"My kid thinks he knows everything!" "My parents don't understand me." "Why won't my teen listen to me?" The adolescent and teen years often come with lots of frustration for both kids and parents. Communications can become strained, attitudes can become negative, and relationships can become damaged. My kids are 19yo and 16yo right now. I'm by no means an expert on this, but I've learned much over the last few years and want to share it with you. Hopefully, this will help t

Have you had your Vitamin D levels checked recently? Vitamin D is one of the most important nutrients for a strong immune system, yet many people are Vitamin D deficient, especially during the winter. Here's a primer on: why Vitamin D levels matter for your immune system why Vitamin D levels are lower in the winter optimal Vitamin D levels how to test your Vitamin D levels at home how to naturally increase your Vitamin D to a healthy level Low Vitamin D Levels = Increased Ill

Amidst cold and flu season, it's a perfect time to boost your immune system! Nutrition is one of the primary pillars of immune system health. Nutrition: Food is Medicine Ditch the processed foods and focus instead on whole, real foods. Modern diets are generally deficient in vitamins and nutrients as compared to the diets of traditional peoples. Weston A. Price's studies [1] showed that the diets of traditional people contained up to ten times the amounts of vitamins and nu

We're in the midst of cold and flu season, so I wanted to share the protocol that has been quite effective at helping with respiratory illnesses in my family. Of course, we also use homeopathic remedies for treating colds, flus, and COVID-19. However, I have found that when we use the following supplement trio, with many illnesses the symptoms never become strong enough to need much in the way of homeopathic support. Supplement Trio At the first sign of illness, we take the

Sneezing, itchy eyes, runny nose... Got allergies? Homeopathy can help!

Years ago when I first started using a slow cooker, I was repeatedly disappointed by overcooked, dry chicken. It took me awhile to figure out that, unlike beef roasts which benefit from slow cooking over a long period of time, chicken is best if slow-cooked for only a few hours. One of my favorite chicken recipes is chicken and mushroom soup. The earthy flavor of mushrooms contrasts nicely with the light flavor of chicken. The herbs and vermouth give this soup outstanding fl

Here's a recipe for natural and effective homemade tooth powder that we've been using for 10+ years! Have you looked at the ingredients in your toothpaste? Let's dig into some of the unhealthy ingredients in Colgate Total toothpaste: Fluoride: associated with lower intelligence and IQ scores in children Sucralose and sorbitol: artificial sugars linked to weight gain, inflammation, negative impacts on the gut microbiome, liver damage, and glucose intolerance (precursor to diab

"Measles Outbreak!" It's all over the news again, but is there really cause for concern? Here is info about: illness severity, nutritional support, safety and risks of MMR vaccines, and homeopathics that have been found to be effective at treating the illness. DISCLAIMER: This information is not to be construed as medical advice and is intended for educational use only. Measles Symptoms According to Physicians for Informed Consent, *Measles symptoms include a prodromal (init

Like most Americans, I had my share of processed foods and subsequent dental cavities as a young adult. My diet growing up in the 80's and early 90's was fairly standard, with lots of canned foods, Kool-Aid, cereals, PBJ sandwiches, processed meats, fat-free dairy, margarine, etc. Then, for a few years while I was in high school and college, I worked long hours at a pizza shop, at which I ate lots of pizza and drank many sodas, day in and day out. I didn't really know any bet

Looking for a healthier replacement to processed breakfast cereal? This sprouted granola recipe is for you! Since my teens have been raised on a real food diet, boxed cereals haven't generally been part of their breakfast routine. Most boxed cereals are filled with processed ingredients, artificial food dyes, and preservatives. We've avoided most of the organic boxed cereals, too, because of the phytic acid in whole grains. Phytic Acid - Whole Grains' Dirty Little Secret Whol

Teaching kids to become independent learners is one of the foundations of our homeschool philosophy. This means that, while my kids are in high school, they pursue their own independent studies in addition to our 3x/week all-together schooling time. Now that my daughter Alina has graduated from high school, she will no longer be joining our school time, but nonetheless she will be pursuing her own studies and has asked for some help with accountability. Here's a snapshot of

