Book Reading List
The books listed below are recommended by the Weston A. Price Foundation and are GREAT to help you on your food and health journey. If you want the full list from the WAPF website, head over to –> Nourishing Our Children and search for book recommendations.
Note: I’m only including books that I personally own on this reading list. I prefer to pass on book ideas that I have personally tested and found to be excellent. The books that are *starred* are books that I added to the list according to the benefits I’ve found from these particular books.
Traditional Food Reading List
Whole Grains and Phytic Acid – Process grains naturally
Whole Grains: Good or Bad?
In reaction to the over-processed, nutrient-deprived grain products that fill our supermarket shelves, many families have returned to using whole grains. Whole grains are what our ancestors used before we reinvented food to what you see today. So shouldn’t this return to the past be great?
Yes, but we are missing a pivotal step.
Whole grains are what our ancestors used, but we have lost the skills that allow us to naturally process the grains so that our bodies properly utilize the nutrients in the grain. Even our ancestors “processed” the grain before eating it. They didn’t use heat, machines, and extruders; instead they used God’s natural fermentation process to help release the nutrients from the grains.
Grains naturally contain phytic acid, a nutrient blocker. This phytic acid keeps the grains safe while going through the intestinal track of animals so that the seeds can travel to new places to be reintroduced to the ground. However, this is bad news for humans. We want to gain nutrients from the grain and this phytic acid blocks the absorption of magnesium, calcium, zinc, and other essential nutrients.
Therefore, we need to soak and ferment our grains (including seeds and beans) to decrease the phytic acid before we consume them. For oatmeal, this can involve taking 2 cups of oats, 4 cups of warm water and 2-4 tablespoons of whey, yogurt, or buttermilk and soaking them for 7 to 24 hours. Other grains can be soaked in other methods to get rid of the phytic acid.
Do you have any questions about soaking, fermenting, or phytic acid?
Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum
I honestly can’t believe that it has been over four years since we began our journey in homeschooling. In Pre-K, I wrote down a list of all of the “subjects” or topics that I thought were important for children to learn and spent my son’s Pre-K year simply picking interesting topics and going over them together. We learned about Japanese spider crabs, ABCs, and our emotions. Through this relaxed early learning, I realized that I could teach my son, but starting kindergarten homeschool was still a scary proposition.
It got real.
The world has expectations for kindergarten! These days, schools are pushing five year old children through their ABCs and 123s into sight words and reading. Ready or not, here it all comes. Due to this, I felt worried that I would somehow fail these standards and not be “enough.” What I learned instead was grace, peace, and patience.
Your kindergartner does not need to reach some magical standard. Your kindergartner needs God’s grace, peace, and patience just as much as you do.
So as you read my suggestions for kindergarten curriculum, take a deep breath. Realize that what you do or do not get done this year is just a part of your journey. You are learning to be your child’s teacher and your child is learning to be a lifelong learner. Bumps are to be expected! There is grace for every bump along the way.
Our Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum Choices
Main Curriculum
- Classical Conversations in a CC Community – Cycle 3 (Find out more about classical conversations by reading –> The Core by Leigh Bortins)
- American History
- The Human Body, The Periodic Elements (1-12), and Worldviews […]
Perfect Birth VS Perfect Wedding
Women plan their dream wedding, but forget to plan their dream birth.
Perfect Wedding vs Perfect Birth: Special Event Planning
Location
WEDDING – When a woman gets married she knows that nothing will happen unless she plans it. She won’t get the venue she wants on accident. She has to spend time and effort finding just the right place. Locations outdoors require more planning, such as renting chairs, tables, and tents with indoor locations requiring decorating and special touches for a wedding. The venue matters.
BIRTH – When a woman prepares for birth, she also has a choice to make. Will she have her baby in a formal hospital setting, at a birthing center, or at home? Each location has different pros and cons. A hospital environment is great for emergencies, but is may not facilitate the choices of the mother for her birth. A birthing center can be fantastic, but in certain parts of the country these are not as available. Finally, a home birth can be very relaxing and even allow for using water as a part of the birth, but some mothers feel uncomfortable with the idea of birthing at home. Location matters.
