm sure if you are the least bit interested in travel you have stumbled over a group of specialized homeschooling families who are professional travelers. They are the families that have sold everything or left their homes for extended lengths of time to travel the country or the world in an RV! Many of these families have blogs that I just love to visit and dream! I must admit it...I'm a closet "RVer-want-to-be"!!! My problem is that I'm much too social, I love and need my friends!

This is actually where we as homeschoolers with homes can be a blessing to those who have chosen this travel lifestyle. I have just made a new online friend who is an RV homeschooling mom. Their family was in our area a month ago...staying 20 minutes from where I live. I was so saddened to realize that they were so close to me and I didn't have an opportunity to invite them to our home for dinner or take them to our favorite "swimmin' hole" on the river.

Our whole family would have benefited from having this family visit in our home. They could have shared stories with my children of their journeys...the best and worst. And a visit from them would have sparked our imagination of the great, wide world around us.

The benefit to this family would be to have an opportunity for fellowship with other homeschoolers, parent to parent, child to child. In this type of setting, you would bypass the usual barriers of becoming friends and delve more quickly into relationship. One that might provide a special penpal for a lifetime.(BTW, Tonya, my son wants to know..."how do you get mail?") You could even offer to allow them to park their RV on your property while they visit the area. HOW FUN WOULD THAT BE??!!!

SO...Neighborhood members, if you are willing to host these traveling families. Log in and visit the members area to update your listing to reflect that you are willing to host a family. If you do, I KNOW that you will be blessed.

If this is of interest to you, please comment here, or join our yahoo group and chat with me about it! I love to hear from you!

Join our "Neighborhood" Yahoo Group

2009-07-20T13:48:00.000-07:00

We're working to build a yahoo group for those interested in getting to know each other, or asking questions about home and hospitality exchange. We're very excited to have Judith Waite Allee, author of Educational Travel on a Shoestring and Home Schooling on a Shoestring join our group. We invite you to join us as well!

I wanted to share a recent thought from a neighborhood member on our yahoo group...

We are very excited about possible home exchanges with other home school families. Being a family of six makes travel costs somewhat prohibitive, so home exchange opens up possibilities that would otherwise be out of our budget. Exchanging with home school families offers more opportunities to travel outside the months of July & August...We look forward to building relationships with home schoolers around the globe through shared travel experiences.... Sylvia from Canada

How Homeschooling Families Can Find Free Travel Accommodations!

2009-07-18T22:35:00.000-07:00

We are a homeschooling family with one income but we have a home in the North Georgia Mountains, a barrier island beach house off the coast of South Carolina, a villa in Spain, homes on the Florida and California coast, a place in Paris and a home in...

How do we do it??? We’re Home Exchangers!
And the coolest thing is that each of the families with whom we can exchange are other homeschooling families!

Haven't heard of home swapping? This couple has swapped their home twenty times! See what they have to say to families on this You Tube video!

Check out our site, "The Home Schooler's Home Exchange Neighborhood" to learn how this can happen for you!

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free membership!

What is on Your "Gotta Get There" List of Places to Go?

2009-07-09T19:27:00.000-07:00

I have a "Gotta Get There" list of places that I just must see one day!

I'd love to know where YOU want to go! Leave me a comment telling me where your family wants to go!

P.S. here are a few on my list...

Great Britain
Côte d'Azur
Great Wall - China
Machu Picchu
Rome, Italy

Planning a Trip to Great Britain?? You NEED to See This!

2009-07-08T09:39:00.000-07:00

I must admit Great Britain is on the top of my "GOTTA GET THERE!" list!

This past weekend my husband and I went on a date together, after dinner we love to meander through the local book store. I always wind up in the travel section (- surprise!)

I found the greatest travel guide there for homeschooling families that love literature!

Once Upon A Time in Great Britain: A Travel Guide to the Sites and Settings of Your Favorite Children's Stories

So many of our classic children's stories take their roots from Great Britain!
In this guide you will find these classic stories and more!

Peter Pan
The Tale of Peter Rabbit (and other Beatrix Potter's stories)
The Secret Garden
The Chronicles of Narnia
Alice's Adventures In Wonderland
Dr. Doolittle
Winnie the Pooh
Mary Poppins
Watership Down
Paddington Bear
101 Dalmatians
The Railway Children
AND MORE!!!

There is a brief history on the story, the author, places to see in G.B. and activities for children and teens while there.

This book is an invaluable resource for homeschoolers traveling to G.B. via reality or armchair! You'll love it!

Our Site Featured on "Reviews And Reflections" Blog - Check It Out

2009-07-07T11:29:00.000-07:00

Heidi Strawser, author of the "Reviews and Reflections" blog has featured our site! Check It Out!

