It's that time of year. The time of year when I just want to sleep in. And take a nap. And go to bed early. (Not that I ever get a chance to do any of those things, but, you know, I want to.) The time of year when I find myself lacking energy, battling anxiety, feeling irritable, and acting very much like Eeyore with my "ho-hum" response to pretty much everything. Winters are hard for me, and I know I'm not alone. Seasonal Affective Disorder, also known as SAD, is a type of depression that occurs at the same time every year. Symptoms usually begin in the fall, and can continue on into the long winter months. ...Read More
Teaching Catechism: What, Why and How?
Catechism. Upon hearing this word, most people respond in one of the following ways: What's that? Isn't that a Catholic thing? My kids would be bored to tears. That's way too outdated and old fashioned. I've thought about teaching catechism, but wouldn't know where to start! I hear you. This past year, our family has discovered the value and even enjoyment of using a catechism. We've gone so far as to create a free curriculum to share with you for teaching catechism to your own kids! ...Read More
Should You Swear Off Dieting In 2014?
I’m not dieting in 2014. There I said it, and let me tell you, again it’s freeing.* (big hairy disclaimer at the bottom of the post) A few months ago I weighed what I did back when I was in my senior year in college. After three kids, believe me, this was a huge accomplishment. You know how I did it? I cut back the sugar and started eating less processed foods. That was pretty much it. Then something happened. I got greedy. I wanted to weigh what I did my Freshman year of college. So—you guessed it—I started a diet. Forget just eating healthy and exercising, I was going to diet so that I could be skinny and ...Read More
101 Easy Gluten-Free, Grain-Free Snack Ideas for Kids (and Parents)
Here it is. The Ultimate List of 101 Easy Gluten-Free, Grain-Free Snack Ideas for Kids (and Parents). Enjoy. So, you've decided to cut gluten or maybe all grains in your kids' diet (or maybe you've just determined to cut back on them), but whatever in the world will you feed them for snacks? Crackers, tortilla chips, muffins, cookies, granola bars...virtually all snacks seem to have some sort of grain in them. Not so, my dear friend, not so. I've compiled a list of 101 snack ideas for kids that are gluten-free and grain-free. Both you and your kids can enjoy these! Looking for more gluten-free resources? ...Read More
Homeschool Freebie: Groundhog’s Day Puzzle & Activity Unit
As a child, Groundhog's Day was one of my favorite holidays. I know...weird. I just loved getting up early to see if he saw his shadow or not. I couldn't wait to find out if we could get more snow—which was frequent during March in Oklahoma—or if Spring was already on it's way. Either way I was happy—most of the time. I don't remember learning much about the holiday—it's history and science of it. I just remember getting up earlier than usual. Now that we homeschool our own children, I find almost any and every excuse for a party! And Groundhog's Day is no exception. Even though my kids love that they're getting a ...Read More
The Last Dance with My Husband: Finding Joy in Sorrow
Dancing in the mall. Yes, the middle of the mall. Jason grabbed me and I didn't resist. Most of the time I would have resisted. Me, the self-conscious one, not wanting to make a fool of myself in front of others. But this time I didn't care. I'm glad I didn't. I danced. I smiled. I laughed. I distinctly remember thinking how thankful I was for this wonderful man...how happy I was that I was living life with him. We learned a lot about relationships and life in the five years we were married. We did a lot of growing up in those years. We laughed, played, fought, made-up, dreamt, and philosophized together. We had ...Read More
Wheat Puts Poop in Your Blood . . . and Other Strange Facts
The gluten-free diet. A diet often thought of as a fad or a passing phase. Strangely, many people are seeing marked improvement in their health when they cut out wheat. Isn't that odd if it's just a fad... ...Read More
Weeding Out Wheat Facebook Party Tonight – $700+ in prizes and 12 winners!
We're excited to be launching our book Weeding out Wheat because we sincerely believe the information we present in this book can help people. In celebration of our launch, we're having a Facebook party tonight. Whole New Mom has graciously allowed us to crash her Facebook page for the party. Go to Facebook.com/WholeNewMom tonight at 7:30 Eastern, 6:30 Central, 5:30 Mountain, 4:30 Pacific. It will go for 90 minutes. What makes our book different from all of the other books on wheat and gluten that are out there? ...Read More