A huge part of our path to better health and wellness started over 15 years ago. We just had our 2nd baby, a beautiful baby girl. She started out healthy, but after just 1 month she fell below the charts. It took some time (and trying to convince the doctor) but we finally figured out what the problem was. She had severe thrush, which is why she wouldn’t nurse or take a bottle, it hurt too much. This lead her to become undernourished, which I believe to be the root cause of many of her current dietary needs.
Fast forward a few years…It was fairly common for her to have out-of-the-blue high temps for no apparent reason. By high I mean 104-105 temps. That’s pretty scary for a mom, especially when you have no answers. The doctors didn’t seem too concerned. This happened until she was about 3 years old. By the time she was 5 she was getting blood in her urine, another problem that took time to figure out.
I won’t go into the rest of the story here, instead I’ll direct you to my daughter’s blog (here) where she gives more details about her diagnosis. After reading her post, you will see why it became so important for us to do what we could to take her health, the health of our whole family, into our own hands. We have done loads of research and lots of trial and error. We now feel that, thanks to a few life-changing events back in 2014 (more on this later), we are on the right track. We still have our moments of not knowing what to eat or what steps to take next, but we're making progress!
Read my daughter’s story here.
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Homeschool is certainly on the rise right now, though not all by choice. It can be a hard adjustment, especially if you have been thrown into it. This is my 5th year of homeschooling and I'm still making adjustments. It's certainly not a one size fits all type of thing. Every family has the challenge of figuring out what works best for them. This becomes even more challenging when one of both parents are working from home. How do you fit it all in without going absolutely crazy??
Here's a look at our daily routine. It does change from time to time (one of the benefits of homeschool!) and, yes, we still get dressed and brush our teeth *wink*.
Get up
Get dressed
Eat breakfast
Do chores (feed pets, unload/load dishwasher, etc)
Start school by 9
Done by 11:30 (sometimes earlier)
Have lunch
Quiet time : everyone in their own places for reading (usually school work), crafts, and play time (use that imagination!)
Shows on tv with a snack
Free time
Electronics (usually playing with a friend or cousin online)
Supper
Clean-up
Get ready for bed (showers, pet chores, etc)
While the kids do their school work, I take care of things around the house (unless they need help). During quiet time I get caught up on "adulting" like paying bills, doing some business work, or anything that my brain needs quiet to function. I know this isn't a "one size fits all" kind of schedule, but it works well for my family. I know of many homeschool families who don't really keep to a schedule and it works for them. However, my family tends to be very schedule oriented...even if we don't all admit it. We function so much better when we know what's expected and when it's expected to be done.
So, if you find yourself suddenly having to homeschool and feel as if you are floundering...give yourself some grace! Make the adjustments that suit your family. Have a 10 min break as needed (I do this daily for my 6th grader. Sometimes he'll work for 30 min, then take a break to have some quiet fun. When his break is up, he's able to re-focus and get more work done). Also, check out my guide for less stress!
Here are some of my favorite homeschool curriculum sites.
I'd love to hear any tips/tricks you have for homeschooling!
Happy Homeschooling!
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Step into Lavender & Coffee: A Sip of Serenity, a haven for moms seeking support and community on their journey to fulfilling their roles as wives and mothers with grace and purpose.(for moms only)
Did you know it's super easy to make a powerful foaming hand soap with just 3 ingredients?? What's even better is that you can make it have any scent you want! I, of course, use the Young Living Thieves blend in mine. I may switch it up a bit from time to time, but it's hard to beat Thieves!! This blend has Clove, Lemon, Cinnamon, Eucalyptus Radiata, and Rosemary, giving it a rich, spicy aroma. Add it to some liquid Castile Soap and boom, a powerful cleaning combo!
Thieves Foaming Hand Soap - DIY
Ingredients
- 2 TBS Pure Castile Soap
- 8 oz Distilled Water
- 5 drops Thieves essential oil
Instructions
Combine into an 8 oz foaming soap bottle and gently shake.
Check out the video version here.
My family loves this soap! It doesn't dry out our hands (even though we are all being sure we properly wash them!), it smells wonderful, and it's an amazing combo for all sorts of goodness.
If you make this soap, please be sure to share with us your favorite essential oil combos to use.
Interested in more ways to stay healthy? Check out my FREE guide on ways adopting a more natural lifestyle can change your life. Bonus: Immune Boosting Rollerball Recipe!
Join our HomeGrown Homestead community—a place where we learn, grow, and share our homesteading journey together, fostering a bond of shared wisdom and experience. (everyone is welcome!)
Step into Lavender & Coffee: A Sip of Serenity, a haven for moms seeking support and community on their journey to fulfilling their roles as wives and mothers with grace and purpose.(for moms only)
I'll be the first to admit that exercise, more often than not, is lacking in my life. Why? Well, like everyone, I have a long list of excuses:
I don't have time.
I don't have time.
I don't enjoy it.
I'm too tired.
I'm too tired.
I'm too out of shape.
These are just a few of my more common reasons. But the fact is, when I take time to exercise on a regular basis, I feel SO much better! As a busy stay at home, work at home, homeschool mom, finding the right time to exercise can be interesting. I don't like an audience, so I need a peaceful, uninterrupted time. Even then, I want it to be quick.
