Joyful, Healthy Living

My daughter Alina has now graduated from high school! She was homeschooled all the way through from K-12 and is now ready for the next phase of her education. What's Next? Alina's long-term goal is to become a fiction author, writing novels. Because she has been doing well in her dual credit classes at New Mexico State University (NMSU) for the last few semesters, Alina was offered a very nice scholarship for $$$ thousands per semester (on top of free tuition, which is alread

Here in the desert, the mosquitoes arrive with summer weather. I've always been one of those people who is highly attractive to mosquitoes, and I can be literally covered in mosquito bites in just a short time outside. I passed this trait on to my son Ian as well. 😝 Time for mosquito repellent, but I'm not willing to risk potential health problems by using conventional mosquito repellents. Did you know that DEET is banned in some European countries due to toxicity concern

Outdoor play and work are in full swing, and that often means sunburns! Here in the desert Southwest, we have an intense amount of sunshine. Long days spent gardening or playing in water can result in sunburns, especially when I forget the sunscreen. Homeopathy to the rescue! Here are the two most-often-indicated homeopathic remedies for sunburns. These remedies will take away the pain and prompt the body to heal the sunburned areas much more quickly than if left untreated.

Do you homeschool and/or supplement your child's education in the summer? Here are some ideas for fun learning explorations over the summer! Many families find that it works well to homeschool year-round. That has worked great for us, too (especially since implementing Leadership Education into our homeschool, such that my kids want to keep doing school all year). I generally like to make things more relaxed by shifting our homeschool focus in the summer months. This gives m

Family Favorite! I developed this recipe when my husband was temporarily back on the GAPS Diet back in 2018, but it has continued to be a family favorite since then even though no one is on such a strict diet now! The GAPS Diet protocol can be quite similar to Keto and Paleo Diets, depending on how it is implemented. The GAPS Diet is based around healthy fats (such as ghee, coconut oil, and tallow), meats, veggies, broth, fruits, and fermented foods; it allows no grains, pot

Taco meat is an easy-to-prepare and versatile dish. This recipe, spiced with garlic, oregano, and cumin, is a kid-friendly food that can be used in many ways: in taco shells, on top of baked potatoes, over hash browns, in soft tortillas, over pinto beans, or in a salad. Although this recipe is best with fresh onion and garlic, I've also included substitutions for a busy night when dinner needs to get on the table quickly. Ground Beef Taco Meat Serves 4-6 1 pound ground beef