Naturally inspired living for homemakers
Three seemingly inconsequential words. Made in China. They’ve meant different things to me over the years. At first, those silver stickers on the bottom of inexpensive products reminded us of that rapidly growing nation across the Pacific and its manufacturing boom. At some point, “Made in China” began to mean lower-quality, cheap items that were …
How Smoggy Skies in China Changed the Way Our Family ShopsRead More
By Michele, Contributing Writer Some of our family’s favorite memories have been created when we plan “dates” with our kids! Although we love experiencing adventures together as an entire family, we try to occasionally carve out one-on-one time for each child individually. This might be a “girls only” afternoon with my daughter, an outing with …
During the last two weeks of our year-long journey around the world, I had the opportunity to spend an hour talking with one of my dear friends, Tsh Oxendreider of The Art of Simple. We eagerly gabbed about our family’s journey, everything from the size and contents of our children’s backpacks, how we moved towards …
Is Our Family Really “Wildly Unconventional”? Listen and Find Out!Read More
By Erin Odom, Contributing Writer Dance, gymnastics, art, music, drama, sports, scouts, choir: Today our children are busier than ever. How can we, as parents, intentionally choose our children’s extracurricular activities? No doubt, there are many benefits in activities beyond the realm of academics, but where is the line? How much is too much when …
How to Intentionally Choose Children’s Extracurricular ActivitiesRead More
By Emily McClements, Contributing Writer I don’t know about you, but for some reason when February arrives I feel the strong need to hit the reset button for our family. I’m sure it’s the time off over the holidays, and the cold weather, and being stuck inside, but we all start to get a little …
How to Help Your Kids Kick the Screen Habit With a “No Screen Month”Read More
By Andrea, Contributing Writer By February, I am tired of winter. Living in Colorado, the winter means crops are dormant. Any fresh fruits or vegetables we get are usually trucked in from a warmer part of the country. This is the time of year when I am so thankful for frozen berries. Nothing speaks to …
Let These Frozen Berry Recipe Ideas Chase Away the Winter Blues!Read More
By Jami Balmet, Contributing Writer In these rainy cold months of being stuck indoors all the time, I start to get in a slump. I get the winter blues and long for the days of bright flowers and sweet springtime sunshine. But until then, I’ve found that with just a few plants (and some intentional …
By Rachel, Contributing Writer When you have young children, it’s fun to have them help with decorating the house. And, no, I don’t mean coloring the walls with crayons–but getting them involved with crafts. My kids, 5 and 6, love making things, whether it’s with Legos, creating story books with white paper and pencils or …
By Kelly, Contributing Writer With all this extreme weather, it’s no wonder that some are feeling a little blue. But even mild winters can cause a legitimate condition known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a.k.a. the Wintertime Blues. In fact, as many as 20 percent of Americans are affected by SAD each winter. The condition …
By Beth Ricci, Contributing Writer Kids are a lot smarter than toy manufacturers give them credit for these days. Unfortunately, the gimmicky blinking and flashing cheap battery-operated plastic toys that provide cheap entertainment are becoming more and more the norm, as classic types of play are sadly undervalued. In our mainstream culture, the purpose of …
14 Types of Play to Stimulate a Child’s Creativity (Instead of Dumbing it Down)Read More
By Kresha, Contributing Writer Several years ago, I moved to an area of the U.S. where lavender grows natively. I had never been in a place where a small gust of wind could suddenly surround you with such a heavenly scent, and I cherished those blustery moments. Now, of course, whenever I smell or taste …
By Stacy, Contributing Writer When the cold days of winter seem to drag on, a family craft can be a welcome distraction. Yes, crafts can be messy, and even a little chaotic, but the act of working together to create something beautiful is fun and fulfilling (as long as you keep things fairly simple). Besides …
Curious what chores your toddler or preschooler can do? Here are some tips! I have two boys, ages four and two. They’re wonderful, and I love them immensely. But a few weeks ago, I had a phone conversation with my mom that went like this: Me: Mom, I seriously need help. I do not know …
25 Chores Your 2-4 Year-Old Should Be Doing (And How To Get Him/Her To Work)Read More
