8 Ways to Keep Kids Learning Over the Summer

8 Ways to Keep Kids Learning Over the Summer

Summers are meant for sticky, drippy popsicles, running through sprinklers, camping in the woods, and lazy afternoons of reading on the lawn. But they’re also a perfect time for learning.

What’s that? Your children are done with school and this is supposed to be their break?

I get that. My kids love taking a break from formal “school” as much as the next kid. But that’s not really what I’m talking about.

One of the values we have in our family is to raise children who are lifelong learners. We want them to be self-motivated learners who not only enjoy expanding their minds and exploring new topics, but also intentionally seek out opportunities to learn outside of school and long after graduation.

We strive to do this in a number of ways, including creating a rich learning environment in our home, being constant learners ourselves, and always speaking about education as both a blessing and privilege, as well as something’s that pretty darn awesome.

To go along with our philosophy, we don’t think of summer as a time to lock the books in a cupboard and let the kids drift along until after Labor Day weekend, but rather a time to encourage unique ways of learning that both entertain them during long summer days, and also instill in them a deep love of learning that will serve them the rest of their lives.

I’ve compiled a list of some fabulous ways that you can keep your kid’s minds active and ever-expanding this summer, no boring workbooks required.

Take nature walks and make sketch books

*This nature sketch is taken from my sweet friend Diana’s Instagram account… she’s a wonderful Charlotte Mason-influenced homeschooler*

This is a homeschool technique made popular by the Charlotte Mason method. You can learn more about it (and see some page examples) here.

It’s an incredibly simple but beautiful way to help children develop a love of nature, improve their sketching skills, increase their ability to make careful, patient observations, and learn more about the wildlife and plant life around them. You definitely don’t have to be a homeschooler to let your kids loose in nature and arm them with notebooks and pencil crayons!

Dive into summer reading lists and challenges

I love it best when my kids get all bookwormy and sequester themselves off in hidden corners of the house to read until someone discovers them. But sometimes it doesn’t happen that way and I have to stir a little incentive into the pot.

Though I frequently buy new books with my kids in mind or sift though our extensive library of used books and suggest fun options to them, it can be even more helpful to do something like a summer reading challenge.

Most local libraries offer summer reading lists, special sheets or checklists to record what your kids have read, and often even prizes for reading, which can be hugely motivating. There are also many online summer programs you can use (like this one) or listen to this podcast for more ideas to spark summer reading.

Looking for good book recommendations? I love this extensive reading list.

Play online math games

This can be more fun than it sounds, I promise!

Math is one of those subjects that can be easily forgotten over the summer months, so I like finding ways for my kids to keep practicing. Here are a few options:

• Starfall – It’s free and perfect for littles (esp. preschool and early elementary). There is also a paid option that gives you full access to all of their videos and games. Their phonics activities are also great.
• Splash Math – This isn’t free, but I’ve heard excellent reviews and they even have a program specifically for summer time.
• Math Seeds – This is from the makers of Reading Eggs. Again, it’s not free though they do offer a free trial. This is really fun for ages 3-8 (my son who struggles with math loved this one).
• Mathletics – This is our favorite. Our kids found this one extremely motivating. They can work through specific topics in a systematic way (according to grade) and earn rewards, but there’s also something called Live Mathletics where they can do math racesvwith kids all over the world in real time! It’s definitely the most expensive, so it’s only worth it if you’ll use it all year or as a homeschooling supplement (which is how we use it).

Listen to audiobooks

Whether it’s for hot, muggy days or long drives, audiobooks are such a wonderful option. If you choose them carefully, they can even be entertaining for the entire family.

Here’s a list of 40 kid-friendly audiobooks (we’ve found some winners from this list). I also recently learned that Spotify has audiobooks!

We’re big fans of the Story of the World recordings. These are technically part of a history curriculum, but they’re read delightfully by Jim Weiss and so interesting, you’ll all want to listen for hours on end. And here’s another resource I just heard about this week, with stories from around the world.

Encourage them in a new hobby

Our older children’s current favorite thing this summer has been magic tricks. They’ve been watching magic videos and YouTube channels with their dad, and then spending hours each day practicing and perfecting their tricks, then performing “magic shows” in our living room in the evening.

There are so many things that can be self-studied – perhaps a martial art like Taekwondo (our 11-year-old self-studied on the internet this year and we were surprised at how much she picked up!), art or crafting or sewing techniques, a new sport (we’re all currently learning to play tennis), or perhaps something musical, a type of computer programming or coding, or even a new language. The possibilities are endless.

Teach your kids to cook

Now this… this is definitely the gift of learning that keeps on giving throughout the school year, right, moms? Who doesn’t want to be able to have their kids make breakfast or lunch by themselves?

My favorite resource for teaching kids to cook is my friend Katie’s excellent class, Kids Cook Real Food (AFFILIATE LINK NEEDED). It’s not currently open for new members, but will be again later in the summer. Another course for teaching kids to cook real food is the kids module that’s a part of Traditional Cooking School (AFFILIATE LINK NEEDED). My oldest daughter used this a lot when she was 8 and it really inspired her to do more in the kitchen.

You can also look for simple recipes to show your kids and then let them try on their own. I’ve tried to find helpful YouTube cooking channels but honestly, I haven’t found any good ones for kids that aren’t heavily focused on baking and making junky treats (this website was the closest I came to finding something useful). I’d stick to choosing recipes or tutorial videos for adults that you think they could follow along with. (But if you know of a great YouTube channel, please share in the comments!)

