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

Life gets busy sometimes! This recipe is perfect for a busy weeknight when dinner needs to get on the table quickly. Traditional beef fajita recipes are made with skirt steak or flank steak, which is marinated for hours to allow the meat to tenderize. That's all well and good, but on a busy night there's no time for such preparations. This recipe for 30-Minute Ground Beef Fajita Bowls starts with searing the onion and bell pepper to develop some of the characteristic charrin

Here in southern New Mexico, we pass our last frost date near the beginning of May, so it is time to prepare and plant the summer garden. We've been gardening for over 16 years, and in that time we have learned many lessons on what makes gardening successful here. Every location has its own unique challenges, yet there are some basics that every garden needs, including good soil, the right amount of water, and plenty of sunshine. Here is a snapshot of the overall process we u

Math picture books were an important aspect of our homeschool math studies throughout elementary and middle homeschool. Picture books are an engaging, unpressured way to share the joy of math with my children. I never wanted these books to feel like "assignments," so I purposely did NOT emphasize that these were math books. Instead, we just read and enjoyed the books together. Top 25 Math Picture Books Math Biographies Blockhead: The Life of Fibonacci by Joseph D'Agnese Py

Although my husband and I made an informed decision not to vaccinate our own children, I believe the decision of whether or not to vaccinate is a fundamental right of parenthood. For parents who choose to vaccinate, or for people who are compelled to vaccinate by law, below is information about how homeopathy can be used to treat vaccine reactions. Vaccine Reactions are Real The unfortunate truth is that vaccine reactions really do occur. Sometimes the negative effects are

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

" Measles Outbreak! " It's all over the news again here in New Mexico, 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 in

Parents, are you struggling with screen time issues with your kids? We were, too, but here's what worked for us! Harms From Too Much Screen Time Overuse of screens and screen addiction are harming kids. Too much screen time has been linked to: Behavior problems, delayed developmental milestones, and worse vocabulary skills in preschool children Lower reading and math scores in elementary kids Obesity and depression in children and young people Anxiety, behavior issues, depre

This time of year, many are tiring of school and homeschool. Throw away the worksheets and busywork; instead embrace Life Schooling and have fun learning together! Here are 40 ideas for exploration alongside your kids. Read-aloud in the morning and at bedtime (here are 10 Tips for Read Aloud Success ) Go for a daily walk or scooter rides (sunshine = Vitamin D for boosting the immune system) Play board games and card games for the fun of it (and let the math happen naturally

If I could have have just one homeopathic remedy on-hand for acute emotional stresses, it would be Ignatia amara . From grief to homesickness to disappointment, this remedy is indispensable for many of life's emotional stresses. Like all homeopathic remedies, Ignatia works by stimulating the body to fix whatever is wrong, be that on the emotional, mental, or physical level. Rather than suppressing symptoms like conventional medicines do, homeopathic remedies actually work w

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

Storebought lip balms and lotions are generally filled with unhealthy ingredients that can be absorbed through our skin. Organic lotions are pricey and may still not have the best ingredients. For the last 10+ years, my family has been using homemade hard lotion and lip balm. This recipe for homemade hard lotion and lip balm is made from coconut oil, shea butter, and beeswax. Hard lotion is a great all-over body moisturizer, and it is also wonderful to use on any very dry

Did you know that many lotions contain unhealthy ingredients that can be absorbed by your skin? The known harmful effects from lotion ingredients include developmental and reproductive toxicity, endocrine disruption, and organ system toxicity. Getting rid of your lotion can be an important step towards a healthy lifestyle. Here in the desert southwest, our very low humidity and wide range of temperatures can lead to very dry skin. I used to apply lotion to my whole body d

Nutrition is a cornerstone of health. Processed and unnatural foods wreak havoc on the body, whereas real foods support true health. But how do we know what makes a diet truly healthy? Real Foods Research Weston A. Price was a dentist who traveled the world aiming to learn why so many of his patients in the United States had prevalent tooth decay and cavities. Price learned that people who ate traditional foods had virtually no cavities or tooth decay, nor even cancer, d

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

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

Homeopathy and COVID-19 As in past epidemics , homeopathy has proven to be effective at treating COVID-19 illness. As evidenced in a double-blind, randomized study , homeopathic remedies can reduce the likelihood of severe COVID-19 illness and speed up the recovery from the illness. The study found that people using specific homeopathic remedies experienced "a shorter period of illness, with evidence of fewer hospitalizations, than those taking placebo." In treating over 15