Progressive Pioneer

Homeschool Science Class

I've been really excited to share with you guys the science class we've been doing at our house.  We've had four classes so far and the kids are LOVING it!  Here's what we do.

Herb Fairies Book Club

You guys, I'm super excited about this Herb Fairies Book Club I just signed up for, but I feel so bad because the sign up period has already closed!  I found out about it just before it closed and only barely got in in time, otherwise I totally would've mentioned it on here earlier.  But it will open up again next April, so bookmark it, or pin it, or whatever, because it looks awesome! 

Remember the board game Wildcraft?  Well, the creators of that, have created a year-long book club that teaches all about healing herbs. 

Our Brief Experience With Pre-School

The plan has always been to homeschool the kids.  But recently we thought it would be fun for Sam to go to preschool, not so much for academics, but just to have a chance to run around and play with some other kids.  And let's be honest, Mom thought a little break a few times a week wouldn't be too shabby either:)  So, we visited a local preschool that we'd heard good things about.  We visited a class and spent about an hour just hanging out and observing.  Sam did circle time and even participated in show-and-tell (he had randomly brought in a leaf from outside- cute!).  He loved it and was excited to go.

But on his first day he came home crying.  This was normal, we thought, and so we talked about it and decided to see it through for at least two weeks.  He didn't cry anymore for the next week and a half, but he did tell me, quite eloquently, about what he didn't like about it and that he really wanted to do homeschool instead. I also caught him and Viv plotting how to sneak her into class with him one moring, which was very sweet. 

He finally had another sad day, after which I told him, "Next time will be the two week mark, let's do one more day and see if you feel any different."  But even after a Valentine's party, he was still positive that preschool was not for him.  On the last day I picked him up and he was smiling, I thought maybe he'd decided he loved it after all.  I said, "You look happy, did you have a good day?"  He said, "I am happy... because today's my last day!"

So, we learned a few things with this little experiment. 

• We learned that Sam is comfortable at home and prefers staying home with his mom and sister.  And that's okay; he's only four!  Though we do have some fun classes lined up (swimming, music, maybe some theater) so he'll have a chance to meet some new friends.
• I learned that I dislike not what's going on with Sam.  I'm a bit of a mama grizzly, and deep down I just wasn't all that comfortable not knowing how he was doing, if he was happy or sad, what he was learning, what he was thinking about, even if it was only for a few hours.  I know that will be the case some day, but for now, while he's little, I like to keep tabs on him:) 
• We learned about trying new things and making honest evaluations.  I was impressed with how rational Sam was throughout the process and how he really made an honest effort to like school.  He would have continued going if we had insisted, and he would have adjusted.  But there was no need.  We wanted it to be something fun for him, and when it wasn't, we decided to try something else.
• We re-learned just how much we love learning together.  This little experiment reignited our enthusiasm for homeschooling.

So, what are we doing for homeschooling?  Lots of little things, but mostly a lot of play and a tiny bit of more structured time.

• Every morning the kids get in my bed for snuggle time and Sam reads me one Bob Book and we do a few flashcards and talk about letter sounds and blends and whatnot.  Then we read a chapter from The Story of the World.  We're reading through once, then reading through a second time and using the activity book along with it. 
• While I'm making lunch Sam does a few pages of writing from this work book.  And Vivi, who wants to do everything Sam does, uses his old activity book right next to him at the table.
• We don't do much math right now, except for pattern blocks (and um, this Montessori app :) but I think we'll try Math-U-See.
• Other than that there's lots of play and Sam does fun science experiments or plays with his new snap-circuits thing or chases the dog around in a cape.

How have you decided what educational route to take with your kids?

PS Here are a few posts you might have missed:

• Simple spring arrangements
• The 14 best kitchen tools
• Winter marshmallow roasting
• A couple cook book reviews
• Pretty table settings

You can stay up to date with the latest posts (and giveaways happening soon!) and announcements HERE.  Also, since Clayton just brought home three (!!) occasional tables that are now in my living room, we're doing a bit more clearing out, so here's an $800 table for almost half the price for you locals:)

How We Homeschool

Okay, my kids are two and four, it's not exactly "school," but we do lots of learning!  And here's how we do it (PS Scroll to the end for a somewhat shocking revelation:)

Show Me a Story

I've been really excited to share this book with you.  The first night we had it I sat up reading through all the projects.  We're definitely incorporating it into this year's homeschooling routine.

Sun Catchers

From Arianne:  We're always looking for ways to bring nature exploration indoors.  I made a natural specimen set (instructions below) this week for the light table.  But then our basement flooded on one side and the sewer backed up on the other. Really.

Three Tips to Re-focus and Re-fresh

This guest post comes from Kirsten of HATCHEDit.com, created to assist the chief executive officer of every family:  MOM.