Learn about local birds or other wildlife

Our kids love spotting birds, squirrels, lizards, frogs, insects and any other living creature that wanders near them, but it’s even better when they can identify what they’re seeing. We just moved to a new part of the country a couple weeks ago so we’re not sure about the local species, but it’s easy to buy local field guides (or find them at the library) OR use the internet as the incredible source of info that it is.

By simply googling “guide Ontario birds” (Ontario is our province, so try looking up your local area), I found these genuinely helpful resources:

Bird-watching is just one easy example, but maybe you’ve got kids who are into creepy crawlies, or want to learn more about forest wildlife, or you could study up on fish or sea animals if you’ll be the coast or vacationing at a lake.

Look for local classes

Most community or recreation centers offer not only the usual swimming classes or summer day camps, but also specialty classes on particular sports (like soccer, badminton, or basketball), dance or gymnastics, art or music, or even technology, lego building, robotics, and much more.

Summer is also a great time for older kids to take first aid courses, life-guarding, or babysitting certification. We also found that the local performing arts center offers a wide variety of art, music, and drama related classes throughout the summer.

How do you keep your kids learning over the summer?

Photo credits: girl reading, boy with telescope, bird.

Original article and pictures take keeperofthehome.org site

8 Ways to Dress Your Hippie Baby

8 Ways to Dress Your Hippie Baby

**This post is sponsored by Doodle Pants.**

When I was pregnant with my fifth baby, I felt such peace. It was almost weird — I’d worried so much about random things with my other babies, and yet, I had no worries this time. I felt like I was connected with him (although I didn’t know it was ‘him’ yet). It was all very Earth-mother hippie-like.

Part of me wanted to dress my baby more like a hippie, just totally embrace the ‘natural’ ways and show it off to the world. It’s silly, really. But also kind of fun.

That’s why I thought I’d share this. How you, too, can dress your baby like a hippie!

8 Ways to Dress Your Hippie Baby

#1) Wear Nothing At All

This is my 3-year-old’s favorite — and judging from pictures of my friends’ kids in my newsfeed, many of their favorites, too. What’s more natural than your birthday suit?

#2) Keep That Hair Long

For boys and girls alike. We have several friends who have boys with longer hair. There’s just something that screams “hippie” about flowing tresses.

#3) Just the Diaper

A cloth diaper alone — and it’s gotta be cloth — is totally hippie! Bonus points if it’s a flat with a pin, or a prefold with a wool cover.

#4) Activist T-Shirts

Try “I was born at home” or “His body, his choice” or ” Vaccine free!” Really, anything you are proud of and want to shout to the world.

#5) Leggings, Leggings, and More Leggings

Sweet little leggings are great for both boys and girls. There are tights-style leggings that go over the diaper, and leg-warmer leggings that only cover the legs. They go great under skirts or as pants!

We got the sweetest little rainbow and cow leggings from Doodle Pants!

#6) All the Colors

Hippies love colors. Use them on babies and enjoy them! Bright rainbow colors are especially awesome. Like our rainbow leggings from Doodle Pants.

#7) Sundresses Galore

For your little lady, all the sundresses. The soft, cotton, play-dress type that looks almost vintage — if you can find it. Boys can get in on the act with long t-shirts or kimono-type outfits!

#8) Keep It Simple

Really, hippie is all about natural and simple. Go with what’s easy — t-shirts, onesies, the cute leggings, soft pants…. It’s perfect! It’s easy! Babies love it.

Doodle Pants

I was recently introduced to Doodle Pants, which is a WAHM-run business. They make super cute, soft clothes that are specifically made for healthy, natural babies. Their leggings (they don’t even do pants) are cut generously to cover those cloth diapered baby butts.

They are adorable — the outfits above are from them. So is this:

You can see his cloth diapers in the background, and his soft-soled shoes on his feet. Total hippie baby, right? That’s my fifth, and he’s almost a year old now. It’s crazy.

Anyway, Doodle Pants has clothes just for the little ones — from around 3 months to 3T. Caleb is wearing an 18-month body suit and size large leggings in this picture. (Because he’s a Giant Baby. The biggest of my kids.)

The stuff is soft and seems like it’ll hold up well. And it’s adorable, and not heavy on the masculine stuff, and no weird sayings. That’s nice too. Sometimes you just want some plain ol’ animal and nature pictures and not all that nonsense about being handsome or fighting off the ladies…for a baby…amiright?

You should check them out. If you enter your email address on their site, you’ll get 15% off your order! (Shop now.)

How do you dress your hippie baby?

Ready to get started living a healthier life? This complete, 50-page guide will walk you through the steps, product swaps, recipes, and more that you need to get started today!

Original article and pictures take modernalternativemama.com site

8 Tips for Controlling Asthma Naturally

8 Tips for Controlling Asthma Naturally

By Justyn Lang, Contributing Writer

My husband has had asthma since he was a child and was on different “maintenance” inhalers (aka, “steroids”) and albuterol for years. He was warned that not using these inhalers could cause horrible damage to his lungs. Not one doctor mentioned the risks and side effects of these powerful drugs. You can go to www.drugs.com to check out the side effects for yourself. The heart and central nervous system can have all kinds of crazy reactions, which is scary.

