Joyful, Healthy Living

Teaching kids to become independent learners is one of the foundations of our homeschool philosophy . For my two high schoolers, this means that, in addition to our 3x/week all-together schooling time , they also pursue their own studies independently . Here's a snapshot of independent study plans for 18yo Alina's last semester of high school and 15yo Ian's spring semester of his sophomore year. Scholar Contracts for My Teens Each semester, I meet with the kids to develop t

Here's a peek into what is and isn't working well in homeschooling my 18yo and 15yo, plus our new curriculum and areas of focus for the coming semester. Although I do the bulk of our homeschool planning in July , by January it is time for a mid-year review. The intent of our mid-year review is to look at the following with regards to our home school: What has been working well? What needs to be improved? What needs to be removed from our curriculum? Is there anything new to

Homeschool Physics doesn't have to be intimidating or complicated. Here are resources for a middle grades Physics unit that is engaging and easy-to-do at home. This unit focuses on: Exploring the World of Physics book Engaging videos and books for physics concepts Simple hands-on physics experiments and demonstrations We use a 4-year science rotation in our homeschool, so we have completed two Physics units, first when my kids were 11yo and 14yo and again when my kids were

As you roll into the new year, it's an opportune time to take stock of how things are going in your homeschool. Don't let yourself feel locked in to your original plan for the year; if something isn't working, change it! Maybe there is a specific curriculum or resource that *sounded* great but isn't really working out, or one of your kids has gotten into a new interest, or there is a new circumstance that needs to be taken into account. Mid-year planning helps make sure you

Here's a recipe for using up those holiday leftovers! After Thanksgiving and Christmas every year, I make a big pot of turkey soup! This is a beloved tradition in our family, as we all love turkey soup. This recipe makes plenty so you will have leftovers for easy meals. My turkey soup starts with using the leftover turkey carcass to make easy bone broth in the slow cooker. Turkey broth is rich and flavorful, in comparison to chicken broth. Once the broth is ready to use, I c

From 2020-2022, I treated over 150 cases of COVID-19 in my small homeopathic practice, mostly for people living in other cities and states. When I reflect back, there is one case that stands out because it shows so clearly how effectively homeopathy works for treating severe illnesses. The case was Steve*, who was a 52-year-old with comorbidities of obesity, depression, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).  By the time Steve started homeo

Chocolate chip cookies are such a classic recipe, and for good reason. The chocolate is melty, in a chewy, sweet base of cookie dough. Mmmm... Why Einkorn? My family switched to Einkorn wheat flour  12+ years ago. Einkorn is an ancient variety of wheat that has never been hybridized; as such it is naturally lower in gluten and higher in protein than modern wheat. Some people who have sensitivities to gluten in modern wheat can actually consume Einkorn with no problems . This

Homeopathic remedies can prevent illness! Here's the protocol we use for preventing the flu. Evidence that Homeopathic Remedies Can Be Used to Prevent Illnesses Homeopathic remedies have a long history of being used preventatively to help avoid and lessen the effects of contagious illnesses. Way back in the late 1700's and early 1800's, founder of homeopathy Samuel Hahnemann successfully used preventative remedies for scarlet fever and cholera. Since then, homeopathic remed

It's time to plant garlic! Unlike many vegetables, garlic gets planted in the Fall and is harvested the following summer. Garlic is uber easy to plant and grow. I've been growing garlic for ~ 10 years, so here are some tips for how to make it work well. This is a great homesteading project to get your kids involved in, too. I love the slower pace of homesteading in the late Fall: the summer garden has mostly played itself out, we're still months away from baby chick time, an

Bone broth is a wonderful superfood that was a critical part of many traditional diets.  I make sure we always have bone broth in the freezer, and use it liberally in cooking.   Besides using broth for soups, I also incorporate it into many recipes such as hash brown and beef hot dish , beans , nutrient-dense white rice , and veggies such as beets and green beans . When I first started making homemade broth over 15+ years ago, I followed the recipe in Nourishing Traditions