It’s here.

The long haul.

Winter Holiday Break may seem like the middle of the year, but in fact it’s more like the 10-mile marker in a marathon.  Still ahead?  16.2 more miles…which translates to approximately 735 hours of school until summer vacation.  Yikes!

My daughter always does better in the second half of the New Year when we refresh her school supplies.  Crisp new folders, fresh loose leaf paper, and new pencils may sound simplistic, but it reinvigorates her to stay organized for the foreseeable future.  Of course, for parents whether your children are educated in or out of the home, in diapers or reaching for that diploma, the job of educating a child is constant.  And sometimes we need more than just new pencils to refocus our efforts!

Sam's New Year Goal: Learn Spanish

Sam didn't exactly set his own goal for 2011, but I'd been wanting to try out that Rosetta Stone software for quite some time and we finally got it.  I noticed that Sam picked up the Spanish words in this book I was reading him (an English picture book with a few Spanish words) and I would catch him repeating them throughout the day.  I've often lamented that we don't have bilingual friends or a Spanish playgroup for him to go to or something like that because his little brain is so wired for language acquisition right now.  Our library offers a language learning course, but the style seems too "teach-y" and not enough like the way we naturally learn.  Of all the programs I checked out, I like this one the best because it seems similar to the way babies learn language.  There's no English instruction, everything is in Spanish and is very visual.  You see pictures, hear the words in Spanish, then you hear the word and pick the right picture.  As you go along you build on what you know, just the way little kids learn their native language.  The program isn't designed for little kids, but when Sam and I do it together it works really well.  You can choose what emphasis you want (grammar, vocab, speaking etc.) and I've set ours to speaking and listening for Sam.  He sits on my lap and wears the headphones with the microphone.  I can see the words on the screen and hear his headphones a bit so I operate the mouse and he repeats everything he hears; it works great. It's so interesting to watch him learn.  He started out kind of butchering the Spanish sounds that we don't use in English, but already he's smoother and learning the new sounds and rhythms of a different languge.  Sometimes we go back and do the pronunciation part again.  Our appraoch is pretty loosey-goosey and low pressure so it's fun for him.  He enjoys just sitting on my lap and and having some mama time, and I think if we do it regularly, even if it's only a few minutes at a time, that he'll really pick it up.  It's pretty exciting to watch.  I've had fun brushing up on my Spanish too.  Some day, when the kids are older, I'd love to set a goal as a family to learn a language to a certain level of proficiency and then reward ourselves with a trip somewhere we could speak the new language.

Book Review: How to Raise an Amazing Child the Montessori Way

This book has been on my to-read list for quite awhile.  When we formed our learning co-op we were originally going to have a moms' reading group to go along with it where we read books on education from various perspectives, but it never quite got off the ground.  I finally brought it home from the library and have really been enjoying it.  I so appreciate when an author can distill ideas down such that they're accessible to anyone.  This book really gives you a feel for what Montessori is all about and how you could incorporate those principles into your home. 

I got so excited once I was a chapter or two in because the philosophy really resonated with me.  Observations and ideas that Maria Montessori had about how children learn and about how best to facilitate that learning fall right in line with my own observations and inclinations about Sam.  I've definitely noticed "sensitive periods" where he's particularly open to absorbing new information; it was really interesting to read the descriptions of these various stages.  And I LOVE the ideas about creating a more child-friendly home.  I was already a fan of For Small Hands, but am even more excited about getting Sam some mini-versions of adult tools and implements now that I've read more about the reasoning behind it. 

I felt like this was a great "tip of the iceberg" book if you're interested in learning more about the Montessori method.  I got some of Maria Montessori's books to read next, now that I have a feel for the overarching ideas.  Anyone have any recommendations about other great resources to learn about Montessori?  Or other educational philosophies worth looking into?

And I Thought it Couldn't Be Done...

Every time I've attempted 100% whole wheat tortillas in the past, I've ended up with whole wheat crackers instead.  Tasty, but not exactly what I was aiming for.  These tortillas were the first thing I've made with my new sourdough starter, which I've had so much fun raising.  Is that the right term?  Brewing?  Cultivating?  It is sort of like a pet; I do have to feed it twice a day after all, so I suppose raising is an appropriate term.  Anyway, I built it up the night before and then started on my tortillas the next morning!

One thing that will take some getting used to is that you can't just whip something up when the mood strikes.  I had to build up my starter the previous day, mix the ingredients in the morning and then let it sit all day so it would be ready to cook up by dinner time.  But it was worth the wait.

The thing about whole wheat tortillas is that they make the meal so much heartier.  I usually eat several burritos when we use store bought ones, but with these just one fills me right up.  And the taste is so much more complex.  Usually I hardly notice the wrapping; when you eat a burrito, it's all about the filling.  But with these the tortilla carried its own against the tasty beans and salsa. 

