Nutritious, Traditional Food: Homemade Baby Formula Part 1

by Meghan // December 2, 2019 // Comments off

Originally posted August 2013

I want to do a series on traditionally prepared, nutritious foods. We have started this journey, as many of you know, in an effort to heal our son’s reflux and gut issues. Below is a little background on what happened with my now 7 year old (though leaving out a lot of details, not to mention the cost comparison of medicines and formulas vs homemade).

Obviously, I am in no way a medical professional and am NOT giving you medical or health care advice. I am offering you information and what you do with it is up to you.

Mister had terrible reflux, was on Nutramigen baby formula (it is an elemental formula in which the dairy is broken down as much as possible) for dairy protein allergy, and overall his gut was a mess. I nursed and pumped as long a I could (while doing a dairy free diet myself, for his sake) but Mister refused to nurse after 6 months; I continued to pump but after a month lost my supply.

If you have read anything about traditional foods, or traditional nutrition, you have read that the “gut” is the most vital part of the body- it produces enzymes that affect every single aspect of your body functioning properly, along with so much more we have learned in the last 10 years.

From using hormones to absorbing vitamins and minerals, the condition of your gut determines your overall health. Period. (see the bottom of this article for links and resources regarding gut health)

So, here are a list of the ingredients in a can of Nutramigen:

That is a picture taken straight from a can of baby formula in my pantry. I have no idea why I still have this can. Maybe it reminds me of how far we have come in just 4 short months.

Can you pronounce any of those words easily? Do you know what many of those ingredients are?

They aren’t natural. They are not God made and nature grown.

Ingredients on a package are in order of amount found in that product. Corn syrup solids are the majority of what is makes up most general baby formulas.

Corn syrups solids are a genetically modified organism (GMO), made from corn and are basically SUGAR. A crappy, non-nutritional, HIGHLY processed chemical food product.

I can’t even call it a food, because it isn’t.

Corn syrup solids interfere with a hormone which tells your body “hey, you’re full! Stop eating!” Therefore you eat more (that’s pretty convenient for food corporations…).

Corn syrup or some form of it is found in almost anything in a package or box. It is much healthier to find a real food recipe version of your favorite boxed foods and cook them at home.

Check out this link from Dr. Mark Hyman on 5 Reasons Why High Fructose Corn Syrup Will Kill You.

None of those ingredients aid in the health of the gut, body, or absorption of nutrients. Do babies everywhere survive on that can? Yes, they do. Do they possibly have unforeseen health complications later in life? Yes.

Many of those ingredients have been linked to health problems, especially the highly processed High Fructose Corn Syrup, and vegetable oils in that can. *ick* I seriously can’t imagine making meals out of that stuff.

So, I did research. I read. I bought Nourishing Traditions Cookbook. FYI- that is a link to the cookbook on Amazon.

I love it so much I took it to Kinkos and had the covers laminated, and the binding spiral bound so I can lay it flat and it makes it easier to flip through 700 pages.

In the Nourishing Traditions cookbook, there are recipes for baby formula (it is also found on Weston A Price website). One uses raw milk or goats milk, which with a dairy protein allergy Max cannot have. *for baby #4 in 2016, I did make the goat milk formula for our baby and it worked well. We will do it again for Baby #5 if necessary

The other uses liver and bone broth. *ding ding ding*

So, I went back to searching for organic grassfed beef bones for stock and liver, and all the ingredients I needed for the formula. After I found them all, we decided to dive in and do it!

I began weaning him onto the meat-based formula the week we left for a trip in June. I made up a few batches, froze them, and took them with us. By the time we got home he was on the homemade formula full time, in addition to his solids.

No more nutrient void commercial formula.

A few chiropractor visits later, and Max is no longer on medication. His gut is healed- thanks to that bone broth and it’s mineral producing gelatin, no doubt. The chiropractor also did work on his gut, you can read about that here. (Google the importance on bone broth in your diet). **This was all pre-the big bone broth craze of paleo and keto fads. But doesn’t change the fact that it is affective.

Gosh, it really brings me to tears writing this out.

His belly is healed. He occasionally spits up, but usually only when I get his bottle too warm, or he gulps it down.

Oddly, after I started Max on the homemade formula, he became a new baby in many ways. He started napping better, was generally happier, and his development shot off.

He no longer has reflux, and there aren’t acid reflux stains on his bed sheets anymore. Even on his medicines there were smelly, acidic stains on his sheets after a nap, or first thing in the morning, from refulx.

Traditional, WHOLE foods healed my son’s gut.

Not a medicine that masks symptoms.

Hard work and healthy food.

