In celebration of World Breastfeeding Week, I’m joining with many other moms who are sharing stories about breastfeeding experiences. My husband and I had to wait a while before conceiving; once we knew we were expecting, I gathered as much information as I could about “what to expect.” My brain...
August is just around the corner! Do you have kids going back to school? If your family is anything like ours, summer has been a time of chaotic sleep schedules. With the start of school staring us in the face, it’s time to return to practices that promote...
Summer, with its glorious bounty, is an excellent time to join a CSA. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a partnership between a farm or group of farms and local members who purchase “shares” of its harvest. Some run year-round, while others have sign-ups for each season. Many continue...
I was the perfect target when I was in school: a scrawny, socially awkward nerd. There was this one girl in grade school who used to punch me “just because.” Because I existed. Because I was there. Because she felt like it. I told my mom about my experiences: how humiliated...
Last week, my family took a little vacation to visit friends in Kansas City for a few days. We enjoyed long conversations and tasty meals. We went to bed late and slept in most mornings. We took the kids swimming, watched model trains run through enormous displays, including some...
Once I started making my own cleaners, it just made sense to start cleaning up my cleaning supplies, too, by switching to reusable towels and other cleaning implements. It saves me money and it’s better for the environment. I traded out all of my Swiffer pads for a few crocheted dusting...
I was introduced to essential oils in the summer of 2013 by the doula I hired while preparing to have my baby. I had been struggling with a weak respiratory system for most of my life. Pregnancy was no different, except that I was much more cautious about what I...
It’s that time of year again. We’re stocking up on Kleenex. And just the other day, I said to my husband, “don’t claw your eyes out!” Sound familiar? Many people find their immune systems overreact to typically harmless substances in the environment during certain seasons, sending histamine production into overdrive....
Popular cleaning supplies often contain endocrine disruptors and other harmful chemicals. When I realized how easy it was to make my own laundry detergent, I figured making the rest of my cleaning supplies wouldn’t be that hard. So after some trial and error, I came up with several natural...
It’s no secret that healthcare costs are skyrocketing. The graph to the left comes from this column posted by the Wall Street Journal, which states “a surprising percentage of people with private insurance … simply do not have the resources to pay their deductibles and will either have to put...