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

Beginning when my kids were around 4 and 7 years old, I implemented techniques from the book A House United: Changing Children's Hearts and Behaviors by Teaching Self-Government, by Nicholeen Peck. These techniques made a profound difference in our household. With the skills and understanding I gained from this book, there was an obvious positive shift in our family dynamics and the contentedness of our day-to-day lives. Begin With the End In-Mind When I first started readin

Here's inspiration for a classics-focused class for high school homeschoolers. Over the last year and a half, I've worked out the kinks and built a successful classics-focused program for local teens called Liberty Scholars. My goal with this program is to help kids be prepared for adulthood, civic duty, and leadership, with a solid foundation in US constitutional principles and classics. Overall, this is what the program looks like: Reading two classic books per month (gene

Ranch dressing is a staple item in our household. We use it as a salad dressing, as a dip for veggie sticks and homemade pizza, and as a sandwich condiment. But storebought ranch dressing is loaded with unhealthy soy/canola oil, with a dash of MSG. No thank you! Fortunately, homemade ranch dressing is easy to make and much healthier! Here's the recipe I've used for 10+ years, based on sour cream, raw milk kefir, and organic spices. The milk kefir adds wonderful flavor and a

Hiking has been an essential part of our homeschool curriculum for many years. Through hiking, kids can learn how to do hard things, gain an understanding of the natural world and different ecosystems, enjoy the restorative powers of nature's beauty, and get plenty of movement, fresh air, and sunshine (for Vitamin D). Sometimes, there are bumps or bruises, insect bites, or fatigued muscles along the way, so I like to bring along a few homeopathic remedies just in case. Scroll

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