His asthma is allergy- and exercise-induced, so outdoor activities always required frequent puffs on his “rescue” inhaler. Whenever he used the albuterol, it was extremely difficult to stop. He would have rebound attacks for days, which either meant using more and more albuterol, or suffering through hours of horrible wheezing. To get through it, he would have to consume huge amounts of caffeine and sit (usually all night) in a steam-filled bathroom, just to be able to breathe.

Young woman using asthma inhaler.

8 Tips for Controlling Asthma Naturally

A few years ago, he decided to try to completely wean himself off these dangerous drugs. This was long before we knew anything about “real foods”, but I did know a bit about herbs. We had already had some success with large amounts of caffeine to get him through the initial attack from quitting the inhalers, but I hoped to find a healthier and more effective alternative.

Lobelia was my first discovery. Everything I read said it would help relax his chest and make breathing easier. I added some to a cup of tea… it did NOTHING. Completely worthless. We were so disappointed, but he made it through the initial withdrawal attack. After that, we just tried really hard to avoid any asthma triggers. Hmm. That would be exertion and the great outdoors. Hard things to avoid, so he wheezed a lot.

I continued to study herbs to treat other ailments, but I had pretty much given up on anything helping with asthma. Then, I stumbled upon one little sentence about lobelia that hadn’t been in any of the other books I’d read. “Do not heat.” Turns out, heat destroys the beneficial properties in lobelia. I had squirted the tincture into a hot cup of tea, which made it useless. I was so excited about this discovery that I redoubled my efforts to find ways to help my hubby. Here’s what we discovered over the last couple of years…

1. Half a dropper of lobelia tincture in a room-temperature cup of water works wonders!

Start out slowly and work your way up, though. Large amounts can induce vomiting, and everybody has a different threshold. Some people have great success applying it topically.

2. Inhaling clary sage essential oil opens up the respiratory tract and helps stop an attack.

It can be put in a diffuser, a bowl of steaming water, the floor of a shower, or even smelled straight from the bottle.

3. Magnesium

It is essential for muscles to properly relax. Due to depleted soil, many people are deficient in magnesium, so it is one of the very few supplements we take.

It is an excellent anti-inflammatory, which is helpful in reducing asthmatic tendencies.

This is THE herb for reducing allergies. Taking it before being exposed to a known allergen can prevent an attack in the first place.

This is another safe and nutritious anti-inflammatory supplement. Ground turmeric can be taken in capsules, but you can also cook some delicious Indian food with lots of turmeric!

7. Eliminate Food Dyes

Asthma might be triggered by food additives, such as MSG or food colorings. These should be avoided for this, and many other reasons.

8. Eliminate Gluten (or Other Sensitive Foods)

Last December, our family went gluten-free for one month. During that time, my husband’s asthma completely disappeared. Although we now consume gluten again, we know that going gluten-free would be helpful if ever he is having a difficult time in the future. Consider food sensitivities as a possible cause. The GAPS diet might be worth trying, if herbal remedies aren’t enough for you.

Since switching to real foods last January, my husband seldom wheezes. I believe diet is more of a contributing factor than seasonal allergies or exercise. When he does have the occasional wheezing, the remedies above have proven to be even more effective than traditional drugs. He doesn’t have rebound attacks, and we aren’t risking his health by using these! The only “maintenance” we do is avoiding food additives as much as possible, though we do take the freeze-dried nettle quite often for allergies. It is highly nutritious and has no negative side-effects, so we’re okay with that.

Note from Kate: A recent study also showed that raw milk has a protective effect against asthma.

NOTE: If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, do not use the lobelia or clary sage without the supervision of a qualified medical professional. I’d suggest a naturopathic doctor, who may prescribe something more suitable for a pregnant woman.

Have you tried controlling asthma naturally? What worked for you?

Original article and pictures take www.modernalternativehealth.com site

8 Things I Learned from the First Half of My Pregnancy

8 Things I Learned from the First Half of My Pregnancy

As a first-time mom, everything was new to me. The hormones, the feelings, and all the good and bad my husband and I went through during the first four to five months of pregnancy was such an incredible experience. Although I had a rough first half that was full of morning sickness and some dark days (more on that below), when I look back on the first 20 weeks of pregnancy, I feel like they flew by! Funny how that happens.

Now that there are less than two months to go, I’m reflecting on what I learned the first half of pregnancy… which was a lot.

1. The biology of it all blew me away.

Wait, you mean there is a human growing in my belly? Whoa. The science of how a baby develops from smaller than a poppy seed to bigger than a melon, all while inside of another human being, is simply mind-blowing. It was just incredible to read about the growth going on inside of me, and wonder in awe about how this was all happening.

2. The gratitude and fear were overwhelming.

When I found out I was pregnant and every day since, I have been both overwhelmed with gratitude that we were able to get pregnant and fear that we are going to be parents – PARENTS – to a real-life child. What?!!

It’s exhilarating and nerve-racking all at one time. I was scared of hurting the baby somehow, and was terrified of miscarriage. And thoughts about the whole labor process? Yikes. Certainly a bit scary, and made even more intense by hormones. Oh, the hormones. You feel alllll the feelings, my friends.

3. I have a newfound respect and appreciation for my body.

Along the same lines of #1 and #2, I am forever grateful that my body, one that at times I have mistrusted and hated, was creating this little guy. As I wrote on my blog, after years of severe, chronic health problems, multiple hormone treatments, trying what felt like every supplement and dietary change out there, experiencing flare-ups and bumps in the road, and not knowing when or if I’d be able to get pregnant, I was over the moon. I was proud, mystified, and thankful for my body and all that it was doing to create our baby bump.

