Spending time outdoors is a great way to refresh your mind and body. Whether you’re taking a walk (see HERE), playing outside (see HERE), or simply sitting under a tree and enjoying the quiet (see HERE), it’s good to be outside. Taking a quiet walk outside is one of my favorite ways to calm my mind and to refresh my spirit.… Continue reading
We go through a lot of hand soap in our family. While foaming hand soap is expensive to buy in the store, it is very inexpensive and simple to make on your own. In addition to cost effectiveness and ease, you can control the ingredients to make certain they are free of chemical nasties. Finally, making your own hand soap allows you to customize the scent as well as make it as strong or as subtle as you like.… Continue reading
When you’re looking for a snack that both tastes delicious and nourishes your body, here is a perfect candidate: half an avocado topped with a scoop of sauerkraut.
Sauerkraut not only has all of the health benefits of cabbage, but – as long as it is traditionally fermented and unpasteurized – it is also filled with healthy-gut-supporting probiotics. In addition to supporting digestive health, raw sauerkraut can boost circulation, stimulate your immune system, and reduce inflammation (Organic Facts, 2015). … Continue reading
Playfulness and laughter are good for the heart and good for the mind. With two young boys in the house, laughing and playing are part of our daily life.
It’s all too easy, when I feel tired or busy or frustrated, to skip out on the fun and play and focus instead on completing the tasks before me. And while taking care of necessary business is important, I often remind myself that it’s also important to engage in and cultivate playfulness in life. … Continue reading
What kind of life are you choosing to live today? What impact will your decisions have on you? On those around you?
“What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”
— Jane Goodall… Continue reading
I make a lot of my own natural skin and body care products. Amazing Face Serum (recipe HERE), DIY Foaming Hand Soap (recipe HERE), Homemade Bath Salts (recipe HERE), Homemade All-Natural Diaper Rash Cream (recipe HERE), Hand Sanitizer (recipe HERE), and Fizzy Bath Bombs (recipe HERE). These simple recipes are all a part of our everyday household life (with the current exception of the diaper rash cream, since we’re now done with diapers — see HERE), though that recipe also makes a great skin salve for other body areas that need some extra support.… Continue reading
It’s not a matter of choosing sides, it’s a matter of choosing right. May we all choose peace, justice, and – above all — love.
“Always do right. This will gratify some of the people, and astonish the rest.” –Mark Twain
My son approached me and asked, “I can’t remember which is bigger: one-half or one-twelfth?”
This, of course, led to an impromptu math lesson. We talked about fractions. I explained that the denominator – the bottom number – of a fraction tells you how many equal parts something is divided into. I explained that the numerator – the top number – of a fraction tells you how many of those equal parts you’re discussing.… Continue reading
Whenever the topic of potty training comes up (and it does when you hang out with other parents of young children), I joke that our dog toilet-trained my oldest son. And I say it only half in jest. One night when I was cooking dinner, my son – at age 2.5 – came in and announced, “I peed outside, just like Mazel[-dog].” … Continue reading
This past week we had a lot of snow. In fact, there was so much snow that we got snowed in. My Sweetie graciously takes care of the snow blowing when he’s in town, but he was on the road during this storm.
While the boys and I were a bit disappointed to cancel a brunch-date with a dear friend, it felt nice for the weather to declare a day of rest on our behalf.… Continue reading