But the thing that really won me over was the wrapability!  That's right, the ability to wrap.  These tortillas are actually soft and pliable, unlike others I've made that crumble or crack when you try to roll anything up in them.  They were best hot off the grill, but have even stayed quite tasty and soft after a couple days in the fridge.  I'm completely sold and so happy to have found a recipe for tortillas that's worth repeating!

After the tortillas, encouraged by the smashing success, I tried a chocolate sourdough cake. Hooray!  More culinary triumph!  I'm not one to enjoy overly sweet desserts.  Pretty much anything pre-made is too sweet for me.  This cake was perfect.  It only had 1/2 cup of sucanat in the cake and some maple syrup in the frosting.  With only a modest amount of sweetener, the other flavors were able to shine through: the nutty wheat, the tang of the sourdough, the bite of the chocolate...  Oh, and the chocolate coconut frosting!!  Yum!  It was just coconut cream, chocolate powder and maple syrup and it was so divine!  I love simple frostings like this.  Another favorite is cream cheese and honey.  There's a recipe for spice cake on the site I haven't tried yet; it just might be the perfect vehicle for some cream cheese frosting...

I'm Really Doing It!

I can't believe how excited I am about this bubbly goo on my counter.  I'm in awe that I made this, or at least created the right environment for it to grow.  I feel like some sort of mad scientist.  Somehow it's just the most exciting thing to be nurturing a colony of little friendly yeasts and bacteria.  I love how each time it's ready for its feeding (just like a real pet!) it's doubled in size and is riddled with bubbles. 

I tried making my own starter once before and I'm not sure what went wrong, but it just never took off and then I got discouraged and tossed it.  Somehow I thought it was this long, laborious process.  But this is seriously the easiest thing.  I even feel a little sheepish for my prior hesitancy.  You just do the same thing twice a day (take out half the starter and then feed it water and flour) for a few weeks until it gets nice and strong.

Being able to watch someone go through the process and explain it in detail was just the perfect thing for me though.  The previous time I read the instructions in a book.  And there's just nothing like learning from someone as they do something.  Granted, the perfect situation would be if they were right there in your kitchen, but watching a short video really is the next best thing.  I wasn't sure I would like learning in that format, but I think it really suits me.  Now I can hardly wait for it to mature enough that I can try it out on some pancakes!

Family Journal Night

Erin writes about the intersection of frugality and green living at The Green Phone Booth and The Sustainable Triangle.  She lives in Raleigh, NC with her four favorite fellows (her husband and three sons). I love this post for multiple reasons; I have stacks and stacks of journals chronically every stage of my life and have found them such a valuable resource both in sorting through issues as I encounter them and in reflecting later on, I love family traditions and this sounds like such a fun and valuable one, I also love all the inherent benefits like increased literacy, family time and sharing thoughts and feelings together, learning to stick with something etc. etc.  This reminds me that I need to bust out my journal and start recording some of the important things that have been happening around here lately!

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"Journal time!" I call to my husband and three kids.

My husband gathers up paper and pens while I gather the the boys around the table.

"What day is it?" one kid asks. "What did I do this week?" says another.

And then the quiet of concentration settles upon us as we each record the events of the week - some in drawings, some in words, some with more words than others. When everyone is done, I'll gather up the papers and store them away in a three ring binder, our family journal that the boys can flip through at will to relive the events of the past year.

This is our Sunday night ritual, a tradition my own parents started when I was little and that I revived with my family nearly a year ago. My parents did it a little differently, providing each of us with our own hardcover journal to write or draw in each week, and to this day, I love to look back at the silly drawings and simple stories from my childhood. And although my parents abandoned the journal ritual after just a few years, I had developed a personal journaling habit that I kept up into adulthood.

Why Start a Family Journal Night?

To keep a record

The year I met my husband, I wrote my journal on the computer and saved the files on a floppy disk (remember those?). Right after my husband proposed, the disk malfunctioned, and I lost the entire record of our courtship. So many times since then, I've wondered: What did I think of my husband when we first met? What did I think after our first kiss? How did I know I was in love? Even simple details like where we went on our second date have disappeared from my memory after nearly ten years.

This is not to say that you shouldn't save your journal digitally (but make sure you keep a backup copy!) Instead my point is that we forget so much so quickly when we don't write it down. And these years while my children are young - I wish I could capture every moment! I want to remember all of the cute things they said and the fun things we did, but I also want to remember what they found important and how they felt.

"What did you do this week that you want to remember?" my husband and I ask our boys every week. And how fun to see their answers!

To practice writing

In just a year, I've seen my oldest's writing develop from four or five word sentences to four or five sentence paragraphs. "What else could you write?" my husband and I ask him after each sentence. "Is there anything more you could say? What details can you add?"