This isn’t talked about nearly enough, but prenatal depression, blues, or whatever you want to call it is real and experienced by many, many women. It’s hard to express what it felt like, especially as I would never want to diminish the gratitude and excitement I had felt to be pregnant (see #1 – #3), but there were certainly some hard times.

For much of the first few months, I felt like I was living in a fog. I just wanted to sleep, and felt hopeless that I’d ever feel like myself again. It reminded me of when I had been so sick, so many years ago, which was scary and sad. It was confusing – how could I feel so happy to be pregnant, but so down in the dumps? The fatigue was consuming, I had no appetite, and I had lost my lust for life. It was also a strange conundrum as we weren’t telling a lot of people that I was pregnant yet. On top of everything, I was also concerned about ‘not being on top of my game’ and how I was being perceived by my colleagues, and others who didn’t know yet.

Luckily, at about 16 weeks, I started to feel better, and by 20 weeks, I was consistently feeling back to myself, and felt the sadness/hopelessness lift for good. If you’re going through the same thing, don’t hesitate to tell someone – your doctor, partner, friend, etc. – and get help. I remember talking to my husband about it a lot. Having his support throughout those dark days was crucial, and taught me a lot about our marriage and the amazing man I married.

5. A support system is critical.

Whether your pregnancy is easy or hard, leaning on others is so helpful. I don’t know what I would have done without my hubby who took over all house and puppy duties so I could sleep, and my parents who made it through Thanksgiving and Christmas with me as a shell of myself, and did everything they could to help me feel better… including three trips in one day to the drug store to get me sea bands and other nausea relief. They say it takes a village to raise a baby, but I’ll add that it takes a village to support mamas-to-be before the baby even arrives!

6. I am stronger than I think.

I look back on the first half of pregnancy and realize that I am so much stronger than I thought! Similar to #3, I learned that I actually am very resilient, and don’t give my body nearly enough credit. Cooking up a baby is hard work, and I needed to have faith in my body and the strength that I developed throughout those hard months.

7. An 8:00 bedtime is perfectly acceptable.

So, back to that whole ‘my body is a baby oven’ thing… our bodies go through a million changes in pregnancy, and we need to do what we can to take care of ourselves. For me, that meant I couldn’t keep my eyes open past 8:00, so I’d accept it and go to bed. Fortunately, I could because I had help (see #5 above), but I learned that I had to do what I had to do to make this baby! I also realized that saying no to things is a-okay, and that not going to the gym, eating perfectly, or sticking to my usual self-care routines was not the end of the world.

8. The baby’s first movements make it all real.

Those first few weeks of feeling kicks, especially the first time I felt the baby move, are magical. Every somersault, jab, kick, and hiccup is a joyous reminder of what’s happening in your body. All of the experiences, feelings, and lessons of pregnancy come together in those surreal moments when you feel your baby move inside you. It all becomes real, and the gratitude just flows and flows.

What an amazing journey it’s been, and will continue to be once this little one arrives. I cannot wait to meet him!

Alexandra Maul, MPH is a health educator, writer, and coach. After experiencing debilitating chronic health issues and learning how to heal, she created Made to Glow, an interactive community and healthy living guide that educates and inspires others around healthy eating, self-care practices, and non-toxic living. Alex is passionate about empowering others to feel their best, and loves to share kitchen tips, naturally gluten-free and dairy-free recipes, relaxation and fitness suggestions, and ways to live lean, clean, and green. Connect with Alex on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest.

When we feel whole, balanced, and healthy, we radiate from the inside out. We are all made to glow!

Original article and pictures take redandhoney.com site

8 Staple Smoothies You Should Know How to Make

8 Staple Smoothies You Should Know How to Make

I know it’s January. I know it’s like -30 degrees outside. Some of you may even have snow (oh snow, how I miss you, come back to me!). But I’m a believer that it is never too cold to have an awesome smoothie! Since smoothies are such a tasty way to pack in a ton of nutrients, I put on a big sweater and happily drink them even when the temps are frigid.

I thought I’d pull together a comprehensive how-to on making eight staple smoothies. I consider these smoothies “classic” because they are great flavor and health combos that please everyone! These are the kinds of smoothies that I think everyone should know how to make, and chances are, you’ll find a favorite combo among these recipes.

There really is no wrong way to make a smoothie, but I think these recipes are a great jumping off point if the blender intimidates you. I’ve included the full recipe for all eight smoothies below. I’d love for you to share your favorite classic smoothie in the comments!

But, before we dig into the recipes, I want to serve up a big glass of Smoothie 101 for you. Here are my smoothie “rules” that I stick by to help me make sure my smoothies are always yummy:

