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✨Celeste Charles✨

@itscelestecharles

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💍 Wife to @terrencecharles + Boy Mom 💙
🏡 Homeschool • Family Fun • Good Food 😋
✨ Creating a life we love, one day at a time
💼 Founder @decentorderva

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It’s been about one month since we started this homeschooling journey and while it hasn’t been easy, it’s definitely been fulfilling ❤️ by @itscelestecharles

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2 days ago

HOMESCHOOL LOGISTICS | PART 3 📚🏡

How We Chose Our Homeschool Curriculum

Okay, so we’ve submitted our Letter of Intent, figured out our IHIP, and now comes one of the BIGGEST decisions in our homeschool journey…choosing a curriculum! And whewww, there are OPTIONS! 😂

Before we even started researching, we knew there were a few things that were important to us:

✝️ A Biblical worldview. We wanted our boys’ education to reflect our faith and incorporate Christian values into what they’re learning.

📵 Less screen time. Our boys already have access to technology, so I didn’t want their entire school day to consist of sitting in front of a screen watching lessons.

✏️ Hands-on learning. We wanted the flexibility to teach, engage with our boys, and really be part of their learning experience.

Now, here’s the thing: EVERY homeschool family is different! Some parents prefer online instruction, some teach everything themselves, and others do a combination of both. And that’s the beauty of homeschooling. You get to choose what works for YOUR family!

These were just a few of the things that helped us narrow down our options and ultimately choose what we felt was best for Charles Academy. ❤️

I’ll be sharing more about the curriculum we landed on and how it’s actually working for us!

Homeschool parents (or those considering it), what’s most important to YOU when choosing a curriculum? 👀👇🏽

Follow along for more of our homeschool journey and the logistics of figuring this thing out as we go!

#HomeschoolLogistics #HomeschoolJourney #HomeschoolMom #ChristianHomeschool #HomeschoolCurriculum HomeschoolingBoys CharlesAcademy NYCHomeschool by @itscelestecharles

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7 days ago

This sisters trip was truly unforgettable ☺️💕 by @itscelestecharles

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12 days ago

Meal prep with me - ground turkey & cheese empanadas 😋 these are incredibly easy to make and freeze and reheat perfectly! by @itscelestecharles

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15 days ago

We spent so much time dreaming about building the business… only to realize we also want to enjoy the life it was supposed to create. 😮‍💨✨

A successful business should give you more than revenue. It should give you options, support, flexibility, and time to actually live.

Build the business.
Build the team.
Build the systems.
And then go live your life. 🤎

#ceolifestyle #buildingabusiness #virtualassistantservices #socialmediaservices #worklifebalance❤️ by @itscelestecharles

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16 days ago

We went to the park for gym and somehow ended up in science class 😂🎣

That’s one thing I’m loving about homeschooling: we can make a plan, but still leave room for what we discover along the way. The boys spotted a cricket, stumbled upon a free fishing lesson, learned about the water and the fish that live there, and even got to try fishing for themselves.

No fish were caught, but I’d call it a successful gym day! What’s something your kids learned when you weren’t expecting a lesson?

#HomeschoolLife #HomeschoolMom #HomeschoolPE #LearningOutside #NatureLearning BrooklynHomeschool CharlesAcademy by @itscelestecharles

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21 days ago

One week down at Charles Academy - and whew, homeschooling is beautiful, rewarding…and HARD!

Just a quick note: not every homeschool curriculum requires parents to teach the lessons themselves.

That was an intentional decision our family made based on the experience we wanted for our boys and how we wanted to be involved in their learning.

I’ll be sharing more about the curriculum we chose, why we chose a parent-led approach, and how we decided which path was best for each of our boys.

Stay tuned!

#HomeschoolJourney #HomeschoolMom #NYCHomeschool #BlackHomeschoolers #HomeschoolCurriculum by @itscelestecharles

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a month ago

The busier life gets, the more intentional we have to be about dating each other. 🤎

As we step into this new season of homeschooling, we know that prioritizing time together will be more important than ever. Date days give us a chance to pause, reconnect, and enjoy each other outside of the everyday responsibilities of parenting.

This time, we slipped away to Lady Pho @ladypho.bk, a Vietnamese restaurant in Williamsburg, Brooklyn - and it was the perfect reset! The pho was flavorful, the atmosphere was inviting, and the uninterrupted time together was very necessary 🍜

Here’s your reminder to keep dating your spouse, even in the busiest seasons.

#WilliamsburgBrooklyn #BrooklynRestaurants #NYCFoodie #WilliamsburgEats #VietnameseFoodNYC PhoLovers NYCDateIdeas BrooklynDateIdeas DateYourSpouse HomeschoolParents by @itscelestecharles

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a month ago

HOMESCHOOL LOGISTICS | PART 2 ✏️🏡

Okay, so you submitted your Letter of Intent…now NYC wants to know what you actually plan to TEACH these kids 😂

Enter: the IHIP - aka the Individualized Home Instruction Plan.

This is basically your plan for the school year. You’re letting NYC Public Schools know what curriculum/resources you plan to use, and how you intend to cover the required subjects.