My five-year-old has gone from dictating to me or his father, to asking us to spell out each and every word, to writing simple sentences on his own.

Even for me as an adult, I find value in attempting to record my thoughts in a cohesive way and to capture my voice on paper. Writing is such an important skill to acquire, and one we can continue to develop throughout our lives.

To value art and creativity

In my own childhood journal, the drawings, not the journal-writing, are definitely the real gems. I remember as teenagers my siblings and I would occasionally pull out our journals and compare scribbles and stick figures (with ridiculous labels like "Grandma doing a somersault"). My own boys labor meticulously over their drawings, and I love to see their creativity in action. And then at the end of each evening, the journal pages go into our three-ring binder, to be oohed and aahed over for years to come.

To be together

"What's that?" my oldest asks his two-year-old brother, pointing to a scribble on the page.

"Daddy's backpack," the two-year-old replies.

"What's that?" my oldest points to another scribble.

"Daddy's backpack."

"What's that?"

"Race car."

The five- and six-year-old dissolve into laughter, and I can't keep the smile off my face. These are moments that are priceless to me, moments that I want to preserve as long as I possibly can.

Cultivating Independence in Children

I love the thoughts Sara shares here about trusting our children and helping them grow into capable, confident adults.  Even though my kids are still small, I'm always thinking about the homeschooling years ahead and contemplating how best to encourage their learning and growth.  I've always been impressed with the sorts of kids that emerge from Montessori programs (and isn't that the best indicator of the success of a teaching model?) and plan on incorporating some of the ideas in our own home.

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I teach 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade at a public Montessori school in Houston. I am a Montessori teacher because I believe that if we change the way we educate children, we can change the world. I experienced one of my most memorable teaching moments of all time: I stood back while my third graders planned and executed their very own field trip.

First, they collected and developed ideas (just like we do in writing and research!) about where they wanted to go. They brainstormed lots of ideas, including going back to the Houston Arboretum or the zoo, to our pen pals' school across town, to Rice University, downtown Houston to see the "highest" and "lowest," etc. They ended up picking the latter option, and they set out to plan the entire trip. For example, they had to figured out how to get from our school to their first destination on the city bus. They also had to create an itinerary for the day, decide how much money to bring, debate between a picnic or a restaurant lunch, keep an ongoing "To Bring" list, and call the bus company to confirm the schedule.

During the field trip, they had to use a compass and a map to navigate the streets of downtown Houston, pay cashiers, ask security guards for directions, hold doors for people, and solve issues that came up along the way.

It was no small feat--for them or me. I had to stand back and let them take charge, even though it inevitably meant that the process was slower, less efficient, and more riddled with error. But it was in the slowness, the inefficiency, and the errors that the real learning took place. That's when the children really activated their critical thinking, made predictions, tested out ideas, demonstrated persistence, and collaborated with each other.

We missed the first bus, headed the wrong direction on McKinney street, and couldn't find the Smoothie King for our afternoon snack. But they had more fun on a field trip than they have ever had before. Because they planned it. Because they got their hands dirty in the creation and execution processes.
As teachers and parents in a fast-paced, drive-through society obsessed with the product at the expense of the process, it is so easy to do everything for children. It's faster. It's cleaner. It's more efficient. We've got things to do and places to go.

But, as Maria Montessori said so long ago, our children need to do for themselves. That's how they learn. That's also how they build true self-esteem-- the kind of self-esteem that stays rooted in storms, not the kind of "Oh, you're so smart/pretty/amazing!" self-esteem that blows over as soon as someone expresses a contradictory opinion of them.

It's challenging, but it's possible. It takes time, mindfulness, and a commitment to truly cultivate independence in our children. But it can be done. It has to be done.

Learning Co-op

Some girlfriends and I have started a weekly learning co-op for our two and three year olds.  So far I'm loving it, and so are the kiddos.  The moms take turns teaching and being the support mom (we discovered that two moms worked best), so we end up teaching about once a month. 

We try to structure it loosely so the kids know what to expect and so there's some continuity.  Each month we pick a theme (last month's was nature, this month's is cultures) and use that to dictate what we teach.  The kids bring a little pillow to sit on and we start each class in a circle, singing a welcome song and reading a story or two.  Then, while their attention spans are still somewhat intact we do a craft and from there it just kind of goes how it goes.  We do songs and games, have a snack about halfway through, have some unstructured outdoor time and then the moms come to gather everyone up. 

The kids really look forward to it and it's been a great way to get them together for a little socialization and learning about how to be in a group.  And it's fun to see that they are learning too; I hear them singing songs they've learned at co-op, or relating random facts about bugs or gardens.  In the picture above Sam is displaying his sun catcher from a class on weather.  And in the picture below the kids are decorating dragonfly wings for their class on bugs.

