When I was in a pinch and needed something more prepared, during a tumultous season, Living Books Curriculum really hits the mark. It can be spendy, but most if not all of the books can be found at the library, save the Guide and LBC proprietary materials, which are few.
Queen is also a nice way to ease into a place between boxed and on-your-own. I don’t think that the quality is there as it could be, but it serves a purpose and they have a servant’s heart in the Queen family.
Ultimately, after using MFW, LBC, SCM, and AO … at the end of the day, it’s one guide or another, but one will best fit the family. Meaning, opening the SCM History/Geo/Bible guide is similar to opening a HOD guide and doing Day x. They all flow … the books are suggested, it’s all there. AO may not fit into this category, but once you pop the weekly schedule into a chart form, it’s easy peasy to follow. Same with SCM.
Scritped doesn’t always mean easier. I wish I had believed that when I first started. 🙂