June 10th through 17th, there’s an awesome sale happening. It’s called The Natural Mothering ebook Bundle.
35+ books and FREE bonuses — a $525 value, for only $29.97!
See full sale details, and some of the books written by experts.
Only for imperfect mothers! Get help with infant care, teaching kids to clean, quick dinners, and more!
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Each month, we have one book that is featured. This means it only costs you $5! Take advantage of this great deal to add to your collection and try some delicious new recipes!
This month’s book is Simply Summer. This summer, enjoy delicious, fresh recipes, like our favorite Mexican Pork Roast, Bacon-Wrapped Chicken with Italian Salsa (yum!), and Peach Upside Down Cake. Treat your family and friends!
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**Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links.**
Last week we had an amazingly popular Berkey giveaway! (So sorry if you missed it!)
A Berkey is a really great water filter. Just to remind you, here are some of its highlights:
We’ve had one for over three years now and wouldn’t be without it. Ours is even leaking a bit now (it’s a plastic one and my kids have knocked it over a few times…that is not typical for normal use, nor would it happen with one of the stainless steel ones) and we still use it every single day.
The giveaway was sponsored by United Environmental Water Solutions. Dan, the owner, offers a bunch of different water purification systems. One of our editors, Jill of Modern Alternative Kitchen, just bought a Pro-Pur from him. It’s a lot like a Berkey, but is better with certain types of water treatment than is a Berkey. Dan didn’t know that she works with us when they started talking, but he bent over backwards for her — she commented “Best customer service ever!” He researched what the water in her area was treated with, then called her and helped her select the right filter for her.
Okay, I’ve dragged this out enough! I know you’re dying to know who won. And that person is:
Wanita (wanitawood@…)
Congratulations! We will be in contact to get you your prize.
If you didn’t win (and we had over 3500 entries!), you can use code “mam10″ to get 10% off your purchase! Email Dan, ueswater@gmail.com, to take advantage of this deal. He’d love to help you figure out the best system for you and can answer any questions you have about clean water. I know many of you were saving up and wanting to purchase a Berkey, so hopefully this deal makes it a little easier for you to afford!
While I have you, I’m going to share one other piece of news. 
Do you wish you could get your children to eat more vegetables? How about yourself? If you grew up with peas from a can as your only veggie, you might not be so fond either! What about all those mystifying things in your CSA basket — what do you do with them?
There’s a brand-new book to answer all these questions and more! It’s called The Veggie Book, and it’s a collaboration between Debra of Sweet Kisses and Dirty Dishes, Sara Shay of Your Thriving Family, and Danielle of More Than Four Walls (all of whom have been or are contributors here!).
Learn how to shop for, store, and prepare vegetables so they are truly delicious! The book centers around 10 different vegetables and offers three to four different ways to prepare each, plus the health benefits of each. In the beginning, they also offer details on how to prepare a basic mire poix and other ways to draw the flavor out of vegetables. It’s a comprehensive book on how to cook vegetables so that your family will eat them.
Today is their launch, and it’s 50% off for the whole day with code 50VEGGIE. The book is 25% off for the rest of the week with code 25VEGGIE, so you have lots of opportunities to get a good deal — but of course, the earlier you buy, the better deal you get.
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These days, everyone’s constantly up in arms about something. Something’s going wrong, someone’s hurting someone else, this or that corporation or group or the mother down the street…they are messing us up!
One complaint that I see often is how wrong it is to “indoctrinate” our children. This is especially aimed at religious people. ”We need to leave them the freedom to believe what they want to! Stop indoctrinating your kids in that nonsense!”
That statement is utter nonsense. And said by hypocrites. We are all indoctrinating our kids, every single day.
When people say “indoctrinate,” they mean “Teaching children a system of beliefs exclusively.” Typically, they are referring to a system with which they don’t happen to agree.
That’s part of parenting. Your job is to teach your children about the world and what to believe in. It’s no different to take your kids to church three times a week than it is to take them to a political rally or a pride parade. We purposely steep our children in our lifestyle, our beliefs, everything that is important to us.