I love co-ops in all forms; it's such a brilliant way to maximize your resources and build community.  I especially love the idea of utilizing other moms to help teach my kids, especially as I plan on home schooling, I think this will be a great way to not burn out and to fill in areas where I'm weaker.  Plus, having a little mid-week break where I can run errands kid-free is a nice perk too.

Swap Tree (or How to Score Free Books)

I'm so in love with this new website my girlfriend recommended.  You input all the titles of books you own, but would be happy to trade, and then create a wish list of all the books you'd like and the computer gets to work matching you up with people to trade books with!  We've been getting a steady stream of new books in the mail ever since I signed up; Sam thinks it's his birthday every day! There's something so satisfying about connecting with other people for a mutually beneficial endeavor.  I somehow feel like I'm pulling one over on life, getting great stuff for free.  I once attended this really fabulous conference on teaching economics and they did a wonderful activity that demonstrated how free trade increases wealth, which can be a hard concept to grasp since the amount of actual stuff doesn't change, only its value changes (am I boring you?  Sorry, I think economics is really fascinating!).  I just keep thinking about that principle when I'm trading books I don't really value for books that have a lot of value to me and then, all of a sudden, we're all richer!  I own more goodies that are worth more to me, and so does the person who got my books.  It's brilliant! And if grooving on economic principles in action doesn't turn you on, how about just getting random surprises in the mail?  Everyone loves getting treats in the mail.  I've gotten a few books for myself and quite a few picture books for Sam.  There are a few books that I repeatedly check out of the library, but have been too stingy to just go out and buy, but I've been able to get them on Swap Tree.  Check it out; I think you'll love it!

Who Else is Stoked About this Movie?!

Is anyone else really excited about the Babies movie opening this weekend?  I may be geeking out a bit because I was an anthropology major in college and happen to be six months pregnant at the moment.  But I can't think of a movie I'd want to see more than this one!

This is what I loved about anthropology; life on the micro-level, learning how people live their day-to-day to lives, how they cook, their relationships etc.  How we raise babies is such an integral part of who we are as individuals and who we are as a larger society.  My sister-in-laws and I are having a little girls' afternoon out tomorrow to catch the movie.  I think I'll make kettle corn...

PS I had a professor in college that lived with the Himba (the African people in the movie) and wrote a wonderful book about it.  It's enjoyable even if you're not a anthro geek like me:)  

PPS Sam LOVES watching the trailer on my computer.  He asks to watch "the baby movie" all the time. I might have to get the DVD when it comes out...

Making Your Own Herbal Remedies

Last weekend I went to this wonderful class (from the same woman that did Herbs 101 and is organizing the Holistic Living Conference) about how to make your own herbal remedies.  It was so empowering to learn about doing something that I've previously relied on other people to do for me.  I'll use single herbs here and there, and certainly essential oils.  But I've never gone full out and made my own salves or tinctures.  It just seemed a bit too involved and overwhelming.  But watching the teacher demonstrate as she talked about the process, it just seemed so doable! 

She first demonstrated making a salve.  She used a Dr. Christopher (a Utah herbalist that practiced in the 50s) formula called Bone, Flesh and Cartilage that's for all sorts of problems with any of those things; sprains, burns, breaks, rashes, bruises etc.  She'd had the combination of herbs soaking in olive oil for two weeks.  Then she just strained it, squeezing out the extra oil, and mixed it with some beeswax in a crock pot and poured it into cute little tubs.  She added a few drops of lavender essential oil at the end too.  So easy though, right?  She sent us each home with a little jar of the BF&C salve, which I've been using on a  scar on Sam's hand (he got a chemical burn from a faulty IV at the hospital and still has quite the scar).  But as soon as it's gone I think I'll try my hand at mixing some up myself!

She also showed us how to make tinctures and encapsulate dried herbs.  Encapsulation was also amazingly simple, so much so that you wonder why you would ever buy herbal supplements when it's so easy and cheap to make them yourself and you can know exactly what goes into them.  You basically just have this little box with the capsules in it, pack in the powdered herbs, snap on the top and then pop out your perfect little herb pills- genius!  And making tinctures was about the same as making a salve, except that you soak the herbs in glycerin, alcohol or vinegar for two weeks instead of olive oil, then strain it and put it in little dropper jars.  She sent us home with a blend of herbs designed to balance your hormones, perfect for the pregnant mama!  I'd totally recommend taking her classes (they're free!) if you're local, or finding someone to teach you if you're not.  You could also just get some books at the library if you learn well that way.  I just love seeing someone demonstrate, it's so easy for me to absorb the information that way.  Keep your eyes out for some homemade remedies showing up here in the next few months as I try my hand at my own lotions and potions!