1. Use a good blender. If you’re in the smoothie-making business, you should invest in a great blender. Trust me, it’s worth the cash not to have to chew your smoothie. I worked with a lower quality blender for years, and it was always frustrating to make a smoothie (and I broke the thing twice!). Vitamix and Blendtec are both well-loved and highly recommended. I personally use a Ninja Ultima. I love it because it’s just as powerful as those “big” brands, but a lot more affordable. No need to take out a second mortgage on your house just to make some smoothies.
2. Use your (unsweetened) milk of choice. If you’re a fan of coconut milk, use it. Like cow’s milk? Go for it. A fan of almond milk? Cool. Use whatever milk you like in your smoothies—you can’t go wrong. I just recommend you stick to unsweetened and unflavored versions. That gives you the most control of the smoothie.
3. Sweeten to taste. All of these smoothies here use frozen banana as a base (more on that in a sec), and bananas vary in sweetness. My recommendation is to blend up your smoothie without any added sweetener, then taste. Add in honey or maple syrup to taste. Many times, I don’t need to add anything! Another great natural option for sweetening: pitted Medjool dates. Throw in one or two of those bad boys and let the blender do it’s thing. You’d be amazed at how sweet your smoothie will be!
4. Stock the freezer for easy smoothies. I throw a frozen banana into every single smoothie I make. It adds a lot of creaminess, sweetness, and nutrition, and honestly, bananas are just yummy as all get out. When I go grocery shopping, I buy the biggest ripe bunch I can find. Then when I get home, I peel them, break them into chunks, and then freeze them flat on a cookie sheet. When solid, I transfer them to a ziptop freezer bag.
5. Use your creativity for mix-ins. The smoothie recipes below are plain—no chia-hemp-protein powder concoctions. But if you want to expand your smoothie horizons, go for it! Toss in chia seeds or protein powder or hemp seeds or flax or whatever else makes your heart happy. If you have a standard set of mix-ins you like, you can even freeze them into booster packs—great for really quick and easy smoothies!

And if you want to make it your own, here are my suggestions:

• Don’t like or can’t eat bananas? Sub in 1/2 cup additional plain Greek yogurt (to add creaminess) plus 1 tablespoon additional sweetener and a handful of ice cubes in place of the frozen banana in these recipes. Other options: canned pineapple, sweetened yogurt, canned pears. Adding half a ripe avocado can really help make up for the creaminess that bananas usually add, too.
• Want to make them vegan? Use plant-based Greek yogurt (there are really great coconut milk ones out there now) and stick to maple syrup and plant-based milks.

Alright, enough of me lecturing you. Let me dig into my eight classic smoothie recipes. Master these guys, and you’ll have an awesome repertoire of smoothie knowledge to tap into anytime you want to fire up your blender. Happy blending!

Recommended Products to Help You Rock Smoothies

Classic Green Smoothie

It doesn’t get more healthy that a green smoothie, now does it? Green smoothies sound (and, honestly, look) like they wouldn’t taste the greatest, but if you do them right, they are sweet, balanced, and have no flavor of the greens! I’m a lightweight and use fresh baby spinach in my green smoothies because you can’t taste it at all. If you’re a little more hardcore on the health food front, you can try kale, collards, or even chard! The truth is, you can make almost any smoothie a green smoothie by tossing a handful of greens in. The end result might look yucky (the combo of strawberries and spinach results in a particularly gross gray color), but it’ll taste delicious!

To make it, blend together:

• 1 frozen banana
• 1 cup greens (baby spinach, destemmed kale, collards, chard, etc.)
• 1 cup unsweetened milk (nut, soy, animal)
• Honey or maple syrup, to taste

Orange Dreamsicle Smoothie

Who needs ice cream when you can make a smoothie that tastes like your favorite frozen treat? It’s really important to have a high-powered blender for this one, because standard blenders can’t handle the orange slices very well.

To make it, blend together:

• 1 frozen banana
• 1 orange, peeled or 2 clementines, peeled
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup unsweetened milk (nut, soy, animal)
• Honey or maple syrup, to taste

Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie

This is another dessert-like smoothie—you can’t beat the classic combo of peanut butter and chocolate! You can adjust the chocolate intensity of this smoothie by tweaking the amount of cocoa powder you add.

To make it, blend together:

• 1 frozen banana
• 1 cup unsweetened milk (nut, soy, animal)
• 1 tablespoon natural peanut butter
• 1–3 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• Honey or maple syrup, to taste

Creamy Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

This smoothie is Juniper’s favorite! Mama likes it, too, because not only is it super tasty, but it’s got a nice boost of protein thanks to the Greek yogurt and peanut butter. I usually throw in a handful of spinach, too.

To make it, blend together:

• 2 frozen bananas
• 2 tablespoons natural peanut butter
• 1 cup unsweetened milk (nut, soy, animal)
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• Honey or maple syrup, to taste

Pina Colada Smoothie

This is a healthy virgin version of your favorite tropical cocktail! Coconut milk really adds to the tropical flavor, but if you don’t have any, other kinds of milk will work fine, too.

To make it, blend together:

• 2 frozen bananas
• 1 cup pineapple chunks (canned or fresh)
• 1 cup coconut milk (from the can)
• Honey or maple syrup, to taste

Strawberry Banana Smoothie

If you walk into any smoothie bar or coffeehouse, you’ll probably find a strawberry-banana smoothie on the menu. And that’s because it’s a yummy combo that everyone loves!

To make it, blend together:

• 1 frozen banana
• 1/2 cup frozen strawberries
• 1 cup unsweetened milk (nut, soy, animal)
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• Honey or maple syrup, to taste

Mocha Smoothie

If you’re a coffee-aholic, this smoothie is for you! It uses leftover coffee to add lots of java flavor. My tip for dealing with leftover coffee—pour it into an ice cube tray and freeze. Then you have coffee cubes ready for mocha smoothies (or iced coffee) whenever you need them.