"500 Places to Take Your Kids Before They Grow Up"

2009-07-02T09:22:00.000-07:00

If you love to travel and home school you’ve got to check out this great travel resource.

It’s called 500 Places to Take Your Kids Before They Grow Up

Did you know that you can find most Frommer Guides on Google Books? —What does that mean exactly?? If you click on Frommer Guides above you can look at almost the entire first 300 pages of this book! I love it!

Here are a few of the categories that I found particularly interesting…see the link above for the entire table of contents!

For Budding Scientists…

Science Museums
The History of Flight
Inventions and Industry
Stargazing

Windows on History

Positively Medieval
Historic Restoration
Native Americans
Settling America
Black American History

A Dose of Culture

Masterpieces of At
Music
Theaters and the Movies

Living Book Resource List for Travelers!

2009-06-23T11:44:00.000-07:00

Here's a chance to earn a free one-year membership with "The Neighborhood" -- Keep Reading!

I am compiling a living book resource list for books related to cities, states, regions, countries, events or biographies surrounding these places that will help families when they are preparing their children to travel to a destination.

For example, you are traveling to St. Augustine, FL or London, England and would like to have a book list of great living literature to read with your children before you go.

I am using the library system, but I feel that personal recommendations from those who live in the area are so much more valuable.

Contact me with some book titles from your area and I will send you a promo-code for a free one-year membership to "The Neighborhood". Your membership will allow you to create a listing on our site and contact other members about exchanging homes!

When I have compiled a sizable amount of book titles I will be making this resource available for free on our website. To be the first to get this resource be sure to sign up for our newsletter on our homepage!

WATCH IT MADE IN THE USA --Great Resource for Fun Travel Field Trips

2009-06-15T19:46:00.000-07:00

Found a great resource I wanted to share, it is called...

Watch It Made in The USA: A Visitors Guide to the Best Factory Tours and Company Museums

http://www.factorytour.com

The book can be found in your local library or purchase it online. There is also a website where authors have a page of featured tours they share. This will give you an idea if it is a resource that you will find useful in your homeschool.

Some of the featured tours on the site are…
· The Crayola Factory
· The Hallmark Visitors Center
· Eli’s Cheesecake World in Chicago
· John Deere Pavilion
· Toyota

A Trip + A Camera + The Internet = A Great Addition to Education

2009-06-03T21:39:00.000-07:00

The internet has brought the ability to share your life and even education to a whole new level especially for homeschooled kids.

Take for instance, on your next trip (even a field trip) if you arm your child with a digital camera and a memory card, you could well have language lessons wrapped up for months by having them create a travel blog complete with chronological information on their trip with photos!

Two of our homeschool student members have taken this thought even further by using "Squidoo" to create lots of wonderful information they share with others, while making a little extra income for themselves. Check out how creative these two sisters have been with making education and the internet work for them! Great Job Girls, thanks for the inspiration!

http://www.squidoo.com/lensmasters/Sisters

Lots of Walking on Your Next Trip? Tips to be Footloose and Fancy Free!

2009-05-29T18:34:00.000-07:00

When we visited D.C., Williamsburg and Jamestown we walked morning til night for 6 days. We ran to catch the bus, the shuttle, the train and hurried to the next museum...OH MY ACHING FEET!

So I thought I'd share a few quick tips to take care of your feet so that you can get the most out of your action packed days. Becuz sore feet make fussy bodies.

Wear a comfortable pair of walking shoes, even if they aren't the prettiest shoes with your outfit! Even better... take several different pairs of comfortable shoes to interchange each day. Different shoes will have different rubbing points. I even take my favorite comfortable sandals.
Two pairs of thin socks instead of one regular pair work together to cut down on blisters...the outer sock receives the bulk of the excess rubbing, reducing the chafing on tender areas.
AND this is the most important tip! Putting a touch of Vaseline on the blister prone areas cuts down on the friction! Works like a miracle!

If you follow these tips you will be pleased at how comfortable your feet stay...but just in case, don't forget to toss in the bandaids!

Educational Travel on a Shoestring

2009-05-23T21:35:00.001-07:00

Educational Travel on a Shoestring: Frugal Family Fun & Learning Away From Home by Judith Waite Allee and Melissa Morgan is such a great book to have on hand for reference. I highly recommend it.

They share a myriad of information ranging from free field trips/day trips to raising funds for service oriented trips. There is info on researching your destination, camping, rving, frugal food, lodging, home exchange and even a great section on how to make lifestyle changes to help make your travel goals a reality.