Why I'm Excited to Home School

I must admit, I LOVE learning!  I'll learn about anything; dinosaurs, black holes, crochet patterns, mating habits of moths, grammar, the science behind rising bread dough- anything!  So, I'm extra excited to home school Sam and help feed that insatiable curiosity that I know he has as well.  He's finally getting old enough that the things he's interested in are interesting to me as well.  We love visiting the natural history museum, where he keeps me busy with a constant stream of "What's that?  What are those?  What's this?"

It rekindles my own curiosity and enthusiasm to be around someone who's so excited about learning about the world around him.  I love this post about home schooling; it gets me so excited about all the wonderful things we can learn and create together with no limits on how, where or what we learn.
Sam has recently discovered a love of bugs.  He will run up to me with a hapless beetle clutched between his tiny fingers shouting, "a Box Elder Beetle!"  I love that he knows what that is and is so thrilled to examine it, ask questions and learn all about it.  He is a fearless explorer and an absolute sponge for knowledge about his latest interests.  I picked up a cheap field guide to insects and it's his new favorite book (he's reading it to piggy in the picture below).  He can name so many of the bugs now and I've learned a ton too!  I now know how to tell the difference between a dragonfly and a damselfly (it's in the wings), and between crickets and grasshoppers (it's in the antennae) and have been introduced to a whole world of fascinating and beautiful (okay, and some gross) bugs that I didn't even know existed!  Thank goodness for curious little ones that remind me to be curious too.

LDS Holistic Living

I'm so excited about this conference coming up in June!  Remember the great Herbs 101 class I went to?  The woman who taught the class is the mastermind behind the conference and it promises to be amazing and inspiring.  The mission of the conference is "to help all people draw closer to Christ by discovering His hidden treasures of knowledge for the health and healing of the mind, body and spirit."  I absolutely love thinking about how our bodies are designed to be healthy, how we are built to be happy and how the paths to those things are often the simplest routes; so inspiring!

There are six hour-long sessions throughout the day where you can choose from a whole range of lectures and classes to attend.  There's also time for a lunch break and time to peruse all the vendors that will be there.  Here's what I think I'll be taking (it's so hard to choose, though!):

Pain Relief without Medication

Pain is almost always a sign of inflammation, which is the body’s primary response to tissue damage.  In this class, I’ll cover what happens when tissues get injured and how inflammation can be rapidly reversed.  I’ll demonstrate basic techniques for completely relieving pain in minor injuries in 5 to 20 minutes.  I’ll also talk about how to apply these same principles to ease chronic aches and pains.  

Sweet is the Work: Peaceful Mothering in a Chaotic World. 

Sharing the triumphs and errors in mothering that have taught valuable lessons.  Simple ideas to incorporate into our lives to strengthen ourselves and our families and bring more harmony to our hearts and homes.

The Miracle of Birth

God has designed families. A mother’s purpose is divinely given. Inspiration is available to guide us. Pregnancy and labor are natural, normal processes with both physical and spiritual benefits. You can have a natural birth—I’ll share tips on how to prepare. 

The Top 10 Essential Oils and How to Use Them:
Learn easy ways to incorporate oils into your daily routine and heal your family.  Jonelle will be sharing her favorite top 10 oils, their uses, how to use them and make simple blends.  Jonelle likes to call the oils her “friends”. They are always there to help and make things better. How oils affect the body and emotions simultaneously, and make a difference daily. Bring your nose for smelling and sampling!

Pass the Sugar, Please!

On average each American eats 30lbs of sugar per year. Come learn how to eat sweet healthily. Discover alternative sweeteners found in nature. Learn the facts about High Fructose Corn Syrup and processed sugars. Balance your palate to make naturally sweet foods sweeter. Over 100 recipes have been gathered and will be shared, including Green Drinks and naturally sweetened treats!  GREAT class for diabetics.

You can read about the various speakers and what they'll be teaching here (scroll down) and more details on the conference blog.  If you'll be in Utah this coming June I hope to see you there!!

Legume Art for Littles

Some days I'm looking for anything, anything at all, to keep Sam busy.  Luckily he's really quite good at focusing on one thing and actually has a pretty great attention span for an almost-two year old.  So, with a little creativity, I can usually find something that will entertain him for maybe a solid twenty minutes.  That's like a whole hour in mom time!

He really like tiny things, and things with lots of pieces, so he was thrilled when I dumped a bunch of beans and lentils in various lids and let him glue them onto paper.  Turns out he wasn't so good at squeezing the glue out, it takes some serious hand strength.  So, I squiggled glue all over the paper and let him go at it with the beans.  He was so meticulous and concentrated.  I love seeing him experience new things, and the dedication and focus that he gives projects.

