Every teacher I talk to stresses the importance of kids keeping up with the school basics over the summer. When kids take a total break from learning for more than two months, they often lose ground by the time the new school year starts. Students need several weeks of refreshers before moving on to new, […]
Author Archives: Paula Widish
01
Jul
Jul
The Fourth of July arrives this week and with it comes the glorious summer heat. Growing up on the farm meant summers were filled with all sorts of outdoor activities that left us basking under the hot sun—things like fixing fences and unloading hay bales. Though there weren’t a whole lot of lazy days, we […]
24
Jun
Jun
I find summer to be a really relaxing time with the kids at home—nowhere in particular to be for the majority of the day until…dinnertime. This can cause some real problems and complaints from hungry kids in the backseat on the way home from a ball game (or whatever the activity was that night). The […]
17
Jun
Jun
The summer solstice arrives this weekend. Let the fun begin! But while the beginning of summer brings an abundance of lively outdoor activities, it also brings more bugs. Luckily for me, those pesky biting ones (I’m talking about you, mosquitoes) only find me moderately tasty, but they adore my hubby and two of our boys. […]
10
Jun
Jun
I grew up in a traditional home, which meant my mom was the chief cook and nutrition expert. When I look back, though, I see that I learned plenty from my dad too. Not that he ever started conversations with, “Here’s what you need to know.” Rather, he taught by example. Actions speak louder than […]
03
Jun
Jun
When I was growing up on a dairy farm in Wisconsin, “America’s Dairyland,” June was always a month I looked forward to. After all, it’s Dairy Month! A national holiday since 1937, various other states pay tribute to Dairy Month with their own events—but I’ve never seen it celebrated with such vigor and enthusiasm as […]
27
May
May
Summer vacations and loads of outdoor activities are going to be here before you know it, which means you’ve got a big decision to make. Hide in the shade the whole time or bask in the sun’s glory? Lots of us keep to the shade, no matter how much we’d rather soak up the rays. […]
20
May
May
Back in the day, I was an avid soda drinker. And I’m not talking about just once in a while. I drank my share and your share and maybe even part of your best friend’s share. Growing up, I was almost never allowed this tempting beverage, so apparently I had to make up for it […]
13
May
May
Today, I present you with a challenge: Never buy artificially flavored gelatin again! But don’t worry. I’m not just going to challenge you—I’m also going to provide you with the tools you need to succeed. Why? Because gelatin is great for your overall health, except when it includes refined sugars, acids, and artificial colorings and […]
06
May
May
I have a confession to make…I’m crazy about taking a hot bath. Even though it makes me feel guilty, I’ll frequently indulge myself with a soak. Why the guilt? Well, as a mom of three and an entrepreneur, other tasks are always calling me. Laundry to do, supper to start, a dog to walk—not to […]
22
Apr
Apr
On this day 44 years ago, we officially started celebrating Mother Earth with the first Earth Day. The thing is, she’s been teaching us lessons a lot longer than that. We’d be wise to recognize what Mother Earth has to share. Here’s a countdown of the top four lessons Mother Earth can teach us about […]
15
Apr
Apr
I’ve lost track. Are we eating eggs now, or are we still too afraid to enjoy them? It’s hard to think of another food with a reputation that’s flip-flopped as much as this poor, humble morsel’s. Another silent victim of misinformation. Unfortunately, the majority of us bought into the idea that eggs were bad for […]
08
Apr
Apr
Meditation is all the rage. But I would venture to say that if you are someone who enjoys time in the garden, you’ve been meditating all along. My own loose definition of meditation is a state of being completely aware of, and involved in, the moment—alert to every detail, no matter how small. Meditation is […]
01
Apr
Apr
Are you a fool when it comes to food labels? You’re not alone. The way the food industry twists label definitions with tricky language on food packaging makes all of us look foolish when we walk down the aisles of our local market. We make personal choices to eat natural, wholesome, and nourishing foods. But […]
25
Mar
Mar
The spring equinox has arrived! There’s something about the newness of all-things-spring that makes me want to ditch old habits that might be holding me back. I’m compelled with the overwhelming urge to do things like: Declutter our living space. Winter turns us into semi-hoarders, but something happens when I open the windows and let […]
18
Mar
Mar
My whole family loves nut butters. For breakfast, raw almond butter slathered on a piece of warm toast with melty butter underneath, gobbled up while it’s still gooey. For a snack, roasted peanut and raw sesame-seed butter smeared on crisp apple slices. For dinner, peanut butter made into a sauce over chicken, vegetables, and rice. […]
11
Mar
Mar
I would venture a guess that most of us automatically grab for a tissue and blow like crazy when we can’t breathe through our nose. I mean, breathing is pretty important to our livelihood, yes? So getting rid of whatever bothersome thing that’s stopping the free flow of air becomes a pretty high priority, and […]
04
Mar
Mar
Acting as your own self-health advocate can be a challenge, especially when you aren’t medically minded by nature. When I first realized that I needed to educate myself about health-related topics—not just for my family’s well-being, but also my own—I wasn’t even sure where to begin. As I mentioned in a previous article about being […]
25
Feb
Feb
When you live in a house full of boys, bathroom humor is common, especially if your goal is some sure-fire laughs. It’s been my experience that there’s no age limit on this particular kind of hilarity, because scatological jokes create chuckles from the young to the old. There are times when the boys get on […]
18
Feb
Feb
It’s about this time of year that I begin longing for warm days and the bounty of summer. While it’s a subtle feeling, the shorter days of winter can still get a little heavy, and it’s during this time that I find myself needing a quick energy boost to keep me going. I know I’m […]