In fact, many things could be considered ‘indoctrination’ really:
…just about everything we do on a daily basis can be done many different ways. There are many ‘gray areas’ in life, and every time you tell your child your opinion on something, you are ‘indoctrinating’ them.
Some of you will argue that most of these don’t really count as indoctrination, but they do. Children, especially ones too young to go to school yet, pick up on their parents’ mannerisms, actions, belief systems, etc. just by being around them and having daily conversations with them. Every time they ask a question they get your perspective on the matter. And they believe you, unquestioningly. That is what indoctrination is.
Take, for example, this scenario:
A parent and a child are driving. A car cuts them off. The parent gets angry — “Stupid driver! That idiot shouldn’t be allowed on the road! That was dangerous!”
The child now sees that the parent believes that that sort of driving — cutting closely in front of your car — is dangerous. They also see that the parent yells and insults the driver. They are likely to repeat this behavior (insulting someone who did something they consider unacceptable) and may relate this story to others. ”Somebody went in front of my mommy’s car and she said idiot.”
We all know children say the darndest things….
While that example is fairly mundane — we’ve all become frustrated while driving and made comments about the lack of wisdom on the part of the other driver — it stands as an important point.
Children are sponges. Every single thing that you do is teaching them. And they trust you. They believe you. Their worldview is you-centered. What you tell them to believe, they will. This applies to little things, like how to handle bad drivers, and big things, like religion.
Yet, somehow, people miss this. They think that taking children to church, or praying with them daily, or reading from the Bible together is some sort of special indoctrination, that is different from any other sort.
It’s not.
Some of the same people who would yell “Indoctrination! Unfair to the children!” would cheer for those who are taking their children to a rally to support midwives, or against Monsanto. They aren’t different — in each case, you are steeping your children in your beliefs! Small children (under 4 or 5) really don’t know or have an opinion about religion, midwifery/women’s rights, or Monsanto/GMOs independently. If they say anything, it’s because they’re parroting what you have taught them.
It is absolutely impossible to avoid “indoctrinating” your kids in your own beliefs and lifestyle. And what’s more, you shouldn’t try.
If we don’t teach our children how to act and what to do, how are they supposed to know?
They learn to treat others with respect because we do it. They learn about Jesus because we talk about Him. They learn about eating healthy food because we model doing it and talk about the differences between healthy and unhealthy. (And yet people only complain about one of these!)
A good parent steeps their child in the family’s beliefs and way of life. They teach them and train them and model for them the correct behavior. And then, when they are older, encourage reflection and exploration of various ideas, philosophy, belief systems, etc.
Every person goes through developmental phases. As young children, they simply absorb the world around them, and they see everything as concrete, black and white. Your job then is to teach them what you believe, give them a framework for “handling” the world around them.
When they are older, and can think abstractly, it is your job to help them question their beliefs, to explore what others believe and why, to help them understand what is going on. They will then either accept or reject what you have taught them. The teen and young adult years are the time for this. Young childhood is not.
Please! Indoctrinate your children. Take your job as a parent seriously, and teach them what you want them to know. Teach them what you believe and why you feel so passionately about it. Share your worldview with your children — it’s your responsibility to do so.
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Why soup now? And why these ingredients?
Yes, it’s June. Where I am, it’s hot outside (it’s hit the upper 80s already). A creamy, comforting, delicious soup in this weather?
In my opinion, soup is good all the time! And it makes use of the seasonal fresh broccoli that’s being harvested. Why not add some potatoes (cheap and filling) and some chicken (a little extra protein) to create a delicious twist on an old favorite? So I did.
Bake the potatoes ahead of time; I baked mine while I was also baking breakfast muffins. When all the batches of muffins were done, so were the potatoes. You can bake them the night before while you’re making dinner and store them in the fridge. Keep the skins, too, and I’ll show you what to do with those next week!
Ingredients:
Directions:
Heat a large soup pot over medium heat. Melt the butter and add the onions.
Saute until softened. Add the flour and stir it up to form a roux.
Add the chicken stock and stir until smooth.
Add your broccoli and chicken, plus some salt, pepper, and parsley.
