Joyful, Healthy Living

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