Respect is a BIG deal

Respect yourself, respect your family, respect your friends, respect your world... I can remember times when I’ve been angry at my children and I HAVE lost it with them. I will not claim that I am perfect in that regard (or even close). But, over the years I have learned that if I want them to respect and do things for me, I have to first respect them and lead by example...  read more »

When is Earth Day?

Earth Day is April 22 - this year and every year. So in 2013, it is time to pay attention and be a part of the global movement towards celebrating and saving our planet from the destructive path it is on. This year and every year since 1970, we use this day to celebrate the earth but also to learn how we can do more to make a difference. It is a day to share our practices and ideals and find new ways to work together to change the path we are currently on. We look to make more sustainable choices as individuals, as corporations and as global citizens. Let this year be the year that you make a difference. Find out what Earth Day activities are going on in your town and get out to learn how you can do your part to make the world a better place for all...  read more »

Homeschooling, Unschooling And “Real” Schooling - Part 1

When my husband David and I met, I learned early on that he was homeschooled. He was smart, outgoing, socially aware. Everything I had heard homeschoolers were NOT! I knew one homeschooler that I met in high school and, while she was nice, she was certainly the picture of socially awkward. Also, shortly after we married, I went with David’s family to a homeschool convention in Richmond, Virginia. While it wasn’t as out there as I thought it would be, the kids all seemed so different to what I was used to. I was 19 years old at the time. At 19, different is, well, weird. Surely, my husband was an exception, right? He was the only “normal” (that's using that term loosely with him!) homeschooler I knew (I didn’t know his sisters too well at that point and his brothers were too young to tell just yet). As a result, I was very hesitant to embrace the idea...  read more »

We are pleased to bring you Earth's Friends exclusive interview with Farnoosh Brock, the author of the recently released The Healthy Juicer's Bible. Farnoosh is the founder of ProlificLiving.com, a website dedicated to "smart habits for rich living." The Health Juicer's Bible is Farnoosh's second juicing book. Join us as we learn why she loves juicing so much, her favorite juice recipe and more...  read more »

A learning process

I am pretty sure I have owned almost every baby wearing device (Baby wearing is strapping your baby into a carrier on your body rather than carrying them in your arms.  It leaves your hands free while still keeping your baby close and secure.) out there from an old fashioned Snugli, to a trendy Baby Bjorn, to a homemade sling.  I’ve tried them all and had minimal luck getting any of them to either fit right OR for my babies to actually like them enough to stay in them more than 5 minutes.  I think that someone who baby wears successfully needs to offer a class to teach those of us who just can’t seem to get it right to do it correctly!  FINALLY, with Isaac (my youngest), I have found a few that have worked well.  However, as soon as I find something that works, his development changes and he decides he wants something different.  Then I’m on the hunt again!  There are so many out there that it’s overwhelming and confusing, so I decided I am going to try to review the ones I have used and give my honest opinions based on fit, ease of use and, the most important aspect, how much my baby liked it!  read more »

Warmer Winter Might Be Cause for Extreme Cold & Flu

One might surmise that given the warmer temperatures we have experienced this winter season, perhaps less germs have died. If so, perhaps more germs were able to breed to create this new extreme strain of flu and cold that shows January 2013 seeing the highest rate of flu doctor visits in more than ten years. An epidemic has been declared in 44 states so far. The symptoms are far worse than in past years and the flu shots did not seem to cover the strain that is affecting most flu sufferers...  read more »

Love, Respect And Natural Parenting

Teach your children to love and respect each other and it will spread.  We need a little more love in the world today.  It starts at home.  

So, you may be asking, “How does this soap box blog entry relate to Natural Parenting?”.  I’ll tell you how, and it’s simple.  Respecting one another in the home spreads to respecting all others.  If you care about the human race, you’ll want to preserve the human race.  How do we preserve the human race?  We do that by preserving our world - which, again, starts at home...  read more »

Homemade Cleaning Products For Kids' Helping Hands

I am not a big cleaner.  My mom can tell you this has been an issue since I was a little girl.  Cleaning my room was a chore I hated.  I get the concept of if you clean up everything after you use it, it won’t take as long to clean your room (or house). I really do.  But, I had trouble putting it into practice. I still do at times.  So, as soon as my kids were big enough to help, I started trying to teach them the little things.  But here are a few quick and inexpensive homemade cleaning products you can make yourself with stuff you've probably got laying around the house already...  read more »

What Bees Are In Danger?

Even though we tend to think of bees in terms of them always being the same kind, there are several different types of bees. The bees that are primarily in danger in this case are honey bees. And while the bee fearing population might not be too concerned about the issue, the fact is that most bees are not a danger to you unless they feel that you are a danger to them. You might also think of these bees differently once you realize that their work impacts about 90% of the world’s food supply...  read more »

How Much is Too Much Television???

Did you know that the average American owns 3 televisions and many have a television in their living/family room and each bedroom?  It’s really not a wonder that obesity is such an epidemic in this country when kids watch approximately 32 hours of television per week. 

While my kids most certainly did not watch 32 hours a week and we only own one television, I was certainly starting to see some negative effects from the 6-8 hours they were watching in a week (possibly more depending on our schedule on the weekends).  So, we decided to experiment with the television, for all of us (not just the kids) and cut it out completely for a month to see how our lives were affected by TV free living...  read more »