Homeschooling 
It's October, and we're now fully into the groove of school. We've talked about organizing our school supplies already, so now I want to talk about how to organize school records and planning sheets. The paperwork it takes to keep my homeschool organized is absolutely ridiculous. Is anyone else fed up with all of the papers? Lists of books your kids have read. Daily, weekly, and yearly planning pages. The list goes on and on. Let's go paperless! (can I hear an amen?) But, how can I do that, you wonder? Ah, I have found a solution. You don't have to keep numerous excel spreadsheets that you update weekly. No, I'm ...Read More
Foods Pumpkin Power! 5 Reason to Eat Pumpkin
What's the first thing you think of when I say Fall? Apple cider. Hayrides. Corn Mazes. Leaves changing color. The first thing that I think of is pumpkins, of course! What about you? This month we're going to talk about some fall fruits and vegetables that pack a powerful punch (punch of nutrients, that is)! This week we're going to start with one of my very favorite fall vegetables. Or is it a fruit? (I'm going to call it a vegetable, but it is technically a fruit.) Be sure to check out these fabulous healthy, grain-free, and sugar-free pumpkin recipes! 5 Reasons to Eat Pumpkin 1. Just 1 cup of ...Read More
Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free Healthy Pumpkin Recipes
Fall is in the air! The weather is cooling off and the leaves are beginning to change here in Michigan. Visits to the cider mill and the pumpkin patch with the kids are on our to-do list! And so is eating a healthy dose of pumpkin this fall. How do you like to prepare pumpkin? Do you have a favorite healthy pumpkin recipe? Of course, everyone loves a pumpkin pie with homemade whipped cream... yuuuuuum. And, a pumpkin pie is fairly easy to healthify—take your favorite recipe and just substitute some healthy sweeteners like stevia or xylitol. But, there are so many other deliciously wonderful things you can do with ...Read More
Back to Homeschool: 7 Tips for Keeping Your Toddlers Entertained
The beauty of homeschooling is that you can have all of your kids together at once. The problem is that if you have a toddler (or two as is my case) running around, they can be a big distraction from school (although a mighty fun and cute distraction). There are a few things you can do to keep those noisy little balls of energy from stopping the learning process of the older children though. First, involve them in everything you can. If you’re reading a story, read to them too. If you’re having “art time,” let them participate. Age appropriate variations of “big kid” learning will not only give your toddler ...Read More
Back to Homeschool: 6 Tips for Organizing Your School Supplies
Can you believe the school year is upon us? Just like teachers in any classroom, you probably have a ton of supplies that need to be organized. However, unlike teachers in many classrooms, you may house supplies like scientific calculators in the same spot as crayons and safety scissors. Oh yes, this mama has one in Algebra 2, one that's just learning 2 crawl, and a few in between. So how do you keep it all together and organized? 6 Strategies for Organized School Supplies Disorganization gives me a little bit of anxiety. When I walk in a room with things scattered about and the crayons mixed up with the ...Read More
3 Books for Spiritual Development and Inspiration (Wellness Wednesday)
Continuing on our theme of spiritual wellness this month, I'd like to hi-lite a few of my favorite books for spiritual development and inspiration. These are three devotional books that I've learned from, been inspired by, and have been used in conjunction with the Word of God to convict me of sin. Of course, the Bible is the ultimate authority and there is no replacement, but I've learned much from the godly teachers who wrote these books. My Utmost for His Highest Despite the fact that this small book has been around for over 80 years, this wisdom in the book is still just as relevant now as it was when it was first ...Read More
3 Reasons to Make the Switch to Natural Toothpaste
On this journey of my families to healthy living, we've recently taken the plunge to dump our toothpaste. Yes, our whole family has dumped our bottles of Crest and Colgate and made the switch to natural toothpaste. Before we get started, I'd like to thank Redmond Trading Company for sponsoring this post and sending me a lovely box of goodies to try out, including their awesome toothpaste. Why You Should Switch to Natural Toothpaste Let me give you the low-down on why you should make the switch. Here are three chemicals that are in most of the conventionally available toothpastes on the market today. Now, there may be ...Read More
Back to Homeschool: 5 Tips for Helping Your Kids Stay Focused
School is back in session at the Gilkerson house. Yes, and with it comes distracted kids who would rather be playing than doing school work. It’s hard for many kids to focus in any sort of educational setting, whether it be public school, homeschool, or even college. Let’s be honest. Some subjects just aren’t that interesting! There are a few tricks and tips that may help, though. 1. Make sure they get a good night’s sleep the night before. Especially when homeschooling, you may have a tougher time with this one. It’s easy for the child (and sometimes the parent) to rationalize staying up late because there is no ...Read More