So, what is this homemade, meat-based baby formula recipe, you may be asking?
From Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon, page 603 here it is:

3 3/4 cups homemade beef or chicken broth (recipe from page 122 or 124)
2 ounces organic liver
5 Tablespoon lactose
1 teaspoon infant probiotic
1/4 cup homemade liquid whey
1 Tablespoon organic coconut oil
1 teaspoon codliver oil (I use Green Pastures)
1 teaspoon UNrefined sunflower oil
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon acerola powder

Now, assume all those ingredients are from only the best sources and are organic. Because anything you can get from Walmart probably isn’t the best quality ingredient. **In 2019, you can actually find a lot of organic foods and ingredients in Walmart and Kroger- yay!

I found mine at: http://www.radiantlifecatalog.com/ and I get my coconut oil from http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/

I use Weston A Price Foundation as a HUGE source of information and health related articles, along with Nourishing Traditions– it is so much more than a cookbook! It is over 700 pages of wisdom, science, and traditional health information.

The point of this recipe is that all ingredients are natural, whole, raw sources of the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients a baby needs-they can be easily absorbed and the body knows what to do with them. They are not processed or found in a man made vitamin capsule. (you can overdose on synthetic vitamins, but it is much harder to do so with natural sources because your body knows how to use them and rid of excess.)

I also want to include the breakdown of the nutritional analysis done by Sally Fallon and Weston A Price Foundation of breastmilk and these homemade formulas. Obviously breast milk is BEST, provided the mother eats a nutritious diet, but some of us aren’t able to nurse or continue nursing.

This is a good alternative for my family:

Based on 36 ounces.

These nutrient comparison tables were derived from standard food nutrient tables and do not take into account the wide variation in nutrient levels that can occur in both human and animal milk, depending on diet and environment.

	Breast Milk	Cow’s Milk Formula	Goat Milk Formula	Liver-Based Formula
Calories	766	856	890	682
Protein	11.3g	18g	18g	15g
Carbohydrates	76g	79g	77g	69g
Total Fat	48g	52g	54g	36g
Saturated Fat	22g	28g	30g	16g
Mono Fat	18g	16g	16g	12g
Poly Fat	5.5g	5.6g	5.7g	5.6g
Omega-3 FA	.58g	1.3g	1.2g	1.0g
Omega-6 FA	4.4g	4.2g	4.4g	4.5g
Cholesterol	153mg	137mg	166mg	227mg
Vitamin A*	946IU	5000IU	5000IU	20,000IU
Thiamin-B1	.15mg	1.05mg	1.1mg	.19mg
Riboflavin-B2	.4mg	1.2mg	1.2mg	1.9mg
Niacin-B3	1.9mg	2.5mg	4.4mg	14.2mg
Vitamin B6	.12mg	.51mg	.60mg	.65mg
Vitamin B12	.5mcg	1.9mcg	2.8mcg	39mcg
Folate	57mcg	236mcg	284mcg	159mcg
Vitamin C	55mg	57mg	59mg	62mg
Vitamin D	480IU	450IU	525IU	460IU
Vitamin E***	9.9mg	6.2mg	4.7mg	4.9mg
Calcium	355mg	532mg	548mg	NA**
Copper	.57mg	.38mg	.58mg	1.9mg
Iron	.33mg	1.4mg	2.2mg	5.4mg
Magnesium	37.4mg	91.3mg	96.1mg	34.5mg
Manganese	.29mg	.034mg	.12mg	.24mg
Phosphorus	151mg	616mg	729mg	344mg
Potassium	560mg	949mg	1228mg	750mg
Selenium	18.8mcg	15.4mcg	18.7mcg	31.1mcg
Sodium	186mg	308mg	320mg	NA**
Zinc	1.9mg	2.8mg	2.7mg	2.5mg

* Vitamin A levels in human milk will depend on the diet of the mother. Nursing mothers eating vitamin A-rich foods such as cod liver oil will have much higher levels of vitamin A in their milk. Commercial formulas contain about 2400 IU vitamin A per 800 calories.

** Calcium and sodium values for homemade broth are not available.

*** Vitamin E values are derived from commercial vegetable oils. The vitamin E levels for homemade formulaswill be higher if good quality, expeller-expressed oils are used.

At first I was embarrassed and scared to tell people I made Mister’s formula. As in most things, when you go against the grain or do something differently that mainstream society, people think you’re a little wacky. In 2019, it can be easier for people to see the benefits of real, nutritious food for all stages of life, than it was even in 2013.

I am proud to say we worked hard, and we healed Max’s gut (and therefore damage caused by the commercial formulas and medicines we had tried). He is healthy, growing, and gaining weight better than he ever did the first half of his first year.