Even though the point was to give me a few minutes peace while he worked on a project, the piles of beans and adorable little guy were too appealing to walk away from.  So, I stayed and watched him create his art, bean by bean, even adding a few of my own.  I love that he's getting old enough for projects I enjoy as well.  Not that I'd make bean art myself, given a block of free time, but it's still fun to get down on my knees next to him and share in the creative process.

Artsy Thrift Store Treasure

 

Sometimes the thrifting gods are just on your side.  I was complaining to Clay that I wanted to get Sam an easel, but I couldn't find any solid wooden ones for less than $60.  "I think I saw one at D.I." he said.  So, we hurried over there, and lo and behold, it was still there!  That, in and of itself, was a miracle of a semi-religious nature.  The thrifting golden rule is "Buy it When You See it!"  But it was still there a couple days later and we happily snatched it up.

With a little soap and water I was able to removed the old paint and marker stains and get it looking brand new.  Of course, Sam quickly decorated it with his own marker and paint splotches.  But, I like the looks of his much better than the other ones.  It's a really sturdy one, the kind you'd find in a school, that can stand up to lots of wear and tear.  I was so thrilled to find it!

Sam has been equally enthusiastic about using it several times a day.  It thrills me to see him exploring color and texture, layering paint, trying new brush techniques, rejoicing at the cacophony of color he creates and telling me elaborate stories about what he's painting. The painting above is of a hippo splashing in the water; do you see it?

Naturally, we think Sam is quite gifted; we ooh and aah over each brush stroke and each completed masterpiece.  But I'm already wondering, where will I put all these precious masterpieces... ?

10 Things to Avoid in Beauty Products

When I went to that great Herbs 101 class, the teacher also handed out a list of the super-bad personal care villains, the stuff you really want to avoid.  I don't think she'd mind me sharing, so here's the list (I've linked each to more in-depth information).  You can skip to the bottom for a list of healthy alternatives.

DEA, MEA, TEA: These can cause allergic reactions, irritate eyes, dry hair and skin and they're a liver and kidney carcinogen. 

Petrolatum (aka mineral oil, vaseline, paraffinum, liquidum and baby oil): Causes photosensitivity, strips the natural oils from your body and hair, causes premature aging, causes acne and prevents the elimination of toxins from the body.

Imidazolidinyl urea and DMDM hydantoin: preservatives that can cause joint pain, allergies, depression, headaches, chest pain, chronic fatigue, dizziness, insomnia and asthma.  They also weaken the immune system and are carcinogenic.  You'll find them in body and hair care products, antiperspirants and nail polish.Alcohol or isopropyl: This is a denaturant, meaning it alters the structure of other chemicals.  It causes nausea, vomiting, headaches, flushing, depression, dries skin and hair, creates cracks and fissures in the skin and encourages bacterial growth. 

Sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS): This is found in shampoos, conditioners, toothpaste, and body washes.  It's a detergent that causes eye irritation and can cause permanent damage to the eyes, skin rashes, hair loss, flaking mouth and mouth ulcers.  In combination with other ingredients it can form nitrosamines, which are carcinogenic.  It easily penetrates the skin and can lodge itself in the heart, lungs, liver and brain.

Padimate-O (aka octyl dimethyl, PABA): This is found mostly in sunscreens and is a nitrosamine-forming agent.

Methyl, propyl, butyl and ethyl paraben: This is used to extend product shelf life and inhibit microbial growth.  It's highly toxic.  It can cause rashes and other allergic reaction and is also a gender bender- yikes!  It's highly estrogenic.

Synthetic colors: Coal tar dyes are generally labeled as FDC7 or D4C followed by a number.  They are very carcinogenic!

Talc: It's found in baby powders, face powders, and body powders, as well as on some contraceptives such as condoms.  It is a known carcinogen and a major source of ovarian cancer when used in the genital area.  It can also lodge in the lungs, causing respiratory disorders.

Fragrance: These are usually petroleum-based. They can cause headaches, dizziness,rashes, respiratory problems, vomiting, skin irritations and multiple chemical sensitivity.

Okay, whew!  That was a lot of scary stuff. But don't despair, there are good products out there!  Here are a few sources for products without all that yucky stuff.  Once you get used to reading labels and find a few brands you can trust, it's not nearly so overwhelming to steer clear of the bad stuff.

Aubrey Organics for hair and body care.

Baby Bear Shop for baby and mama products.

LuSa Organics for clean, delicious-smelling soaps.

Vegan (casein-free) condoms (not sure if they have talc or not, but I think Durex doesn't.)

Dr. Bronner

Acquarella nail polish

Badger Balm for healthy sunscreen

Toothpastes to try: Solay, Herbal Choice, Miessence, Peelu

The Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database is a great resource to dig a little deeper and to find safe products, as is Safe Cosmetics.

