Homeschooling 
Hey homeschooling parents: are you struggling about print or cursive as you teaching beginning handwriting to your kids? While research is quite clear that writing by hand aids in cognition in a way that typing does not, the waters get a bit murkier when you try to discern whether to start your kiddos with print or cursive. And what about the print-cursive hyrbid, D'Nealian handwriting? It's quite difficult to find any really good studies on this matter. There are some studies looking only at small sample sizes. That's no good. There are other studies where one group of kids learned cursive and the other learned ...Read More
Foods Blackened Broccoli and Shrimp (grain-free)
What is it about pregnancy? No really...puking, swelling, aches, pains...and on top of all that your taste buds change? Who decided that was a good idea? I have a confession to make: I haven't tried this blackened broccoli and shrimp recipe. I haven't taken one bite of this recipe. Not even one teeny taste test. But I had plenty of helpers (a.k.a. my family) taste-test this recipe. You may have guessed, but I haven't tried this recipe because I can't stand shrimp. It wasn't always like that. I liked shrimp until I was pregnant with my firstborn son. Ever since then, no shrimp and no coffee for me. Blackened ...Read More
Quick Start Guide to Easy Healthy Meals (+ free planner to get you started!)
Another day I forgot to get the meat out of the freezer to thaw... Another day when I was too tired by the end of the day to cook... Another evening basketball game with nothing prepared for dinner afterwards... Can you relate? The struggle is real. Your story might be a little different, but I've talked to hundreds of other moms who struggles with these types of scenarios day in and day out. The details are a little different, but the stories always sound so familiar. By the way, if you are looking for gluten-free resources, make sure to check out my Everything Gluten Free resource page! These moms are ...Read More
Selfishness: How to Motivate Your Kids to Put Others First
Selflessness isn't one of my children's virtues. Come to think of it, it's probably not mine either. I don't know many children—or people, for that matter—who aren't selfish. As sinners, we tend to be narcissistic. But in His fatherly wisdom, God doesn't just command us to put others first. He gives us biblical motives to do it. He doesn't just tell us that we should love and serve others. He tells us why we should. As parents, it is important to not only teach our children what God expects of them, but show them biblical motives to live differently. And when it comes to the subject of putting others first, ...Read More
Grain-Free, Low-Carb Herb Biscuits
My boys' eyes lit up. I can assure you, it wasn't the steaming pot of soup on the table. No, they're used to seeing that. It was the basket of warm, toasty, grain-free, low-carb herb biscuits that sat next to the soup that caught their eyes! My two littlest boys' eyes lit up in a bit of confusion. It's a pretty rare day when I take the time to make grain-free breads or biscuits. It's a rare enough occurrence they're not even all that familiar with this strange type of food. The wonderment they expressed, definitely cracked me up. But my older boys—oh, their eyes lit up from excitement. "Biscuits!" one of them ...Read More
Great Homeschool Convention Ticket Giveaway
A number of years ago (before this blog was born), Luke and I took a 4-hour road trip and attended our very first homeschool conference. I was not prepared for the enormity of the conference we attended that year: Great Homeschool Conventions, Midwest event. The speakers. The books. The people. It was much bigger and grander than we ever expected. The number of homeschoolers under one roof was astounding. Great Homeschool Conventions is ready for their 2017 seasons and we are giving away a family registration and up to four special event tickets to each special event offered at the convention you are ...Read More
Grain-Free Buffalo Cauliflower Wings
My husband would literally drink hot wing sauce out of the bottle. No really, he would. He's strange like that. It's probably not any surprise these Grain-Free Buffalo Cauliflower Wings were a big hit at my house. Both my husband and my kids loved them (even the kid that doesn't usually like cauliflower). And what I love most about these Grain-Free Buffalo Cauliflower Wings: they're easy! I don't even have to think ahead and make sure meat is thawed out. Just toss these babies together and they're good to go. Looking for gluten-free recipes and resources? This Everything Gluten Free page is a library of everything ...Read More
Curried Sweet Potato Soup
This curried sweet potato soup is more than just a delicious, creamy soup. It's packed with ingredients that contain medicinal, therapeutic compounds. Historians report that Hippocrates, the Greek physician who's known as Father of Modern Medicine, said, "Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food." Think about that for a moment. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we had that kind of relationship with food? What if we chose the foods that healed our bodies? What if we focused on foods that nourished our families? Curried sweet potato soup fits the bill. The Healing Benefits of Curried Sweet Potato ...Read More