And the authors are home schooling moms so they share in a way that home schoolers can definitely appreciate. They also wrote a book called Homeschooling on a Shoestring: A Jam-Packed Guide for Parents -- check them out!

Memorable Souvenirs

2009-05-20T20:45:00.000-07:00

In the book Educational Travel on a Shoestring, Judith Allee and Melissa Morgan share a fun idea for reliving your family vacation. They suggest to start a collection from each place you visit such as...

inexpensive postcards
leaves or flowers to press
plants - native to the area you are visiting
books
an object for a charm bracelet
refrigerator magnets from each place visited
Christmas ornaments
AND friends! (this one is a given for home exchangers!)

Our family collects Christmas ornaments and each year as we hang our ornaments on the tree we are reminded of really special places.

One of our family's favorite collections are squashed pennies -- You know, where you put .50 cents and a shiny penny into a "penny press" machine then turn the crank...and viola' you have a memorable souvenir and it only cost .51 cents. OK, OK maybe $2.04 because we have four children, but still, this little collection has saved us lots of money and space in our suitcases! Several years ago I found a "penny passport" which is a nifty little holder for our collection...here is a link to see what an example of what I'm talking about!

http://www.rockyrockholt.com/passport.html

One year when we were doing an insect collection we found lots of great specimens on our trip to the beach. Our greatest find was on the sidewalk next to a gas station - a big, beautiful luna moth (fortunately, it had already died in a beautiful position) If you want to collect insects on your trip though you do have to be prepared ahead of time with necessary containers to protect your finds.

Going Low -Tech While Traveling - It Can Be Done Happily!

2009-03-14T18:04:00.000-07:00

Mom and blog author Karen Humphrey shares that low-tech travel can actually be accomplished if you put a little thought into it. And it can actually be done while producing happy children...I know...seems radical doesn't it? LOL!

Her tips are simple and might remind you of your childhood (just don't tell that to your kids!)

Some suggestions: a small pair of binoculars, a camera, audio books, starting a collection etc...
Read her entire article and lots of other great articles on kidscantravel.com at the following link. Low-Tech Family Travel Fun

Quiet Activities for Quiet Times WhenTraveling

2009-03-07T18:04:00.000-08:00

One year we vacationed with friends in a condo in the Florida Keys. That trip was definitely a highlight in our travel portfolio, however, I learned something on that trip! Though we had a lovely condo, glistening pool and pier to the ocean within eye sight, I still needed to have quiet activities for when we were too hot and tired to go outside.

I learned that having games, books, puzzles and quiet activities on hand was a very important aspect of our travel times together.

The great thing about a home exchange is that all of these things are at your fingertips especially in a homeschooling families home -- and you don't have to worry about packing them! Gotta love it!

I'm Risking It!

2009-02-27T19:51:00.000-08:00

I'm going to take a risk here, but I think that the advantage will far out weigh the risk. I want to encourage you to visit other home exchange sites to see all that is available out there. I actually belong to three clubs myself and if you are serious about traveling and home exchange, you should too.

That said, the advantage you receive from becoming a member of "The Neighborhood" is that we help make the home and hospitality exchange process more simple by narrowing the options of homeschooling families to their greatest common denominator...other homeschooling families!

And with the number of homeschoolers growing every year you can be assured that if we all help spread the word about "The Neighborhood," we'll soon have the ability to visit our "new" homeschooling friends all over the world.

Also, "The Neighborhood" is operated by a homeschooling family with a heart for other homeschooling families. For this reason we provide our services at a greatly reduced rate over other home exchange sites. (Other sites cost approx. $50.00 -$100.00) Our fee is less than half the cost of one night in a hotel room.

If you want my personal recommendation of other sites to visit, email me and I'll share my favorites with you!

What Do a Box of Band-Aids and a Cross Country Trip Have In Common?

2009-02-20T18:25:00.000-08:00

When traveling cross-country BY CAR one year to reach our vacation destination, I was hard pressed to find activities to keep my 2 year old daughter happily occupied.

I read a fun tip that you can use most successfully for any little person under the age of five. A box of band-aids! That's right, just hand them a box of band-aids and let them go to it. At the time my daughter was almost two years so I think I had to help her get started but once she figured out that I was actually giving her permission to open the little packages and stick them on herself she was gainfully employed for over an hour.

This is a good trick for homeschooling days too when you need to keep a little one occupied. Works every time!

Creating Your Listing

2009-02-10T20:39:00.000-08:00

Thought I'd share this note I got recently from our newest member about their experience creating their home listing on our site.

"Hi Amy,
Wow! That was so easy. The web site stepped me through so nicely! Thanks"

Our web-designer has worked hard to make your listing experience easy and pleasant. A big thanks to Richard for all his hard work!

