Foods 
This grain-free banana oatmeal combines bananas and eggs in the most delicious way for a healthy and nutritious breakfast that even picky eaters will enjoy. I love to eat eggs for breakfast, and two of my three boys also love to eat eggs for breakfast. My littlest guy is a somewhat picky eater, and also underweight from a prolonged sickness when he was about a year old. I try everything I can to get him to eat high calorie and high protein brain food for breakfast. Bananas and eggs have turned out to be my go-to combination. As odd as it sounds, cooked together they make a delicious grain-free banana "oatmeal"! Eggs: ...Read More
Homemade Sugar-Free Fudgesicles {Dairy and Sugar-Free}
Summer is here! That calls for lazy afternoons running through the sprinklers and eating popsicles. With food allergies and a desire to feed my kids less sugar, it can be hard to find treats they are willing to eat. These homemade sugar-free fudgesicles are a win all around. The chocolatey creaminess paired with the ripe bananas provide just enough sweetness for my boys to beg for more. The recipe is pretty simple: canned coconut milk, a few ripe bananas, and cocoa powder. Mix it all up and freeze. I added vanilla extract to one batch, which I loved but the boys didn't like. Your kids will be thrilled ...Read More
Dairy Allergy vs. Lactose Intolerant: What are the differences?
With food allergies on the rise and many trying out various elimination diets, I want to discuss the different allergens in dairy and the way people react to them. While milk is listed on packaging as a single allergen, there are several different components that trigger reactions. Some people have very mild reactions and others have severe, even life-threatening, reactions. Two terms, intolerance and allergy, are used to describe such reactions but are often misused. They are medical terms that refer to the way your body reacts, not the severity of the reaction. Understanding the difference between an allergy and ...Read More
How to Ease the Transition to Natural Hair Care: Beginners Guide to Natural Hair Care (Part 4 of 4)
I've gathered some tips on how to ease the transition to natural hair care. Over the last three weeks we’ve discussed the reasons for switching to a natural hair care routine and suggestions for shampoo alternatives and natural conditioners. Are you ready to make the switch? Transitioning to a natural hair care routine can be a bumpy ride, so today I have a few tips to ease the transition. In the first part of this series, I talked about the silicone and sulfate cycle that occurs when you use mainstream hair care products. In addition to stripping silicone products from your hair on a regular basis, sulfate ...Read More
4 Ways to Condition Your Hair Naturally: A Beginner’s Guide to Natural Hair Care (Part 3 of 4)
Let's talk about homemade natural hair conditioners. In this series on natural hair care, we have already talked about why sulfates and silicones are bad for your hair and natural ways to wash your hair. Now in part 3, we’re talking about natural ways to condition your hair. This post has been the trickiest to put together because everyone’s hair is so different and will require different types and levels of conditioner. There are so many different things you can use to condition your hair as far as homemade natural hair conditioners go. It’s actually a bit overwhelming to consider all the ...Read More
Beyond Baking Soda: Natural Ways to Wash Hair (Part 2 of 4)
Did you know that there are natural ways to wash hair? There are many natural alternatives to shampoo for you to try. What’s the purpose of washing your hair? Most people would answer with something along the lines of getting your hair clean. What you need to wash out depends on what you put in throughout the day. In part 1 of this series, we talked about why harsh shampoos and silicone based products are bad for your hair. Go back and read the first post if you missed it! This week, we’re discussing shampoo alternatives and some awesome natural ways to wash hair. For most people, a daily shower is needed to remove ...Read More
No-Poo? What? A Beginner’s Guide to Natural Hair Care (Part 1 of 4)
I first heard about natural hair care on a healthy living website about 6 years ago. I tried washing my hair with just baking soda and vinegar for about a week. It was an absolute disaster! I tried again a few years later using a different method with great success. I have not used shampoo on my hair in almost 4 years and usually only wash my hair once a week. My hair is the healthiest it’s ever been, I’m not using harsh chemicals, and my hair care budget is pretty low. I've tried just about every natural hair care method and recipe out there. In this series we will walk through all the elements of natural hair ...Read More
Homeschooling Homeschooling Philosophies and Methods: Montessori
I first heard the term Montessori about 30 years ago when I attended a Montessori preschool as an eager-to-learn toddler. I have great memories of my time in preschool and associated the name Montessori with "fun." When I began looking into preschool for our oldest, the term Montessori kept coming up. I really liked the philosophy but it seemed very overwhelming with all the specialized learning tools. Following the examples other Montessori parents have shared over the years, I have found my own balance between a classical Montessori environment and real life. Official Montessori vs. Montessori Inspired Montessori ...Read More