Natural Baby Registry Products
Making a baby registry is hard, but making a natural baby registry is harder! Even though our skin is the largest organ of our sweet little baby’s body, companies have filled so many baby products with harmful chemicals and even hormone disruptors. Below is a list of natural baby products that are great to add to your natural baby registry that will keep your sweetie smiling and healthy!
Natural Baby Registry for Amazon
Care Products
100% Pure Extra Gentle Baby Lotion <– Formulated without artificial chemicals, chemical preservatives, perfumes or any other toxins
Green Sprouts Baby Wooden Brush and Comb Set <– natural wood and hair with soft bristles
Badger Balm Baby Zinc Oxide Diaper Cream <– Calendula with Beeswax & Sunflower
Badger Baby Sunscreen Cream <– SPF 30 – All Natural and Certified Organic
Health and Wellness
Baltic Amber Teething Necklace For Babies <– Natural Certificated Baltic Jewelry
Details: Anti-Flammatory & Succinic Acid Immune System Boosting Properties; Teething Pain, Drooling & Fussiness Reduce; Safety knotted (Amber Bead); 32-33cm Long
The Honest Company Breathe Easy Rub <– all real ingredients
Wellements Organic Gripe Water for Tummy <– fennel and chamomile
Linens Options
Baby Muslin Washcloths and Towels <– Natural Organic Cotton Baby Wipes
Baby Buddy’s Natural Baby Bath Sponge <– Biodegradable, Hypoallergenic, Absorbent Natural Sea Sponge
DermaH2O WaterWipes Wipes <– only water and grape fruit seed extract
YourEcoFamily Certified Organic Cotton Receiving Blanket <– organic cotton is great for the littles so they are not exposed to GMO cotton or residual pesticides
Margaux & May Muslin Swaddle Blankets <– adorable and organic
Household Items
Social Media Challenge – Pulling the plug
In July of this year, I decided to give myself a new social media challenge. I didn’t accept a social media challenge to post a blog a month, share on Instagram daily, or become the mama blogger of the year, instead I accepted the challenge to avoid social media for an entire month.
Why would I do this?
Because I realized that I was overcome. I was making choices without thinking and I’d find my phone in my hand without having ever consciously picked it up. My subconscious mind, eyes, and hand were conspiring and my time was being sucked away. Something had to change.
I decided that July was just the right time to dedicate to avoiding social media. Our habits are often formed in around 20-28 days and I needed at least that long to break this habit. I chose to use the fruit of self-control that I have and take back the control that I had been casting away.
My Personal Social Media Challenge
In July 2017, I decided to:
- stop posting regularly in Facebook
- stop surfing my Facebook wall
- stop posting to my Facebook pages
- stop posting to Instagram or checking Instagram
- stop posting to Twitter or checking Twitter
I chose to keep checking my Facebook messages to maintain relationships and stay involved with those who directly interact with me personally (not just to the whole of Facebook).
What I Gained Through This Challenge
We do social media challenges to gain something. Sometimes money, sometimes followers, but this type of challenge has a completely different pay off. What I gained isn’t very tangible, yet I feel that perhaps it has been more valuable.
1. I learned who my friends are.
I do not […]
The Spiritual Battle for Your Health
Health and Faith. What does real food, doctor’s visits, and exercise have to do with our spiritual life? Many people insist that there is no correlation, saying that our faith is compartmentalized to the church, to the spiritual, and to the supernatural, while our bodies and health are a part of the flesh, the natural, and the physical world. If this is true, then why does God tell us to worship Him with our strength? I assert that, in fact, there is a spiritual battle going on for our health and especially for our strength.
The Spiritual Battle for Your Health
Recently, I have been spending time reading Priscilla Shirer’s book, Fervent. She talks about the most common areas of our life that Satan tries to attack. I honestly haven’t gotten to the chapter about strength yet, but just reading the first few chapters has stirred my thinking. With the health of so many children and adults declining due to poor dietary choices, “bad genes,” and health problems that are plaguing people from birth, how can we not attribute this to the work of the one who steals, kills, and destroys? Satan is more than happy to covertly steal our health, kill our hopes for living without a disability or health issue, and destroy our body. And he’s using us to do it.