How Many Homes Do You Have?

2009-01-24T21:54:00.000-08:00

We are a homeschooling family with one income but we have a home in the North Georgia Mountains, a farmhouse in Pennsylvania, a barrier island beach house off the coast of South Carolina, a cottage in Virginia, a home on the Florida and California coast, a villa in Spain and a place in...

How do we do it?? We’re home swappers! And the coolest thing is that each of the families with whom we can exchange are other homeschooling families!

Haven't heard of home swapping? This couple has exchanged their home twenty times! Check out the advice they give families!

The Homeschoolers Home Exchange Neighborhood has come along at the perfect time to help homeschoolers, in this economy, travel even more than before! Check out our site today! It's easy and fun! Just imagine, California, Canada, Texas, New York, Florida and soon...Australia...JOIN THE EXCITEMENT! JOIN THE NEIGHBORHOOD!

How to Travel More: Perks for the Homeschooling Family!

2009-01-19T20:59:00.000-08:00

Few things stir my soul like the thought of traveling and being able to show my children the beautiful places that we've read and learned about! This is me with my four children making bricks in Williamsburg, VA.

I’m a homeschooling mom of four, and though I’ve lived in Africa, traveled in Europe, Central and South America and worked as a travel agent, the thought of going somewhere, anywhere still makes my heart beat a little faster!

For homeschoolers, travel can be a challenge usually due to the constraints of one income. I know this has been true for my family of six.

I’d like to share a way that you can connect with other homeschooling families and travel more than you ever imagined possible! Have you ever heard of Home Exchange? The Today Show did an excellent news story featuring this great concept that is helping people all over the world travel for a fraction of the cost. You can get a quick start education in six minutes by watching this video clip which follows two families as they travel to Virginia and Colorado and shows how they saved tons of money on free accommodations! And you can do the same thing!

Make sure that you come back here… cuz I’ve got a free drawing to tell you about!

Today Show Video Clip

Wasn’t that interesting? Stirring to your imagination?

After learning about home exchange my imagination was greatly stirred! And I dreamed of how great it would be for homeschooling families to have their own special network for home exchange. So, last summer our family created The Home Schooler’s Home Exchange Neighborhood. This site is tailor made for homeschoolers. It is our desire to help families like yours (and mine!) get connected and get traveling! While saving LOTS of money! We now have members from NY, GA, TX, VA, SC, NC, FL, PA, CA, UT, Canada and more!

We invite you to visit our site and see how we can help you travel with your family!

FREE DRAWING FOR CARNIVAL OF HOMESCHOOLING FOLKS!

We would like to give away 5 Free One-Year Memberships for “The Neighborhood” to friends here at the Carnival of Homeschooling. Simply post a comment below and we’ll enter you in our drawing to be announced in next weeks blog carnival! Your membership includes listing privileges at "The Neighborhood", and the ability to privately and confidentially contact other members about working out an exchange.

Want to read more about home exchange?

Check out these articles from Parent's Magazine and Family Fun Magazine.

Great Budget Vacations

"I'd always dreamed of taking long, exotic vacations with my family. But the thought of spending more than a few days in a cramped hotel room with my husband and our kids...gave me the shivers..." From the editors of Parent's Magazine

Getaway Guide to House Swaps

"When your vacation dreams exceed your budget, a house swap can be a perfect solution..." From the editors of Family Fun Magazine

Hungry for more? See more articles and videos posted on our site and blog!

Happy Reading and Happy Travels for you and your family!

Carnival of Homeschooling Blog!

2009-01-18T22:54:00.000-08:00

We've submitted an article for the Carnival of Homeschooling Blog to appear on Monday, January 19, 2008! Be sure to check out the rest of the Carnival. There is lots of great information shared every week! Come Along!

Educational Travel with an Economic Twist!

2009-01-17T20:44:00.000-08:00

Thinking of the economic situation that we face as a nation I believe that our agency "The Neighborhood" has come on the scene for homeschooling families at just the right moment!

Just ask any adult one of his favorite memories and it usually includes a fond family vacation. You can still give this to your family by being smarter with your dollars. Don't sacrifice what could be the some of the most special memories that you will have with your children. Sign up with "The Neighborhood" and start exploring the possibilities of your next unforgettable getaway.

But I Don't Live Anywhere Special!

2009-01-09T11:44:00.000-08:00

You may be saying this to yourself as you consider home exchange. Now, let me say up front, I live in a very rural area in North Georgia, no place raz-a-ma-daz or for that matter not really near any place special either.