Here are a few ways I have found to easily fit exercise into my schedule without it "interfering" with my life:
- Use an app on the phone.
- One of my favorites is the Daily Yoga app. It has a variety of yoga
routines to fit everyone from beginner to advanced. - My daughter likes to use the Workout for Women app (7M Women). It has a variety of workouts that can be done in just 7 minutes. She and I like to do some of these together, giving me an accountability partner.
- One of my favorites is the Daily Yoga app. It has a variety of yoga
- Take a family walk or hike. Just 20 min a day can do wonders for you! Not only are you getting some exercise, you are also getting fresh air!
- Take a family bike ride.
- Pinterest. Man, there are sooooo many options!
- Online. These days you can find anything online, right? That goes for personal trainers too. No need to go to the gym, you can pull up a video or site and get to work!
- Clean the house. Yep, that's right..think it's not exercise? Think again! While it's not full blown exercise, it is considered a mild form of it. Add it to a regular routine of exercise and you're on to something! Here's an interesting article you can read about it.
These are all fairly simple ways to get started. Once you adjust to short spurts of activity, you can add to it and really get your body moving! Remember to drink water as you move. I love adding a drop of Peppermint to mine to help refresh my body and keep me moving!
Interested in more ways to stay healthy? Check out my FREE guide on ways adopting a more natural lifestyle can change your life. Bonus: Immune Boosting Rollerball Recipe!
Join our HomeGrown Homestead community—a place where we learn, grow, and share our homesteading journey together, fostering a bond of shared wisdom and experience. (everyone is welcome!)
Step into Lavender & Coffee: A Sip of Serenity, a haven for moms seeking support and community on their journey to fulfilling their roles as wives and mothers with grace and purpose.(for moms only)
What Do You Do To Relax During Trying Times?There are several ways to relax and unwind. The key is finding the ways that work best for you and then DOING them. This is especially needed now when a lot of us are being forced to stay home. As a homeschool family, this isn't very new to us. Different, yes, because some of our extra activities have been cancelled as well. However, we have to find ways to keep the peace around the home on a daily basis.
Here are some things I have found to help:
1. Spend time alone with God. This could be any time frame, even just 15-20 min. You might be surprised the difference this can make. Pray, read your Bible, meditate on what it says.
1. Spend time alone with God. This could be any time frame, even just 15-20 min. You might be surprised the difference this can make. Pray, read your Bible, meditate on what it says.
2. Have quiet time each day, for everyone. Every day after lunch we have quiet time. It doesn't matter that my kids are between the ages of 12-17...we still have quiet time. This is a time where we each go to our own areas. Since not everyone has their own bedroom, we split it where 1 person is in the bedroom and the other is in the living room. No matter how it's done, having individual space for a time is very helpful! What do we do during this time? For the kids this is time to read (usually doing school work), craft (something quietly in their area), and play (gotta keep creative juices flowing!). For me it's when I get my work done or do little things around the house that I need quiet for.
3. Spend at least 20 min reading something you enjoy.
4. Enjoy a hot cup of coffee or tea. There's nothing I love more than to sit and enjoy a hot cup of coffee in the morning (or afternoon!) and a hot cup of tea in the evening to help me unwind for the night.
5. Journal 15 min a day. Write down your thoughts and feelings, goals, events of the day, anything on your mind. This helps get your thoughts out, no right or wrong, so that you can declutter your mind.
6. Get the sleep you need...not too much, not too little. Every one is different. I could simply say "sleep 8 hour a night", however, there are some who do even better with just 6 hours, others need 9. Know your body. Pay attention to what works for you. Going to bed and getting up at the same time every day also helps.7. Keep things clean and organized. I don't know about you, but I function much better if things are clean and where they belong. My guys will claim it doesn't matter, but even they show a change in attitude when things are nice and tidy. This could be something as simple as taking 15 min a day for every one to do a quick clean up.
8. Keep a diffuser going. There are so many soothing scents. Play around with some of your favorites and get that diffuser going!
9. Listen to calming music. Use Pandora or any app you can create a playlist on. Just turn it on and take time to chill.
10. Unplug. Yep, it's always a good idea to unplug at least an hour before going to bed at night. I'll admit that I have a hard time doing that. However, if an hour is too difficult to do, then shoot for 30 min. You may find that giving your mind time to relax from all of the "action" helps you rest better at night. It's also a good idea to limit your use throughout the day.
11.Take a soothing bath. I love to add lavender to epsom salts and enjoy a quite bath at the end of the day. If taking a bath isn't an option, opt for a foot bath!
11.Take a soothing bath. I love to add lavender to epsom salts and enjoy a quite bath at the end of the day. If taking a bath isn't an option, opt for a foot bath!
12. Spend some time outdoors. Get some Vitamin D, the natural way! That's easier said than done with all the rain we've been having. However, it can still do wonders for you to just step outside and enjoy some fresh air for just a few minutes every day. Take time to enjoy all that God has created in nature.
Join our HomeGrown Homestead community—a place where we learn, grow, and share our homesteading journey together, fostering a bond of shared wisdom and experience. (everyone is welcome!)
Step into Lavender & Coffee: A Sip of Serenity, a haven for moms seeking support and community on their journey to fulfilling their roles as wives and mothers with grace and purpose.(for moms only)