To make it, blend together:

• 1 frozen banana
• 1 cup strong-brewed coffee
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• Honey or maple syrup, to taste

Mixed Berry Smoothie

If you head to the frozen fruit section at your local grocery store, you’ll probably spy a few bags of mixed berries. They usually contain strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries. These are perfect for an antioxidant-packed, tasty smoothie!

To make it, blend together:

• 1 frozen banana
• 1 cup frozen mixed berries
• 1 cup unsweetened milk (nut, soy, animal)
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• Honey or maple syrup, to taste

Get more smoothie recipes!

There you have it! My favorite eight staple smoothie recipes. If you’re looking to get your hands on more great smoothie recipes, you’re in luck, because I have a eCookbook out right now called 13 Simple Smoothies! The best part? It is totally free if you sign up to receive emails from Wholefully! No spam. And you can unsubscribe whenever you’d like (and keep your eCookbook). Get started here!

Original article and pictures take wholefully.com site

8 Reasons Our Family Goes To The Farmer’s Market Every Week

8 Reasons Our Family Goes To The Farmer’s Market Every Week

I don’t remember exactly when I fell in love with our local farmer’s market, but ask anyone who knows me and they’ll tell you where to find me on a Wednesday morning.

I can’t help it. Once mid-May rolls around (and straight through the fall), it’s a fixed event on the calendar. I love everything about the market, and if you’re not already sold on one in your area, I hope to have you convinced to make a trip before I’m through.

For six plus months out of the year (and more if you live somewhere warmer than Michigan), local farmer’s markets provide some of the very best products and produce around.

Not only are they thoughtfully, sustainably, and often organically grown, they’re cultivated within a small enough radius that we can eat “where we live” for at least half of the year–more if I get creative with chopping, prepping and stocking our freezer.

I’ve tried my hand at gardening a little here and there, and I hope to hone my green thumb more as our family grows, but outside of growing our food in our own backyard, nothing beats handfuls of veggies and fruits from our farmer friends at the market.

Now that we have two little ones in tow, every trip to the market is an adventure in color, taste, and texture.

The kiddos have lots of questions and are always pointing out something I would have otherwise missed. It’s delightful to watch them explore!

On our weekly trips, I try to make sure there’s opportunity for a lesson or two, interaction with new faces, and something new in our basket to take us out of our comfort zone.

I’ve thought a lot about why taking our kids to the market is so important to me, and here’s why I recommend it as a family outing on a regular basis.

Why Our Family Goes To The Farmers Market Every Week:

1. Rain or shine, it’s a reliable outdoor activity.

Farmers don’t discriminate based on weather (unless it’s dangerous, of course), so we can always count on it as a go-to activity, no matter what’s happening outside.

When other plans would be otherwise cancelled, we just pack our umbrellas and throw on coats and rain boots. Then, we enjoy fewer crowds and more time to talk with the growers and farmers as we wander.

2. It’s community-based and people who frequent are like-minded.

I’ve never met a grumpy person at the market. It’s as though we’ve all come to slow down and savor, and in doing so, something wonderful happens in our interactions.

We regularly run into friends, turning market mornings into impromptu play dates and time for moms to connect.

If the food trucks are out, a morning market trip might carry right on through until nap time. There are so many possibilities when we arrive with no agenda but to savor what we find.

3. Transactions are always teachable moments for our kiddos.

They’re still quite small, so it’s fun to guide our kids through a purchase–selecting the right produce or goods, making conversation with the people at each stand, counting out bills and change to make a purchase, and using manners as we come and go.

I love the look on my son’s face when he’s chosen his own food, paid for it, and been polite through the exchange. There’s a tangible sense of accomplishment for everyone in this scenario.

4. We learn what’s in season, and then we eat in season, too.

At this time of year in the Midwest, produce is really peaking with some of our favorites…fresh herbs have been available for weeks now, blueberries, cherries and peaches are in full swing, and greens, onions and peppers are coloring up salad bowls at the dinner table.

Apples are around the corner, and we’ve just enjoyed a run of strawberries, asparagus and peas to round out some amazing summer options.

As we head into the fall, we’ll stock up on squash, potatoes, kale, beets, pumpkin and other grounding foods that are amazing for soups and the warmer dishes we begin to crave when summer wanes.

5. We gain inspiration.

Whenever I wander the market, there are flowers and seedlings and plantings galore. There’s something for the kitchen table, the patio table, the front porch, the garden…all kinds of life-filled and life-giving inspiration for color, decoration and growth in our own home and yard.

Earlier this summer, we picked out our favorite herbs and a few colorful blossoms to plant together in large pots for the front porch.

Now every time I open the front door, I’m greeted with orange, red, purple, green…and basil, mint, cilantro and lavender, too. Not only was it fun to pick out plants to bring home, but it made for a wonderfully peaceful afternoon, potting plants with our oldest while the littler one napped.

I love that Henry could participate in the process of selecting, buying, planting and now growing/tending our front porch garden, and the farmer’s market made it possible.

6. No question is too silly.

When I go to the market, I don’t always know what to do with a huge bunch of rhubarb or where to plant my new perennials. No problem! The growers are always happy to assist, and with a smile on their faces and an extra tip or two for my back pocket, to boot.

Buying directly from the source at the market means I get to know exactly where it came from, how it was grown, who did the hard work, and how to best enjoy the fruits of their labor– literally!

7. When we buy local, we support local, and the options are amazing.

I never feel limited in my buying choices at the market. There are ten or more options for each fruit or vegetable on my list.