However, two of the last exchange offers I've received (one for New York and the other for Spain) were because of where I lived. Both of them had either family or friends in this area.

You never know why someone may want to travel to where you live!

Its a small world! and through home exchange you can see more than you ever thought you could!

Time To Start Looking For the Perfect Summer Vacation!

2009-01-08T18:51:00.000-08:00

I just received my first request for the summer travel season! It came from a family with a different exchange agency I belong to. As always, my heart skips a beat when I get a request, just imagining the possibilities of places to go! This one sounds really tempting. Humm?! New York! We've not been there - yet!

Thought I'd include their note so that you might see an example of a enticing first contact letter.

We have 4 bedroom Toll Brother's House in a very nice development (9 hole golf course and a community pool that hardly any one uses because most of the homes have their own pool, but our house does not have it's own pool). We have a big backyard, and we are only 30 minutes from the Pocono's in one direction and 1 hour from NYC in the other direction. We make day trips with our kids to the Museum of Natural History, the Met, Central Park, on a regular basis. Our town is small and rather rural, but we are within an hour of many tourist destinations. I have family in xxxxxxxxx,GA and I would like to visit in the summer with our boys (ages 11 and 9). I would love to do a two to three week exchange. Our home is located in xxxxxxxxx, NJ------many lakes, and fishing within minutes of our house.

Here are lots of links to things of interest near our home!

2009-01-01T14:58:00.000-08:00

Dahlonega: 22 minutes away
http://www.dahlonega.org/
Gold Museum
Historic Dahlonega Square
Southern Living Idea House
Wineries
Historic Holly Theatre http://www.hollytheater.com/
Tubing http://www.canoegeorgia.com/

Diamond/Gems:
http://www.goldngem.com/
http://www.consolidatedgoldmine.com/

I also have two gold pans, I can leave you some books and links on you tube to show you how to pan for gold…and you can try it out in the creek in the backyard,

Rivers/State Parks: 25 minutes
Amicalola Falls, the very beginning of the Appalachian Trail http://www.gastateparks.org/info/amicalola/

Edge of the World (15 min.)
I don’t have a link, but this is our families favorite spot on the river, it has a ½ mile trail along the river ending at a spot where there are class VI rapids. Truly beautiful! Here is a picture...

Dawsonville/ Dawson County Links Outdoor
http://www.dawsoncounty.org/page.php?id=245

Outlet Mall 10 min.
http://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlets/outlet.asp?id=16

Cherokee Indians and Tellus Museum
These places are a little further away from where we live but really great! The drive is about 1 hr 45 min.
New Echota, beginning of the “Trail of Tears” http://ngeorgia.com/ang/New_Echota_Historic_Site
Etowah Indian Mounds
http://www.gastateparks.org/info/etowah/

Tellus, Northwest Science Museum
http://www.weinmanmuseum.org/

Animals:
Kangaroo Conservation Center (15 min.)
http://www.kangaroocenter.com/
Chestatee Wildlife Preserve (30 min)
http://chestateewildlife.com/

Pick your own blueberries (no link, but if you’re interested, I’ll leave you directions, it is only $4.00 a gallon This is August and September

Travel - Magical Things Happen to Your Mind!

2008-11-15T09:10:00.001-08:00

A few months ago for my Daddy's 80th birthday I hopped a plane SOLO to help him celebrate. (I usually travel with family so this was a little different for me!)

I was amazed at how this little personal adventure cleared away the stuff-y-ness of my very focused family life. (Homeschooling four children - enough said, two of which do competition gymnastics. This locks me into strict weekly routines of 15 hours of practice schedules that must be adhered to! With 3 weeks off a year! --Plus operating two family owned businesses! Whew...just thinking about it makes me practice my deep breathing exercises!)

Within the first hour of my journey, I had hopped a subway train to the airport. Anticipation of the moment traveling alone was a bit tense, but the execution sublime. It was absolutely freeing! I felt so alive, so insync with the world. Like shaking the dust off of my other independent self! I can almost see myself now (...wind blowing through my hair--"Arthur and D.W." style, I am effortlessly moving through throngs of people almost like the parting of the Red Sea...and I appear as if I know completely what I am doing! - Of course, I do know, I've traveled all over the world, worked as a travel agent and yada, yada, yada but when you've been inside a tightly focused world of children and their needs and involvements...the ole mind gets a little dusty!)

So here I am maneuvering the train, the baggage check in, the security check points, I finally find my WINDOW seat, smile kindly at the lady in the seat next to me (hoping that she's not a talkative type...not today! I want to be alone with my "Rip Van Winkle" thoughts...that have awakened out of a long sleep. ) There is just something magical about moving outside of our normal constraints! Magical indeed! Feeling alive, renewed, strengthened, rejuvenated!