We are approaching his first birthday, and I am so thankful.

READ PART 2 HERE

Articles on gut health:

Horses in History with Mattie Richardson {a review}

by Meghan // November 13, 2019 // Comments off

Y’all know when there is a chance to review a book in our home, we jump on the chance. =) We have been reading the Mattie Richardson’s Horses in History Series from Author Mattie Richardson/Appaloosy Books. Formerly known as North Dakota’s Teen Author, Mattie has written a series of books your children and family will love!

Each book centers around the story of a horse (or horses) from history-of course as a mom and homeschooler, this greatly appeals to me! My history buff daughter, 9, also loved the historical aspect of the books, and how the stories were told from the horse’s perspective. Mattie has written books full of love, adventure, integrity, and strength. All characteristics we want for our children. I hold my book standards pretty high; we don’t need ugly words and harsh language to get a point across, and these books definitely held up to my standards.

The first portion of each book begins with a dedication, which sometimes offers some insight to the author’s inspiration for writing the book. Dusty’s Trail, told from the view point of a horse on the Pony Express, begins with an article about the Pony Express, first published in 1860. Next, the reader will find a section of Words and Terms You Should Know. This section is in each of the books, with a small variation. In Day and Night, Mattie has made Civil War-era Words and Terms Used in this Book section. Golden Sunrise offers a Spanish Words Used in this Book section. So each book has a great intro to the topic through a helpful guide in the beginning; my daughter often referred back to this while reading, as did I. Appaloosy gives us the Nez Perce Words and Their Meanings as a helpful glossary to better understand as we read.

The books are nicely bound, with a colorful paperback cover. Day and Night comes in at the thickest with 148 pages, Appaloosy with 125 pages, Golden Sunrise with 98 pages, and Dusty’s Trail at 66 pages (plus a few un-numbered informational pages). Some books have a few illustrations throughout, the text is appropriate for early readers (not too small), and the pages are a smooth, high quality, crisp white.

Appaloosy is about a horse who wants nothing more than to be wild and free, until he finds the love of a girl named Faith. But when he is stolen and escapes captivity, Storm must decide if he wants his freedom or to go back to Faith on her family’s farm. My 9 year old says:

Faith gives her locket necklace to take Storm home from the man who had him. She was only the 2nd person he let ride him, of all the people that had owned or ridden him. I like his decision and the way the book ended.

Golden Sunrise tells the story of Cheyenne and Jared- “Jared is a man who wants to marry Olivia; they’ve been courting for about a year. But then he has to go off to war to fight for Texas’s freedom. He rides Cheyenne throughout the war, and they are buddies. Cheyenne becomes friends with Davy Crockett, which was really funny. I won’t tell you the end, but it is sweet.”

Day and Night was my daughter’s favorite of all the books. “This book is about 2 horses, Shiloh and Tucker, they take turns having a chapter, so it can be confusing if you don’t pay attention. Tucker is the older horse and Shiloh is the younger sibling horse. Shiloh is lighter in color and smaller; he is gentle and gets very attached to people he likes. Tucker is older and brown. Neither of them wanted to fight in the war but Shiloh was stolen by a girl in the Confederacy, and Tucker got sold to the US army. You will have to read and see what they go through and if they find each other again.”

We also enjoyed using Mattie’s Enrichment Guide for Day and Night, along with the answer key. It includes: vocabulary, history, comprehension, creating your own stories, further reading, and even more! These include activities, coloring, developing character attributes for a story, biographies, geography, and the list goes on! This is definitely worth the small purchase price, and something you can integrate into your homeschool for a large range of ages.

Dusty’s Trail is about a boy, Levi who runs away with his horse, Dusty, to join the Pony Express. “When someone starts stealing the horses and killing their riders, Levi and Dusty push through more runs (I think 3?) until they find someone they can tell. Eventually Levi gets captured, Dusty gets separated from him … and you have to read the rest (haha).”

As you can see, the books were greatly enjoyed by my oldest daughter. They will be wonderful reads for my horse loving 5 year old. These books will be best understood by those 8 and up, but I think they can be read aloud to just about any age.

Mattie Richardson is clearly a talented young lady, she has more books coming out, that I know we will be reading! We have enjoyed the Horses in History Series immensely. There are countless way to use it as part of a homeschool curriculum, and they are wholesome books.

Disclaimer: Some links on this blog are affiliate links; when you use those links you help support my family, at no additional cost to you. Thank you!

Perfect Hobbies for Kids

by Meghan // September 11, 2019 // Comments off

When young children adopt new hobbies, they discover all sorts of new skills and learn some important life lessons. Through hobbies, children can find what lights them up and excites them at a young age, as opposed to doing it later on when they feel it’s ‘too late’ to do anything about it.