In Luke 10:27, Jesus tells us that the two greatest commandments are “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” We focus greatly on worshiping God with our heart, soul, and mind, but we contentedly allow […]
Baking Soda is Abrasive – True or False
After answering this question in a comment over on my soap alternatives post –> here, I realized that the topic of baking soda abrasivity deserved a post of its own. I have heard so many times that baking soda is abrasive and will cause damage to our tooth enamel. However, have we ever seen proof of this tooth enamel damage? Where are they getting this information about baking soda? The truth about baking soda will surprise you.
Baking Soda is Abrasive – True or False?
Tooth enamel ranks 5 on Mohs hardness scale, dentin ranks at 2.5 Mohs, and baking soda ranks at 2.5 Mohs.1 In comparison, diamonds are a 10. Please, don’t brush your teeth with diamonds. In regards to hardness, baking soda is softer than our tooth enamel.
When testing toothpaste abrasivity, researchers use RDA (relative dentin abrasivity) in order to gauge each toothpaste’s dentin impact. Dentin is the tooth material beneath your tooth enamel that is the most fragile. According to the Lincoln Dental Center, “The ideal toothpaste would not have a RDA index higher that 7; therefore dentifrices with a low abrasivity index are desirable.”2 The list below is generally accepted range for RDA values:
- From 0 to 70 = low abrasion
- 70 to 100 = midrange abrasion
- 100 to 150 = highly abrasive
- 150 to 250 = considered harmful to teeth2
IMHO: If an RDA of 7 is ideal, then why exactly are we accepting toothpastes with abrasivity levels ranging from 70-250? While I found an article online suggesting our toothpaste and toothbrushes have little to do with […]
Fertility Doula Services in Mississippi
If you are struggling with infertility, you are not alone. In fact, 1 out of 8 couples are affected by infertility. It isn’t uncommon and you do not have to be alone in your infertility. Due to my own experience with secondary infertility, I began to support women as a fertility doula because no one needs to go through this alone. This post details my fertility doula services allowing you a window into what I offer and how to hire me to support you during this time.
What is a Fertility Doula?
A fertility doula is a woman’s fertility helper who:
- answers non-medical fertility questions
- encourages women while they go through the fertility tests and treatments
- helps women prepare fertility plans
- prepares mothers and fathers for experiences related to fertility treatments and tests
- attends fertility appointments to give encouragement, support, clarification, and advocacy
Fertility Doula in South Mississippi
Hire me by following the steps below or search online to find other fertility support services.
I offer fertility doula services travelling West to Diamondhead, MS, North to Wiggins, MS, and East to Ocean Springs, MS as well as providing online digital fertility doula services. We will begin with an interview to allow you the time to ask me about my services and to ascertain our compatibility. My fertility services are contracted per session or per hour depending on my clients needs.
Ask […]
Childbirth Doula – Montgomery, Alabama
In June 2016, I had the opportunity to train with Madriella Doula Network to become a certified childbirth doula. Through this training and my own birth experience, I have been able to support women in the Montgomery and Prattville area with their non-medical childbirth needs. This post will detail my childbirth doula services allowing you a window into what I offer and how to hire me for your birth!
What is a Childbirth Doula?
A childbirth doula is a woman’s birth helper who:
- answers non-medical pregnancy questions
- encourages mothers while they go through the new experiences of pregnancy
- helps mothers prepare birth plans/wishes to prepare for childbirth
- prepares mothers and fathers with practicing birth positions and pregnancy goals
- attends the birth as a mother’s support to give encouragement, massage, hip squeezes, birth position support, and more
How can I hire a Childbirth Doula in Montgomery?
You can hire me by following the steps below or you can search online to find other local doula services.
I offer childbirth doula services in Prattville, Millbrook, Boylston, and Montgomery. The first interview can be scheduled within the first trimester and future sessions can be scheduled during this meeting. My childbirth services are contracted for a three sessions, a birth plan/wishes session, a birth position and preparation session, and the final session being your birth!
Ask me about my add on services at our interview!
$800 for doula services that include […]