Yes, that little trip did a lot to remind me that travel is good for the soul, mind and well...maybe even the body! Seneca, a Roman philosopher put it this way, and after this trip I must agree...

"Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind!"

Holidays and Festivals = Great Mini Vacations = or Long Weekend Retreat

2008-11-15T08:19:00.000-08:00

Fall Festivals and "Your Town's" Cozy Christmas Celebrations can EQUAL fun, quick Get-A-Ways for Homeschooling Families.

A little town just north of me in the North Georgia Mountains has the most festive Christmas Celebrations guaranteed to warm you with holiday cheer! Complete with a "Norman Rockwell" village square, festooned with Victorian-era costumed carolers, hot cider and Christmas cookies in every shop. Twinkly lights fill every tree! These festivities start right after Thanksgiving, so we get to enjoy them anytime throughout the holiday season!

I'm sure each of you live within an hour of such lovely fall and/or Christmas festivities! Why not make these celebrations known in your home exchange listing, then tell someone else who lives within 5 hour trip of your house about it and maybe you'll create for yourself a Mini-Winter Wonderland Retreat for your family!

Everyone can use some time away! You and your children deserve it!

"Meet the Neighbors" - Dave, Sandy, Matt and Ally

2008-10-25T21:18:00.000-07:00

Every few months we will be introducing a family from "the Neighborhood" in our new feature called "Meet the Neighbors!" We hope this will be informative as well as fun as we get to know each other a little better!

Introducing Dave, Sandy, Matt and Ally from Guelph, Canada! Click here to view their home listing

"Hello HsNeighbours!

We are the Moore family, Dave (Dad) pharmacist, Sandy (Mom) outdoor science educator, Matthew (12) and Alicia (8). We are a very outdoorsy family (as you can see in the photo) and love to explore and enjoy the beautiful world God has given us. Our interests include canoeing and camping, birdwatching and gardening as well as many winter activities such as skiing and skating. We have enjoyed the homeschool lifestyle for the past 8 years following the Charlotte Mason approach and as such we love great books, historical sites and nature study. We love to travel and have taken the month of September off for many years to "hit the road" and explore most of North America. To keep costs down we travel frugally, live in a tent and stay with friends whenever possible. We also love to host guests in our home and have had visitors from Australia, Spain, Germany, USA and many parts of Canada. We love the home exchange concept and are looking forward to discovering new places and new friends."

Thanks Dave and Sandy for giving us the chance to get to know you better!

Busy, Troubled Time!

2008-10-07T10:50:00.000-07:00

WHEW Can it be October already??? What a busy September I had...I know you had one too! Trying to get back into a school routine after a carefree summer always seems to be a challenge at my house!

Plus...keeping up with the political and economical situations of the seaon! How home exchange can help your family during these troubled times! Actually, our service was created for such a time as this! More Coming Soon!

Free 'til Wednesday, September 17

2008-09-15T14:00:00.000-07:00

Hey Neighbors!

I've had several people email seeking clarification on our free membership! If you have not created a home listing that can be viewed on our site PLEASE read this message carefully.

The free membership is only activated if you have actually entered information about your home and area to create a listing that can be viewed on our site. If you only signed up but opted to create your listing later you must go ahead and complete your listing by the deadline in order to take advantage of the free year! Because there has been some confusion I am extending the deadline until Wednesday, September 17.

To get your free membership click on "Join Now," and follow the directions. When you see the "Promotional Code" box put in 2008. This will bypass the shopping cart and let you create your listing for free.

As you enter your information please be sure to upload photos. It enhances your listing, but also makes a much more pleasant viewing experience for all who are considering joining our site. Adding new members helps us provide more fun and exciting vacation possibilities for everyone because "the more people who know, the more places you can go!"

If you have any questions I welcome your email... amy@hsneighbor.com

Only 4 more days for free membership

2008-09-11T20:09:00.000-07:00

If you've not created your home listing yet, be sure to finish it by our deadline of Monday, September 15 to take advantage of our free one-year membership. (Listing must be filled in, blank listings will be not be eligible)

If you have any friends - local or cyberspace- be sure to tell them about our services!

After September 15, our membership fee will be $9.95

If you have any problems or questions, please email me! I love to meet my new neighbors!

Loved This Message I Got Recently!

2008-09-04T20:35:00.000-07:00

And wanted to share it with you! It made me smile!

"My husband's sister and her family are currently in Spain doing a home exchange. I was thinking, wouldn't this be a great idea for homeschoolers? I googled the idea, and VOILA! THERE YOU WERE!"