My husband and I are both huge hobby lovers- crafting, journaling, sewing, embroidery, painting, woodworking, gardening, leather work, and animal husbandry … the list goes on! We have enjoy distilling a love for handicrafts and hobbies in our children, and watching them grow in their skills.

Here are just a few hobbies children of all ages could test out!

Pexels – CC0 License

Reading And Writing

Reading to children is essential for language social, emotional, and cognitive development. Reading aloud to children will improve their listening and speaking skills, and they might even become good writers themselves, as it can help them to develop their own imagination. Once children have learned to read on their own, cultivating a love for reading is one of out biggest jobs! A child that loves to read loves to learn, and from there they will grow into unstoppable, teachable, curious adults. Loving to write often comes when a child enjoys reading, because they are driven to write their own stories.

Visiting Places of Interest

Traveling to visit a historical site, a history or pop up museum, a well loved author’s home, and other sites of interest can be a brilliant hobby for a child. As well as having fun and exploring, they will learn plenty from immersing themselves in culture. It gives them a base to build plenty of other hobbies on – writing, crafts, and reading, for example. Anything you can study in science, history, art and literature can be turned into a field trip, or family road trip. There is so much to experience no matter what your child loves to learn about-get out there and explore!

Building and Engineering

Children love to build- what they can build and create with blocks, legos, and Magnatiles is endless. From model bridges and giant towers, to cars and boats, they can have an incredible amount of fun building just about anything that takes their fancy. Expand their possibilities by providing a child-friendly tool kit which allows them to build whatever they like-a small hammer, screw drivers, age appropriate nails, nuts, bolts, washers, screws, zip-ties, etc can be kept in an old tool box near some scrap wood, so kids can easily create!

Painting

Painting is an excellent way for children to learn to express themselves. Open ended art-meaning, no defined assignment, no rules- allows for the most creativity. If they paint the sky green, let them have a green sky. This again goes back to helping them develop their imaginations and having confidence in their abilities. You never know – you may have the next Picasso in your family! =)

Gardening

Gardening not only helps children develop an interest in nature and stay active, but it also strengthens their immune systems. Why not give them their small plot of garden to play with and grow things? You could let them grow things inside the house if space is at a premium. A plot of land, or a potted plant, either way we are cultivating a sense of responsibility and nurturing in our kids!

Cooking & Handicrafts

Cooking is an essential skill for anybody to learn – after all, everybody needs to eat! Let them cook with you from a young age, and maybe start letting them use cooking kits when they are old enough. Children of all ages can help in the kitchen-prepping oatmeal, mixing, stirring, browning meat, poor liquids, measuring ingredients. Get them involved and enjoy your time together!

Handicrafts are anything children can do with their hands- sewing, knitting, crocheting, whittling, calligraphy, cross stitching, dyeing yard, quilting, bead work, wood working, pottery, mosaics the list goes on and on and on. We do handicrafts while listening to audiobooks, while I read aloud, or while watching an art video.

Let your children find a hobby that they enjoy and you’ll notice a vast difference in their confidence. Starting them off while they are young gives kids the chance to know what excites them and can help them find their passion in life later! Most any hobby requires a skill, and those skills can mean enjoyable work later in life.

Disclaimer: Some links on this blog are affiliate links; when you use those links you help support my family, at no additional cost to you. Thank you!

Gaining Independence and Responsibility

by Meghan // August 28, 2019 // Comments off

Gaining Independence and Responsibility

We have BIG jobs as parents; not only do we need to nurture and care for our children, it’s our job to guide them, teach them responsibility, and how to grow into productive adults later in life. One way we can do this is to teach them responsibility when they’re young through age appropriate chores, so as they grow it’s something that comes naturally to them.

Here are a few ways we nurture responsibility and work ethic in our home:

Family Pet

A pet is a fantastic way for children to learn responsibility. There’s work involved but there’s also reward- the fun times and love returned from a pet helps children to know work is worth it. Caring for animals is a great way to build a sense of responsibility and nurturing in our children for others.

A smaller pet like a rabbit is a great place to start; after acquiring a hutch, food and hay bales for them, children can then take on the responsibility of feeding the pet, playing with it, and cleaning out the pen/hutch as needed.

If your home is suitable for a dog, children can be responsible for walking, practicing training, and teaching commands, depending on the child’s age. Our kids are in charge of feeding animals, filling water pans, brushing, and changing litter/bedding on the farm (some jobs with help). Start by showing your child how to take care of the animal, and then slowly wean them onto doing the chores themself.