Allow the soup to simmer for 15 – 20 minutes, until the chicken and broccoli are completely cooked. Then add the flesh of the baked potatoes.
Reserve the skins!
Stir the soup, and add the milk. If the soup is not as thick as you want, whisk a little flour into the cold milk before adding it to thicken the soup further.
Serve the soup as soon as the potato is heated through and it is as thick as you want. Less than five minutes after adding the final ingredients! Yes, the soup comes together quickly.
Add some cooked, crumbled bacon, shredded cheddar, and/or green onions to the top of the soup. Delicious.
**this post has been entered into Simple Lives Thursday #150, Pinterest Party and Features, Thursday’s Temptation #67, Homemade by You #54, Think Tank Thursday #33, Catch a Glimpse Party, Show and Tell #29, It’s a Party #109, and Proverbs 31 Thursdays.**
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By Nina, Contributing Writer
Even though we homeschool our four little ones and do fun activities throughout the year, I still get giddy for the summertime and all of the special fun the season brings with it. Summer is a great time to do fun activities with the kids but there’s no reason it should cost a lot of money. Here are some fun, inexpensive ideas for enjoying summertime with your kids:
Any old meal can be made special just by grabbing a blanket and heading to a nice outdoor area. My kids love picnics because it usually means seeing friends or playing at a nearby playground
Bubbles don’t last long in our house because our kids love them so much. All you need to make bubbles is 1 cup of water and 1 tablespoon dish soap. Kids can use their hands or wire bent into circles to make bubbles.
My kids stay entertained for hours with sidewalk chalk. They love drawing pictures, playing hopscotch and tracing each other on the cement.
Public libraries have all sorts of fun resources. Story time. Computers. Classes. And then there are all of those wonderful books. Take advantage of the library and let your kids have fun choosing treasures to bring home.
You need a long tarp, water and some dish soap. If you can, set the tarp up on a slope and turn on your hose to get it wet. Add a few drops of dish soap for extra slipperiness and let the kids have fun sliding around.
When you go exploring, take some bags or small buckets with you to collect interesting items from nature. Those items can be used to decorate the house, create a collage on some paper or just enjoyed for their different textures.
A reader on my Facebook page gave me this idea. She said to take a few bowls of sand and add a few drops of food coloring to each one (however many colors you want). Grab some glue and construction paper or card stock. Have the kids use the glue to draw out pictures and then sprinkle the different colored sand on for beautiful pictures.
I’ll confess that I’m hesitant to do this where I live in the summer time, where rattlesnakes enjoy the warm sun as much as I do. But when we visit family members who don’t have rattlers nearby, we enjoy hiking around and exploring.
I spent hours of each day on my bike when I was a kid. I didn’t go far, but I loved feeling the warm sun on my face and making my own breeze by pedaling as fast as I could. My own kids happily do the same thing and I love to join them.
In our family, camping is done in tents, yurts or cabins and my kids love it. (And I’ve learned to pack the right things so I love it, too). They love the dirt, exploring the area, roasting marshmallows in the campfire and did I mention the dirt?
Sometimes I think my kids’ favorite part about camping is pitching a tent and sleeping in a sleeping bag. That’s why, last summer, we started camping out in our back yard. We’ve always had either a fire pit or chiminea at home so we enjoy a nice fire whenever we rough it in the yard.
I have a hard time keeping my kids out of the water, even when it’s not that warm. They love swimming and any opportunity to play in the water. Public pools tend to be more expensive (at least, they are in my area), but you could also use rivers, ponds and lakes with safe swimming areas or buy an inexpensive kiddie pool and enjoy splashing all summer long.
We’re not on the coast, but there are plenty of lakes and rivers around with beaches. Some spots are free to park at, others are state parks that cost $5, unless you have a season pass (which I recommend). Kids love splashing in the water, collecting rocks and shells on the beach and playing in the sand.
Dirt + shovels = happy kids. Our kids enjoy planting, picking and especially watering. If you can find a good way to make a game out of pulling weeds, they’ll probably enjoy that, too.