My friends, there is a whole group of people living the home and hospitality exchange life! It is my desire and goal to educate homeschooling families about the incredible benefits of this unique concept! If you are new to this way of travel, please sign up for our newsletter!

We will work hard to educate you on how home/hospitality exchange can benefit and broaden the experiences of your family!
Every few weeks, we will introduce you to other families that have joined our services.
We'll share some of the experiences our members have on their exchanges!
We'll give you travel tips to help you make the most of your travel experience.
We want to help you travel more and to more places!

I encourage you to walk with us a little while! What do you have to lose? Besides a great vacation! Click here to sign up for our newsletter on our home page!

AND THE WINNERS ARE...

2008-09-02T21:10:00.000-07:00

Here are our winners from our recent photo contest! Each of these families did a fabulous job!

AS A MATTER OF FACT...One of these families will be hosting our first official hospitality swap in the next few weeks! The host family has agreed to let us know how it goes! I'll keep you posted!

Listing numbers are...

258- Cary, North Carolina!

281- Guelph, Canada!

181- Folly Beach, South Carolina!

Click here to view their listings! Thanks guys for all your hard work! Your listings look GREAT!

http://hsneighbor.com/winners.shtml

Each of these families will be receiving a copy of Educational Travel on a Shoestring in the mail soon!

If You're Not a Member -- You Can Still Take Advantage of Our Free Membership and Photo Contest!

2008-08-26T18:34:00.000-07:00

Even if you're not yet a member of the "Home Schooler's Home Exchange Neighborhood", it's not too late to get in on our Photo Contest! Just go to our site, read all about the fabulous opportunity you have to travel more and sign up! (we are offering free memberships until September 15!)

Photo Contest and Prizes!

2008-08-22T18:27:00.000-07:00

We are having a photo contest! With TWO great give-aways in exchange for ONE photo of your house!

FIRST...we are giving away 3 copies of the book Educational Travel on a Shoestring to three lucky members! (See info below on this great family travel book!)

SECOND...Every member who participates will extend their membership an extra year through August 2010! That is TWO more summers! WOW!

HOW TO ENTER:

Simply by adding one photo to your home exchange listing, you'll extend your membership AND get one entry in our drawing for the book Educational Travel on a Shoestring.

BONUS...for every photo you add to your listing you will get another chance in our drawing! 6 photos = 6 entries!

Photos must be added in the next 10 days! Deadline is Monday, September 1, 2008. (Winners will be announced the first week of September!)

If you've not created a listing yet, log in and take advantage of our free one year membership - add a photo and get 2 years! Our free memberships will be ending September 15, 2008. After this our membership fee will be $9.95 for the remainder of the year! SO DON'T DELAY!

If you can't figure out how to add photos, don't despair! If you can email them to me, I will add them for you! If you don't have a digital camera and still want to enter, YOU CAN! Just email me and we'll make the arrangements for your photos! Any other questions or problems...PLEASE email and let me help!

Your participation in our contest will help create a beautiful site that will benefit all! We're getting hits from all over the world, and I'm working hard to spread the word to make your next vacation dream a reality!

Happy Homeschooling!

Amy Davidson
www.HSNeighbor.com

Educational Travel on a Shoestring, by Judith Waite Allee and Melissa L. Morgan
These two homeschooling moms show parents how to help your children learn and have a blast while traveling. My favorite aspect is that they tell you how to use home and hospitality exchange to stretch those travel dollars! From researching destinations to sharing activities that both teach and entertain, Judith and Melissa offer practical information for parents who want to have more fun with their kids, build closer family ties, and enjoy richer educational experiences - all without spending a fortune. They give help on everything from short day trips to long, international trips! These two moms have done a great job giving all sorts of ideas on getting the most from your travels! What a great resource!

Thoughts on the Modest Home

2008-07-23T13:47:00.000-07:00

In the time since we've started our agency, we've had several families comment that they felt their homes were not quite up to par. Whether due to the size, or the age of their home, they felt uncomfortable listing it for exchange.

Their comments confirm what I suspect is true about many homeschooling families, due to the fact that homeschoolers often have only one income. I wonder if any of you out there may have this same feeling?Most of us don't own big or fancy homes, and we are the ones that NEED most to go on a vacation and can't really afford it!

If this describes your family, please know that this service is for you. We have created a special tag in our data base just for those of you that would feel more comfortable swapping with a family in a similar circumstance. Just look for the "modest" home tag when completing your listing. This allows you to search for others who feel like you!