Assign Chores

As adults we’re aware there are things we need to get done in life- Going to work, paying bills, running errands and keeping house; we do them because we have to, not because we necessarily enjoy them. Learning from a young age that there are tasks to be done can help when children get older and have more responsibility. Assign age appropriate chores to children and make it a habit. Simple acts like making the bed, setting the table or loading/unloading the dishwasher are a few examples.

We do a lot of tidying and cleaning up in our home through out the day-maybe not the brilliant lego tower, or the perfectly arranged doll setup, but the piles of books, random toys spread around, clothing, and shoes, etc are tidied throughout our daily routine.

Let kids be kids and have fun, of course- but it’s no bad thing to get them used to life skills. In our home responsibility is part of being in a family, living well, and being good stewards of our blessings.

Teach Budgeting Skills

Finally, teaching kids about money and budgeting skills can be useful. Kids dont understand the concept of money and can find it ‘unfair’ when mom and dad say no. Understanding how money is hard earned and finite in quantity can be really useful from a young age. Let them earn allowance by doing extra chores, helping a loved one around their home, and teach them how to divide it up- savings, spending, and “bills” if necessary. They’ll quickly learn that once it’s gone it’s gone, and how saving for the things you really want can be incredibly satisfying.

Disclaimer: Some links on this blog are affiliate links; when you use those links you help support my family, at no additional cost to you. Thank you!

The Heart Changer- a mid grade novel {a review}

by Meghan // July 12, 2019 // Comments off

Our family (my oldest child in particular) enjoys learning through historical fiction; we have been reading a wonderful Biblical fiction book from Jarm Del Boccio, titled The Heart Changer.

The paperback is 116 pages, with a glossy cover and thick, bright white pages.
The Heart Changer opens with a poem, The Master Weaver, and closes with a beautiful note from the author.
The fictional details of a true account in the Bible bring meaning to what may have been happening to a young girl behind-the-scenes; her life story may seem almost insignificant at first glance, but The Heart Changer is a book that helps dive a little deeper to see God’s hand at work in this famous Old Testament story.

This is the story of a young Israelite girl and the heartache she endures, the losses she experiences, and the changes she goes through. Much like our every day lives, Mirriam has no idea that the Lord’s plans for her life far exceed the angst and tragedy she has endured thus far. Torn from her family during an attack and chosen to serve the family in charge of destroying her village, Mirriam must overcome these obstacles (and more) in order to fulfill God’s victorious plan for her life, and those she will impact.

We hear Mirriam’s dialogue as she talks to God, wonders about Him, his authority, and his will. We watch as her heart changes from almost rebellious against The All Powerful One (because He could have stopped everything bad from happening) to one of love, understanding, and faithfulness.

She comes to realize, through the people Jehovah has placed in her life, that He is A God that Sees.
He sees her, her family’s situation, and all along had a plan of redemption.

I will say, seeing some favorite people from the Old Testament emerge in this book was exciting!

What We Think and How We Used It

My almost 9 year old, third grade daughter read The Heart Changer front to back in the course of a day and couldn’t put it down! We talked about what Biblical fiction means, in relation to history, and fact vs fiction. She enjoyed comparing this fictional book to the Bible’s Old Testament book, used as the base of the story.

We also used the free Teacher’s Guide (provided on the book’s page) to open some discussion, and learn more about life surrounding the story. The what’s in a name activities were the most fun- we looked up the Biblical characters’ names, our family names, and the different names of God. We enjoyed finding where those names are found in Scripture, and how they’re used differently. The Teacher’s Guide offers other activities and recipes that can be made together.

This book is lovely, and has been a blessing to our family. It would make a perfect gift for a young (or old) person in your life-it is suitable for ages 7+, easy to follow the story line, and full of surprises.

Connect with Jarm Del Boccio:

To read more reviews of The Heart Changer from the Crew, click the banner below.

The Heart Changer {Jarm Del Boccio, Author Reviews}

Disclaimer: Some links on this blog are affiliate links; when you use those links you help support my family, at no additional cost to you. Thank you!

Signs of Goat Labor {Officially on Baby Goat Watch 2019}

by Meghan // May 16, 2019 // Comments off

To say Lucy is about to pop would be an understatement.

This beauty is due to kid on May 20th, but I’m pretty sure (first timer here, her and me!) that her ligaments are gone, which would mean baby goats in 24 hours or so.

I’ve read, I’ve researched, I’ve watched who knows how many goat birthing videos… yep. So here is a regurgitation of what I take as signs of impending labor.