When life's everyday stresses hit, homeopathy can help! Using homeopathic remedies to treat emotional stress not only helps you move through the emotions and regain balance quickly, it also helps prevent emotional stresses from contributing to long-term chronic health problems. Resistance to Treating Emotional Injuries Many people resist taking homeopathics to help with emotional stresses. People seem to think that they need to suffer through grief and hardships, and that suc

For over a decade, my family has purchased grassfed beef in bulk from a local NM rancher every year. Once we get our half beeve, our freezer is happily stocked for the upcoming year with ground beef, roasts, steaks, organ meats, and more. The ground beef is quick and easy to cook up, but many of the other cuts require long cook times and some require special preparation. One cut that I consistently struggled to know what to do with was the ribs. Year after year, they would li

This is one of my favorite ways to make steak. Rosemary, thyme, and garlic combine with beef for a fabulous taste. We enjoy our steaks cooked medium or medium rare and beautifully red inside. Pair the steaks with a simple side salad and perhaps crispy fried potatoes: dinner is served! Garlic and Herb Pan-Seared Steak Serves 3-4 Three 1-inch-thick beef steaks, such as Rib Eye or T-Bone, or 4 smaller 1-inch steaks such as NY strip (preferably grassfed) 4 cloves garlic 1 Tb co

This will be my daughter Alina's first year at college and my son Ian's sophomore year in high school! I'll be homeschooling Ian solo now 😲 and focusing on Algebra, SAT Prep, Homeopathic Medicine, World History, the Constitution, independent studies, and his passionate interest in cars and robotics. Alina will be attending college part-time, taking Latin, writing, and math alongside her independent studies and working part-time. They will both continue in my Liberty Scholar

I think of zucchini is the ninja vegetable; you don't even know there is one growing under there, and then suddenly you've got a huge zucchini on your hands. Or 2. Or 5. They seem to grow into baseball bats overnight. The zucchinis just keep coming, so we're making lots of ratatouille, southwest zucchini casserole, and sauteed zucchini, throwing zucchini in stews, freezing zucchini, and making lots of Einkorn zucchini bread and muffins. Why Einkorn? My family switched to Ei

Here's a grain-free zucchini bread recipe to enjoy the summer's bounty. Wow, time flies! I originally developed this recipe over 10 years ago, when my daughter was still having sensitivity to wheat and grains. Nowadays, my daughter can eat whatever she wants with no issues, but my husband Ryan still follows a mostly-grain-free diet for his Hashimoto's. Thankfully, Ryan's diet has become progressively less strict over time, and he's been loving having baked goods once again o

Homeopathy is an excellent resource for first-aid for a variety of conditions. Here's a free 40-min homeopathic first-aid class for you, based on over a decade of experience in my homeopathic practice. This class covers: 00:27 *Why first aid is the best way to start learning homeopathy 04:17 *Seek to learn the picture of each remedy 06:14 *Shock 07:46 *Bumps and bruises 09:12 *Nerve and crush injuries 09:47 *Wounds 13:18 *Splinters 15:03 *Burns 17:11 *Sprains and strains 20:3

My kids have been expected to do a fair amount of chores and household responsibilities on a daily basis since they were around 7-9 years old. I used to spend a lot of time and energy trying to keep my kids on-task and stop them from playing when they were supposed to be working. Mostly, this looked like me nagging and getting annoyed: "Kids, focus!" ... "What are you supposed to be doing?" ... "Stop playing and get your stuff done!" Does this sound familiar to you? Or am I t

Like many others, both of my kids started whining when they were toddlers. It always bothered me when they whined. I tried the usual "ask nicely" response, but over time they still reverted to whining when they were upset or frustrated. I was so ready to be done with whining. When my kids were 4 and 7 years old, I read Nicholeen Peck's book, A House United: Changing Children's Hearts and Behaviors by Teaching Self-Government. This excellent book inspired me to change our ho