Beyond that, there’s honey. Gorgeous bouquets. Gourmet chocolates. Popcorn. Maple syrup. Amazing pastas, breads, baked goods, coffee. My mouth is watering just thinking about it all. Sauces, meat, fish, cheeses, savory pies…and we live in a smallish town!

I love that we can support local farmers and artisans in one place, where everyone is celebrating the beauty of food and products made from the place we all call home.

8. It’s a hop, skip and a jump away.

Because we live in town, we can walk, ride bikes, or drive to the market. There’s not a single day I’d rather tackle the grocery store instead of wander down to the farmer’s market in the sunshine with my family.

No shopping cart, no coupons, no fuss. Just the stroller and a basket or bag or two and we’re good to go.

I realize I can’t buy everything at the market, but it’s often enough to tide us over for a few more days or to avoid going to the store save for essentials once or twice a month.

Really, I’ve grown a lot (pun intended) over the years as I’ve learned to make the most of our farmer’s market.

Not just because I now know what to do with a rutabaga, but because I’ve learned more about myself and what I love–healthy, nutrition-dense foods straight from the source, the color and sights and sounds of the market, rain or shine, and the weekly opportunity to experience it all alongside our babies, who are growing up to know and love the market, too.

Here’s to summer trips that yield tables full of gorgeous goods, fresh from their source, and here’s to whatever loveliness you might discover at your farmer’s market as you explore!

Molly Madonna Kehrer, CD (DONA) is a certified doula and stay at home mama to two wildly amazing kiddos, Henry (4) and Eloise (2). She is passionate about serving and empowering families in pregnancy and birth, loves nourishing and caring for her own babies, craves authentic friendship, and longs to find more hours in the day to write. When life permits, Molly shares her thoughts on motherhood and life at mollymadonna.com. While she loves to travel the world and misses ministry abroad, Molly finds great contentment alongside her husband, Jason, and family near the lovely shores of Lake Michigan, and is delighted to serve a most Holy Creator in the daily.

Original article and pictures take redandhoney.com site

8 Quick & Healthy Breakfast Ideas To Start the School Year Right

8 Quick & Healthy Breakfast Ideas To Start the School Year Right

8 Quick and Easy Breakfast Ideas to Start the School Year Right

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Well summer, it’s been fun. A slower pace, more leisurely breakfasts, relaxed mornings — it’s all been great. Now it’s time to get back into a routine, and I’m going to need to pick up the pace just a little bit.

But so help me, I will not trade relaxed, happy mornings for a frantic frenzy. Stressfully trying to figure out a harried breakfast, or compromising with foods that are expensive or less-than-nourishing is not an option. So how can we get school day mornings off to a great start?

Have a Plan

Healthy breakfasts that hit the table quickly rarely happen without a little forethought. It doesn’t need to be elaborate, it doesn’t need to take much time. Simply think ahead toward what will be filling and nourishing for your family. Make a list of some favorites. Here are some of ours:

• Scrambled Egg Sandwiches, served with fruit smoothies

Pull It Out of the Freezer

So many great (and inexpensive) breakfast foods can be made ahead of time and frozen for healthy convenience. Taking time once or twice a month to prepare food ahead of time for the freezer allows me to quickly pull something tasty out to reheat on the fly, without taking time out of our busy morning to dirty mixing bowls, pots, and pans. Some of our favorite breakfast freezer foods are:

If you haven’t tried freezing muffin batter so that you can quickly bake muffins without any effort, you’ve got to try it. It’s my favorite time saving, freezer cooking method yet!

Make it the Night Before

I have found that while I’m making dinner for my family in the evening, I often have a few extra minutes while I wait for water to boil, meat to brown, or vegetables to steam. During those few minutes, I try to do some prep work toward our breakfast for the next morning.

I can crack open eggs for a casserole, stir together muffins, mix together dry ingredients for pancakes — anything that will save me time and effort on a busy morning! And I’ve found that if I’ve got the oven on to bake our dinner, if I have room, I may as well bake something for tomorrow’s breakfast too.

No time to make breakfast in the evening? How about after you get the dinner dishes cleaned up, you set out bowls, spoons, and Homemade Grape Nuts Cereal or some of Money Saving Mom®’s Homemade Instant Oatmeal for a quick breakfast the next day?

What do you do to make healthy breakfasts simple at your house? Here’s to a great school year, a fresh start, and many a delicious breakfast!

Laura Coppinger and her husband are raising four boys, ages 8-16. Their homeschool mornings often begin with a hearty breakfast such as described above, which keeps her hungry crew full until lunchtime — usually! Laura blogs at HeavenlyHomemakers.com where she encourages women daily in their effort to: eat simple, whole foods; enjoy family life; be grateful; and laugh at the spilled buttermilk and flying nerf darts.

Original article and pictures take moneysavingmom.com site

8 Myths About Parents Who Don’t Vaccinate

8 Myths About Parents Who Don’t Vaccinate

This post is a follow-up to the post I did a few weeks ago on Myths About Unvaccinated Kids. It’s not intended to convince you one way or another on your vaccination decision, as I believe it is up to each parent to research the issue and choose what is right for them.

However, that can’t happen in the current climate. Most of the discussions I read, which usually start out with honest questions, quickly disintegrate to misinformation and name-calling — on both sides. Lots of rumors fly around out there. Non-vaccinating parents are told they’re “parasites” and much worse. I can’t speak for the other side (though I know there’s plenty of misinformation about that, too). But I believe by reacting this way we are only doing everyone a disservice.