Signs to watch:

Ligaments- the ligaments that go from the tail base, down towards the hind legs (pin bones) are shaped like a V. Begin feelings these ligaments in the last month before due date; once labor is close these ligaments will go from hard like a pencil, to soft, to super squishy/not there. The pic below gives a general idea of where those ligaments are. They will be firm, the size of a pencil, and go down in a V towards the sides. Once they are close to labor (24 hours do so) those are nonexistent.
Swollen vulva- typically the goats vulva will increase in size once they are pregnant. But when labor is very near it will become swollen and very puffy. Below you can see her bag has been filling up and her vulva is enlarged. My other doe Wendy is 3 weeks out and neither her bag nor her vulva are as larger as Lucy’s. The color will turn very pink.
Discharge- Typically a goat will have discharge (mucus) from her vulva very near labor become very full before labor, more full than usual. Lucy’s udder is looking very full, but first fresheners don’t typically bag up as large until after labor (they say).
The tail- this is sort of part 2 of the ligaments. Once the ligaments are gone, and her body is prepping for labor, the tail does a sort of “dip”, instead of being straight.
Does will straighten back legs, stretching and arching back. This gets the kids into position. Lucy began doing this a little on May 16, this post was started on the 15th)
Bedding down/pawing- this one is tricky. All my goats “bed down” even my whether. However, I would expect the pawing to increase as their pain increases during contractions and labor. It is a sign of discomfort.
Active labor should look something like the tail dipping down and coming straight up, as if they’re going to potty, but instead they’re pushing through contractions. Lucy is doing this, but every time it is just her pooping … She is going potty NON stop, and I wonder if goats clean themselves out before labor like other animals, and sometimes people?
I’ve read they will also chew at their sides, and look at their rears a lot during early labor. Lucy has been doing this a lot today.

Lucy has been grunting non stop, panting, and laying a lot. This could be because she’s miserably pregnant (ha, I know how you feel sweet girl) or, she’s close to labor. I supposed my next update will include what was early labor, actual labor, and just misery.

Below are some too cute pics- Wendy being jealous of Lucy getting attention, and the puppies laying with the goats. We have 4 boys left for sale as of today and they’re just all so impressive. I love watching them and learning about their behaviors.

Friday on the Farm {winter 2019}

by Meghan // February 22, 2019 // Comments off

A lot has happened this winter on the farm- we welcomed our wirehaired pointing griffon, Flossie, to the family.

Our LGDs-Yona and Huck- welcomed a litter of 11 (ELEVEN!) fat, healthy puppies. They are growing like crazy and are 2 weeks old. I just love them, and want to lay in the whelping box with 11 puppies all day … but Yona won’t let me =P

the night puppies were born, after I cleaned up our mess this was in the garage (pre remodel) because she kept wanting to have the puppies in a hole in the shop. They are now moved out to the shop and everyone is happy

We also started the remodel on our garage-it will soon be a laundry, half bath with utility sink, GIANT pantry, and maybe reading/sitting nook (the space is bigger than expected, but I’m not able to capture it well in pictures). We will gain a new master bathroom, and move our bedroom door; we’ve added a split A/C/heating unit, and we will hopefully be refinishing the stairs to the basement and opening up that area. A LOT is happening.

And, lastly, I fell on the ice February 10th and suffered (I mean, like suffered for real, y’all) from a concussion. I’m not entirely sure why movies and tv shows make concussions seem like no big deal, I expected it to be no big deal- I was SO dizzy, nauseous, and out of my element for 2 weeks; I couldn’t drive, look up, be around bright lights or noise, and I was exhausted! This weren’t as bad the day of, it was the following day that everything set in. I seriously thought it would never end and had a break down on day 8 (which is probably kinda silly).

Now that I am feeling better, I realize just how bad I truly felt… man was I cranky, too. We are all so thankful that is over!

Later this spring we should have some baby goats arrive (end of May/early June), the remodel should be done, and we are hopefully adding to the garden.

Right now, it feels like winter will never end, so I am not sure when any of the outside work/gardening will begin =(

How is the weather where you are? What are your plans for the end of winter?

Disclaimer: Some links on this blog are affiliate links; when you use those links you help support my family, at no additional cost to you. Thank you!

Self Care: Creating a Mama Morning Time Routine

by Meghan // February 16, 2019 // Comments off

Morning time can be a hard concept when you aren’t a morning person.

Growing up, I needed a good 20+ minutes to wake up before I could function, I didn’t eat breakfast willingly, and I walked around in a fog until lunch time. Haha (not really, but it took a while.)

Not much has changed, except now I have coffee, 4 children and a farm + an amazing husband. I learned after baby number 4 I have to take care of myself.

