Joyful, Healthy Living

If I had to sum up our homeschool routine for high school in one word, it would be f.l.e.x.i.b.l.e. With high school comes many scheduled classes and learning opportunities, more time spent with friends, plus changes such as kids driving independently, getting jobs, taking dual credit classes at the university, and more! Our routine has needed to flex every semester, and sometimes even every week, in order to accommodate the plethora of things going on. Our homeschool routi

If you're considering camping with your kids, here's some encouragement to make it happen! I've been camping with my kids 1-2x yearly for the last 9 years, and it has become a cherished tradition for us all. Top 5 Reasons to Camp with Kids Bonding: Spending dedicated time together leads closer relationships, teamwork, and trust-building. Adventure: Camping brings you up close to nature, unpredictable weather, camp fires, "roughing it," and more. Disconnect and Reconnect: We

Here's an Einkorn muffin recipe that makes the most of summer's early bounty of cherries. It's cherry season! Do cherries grow where you live? It's too hot to grow cherries at our house in the desert, so we drive to the mountains to go cherry picking instead. This has been a beloved tradition for our family since my kids were toddlers. We come home with oodles of cherries, and then it's time for baking! Here's a recipe for Cherry Chocolate muffins that I hope you enjoy as mu

Cherries + Chocolate = 😍 Here's a grain-free recipe that makes the most of summer's cherries. Although the kids and I have been noshing on Einkorn cherry chocolate muffins, my husband Ryan generally doesn't eat grains (as part of the management for his autoimmune diseases). So I developed this Cherry Chocolate Clafoutis recipe as a way for Ryan to enjoy the summer cherries, too. He loved it! This nourishing recipe for Cherry Chocolate Clafoutis is loaded with eggs and healt

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