Whether you’ve planted your own garden that has veggies ready to be picked or you find a patch of wildflowers while you’re out and about, kids love to help harvest plants. Our favorite is berries, though we have a hard time making it home with any – they all end up in our very happy bellies.
This is a favorite of our kids that can be done outside or indoors on rainy days. All you need is sheets and blankets, something to drape it over and maybe some rope. Couch cushions and pillows are bonus tools.
Be it a small pond, lake or city fishing hole for kids, kiddos will enjoy casting a line and waiting for a bite. We’ve taken all of our little ones fishing and our oldest definitely has the most patience for it. Start littler kids off with just holding the pole and reeling the line in – we’ve had some near-accidents with giving them full-control of the fishing pole without adequate lessons and supervision.
It’s been awhile since I’ve tie-dyed anything, but I know I had a blast doing it as a kid. Don’t have brand-new white clothes to dye? No problem! Your kids will have a great time with whatever you use, so gather your old t-shirts, socks, or playsilks. Need a tutorial? Check out this one.
**This post has been entered into What I Learned Wednesday #59, Look What I Made! Link Party #153, Homemaking LinkUp, Encourage One Another Wednesday, Wise Woman Link Up, and Welcome Home Wednesday.**
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Motherhood is hard. We all have good days (when we might feel like “I totally got this…when is the Mother of the Year committee going to call?“) and bad days (when we might think “My kids are going to hate me and be in therapy forever…”). We have all been on both extremes.
Many of us have also wished, especially on those not-so-great days, that motherhood came with a manual. There are so many confusing decisions to make about children:
I’ll bet you’ve had at least one of those questions before!
While there’s no actual “manual” for raising kids, because every child and every parent is different, there is some help along the way.
Next week, June 10 – 17, there is going to be a bundle that is as close to a natural parenting manual as you’ll ever get! These books will answer all the questions above and more. You’ll find books by popular and well-respected authors.
If breastfeeding has been or is a struggle for you, Pinky’s expertise as an IBCLC can provide much-needed information and help. A meeting with an IBCLC in person isn’t cheap, and this book is a great starting place and excellent reference for correct breastfeeding information and for troubleshooting problems.
If you’ve struggled with infertility, the solution just may be easier than you think. Gabriela walks you through how diet can impact your fertility, and includes fertility-boosting foods to help you increase your chances of conception.
A lot of women suffer from depression — postpartum or otherwise. Amanda has been there herself, and also has professional expertise in understanding how food impacts our experiences. She walks you through key nutrients for rebuilding your body and beating depression naturally (as well as some notes on when or if you might consider medication). It’s one I have in paperback and an excellent read, especially for a mom who has a history of depression and is worried how she will cope with motherhood.
“The” guru of healing your teeth naturally is Ramiel Nagel. His book, Cure Tooth Decay, is a staple of natural dentistry. This book teaches you specifically how to heal teeth without needing to drill and fill them, and why doing it naturally is so important. Natural dentistry is an area that’s new to even experienced “natural” parents often times, and this is the go-to book on the subject.
These are just four of the 30+ resources included in the bundle. There are guides to vaccines, cloth diapering, EC, potty training, introducing solids, teaching kids to cook and clean, balance in attachment parenting, and more.
There are also resources simply for moms — cookbooks of quick and easy recipes, natural beauty, and even how to make family memories!
Speaking of natural beauty, Emily of Redeeming Beauty makes beautiful, healthy, affordable mineral make up. Her store now stocks foundation, blush, eye shadow, mascara, bronzer, nail polish, perfume, and more. These products are priced around $5 – $15 each, they do not expire (great for moms who only wear make up for special occasions), and they contain no parabens or other questionable ingredients. She makes each product herself, by hand.
The full details of this sale will be available next Monday, June 10th, when the sale officially launches.
The basics are this:
If you have struggled with wishing you had more information about these subjects, or you could benefit from a wealth of mothering resources, please consider budgeting for this and planning to purchase next week. The sale will run for 8 days and you can buy any day. Once the sale is over, though, there will be no late sales.
Please come back next week to see the full details and purchase your bundle!
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