Mamas, this is the only body and mind we have. We need time, whether introverted or extroverted, to think through our day before the littles rise. We need time to talk with Jesus, read God’s Word, and pray before the world needs us.

Taking time for ourselves isn’t a luxury, it is imperative. We cannot take care of the people we love if we don’t take care of ourselves.

How to Make Time

Rise before the kids. My husband usually wakes me up before he leaves for work, around 530/6am. When he is traveling, or if he leaves very early, he texts me or I set an alarm.

When I had infants, I sometimes put my morning time on the back burner, but there were days I could squeeze it in-before the 5:30AM feeding wake up, or the quick nap from 6am to 7am before baby started his day. Some mornings are just more hectic than others, especially when there are tiny babies involved. Using the time at the end of the day for a quick devotional or mini art journal session does the trick, too. I remember the hours between baby going to sleep for the “night,” and waking for a middle of the night feed (7pm-11pm) were usually a good time for me to take “me” time before catching a quick nap.

Even today, with an 8, 6, 4, and 2 year old, we implement rest time from 1-3pm. The older 3 don’t usually nap, but the 2 year old does. I take this time to unwind just for me- I set the older 2 kids up with audio books, handicrafts, or alone time in their own space. During this time I am able to stretch, load up my water cup, have a healthy snack, and read a good book, journal, or sometimes sleep!

Getting Excited and Preparing for Success

Have your tools on hand

Keeping a tote with my favorite study Bible and a good devotional, like Help Club for Moms, gets me excited about my alone time with Jesus. In my tote I keep my Bible journaling highlighters, a few of my favorite pens for my Bible, sticky notes for marking things I want to come back to for studying, and all my favorite devotional books. (A video coming on that tote, soon!)

I love having all of my tools at hand; anything I am led to do, I can do right then and there. Whether it is copying a favorite verse to my planner for the day, reciting a special prayer from Prayers that Avail Much, doing a little art journaling, or just reading God’s Word, having it all together keeps me motivated, and accountable.

***You can use anything you have on hand for a tote-an extra book bag, backpack, basket, or old purse. There is no need to buy new things, when you probably have something on hand that will work! When you find your groove, and have worn out your repurposed tote or Bible, then treat yourself to a new one. =)

Set the coffee pot timer

Yes, this is seriously something that excites me and keeps me motivated.

Hearing the coffee pot beep right after my alarm wakes me, means I can go straight to the kitchen for a fresh cup of coffee… And you can’t lay down to drink coffee, so might as well sit up and read the Bible while you’re at it, right?! If you don’t do coffee, use the timer for a pot of hot water for making tea, hot cocoa, or whatever your favorite hot beverage may be.

Your Favorite Way to Connect with Jesus

Maybe journaling and devotionals aren’t your thing? That’s okay- there are so many ways to connect with Jesus. I keep the KLove app on my ipad and turn it on often. Worship music while reading or praying is a great way to start your day!

I also have the YouVersion app on my phone and ipad- there are so many quick daily studies for all walks of life- mamas, dads, youth, elderly, widows, parents with special circumstances-if you can think it up they have study for that topic or person. Their verse of the day may be just enough to fire you up for the day.

Podcasts are another wonderful way to take time for yourself, even when you don’t have the time or energy to sit and write/read/journal. Two of my favorite pastors to listen to on my podcasts app are: Adrian Rogers and Charles Stanley. You can also listen to them online, via those links.

I grew up with both of these pastors; being form the south there is something about those accents that make my heart sing, too. But they speak Biblical truth; that combined with their love for God and His people make listening to and studying through them very easy.

Mamas, I hope you have found something helpful here that will fire you up for self care time with Jesus.

Sometimes it is as simple writing on a scratch piece of paper the things we want to accomplish when we wake, so we don’t forget to do them! Remembering to start and stick to a new routine can sometimes be difficult-make it easier on yourself.

Look for the next post in this series, which will touch on other forms of self care!

Disclaimer: Some links on this blog are affiliate links; when you use those links you help support my family, at no additional cost to you. Thank you!

Replenishing Homemade Skin Cream Recipe {quick & easy}

by Meghan // January 23, 2019 // Comments off

In trying to avoid overuse of steroids and other interventions that can cause lasting effects (and be less effective the more we use them), I have a go-to skin cream we make at home for general wounds.

It is a salve with coconut oil, bentonite clay, comfrey oil and essentials oils-frankincense, lavender, tea tree. 5+years ago a lady in a natural group helped me make this recipe based off her husband’s recommendation, who was an herbalist. During a case of noro virus, my then 18mo son poopied in his sleep overnight, and I didn’t know it. The next morning his bottom was literally blistered and the skin was peeling. It was horrible!