I would venture to say that many of us fit this category, and I suspect most of us would like to be able to travel more! Please email me with any suggestions or comments you might have! amy@hsneighbor.com

Educate Yourself: "The Today Show" and "Money Talk News" Videos

2008-06-28T11:52:00.000-07:00

If you're even slightly considering home exchange, I would encourage you to spend about 10 minutes watching the two news videos we have highlighted on our home page and at the bottom of this blog. One by the "Today Show" and one by "Money Talk News" Those 10 minutes just may change your life forever!

You will meet 3 different families who have gained great vacations through the home exchange concept. One couple has completed 20 exchanges to wonderful places as Great Britain, France, Spain, Belgium...they have some sound advice to those considering this great alternative travel concept! A second family has made multiple exchanges with small children, and the third family is followed on their very first exchange!

I think you'll broaden your horizons, mentally and hopefully geographically!

"The more people who know the more places you can go!!"

2008-06-26T14:53:00.000-07:00

The most challenging part of anything new is just getting started! We're on our way to a great beginning as many of you are educating yourself on home exchange and really thinking about the possibility that exists for you and your family in this unique concept.

One way you can help create more places for all of us to visit is by spreading the word about our services to all your homeschooling friends and acquaintences and asking them to spread the word too! "And they'll tell 2 friends and so on and so on and so on."

For a limited time we are offering free memberships so that we can build our member database and offer many great destinations! Our goal is to have listings ALL OVER THE WORLD and lots of listings within hours of your home.

If you will take just a few minutes to help us build a broad base of members and it will benefit you as well! Tell your friends that they can join for free using our free promotional code of 2008.

Because, "The more people who know the more places you can go!"

You can make it happen!

2008-06-24T11:54:00.000-07:00

Because of the cost of gas on the rise, many of us are thinking of staying closer to home this summer.

We can help you defray the high cost of getting there, by saving you money on accomodations!

Do a little math with the kids, how many miles to the gallon do you get? How far can you get on a tank? Get out a map and draw a circle one tankful of gas away from your house, you should find several interesting places within that circle, and I'll bet there are plenty of homeschoolers in those areas too! We just need them to know about our service!

Put out an "APB" on some of your homeschooling loops seeing if anyone in that area would be open to a home exchange. Tell them to visit our site to see what you mean, both of you sign up for your free membership and start making the arrangements.

You'll quite possibly find inexpensive accomodations for a memorable summer jaunt and you'll help spread the word and build our database for more great exchanges in the future!

Creating an Inviting Listing

2008-06-17T20:12:00.000-07:00

While creating your listing bear in mind that the more connection points that you can provide...the more comfortable someone will feel contacting you about an exchange.

First, be careful to make it pleasing to the eye by using correct punctuation and grammar (yes, I know we live in the computer age where no one uses capital letters anymore...but it really does make a difference!)

Involve your children as you brainstorm all the things in your area and home that you could mention in your listing.

Try to fill out the listing information as thoroughly as possible. Be careful to give the information in the appropriate area. (no descriptions of home in the area about our family etc...)

Don't forget about outside play areas, tree houses, trampolines, bicycles.

Give as much personal information as you feel comfortable, tell about occupations, hobbies, children's ages and interests. Even share a photo of your family (just don't give names!)

Really give lots of information about your surrounding area...no matter where you live there are interesting things to see or do. This may be the "selling point" that causes someone to contact you about your listing, when they know there will be plenty to see and do!

Don't forget educational or historical venues in your area! Tell about the timing of special festivals or events hosted in your area...you might just talk someone into visiting on a particular weekend.

Most importantly, ADD PHOTOS!! They really make an incredible difference as they add to the value of your listing and make visiting the site much more interesting and enjoyable for all!

More to come...

Welcome, Welcome, Welcome!

2008-06-17T14:48:00.000-07:00

Welcome to our brand new blog created especially for you as you are seeking information on this new adventure called Home and Hospitality Exchange. We'll be covering several topics in the upcoming days...

* Creating a great listing!
* Photo tips to help entice "the neighbors" to visit!
* Our newsletter - how it will help to come on board.
and lots more.

I think blogs are great, but I will keep each entry short, sweet and USEFUL!

First order of business...our Servers! Our web host (which I would highly recommend-normally) just happened to experience great pains THIS WEEK! just when I am introducing my new site! The servers actually went down for several hours this afternoon. When we contacted them they said they had had trouble for 3-4 days prior to the complete shutdown...SO...if you experienced any problems using our site, it is most likely explained by this.

However, as with any new site, there are going to be some growing pains! We have experienced a few problems with listings which we are trying to address...So, if you have any trouble, just email and I will do my best to help you get it corrected!! You can email through the contact page on the system or amy@hsneighbor.com

I'll be back with you shortly! (Motherly duties call!)