Call for Birth Stories

I've really been wanting to create a space to share positive, empowering birth stories.  Birth is such a transformational, magical experience that deserves to be celebrated.  So often it's the negative ones that we hear the most.  I don't know what it is about human nature, but we seem more eager to share the heartrending or traumatic, than the simple, peaceful and natural.  But, as women, I think we need to be better about sharing positive stories so that we can create a culture of positivity and optimism about birth.  Of course, I'm coming at this from a slightly selfish view; I'm looking for all the positive birth associations I can to feed into my psyche in preparation for the big day in July!  So, I'm asking all of you to share your positive stories of natural birth.  If you know other women who have uplifting stories to tell, please ask them to share as well.  I'd like to post a story once a week until this summer, a small step toward recreating our cultural image of birth into something more natural, more healthy, more joyous and more empowered.  You can email the stories to me at progressivepioneer@gmail.com.  Here's what I'm looking for:

• Positive experiences only, please.  For example, I tend not to share the scary details of Sam's birth with other women (especially expectant mothers!), only the emotional/spiritual aspect of it.  While acknowledging and appreciating that there are situations that call for medical intervention (my first birth being one), I'd like to keep this a forum that showcases natural births.
• Four paragraphs or less.
• The who, what, when and where (ex: you, your husband and midwife at home with a birthing pool, slow walks around and around your yard on an August summer night etc. etc.)
• Techniques that helped you (visualization, birthing ball, vocalizing, massage, water etc.)
• How you felt!
• Meeting the new little one.

Of course, each person's story will be special and unique, so share what makes your story special.  I hope to hear from a lot of you!  I really appreciate when women take the time to encourage and support each other.  And I think it's so important to tell our stories, both for the exercise of listening and of being heard.  It's important to be heard, to share and to listen. 

Herbs 101

I went to a fantastic class on using herbs for health this past weekend.  The class was free (though you could pay extra if you wanted some materials) because the woman teaching it is all about empowering moms to care for their families naturally.  I really do feel so empowered when I learn about simple things I can do to keep us healthy.  I feel like there can often be a lot of fear in our culture about taking your health into your own hands, but who else knows your body better than you?  Or understands the subtleties of your children's health better than their own mama?

She talked about whole health (the mind, body spirit connection), the benefits of herbs and how to incorporate them into your regular health care.  She gave us a whole list of "substitutions" for common over the counter medications, things she uses in place of pain killers, cough syrups, allergy meds etc.  I can't wait to start growing more medicinal herbs this summer.  I get so excited about this kind of stuff!  And I love thinking about how our bodies and the natural world are designed so brilliantly and work together so well.

There's a class at the end of the month about making herbal remedies.  The class is free, but you can purchase all kinds of fun stuff like salve kits, encapsulation machines, tincture supplies etc.  I'm can't wait!  Maybe I'll see you there:)

All images from Mountain Rose Herbs, a great source for all sorts of raw ingredients.

 

Book Review: The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth

For understandable reasons, pregnancy and birth have been on my mind lately.  Somehow it seems like when you're pregnant, the whole world is pregnant; preggie ladies just come out of the woodwork!  At playgroup yesterday much of the conversation revolved around pregnancy and birth stories, most of them less than delightful.  The thing that strikes me about so many women's stories is the trust they put in one paradigm and how control of their birth quickly slips out their hands leaving them feeling powerless, frustrated and often wishing their birth had been somehow different.  I feel so defensive of these woman, upset that they didn't get the birth that they had hoped for, and sad that their trust was somehow violated.  And I get frustrated with a system that works great for emergencies, but more often than not ends up intervening when mother nature and the birthing woman should simply be allowed to do their thing. 

I think the answer lies in educating ourselves.  When a profit stands to be made from unnecessary interventions (keep in mind that I'm not talking about necessary interventions here!), we will be hard pressed to find advocates within the medical model for natural births.  However, by learning what constitutes a normal birth and safe, normal birthing conditions we can arm ourselves with the knowledge necessary to have the sort of birth we want!

I love this book because it gives you every angle, every argument for the various ways there are to birth.  It puts all the information at your fingertips and puts you in the driver's seat.  You can decide for yourself if a certain risk is high enough to warrant the inherent risks of interventions and treatments that some claim are necessary.  You get to make the choice because you are educated and it is, after all, your birth and your body.  I love feeling empowered and I love seeing other women empowered by knowledge; it's so exciting and liberating!  The Thinking Woman's Guide is just the book to help women calmly make decisions that are best for themselves and their babies.  And this is no hippie tome ignorant of current medical trends; it's got all the latest information on medical procedures, what they're about, why you might need them etc.  It looks objectively at both sides of the coin and gives you the information you needs to make the best choice for you.  I love it!