And y’all…there are quite a few required subjects 😅😅😅

Thankfully, the curriculum we chose covers MOST of what we need (I’ll share more about what we chose soon 👀), but one thing I’m learning about homeschooling is that everything doesn’t have to come from a textbook or formal curriculum.

For example:

🥁 MUSIC - My husband will teach one of our boys drums, while the other will learning piano.

🎨 VISUAL ARTS - Museums, exhibits, creative projects and actually getting out into the world to experience art.

🏃🏽‍♂️ PHYSICAL EDUCATION - Outside play, sports, movement and just letting these boys BURN SOME ENERGY 😂

And honestly, this is one of the things I’m looking forward to about homeschooling. Learning can happen in so many different ways, and a lot of the things we naturally do as a family can actually become part of their education.

Now, I WAS going to finish explaining all of this in one video…but apparently my phone storage said, “Girl, that’s enough.” 😬🤭

So yes, this Part 2 needs a Part 2. 😭

Stay tuned because I’m going to finish breaking down the IHIP, what NYC requires, and how we’re planning to make sure we cover everything without making homeschool feel like traditional school at home.

If you’re homeschooling in NYC or thinking about it SAVE this series because I’m taking you through the logistics step-by-step as we figure it out too! 🏡✏️

PS - For the official IHIP requirements, required subjects, forms and NYC homeschool guidance, visit the NYC Public Schools Home Schooling page.

#NYCHomeschool #HomeschoolNYC #HomeschoolingInNYC #HomeschoolMom #HomeschoolJourney NewYorkHomeschool IHIP HomeschoolPlanning ChristianHomeschool HomeschoolFamily by @itscelestecharles

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2 months ago

Okay so…this was supposed to be Coconut Curry Pasta 👀

And technically, it IS pasta…but the longer I cooked it, the more I realized this coconut curry sauce was giving SOUP. Like, a really good creamy coconut curry soup

And now I genuinely can’t decide which way I’d rather eat it 😩

The coconut milk + curry + all those flavors together?! 10/10. But should I keep perfecting it as a pasta sauce…or accept that I accidentally made a soup recipe? 😂

What are we calling it?! 😂👇🏽

#CoconutCurry #CoconutCurryPasta #CurryPasta #EasyDinnerIdeas #EasyRecipes HomeCooking DinnerInspiration FamilyDinnerIdeas WhatsForDinner CookingReels RecipeIdeas FoodieMom MomLife LifestyleCreator by @itscelestecharles

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2 months ago

We turned 13!!! Our marriage is officially a teenager!! 😂

@itscelestecharles and I have grown so much together and individually over the years. Some days have been better than others, but two things have remained constant:

1. Our love and devotion toward one another.
2. Keeping Christ at the center of it all.

What I love about these dates is that they force us to break up our busy schedules and make dedicated time for each other.

TBH, that’s been a growth area for us. We’ve had to learn how to be intentional about dating each other, especially when you add kids, family, work, business, ministry, and just LIFE into the mix.

But I’m grateful that over the years we’ve found a steady rhythm. We’ve learned to prioritize not just the anniversary dates, but dating each other in general.

13 years later, we’re still growing, still learning each other, and still choosing each other.

Happy 13th Anniversary to us! ❤️

Here’s to our teenage years 😂🥂

To my married folk! How do you prioritize date nights and celebrate milestones? Let’s us know in the comments!

#weddinganniversary #datenight #nyc #broadwayshow #nycdining by @itscelestecharles

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2 months ago

HOMESCHOOL LOGISTICS | PART 1 ✏️🏡

So we’ve decided to homeschool…now what?! 👀😅😂

When we made the decision to homeschool our boys, one of my first questions was literally, “Okay…who do I tell?!” So I’m taking you through the logistics of getting started with homeschooling in NYC, step-by-step, as I learn them too.

STEP ONE: Submit your Letter of Intent.

This is basically you notifying NYC Public Schools that you intend to homeschool your child for the upcoming school year. Letter of Intent should be submitted on or after 7/1/26 OR within 14 days of beginning your homeschool program (fun fact - you can begin homeschooling at any time, including mid-year if you wanted!) via email - LetterofIntent@schools.nyc.gov

I also talk in this video about what the process looks like if your child has never been enrolled in an NYC public school/DOE school - if that’s the case you need to provide proof of residency, proof of child’s age, parent ID, alongside the completed homeschool demographic PSE form & homeschool housing questionnaire.

And listen - the paperwork can make homeschooling feel a little intimidating at first, but once you know what needs to be done, it’s really just about taking it one step at a time.

NEXT UP: The IHIP 👀
Because after that Letter of Intent comes the Individualized Home Instruction Plan…and we need to talk about THAT 😅

If you’re considering homeschooling in the future or is just curious about the process, follow along because I’m documenting what this process actually looks like for our family 🥰

RESOURCE - 🌐 NYC Public Schools Homeschooling Information: schools.nyc.gov - search “Home Schooling”

#NYCHomeschool #HomeschoolingNYC #HomeschoolMom #HomeschoolJourney #NewToHomeschool NYCHomeschooling by @itscelestecharles

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2 months ago