After applying this cream that morning, the skin started healing and regenerating the same day. Within 2 days he was 85% better; there was new skin covering his entire bottom, no scabbing, no scarring, and even better? When applied in a thick layer it protected his bottom when he had to wear a diaper. (Mostly he laid on me for 3 days, sans diaper, but when he needed to sleep in his bed, which he preferred, or wanted to sit in the floor, he needed a diaper.)

This cream is amazing!

So when I saw my 8yo daughter’s hands this past week, covered in eczema, I knew what we needed to use.

Usually eczema can be traced to the gut-leaky gut to be exact- due to poor gut balance/health. However, in this case I believe it is atopic-too much hand washing, cold, dry air, and not enough moisturizing.

We are going to use homeopathy constitutions based on her particular eczema, and this cream, in hopes it will heal from the inside out, and stay gone for good. Steroid creams and prescriptions don’t work on the root cause of eczema, they sometimes quiet the symptoms without addressing the root cause of the illness/ailment to begin with.

Here is what you need to mix up for the cream:

1 cup organic coconut oil
.5 cup bentonite clay
2tsp of comfrey oil
10-15 drops each: frankincense oil, lavender oil, tea tree oil (I use Young Living)
Whip it up in an electric mixer for a thicker, creamier consistency. But mixing with a spatula will do, too. Store in an airtight container. That’s it!

We use this for cuts, scrapes, diaper rash, and other minor skin uh-ohs. I usually keep it in the toddler’s dresser basket, since she needs it the most! haha

I also love Young Living’s Animal Scents cream. We use this for everything, too. When we travel I throw this in my bag, and keep my homemade stuff at home. I do not sell oils from my personal stash at retail cost(plus tax and shipping), but you can sign up to receive your oils at a 24% discount, including discounted shipping, with no monthly obligation. (I do place monthly orders for our family, because I like to save my points for bigger purchases at the end of the year, but you do NOT have to do a monthly order to get the discount.)

I you have dry, cracked skin this winter, try this homemade skin cream! (and come back to let me know how it worked for you.)

30 Days to Understanding the Bible {a book review}

by Meghan // January 20, 2019 // Comments off

Bible reading, journaling, and studying are some of my favorite ways to unwind, begin my day, and end my day. This month I’ve been using 30 Days to Understanding the Bible by Max Anders. This has been a fun review; learning, studying, and refreshing what I know about the Bible really helps bring everything together when I am reading and journaling.

About the Book

Dr. Max Anders is the author of over 25 books. He has taught on the college and seminary level and is a veteran pastor. Max was also one of the original team members with Walk Thru the Bible Ministries. He provides resources and discipleship strategies at MaxAnders.com to help people grow spiritually.

His book 30 Days to Understanding the Bible, has been recommended by Bible teachers and pastors for 30 years. I found it to be a straightforward, easy-to-use guide. I really like the structure of the book; in just about 15 minutes a day I have been learning and studying about the history, context, and structure of the Bible itself.

Inside, the 385 page book you will find 7 sections:

The Story of the Old Testament, including the geography structure of the Bible, and each Old Testament book
The Story of the New Testament, including the geography structure of the Bible, and each New Testament book/era
The 10 Great Doctrines of the Bible (SO fascinating!)
Nano Summary of the Bible
How to Mast the Bible So Well That The Bible Masters You (how to study the Bible well)
Teaching Plan
Bonus Chapters-this is full of chapters that cover chunks of the Bible in depth, such as miracles, parables of Jesus, The Resurrection, prophecies, etc.

Also, there is a great appendix in the back, along with several blank pages for note taking (love that!)

The chapters are made up study notes, charts, lots of visual helps, and review studies. I found that their reviews are very similar to the classical education model, in repeating back what you have read, which is a proven helpful way to memorize and learn, then apply what you’ve memorized.

The visuals, charts, and icon images are definitely going to help visual learners! I can’t wait to hand this to my daughter; she will so enjoy the history, context, cultural break down, and studying of the Bible.

Alongside my copy of the book, I’ve been using my ESV Study Bible. This certainly isn’t necessary, but I like to make notes and highlight in my books, especially my Bibles. I was able to make many notes and reminders in my ESV study Bible of things i learned from 30 Days to Understanding the Bible.

This book will be a wonderful addition to your library or as gift for someone you love. Whether you are new to Scripture, studying as a refresher, or just wanting some history context and break down of the Bible, this is going to be a top notch resource!

Disclaimer: Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post. Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller /FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days on the same blog, you are not eligible to win. Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”

Some links on this blog are affiliate links; when you use those links you help support my family, at no additional cost to you. Thank you!