So today, I’m hoping to clear up some of those myths about non-vaccinating parents. And, please, remember: all parents want what is best for their children. If you enter the debate with an open mind and that belief, everything will go a lot better.

Here are the myths I’ve heard:

1) Parents listen to the media/Dr. Wakefield study/Jenny McCarthy when choosing not to vaccinate

While this may be the first place parents heard about the issue, it’s definitely not the final word. Parents who choose not to vaccinate don’t make this decision lightly. They spend hours upon hours researching every aspect and angle they can find. Even parents who initially make the decision often feel very uncertain about it, and end up seeking out even more research to verify their decisions. For many, the media and “celebrities” play little to no role in their ultimate decision.

2) Parents are selfish, relying on those who DO vaccinate for protection while skipping the risks for themselves

It’s important to understand that most of the parents who choose not to vaccinate do not believe in herd immunity. They also see some benefit to actually catching some of the childhood diseases. Some actively seek out chicken pox and even mumps or measles! They do not believe that their children need protection from vaccines, either directly or indirectly. You will never hear a parent say, “It doesn’t matter if I vaccinate my kid since everyone else does it!” No…parents have reasons that reach far, far beyond this — and again, don’t believe in herd immunity anyway.

(I, personally, wish that fewer people vaccinated…because I believe if we strengthened our children’s systems with good nutrition we wouldn’t need to, and I’m also concerned, somewhat, about the remote possibility of virus shedding. I’m not saying anything about anyone’s decision, just pointing out that I definitely don’t rely on or care about whether or not others are vaccinated when I choose what to do for my family.)

3) Parents believe vaccines cause autism and that is their primary reason for not vaccinating

Do vaccines cause autism? We don’t even know the answer to that question. There are some parents who did stop vaccinating for that reason — 11 years ago, when the study initially came out. But these days, families on both sides are well aware of the controversy. It may be what initially sparks a parent’s interest in the topic, but it’s, again, not the last word. Most of the families who’ve chosen not to vaccinate (at least the ones I’ve talked to) rate the autism at the very bottom of their “reasons not to vaccinate” list — if it makes the list at all. There are many, many other concerns.

4) Parents don’t understand what these diseases are really like, or they would start vaccinating

On the contrary. Most parents have carefully researched what might happen should their child catch any of these diseases. They know what the usual course of the disease are, what complications are likely, symptoms to watch for, and so on. They know what the true likelihood of complications is, and what causes them (for example, reading the WHO’s disease papers provides this information…and nutritional deficiencies are one of the primary causes of complications).

Parents then set out to boost their children’s immune systems naturally so that should they catch a disease, they’ll be highly unlikely to have any serious complications. Though they are aware it could happen and they do accept that risk. The thing is, parents don’t rely on the scare tactics and horror stories…they know what real statistics really say.

5) Parents’ reasons keep changing because they don’t really have any argument

In reality, parents’ reasons don’t change when they’ve done full research. They have many reasons, but those reasons are always the same. This is an argument primarily used in the vaccine-autism debate. “First it was the MMR…then thimerosal…then the schedule as a whole…they don’t have an argument!” Actually, all of these things play a role! Parents aren’t shifting the blame so much as trying to investigate all possible causes. If one particular element in and of itself doesn’t explain it, they move on to another to see if that may also play a role (something that the scientists should be doing, too…).

6) Parents don’t vaccinate because they are uneducated or hippie/earth-loving mothers

This is demonstrably untrue, and rather rude. Every study of non-vaccinating parents shows that they are likely to be college-educated with “above average” salaries and steady jobs. This, of course, mystifies authorities. It doesn’t mystify me! Parents in this category are most likely to do their research and make thoughtful parenting decisions, rather than relying on what someone else (friend, parent, doctor) tells them to do.

Many of these parents are not at all what you would consider a “hippie.” And they haven’t made this decisions because they believe in “hippie ideals,” it’s because they have done careful research. Parents who choose not to vaccinate may be very, very different in other ways (how they birth, how they eat, how they feed their babies, whether or not the mom works, etc.). There is no “stereotypical” non-vaccinating parent.

7) Parents are “abusing” or “neglecting” their children by not vaccinating, or they don’t love them

This one really makes me angry. Please, before you even say such a thing, remember that all parents truly love and want what is best for their children! No matter how much you vehemently disagree with a parent’s decision, you should never say something like this (and yes…I have had this said to me before). Parents are very careful to research and think and pray hard before making any major decision. Not vaccinating does not mean, under any circumstances, that a parent is abusing, neglecting, or failing to love their child. Period. To say so is inflammatory and just sick.

8) Parents don’t understand that vaccines save lives, they are too worried about rare side effects.

Parents, again, have done careful research. Part of that research is into how effective vaccines are, when they were introduced, how disease rates fell before/after introduction, how disease rates fell in other countries that didn’t use those vaccines, reading the VAERS database, and so on. They’re well aware of how vaccines work and how they’ve been used, as well as what side effects are likely and what serious ones may occur.

Some parents unfortunately choose not to vaccinate after they, or their children are seriously injured by a vaccine. For them, the “rare” side effects are only too real. These parents have carefully weighed the risks of the diseases and vaccines vs. the benefit of each…and have found that the risks of the vaccines outweigh the benefit.

What myths have you heard about parents who don’t vaccinate?

Original article and pictures take modernalternativehealth.com site